Chapter 8: Another Step Forward

It was Thursday afternoon and Izuku was currently taking notes from Cementoss's literature class. It was the last class for the day and it was almost over. Soon he and Tooru would leave for his home. He was still a bit nervous of course. Not about his friend coming over, but of her defiance to make a decision for Saturday. Midoriya was hoping she would have made up her mind by now but no dice. Now he felt obligated to ask Hagakure what the hold up was. Sure he wanted to convince her to come but the reason why seemed more important to him at the moment.

The bell then rang. Izuku hadn't the time to put away his notebook before Tooru was standing beside him. With a voice of excitement, she said, "You ready?"

The green haired teen pleaded, "Just give me a s-second, would you?"

A grunt came from in front of them, grabbing their attention. They both looked to see Bakugo get up to leave and say with malice, "So annoying."

Midoriya sighed as he got up.

Hagakure huffed, "What's his problem? We literally only said two sentences to each other."

Izuku figured Katsuki was becoming further irked by his interactions with Tooru. The hot-headed hero did sit in between them in class, and even he could notice the change between the two. Midoriya wasn't in the mood to argue about it and just wanted to focus on his friend's visit. He put a hand to his forehead to rub his temple and said, "Just let it go Hagakure-chan."

Tooru could only groan in response as she and Izuku made their leave. Once the pair had exited the school, the invisible heroine spoke up and said, "So got a plan for my visit today?"

Midoriya scratched his cheek as he said, "Thinking back to last time, I liked just chatting in my room. If that's okay with you of course."

"Whatever you find comfortable is okay with me. But, I got another surprise for you once we get there," Hagakure teased.

Shuddering, the boy asked, "Is it a-appropriate?"

"Totally. It's fine, just like last time was," Tooru explained.

Last time involved you wearing a cheerleader's outfit and exposing the fact you weren't wearing panties, Izuku wanted to say but instead thought. "If you say so."

With sass in her voice, the invisible girl asked, "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It was e-embarrassing for m-me," Midoriya whined.

Hagakure rebutted, "Despite not being able to see anything revealing?"

"Again it's the c-concept that makes me u-uncomfortable," Izuku tried to argue.

Tooru let out a groan as she said, "You're impossible sometimes."

The boy hung his head while saying, "Sorry. I'm still not used to people being so open about things, e-especially a g-girl."

One of Tooru's sleeves came to where her chin would be as she said, "Well, you're slowly getting better at it, so that I will give you that."

Now curious, Midoriya asked, "I-I am?"

Bluntly, Hagakure spoke, "Duh. You were a stuttering mess the first day we sat down and had lunch together."

He was, wasn't he, Izuku thought. This got a chuckle out of Izuku, which then Tooru also joined in the laugh as well.

The rest of the journey to Midoriya's apartment had him and Hagakure further discussing what happened at lunch that day. The topic at the cafeteria focused on what everyone did during their week of the internship.

Izuku briefly described how he came up with Full Cowl and the quirky nature of his supervisor, Gran Torino. Ochako talked about her combat training under Gunhead: The Battle Hero, which Mashirao was very interested in discussing with her about.

Tenya was quite brief in his explanation, which everyone else understood why. He described helping stop a few hoodlums during his patrols with his water manipulating supervisor, Manual: The Normal Hero.

Momo explained how she was initially inspired by being chosen by Uwabami: The Snake Heroine but felt she was just chosen because of her good looks to be used in the pro hero's hair product commercial. This got a laugh out of Ojiro, which the creation heroine didn't seem to appreciate.

Tooru spoke of having a fun time with Ms. Joke: The Smile Hero. She described having learned some tidbits about Eraserhead from her supervisor, but wouldn't divulge into it for "reasons".

Mashirao explained his time with Vlad King: The Blood Hero as being worthwhile as they captured over a dozen villains doing small-time crimes throughout the week. Ida was quick to ask why the tailed teen had wanted to intern under the class 1-B's homeroom teacher, which was news to everyone else but Yaoyorozu. Ojiro answered that he had randomly chosen him as all the pro heroes he initially wanted were already picked by someone else. This got Izuku to wonder if their own homeroom teacher had to be a supervisor last week, and to whom if so.

