6

What of those who build the pillar, the ones who shape the stone, the ones who carry it, and the ones who plan it? Should they not be let off of the scaffolding once in a while? To pause in their erection of a monument, be allowed to go home and erect something else?

…Yes.

The rest is just as important as the work, and hard work deserves hard rest.

…

Izuku's sixteenth birthday was on a Friday in June. Training had filled his mind for so long it had come as a surprise when the night before, his mom asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner. He'd paused, blinking at her, and then he remembered the date. He had, of course, asked for his absolute favorite, tonkatsu pork. While she'd become more busy with an actual job, inversely Inko had cooked more often than before and oftentimes with help from Izuku and Himiko, as a way to spend some time with them in an increasingly bustling age. And as a result of her job making her money, she was also free to experiment with more foods, spices and ingredients.

That is to say, her meals had become absolute treats.

When morning dawned on the day of his birthday, the birthday boy himself awoke a little confused. There was a warm, soft body in his arms; in itself, not unusual. What was unusual was the dimensions of said body. Carefully, he slid his hands down the back of his bed companion and squeezed gently; she was shorter than Himiko, though not by much, lighter and with less muscle tone, shorter hair that smelled like dandelions and most importantly, had a pair of fox ears poking from the soft, fluffy mass.

He opened his eyes and beheld the gentle, sleeping face of his Not Serious Girlfriend, Sukuro, slim lips parted by quiet little snores as her cheek was smushed against the pillow. Not that he minded waking up to her, he just didn't remember going to sleep with her. In fact, he'd gone to bed early, leaving his roommate and his mother to talk. He did recall a warm body slipping under the covers later and unconsciously pulling her against him.

Izuku spent a few minutes simply taking in the sight, brushing his thumb along her cheek and smiling as she gave a dreamy hum and snuggled closer to him. She was such a joy to be with, always sweet, sometimes painfully shy but with a core of passion that never failed to impress him. Perhaps, had things been different, he could easily see them dropping the 'Not' part of her shared title. "Suku-chan…" He murmured, gently petting an ear, admiring the silky texture, "Wake up, sweet flower…"

Perhaps he needed to work on his nicknames, though.

She groaned softly, shifting against him until her rich orange eyes fluttered open and met his emerald, a soft smile curling her lips even as her cheeks darkened under his gaze. Sukuro leaned forward and gently kissed him, nuzzling his nose with hers. "Good morning, Izu," she whispered, sweet voice thick with fading sleep, "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks," he squeezed her and kissed her again, the soft warmth of her body and the comfort of her in his bed making him very unwilling to move, "When did you get here? I don't remember."

"You were asleep," she replied, reaching a hand up to play with a few strands of his hair, "I would've been here earlier, but I had some homework to do." Heat rose in her cheeks. "H-have I told you how much I like sleeping with you, Izu? With your arms wrapped around me, I feel like I could float off…on uh, a river of…hot chocolate, or something. I don't know."

Izuku snorted softly as she buried her face in his chest, stroking her ear. "Too early for analogies?" She nodded. After a moment, he asked the most prudent question. "Suku-chan, why are you here?"

Sukuro understood the question for what it was. It was a rare treat to share a bed with her boyfriend, something she was more than a bit envious of Himiko for, and it was always after their Sunday dates. "We played a game to see who would see you first thing today," she explained.

He thought back to the day before, their little group eating lunch until Himiko had pulled them away before their next class. He remembered hearing someone shout "YES!" but hadn't paid it much mind. "So you won?" Well, obviously.

"Mmhm," she nodded, her smile gaining an impish edge as she scooted closer, "I cheated," she admitted, giggling at the surprise on his face.

He gasped theatrically to hide his hand creeping up her side. "My sweet little Suku-chan…cheated?! I think someone's been a bad influence on you…" His fingers dug into her side, drawing a surprised peal of laughter from her. He darted forward, muffling her squeals with his lips and pinned her wriggling form with his weight. "Shhh," he whispered, still mercilessly tickling her, "We don't want to wake anyone up."

"You-!" Sukuro giggled helplessly, her delicate fingers scrabbling at his, "Y-you're the bad i-influence, Izu!" He stopped, letting her get her breath back, and she lightly slapped his hand. "You're mean…"

Izuku pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, basking in the heat radiating from her cheeks, tongue seeking entrance and slipping in to embrace hers, drawing a muffled moan. "Still think so?" He whispered, nuzzling her cheek.

She blinked, dazed, then gained a mischievous look. Along with her blazing blush, it was incredibly adorable. "Maybe…" She murmured huskily, and wiggled.

He gasped sharply. Having a feminine form held to him, writhing against him, had exacerbated an early-morning issue now pressed firmly between them. "Sukuro…"

"Lay back, Izuku," she ordered, gently but insistently pushing on his shoulder. He met her eyes and slowly did so, gulping. Her hand rested on his bare stomach, shirts not being his kind of sleepwear, and carefully slid it down the defined ridges of his abdomen…until her fingers found the waistband of his pajama pants. Then she pulled them down and he sprung loose. Sukuro couldn't help but gasp even though she'd beheld his manhood before, her delicate fingers tentatively circling the heated shaft before grasping it.

He bit his lip to restrain a groan, twitching as she touched him. Then she sat up and threw a leg over him, straddling his waist. Is she- but I thought we- "Suku-?" She pressed a finger to his lips and shushed him, shuffling herself into position. Then she lay atop him, his length trapped firmly between the silken skin of her thighs and soft cotton of her rapidly-dampening panties. He went rigid as she rolled her hips, every little movement sparking delicious friction that made his pulse pound in his ears. She writhed and he gasped sharply, only to find her mouth closing over his, her slim tongue wringing and pulling his pleasured noises into her.

"Shhh," she whispered, eyes nearly glowing above her blazing cheeks, her breath sweet and hot against his face, "We don't-" she bit her lip and whimpered, pressing harder against him, "-we don't want to wake anyone…do we?" His hands grasped her hips, her arousal seeping through to coat him thoroughly, his hips bucking.

Izuku gave a strangled groan and tensed, clutching her to him, his lips seeking hers. Sukuro squeaked as splashes of something hot splattered on her back and her taut rear, wriggling desperately to release the heated tension boiling in her belly, but slowed to a stop when he slumped under her, gasping. The pleasure glazing his eyes made her smile and her heart thump with affection, brushing her fingers over his blushing cheeks. "Holy crap, Suku-chan," he mumbled, blinking quickly.

"Happy Birthday~" Sukuro sang gently, giving him a peck and snuggling into his chest, sweaty as it was.

