To be a Pillar is to stand above the rest; not just as a symbol, but as a measurement. To be The First Pillar, one must lay the foundations for those that follow, to make an impression that states, 'This is why I stand alone. Half of what I am is greater than the sum of you. This is why you must follow me…'
'…And in time, join me."
…
The time was coming for the next big change in the Midoriyas' lives; moving into the Yuuei Dorms. While it was entirely optional for students, most took advantage of living on the grounds of the largest Hero Training Academy in Japan; not only was room and board provided, so was a class budget for food, as well as access to some of the most advanced training areas in the world, built for all sorts of Quirks. And of course, a live-in chaperone was there to ensure nothing untoward was going on.
I mean, would you expect a bunch of physically-fit and often good-looking teenagers to behave themselves when they were alone? Especially those looking to join a dangerous line of work?
Not only was it a good idea for those who lived farther away from the school, but it was also smart for those looking to build friendships among their peers. After all, what is a friend but a peer who can't leave?
Himiko had decided that such an occasion warranted updating her look, and Inko agreed, so they had left Izuku at the apartment as he, frankly, didn't really care. They were off on a shopping/makeover trip; though if he knew the blood-drinker as well as he thought he did, her 'updated look' would mostly consist of a trim and some new socks. Still, they'd made a day of it and he hadn't wanted to be used as a pack mule.
Although it might've been the kinder fate compared to the sheer boredom he felt at home alone. There'd been a few commissions that he'd gotten done inside an hour, repacking his bags held no appeal and he had no plans on bringing his collectables into a dorm with a bunch of teenage strangers. He didn't feel like browsing the internet nor watching anything, so he was laid on his bed, reading more of The Red Tome. He found it somewhat odd that what seemed to be a training book for assassins included instructions on how to perform something labeled an 'Izuna Drop' safely while referencing another book called 'The Hayabusa School of Unsubtle Ninja-ing' by Ryu 'definitelynotaninja' Hayabusa.
It consisted of launching an opponent into the air, jumping after them, then grappling them mid-air and diving headfirst towards the ground, spinning like a drill. While he wasn't a fan of the lethality of the move, he could definitely agree that it would be an impressive sight, moreso if he learned to use it non-lethally.
The trick is, of course, to keep the enemy's head above your own, then roll with the momentum of the spin as soon as they impact the ground. For maximum impact, aim towards nearby enemies, the shock and awe of such a move will leave them off-balance and open for follow-up attacks.
Long scarves and shouting 'HEEEYAAAAAH!' are not necessary, but will receive maximum style points.
For similar moves, see 'Psycho Crusher,' 'Atom Bomb,' and 'Grave Digger.'
Izuku slipped the bookmark between the pages and closed The Red Tome, rubbing his eyes. It felt like he'd been reading for hours, though he was intrigued by the move called 'Atom Bomb.' Checking the clock, he groaned and slapped himself in the face with the book.
It had barely been thirty minutes.
Since it was nearing noon, he decided to make himself some lunch, then settled in front of the television to watch American entertainment, simply to help practice his English. Once that was done, he sighed and dropped to the floor, starting a light workout. Then he grabbed his notebook and looked back over the notes he'd taken at the Expo, forming his Second Layer from his glass stores and shaping it according to his will. It took on the shape of muscle fibers, but far larger than natural and obviously non-organic.
He clenched his fist and tested his reflexes, frowning as he noticed that despite the new form, his movements were only increased as far as normal Second Layer. Turning the page, he examined the notes in his neat writing, clicking his tongue. Obviously, the shape alone wouldn't do anything extraordinary, seeing as the increased strength came from both mechanical power and the material of the artificial muscle fibers. Concentrating, he focused on spinning the sand into fibers; certainly not easy, but he could turn rock into liquid with a thought, making it fibrous or at least acting as such wouldn't be too hard.
And, of course, creating anchor points to both support the fibers and lock them in place, like muscle to bone, was the next step. It made his arm seem like the skin had been stripped away, bones made larger and muscles made artificial. But there was the problem of 'powering' the Second Layer, so to speak; in the end, the answer was rather simple: mirroring the natural bodily function of tensing his muscles to the same with the Second Layer. Not a simple endeavor, but made simpler by the Second Layer's almost organic appearance.
Nodding to himself, Izuku made a note to test what the modified Second Layer did for his capabilities, as even clenching his fist and swinging it in a punch gave him the feeling of more speed. Then he settled into meditation and began to form the modified form of the Second Layer over his entire body, practicing his speed in forming and 'activating' it.
Later, he opened his eyes and stretched, feeling both fatigued and energized by the refinement of his powers, and once more checked the clock.
It had been an hour and a half.
Groaning, Izuku gave up and slumped onto the couch in the living room, kicking his feet up on the coffee table and flipping the channel to the news. Perhaps a Hero Fight might relieve his boredom?
The image of a woman with green hair tied into a neat bun and three draconic horns poking from the crown of her head took up the screen, along with a mugshot of a very rough-looking man and Mount Lady's cheeky debut picture. Izuku instantly perked up. "-Villain known only as 'Big Crunchy,'" the newswoman's disdain for such a name slipped through her professional tone, and he couldn't help but chuckle, "Went on a rampage in downtown Tatoine, eventually being brought down in a vicious fight by the Hero known as Mount Lady. Viewers please be warned that, even for a Hero Fight, the following footage is rather violent. Discretion has been advised."
Izuku frowned, feeling a pit forming in his stomach. The image changed from the newsroom to the streets of a city, the camera shaking horribly and the reason for why becoming apparent as a massive form stomped down the city street, concrete crunching underneath every footfall as people screamed and ran in every direction. "CRUNCH CRUNCH! HEHEHEHE!" The figure shouted through a mouth devoid of lips, leaving a rather unnerving, toothy smile on the figure's wide face. It appeared to a muscular man, completely naked but also lacking any sort of genitalia, thankfully, and also larger than many of the buildings around it.
The figure looked around just as a massive purple-booted foot crashed into its cheek, sending it stumbling, and Mount Lady was on the scene. Izuku pumped as fist as he watched her rain blows down on her opponent, nimbly dodging and countering 'Big Crunchy's' wild swings until he got lucky and caught her arm, twisting and throwing her through the air. She controlled her descent with a twist, planting a hand in the ground to bleed off her momentum, ruining the street but narrowly avoiding the buildings. Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose as the camera focused on her rear as she slid to a stop just above the recorder; he could understand why, of course, she was both humongous and very attractive, but a Hero Fight was no place for that.
Then Big Crunchy came charging at her, still giggling insanely, and she twisted to avoid a blow, spinning him around and throwing him at a nearby building before she realized what she'd done and panicked, seizing the Villain by the shoulders, just barely stopping him from crashing into a high-rise apartment. He returned the courtesy by elbowing her in the face and driving a fist into her gut, grabbing her by the shoulders as she recoiled and lifting her into the air as if to bodily slam her into the ground; but she recovered and her legs shot out, one kicking his knee out and the other locking around the back of his neck in a rough triangle choke.
Being a Villain, the titanic terror took the low road and headbutted her right in the pelvis. The pained shout made Izuku wince in sympathy as Mt. Lady understandably recoiled, the Villain taking the opening to slam her into the ground, though luckily in a nearby park and not a building, before jumping in the air and landing a vicious elbow drop that made the ground quake and the heroine wheeze for air, Big Crunchy still giggling all the while. She kicked him off and scrambled to her knees, giant fingers sinking into the cratered soil of the park before she spun and flung a handful of earth into his eyes. The villain stumbled back with a cry, hands rising to rub at his face, and Mt. Lady cocked an arm back before throwing a right hook straight into Big Crunchy's featureless crotch.