As the pair made their way closer to their destination, Tooru had asked for more details about Full Cowl and his training to master it. Izuku was happy to explain, but as he finished, he also asked if she would reveal more about her internship. Hagakure characterized her pro hero supervisor as similar to herself; as positive and cheerful. She described her quirk of forced laughter as odd but effective from what she could observe. Tooru mostly spent her time with the pro hero on patrol, and during them would ask questions about the lifestyle of a hero once they graduated. "None of my immediate family has ever gone pro. So I have never been able to ask what it's like once I get there. It was informative for me, and I am glad I chose her," she said with glee.

Izuku then asked, "Hey, you mentioned learning some things about Aizawa-sensei while you were with her. Anything of note?"

Hagakure paused for a moment but then explained, "Just a few things. Apparently, they used to have office's close by; she's also a teacher at a different hero academy. That's how they met and they engaged in small talk when they could. Eventually, they became acquainted enough to even team up against villains here and there. Fukukado-sensei seems fond of him, but it's sometimes hard to tell if she's being serious or not. Either way, it's the reason why I didn't want to talk more about it in front of everyone else."

From what Midoriya could tell, Ms. Joke seemed as the polar opposite of their homeroom teacher. But sometimes opposites do attract, he noted. It reminded Izuku of his own bond with his invisible friend. Despite his nervous demeanor and her bubbly personality, they got along just fine. The green haired teen wondered, could their differing personalities work out if they were a couple? He shook the idea out of his head as the two began to climb the stairs towards his apartment. Trying to ignore what he previously thought, Izuku began mentally going over his plan as he climbed the steps. He was still sticking to the "good first impression" idea and then just spending time in his room like last time. Though Tooru's own surprise was throwing the boy for a loop. Midoriya hoped it wasn't another questionable attire reveal.

As they entered Izuku was startled by his mother as she gave both a hug. Tooru found the embrace hilarious because of his embarrassment at being sandwiched between his invisible friend and parent. After an exchange of greetings, and this time his friend accepting Inko's offer of tea, the pair made their way to the younger Midoriya's room.

Once inside, Hagakure immediately dropped her backpack beside the door and then sat in her host's computer chair. She then began to drink the tea while humming. Midoriya walked past her and placed his backpack at the foot of his bed before grabbing some clothes. He then turned around and asked, "Hey Tooru, do you mind if I go change? I'm a bit hot from all this warm weather we're having."

The invisible girl responded, "Afraid you'll scare me away with your smell like last time? Isn't this a bit much?"

"I-I just want to be s-sure, is all," the boy tried to explain.

"Ah well, go ahead, but you know," Hagakure then switched her tone to a more suggestive one and said, "You could always just change in here, and I can just turn around." After stating this, she did a complete spin with the computer chair.

Turning beet red, Izuku struggled to say, "Y-You know w-wouldn't be ok with t-that."

Tooru just shrugged and said, "Just offering."

The boy muttered, "S-Sorry, I g-going to have p-pass on that i-idea."

In a voice of defeat, Hagakure replied with, "Oh poo. Well, don't take too long as I still have a surprise to show you, remember?"

Izuku passed his friend and turned before opening the door. "Yeah, you don't have to remind me." After closing the door, he approached the kitchen. As the younger Midoriya stepped in and said in a hushed tone, "Mom, do you have them in the toaster oven?"

Inko asked, "Why are you whispering?"

Izuku realized how silly it was to be whispering at the moment. He then responded, "L-Look it d-doesn't matter. Are you heating them up like I asked?"

His mother was quick to answer with, "Of course. I grabbed three as you said I should and they should be ready in a minute."

Satisfied, the green haired teen said, "Okay, I'll grab them after I change." He changed into a simple black t-shirt with light brown khakis. After exiting the bathroom, he put on some oven mittens before grabbing a small tray from the toaster oven but was stopped by his mother before reaching his door.

Inko said softly, "Good luck."

"Thanks, for everything mom," Izuku said with a big smile.

As he walked into his room he stated, "Tooru I wanted to surprise-". Midoriya stopped talking once he noticed that there was no sign of Hagakure within his room. And then became wide-eyed when he saw the pile of folded clothes on his bed. So this was her surprise, Izuku thought in a panic. He was quick to close the door behind him, and as he turned around, he noticed one of his pastries floating in the air.

Midoriya heard a few sniffs and then the eager voice of Hagakure asked, "Is this what I think this is?"

Ignoring her comment, the boy muttered, "W-Why are you n-naked, in m-my room of all p-places?"

Tooru was quick to retort, "Hey answer my question first. What is this tasty looking morsel?"