He hummed, rubbing her back through her nightgown, now even more unwilling to get out of bed. Still have training to do, he noted, feeling his sweat cooling on his body, I have to get up…but I don't wanna…and Suku didn't finish…His eyes opened as an idea occurred, and he looked down at the girl on his chest. "Suku-chan?" He asked, getting her attention, "We should…take a shower."

She blinked curiously at him, before realization struck. "Y-yes, we should," she whispered, a small, eager smile on her lips. And then she squeaked adorably as he picked her up and carried her from the room.

…

Leaving a sleeping and satisfied Sukuro snuggled under his spread, Izuku pulled on his running gear and after pressing another kiss to her cheek, headed to the kitchen for a pre-run snack. It was with half a left-over onigiri in his mouth and a bottle filling with water that he heard the lock click and turn. Popping his head around the kitchen door, he saw the familiar, if less often, form of Mitsuki. "Mitsuki-ba-chan!" He greeted her with a smile, making her jump and spin around.

She blinked ruby red eyes in surprise. "Bonsai-chan?" She shook her head, "You know, I should've figured you'd be awake, you weirdo." She held her arms out, a smirk on her face. "Come on, birthday boy, give me a hug."

Izuku stepped out from around the door with a bright grin and made towards her, only to falter as her arms dropped and her eyes went wide. "Er, Mitsuki-ba-chan?" He blinked as she slipped up to him, eyes narrowed.

Mitsuki squinted at him, holding a hand up to her eye-level and bringing it forward, touching Izuku's nose. She looked up to meet his confused green eyes. "…This is wrong," she muttered, measuring again. When did he get fuckin' tall? She wondered absently, eyes wandering down from his face to his chest, the shirt tight against the muscles. …And muscular?

"…What's wrong?" He asked nervously, resisting the urge to poke his fingers together and instead awkwardly shuffling.

She flapped her hands at him with a grunt. "This! When did you get so tall? I thought you'd be like your mom, all cute and small forever!" She grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms with a pout. "Guess I can't call you 'cute li'l Bonsai-chan' anymore, dammit…" Shit, has it really been that long since we've spent some time together? Fuck…

"I'm…sorry?" Izuku offered with a weak shrug.

Mitsuki snorted and lightly slapped his arm. "Don't apologize, I just…whatever," she huffed, then gave him a toothy grin. "Besides, I can fix it." He tilted his head curiously and she lightly jabbed him on the stomach. As he reflexively hunched over to protect his tender tummy, her other hand shot up and pulled his face directly into her chest. "Heheheh…"

Stiffening, he made no move to escape and instead sighed into her pillowy cleavage. Besides the embarrassment (if one could call 'a blush so hot it could cook an egg' simply embarrassment), it wasn't a bad place to be. "Again with this…"

Mitsuki chuckled again, patting his fluffy green hair condescendingly, "Age and treachery, Bonsai-chan, age and treachery." Her grin softened a bit as he obligingly wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," he huffed, managing to shift his face from her chest to her shoulder. "How've you been, Mitsuki?"

She shrugged, glad he couldn't see the way her mouth twisted into a resigned frown. "Busier than I'd like, not as relaxed as I could be," she sighed minutely, "Guess I could say the same for you, eh?" Mitsuki surreptitiously ran her hand down his back, feeling the muscled planes against her palms. Very busy…

"Yeah, that's true," Izuku admitted, giving her another squeeze before withdrawing, "So, why are you stopping by? Did you need something?"

"What, I can't just come to visit you?" Mitsuki teased with a theatrical pout.

He shrugged. "You haven't for a while," he pointed out guilelessly, and it was true. Beyond picking his mother up for a shoot, every other visit in the last year had been with a case of uncut rocks.

She winced internally. "Ya got me there, I was coming to badger your mom into a run-" among other things, one of them being a cake, "-but since you're up and ready to go, why don't you and me run, eh?"

"Really?!" Izuku gasped excitedly, and if he were a dog his tail could propel him to the moon.

Mitsuki didn't bother to fight the impulse and ruffled his hair with a fond smile. "Yeah, come on, Bonsai-chan! Let's work up a sweat together!"

He groaned and clapped a hand to his face. "Do you really have to phrase it like that?" He muttered, face red.

"I don't know what you mean," her voice was innocent, which was contradicted by her grin. "Now come on!"

Forty minutes later, Mitsuki was panting and regretting that she'd been absent from Izuku's runs for so long, otherwise she would've known not to let him set the pace. He'd set off at a punishing speed and it had taken all she had to just keep up.

A bit farther on and she gave in. "Stop! Let's stop!" She choked out, stumbling to a stop and bending over, heaving for breath.

Izuku jogged in place next to her, adding insult to injury by looking as fresh as a slightly sweaty daisy. "You alright Mitsuki-ba-chan?"

"No!" She grunted, rubbing a stitch in her side before drinking deeply from her bottle. "Damn, kid, how the hell does Toga-chan keep up with you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "She kinda…doesn't. We go until she gets too tired, then she gets on me and I continue by myself until she's got her breath back, then we finish together." Himiko had been making progress in that field, going longer and longer each time, recovering a bit faster thanks to said exercise building her chakra, but they'd reconciled with the fact that Izuku had more stamina than she would.

And yes, she did always whisper things about stamina in his ear when he carried her.

Mitsuki squinted at him, unsure if he'd recognized his phrasing. He blinked innocently at her and she decided he hadn't. "Alright then, let's do that…whatever that is." She arched an eyebrow as he turned around and knelt in front of her, presenting his back. "O...kay?"

"Get on!" He chirped, patting his shoulder, "I promise I won't drop you!"

She shrugged and climbed onto his back, squeaking in surprise as he rose to his feet. "So this is what it's like to be tall," she mused, taking in the sights from his shoulders. She looked down as she felt his hands on her ankles.

"Sorry," Izuku muttered, crossing her ankles in front of him, making her knees snug around his waist before reaching up and tugging on her hands. "Can you lean forward a bit? I don't want to make you bounce too much."

Mitsuki quirked an eyebrow and smirked, doing as he asked, and she felt the exact moment when he realized that she and Toga didn't have the same body shape. In a couple places in particular. "Like this, Izu-ku-kun~?" She asked breathily, her prodigious bust pillowing the back of his neck.

He stiffened. "Yep!" He squeaked, then cleared his throat and began to run again.

While it was a bit diminutive, being carried like an overgrown child or a koala, especially when Izuku greeted a fellow runner who glanced up at her, then did a double-take and nearly tripped. But she swiftly found something to distract her; that being the boy between her legs. Usually such a thought would've been voiced just to see said boy's reaction…but for some reason, the feel of his muscles flexing, the sensation of his chest expanding and contracting, the heat radiating from him to soak into her…she didn't want to voice it.