Unfortunately, it didn't do much beyond make the villain grunt and launch a knee into her face. Sparks flung themselves into the air as Big Crunchy ripped a telephone pole out of the ground and wielded it like a club, battering at Mt. Lady's arms as she defended her head, until a probing jab hit her just above her pelvis and she dropped them. The Villain wound up and swung for the fences.
Yu spun around from the force, eyes wide and blood flying from her lips as she dropped to her knees, unknowingly facing the camera so that they could catch her stunned expression.
Then Big Crunchy ripped the cables from the pole, looping them around his fists before pulling them across Yu's throat. Her hands shot up, only barely blocking his makeshift garrote from strangling her, and even then they could see the flesh of her throat being torn at by the cables.
Izuku felt more than heard the remote falling from his nerveless fingers, his heart leaping into throat as he saw the sheer panic in her amethyst eyes, married with fear plain on her face as she struggled for her life. He clutched at his chest as the fear for her life made him feel like his heart was about to explode, suddenly gaining an appreciation for what his mother must've felt.
Then her gaze hardened and she went limp, turning the sudden slack into backwards headbutt, slipping out of the garrote and driving an elbow into his kidney, nimbly slipping around his body, planting both feet on his pelvis and pulling him to the ground on top of her, elbows on his shoulders and wrists crossed, pushing into his throat. A picture-perfect Full Hold. Big Crunchy thrashed and writhed in her grip like a beached fish, feet kicking at the ground and arms flailing, but he couldn't break her hold.
With a series of loud, visceral gasps, the Villain slowed and then, finally, went limp. Yu shoved him off of her as he shrank, before shrinking from view herself.
And then the view cut back to the newsroom. "As you can see, despite the damages done to the streets and Tatoine Park, it would've been much worse had Mount Lady not been there. The Villain was taken into custody at the scene and despite her previous media presence, Mount Lady was not available for comment and has not been seen since the incident-"
Izuku jumped to his feet, phone in hand as he quickly dialed Yu's number, pacing anxiously as it rang and rang. "Come on, come on," he muttered, licking his lips, "Pick up, Senpai…" He paused, hearing music coming from the front door that ended just as his call was declined. Racing to the door, he threw it open just as the person on the other side raised a hand to knock.
Yu stood before him, but almost unrecognizable with her slumped posture, sweatpants and a hoodie hiding her face. He gasped as she looked up at him, a trail of dried blood on the corner of her lips, her cheek swollen with a livid bruise, matching her nose and just above her collar he could see the red marks of where the makeshift garrote had dug into the flesh of her neck. "Hey…Kohai," she greeted him with a rough whisper and a weak smile.
"Yu!" He shouted in relief, darting forward and hugging her gently, but firmly. "Oh god, I just saw the fight, with-with the hitting and the slamming and then…th-the wires…" He felt the heat and pressure behind his eyes and just couldn't help it. "I was so scared!" He cried into her shoulder, holding her tight as if she'd turn into smoke and evaporate at any moment.
As Izuku made her shoulder wet and babbled rapidly about how worried he was, Yu couldn't help but smile and card her fingers through his fluffy hair, carefully steering the embrace back into his home, closing the door behind them. She eased them onto the couch and leaned back, her kohai still clinging to her, and breathed easy as the warmth of his arms seeped into her battered bones.
Eventually, he recovered and sat up, more than a bit embarrassed at his outburst at the fact that he was pretty much draped over her and the damp patch on her hoodie. "S-sorry," he sniffled, rubbing his cheek and withdrawing, wiping his eyes, "Here I am, holding on when you're all bruised…" He clasped her hand between his own, giving her a soulful look with wide green eyes. "Are you alright, Yu?"
She smiled softly, reaching her free hand up to cup his cheek. "…Thank you, Izuku," she whispered, sniffing.
He blushed and blinked. "For what?"
"For asking me to teach you," Yu answered, casting her mind back to that moment. The pride of having a prospective Hero ask her for her help, then the fearful realization that came when she remembered she had no idea what he was talking about. All those moments, her childish envy at having to be taught by a teen, frustration and misplaced pride, then shame and anger when she had to tell him the truth. Then, learning together, from each other, their meetings went from something she expected to something she enjoyed, getting to know one another almost intimately. Since her debut, Izuku had been the only really solid presence in her life; later joined by Himiko, yes, but he was first. "Without our training days…I don't think I could've won that fight…"
Yu thought it would sting her pride to admit such thing; with her powerful Quirk and the strength and durability being a Giantess granted her, she'd foolishly assumed it was all she'd need on her road to a Model Hero: stomp a bad guy every know and again, show off her form and watch the cash and praise roll in. At some point, though, that had changed. And for the life of her, she couldn't pinpoint just when it happened.
She ran her thumb along Izuku's cheek, and then she knew exactly when it had happened.
"I guess, if I had to put a price on it…My price is this: Be the Best Hero you can be."
"That's, uh…that's not a number of yen."
"And that's my price. I make these for Heroes, so, be a Hero. That's enough for me."
"I don't wanna say I would've died," she continued, shuddering, before meeting his eyes, "But knowing what I know now, and how little I knew back then…" Yu grinned, eyes glittering, and gave him a wink. "So…thanks, Izuku!"
Izuku swallowed dryly. In that moment, despite the bruises and lumps on her face, her bright smile and her colorful eyes struck him deep inside with something powerfully warm. At that moment, she had never looked so beautiful. "…You're welcome?" He replied lamely, rubbing his neck sheepishly as she giggled, "I'm glad you're alright, senpai…"
Yu threw her head back and laughed, then recoiled and rubbed her throat. At his confused look, she elaborated. "Izuku, kohai…I'm not alright. Not even a little." He drew back, dismayed at the wetness in her eyes. "That fight…it scared the fuckin' shit outta me, kohai. I was trembling the whole walk here," she wiped her eyes and grasped his hands tightly, "I really hope you're done needing reassurances, Izuku, because I need The C's."
He rubbed her knuckles tenderly. "What're those?"
She leaned against him and whispered conspiratorially, "…Comforting, Cuddles, a Couch and Ice Cream."
Izuku blinked, then smiled. "I'll be right back," he promised, handing her the remote before scooting off to the kitchen. She had just started flicking through channels when he returned with a pot of tea and a gallon of ice cream, setting both on the coffee table and sitting next to her, sweeping the blanket off of the back of the couch and settling it on their legs, then popping the top off the ice cream and handing her a spoon. "All set?" He asked with a bright smile.
Yu grinned and cuddled up to his side, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Mmhm," she hummed, finding a cheesy romance movie and turning it on as she took a spoonful of cold ice cream and slowly ate it, sighing as it soothed her throat.
…
Several Hours Later…
The front door creeped open before Himiko and Inko popped their heads in, taking in the darkness in the halls and noise and flashing lights coming from the living room. Setting their bags down, they creeped forward and peeked over the couch, the two looking at the lump on the cushions with curiosity. Himiko slipped around the side to get a better view, then smothered a squeal as she saw a sleeping Yu cuddled up on a snoozing Izuku's chest, both of them looking completely at peace. She motioned for Inko to join her, the green-haired woman shoving her hands in her mouth to silence her own noises, then grabbing Himiko's hand and dragging the girl into the kitchen to very literally jump for joy at just how cute the two were.
They looked back out and took in the room. An empty pot of tea and cold, half-filled tea cups were next to a couple of bowls with dregs of ramen at the bottom, with a completely empty carton of ice cream nearby. The TV was playing some sappy romantic movie, though it was muted.
"Good thing I got more ice cream," Inko whispered, checking the time. "Should we wake them up?"
