8

Chapter 8: Transmutation

Everything must end, so that something new can begin. Life is like the Earth, in a way; regardless of human wants and desires, it continues on. The sun sets, and the sun rises.

And it doesn't really care about emotions.

…

"-Wait, you fought the Zero-Pointer?!" Himiko asked shrilly, pausing mid-step as they walked back home, "The giant stomping Robot that's worth no points? That one?"

"I mean…not really fought," Izuku sheepishly replied, "More like…punched it in the face…once."

She blinked, tilting her head. "...Alright, you're gonna have to explain that."

And so he did, Himiko's eyes getting wider as he spoke until they were nearly popping out of her head. "-then I shouted 'Detroit Steel' and jumped up and punched it in the face," he concluded, holding out his hand to show the silvery metal covering his skin, "With a little extra."

Himiko stared as he clenched his fist and what looked like green lightning crackled along the surface. "…You broke through to metal and OFA," she muttered, running her fingers over the warm metal armor, before narrowing her eyes, "I'm not sure if I should be glad that you reached beyond because you were protecting a girl, or mad because that girl wasn't me."

"I mean, I was looking at her," Izuku commented, taking her hand, "But my thoughts were of you…and mom…Mitsuki, Yu and…Sukuro…" With the chaos of the day fading, he felt his chest seize for a second as the reality he'd ignored in favor of punching robots reassumed the top position of things bearing down on him. He shook himself out of it. "Just the thought of failing, leaving you and everyone…well. I didn't want to. Maybe it was the pressure, or the thought that I was about to die…"

"You really thought you were gonna die?" She asked softly, arching an eyebrow, "It was a test, you know? I doubt the school would actually put students in danger, that just seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen otherwise."

He shrugged, cheeks reddening. "Well it felt real to me, okay? And it worked out in the end!" Izuku winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Although I could really use a long soak and a massage…"

"Well, Mister Big Hero Man," Toga teased, enfolding his arm between hers and hugging it to her chest, "I'd be glad to relieve allll that tension…" She shrugged. "And I wanna soak, too."

Izuku hummed thoughtfully, manipulating the metal on his hand into different designs. "I am gonna have to test out so many things now," he muttered, tapping his fingers together, "I jumped higher and hit harder than I ever have before, and I don't know if it's because of the metal or the other part."

Himiko grunted in agreement, eyeing his silver hand. "What's it like, controlling metal? Compared to rock and sand, I mean."

"Stubborn," he immediately replied, withdrawing the silvery second skin under his shirt. "It would bend, but it wouldn't break. But I couldn't break either, so…I guess I out-stubborned it? Like trying to ride a wild horse, but I had to punch it in the face first."

"Ahh," she nodded, "Makes sense. Now that you can use metal, are you gonna use it instead of rock?"

Izuku shook his head. "Mm-mh. Even though it seems to enhance my strength even higher, it's still metal and against a lightning or a fire Quirk I'd be toast. No, I think I'll keep it as the First and Second layer, then layer rock over the top of that. That removes the weakness to electricity and might mislead someone into thinking rock is all I can use." He shrugged. "Just in case."

Toga hummed agreeably, laying her head on his shoulder. Then a wide grin crossed her lips. "…You know Mei is gonna want to make sooo many 'babies' with you when she finds out, right?" She laughed as his eyes widened.

"…I'm not sure whether to be happy that I can help her more or afraid for my safety," he mumbled, scratching his cheek.

"How about aroused?" She offered with a cheeky wink. "Oh wait, that's gonna be Mei."

Shaking his head and deciding to leave it for later, they continued on their way home. It was just as they were climbing the stairs that Izuku's phone rang. Checking the screen, he answered with a smile. "Hey Mom, we're just coming home."

"You're aren't hurt, right? Both of you are alright, right?" His mom still sounded a bit panicked and also a little scratchy, probably because she'd been worrying herself into an early grave.

