My Hero Academia: Akio Takeyama

Chapter 28

Toshinori leans forward in his seat, hands clasped under his chin. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as he looked at the open folder on the table. An essay accompanies each file. With a sigh, All Might let Midoriya's group assignment drop back into the pile.

"Eraserhead, somehow I knew you would do something like this."

Toshinori admits it. As backhanded as his methods are, they work. The bits and pieces of insight they gained from the assignments felt like an unfair advantage. They know everything from Uraraka's self-defense training under Gunhead to Todoroki's advancement of regulating his ice with fire. It's not just class 1-A, either.

"You were in on this, too, Vlad?" Toshinori asks, raising an eyebrow at the gray-haired blood hero. He thought those two had a rivalry going on? This would be the best moment to get a leg up on Aizawa, too.

Vlad crosses his arms and grunts. "I see that look and I know what you're thinking."

"Is that so?" Toshinori lets out an awkward chuckle.

"Yes, and I'm telling you, all of class 1-B will pass their final exams with flying colors! Can't say the same for Eraser's class, though." Vlad smirks at his counterpart sitting across the table from him, squeezing eyedrops into his eyes.

Toshinori frowned at Vlad's proclamation, anxiety prickling up his skin again. He knew, like Eraser, that Class 1-A was behind in their practical application of the curriculum. It's why the final exam was created into this rite of passage.

"Can't wait to see you stuck having to give remedial classes, Erasure!" Vlad yells before laughing loudly.

Toshinori sighed because he knew that Vlad's attempt to get a rise out of Aizawa was pointless.

"I couldn't care any less, Vlad," Aizawa says dismissively, the dullness in his tone punctuated. Vlad could only growl irritably at Aizawa, who didn't even bother glancing in his direction. Instead, he pointedly stares at the end of the table. "Are we all clear on what we must do?"

Now I just feel bad.

Everyone turned to the newest member sitting at the far end. Toshinori looks sympathetically at the new hero joining them. Yu Takeyama, better known as Mt. Lady, had the unfortunate fate of being singled out. Midnight had brought her in, citing their trouble with being short-staffed for the upcoming final exams, and referred to them as the 'solution.' An interesting solution, in his opinion.

Aizawa was strictly against it, but Principal Nezu allowed it. Despite how everyone felt about it, they couldn't exactly go against Nezu's judgment. Don't get it wrong, though! No one is displeased with Midnight bringing in another hero to plug the hole in their faculty for the final exams. No, they would have preferred if Midnight had brought in any other hero. Even Toshinori is concerned about the pair of students going against a literal giant. Just from that one detail, it makes sense why everybody else is not too keen on the idea.

"Yep, got it!" Yu smiles, teeth and all.

"Are you sure?" Aizawa asks, eyes narrowing at her.

Yu visibly shrinks in her seat. "Uh, yes…I think?"

"Don't worry about it. You'll do fine," Thirteen waves it off as if it was no biggie.

"Says the woman with a literal black hole at her fingertips." Midnight says with an amused roll of her eyes.

"Exactly." Thirteen says, bubbly laughter echoing slightly behind her suit.

"No pressure, right?" Thirteen turns to Yu and tilts her head. She raises a finger, the gray cap popping. But nothing happens. "You just have to hold back just enough not to kill the students, okay?"

Toshinori felt her heart leap into his chest, his weak, lanky bones rattling as he almost fumbled his mug of coffee. What the hell was Thirteen thinking, saying something like that!?

Yu turned pale, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

There's a pause. Then, like an engine revving up, Principal Nezu throws his head back and cackles. His laughter is infectious like a new form of the flu, spreading instantaneously. Toshinori's lungs strained against his ribcage like they would balloon and pop from his laughter. His throat violently protested, and he went into another coughing fit. But god was it nice to share a laugh with them all.

Toshinori, past the laughter, saw and noticed Midnight caressing Yu's hand with her own. Yu was already smiling, no longer pale but slightly flushed. The two were glancing at each other lovingly.

Toshinori smiles and looks away. Quite nice, he thought.

…

…

Toshinori adjusts the tie around his neck with a sigh. As the rest of the faculty filters out, he lingers behind, giving a cursory glance at the two documents in front of him. He glances up at the door, watching as Kayama motions for Yu to stay put. Thirteen is pulling the rated-R hero aside for one reason or another. Yu drops back into her seat, hands clasped on the table before her, as she knocks her thumbs together.

Poor girl, Toshinori thinks as he focuses on packing up for the day. In one moment, he's slipping the folder into his bag, and in another, he looks up to grab his phone, only to see a face beside him in its reflection. He slowly turns to a smiling Yu and darts back, startled.

"Holy!" He shouts, clutching his chest. Why the hell is she so close!?

Yu grimaces, bowing her head slightly in apology. "Didn't mean to startle you. I was just curious…"

It takes Toshinori several seconds to realize he's just staring at her. Eyes darting to the side, he coughs into his fist. "Curious, you say?"

Yu plops back into the seat beside him and smiles softly. "Yep, I have some questions. If that's alright with you."

"No-No, I'm more than happy to answer any questions." Toshinori motions to the seat next to him, and they both sit.

"Um, I heard you worked with both hero courses as a teaching assistant from Midnight," Yu says. Her hand comes up to twirl around one of her curly bangs. "You're name is Tod, right?"

Tod? Toshinori wanted to facepalm at the alias Kayama gave him. But he decides to roll with it anyway. Better than revealing he's All Might. "Yep, that's me. The teaching assistant for All Might…well mainly."

Yu chuckles, eyes lighting up at the mention of the number one hero…who was sitting right in front of her. She would never know that, though. "I was wondering where he was. Did he decide to ditch the meeting?"

A choked sound rises from Toshinori's throat at what she's suggesting. I would never! But he couldn't very well say that. Yu raises an eyebrow then solemnly nods. She gives him a sympathetic smile and pats him on the shoulder with a sigh.

"I knew it. All Might is forcing all his work on you, Mr. Tod."

Toshinori chuckles awkwardly, what a misinterpretation. She couldn't be the furthest from the truth right now. He can't leave this conversation with the impression he or All Might was some lazy bum who dumped his work onto others!

