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(4)
Izuku was excited. Really, really excited! It was his birthday today, and he was turning four! And then they were going to go see a doctor to go see what Izuku’s quirk was! Then he got to go see Kacchan and get a gift from him and Auntie Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru, and they would all get to visit the aquarium together! And he was lucky that it fell on a Sunday, too, that meant he didn’t have to go to school!
“Happy birthday, my little Zuku!” Inko said as Izuku bolted down the stairs, excited for his big day to begin. He wrapped his mother up in a hug, and she lifted him up and twirled him around.
“I’m four, mama, I’m four!” Izuku said, looking up at his mother with wide eyes. Inko giggled.
“Yes you are, Zuku, yes you are,” she said, ruffling his head. Izuku leaned into the touch, before looking around, noticing an absence of curly black hair. Frowning, he looked back at his mom.
“Where’s dad? Is he asleep? If he’s asleep I’ll go wake him up, and then we can talk and eat cake and play games together!”
Inko, however, furrowed her brows, looking apologetic as she looked towards her room. Back at Izuku, before she sighed.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but dad had to get up early to go into work,” she said, voice apologetic, and Izuku wilted. But Inko, not wanting her baby to be sad on his birthday, started to bounce him up and down as she turned and headed towards the kitchen. “Don’t worry, Izuku, I’m sure he’ll be back tonight, and he’ll bring you the best present ever!”
Izuku perked up again, grinning. “Really?!”
Inko nodded, peppering kisses all over Izuku. “I’m sure of it, my dear. Now, how about you and I get some celebration pancakes for your big day?”
“Thanks, mama!”
After having celebration pancakes, Izuku had some time to kill while waiting for Kacchan and the other kids from daycare to show up to his party. So, bouncing with excitement, Izuku climbed up onto the couch next to his mother as they put on an All Might movie.
“Mama! Mama!” Izuku said, pointing at the screen and looking at Inko.
“Yes dear?”
“What kind of quirk do you think I’m going to get?” He asked, kicking his legs back and forth. “I’m hoping I’ll get something cool like Kacchan’s explosions! Or maybe I’ll have dad’s fire breathing! That would be cool! Then I would be like - phoo!”
Izuku stood up on the couch, sucking in a deep breath until his cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel’s. Then, he jumped off the couch and blew it out, throwing his arms behind him before pointing at the now-paused TV. “I’m Dragon, the... the... the dragon hero! You’re under arrest, villain!” He puffed his chest up into a superhero stance, then, grinning! “I’ll be the best hero there ever was, and me and Kacchan would make the perfect team!”
“I’m sure you will, Izuku,” Inko said, before making a motion with her hands for Izuku to come back. He did, clambering up onto the couch with some effort and help from his mom, before he snuggled up next to her. “Now, let’s see how All Might is going to win this one, yeah?”
Izuku had a fun day after that. Kacchan and their friends came over at around eleven-thirty, and they all went to the aquarium together to look at fishes! Izuku even got to touch a starfish. It was really weird, and he also got a stingray plushie from the gift shop! After that, they went back to the park for celebration, the moms’ laying out several picnic blankets. Inko, with Auntie Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru’s help, had gotten a cake for Izuku. It was chocolate, with All Might-themed frosting on the top! He was doing his familiar pose next to the words Happy Fourth Birthday, Izuku! He got the biggest slice, and then they got to open up presents after that!
There were so many good presents this time around! Mom had gotten him an All Might toy, and Kacchan had gotten him both a poster and a sticker set! He had also gotten a lot of other hero stuff from the other kids as well, which was awesome! And the cake was really good, and he got to play All Might during heroes and villains with Kacchan as Sir Nighteye, his loyal sidekick!
Finally, the party started to wind down as the afternoon dragged on, the other families leaving one by one until it was just Izuku and Kacchan on the swings, playing a game of who could go higher while their parents talked.
“Hey Kacchan, what kind of quirk do you think I’m going to get? Do you think it’s going to be cool! I hope it’s cool, like yours and dad’s and All Might’s!” Izuku said as they swung. “Then we’ll be the best hero duo there was in all of Japan, and we’ll both be number one!”
“Hah, Zuku, there’s only room for one number one hero, and that’s going to be me!” Kacchan replied, pointing his thumb at himself. Then he looked over at Izuku, grinning. “But you’re going to be the best number two there ever was!”
Izuku laughed, and Kacchan did too, until Kacchan finally won the game of who’s going to be higher. After that, Izuku’s mom called him over because they had to go to the doctor’s.
“You better get a strong quirk, Zuku, so we can kick butt!” Kacchan called out as they left. Izuku giggled, shifting in his car seat as he played with the All Might toy, mimicking villain fights. Kacchan’s poster and sticker set sat next to him in the car, waiting for Izuku to get home to use it.
“He’s quirkless.”
With those two words, Izuku’s world comes crashing down, just like the All Might toy that drops from his hands.
“I am here!”
Click.
“I am here!”
Click.
“I am here!”
“A superhero like that... that’s... that’s what-“ a sniffle, a sob- “That’s what I-I want to be!”
“I’m sorry, Izuku! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”
No.
That’s not what he wanted to hear.
What he wanted to hear was...
That was the last ‘proper’ birthday party Izuku had for over a decade. The stingray plush still sits far back in the corner of his closet.
(8)
After Izuku turned four, birthday parties aren’t something Izuku has anymore.
No one, after all, wants to have a birthday with the quirkless loser. So no one really comes to his home for his birthday anymore, just Kacchan because Auntie Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru make him. And when the parents are out of the room, he makes no effort to hide his dislike of Izuku, shoving the present in his hands before going on his DS, grumbling and cursing words an eight-year-old shouldn’t know.
Izuku knows he should be a little hurt - and he is, don’t get him wrong. But then, after opening it up and seeing the new All Might hoodie and water bottle, which was incredibly hard to get and incredibly expensive, both selling out within two days of their release, he forgives Kacchan. Instead, he throws the hoodie on, grabs his DS, and flops down next to him, asking his mom for cake.
There’s a lot more to go around this time, since it’s just the five of them - Dad had left on a business trip to America when Izuku was five, but that was okay, because he kept sending Izuku presents on his birthday and at American Christmas! Sure, he missed him and wanted him to come back, and they never really talked on Skype, but Izuku sent out cards to him every month! And dad sent them back, too, with well-wishes and hopes of seeing him and Inko again.
It’s only after Kacchan left did Izuku realize he hadn’t gotten a present from his dad. Curious, he goes up to his mom, DS still in hand.
“Hey mama?” He asks, tilting his head. Inko turns away from the stove where she’s cooking dinner.
“Yes, Izuku?” She asks, eyebrows furrowed again, worry in her eyes. She was like that a lot lately, Izuku noticed, really worried about stuff.
“I didn’t get a present from dad,” Izuku said, looking down at the floor and shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “And it’s my birthday, and he always sends one, with a card, too!” Oh, he’s crying again.
“Now now, Izuku, we mustn't be hasty,” Inko said, kneeling down next to Izuku. With a gentle hand, she wiped away the tears collecting in the corner of his eyes, before cupping his cheeks and smiling. “I’m sure the mail is backed up, or something like that. It’ll come, baby, it’ll come.”
“Are you sure?” Izuku asks, sniffling and looking up at Inko. She nods, pulling him into a hug.
“I’m sure, baby. I’m sure,” she said, before unwrapping and ruffling his hair. “Now, do you want to help me make katsudon? Then we can go and start watching the latest episode of the All Might TV series. I’ll even let you stay up later tonight to watch some TV, how does that sound?”
Mood quickly lifted, Izuku bounced on his feet as Inko stood up again. “Okay, mama! Let me save my game and then I’ll help!”
So, heeding his mother’s words, Izuku waits, running home every day to check the mail for some kind of package or card from his father.
And he waits.
And he checks.
And he waits.
And checks.
Waits.
Checks.
One month passes. There’s no new present. No card. No call. Nothing but a sobbing Inko, a very angry Mitsuki, and divorce papers.
There’s never another present after that.
And it’s not until he’s fourteen and looking through the cards again does he realize that the handwriting on them matches his mother’s, not his father’s, and he realizes Inko had been sending them to him. He never confronts his mom about it, but deep down, Izuku knows that his father had stopped caring for him when he took that extended business trip to America in the first place.
(12)
Izuku’s birthday has pretty much been the same for the last six years, since his dad first left to America.
Wake up. Celebration pancakes. Go to school. Get ignored. Get present from a reluctant Kacchan spurred by his aunt and uncle. Go home. Katsudon, presents, cake, homework, tv, bed.
This year, though, it’s different. There’s no Kacchan waiting for Izuku at the school gates to shove the present into his hands and stalk away, grumbling. He always was, since Kacchan had stopped attending his birthday party after he turned eight. Instead, he would be waiting outside the elementary school gates to shove a multi-colored box into Izuku’s hands before grumbling something about not wanting to be seen by the other kids before stalking away. It always hurt when Kacchan did that, but Izuku had grown used to it at that point, knowing that was just another complex aspect of Kacchan’s personality. So Izuku is curious when he doesn’t see the blonde waiting outside for him at Aldera, their new middle school.
When Izuku gets inside the classroom, he sees Kacchan sitting at his desk, surrounded by his ‘friends’. No present in sight. No colored gift box sticking out of his bag or on his desk. No kindness (then again, when has Kacchan been nice, since Izuku’s fourth birthday?). Just a glare and snickers sent his way as Izuku walks past to his own desk, with Kacchan commenting “Hurry the fuck up, Deku, and get out of my fucking sight,” instead of the usual mumbled “Happy fucking birthday or whatever, damn nerd.”