"Nothing more than sore muscles and bruises," he replied, wrapping an arm around Himiko's shoulders, "You'll see for yourself in just a minute, okay?"

"Guess that means I should go see how my brat did," he heard Mitsuki grumble on the other end, followed by a rustle of cloth. They had just made it to the front door when it opened, revealing the older blonde. "Oh hey, you're back-"

There was a loud whoosh and then suddenly Inko had her arms around them both. "My Babies!" She wailed happily, clutching them to her.

Izuku and Himiko traded looks. How had she moved so fast? Well, she could move small objects with her mind and she was, after all, rather smol.

"Have fun with that," Mitsuki smirked, stepping around the group hug and ruffling their hair, "Like a lonely sarlacc, my friend is. I was sacrificed, and now you are. Karma~! Later, Midoriyas!" She began to make her way down the stairs before turning back. "Once the results come and we know for sure all you kids are in, we're gonna go out for some damn good food to celebrate."

Inko wiped her eyes and looked up. "Mitsuki, that's not-"

"I can't hear you, I'm already down the stairs!"

The older verdette huffed and smiled, hugging her children again and crowding them into the apartment. "Okay you two, go take a bath and I'll start on snack or dinner…something, and then you can tell me all about the hi-highly dangerous…physically violent…"

She looked about to cry again, so the two teens bolted down the hallway and into their room to grab some fresh clothing. Himiko groaned as she bent down to undo her laces, peeling her sweaty socks away before standing back up, stretching and flexing her sore muscles. "You know what I'd like?"

"Long bath and a massage?" He guessed, pulling his shirt off and dumping it in a rapidly-filling hamper.

"Oh yeah," she purred, kicking her skirt off and unclasping her collar, the suit and belt sliding to the floor, "I used my core a lot today and I'm stiff as hell. Rub my belly and I'll rub your shoulders?" She asked, batting her eyelashes, "Then after dinner, we can massage each other. I think we'll need it after dealing with all those robots and missiles and bullets, you know?"

Izuku leaned down and kissed her gently, wrapping her in a warm, if grimy, hug. "Only if we get to cuddle afterwards," he murmured, stroking a hand down her spine.

"Twist my arm, why don'tcha?" Himiko grinned, cocking her head as Izuku's phone rang again. "You get that, and I'll get the shower going."

With another peck she departed, and he answered the call. "Yu-senpai!" he said brightly.

"Kohai!" She chirped somewhat cheerfully, sounding slightly out of breath, "How'd the test go?"

"The written part was very easy, I got bored," he replied, blushing as he recalled what had happened afterward, turning a Midnight figurine on the shelf so its judging sapphire eyes wouldn't be gazing at him so judgmentally, "The physical test…well, I kinda followed in your footsteps."

"You fought a Zero-Pointer?!" She squealed, sounding both happy and reproachful, somehow, "Just to be more like your Senpai? Awwww…you really shouldn't have, those things are dangerous…"

He shrugged, kicking his socks off. "I kinda had to," he muttered, scratching his cheek. "Uh, Senpai? Are you alright? You sound out of breath."

"Just got my last collar of the day, don't worry," Yu said, and he heard shuffling in the background, "Fast little bastard…anyways, we should celebrate! Not tonight, but how about I take you guys out to lunch soon?"

"Sure, sounds good!" He wondered if they'd end up going to the Uzumaki Noodle house. They usually did. "Talk to you soon, senpai!"

"Later Kohai! Say congrats to Himi-chan for me!" And with that, the conversation was over.

Smiling, Izuku set his phone down and joined Himiko in the bathroom. A shower, a rub and a bath sounded heavenly, and if they got a little handsy, even better.