Internally Izuku groaned, but he responded with, "They're salted c-caramel glazed donuts made from p-pumpkin spice."

Hagakure slowly stated, "Sounds delicious."

Midoriya then watched the pastry slowly disappear as his invisible friend ate it. He then walked over to his computer table and placed the tray, now with two donuts, down. Not turning around Midoriya asked, "Can you p-please tell me why your n-nude? Y-You said it would a-appropriate on our way h-here."

Trying to explain, Hagakure said, "That's the thing though, I don't have to be nude anymore to stay invisible!"

Taken aback, the boy asked, "Wait, you mean your hero costume came in?"

Enthusiastically the invisible heroine "Yeah! All Might-sensei pulled me aside after class and gave it to me on Monday. I was so surprised. I figured I wouldn't get this until the end of the year!"

So this is the gift All Might was talking about on Tuesday, Midoriya thought. He should have been able to take the hint. The number one hero had mentioned trying to up the production of Tooru's hero suit not long after the villain invasion, which was some time ago.

Izuku then felt hands grasp his own as Tooru spoke, "Here, let me show you."

The girl was too quick for her alarmed friend to react. Hagakure pulled him forward and placed his palms on her body. Midoriya was glad whatever he was touching was not skin, but instead some sort of fabric. His hands were almost parallel to his hips. Izuku knew, from the hugs he had received from Tooru in the past, that she was a couple centimeters shorter than him. So he guessed he was currently holding the sides of her lower chest. Though this fact still didn't prevent the boy from becoming a decent shade of crimson.

Hagakure then stated with excitement, "See? Clothing, no nudity here!"

Continuing the stutter in his speech the boy asked, "Y-Yeah, that's g-great. D-Definitely an i-improvement."

With curiosity, Tooru inquired, "Do you want to see what it looks like?"

Somewhat excited, Izuku asked, "Wait, that suit lets you control your transparency quirk?" The possibility had him greatly intrigued.

"I wish. Once I take it off it becomes visible after a few seconds, and vice-versa when I put it on," explained Hagakure in a disappointed tone.

Midoriya internally sighed at hearing this. The concept of him being to see what his best friend actually looked like did seem too good to be true. Tooru would have shown him much sooner if that was the case. The green haired teen realized that she would need to undress for him to see the suit but his curiosity was greater than his nervousness. "S-Sure I guess," he said.

"Ok then. You know the drill when I change. Get to it," the invisible expressed in a serious tone but then chuckled as she couldn't maintain it.

Izuku walked over to his bed and sat down. After turning around, he began to hear his friend fidget around while taking off her suit. This was the third time he had to do this, but Midoriya wasn't any more comfortable about it at this point. Mental images of her changing kept creeping into his mind, but he would continually smash such thoughts from his head. The boy didn't want to see his friend in that way; they didn't have that type of relationship.

Suddenly something was thrown at Izuku's side. Before he could say anything, Tooru said, "Here you can look at it while I change back into my uniform."

Midoriya then saw the pile of Hagakure's clothes by his side be lifted off and taken behind him. The boy saw the suit gradually appear and slowly grabbed it. The costume looked like a one-piece wetsuit, though as he felt the material, it felt slightly thicker than a regular wetsuit. It was a bluish green color, cyan maybe? There were also black stripes around the neckline, wrists, waist, and ankles. The material was quite tough on the outside, but it felt very soft on the inside once Izuku put a hand into the neck hole to inspect it. The boy immediately also noticed that it was also very warm, from her body heat. This last thought made Midoriya drop the suit to the side, not wanting to further divulge in such thoughts.

A voice behind him, somewhat muffled, said, "You can turn around now. So what do you think of it?"

Izuku turned to see Tooru in her school uniform again but with another partially eaten donut floating where her mouth would be, which explained the difference in her voice. Cupping his chin with one of his hands, he began with, "So from what I can tell, it's more than just able to work with your quirk, but it has a few other components. The outside is quite resilient, which means it provides some protection. The inside though felt comfy and flexible, which is not only for comfort but gives you a lot of freedom of movement."

The invisible lass replied, "Well my quirk works best in stealth situations so I would hope it gives me a lot of movement options."

Midoriya continued, "Exactly, I don't know if you've noticed Hagakure-chan, but you are quite fast and nimble. Those traits of yours won't be lost in this suit. And while you will probably be located outside the battlefield in most scenarios, it would still be beneficial to have at least some form of protection. Which again this costume provides."