Izuku frowns, taking a seat at his own desk. Maybe he’ll give it to him later, like during lunch or something. Or maybe it’s still in the mail, or he forgot it? Or maybe- no, Kacchan wouldn’t, because if Inko found out Izuku didn’t get a present from Kacchan, she would tell Auntie Mitsuki and then she would force Kacchan to give him it, if not hand-deliver it herself. He didn’t not bring it on purpose. So, for now, he just opens up his notebook snd starts writing in Hero Analysis For The Future: No. 8.
The day passes as it normally does, but there’s no present from Kacchan. Izuku wilts. At the end of the day, he follows them to the park, determined to ask about it. His mom can’t be the only person to give him presents. His mom had no sisters or brothers, he didn’t have cousins, and his mom’s parents died a long time ago. Izuku hadn’t had contact with anyone in his fath- in Hisashi’s family since the divorce. No relatives or friends for Izuku to get presents from.
“K-Kacchan?” Izuku squeaked as he approached the blonde in the park.
Kacchan doesn’t even spare him a glance, too focused on the pushups he was doing a part of his early training for UA.” What, nerd?” He growls out as his ‘friends’ glare at Izuku and start to whisper, not breaking in his routine. Izuku stifles a whimper. He suddenly doesn’t want to ask, not with Kacchan so violate and Kacchan’s lackeys glaring at him like he killed a man and he’s nervous, anxious about what he wants to ask him because he really doesn’t want to get pushed to the ground again. But he’s also desperate, desperate to know if Kacchan has a gift for him or not, and the desperation outweighs the anxiety he has and Izuku grasps on it like a string that’ll save him from a out of despair.
So, he steels and braces himself and asks the question, voice shaking the entire time.
“Uh, w-well, as you, um, as you know, it’s... it’s my birthday today, a-and, well, you’ve, um... you’ve always gotten me a p-present since... since we were kids, but, um, well... I didn’t quite... see one today.”
Izuku was tripping and stumbling over his words as he talked while Kacchan and the four or so kids with him glared and Kacchan got up from the ground. As he reached the end, his voice got smaller and smaller until it was only a mere whisper. And when tiny explosions pop and crackle on Kacchan’s hands, Izuku knows he’s messed up. He was angry, very angry, and Izuku has made a mistake.
“Yeah, you’re damn right I didn’t, because I don’t want to waste my money and my time on you damn nerd,” Kacchan growled, voice low and dangerous and reminding Izuku of how he fucked up. “Now fuck off! We’re in middle school and I don’t need you following me around and begging for presents like some kinda dog begging for food!”
He stalks forward, glaring, and Izuku stumbles back. A hand comes up, gripping his shoulder, grip hard ento bruise and palm hot enough to burn through his jacket sleeve. A shout. A shove. An explosion. Searing, white-hot pain in Izuku’s arm as he stumbles and hits the ground, crying out in pain.
He just used his quirk on me, Izuku thought through the haze of his mind as he slapped his arm on the burn. A bad idea, and it just makes it worse and makes his other hand burn, too. Kacchan just used his quirk on me. He had only done that once before, as a brash six-year-old with Tsubasa and Ike, but not since his mom found the three of them beating on poor Izuku and he was grounded for a month. But he just had, and based on the burning crimson of Kacchan’s eyes, it was on purpose.
That’s all Izuku has time to think before Kacchan walks off and his friends waylay into Izuku - this time, quirks included. And it hurts, not just because they’re using their quirks, but because all he wants for his birthday is friendship and acceptance, and instead he’s getting a fist to his jaw and burn marks on his clothes and body.
Izuku goes home that night not to katsudon, but to a worried Inko fussing over him, and to stale cake. With a brand-new handprint shaped burn on his shoulder, the first and last burn Kacchan ever leaves on his skin. ‘Although his words were much crueler,' Izuku reflects later on in his life, drunkenly, to Shoto after they spend his twenty-third birthday getting wasted and watching movies on the couch, cuddled up next to each other with his head in Shoto’s lap. Shoto presses for details, but Izuku and Kacchan had a silent agreement to never talk about the words spoke on the day of the Sludge villain incident. Or anything that happened before they went to UA, really.
By his thirteenth birthday next year, Izuku has learned how to hide the wounds and bruises he gets from bullies from his mom, and how to smile through the pain.
(13)
Izuku’s birthday-party tradition, minus one, continues on for another year Only now, he only gets presents from one person - his mom. And there’s always five presents at the most, because his mom is a single woman with a child, Hisashi didn’t pay child support, and they had to be stingy with their spending. Sure, she’s a nurse, but it’s still tight. And even then, all the presents are usually in one box. Nothing like the grand gifts other kids gets.
He’s okay with it, really, he is. It hurts a little, sure, not having a party like rest of the kids his age, but at that point, Izuku’s just used to it. He’s accepted it. Accepted that he probably won’t ever have friends and won’t ever have a birthday party again. People are just meant to disappoint him.
That’s fine. As much as Izuku wants a party, as much as he wants friends to clap him on the back and give him presents, as much as he wants to walk home to a darkened room before everyone jumps out and yells surprise and flicks the light on and as much as he wants the companionship and trips to the arcade with friends everyone his age has, he’s fine with not having one. It's fine.
He's fine.
He's fine just coming home to his mother waiting with spicy katsudon and a homemade cake in the oven. He’s fine with his single colorful presents and five tiny gifts and the trip to the cat cafe downtown before they go home and watch All Might movies and TV shows together. He’s fine with it being the two of them. Except, that year, he’s called down to the front office of his school, and he’s pulled out of class by Aunt Mitsuki, and he learns some terrible news; Inko was caught in a villain attack and was now in surgery at Musutafu General Hospital.
Izuku is worried and sad - of course he is, his mom was caught in a villain attack and was in surgery - but a part of him wanted to laugh. Laugh at the irony of all this, because of course the attack and surgery had to happen on his birthday. But he doesn’t because he doesn’t want to seem like more of a freak than he already is, so Izuku keeps quiet and prays for his mom’s safety as Aunt Mitsuki drives them to the hospital.
When the nurses say hi to him and call him by his name, Aunt Mitsuki looks at him and raised a brow in a silent question. But Izuku is a master at lying when it comes to it and making people see what they want to see instead of what he actually feels. So, he spins a delicate lie about knowing the nurses because this is where his mom works and he’s met them before, and Aunt Mitsuki buys it.
(Later, the next time Izuku goes to the ER alone with jagged teeth in his arm, the nurses ask why he didn’t tell her he knows them due to him being there at least once a month to get bandaged up by them when one of the bullies or Kacchan goes just a bit too far. He shrugs and says because she won’t help, and the nurses grew silent, unable to refute that statement. They know all to well from him that no one but them would help a quirkless kid like him).
It’s a tense, long wait for the news on Inko, Uncle Masaru, and Kacchan eventually joining them. While Uncle Masaru takes a set on the other side of Izuku to console him and tell him that his mom will be okay, Kacchan sits in the seat furthest away from Izuku as possible, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling. Izuku does a wonderful job hiding how much the action stings from his godparents, and the sting about how none of them mention his birthday.
He thinks he understands. Kacchan never liked celebrating Izuku’s birthday as they grew up, and he hasn’t really spoken to Mitsuki or Masaru in a long while. Still, out of all the people Izuku is close to (which, sadly, isn’t a lot) he expected at least one of them to remember. But they’re all worried about Inko, so Izuku forgives them and focuses on his analysis as he waits for the news.
By the time they get the news, Masaru and Kacchan had left, leaving Izuku alone with Mitsuki. The doctor attending to her said she was stable, but they would need to keep her overnight for observation, and told the two they could visit tomorrow. Aunt Mitsuki, knowing it was just Izuku and Inko, offered to let him stay at their place, but Izuku refuses. He’s thirteen and in middle school now, he can be at home by himself for one night, he just needs a ride. He doesn’t say how he doesn’t want to spend the night at their house, trapped in with Kacchan, even if Aunt Mitsuki could keep him in line. Aunt Mitsuki relents eventually.
In Izuku’s nine years of birthday hell, that’s the first time he goes home on his birthday without his mom waiting for him with spicy katsudon and cake. It’s the first time he goes back to an empty and a dark house, and doesn’t open up any presents whatsoever. Instead, he liberates a box of strawberry pocky from the cupboard, puts on Pity Party by Melanie Martinez, and sits alone in his All Might themed room, tears flowing freely from his cheeks.
(16)
Izuku’s sixteenth birthday party was an uneventful affair, as usual. Only different in one key way.
This year, this time, he has friends. Friends who care about him and like him and are only teasing and aren’t mean when they make fun of him, unlike Kacchan and Tsubasa and Ike and everyone else in Aldera, who’s words used to bite and cut into him. Friendship is something he hasn’t had in a long time, and Izuku craves for it the way a dog craves for food.
That said, it doesn’t mean the year is easy. After all, they’ve been dealing with villain attacks the entire semester. Still, Izuku wouldn’t trade it for the world, if it meant he got to keep these friends. Friends that didn’t know when his birthday was.
As his birthday comes around, Izuku debated telling the others about it. But that’s only a fleeting thought, there and then gone, gone for several reasons.
Like everyone else, Izuku has to prepare for the exam coming up, and some of his classmates definitely need more help than others. It would just be rude and selfish to imply that his birthday was coming up soon and bother them with it when they all had to be focusing on exams. Also, by that point in time, Izuku had come to discover that birthdays were just overrated, and something people like him can’t have, now or ever. Not to mention the fact that he didn’t like them, not for a long time. So he didn’t.
Didn’t bother with telling his friends. Didn’t feel sorry for himself when he didn’t see any presents on his desk that morning (no, instead, his present was getting paired with Kacchan for the final exam and facing All Might, and subsequently repeating his twelfth birthday party as he got hit by Kacchan and tossed around like a rag doll by All Might).