…

After the rather climatic events of the Entrance Test had passed, it felt almost odd for the two of them to go back to school a few days later. The test results would arrive in a couple of weeks and sitting around and brooding about the possibilities would just drive them nuts, so they went about their days as was the usual: they trained, went to class, hung out with the Semi-Serious-Even-Though-It-Wasn't-Supposed-To-Be-Even-Slightly-Serious Girlfriends, ate at the Uzumaki Noodle house, made babies with Mei (who, true to form, had immediately co-opted Izuku's new ability and had also very definitely passed her tests with the highest of scores and finest of babies, thanks for asking), met with Yu and generally just lived.

Except that things had irrevocably changed.

Once, the atmosphere had been carefree, a little wild and fun…but with the clock ticking down to Sukuro's departure, the finish line was looming. And it wasn't a race any of them wanted to win.

Izuku couldn't blame Ino and Sakura from taking most of Sukuro's time; they were, after all, her oldest friends. And after a while, he almost preferred to be with his mint-haired Actually-Serious Girlfriend with the others. Their dates, once a source of fun and free conversation, had become stilted, quiet and awkward. Of held hands and painful silence, small kisses becoming desperately making out as if trying to pack years of affection into only weeks. And cuddle time where one or both parties might suddenly start sobbing was no longer soothing.

So he did what he did best; try to train his feelings away.

Izuku stood on the far end of the now-clean and occasionally-populated Dagoba Beach, metal coating his arm up to the shoulder. He drew his arm back, subtle sparks of green energy dancing along the shiny coating before he punched forward. The air split and thunder clapped, a fist of pure force kicking up waves over the ocean before blasting a five foot wave into droplets.

"I'll call that…five percent," he muttered, shaking out his wrist. It was the least amount of energy he could pull out without letting it drop to the point that it didn't actively do anything. What he was calling 'One Hundred Percent' was the amount that had flooded his body with power, allowing him to leap sixty stories in less than a second and punch a military-grade giant robot hard enough that the head was practically disintegrated. He rubbed his fingers together, squinting at the shiny metal digits. Why couldn't he go lower?

"Maybe it's a psychological thing?" Himiko offered, hanging upside down from a concrete block doing bends, stretches and exercises with her core alone. "Remember the Strike Philosophy?"

"'When you strike, do not act as if you wish to merely hit the target; strike as if you mean to punch through it,'" Izuku quoted the Red Tome, stepping away from the water to flick through the Tome in question, ignoring the sight of Himiko in not much more than a sports bra and shorts flexing her stomach; trying to, anyway. He hummed to himself, eyes searching through the pages. "Yeah, here it is."

There's more to a strike than mere muscle power. The flexing and tensing of muscle and sinew, potential energy gathered and released as kinetic; all physical. As with everything, there is a mental and psychological edge that must be honed. Exhale when striking. Do not think of your enemy as a sparring partner, but as an enemy that must be put down as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Style is also appreciated.

When you strike, do not act as if you wish to merely hit the target; strike as if you mean to punch through it. Like a line of programming, imagine the steps you must take to turn a simple blow into a downing strike: Inhale, gather and tense. My enemy must die. Strike, release, exhale. Repeat until the chain is instinct.

Izuku bit his lip in thought. "So maybe when I try to punch, I unconsciously realize that either I'm trying to hit something and use too much, or that I'm not trying to hit something and don't use any of it. Hmm." He rubbed his fingers together again, thumb against the middle, then paused. "Maybe using less isn't something I can do with a punch, but…"

He pressed his thumb and middle finger together, tensing only his hand, a mere flicker of light playing along his palm before he snapped. The sound was akin to a gunshot, displacing air with a ripple of force, kicking a bit of sand into the air.

"Magic hands!" Himiko gasped theatrically, now doing a handstand.

Izuku pressed his fingers together again but aimed his hand over the water, tensing his arm and flicking. The blast of force was less than a punch, broader in scope, but there was potential there. "Two percent," he muttered, examining his hand critically. His fingers were a bit sore, the metal warped a bit. Even the slightest amount of power left his muscles sore, but without armor the force from a Five Percent punch had dislocated his wrist and strained his hand. He hoped it was only a matter of time and experience before such injuries were no longer a factor and he could use more than five percent without injuring himself in Unarmored mode.