It seemed…indecent, somehow.

Mitsuki let a hand subtly roam his chest, lightly squeezing him with her thighs. She licked her suddenly dry lips. God damn, but my kid is dumb. If she wasn't so busy being a brat, she could be riding him instead of me. She paused and examined her previous thought, before pretending it hadn't happened. Ah well, you snooze you lose.

"Uh…Mitsuki?" Izuku asked bashfully, and she felt him gulp, "W-what are you doing?"

She stopped the hand that had been unconsciously rubbing his chest. "Just checking your heartbeat, Bonsai-chan," she replied levelly, very glad he couldn't see her face. "Makin' sure Mister Future Hero Man is having a workout, you know?"

"Oh, I definitely am!" He replied excitedly, "Compared to carrying Toga-chan, I'm working a lot more!"

Mitsuki contemplated teasing him for the implication that she was heavy, but compared to Himiko, she was heavier, though perhaps mature was a more appropriate word. Wow, that was bitchy of me, she thought, shaking her head, down, woman! She patted Izuku's shoulder. "I got my breath back, Bonsai-chan, you can let me down now."

"You sure?" He asked with concern, even as he slowed to a stop.

"I'm not that old," she commented, sliding off of his back and bouncing on her heels. "See? Now come on, I'm going to lead this time."

Eventually, they returned to his home, both more sweaty than they'd started. They stood in the kitchen, downing cups of water.

"It was nice to run with you again, Mitsuki-ba-chan," Izuku set his glass down and gave her a bright smile.

"Same, Bonsai-chan," she returned with a tired grin, leaving her glass in the sink before stepping away from the counter and stretching. "God but I am sore. I'm gonna go home and take a bath, and you gotta get ready for school, mister."

He nodded in acquiescence, cocking an ear down the hall. "It sounds like my mom's in the shower," he offered with a mischievous smile, "If you want to surprise her."

Mitsuki chuckled but shook her head. "Nah, I'll just shoot her a text later; afraid if I get in that steamy room I might just hop in with her. Now come on, one more hug before I go." She held her arms out expectantly.

Izuku smiled and approached her, wrapping her in a warm, slightly sweaty embrace. "Thanks for being here," he murmured sincerely, daring a light kiss on her cheek.

"Mm," she hummed agreeably, rubbing her cheek against his. That's it, I gotta do this more often. Then her eyes snapped open. "Hey Izuku…we're sharing sweat."

He slumped against her, pulling away to thump his head on the wall. "Uuuuurrrrrrggghhh," he moaned piteously, cupping his red face, "When are you going to let that gooooo?"

"Uh, never?" She answered obviously, ruffling his hair again, "See you later, Izuku."

He waved her off and she headed for home, her thoughts circling noisily in her skull. Before she had entirely comprehended all the sounds and emotions, she was unlocking her door. Mitsuki found her explosive-tempered brat sitting at the counter, lightly sweating and scarfing down a bowl of rice and eggs.

"Hey, Katsuki." Her kid had obviously just finished her own training.

"Whaddya want, ya hag?" The younger girl mumbled around a full mouth.

Mitsuki examined her daughter with a critical eye. She was kinda short, with an impressive, compact musculature and a burgeoning set of curves; while her face would probably never be anything other than 'fierce' there was a striking beauty under the anger. If she smiled once or twice, relaxed the tension under her skin, she'd be able to land just about anyone.

Her thoughts then went to Izuku, in a sense much like her girl, but contrasting sharply in some places. Under the innocent smile and glimmering eyes, there lay a burning determination, a soft, loving heart and if she was being completely honest, a body many would gladly kill to fondle.

So why the FUCK hadn't her girl locked that shit down?! Mitsuki shook her thoughts away. "…You're stupid."

Then she turned and walked away.

Katsuki choked on her breakfast. "What?!" She shouted hoarsely, only for her reply to be ignored. "What did you say, hag?!"

Mitsuki closed the bathroom door.

"MOM!"

…

The next surprise came after he'd arrived at school, some ten minutes early, sitting at his desk and peeling it open. He paused, nonplussed. Sitting innocently inside his desk was a small plate stacked with what looked like lime jello, some of it scooped out to resemble a crude mouth, with a pair of white grapes for eyes. It was obviously supposed to represent the Sludge Villain, but as a prank or something else?

He surreptitiously checked the classroom, eyes almost immediately falling on the Katsuki. She was simply sitting at her desk, apathetically staring at the blank board, and he was instantly suspicious. Bakugou, for as long as he had known her, didn't 'apathetically' do anything. She always did things fiercely; she was fiercely happy, she was fiercely mad, she was fiercely bored and fiercely apathetic.

Yes, she could be apathetic and fierce at the same time, she was impressive like that.

But there she was, staring at the board with her chin in hand, visage blank. Izuku eyed her cautiously, then looked down at the jello sculpture. He plucked a grape eye from it, took aim and flicked it at her. It bounced off the side of her head and landed back in his desk, garnering no attention or even a change in expression.

He nodded to himself and quickly began to eat 'the gift'. It may not have been entirely heartwarming, but an acknowledgement from her, even a silent one, was still something.

…

It was during a change of class a few hours later that something else happened. He had asked to be excused to grab a book from his locker and had just retrieved it and was on his way back when a hand shot out of a nearby bathroom and pulled him in. His surprised yelp was swallowed by a pair of plush lips even as he was pushed up against the wall, and the wonderful floral scent that invaded his nose let him know who it was immediately.

"Sakura-chan," he breathed as she pulled away, his emerald eyes finding her solid pink irises. He smiled and hugged her back, nuzzling her cheek, "Not that I'm not pleasantly surprised, but what are you doing here? Class starts in a bit."

"I wanted to kiss you," she admitted with a shrug and zero shame, a grin on her lips as she cuddled into his chest, "I figured out a new blend that I wanna try real quick."

Izuku frowned slightly. On one hand, Sakura's blends, what she called her scent-mixing capabilities, were never anything other than wonderful and relaxing. On the other, they deserved to be appreciated with plenty of time, something they didn't have at school. "Sakura-chan-"

"It won't take too long and if you say you had to go to the bathroom you won't get in trouble," she whispered hurriedly, a cute pout on her cute face, one of her hands rubbing his chest.

He grimaced at the thought of being late, but his resistance to the idea faded quickly. "Okay," he nodded, kissing her forehead, "Hit me with it."

Sakura beamed and pecked his lips before spinning around, her hair slithering up and wrapping around his neck as she leaned against him. "Alright, now close your eyes and breathe deep," she ordered, his arms circling her waist.