"Heh, you're so intelligent Midoriya-kun," Hagakure proudly said.

"T-Thanks," Izuku said while scratching the back of his head.

Tooru then stated, "The suit isn't complete though."

Confused, the green haired teen asked, "It's not? Is there something wrong with it?"

Hagakure responded, "Nah, it's perfect. It's just missing shoes. All Might-sensei said they weren't able to get the right specifications for the footwear I requested. So that's coming later. So for now, I'm still gonna continue to be barefoot if I want to go completely invisible."

Izuku wondered what the specifications were. He recalled that because of her having to be barefoot, it led to her being exposed during the rescue training from their second day of school as she described to him. The ice from Tokodori's quirk had made her slip. A regular pair of shoes might have prevented that so what more could footwear provide than protection from the elements? He wanted to ponder the thought more before asking about it, so Midoriya simply answered back, "Oh, I see."

The invisible heroine then said, "I also called the support company to make a special request on Monday after school."

Halting his thoughts on the possibilities of the invisible shoes, Izuku asked, "Which was?"

Hagakure explained, "I asked if they could make me some invisible underwear as well. They were a bit taken aback about it but once I explained the situation they were more than happy to look into it. Though because of it not being related to my hero costume, they said it would be a while before they could develop it."

"O-Oh well that sounds g-great," Midoriya responded. He was actually glad for his friend, as the idea of her not being able to wear panties when wearing certain clothing seemed like a burden to her.

"Yeah, I hope both items get developed soon. By the way, since we are on the subject of hero costumes, don't think I've noticed the changes in your's Midoriya-kun," Tooru pointed out.

Scratching the back of his head Midoriya said, "Oh you noticed?"

During his internship, he had gotten his suit back from being repaired. Izuku called it costume beta, and it had a lot of changes to it. It now was a darker green and its striping was now black instead of white. The elbow and knee pads were extended and it came with a more sturdy pair of gloves plus boots. His mask now had a more high tech face guard and the "ears" were shortened. Midoriya wasn't able to show it off to his classmates until Monday's rescue race with All Might. Curious about what Hagakure thought of it, he asked, "Did you like it?"

"It looked more official than your last one for sure. Your last costume looked like you just were cosplaying," Tooru stated bluntly.

She wasn't exactly wrong, Izuku thought, most parts of costume alpha were assembled or bought by himself, and the unitard was made by his mom. It was all he was able to come within the month he had between being accepted to U.A. and starting school there.

"No offense taken Hagakure-chan, my first suit was pretty low quality for hero work. I mean it got thrashed after just one training exercise. I'm glad about all the changes that were made in my new outfit," Midoriya replied.

Hagakure then stated, "Well there was one thing I don't like about your new costume."

Curious but also clueless at what the flaw could be, Izuku gave a perplexed look at her.

Tooru raised her sleeves above her head as she explained. "It's the bunny ears in your mask, they're less cute when that short. I understand they're more practical, but your costume is less iconic now."

Izuku was still somewhat surprised his friend hadn't noticed that they were referencing All Might's hair, not of a rabbit. He almost wanted to bring it up to her but just decided to respond instead while pointing at his head, "You know me, logic over style."

Tooru went silent for a few moments before approaching Midoriya, which confused him. He thought, was he not supposed to say that? The boy then felt a palm on his right hand. In a somber voice, the invisible heroine asked, "Can I see it?"

The green haired teen instantly knew what she was referring to. He opened his right fist, exposing its slightly misshapen look and two scars.

Wistfully, Hagakure inquired, "This happened during your match with Todoroki-san, right?"

Izuku could only nod slowly. He was prepared for another discussion on not making stupid decisions from his friend, but what came next surprised him.

The girl sighed and said, "I guess it can't be helped at this point."

The boy thought, that's it? He was expecting more from this, but to see her drop the subject so quickly made him sigh in relief at that dodged bullet.

Tooru then stated, "Hey I feel like I should apologize for something from last week."

Curious, Midoriya asked, "About what?"

In a soft voice she asked, "You know when you confronted the Hero Killer, you sent out your location from your phone?"

Izuku nodded in response to her question.

Taking a deep breath, Hagakure then stated, "I just want to say sorry for not realizing you needed help when you sent out that message marking your location to everyone, I just thought you butt dialed me or something."