"Oh, No you've got it all wrong! All Might is the Symbol of Peace when he is on the clock and off. I'm here to help him with tasks like paperwork so he can go out there and do his job without any distractions." He says, rubbing the back of his neck. "All Might takes his job teaching the newer generation very seriously."

Yu's head jerks back and she scratches her cheek with a dry chuckle. "Ah, guess that was wrong of me to suggest. Sometimes, I forget All Might is a very busy man." She says, smiling warmly. "I didn't mean no harm, promise! I mean, I could never have, since he's one of the reasons I didn't give up on my dream to become a hero."

It brought a genuine smile to Toshinori's to hear that from Yu. "Well, I shouldn't be the one to say this, but—" He makes a show out of looking around for some hidden recording devices. Yu snorts and covers her mouth as Toshinori leans closer. "He sang your praises the other day."

Yu's eyes widen, and she gets uncomfortably close. "Who?"

"All Might."

"What? No. Way. Me?"

Toshinori nods vehemently with an honest smile. "Yes. He even said you had the qualities to be ahem an important hero of the future! A hero many would remember for decades long after they were gone. This was after you stopped that tower from collapsing with your bare hands the other day." Toshinori smirks, turning up the All Might to a hundred percent. "A future top 10 hero in the making!"

Yu squeals, throwing her head back and giddily kicking her feet. "Holy crap! Your impression of him was dead on. I hope you're not lying to me!"

Toshinori watches Yu elatedly bounce in her seat, at his words. He meant every word. However, he doubts the last bit will come true if the qualifications for what decides the rankings have any say. But that's par for the course. It usually takes those golden years of being pro to truly break even the top 20 but she did it in two! The future is truly bright.

"Now, Yu, any other concerns you have?"

After calming down, Yu takes a deep breath and holds up the folder. "I have some questions about a certain student." She smiles weakly. "Akio Take?"

Akio Take? All Might easily remember the USJ attack and how he shielded him from prying eyes. He never did thank the boy for that. His Festival performance was outstanding as well. Defense and offense all at once. Close combat isn't bad, based on his match against Kara Red. His only glaring weakness is maneuverability while using his quirk simultaneously and effectively. Theoretically, he's practically a sitting duck if he is not touching a solid, a prerequisite for activating his quirk. Against overwhelming power, his quirk won't help as well. However, once he comes into his own, Akio will easily be a top candidate for the future generation of top 10 heroes.

"Yes, he's a very impressive student from what I saw during the festival and read about him. Very well-mannered from the little times I've interacted with the boy. Why do you ask?"

Yu's mouth opens and closes. She presses her fingers together timidly. "That's…well…" She trails off with a low rumble from her throat. Her eyes dart to the side. "It's complicated. But let's just say I am…uh good friends with his aunt."

Toshinori points out that the folder has all the information she wants. But Yu holds up a hand.

"I know but it's unrelated to this..." She says gingerly placing a hand atop the folder.

Toshinori raises an eyebrow, he can't quite place it but something is off. "Mt. Lady I can not divulge any other information to you about students you'll be proctoring for the final exam," Toshinori says, staring at her firmly.

The longer Toshinori looked at her the more he couldn't shake the feeling that…he had seen her before.

No, that's not quite right.

"Either way, even if I wanted to I can't for obvious security reasons."

Yu squeezes her eyes shut, eyebrows scrunching together. She stays like that for a while, leaving Toshinori to ponder for a few tense moments about this feeling of deja vu. It's just something about her face.

"R-Right, that should have been obvious. Silly me!" Yu knocks her knuckles against her head as if she were some airheaded anime character.

Toshinori laughs awkwardly if only to ease the tension. But even as she changes the topic and starts rambling off on other things he can't focus on the conversation. That same itch was nagging him. It left him fixated on the features of Mt. Lady. Just what was it? Her hair? Is it the color? Maybe the eyes?

Toshinori eyes land on the folder again and back at Yu. If you were to turn your head at the right angle, Toshinori could see something. But before Toshinori could figure it out the door to the conference room burst open.

"I'm back!" Kayama belts out, her cuffs rattling on her wrist as she throws her arm out like some model. Then she looks at them and freezes momentarily. She smirks and points teasingly at 'Tod'. "Why are you two sitting so close? What did I miss? Don't tell me you've charmed this nice young lady! Oh! You old wolf you."

Toshinori immediately balks and shakes his head. Old Wolf!? Charming? He wishes Kayama wouldn't insinuate something like that. "I have no idea what you're talking about Midnight. Mt. Lady just had some questions that needed to be answered is all!" He waves his arms and coughs out a dry laugh.

Yu twirls a bang in her finger and looks away with a pout. "Oh really? I could have sworn you were hitting on me just now."

Toshinori balked at Mt. Lady. Then he saw her smirk. Not her too. What the heck did he do to be teased today?

Kayama gasps covering her mouth in mock surprise, "I knew it! You sly silver fox, Tod!"

Toshinori sighs knowing the silver-fox title would be a recurring joke. He wasn't even that old or looked that good for that matter. Kayama's boisterous laughter filled the room to the brim with life. She is having way too much fun with this. Yu snickers next to him and he can only sigh. Fair enough, he was due for a little teasing.

When Toshinori stepped outside the room a silly thought crossed his mind. Perhaps, if he looked closely, Akio and Yu do have a resemblance don't they?

(Akio Takeyama)

That Sunday, during our only day off from school, the summer camp announcement from Aizawa was still fresh on my mind. It's why despite wanting to rest I'm stuck at my desk studying religiously like my life depends on it. Considering I don't remember a quarter of anything taught in class recently it was due time. I shivered at the thought of experiencing the pain of my midterm placement again.

"Fifteen! You said fifteen!?"

"No, I'm sorry. Please, aunty put down the slipper!"

I shiver and rub my back. Never again. The mark from that hit lasted days. What's weird about it is that you would think my Seismic sense would warn me she threw a slipper at my back but I guess while being preoccupied with running for my life I didn't even realize it turned off. Come to think of it—it happened during my fight with Todoroki too.

Burnin mentioned something similar might happen. Hell even Endeavor to some extent. Having to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously is—to no one surprise—difficult. If I don't want the 'slipper incident' to happen again and probably in a much more lethal manner, then seismic sense needs to become a passive ability. As in 'I don't even think about it anymore' type of deal.