Izuku did so, humming pleasantly as a blend of floral scents hit his nose, her hair cast about his shoulders like a warm scarf of flowers. He couldn't identify every scent, but they were wonderful and even after a few seconds he'd begun to feel pleasantly light-headed. "Thiz iz wonnerful," he mumbled, sleepily nuzzling the back of her head.

"Isn't it?" She asked huskily, wiggling a little.

"Yeah…" It made visions of meadows of flowers dance in his head, and he imagined lying in the fields with the girl in his arms, basking in the sun. How she would curl against him and languidly make out, savoring the sweet sensations of her body and silken lips, how her hand would cup and rub his cheek before slowly sliding down…

Sakura moaned quietly as his hands unconsciously slipped under her shirt and stroked her taut belly, calloused fingers softly scratching satin skin. She heard him hum deep in his chest.

He could feel her touching him, stroking him, drawing near-silent groans from his lips. For another, her pace of pleasure could be called tortuous, but for her, it was…savoring. Basking. Gentle and immensely comfortable, like he could fall asleep at any time, if not for the friction of her skin…

Izuku's eyes opened as he realized he wasn't just remembering a few of their more intimate dates, he was actually feeling something. He looked down and gasped.

At some point in his haze, she'd fished him out of his pants and pulled down her skirt, his shaft pillowed by her cheeks as she languidly ground against him. "S-Sakura-chan…"

"Shh," she shushed quietly, swaying her hips, "I know I'm not quite as stacked as Ino, or as smol as Sukuro, or as athletic as Himiko…but I'd say my best feature is my butt. Wouldn't you agree?" She asked, pressing against him and making him groan.

"N-no," he denied thickly, her scent still seeping into his brain, "You…you're beaudiful, Sagura…especially…your eyes."

"Awww," she cooed, leaning her head back to kiss him, even if the angle was awkward, "Thank you, Izuku-honey, you're sweet…" Her pace increased, drawing a strangled moan from his throat. "That's it, let me carry you away, honey…"

He buried his nose into her hair and could only contain himself for him a few minutes more, releasing a sticky glaze on the small of her back and between her cheeks. Izuku breathed hard, trying to clear his head and recover, his hands roaming her stomach, carefully crawling up towards her modest chest. "Let me return-"

Her phone chimed and Sakura jumped. "We gotta go," she sighed, unwrapping her flowery hair from around his neck and quickly cleaning herself with a wet paper towel. He blinked sluggishly, still leaning against the wall. She kissed him gently and withdrew with a smile. "See you at lunch, Izuku-kun!" And then she was off, scurrying down the hall.

Izuku rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the haze from his mind. He looked down at himself, still hanging out of his pants, and he sighed. "…This is gonna be a thing today, isn't it?"

…

"Happy Birthday, Izuku-kun!"

"Thanks, Hinata-san!" He returned as they stepped into the Uzumaki Noodle House, the girls moving away to secure a table. "I think we're going with our usuals today."

The beautiful woman nodded with a gentle smile. "Already working on it," she said, stepping aside as Naruto came out of the kitchen, "Naruto-kun…"

"Sixteen now, eh?" The older man greeted with a squint, setting a bottle and a small cup on the counter. "That means you're a man now…" He poured a small measure into the cup and pushed it forward, only for his wife to pull it back. "Hey!"

"Sixteen is still too young to drink," she reminded him, before leveling a dry look at her husband. "You couldn't think of anything, could you?"

"…No," Naruto pouted, slumping, "I guess…free green tea cake?"

"There you go," Hinata nodded, patting him on the head and steering back towards the kitchen, "Now get back to cooking."

Izuku watched the byplay with a confused expression. "…Uh…" He said smartly.

"Sorry Izuku-kun, Naruto's just really bad at getting gifts for people," she explained with an embarrassed shrug, before reaching under the counter. "Here, from the both of us."

He took the pair of gloves she handed him with wide eyes, turning them over in his hands before pulling them on. They were black, made up of some kind material that felt somewhere between cloth and leather, with coverage up to the first knuckle and backed with metal plates, the center of which was engraved with a small, spiraling leaf symbol. "Wow…" He breathed, clenching his hands into fists, feeling the gloves stretch, "These are awesome…you didn't have to get me anything…"

Hinata shrugged again, but with a smile. "Everyone can use some good gloves," she stated simply, "And you guys are our favorite customers."

Izuku blushed and gave her a pleased grin, then bowed. "Thank you for the gift, Hinata-san, I'll treasure them always."

She patted him on the head. "You're welcome, Izuku-kun. Now go get seated and your food will be on its way shortly."

He did so, and the girls hailed him with questions until he showed them the gloves. "You look…kinda like a biker," Ino pointed out, examining his hand, her light blue eyes gleaming, "Now I'm thinking of you in leather…"

"Ino!" Sukuro squeaked, her face red.

"What, don't tell me you weren't thinking of it," she poked, throwing an arm around the fox-eared girl's shoulders, "Leather pants…" As Sukuro flushed even deeper, the blonde chuckled.

Sakura, who had left to grab a pot of tea, returned at that moment. "Leather chafes, you know," she pointed out matter-of-factly, blithely pouring cups of steaming, aromatic leaf juice for everyone.

Himiko tilted her head in thought, gazing at his hands thoughtfully. Then as Hinata and Naruto stopped by with their food and the woman patted his head again, her honey eyes followed the older woman before fixing on Izuku. "…She's married, I'm sure you remember?"

Izuku groaned and she smiled toothily, rubbing his leg. And then conversation and teasing was swapped out for the clinking of utensils, chewing and contented noises. "…Do you think we come here too much?" He asked after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. They came at least twice a week and more often than not their Sunday Dates would take them there as well.

"No," the girls answered unanimously.

He snorted and smiled, finishing off a cup of tea before smacking his lips. "Ah, I'll be back in a bit, I have to use the bathroom," before he got up, he snagged the soft boiled egg from his bowl and popped it in his mouth, lest Himiko steal it before he got back.

As he walked towards the bathroom, Izuku passed by the kitchen and over the bubbling of pots he heard a whispered conversation. "-you keep eyeing his hair, Hinata-chan," he heard the blonde mutter, "Should I be jealous?"

"…He's got really soft hair, Naruto-kun," he heard Hinata admit softly.

He hurried away with a blush, unconsciously rubbing his head. Locking the door behind him, he looked in the mirror, pinching a dark green lock between his fingers. It felt like hair. "…I don't get it," he muttered with a shrug, "Maybe it's a girl thing?"

After going about his business, Izuku was washing his hands when he sensed something amiss. Spinning around, he found the bathroom door open and in the process of being sneakily closed by a surprised-looking Ino. "…Hi," she said weakly.