"Not yet," Himiko murmured back, whipping out her phone to take pictures. "Mama, is it alright if Yu-Senpai stays the night? She looks kinda beat up."
Inko nodded, then shot the girl a knowing look. "I don't want her roaming the streets like that, not at this time of night. She could use some rest."
The blonde blood-drinker gave the woman a faux-scandalized look. "I would never!" She gasped, hand on her chest…before giving a toothy smile, "…While they're asleep."
The greenette rolled her eyes but patted her fondly on the shoulder. "I don't know why you're reaching for that kind of relationship, Himi-chan, but as long as it makes everyone happy, alright? Everyone deserves to be loved…"
"I know, mama," Himiko whispered with a warm smile, pulling the woman into a hug, "I'll get them to bed."
Inko nodded and quietly started unpacking the groceries as the blood-drinker started poking Yu's cheek.
"Psst, senpai," she hissed, noting the pink marks on the older blonde's face, "Senpai, hey…hey, Yu…senpai…hey, listen…"
Yu snorted inelegantly and turned away from the probing finger, burying her face in Izuku's chest. "Nno 'zuku, iss yer turn to cook…" Himiko clasped her hands and resisted the urge to squeal once more, then continued on her quest to wake the older woman. Eventually, the Pro Hero blinked sluggishly and wiped her eyes, sitting up. "Wasss…what's goin' on?"
"Have a nice nap, senpai?" She greeted with a toothy smile, which only grew wider as Yu realized where she was and, more specifically, on who she was.
"H-hey, kohai…" Yu said with a shaky smile, "It's, uh, not what it looks like…"
Himiko arched an eyebrow. "Really? Because it looks like you were having a very nice dream while cuddling with Izuku."
The older blonde flushed. "…Okay, maybe it is what it looks like…"
"You can explain it later," the blood-drinker waved her incoming excuse off, tilting her chin at the sleeping boy, "Help me get him to bed."
Yu nodded and carefully slipped out of his embrace, taking him by the shoulders as Himiko grabbed his legs, the two of them carefully carrying him down the hall to the bedroom. He grumbled in his sleep, but otherwise didn't awaken. After setting him down, Himiko left to put her shoes away and when she came back, as she expected, Yu was gently stroking his cheek, fondness shining in her eyes.
She cleared her throat and the older woman jumped, blushing horribly. "I-I should go," she muttered, hurrying to the door, only to stop as Himiko planted a hand on the doorframe.
Himiko met her eyes. "Should you go?" She asked, before casting her gaze at the sleeping Hero-in-training, his hand reaching in the direction of the person who'd been touching his face. "…Or should we have a conversation?"
Yu licked her lips and looked back at Izuku, her fingers twisting together. She recalled the warmth of his care and embrace, the quiet longing as they cuddled on the couch…and the way his face had flashed before her eyes as she was being strangled. She took a deep breath, and met Himiko's eyes. "Yes," she answered nervously, "We should."
…
The Next Morning…
Izuku smacked his lips as he woke up, turning and snuggling into the warmth in his arms, ignoring his need to pee in favor of more cuddles. Then he froze as someone sighed breathily in his ear and huddled against his back. His eyes shot open and he looked down, finding Yu's sleeping face close to his, the marks on her face having gone down and lightened up. Carefully, he turned his head around and found…another Yu. With the exact same features, down to marks on her face and neck.
"…" Izuku opened his mouth, couldn't find words, and simply closed it again. …I'll figure this out after I go to the bathroom, he thought, slowly slipping himself out of the three-way embrace and padding out of his room.
As soon as he was gone, both Yus sat up, the one that had been snuggling into his back pouting as she did. "I thought he would've panicked or something," she whined, brushing her hair out of her face, "Stuck between two total babes? I figured he might even faint. Damn, he might be too desensitized now."
"Desensitized by what?" The Yu who had been cuddling against his chest asked, glancing down at her body and the perfect copy next to her. "Have…have you…?"
The Yu on the left pouted and crossed her arms. "No," she muttered mutinously, "Not for the lack of trying, though. Your boobs and thighs are really sensitive, it'd be awesome…" Then she sighed dreamily, before pouting again.
The Yu on the right blinked. "…I…don't think I needed to know that."
"Probably," left Yu shrugged, "Anyway, you remember the three girls we used to hang around with?" Her expression turned pained for a second.
"The Anime Squad?" Right Yu asked dryly, "Where they all had different hair colors?"
"Yeah, we were all…kinda sorta dating each other for the last like, year or so, kinda hard to recall," confirmed the other one, trying and failing to sound completely nonchalant and not at all sad. "It ended recently…as in, two days ago. A wild way to end it, though." She very much did not tell her about the long-distance relationship, though. That was between the two of them, and her on occasion.
Right Yu arched her eyebrows in surprise, giving the other her a look. "'Dating each other?'" She asked leadingly.
"Well, for me, only Izuku and the blonde one, and it was more like…mutual fun than dating," left Yu shrugged, her eyes darting to the door. "He's coming back, remember your lines."
As the door opened, they mussed their hair and squinted sleepily and Izuku froze the first step through the door. "'Zuku, where'd you go?" Left Yu moaned tiredly, peering at him through her eyelashes.
"And before my morning kiss, too?" Right Yu yawned and stretched, his shirt that she'd used as pajamas riding up a bit.
Izuku found his eyes flicking between the two Yus, their messy hair and sleepy faces freezing him in place, even as the sight of them in his shirts made his blood pound in his ears. "…What?" He croaked, blinking quickly.
"C'mooooon 'Zuku," Yu whined, rubbing her eyes.
"You know I can't wake up without a kiss first," Yu pouted, hitting him with devastating puppy-dog eyes.
"Where's my kiss?" They said at the same time, closing their eyes and pursing their lips.
He gulped dryly, heart thundering somewhere near the base of his skull. Two Yus, asking so adorably for a kiss, his shirt hanging just enough to hint at her cleavage but high enough to display her long, luscious legs, plump lips puckered in preparation. Kiss…Yu-senpai? His brain stuttered, heat rising in his face.
It was all too much.
The Yus opened their eyes as they heard a thump, to find an insensate Izuku lying on the floor, steam practically billowing from his head. They blinked, then looked at each other. Left Yu grinned widely and pumped a fist. "Yes! Still got it!"
…
Later, once Izuku had recovered and Himiko was back in her normal form, Inko called them for breakfast. It was more than a little awkward for Yu, who kept her eyes on the table as the older woman bustled around making pancakes. Then she looked up as she felt a hand on her arm and found the Midoriya mama giving her a very dry gaze that made her blush, followed by a comforting pat.
Then Inko left for a small shoot, leaving two blondes and Izuku sitting on the couch. "So, uh, Senpai, you're looking better this morning," he started, pushing down a blush as he remembered what had happened before.
"I feel a lot better, too," she touched her neck, the marks having already begun to turn yellow around the edges. "I've always been a quick healer…and I had a good night's rest, too."
Himiko rolled her eyes as the other two flushed and looked away, but knew it was something they'd have to get over themselves. With a little nudge from her every once and a while.
"So, I'm on injured leave for the next week unless another big Villain pops up, so…" Yu tapped her chin in thought, then snapped her fingers. "How about I treat you guys to lunch? I can answer your questions about Yuuei at the same time."
"Sounds good," Izuku nodded, already thinking of where they could go. "I know just the place."
When lunch rolled around, the two Heroes in training led Yu down a familiar path. "So, this is the famous 'Uzumaki Noodle House?'" She asked, peering around at the restaurant floor. "It's…cozy."