His cat-eyed lover lithely dropped from her handstand and leaned on his side, rubbing his hand as he rolled his knuckles to release the tension. "Wanna take a break with that and help me with some target practice?" He willed the metal away from his arm and hid it under his clothes, squeezing her hand briefly.

"Alright, sure," Izuku shrugged, kneeling and shoving his hands in the sand. He formed several shuriken, the same size and shape as her Stun Shuriken out of sandstone and set them on the concrete block, then created a stack of simple disks and walked down to the water's edge. Himiko bounced a throwing star in her palm and nodded. He flicked a disk into the air and at the apex, her shuriken punched through the center, shattering both into sand.

He threw the disks in a staggered pattern, sometimes high, sometimes low, occasionally on after the other with varying speeds. They stopped to drink water and create more disks and stars when someone stumbled around the overpass they used to shelter from the sun and prying eyes. It was a young sweaty man in a bike cop's uniform with white sheep's wool instead of hair. "Has someone been setting off fireworks?" He asked, panting.

Izuku and Himiko traded looks and shook their heads. "Nope, haven't heard any fireworks," she shrugged.

The young man sighed and wiped his forehead. "Alright, if you do, let me know alright?" And then trudged away, muttering under his breath.

"I didn't think we were that loud," Izuku said, setting his bottle down and grabbing an armful of targets.

"Well, we are under an overpass," she shrugged, hopping off the block. "Alright, let's go again."

For another hour or so, the two of them practiced, switching off so that she threw targets and Izuku flicked spikes of stone until the sun had started to drop. Early evening had come, and so they headed for home. It may have been a Saturday, usually for heavy training and such, but after the Exam they'd decided to let the schedule slide a little bit in favor of refining what they had. Leaning against each other, they enjoyed the quiet companionship as they walked back home.

Just outside of the front door, Izuku's phone rang and Himiko's chimed a text message. She took a glance at the screen, then turned her phone off entirely, grinning. He shot her a questioning look but she shook her head, and he answered the call on speaker. "Hello?"

"You better get your asses dressed in somethin' fancy 'cause we're going out tonight!" Mitsuki whooped from the other end of the line, joined by the sound of an engine revving and someone shrieking, possibly in panic, "I already got your Mama with me to get all sexied up, so get clean and we'll be there in an hour-two hours!"

"JUST LET ME OUT, DAMMIT!" They heard Katsuki's dulcet tones in the background, "I DON'T WANNA-!"

"SHUT IT BRAT!" Izuku winced at the volume issuing from the phone. "Also, my spawn is coming too. See you two in a couple hours~!"

Himiko absently rubbed an ear as she unlocked the door. "Guess we've got plans tonight, yay. Although Bakugou is gonna be there, boo." She hummed thoughtfully as they took off their shoes, leaning on Izuku for balance before wrapping her arm around his and giving him a knowing look, a heavy envelope in her hand. "And I think I know why~"

He felt his heart thump and his anxiety spike. He knew, logically speaking, that they'd made it in. They'd been training too hard to not get results. But logic lost to worry and he began to sweat.

"Let's watch it before you have a heart attack," she murmured, sitting them down on the couch before slitting open the seal with a sharpened nail, tilting it so that a metal disc slid out onto the coffee table.

It rested there for a quiet minute before the top flickered and a holographic screen popped up in front of them. "I AM HERE, AS A PROJECTION!" The muscle-bound form of All Might declared, his visage bearing that famous toothy grin. "NOT ONLY THAT, BUT I AM-" the smile faltered and he turned to the side, "This thing is on, right? Does the red light mean it's recording or-AHEM! NOT ONLY AM I HERE AS A PROJECTION, BUT AS A PRESENTER FOR BOTH YOUNG MIDORIYA AND TOGA! AS YOU KNOW, YOU WERE GIVEN POINTS FOR THE ENEMY ROBOTS YOU DISPATCHED! THESE ARE CALLED 'VILLAIN POINTS!' HERE IS HOW YOU SCORED!"