So he keeps silent. Puts his head down and does his work. Help Yaomomo and Iida and Kacchan out in their study session with at least two-thirds of the class. Tries to explain geometry to Kaminari and Uraraka and Tokoyami. Kacchan keeps stealing glances at him throughout the day, but doesn’t say anything and Izuku doesn’t either. As Izuku’s leaving UA, he makes a small change from his normal routine. Instead of going straight home or to a convenience store like he’s done since he was eleven, he instead goes to a cat cafe with Uraraka, Iida, Asui, and Todoroki.
To the others, it’s not a big deal, just another trip for them to hang out and talk and be normal teenagers (not that Izuku knows what it’s like). But to Izuku, it almost feels like a birthday party of sorts, of a party meant to celebrate him and him alone. Not Kacchan with his pride and ego inflating which each present he gets (he gets a lot, because that’s expected of the golden child) not mom with her co-workers and friends all giving her gifts, not Ike or any other of the kids in his class with their congratulations and cupcakes and parties. Just him, and him alone.
Almost is the keyword there.
Almost because there are no colored boxes or balloons handed to him. Almost because no one is handing Izuku cake or jumping out to surprise him. Almost because they don’t know it’s his birthday, so how could they possibly celebrate?
And that’s when it really hurts. The almost. The maybe. The confession right on his tongue as his veins burn in want, want for just one party where he’s appreciated and loved and Midoriya Izuku, not Deku. It’s an almost kind of hurt, and he knows he could make it real with just four words. Could have the party he’s been missing since he was four. Could be appreciated for being him, not quirkless, useless Deku.
Izuku wants so, so badly just to tell them. To let it slip that it was his birthday today. To receive a present that wasn’t uselessness or abandonment or burns or loneliness. He could say it, and it would all go away.
But everything goes away; Izuku knows that from experience. His friends went away, his father left him, his worth gone. So who was to say that the four wouldn’t leave him, too? If not now, then in the future? Then Izuku would be back wishing for another party that wouldn’t happen with friends he wouldn’t have and gifts he wouldn’t receive.
And Izuku is good at lying, when it counts. So he plasters on a fake smile and laughs and eats his food and pretends like this is the birthday he’s always wanted but will never get. He’s good at lying to his mom when he gets home that evening and asks if his friends did anything special for his birthday, because she sounds so happy for him. Izuku didn’t have the heart to tell her they didn’t know it was his birthday, that he didn’t get any presents or congratulations or cupcakes.
Instead, he says they brought him to a cat cafe and gave him presents that are safe and secure in his bag and is thankful when she doesn’t press to see them. And if Izuku grabs four All Might themed items at the mall before Shigaraki finds him to trick his mom if he needed to, well, that’s for him and him alone to know.
“What about you, Midori?”
Izuku looked up from his notebook to see Mina leaning towards him, hands on the armrest of the chair, a determined sparkle in her eye. Izuku is confused, not knowing what she’s talking about. “Huh?”
“Your birthday!” Mina says, straightening up and throwing her hands out. “I mean, it’s January, we’ve known you for almost an entire year, and we still don’t know when your birthday is! Is it in February or something?”
Oh. That.
Izuku hums and shrugs, looking back down to his notebook as he ponders his answer. Izuku stopped caring about his birthday a long time ago, which was why he hadn’t told anyone in recent years, not even All Might. Only Kacchan and Inko knew when his birthday was. After all, people would always leave him, so he shouldn’t hope for something he’ll eventually lose. He doesn’t want to tell the class.
But he also knows that they won’t stop bugging him until he says. Either that or ask Kacchan.
So, humming, Izuku looks down at his book again and says, “July Fifteenth.”
A moment’s pause, before the class explodes.
“What?!”
“Bro, seriously?!”
“We missed your birthday party?!”
“Why didn’t you tell us, Midori-chan?” Mina asks, slamming her hands down on the coffee table. “Everyone here except a select few have had a birthday party! We could’ve thrown one for you! You shoulda’ told us, man!”
“It’s not a big deal,” Izuku says calmly as he closes his notebook, ready to retreat to his room. “To me, they’re just overrated, and I’ve never had a good experience with them. So I don’t celebrate it. Simple as that.”
He scans over his classmates, most of whom are in the common room, making sure his gaze lingers on Kacchan for the briefest moment. Rubs his left shoulder, right over the burn mark Kacchan left seven years ago. Some vengeful, vindictive part of him is overjoyed when he sees the blonde stiffen and narrow his eyes, before Izuku looks back to the class. By now, most of the burns Kacchan had given them as kids faded and went away, but this one, this one stayed, and it still burns all these years later.
The others start asking questions, but Izuku gets up and walks away, not wanting to deal with them. Celebrating with his mom still hurts, how it’s just the two of them now, but he’s okay. He’s used to it. All he does is regret them, regret how he was born in the first place, and slips into his room with tears in his eyes.
Downstairs in the common room, everyone is silent as they stare after Midoriya.
Mina is confused. How can someone not celebrate birthdays? Think they’re overrated? Not tell their classmates? She doesn’t think she can go even one year without some kind of celebration or hang out with her friends.
Maybe Bakugou knows why Izuku didn’t tell us, Mina thought, turning to face the blonde, who's stiff as a board. Whatever the hell their weird relationship was, they did grow up together. He might know.
“Hey, Bakugou!” She called, waving a hand as the blonde glared at her, obviously wanting her to back off, but Mina is unfettered, and keeps speaking. “Why didn’t Midori-chan tell us about his birthday? And what does he mean when he said he didn’t have the best experience with them? You have to know, right? You two grew up together.”
Bakugou growled as he flopped down onto the seat, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Nerd doesn’t fucking celebrate it, not like most kids,” he replied, something in his voice that Mina couldn’t decipher.
“Why not?” Uraraka asked.
The blonde shifted on the couch, almost seeming uncomfortable. “He... When we were growing up, basically all the other kids in the school fucking hated him.” Mina's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. How could anyone hate Midoriya Izuku, the living personification of sunshine? It was like… it was like hating a newborn puppy. Or a bunny. “Didn’t have any friends, and his dad’s a deadbeat. Not many of his relatives want to have contact with him or Auntie Inko. I’m pretty sure he hasn’t had a proper party since... since he was four.”
“Really?” Mina asked, gasping, as Uraraka worried her brows.
“That’s so sad,” she agreed, nodding, as Todoroki frowned.
“How could anyone hate Midoriya? He’s an angel. And he’s kind.”
Kirishima nodded in agreement. “Yeah! I’ve known him for almost a year and he’s been nothing but kind to us! It doesn’t make any sense!”
“He is a light in the gloom darkness of this year,” Tokoyami said with a nod.
“And he always helps me take care of my bunny. He’s very good with animals, and never tries to scare them on purpose,” Kouda piped up from where he sat with his own bunny.
“Why did people hate Midoriya? He’s so kind, it’s hard to imagine anyone hating him, excluding your weird relationship with him, Bakugou,” Momo asked, looking between Bakugou and Mina. Damn, even the class mom was joining in on Midoriya’s defense. That was how much people liked Midoriya.
“Listen, the nerd had a shitty-ass childhood before he came here, alright?” Bakugou snapped, irritation clear in his voice. “It’s not my place to say why, because what happened in Aldera stays in fucking Aldera, and if he wants you to know, he will. But a lot of kids in our class hated him over something... over something he couldn’t even fucking control.” His voice seemed to falter on those last words. “Nerd fucking hates his birthday now.”
“That settles it, then!” Mina declared, standing up as a Thought™ entered her mind. Apparently, it was her turn to use the Bakusquad’s brain cell (not counting the one Bakugou had when he wasn’t in a fight) today, and it was a good one.
“Huh? That settles what?” Kaminari asked, not looking up from his video game.
“Come this summer, we’re going to throw Midori-chan the best birthday UA has seen!” She announced, pumping a fist up in the air. 1-A broke out in mummers of agreement.
“Oh! That sounds wonderful, Ashido!” Uraraka said, clapping her hands together and brightening up, before accidentally floating herself. Tsuyu chuckled, and Uraraka blushed.
“Birthday party for Mido? Hell yeah, that sounds manly!” Kirishima agreed, pumping a fist in the air as well.
“He’s done a lot for us this year... It seems only fair that we give him a birthday party to make up for it,” Iida said with a nod, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I can get behind that, kero,” Tsuyu agreed.
The class agreed with that, showing their support for their green-haired friend and classmate. Grinning, Mina clapped together and stood up.
“Alright! Then this summer, we’ll throw Midoriya the best birthday party ever! Who’s with me?!”
Everyone was, and Mina grinned. Midoriya had done so much for them this past year, it was only fair they threw him a birthday party worthy of everything Midoriya had done for them.
(17)
[DancingAlienQueen has added Politoed, KEM, JapaneseFlag, ElectricType and fourteen others to the chat]
[DancingAlienQueen has changed the chat name to Mido’s Kickass B-Day Party 20XX]
KEM: What the fuck is this
DancingAlienQueen: This, my dear Kacchan, is a group text meant for us to plan the best birthday party for the resident angel, Midoriya Izuku!
KEM: Don’t fucking call me Kacchan. Only shitty Deku gets to call me that.
DancingAlienQueen: Noted. Now, everyone, Midori-chan's birthday is a month away and a half away, and we have until then to plan and pull off the best birthday party Midoriya is ever going to see in his life
TeaGoddess: What’s your plan, Mina?
DancingAlienQueen: Alright, first order of business: @KEM @ElectricType @RockTalus @StickyTape Bakusquad whoever has the braincell, it’s my turn to use it
RockTalus: Damnit, fine, here, take it
DancingAlienQueen: Thank you, my good sir
DancingAlienQueen: Next order of business @Everyone who all here has a gift for Mido already, since he told us in January? Say ‘Aye’ if you do
JapaneseFlag: I’ve been looking, but I haven’t found anything yet that would be perfect for him
TeaGoddess: Aye. I think I have found something suitable
BlueCheeta: Yes, I have
Thirteen’sIllegitimateChild: Aye! Deku’s gonna love it! It’s a really fluffy All Might blanket that I think he’s going to love!
