My Hero Academia Oneshots

You saw through me- all this time,I’d forgotten people are kind

I was hurting,and you knew,so you showed me what to do

“Izu,it’s this way!” (First Name) called out,flagging her best-friend over excitedly. “Come on,hurry up! Kacchan’s waiting!” 

“I’m coming!” Izuku shouted as he ran towards her and the others. Splashing his way through the creek,he ignored the water that got into his shoes and hurried over to his friends happily,gripping his bright yellow net. “Mama said I have to be back by sundown tonight!” 

“We’ll be done by then,anyway,you dummy! We won’t be able to see the bugs by sundown,anyway,” Katsuki told him,grinning and holding his hand out to help him up the rock. “You’re in charge of the beetles we can’t reach,okay?”

“I’ll grab the biggest ones ever,Kacchan!” Izuku promised,grabbing his hand and stepping on the smaller rock to give himself some more leverage to scramble onto the bigger rock that marked the entrance of the woods they always played in. “(First Name),you’re coming with me,right?”

“Mhm! I brought the bug thingy!” (First Name) said,proudly holding up the little bug container she had gotten for her birthday. The cheap plastic had been cleaned earlier that morning by her father in anticipation for their bug-catching adventures,and she was proud to show that fact off. “My papa cleaned it! He said he wants to see a really big one!” 

“I’ll catch the biggest for my mama!” Katsuki said,puffing out his chest with a grin. “Whoever catches the biggest is the winner!” 

“I’ll definitely win!” Izuku shouted,grabbing (First Name)’s hand and running off with her quickly. The faster they went through the woods,the higher their chances were to find the biggest beetle first. 

(First Name) stumbled after her friend,gripping the container under her arm and grinning as she held his hand tightly and followed him through the woods. “We’ll win together,right,Izu?” 

“Of course! It’s us against Kacchan and the others!” Izuku promised,looking up at the branches of the trees and grinning. “There’s one right there! (First Name),open their house!” 

“Roger that!” (First Name) said,popping the lid open and watching as Izuku scrambled over and barely managed to reach up and grab the stag beetle with his net. Rushing over to her,he plopped the bug into the container and watched as she covered it quickly. 

By sundown,each child returned to their respective homes covered in scrapes from tree branches and had giant grins plastered across their faces as they showed their parents the beetles they had caught. While (First Name) had found the biggest,she had given it to Izuku since he had asked for it,so she only managed to present her parents with one that was a little bigger than average. Despite the beetle’s nearly-average size,she was still praised,and she went to bed that night with a grin. 

“Izu,don’t let go,okay?” (First Name) asked her friend nervously one day,gripping his hand tightly as she slowly led him through the haunted house their friend’s older brother had set up for his school festival. There were too many fake spiders around for her comfort,and she was on edge after the most recent jumpscare. 

“I’m scared..” Izuku whimpered,sniffling slightly as he held her hand tighter. He wanted to run out of the room,but the exit was nowhere in sight now. 

“We’ll be fi-” 

“Boo!” A boy dressed as a goblin shouted as he jumped out at them,laughing as the kids screamed and scrambled away. 

(First Name) didn’t let go of Izuku’s hand as she ran,scrambling through the haunted house faster now. She just ran in the opposite direction of each of the monsters that jumped out at them,and they eventually managed to make it out. The second she was back in the light,she began crying loudly,Izuku doing the same beside her. 

The one to calm them down was a middle-school girl with tape on her elbows,who distracted them by using it. (First Name) went to bed that night with her night-light on,worried a monster would jump out and scare her. 

“Izu,I can’t play today,mama said I have to take care of papa..” (First Name) told her friend as she peered out the door at him. “I’ve gotta make sure he takes his pills.” 

“Oh.. Well,we can play tomorrow,then!” Izuku said,grinning at her. “I’ll see you then!” He added before running off to meet up with Katsuki and the others. 

(First Name) retreated back into the house and continued watching over her father nervously. Her mother had left an hour ago to pick up some medicine to help his fever and had left her in charge,but (First Name) didn’t know how to help him,so all she could do was sit beside him and hold his hand as he wheezed and coughed,unable to open his eyes. 

When Izuku was on his way home that night and saw an ambulance in front of (First Name)’s house,and then heard (Mother’s Name) sobbing,he didn’t understand it. He didn’t understand why (First Name) didn’t show up to school for a week after that,and he didn’t really understand when he was forced into a little black outfit and stood in front of a black casket with a picture of (Father’s Name) beside it. He didn’t understand,but he didn’t like it,either. 

“Hey,(First Name).. D’ya wanna come play?” Izuku asked her the day after she returned to school. 

(First Name) peered out at him,before shutting the door a little and turning to ask her mother. “Mama,ca-”

“Go ahead. Stay safe.” Was the only reply the girl’s mother gave,too emotionally drained to handle her for now.

(First Name)’s grip on the knob tightened slightly at that,knowing her mother was tired and she was somehow making it worse,before she let go of the knob and pulled her outdoor shoes on quickly. Opening the door again,she walked out and did her best to smile at her friend as she shut it behind her. “We can play!”

Izuku could tell she was sad,but he didn’t know what to do,so he just took her hand and quickly led her away,wanting to try and cheer her up. He walked quickly,keeping his eyes ahead,and eventually stopped in front of Denki Electronics,staring at the televisions quietly as an interview with All Might played. 

“Hey,(First Name)? Are you okay?” Was what Izuku finally asked after nearly ten minutes of staring at the screen. 

(First Name) wondered if she was okay,and the harsh reality hit her again when she recalled the fact that her father would never again be waiting at home for her. “Iz.. Izu..? Pro… Promise you’ll.. Promise you’ll never get sick?” She whimpered out as her eyes filled with tears. 

“I won’t get sick,I promise! I’ll become a super cool hero like All Might,and I’ll be super healthy!” He promised her quickly,just gripping her hand even tighter in his own. “We can be heroes together,(First Name)! We’ll help people,just like your dad and All Might,and we’ll make people happy!” 

(First Name) could only stand there and wipe at her eyes as she gripped his hand like her life depended on it. Healing took time. 

“Mama,I’m gonna be a hero.. I wanna help people like papa did..” (First Name) had told her mother one night only a month later. 

“(First Name),we’ve already gone over this. You can’t be a hero,you’re Quirkless. You’d end up getting yourself killed before you could save anyone,” Her mother said,setting the storybook to the side and standing up from the edge of the little bed and heading towards the door. “Now go to bed,you have school tomorrow.” 

“You don’t know! I’m gonna be just like papa!” (First Name) snapped,flinching when her mother glared at her. All of her bravery vanished instantly under the cold gaze. 

“You can’t be a hero,and you’re nothing like your father,so shut up and stop talking about that nonsense and sleep,” The woman spat icily,before turning and walking out,slamming the door shut behind her. She wasn’t surprised when she heard sniffles after that,burying her face in her hands and taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. “I’m doing what’s right.. I’m doing what’s right..” 

(First Name) cried herself to sleep that night,and after that,she didn’t mention heroes for a while. She never mentioned them around her mother again,either,not even when the woman offered to buy her an All Might jacket. She didn’t want to be a hero if her mother would hate her for it,and when Izuku told her he was Quirkless as well,she did her best to encourage him to follow his dreams despite knowing she wouldn’t be pursuing her own. 

A year passed,and (First Name) had practically moved into the Midoriya household while her mother worked. She was there every day,and she often spent the night,but she was the first to be awake when a very special day came around. 

“Auntie.. Auntie,wake up..” (First Name) whispered as she shook Inko’s shoulder. When she saw tired green eyes looking back at her,she grinned. “It’s Izu’s birthday! You said we gotta make a cake!” 

“It’s morning already?” Inko asked tiredly as she sat up,yawning and stretching. “What time is it?” 

“Dunno,but we gotta hurry!” (First Name) urged her.

Inko checked the time,and seeing that it was only five in the morning made her want to cry,but the excitement on the girl’s face told her there was no way to escape this. 

Sliding out of bed,Inko followed the little girl out of her bedroom and towards the kitchen. “Are you excited to surprise Izuku?”

“Mhm!” (First Name) ran over to one of the dining room chairs,pulling it over towards the kitchen counter and then climbing up on it. “Izu will be happy!” 

Inko couldn’t help but smile,walking over and tying the little (Favorite Color) apron around the child’s waist and then tying her own around her own waist and setting the ingredients out calmly. “Do you wanna make two cakes? We can both make one!”

“I’ll make an All Might cake!” (First Name) said quickly,her eyes sparkling at the idea. While she wasn’t as open about her interest in heroes as Izuku was,she still found them cool. 

“First,we have to butter and flour the pan,” Inko explained,showing her how to do it and smiling when (First Name) did it decently. “Next,we have to mix some sugar,flour,salt,and baking powder together. How much salt does it say?” 

(First Name) peered into the cookbook and scrunched her eyebrows together. “It says we put.. Half a teaspoon… Right?” 

“Yep! You’re really good at reading,(First Name)!” Inko praised her happily,showing her how to mix it in her bowl. She loved (First Name) nearly as much as she loved her own son,and she would do anything she could to make sure the girl was always smiling like this. 

It was three hours later when they finally went to wake Izuku up. After finishing up with the cake and putting the decorations up,and (First Name) taking a bath since she had ended up covered in flour,they were finally ready to wake him up. 

“Izuku,it’s time to wake up,” Inko said softly as she shook him gently. “It’s your birthday,you need to wake up.” 

“Izu,wake up! Wake up!” (First Name) shouted,laughing when the boy jerked awake and looked around like he was expecting someone to jump on him. “Happy birthday,Izu!” 

It was a small birthday,as Izuku didn’t have many friends,but he was happy. Seeing the awesome All Might cake his mother had made,and the.. Well,yellow ‘v’ and blue eyes that (First Name) had made and kept insisting was a perfect All Might cake,made him unbelievably happy. The All Might merchandise he got as presents from his mother made him grin,and the red shoes (First Name) had picked out for him became his favorite pair. Izuku didn’t need a big party as long as he had them. Maybe seven would be a good year after all. 

“Izu,are you okay?” (First Name) asked him three days later when she found him lying on the ground during p.e.,poking his cheek lightly. “Sleepy?”

“Kacchan beat me up again..” Izuku muttered as he sat up,wincing slightly before grinning when he saw how worried she looked. “I’m fine,(First Name)! Kacchan’s gotten a lot stronger,but it doesn’t hurt anymore!”

“That’s not a good thing.. You should tell on him..” (First Name) frowned,just sitting beside him.

“I’ve already told on him,and the teachers aren’t gonna do anything about it,” Izuku said,looking down quietly. He didn’t understand why he was hated just because he was Quirkless,but part of him hated Katsuki for it. 

(First Name) didn’t know how to help,so all she could do was be there for him,just like always. She hoped it was enough. 

Time passed quickly,and they entered the same middle school together. 

“Izu,your mom texted! She said we gotta pick up groceries!” Thirteen-year-old (First Name) called out to him during lunch one day. “I think she’s making hot pot!” 

“Really? We’re buying rice,then,right?” Izuku asked,sighing dramatically when she confirmed his suspicions. “It’s gonna be heavyyyy!” 

(First Name) just giggled and rolled her eyes at that,starting to eat her bento happily. “How are you complaining about picking up rice when you’ve carried me around before?” 

“It’s easy to carry you around because you’re you! If I just remind myself it’s you that I’m carrying,I’ll never drop you!” Izuku huffed,chowing down on his own lunch quickly. He was oblivious to her blush,just like always.

(First Name) had dropped the bombshell on him only a day before the Sludge Villain attack. 

“(First Name),you wrote UA on your sheet,right?” Izuku asked her excitedly as he walked over to her. 

“Ah,no..” (First Name) looked away guiltily. “I’m not applying for UA..” 

“Huh? What do you mean? You could definitely get in!” Izuku frowned. “We’re gonna be heroes together,right? You can’t do that if you don’t go to a school that has a hero course.” 

(First Name) wished she could be as optimistic as Izuku was,but she couldn’t be like him; Izuku had the heart of a hero,and she had the heart of a coward. “I’m.. I’m,uh.. I’m not gonna be a hero.. I’m thinking of becoming a social worker,so I’m going to Rouko Academy..” 

Izuku stiffened at that,his smile fading for a moment,and he knew not to try and fake happiness when (First Name) could see straight through him. He could be honest with her. “Is it because you’re Quirkless?” 

“I don’t want to be a hero,Izu.. It’s not about me being Quirkless,I just want to help the kids people have left behind. There are thousands of ways to help people,and I found one that I like..” (First Name) was being honest as well,now. “I don’t care about Quirks,and neither should you or anyone else. You can be a hero because you’re you.” 

Izuku was angry,but he knew he shouldn’t be,and so he could only tell her that he’d talk to her about it tomorrow and leave. He was quiet at home that night,and (First Name) didn’t come by like she usually would. Inko didn’t question it. 

The next day came,and the Sludge Villain attack came and went. Izuku somehow managed to get All Might to give him a chance to become a hero,and he was scolded for his reckless behavior by both his mother and (First Name). He didn’t tell them about All Might; he couldn’t believe it,and he doubted his mother and (First Name) would believe it either,so he kept his mouth shut. 

It took (First Name) all of two weeks to snap. Izuku’s constant avoidance of her,his constant excuses about why he couldn’t walk home with her,and his drastic change in demeanor became all too much for her,and she trailed after him one day and found him dragging trash across the fucking beach like some weirdo while a blond dude giving half-assed encouragement watched. She flipped. 

“Izu,what the fuck are you doing?! You’re going to pull a muscle doing that!” She shouted as she stormed over to him. When a heavy hand was placed on her shoulder and the creepy blond tried to tell her to calm down,her leg shot out and kicked him directly in the shins,making both her and the man start cursing. “Fuck,what the hell are you made out of,titanium?” 

“(First Name),you can’t just hit All Might like that! I’m so sorry,All Might,she must have followed me here or something!” Izuku was panicking. 

“Izu,don’t apolog-... Did you say All Might?” (First Name) blinked a few times,looked to the blond,and then blinked a couple more times as her brain processed the information. Toshinori could have sworn the air went cold as realization donned on the girl’s face,and when he saw his apprentice visibly shudder,he knew they were fucked. 

“Izuku Midoriya,I’m giving you three seconds to tell me why and how and where you met All Might and why he’s making you drag garbage around the beach,” (First Name) said,looking at the boy. “Do not make me count aloud.” 

“I met him when Kacchan was attacked,and he’s helping me train! He,uh,he said I could be a hero if I trained properly,so here we are!” Izuku said quickly,looking ready to piss himself. 

“I have no ill intentions towards young Midoriya,I just wanted to help him train,” Toshinori added,thinking that the girl must have a terrifying Quirk if Izuku was this afraid of her. “I am only here to mentor him.”

(First Name) didn’t relax at all,narrowing her eyes at her friend. “Izu,does your mother know about this?”

“Well,she doesn’t know it’s him,but she knows I’m training with someone! I can’t exactly tell her it’s him,obviously,so.. (First Name),you can’t tell her,okay?! She’ll freak out if she knows!” Izuku rambled anxiously. “I’m not doing anything bad,I’m just training,so it’s fine,right?! I mean,All Might is here and this could be my one shot at becoming a hero so I nee-”

“I get it,but I’m helping. At the rate you were going,you would have ended up collapsing,” (First Name) told him,sighing. She wanted to snitch,but she wouldn’t rip this opportunity from Izuku’s hands. “All Might,I’ll ask you once and only once to tell me what you expect to gain from this. If you’re using Izu for selfish reasons,I’ll punch you here and now,even if you are the number one hero and you’re built like a truck.” 

Toshinori’s reasons were selfish,but he also believed in Izuku. “I don’t wish to gain anything from this. I only want to help young Midoriya out in his journey to be a hero.” 

(First Name) was skeptical,but the begging feeling on her friend’s face broke her down and she let out a sigh. “I’m going to grab some water. Take a break until I get back.” 

Toshinori waited until she was gone before looking at his apprentice. “Who is that girl and what is her Quirk? She’s terrifying..” 

“That’s (First Name),and she’s Quirkless like me. She’s just scary when she gets angry,” Izuku admitted,sinking down and sighing. “And she won’t be missing out on any of our training sessions,either,knowing her.. She’s stubborn..”