The screen split into two, angles from hidden cameras focusing on Izuku and Himiko, then the whole thing went into fast forward. It would pause every time they took down a robot, a number in the corner rising with a cheerful little 'ding!' Himiko's number eventually topped out at 111. Izuku's kept rising until it, too, finally stopped.

Midoriya Izuku - 175 points

Toga Himiko - 111

"AND HERE IS HOW YOUR SCORES COMPARE TO OTHERS!" All Might boomed, a list appearing on the screen, their names lining up. They recognized a few of them, such Ashido Mina, somewhere near the bottom of the Top Ten scores along with Iida Tenya, then in fourth was Uraraka Ochako, third was Kirishima Eiri and at second, Izuku himself. At the top-

Bakugou Katsuki - 200

"Ah, second place," Himiko muttered, squeezing Izuku's arm, "That's still really good. Only problem is, Miss Volatile is gonna be so smug. Dinner is gonna suck."

"But taking down villains isn't solely what Heroes do, is it?" All Might asked, voice softening along with his grin, "There's more to Heroism than that and thus! THERE WAS SECRETLY A SECOND SCORING SYSTEM! BEHOLD! HERO POINTS!"

The screen began to play the exam again, but this time it focused on the times they'd helped other people. Himiko's score only went up a bit; she'd explicitly chosen her targets away from other people. Izuku's score, however…

"HERO POINTS ARE AWARDED FOR HELPING YOUR FELLOW EXAM-TAKERS BY A PANEL OF JUDGES! Not me, though," All Might added quickly, casting a dirty look off-screen. "I would probably have been biased if I were one of them, and that would have been a disservice to you two!"

"…Wow, you really did punch a Zero Pointer in the face," She murmured, eyebrows arched as the robot's head burst into pieces, "So that's what that noise was…"

By the time the playthrough had finished again, the scores looked a bit different.

4: Uraraka Ochako - 213

3: Kirishima Eiri - 225

2: Bakugou Katsuki - 237

1: Midoriya Izuku - 305

"AS YOU CAN SEE, YOUNG MIDORIYA, YOU HAVE PLACED FIRST!" It might have been wishful thinking, but Izuku thought All Might's grin had gained a proud edge. "NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU HAVE SHATTERED THE PREVIOUS RECORD- MINE! BOTH OF YOU, BECAUSE OF YOUR SKILLS AND ABILITIES, HAVE SCORED HIGH ENOUGH THAT YOU HEREBY INVITED TO ATTEND YUUEI AS STUDENTS OF THE HERO COURSE! THIS IS YOUR HERO ACADEMIA!"

There wasn't any cheering or yelling, just Izuku taking Himiko into his arms and the two of them hugging fiercely, smiling and crying for similar though different reasons.

Acceptance, and proof of it.

The message, however, wasn't done. All Might cleared his throat. "Not only have you been accepted, so have I! You are looking at the newest teacher of the Hero Course! Now rest and relax, and I expect to see you bright and early on the opening day! And remember…go PLUS ULTRA!"

Izuku wiped his face with his shirt and reached for his phone. "So that's why he hasn't been around since the exam," he concluded, turning it back on, "I thought maybe-"

He jumped as several delayed messages and missed calls suddenly sprung forth, quickly tapping through texts to open the group chat he'd started with the other prospective Hero Course students after the exam. Asking for their numbers had been a bit awkward, especially since Mina had noticed the lack of paper or pen and burned her digits into his shirt. Those were some weird holes to have.