Not that it would stop her.

I tense when slight tremors crawl up my skin. I close my eyes each tremor terraforming imagery of Aunty Lia stepping onto my floor. Promptly, I tidy up my space before turning to my room door and lazily resting my head in my hand. It took all my willpower to keep a straight face as my door creaked open.

"What the f-?" Lia bites her lower lip and catches herself when she throws open my door. She points the tonsils in her hand at me. "That's the third time today you've done that. Too many times to be a coincidence."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I say, unable to hide the amusement in my voice.

Lia grumbles under her breath and glances at the clock sitting on my desk. She raises a brow, "You've been studying for hours. Aren't you hungry?"

Has it been? Sure enough, a glance at the time and the audible rumbling from my stomach dashed any hope of arguing otherwise. I was running on empty.

Lia puts a hand on her hip and shakes her head.

"I warned you about this. You need to refuel otherwise instead of studying you're going to be suffering." Lia says waving the tonsils around while dusting off her black apron with the other. "Lunch was supposed to be finished. But unfortunately for all of us, there are more mouths to feed because you didn't warn us visitors were coming."

By the twitch in Lia's eye, I could tell she was mildly annoyed at me. But all I could offer was a weak and confused apology. I had no idea people were coming to visit me either.

"Wait, a second who's come to visit me?"

Lia rolled her eyes catching on that my surprise was genuine. "If you didn't invite your girlfriend and Mr. Broody you go downstairs and tell them to leave."

"Wait-wait run that by me one more time?" I ask, not that I didn't register what she said, but rather, where the hell did she get the idea I had a girlfriend!? My cheeks immediately become warm because I know exactly who she is talking about.

Lia snorts and snaps her tongs to punctuate each syllable. "Your girlfriend is here—"

I jump up and wave my hands frantically. "That—Stop that!"

Lia naturally laughs finding my flustered reaction the funniest thing in the world. I rub a hand down my face with an irritated growl. It's so easy for her to get me riled up with such a childish tease. How did she expect me to react as a teenage boy?

"For fucks sake—" I curse under my breath. Is it really that time now?

Lia gasps, following behind and poking me in the back with the tongs as I shuffle into the hallway. "I wonder? Do you kiss your little froggy girlfriend with that mouth?" She asks before wheezing and doubling over in laughter.

No need to point out the obvious, I can feel that my face is burning. I hear voices downstairs causing me to jerk in surprise. If Tsuyu heard even a tenth of what she said, I'd die from the embarrassment or misunderstanding alone.

She pokes me in the back again, pushing me metaphorically 'to the edge'. Fine, I've played enough defense let me see how she'll like it when I dish it back.

"Says, the woman who can't admit she finds a certain someone's body so attractive that they steal glances at their behind any chance they get."

Lia becomes a coughing and hacking mess. Whatever she was hastily trying to say comes out gibberish. Seeing her flustered was out of the norm but wow did it make me smile from cheek to cheek in triumph.

"Wait. How did you…" Her voice lost all its amusement, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "What did you say?"

If this was any other time I would have shriveled up at the mere murderous intent but feeling the drumming of her heartbeat echo through the floor. She's all bark and no bite. A rare opportunity that must be seized.

I squint at her. "I saw you staring," I emphasize, pointing to my eyes.

Lia blinks dumbly at first, her eyes go wide and her jaw goes slack in absolute horror. Lia's cheeks to the tip of her ears turn crimson. If only I had a camera to capture this expression forever.

I tap my head. "You did it in the kitchen earlier too. It was for a split second but I saw when you glance down when Miyuki be—"

Lia let out this strangled high-pitched kettle-like scream from her throat, leaped forward, and slammed both of her hands over my mouth. Frantically her eyes dart to the staircase where Miyuki is calling for both of us. I can feel her quickly coming up the stairs.

"You didn't see anything!" Lia squeezes out through gritted teeth then slowly slides her hands away.

I blink, surprised and confused at her outburst.

Her expression becomes softer. "Akio, say it. Say you did not see anything." Her voice is barely above a whisper. Her rasp was gone leaving her tone of voice uncharacteristically girlish. It sounded high-pitched and squeamish nothing like regular ole' Aunty Lia. She truly was vulnerable here. "Please?"

I jerk back, eyes wide at her plea. 'Please' is the last thing I'd think Lia would say. My mouth opened and closed. Why? Was on the tip of my tongue but the more she stared at me with desperation the quicker it clicked into place. I took 3 horrified steps back and slapped my cold hands against my hot cheeks.

Does she actually—!? Of course you do! You've seen how your Aunt looks at her Akio! Lia likes Miyuki-sensei! When did this happen? What the hell!? I stumbled to the side hanging on to the wall for dear life. My aunt is going to a battle she just can't win and I just made fun of her for it!

"Am I missing something?"

Straightening immediately with a strained smile I turned to Miyuki at the staircase. I see in my peripheral aunty Lia tense. Miyuki's brown hair pulled into a ponytail sways as she flits her gaze between us.

When none of us respond, Miyuki puts a hand on her hip and pouts. "Is someone going to say something?"

"Ah, let me get that for you?" I ask, slowly stepping over to take the plate of cookies she's balancing in her hand. A quick nod in Lia's direction has her visibly relax. Miyuki thanks me, smiling appreciatively at me.

"Sorry, but it'll take just a little longer for lunch. Think you all can survive on that for a while? I'll bring up some more refreshments when I can."

I chuckle scratching at my cheek and looking apologetic for the surprise visit from my classmates. But she waves it off. Miyuki smirks leaning in to whisper. "How come you never told me you had a girlfriend?" She tuts and elbows me in my side. "So you like the girls that can hop huh?"

Kill me now.

With the heat rushing to my head It's a miracle It didn't explode. I jerk away from her with wide eyes. "Miyuki-Sensei!? Please, she's not my girlfriend!" I hushedly exclaim, thanking the stars when I glanced at the stairs and didn't see Tsuyu.

Lia snorts into her hand and Miyuki hushedly tells her to be quiet while fighting a couple of giggles herself. "Well, she should be!" She ignores my groan and pulls me to the stairs while Lia dies of laughter behind us. Miyuki gushed, "She was all like, Hello, Ms. Miyuki, it's nice to meet you ribbit. Oh gosh, I just died of cuteness overload on. the. Spot. So you need to do all of us a favor and get on that."