“Is she your girlfriend or something? She called you by a nickname..” Toshinori didn’t want to pry too much,but he wanted to warn him against relationships. 

“She’s just a good friend of mine! We’ve been friends since we were kids,that’s all!” Izuku said quickly,his cheeks turning red. “(First Name) and I aren’t dating! Nope,no way! Never!” 

Toshinori could tell that they were more than just ‘good friends’,but he wouldn’t tell him that. “She’s scary.”  

Toshinori could tell they were in trouble,but he didn’t know how much trouble they were in until he saw (First Name) carrying two giant water bottles over to them and demanded they drink some of it before they continued training,and that was when the realization sank in; he had adopted an apprentice that had a ‘girlfriend’ with the personality of a middle-aged mother who was fed-up with her children’s shit. 

Two months passed,and (First Name) was busy watching Izuku train one day when she suddenly realized he was out of water. Standing and going to refill his bottle,she disappeared from the beach,unaware that a worried set of green eyes was watching her leave. 

It was on her way back to the beach when (First Name) first met Hanta Sero. 

“Hey,miss,you dropped your wallet,” The boy said,holding it out to her and grinning. “You don’t wanna lose something that important,right? Be careful.”

(First Name) thanked him and took it. “Thanks,you really saved me there.. I still have to go to the store later,and my mom would flip if I lost the money.” 

Hanta wanted to talk to her more,but his brother’s tightening grip on his arm told him he had run out of time. “Just be careful not to lose it!” He said as he was being dragged away. “See ya!”

“I will,thanks!” (First Name) waved,letting out a slight giggle as she turned and finished the walk to the beach. She couldn’t help but find it funny that the boy was allowing such a small kid to drag him around,but she was quickly distracted when she saw Toshinori nearly drop a tire on Izuku’s foot- there truly was no rest for the poor girl. 

It was during the fifth month of Izuku’s training when she came over and found him crying in the corner of his room. Izuku had two ways of crying; the first was dramatic and loud,the second melancholic and silent. It was the second one this time. 

“Izu? Hey,Izu,are you okay?” She asked as she slowly approached him,knowing not to get too close too quickly since he sometimes cried more if she did. 

Izuku was trembling,his face buried in his hands as tears rolled down his face. He had heard her,but he couldn’t bring himself to answer right now,so all he did was silently sob into his hands and try his best to shove the bad thoughts away like always. 

She wouldn’t force him to speak,but she wouldn’t let him be alone either,so she took her place by his side and put her arm around his neck,pulling him close so he was pressed against her chest. She didn’t know what was wrong,but she would be there for him,just like always. 

“It’s okay,Izu. Cry it out.” 

Izuku’s hands moved from his face to his friend’s back,just hugging her tightly as he sobbed. (First Name) was the only one he could be this broken around,and he wanted her to know why he was like this. 

“What.. What if I’m n.. not good.. good enough?”

“You’re more than good enough,Izu.. You’re already a hero,Quirkless or not,and you can save people. If anyone says any differently,I’ll beat them up,okay?” 

“But I..” Izuku gripped onto her tightly,keeping his grip loose enough that she wouldn’t be bruised. “I’ve never.. I don’t know what to do if All Might leaves..” 

“All Might isn’t what defines you,Izu. You’re Izuku Midoriya,not All Might,and you will always be Izuku Midoriya. If he leaves,he leaves,and you’ll continue your training and I’ll continue supporting you. You don’t need him to be wonderful,Izu. You’re already a hero,all on your own.”

Izuku just held her tightly and sobbed for the majority of the night,not quite understanding why her very presence comforted him and unsure of why he was even this upset in the first place. (First Name) was right,he didn’t need All Might to become a hero; he had lived a life before the man had decided to mentor him,and he would still be living if the man abandoned him,so he would be okay. He had (First Name) and his mother,and he was okay. 

Toshinori had wondered about it for a long time. Deliberated telling (First Name) about the secret of his Quirk,wondered if the girl would be a good candidate for knowing the secret,and yet he couldn’t bring himself to tell her. He had agonized over it for ten months,he had watched the girl closely to see if she was somehow a danger,and the only conclusion he had come to was that Izuku would go insane if the girl were killed or in danger,and that was enough to make the man keep his mouth shut. He wouldn’t put her in danger,not when the secret of the Quirk he had just passed on was practically a national threat; he would not only put (First Name)’s life at risk,but the entire world as well,and he wouldn’t take that risk. 

“(First Name),you don’t have to wait out here the entire time I’m taking the entrance exam..” Izuku told her as he stood at the UA gates. All Might had warned him against telling her about the Quirk he had been given,so he had stayed silent about it,but he felt guilty about it. 

“I wanna be here and try to cheer you on,now hurry up and go in! You need to work hard!” (First Name) told him,smiling brightly. “You can do it,Izu!” 

Izuku gave in and couldn’t help but smile as he turned to look up at the giant building,realizing this was where he would become a hero. “I’ll see you soon!” He told (First Name) before running through the gates eagerly. 

(First Name)’s smile faltered only when a random girl used her Quirk to save Izuku from smashing his face on the ground. She opened her mouth to call out and ask him if he was okay,but no words came out when she saw how flustered he seemed. She could only watch,and then fake a smile when he took one last glance back at her and disappeared into the school; she was there to cheer him on,not be jealous,but she couldn’t help but feel a little sad as she sat down. 

Hanta soon arrived for the entrance exam,and he stopped when he saw her. He recognized her immediately,but the sad expression on her face made him second-guess himself for a moment. That didn’t stop his mouth from running,though. 

“Aren’t you going in?” 

(First Name) looked up,her eyes widening slightly when she recognized him as the boy who had been dragged around by the little kid. “Wallet-boy?” His question sank in only after she had asked her own. “Oh,I’m not taking the exam! I don’t want to be a hero or anything,I’m just here to cheer on my friend!”

Hanta relaxed when he saw that her expression had lightened up,but he could tell that her smile was fake and something was bothering her- he assumed it had something to do with this ‘friend’ of hers,but he wouldn’t ask that. “How come you don’t wanna be a hero?”

“I want to work in social services,” (First Name) said,averting her gaze and preparing herself for ridicule. “I wanna help kids out of bad situations and stuff..”

“So you are becoming a hero?” Hanta grinned,leaning over so he could capture her gaze in his own. “Wanting to help kids makes you a hero as well!” 

(First Name)’s eyes widened at that,and her worries seemed insignificant as the words sunk in. “Yeah,I guess it does.. But.. You should hurry to the exam,you know?” 

“Of course,I just wanted to cheer you up since you looked down,” Hanta told her,taking a few steps before pausing and looking back at her. “Oh,and,I hope your friend does well! You should cheer me on,too!”

“Do your best,Wallet-boy!” (First Name) called out with a giant grin,waving as she watched him disappear into the building. She hoped that Izuku and Hanta would both pass the exam without any problems.

Hours. It took hours before Izuku finally showed up at the front gates,and (First Name) was shivering by then. 

“Sorry I made you wait..” Izuku said solemnly,having realized now that this Quirk his mentor had given him was dangerously destructive and could cause casualties if he was careless. He doubted he would make it into the school,but he didn’t regret his decision. “We should get home..” 

(First Name) wanted to ask all sorts of questions,but the distressed look on her friend’s face made her stay silent as she walked him home and then left. She would give him time alone to come to terms with whatever had happened there. 

A week later,Izuku stared at the letter of acceptance that sat on his bed,wondering if this was real or not. His mentor was there,telling him that he had been accepted into his dream school.. He would become a hero. 

(First Name) watched the video in disbelief as well,jumping when she was suddenly picked up and practically thrown into the air and caught like some kind of ball. “Izu,wha-”

“I got in! (First Name),I got in! I’m gonna be a hero!” Izuku shouted happily,holding her up and grinning at her goofily. “I’m gonna be a hero!” 

“I know,I saw!” (First Name) laughed as she looked down at him,just as caught up in the excitement as he was. “I told you they’d accept you for sure! You’re the most heroic person I know!” 

“I made it in! I made it in!” Izuku chanted like an excited kid,looking up at her,and suddenly he was completely aware that he was devastatingly in love with the girl who was excited for him. He loved the look on her face as she cheered for him,loved the excited sparkle in her eyes,and loved the feeling of her in his arms; fuck,he was completely in love with her,and so he set her down and then walked out of his room to gather himself and tell his mother the good news. 

(First Name) was a little confused when Izuku suddenly set her down,but she knew he was probably just going to tell his mother,so she sat down on his bed and looked at the acceptance letter once again,the realization that Izuku was becoming a hero like he’d always wanted finally setting in. She was happy for him,but the idea of Izuku fighting a villain and possibly getting hurt made her anxious. She wouldn’t tell him that,though,not when he was this happy. She could only support him. 

“Izu,I go to the right here,so we gotta part ways..” (First Name) pointed out as they made it to an intersection. “Good luck on your first day,and make some good friends,okay?”

“You too,(First Name)! Stay safe!” Izuku waved at her and then went to the left eagerly,not wanting to linger there any longer since he knew he’d end up late if he did; time passed too quickly by (First Name)’s side and he always got wrapped up in their talks and forgot the time,so he knew not to linger. 

“See ya!” (First Name) called out,turning and heading down the path to her school as well. She hoped he would be happy. 

Not even a week into the new school year,(First Name)’s fears came true. A villain attack occurred at UA,and Izuku was injured,and her friend wouldn’t even properly address her anxieties over the incident. 

“Izu,it’s not okay for them to just act like you weren’t fighting actual villains! You could have been injured!” She snapped at him as she stirred the soup on the stove. Inko was out meeting a friend for a while,so she was in charge of dinner. “They should be taking this way more seriously,you know?”

“They are taking it seriously,(First Name). They’re doing what they can,but it takes time to apprehend villains. It’s not something that happens in the blink of an eye,” Izuku assured her as he cut the tomatoes. “All Might and the other teachers are all there to protect us,but one of the villains had this weird teleportation Quirk,so of course they escaped.” 

“That doesn’t mean it’s okay for them to expect you guys to just return to school like nothing happened. You guys could have been killed,” (First Name) sighed and stepped out of the way so he could dump the tomatoes into the pot. “I’m just worried is all..”

“I know,but I’ve told you,I’ll be fine. It’s part of the risks involved at a hero school,I knew that when I was signing up. I can handle it,(First Name),” Izuku promised her,wishing she would just smile instead of constantly worrying about him. “Just trust me.”

(First Name) trusted Izuku more than anything,but she didn’t trust that things would go as smoothly as the boy planned for them to. Regardless of her anxieties,she nodded and smiled at him. “Of course,I always trust you.” 

“I know,but you make me worry sometimes when you go questioning like that.. It’s like you don’t believe in me,ya know?” He slid the chopped tomatoes over to her,watching as she slid them into the pot. “And before you start up again,I know you believe in me,but constantly worrying about things and questioning me makes it feel like you don’t..” 

“I won’t just stay quiet about it,though,Izu. You’re my best-friend,and I’ll always worry about you,” She did her best to smile. “I know you can do it,Izu! Fight!” 

Izuku laughed and nodded,nudging her shoulder with his own. He knew her smile was fake,but he was just glad that it was there- she’d just have to bear with the worry for a little while longer,and eventually,everything would be fine and her real smile could return. 

It was the following night when (First Name) first met the Sero family. 

“Can you help me?” A little boy tugged on her sleeve,making her pause on her walk home and look down at him curiously. “I got lost..” 

(First Name) was in helper mode instantly. “You’re lost? Did you get separated from your parents,or were you on your way home from somewhere?” 

“I was at my friend’s house,but I don’t remember the way home..” The little boy,Ichi,gripped her sleeve nervously as he looked up at her. “Mama’s gonna be mad if I’m late..” 

(First Name) had gotten lost hundreds of times when she was a kid,so she knew exactly what to do. Taking the child’s hand in her own,she began to lead him around,and it wasn’t long before they tracked down the boy’s house and knocked on his front door. 

“Oh,hello there darling,can I help you with something?” A sweet woman greeted (First Name) as she answered the door,looking her up and down curiously before seeing her son and letting out a laugh. “Well I’ll take that back.. I’m guessing he got lost and you led him home,right?” 

“Ah,it appears that way..” (First Name) rubbed the back of her neck and smiled awkwardly as the boy darted to hide behind his mother. “I’m just glad he knew to ask for help! He was super brave!” 

“Brave,huh? That’s new,never heard that about that one before,” The woman,Iko,said,glad her son had made it home safely. “What’re you doing out alone,anyways? It’s dangerous on the streets when it’s dark out.” 

“Oh,I was on my way home when he stopped me. I live nearby,though,so I can get back home pretty quickly!” (First Name) wanted to leave,but she had the feeling the woman wasn’t going to let her go off alone. She hadn’t even realized how dark it had gotten outside so quickly. “Well,since he’s home,I should start heading home as well.”

“Nonsense,come on inside! I’m not letting a little girl go wandering off in the dark! When my little Hanta gets home,he can walk you home!” Iko could tell that wouldn’t be enough to convince the girl to stay,so she nudged her son slightly. “Ichi looks like he wants you to stay,too.” 

(First Name) hesitated for a moment,and perhaps it was the eager look on the little boy’s face or the sweet smell that was undoubtedly wafting from the kitchen,but her resolve disappeared almost instantaneously. “I suppose I could stay for a little while..” 

Hanta made it home only thirty minutes later,and to say he was shocked at the sight that greeted him would be an understatement. Seeing all three of his little brothers sitting around a girl- a girl he recognized,at that- in complete silence while his mother cooked in the kitchen without constantly being disrupted,was astounding. 

“And that was when Miyu jumped super high! He had a Quirk that let him jump super high,and everyone was amazed!” (First Name) grinned as she explained it to the kids,though the sound of the door shutting caught her attention and made her turn to look. Seeing Hanta surprised her,instantly recognizing him. “Ah,Wallet-Boy? This is your place?”

“Fancy meeting you here,” Hanta chuckled as he walked over. “What are you doing here,anyway? Get kidnapped by my mother?” 

“It was Ichi that kidnapped me,actually,but I have to say,this is a pretty entertaining place for a poor,innocent maiden,” (First Name) said,dramatically leaning back into the couch and laughing when the boys suddenly clambored to ‘save her’. “I’m being held captive by three cute monsters and the smell of good food.” 

“It’s part of the Sero household charm,after all,” Hanta chuckled,looking over to the kitchen when he felt his mother watching them. “Ma,I gave Kaeko the blankets and stuff like you said,but she said she won’t use them.” 

“That doesn’t matter,Hanta,but what does matter is how you know (First Name)! She one of your classmates?” Iko asked,eager to know if her son had hidden away a cute girlfriend. “Why’d she call you Wallet-Boy?” 

“He’s saved me a few times,but I never quite caught his name,” (First Name) told her,before looking at Hanta and grinning. “Hanta,huh? It suits you.”

“And that’d make you (First Name),right?” Hanta was surprised they were already using first names,but he didn’t hate it at all. He didn’t hate the goofy smile on the girl’s face,either. “I’ll admit it,it suits you.” 

Iko hoped love would bloom,but she wouldn’t mention that for right now. “Hanta,you need to walk (First Name) home. Her parents are probably worried sick.” 

“She’s gotta leave?” Ichi frowned as she looked between his mother and (First Name). “Mama,can she come back and play again sometime?” 

“If you’d be willing to have me over,I’d be happy to play with you guys anytime,” (First Name) told Ichi,ruffling his hair as she stood up. “But for now,I have to get home. I have school tomorrow,after all.” 

The departure was awkward,but (First Name) didn’t hate the time she’d spent in the Sero household nearly as much as she’d thought she would. She had been worried things would go horribly wrong somehow,but spending time with them was fun,and she really was looking forward to spending time with them again soon. 

“Sorry about my family kidnapping you and stuff..” Hanta said as he walked beside her,a slight grin on his face. “But you didn’t seem to hate it too badly,so it’s fine,right?” 

“It was fun,actually,” (First Name) admitted,looking over at him. “You’ve got a cool family! I’m jealous!” 

“What about yours? You have any siblings?” Hanta asked,casting a quick glance at her and then looking away. 

“It’s just me and my mom..” (First Name) slowed down without noticing,her eyes locked on the ground now. “My dad died when I was little,and my mom never remarried,so it’s just the two of us.” 