Politoed: Aye, kero
PreciousBaby: Aye, Ashido!
GuitarGirl: Aye, since I went with Momo to the mall the other week, and we both got something for him there
PurpleCat: Aye. Me and Eri both do
DancingAlienQueen: Alright, so that’s everyone who has a gift, me included? Which is eight people in total, meaning there are still eleven people who need to get gifts, which is most of the Bakusquad and then others
DancingAlienQueen: Which leads to our first order of business; a trip to the mall for gifts!
BlueCheeta: I agree, Ashido, although we will need permission to go to the mall
RockType: Should one of us ask Aizawa-sensei for permission to go to the mall this weekend?
ElectricType: Not it
StickyTape: Not it
TeaGoddess: As vice president, I have his number. I could add him into this group chat, perhaps? That way, we could get an answer quickly
DancingAlienQueen: Do it, Yaomomo! Thank you!
TeaGoddess has added YellowCaterpillar to the chat
YellowCaterpillar: No
YellowCaterpillar has left the chat
TeaGoddess has added YellowCaterpillar to the chat
TeaGoddess: Please hear us out, Aizawa-sensei. We have a question
YellowCaterpillar: Is it about the homework assigned to you?
DancingAlienQueen: Actually, sensei, I was wondering if the Bakusquad and a few others could leave for the mall this weekend?
YellowCaterpillar: I assume it has something to do with the chat name?
KEM: Yeah. Pinky wants to throw Deku a birthday party this year
GuitarGirl: Yeah, but some people need gifts, so…
DancingAlienQueen: @RockTalus @ElectricType @JapanseseFlag @KEM @Stickytape @Glitterbomb @Tentacool @TheCakeIsALie @NotAFurry @VioletKnockoff @MidnightFright all need gifts for Mido-kun, so I was planning on them going to the mall either this weekend or the next to search for gifts, as well as anyone who needs to get gifts for Shinsou-kun since I just remembered his birthday is on the first
DancingAlienQueen: Don’t worry, Shinsou, we haven’t forgotten about you either
PurpleCat: Thanks I guess, but before you start planning a party for me, I’m fine without one, just so you know. Just the gifts and maybe cake would be okay
YellowCaterpillar: Grab the permission slips tomorrow and fill them out, hand them to me by 3:00 Friday afternoon. Do it this weekend, I’ll be out with you guys with the excuse I’m going to chaperone you hellions, and that way the problem child can help look after her instead of going to the mall
ElectricType: We love you too, Aizawa-sensei
YellowCaterpillar: Affection. Disgusting.
RockTalus: Come on, you know you love us
YellowCaterpillar: I will expel you two
StickyTape: That won’t work anymore; we’re already halfway through our second year and if you wanted to expel us you would’ve done so already, and we’ve all seen you in neon pink sweatpants. You're a total softie, just admit it.
YellowCaterpillar has gone offline
ElectricType: Man couldn’t handle the truth
NotAFurry: Can’t we just have one normal conversation for once in our time here?
PurpleCat: I’ve been asking myself that since I transferred into class
KEM: I’ve been asking myself that since USJ
Politoed: I don’t think that’s possible with this class, kero
DancingAlienQueen: Alright, let’s get back on track, everyone. This weekend, anyone who needs to get a gift for Midoriya-kun or Shinsou-kun is to head to the mall
DancingAlienQueen: Shinsou, since you already have a gift for Midori-chan, your job will to be stay here this weekend and make sure Midori-chan stays here and doesn’t find out about the gifts
PurpleCat: Got it. But what if Midoriya doesn’t have a gift for me yet?
JapaneseFlag: he does. He got it last month when we were getting ice cream together, so you don’t need to worry about him
KEM: If you have to, put on Avatar: The Last Airbender for him. That should keep him occupied for a good eight hours at least
PurpleCat: Noted
DancingAlienQueen: After everyone goes and gets any gifts needed, we’ll move onto the next stage of the plan - planning a kickass surprise party.
DancignAlienQueen: But that’ll come after we get the gifts for him
KEM: If you need a day where he’s out to do it, do July 4th. That’s Auntie Inko - his mom’s - birthday, so he’ll probably be going out that day, giving you guys time to go to the common room and talk about whatever you shitheads need to talk about for his birthday
DancingAlienQueen: Alright! In that case, if Mid-chan is going out that day, we’ll convence in the common room to talk and plan! @BlueCheeta @JapaneseFlag I’ll need your guys’ help to plan since I don’t always have the braincell, Iida is a god at planning and Todoroki is Mido-chan’s closest ‘friend’ here
JapaneseFlag: Why did you say friend like that? Is there something going I don’t know? Does Izuku not like me anymore?
Politoed: Todoroki, I don’t think it’s possible for Midoriya to hate anyone who isn’t a villain, so you’re good
Thirteen’sIllegimateChild: Also, by that, Mina means that we all know you’ve got a big, gay-ass crush on him, Todoroki
JapaneseFlag: ...And how many people know that?
KEM: Everyone except for the nerd himself since he’s a fucking oblivious shit
JapaneseFlag: Oh.
DancingAlienQueen: That’s why the birthday party would be a great time for you to confess! You give him your gift and then ask him out on a date!
Politoed: Yeah, you’re practically dating already, ribbit, except you haven’t asked each other out yet
Thirteen’sIllegimateChild: Um, I think you guys short-circuited him, because now he’s on fire and staring at his phone (And Midoriya who’s practically sitting on his lap)…
TeaGoddess: Let me take care of this, Uraraka
TeaGoddess is now offline
JapaneseFlag is now offline
DancingAlienQueen: Well, with that, let’s start Operation: Throw Mido A Kick-Ass Birthday Party Begin!
DancingAlienQueen: Mall trip for those who need gifts for Mido is this weekend, and remember to meet in the commons on July 4th at 11:00 AM for party planning discussion!
A gift for Midoriya, Shoto thought as he looked around the mall, only half-heartedly listening to the conversation between Bakugou and Kirishima. Since January, he had been searching for the perfect gift to give him for his birthday. But nothing had seemed like enough. Sure, he could just get him some hero merch, but that was a basic gift that anyone who knew anything about him could get. He wanted it to be personal, special, perfect. It was the least he could do for the boy who helped him last year in the Sport’s Festival, for his crush. For someone who hasn’t celebrated a birthday in a long time.
Birthdays, when Shoto grew up, were never anything special to him, with Endeavour saying they were just a childish thing and a waste of time. He never really had any parties like the kids his age, and hadn’t had a proper one until he came to UA. When Midoriya had taken the time and effort to plan a birthday party of his own, complete with cake, balloons, presents, and an off-campus trip the next day to an old, abandoned parking garage to burn Endeavor merch. Safely, of course, no need to get in trouble with Aizawa-sensei again for property damage or starting a large fire.
It was great.
Still, it made Shoto confused as to why Midoriya hadn’t told him of his birthday party, not until six months after his own happened. Out of everyone in the class, he would expect Midoriya to have big birthday parties because he’s so sociable and likable and friendly. The kind of person who could inspire someone just by smiling at them.
Now that Shoto thought about it though... Midoriya never really talked about his childhood. Neither did Bakugou. The class had given up trying to discern the two’s relationship, but Shoto could tell there was something more to it, something more than a simple rivalry. And he-
He noticed things.
The others probably wouldn’t, not yet. Aizawa-sensei, maybe, as a trained pro hero, but Shoto noticed all of it.
How Midoriya flinched at loud noises, the way he flinched when he was forced into ‘training’ by Endeavour.
How, whenever he was shown some form of kindness, looked at it wide-eyed and took it hesitantly, like it was a luxury or something he couldn’t have, the same way Shoto would at first when he came here.
How, when doing fake rescue scenes or first-aid, Midoriya’s hands disinfected ‘wounds’, wrapped bandages and could discern almost always what type of injury it was and how bad it was, like he had experience with it before. Most notably with burn scars.
How he helped Shoto with his own burns when he came home from ‘training’ on the weekends with the skill of someone who’s done it several times before. Likes he bandaged wounds like that before.
He thinks about Bakugou and Midoriya’s relationship and the burns that come with the former’s quirk, and can guess.
But he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know everything. He doesn’t know why Midoriya knows how to look for and bandage wounds like a pro, why he never talks about his childhood days or even his quirk, why he seems so indifferent to his own birthday (not that Shoto has room to speak). Even then, it’s probably for very different reasons.
Shoto wants to know. It doesn’t seem like abuse, because Midoriya has never shown up to school with mysterious bruises and stuff like that, and he’s met Midoriya-san who is an absolute angel (although he tries to not rely on that, knowing how no one knows about the fact Endeavour, the Number One hero, beat Touya and Shoto until the former ran away, because it was better than dealing with him).
But he doesn’t want to push, because neither Bakugou nor Midoriya seem inclined to talk to it, and Midoriya always got eerily quiet when they did. And Shoto trusted Midoriya to tell him when he was ready, so he’s not going to say anything. Just focus on finding the best gift for his crush.
He really didn’t want to do this, but...
“Hey, Bakugou?” Shoto asked, interrupting the blonde’s argument with Kirishima over who the best hero - excluding their favorites - was.
“Hah? What do you want, Icyhot?!” Bakugou snarled at him, looking over his shoulder and glaring.
“Can you help me find a gift for Midoriya? You’ve been friends for a long time, and you probably know him better than anyone here, and know what he likes other than just hero merchandise,” Shoto asked. “I want it to be something special, and not something just anyone can get him.”
Bakugou rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “God, you really are whipped,” he muttered. Shoto frowned.
