IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Okay, a few things. FIrst of all, this is actually where you're going to see a few of the first real changes that was mentioned last time.

The first one being: Tomura.

I've tweaked and changed his personality, and how he handles business. So, if you like Angry Gamer Moment Tomura, he's still sorta there if you squint. But, otherwise, he's been altered.

The other changes are more like foreshadowing, but I won't reveal any more. Now, the second thing is only for a specific group of you.

While there is NOT a sex scene, things do get heated during a section. There is also a discussion about boundaries, and when our couple will be ready for certain intimate events, because I refuse to not write healthy romance. I know I've made author's notes about this topic before, but I just thought I should say it. I love these two, and I love writing their relationship and characters growing every step of the way.

…~AIV~...

"Izuku, I'm sorry, but this is really bad."

Izuku chuckled, resting his cheek on top of Kyouka's head as they rested against the headboard of her bed. They decided to watch a movie on the TV across from Kyouka's bed, to "give our lips a break" as Kyouka put it.

Which, he had to agree. Kyouka was deadly serious about using the week they had. His lips were still kind of sore. And he couldn't help but get flustered at the thought of how much Kyouka allowed his hands to roam.

Not anywhere serious, it was a continuation of a couple nights back at the beach. But, access was access, and Izuku was and always would be eternally grateful as his previous life predictions continued to be proven wrong.

"I never said it was good. What did you expect from a title like 'All Might: Freezer's Revenge'?"

"I expected All Might to be a better actor after lying his ass off about his quirk for thirty years."

"There's a reason why they stopped making these," Izuku laughed, looking over at the clock. "It's past midnight, and you're barely keeping your eyes open."

"Mmm, you're just so warm," Kyouka mumbled, nuzzling into him.

Turning off the TV, Izuku moved the blankets further over them, "It's supposed to get a little warm tonight. Would it be okay if I sleep without my shir-?"

"YES!" Kyouka cut him off, both faltering at her sudden outburst, "Uh, I mean…You know what? No, I'm not taking that back. Get that thing off of you this instant. In fact, you're not allowed to sleep in my bed unless your shirt is off."

"I-I-..." Izuku cleared his throat, a deep blush warming his cheeks, "Yes, ma'am."

Izuku shed his shirt, tossing it over with the rest of his luggage. He turned back to Kyouka, his eyebrows raising as her eyesight lingered on his torso. "...Kyouka?"

"Hm?" Kyouka's eyes darted up, away from Izuku's abdomen, "Oh! Sorry, it's just that…God-damn it, you're sexy."

"K-Kyouka!"

"What?! It's true!"

"Wh-?! I-?! You…Just go to sleep."

"Yes, sir!" Kyouka saluted, burrowing into Izuku's side and wrapping her arms around him. Her jack extended out, turning off the lamp on the bedside table. She kissed his collarbone, mumbling against his skin, "Goodnight. Love you."

Izuku's heart fluttered, "Okay, gonna have to get used to that."

"Good thing?"

"Very, very good thing." Izuku kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes. "I love you, too."

Izuku hoped sleep would come easy. It had been eluding him the nights leading up to their vacation. He just couldn't help but feel nervous. He knew this was supposed to be the start of a week of peace. Hell, a month of peace. He had no reason to believe anything would go wrong. But, still…

Something in Izuku's mind was telling him the League was doing anything, but resting.

…~AIV~...

(Kamino Ward: Unknown Dive Bar)

"...You're fired."

Giran chuckled, putting his cigarette out in the ashtray next to him, "First of all, you don't make that call. Second, you haven't even given these two a chance."

Tomura grumbled, dismissively gesturing towards the two new recruits that were brought in by their associate, "You brought me a schoolgirl and a burn victim. When we asked for new recruits, we didn't expect you to start at the bottom of the barrel."

"Tomura…" Kurogiri chided him, "Give them a chance. They're the first to show up, so at least humor them with an interview. And we both know tha-"

"We can't afford to turn anyone down. Yeah, I know." Tomura cracked his neck, turning his barstool to look at the new (potential) recruits, "So, what're your deals?"

The "Burn Victim" known as Dabi raised a brow, "Our deals?"

"Your issues and shit. What you want and why you're here."

"Doesn't sound like you care, to be honest with you."

"Because I don't. At least, not yet. Tell me what they are, and maybe I'll suddenly be captivated by your touching sob stories and bring you under our roof, giving you what you need to run free and cause mayhem."

Dabi squinted at him, suspicions in his eyes, "... You're the guy who worked with the Hero Killer?"

"You saw the news, didn't you."

"That wasn't a yes."

Tomura held back a grumble, already tired of the Hero Killer talk. But, if that prick got him new weapons to point and release onto the world, who was he to complain? "It was a short partnership. We didn't exactly plan his arrest, but what're you gonna do?"

Dabi eyed him suspiciously, but continued, "And you plan to continue his ideals, even after his arrest?"

"I thought I was the one who was supposed to be interviewing you?"

"You didn't answer my question?"

"Fine, yes. Now, no more. You're the one who wants to join up with me."

"Us," Kurogiri added.

Tomura sighed, "Yes, us. Now, names. You first, Char-broil."

"Fuck you, man."

"Good start."

Dabi scowled, taking a deep breath to calm himself, "...I go by Dabi."

"Real name, or fake name?"

"Does it matter?"

Tomura shrugged, "Guess not. What about you, Brat?"

"I'm Himiko Toga!" The blonde bounced, "I wanna kill Mr. Stainy!"

Tomura and Kurogiri looked at one another before looking back at Toga, "...What?"

"I wanna kill him! Then I'll become him!" Himiko repeated with a smile.

"..." Tomura turned back to Giran, "You're fired."

"Oh, come on! Let the girl explain! This chick's wild! Multiple murders from bloodletting, completely off the radar."

Tomura scoffed, almost impressed, "A bunch of murders and completely unknown?"

Giran shifted his eyes, "Eh, well…Okay, she's a Person Of Interest in every single case."

"You're fired."

"But the media has kept her name off the record!" Giran quickly recovered, "They can't pin shit on her, nor have they been able to find her. C'mon, Toga, help me here."

"Life is too hard," Himiko smiled, "I wanna make a world that's easier to live in, where I can be me!"

"You're definitely a freak, but…" Tomura looked over at Kurogiri, watching his ally shrug his shoulders. He looked back to Toga, "A world that's easier to live in. A world where you can be you. Which involves killing heroes, I presume?"

"Of course. Lots of them make it harder for people like me."

"Hm…I think we can work with that."

"Really?" Dabi interrupted, disbelief clear on his face, "You're gonna let this nutjob in, when she says she wants to kill the guy whose ideals she follows?"

Tomura shrugged, "She's given me more of a reason than you have. Besides, she's not getting anywhere near Stain."

"...You wanna kill fakes?" Dabi peered at Tomura, his voice low, "I heard about your attack at UA. Who was there? Who'd you wanna kill? Rumor has it, you were there for All Might. The one hero that Stain says is a true hero."

Tomura began frantically tapping his finger against the bar, his breath quickening. The hand on his face was suddenly beginning to irritate him. Kurogiri stood at alert, readying his portals to stop any conflict. Giran took a couple steps back, really wishing he had grabbed his check when he walked through the door. Tomura suddenly stood up, his bar stool screeching against the floor. He looked over at Dabi, and slowly began walking forward.

"I wanted to make a statement, show off. It's what villains do, right? But, I failed. Then I met Stain, and he showed me a whole new way. However, he's gone. I don't know how he did what he did, nor do I have the kind of time to go after heroes one after another. I got bigger things in mind. If you want to do what Stain did, to the letter, then we can give you the means to do so. Frankly, I don't give a single shit what you get up to in your spare time. But, we have plans, and you gotta follow 'em if you join us. Just like the freak over there said, if you wanna live in a world where you can do whatever you gotta do, then we can help. I can see it in your eyes, you got a target. There's a specific someone in mind that you wanna kill. In due time, we can get you there, but only if you join. Especially since, and let's be real here, you're here for help because you can't get to the person you want. You in, or what?"

Dabi stood face-to-face with Tomura, keeping a stoic expression. "Suddenly you want me to join?"

"It's impossible to lie about the fact that we're low in numbers. It's all just a matter of how desperate each of us are. Are. You. In?"

"...Where do I stay?"

Tomura smiled underneath his hand, "Bar's connected to an old apartment building. Pick any room. You too, freak. Giran will arrange getting your things, or new things if you don't have any. The water works, too, by the way. You both smell like blood and shit."

"Yay!" Himiko cheered, racing out of the room.

Dabi scoffed, walking past Tomura, "Pot meet kettle."