Trying to cheer her up, Izuku replied, "It's ok Hagakure-chan, Uraraka-san also apologized for it thinking the same thing. I really didn't give you all much to go by. Only Todoroki-san figured it out anyhow, and he thankfully happened to be nearby."

Now curious herself, Tooru said, "Hey, when did you ever get Todoroki-san's number?"

Midoriya explained, "He gave it to me the Tuesday we went back to school after the hero festival. He said if I ever needed his help, to call. I guess it was one way he wanted to thank me for everything that happened during our battle."

In a bit more cheerful tone, the invisible girl said, "Well I'm glad he was there to help."

Shivering at the thought of what might have happened if Shoto hadn't shown up, Izuku then said, "Y-Yeah, me too."

With a puzzled tone in her voice, Hagakure stated, "You two seem to be good pals now. Is there a reason you never tried to invite him to our lunch table?"

Midoriya asked for a minute while he thought of an answer. He never really considered the idea and needed to think as to why. Eventually, he spoke up and explained, "Todoroki-san has been getting better interacting with our classmates since the Hero Festival, but I think inviting him would have been a sensory overload for him. He still has a lot of baggage to figure out on his own and I don't want to further stress him by making him uncomfortable. Plus Todoroki-san seems to be a loner type anyways when it comes to anything outside our hero work, like Tokoyami-san, despite both working well with others during our training."

"Huh, I never considered it like that," the invisible girl said with surprise. She then continued with, "That's quite nice of you to still consider his well-being after everything that happened."

"Thanks," was all Midoriya could think to say. His face was a bit pink from the praise that his friend had given.

Tooru then said, "Hey before we continue chatting I wanna go thank your mom for these amazing donuts." She quickly stood up and grabbed the last donut as she made her way towards the door.

Izuku raised his voice to stop her and stated, "Wait, my mom didn't make those."

Hagakure stopped and turned around before asking, "Oh, so you bought them?"

Shaking his head, Midoriya said proudly, "No, I made them."

Astonished, the invisible gal asked, "Wait, you can cook?"

Scratching his cheek with a bit of a blush, Midoriya said, "Well, kind of. My mom has taught me a decent amount of cooking in general. I had her help me look up a recipe involving caramel but the rest was just me. I did a trial run first, and then I made another batch this morning. I've got like two dozen more chilling in the fridge if you wanna take them home."

"Oh, you're the best Midoriya-kun," an overjoyed Tooru proclaimed.

The girl dropped the donut on the desk and then brought him into an embrace. However, since Izuku was sitting down and she had quickly sprinted to him in a standing position to hug him, it toppled the green haired teen over. Now he had his back on the bed with Hagakure squeezing him tightly, and he was yet again panicking.

In their last two embraces, Midoriya had felt her breasts against his chest; it was slight though so he could handle it somewhat. But with the invisible girl on top of him, he could feel the full weight of them against himself, and his mind was frying because of it. Also, for the first time, the boy did not return in the embrace, and instead fidgeted in discomfort.

With concern in her voice, Hagakure asked, "Hey, you okay Midoriya-kun?

"C-can't b-breathe," Midoriya lied.

Tooru was quick to roll off the boy and lay by his left side as Izuku started to breathe heavily. They both were laid out on the bed now, their legs over the side, as they were laying along the short side of the bed.

Apologizing, the invisible stated, "Sorry, I guess I should not have pounced on you."

In a light chuckle, Midoriya muttered, "Y-Yeah, I w-wasn't expecting t-that."

Tooru stayed quiet as she laid beside Izuku as his breathing slowly went back to normal. During this, he went over in his head the things he wanted to discuss with his friend while she was here. As to distract him from what just happened. It was time to tackle the big question; he just hoped she would be responsive. In a sincere voice, Midoriya inquired, "Hey Hagakure-chan, why are you being so hesitant about going to Yaoyorozu-san's study session with me and everyone else this Saturday?"

Crossing her arms, Hagakure said, "Oh, right, I still haven't made up my mind about that, have I?"

The boy shook his head. Izuku then saw Tooru unfold her arms and felt her grab his left hand. She gave a decent squeeze before she said, "I just don't feel comfortable about it."

The green haired teen responded with, "How so?"

"Cause I feel everyone else in our group is a lot smarter than me," the girl stated in a dejected tone.

Midoriya then asked, "What makes you say that?"