"Yeah well, houses are supposed to be cozy, aren't they?" Naruto said from behind the counter, eyeing the trio as he wiped down the surface with a rag. "Been awhile, kids. Heard you're heading for the big hero school, congrats. I'll throw in some extra pork in your bowls, and not just because I made extra."
"Thanks, Naruto-san," Izuku nodded with a smile, looking up at the menu. "I'll go with chashu pork ramen, then, and a pot of jasmine tea."
Himiko ordered her usual, spicy ramen with rare steak, then Yu stepped up to the counter with a finger on her chin as she thought. "Oh!" She snapped her fingers, "I went to this really nice place, The Zen Garden, and they had this amazing soup made with pork and bamboo shoots…can I, like, custom order that?"
Naruto slowly looked up at the restaurants' name, then back down at his fellow blonde. "…Does it have noodles in it?" He asked dryly. She shook her head. "Then no."
Disappointed, she picked chicken ramen and they sat down, sipping the tea that had been brought and chatting about Yuuei. Yu told them that it could be hard to find where to go the first few weeks, and that the teachers would be rather…unique. Beyond the actual Hero training, though, it was a normal school. One of the most well-funded in the world, with varied training areas, an excellent cafeteria, spacious and comfortable dorms and if being a Pro Hero was too much, the education offered could set you up with almost any choice of higher schooling.
And, perhaps most importantly, it was a chance to build long lasting friendships with other Heroes. "Though, I wasn't good at that part," Yu admitted, scratching her cheek, "Or exams…"
Himiko nudged Izuku with a grin. "We already know a couple people and you're good at exams and stuff, so I'd say we're a couple steps ahead."
"What do you mean, 'we?'" He shot back with a smile, "You think I'm gonna take your exams for you?"
She leaned into his side, her hand slipping down to grasp his thigh. "Perhaps I could persuade you…" She purred, blowing in his ear.
Izuku flushed and batted her hand away, subtly gesturing at a pink-cheeked Yu who was focusing on her food. Himiko just grinned.
After finishing their food and getting dessert at Yu's insistence, she paid for the meal and they were walking back to the Midoriyas' apartment when the Pro Hero stopped and sighed. "I need to get back to the agency and start filing the insurance papers for that fight yesterday," she ran a hand through her long blonde locks, grimacing at the thought of paperwork. Then she hit them with wide, pleading amethyst eyes. "You don't mind if I come over later, do you? I still need The C's and I've only got two-" She remembered that she'd eaten the last of her ice cream a couple days before, "-one of those at home. Please?"
"Sure, mama likes you and you already know how we feel about having you around," Himiko grinned as the older blonde coughed and looked away. "What about you, Izuku?"
"You're always welcome, Senpai!" He smiled happily as Yu grinned.
"Then I'll be around for dinner!" She promised, stepping up to hug Himiko, then Izuku. But as she pulled away from him, she paused and kissed his cheek. Not a gentle peck or a light brush of the lips, but long, meaningful contact. "…See you later," she murmured huskily, before turning and strutting off.
Face red, Izuku watched her go. "…Is it just me, or is she more affectionate today?"
"Well you did share a bed with her," the blood-drinker pointed out, making him duck his head. "Not to mention all the cuddling you were doing on the couch."
"She had a rough day!" He replied defensively, "She needed comfort!"
"And you find her extremely attractive," she added, and he clapped a hand to his face. "Besides, do you really have a problem with someone as hot as Grand Tetons liking you? Because if so…I'm gonna have to call that a lie."
Izuku frowned, rubbing his neck as they walked home. "Well…I'm younger than her-"
"-By three years," Himiko interjected.
"-she has a career-"
"-that you're trying to get into-"
"-I'm going to school-"
"-a school she went to-"
"-we're going to be busy-"
"-life usually is-"
"-I have a girlfriend-"
"-long distance-"
"-she's a public figure, and what would dating a younger guy do to her reputation?" There was a second of silence, and Izuku looked over his shoulder for her rebuttal.
Himiko shrugged. "Who gives a fuck what other people think?" She jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "And don't think I haven't noticed that you aren't bringing up any personal compunctions, Zuku. Give it up, would you? You and her have been practically dating at a glacial pace since that slime villain."
He huffed and ruffled his hair, searching for more points to support his argument. "…It's not a good time to start a relationship, Himiko, not after…" He sighed. "It's going to be a busy time, settling in at Yuuei, the Hero Course, training…"
She reached up and grabbed him by the face, pulling him down so that they were eye-level. "Izuku, you've made time for her every Friday in-between training like a madman, dating three girls, training with All Might, making babies with Mei and fuckin' school. Tell me," she booped his nose, "How, with one of those gone and two of those combining, would you have less time?"
Izuku slumped, leaning against her. "…I don't think I'm ready for something else so soon," he admitted, wrapping his arms around her.
"You two have been dipping your toes in the water for like a year," she murmured into his ear, pecking the lobe, "Soaking your feet together every once in a while wouldn't be so bad, would it? No one's saying you need to jump right in."
He sighed into her shoulder as she nuzzled his cheek. "…This isn't some setup for a joke about getting wet, is it?"
Himiko drew back and slapped his shoulder playfully. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing! As punishment, I'll ride you all the way back home," she commanded, slipping behind him and jumping on his back. "Onward, stallion!"
Chuckling, Izuku held her legs and set off, mulling over her points. Eventually, he settled on seeing where time would take them. But he was definitely looking forward to cuddling with Yu on the couch again.
…
"WHAT?!" A loud shriek pierced the morning of the big move-out. Izuku shot up from his desk, bags of mineral dust flying out of his arms.
"Shit, shit, shit," he chanted, quickly scooping up the bags and making sure none of the dust had spilled, before sighing in relief. Securing them in the last box, he picked it up and carried it from the room.
The week before the move had gone well. Sukuro had called, Yu had been over pretty much every day (and more than a few nights), the Midoriyas had enjoyed their dwindling time together, and they were all set and ready to go on the final day.
"HOW AM I IN A DIFFERENT CLASS?!" He heard Himiko screech and came into the kitchen to find her staring with furious incredulity at an innocent piece of paper.
"What's going on?" He asked, setting the box on the counter.
Wordlessly, she turned the paper around and shoved it in his face. It read that she would be part of Class 1-B in the First Year Hero Course, and gave the address for the building she would be rooming in. And under that was an identical letter addressed to him, but revealing that he would be in Class 1-A, and that dorms were separated by class.
"Oh," he muttered, scratching his temple, "Well, that sucks."
"Fuckin' sucks," Himiko grumbled, slouching over to lean against him, practically headbutting him in the sternum. "I know we wouldn't be able to do a lotta stuff in class and we're still gonna be in the same area and shit, but…dammit." She sighed, throwing her arms around his neck. "…Silver lining, though: I get to sneak into your room from another building. Like a ninja."
He chuckled and rubbed her back soothingly. "We'll still see each other every day, just…not all day. That's not so bad."
"Yeah…"
They stayed that way for a while longer, until Inko poked her head around the doorframe. "Kids? Are you…are you ready to go?" She sniffed, already sounding choked up.
"Yeah, mom," Izuku said with a sigh, nodding to the box. "I've got the last of the stuff I'm taking."
"I was all packed a while ago," Himiko mumbled, stepping back from him and giving Inko a small smile. "Want to take us on a ride, mama?"
The older woman blinked rapidly, wiping at her eyes before giving up and lunging at her kids. "My babies!" She wailed, clutching them both to her in a crushing embrace. They stood together in the kitchen they'd eaten in for years, in a home they'd lived in, where they'd come together as a family. Not for the last time, not by a long shot…but things wouldn't be the same.