“Whipped? I’m not familiar with that expression.” For some strange reason, Bakugou started cackling as Aizawa-sensei groaned and Kirishima shook his head, grinning. “What? What’s so funny?”
“Don’t worry about Icyhot,” Bakugou said, before rolling his eyes, and there was an emotion he couldn’t distinguish in them. “Fine. I’ll help you find the best goddamn gift for that shitty nerd.”
“So where are we going exactly?” Midoriya asked as they boarded the train that would take them to Hosu.
“It’s this new arcade there,” Ochako replied, taking a seat next to Tsuyu. “Uhh, what was it called again?”
“The Vision Arcade,” Shinsou piped up from where he sat in front of them, turning around in his seat to look at Ochako, Tsuyu, Midoriya, and Todoroki. “I went there the other week with Eri-chan and dad and pops for my own birthday, and it’s really good. I think you’ll like it.”
“Ah, I’ve been meaning to take my siblings there, kero,” Tsuyu commented, putting a finger up to her chin. “I’ve heard the reviews were really good.”
“I hope it is,” Midoriya commented as the train started forward. “It would be a waste if we came out all the way here and the games were less than stellar, even if we are allowed to go places without a teacher with us now.”
“And who’s fault is that?” Shinsou asked, raising a brow. Midoriya sputtered, his face going red.
“Hey! It’s not my fault I’m some sort of villain magnet!” The greenette replied, and Ochako giggled in response, even if she knew the truth. Really, the only reason that Aizawa-sensei wasn’t coming with them was because he was looking after the rest of class 2-A at the dorms and making sure they didn’t burn them down as they prepared a small birthday party for Midoriya.
It took a while of planning to figure out what to do. At first, they were just going to have it on his birthday, but that would make it seem really suspicious, or so Bakugou told them. Instead, the pomeranian had suggested that they wait a few days before throwing the party, to make it seem like a normal day.
Ochako, quite frankly, didn’t understand that. Didn’t understand a lot about this, really. After all, birthdays were meant to be something fun, something special - even she had them as a kid, despite her own financial situation. So she didn’t know why Midoriya seemed to treat his own birthday as if it was just another day, and not a celebration. Didn’t understand why Midoriya hadn’t told them when his birthday was until six months after it happened, far too late to do anything about it. Even Todoroki, who apparently hadn’t had a proper birthday as a kid either, got one, planned, and thrown by 2-A’s sunshine child #1 (Kirishima being the other) himself.
Another thing she didn’t get was Bakugou’s words. Over the past few months, they had sorta faded into the background between the PLF war and final exams and entering their second year of UA, but since Mina had first created the group chat, they had started echoing in Ochako’s mind once more.
“When we were growing up, basically all the other kids in the school fucking hated him.” That was what Bakugou had said about Midoriya in middle school, and she just- she just didn’t understand. Midoriya was known as one of the two sunshine children of 2-A. A kind and happy soul who could inspire anyone to do anything and was at the same time frankly terrifying to villains, especially after the Overhaul incident last year.
Hating Midoriya was like ‘hating an angel,’ as Todoroki so eloquently put it. And even though Ochako wasn’t head over heels in love with him (sure, she had a crush on him at the beginning of the year, but that had faded over time and they were good friends now) like Todoroki was, she could attest to that statement. Only Bakugou really hated him, but he hated everyone except Kirishima.
But that was why they were taking Midoriya out right now. While the Dekusquad was out in Hosu at the arcade, Mina, Aizawa-sensei, and the rest of 2-A were down at the dorms, preparing for a surprise party for the greenette. And, to make sure the rest of Ochako’s classmates didn’t blow up the dorms, Aizawa-sensei was there, hence their lack of an escort. Even if the League of Villains had been defeated, there were still villains out there, and Midoriya was a veritable villain-magnet, as the class had started to call him.
A short train ride and ten-minute walk later, the six of them were standing outside the Vision Arcade, discussing over who was going to pay, because Ochako was broke, Midoriya certainly wasn’t paying and everyone else wanted to pay.
“Let’s just use Endeavor’s credit card,” Todoroki said, pulling out his wallet and taking out a credit card from it. “It’s easier, and it gives me a chance to piss him off.”
“Damn rich kids,” Ochako muttered, crossing her arms over her chest as Midoriya waved his hands around frantically.
“Guys, I can take care of it, it’s fine- you don’t need to pay for me, Todoroki-kun!” Midoriya insisted.
“It’s alright, Midoriya, I got it,” Todoroki said, before turning around and walking into the arcade. Hitoshi hummed.
“Guess that ends that,” he said, before following. The rest of them did as well, Iida lecturing them about following the rules and behaving as they walked and Todoroki talked to the vendor.
“Gold pass?!” Midoriya squeaked once they saw that Todoroki had all gotten them the highest - and most expensive - passes, at 600 yen each with 160 credits to use for their enjoyment. “Todoroki-kun, you really didn’t have to do that!”
“As I said, Midoriya, it’s okay. I don’t mind spending the money on you,” the dual-haired boy replied in a monochromatic voice. Ochako didn’t miss how he used the singular you instead of you guys, and Midoriya must’ve too because his face went red and he started to look like a strawberry.
“Damn rich kids,” Ochako mumbled again as Shinsou, Tsuyu and Iida thanked Todoroki for paying for them.
“Make sure to have a buddy, everyone!” Iida announced as they headed into the arcade part, before choosing Shinsou as his own partner. Ochako didn’t miss how a faint blush cross the lavender-haired boy’s face, and she giggled as she chose Tsuyu and Todoroki chose Midoriya. A bunch of useless gays, they all were.
“Hey, Uraraka, Tsuyu, do you guys want to do four-person air hockey?” Midoriya asked, pointing to an air-hockey table. “We could do teams, then; you and Tsuyu against me and Todoroki-kun.”
“Sure! That sounds fun,” Ochako said, clasping her hands together, before grabbing Tsuyu’s own, because unlike the other two groups, she got her shit together and asked Tsuyu out after the PLF war. Meaning that she had no qualms about doing PDA around her friends.
“Come on, get in there-fuck!”
“Can one of us reach it without me using my tongue and getting it all wet, kero?”
“What?! What do you mean you didn’t get in there! Come onnn!”
“Nice shot, Midoriya-kun.”
“It’s too fast!”
Five minutes of heated gameplay later, Ochako and Tsuyu had come out victorious, a total of 14 points on their side and 10 on Midoriya and Todoroki's own, because her girlfriend was somehow a god at playing air hockey. After that, they went their separate ways to do their own games. Ochako and Hitoshi had a basketball-shooting competition, Midoriya and Tsuyu had a skeeball competition, and Todoroki had surprisingly won in one of the racecar games.
“What else do you guys want to do?” Midoriya asked when they had taken a small snack break, also paid for with Endeavor’s credit card.
“I think they have a laser-tag game here, kero,” Tsuyu said, pointing to the side. Ochako followed it, and - yup, there was a laser tag game off to the side of the arcade.
“Oh, that sounds like fun!” Ochako said, clapping her hands together. “Would you guys want to do it?”
“Sure. I’d love to kick your asses,” Hitoshi drawled with a grin.
“Hitoshi! Be mindful of your language, there are kids here!” Iida scolded, waving his hands around, but he looked more amused than embarrassed.
“Um, alright, but be warned; I’m not very good,” Midoriya replied, rubbing the back of her head. Todoroki raised a brow.
“Really? You’ve been good at all the other games,” the boy replied, and Ochako nodded. Last they checked, Midoriya had wrapped up the highest amount of tickets, especially from games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, skeeball, and DDR. It was scary, how good he was at the latter.
“Yeah, but those are all, like, single-player stuff, and I’ve been going to arcades and doing that sort of stuff since I was little,” Midoriya explained, wringing his hands together. “I never really had anyone to do the multiplayer games or games like laser tag with, so I doubt I’m as good with them as I am with, say, DDR.”
“If that’s the case, I can team up with you; I’ve done laser tag a lot with my little siblings, so I’m pretty good, kero,” Tsuyu said. Ochako gasped in mock-surprise, placing her hand over her heart.
“Tsuyu! You’re leaving me?” Ochako asked, before dramatically draping herself over the table. “The betrayal! The heartbreak! My girlfriend, joining forces with the enemy!”
“It’s okay, Uraraka-san, for me and Hitoshi can team up with you!” Iida said, patting Ochako on the shoulder, and she sat up.
“Friendship with Tsuyu canceled, Iida is my new best friend.”
“Hey!” Hitoshi said, and Ochako glanced at him, waggling her eyebrows at him. They both knew he liked the blue-haired man, and Hitoshi blushed, before glancing away.
“So, does that mean it’s me, Midoriya-kun and Tsuyu against you three?” Todoroki asked, glancing amongst the others. Midoriya shrugged.
“I think so,” He said, before glancing at Ochako and Tsuyu. “If that’s okay with you guys.”
“It’s fine with me; I’ll get my revenge by winning,” Ochako replied, glancing at Tsuyu and narrowing her eyes, playfully bumping her in the shoulder. “It’s on.”
In the end, she did not win; for all that Midoriya was bad at laser tag, Tsuyu made up for it, even cornering Ochako, surprising her by kissing her, and when she was stunned, shooting her in the chest. But later on, she made up for it, using part of her tickets to get her a tiny cat plush that reminded Tsuyu of her.
She had an amazing girlfriend. Now if only Todoroki and Midoriya could confess to each other.
“You okay there, Deku-kun?”
Honestly, Izuku didn’t know. Despite having the most amount of tickets in the group, Todoroki had still used his own tickets to get him a plush of a rabbit, and his brain had short-circuited at the kind gesture because his crush had gotten him a gift! His face had been red from the arcade all the way back to the dorms, and buried in said plush.