After a long exhale, Hagakure stated, "I haven't told anyone else this, but my grades are below average."

Waving his right hand to dismiss the statement, "I'm sure it's not that bad."

In a serious voice, Tooru spoke, "Izuku, I think the only people with worse grades than me are Ashido-san and Kaminari-san."

The boy hadn't actually considered Mina to have terrible grades. Sure she acted ditzy sometimes, but he just thought that was just a part of her personality. Then again, Izuku hadn't interacted with her that much compared to Tooru. Though he had to give it to Hagakure, it was pretty obvious Kaminari lacked a lot in the intelligence department, even more so if he overused his quirk.

Trying to convince his friend to go, Midoriya proclaimed, "Well, that just means it's more of a reason for you to go on Saturday."

"I know, but it will be embarrassing," Hagakure said while bringing her left arm to her face.

This statement surprised the green haired teen. Being naked, albeit invisible, never really bothered his friend. But of all things, her scores in academics? Embarrassing?

"No one's gonna make fun of you, I promise," Izuku said as he tightened his grip on Tooru's hand.

The invisible girl sighed and replied, "I know, but I just hate the feeling of being inferior in smarts. I can take being weaker, that's just the nature of my quirk."

Midoriya asked in an inquisitive voice, "Is this why you never want to discuss schoolwork that doesn't involve hero training at lunch?"

Softly Tooru explained, "Yeah. And besides, I don't want you guys to spend the extra time to help me when you could be helping yourselves. I'll just be in the way."

Izuku thoughtfully stated, "I would rather lose a few points in my grade than see you not come to the training camp. And I'm sure everyone else would do the same."

Intrigued, Hagakure asked, "You want me to go on the summer trip that bad?"

With a jolt, Izuku proclaimed, "Well of course! I mean otherwise you'll be miserable staying behind doing summer school, and I want to spend time with you this summer," Midoriya was quick to say.

"You know, it's not like we can't see each other over the break if I fail the exams," the invisible girl explained.

Midoriya rebutted by saying, "Yeah, but I feel like we can experience some new things together with our group if we go to this camp."

Tooru inquired, "You think so?"

"I know so. I mean imagine a hero training summer outside school grounds. We'll also be together for an entire week, instead of a half the day at a time. The thought itself is pretty exciting to me," Izuku stated. Then, a bit desperate, the boy asked, "So will you please consider going?"

Tooru stayed silent for a few minutes as she considered the question. The wait was almost too much for Midoriya as they both laid there on his bed. Eventually, Hagakure said, "Well at this point, after everything you said; it would be pretty dumb of me to still say no. So alright I'll say yes at lunch tomorrow."

Excitedly, Izuku stood up and raised their hands and said, "Thanks, for finally saying yes."

While returning to a sitting position, which also brought Izuku into one as well, Tooru said, "Well, you are such a good sweet talker."

Midoriya gave an awkward chuckle in response, which also got Hagakure to giggle.

After the laughing session, the invisible heroine then let go of the boy's hand and leaned forward a bit before asking, "Hey I want to ask you something. Do you remember the incident in the locker rooms after our rescue race training with All Might-sensei?"

Izuku nodded sheepishly as he recalled Minoru finding a peephole between the locker rooms. However, Kyoka was quick to stop the short boy with her quirk.

In a serious tone, Hagakure asked, "Was that perverted purple blob the only one that tried to look at us while we changed out of our hero suits and into our school uniforms?"

Confused, Midoriya answered with, "Yeah, why?"

With a sigh, Tooru responded with, "Just curious. I think the girls would like to know if there were any other boys that had such tendencies is all."

Izuku thought a bit about this last statement from Tooru. He could only think of one of his male classmates that displayed such behavior at all. "Well, I've sometimes seen Kaminari-san with Mineta-san during the latter's shenanigans," Midoriya stated.

"Oh, I know that. Jiro-san makes sure to keep him in line," she said with a hint of pleasantness.

Izuku recalled the multiple occasions that Kyoka had physically stopped Denki from doing stupid things. He was glad his friend wasn't like that with himself.

Hagakure put a hand on the boy's shoulder and said, "I'm so fortunate that you didn't turn out to be a pervert Midoriya-kun."

Another awkward laugh came from Midoriya. While that was true in his actions, there were many times that his mind would bring up naughty thoughts that he wished would go away. He was a growing teenage boy, and it was a natural reaction from spending so much time with a female, even if she was invisible. But to Izuku it wasn't the proper way to see his friend. He wanted to respect the status of their relationship, and such thoughts broke that trust he felt that the two had built.