Soon, they were both out of sight. Giran got his money, satisfied that he still had a job, and took his leave as well. The TV behind Tomura suddenly came to life, static buzzing across the screen.

"Hmhmhm, well done, Young Tomura. It seems my business speeches didn't fall on deaf ears. A bit cold, and rude. But, we must remember the ilk we're dealing with here. That's basically their second language."

Tomura sat back down at the bar, taking off the hand on his face and rubbing his eyes, "He doesn't trust me. He won't be the last. All this Hero Killer shit. What's gonna happen when they learn he wasn't with us? It won't be forever."

"Then we'll handle it. Or, you'll have gained their trust by then to where it won't matter. We can fulfill their requests in due time. What kind of men would we be if we didn't keep our word?"

"Even worse men than we already are." Tomura picked up his hand, moving towards the back door. "We'll get it done. Kurogiri, send up some water to my room, if you would."

"Get some rest, Young Tomura. I'm afraid we'll be quite busy this summer."

…~AIV~...

( One Day Later: Jirou's Bedroom )

Izuku wasn't sure if their night together at the hospital was a fluke, but apparently beginning to sleep in the same bed with someone had a learning curve. There were just certain things you had to get used to.

Not as much space, it can get really hot on warm nights, one of you can move in your sleep, or even have your partner's jacks move in her sleep and poke you in the sides.

So, was it worth it?

Well, after some careful analysis, Izuku found his answer.

Their first night alone at the Jirou Household had been a warm night, even with the fan on. So body heat would make it worse. But, as it turned out, Kyouka had quickly become a cuddler in the short time they had begun sharing a bed.

And, once she latched on, there was no removing her. Apparently, heat didn't affect Kyouka as long as she had something to hold on to, because she was out like a light.

And, Izuku was a side sleeper. But, Kyouka curling up against his side prevented that. His sleeping norms were pretty much all gone.

Fortunately, he had been able to slip an arm free of Kyouka's grasp and move away the heavy comforter, leaving only the thin blanket on them and making the temperature far more manageable.

He had succumbed to Kyouka's embrace and fell asleep.

And, somehow he had woken up lying down on his stomach with Kyouka draped on top of him. Her warm breath was tickling him as she nuzzled her face further in between his shoulder blades.

…So, yeah, absolutely worth it. No doubt in his mind.

He couldn't sleep any other way ever again.

But, now it was the day after, their third day alone.

This time was different. Izuku woke up with an odd weight on his abdomen. He peeked an eye open, seeing Kyouka straddling him, bathed in the golden orange rays of the morning sun.

"Oh, another one of these dreams. Awesome."

Kyouka blushed, deadpanning down at him, "You're awake, moron."

"Oh…Even better."

Kyouka lightly flicked his forehead, unable to hide the smirk she had. She leaned down and kissed his lips, planting smaller kisses along his cheek until she reached his ear, "Happy Birthday, Izuku."

Five seconds in and it was hands down, without a doubt, already the best birthday he'd ever had.

Izuku wrapped his arms around her waist, returning the kisses in fervor. He mumbled against her lips, "Any chance I can spend it right here, just like this, all day?"

"All day?" Kyouka giggled as she kissed his jawline, "I don't know about that. I've got some very special plans for you."

Izuku tugged on the base of her left jack with his teeth, "This feels pretty special to me."

"A fair point. And, I should treat my Birthday Boy…" Kyouka kissed him again, catching him off guard by taking his tongue between her teeth and dragging him into a sitting position. She released him, a smirk on her lips, "But, not good enough for me. Now, get dressed. You can keep the shirt off though."

Izuku chuckled as Kyouka hopped off the bed, moving towards her closet. "You're going to be the death of me, you know that?"

"One hell of a way to go out."

"Hmhmhm. A fair point." Izuku grabbed some clothes from his bag as he moved towards the bathroom. He threw on his shirt, picking up his toothbrush and looking in the mirror.

Izuku took a deep breath, looking at his reflection. Sixteen, huh?

Over a decade-and-a-half of life on this planet, and yet only the last year-and-a-half was worth talking about. To him, at least. Kyouka would disagree, but that was for another time. He had grown into his body a little more, his slight height increase had evened out his proportions. His jawline had chiseled out, his features a bit more defined.

He remembered hearing once, that kids are always wanting to grow up, but adults are always wishing they were younger, that they could go back. But, teenagers? Who the hell knew?

Izuku wasn't ready to grow up, not that the world was giving him much choice at the moment. And, he certainly didn't want to go back.

Looking out into the bedroom, Kyouka emerged from the closet in a black tank top and skinny jeans. He watched her move over to his luggage and pull out his "T-Shirt" T-shirt. She threw it over her head, letting the collar droop off her shoulder as it was much too large for her smaller frame.

She caught his eyes, smiling at him as she entered the bathroom and grabbed her own toothbrush.

…Yeah, who cared about going forward or back? He liked the heaven he was in right now.

…~AIV~...

( Twenty Minutes Later )

Izuku stepped down from the staircase, smiling at Kyouka as she sat on the couch, "You hungry?"

"Nuh-uh, you're not cooking your own food on your birthday." Kyouka hopped up, stopping Izuku from going into the kitchen. "Besides, you're not eating breakfast with me."

"Hm? What, you have other plans?"

"Yes, but so do you."

Izuku peered at her curiously, "I do?"

"You sure do. You see, there's nothing I want more than to be selfish and spend all day with you alone. But, I have to concede. I can't just hog you entirely to myself on such a special day…Unfortunately I am hogging you from your mom, because this entire operation is a complete bust if we told her." Kyouka took Izuku's hand, leading him to the front entrance. "However, there's still one adult just irresponsible enough to let us get away with this. So much so, he's our unknowing alibi!"

Kyouka swung open the front door, revealing All Might in the driveway leaning against his truck. "Happy Birthday, my boy!"

Izuku grinned, stepping down from the porch, "All Might!"

"Whoa-Uh, hey! Keep it down, kid. Don't wanna alert the entire neighborhood."

"Oh!" Izuku internally cringed at his slip up, covering his mouth quickly, "S-Sorry."

But, Toshinori merely chuckled and ruffled Izuku's hair, "We're really bad at this whole secret thing."

"Yes, you are, Mr. Yagi," Kyouka smirked, sarcasm in her tone.

"Before you throw more vocal daggers at me, at least let me explain what the plan was." Toshinori put his hands on his hips, puffing his chest out, "Young Midoriya, you're growing into a strong, capable, young man. You'll be an adult soon."

Izuku raised a brow, "Four years is soon?"

"In the grand scheme of things, yes. But, anyway! I realized there are many things I still have to teach you. Not just as a hero, but as an adult. So, today, we're going on a little field trip." Toshinori put his hand on Izuku's shoulder, raising his arm out in front of him. "Young Midoriya, what do you see here?"

"Your truck?"

"Ah, indeed. I call her Lady Liberty. This right here is my pride and joy. Uh, besides you, of course. Which is why I'm going to teach you how to drive her."

"What? You wanna teach me how to drive? Not only that, but you trust me with your own car?"

"Of course. I mean, who else is gonna get her when I die?"

"Wh-?! Don't say that!"

"Relax, kid. Having a last will and testament doesn't mean I'm gonna die tomorrow."

"I-I know, just…I don't like to think about it. But, you're really gonna give me your truck?"

"Well, that and all my money."

"Wh-?!"

"Anyway!" Toshinori cut him off, "You're still quite a ways off from getting a license, but you never know when this could come in handy. Besides, driving is soothing to me. We don't always have to be jumping from building-to-building in a single bound."

"Says you," Kyouka cut in. "Us non-overpowered people would beg to differ. Now, go have fun."

Izuku raised a brow, "You're not coming with? My failures would make fine teasing material."

"I have some things to take care of, and this is special birthday bonding time. Besides, being in a two-ton metal death machine with you? I can handle it. Both of you? I'll pass." Kyouka kissed his cheek, turning around to walk back into the house, but not before calling over her shoulder, "And no strip clubs!"

"No promises!" Toshinori chuckled.

Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose, but couldn't stop a laugh from escaping. He opened his eyes again to see Toshinori getting into the driver's seat.

"I thought I was driving?"

"You will, but let's go somewhere a bit more discreet. Don't want you getting pulled over. That, and we don't want you accidentally crashing into Young Jirou's house."

"...Oh boy."

"I'm kidding…mostly," Toshinori consoled him. "You've done the impossible before. I'm sure driving is gonna be a piece of cake."

…~AIV~...

( Ten Minutes Later: Just Outside of Dagobah Municipal Beach Park)

"Cat! Cat on the road! That's a fire hydrant! Slow down!"

"...All Might, I haven't started the truck yet."

Toshinori looked out the window, seeing they were completely stationary, "Ah…I see."