“Oh.. Sorry,I didn’t know..” Hanta didn’t have much to offer her,but he could at least be there for her. “If you ever get lonely,though,the Sero household is always open for you! Trust me,my mother’s always eager to make a bunch of food and the freezer is always full of icecream!” 

(First Name) looked at him for a moment,before looking down with a grateful smile on her face.  “Thanks,Hanta..” 

It was only when they reached the front door of the dark apartment when Hanta realized how lonely the girl must always feel. “Ah,(First Name),give me your phone for a moment. I’ll give you my number.” 

“Ah,sure..” (First Name) held her phone out to him,watching as he typed his number in. “How come?”

“What do you mean? It’s common sense to have your friend’s phone number,right?” Hanta grinned at her. “Whenever you get lonely or just need someone to vent to,text or call me! I’ll pick up instantly!” 

“Really?” (First Name) was hesitant to believe him,but she could tell he wasn’t lying. “Um,you could do the same,too,you know? If you ever need to talk,or feel sad,or even when you wanna say something,I’ll always listen!” 

“I’ll hold you to that,” Hanta smiled at her,before taking a few steps back after returning her phone. “Night,(First Name)!” 

“Night,Hanta! Stay safe on your way home!” (First Name) watched him leave,her eyes wide as she looked down at her phone in amazement. The realization that she had made a new friend for the first time in what felt like forever,a friend that thought her goals were cool,sank in,and she found herself grinning. 

Maybe highschool wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

You said,”I will listen,tell it all,when you’re finished,we’ll talk more.”

But I didn’t know how,so we took it in turns; to my surprise,we found my words

(First Name) texted Hanta often,but she wasn’t able to visit the Sero household for a while. Time passed quickly,and the week leading up to the U.A. sports festival came,bringing a very stressed Izuku with it. 

“Izu,just take a break for a little while.. Lifting a dumbbell for hours on end isn’t going to help your nerves..” She was sick of just reading while he continuously lifted the heavy chunk of metal. “Let’s play a game or something.” 

“If you’re bored,just go home. I need to keep training,All Might said this is my debut,” Izuku said,ignoring how badly his arm ached. “I need to get better..” 

(First Name) sighed,looking down at her book quietly for a minute. “I’ve got an internship at a daycare in Hosu,by the way.. I’ll be a step closer to my dream..” 

Izuku sighed when she interrupted him once again,irritated by the chatter; whatever she needed to say could wait until later,after his anxiety had died down a little. “Just get out for now. We can talk later.” 

(First Name)’s half-assed attempt at a smile disappeared as she stood up,throwing her bag over her shoulder and shoving her book in it. “Have fun alone,then!” She stomped out,though she couldn’t bring herself to actually be angry at him when she knew it was just his nerves making him a mess. She was angry at herself,though,for trying to make him care about something as stupid as an internship; of course a great hero-in-training wouldn’t care about an internship at a stupid daycare. 

Izuku missed (First Name)’s presence in his room the moment the door shut,though he focused only on his training to distract himself from her absence,telling himself she’d return soon. When the girl didn’t return,he went to try and find her,sighing when he realized she really had left. He had always prided himself on how smart he was,but he was a hopeless idiot when it came to (First Name),and it drove him insane. He would just apologize after the sports festival,and then they’d return to normal. Nothing to worry about. 

(First Name)’s first few days in Hosu were pleasant,up until the afternoon she saw two drunken bastards harassing a girl. While her dreams of being a hero in the traditional way had died a long time ago,she was not one to stand idly by when someone was being harassed. 

“Hey,sis,mom’s waiting for us,” (First Name) said as she ran over to the girl,looking up at her and smiling brightly. “She said we need to buy the rice while she’s picking up medicine.” 

The girl caught on quickly,pressing close to the girl nervously and nodding. “Of course,the rice..” 

“Why don’t you let the two of us walk you there? We can carry the bag for you two,” One of the men offered,leaning close and doing his best to take a sniff of (First Name)’s hair. “I’d definitely be able to help you..” 

“Or you could just fuck off. That would be a nice thing to do,don’t you think? Leave us the fuck alone!” (First Name)’s voice rose with each word as she glared at the men,pushing the girl behind her and backing up slowly. “And don’t fucking sniff people,either!”

Stian only decided to reveal his presence when he saw the men stepping closer to the girls,deciding he needed to intervene here. “Oi,y-” 

The arrival of a third man sent (First Name) into panic mode,and she swung her leg up and kicked one of the men in the balls before turning and grabbing the girl’s arm,running away from the men as fast as she could and dragging the girl with her. She didn’t stop running until they were surrounded by other people,stopping only then to catch her breath. 

“Th.. Thanks for that..” The girl was trembling,her legs nearly giving out from under her. “I.. I was so scared..” 

“We need to go to a police station,those guys can get in trouble for harassing you,” (First Name) said,gripping the girl’s arm to keep her on her feet and to distract herself from her own fear. She was terrified,but she had to be strong for now. “Come on..” 

The visit to the police station resulted in both of the men being scolded for harassment,though they weren’t punished any further than that because it was just their first offense. A police officer took the girl home,but (First Name) declined the offer for an escort home and returned to her hotel,collapsing on the floor as soon as she shut and locked the door behind herself. 

Her phone was what she scrambled for. She was grateful she had it in her pocket,and she was even more grateful that her hands were just steady enough to press the call button. 

Izuku looked over when he heard his phone begin to ring,anxiety eating him up when he saw that it was (First Name) calling him. He declined the call,deciding that whatever she wanted to talk about would have to wait until after the sports festival tomorrow. He couldn’t handle more stress right now. 

(First Name) stared at the screen when she was sent to voicemail,her trembling only becoming worse as she tried to think of what to do now. She didn’t leave a message,just hanging up and staring at Hanta’s contact name as she tried to calm herself down even a little bit. She just needed someone. 

Hanta had gotten a few calls from (First Name) before,and he’d always answered them. When his screen lit up with her name on it,he answered it immediately,pressing the device to his ear. “Hello? (First Name)?” 

“Han.. Hanta..” (First Name)’s voice was strained,the girl pressing closer to her door as if someone would try and kick it in if she weren’t there. 

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Hanta stood up to go put his shoes on,before remembering she was in Hosu and it would take hours to get there. Despite knowing that the sports festival was tomorrow,he still slipped his shoes on and headed towards his bedroom door. “Hey,take a few deep breaths,okay?”

“I can’t!” (First Name) gripped the phone tighter,desperately trying to catch her breath and stop whatever this hell was. She felt like she was dying. 

“You can,(First Name).. Can you look around wherever you are and tell me what you see?” Hanta pulled a jacket on quickly. 

“Bed.. Carpet.. Pillow..” (First Name)’s eyes darted around the room. “Dresser.. Picture.. Lights..” 

“Great,great,now can you tell me the colors? What color is the pillow?” Hanta’s voice was as soothing and gentle as he could make it. 

“White..” The panic was starting to ease off a little.  

“And who all is in the picture?” Hanta grabbed his wallet. “When was it taken?”

“It’s me.. My mom.. My dad..” (First Name) stared at the picture,her trembling dissipating. “We took it when I was a baby..” 

“And what color is the carpet?” Hanta grabbed his bag and shoved some clothes into it quickly. 

“It’s brown..” The anxiety was mild now,and her trembling had ceased completely. She blinked a few times as she snapped out of it,her grip on her phone loosening slightly. “I’m sorry..”

“Hey,don’t ever apologize for that,okay? That was out of your control completely,and if you ever have one again,call me. I’ll always help,(First Name),” Hanta assured her,glad it had helped. “Do you want me to come there? We don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want to.” 

“No,I’m fine now,I just..” (First Name) didn’t feel fine at all,but she knew she’d feel a little better after a shower and some sleep. “There were these guys,and I was scared,but we managed to get away,but.. But what if we hadn’t,Hanta? What if I hadn’t been fast enough and they gr-” 

“You were very brave,okay,(First Name)? You are so unbelievably brave and strong for that,and even if you hadn’t escaped,you would still be unbelievably brave and strong,” Hanta wanted to know what had happened,but he would never force her to tell him. “I know it’s the same thing everyone says,but try not to think about the bad things,okay? You’re safe right now,right?” 

“Yeah,I’m at the hotel..” (First Name) wiped at her eyes and sniffled slightly. “I just.. I.. Thank you,Hanta..” 

“I’ll always do my best to help you,(First Name)..” Hanta relaxed now that he knew he didn’t need to make a mad dash for the trains. “Do you want me to stay on the phone with you for a little while longer,or do you want to be alone?”

“Alone..” (First Name) muttered,feeling guilty she had dragged him into all of this. “Night,Hanta.. I’ll be cheering you on tomorrow..” 

“Goodnight,(First Name),” Hanta said,smiling a tiny bit. “I’ll do my best.” 

And Hanta did. He really tried his best,but like always,his best wasn’t enough to beat his classmates. He told himself it was just a matter of time,but he doubted he could ever catch up to Katsuki and Izuku. He resolved to just be the best version of himself he could.  

(First Name) returned the day after the sports festival,and when she walked into the Midoriya household and saw Izuku casually sitting on the couch,something inside of her broke completely. Her anger disappeared immediately,and all she could do was break down into sobs,which made the boy panic. 

“(First Name)? Hey,why’re you crying?! What’s wrong?!” Izuku looked to his mother for help,Inko just shaking her head and walking over to the kitchen to start making some tea to help calm the girl down. 

(First Name) was scared. She was scared Izuku would risk his life for someone else’s sake again,and she knew he would; Izuku Midoriya cared more about other people than he did for himself,and that was exactly why she had stayed by his side all this time. She was terrified he would face an even stronger villain someday,a villain who would undoubtedly kill him and leave her world completely empty,and she had always known it was a possibility,that was part of the risks associated with being a hero,but to see a hero-in-training nearly kill her childhood friend on national t.v. made her realize that if a hero could go that far,then a villain could go much further,and that acknowledgement shook her to her core. She was scared,but she had to move forward. 

(First Name) was angry,too. Furious,even. It frustrated her that her friend was careless and selfless enough to keep fighting even while injured,just to help someone else. It made her blood boil to watch how he now had the nerve to act scared just because she was crying,but he hadn’t looked nearly that scared on that television screen. The knowledge that he didn’t put himself first pissed her off to a ridiculous extent,and yet that was part of who he was,and she couldn’t hate him. She was angry,but she was angry at herself,too. 

A small part of (First Name) was happy. A small part of her had danced in joy to see her friend on that stage,to watch him fight with all the ferocity he could manage and give it his all like he’d always wanted to. A small part of her had been glad to see him leave to get healed,ecstatic with the knowledge that most of his injuries would be fine after Recovery Girl got her hands on him and made him rest. A small part of her was just excited to see him again,desperate to tell him everything she had felt and to apologize and to just make things go back to normal. She was happy,but she wished she wasn’t happy at all. 

“(First Name),please stop crying and just tell me what’s wrong..” Izuku reached out to touch his friend’s face,but he recoiled when he realized what he was doing,unsure whether it would be okay or not. He wanted to hug her,but he was scared it would only make things worse,so he just stared at her helplessly. 

“Izuku,sweetie,go ahead and take (First Name) to your room,okay? The tea won’t be ready for a few minutes and she’d probably appreciate being out of the doorway,” Inko suggested,knowing her son was panicking. “She may just need to cry for a while.” 

Izuku nodded and picked (First Name) up,carrying her to his room quickly and setting her on his bed. His eyes darted around the room for her favorite throw blanket,grabbing it and wrapping it around her as he tried to think about what he should do next. 

It took a while for (First Name) to speak,and when she did,she didn’t tell him about the guys or her meltdown at the hotel. She didn’t tell him about how scared she had been when she saw his match,or about how happy she was to see that he was still the same Izuku she’d grown up with,or about how angry she was that he was so selfless and caring and absolutely stupid. No,when (First Name) finally spoke again,she could only croak out a single sentence,her throat aching so much that her voice only came out as a whisper. 

“I love you so much it hurts..” 

Izuku froze,and Izuku stared. Izuku stood there,completely breathless and shocked and afraid,because (First Name) had said the words he had always felt but had hoped to never hear,and Izuku couldn’t say them back. Izuku couldn’t put (First Name) through that pain. He couldn’t lose her. 

“Midoriya,my boy,there’s one other thing we should talk about before the sports festival,” Toshinori said,watching his apprentice jump at his words. Unable to look him in the eyes,he stood and stared out the window. “How is (First Name) doing?” 

“(First Name)? She’s doing fine! She apparently applied for this internship thing her school is doing,and I think she’s got an actual shot at getting in!” Izuku told him,relaxing now that the focus was no longer on the sports festival. Talking about (First Name) was always relaxing and easy. “She’s been worried about it for a while,but I think she’ll get it for sure. She’ll be the best one!” 

“This is gonna be an awkward question,but.. Do you love her?” Toshinori looked over at him,praying his hunch was wrong but knowing it was right. He hated himself more and more each passing day,and he didn’t want his pupil to have the same fate. 

“Huh?” Izuku’s smile faded and he stared at his mentor in shock,panic setting in only seconds later. “No,no,it’s not like that! (First Name) and I are just friends,that’s all! I’m not.. We’re not.. Is it.. Is it that obvious that I like her?” 

Toshinori sighed,knowing what he had to tell his pupil but hating himself for it,and walked over to sit across from him once again. “Midoriya,my boy,you know better than anyone how cruel the world is to those born without Quirks..”

“Of course,but whe-”

“One For All is a Quirk that is a blessing and a curse at the same time. It is a secret that must be kept,and everyone who knows about it will face some sort of danger..” Toshinori interrupted him,forcing himself not to look away from his student; he needed to make sure Izuku understood what he was saying. “Midoriya,my boy,(First Name) can never know about One For All.”

“I know that,that’s why I’ve never told her,but All Might,what are you say-” 

“For heroes,dating is difficult. Partners must be kept behind closed doors,or else they run the risk of villains attacking them and using them as leverage against the hero,and that puts a strain on the relationship,and most heroes never have enough time for their partner,which all inevitably leads to a break-up.. With One For All,you’d not only be lying to her every single day about your Quirk,but also placing her in danger,and she has no way of defending herself should someone choose to attack her..” Toshinori clenched his fists to contain his own anger at this situation,knowing it was completely unfair for the kid in front of him and the girl that treasured him. “She’ll either be killed or leave you,my boy..”

Izuku stared at him as the words sunk in,a blank and hopeless expression on his face. He had been thinking about confessing for a while now,telling himself that things would be fine because it was (First Name) and (First Name) would be strong enough to handle being by his side like always,but his teacher’s words crushed that hope. Izuku couldn’t lose (First Name),so he would lock up his feelings and focus solely on becoming the Number One Hero. He would become the strongest person out there,and once there was nobody out there who could kill her,he would ask her to be his. He just had to wait. 

Izuku wanted to cry,right then and there. He wanted to break down sobbing,apologizing for every single thing he had put her through and for choosing becoming a hero over her. He wanted to scream about how unfair it all was,go back in time and stop himself from ever taking All Might’s Quirk; if he had just realized it sooner,how much he loved (First Name) and how desperately he needed her in his life,maybe things would have changed. 

Maybe he would have told her the day they were walking home together and she had gotten excited because there was a new icecream shop opening,and he had thought to himself that she was mesmerizing when she smiled like that. Maybe he would have said it thoughtlessly and then frozen,but (First Name) would have said them back with that beautiful smile on her face. Maybe they would have gone to get icecream together that day,hand-in-hand,and his heart would have been racing. 

Maybe he would have told her the day they were studying for entrance exams and she fell asleep while leaning against his bed,and he had stared at her for a few moments and muttered to himself that he loved her. Maybe she would have been half-awake,and she would have blushed because she heard him,and she would have said it back. Maybe they both would’ve gotten flustered,then,and just sat there quietly,with the words “I love you” hanging in the air between them. 

Maybe he would have told her the day they had gone to celebrate New Year’s together and she had shown up in a yukata that had made his heart race,and when she had asked if he liked it,he would have blurted out how much he loved her,and she would have been flustered but said it back anyways. Maybe they would have spent the rest of the festival together,never letting go of each-other’s hands and buying something cute they could add to their bags to let people know they were a couple. Maybe they could have enjoyed the festival as a couple instead of as friends. 