Again, please kill me now.

Tsuyu was conversing with Todoroki on the ground floor when she looked up at me. Tsuyu's hair had been done into a bow-like bun with bangs covering either side of her face. She wore a regular white T-shirt with short overalls. She looked cute. Yet when our eyes met my stomach roiled. I could only manage a half-hearted smile as Miyuki beckoned them upstairs.

I seriously want to curl up into a ball and die.

(...)

"Sorry for coming unannounced. I called you but you didn't pick up, Ribbit."

"I texted."

My brow twitches, one of the worst times to have my phone on Do Not Disturb. Once the surprise wore off I was able to play the good host. They took time out of their day to visit me did they not?

I bow slightly, "Sorry, I was studying and didn't notice."

I set the plate of cookies down on the small table in the middle of my room. I had absentmindedly switched on the television to the news. When I sat, that's when Todoroki and Tsuyu did.

Akio kept in a laugh. So, polite.

"So to what do I owe the pleasure of this nice visit from both of you?"

Todoroki stiffens at my words. Did he think that would bother me? I didn't care, in all honesty, It's a good distraction and I don't remember the last time I got to interact with them outside of school and classwork.

"Sorry for the intrusion. I…just wanted to…visit." Todoroki says, brows furrowed slightly. I watch him take a second longer than usual to settle looking somewhat tense. Though his posture was immaculate.

His voice was low and I mean lower than usual. Yep, something there but I won't bug him about it. With the way he's acting, I could guess why he came over. He looks wound up a little. With a smile, I slide the plate of cookies over and give him a look in the eye. Do not deny the treat I've offered you. He regards me for a moment before taking a chocolate chip cookie.

"Well, I'm happy you did."

"You…are?" Todoroki asks then raises an eyebrow. Eyes squinting at me scrutinizingly. "Please don't get any wrong ideas."

My jaw drops. This guy. "What are you…?"

"I didn't come here because I wanted to."

Oh. Oh! He's doing the tsundere thing. I rolled my eyes, he could pretend all he wanted but I knew he trusted me. I mean, there had to be some trust between us if he picked me to accompany him to quell his mom's worries about having no friends. Hell, we even spent time hanging out during our internship. If we didn't grow a little bit closer I'd be devastated.

Tsuyu stares at Todoroki. "He was already standing at the gate before I arrived, ribbit. He was probably standing out there for a while."

Todoroki pointedly stares back at Tsuyu a small sound escaping his throat. "I wasn't standing long." He denies quickly.

Quick enough to make me raise an eyebrow. Todoroki just looks down at the cookie in his hands avoiding both of our gazes. Tusyu got him there. I snicker, Todoroki didn't look like someone who would overthink something like that. He likes to act all cold and broody but even he's human. Hopefully, I can let Todoroki know he will never be a bother. It's enjoyable watching Todoroki squirm while Tsuyu continues her assault though.

"Didn't Ms. Miyuki say she saw you standing there for—"

"Tsuyu—"

"Call me Tsu, Todoroki. Kero."

I bite my bottom lip to hold my laugh in when Todoroki's eye twitches. Now, this is comedy gold. I don't get this entertainment anymore at school. Even Kaminari and Mineta's antics get stale after a while. But these are the moments I live for.

Todoroki narrows his eyes coldly, "Didn't I see Uraraka?"

Now that piqued my interest. Uraraka? She was here?

Tsuyu stares at him with a dead expression that doesn't reveal anything, "I have no idea what you're talking about. ribbit." Tsuyu says, unblinking.

Todoroki's eyebrows arch the highest I've ever seen them go. He turns away from her and coughs into a fist. "Forgive me, I must be seeing things."

"From standing out in the sun too long?" I cut in snickering like a fool.

Todoroki just sighs not even bothering to defend himself this time. He finally takes a bite of his cookie blinking in surprise when the taste hits his tongue. I smile while eating one myself. The dough is soft and melts in the mouth. Not better than Grandma's though. Tsuyu also eats one and lets out a soft rumble of delight.

"Well, I'm happy to have you both here. It's been a little boring studying by myself."

This might be a thing. Midoriya, Ochacko, and Iida have their little trio why can't I? If I close my eyes, I can almost picture Kara, Tsuyu, Mongoose, and me sitting with each other just like this. I prop my elbow on the table and rest my chin in my hand. Though I doubt Todoroki would agree to something like that or even admit we were in a group.

"Now what do you guys want to do?"

We spent most of the afternoon, studying and reviewing the material from class. We helped each other where we could. Todoroki was at the top of the class so I'd expect him to know all the formulas and equations for math like the back of his hand. Tsuyu wasn't no slouch either and I wasn't even on par with her. How lazy had I been?

"You should have been studying Akio." Tsuyu's stern words conveyed her disappointment. She paused for a moment before speaking her next words softly. "That isn't like you."

"I got quite lazy after middle school," I admit, wincing at her words. "Everything has been happening one after another. With us having to fight for our lives near the start of the school year. Plus, the festival, and then our internships. I just couldn't get into the mindset for studying."

Tsuyu shakes her head. "Still, you…" She pauses and stares down at the textbook in front of her. Her mouth opens and closes before she pulls back. "You're right. It has been a little stressful."

I frown. Just like that? For her to give up so easily, didn't sit well with me. My stomach churned remembering we hadn't really talked. It feels like we're walking on eggshells around each other. At least, it's noticeable that Tsuyu is a little less inclined to 'chew me out' in her usual fashion.

Todoroki hums. "I haven't thought much about it. No one would disagree and yet look at Midoriya still at the top of our class."

My pencil slips from my fingers. His words strike home in a way I didn't expect. Todoroki's was not subtle. Even after everything we've been through the others have still found time to study. There's no use trying to say otherwise my 'reason' is just my excuse. It's funny that Todoroki steps into Tsuyu's place to reprimand me.

Now I have two people who won't sugarcoat it with me. How lucky am I?

"Yeah, I'm just kidding myself…How the hell do you guys do it?" I scratch at my head.

"We just do." Tsuyu and Todoroki answer in unison. They exchange a glance and nod.