"Why are you nervous?"

"Because I also forgot that even though you've pulled off incredible things, those things tend to be death defying and extremely stressful. I guess my body preemptively reacted."

Izuku shook his head, "This is a bad idea."

"No! No, ignore me. You'll do fine, just drive. I'll be calm, I promise."

Izuku took a deep breath, "O-Okay."

Izuku turned the key, igniting the engine. He had memorized All Might's instructions, following them to the letter so as to not get them killed. How would he get them killed on a completely empty road? Izuku didn't know, but he was confident he could accidentally find a way.

Putting the truck in drive, Izuku took off at a blazing ten kilometers an hour.

"...Young Midoriya, you can go a little faster."

"Nope."

"Ah-...Pfft, okay," Toshinori laughed to himself, putting a hand on Izuku's tense arms that were deadlocked onto the wheel. "Just get a handle on the pedal pressure. Speed up, slow down, get a feel for it while keeping an eye on the speedometer. Right foot only. When we get to the end of the road, we'll handle turning."

Izuku nodded, pushing the pedal to go a little faster and gently breaking to slow down. "Hm, kind of like a sewing machine."

"My boy, you have got to work on your analogies."

"It has a pedal! It works!"

"Fine, you got me there," Toshinori chuckled, keeping a close eye on their surroundings just in case. "You know how to sew?"

"Mhm, I learned a long time ago."

"What for?"

"U-Uh, I…" Izuku wasn't expecting them to deep dive into things. He was regretting saying anything. He kept his eyes on the road, conjuring up a half-truth, "I wanted to make a hero costume."

"Hehe, really? How'd it turn out?"

"I said I know how to use a sewing machine. Never said I was good at it."

"Ha, fair enough." All Might leaned back into his seat, his smile turning slightly solemn. "That was a good lie, too. Anyone else would probably believe it."

Izuku nearly hit the brakes, but kept his cool as he reached the end of the dirt road. "Um…Just turn here."

"Yeah, just make a u-turn. The wheel will always come back to its original position, so just turn it to where you want to go, and then let it glide across your hand to straighten out." Izuku did as he was told, performing the turn almost perfectly. "There ya go. See, not so bad."

"Y-Yeah…" He drove back down the road going back to the beach, his stomach bundling up in nerves. "...Listen, I-"

"You don't have to tell me a damn thing, my boy. I swear. I just want you to know I'm always here, if you ever have things you need to get off your chest. Even things you're not ready to speak to Young Jirou about. I won't even speak, if you don't want me to. We've all got our demons, and, well…I'm only bringing this up now, because I was serious earlier. You're growing up, faster than any kid should. And, that's at least partially my fault. I put so much on you so quickly. It's why I love joking around with you. I want you to hold on to some of that carefreeness, and admittedly, get to live out some of that attitude that I didn't really get to have as a kid. My point is, we all have our demons, and I'll do my best to help expunge as many of them as I can for you."

They reached the small parking area for the beach, with Izuku slowing to a stop and putting the truck in park. It was silent in the car, outside of the quiet vibrations of the air conditioning and the ending.

Toshinori cleared his throat, reaching into the backseat, "I bought a few traffic cones. I figured we could also practice your parki-"

"I was repairing my school uniform."

Toshinori paused, letting go of the cones and sitting back in his seat, "...Go on."

Izuku didn't take his eyes off of the ocean as he shrugged his shoulders, "Not much of a story. The other kids didn't like me. It got torn up a lot. I didn't want my mom to know, or have her pay money for a new one over and over again, so I learned to repair it myself."

"...So, you're saying they-?"

"Beat me up? Sometimes, yeah. But, I have a strong feeling you knew that already."

"Well, I didn't want to assume."

"No," Izuku shook his head, finally looking over at All Might. "I mean you knew all along. As in, back when you first started training me. Maybe even the day you met me."

Toshinori pursed his lips, sighing as he solemnly nodded, "I've seen a lot of troubled kids in my career. It was always easy to recognize them, even from afar. Body-language, vocal tones, certain tics…It takes one to know one."

"Y-You mean you…?"

"It was more like I was the one who picked the fights with the bullies. Remember, being quirkless wasn't so rare in my time. But, I definitely had a chip on my shoulder."

"Your parents?"

"Yeah, but this isn't about me. How long?"

Izuku scoffed mirthfully, "Take a guess."

"Quirkless diagnosis. Gotcha. Am I safe to assume it Young Bakugou was a par-"

"Let's not talk about him," Izuku shook his head, "To be perfectly honest with you, I'm sick of talking about him. Kyouka is dead set on having me surpass him, and don't get me wrong. I agree and want to. But, I just don't wanna talk about him."

Toshinori nodded, "Okay. Another day, then. So, she knows all this, then?"

"I've never directly said it, but she definitely knows. I've hinted at it enough, but she's never wanted to push me into being uncomfortable."

"Mm, it's part of being in love. Pushing your significant other to be the best they can be, while also trying to protect them at all costs. Unfortunately, I go at everything head on."

"...Why didn't you say anything until now, then?"

"How do you bring that kind of thing up? I figured we'd get to it someday, as we are now."

"But, what if I was a liability? What if I took One For All and tried to get reve-"

"No," Toshinori quickly put a hand on Izuku's shoulder, a firm gaze directed at him. "I never doubted you. Not once. I knew you wouldn't do that." Izuku saw the conviction in his eyes, and simply nodded. "What about…Well, forgive me if this is a boundary I shouldn't cross for the time being. But, have you had any more panic attacks?"

"Y-You know?"

"Young Jirou accidentally let it slip during her internship. Please, don't be mad at her. It was the heat of the moment, and she said it while chewing me out for my neglectful teaching methods with you. She was just trying to help you."

Izuku shrugged, a small smile on his face, "Honestly, I never would have spoken about them otherwise. I know Kyouka would never try to hurt me in a million years. It's like you said, it's a part of being in love. But, to answer your question, it's actually been good. I haven't had them for a while. A few months, actually."

"That's good. Very good. Tell me if they ever start coming up again, or obviously tell Young Jirou if not me."

"I will, I-...I think that's all I want to talk about today. But, some other time…"

Toshinori ruffled his hair, "Of course, my boy. And, thank you for sharing this with me. I know I sprung this on you on a special occasion. But, time keeps flying by, and I don't want you to think I don't care enough. Or that I-"

"It's okay," Izuku stopped him, a warm smile gracing his features, "I understand, and I'm grateful. This was long overdue, honestly."

Toshinori relaxed back into his seat, a groan escaping his lips, "God, you kids are gonna kill me."

"Better me than All For One."

"I…weirdly agree. Now, back to the task at hand." Toshinori reached back once again and grabbed the cones. "Parking time!"

…~AIV~...

( Twenty-Minutes Later: Outside of the Jirou Household )

"You, my boy, can say that you have officially parallel parked."

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back into his seat as he parked the truck in the driveway, "That honestly wasn't that hard. But, at the same time, I'm going to avoid doing that as much as possible for the rest of my life."

"We all do," Toshinori chuckled.

"Thanks again, All Might. For teaching me, and for…you know."

"Of course, my boy." Toshinori watched Izuku unclip his seatbelt, and held a hand up to stop him. "I understand you want to get back to Young Jirou, but you're really gonna walk off without your present?"

Izuku perked up, "O-Oh! You didn't have to get me an-"

"Up-bup-bup! None of that," Toshinori cut him off. "It's your birthday, my boy! And, unfortunately I missed your last birthday, because somebody decided not to tell me."

"W-We still didn't really know each other all that well at that point," Izuku countered, "I didn't think you'd care. You had a lot more important things going on than some kid's fifteenth birthday."

"The problem with that logic is you're not just 'some kid'. And you're not just the kid I chose to succeed me, either. You're the kid that changed my life." Toshinori reached over, placing his hand on Izuku's shoulder, "I was sulking for years, wallowing in my own misery. I've lived and breathed being a hero for thirty years. When I lost Nana, it…that kind of pain never leaves you. Then, after all those years of preparing myself, I still lose my stomach against All For One. And, even when I won, I never saw a body. I convinced myself that he was gone. But, deep down I knew. I just…I just needed to feel like he was. I needed to feel like it all wasn't for nothing. If he wasn't dead and came back, I wouldn't even be half of the fighter I was, and I barely won the first time around. I was losing hope. I felt like such a fraud after that. Smiling, shouting my messages to everybody. I believed my ideals, but I didn't believe in them. So much so, that when a mirror image of myself as a kid appears before me, I shattered his dreams without hesitation or guilt."