(RightPebble) you have entered GroupChat: NEXTGREaTHEROES!1!1!WOOO

H0tP1nk: yooooo zuku you got numbr 1! hows it feel bein top dog?! :) ;)

ROCKHARD: IM SAD I GOT 3RD BUT ITS STILL MANLY *High-Five Emoji*

Iida10 Is Typing…

AllFallDown: At least you made the podium Kirishima! :]

RightPebble: I just found out and it all feels unreal. Never thought I'd beat Bakugou.

TheBigSucc: That punk-ass needed some humbling…not that it'll last. *Rolling Eyes Emoji*

ROCKHARD: YOU GUYS KNOW THAT CHICK? SHES MANLY!

RightPebble: 'Volatile' is more her speed.

H0tP1nk: bet she feelin saaltyyyy!1 i would if id been top and then some BS made sum1 else win id be piiiiisssed

TheBigSucc: You don't know her. Salty is her default state.

ROCKHARD: IT WAS MANLY

Iida10 Is Typing…

H0tP1nk: no offense zuku you did work boi and i luvd it

AllFallDown: you really deserved it Deki! :]

TheBigSucc: You're biased, he did punch a robot in the face for you.

RightPebble: Deki?

H0tP1nk: deki?

ROCKHARD: ROBOT PUNCHING IS MANLY

H0tP1nk: Not 'deku?'

TheBigSucc: Who TF you calling 'Deku?'

Iida10 Is Typing…

AllFallDown: Deku's kinda rude, you know? I thought maybe something else less mean. :]

H0tP1nk: and deki is cooler?

AllFallDown: Well wen i first met him i herd some girl call him 'Deku Koishi' but i thot it was more like 'dekiru'

TheBigSucc: lol like 'you can do it?' That's so fuggin cute im divan

TheBigSucc: *Dying.

RightPebble: She is. Rolling on the floor. Also just kicked me in the shin.

ROCKHARD: PAIN IS MANLY. Sometimes.

H0tP1nk: wait sum1 calls zuku 'useless pebble'? That's jus weird. also kinda…

RightPebble: Diminutive?

H0tP1nk: ya, u a beeg boi :) ;)

TheBigSucc: Ya, Lady of the Salt is the one who came up with that. Usually calls him 'Deku' 'cause two words are too big for her to remember.

AllFallDown: ...so is 'Deki' okay?

Iida10 Is Typing…

RightPebble: It's fine with me. I didn't mind you calling me Deku because I liked the thought of turning something I've kinda hated into something nicer. But Deki works. Friends give friends nicknames, right?

H0tP1nk: ...how ling is Iida10 gonna type?

TheBigSucc: If he's as fast as RightPebble said, he might be typing up a manifesto.

H0tP1nk: oh lawd he comin

AllFallDown: fnijbka

ROCKHARD: are we friends? Or, can we be friends when we get to Yueei?

RightPebble: Of course, ROCKHARD! Us podium makers have to stick together, you know?

ROCKHARD: FRIENDSHIP IS MANLY

TheBigSucc: Isn't this group mostly girls?

AllFallDown: ibuvginkjml;,

H0tP1nk: i thot it was magic?

ROCKHARD: YES

RightPebble: AllFallDown, are you alright?

AllFallDown: yis i accidentally my quirk and my phone went into the ceilingfan

Iida10 Is Typing…

TheBigSucc: Look at that, haven't even walked through the front doors and ROCKHARD and RightPebble are being classist.

H0tP1nk: but bean classless is mor fun! :) ;)

RightPebble: Speaking of classlessness, does anyone want to celebrate getting into Yuuei? There's an U18 Dance Club in Mustafu.

H0tP1nk: sounds dope but me and Eiri live like, two hours away.

ROCKHARD: CELEBRATING WOULD BE MANLY

AllFallDown: i'm also a couple hours away. :'(

TheBigSucc: Then once we get settled in at the dorms, we can have a party then. Anticipation is half the fun!

H0tP1nk: im down and also up for that! My drip melts the danceflor!