Maybe he would have told her the day she had told him she wanted to be a social worker and he had left her behind,upset that she hadn’t told him sooner and had spent so much time studying for the U.A. entrance exam with him instead of studying for the high-school she had actually chosen. Maybe the words would have slipped out of him in a simple “I love you no matter what you choose” ,and (First Name) would have started crying because the fact that they loved each-other was enough to make everything okay,and he would have started crying when she whispered them back. Maybe they could have been happy together,attending the same high-school and laughing with people who didn’t care that they were Quirkless. 

Maybe he would have told her the day she had asked him if he wanted to go to an amusement park with her,and maybe he would have agreed instead of waving her off so he could train more. Maybe they would have had their first date that day,their faces burning when they see each-other,and maybe he would have told her she looked beautiful,because she definitely would have. Maybe they would have had so much fun that the adrenaline would have taken over and they had both said it at the same time,and then stared at each-other in shocked silence before laughing. Maybe they would have begun dating,then,and things would have been how they were supposed to be,and they could have been happy. 

What-if’s and maybe’s meant nothing now,however,not when the damage had already been done. Now that those words were out in the air,they could never return to how they were before,and Izuku couldn’t scream or cry or beg for forgiveness like he wanted to right now. Right now,the only thing Izuku could do was be there for her,just like she had always been there for him. 

“(First Name)..” 

“I know..” (First Name) kept her face buried in her hands,wishing the tears would stop already. “I know,Izu..”

“I can’t.. We can’t..” Izuku fell to his knees and just sat there,staring at her helplessly. “We can’t..”

(First Name) needed to stop crying,needed to dry her eyes and comfort him,but the tears wouldn’t stop. “I know..” 

“You don’t know,(First Name),that’s the problem.. Fuck,I’m so sorry..” Izuku couldn’t tell her,but he wanted to tell her more than anything. He wanted to tell her,just once,that he loved her. He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay,that he would always be there by her side and that nothing between them would ever change,but he couldn’t do that to her. 

“I know! I know you’re going to be a super amazing hero! I know your Quirk has some relation to All Might! I know you don’t want to put me through that sort of hell! I know because I’ve known you for my whole life!” (First Name) shouted,doing her best to smile,to offer some sort of comfort to herself and to him as well. If she could smile,she could fix this,right? He had always liked her better when she smiled,right? “I know you,Izu,and that’s all I need to know to know everything else. Don’t you dare try and tell me I don’t know when I’ve been by your side this whole time.”

If Izuku’s heart had been broken into a hundred pieces before,it was in a thousand pieces when the realization donned on him that this was it. All he had left was his dream of being a hero,and he couldn’t let (First Name) rip that away from him when it was all he had. “So what now? What more do you want from me? What else do you want?”

 (First Name) wanted answers,but she knew he couldn’t give her any. She wanted him to say it back like he wanted to,wanted to hear the words she already knew,but she knew he wouldn’t,not when it would put her in danger,so she wanted to stop wanting. Wanting things from him hurt,and wanting him in general hurt,and she hated herself for being this pathetic. She couldn’t do this anymore,and she knew he couldn’t,either,and so she knew things had to end here. 

“I’ve spent years by your side,Izu.. I’ve comforted you when you’ve broken down crying over things you can’t change,and I’ve patched up all the bruises you’ve gotten from overworking yourself.. I’ve encouraged you to follow your dream no matter what,praised you for the progress you’ve made,and cooked thousands of meals with you.. I’ve done everything I possibly could to make you happy,and you’ve done a lot for me,too,but I..” (First Name) was trembling now. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t stay by your side and watch you kill yourself. I can’t act like I’m not terrified,and I can’t force a smile every single time you tell me to.. I’m tired of it,Izu..” 

Izuku felt hollow. The moment those words left her lips,he felt hollow and hopeless,and being a hero didn’t matter anymore. He had nothing without (First Name),because (First Name) was his everything,but he had pushed her to this point and then he’d had the nerve to wonder why she had spent the last year looking hollow. He had ignored her feelings and expected her to stay by his side. He had made her come over to his house almost every day and told him about how cool his new friends were. He had broken her so many times that there was nothing left of the girl he had fallen in love with,and the only thing remaining was an empty husk. He was disgusted with himself.

“Yeah..” He muttered,knowing he had no right to stop this. “I’m sorry..” 

Part of her had wanted him to stop her,to tell her that she was wrong and he would change,but that wouldn’t have been Izuku,and she wouldn’t have believed him. “Yeah.. Yeah,me too..” 

Inko had heard the shouting,but she had been too focused on the tea to pay attention to what it was about,so she walked to Izuku’s room and knocked on the door once the tea was finished. “Izuku,(First Name),the tea is ready.”

(First Name) dried her eyes quickly when she heard Inko’s voice,knowing she wouldn’t be able to face her properly,and opened the door,keeping her eyes on the ground. “I’m gonna head home now,auntie.. Sorry..” 

Inko frowned but stepped out of the way. “Don’t worry about the tea,dear,just go home and get some rest..” 

“Thanks..” (First Name) left quickly after that,not looking back at Izuku once. 

The Midoriya household echoed with loud sobs and comforting words that night as Inko held her sobbing son and promised him everything would be okay. She didn’t make him tell her what had happened,not when she could tell they had just ended things,and she didn’t tell him to chase after her. He wouldn’t have been able to speak,anyways,not when he had just let go of the one person he loved more than anything. 

The (Last Name) household was silent that night,no words exchanged between the crying daughter and the apprehensive mother. While (Mother’s Name) wanted to reach out and comfort her,she didn’t know how,not when Inko had practically raised the girl instead,so she stayed silent. She didn’t call out to her,or ask if she was okay,or tell her everything would be okay. (First Name) wouldn’t have expected it from her,either,as she had stopped seeking comfort from her mother after her father’s death,so it was okay for her to cry alone like always. She would be okay. 

After Hanta didn’t receive a single call or text from (First Name) after three days,he went to her house,worried something had happened. He was surprised when it was her mother who answered the door,though he didn’t let it show. 

“Is (First Name) home?” 

“Yeah,she is..” (Mother’s Name) stepped to the side,assuming this kid was a friend of (First Name)’s. Once Hanta stepped inside and started heading towards (First Name)’s room,she finally worked up the courage to speak again. “Are.. Are you the one who made her cry? If you are,then please leave..”

Hanta stopped and looked at her,surprised that she actually sounded worried; (First Name) never seemed to have a good relationship with her mother,so he had always assumed the woman wouldn’t care about things like this,but that wasn’t the point right now. “She’s been crying? Do you know why?” 

“I didn’t ask..” (Mother’s Name) looked away,feeling like a shitty parent and knowing she was. “She hasn’t gone to school for three days now,though..” 

Hanta just nodded and walked off to (First Name)’s room,knocking on the door. When he didn’t get an answer,he only grew more worried. “(First Name),it’s Hanta.. Can I come in?” 

(First Name) gripped her blankets tighter and buried deeper into them,not wanting to speak at all. 

“(First Name),if you don’t answer,I’ll come in. Just tell me now if you don’t want me to and I won’t,okay? I need to see if you’re okay,” Hanta said,waiting only a minute before slowly opening the door and peering inside the dark bedroom. It was a mess,blankets and clothes and tissues thrown everywhere. He’d have to clean it later,he decided,as he walked over to her bed. “Can you speak?”

(First Name) gripped the blankets tighter and curled into herself as much as possible,desperately wishing the rest of the world would just disappear already. She was scared. 

“Well I’m glad you’re awake,” Hanta said,sitting on the edge of her bed carefully and looking over at the mass of blankets she was hiding in. “I was worried about you,ya know? You had been texting me things nearly every day and then went completely silent out of nowhere,so I thought maybe you’d completely disappeared.” 

(First Name) wanted to apologize,but she knew Hanta would tell her not to apologize,so she just hid her face further. 

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about whatever happened,but if you do,I’m right here. I’ll listen,and I won’t interrupt,and when you’re finished,we can talk about anything,I promise.. Even if it’s not about what happened,can you say something? Just so I know you’re able to?” Hanta would never force her out of the mass of blankets,he would never force her to speak,but he hoped she would trust him. He wanted to be her hero. Even if nobody else was there for her,he would be. He would never let her feel alone. 

(First Name) didn’t know how to talk about what had happened between her and Izuku. She didn’t know how to explain what it felt like to leave the side of the one person you thought you’d never lose. She didn’t know what to say to comfort Hanta,either,and make him stop worrying. So she apologized,the thing she did best when no other words would come to her. 

“Sorry..” 

“For what? You haven’t done anything to make me mad or hurt my feelings,so what are you apologizing to me for?” That one word from her made him relax,just glad she was okay. “If you’re sorry because you don’t want to talk about what’s bothering you,don’t be,okay? I’m just happy you’re able to speak. And don’t worry about not texting me,either,okay? I’ll never be mad at you for not wanting to talk.”

(First Name)’s eyes filled with tears again,and she soon began to let out little sniffles. She trusted Hanta,even though she hadn’t known him long. She trusted him because he had never given her a reason not to trust him. She trusted him because he always listened to her,even if it was something stupid or ridiculous or had nothing to do with him,and she trusted him because he was there,waiting forher,instead of forcing her into anything. 

“Why..? Why are you so nice to me?”

Hanta smiled when he heard her voice,glad she was still speaking even though she was crying. “It’s because I think you deserve someone to always be on your side. I don’t like the idea of letting someone be alone unless they need it.” 

“But I can’t do anything for you! I can’t make you happy or be strong or act like a hero! I can’t do any of that stuff!” (First Name) wanted to disappear. “I’m not a good person..” 

“But when I asked you to speak,you did,right? Even though you didn’t want to,you put your feelings aside and spoke so I wouldn’t worry. When you text or call me to let me know about the things that excited you throughout the day,or even to let me know about something that made you sad or angry,that makes me happy. You listen when I have things to say,and I listen when you do. (First Name),you just being yourself makes me happy,and I’ll never ask you to do or be anything else,” Hanta didn’t know what had broken her,but he knew it would take time to help her. “I don’t care if you’re a bad person or a good person or not even a person at all,you’re my friend,and you’re wonderful,but seeing you constantly try to act like you’re okay hurts.. It’s okay to just exist,(First Name),you don’t have to prove anything to anyone..”

(First Name) shook her head and tried to stop crying,tried to tell herself she needed to shut up or else Hanta would hate her as well,and yet she couldn’t stop the words or the tears or anything. “What do you do when you’ve lost someone that meant everything to you? What do you do when they choose to run to their death instead of you? What do you do when you’ve got nothing left? What do you do when you don’t feel anything? Because I can’t feel anything right now,Hanta.. It’s just.. Emptiness..” 

Hanta didn’t know where she was in the mass of blankets,but he hugged her anyway. Wrapping his arms around the giant pile,he pulled it close,pulling her along with it,and just held her tightly. “What you’re feeling right now is pain,(First Name),and that’s something. You’re in pain,and you’re scared,and you’re hurt by whatever choice that person made,but that’s not your fault. You did what you could for them,(First Name),and all that matters is that you tried your best. They were a fool for the choice they made,but their choices can’t decide your entire life.. You deserve to be happy,(First Name). You chose to prioritize yourself over them,and that was the best thing you could have done. If they cared about you,they wouldn’t have made the choice they did.”

“But..” (First Name) trembled,burying her face further into the blankets and towards his touch,her arms just limp at her sides as she sat there. “But what if they didn’t have a choice?”

“There is always a choice,okay? And anything they say to defend that choice is nothing more than an excuse. They chose to make that choice,nobody forced it onto them. If they chose to run to their death over staying by you,they’re an absolute idiot and don’t deserve you at all,” Hanta said,lightly pulling a little of the blankets away so there would be less room between them. “I can’t promise things will get better immediately,but I can promise to try and help if you’ll let me. Healing takes time,and I’ve got plenty of it.”

(First Name) wondered if Hanta would be saying the same thing if he knew Izuku. She wondered why he was still here,why he didn’t hate her like she hated herself. She wondered how long it would take before he hurt her,and how soon he’d push her away. She wondered if what he was saying was true,too,and she wondered if she could ever really heal. 

But (First Name) trusted Hanta. (First Name) trusted Hanta because he hadn’t pushed her away yet,even though she was Quirkless and annoying and weak. She trusted Hanta’s words,his soft reassurances and warm hugs and comforting smiles. She trusted Hanta,so she let the blankets fall off her shoulders and looked up at him,her eyes bloodshot from her tears and lips cracked from how many times she had chewed them until they bled. She was a wreck,and this time,she didn’t try to offer up a forced smile to try and make him feel better. 

Hanta looked down at her,taking in the exhausted look on her face and the anxiety accompanying it. And he smiled,because this was a start. This was (First Name) showing that she trusted him and choosing to take the first step towards healing,and he was happy. 

“Do you think you can stand? You should take a bath and then eat something light.” 

“Mm..” (First Name) leaned against him instead of getting up,not wanting to face the messy room or see her mother or devote the little energy she had towards taking a shower or eating. 

Hanta chuckled slightly,wrapping his arms around her and picking her up. He slid off her bed calmly,pressing her head in his chest so she wouldn’t see or have to worry about the messy room or anything else,and carried her out of there. “Where’s your bathroom?” 

(First Name) would have complained,but she didn’t have the energy for it,just pointing at the bathroom door quietly. 

Hanta carried her into the bathroom and sat her down calmly,starting the water and then looking through the cabinets for the towels and setting a couple out for her once he’d found them. “Look,everything’s laid out for you already.. All you have to do now is get in the shower,okay?” 

“Mm..” (First Name) looked down,waiting until he left the bathroom to strip and begin bathing. She appreciated his help. 

“Is it okay if I borrow your kitchen?” Hanta asked (Mother’s Name) when he saw her standing nearby the bathroom. “She probably won’t be able to hold much down after crying so much,but I’d at least like to see her eat a little..” 

(Mother’s Name) was startled and amazed at how the boy was acting,so she just nodded dumbly and followed him as he went to the kitchen. She didn’t know who he was or what his relationship with (First Name) was,but she was curious. “Are you two dating or something?”

“No,we’re just friends,” Hanta said,rolling his sleeves up and looking through the fridge. “She’s actually crying over a breakup right now,though.” 

(Mother’s Name) didn’t understand,and she hated it. “Then why are you doing all of that for her if you don’t love her?” 

“Do you want the honest answer or a lie,ma’am?” Hanta looked over at her,before deciding to tell her the truth anyways. “(First Name) is alone right now. You,as her mother,didn’t even know what was wrong,meaning you probably never even attempted to talk to her about it and that she’s been trying to cope with no assistance from the person she should always be able to rely on. If someone else won’t help her,I will,and even if there was someone else helping her,I would still be helping her because she’s my friend. I don’t need to love her in a romantic way to treasure her existence as a human being. I’ve seen what depression and toxic relationships do to people,and I’ll be damned before I let (First Name) go through it alone.” 

(Mother’s Name) flinched,and then became angry. “Are you trying to say I’m a bad mother?” 

“Do you honestly think you’re a good one when your daughter won’t even come to you for emotional support?” Hanta turned back to the fridge,not caring if he pissed the woman off or not. “I’m sure you’ve probably got your own reasons,but there should be nothing in this world that matters more to you than your daughter’s health and happiness.”

The time Hanta spent in the kitchen was silent after that,save for the noise of Hanta bustling around to make three servings of one of his personal favorite comfort foods; cheater’s ramen. Once it was finished,he set his serving and (First Name)’s off to the side and then busied himself with cleaning her bedroom,even going as far as starting her laundry. 

“You don’t have to do that..” (First Name) muttered when she saw him,though she wanted nothing more than to collapse into her newly-cleaned bed and sleep for the rest of her life. “I could have done it..” 

“It’s not a big deal,so don’t worry about it and just go eat. It’s alright even if you can’t eat all of it,” Hanta assured her,smiling as he finished smoothing out her blankets. “I can eat with you if you want.” 

It felt like it had been forever since her last meal with someone. “Really..?” 

“Of course. I didn’t make anything nearly as good as what my old lady could have made,but I hope you’ll still find it edible,” Hanta said,grinning as he walked past her and headed towards the kitchen. “I’m a pretty good cook,though,you know?” 

(First Name) followed him,sitting across from him once they made it to the dining room. She muttered her thanks and then began to eat,just happy she wasn’t alone for once. Things didn’t seem as scary when Hanta was around. 