"All Might, you were ju-"

"No, please. We've been over this. I know what I did, and so do you. But, all that matters now is that kid proved me wrong. I see this kid who struggled with his dream, even more so than I did with how the world changed, give everything just to save a life. A life, mind you, that didn't care too much for him. Everything I ever believed in was encapsulated in this kid, who clearly lived a life of oppression, who just had his idol crush his spirit, still stick to his morals and run into danger. From that day forward, well…Kid, I've gotta tell you, it's been one of the best years of my life. Easily the best since Nana died. You gave me hope again, Young Midoriya. You reminded me of my purpose, of what it means to be a hero, and of what it's like to care for someone as deeply as I did Nana."

"I-...I…" Izuku covered his mouth, looking away to hide the tears that he couldn't stop.

"Young Midoriya, I know that you too can be a hero, because you're already mine."

Toshinori watched as the dam fully broke, tears flowing freely from Izuku's eyes. He was covering his eyes, trying to hide from his mentor. Izuku remembered how All Might never liked how he used to cry so much.

But, instead of the usual light teasing he would get, Izuku felt a hand gently guide him into a hug.

Izuku wished so badly he could go back to his younger-self and tell him this was the position he would end up in someday. It would make the fight feel so much more worth it. There would be some prospect of a light at the end of the tunnel. But, now, after all this time…

He couldn't dare ask for more.

"And, now…" Toshinori continued, "Onto your gift."

Izuku sat up, wiping his eyes with a slight chuckle, "That wasn't the gift?"

"That speech was just the prelude to it," Toshinori chuckled. "I heard about your costume change for next semester, and well…You don't have to do this, but, well…I-I…" Toshinori sighed, reaching into the glove box and pulling out a golden belt buckle, "This was Nana's. And, I've already said that I considered her my mother in all but blood. I have my own version of this design on my costume, and you're…I'm not-...I mean, you and I are…I would just be honored if you wore this."

Izuku took the buckle in his hands, looking down at the golden design. He could see where All Might got the bird-like image from for his own interpretation on the belt. An emblem that most wouldn't look twice at, but was incredibly significant. Something passed from what was essentially mother-to-son, and now to him.

Once again, they didn't need to say it. Izuku knew what All Might was struggling to say. Neither of them seemed to want to define their relationship out loud, out of an irrational fear of overstepping a boundary they already knew wasn't even there. Maybe at a later date, but for now…

This was more than enough.

Izuku nodded, looking back up towards All Might, "Thank you. I'll absolutely wear this. I'll get it to Hatsume the second I see her again…Or I'll fasten it myself, because there's a chance she'll somehow blow it up."

"A smart choice," Toshinori chuckled, reaching hand over to rest on Izuku's shoulder. "...Happy Birthday, Young Izuku."

Izuku wasn't sure if All Might meant to speak his first name there, but it didn't matter. It meant the world to him. He didn't want to point it out. So, he just smiled and thanked him, exiting the truck.

"Bye, All Might. Oh, by the way, if you ever meet Kyouka's parents and they ask you about recently moving houses, say I was a big help. You're my alibi."

"Wait, wha-?" Izuku shut the car door, heading up to the front porch. "...You know what, I promised to protect that kid. That includes his girlfriend's parents. So, I'm just not gonna ask." Toshinori began to back out of the driveway, but not before rolling his window down. "Call me if you need anything?"

"I will!"

"Okay, now go have fun!"

"Fun?" But, All Might had already rolled his window up, backing out of the driveway and heading down the street. Izuku brushed it off, putting the belt buckle in his jacket pocket before entering the house. He looked up to see Kyouka sitting in one of the living room lounge chairs in the dark. The only light coming from the lamp beside her. He smiled at her, making his way over, "Thank you for setting that up, That was the best surprise I've ever gotten on my birthday."

Kyouka smirked, "You sure?"

"SURPRISE!"

"AAAAAHHHH!" Izuku jolted back in shock as the lights suddenly turned on, seeing Ochako, Tenya, Momo, and Shoto jump out from different hiding spots throughout the room. Well, Shoto seemingly never hid at all. He was just standing in the corner with a drink in hand. But, it was the thought that counted, right?

Izuku lowered his arms, looking at all of his friends in confusion. "Wh-...What is all this?"

Kyouka shrugged, a grin breaking out on her face as she walked up to him and spoke in a low voice, "When was the last time you had a birthday party?"

"I…I don't know. I think when I turned four, I guess."

"And did Bakugou practically take over the party?"

"...I'm gonna say probably."

"Uh-huh. That's what I thought. How about a party with people that actually like you? Nothing big, obviously. This is us we're talking about."

Izuku scoffed in disbelief, looking around at his friends, "...You all showed up?"

"Of course we did!" Ochako smiled brightly. "You're one of our best friends!"

Before Izuku even got the chance to start crying on the spot, Kyouka added, "Not actually everyone is here. We're down a person, but there was no guarantee she wouldn't be too busy to come…or remember to come. But, hopefully she'll make i-"

*BOOM!*

Everyone jumped as the front door was suddenly blown off the hinges, falling down on the floor to reveal Mei on the other side.

"Happy Birthday, Muscles!"

"MY DOOR!" Kyouka cried out. "My parents are gonna kill me! Hatsume! Why did you blow it up?!"

"I didn't," Mei shrugged, her wicked smile ever present on her face, "I just touched the doorknob."

"I-...You…"

"Bah, don't worry about it. I'll fix it up as good as new right away. Oooh, maybe some upgrades?! How about a self-defense flamethrower?"

"Nope! Nuh-uh! Exactly the same as before. Just put it back on the hinges and fix the frame!"

Mei scoffed, "That's no fun at all. AA Gun?"

Kyouka deadpanned at the girl, "...No."

"Ugh, fiiine. Just give me a couple minutes. Five tops. We'll put my candles on the cake once I'm done."

Izuku's eyes widened as Mei picked up the door and got to work. He turned to Kyouka, " Her candles?"

"Yeaaah, about that. She really wanted to come, but didn't want to stop working on her babies. So, I kind of told her that she could create the candles for the cake."

"...We're all gonna die in a house fire."

"Probably."

…~AIV~...

( One Hour Later )

They sat in the dining room, a large assortment of takeout scattered across the table. She made sure to get Izuku all the katsudon he could want, thanks to Momo's insistence to buy all of the food.

Izuku had gotten a smartphone holder armband for when he went running from Iida, along with a matching poncho to his own. Apparently he really did never pick up on Kyouka's sarcasm from before.

He had unintentionally given Kyouka a gift as well. Iida had spent about twenty-five minutes trying to make Hatsume remember he was the person who she turned into a walking advertisement.

And Mei had absolutely zero recollection of who he was, much to Iida's dismay.

Suffice to say, Kyouka was highly amused as she had cackled in her seat the whole time.

Momo had gotten him an old book on the entire history of quirks, including theories, records, and their evolution at the time. It had apparently been in her family library for nearly eighty years.

Ochako didn't get him anything, despite her insistence to get him a gift. Kyouka and Momo both made sure she didn't spend anything. They all knew Izuku would be more than happy without one. Kyouka knew Izuku would be over the moon just over the fact that she showed up to the party, her presence was the perfect gift already.

They already asked Mei for enough as it was, and she was working through the summer on their new suits. The couple was more than happy to forgive her for not remembering to get a gift.

Shoto's gift nearly gave Izuku a heart attack…

"AAAAAHHH!"

"Ah! Volume, Izuku!" Kyouka flinched, her jacks doing the same. "What even is it?"

Izuku guffawed down at the card in his shaking hands, "I-It's the First Year All Might trading card! Golden bordering, no-holo background, not even a scratch! There's only three in existence! A man gave up one of his kidneys for one! I-I need a safe to put this in! An airtight container! Anything! Todoroki, how did you find this?!"

"It was in my drawer," Shoto shrugged, his expression blank. It was obvious Shoto had no idea what he had been in possession of, and he still clearly didn't care. Izuku was clearly happy with it, and knew much more about it. So, what was it worth to him? "Happy Birthday."

Eventually, the conversation moved on (once Izuku had found a safe and secure container for the card) as the sun moved on in the sky. The friend group's conversation eventually turned into discussing how their exams went. Izuku and Kyouka's recounting of the events that took place in their testing grounds was about as surprising to their friends as they expected.

"The power-outage was you two?" Momo asked, her eyes as wide as the rest of the table's.

Kyouka chuckled at Momo's shock, pointing over to her right, "All this guy."

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, "It was pretty much the only idea I had."

Ochako shook her head as she covered her eyes, "My inspirations are reckless maniacs."

"W-Well, what did you want us to do against All Might?"

"Run away," Everyone at the table said simultaneously.

The couple looked at one another, each sputtering for a proper response. Kyouka finally got out, "We-. It's jus-...It's complicated, alright."