"…I locked that," he pointed out as she closed the door and secured it with a click. His mind instantly jumped back to school and his bed. "Ino…"

"Izuku~" she sang, sauntering up to him with a mischievous smirk, laying a hand on his chest before pushing him up against the wall and pinning him with an aggressive kiss. Unlike the shy Sukuro or the subtle Sakura, Ino made no bones about what she wanted, a hand diving down the front of his pants. "Make sure to keep it down, wouldn't want someone to come, do we?"

He jerked in her grip, eyes wide. "Here?!" He hissed, biting his lip. Ino darted forward and caged his mouth with hers, plunging past his defenses to noisily wrestle with his tongue. For someone who'd told him to keep it down, she sure was smacking their lips loudly.

"Why not?" she asked huskily, keeping him pinned with a hand before smirking, "Now shhh, all I want to hear from you is 'more!' and 'don't stop!'"

Izuku gulped as she dropped to her knees, pulling his trousers and underwear down in the same motion, his eager length springing forth. "Ino…"

She inhaled as she traced her nose along the largest vein, her eyelids fluttering open, her eyes dark with lust. "That's a good scent," she murmured, letting it rest on her cheek before she rose up and unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it open, slipping the straps of the tank top underneath to the side to expose her sporty bra and the plush flesh of her breasts. "I heard I'll need this," Ino explained, drawing a small packet of something from her pocket, ripping it open and spreading it on her hands before grasping his length and smearing it along the entirety.

He twitched mightily and she giggled huskily.

"You like that?" She murmured rhetorically, stroking him firmly, "Then you'll love this." Without any further presentation, she guided him under her bra and between her breasts, crossing an arm to squeeze them together.

He bit his lip to muffle a moan, the sheer heat and the slick of the oil bringing sensations he'd never felt before. He could feel her heartbeat pounding under her skin, against his length, and idly wondered if he was about to die.

She moved a bit awkwardly at first, trying both to keep him trapped to her chest and also squeeze him, eventually finding a rhythm that worked. Ino grunted, cheeks red as she slid him between her shimmering breasts, sure her diamond-hard nipples would pierce through her bra at any second. "You know," she huffed, feeling a small shiver race up her spine, "It's a good thing I'm sensitive, or I wouldn't be…getting much out of this."

He blinked blearily down at her, his mind struggling to catch up with her words. When they did, though, he reached down to run a hand through her golden blonde hair, lightly tugging at her ear. When she looked up at him, he slipped his fingers down under her arm to grasp her breast, pinching and tweaking the nipple.

"Ooh~!" She moaned with a grin, "That's better...although, a little effort-ah!" As if on cue, he clamped down on her shoulders and thrust between the welcoming fold of her cleavage, drawing a pleasured sigh from her tusked lips. "There we go!" She cooed as his seed painted the underside of her chin and began to dribble down the length of her throat.

Izuku slumped back against the wall, breathing so hard he barely noticed Ino parting him from her breasts, cleaning him and tucking him back. He did notice when she stood up and kissed him, hard, sucking his lips like she was trying to steal his breath.

"Next date," she growled, shoving a hand under his shirt to grope his abdomen, "You and I are finding a quiet spot, and we aren't leaving until I've had four." She pecked him once more and pushed him towards the door. "Get back before we're missed, and I'll be out in a bit. Lucky we did this in a bathroom, eh?"

He stumbled towards the main floor, pausing to center himself before striding back to the table as if nothing happened. And he probably could've held onto the facade if it wasn't for Himiko giving him a broad grin, or Sakura mouthing 'Nice' at him, or the way Sukuro hid her face in her empty bowl, fox ears twitching.

On another note, Hinata couldn't meet his eyes for some reason. Maybe she was embarrassed about the hair thing?

…

School was eventually out with no more surprises, good or bad, so it was with the desire for some simple hard work that Izuku headed to Dagoba Beach. Mt. Lady had sent him a text a few minutes before, telling him she'd been called away for the day. When he arrived, he took a second to admire the work he'd accomplished, and the future that lay ahead.

Then he spotted Toshinori sitting on the concrete block he'd claimed as his seat, the withered man seeming surprised that he'd come. "Midoriya, m'boy!" He called, waving a hand, "I'm pleasantly surprised to see you here! As well as somewhat relieved."

"Surprised?" He asked, trotting over to his Sensei, "Why's that?"

The Number One shrugged. "Most take their birthdays as a break, but I suppose I should stop being surprised by your work ethic. Here, I have something for you…in a sense."

Izuku hopped up onto the block, unable to contain his curiosity. "An updated training plan? Should I adjust my intake of protein now that I'm at seventy-two kilos?" All Might handed him a rolled up length of glossy paper, which he then unrolled. "…What's this?"

On the paper was a figure, one Izuku didn't recognize. It seemed to be a man, with a broad chest and shoulders, limbs bulging with muscles, all of it covered in an exterior of armor that looked almost like rock, layered over black material. The helmet was smooth with an almost gas-mask like front that swept back into a peak.

(Image)

Izuku tilted his head, wracking his mind. Eventually, he sighed and shook his head. "…I don't know who this is," he admitted, turning to an amused Toshinori.

The hidden hero shook his head with a chuckle. "It's not some obscure Hero, Young Midoriya. It's something personal. See, back when I was in America, I was injured and laid up for a good two months recovering. In that time, I became very bored of watching TV and reading, so I began to play games. During my search across the internet, I found something," he paused, then pontificated, "There was a Canadian company, in the back-when times, that ran an online game. I found it in my injured state and one character, of multiple, was this one, Rhino. On the surface, rather simple but in operation…much deeper than he appears. I played that game until I left for here, and unfortunately they don't have any servers in Japan." He sighed, grumbling under his breath.

Izuku squinted at him, waiting. "…Is there more to that?" He finally asked after a minute.

Toshinori blinked at him. "Oh, right. See, after the Quirk Wars, the company unfortunately went under. But some fifteen years ago now, someone found their servers and reactivated them. The resurgence of the game and the character itself, they speak to me. When you showed me your rock armor, it immediately made me think of this. And as your mentor, it falls to me to point out the areas you're lacking in, and m'boy, your armor needs work. After all," he gave his trademark grin and pose, "A Hero must be striking visually, if they are to strike fear into the hearts of their foes, and comfort in the hearts of their allies."

"Mm," Izuku hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin as he gazed at the picture. Then he handed it to his mentor and hopped off. "Can you hold it up for me, please?" All Might did so, and the younger man drew on the sand around his feet.

It raced up his legs in a silent stream, coating his skin and flattening his hair before it solidified into rock, his feet sinking further as more and more was required to build up the armor. It formed into sand-colored plates around his limbs, his eyes disappearing beneath the helmet.