ROCKHARD: dancing...is also manly

H0tP1nk: Eiri's ready to rock lul

AllFallDown: i've never been to something like that, is it expensive? :/

RightPebble: Drink's will be on me and getting in is free.

H0tP1nk: drinks on zuku? hell ya sing me up

AllFallDown: I'm in! :]

RightPebble: We've got to go, we're going to have a celebratory dinner tonight. Got to get ready.

TheBigSucc: It's gonna be fancy! I'm gonna be looking noice in a dress! And RightPebble's gonna be in suit!

ROCKHARD: FANCY CLOTHES ARE MANLY i think

AllFallDown: Have fun! :]

H0tP1nk: take pictures!

RightPebble: Talk to you all later.

TheBigSucc: Iida10, your attendance has been noted.

ROCKHARD: would i look good with red hair?

RightPebble, AllFallDown have disconnected.

H0tP1nk: send nudes!

TheBigSucc: DM me later ;3

H0tP1nk, TheBigSucc have disconnected.

ROCKHARD: guys?

ROCKHARD has disconnected.

Iida10: While I feel somewhat ashamed for not placing higher in the rankings I would concede that Midoriya-san's efforts were rewarded rightly, but saying 'Top Dog' is rather rude and Kirishima-san your Capslock is on and also Ashido-san there's autocorrect built into the phone-

Izuku let the screen fade, standing up from the couch and stretching, offering a hand to Himiko. "So…" He started coyly, ignoring the heat in his cheeks and bending down to lift her into his arms, "We've got about an hour and forty minutes left to get ready. Will it take you that long?"

Himiko grinned, batting her eyelashes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "No, it won't."

…

An hour and forty minutes later, Himiko and Izuku stood on the sidewalk outside of their home. She wore a dark blue dress that dipped a bit in the front and back to hint at the expanses of smooth skin beneath, clinging to her waist before flaring out at the hips, displaying her toned calves and the simple black flats on her feet.

He wore a pair of pressed black trousers and polished black shoes, secured with a leather belt with a simple silver buckle. Above that was a long-sleeve white shirt and a dark blue blazer with silver buttons.

Their clothes were simple, as far as fancy clothes went, but the grace with which they carried themselves made it seem much more elegant than at first glance. The Red Tome taught much, even fancy dinner parties for some reason.

"I hate dresses," Himiko griped, plucking at the hem of her dress and rubbing her bare arms, smiling as Izuku wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaning into his warmth.

"You look beautiful in them, though," he offered, stroking her shoulder. Not exactly a fair comparison, though. She made pretty much any piece of clothing look good.

She looked up at him with a smirk. "There's that," she allowed, leaning away a bit, "And also ease of access," she lifted the end of her dress up to give him a peek at her sheer, lacy black underwear.

Izuku coughed, cheeks darkening. "Y-yes, that too," he mumbled, batting her dress back down as a car pulled up and the window rolled down to reveal a blushing Inko.

"H-hey kids," she greeted with a nervous smile, eyes scanning them quickly. "You look really good, you know? All dressed up and…g-grown up…"

Before they could answer, an arm pushed Inko back as Mitsuki looked out at them. "No time for feeling old, we gotta go!"

Nodding, Izuku pulled the door open for Himiko. "What a gentleman," she said breathily, stroking his hand as she slipped inside, her teasing mood rapidly sapped away as she saw Katsuki also in the back.

The other blonde girl had stuffed herself in the corner, scowling and hunched in on herself like she'd had all her blood replaced with grouchiness. If Himiko was feeling generous, she might've thought that the dark green dress went very well with Katsuki's darker skin tone and lighter hair, bringing out the exquisite ruby red of her eyes while also displaying a decent amount of her compact, muscular form.

But she wasn't, so she simply thought Katsuki looked like a salty bitch in a rumpled dress.