"Let's not focus on the…questionable decision-making of our friends," Iida cut in. "Besides, I have no room to speak of after Stain."

Momo and Ochako looked at one another and then back to the group, "...What?" / "...What?"

"...Oh, right."

Kyouka furrowed her brow, her gaze turning to the boys, "...Did we not fill them in on any of that?"

Tenya shrugged, "We were told not to."

"Well, yeah, but I mean, it's them." Kyouka turned back to Momo, "Long story short: Stain didn't attack first like the news said. Iida went after Stain out of revenge, got his butt kicked, Izuku and I showed up, almost got our butts kicked, but then Todoroki showed up, and then we all barely avoided getting our butts kicked."

"That…" Ochako then shrugged, nodding her head, "actually explains a lot."

"Speaking of going against the rules…" Tenya looked at Kyouka curiously as he raised another piece of cake to his mouth, "I heard about that festival your parents are hosting, Jirou. Are they okay with all of us being here while they're away?"

"Oh, yeah. They know about the party. They love Izuku, there's no way they were gonna say no."

"They do, huh?" Ochako asked, a hint of slyness in her tone. "We've never actually met either of your parents. Now that I think about it, I don't think we ever actually asked, but how long have you two been friends? All we know is that it's from before UA started?"

"Oh, we met after the Entrance Exams. Recovery Girl's office, actually. He couldn't help himself and asked about my quirk, and the rest is history."

"There must be more," Momo prodded, playing along with Ochako's line of questioning. "You two were attached by the hip by the time school started. So close in just over two months?"

"Well, we…" Kyouka stopped herself, thinking over her answer. But, then she wondered why? These were her friends, she trusted them. She turned to Izuku and whispered, "Do you wanna…?"

Izuku raised a brow, "What? Tell them?"

Kyouka shrugged, "Yeah, why not? I think it's been long enough."

Izuku peeked back over to his friends, a grin growing on his face. "Yeah. I think it's time."

Turning back to their friends, Kyouka shyly hugged Izuku's arm, a little smile on her face, "...We're dating."

Ochako jumped out of her chair and pointed at them, smiling proudly as she shouted, "I knew it!"

Shoto shrugged, "Iida and I have known for a few months."

"What?!" Ochako groaned, "Why am I the last to know everything?!"

"They only know because they walked in on us," Kyouka scoffed, "We haven't told anybody besides each other's parents…and Mr. Aizawa…and Kaminari knows."

"Oh come on!" Ochako cried out, " Him?! Why him?!"

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, a blush dusting his cheeks, "W-Well, we had to tell Mr. Aizawa. And, we didn't tell Kaminari. He kind of also caught us."

"So, I'm the last to know both by admission, and by accident. Just great. Fantastic."

"If it makes you feel any better," Momo chimed in, "this is the first I've heard about this."

Mei rested her head back on interlaced fingers, a smug grin on her lips, "I've known since I met them."

The couple looked at one another, unconvinced of Mei's admission. Kyouka was the first to call her out. "Hatsume, you're our good friend, so don't take it the wrong way when we say you're not exactly the keenest on social interaction."

"My eyes aren't for show. You guys stare and touch each other. Like, a lot . You like his muscles, which trust me, I get it. And he stares a lot at your-"

"Okay!" Izuku quickly stopped her, his face beet red. "Th-Thank you, Hatsume! We get it."

"Bah, you're overreacting! She stares at yours, too, ya know. Well, really just your butt, cause you don't have any bo-"

"Hatsume, you wanna upgrade my toaster!" Kyouka interrupted, cutting Mei off before things somehow got worse.

"Would I?!" Mei rushed out of her seat and into the kitchen, grabbing items from her toolbelt. The clang of metal and whirring of drills were heard not long after.

Izuku slumped down in his seat, his arm over his eyes as Kyouka just stared down at the table. "...Can we all just forget this ever happened?"

"Yep"/ "Absolutely."/ "Of course."/ "Already forgotten."

Kyouka sighed, moving past the awkwardness. "Sorry, guys. We just wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while. But, we agreed it was long past due that you guys know. You deserve that, and even more. But, now you both know he's off limits. He's mine, ladies."

Momo chuckled, "I can assure you, Jirou, that despite how handsome he is, I have no intentions of trying to win him over."

Izuku nudged Kyouka nervously, "Ah, c'mon, Kyouka. Don't say stuff like tha-..." Izuku froze, turning back to Momo with wide eyes, "Wait, wha-?!"

"Anyway!" Kyouka cut him off. "We had to tell Mr. Aizawa thanks to Iida."

Tenya furrowed his brow, puzzled. "I did?"

"Well, you were the one who suggested becoming a Hero Duo."

"Wh-?! You became a Duo? When was that?"

"About a month ago," Izuku replied.

Tenya scoffed, a grin growing on his lips, "Do you two ever run out of surprises?"

Izuku and Kyouka looked at one another before turning back to Iida, "No." / "No."

"It's actually kind of concerning," Izuku added.

"Very concerning," Kyouka nodded.

"Well, I for one can't wait to see what else you have in store," Iida said, standing up with his drink in hand. "But, we must focus on today. For today we're celebrating our dear friend. Someone who's done more for us than he probably acknowledges." Iida raised his drink out towards Izuku, "To saving his friend from blind rage out of vengeance, and reminding him what it means to be his own hero, and his own person."

Ochako jumped up and followed Iida's example with a wide smile, "To inspiring us to keep getting back up, no matter how many times you fall."

Shoto stood, nodding his head, "To reminding us that we're who we choose to be, and not what others want us to be. We have to fight for our own futures."

Momo smiled and did the same, "To showing us that when we lose faith in ourselves is when we truly fall, and we must take our failures in stride."

Mei suddenly appeared from the kitchen, rushing towards the table to grab her glass, "To sparking new creativity in me every day, and to being the best business partner I could ask for."

Kyouka stood, but didn't raise her drink. She smiled at Izuku and said, "I actually want to save my toast for later, actually. A bit more personal."

The rest all raised their glasses out and said, "Happy Birthday, Midoriya!"

Izuku looked around the table at all of his friends and… Friends. Real friends, after all this time. Countless days without a word spoken, as there was no one but himself to talk to. Countless days of wishing he was noticed, just once. Countless days where he wished they would just ignore him.

Far too many where he wished he could just disappear.

It was still difficult to comprehend. People liking him, that is. He had believed Kyouka was a one in a lifetime miracle, and he still did. He never would have asked for more. But, the people in front of him cared for him in a way Izuku hadn't experienced.

Was it sad? Yes, it was. But…they were worth it. All of them. Every last second of pain was worth these people.

Izuku shielded his eyes with his hands, trying to hide the overflow of tears rushing down his cheeks. Everyone quickly began moving towards him in concern, which just made him cry more.

"He's fine," Kyouka stepped in front of them, a smile on her face, "Trust me, it's…it's just a lot. He's happy, I promise."

She leaned down, wiping his tears away with her thumbs. Gazing into his eyes as her heart ached, yet soared at the same time. She didn't need to say anything for Izuku to understand she was asking if he was okay. He nodded, looking back to his friends.

"She's right," Izuku confirmed for her, quickly wiping his eyes and attempting to compose himself. "I'm sorry about that. I-It's just…Thank you. Really, just…thank you. All of you. You…You guys mean a lot to me."

Ochakos's eyes got watery, turning to Kyouka with a pleading expression, "Permission?"

Kyouka chuckled, nodding her head towards Izuku, "Granted."

Ochako tackled Izuku in a hug, nearly knocking him out of his chair. Tenya put a hand on his shoulder, nodding his head. Shoto nodded at Izuku, too, his own way of showing support. Momo knelt down next to him, her hand on his arm as she smiled softly. Mei put her hand on his back, her usually spastic behavior tamed as she cared for her friend.

They didn't need to ask questions. This was enough.

"And, about that toast…" Izuku spoke up again, "...You can call me Izuku, if you want."

Uraraka pulled back, smiling brightly, "Only if you call me Ochako."

Iida nodded again, "Tenya."

"Momo," Yaoyaorozu grinned.

Crossing his arms, Todoroki gave a curt nod, "Shoto."

"Mei, at your service!" the inventor beamed.

They all separated from Izuku, allowing Kyouka to walk behind him and kiss the top of his head. She looked up at her friends and smiled, "Kyouka."

…~AIV~...

( Sunset: Jirou Household )

"You were fighting really hard to not push the girls off me, weren't you?"

Kyouka closed the door, their friends taking their leave for the evening. She crossed her arms, playfully smirking at her boyfriend, "I'm not that possessive, you know."

"Oh? So I can make those hugs a regular thi-"

Kyouka's jacks pressed against Izuku's throat, her face with faux intimidation, "It may be your birthday, but I still suggest you don't press your luck."