Trying to change the subject, Midoriya asked, "Hey, you said that you couldn't come yesterday because you had an appointment with your trainer. What's your training like?"

Tooru explained, "Oh, it's nothing special. She just helps me keep myself in shape. You know running, light weight lifting, acrobatics, stretches, the works."

Surprised, the boy asked, "That's it?"

Raising an arm, Hagakure said, "Well, she also helps me with my sneaking skills."

Raising an eyebrow, Izuku inquired, "Sneaking?"

"Yeah. My instructor used to be a scout in some army outside of Japan; she developed some efficient stealth skills while doing multiple reconnaissance missions while in service," Tooru responded.

Midoriya crossed his arms and asked with curiosity, "Could you tell me about what she has taught you?"

Hagakure sighed and stated, "Sure. But I'm only telling you because I know you like this kind of jibber jabber."

This got a smile out of the green haired teen. "You know it," he said proudly.

"Well, my mentor divides stealth into three categories: attire, path, and technique," the girl began.

Izuku then asked, "Actually could you give me a second?" He rapidly got up and grabbed a notebook and pencil then sat at his desk before saying, "Okay, you can continue."

Tooru held in a laugh at this but continued, "Attire didn't apply to me until I got my hero suit. But thanks to her guidance I was able to know what I would require for my costume. Tight clothing is a must, anything loose could make noise as you move. Of course, bracelets, necklaces, and rings are a big no-no as well. Path is about choosing where you walk. When outside; loose soils, gravel, mud, and wet grass should be avoided. While inside it's best to walk near walls, as it's less likely for the floor to squeak or creak. If it's a place you know, I was always told it was good to memorize it, but be open to changes in the environment, so you don't get caught off guard if something has been moved."

Hagakure gave Izuku some time to write before resuming. Midoriya then spoke up, "This is fantastic stuff Tooru!"

Cheerfully Tooru stated, "I hoped it would be for you. But anyways, the last part is technique, that took me the longest to learn. You gotta land first with the balls of your feet whenever you walk, run, or jump. This will help silence your feet movement. Being barefoot makes this easier, and when my special shoes finally come it will be even better. Supporting your weight on things like furniture can also make you produce less noise as you move around."

Izuku realized the footwear's purpose now. To make her movement even more silent than if she was walking barefoot. Just off the top of his head, he thought of scenarios where skin having contact with a surface might make noises. The green haired teen then asked, "So how did your instructor train you this way?"

"Well after we work out she takes me to public places and makes me walk through them without attracting any notice. She follows behind me if she can, kind of acting as my timer. If she thinks I'm taking too long she approaches me and I have to move before she can reach me. It was easy at first, as we would do this in loud places, like malls, parks, or restaurants. Then things got tricky when she took me to schools, libraries, and even through a courtroom once."

A bit startled by the exercise Midoriya stated, "This sounds like very questionable training."

The invisible heroine responded with, "Yeah, it was embarrassing at times. Though my teacher always told me that if I ever got in trouble, she would take the blame for it, so that was reassuring."

Anxious, the boy inquired, "Did you ever get caught?"

Tooru laid back on Izuku's bed as she said, "No, but my presence would get noticed sometimes. People turned their head in my direction if I made a sound or bumped into something. If that was during a battle or high stakes stealth mission that could spell that end for me. So we kept working at it, and I think I've gotten pretty good at it minus when I have to run. Though going from Wednesday's lesson, it's going to take a bit getting used to my new suit."

Izuku guessed what had happened but still asked, "Didn't go so well?"

"Yeah. I was slipping up on things I would normally do easily," Hagakure explained.

"I'm sure you'll get it with more practice, Hagakure-chan," Midoriya said as he closed his notebook.

The rest of the visit had the two talk about the addition of Momo to the group. Tooru again thanked Izuku for the decision to invite another girl. She likened her personality as a female version of Tenya if he ever mellowed out a bit. While an odd comparison, the boy could see where she was going with it.

While they discussed Yaoyorozu further, Midoriya thought about Ojiro's problems with her inclusion. Hagakure didn't seem to notice the tailed teen's disdain of their vice president's presence, and he thought that was for the best for now. Izuku wished that everything would go alright on Saturday, as it pained him to see Mashirao so agitated, and if everything went well, perhaps he would have a change of heart.