“I’m fine,” he managed to squeak out in response to Uraraka’s question, wincing at his own voice.
“You’re really red. Are you getting sick?”
Ah, leave it to Todoroki to not understand why, exactly, Izuku was so red. He was somewhat glad his crush was so emotionally oblivious, because it made hiding his own feelings much easier. At least from him, because once Uraraka and Hitoshi had found out about his crush on the heterochromatic boy, they hadn’t stopped teasing him since.
Realistically, Izuku knew he should tell him, before Todoroki was snatched up by someone else. But that was the entire problem; compared to him, Izuku wasn’t much.
Other people in 2-A were stronger, smarter, and more capable than him, a better fit for the youngest son of Endeavor. Izuku, meanwhile, was shy, awkward, weak, useless, and rather plain. Nothing special. Nothing that would catch the attention of someone as popular as him.
Really, having a crush on him was just setting him up for failure and heartbreak later on. He had learned a long time ago to smother any romantic feelings he had for someone, because it was likely they wouldn’t return them, not to someone like him. If was as strong as Kacchan, though, or smart like Momo, he might’ve had a shot, but he wasn’t, not even with One for All. He was just Deku, the unlovable punching bag. It was better for everyone in the long run if he just locked those feelings up in a tiny box and set it aside, never opening it.
“He’s fine, Todoroki,” Shinsou said, coming to his defense, and Izuku silently thanked him for that, even if the insomniac was going to give him hell for it later. “Just a little embarrassed.”
“Why’s that?”
“It’s nothing!” Izuku said far too quickly as he looked up and at the rest of the group, waving his hands and being careful to not drop his plush or the items he got from the arcade. It was a good haul this time, despite not going to the arcade as regularly as he used to in middle school. Ironic, considering the fact that he now had friends he could actually go with this time, instead of just playing nice with the few other kids his age there and hoping he didn’t see his bullies.
Todoroki looked like he was going to say something, but then he nodded and, thankfully, left it alone, which was just fine with Izuku. He had no desire to get into his crush on the heterochromatic boy and the inevitable rejection and heartbreak right now, even if the others will tease him for it later.
The six of them arrived at UA scant minutes later, swiping their ID cards and heading through the gates, following the cobblestone path that led to the dorms, the others still chatting about fights between different heroes and who would win. Which was mostly just the others naming two different heroes and then handing it off to Izuku for discussion, desiccation, and decision.
“Okay, but if Aizawa-sensei used his quirk on Hawks, it’s likely that he wouldn’t be able to shoot his feathers,” Izuku muttered. “And his capture weapon would be good for tying him up, of course, although if Hawks were to pull him into the air, the number two hero might have the advantage if sensei can’t get the capture weapon around his wings. Also, Hawks is known to keep at least one feathered blade as a veritable sword, which could be handy in severing sensei’s capture weapon, and we don’t know if Aizawa-sensei’s quirk could make it so Hawks can’t shoot his feathers or if it’s able to cancel out his flight entirely. Given that the wings are part of his body, it’s essentially heteromorphic in that sense, meaning that there’s a chance he might not be able to cancel it out. So I think it would depend if Hawks could fly or not; if he couldn’t, I’d say it’s about even, ultimately coming to a matter of skill and battle prowess, but in the air, Hawks might have a slight edge.”
Uraraka hummed, nodding as she crossed her arms over her chest while Shinsou rose a brow and Todoroki nodded sagely. Then, after a minute, Uraraka’s eyes snapped open, and she snapped her fingers and pointed at Izuku with wide eyes.
“Oh! Aizawa vs Aizawa!” She declared, vibrating with excitement as she clapped her hands together, and Shinsou’s eyes widened, before he smirked and raised a brow.
“Evil twin or clone?”
“Does the difference matter?” Tsuyu asked, putting a finger on her chin. Izuku frowned as he thought about it, head filling up with information and theories.
“Well, I think so. A clone is likely to have the same amount of skill as Aizawa-sensei, but a twin might not unless they trained together and have the same quirk,” He replied after a few seconds, before frowning. “And if that were the case… what would happen if they just erased each other’s quirks? Can Asensei even erase his own quirk?” Oh, he wished he had the notebook with Aizawa-sensei’s entry in it, but that was book 14, and he’s currently partway through book 15.
“Oh, I’ve asked him before,” Shinsou said, and Izuku looked up from the ground at the purplette. “He said he once did it to himself in a mirror to see what would happen, and long story short is that he gets hella bad migraines that leave him immobile for, like, three hours at least.”
“Ouch,” Uraraka muttered as Izuku winced. “That’s gotta hurt. I’ve gotten migraines from overusing my quirk before, and let me say that they aren’t fun. About as bad as periods.”
“Alright, what about Aizawa-sensei and Ryuukyuu?” Todoroki proposed, slurping on his coffee.
“Are we just going to do our teacher against everyone?” Iida asked, frowning. Shinsou shrugged.
As Izuku launched himself into a long-winded spiel about who would win in a fight, he didn’t notice the others starting to lag behind until he was at the front. In fact, he didn’t notice that they had gotten to the dorms until he nearly ran into the doors, with Todoroki grabbed his arm and gently pulled him back enough to make him snap out of his thoughts.
“You really need to pay attention to your surroundings when you’re muttering, kero,” Tsuyu commented once he snapped himself out of his muttering trance. “You almost ran into the door.”
“Yeah, sorry,” Izuku replied, rubbing the back of his head as he glanced at Shoto, cheeks heating up. “Thanks, Todoroki-kun.”
A short nod from the heterochromatic boy, and Izuku turned and opened up the door, stepping inside the dorms.
The first thing he noticed was that it was completely pitch-black, and Izuku stiffened. Why would the dorms be dark? Was it a villain attack that took out the power? No, they probably would’ve-
“Surprise!”
Any thoughts he did have were cut off when light suddenly flooded the room and the sound of curtains was being drawn, and different members of class 2-A popped out from behind the couches, kitchen, and dining room tables.
“What… what’s this?” Izuku asked, dumbfounded, once he managed to snap himself out from his shock. Glanced around the room. Hanging across the common room was a banner that read, Happy 17th birthday, Midoriya!, and there were several balloons and streamers and confetti scattered about the room. Colorful gift boxes were set on one of the tables.
It took another moment to click, and when it did, Izuku could already feel tears welling up in the corner of his eyes.
“Happy belated birthday, Midori-kun!” Ashido announced, stepping forward from the group of 2-A members. A gift-wrapped box was in her hands, the neon pink-and-green patterning assaulting his eyes, and thrust towards him when she approached.
“You… you guys threw me a birthday party?” Izuku asked them, voice sounding small and weak to his own ears. The tears threatened to spill over as he looked down at the box, before looking up at Ashido, then around the common room. Uraraka and the others had moved to join with the rest of the class, and he noticed that even All Might, Aizawa-sensei, and Eri-chan were there, as well as spotting Kacchan in the corner of the room, arms crossed over his chest.
“Yeah!” Uraraka said, smiling, and it looked so genuine Izuku thought his heart might burst. “You’ve done so much for us this past year, and we were all shocked when you said you haven’t had one in a long time. So, we thought it best to rectify that! You can thank Mina for the idea.”
It didn’t feel real. Was he dreaming? He had to be dreaming, because only in his dreams and fantasies would someone throw him a birthday party. “This… this is all for me?”
“Uh-huh! Who else would it be for, Midori-chan?”’ Mina asked.
“Mirio,” Izuku said before he could think better of it, and then tried to play it off as a joke, laughing weakly and wetly, knowing that Miriro had managed to get his quirk back and was now no longer at UA, having graduated with the rest of the big three. A worried look appeared on both girl’s faces, before he saw Todoroki shaking his head.
“No. This is for you, Izuku.”
Maybe it was the use of his first name. Maybe it was the fact it was coming from Todoroki, of all people. Maybe it was because he saw the colored balloons, the banner, the mountain of presents on the table, the cake box he saw on the kitchen counter and the streamers and the confetti all over the floor and the party hats on everyone, including Aizawa-sensei (made more believable by the fact Eri was holding his hand and smiling the same way she was at the Cultural Festival).
Maybe it was the fact that Izuku realized this was an actual birthday party, a proper birthday party, with gifts and cake and colors and friends, that caused the dam to break. And it was the silent crying he did in his bedroom in the middle of the night during middle school and beaten and bullied and broken. Nor was it the shamefully shameless sobs he did in class constantly whenever something went his way and done around his friends and classmates.
No, this was full-on use-an-entire-box-of-tissues, genuine, shameless, ugly sobbing, a kind of sobbing he hadn’t done since the final year of middle school. Since Kacchan told him to kill himself. Since All Might offered Izuku his quirk.
“Ah! Deku-kun, are you okay?!” Uraraka asked, voice sounding concerned, and it just made his vision blurrier, his heart more full. Because someone was concerned for him and his feelings, and not just brushing him off. Because 2-A took the time to plan this just for him. Because he finally, finally, got the birthday he’s been craving like a drug since he was four.
“I’m- I’m fine, Ur-raraka,” Izuku hiccuped in between his sobbing, looking up at the brunette and smiling. “These… these are-” A pause, and sniffling. Why was it so hard to get the words out? “H-happy tears.”
Then, he turned to Ashido and tackled her in a hug, not caring that he was probably going to get snot and salty tears all over her shirt. The gift box was pressed uncomfortably against his chest, squished between the two, but Izuku couldn’t bring himself to care, especially not when Ashido returned the hug. His heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest, it was so full, and a part of him wondered if he could get high off of happiness and bliss and euphoria. This was a feeling he wanted to fell for the rest of his life.
“Thank… thank you, A-Ashido, for… for plan… planning this for… for me,” he said, before stepping back and addressing the rest of his classmates. “A-All of… all of you guys.” Looked back at Mina, seeing a wet spot on her shirt. “S-sorry about your… your shirt.”