"I don't know…" Izuku placed his hands on her waist, bringing her close. "I'm feeling pretty lucky."

"Hm…Maybe you will be. But, as much as I'd like to continue this…" Kyouka separated from him, picking up a small duffel bag on the couch. "Your party's not over just yet. You probably noticed that I didn't give you your gift. And, that's because we have to go somewhere for me to give it to you."

"Oh boy."

Kyouka giggled as she took Izuku's hands in her's, leading him towards the door. "When have I ever given you a bad surprise?"

"You got me there." Izuku closed and locked the door behind him, following Kyouka down the steps and towards the sidewalk. "So, where are we headed?"

"A one-stop train ride away. Ten minutes, tops."

"So, not the beach."

"Nope, not this time. It's a surprise, remember? Stop guessing. You'll figure it out once we're close anyway.

…~AIV~...

( Ten Minutes Later )

"The park, then?"

"Yep," Kyouka confirmed. They rounded the corner of another building, heading towards the small park where Izuku showed her where he was first beaten up by Katsuki and his lackeys.

She was determined to make as many perfect memories there as possible to overshadow the horrible one. Their second date, where he told her everything about One For All, where they took a whole new step in their relationship both in trust and physically.

So, when Izuku's birthday was coming up, and with a little digging, she found a golden opportunity.

They stopped in front of the playground, with Kyouka dropping the bag she held down next to her.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here."

"One of many questions I have right now."

Kyouka stepped out in front of him, dramatically gesturing towards the park. "You see, Izuku, this park is privately owned by the building, and the owner apparently always thought it was an eyesore. But, he felt it was too expensive to tear down. And, well…it didn't have a name."

Izuku's eyes widened, turning to his girlfriend, "...Kyouka, you didn't."

She smiled, waving her arms out to present the park, "Welcome to Deku Park!"

Izuku began to laugh, shaking his head in absolute disbelief. "You're serious?"

"Dead serious."

"Okay, and how did the owner react when you asked to name his park, 'Useless Park'?"

"I told you, he already didn't like the thing. He laughed his ass off and agreed immediately. Nice guy, good sense of humor." Kyouka pulled out a large manilla envelope, handing it to Izuku. "Inside you're gonna find the written document signed by the owner, officially naming this park. Along with the other part of your present."

Still laughing, Izuku opened the package, and inside was indeed the document, which got a smile out of Izuku. But, the second item caught his eye immediately. From the envelope, he pulled out another notebook identical to the rest in his her journal series. However, this one had "14" written boldly on the front."

Kyouka smiled shyly, shrugging her shoulders, "I noticed that the one you're working on now is almost full."

Izuku nodded, looking down at the journal and gave a small smile back. "I really needed this, thank you. And, maybe…You wanna write it with me?"

"I-. Wait, what?"

"I remember you once told me you wanted tips on note-taking. And, well…these journals are a big part of my life, and if you were a part of them, well….you know. Besides, our minds put together might make this next edition the best one yet."

"...I'd love that." Kyouka smiled warmly, taking Izuku's free hand in her's. She kissed his knuckles, letting go to lean down to her bag and grab the last item inside. Kyouka pulled out a bottle of sparkling grape juice and two small glasses. "We're not old enough to drink, and we're both too morally stubborn to drink underaged. So, this will have to do."

Izuku chuckled, "So that's what you meant by saving your toast for later."

"Like I said, mine is a bit more personal," Kyouka poured both glasses, closing the bottle and putting it back in the bag. She stood back up, handing Izuku his glass. She raised her glass out, taking Izuku's hand back in her's. "To my partner in both life and career, my inspiration. The man who fights my darkness, and teaches me how to fight it. To the man who sees the good in everyone, and the beauty in those who can't see it. To the man who gave me his love, and showed me just how much I could love. To Izuku Midoriya, the love of my life."

Izuku wiped his eyes as they clinked their glasses together, "S-So far."

"No, none of that," Kyouka chuckled. "Of. My. Life. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"...Yes, ma'am." They both emptied their glasses, putting them back in the bag.

"Good. Now, c'mere." Their lips came together, their arms becoming wrapped one another. Each poured all the love they could into it. Kyouka left his lips, moving to whisper in his ear, "I say we go back home and continue where we left off when we left."

Kissing her jawline, Izuku smiled against her skin, "I'm inclined to agree."

Unable to hold her excitement, Kyouka grabbed his hand and began speedwalking back to the train station. They were only a minute away from the station when they suddenly heard a voice call out.

"What the hell? Deku?!" Izuku and Kyouka turned their attention down the sidewalk, finding whoever interrupted them. Izuku's stomach dropped when he saw two of the last people he wanted to see at the moment, or for the rest of his life.

Naides Yubi And Rokuro Kubi.

"C-C'mon, we should go."

Kyouka squinted her eyes at them, remembering them from the mall all those months ago. They were Bakugou's friends, which meant they were bullies as well.

The blonde haired one looked hesitant, but continued to follow his winged friend. The one with wings walked up to them, a smirk on his face. "It is you! Holy shit, it's been awhile, Deku."

Izuku sighed, trying his best not to revert back to his middle school self. "Rokuro." He looked over to Naides, "Naides."

Yubi gave a shaky wave, "Uh, hey. Sorry to barge in on your date. W-We were just passing by. Dude, let's go."

Rokuro brushed his friend off, "What's the rush? Just catching up with our old classmate."

Naides grabbed the back of his friend's shirt with his extended fingers, yanking him back to whisper harshly in his ear. "Our old classmate, who has every right to hate us, doesn't look happy to see us, and now has the power to absolutely destroy us. You saw the Sports Festival."

"Dude, it's Deku. Deku! He's not gonna do a damn thing. Never has before, he's a pushover."

"Hey, Winged Eyesore," Kyouka said, her jacks raised. "You know I can hear everything you're saying, right?"

Yubi nudged Kubi, "See! This is a bad idea. Knock it off, leave him and his girlfriend alone."

Kubi paused, his gaze turning towards Kyouka with a devilish smirk appearing on his face as an idea popped into his mind. "Woah, wait! That is a chick! When I first saw you I thought you were making out with a gu-"

*CRACK!*

Kyouka and Naides' eyes widened as they watched Kubi fly back nearly twenty feet, landing and skidding across the sidewalk. "Ah! What th-?! Ah, my nose!" Kubi sat up, his nose black and deep purple with blood gushing out of it. "I-It's broken! You broke my fucking nose!"

All eyes turned to Izuku, his fist outstretched and eyes wide. "I-I...I-I'm so sorry I…" Izuku looked down at his hand, then back up at his former bullies. "...No. I'm not sorry. Apologize to my girlfriend."

"What are y-?"

"Now!" Everyone jumped at Izuku's out of character shout, cyan lightning crackling in the air.

Kyouka walked up to Izuku, placing a concerned hand on his back. "Izuku?"

Kubi covered his nose, standing up on wobbly legs. "I-I...I-I'm sorry. I didn't really think she was a dude. I was just trying to mess with you. I-I mean look at her. Those clothes, that body, clearly a chi-"

Izuku's lightning flared again with a glare that could kill to boot. In a flash of light, Izuku was standing over Kubi, a fistful of the former bully's shirt in his clenched fist.

"Do. Not. Look at her. Never look at her."

"S-Sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Izuku shoved Kubi back down, letting go of his shirt. "Both of you get out of here."

They didn't need to be asked twice. Naides helped Rokuro up, both of them running away as fast as they could. Yubi turned back, looking like he wanted to say something. But, he didn't want to press his luck, swiveling back around and disappearing.

Kyouka could do nothing but stare in shock, "I...Holy hell, Izuku. What the hell was that? I've never seen you...Izuku?" His girlfriend watched as Izuku clutched his fist to his chest, his body shaking and his breath quickening.

"C-C-Can we g-go home?"

Kyouka speedily held Izuku, walking them towards the train station. Luckily a train was already there when they arrived. She found the most deserted car she could, the compartment only holding a few people who didn't even pay attention when they entered. She quickly sat Izuku down in the back of the train car, sitting down next to him and placing his head on her chest. It was clear he was having another panic attack. He hadn't stopped holding his fist to body.

They were silent the whole ride back to Kyouka's house.

…~AIV~...

( Fifteen Minutes Later: Jirou Household )

Kyouka was even more thankful that her parents were on vacation so she didn't have to try and explain what had happened. She brought Izuku to her room and sat him down on her bed. Throwing off her jacket and shoes, she grabbed a towel from her bathroom and ran it under the sink, walking back into the main room and sitting on the edge of the bed. She pulled his shoes off as well, and then got on her knees. "Izuku, give me your hand." Izuku shook his head, keeping it to his chest. Kyouka scooted closer, carefully caressing his cheek. "Izuku, this is me we're talking about here. Calm down, and give me your hand."