And then, standing in front of All Might as if it had hopped out of the picture, was Rhino. Toshinori couldn't help but gape, turning the poster around to compare. It was almost exactly the same…except for the ten-inch long codpiece. He could understand why that was left out, but he did notice something else. "Er, Young Midoriya?" He waved a skeletal hand in front of the solid, eyeless helm, "Can you see? Ah, can you breathe?!"

"Yeah," the Hero-in-training replied, and they both jumped at the sheer depth of his voice. It sounded like a craggy cliff face of abyssal obsidian had learned to speak, and all it wanted was a sacrifice of flesh and bone so that it may take a human form and wreak havoc upon the Earth. He immediately drew the mask away from his mouth, lips turned down. "Uh, yeah, I can see and breathe in this. It seems automatic when I inhale, I think it aerates. For the vision…it's like looking through a pair of slightly grainy glasses…" He tapped into his chakra. "Ah, there we go."

Toshinori arched an eyebrow; the helmet hadn't appeared to change at all, but it wasn't his Quirk. "Say, Young Midoriya, your armor…is it all one solid piece?"

Izuku stretched, and there was no sound beyond a strained noise from his mouth. "Well, not solid, no."

"Hmm," All Might squinted in thought. "M'boy, I have homework for you." The young man perked up and he resisted the urge to chuckle, "I want you to study modern ballistic armor, as well as medieval. When we see each other tomorrow, I want to hear ideas from you."

"Alright!" Izuku pumped his fist, the armor crumbling into sand as he did. Then he cast his eyes over the dunes and spotted a hovering sled. "Mei! Over here!"

The sled took a wide turn, almost flipping before it shot towards them, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake. As it raced at them, Izuku realized that beyond hovering and being driven by a pink-haired girl, the sled itself was different. It didn't seem to be cobbled together from random parts and duct tape anymore. The engines whined as the sled skidded to a stop, with Mei jumping off straight at him with a cry of "Midori!"

"Ah!" Izuku caught her in his arms, doing his best to cushion her against his chest. "Jeeze, Mei, are you alright-?"

"Lookit my brand new Hoverbaby!" She squealed, throwing an arm out at the sled with a blinding smile, "I recycled my old one and built an even better Baby! Isn't it adorable?!" Mei cupped her cheeks, wiggling in pleasure as she giggled.

Izuku gasped as he set her down and examined the vehicle closely, taking note of the near-silent engine and the quiet purr of the multiple fan blades underneath, the deeper tray and the higher rim. "Did you upgrade the fans so it can carry more?" He asked, pushing down on the edge and noting that it didn't wobble.

"My baby is way better than it was before!" she gushed, hopping on his back with one arm around his neck so that she could point out the stuff. "See, the tray is one solid piece and the fans are all the same dimensions, the power went way up! It can carry five tons without stuttering even once and can output thirty miles an hour!"

"Wow!" He enthused, ignoring the feeling of her feminine form on his back, "I notice there's no steering wheel." And there wasn't. There were, however, two seats now.

"I implanted the control device into my spinal column," Mei announced flatly.

Toshinori leaned in from the side with wide eyes. "You did?"

"Ahhhh!" The inventor shrieked, accidentally throwing herself off of Izuku's back, landing in the sand with an "Oof!" And a cloud of dust. Then she shot back up, stabbing a finger at the gaunt man like a spear. "Where did you come from?!"

Izuku traded glances with All Might. "…He's been here the whole time, Mei," he pointed out.

"Oh," she squinted at him, scratching her temple. "Okay, whatever. No, I was joking about that, I don't know how to perform surgery…unless…!"

He quickly reached out and poked her nose, making the inventor scrunch her face and rub it on her sleeve. "Whatever you're thinking, Mei, no. No invasive procedures on anyone, especially yourself."

Mei pouted at him, crossing her arms. "But I could make a baby that does surgery with the cold, superior mechanical precision instead of the inferior fumbling of human hands!" She clasped her hands in front of her mouth, eyes sparkling. "Imagine how much free time surgeons would have on their hands!"

Izuku grunted in his chest. I don't exactly have any authority over her, so I can't tell her no…"Uh, why don't you wait until you get into Yuuei? That way you have someone who can check your work and also make sure you don't accidentally vivisect yourself?"

The inventor hummed. "…That does sound annoying…okay!" She chirped, opening her mouth again but was interrupted by All Might clearing his throat.

"Young Midoriya has hauling to do, so if he could get started on that…" Mei zipped away to the nearest junk pile with a whoop, "…That'd be great."

As the pink-haired girl darted about the junk, pointing out pieces while babbling constantly at the green-haired boy following her, Toshinori sat back on his seat with a sigh. Young ones, he snorted, shaking his head. He eyed the girl in particular, especially her sled and if he was hearing right, she was also creating several other things at the same time. He cast a critical eye at his apprentice, mind turning over an idea.

An hour later, Mei flopped onto the concrete block next to him, breathing hard. Even with the strange, skeletal man next to her, her eyes were locked on the boy on the other side of the beach. "Hey weird guy," she muttered toward him, turning her head but not her gaze, "Are you some kinda trainer, or are you just using Midori for free labor?"

"Both," he answered with a shrug, "It's hard work to build his muscles and when he's done, hey, clean beach."

"Mmm, muscles," she hummed, before shaking her head.

"Mei-kun, right?" He asked, getting a distracted nod, "You're quite the inventor, aren't you? Would you, perhaps, be interested in inventing something that could help Izuku-kun?"

She cocked her head at him, and he noticed that her eyes had crosshairs in them. "…Who?" She asked cluelessly.

All Might sighed. "Midori. His name is Midoriya Izuku."

"Oooooh." Mei blinked. "Inventing?! To…help him?" Her gaze sharpened uncomfortably. "Help how?"

Toshinori smiled as he began to explain his idea. And people say I can't be subtle. HA!

…

It was a distracted Mei that drove the two of them towards her shop, barely looking up as she swerved around a biker and parked them in her workshop. As Izuku began to unload the goods, as they were, he noticed her shuffling towards her bench, pulling together papers and pencils.

"Mei?" He asked softly, brushing his hands down, "You okay?"

She looked up from her sketch, blinking like she'd forgotten he was there. Then she smiled brightly. "What's up, Midori?"

"Are you alright?" He repeated, cautiously laying a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm wonderful!" she enthused, bouncing in place, "I've got so many babies to make, I can't decide which one I wanna make first!"

Izuku couldn't help but smile at her unbridled enthusiasm. "Speaking of making babies," he paused to ponder what the implications of what he'd just said, as well as withdrawing one of his notebooks from a pocket,"Can I ask for your help?"

Mei froze, eyes locking on the book before darting forward. "Another Midori-baby?!" She gasped excitedly, reaching for the book. "Show me!"