…
Inko had rented a car for the day. While she had been tempted by Mitsuki's offer to come with them, the verdette figured the day was going to be chaotic enough without two explosively-tempered blondes crammed into a car with them. The drive itself wasn't too bad, though traffic was looking to become a problem later in the day, hence why they had left early.
Still, as the distant grounds of Yuuei drew closer, Himiko and Izuku couldn't help but feel a mix of dread and excitement. This, as they say, was it. The big day.
Inko pulled up to a wide metal gate, where they were met by a bored-looking man who looked over the two teens' letters, matched their identities, then issued them blank student cards that would get them around campus unmolested until pictures would be added the following day. And then it was a casual drive further into the campus.
The grounds themselves were almost like a park, with wide open, grassy areas, copses of trees scattered about with plenty of signs directing the curious student or visitor. In the distance, the Mock City training ground loomed and standing proudly before it all was Yuuei itself.
The dorm building for 1-B was up first, and honestly wasn't anything special from the outside, simply looking like a normal, modern apartment building with five stories. The door was unlocked, and there were marked keys hanging from a rack near the door, a pink circle for girls and a blue square for boys. Himiko snagged a key for a room that was about halfway up, "Easier to sneak out of," she said with waggling eyebrows.
The ground floor was wide, spacious and clean, though with a bunch of teenagers incoming, likely not to remain the latter for very long. The kitchen could fit a good few people, with multiple toasters, microwaves and a large stove. The pantry was mostly cereal and the makings for stuff like pancakes and waffles; though whoever had filled the area marked 'lunch' with tons of dry ramen either had a very low opinion of teenagers or just the right amount. The rest was canned goods. The fridge had milk, eggs, some vegetables and plenty of fruits, but was mostly bottled water. The freezer held mostly meat, chicken and some pork, with frozen fruit and veggies.
All in all, it seemed expected that a school day's meals would start with breakfast at the dorms or the cafeteria, followed by lunch, then dinner in the dorm.
The entertainment room was next to the dining area, which looked as if it could fit twenty or so people at once. There were two couches, a scattering of single chairs, and a few bean bags for sitting. That area was dominated by a large, flatscreen TV with room for consoles and movies underneath.
The room Himiko had picked wasn't huge but had plenty of space, easily large enough for a bed, desk, shelves, and table and some entertainment, with a balcony outside. "Even better, I can climb down this easily," she noted, setting bags of clothes on the bed as Izuku placed a box of her favorite trinkets on the desk. "See, this isn't too bad…still kinda sucks, but this is totally doable." She turned a salacious wink on Izuku. "Not the only thing, either."
"That kinda sucks, or is totally doable?" He arched an eyebrow at her.
"Yes."
"Kids, please," Inko sighed with a blush, reaching over to hug Himiko. "After I'm g-gone…"
"Okay, mama." The blonde squeezed the woman tightly, then followed the pair of green-haired people back down to the car.
The dorm for 1-A was nearly identical; except for the letter and number on a sign above the front door; everything else was the same, from the layout of the couches, chairs and tables, even down to the food. Izuku grabbed a key for a corner room on the fourth floor; out of a slightly jokey belief that the chaperone might be superstitious and not check the Floor 'Shi,' and the fact that Himiko had said the extra effort from the climb would make the cuddling worth it.
"…Although, maybe I should ask Mei to look into designing a hand-held version of the grapple belt," she muttered, tapping her lower lip in thought.
"What about wrist-mounted?" Izuku offered, carrying his boxes on his shoulders as they got into the elevator.
Also, each dorm had an elevator.
Inko had offered to drop Mei off at Yuuei with her 'kids,' but the dreadlocked inventor had declined on account of her babies being the ones doing all the heavy lifting. That, and she apparently wanted to check out the workshop to make sure it had all the stuff she needed.
"Maybe, but that presents a few problems…" Himiko trailed off as she opened the door to Izuku's chosen room and stopped. "…Note to self, when I go back I need to trade up for a corner room."
The room itself was about a third larger than the others, with several feet of empty space between the desk, bed and shelves. "Good, there's plenty of space for me to work." Izuku nodded, setting his training dummy down in one corner and his boxes of rocks on the desk. "And enough room to sit around if I've got company."
It only took another trip for him to get all of his things in his room; bringing it all together would be for later.
And then, it was time. The car was empty of all luggage, and the passengers stood outside, clinging tightly onto each other. "I'll miss you, my babies," she kissed Izuku on the cheek, then Himiko, "A-and I know even though I only brought one of you into this world…you're both my kids, okay? Even…even if that would make you two get up to some sort of, uh…incest, I guess…" She shook her head and ceased her rambling, squeezing the two of them to her. "I love you both, so much. Take care of each other, please?"
"Of course, mama," Himiko sighed, soaking in the warmth of the embrace, "You'll be good to yourself too, right?"
"We love you, mom," Izuku murmured, kissing her cheek as he rubbed her back, "And we'll visit you soon-"
Inko drew back. "Not too soon," she ordered, wagging a finger at them even though her lower lip was trembling, "Not until the next weekend, okay? I don't want you two skipping out on bonding with your classmates just to visit your…old, l-lonely…m-mother…"
The two teens quickly brought the woman back into their embrace. "You'll be alright, mom, Mitsuki'll be there, we'll be there…"
"I know, I know," she sighed, drawing back and wiping her eyes, giving them a watery smile. "I should get going…traffic's going to pick up soon. Call me, okay?"
With one last hug, Inko slipped back into the car and pulled away, stopping to wave for a final time before she disappeared around a bend and was gone.
Himiko wrapped an arm around Izuku's waist, leaning into his side as he wiped his eyes. "…Wanna be the first people to make out in our classes?" She offered, nodding at the dorm building. "Break in the couch?"
He chuckled, shaking his head in mirth. Then he turned to her and picked her up by the thighs, her legs wrapping around his middle as he carried her into the dorm. "Twist my arm," he murmured, setting her down on the long couch and pressing her down with his body in one smooth motion, his lips finding hers.
Himiko smiled against his mouth, one hand tangling in his hair while the other pawed at his back. Their tongues met as he dragged his fingers up her thigh, grasping at her tender flesh while she ground herself against him, a ragged moan escaping her lips. He broke away, lavishing attention along her jaw and down her neck, making her gasp and purr as he sucked at a sensitive spot, her hips bucking when his questing hand grabbed a handful of her ass and massaged.
They kissed messily, quiet moans echoing in the empty entertainment room. Izuku separated from her with a pop, breathing hard. "Maybe we should be in my room instead?" He asked huskily, pecking at her face.
"Oooh~ already feeling so frisky," Himiko purred, rubbing herself against him, "And I don't even have my uniform on."
"I'd rather not get caught like this," he muttered, nuzzling her cheek.
"Oh please," she rolled her honey-colored eyes, her hands working at the hem of his shirt, "It's a bunch of teenagers, when are we ever punctual?"
"Hello?"
Izuku bolted up, nearly teleporting to the other side of the couch as he wiped his face with the collar of his shirt. Himiko huffed and dragged herself up, licking her lips and straightening her clothes. Then, with an energy that seemed to come out of nowhere, she hopped up and made her way to the door. "Okay, thank you-oh! Excuse me!"
Having just come into the kitchen was a teenage girl, taller than Himiko by a few inches, with lustrous black hair hanging in a shimmering curtain down her back, matching the color of her dark eyes set in an oval face that were peering at them curiously. "Oh, hello there," she greeted them with a smooth, refined voice and small smile. She appeared completely calm and in control, but the two of them could see the slightest tremor in her hands and the anxious darting of her eyes. "Am I in your way?"
"Oh hey!" Himiko smiled, offering the other girl her hand, "Nice to meet you! I was looking for the 1-B dorms but I wound up here by accident."