Izuku took a few deep breaths before outreaching his hand to her, a heavy spattering of deep crimson blood covering the knuckles.

He had drawn blood before. But Kyouka knew this was different. This was blood drawn out of rage, hurt, repressed memories…

Revenge.

Izuku's entire world was thrown out of whack. Revenge wasn't a part of his programming, and he never intended it to be.

Was it what Kubi was going to say about Kyouka?

Yes.

But was it also a small part of him lashing out at seeing his past bullies again? That small sliver in his soul screaming for vengeance that he had locked away in his subconscious?

Also, yes.

Dabbing away the blood with the damp towel, she kissed each knuckle after it was cleaned.

"Izuku, I need you to listen to me when I say this." She wiped off and kissed his last knuckle, looking up to see he was still zoning off into space. Kyouka took matters into her own hands, crawling up onto the bed and into Izuku's lap to straddle him. His attention was immediately grabbed by her, focus returning to his eyes. "I need you to listen. Please. Tell me you're listening."

Izuku nodded, leaning back against the headboard. "...Okay."

His voice was barely audible, but it was enough for Kyouka.

"Despite what you've thought your entire life...It's okay to hate. It's okay to feel angry, vengeful, and hurt. You just can't let it consume you. You conquered your fear of Bakugou. You can conquer this, too." Izuku looked away, but Kyouka brought his gaze back with her hand. "I know you don't like to hate things, especially people. But, sometimes you can't help it. You do hate them, don't you?" Izuku burrowed his face into Kyouka's shoulder, nodding his head against it. Kyouka pressed her cheek on the top of Izuku's head, rubbing his back. "It's okay to feel that way. They've done nothing to earn anything else from you. Stop fighting against everything that's happened to you. You're not just a hero, you're a human."

Izuku hugged her tight, shaking his head. "I told All Might about my panic attacks today. I was doing so well, I haven't had them in months. And, he said he knew I would never use my powers for revenge. I just did both, I-I already screwed u-"

"Stop. You can't just will these things away. You didn't disappoint anybody. You and I both know if All Might were here right now, he'd be doing nothing but worrying himself to death over you. He loves you, even if you knuckleheads don't say it. I know you don't like how it makes you feel. I know you don't like what it turns you into. But, we've been talking for months about bottling things up, and this counts. You're the one that showed me negative thoughts just need to flow sometimes. You can tell me when you hate something."

"...That's more than you probably think."

"I figured. And that's okay. Even after all this time, some piece of you still thinks you're alone. A part of you still holds in everything you felt from your past. But, you're not alone. You have me." Kyouka gave a featherlight kiss to Izuku's lips, bumping her forehead against his. "And like it or not, you can't get rid of me."

Izuku chuckled, "...I know, and I definitely don't want to get rid of you."

"Exactly. Who would? Now, let's not let those two assholes ruin your birthday after it's gone so well."

The atmosphere lightened, Izuku's panic dissipating. They looked at each other, their closeness coming to their attention. Izuku, once again, was reminded of just how lucky he was to have Kyouka.

He didn't know what would have happened if he didn't have Kyouka and he met those two again. He had someone who actually loved and cared for him in every way, someone who didn't just accept his flaws but wanted to help when she could to improve or help him accept them as well.

He didn't know the answer to the question: "Who would he have been without Kyouka?"

... Hopefully he wouldn't ever find out.

Their lips came together, Kyouka's knees squeezing against Izuku's hips and her arms wrapped around his neck. A couple tears ran down Izuku's cheeks, only to be wiped away by Kyouka.

"I love you." Izuku brought them down to the blankets, Kyouka on her back with Izuku on top. "I love you so much."

Kyouka sighed as her partner kissed her neck, his hands kneading at her waist. "I love you, too."

With Izuku kissing and nipping at her neck, she moved her head over and nibbled at his ear. Her jacks went under his chin, moving Izuku back up to her lips. With his hands still at Kyouka's waist, the movement up caused them to slip under her shirt.

"Permission?"

Kyouka blushed hard, but nodded eagerly, "Granted."

Izuku slid his hands up, and saw an opportunity arise. She had helped him once again with his issues...He could help with her's, too.

After mustering up the courage, Izuku left Kyouka with one last kiss before he lowered himself, his upper body now above her stomach, a blush on his face. "...M-May I?"

Kyouka seemed to ponder over it for a second, not entirely sure what to say. He had only touched there before, not kissed…but kissing was just touching with your lips, right?

She eventually gulped, nodding her head. Izuku took a long, shaky breath at Kyouka's nod. He was given permission to advance their intimacy further than before. He carefully placed his hands at the skin just barely showing from underneath Kyouka's hiked up shirt. Her porcelain, perfectly pale, soft skin was one of the greatest feelings to him. He carefully began raising his hands up on Kyouka's torso, her shirt going with him.

Her stomach was exposed, Izuku's hands stopping just at her ribs. Izuku leaned down, kissing just below Kyouka's navel, moving kisses and small bites all around the area that he now had full access to for the first time. Kyouka was squirming under his touch, but he knew it was in a good way.

Izuku didn't dare move down. That was still off limits, and he wasn't mentally prepared for that boundary to be breached. Her toned stomach was definitely more than enough to keep him occupied. The training was paying off, as abs were softly defined. Yet, she was still soft to the touch, and kept a volume and curviness to her body.

He moved up, kissing Kyouka's sides and her ribcage, his hands moving just a bit higher on her ribs. Kyouka quickly placed her hands over Izuku's, which he took as a sign to stop. He tried to move back down, but Kyouka wouldn't let him budge. Looking back up, he could see she was thinking heavily about something.

"What's wrong?" He didn't receive a verbal response, Kyouka just looked down at him with what seemed to be fear. "Kyouka?"

Again, no verbal response. After another minute of silent contemplation from the musician, she took a deep breath, and moved Izuku's hands further up.

Izuku's heart stopped as his middle finger brushed the rim of Kyouka's bra. They stared at each other in silence, mostly due to Izuku's spirit threatening to leave his body.

"A-Are...Are you sure?"

"Y-Yeah. Consider it a third present. Just...Just take the lead, because I don't have the confidence to move your hands up more."

"If you don't w-want t-"

"I do. I really, really do. Please, just…go ahead."

Nodding, Izuku's breathing sped up. This was farther than they had ever gone. They would be the first, and hopefully only, breasts he held.

…Holy Hell, it somehow only just dawned on him what he was about to do.

If someone told him a year ago that he would be hitting second base with the greatest woman alive, he wouldn't have believed them even if they had proof.

He slid his hands further up under Kyouka's shirt until his hands completely covered her breasts.

Even through a thin bra, Izuku thought he'd never feel anything better. He knew Kyouka would say otherwise, but to Izuku, they were perfect. Not extremely large, but big enough to perfectly fit and fill his cupped hands from bottom of his palm to the tip of his middle finger.

"C-Can I-...?"

Even though he didn't finish his sentence, Kyouka knew what he was asking. She nodded again, her heart pounding in her ears. Izuku slowly took the edge of Kyouka's shirt, lifting it up to her neck. Raising her arms up, Kyouka let Izuku take her shirt completely off and discard it to the side. She moved her arms up to cover herself, but Izuku gently placed his hands on her's. He didn't force her hands down, but simply waited for her to adjust. Kyouka finally moved her hands away, allowing Izuku to look.

She saw Izuku smirk at her bra of choice. The cups were black, but the strap had a piano key design. "Don't. Laugh."

"N-No, I wasn't...I love it. It's very you. Now all it needs to do is sarcastically berate me."

Kyouka rolled her eyes, her blush growing even stronger. "I...I know they're not that bi-"

"They're perfect, just like the rest of you," Izuku said with an uncharacteristically stern glare. "Don't you dare tell me otherwise."

Every time Kyouka thought she couldn't blush harder, she was proven wrong. "...Say it again...please."

"...They're perfect." Kyouka smiled, her jacks reaching around Izuku's neck and bringing him back down to kiss him. With their tongues clashing, Izuku reached back up and returned his hand to Kyouka's breast, his thumb caressing them.

Kyouka took a sharp intake of breath when Izuku squeezed ever so slightly, his thumb rubbing over the fabric, directly on her nipple. Izuku kissed Kyouka's bottom lip, then her chin, moving from her neck until he was face to face with her breasts.

Izuku took a risk, kissing the valley in between Kyouka's breasts. The musician laid her head back onto the blankets as Izuku kissed and nipped all around her chest, delicately pressing his lips on her breasts.

Kyouka was moving around under him, rubbing against him as heat began to build. It wasn't long until they both noticed her thigh pressing against something hard.