It was slow,those first few days. It took time for (First Name) to prepare herself and return to her routine,but she did it,and her first day back at school came only six days after the U.A. sports festival had aired on t.v. and her separation from Izuku. Hanta had promised her things would be okay at school,but she was still anxious. 

“(Last Name),are you okay now? I heard you were sick..” A classmate named Rinko,a girl that had tried to speak to her many times before but had been shot down each time,asked when she saw her. “If you need any help catching up,I’ve been taking a bunch of notes!” 

“I’m fine..” (First Name) looked away awkwardly,not sure what to say to her. “Some.. Some help catching up with things would be nice,though..” 

Rinko’s eyes widened and lit up,ecstatic she hadn’t been shut down immediately this time. “Great! I’ll tell you everything you missed,then!” 

Later that day,Hanta received a text from (First Name) that simply stated that things really were okay,and he couldn’t help but grin to himself the rest of the day. They would take things slowly,and someday,he would be able to see (First Name) smile and laugh without fear. It would just take time,and they had plenty of it. 

May,June,and July passed by in what felt like a blur. (First Name) spent her school days slowly being surrounded by more and more people,and she spent most of her afternoons and nights hanging out at the Sero household,Hanta being the only thing holding her back from texting Izuku and taking everything back. She devoted everything she had to moving on,and soon,the first term came to a close and summer break began. While Hanta had to attend a training camp,and eventually returned with news that Katsuki had been kidnapped,(First Name) spent most of her time with some of her new friends and Hanta’s family. The last week of the break,after All Might’s skinny form was revealed and Katsuki was rescued,she finally got to spend some peaceful time with Hanta. 

“Hey,(First Name),would you wanna go to the festival?” The boy asked suddenly as he looked out the window. With everything that had happened up until now clouding his mind and stressing him out,he’d completely forgotten that they were still kids that should be out enjoying themselves. 

“The festival?” (First Name) honestly didn’t want to go,not at all,but she knew Hanta needed something to take his mind off things. “If you’re up for going,I’ll go. I think I still have my yukata.” 

“You have a yukata? What color is it?” Hanta asked,knowing she’d definitely look cute in it no matter what. 

“Oh,it’s just covered in a bunch of flowers.. It’s got some (Favorite Color) on it,though. I haven’t worn it in a while.” (First Name) didn’t want to remember the last time she’d worn it. She didn’t want to think about Izuku. 

“I haven’t worn mine in forever,either,so you can laugh at me when we meet up later,” Hanta chuckled at the thought. “I’ll see you at five by the station,okay?” 

“Alright..” (First Name) smiled a tiny bit. “See you then..” 

Hanta was amazed when he saw her that afternoon. “You look beautiful! It suits you!”

(First Name) blushed at that,glad he liked it. “You look handsome,too. Yours suits you as well.” 

Hanta grinned,holding his hand out so he could lead the way happily. “Come on,we should get going.”

(First Name) grabbed his hand,following close behind him as he led her through the crowds of people and towards the festival. Hanta’s hand was warm,and being near him made her happy. That was enough for now. 

Things changed when Hanta was forced into the dorms. While his parents didn’t like sending their son back to U.A. with villains lurking about and All Might retired,Hanta’s dream required it,so they agreed to sign him over to U.A. despite their reluctance. Hanta had apologized to (First Name),knowing they’d have to cut back on their meetings since U.A. wouldn’t just let him off campus whenever he asked,but (First Name) had promised him it would be okay and he didn’t have to worry. He trusted her. 

“Deku,have you ever met someone Quirkless?” Ochaco’s question had come out laced with curiosity one night as the classmates sat in the living room. 

Izuku visibly flinched at the question,the boy just nodding quietly. “One of my friends is Quirkless..” 

“Really? Is he really weak and powerless like those articles say?” Ochaco had missed the flinch,so her questions came out without hesitation. 

“She’s no-”

“Are you talking about the article that Present Mic assigned us for summer reading? The one talking about different types of Quirks?” Denki asked,looking over at her. 

“Yeah,I was just wondering if Deku had ever met someone without a Quirk before,” Ochaco told him,before looking back at Izuku. “You said you had,right? What’s he like?”

“Is he a weird person? I’ve heard that some of them are super weird!” Toru chimed in. “He’s a weirdo,right?” 

“Nah,I bet he’s just a big wussy! I mean,being completely powerless must suck,right?” Minoru laughed. 

“What school does he go to? What’s he studying? Is he cool?” Mina was practically bouncing up and down now.

“Ah,no.. She’s not weird or anything,she’s a lot like us,she’s just Quirkless.. It’s not like she’s inhuman or anything,she’s just herself.. I grew up with her,and she’s no different than anyone else..” Izuku muttered,looking down awkwardly. “And she goes to Rouko Academy..” 

Hanta was paying attention now,his eyes locking onto Izuku and just hoping the sinking feeling in his gut wasn’t true. 

“If you were friends with her when you were little,that means Bakugo knows her,right? Bakugo,what’s she like?” Eijiro looked over at the blond eagerly. 

“Ha?” Katsuki didn’t like talking much about his childhood; he’d rather ignore the past and the friends he’d abandoned instead of acknowledging it. Eijiro’s hopeful expression,however,made him speak,the blond glaring at Izuku as he spoke.  “If he’s talking about (First Name),then yeah,she’s normal. Only bad thing about her is that she hangs out with people who drag her down.”  

Hanta moved without thinking after Katsuki’s words confirmed his suspicions,punching Izuku in the face as hard as he could. He wasn’t a violent person,but the knowledge that the ‘oh-so-perfect’ Izuku was the same bastard who broke (First Name) into pieces made him violent. 

The rest of the class snapped into action immediately,too,some of them grabbing Hanta and pulling him back as Izuku sat there in shocked silence. 

“Sero,what was that about?!” Ochaco shouted at him as she looked at Izuku’s bleeding nose worriedly. 

“Fucking let me go!” Hanta jerked his arm against Eijiro’s,wanting just a few more hits on that broccoli-haired bastard. If Mezo wasn’t holding him back as well,he definitely would be beating Izuku up by now,and maybe then he’d feel a little bit better. He could never forgive Izuku. 

“Sero,why’re you mad a-” Izuku trailed off when he saw the look of hatred on the boy’s face,and he connected the dots instantly. “You know her? Is she okay? Fuck,has she been eating properly?” 

“Deku?” Ochaco was shocked at his sudden shift in attitude,confused as to why he was no longer focused on his bleeding nose and worrying about the Quirkless girl instead. 

“You’re worried about her now?! After everything you did to her,you have the nerve to be worried?!” Hanta managed to jerk one arm free,trying to lunge at the boy. He had never hated someone this much until now. “You piece of shit!”

“Just tell me that she’s okay!” Izuku snapped,trembling slightly. “I know I messed up,but please,just tell me she’s okay..” 

Hanta’s struggling died down as he looked at him,thinking he was nothing more than a pathetic scumbag,and he jerked his arm away when Mezo finally released him. “For your information,she’s not doing fine at all,but she’s getting better. Don’t go near her.”

Izuku’s trembling stopped at that,glad to hear that she was getting better,but he wasn’t allowed the luxury of being given time to let that sink in; Katsuki’s fist was the next to connect to his face,and the blond hadn’t held back at all,sending Izuku into the wall and moving to punch him again. Nobody moved to stop Katsuki,knowing he’d blast any of them without care,save for Eijiro,who was either brave or stupid enough to risk it. 

“Bakugo,chill out. You’ll get in trouble again,” Eijiro warned him,knowing the boy was pissed. 

“Deku,what did you do to her?” Katsuki knew it had to have been something serious if even Hanta was pissed about it,and he wouldn’t hold back if Izuku really had hurt (First Name) somehow; though he had bullied Izuku in middle school,(First Name) had been someone he never bullied simply because she understood things. The thought of Izuku breaking her in any way made his blood boil. 

“We ended things,that’s it.. We had a fight,and things ended after it..” Izuku didn’t look at his classmates,not when his eyes were full of tears he had no right to shed. “She said she couldn’t handle it anymore,so we split up.” 

Katsuki could tell that wasn’t all that had happened,but he allowed Eijiro to pull him away. “Like Soysauce said,don’t go near her again. I’m not nice enough to hold back like he is.” 

The living room was silent after that,and the class had come to an unspoken agreement to not tell their teacher about the incident. Nobody questioned Izuku,but Katsuki did question Hanta later that night. 

“Oi,Soysauce,” Katsuki said when he saw the boy looking through the fridge. His red eyes were full of anger,but it wasn’t directed at Hanta. “Spill what you know.”

Hanta looked over and shut the fridge,nodding towards the door quietly,and then leading the way outside. There,he sat down and told Katsuki everything. He told him about his initial encounters with (First Name),told him about the time they had spent together so far,and told him about how hollow she looked sometimes. The more he talked,the angrier he grew at Izuku,hating that the boy had the nerve to act like some valiant hero when he couldn’t even save the girl who loved him. 

And Katsuki listened in silence. Not once did he make a noise,not once did he question him or yell; Katsuki Bakugo was silent,and yet that silence was more terrifying than a thousand soldiers aiming guns could ever be. It was only after Hanta had finished speaking did he finally pipe up. 

“(First Name)’s a weakling,but she’s always been tough in her own right,” The blond said,staring at the gate blankly. “Constantly defending Deku,saying he’d be a great hero one day after abandoning her own dream.. I hate her for it for a while,so I’m glad hearing all this.” 

“Bakugo,watch what you say..” Hanta spat. Even though he knew he couldn’t win against Katsuki,he wouldn’t let him talk badly about (First Name). 

“She’s got tenacity,so she’ll be fine. Once she dedicates herself to something,it takes a hell of a lot to stop her,” Katsuki sighed,rubbing the back of his neck and standing up. “Once she’s ready,bring her here. I’d like to see her as her own person instead of that damn nerd’s pet.” 

Hanta’s eyes widened at that,watching as the blond retreated inside,and for a moment,he wondered how many people had shared Katsuki’s sentiments; how many people had Izuku’s presence driven away from (First Name)? How many people had wanted to see her laugh and smile,free from worrying about how that boy felt? Even one was too many. 

Hanta’s resolve to be there for (First Name) strengthened after that night. He wanted to prove to Katsuki,and to (First Name) herself,that things had gotten better. It would just take time. 

It was November when Hanta finally invited (First Name) to U.A.,after she had practically begged him to let her attend the cultural festival so she could see the performance and Nezu had agreed because she was a Quirkless,harmless girl that might be able to help with Eri in the future. The only condition was that (First Name) wasn’t allowed to bring anyone else,which Hanta had agreed to immediately. Hanta hadn’t told her about the fight with Izuku or his conversation with Katsuki. 

It was after the performance when things fell apart. (First Name) had seemed fine when she had seen Izuku on stage,more focused on Hanta,but now there was no loud music blaring to distract her. So when she felt a hand grab hers and turned to congratulate Hanta,only to find Izuku there instead,she was unprepared and just.. Froze. 

“(First Name),hey..” Izuku looked down,realizing he had grabbed her hand and letting go immediately. “Um,I heard.. Well..” 

(First Name) wanted to see Hanta,and she wanted away. She wanted to be far,far away from Izuku. 

It was Mina who came to save her. After watching them for a few minutes and coming to the realization that the girl was (First Name),she intervened immediately. “Hey,(First Name),Sero’s this way!” She said,throwing her arm around the girl’s shoulder and steering her away from Izuku quickly. 

“Hey,Mina,I wasn’t done talk-” 

“Bye,Deku.” (First Name) interrupted him and pressed into the girl’s side without looking back,hoping it would be enough to make Izuku realize she had meant it when she had said things were over; she had worked so hard,but a few words from him had nearly shattered everything she had built up. She hated it. 

Salvation came when Hanta saw her distressed look and hugged her without asking a single question. Salvation came in the form of muttered reassurances that everything would be okay,in the form of gentle promises that he wouldn’t leave her side for even a moment the rest of the day. Salvation came in the form of Hanta’s very presence,and it was what (First Name) treasured most. 

That day was spent meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones. That day was spent with Katsuki and Mina and Denki and Eijiro and Kyoka and Hanta,laughing and eating junkfood and just enjoying being alive. That day was the first of many the group would spend together,and all thoughts of Izuku vanished the moment Katsuki gave her a half-assed introduction and said he was happy to meet her,because that alone proved she had changed,and that was enough. 

Feet firm on the ground,we stood hand in hand,the world seemed to tell me that I have a plan

Together we sang,”I’m ready now.”

Time passed quickly,and soon,the peaceful days seemed like nothing more than distant memories. War came sooner than everyone had anticipated,and it was only when Hanta called her at three in the morning and told her they needed to meet up did the reality of things truly set in. 

“What are you talking about?” She stared at him with wide eyes. “You’re not seriously going,are you?” 

“I can’t be the only one that stays behind,(First Name).. The hero commission has decided that us students at U.A. are needed to win,so I have to go..” Hanta looked at the ground,his own anxiety at an all-time high. He didn’t want to die. “All of us are going,and there will be a bunch of pro heroes there as well.. We’ll have a good chance of capturing Shigaraki and putting all of this to an end..” 

“What about you,Hanta? Do you really think..?” (First Name) shook her head and leaned further into the bench she was sitting on; a park really wasn’t a good place for this kind of talk. “Do you really think you guys will be able to win?”

“We’ll win because we have to,” Hanta said,still unable to look at her; he didn’t want to make her worry about this sort of thing,but he couldn’t abandon his friends. “I’m sorry..” 

(First Name) trusted Hanta,she really did,but she didn’t trust that the heroes could win. “If I asked you to stay,you’d still go,right?” 

“Yeah,I would,so.. Please don’t ask me to stay..” Hanta hated that he was choosing to act like a hero over listening to her,but he couldn’t bring himself to run away now. “I’ll be home soon,though,so.. I’m sorry,but can you please wait for me to come back? I’ll take you to that store you mentioned and we can get anything you want,I promise.” 

“Promise you’ll come back? Promise you’ll be careful?” She asked,looking at him. She knew promises weren’t always possible to keep,but she trusted Hanta.

“I promise,” Hanta said,giving her the biggest grin he could manage. “I’ll be home before you know it.” 

It was when (First Name) saw the news on t.v. that she realized Hanta might not be coming home after all. Since she had wanted to be among the first to see her friends when they returned,she had been sitting with Eri and Toshinori when it happened. 

“Are they gonna be okay?” Eri asked,looking up at the retired hero curiously. “It looks scary.” 

“They have a lot of pro heroes with them,so they’ll be fine. We just have to wait,” Toshinori said,unaware that (First Name) could see through his facade. 

(First Name) couldn’t cry. She couldn’t scream. She couldn’t turn the t.v. off and act like it wasn’t happening. She could do nothing but watch as the city her friends were stationed near was destroyed. She was silent that day. 

But the battle came to an end,and lives were lost. The heroes had captured the giant monster,but Tomura Shigaraki had evaded capture,as did some of his allies. Nobody knew for sure who had died,but that didn’t matter when there were monsters at their doors. 

Iko was no longer calling her phone,too busy praying that her son would be among the survivors. (First Name) missed the buzzing noise it made,and she missed the feeling of understanding between them. 

(Mother’s Name) didn’t call,either,just staring at the television in silent shock. The weak relationship she had tried to build up with her daughter over the last few months seemed to vanish into nothingness. (First Name) would have laughed had the woman’s existence crossed her mind.

Toshinori moved,though. Toshinori ran away like the coward he was,fleeing to Central Hospital and leaving (First Name) with Eri. Eri was crying,the battle having scared her thoroughly. (First Name) could only hold her close and try to reassure her that things would be okay,though her own voice was trembling.  

It was dark out when Nezu entered the room and found them there,both girls too anxious to sleep. He led them to a bunker,far from U.A.’s campus,and told them to hide inside; Quirks wouldn’t be able to break it down,not with the material it was made out of,so they would be safe. They couldn’t think of the rampaging villains outside or the lives lost; mourning would have to wait until they were safe. 

And he made them lock the door themselves,told them to only open it when they were completely sure everything would be okay. He told them things would be fine,it would just take time for people to settle down,and there was a year’s worth of food and water there,so they would be okay. Everything would be okay. 

(First Name) held onto that sentiment,too. She held onto the thought that things would be okay,because that was what had gotten her this far in the first place; someday,everything would be okay.