The green-haired boy flipped it open to a page depicting a gauntlet with tubes on the back and claws extending from the fingers. "It's something for Toga-chan," he explained, turning that page to some kind of armor system, "So is this. Could you look it over for me, refine it a bit? And then, when we have time, could we make it together?"

The inventor glanced up at him, surprised. For some reason she felt warm internally, and absently wondered why. "Why wait?! Let's start right now!" She made to snatch the notebook away but he held it out of her reach. "Come on! Comeoncomeoncomeon!"

"Not right now!" he said loudly, holding her back, "I don't want to interrupt your flow, Mei!" She stepped back with an outrageous pout, crossing her arms. "Besides, I have to go soon."

Mei's expression fell along with her arms. "You…you have to leave?" She asked softly, her internals feeling oddly empty, and again she didn't know why. She swallowed dryly, glancing away. "Is it…because I…did something?"

Izuku arched an eyebrow at her. "Uh, no? There's a party about to start at home, I gotta get there and take a shower."

"Oh!" Mei slumped in quiet relief, "Well, have fun!"

He frowned slightly, "Oh, you're not coming?" He asked disappointedly.

She tilted her head. "What?"

"Yesterday?" He questioned, "I…sent you a text? You said you'd come? Do you not want to anymore?"

The inventor cast her mind back. "OH!" She clapped her hands loudly, bouncing on her heels. "I remember now! Yeah, I'm coming!...Where do you live?"

Izuku smiled brightly, once more causing her internal temperature to fluctuate. "Actually, I kinda forgot about the time, so how about we walk there?"

And that was how Mei found herself walking down the street with Izuku and eventually, coming into his home. He then abandoned her to the tender mercies of his mother.

Izuku stepped out of his room still toweling his hair, shaking his head as he tossed the wet thing into the laundry. He came into the living room, his brain noting the drawn curtains and the lights turned off, given only a second to comprehend such before everything snapped back on.

"SURPRISE!"

He jumped with a yelp, ducking back into the hall to slam his back against the wall. He peeked out from around the corner, eyes wide.

There, standing in his living room, were a bunch of girls, most of them giggling at him. Himiko and Inko were at the front, Ino, Sakura and Sukuro behind them and further back there was Yu, who gave him an excited wave with both hands, and a smirking Mitsuki.

And sequestered in the corner, giving them all weirded-out looks, was Mei.

"When did you get here?!" He asked shrilly, trying to calm his pounding heart.

"While you were naked, dummy!" Mitsuki called, "You're lucky they talked me down from kicking open the bathroom door!"

Izuku shuddered at the mere thought of it.

"Now come on, Izuku!" Himiko waved him over with a grin, "There's food!"

Shaking the surprise off with a bracing breath, he stepped out of the hall and into the party.

He hugged each girl in turn, kissing their cheek and greeting them. "You couldn't have told me?" He grumbled to Himiko, who shook her head with a smirk.

His mom threw her arms around him, already sniffling. "My baby boy is growing up so fast!" She wailed, tears flowing freely.

Mitsuki shimmied up to two verdant-haired ones, sneaking in a hug before trying to peel the smaller mother away. "You're…lucky!" She gritted out as Inko struggled to keep her grip on her son. "Come…on, Inko! You're embarrassing your son in front of all these ladies!"

That was actually untrue; each of them in their own way had witnessed or been the cause of a situation far more embarrassing than being hugged by his mother.

As his mom was peeled away, Sukuro skipped into the absence and embraced him shyly, laying an equally light peck on his cheek. "S-sorry, I would've told you…if I'd known…"

Ino bumped her aside and smooched his cheek, smirking at the other girl. "And that's why we didn't tell you!" She crowed, theatrically flinching as the mint-haired girl playfully swatted at her.

"I forgot," Sakura announced with a shrug, draping her arms around his neck from behind and pecking his ear, then looking away. "Ooh, food."

Yu pulled him into a strong hug, her long hair tickling his nose. "So this is why we didn't train today," he voiced.

"Yeah, Toga-chan kinda sprung it on me," she admitted with a grin, before lightly punching his shoulder, "Speaking of, why didn't you tell me it was your birthday, Kohai?"

He chuckled sheepishly. "I uh…I forgot."

Yu shook her head and stepped around him to join the chatting girls, leaving him with Mei still tucked into the corner.

"Mei?" He asked gently, seeing her rub her arms like she was cold, "You okay?"

"I don't know where these people came from!" She hissed, crosshairs narrowing, "They just popped up, like Pah!" She mimed an explosion with her hands, then rubbed them together, looking lost. "…what'm I supposed to do? I've never been to a party before."

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, unsure. "Well…come with me, and I'll introduce you around," he offered his hand, only to blink as the inventor grabbed his arm and ducked under it like he was some sort of umbrella, eyeing the whole room suspiciously. "How about some food?"

The Midoriya's little coffee table was practically groaning under the weight of the array of treats, just begging them to partake of the feast. There was a platter of lightly steaming takoyaki next to a box of taiyaki, alongside a plate of dango skewers and a box of pizza, finished off by a bowl of mochi. Gathering a plate of sweet stuff, Izuku nudged Mei towards it, and the inventor grabbed four takoyaki, popping one in her mouth.

"Hey," she mumbled around a mouthful, nodding at Yu and Mitsuki, the two blondes chatting, "Isn't that the Pro Hero…uh, Grand…Teton, or something?"

"Mt. Lady, actually," he nodded, chewing a piece of mochi, "You wanna talk to her?"

Mei sniffed, "I wanna find out where she gets her costume."

Izuku noticed that the two were in some deep conversation and decided to let them continue, steering the pink-haired girl towards another pair, those two being his mom and Sukuro. "Hey mom, Sukuro-chan, this is Mei," he nudged her out from under his arm.

Inko smiled kindly, "It's nice to finally meet you, Mei, Izuku-kun and Himiko-chan talk about you quite a bit. They say you're one of the smartest people they've ever met," she eyed the black jumpsuit Mei wore and the stains on it, "Also that you're very dedicated."

The inventor blinked, her internals twisting in a way that was simultaneously uncomfortable and very nice. "Er, yeah," she perked up and grinned at them, "That's right! Hatsume Mei, that's me! Future owner of the greatest Support Gear company in the world!"

"T-that's ambitious," Sukuro whispered, playing with a cup of juice, "W-what kind of science do you like?"

Mei cocked her head at the fox-eared girl, squinting. "…Who're you?"

"Sukuro, the other smartest person I've ever met," Izuku jumped in, slipping an arm around the girl's shoulders and giving her a light squeeze, making her cheeks glow as she tried to hide her face in her cup, "She's a genius! I could listen to her talk about aeronautics for hours."