“You’re welcome, Midori-chan, and don’t worry about it!” Ashido replied, before thrusting the gift box in Izuku’s chest again. “Here, open up your presents.”
“Hey, don’t we open up presents after cake?” Kirishima asked, rubbing his head and nearly knocking off his own party hat.
“Just one, please?” Ashido asked, turning back to face the redhead.
“I’m not protesting, just saying.”
Izuku shrugged. He hadn’t had a proper birthday in a long time to know, and he instead focused on trying to wipe away his tears, more so that he could see rather than he didn’t want anyone to see it.
This was his first proper birthday party since he was four, sue him for getting very emotional.
“Thank you, Ashido,” Izuku said, taking the gift from her with trembling hands. “I’ll make sure th-this is the first one I-I open after… after cake.”
“Well, come on, let’s get this party started, then!” Kaminari declared, fist-pumping in the air. “Sato made the cake, and trust me, you’re gonna love it!”
Izuku let out a tiny laugh at his enthusiasm, and once Kaminari spoke, the rest of the class moved into action, Sero walking over and placing a party hat on his head, and the party started.
After that, it was a whirlwind of events. There was a pinata for him to hit, pin the tail on the donkey, and so many more events that he couldn’t name them all. Once three hit, everyone gathered around the table for cake, a chocolate one with a very skillfully design of All Might on it that looked like it was made by a professional. (Honestly, if heroics didn’t work out for Satou, he definitely had the skill to become a professional baker). It tasted like bliss.
Once the cake was split up and everyone got a piece, presents were next. Most of it, as he expected, was hero merch or notebooks, with some of the different ones being a soft blanket from Uraraka, warm slippers and gloves from Iida, and a tea set from Yaomomo (when did she even learn he liked tea?)
“Happy birthday, Deku-kun!” Eri said, walking up to Izuku and handing him a silver-wrapped box with a green bow on top. Aizawa-sensei trailed behind her.
“Consider it a gift from both of us, Problem Child,” Aizawa-sensei said gruffly, but Izuku could hear the hidden fondness in his voice. It was still strange, to think of a teacher actually caring for him like that. UA really was different.
“Thank you guys,” Izuku said, taking the box from Eri’s hands with now steady hands. Carefully, so as to not damage the wrapping paper, he took it off, before looking at Eri with a grin as he placed the bow on his nose, opening his eyes wide and sticking his tongue out at her. The white-haired girl giggled, and he heard the telltale snapping of a phone to forever immortalize the second-best day of his life. Hopefully, whoever got the photo also got the badly-hidden smile their teacher had watching the scene.
“Hurry up, open the present, Deku-kun!”
“Okay, okay, I’m going,” Izuku said, leaving the bow on his nose as he looked down and finished taking off the rest of the paper, before taking the knife and opening up the box. Pulled out what was inside, which appeared to be a long, grey scarf that was ridiculously soft. It took him a moment to realize what it was, and his gaze snapped up to Aizawa-sensei. “Is this modeled after your capture scarf?”
A fond sigh escaped his lips as he buried his head in his scarf. “Her idea, not mine, Problem Child. Happy birthday,” he muttered. Another camera flash.
“Well? Do you like it, Deku-kun?” Eri asked, tilting her head and looking at him with wide ruby eyes that sparkled in the light, a lot different and calmer and happier from Kacchan’s own.
“I love it. It’s really warm, too,” he said, setting it down on his lap before pulling Eri into a hug. She giggled and returned it, and Izuku wondered if it was possible to die from cuteness. “Thank you, Eri-chan.”
“You’re welcome, Deku-kun!”
After Eri and Aizawa-sensei’s gifts there were a few more left, including All Might’s own. This gift was wrapped in green and blue wrapping, and when Izuku opened it, it contained a small Deku plushie. Izuku felt his eyes widened - when had people started making merch of them?
“Holy crap… where did you get this?” Izuku asked with wide eyes as he looked up at the hero, and he rubbed the back of his head, smiling. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed some of his classmates taking pictures, probably to use as either blackmail or to help Todoroki prove that All Might was his dad, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. At that point in his life, he may as well have been, being more of a father to Izuku then Hisashi ever was.
“I have a friend who works with a toy company and making plushies such as that, and called in a favor,” The hero replied warmly, fondly.
And there came the waterworks. “Thank you, All Might.”
“It was no problem, my boy,” All Might told him, before reaching out and ruffling Izuku’s hair, not missing Uraraka and Kirishima’s awwing at the spectacle. Embarrassment? What was that? He only knew love and acceptance and friendship.
What Izuku also noticed was that neither Kacchan nor Todoroki had a gift for him on the pile. Kacchan, he expected, he hadn’t gotten one from him since he was twelve, but Todoroki was… unexpected. But he had seemed a little awkward since the party started, and there was still time left, so Izuku would let bygones be bygones right now, too happy and caught up in the moment to really worry about it. Instead, he focused on attempting to kick everyone’s asses in Mario Kart, which did not go over well.
“Oi, Deku!” Kacchan’s yelling brought him out of his zone, and Jirou paused the game as he looked over his shoulder. He was standing in the hallway, positioned as if he was trying to hide from the rest of the class. “Get your ass over here, nerd!”
“Bakugou, there’s a kid here. Language.”
Izuku felt that familiar panic well up in his throat again, and the scar on his arm started to burn. But today had been such a good day, he actually felt like he could stand up to him and get away with it (for now).
“What do you want? I’m busy having fun,” Izuku called out, doing his best to keep his words from seeming like a challenge. Kacchan’s eyes narrowed, and Izuku shivered.
“I wanna talk to you, da-ang it. Get over here.”
Gulping, Izuku set his controller down, before getting off the couch and walking over to where Kacchan was at, gripping his Deku plushie like it might save him from certain death, before changing his mind and turning back to set it on one of the tables. No need for it to get burnt when Kacchan inevitably explodes.
Kacchan led him down the hall, and Izuku’s euphoria started to drop with each step further from the common room they took, feeling like he was back in middle school again and Kacchan was dragging him away from his classmates to test his quirk on him. Prickles of dread creeped up his spine, and it was suddenly getting hard to breathe. As soon as Kacchan deemed them far enough away, he whirled on Izuku, making him flinch instinctively and take a step back. But there was no fist coming his way, no explosions or yelling, no pain. Just an annoyed growl.
“Listen the fuck up, nerd, because I’m only going to say this shit once,” Bakugou growled at him, and Izuku gulped as his body automatically shifted in a defense position, his eyes dating around the hallway. But then something was shoved into his chest, and Izuku looked down to see a small gift back in Kacchan’s hands. “Happy birthday.”
Izuku looked up.
“What?”
He hadn’t heard a proper happy birthday since… he was four, probably. At least, one without some sort of curse or reluctance to it.
Crimson red eyes narrowed, and Izuku tensed, but Kacchan never moved.
“Did you not fucking hear me? I said happy fucking birthday. God, you never listen,” Kacchan said, crossing his arms over his chest as Izuku wrapped his hands around the gift bag, rolling his eyes. Quickly, Izuku shook his head.
“No, I-I heard you the first time, Kacchan, but… I’m confused, honestly,” Izuku said, his mouth running before he could stop it. “It’s, uh, just that you haven’t said happy birthday like that to me since… since we were four, and I was, well, you know. Not to mention that you haven’t given me a gift since my… since my twelfth birthday party. Well, more like eleventh, because what you gave me at my twelve party wasn’t so much as a gift rather than-”
“Will you shut up for one second and let me speak, Deku?” Kacchan snapped, and Izuku yelped, his jaw shutting close so fast his teeth clicked. Kacchan, meanwhile, let out an annoyed breath, before uncrossing his arms and shoving them in his pockets as he looked to the side.
“I’m not going to be around the bush. I’ve been a fucking piece of shit to you for thirteen years, more so since your twelfth birthday. And before you protest on that, we both know it. We both know what I said in our last year of middle school.” Izuku’s mouth snapped shut, the dread washing over him like a bucket of ice water being dumped on him. They hadn’t talked about it since it happened, even after the PLF war.
“Kacchan, I know you didn’t-”
“That doesn’t change the fact I still fucking said it!” Kacchan snapped at him, tiny explosions crackling on his palms. Nervously, Izuku took another step back and looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening in, despite them not saying the words Kacchan had spoken to him that day. An annoyed breath escaped the blonde’s lips.
“I can’t take that back, no matter how much I want to and no matter… no matter how much I never meant it.” His voice, once angry and loud, was now quiet, almost soft. “I’ve… I’ve been talking with a shrink since the war, and I just… I just want to say I’m sorry. For... that. I’d say I don’t expect you to forgive me for that shit, but it’s you, and the only people you’d never forgive are villains. Even after all the shitty shit I’ve done to you over the years, you still fucking… you still…” Another annoyed sigh as Kacchan ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck, I can’t speak because feelings are fucking shitty and crap, but you know what shit I’m getting at, right?”
Izuku nodded, hesitantly. He thinks he did, yeah. Still, hearing the sorry from him, the sorry for what he said in Aldera… It won’t ever erase the words or the thoughts that came in a blue moon after that, but it was still… nice.
“I… I accept your apology.”
“Don’t get all fucking sentimental on me now, nerd,” Kacchan growled, before pointing at the gift bag. “Now open up your fucking present so I can kick your ass on Mario Kart. And don’t think for a moment that I’m not going to try and stop beating your ass in everything else, too.”
A weak chuckle as Izuku took the paper out of the bag, before reaching in and pulling out an All Might figurine. It took him a moment to realize that it was a limited-edition figurine with design from one of All Might’s original costume sold ages ago, one of the few pieces of merch he hadn’t been able to get his hands on. Now they were too expensive for him to get now.