After the talk, Tooru got up and grabbed her backpack. As she slung it over her shoulder, she said, "Today was terrific Midoriya-kun, but it's a school night, so I don't think I should get home before dinner."

Midoriya was okay with this. It's why he wanted this today, and not tomorrow for the possibility of her staying longer since it would be Friday. But before she could leave he got off his chair and said, "Hey before you leave can I ask you something?"

With her arms at her hips, the invisible girl asked with sass, "Midoriya-kun how often do I refuse to answer a question coming from you."

Lowering his head a bit, Midoriya said, "A-Almost never." The only instance that he could remember that she did was during their conversation on the bus after the Hero Festival. She was awfully upset with him at the start of their conversation that day, so it didn't bother him that much.

With a giggle, Hagakure said, "Then ask, silly."

Midoriya then exhaled loudly. During the entirety of his friend's visit, an idea had been forming in his mind. It was a crazy idea, why had he even considered it, Izuku thought at the start. But as time flew by, it became more acceptable to him. It's not like she would say no, it was more if Midoriya himself would be okay with it. And now would be the best time to ask, otherwise it would have to be at school, at Momo's house on Friday, or over the phone. He felt this was too personal to ask at any of those locations.

So Izuku breathed in slowly and said, "So your b-birthday is n-next week r-right?"

Tooru stated, "Yep, next Sunday. Still, I don't know if I should invite everybody from lunch to celebrate it. But then again I still feel bad that we skipped over Ojiro-san's."

Slowly, Midoriya asked, "A-Actually, would you be o-okay if just m-me and y-you went a-alone somewhere for your b-birthday?"

With interest, Tooru asked, "So like a date?"

There was that dreaded word again. The boy rapidly said, "N-No just a get-together."

Confused, Hagakure responded, "Sounds like a date to me. I mean it would be just like the last time we hung out that one Saturday with Ida-san and Uraraka-san."

With dismay, Izuku asked, "W-Wait, you considered that a d-date?"

The invisible heroine then said, "Okay, you're right that wasn't a date."

Izuku sighed in relief.

"That was more like a double date," Tooru then stated.

Midoriya could only cover his face in embarrassment as his blush dominated his face.

Tooru huffed, "Midoriya-kun, it's just a word. You were fine with the idea until I called it a date."

Still, no response came from Izuku.

Bringing an arm to her chin, Hagakure spoke, "Wait, is this like when you weren't ready to come over to my place?" The boy noticed parallels in how he felt back then and now as he let his hands drop from his face. Tooru continued, "Because just like before, people do these things even if they aren't a couple."

Izuku stuttered, "D-Do t-they?"

"Yes, all the time in fact," Hagakure replied.

A small groan escaped Izuku as scratched his head.

Tooru continued by stating, "But I guess dates do help in telling if two people wanna take their relationship to the next level."

Midoriya's thought, the next level?!

The invisible girl then proclaimed, "If you are okay with that possibility, I'd be happy to take you up on your offer Izuku-kun. So what's it gonna be?"

Izuku gulped. Addressing him by his first name? It felt like Tooru was challenging him to take a step forward in their relationship on that alone. Was she hinting that they could become a couple after the date? Maybe she meant after a few dates. Midoriya still couldn't believe he spent so much mental anguish on trying to decide if their original meetup was a date or not only for Tooru to have considered it a date the entire time. Was he ready for this? Alone? Was he ready for the possibility of them becoming a couple? Tooru seemed ready. Shouldn't he give her a chance?

Izuku got up and looked directly at his friend. After a few deep breaths, he stated with all the confidence he could muster at the time, "Y-Yeah, let's go on another d-date, T-Tooru-chan."

This chapter originally was the latter half of chapter seven. But for seeking better thematics of each chapter, I just decided to split it. It's a bit short compared to what I've been writing lately but I felt it just flows better this way.

Writing fluff is probably the easiest thing for me. I get ideas on what I want the pair to talk about far in advance (sometimes weeks) to ever write these types of scenes. So it's fun to write them as words easily get typed and I really don't have to think much. Most people come here for the fluff as well, so it's always the best to write about them. ;p

I was tempted to include the first study session in this chapter, but I just decided to have that be the focus in the next chapter (and include two of them). Chapter ten will then focus on the date.

Chapter nine will be released on September 18th!