"We keep going. No matter the difficulty." Todoroki says his gaze on the Endeavor figurine sitting in its box on my desk. "If we falter at every setback or hardship then we must be trying to get in the wrong profession."

Endeavor would agree with that sentiment, I muse while biting my tongue. If only Endeavor was as good of a father as he was a hero. I sighed, thoughts drifting to All Might. Would he agree? I chuckle under my breath, who am I kidding? Of course, he would. I can't even begin to imagine what he's seen, the evil he must have faced, and the personal sacrifices to become our symbol of peace. This job isn't for the faint-hearted or those in it for superficial reasons. The hero killer's face flashed in my mind and my wooden pencil snapped in my grip.

"Todoroki may be right…but not everyone is Endeavor or All Might and that's fine ribbit." Tsuyu says, already offering one of her pencils.

Todoroki lets out a low rumble from his throat, her words giving him pause.

Right. It may take a moment to get back up after being knocked down, but as long as we get back up—that's fine. My fingers slide up her wrist and over her fingers as I take the pencil. Tsuyu pauses glancing to her hand and then me as I hit her with a smile.

"We should move on to English," Todoroki suggests raising an eyebrow in my direction.

I clear my throat and snap my fingers. "Now English is my forte."

I clasp a hand on my mouth, stifling a laugh. It's been interesting watching Todoroki stumble through what would be a simple conversation in English. I pour more tea into Todoroki's cup looking away as he shoots a glare in my direction.

"You are horrible at English Todoroki," Tsuyu says, slow but her pronunciation clear.

"That's very not nice," Todoroki replies brokenly.

He stops and takes a sip of tea.

"Not very nice," Todoroki corrects himself.

He brooded as Tsuyu and I exchanged amused glances. It isn't nice but the truth is the truth. Todoroki's English is horrible and he'll be appreciative that two friends aren't going to sugarcoat it. The last thing he needs to think is that learning this language doesn't matter.

"You sound like Yoda from Star Wars." I point out snickering. Tsuyu raises her notebook to cover her mouth.

"That such–is that a such a bad thing?" Todoroki slips back into Japanese. "He was the wisest and strongest of them all wasn't he?"

"Both of those are debatable." I shake my hand in an 'eh' motion. "But you're right, let me rectify my earlier statement by saying, you sound like a caveman."

Todoroki's frown deepens into a scowl one that I return with a huge smile. Tsuyu's shoulders shake as she hides her entire face behind a notebook. I waved a hand letting him know I meant no harm.

"Look, I can understand you it's just how should I put it? I can tell by how you struggle to respond to Tsuyu and me that it takes longer for your brain to connect the dots. Probably means you'll be lost in a proper conversation in English. And trust me I even struggle to keep up with Pony-chan sometimes."

"Pony-chan…" Tsuyu lowers her notebook slightly, eyes boring into me. "From class 1-B?"

Todoroki's eyes widen before gently shaking his head at me.

"Yes?" I say, raising a brow at Todoroki. He winces slightly his eyes darting from me to a silent Tsuyu. I feel like I just missed something. Tsuyu stares as if she's trying to burn a hole through my face. What did I do?

"A-Anyhow…" I mutter, turning back to Todoroki. "Learning English as a second language is probably one of the most important things a hero can do nowadays."

I tap a finger against my chin, if someone has no intention of leaving Japan how useful would learning a second language be? It's not a bad skill to have considering It's not uncommon for different countries to work together and lend a hand now and again if their interests align. Heroes from the US will visit Japan and vice versa.

"Japan and America work together often," Tsuyu states voicing my exact thoughts. She pokes me with her finger to remind me I've zoned out again. "It's best we learn to speak it so we aren't handicapped when working together with heroes internationally."

Todoroki doesn't look entirely convinced. He goes to retort but I put up a hand to stop him. It's better if I explain it plainly. I scribble a rough map of the world.

"Allow me to put into perspective what Tsuyu said. English is the language with the most non-native speakers. Know what that means?" I point at him, Tusyu, and me, and then show him the crude map I made. I tap my finger against the page. "That means most people in the world learn English as a second language. And if most in the world speak or learn English as their second language what does that mean for heroes around the globe?"

Todoroki squints at my map, rolling his jaw back and forth. No doubt mulling over what I said. "Working internationally with other heroes will require verbal communication in English."

I snap my fingers and rap my knuckles against the table. He figured out the obvious. "Exactly," I say. "Think of it as making everything less complicated. If there is one universal or second language everyone can learn then it makes communicating less complicated."

Tsuyu nods at my explanation. "It's not required but it's useful."

With that and Todoroki's resignation, I can consider this topic over. I'm surprised but not dumbfounded at why Todoroki wasn't convinced. Endeavor didn't deem it necessary to teach him about it. He isn't wrong. It's all the same to him, Todoroki needs to work on his quirk first and foremost. He'll teach the rest when it inevitably becomes relevant later.

Aunty Lia and Miyuki didn't follow that philosophy. They believe in not throwing me headfirst into the professional world 'stumbling around and causing trouble' like they did. Their work isn't all just fighting the bad guys, it's a lot of politics and being law compliant too. Now, I understand the shared sentiment about heroing being simpler in the past. Even All Might can't punch his way through everything now. But like with every change that's probably for a reason.

"Anyway, we should take a break," I say, checking the time and taking the initiative to do what I haven't done for the past few days. "It's almost time for some real food. So if you have to go. The bathroom is at the end of the hall to the left."

Tsuyu and Todoroki nod. At the same time, they both get up before pausing to glance at the other. Todoroki immediately sits back down and Tsuyu blinks blankly at him before leaving.

I wait until Tsuyu leaves before teasing him.

"Todoroki the gentleman."

"Please stop. You made it sound like what I did was weird." Todoroki pauses for just a moment and cringes slightly. "Was it?"

With a snicker, I shrug my shoulders. "Don't know. But now you're making it weird."

Todoroki just huffs and turns away to the TV as some talk-show special begins. I lazily watch along thinking about how Tsuyu and Todoroki interact being the highlight of my day.

"I never did ask, how is your mom these days?" I ask, my mind wandering to the sweet lady.

"Fine," Todoroki says before his gaze flicks from the television to me. "She also said thank you."

I raise my brow and he quickly elaborates.

"Your mom…" He says, then pauses letting it settle into my brain. "She visited her."