 Her phone had died by the second day,and the cell towers had been destroyed anyways,so she couldn’t have contacted anyone even if it were charged. Eri’s crying spells were random,but they were easy to manage since the girl had been gaining better control over her emotions during her time at U.A. and was quite mature for her age. 

(First Name) kept track of the days at first,continuously telling herself that it would just take one more day. One more day,and the noise outside would stop and things could go back to how they were before. One more day,and she could be laughing with Class 1-A and teasing Katsuki with Hanta and Denki again. One more day,and they would be okay. 

Two weeks after the war was when reinforcements from overseas arrived. Pro heroes from all over came to help detain the villains that had popped up and restore order. U.A. students were under strict orders to remain at Central Hospital the entire time,and contact with their families was banned for now in order to prevent any misinformation from leaking to the public. Hanta was a nervous wreck the entire time,and tensions boiled over with occasional spats breaking out between classmates. He did his best to stay calm. 

The moment Izuku was awake and they were all informed about the truth of his Quirk,Hanta understood why he had pushed (First Name) away,but he still wouldn’t forgive him for it; he could never forgive anyone for hurting (First Name). 

Once the majority of the public was under control and the threat of villains attacking was as minimal as it could be for now,the students were released to return to their families. Some of them returned in packs since they lived in the same areas,others went alone. 

Izuku’s heart had been racing when he saw that his home was untouched. He had run up the stairs and straight into his waiting mother’s arms,clinging to her and breaking down like the scared child he was; he had been terrified this entire time,thinking she might have been hurt,and now he was terrified she would be hurt in the future. 

Mother and son sobbed together,with Toshinori watching them helplessly from the sidelines. A whole pack of heroes was there to guard them,ready for a fight at any moment,but they were fine for now. The reunion was cut short when Inko mentioned (First Name). 

“Is (First Name) okay? There were attacks in her neighborhood,and I was so scared,and I just..” Inko was trembling,terrified the girl had been killed. 

“I’ll go ch-” 

“She was at U.A. the last I heard. I left her with Eri,” Toshinori interrupted his student,knowing the boy wanted to rush off immediately. “We can check on her later.” 

“No,no,there were attacks there,too! She could have been hurt!” Inko started to push Izuku away,pushing him towards the stairs. As much as she wanted her son to stay with her forever,especially after everything that had happened,she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if something had happened to the girl she had practically raised. “You need to make sure she’s okay!”

Hanta was in much of the same boat. Unlike Izuku,he wasn’t given a large escort,only a single pro hero guarding him as he walked down the street to his house. The house was half-destroyed,but there was nobody dead since they had hidden in the neighbor’s basement. His family only suffered minor injuries,but what worried him most was the fact that (First Name) wasn’t among them. 

“(First Name)’s not with you guys?” Hanta asked,pulling away from his mother’s hug. 

“She said she would be waiting at U.A. for you,” Iko said,seeing the anxious look in her son’s eyes and sighing. “Go ahead and go there. We’re fine,Hanta.” 

“I’ll be back soon,then..” Hanta said,turning to run off quickly. Wherever (First Name) was,he would go. 

The boys converged upon the ruins of U.A. at almost the exact same time,Izuku showing up slightly later than Hanta. Both their hearts dropped at the realization that there were likely no survivors of whatever happened there. 

Hanta looked for survivors first. He followed all signs of people he could find,but he found nobody dead or alive. He prayed they weren’t buried under the rubble somewhere. 

Izuku was loud. He yelled their names. He dug through the rubble,the stones scraping his hands,and moved rocks out of the way. He looked for any sign of life,listened for any response,but there was nothing. He was terrified,and nothing his mentor tried to do could stop him from continuing the search. 

It was only when Nezu came out of hiding did they find out where the girls were,and the boys had never run so fast in their lives once they had been told their location. Izuku beat Hanta there easily,but Hanta was close behind him. 

“(First Name)! Eri!” Izuku shouted as he banged on the door. 

Eri perked up at the noise and moved towards the door,only to have (First Name) pull her back and cover her mouth,hissing that it might not really be Izuku out there; Eri was an important child with an important Quirk that villains were after,and Izuku was the one who had saved her,so obviously someone would masquerade as Izuku to get to her. She couldn’t risk it. 

“(First Name)! Are you guys okay? Hey,open the door! It’s safe now!” Izuku tried to pull the door off its hinges,but even he couldn’t get it to budge. 

Eri stayed quiet like (First Name) told her to,but she trusted that it was Izuku at the door. She wanted out of this stupid bunker. 

“Move,” Hanta hissed as he pushed Izuku out of the way,gripping the handle of the bunker door. He knew he could get (First Name) to open the door. “(First Name),are you okay? Can you speak?” 

(First Name) pressed further against the wall when she heard Hanta’s voice,but she still couldn’t bring herself to open the door. The two weeks of constant noise and people banging on the door had been enough to keep her from even going near it. 

“Hey,mom is waiting for us,you know?” Hanta asked,leaning closer to the door. “She was more worried about you than she was about the house being destroyed.” 

“How.. How do I know you’re really yourself?” (First Name) asked,her hold on Eri loosening.”Say something only you would know.”

Hanta knew a lot about (First Name) that he doubted anyone else did. He knew that she didn’t like crying in front of other people. He knew she didn’t like certain things in her ramen,and that she hated certain smells. He knew she was terrified of losing people over the smallest things,and he knew that she was insecure about the fact she was Quirkless. He knew she was awkward around kids,but she wanted to teach them to be kind and compassionate. He knew (First Name). But one thing stood out the most to him,because he knew for a fact nobody else knew it. 

“It’s just a cold,calm down,” Hanta said as he watched the girl pace around the small room for the umpteenth time. “He’ll be fine.”

“I know it’s just a cold,but what if he stops breathing? What if his throat swells up or he gets scared and wants us there?” (First Name) asked,anxiety radiating off of her in waves. 

Hanta had never really been told the full story of what had happened to her father,but he had a feeling it had something to do with her anxiety right now. “Why are you so worried about it? Ichi’s strong,he’ll bounce back quickly.” 

“But what if he doesn’t? What if he just..” (First Name) gnawed on her lip as she looked over at the sleeping boy,watching as his chest rose and fell with each breath he took. She was terrified it could stop at any moment. 

“Is that what happened to your dad?” Hanta asked,frowning when he saw her flinch. “(First Name),can we talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to talk about. He died because he got sick,that’s it,” (First Name) said,not looking at him. “If I had been able to give him his medicine on time,it wouldn’t have happened.”

“You and I both know that’s not true,” Hanta grabbed her hand,pulling her down so she was sitting beside him. “Your dad got really sick,right? You know that’s cancer,not a cold,and no medicine could have stopped that,right? You were a child,and that was it.” 

“But I didn’t give it to him.. I tried really,really hard,but I still forgot..” (First Name) gripped his hand,staring at the bedsheets now to distract herself. “It’s stupid to be afraid of a cold,I know,but I just.. I can’t help but think it might happen..”

“It’s because that was traumatic for you,(First Name). You don’t have to act like you’re not afraid. If you want to cry,cry. I’m right here,” Hanta promised,bringing her hand to his face and kissing the back of it. “I won’t let go of your hand or tell you to just smile or laugh it off,either,okay? I’m right here.”

And (First Name) did. She broke down into sniffles and quiet sobs,gripping his hand tightly and burying herself in his chest when even that wasn’t enough comfort for her. She knew it would sound silly to anyone else,but Hanta took her fears seriously and helped her feel better about them. She was glad he was there,because Hanta was the person she trusted most.

“I know that back when you spent the night at my place for the first time,you were scared because Ichi was sick. You thought he’d die because you couldn’t help but think of your father,” Hanta said,his grip on the handle tightening. “I know you blamed yourself for your father’s death and that you thought your mother hated you for it,and I know you want to forgive her for neglecting you while she was mourning but you can’t because there is no excuse for neglecting a child.” 

And (First Name) moved from the corner quickly,unlocking the door and pushing it open slightly. When Hanta pulled it the rest of the way open,and she saw him there,saw the look of relief and adoration on his face,and hugged him tightly. She buried her face in his chest as she was hugged back,clinging to him as if he would disappear. 

Izuku was happy she was okay,but seeing her clinging to Hanta so desperately hurt. He distracted himself with Eri,picking her up and comforting her as she cried. He was a hero before anything,and that meant he couldn’t wallow in self-pity any longer. 

The entirety of Class 1-A was an emotional mess that day. Some had lost friends,some had lost their homes,and an unlucky few had lost family members. They were all terrified of what would come next. 

Eri helped where she could. Though her control over her Quirk was still iffy,she managed to reverse most of the damage done to the surviving pro heroes. Gran Torino had died before she arrived,but there was little time for grieving when the country was in chaos. 

The heroes from overseas managed to help in many places. Meals were provided with no charge,and families were slowly beginning to be reunited. They were trying their best to rebound,but with the news of the corruption having become public,most of society was against even those who were helping them. 

Enji Todoroki’s press conference came only a day after U.A. announced that it would be temporarily shutting down,and the man told those willing to listen that he would no longer be a hero if it meant fighting his own son. He was ridiculed and faced backlash like no other,but few people felt any pity for the man after what he had done in the past. Redemption was earned,not given,and it would take a long time for people to even begin thinking about forgiving him. They just had to try. 

(First Name) had spent the first few days with the Sero family,helping them find what little had survived the destruction and doing her best to tell them things would be okay. She didn’t want to face what might be waiting for her at home,and when she was finally ready to,Hanta walked with her,the duo silently passing destroyed buildings and arguing people on their way. She was scared,but she didn’t want to just run away from things again.

During her time in that bunker,(First Name) had decided to face her fears head-on. She had decided she would never run away from things ever again,no matter how scary it might be,and that she would live however she wanted. She would keep moving forward,just like Hanta had said she would. 

“Are you scared?” Hanta asked her when he realized they were only a few streets away from her house. 

“Yeah,” (First Name)’s grip on his hand tightened. “I am.” 

Hanta blinked a few times,surprised that she was still walking even though her hands were trembling,and then smiled. He had noticed she was healing,of course,but he’d never noticed how strong she’d become until then; for (First Name) to keep walking even while trembling like this meant she was ready to know whether she’d lost her mother and her home like many others had. “I believe you.” 

(First Name) looked at him and smiled,and even though everything was an absolute mess and society was crumbling around them,she wasn’t afraid. Somehow,with some stroke of luck or fate or whatever the hell people called it,she had met this dork and had found out that even the most horrible of terrors could be beaten over time,and that was what made her trembling stop and her fears vanish. 

“Thanks,Hanta.” 

“Of course,” Hanta said,turning the corner onto her street and smiling when he saw that her apartment building had gone unscathed. “I guess the villains didn’t manage to get to this area.” 

(First Name) looked up at the building and nodded,heading up the stairs and towards the apartment. She froze at the door for a moment,knowing there could be anything on the other side of the door,and then knocked anyway. She would face whatever the world had planned for her.

(Mother’s Name) opened the door just a crack at first,peering out and freezing when she saw her daughter. The door was flung open completely in an instant,the woman hugging her daughter tightly and gripping her close. She had never been the best mother,but the last few weeks had reminded her that she had nothing left besides the little girl she had once treasured. “I.. I’m so sorry.. I thought I’d lost you..” 

(First Name) had always tried to forgive her mother. She had always tried to defend the woman’s cruel words,had always known her mother was just suffering from losing her husband. She had hated herself her entire life for her father’s death,and she had accepted her mother’s hatred as punishment for it. But she hadn’t been able to forgive her mother,and she may never forgive her mother. She may never forgive her for neglecting her,and that was okay,but she wanted to forgive,and she had started with forgiving herself.

She had started forgiving herself the first time she cracked a smile at one of the girls at school and they told her she looked pretty,and she didn’t deny it that time,because she felt pretty,so she didn’t feel like she was lying to them or to herself. She had started forgiving herself when she went out and had fun after school instead of running to Izuku’s house to help him train and talk to him,and she had made friends because of it. She had started forgiving herself when she laughed at a joke for the first time and her eyes didn’t dart to see everyone else’s reaction,and she found people laughing with smiles as bright as the one she had as a kid,and she realized that she’s allowed to laugh without fear. She had started forgiving herself when she had found her own form of happiness that nobody could take away from her,and the fact that she didn’t need anyone’s approval to just exist and had friends who would get angry for her sake was one of the things that made her happiest. 

(First Name) had begun forgiving herself,and now she was able to forgive other people,and her mother’s apology meant that she was ready to change. (First Name) would give her a chance,too,and not just because it was her mother,but because the way the woman was clinging to her let her know she had truly been afraid. 

Hanta knew,too. Hanta knew that they might be able to patch things up,even though their relationship may always be strained,and that this was likely the first step of many. He knew that (First Name) was probably scared of forgiving her mother,apprehensive at the thought of being abandoned once more,but that she was willing to try. He knew that society was changing,and people would have to change with it. Most of all,Hanta knew he would never let go of the hand that was still gripping his own. 

Something new,something strange; ten feet taller,I had changed

I believe you,I’m not wrong. Oh,it suits me to feel strong. 

Six months. Six months of tension,of waiting to be attacked from any direction at any time,before people finally calmed down. Most of the buildings had already been rebuilt,and the total number of casualties reported after Tomura’s escape and All For One’s subsequent release from Tartarus and his rampage,tallied up to over 8,000. They had captured nearly 17,000 villains that day,but the blow to society was deep. Numerous pro heroes who couldn’t take the pressure resigned from their positions,casting even more doubt on what the definition of a hero really was and making people more and more anxious. The persistence of the heroes from overseas eventually paid off,however,and society soon began to settle down a little at a time. A national-ordered curfew was set at 6 p.m.,and anyone out past that time was to be detained for questioning immediately. It was rough,but society had to have some semblance of order to it,and so they all settled into their new roles. 

When (First Name) was told that U.A. would be resuming their hero training once again,she was appalled. Hanta only managed to calm her down after explaining to her that U.A. students were still being hunted,and sitting around at home would only make the villains attack them there,so the school was the safest place for them right now. (First Name) still hated it. 

Hanta hated it as well. When he walked into the rebuilt dorms,void of all the fun colors and pictures they had decorated it with before the destruction,he hated it. He hated this emptiness. 

“I know you all have had months off,and that it has been difficult with everyone. With society going through changes and people questioning the meaning of heroes,we’re going to be scrutinized no matter what moves we make from this point on,” Shouta said,his heart completely shattered at what he was going to have to tell these children. These were children they had sent off to war,children they had brainwashed into accepting the pain and burden of the failures of their predecessors,and here he was,asking them to do it again. He hated himself,but he had to do it,because nobody else would tell them the truth. “I will tell you all now that if any of you are unprepared to experience hell like what we had six months ago,you should resign from U.A. immediately. People are going to die. We are going to be attacked. You won’t be able to save everyone no matter how hard you try. Those are the dark truths of being a hero.” 

Hanta clenched his fists,but he didn’t move from his seat. He wouldn’t run away. He had to be strong. 

“Over the last six months,The League has gone unseen,and we are all under the assumption that they have been recovering from their injuries. That means that we’re probably almost out of time,and they will attack soon and target Midoriya,” Shouta wanted them to leave,wanted these children to run out of here and give up on throwing their lives away,but he could tell they wouldn’t leave. No matter what their reasons were for becoming a hero,these kids were either brave or stupid enough to keep pursuing it even after what had happened during the war. “If word were to get out that we have opened our doors again,U.A. would probably be shut down forever. Therefore,we are not technically reopening,and you all are technically not my students right now. We are to move without drawing attention from the public.”

And just like the well-trained soldiers they had become,they barked out their agreement in unison,prepared to throw their lives down no matter the cost. They would abandon everything they had to protect what little remained of society,they would willingly toss aside their humanity for a shot at protecting what they loved,and that was what being a ‘hero’ meant to them now. 

And Class 1-A set to work doing unofficial hero work. They helped wherever they could,and they did it all in civilian clothing,being careful not to stand out too much. But they were listening carefully,desperate to find some sort of clue as to the location of The League. They had no intel. 

(First Name) watched them in silence. She watched her friends as they turned into machines,watched as they all suppressed their emotions and cast aside their humanity for the sake of a meaningless title. She watched and she waited with bated breath,desperate to believe that there may be something good in what little they were desperately clinging to,and she found nothing. When she looked at their exhausted faces and cracked fingertips and forced smiles,she didn’t care about staying silent anymore,because she wouldn’t stand idly by while they threw away their lives.