Yellow, crosshaired eyes met orange. "Genius, huh?" Mei muttered, a grin curling her lips.

And so the party continued. Ino and Sakura were pulled into Yu and Mitsuki's conversation, presumably about fashion, while Mei rained questions down on Sukuro, the mint-haired girl stammering her replies but slowly gaining confidence until they were babbling back and forth at such speeds no one knew what they were talking about. Inko, Izuku and Himiko drifted back and forth, offering snacks and drinks until it was time for the main event.

With the food consumed, the table was cleared of scraps and containers to be replaced by various packages, some wrapped, others in boxes. "Me first!" Ino declared, plopping a package covered in star-scattered wrapping in his lap and leaning on his shoulder.

Izuku peeled it open to reveal a shirt and a pair of shorts made of some kind light, stretchy material, colored a shade of green lighter than his hair and trimmed with white. "Wow, this is nice," he murmured, rubbing a bit of it between his fingers.

"It's new running gear that just came out," the tusked blonde enthused, tugging on the sleeve to show the flexibility of the material, "It's really breathable and super comfortable to wear for long stretches of time, and I thought your old stuff was kinda old. Put it on!"

"Er, later, Ino-chan, it's getting kinda a late," he folded his new clothes neatly and set them on the arm of the couch, reaching up to half-hug the girl hanging on his shoulders before she moved on and Sakura took her place with a small, unadorned box. Opening it revealed a simple glass bottle full of amber liquid with a nozzle.

"It's cologne," Sakura explained, reaching down to pull it out, spraying a bit on her wrist and holding it up to his nose, "It's supposed to smell like what you make me think of."

Izuku breathed it, nearly nuzzling her wrist before he drew back. "Hm…subtle earthiness, something kinda like grass and…cinnamon? With vanilla?" He guessed, making the girl with flower hair smile fondly, letting Inko smell it next.

Mitsuki watched the byplay with narrowed ruby eyes, glancing between the teen girls and the only boy there, a conclusion she wasn't certain she'd be fond of beginning to come together in her mind.

"Honestly, I can't think of a time you'd wear cologne, Izuku-honey," Sakura admitted with no shame and a shrug, "But perfume's all I really know how to make and I wanted to give you something personal."

He patted her arm with a bright smile, "Thanks, Sakura-chan, I love it." He stretched up to kiss her cheek and she gave him a languid grin before slipping away as Sukuro nervously grabbed her gift from the coffee table and presented it with a hopeful look in her orange eyes, even as her cheeks burned from the attention. She's so damn cute! Was the thought that reverberated in almost everyone's head.

"H-here," she stuttered, opening the paper bag and withdrawing a simple silver chain with a pendant dangling from it. The pendant drew quiet gasps as it was revealed, nearly glowing even in the well-lit room. It looked like a sea-foam green crystal that lightened to sky blue near the center, and at the very core was a teardrop of burning orange, suspended within mid-fall. "L-last month I w-was experimenting with a n-new chemical coating, but when I went to introduce the isotope-"

Mei popped up from the back of the couch, eyes sparkling, "Ooh, what kind of-!"

Himiko ghosted in from behind her, pulling the inventor into a headlock and wrestling her down behind the couch with a growl of, "Not now!"

Sukuro blinked, then licked her lips and continued as if nothing had happened. "A-anyway, it reacted in a way I've never seen before and solidified into a crystal-like structure. I had to use an acid wash to shape it b-but I thought it was p-pretty and I hope you like it…" She trailed off bashfully, twiddling her fingers and bit her lip.

Izuku, in that moment, desired nothing more than to pull her onto his lap and kiss her silly, but with company she'd likely faint instead; so in lieu of any aggressive cuddling, he bowed his head and let her place it around his neck, the pendant resting above his heart. "It's beautiful, Suku-chan," he murmured, brushing his thumb along the crystal thing, "I love it."

She beamed at him and darted forward to hug him tightly, before fleeing down the hall, the bathroom door slamming shut behind her.

"Talk about shy," Yu commented as she stepped forward, then shrugging. "Anyways, I was saving this for when you made it into Yuuei, but since someone," she shot Izuku a dry look, "Didn't tell me their birthday was coming up, I had to improvise. Here."

She reached into her shirt and withdrew a glossy five-by-five photograph, which depicted All Might with a broad grin giving the camera a thumbs-up, the words: TO MY BIGGEST FAN! Were written in his wide, powerful hand. Izuku blinked at it, then up and an expectantly smiling Yu, then glanced at Himiko, who bit her lip to muffle the giggles threatening to burst out.

"Thanks!" he said brightly, tucking it away in a pocket.

Yu blinked blankly. "…You know, I was expecting a bigger reaction…it took me two hours to track All Might down, and like five minutes to get his autograph. To be honest, I thought you might cry." She scratched her cheek, looking disappointed. Izuku hopped up from the couch and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"I'm keeping it down," he whispered, thinking quickly, "I really do like it and it's a really thoughtful gift, but there's something else I'd like even more. I'll show you after, okay?"

She gave him a strange look but nodded, kissing his cheek.

Mitsuki stepped up before Izuku sat back down, nodding at Inko with a smirk on her face. "Me and your mom got something for you together and personally speaking, I wanna say it's the best gift you could get," she pulled a velvet box out of her pocket and snapped it open to reveal a simple gold ring set with a diamond-shaped emerald. "Me."

He blinked cluelessly at her as Ino choked on her drink.

Then the older blonde dropped to one knee. "Marry me," she stated.

Izuku squinted at her. "But you're married to Masaru," he pointed out, making Himiko snort. "What?" He asked.

"You didn't say 'no,' Izuku," she giggled, and he frowned at her, not realizing her meaning until a second later.

"Oh," he turned back to the still-kneeling blonde and licked his lips, "Well, um, Mitsuki-ba-uh, Mitsuki, I, uh, appreciate your offer but I'm still too young, I think, to be committing to a serious relationship. Anyone would be lucky to spend the rest of their lives with you, but…also you're still marr-"

That happened to be the last straw for Mitsuki as her dead-pan expression gave way to boisterous laughter, nearly dropping the ring box on the floor if not for shoving it into Izuku's hands. Then she was free to curl up on the carpet, rolling around and clutching her stomach in mirth. "Y-your face!" She wheezed, pounding the floor and flailing her feet. Though that was less funny for her when she kicked her shin into the coffee table. "Ow!"

Izuku shrugged and sat back down, removing the ring from the box to examine it closer. "It's really nice, though…I don't think I'm a 'ring' kind of guy," he turned to Mitsuki, now clutching her shin, then towards his mother. "Mom?"