Izuku lifted himself up, embarrassment plaguing his voice, "I-I'm so sorry, I-"

"It's fine," Kyouka held Izuku in place, still feeling him against her thigh. She blushed for the hundredth time that day. "It's not like you can stop it. B-Besides, I mean…it's sort of the point, isn't it? It's the reaction I'm trying to get."

With Izuku too stunned to form words, Kyouka tested the waters. She moved her leg up and down, causing Izuku to shudder and moan, "Kyouka…"

"Too much?"

"No, no, just…" Izuku stared at her in shock. He was almost certain he was going to ruin the moment by embarrassing them both. "...How are you so perfect?"

"Being understanding that dudes get boners makes me perfect?"

They both laughed, and Izuku buried his face in the crook of her neck, "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know. You think I haven't felt them before?"

Izuku tense up, groaning against her skin, "...I just always really hoped you never did."

Kyouka giggled, her hand running through his hair as her other hand lightly grazed his back, "It's really hard not to notice that, Izuku. But, like I said, it's okay."

Izuku moved to her side, laying one final kiss to Kyouka's lips. "Is that as far as we should go?"

"For tonight. That was...Wow. I feel bad, I didn't really do much for you."

"You just felt the evidence to prove that's not true," Izuku mumbled, a red dusting his cheeks as Kyouka laughed again. "But, really, I loved every second of that. Besides, I-I wanted to do this for you... you've done so much for me already, and after tonight...I needed you. This was the best birthday I've ever had. I know it didn't have any stiff competition, bu-...Don't laugh."

Kyouka covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter, "Sorry! But, you just had to use the word stiff right now?"

Izuku chuckled with her, despite how childish it was. They were running on a high that they weren't sure they wanted to come down from. The couple laid there in each other's arms, the moonlight shining through the bedroom blinds.

Izuku played with Kyouka's jacks as she idly danced them around his fingers. She looked at him, flicking her eyebrows up. "I know that look. You want to ask something, but you're nervous."

"Hmhm. Well, you're right."

"Even after what we just did?"

"Well, it's r-related, actually."

Kyouka hummed curiously, burrowing further against him, "Go ahead."

"W-Well, back when I went through what all teenagers have to go through and had the 'The Talk' with my mom, she told me to always discuss boundaries with your partner. Which we've done, but…" Izuku cleared his throat, forcing himself to just say it. "...We've been getting very, um… intimate . We seem to be making new steps every week."

Kyouka propped herself up on her elbow, "You want to slow down? If you do, that's totally fine."

"No, not at all!" Izuku followed her example, resting on his elbow. "...My mom said to always be aware of your partner's pace, how fast they want to go, a-and…wh-when they're ready for…certain things."

"...Oh. Oh! I mean-...Are you ready?"

"No, not yet. I don't think so. It's just that with how heated we've become, and how it keeps growing, I felt like I needed to ask. Just to see where you stand. I don't want any miscommunication between us; Anytime, for anything."

Kyouka nodded, understanding what he meant. "I get it. I'm happy you asked. I'm in the same position as you. I don't think I'm ready for…f-for sex, just yet. But…I can't deny that we're getting there. I mean, it's clear we've both thought about it before. We just need to feel it out, find the right time. We can prepare as long as we need to, and then when we're both ready…"

"Okay," Izuku agreed, showing her she didn't have to finish her thought. "In due time."

Kyouka smiled, "In due time."

Izuku kissed her softly, pressing his forehead to her's, "I love you."

"I love you, too." Kyouka kissed him again, running a hand down his arm. "By the way, you're totally telling me how embarrassing it is when you buy condoms."

Izuku turned his face into the pillow, his muffled groan coming out "Kyouka…"

"You can't back out of it. It's gonna be hysterical, and I've got to know how it goes."

Izuku lifted his head out of the pillow, "You're not gonna be there with me?"

"Hell no, I'm not going through that."

Izuku scoffed, but couldn't wipe the smile off his face, "I'm going to shower, and mentally prepare for when that day comes."

Kyouka watched as Izuku got up from the bed and entered the bathroom, the sound of the shower running soon followed. She rolled onto her back, staring up at her ceiling with an ear-to-ear grin. She didn't even bother grabbing her shirt.

"Best birthday ever, and it's not even mine."

…~AIV~...

( 15 Minutes Later )

After completing her nighty routine, Kyouka stepped out of the bathroom, her hair still slightly wet. She looked up to see Izuku already in bed, book in hand as he read next to the bedside lamp. Kyouka crawled into bed, resting her head against Izuku's shoulder, "You reading that book Momo got you?"

"Mhm," Izuku replied, flipping the page. "This book's not even a century old, and yet their understanding of quirks was still so limited. We've come a long way in such a short time. In the grand scheme of things, that is."

"It all came out of nowhere. I sometimes still can't believe quirks didn't exist."

"No quirks? What a nightmare," Izuku chuckled.

Kyouka cringed, "Oh. Uh, sorry."

"Hmhmhm, I was kidding," Izuku kissed the top of her head and flipped the page again. "But, I know how you feel. I've had a quirk for less than a year, and it's still crazy to me. Can you believe i-...Hm?"

"What?"

"Nothing, just…I remember this." Izuku pointed at a very small section of the book, nowhere near the size or with the same amount of detail as the others. The heading read, 'Paranormal Singularity Theory'.

Kyouka furrowed her brow, "What's that?"

"It was a theory from a long time ago, but there's not much information or studies about it. I went down an internet rabbit hole years ago, but I still couldn't find a lot. Someone said that quirks would eventually blend with each other, become more complicated and powerful with each generation. Kind of like Shoto's quirk. Or, actually, One For All is a prime example. He said they would become so powerful that the human body couldn't keep up, and they would eventually…w-well, consume us."

"That's…terrifying. Why's there nothing on it?"

"The guy had no evidence, and apparently wasn't, uh… stable . He had a lot of past issues, and they couldn't say he was credible. Everything I could find didn't even give his name, he was practically wiped off the map. This must've been made before he was outed. Or, wait. Maybe…" Izuku flipped to the back of the book, finding all of the doctors that took part in the creation of the book. The team stood together in their lab for a photo, each with their names listed in order of appearance. "It must be one of these gu-..."

Kyokua felt Izuku tense up, his eyes locked onto one spot on the book, "Izuku?"

"...That can't be right."

"What can't?"

Izuku pointed at one of the doctors, his brow furrowed, "That's the doctor that diagnosed me as quirkless."

"Wh-? Izuku, this book was written over eighty-years ago."

"I know, but that's him. Trust me when I say I would never forget his face. But…this has him under the name Dr. Kyudai Garaki."

"Was that not his name?"

"N-No, it was Tsubasa."

"You're sure."

Izuku nodded, conviction in his eyes, "I called the hospital for two days after my diagnosis, asking for his name specifically. I wanted them to test me again."

Kyouka sat up, shrugging her shoulders, "It could be his son. He probably got married and took his wife's last name. That's what my dad did."

Izuku stared at the picture, his eyes locked onto the doctor. Something deep down was telling him something was wrong with that man. And, something was also telling him that was the man who first made the theory. He would never forget that man's face, but…

"Yeah, you're probably right." Izuku snapped the book shut, leaning over Kyouka to place it on the bedside table.

Kyouka saw he was still a little tense, so she brought the blankets up, placing small kisses on his neck as she did. "You don't have to think about that doctor. And, if we ever do see him again, he's second on my list of people to kick in the dick. First is still Bakugou."

Izuku chuckled, moving his head down to meet her lips and return the kisses, "I'm still waiting for that first one."

"All in due time, Deku." They laid down, Kyouka's jack shutting off the lamp. Izuku laid on his side, with Kyouka burying her face into the crook of his neck. "I love you."

Through the dark, Izuku's eyes landed on the book, the doctor's face still present in his mind. But, he took that image and locked it away. Kyouka was right. It was all in the past.

"I love you, too."

…~AIV~...

( The Next Morning )

Izuku yawned as he walked into the kitchen, grabbing the coffee grounds from the upper cabinet. He set them down, looking to his left to find the measurement spoons, until something caught his eye. His expression did not even change at what he saw on the countertop.

"...Kyouka!"

"Yeah?!" Her muffled response came from upstairs.

"...Mei put a laser on your toaster!"

"...Does it at least work?"

Izuku opened the pantry door and grabbed a slice of bread, putting it under the toaster's new red dot sight, and pressing the "Toast" button. A wide ray zapped the bread, cooking it an even and golden brown across the surface.

"Yep!"

"Well, I'm not complaining then."

Izuku nodded in agreement, biting into the toast, "Future Queen of the Industry."

…~AIV~...