It was Izuku who sent the text to the entire class,telling them to check the news. They did as told without hesitation. 

“Your name is (First Name) (Last Name),correct?” The reporter asked as he looked at the girl. “You’re a first-year representing Rouko Academy,right?” 

(First Name) wouldn’t back down. “Yes,sir.”

“And it says here that you are representing Rouko Academy’s students and faculty,is that correct?” He wanted this kid off his stage. 

“I am,” (First Name) said,not looking away from him. “I was told by my teacher that you all wanted a statement on what steps we are taking,and I was chosen to announce them.” 

“Very well. You should start by saying what the students are doing to help people,” He leaned into his chair calmly. “And you should be willing to share what you’re doing as well,of course.” 

(First Name) had prepared herself for this for a long time. She had agonized over every little detail,scoured the internet and searched the library over and over again,just trying to find the right words to say. But now that it was time,none of that mattered. “The students of Rouko Academy are not responsible for helping people. We are not responsible for picking up the trash left behind by our predecessors,and we are not willing to throw away our lives for some shallow praise.”

He was paying attention now. “And wha-” 

“We are children,not soldiers. We are people,not machines. We are constantly being forced to shoulder the blame for problems we never even caused,and we are then bashed for not being ‘perfect children’ when we’ve never been given a chance to be children at all. We are told,over and over and over again,that we are supposed to be okay with throwing our lives away for the sake of strangers who have done nothing to deserve it and would never do the same in return,and we are stuck in this cycle of praising people for that kind of reckless behavior,” (First Name) interrupted him,clenching her fists. “Throwing your life away under the pretense of helping or saving someone will never make you a hero,it’s just an excuse people make when they don’t care enough about their lives. The reason we’re in this mess in the first place is because society relied on All Might and made him into some godly being,but at the end of the day,we’re all just humans. We’re all weak. We can all be killed. Forcing children to act like heroes just so you can feel better about yourself is ridiculous.” 

He needed to take back control,reel in the conversation a little more,so he cleared his throat loudly. “Is this sentiment shared by the majority of the student body and faculty?” 

“I can’t say everyone agrees with it with utmost certainty,but I know they understand it,sir,” (First Name) said,looking at him. “I know that there are people who go to bed every single night,terrified they might not wake up the next day,and that those same people still go to work each and every day because they’re ‘heroes’. I know there are people who will work themselves to the point that every muscle and bone in their body is in excruciating pain,and they’ll lie to themselves and say that they’re happy about it because that makes them a hero,but the word hero means nothing if they aren’t allowed to fall in love or laugh or even just exist without the constant fear of scrutiny. I know there are people who are in love with someone they feel like they can never hold,and so they stay silent and do their best to act like it’s not important to them when it’s really everything to them,and I know those people will devote themselves wholeheartedly to being a hero,even if it costs them everything. I know there are people who are kind,people who are beautiful,and people who are sweet. I know there are people who are mean,people who are distant,and people who are silent. I know there are millions of people out there,and that heroes matter so much to those people,but relying on kids and expecting them to act like those heroes is wrong.” 

He couldn’t deny it. He couldn’t tell her she was wrong,not when he knew that people would be on her side. But he had to say something. “What do you want,then?” 

“I want to see kids my age being kids. I want to see adults taking responsibility for their actions and acknowledging the fact that heroes are people as well. I want to see people laugh and cry and argue without the constant threat of death looming over their heads. I want all of us to move forward and stop pushing the blame onto other people. Society messed up,and that’s okay,we’re going to make mistakes,but we need to own up to those mistakes and fix them. Acting like they aren’t there isn’t going to help anyone,” (First Name) knew better than anyone that it would take time. “Change doesn’t happen overnight. By the time things have really changed and people believe in us,I’ll probably be on my deathbed. It could take hundreds of years for all I know,but I don’t care. I’m not asking people to believe me immediately,I’m just asking for a small amount of trust. I’m asking people to take things one step at a time and be patient,not rush in headfirst. If we can take just one step,we can change things over time. We can fix things.”

Izuku would make sure there would be a world like that,a world where people could laugh and cry and argue without fear,just like (First Name) wanted. He couldn’t fix what he’d done to her,but he could help fix this broken system he had foolishly idolized as a kid. And for a moment,only a moment,he was amazed at how strong she had become without him; he’d have to catch up soon. 

Hanta would do his best to be a kid. He would do his best to stay out of danger,to stop pushing himself beyond his limits and hurting himself under the guise of becoming a hero. He couldn’t promise that things would be easy,not when he knew they were in for a hard time,but he could promise to be there. He could promise to be Hanta Sero instead of Cellophane,at least around her. 

And it was after the interview had concluded and they cut for commercials when the reporter finally approached the girl,asking a question that had been burning in his throat since the beginning of the interview. 

“Do you really believe things can change given time?” 

(First Name) knew things could change. She had changed,after all,and so had everyone else. Things changed all the time,and it was perfectly fine to be scared or nervous or excited about anything. People deserved to just exist and live happily. “I do.” 

Class 1-A was silent after that,and Hanta didn’t text (First Name) for a few days. And things changed only three days later when a man with a red scarf showed up on her doorstep. A man (First Name) now knew to be Stain. 

“We need to talk,” The man said,staring at her face. “I think you could help me.” 

(First Name) didn’t know why,but she stepped out of the way. She wasn’t afraid of him,not when he looked like a cornered rat. She doubted he would attack her,so she led him to the dining room and nodded to the table calmly. “Sit and talk.”

“You know some of the kids at U.A.,right?” Stain asked,sighing when he saw the look on her face. “I haven’t been stalking you,so calm down. I fought a kid back in Hosu that had a picture of you as his phone background. Izuku Midoriya,right?”

“I know him. What do you want with him,though?” (First Name) asked,raising an eyebrow. “Why are you here,Stain?” 

“Watch your tone,kid,” Stain growled,before sighing. “Two members of The League joined those bastards because Shigaraki used my name for publicity. One of them contacted me the other day and said that All For One bastard was using them and plans on killing Midoriya. I want to stop that.” 

“So you came to me? How did you even find me?” (First Name) asked,sitting down and sighing. 

“That interview on t.v. told me your name,and it was easy enough to find you after that,” Stain admitted,stretching slightly. “But you have to be close to Midoriya if he had you as his phone background,right? Call him.”

“If you want our help,you’ll get arrested. Are you prepared for that?” (First Name) asked,looking at him. “If you help capture The League,your sentence will be lessened,but you won’t be free.” 

“I know,” Stain was completely relaxed. “Call it a personal vendetta against Shigaraki for using my name and ruining my ideology,or call it making amends,but I’ll do whatever it takes to save them. Those kids deserve to live.”

 And so (First Name) pulled out her phone,and for the first time in nearly a year,she called Izuku. She called him and told him that he needed to come to her house with Katsuki immediately,said it was something important and that they needed to hear her out. And Izuku came as soon as he could. 

“Why do you have that guy with you?” Katsuki snarled when he saw Stain,prepared for a fight immediately. 

“I said that you guys needed to hear me out,” (First Name) said,before nodding at Stain. “He’ll help take down The League,but he has a few conditions. I do,too.” 

“What do you mean you have ‘conditions’?” Izuku asked,looking at her curiously. 

“I want to talk to Mr.Compress,” (First Name) didn’t look away from him now. “And I want you guys to hear Stain out.” 

“This is illegal,you know that,right?” Katsuki finally quit glaring at Stain,looking at (First Name) instead. “You’re working with a villain.” 

“If Kiri or Denki were being held captive by a homicidal maniac that hates people,would you sit back quietly?” (First Name) stared back at him. “He’s trying to save them,and he’s already agreed that he will peacefully go to prison afterwards. If we want to get rid of All For One,this is our best chance.” 

Izuku wouldn’t doubt her. He was already mumbling as he scribbled down a plan in his notebook quickly,his hand moving quickly until the entire page was covered in notes. 

It took hours before they managed to take Stain to U.A. and brief their teachers on the situation. Toshinori denied their plan vehemently,saying it was too dangerous to attack All For One first,but a single glare from (First Name) silenced him immediately. When (First Name) finally mentioned wanting to meet Mr.Compress,she was surprised when Hizashi said he would set it up for her,and she was sitting across from the man only a day after Stain appeared at her door. 

“Mr.Compress,do you happen to remember me?” (First Name) asked,looking at him calmly. “Back when I was a kid,my dad introduced me to you. He said you were a friend of his.” 

Atsuhiro wouldn’t look at the girl. He wouldn’t speak. He would not put on a show for her and betray The League. 

“It’s fine even if you don’t remember me,” (First Name) sighed,wondering what she should say to get him to talk. “Do you know what happened to The League back then?”

Atsuhiro nearly turned his head,nearly fell into this obvious trap she had set out,but he managed to hold onto his resolve. 

“Tomura Shigaraki’s body was taken over by All For One,and his exhausted body was then used to free him and many other villains. Himiko Toga and Spinner are currently being held hostage and used by All For One while they try to recover,” (First Name) knew she had him now for sure. “And I’m here because I can do nothing but hope you would be willing to work with the heroes to save them.” 

“Locking them in Tartarus isn’t saving them!” Atsuhiro shouted,jerking at his chains suddenly. “They’d be better off dying!” 

“You have seen the Nomu,correct? What do you think is stopping him from turning them into one of those monsters?” (First Name) didn’t flinch,staring him down. “They need to repent for their crimes,and if you work with us,we can try and convince them to put them in a prison other than Tartarus. We can’t save them unless we have help,though,and we need you there.” 

Atsuhiro had seen the Nomu nearly a dozen times now,and each time,his skin had crawled at their hideousness. Each time he had seen those monsters walking about,unable to function unless given orders,he had been terrified he would someday become like them. The thought of Toga or Spinner becoming one of those monsters,and the knowledge that Tomura was likely in pain because of his incomplete form,made his decision easy. 

“I’ll help.”

Many people came to help,actually. A week after Atsuhiro was successfully recruited to their side,Class 1-A and Class 1-B,along with a handful of heroes and two villains,launched their attack. 

It started simple; surprise the villains and attack them in specified groups. It worked like a charm,too,and they successfully launched their attacks all at once. 

Shoto,Tenya,Hanta,and Hitoshi were up against Dabi,just like Izuku had planned. 

Dabi had awoken to a weight landing on his stomach,knocking the air out of him and making him sit up as he gasped for air and looked around in a panic,only to find there was a chunk of ice on his stomach and a group of teenagers in his temporary room. He sent out a blast of his flames,growling when Shoto’s ice blocked them. 

“Endeavor would be disappointed to see you like this,brother,” Shoto said,the words tasting like bile in his mouth. He just had to get his brother talking. “And sis was crying a lot.” 

“Go burn in hell!” Dabi shouted,sending a blast of flames at him and continuing to spray them there,wanting to melt the ice and kill the bastard. 

Shoto kept the ice wall up,nodding to Hitoshi behind it. He would do whatever it takes to capture his brother,even if it means cheating. 

“Have you gotten weaker?” 

Dabi’s anger burned even brighter now,his flames growing much hotter. “I’ll ki-” 

“Got him,” Hitoshi said as he took control of Dabi,making the man just stand there and nodding to Tenya and Hanta to follow up. “Get him.” 

“Roger that!” Tenya bolted over to the man and knocked him out,Hanta wrapping him up tightly in tape for now and putting some Quark-canceling gloves on him. 

Ochaco,Ibara,and Tsuyu launched their attack on Himiko at the same time. Ochaco had tried to do it peacefully at first,tried to convince her that there were good heroes out there,but Himiko attacked them. Ibara managed to restrain her before she could reach for the knives Tsuyu had already taken,keeping her wrapped tight in the vines. It was Ochaco that knocked her out after that,placing her in the cuffs with a muttered apology. 

A larger group attacked All For One,taking as many precautions as possible to minimize the  potential of casualties. 

Mineta and Kojiro trapped the man while Shouta kept him under control using his Quirk,making sure the bastard couldn’t hurt any of his students. Katsuki,Denki,and Mina continuously traded off attacking and dodging,giving each-other ample time to recover and not overwork themselves. Togaru,Rin,and Keigo guarded Shouta,making sure nothing would hurt the teacher,and Pony kept attacking the man with her horns from afar while Eijiro,Tetsutetsu,and Edgeshot attacked him up-close. They were all in sync,all desperately waiting for the moment the battle might shift and they might need to escape. 

It was Katsuki who landed the final hit that incapacitated the man,and they moved to restrain him in an instant after that. Quirk-canceling gloves were placed on him,and Atsuhiro turned him into a marble instantly,handing it over to Katsuki since he knew he could be trusted to keep them safe. He compressed Himiko and Dabi,too,but left Spinner free since the boy was staying beside Stain. 

Muscular was taken down by Momo,Yuga,Toru,Kinoko,Shihai,Yui,Reiko,and Yosetsu. Using nothing but their wits and their Quirks,they captured the man and knocked him out quickly,putting the cuffs on him and then letting Compress do his thing. 

Izuku was there to save Tomura,but he couldn’t afford to let the man move too much,so he used Blackwhip to restrain him and attacked him with One For All,dodging around his attempts to decay him as Setsuna and Mirio weaved in-and-out of the battle,hitting the man repeatedly and keeping his attention in different directions. Fumikage was using Dark Shadow to keep the man down,too,doing his best to minimize the damage he actually did to him. 

“Just let us save you!” Izuku shouted as he kicked the man again,jumping out of the way. Tomura hadn’t spoken yet,and they needed him to if they were going to brainwash him. 

Neito was watching,and he was waiting. His time limit would be up if they didn’t finish this soon,and they couldn’t afford for that to happen. He thought back on everything they had been told about the man and then cast aside his morals,deciding he had to finish it here no matter what. “Aww,is the poor baby too weak to fight? Deku,you’re just beating up a child! Hey,Tenko,do you like dogs? Huh? Huh?” 

Tomura’s temper flared at that,and he didn’t care about the pain now. “Shut u-” 

Neito brainwashed him,glad he had copied Hitoshi’s Quirk after all. He watched as the man was knocked out,handcuffed,and compressed,and then collapsed.

They had won,and not a single life had been lost. Since Koji had evacuated all of the animals in the area,and Taishiro,Hizashi,and Kugo had evacuated all of the civilians,nobody had been caught in the crossfires. Since Kyoka had kept track of the Nomu,and Itsuka,Jurota,Sato,Tamaki,Nejire,Sen,Kosei,Nirengeki,and Manga took them out with the help of some heroes that had come from overseas,the Nomu were detained before they could kill anyone. It was a complete and utter victory. 

It was only nine in the morning when their victory was broadcast on national television. The biggest threats out there had been apprehended and successfully captured with no lives lost,and The League no longer existed. They celebrated,for that proved there were heroes out there. 

Himiko and Spinner were allowed to say goodbye to Atsuhiro and Stain,a farewell that ended in tears and muttered words of appreciation for freeing them from the hell they had walked into. They doubted they would ever be able to be together again,doubted that there would ever be a day they would be free,but just being alive was enough for now. This was enough. 

And when Hanta arrived home that afternoon,after dealing with all of the paperwork and saying his temporary farewells to his classmates,he was shocked to see (First Name) there. He was shocked to see her talking to his mother,his nephew on her hip and a laugh falling from her lips at something Iko had said. He was shocked to see that it was him she was waiting there for,not anyone else,that she had chosen to wait at his house with his family,and she was happy. 

And it was the look of absolute adoration on her face when she noticed him that made Hanta realize he had been in love with her for a while now,and his heart began racing. “I’m home.” 

(First Name) set the little boy hanging off her hip to the side and walked over to him,hugging him tightly. “Welcome home,Hanta.” 

And they celebrated. The whole Sero family celebrated. They drank and shoved their faces full of food and laughed while they played a bunch of silly games. They talked and congratulated Hanta and thanked him,and they told him they were happy he was home. And all the while,(First Name) never let go of Hanta’s hand. 

“I love you,” Hanta said that night as they cleaned up the party streamers,the words rolling off his tongue and into the air between them. “So thank you for being here. It means a lot.” 

And (First Name) had frozen,because she had never been told that before. When her heart had raced like this in the past,she had always been too afraid to speak,but she was never afraid around Hanta. (First Name) trusted him,because Hanta was the one who had taught her what love meant. And she was happy here,because this was where Hanta lived. “I love you too.” 