I blink, why would Rei thank me? It's not like I—the phone call. I remember now mentioning it to my mother briefly. She immediately recognized the name but when she became nervous I knew well enough to leave it alone. I doubt my mentioning had been the real reason she decided to visit the woman. Nonetheless, she did a good thing.

I smile, "Was your mom happy about it?"

"Yeah. So you and your mother talk now?"

"No, we don't," I say, lips pressing into a thin line.

Todorokio eyes widen slightly. "Apologies," He coughs into a fist. "I had assumed you two were…not on good terms."

"We aren't. We only talked once and that was at the end of the internship. I haven't talked to her since." I say and scratch my cheek.

There was and still is a tinge of regret for caving in. It's just that at the time I was so desperate because somewhere deep inside me I wanted her back in my life. My mind had been drifting to her constantly and I just wanted to hear her voice. But I was angry. I'm still so angry I could burn a mountainside down if I had half of Todoroki's quirk. I slump down on the table, why is everything so complicated?

"Either way, I've relayed her gratitude. She'd mentioned that she would like it if you both visited one day."

The both of us? Ms. Rei is a cheeky woman. "We'll see," I say, mustering a smile. But, that's up to me. "And Shoto?"

Todoroki looks surprised at the usage of his first name. "What is it?"

"Come and visit again. It's been pleasant getting to hang out with you even if it's just studying."

Todoroki looks down at the floor, scratching the back of his head and I see his face turn just the faintest red. "I…agree. You are welcome to visit my home as well, Akio."

"And be around your father? Excuse my language but hell, the fuck no!"

At that, Todoroki snorts and I bellow out in laughter.

(...)

"Akio."

"Tsuyu I'm not going to crane my neck to—."

"Turn around."

My shoulders went sky-high and it felt as if hundreds of needles were dancing up along the skin on my back. My body slightly aches as I slowly face Tsuyu. Her expression reveals nothing. Tsuyu doesn't usually assert herself like this. Did I upset her somehow?

"You angry?" I ask, attempting to gauge her mood. Tsuyu's silence is unsettling, her unyielding stare leaving me on edge.

Finally, Tsuyu shakes her head, and I let out the breath I held. She shuffles closer, settling beside me with her gaze fixed on the table. Her fingers tense in her lap, a subtle sign of her unease.

"Tsuyu?"

"I'm sorry." Tsuyu murmurs softly.

To say I didn't see this coming would be a lie. I rub a hand over my face. Is this about that time? "It's fine Tsu. And look, you know you're not the one who should be apologizing right?" I manage a weak chuckle and tilt my head to catch her eyes.

She meets my gaze, her expression inscrutable. I know her calm demeanor doesn't reflect her true emotions. Using seismic sense to help parse how she feels would be so simple. But, It wouldn't sit right with me if I did that.

Instinctively, I offer a weak smile and search for a way to break the tension. "Y'know I never did ask how your internship went," I say, hoping to steer the conversation to something more light.

Tsuyu blinks at me, tilting her head curiously. "I never asked how your internship went either, ribbit."

"Well isn't that convenient?" I spread my arms wide as if making a big discovery. "Both of us don't know what the other did during internships. Well, not in detail anyway…"

Tsuyu looks at me for a moment before shaking her head again. "I interned with Captain Selkie and his crew. They go on maritime missions, rescue, searches, and policing of the coast. It was the first time I had ever been out at sea. Have you ever been out to sea before Akio?"

Smiling as she spoke I rested a hand on the table between us. I shake my head. I've never traveled out to sea or any body of water really. However, I am curious as to how the waves on the sea feel when they hit a vessel. Seismic sense has a weird way of reflecting the feeling of the world and its natural movements. Would it tingle? Perhaps, it would be overwhelming and disorienting?

"Were you scared at first? I know how anxious I was when I first walked into the Endeavors agency building."

"I was more scared of being out on sea than meeting the other crewmates," Tsuyu says, placing her hand on the table, next to mine, leaving little space between them. I'd only realized then that I had been staring at it. When had she noticed? Tsuyu was still staring at the table's edge as she continued, "The ship was so much bigger than I would have thought. There were bigger ships at the dock too."

"How was it you're first time on a moving ship out at sea? Did you get a little seasick?" I ask, touching the side of her hand with my pinky finger.

Tsuyu's gaze drifts momentarily to our hands. "My legs were heavy when we first left…I couldn't move around too much at first." She confesses a hint of vulnerability in her voice. "Sirius held my hand and just walked me around until I got used to the feeling."

"She must have been such a good support for you," I say, relieved that there were people there for her as there were for me during my internship.

"She was. Everyone was amazing."

There was a beat. With Tsuyu staring at me, my heart pounding loudly in my ears. Why does It feel like I'm supposed to do something? Then Tsuyu's hand brushes over mine ever so slightly, sending a shiver up my spine.

Oh.

Warmth rushes through me as our fingers interlock. I let out a shaky breath, our hands clasping tightly. Tsuyu's mask was gone, her eyes swimming with a myriad of emotions. Raw and vulnerable.

"Did she hold your hand like this?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

She nods, squeezing my hand.

"I'm sorry," I say almost instinctively. Swallowing hard. "I should have never worried you like that."

Tsuyu shakes her head. "I will always worry. If you don't tell me anything then I would just worry even more." Her other hand comes up to rest on my left arm.

"Still…" My words die on my tongue when her eyes bore into mine. Losing every bit of strength to argue. "Yeah, I get it. Thank you for worrying about me."

Tsuyu nods, a quiet rumble from her throat as her hand glides up my arm. Fingers tracing the scars big and small. Some of them left from my first surgery and others from fighting Stain. Finally, she places her hand atop my shoulder exactly where Stain stabbed me with his katana. I bite my tongue, the pleasant tingle from her touch mingling with the phantom pain of the injury.

"You have so many scars, kero. Seeing those it…" Tsuyu squeezes her eyes tightly shut. For the second time today, Tsuyu hesitated to finish. It's a new record.

She's not been her usual stoic and calm self at all today. I wonder how much willpower it's taking her to step out of her comfort zone. Tsuyu's normally reserved and quiet. Now she is trying to be honest and open about how she feels. Honestly, I'm grateful and a little guilty she felt the need to do this.