“Kacchan… how’d you get this?” Izuku asked carefully, dropping the bag and looking over the figurine. Kacchan dug his shoe into the wooden floor.
“I… that was going to be my gift for you when you turned twelve, but… I never gave it to you, as you know. We both know what I gave you instead.” His crimson gave drifted to his arm, but for once, it didn’t burn. “It’s been sitting on my desk ever since.”
Tears started welling up in Izuku’s eyes, and before he fully realized what he was doing, he stepped forward and pulled Kaccahn into a hug. He felt the blonde siffen, and although he didn’t exactly return it, he didn’t push Izuku away either, letting him step away after a moment scotch-free. A big improvement on Kacchan’s part. If he had done this last year, Izuku would’ve gotten off with at least one burn.
“Thank you, Kacchan,” Izuku said, the tears already spilling out again as he hugged the figurine to his chest. “This means so much to me.”
“Yeah yeah, nerd. But I think someone else wants to speak to you now.” He pointed behind him, and Izuku whirled to see Todoroki awkwardly standing there, hands behind his back and looking slightly pink.
“O-Oh! Todoroki-kun, I didn’t see you there, sorry!” Izuku squeaked, wondering if he should stick to last names or if he could call Todoroki by his first name, given the use of his own first name in the common room.
“It’s alright. You two were having a moment, it seemed like, and I didn’t want to intrude,” Todoroki replied calmly.
“Yeah, well, moment’s over,” Kacchan said, stalking past him, only pausing to clap Todoroki rather roughly on the back and whisper something in his ear. Izuku didn’t know what it was that Kacchan said exactly, but Todoroki flushed bright red - wow that’s cute on him - and Kacchan snorted out a laugh that sounded more like an evil cackle.
“Did you need something, Todoroki-kun?” Izuku asked once Kacchan left, tilting his head.
“Um, the first thing is… you can call me Shoto, if you want too… I mean, I called you Izuku back there, and… I want to move onto a first name basis, if you’re okay with that,” Todoroki - no, Shoto? - replied. Izuku blinked, before his heart did a little victory dance in his chest.
“Oh, okay! Then you can keep calling me Izuku, then!” Izuku replied, feeling his own cheeks heat at the thought of Shoto calling him by his first name. “Uh, was there something you wanted.”
“I just… I wanted to give you this, and there’s… there’s something else I want to say,” Shoto said, before taking his hands out from behind his back and handing him a small, gift-wrapped present. “It’s… not much, but I hope you like it.”
So that’s where his present was at, Izuku thought, reaching out and grabbing the box from him. It was white and green, a very pretty color scheme. Pocketing the All Might figurine, Izuku started to unwrap the present, tossing it with the bag Kacchan gave him and reminding himself to pick it up later.
It wasn’t a particularly big box, nor was it heavy, and for a moment, Izuku thought it was some sort of video game or piece of hero merch. Instead, when he opened it up, he found himself looking at a picture of himself and Shoto from that past winter. In a white puffy photo frame, it showed them bundled up in big coats and hats and scarfs, a hot cocoa and coffee respectively in their hands as they looked at the camera. Izuku was grinning at the camera, and Shoto was looking at him with a small smile on his face and a look in his eyes that could only be described as fond. Behind them, there was an ice-skating rink and trees covered in frost and ice. In the background, he could see Shinsou attempting to help Iida stand up on the rink.
Izuku remembered that day. He and the Dekusquad had gone to the new ice rink that had opened up in town, and gotten a coffee and hot cocoa from a small cafe nearby. About halfway through the session, they had decided to take a picture of the scene, and Uraraka had gratefully taken it for them.
“Do you like it?” Shoto asked, and the smooth tenor of his voice was enough to snap Izuku out of his thoughts enough to realize he had been staring for a few minutes without saying anything. His head snapped up to look at him, before he nodded.
“I do, Shoto-kun! It’s wonderful. I didn’t even know you had that picture,” Izuku said to him, smiling. A soft smile graced Shoto’s beautiful face.
“Yeah; it has you in it,” Shoto said, and Izuku felt his face heating a little bit. Shoto kept the picture… because of him. That was not doing good things to his heart.
“Thank you, Shoto; this means a lot to me,” Izuku said, holding the frame close to his chest just like he did mere minutes ago to the All Might figurine. When he looked up, he noticed an almost bashful expression on Shoto’s face.
“That, uh, actually… brings me to what I want to say next…” Shoto said, rubbing the back of his head, before taking a deep breath. “I… I like you a lot, Izuku, and I was wondering if… if you want to go on a date with me.”
For a moment, the words didn’t recognize with Izuku. Then, then they did, and he felt his face turn as red as a tomato while his heart pounded in his chest.
Did I hear that right? He asked himself. Shoto… wants to go on a date? With me?
“I… I’d love to, Shoto!” Izuku blurted out, heart soaring. Shoto blinked as if taken aback.
“Really?” He asked, and Izuku nodded. Shoto’s face turned redder, if that was possible. “Then - and you don’ t have to do it if you don’t want to - but can I kiss you?”
Izuku.exe has stopped working.
“R-really?” Izuku managed to squeak out after a second, and he was slightly surprised that Shoto’s left side hadn’t yet burst into flames. A crease formed between Shoto’s brows.
“We don't have to if you don’t want to, I know that sort of stuff usually comes later in a relationship-” Has Shoto ever talked that fast before. Izuku shook his hands, careful to not drop the picture frame.
“N-no, it’s fine, I-I-I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s- that’s all!” Izuku stammered, tripping over his words, before ducking his head in embarrassment. “I.. I’d like that, Shoto-kun.”
“Okay.” A pause. “Do you know what to do?”
“You’ve... Never kissed anyone before?” Izuku asked, looking up. Shoto shook his head and- oop, there was a small bit of flame on Shoto’s hair. “Ah, Shoto, your hair! It’s on fire!”
Before he could really think about his actions, Izuku leaned forward to pat it off because it wasn’t a large flame like at the Sports Festival so it couldn’t hurt too bad, right? But in doing so, he suddenly found himself a lot closer to Shoto, face just inches from his. Izuku felt his gaze travel down towards Shoto’s lips, then back up to meet the dual-haired boy’s steady, heterochromatic gaze.
“Um… Can I?” Shoto asked, voice soft.
There was only a brief moment of hesitation on Izuku’s part before he nodded, and then Shoto was pressing their lips together. It was a brief, chaste kiss, unlike the first kisses in books or movies, only pressing their lips together and Shoto’s nose digging into Izuku’s own, but it still felt like heaven, even after they pulled back.
For a moment, silence, then-
“They kissed!”
Izuku jumped about ten feet in the air. His gaze swiveled to the side and he saw Hagakure standing there, a phone in her hands, and Izuku felt his face heat. Moments later, cheering emerged from the common room.
“Really?!”
“Good job, you two.”
“Fucking finally!”
“Language, Bakugou.”
“Y-you were spying on us?” Izuku stammered out to Hagakure as the rest of the class. Uraraka appeared in the door, sheepish.
“Umm… Call it silent encouragement, you two.”
“We’ve been waiting for this for-ever!” Hagakure replied. “You two are, like, the school’s OTP!”
“What does OTP mean?” Shoto asked, frowning.
“It’s nothing!” Izuku squeaked at the same time Hagakure said “One true pairing!”
Izuku groaned and put his head in his hands. He’s alright with the class knowing he’s bisexual and likes guys, but having the whole class know they kissed is a set-up for him to get knocked down by embarrassment. “You guysss…”
“Well, at least me and Tsuyu aren’t the only useless gays couple around here now,” Uraraka said. “And the four of us can go on double dates! Since a certain couple won’t come with us.” She side-eyed Bakugou and Kirishima, the former growling.
“I’m not double dating with you, and I sure as hell am not double dating with Deku and Icyhot!”
“Did you guys have to take a picture, though?” Izuku asked.
“Well, yeah!” Ashido replied, stomping her foot on the ground. “You’ll need it for your scrapbook for your wedding!”
Izuku squeaked at that, while someone in the room - he couldn’t tell if it was Bakugou or Aizawa-sensei of all people - snorted, loudly. Kirishima, Sero, Shinsou, and Kaminari started to chuckle, but Eri saved Izuku from certain death by smiling and hopping up and down.
“Oh! A wedding! And I could be the flower girl!” She said, and Izuku, despite his embarrassment, felt himself smiling, even catching Aizawa-sensei smiling at her as she started to skip around, mimicking tossing flowers in the air as the class cooed over her.
“Class picture time!” Sero announced then, throwing a hand up in the air, and the class started to clamor. Before he realized what was happening, he felt himself drawn with Shoto in the middle of the group, Yaomomo being a dear and creating a selfie stick to get everyone in it.
Tsuyu and Ochako were holding hands, Kirishima had an arm slung over Kacchan’s shoulder, Shinsou somehow had Iida red-faced, much to Ashido and Kouda’s amusement. Jirou was practically sitting in Yaomomo’s lap, much to the former’s embarrassment, and Shouji, Sato, and Aoyama sitting beside them, the latter laying across Shouji and Sato's laps. Hagakure was petting a blushing Ojirou’s tail, while Kaminari and Sero were laughing. Right in the front was a red-faced Izuku and stoic Shoto, holding hands. Even Aizawa-sensei was on the outskirts with a soft smile on his face, Eri sitting between him and Tokoyami, Dark Shadow petting her head, with All Might awkwardly bent over in the background.
That photo, along with the photo given to him by Todoroki and the one Hagakure gave him after the party was over, was one of the best gifts of his best birthdays in ages, and Izuku fell asleep full and happy that night, with Kacchan’s figurine, his mom’s hard-searched and earned poster of Nana Shimura, Aizawa-sensei and Eri’s scarf and All Might’s Deku plush sitting on the forefront of his bookcase.
Maybe he could learn to like birthday parties again.