The other girl shook her hand, her smile growing. "Nice to meet you, as well. It's understandable, getting lost, it's quite a sizable campus." Her eyes flickered over the blondes' shoulder, finding Izuku. "Hello to you, as well."
Izuku gave her a respectful nod and held his hand out. "Nice to meet you, I'm Midoriya Izuku and this is Toga Himiko." She grasped his fingers firmly, but in a rather noble way, like he was supposed to kiss her hand. Resisting the urge to do so, he noted just how soft her hand was.
"Yaoyorozu Momo," the now-named Momo replied, the nearly-hidden tensing in her shoulders fading as she smiled at them. "Are you two friends?"
Himiko threw her arm around Izuku's waist with a grin. "Yup! We've known each other for years, but we ended up in different classes." She sucked her teeth and shook her head. "Ah well. Speaking of, I should find my dorm and start getting settled. It was nice to meet you, Momo-san, I hope we see each other again!" The blood-drinker stepped around the taller girl and made for the door, turning back to look at her lover. "I'll see you later!"
Izuku glanced at Momo and internally sighed, glad she hadn't caught the flash in Himiko's eyes nor the rather lustful smile she'd sent his way. "Yaoyorozu-san-"
"Momo, please," she interjected.
"Momo-san," he acquiesced with a nod, "Would you like some help moving in?"
"Oh, no thank you, I have it handled," she turned to the doorway and whistled, waving a hand. Instantly, suited men began to pour into the building, all of them carrying something, even what looked like the pieces of a bedframe and…tools?
As Momo was directing them up the stairs, Izuku took a second to examine her critically. She wore a light blue dress that, while loose and rather modest, did very little to hide the fact that she had a figure many would be jealous of. He also noticed that her dress, despite being simple and modest in appearance, was also finely made and likely expensive. Having a model for a mother who had a fashion designer as a best friend and a Model Hero for a senpai, he could recognize an expert cut made to look like a cheap one.
"I should oversee this," she murmured, turning back to him with a smile, "It's my pleasure to meet you, Izuku-san, I would like to converse with you further…if that is amenable to you?"
"That would be my pleasure, Momo-san," he gave her a short, polite bow and refrained from watching her go up the stairs; they'd just met after all. "And, Momo-san?"
She glanced at him over shoulder, shimmering obsidian locks rippling across her smooth neck. "Yes, Izuku-san?" She blinked curiously.
Izuku pointed around the other side of the stairs. "There's an elevator."
She blinked once more, then leaned out to discover that there was, in fact, such a thing. "Ah. Thank you."
Nodding, he headed for the kitchen. If that's the baseline for how girls look around here…this is gonna be a hell of a class. He opened the cupboards, searching for something to make into light snacks. A little bit of food could go a long way to making everyone feel comfortable in this new place, except…Izuku set the kettle to boil and had an assortment of rice crackers and dried seaweed snacks ready to go, with some peppermint tea to accompany it, except… "What kind of heathen has a kettle and tea, but no teapot?"
In the end, Izuku steeped the tea in a couple of thermoses before closing them up to retain the heat, setting the cups on the counter near the bowls of snacks, taking a post nearby on a chair. The steady stream of suited men eventually petered out, leaving him alone on the ground floor.
He wasn't waiting by himself for long, as no more than five minutes later the front door was shouldered open by a tall teen with silver hair styled so that it covered the top of his face, except for his dark eyes, with a blue mask extending up from his neck to cover the rest. He was carrying three boxes under his arms with a roller case dragging behind, of which were both muscular and more than one pair. As a matter of fact, he seemed to have six arms, connected by a fleshy webbing.
"Hey there," Izuku greeted him with a wave, "1-A?"
The silver-haired boy nodded. "Yes," he said in a deep but rather soft voice, not muffled at all by the mask. "You as well?"
"Midoriya Izuku, nice to meet you," Izuku nodded, slightly surprised to see another arm emerge from the other teen's limb that formed into an offered hand. Shaking it and unsurprised to find that he had quite the grip, Izuku gestured at the boxes. "Need a hand?" He paused, blinking.
"Shouji Mezo," the masked teen replied with a quiet chuckle, yet another arm splitting from his other side to pluck a key from the wall, "I'm good; all hands on deck, as it were. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise." He settled back in his chair as the taller teen disappeared up the stairs, then reappeared a few moments later. "Snack?"
Shouji took a handful of rice crackers as he headed for the door. "I'm going to take a walk, get the lay of the land," he relayed, giving a wave as he left the building.
Seems like a decent sort, Izuku thought, pouring himself a cup of tea, As for his Quirk…duplicating limbs, he's obviously strong, probably a nightmare to fight against in hand-to-hand, but is it only hands and arms? Hmm…need more information.
He was halfway through his cup when the door was kicked open and a blonde teen, hair spiky and messy, waltzed in with a duffle bag over one shoulder, a case rolling behind him. "Hey, so this is the place?! Not bad!" He gazed around at the room before his eyes fell on Izuku. "Hey man, what's up?! I'm Kaminari Denki, future Number One Hero!"
Izuku smiled, finding himself liking the new guy already. "Midoriya Izuku, nice to meet you," he nodded, noticing that there was a jagged line of black in the other boys' hair, almost like a bolt of lighting. "Snack?"
"Oh sweet, I'm starving!" Denki flopped down in the other chair and shoved a handful of seaweed snacks in his mouth. "I was so psyched to be here I forgot to grab breakfast before I jumped on the subway," he relayed around a mouthful of crunching seaweed, swallowing noisily. "But man, Yuuei! Yuuei, man! I can't wait to start showing off!"
Chuckling, Izuku poured him a cup of tea and passed it. "It'll be hard work," he pointed out, "Wouldn't be the best Hero school if it was easy."
"Pssh," Denki waved him off, quaffing the tea, eyes finding the key board. "And we get our own rooms, too? Nice!" He squinted, realizing what the little shapes on the keys meant. "There's a chick here already?"
Thinking of Momo, Izuku nodded. "Yup."
The blonde gained a rather sneaky look, waggling his eyebrows. "She cute?"
Understatement. "Yup."
"Nice!" Denki hopped up, grabbing his bag and a key, "Imma go get setup! Seeya in a-is that a TV? It's huge! Playing HexBox on this thing is gonna be sweet!"
Laughing internally, Izuku refilled the snack bowl and took care of the cup, sitting back down. Not even a minute later, the door was thrown open as Mina skipped into the room with a wide grin. "Yoohoo, 1-A! We're heeereee~!" Her eyes immediately fell on him at the table, her smile getting even bigger. "Midori!"
He'd barely cleared his seat before the pink-skinned girl had nearly tackled him in a hug, her fluffy pink hair tickling his nose. "Hey Mina!" He greeted enthusiastically, giving her a little spin before setting her down. "It's great to see you again!"
"Isn't it?" She enthused, keeping her arms wrapped around him, setting her chin on his chest. "Texting ain't bad, but seeing people in person is way better!" She thought she was being sneaky with her hands getting little squeezes in, but no.
Her sneaky squeezes weren't so sneaky after all.
Izuku ignored it in favor of taking in her wide eyes, black sclera and yellow irises should've been a sinister combination, but she just made them adorable. "Where's Kirishima?" He asked, doing his best to also ignore how soft her body felt against his.
"Mina! Where'd you go?" On cue, they heard Kirishima calling. "Come get your stuff!"
"I might've left her carrying the luggage," Mina answered with no shame and a little shrug.
"Want some help?" He offered, already stepping towards the door.
"Sure!" She smiled, taking his hand and nearly skipping out of the building. "Eiri, look who it is!"