"Scares you? Makes you angry? Makes you want to beat me up? All of the above?" I say my lips growing into a larger smile with each passing second. I know this isn't the time to be joking or sarcastic but I just don't like the faces Tsuyu is making.

Tsuyu gives me a dead stare.

"Akio."

"I know Tsuyu. I know." I wave a hand. There was no need for her to spell it out for me.

I grew bold enough to hesitantly reach up intending to cup her cheek only to change course for her shoulder. But if it was any indication Tsuyu's eyes darting to the hand on her shoulder then my eyes she wasn't oblivious.

"Tsuyu, sometimes you really should give me a good whack," I say grinning. Her brow raises and I almost snort.

My giggling dies in my throat when she raises a fist. Wait is she going to—a light bop atop of my head draws me from my thoughts. I sit frozen, my mouth slightly ajar as I process what happened. She hit me. I look up at the ceiling, her fist, and then the small smile pulling at her lips.

"You said to give you a good whack, kero," Tsuyu's eyes lit up in amusement and then she laughed.

My heart begins to race as if going five hundred miles per hour. Maybe it isn't so bad that Tsuyu isn't acting normal.

Just that expression alone makes me feel so much lighter but her statement makes me feel dizzy in a good way. I scratch the back of my head and chuckle. This is what I want. For us to laugh just like this without all the extra baggage. Suddenly, I was embracing Tsuyu which drew a surprised croak from her.

"Tsuyu, I hope you'll forgive me for being an idiot. I never mean to hurt you intentionally or unintentionally."

Tsuyu relaxes into my embrace, her head dipping into my shoulders as she hooks her arms under my armpits to clutch at the back of my shirt. "Akio, I'm sorry too. Instead of telling you how worried I was, I lectured you. Do you hate me?"

I hug her tighter. "How could I ever hate you? You're my friend…my best friend." I say reassuring her that this is nothing to hate someone over.

She clutches tighter, looking up at me. "Akio," She gives the largest smile I've ever seen. "Thank you."

"No problem…" I say, closing my eyes to relish that she was so close to me. Hugs always feel nice especially when it's from someone so warm. "Sorry if I'm a little cold…my quirk kind of acts up when I don't want it to."

"It's fine, Ribbit," Tsuyu says nuzzling the side of her head into my chest. She lets out a shaky breath her teal eyes peering up at me. The skin on her cheeks turned a shade darker. Her voice quivers, "Your heart…"

My breath catches in my throat at her question. The thought that she could hear my pounding heart had passed my mind. With how close she was how could she not? I smile wryly.

"It's beating fast…I know. It's not because you're making me uncomfortable." I say turning away to hide my face behind a hand. Be careful, Akio. Say the wrong thing and you could give Tsuyu the wrong impression. "It's just I've never had…y'know…?"

Tsuyu's gaze was so focused, that my words died in my throat several times before I finally admitted, "I've never had you so close before."

Tsuyu croaked eyes wide and face blazing crimson. She put a finger to her chin, "So it is because of me."

She hums, hand trembling slightly as she rests it on my chest. Her eyes lock onto mine with an intensity that demands my attention. Her mouth opens slightly but her breath hitches, the words seemingly stuck in her throat.

It feels like my heart would leap out of my chest any second. Tsuyu looks at me as if she could see through me. The warmth of her body seeping into mine makes the coldness of my quirk insignificant. I've become hyper-aware of the little space between us growing ever smaller as she leans closer. Her warm breath hits my face.

My jaw trembles slightly, breath hitching in my throat as I place a hand on the floor behind me to keep myself from falling. Tsuyu pauses, eyes flickering with something I can't decipher. Reluctance? Her hand on my chest tightens, anchoring herself because she might slip if not too careful.

"Tsuyu," I whisper, my voice barely audible. I'm not sure what I'm trying to do or say. Just her name comes out of my mouth.

Tsuyu's throat visibly bobs, and her voice trembles as she finally speaks, "Akio, I've never been this close to you either. I—"

There's a click, and Tsuyu immediately pulls away. I sit straighter, as Miyuki peeks her head inside. She smiles obliviously.

"Food's ready!"

(...)

I hate this.

Absentmindedly, I cleaned the dishes, hoping it would clear my mind. That hopefully the sound of running water with the feeling of soap and sod on my hands would override my memory. Yet, when my mind drifts it's the same thing—Tsuyu's fingers delicately tracing my scars, her flushed face, and those warm dark eyes. The sound of her soft breathing. Her soft hands entwined with mine, her warm breath hitting my chin and neck.

I want to be that close with her again.

With a frustrated growl, I splashed cold water onto my face. The icy shock made me shiver, cold hands pressed against my burning cheeks. It did nothing to quell the churning in my stomach and the shame gnawing at me. I couldn't even look at Tsuyu as we ate. Perhaps submerging my head into a bucket of water would have been a better alternative to shock these feelings out of me. They came out of nowhere and just felt like such a horrific transgression against someone who is my friend.

Eventually, I entered the living room where Uraraka and Tsuyu were sitting at the table giggling about something. When Uraraka saw me, she cupped a hand against Tsuyu's ear, whispering something that made Tsuyu flush and Uraraka grin cheekily.

"Akio," Uraraka garnering my attention with a wave.

"Ochako…" Tsuyu started, her voice holding some discomfort.

But Uraraka continued undeterred. "Don't you think Tsuyu looks pretty today?" She held Tsuyu's forearm as if she'd fly away before saying in a more genuine tone. "I mean, Tsu is always cute, right? But doesn't she look…cuter?"

It's clear what she was trying to do.

I sat down my eyes closed, everything that happened earlier in my room replaying in my head. I had noticed then that something was off. Now that I opened my eyes, the slight shimmer on her lips as the gloss caught the light just right, adding a soft, natural sheen. The subtle blush dusting her cheeks, brought out the warmth in her eyes making them more pronounced.

Uraraka's question had been a gentle nudge that made me realize Tsuyu put in that extra effort today. The makeup was so delicate that it was invisible to the naked eye if you didn't actively search for it, and now that I noticed I can't unsee it.

For a moment, I didn't say anything. My mind raced to find the right words, something that didn't sound awkward or ingenuine. I could feel Tsuyu's eyes on me, waiting for an answer, and it made the pressure all the more apparent.