You said,”I will listen,tell me it all. You don’t like the ending? Then we’ll find one that’s yours.” 

Oh,how did you know that’s all we need? A promise of hope is enough to feel free

A month after The League was captured,U.A. finally resumed in-person classes,and the fear and tension that had lived in the air had dissipated completely. (First Name) and Hanta had finally begun dating,much to the entire Sero family’s excitement,and things were going well. People were moving forward,and U.A. had changed its policies completely to protect the students from as much danger as possible. Things weren’t perfect,but they were making progress. 

And Izuku saw it every Sunday when (First Name) visited the dorms. He saw the way her eyes followed Hanta,he saw how she held his hand with the happiest look on her face. And because the one thing Izuku was selfish about most in the world was (First Name),he tried to call out to her,only to have Katsuki stop him. 

“Look at her,you damn nerd. She’s not smiling because of you,she’s smiling because of Soysauce,and you don’t get to just say things when it’s convenient to you and destroy that,” Katsuki growled out under his breath,his voice low enough that only Izuku could hear. “If you actually care about her,you’ll shut up and let her be happy with someone who will always put her first.” 

“Kacchan,you don’t get to decide that for us. If I tell her,she’ll listen.. (First Name)’s always listened,” Izuku insisted,keeping his voice low as well since he didn’t want people to look at them,his own eyes locked on the ground now. “(First Name)’s meant to be by my side,not someone else’s..” 

“No,Deku,you don’t get to decide that for her. She is not your pet,she is not your plaything,and she belongs to nobody but herself. She decided she would go on a date with him,she decided to wait at his house when we went to capture The League,and she has chosen him over you,” Katsuki’s grip grew tighter. “And I won’t let you pressure her into making another decision.”

Izuku knew he was being unfair,but he also knew he was selfish only when it came to (First Name),and he deserved to be selfish when it came to her. After all this time by her side,after spending their whole lives together,he was convinced he knew her better than anyone,and she would listen. She would at least let him confess. 

“(First Name),can we talk? Privately?” 

(First Name)’s attention snapped from Hanta to her childhood friend immediately,her eyes trailing down to see that Katsuki was gripping his wrist tight enough to form a bruise. She felt Hanta stiffen beside her,and that was what made her turn her attention back to him. She saw the anxiety hidden in his eyes,and she knew exactly what she needed to tell Izuku to make sure Hanta never worried like this again. She looked back at her friend once again,and then let out a sigh. 

“Izu,we can talk,but I’ll tell Hanta what you said anyways,so there’s no point in doing it privately. Just say what you want to say.” 

“No,it needs to be just between the two of us. Please? I need to tell you a lot.”

(First Name) was going to deny him,but Hanta told her it was okay,so she reluctantly nodded and followed him out after promising Hanta she’d return soon. She didn’t like this at all. 

Izuku walked quite a ways away,making sure they were far out of range of the others,and then sat down on a bench,patting the seat beside him. He waited until she sat down before he began to speak. 

“It’s a pretty sunset,yeah?” 

“Yeah,it is..” (First Name) looked out at everything,knowing her friend was just buying himself time until he found the words he really wanted to say. 

“Can you be honest with me?”

“I always try to be.” (First Name) had always told him the truth about everything except her feelings. 

“You’ve known,haven’t you?” Izuku asked,clenching his fists. “You’ve known I’m in love with you for a long time now,and you haven’t said anything,right?”

“Yeah,I’ve known,” (First Name) admitted,staring at her feet. “But you didn’t say anything either,and you turned me down,so I moved on.”

“Why didn’t you.. Fuck,why couldn’t you have held on just a little longer,(First Name)? We could go out right now,now that there’s no big threats out there..” Izuku hated this,hated that he was blaming her when he knew it was his fault,but he couldn’t accept it. 

“I don’t know,I just couldn’t,and the two of us wouldn’t have worked out in the first place anyways,” (First Name) said,knowing he didn’t mean it anyways. “We were too dependent on each-other,Izu,it was toxic.” 

Izuku’s eyes filled with tears,but he didn’t let them fall this time. He took a deep breath,straightened his back,and pressed against the bench,keeping his eyes one the sky. “Are you happy?”

(First Name) smiled. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been,actually.” 

“Do you trust him?” Izuku didn’t want to know,but he asked anyway. 

(First Name) remembered how Hanta had saved her hundreds of times,and nodded. “With my life.” 

“Have you met his family? Do they like you?” Izuku couldn’t imagine telling his mother about this. 

(First Name) loved Hanta’s family,and she was glad they liked her back. “Yeah,I have,and they do.”

“Are you going to date him?” Izuku’s voice was strained as he fought back tears. 

“If he’s okay with it,then yeah,I will.” (First Name) wanted to be by Hanta’s side forever. 

“If I told you to pick between us,you.. You would choose him,wouldn’t you?” Izuku didn’t know why he asked it,but he did,and he regretted it immediately. 

The (First Name) from before would have chosen Izuku without hesitation,but not now. Now,she could confidently speak. “Yeah,Izu,I would. Each and every time,no matter the situation,I would choose him. Sorry.”

“Is.. Is he your hero?” Izuku felt like he was losing her. 

“Yeah,he is.” Hanta was a hero who never let go of her hand. 

“If I had said it back then,would you have accepted it?” Izuku just needed some sort of reassurance. 

“No,because you wouldn’t have meant it.” (First Name) smiled and looked over at him. 

“You know me too well,you know that?” Izuku looked at her as well,a weak smile on his own face. 

“Yeah,I know that as well. I can practically read your mind.” (First Name) knew they were nearing the end. 

“Can I say it out loud,just this once?” Izuku needed to say it,but he wouldn’t if she hated the idea. 

“If it will make you feel better,go ahead.” (First Name)’s support would only go this far now. 

“I love you,(First Name).. I love you a lot,” Izuku took a deep breath,a few tears rolling down his face as he gave her the brightest smile he could manage. “Please be happy,(First Name).”

“You too,Izu,” (First Name) said,standing up and ruffling his hair with a smile. “You’re a hero,Izu,but you’re not mine anymore. Thank you for being my friend.”

Izuku wasn’t even able to watch as she walked away,his vision too blurred by his tears,and the only thing he could do was hope this pain would go away soon. 

Hanta met (First Name) halfway,saw the empty expression on her face,and for once,he misunderstood her. 

“(First Name),I..” He didn’t want to lose her,but if she chose Izuku,he’d accept it. “I’ll listen,so tell me it all.. I’ll be fine.” 

“Hanta,it’s not li-”

“If you’re still in love with him,you can go to him,(First Name). I’ll be fine,” Hanta assured her,reminding himself that this was his job; he was there to support her and make sure she was always smiling,and if Izuku was the person who would make her happy,he’d hand her over no matter how much it hurt him. “It’s not a big deal if you go to him,you know? He’d probably be happy.”

(First Name) reached out,her fingers brushing Hanta’s cheek as she leaned forward and cupped his cheek so he was looking at her,and she smiled up at him. “If it wasn’t a big deal to you,Hanta,you wouldn’t be making that kind of face.”

“It..” Hanta’s voice cracked,his eyes filling with tears. “It’s a huge deal to me,but you come first..”

“I love you,Hanta,more than I ever loved Izu. So don’t worry,okay? I won’t ever leave you,no matter who else calls for me,and I’ll always be by your side,” (First Name)’s voice was soft but resolute. “I never would’ve liked an ending with Izu anyway,you know? He’s a moron when it comes to romance.”

Hanta hugged her tightly and buried his face in her neck,careful not to hurt her by squeezing too tight,and just breathed in the scent of the girl he was helplessly in love with. “I love you so much it hurts..”

“I’m sorry for making you worry,” (First Name) told him,hugging back tightly. “But I’m right here,Hanta. We’re here together.” 

Hanta just held her close,just happy she was here with him. He hadn’t lost her,he hadn’t sent her off to Izuku only to watch her be destroyed once again,and he had her in his arms.. He truly was a lucky man. 

The following Sunday morning came quickly,and Hanta was being fussed over by his parents and his older sister after he had told them he was going on a date with (First Name). 

“We need hair gel! Hair gel!” His mother demanded,as she wrestled a comb through his hair. “Hanta,why didn’t you tell us earlier than this?! Do you have any clue how important this is!?”

“Mom,it’s not that big of a deal..” Hanta couldn’t help but laugh,knowing (First Name) had no clue just how much his family loved her. “And no hair gel,I don’t want to use any.”

“This is extremely important,Hanta. That’s your future wife,isn’t it? You should prepare for dates at least two weeks in advance and do as much research as possible,” His father said,trying to decide which tuxedo he should wear. “Where are you taking her?”

“We’ve only just started going out,marriage is something way further down the line! We’re only going to an amusement park,you guys are being too dramatic!” Hanta snapped,his face burning now. 

“No,(First Name)’s not allowed to ever leave this family,so you had better work your ass off to keep her here. She’s the only one who can hold Mizu without him crying,she gets along with the twins,and she’s an absolute angel. She’s my sister-in-law as far as I’m concerned,” His sister told him as she pulled out a pair of jeans and threw them at him. “That and a jacket. Wear a long-sleeved shirt with the jacket,too,even though it’s not that cold out. Girls love it when guys do the cheesy stuff in movies and give them their jacket,so make sure you do it!” 

“You guys are way too obsessed with her..” Hanta muttered,going and changing into the clothes and pulling a jacket on. “I’m going now,okay? Chill out.”

“Give us updates and tell us everything when you get home,” His sister ordered. “I want to know everything.”

“I’m not doing all that! (First Name)’s my priority today,not texting you guys,so get over it,” Hanta headed towards the door calmly. “And you guys will scare her away acting like that.”

“That’s my boy,” His father chuckled as he watched the door swing shut. “He’s completely smitten with her,and we’re lucky she’s such a good kid,or we’d be having a delinquent on our hands.”

“(First Name)’s going to make a fine Sero one day,” His mother agreed,grinning. “She’s just what he’s always needed,and he hasn’t even realized how much he really loves her yet.” 

“He’s an idiot,but at least he chose a good girlfriend..” His sister muttered,watching him disappear down the street. “I’m glad he met her.”

Time passed quickly,far too quickly for anyone’s liking,and they were nearing graduation. Denki had insisted on one last party,and so the entirety of class 3-A and 3-B was crowded into the living room,laughing and talking happily. Ochaco was holding Izuku’s hand,both of them bright red even though they had begun dating two months prior. Sato and Jurota were cooking something in the kitchen while Tsuyu,Momo,Toru,Kyoka,Itsuka,and Ibara passed out drinks and talked about something with bright smiles. Eijiro,Denki,Tetsutetsu,Hanta,and Mina were goofing off like always,and the rest of their classmates were talking or watching a movie. It was loud,and it was fun,and it was warm. It was free.  

It was Katsuki that (First Name) chose to settle in near. After seeing him sulking in the corner,and walking over to join him,she stood there and just watched the others have fun. 

“Hey,Kacchan.. How come you’re all alone in the corner?” (First Name) asked after a while of silence,watching as Mina played around with Denki’s hair and Eijiro and Tetsutetsu bugged Hanta to tell them who was manlier. 

“Didn’t feel like dealing with everyone,” Katsuki said without looking at her. He had never lied to her,though he didn’t know why. “And why aren’t you with Soysauce?”

“He seems a bit preoccupied,and I don’t want to interrupt,” (First Name) replied,watching her boyfriend with a smile. “It’s also kind of fun to watch him get annoyed like that.”

Katsuki glanced over at her for a moment,before his eyes returned to his own boyfriend. “You look happier now,you know that? You used to look empty.” 

(First Name) was surprised at that,but her smile turned into a grin as she looked over at her friend,knowing he was looking at Eijiro. “You too,Kacchan. You look happier now as well.”

“Oh shut up..” Katsuki muttered as he rolled his eyes,though his smile didn’t falter at all. When he had finally had enough of watching his idiot boyfriend be an idiot,he intervened. “Kirishima,stop goofing off before you destroy something with your hard head!”

“Sorry,Bakugo!” Eijiro grinned at him,loving how cute he was when he looked angry. “I’ll be more careful next time!”

(First Name) covered her mouth as she let out a laugh,knowing Katsuki hadn’t been angry for even a moment and that Eijiro wasn’t sorry at all. When she realized Hanta was waving at her to join them,she smiled and pushed herself off the wall,once again realizing that she wasn’t alone anymore. 

Feet firm on the ground,we stood hand in hand,and I told the world that I have a plan

Together we sang,”I’m ready now.”

Society changed completely in just under three years,and Japan was completely rebuilt. From the jail system to the laws regarding heroes,everything had changed,and support groups in schools had changed. It was still just a start,though. 

Enji Todoroki was arrested and put in prison for his crimes. Found guilty for multiple charges of child abuse,domestic violence,attempted manslaughter,and reckless heroism,he was sentenced to forty years with the chance of parole after ten. He spent most of his time alone,just muttering about how he was trying his best to repent. 

Keigo Takami was sentenced to five years for the murder of Jin Bubaigawara,the judge taking into account the fact that he had been a victim of the hero commission and that he had been forced into it. In reality,Keigo only served two and a half years for his crimes,though he had his hero license revoked and was no longer allowed to use his Quirk. Keigo found it liberating that he was now a ‘free bird’,and he often met up with Fumikage Tokoyami to talk over a cup of coffee. 

Stain,Dabi,All For One,Muscular,Moonfish,Kurogiri,and Chisaki had all been condemned to solitude in Tartarus,sentenced to life for the many lives they had ruined and crimes they had committed. 

Himiko Toga was in therapy at the prison she was in,and after a while of pushing it off,she had accepted her parents’s requests to visit her. She couldn’t quite forgive them for hating her,but she was beginning to forgive herself. According to Ochaco,who visited her often,she had picked up painting recently. 

Atsuhiro Sako was at the same prison as Himiko and Spinner,and he often met up with both her and Spinner during their free time. They might not be living the lives they had so desperately wanted,but he was happy. 

Spinner spent most of his time in the prison cleaning,but he could also be found braiding Himiko’s hair or playing games whenever he could. He made plenty of friends,too; friends who didn’t call him a lizard or hate him just because of his Quirk. He actually liked prison. 

Mustard was there,too. The boy was still just a kid,being even younger than Himiko,so he was usually kept away from the others,but he was happy each and every time he did manage to see them. He called out and waved and laughed,and the therapist he had been given had helped. He was happy.

When it came to Tomura,things were different. He was imprisoned in Tartarus,but a therapist visited him daily and Toshinori visited him occasionally with Izuku. While Tomura’s trauma couldn’t disappear overnight,he had plenty of time to become happy. When Izuku had told him one day that he could still be a hero,he had cried,and that was the first sign of change. There was no way the man could be released,but even the thought of someone seeing him as a hero made him happy,and that was enough for him. 

The school system had changed,too. Izuku,Katsuki,and (First Name) led the movement. Schools were now required to show no favoritism towards any one Quirk or student,and anyone who harbored hatred towards any type of Quirk was banned from working anywhere near children and from the entire field of heroism and policing. Discrimination against Quirkless people was outlawed as well,and that year,U.A. welcomed its very first Quirkless student into the hero course. Anyone could be a hero if they were given the proper support. 

Shoto and Momo were the ones who funded most of the new movements,including one that was aimed at villain rehabilitation and reintegration into society. They operated under the premise that villains are made,not born,and they successfully supported over 100 ex-villains in just the first year. Momo was often seen with her girlfriend,Kyoka,talking to small business owners and investing in them happily. 

Hanta was happy,too. After he had graduated from U.A. and became an official pro hero,he had started up an agency with Denki,Mina,Eijiro,and Katsuki. Though the work was hard and he couldn’t spend much time at home,he always took one day off work per week,cuddling up with his beloved for hours and just enjoying her company. Kids would come in and out of their house,someone constantly needing somewhere to stay for the night before they could be moved to a more permanent place. Hanta loved meeting all sorts of kids,and he loved seeing how happy his girlfriend looked when a case worked out well. 

Happiness took time,and it took effort. It took blood,sweat,and tears to recover from what haunted them,and sometimes those demons reared their ugly heads all over again. Sometimes,they crashed and burned and fell into nothingness. But they tried,again and again,and slowly clawed their way back up. And that was what being human meant.