The muscled girl looked up from a stack of boxes and a pile of bags, flashing him a sharp-toothed grin. "Hey man!" She offered a fist and he bumped it with his own. "Nice to see you again! I know it's unmanly, but can you lend a hand? This one," she jerked her head at Mina, red hair shaking, "Left me with all the stuff."
"That's what I'm here for," Izuku clapped his hands and started piling their luggage into his arms, hooking the bags around his wrists before stacking boxes and picking them up. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Eiri doing the same while Mina only grabbed a few things; but between the three of them it was all taken care of. "Grab some keys."
Mina skipped up to the board, eyes darting over the free spaces, turning back to him with a mischievous smile. "Which floor are you on, Midori?"
"Fourth," he replied, already heading for the elevator.
The pink-skinned girl was quick to snag a pair of keys on the same floor, the rooms right next to each other. "We're gonna be roomies~!" She sang as she skipped into the elevator and hit the button for the fourth floor. "Speaking of roomies, where's Himi-chan?"
Izuku sighed and shrugged helplessly. "She ended up in 1-B, so…"
Mina clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Damn, and I was looking forward to hanging out with her some more…" Then she shrugged. "Ah well, it's not like we're on other sides of the island."
He nodded, adjusting the boxes in his arms, eyes flickering over the ladies. Mina wore a teal tee-shirt that hugged her torso, the word 'JUICY' written across her sizable chest in pink, with a pair of jean shorts that displayed her toned, shapely legs.
Kirishima had shorts similar to her friend and a blank black muscle tee, most of her muscular form plain to see. He noticed that her red eyes were darting to him in the reflection of the elevator doors, the girl self-consciously flicking her crimson hair. Izuku glanced at her arms again, and was struck by the sudden urge to arm-wrestle her, and idly wondered if she would be able to pick him up.
For some reason, that thought was kinda hot.
Arriving on the floor, Mina darted ahead to their doors, which were on the other side of the building compared to Izuku's. She threw hers open with no hesitation, nodding as she beheld the contents. "Yup, it's got potential," she muttered, tapping her chin and narrowing her eyes in thought. "Now, where can I get some hot pink, dark purple and teal paint…?"
"Mina!" Eiri called, shifting uncomfortably, a bead of sweat running down her temple. "Open my door please!"
The horned girl jumped and hurried out, unlocking the door for the muscular girl who hurried inside to set her boxes down with a series of loud clanks. Izuku followed, surprised to hear metal scraping against metal as he laid a box on the floor. "Did you bring weights?" He asked, nudging it with his foot. Then he spotted something else. "And is that a punching bag?"
"Hehe, yeah," Kirishima smiled and rubbed her neck sheepishly, "I know they got a lot of gyms and stuff here, but I grew up using these, you know? I didn't wanna leave 'em behind…"
Izuku chuckled, jacking a thumb at his door. "I know what you mean, I brought my old training dummy with me." He nudged the box again, missing the look the two girls traded. "Well hey, if you want a spotter or something, I'm your man." He grinned and flexed his arm, his hard-trained muscles bulging proudly from under his skin.
Eiri gulped and gave a toothy smile. "Y-yeah, that'd be manly!" She offered another fist bump, which he gave.
Smiling, Izuku stepped around the two. "Alright, I've got some snacks downstairs and if you need anything, you got my number! I'll let you two get set up." He gave them a nod and exited the room.
As soon as he was gone, the muscular girl sighed, running a hand through her crimson locks. "…He didn't even notice," she muttered, with Mina rubbing her back comfortingly.
"By the way," they both jumped as Izuku popped his head back around with a grin, "I like your hair, Eiri, it's really striking. You look good!" And then he was gone again.
Arriving back on the ground floor, he walked back towards the table, passing by Denki who was trying to hook his HexBox up to the TV. There was someone at the snack table already, a lean guy with neck-length black hair in a button-up shirt, the front open and the sleeves rolled up, showing a pair of distended, almost plastic-looking elbows. He paused mid-chew as Izuku smiled and approached him.
"Hey man, I'm Izuku," he offered a hand.
"Hey, nice to meetcha," the other guy returned, quickly wiping his hand on his jeans before shaking. "Sero Hanta, excited to be here. I mean, everyone wants to go to Yuuei, you know? To actually be here…this is sweet!"
"I know what you mean," Izuku nodded, "Being the Number One Hero School really shows, doesn't it?"
"I got lost a couple times," Sero admitted with a grin, pausing as they heard the rattle of gunfire and what sounded like lasers. "Is that Call To Arms? Someone playing?"
"Sounds like Denki got his HexBox hooked up," the geokinetic noted, pouring the other boy a cup of tea. "Tea?"
"Thanks man," Sero nodded and stepped further into the dorm, grabbing a key. "Hey, that's Call To Arms 2! Dude, you got another controller?!"
"Yeah dude, c'mon!"
Grinning to himself, Izuku sat down at the table and popped some seaweed into his mouth, sipping cold tea. This day's already going pretty well, he thought, taking out his phone and opening a music app, bypassing his usual workout music in favor of something a little more melodic. Bobbing his head to the beat, (The Song) he leaned back and waited, though not for long.
The door opened softly and what appeared to be an empty tank top peered around it, calling a soft, "Hello?"
Surprised, he pushed himself up and gave whoever the clothes were a friendly wave. "Hello, looking for the 1-A dorms?" Now that he was standing up, he could see that clothes had curves.
"Hi there!" The clothes hopped forward peppily, and he could hear the sound of air being displaced by a rapidly-moving limb. Given the short, slender yet curvy body the clothes seemed to be covering, for lack of a better word, whoever it was, was a girl. An invisible girl. Who was waving at him with an invisible hand. "I'm Hagakure Toru, but you can call me Toru! Have you seen this place?! It's so big!"
He could almost imagine stars sparkling in her eyes…not the color of those eyes, though. "That it is," he chuckled, offering his hand and feeling a small, soft hand taking it. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, it's nice to meet you Hagakure-san-"
"-Toru," the invisible girl interjected, squeezing his hand.
"…Toru-san-"
"-chan," she insisted, hopping in place excitedly.
"…Toru-chan," he finished, ducking his head and pecking her knuckles, getting a girly giggle from her. "Would you like some help getting moved in?"
"Sure!" The left loop of her tank top moved a bit, and he assumed she was waving towards the door. "I've got a bunch of boxes! I didn't want to leave anything behind even though I know I could have it mailed later, but what if I really needed Sir Snuggles the Third and I couldn't wait a week?"
"That does sound serious," Izuku nodded solemnly, hefting a large box onto his shoulder. Despite the size, it was light as a feather, and judging by the green fuzzy leg of what looked like a frog sticking out of the top, it would be because it was full of stuffed animals.
Toru giggled, a backpack slipping over invisible shoulders while a duffle was carried in her hands. "I'm just kidding! I figured having stuff from home might make coming here a little less…homesick-y. I mean, it's awesome to be here- I got to fight robots! But it's my first time being away from home, and for so long, too…"
"Well," he nudged the door back open and led the way inside, "You're in good company, Toru-chan. I think most everyone is in the same boat right now."
The key jingled as she plucked it off of the board, followed by a handful of rice crackers disappearing into an invisible maw. "Misery loves company!" She commented, spraying crumbs. "But you're friendly, Izuku-kun! So it's not that bad, just different."
"Which floor?" He asked, stepping into the entertainment room as apparently Denki 'totally owned' Sero with a shotgun that shot lightning, which in the other boy's words was 'total bullshit.'
"Ooh, video games!" Toru enthused, bouncing in place. "I wonder if they have Smash Bros? Oh, uh, second."