"I…" I started, trailing off when I felt unsure. I coughed regaining my composure. "You look really nice today, Tsuyu."

Uraraka nudged Tsuyu. "See, Tsu? I told you!" She chirped, her tone teasing but delighted.

Tsuyu went a shade darker, looking down at the table, and fiddling with her hands. "Ochako…" Tsuyu murmured bordering on a whine. She let out a small croak before looking up at me. "Thank you, Akio."

Uraraka beams once again cupping a hand against Tsuyu's ear to whisper. Tsuyu tenses for a second her mouth opening as Uraraka suddenly gets up and quickly heads over to the dining table where Lia, Todoroki, and Miyuki are finishing a round of Monopoly.

"Akio, would you like to sit next to me?" Tsuyu asks softly.

My mouth opened intending to ask why before I decided against it. It wasn't like anything would happen to me just sitting next to her. Tsuyu's gaze followed me as I shuffled around the table to her side, and I noted that despite being almost the same height she looked so small sitting there. When she tilted her head, a soft croak rumbled up her throat as she smiled at me. My heart skipped a beat, feeling a fuzzy warmth flutter in my stomach, I chuckled nervously before sitting.

"So what was the deal with Uraraka?" I asked, wanting to focus on anything else.

Tsuyu looked apologetic. "Ochako did come here with me…but she didn't intend to stay," Tsuyu said, fiddling with her hands again. "But she was so worried for me and stayed—"

"And got caught by Aunty Lia," I conclude, snickering at the thought. So that explains the screaming I heard outside when we went downstairs. Uraraka had been shrieking as if she was being murdered.

Tsuyu chuckled, "She said your aunt threatened to throw her to outer space."

"That explains it. I'd sympathize with her but something tells me she had it coming."

We both chuckle at Uraraka's expense. There is a comfortable silence between us once our laughter dies down. Halfway through thinking my worry was unfounded, Tsuyu unexpectedly grabs my hand. For the first time, I don't panic despite how hot my face became. Squeezing back I try and act like everything is normal because I don't think I could take Lia and Miyuki's teasing if they saw.

"Akio…do you still think my hands aren't too big?"

"Your hands are perfect," I whisper, squeezing her hand. Tsuyu glances at me slightly brushing her shoulder against mine as she scoots closer.

"I like your hands too. They're soft."

"I take good care of them." I say, quite proud of the fact. With all the training I do you'd think they'd become calloused and hard or something. "You've seen Midoriya's? Man you should see his scars."

For some reason we fall into a comfortable rhythm even as Lia and Uraraka get rowdy at the table playing monopoly. It's only when I suddenly hear that the television gets my undivided attention.

"Todays topic: is it necessary for heroes to dress sexily for hero work?" The show host presented. "We have the rookie hero who debuted just this year, Mt. Lady!"

Tsuyu looked incredibly surprised. "Ms. Midnight?"

I balked at the screen watching my mother and teacher join the host at a table. Lia and Miyuki laughed seeming to now be focused on the tv show as well. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the TV to see their expressions though. More importantly, seeing those two together does that mean they made up?

"Honestly, I'm surprised at we're still asking questions like this?" Lia chuckled, I could picture her shaking her head.

"I agree I thought most of us agreed that there's function and then there is just showing off." Miyuki agreed with a chuckle of her own. "But there is something called the male gaze y'know?"

"Don't look so surprised kids…" Lia laughed a bit more loudly this time. As I finally glanced to the side to find Uraraka and Todoroki looking uncomfortable for different reasons. "Especially you Uraraka…sex appeal is a factor in popularity too y'know? Especially, in Japan."

"Especially, in Japan." Miyuki echoed with a nod.

I shook my head turning back to the TV as Uraraka looked slightly sick. I never knew Midnight was one of the main reasons for new legislation being passed. No wonder Midnight has a cult following. She's literally a trendsetter who forced the country to take another look at costumes. Even now listening to Midnight explain her reasoning she truly believes that sexiness is not just a choice but arguably practical, especially for those with similar quirks.

"Ms. Midnight," Uraraka sighs sounding impressed and disappointed at the same time.

Midnight makes it sound good but…even I'm conflicted.

"I think you just like the attention." My mother cut her off, smiling deviously.

There's a long pregnant pause. Mom you can't be serious right now. She's so patronizing even as Midnight turns on her. God, Midnight I would not be averse to you putting that woman in her place.

"For someone of your age." Mt. Lady says then looks away staring pointedly into another camera.

My jaw has hit metaphorically, literally, in all but two minutes. Hit ground level zero with the amount of patronizing and unnecessary antagonism my mother is giving my teacher and counselor. This lady is fucking insane!

I slumped back against the couch as Tsuyu shakes her head next to me. I just want to turn into a puddle from the embarrassment. This is my mom? I need to launch myself through the nearest window or ask Uraraka to launch me into the stratosphere because this ain't it.

"Keep talking! Cause the only redeeming quality about you right now is your mouth!" Midnight snaps, abruptly standing up as the host standing awkwardly backs away slightly.

"And! All I'm saying is if you older generation try so hard then the rest of us have to go even further! You skank!"

Miyuki and Lia seem to be having a wonderful time with the drama though even as I want to just sink further into the floor and never come back. As the two of them get into a wrestling match, and I just can't believe what I'm watching the two people I respect do on live television. Then suddenly, there's an audible rip and Tsuyu covers my eyes.

"Wh-what's going on?" I confusedly try to look past her hands but Tsuyu isn't budging.

"You don't need to see this, Akio."

I sigh and relent. She's probably right, anything else I see would just taint their image further. Plus the only two adults are just hollering from the table. I guess they'll eat up every bit of drama they can get. Poor Todoroki though. I'm definitely going to yell at my mom later for this. If anything it'll be a good excuse for some anger relief.

END

AN: Sorry about being gone so long. I didn't know how I felt about this chapter. But I've been slow with rewriting some of the previous chapters so have this until the meantime.

I've finally pushed Akio and Tsuyu relationship just a bit more in this chapter. Hopefully I did most of the characters justice here. Especially as they interacted with Akio. Nothing crazy is happening. But as you see with Mt. Lady and the chapter with the chisaki reveal I'm setting up alot of confrontations and future events.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and excited for more.