A short ride up the elevator later, they were at the door to her new room, which she opened with a little fanfare. Setting her boxes near the bed, Izuku brushed his hands off and turned to the invisible girl. "Here you go!" He announced, checking his phone. "Say, what kind of sandwich would you like? It's almost lunch time and I feel like whipping something up."
"Aww, you don't have to do that," the invisible girl waved him off for about a second, "Peanut butter and jelly, if we have any? I mean, I saw the snacks in the kitchen, but do we need to go grocery shopping or something?" She paused. "Ooh, we could make a day of it! Get some clothes, get some food, maybe stop by a candy shop…"
"Once we're all settled in, we can see whoever's in charge about doing that," Izuku commented, tapping his phone with his thumb. "Toru-san-"
"-chan!"
"-Toru-chan, do you have the GroupChat app?" He held up his phone, the screen showing a blank friend request, "So I can let you know when-"
"Omigosh yes!" Toru squealed, leaping at him like a feral cat and hugging him tightly before scrambling for his phone. "Whoo!" She whooped, spinning around as she rapidly tapped the screen, before pausing and taking a picture of herself. "Only here ten minutes and I already got a new friend! Score!"
Izuku couldn't help but smile at the sheer energy the invisible girl exuded, grabbing her tossed phone out of the air and adding his own number and picture. "Alright, Toru-chan, it won't take long for me to get lunch ready." Getting his phone back, he gave her a wave and headed back downstairs, chuckling to himself.
InvisoGirl added you as a friend!
InvisoGirl: Heeeey Izuku! u
RightPebble: Hey Toru!
To his surprise, once he got back to the kitchen area after asking the others what they wanted, someone was already bustling about. It was Mina, turning on a rice cooker as she absently munched some snacks. "Mina, are you making something?"
"Yeah, just some rice…" She tapped her lip in thought, eyeing the inside of the fridge. "Don't know what to have with it, though."
"Making the rice before you know what you want?" He asked with some amusement, retrieving a loaf of bread and the various fixings.
Mina nodded, popping a seaweed snack in her mouth. "I got hungry. Just because I don't have a plan doesn't mean it won't work out. Step One: Rice. Step Two," she shrugged grandly, "Step Three: Food."
Izuku pulled open the pantry, glancing at the cans on the shelves. "We've got some tuna, pickled daikon and some seaweed if you wanna make rice balls to go with the sandwiches," he announced, glancing at her over his shoulder. "By the way, you want a sandwich?"
"Sure!" She grinned, "As long as you help me with the rice; not to brag, but I'm pretty good at handling balls."
He paused in retrieving the ingredients and looked at her. Her cheeks had darkened, but she was unrepentant. She blushes lilac? That's adorable. "Just be careful, wouldn't want to get sticky white stuff everywhere." He smirked even as his face heated up. "It would probably be a bad first impression, the two of us making a mess in the kitchen."
Mina gulped audibly, eyes darting away. "…I was gonna make a joke about impressions on something else," she admitted, coughing into her hand, "B-but I'm pressed for time."
Izuku laughed, setting out the stuff and getting started on bringing it all together. "I'll figure out how to press your buttons in time," he promised.
She nudged him with her hip, sorting out the fillings for the rice balls. "One can only hope," she murmured, standing next to him.
And if their legs were touching, well, it wasn't that big of a kitchen.
As they were bringing lunch together, Momo descended from her room, blinking as she noticed them at the counter. "Would you like some help?" She offered, her fingers laced together as she leaned on the counter.
"We're good on the food," Izuku replied, noticing the lack of thermoses, "But we've got no tea. If you want to make some, that'd be great."
Momo nodded her agreement and went to prepare the tea, when she noticed a certain piece of equipment missing. "There's no tea pot?"
"Nope," Mina answered, shaping another rice ball and wrapping it in seaweed. "Kinda weird, right?"
"Indeed," the other girl muttered. "Excuse me, I'll return in a second."
There was a moment of silence, except for the video game noises coming from the entertainment room. "She's definitely rich, right?" The pink girl asked, jerking her chin at the stairs.
"Just because she talks formally doesn't mean she's rich," Izuku commented, cutting a sandwich into quarters, "She definitely comes from money, though."
"Mm," Mina hummed in agreement, "Cute, too."
"Indeed," he echoed.
When she returned, she was carrying a tin of tea, but no teapot. Then after setting the tea on the counter, Momo turned away from them, lifted the edge of her dress and in a flash of blue, pulled a teapot from under there.
Izuku and Mina traded incredulous looks as the other girl started the kettle. "Momo-san, did…did you have that under there the whole time?" He asked, unsurely.
She gave them a confused look, then realization struck. "Oh, no, no, I used my Quirk, Creation. It requires skin access and my arms don't have enough surface area."
His eyebrows shot up. "Your Quirk creates things?" He barely resisted the urge to gape in amazement; Mina did not.
"Oh yes," Momo nodded, opening her hand and in a small flash of blue and pink particles, a small, painted wooden doll appeared from her skin. "I can create anything I can think of, as long as I know the atomic structure and I have enough lipids."
"Wow…" He heard Mina murmur, "So this is the Quirk of a rich person…!"
"That's amazing, Momo-san!" Izuku enthused, eyes darting as he thought of the possibilities a Quirk such as hers presented…and realized that there were no limits. "Your Quirk is the epitome of versatility…" A thought crossed his mind, and he gave her a respectful look. "To use such a Quirk as a Hero…you must have a mind like razor, Momo-san."
"Ah…" Her cheeks pinked and she smiled a bit, before her eyes fell on the pink-haired, pink-skinned horned girl. "Oh! Forgive me, we haven't met before. My name is Yaoyorozu Momo."
"What's up, Yaomomo?" Mina grinned, hands on her hips. "Ashido Mina's the name! I melt stuff."
"Y-Yaomomo?!"
"It's a nickname!" The horned girl thumbed her nose proudly, "Friends give 'em to each other, y'know?"
Momo paused, audibly gulping. "…F-friends?"
"That's right!"
"If you want, Momo-san," Izuku demurred politely.
She cleared her throat, unable to keep a giddy smile from spreading across her face. "I would like that, Mina-san, Izuku-san." The kettle began to whistle, and she busied herself filling the pot and steeping the tea.
As lunch was coming together, the front door opened and in strode a lean young man with a black bird's head in place of a human visage. His sharp eyes rolled over the room, reaching out to pluck a key. "Afternoon," he greeted with a nod, moving on.
"Lunch is almost ready!" Izuku called to both the new guy and the others in the entertainment room. With the three of them working together, it took only a moment to lay out the spread; two different kinds of meat sandwiches, along with peanut butter and jelly, all cut into quarters and separated into neat rows; clearly marked, of course. And with it, rows of neatly-formed rice balls filled with tuna, pickled radish and a mixture of the two.
The group in the entertainment room, now consisting of Denki, Sero, Eiri and Toru, paused their match of Smash Bros. long enough to grab plates and fill them with food. There was plenty to go around, so the trio sat at the kitchen counter and ate before Momo poured them all cups of tea.
"Wow, this is some tasty tea!" Mina enthused, swigging half of her cup in one go.
Izuku sipped and let the heat flow through him, the aftertaste settling on his palate. "Light with a hint of fruit, yet earthy with a citrus aftertaste," he mumbled to himself, stroking his chin, "A green tea blend, good for waking up or capping off a night, studying or relaxing." He toasted Momo with his teacup. "This is excellent tea, Momo-san. Thank you for sharing."
"Indeed," Momo nodded with a pleased smile, "It's my favorite blend; I only hope I brought enough." She sipped delicately from her cup, much like a princess would.
"So sophisticated…" Denki muttered around a mouthful of rice ball.