Doing her best to not actually make contact with her, Himiko squeezed herself into the middle seat, grunting as Izuku pushed in next to her. A smile crossed her lips as she quickly levered herself up and plopped her butt in his lap. "Got enough room back there?" Mitsuki asked, already peeling away from the curb.

"Oh yeah, got all the room we need," Toga said with satisfaction, leaning her head back on Izuku's shoulder, basking in the heat from his red cheeks. And if she heard a growl from Katsuki, well that was just a bonus.

As they rode, Inko looked back to them, eyes watery. "So, did you two see the results? Mitsuki and Katsuki have, but they haven't said anything to me. Did something bad happen?" She clutched the headrest, eyes wide. "Y-you didn't fail the test…did you?"

Katsuki scoffed and somehow crossed her arms harder, glaring out of the window like she wanted the passing buildings to explode.

"Don't sound so hopeful, mama," Himiko rolled her eyes, grinning toothily as she leaned back against Izuku. "We're totally in and get this, we got our results from All Might himself! Apparently, he's gonna be a teacher this year." She began to explain the message they'd received, mimicking All Might's booming tone and bombastic posture. And if she wiggled a bit more than necessary, well, it wasn't like Izuku was going to say anything.

The restaurant was an undeniably fancy one, more Western than traditionally Japanese but with elements in the decor that reflected the country it was settled in, with carefully trimmed bamboo and gently trickling waterfalls lining the walls. The wait staff was dressed much like Izuku, but with name tags, and the other guests were a mixed bag of even more expensively dressed, about the same or in more casual clothes. And in the center of the room was a large square of polished wood with a raised section, bearing stools and stands for a band.

"Bakugou, party of five," Mitsuki said firmly before the woman behind the podium had a chance to speak.

Said woman flipped through a large, leatherbound book with long, delicate fingers before nodding. "Welcome to The Zen Garden," she bowed, waving a hand as another young woman with what looked like plastic purple tendrils for hair stepped up, "If you would follow Amai to your table, and please enjoy your time."

The table they were seated at was simple, yet elegant, with a white tablecloth and candles circling a bonsai tree planted in the center. They were handed menus before their waiter left to retrieve refreshments. "Don't worry about price, kids, it's all on me," Mitsuki announced, before giving them a narrow look, "That doesn't mean order one of everything, though."

Katsuki snorted, but they all examined the listed food carefully. It all sounded expensive and exquisite, with a variety of foods from all over the world but mainly Japanese. Izuku was deeply tempted by the tonkatsu pork, but restrained himself. It wasn't everyday they went to a place that fancy, and it would behoove him to expand his horizons a bit. His eyes caught on a dish that intrigued him, so he nodded and set it down.

The waitress returned with glasses of water and once those were set out, withdrew a notepad and a pen. "Are you ready to order?"

Mitsuki went first, ordering a platter of various Tempura-fried meats and vegetables, along with a side of the House Specialty, Slow-Cooked Bamboo Soup. Inko went next and asked only for a small salad, but quailed under the unimpressed look of her best friend and added a breast and thigh of fried chicken. Himiko smiled as she ordered an eight-ounce steak, cooked rare on a bed of dense greens and Katsuki, scowling all the while, ordered the same. When it was Izuku's turn, he asked for the barbecued eel with the House Soup for a side.

With their food on the way, an awkward silence fell on the table. The blatant hostility eking from Katsuki's very being stifled conversation, not helped by the fact that all the people at the table knew each other very well. "So," the oldest blonde broke the silence, her finger circling the rim of her glass, "You talked about the physical test, what about the written?"

"Pssh, it was easy."

"It was pretty easy."

Izuku glanced at Katsuki, who scowled back at their simultaneous answer.

"Well I didn't have fun," Himiko interjected, her hand under the table and resting on his thigh, "It sucked, actually. Especially the essay questions on the law…it's like they wrote the whole thing in alien just to make it harder."

"Oh, don't I know it," Mitsuki sighed, resting her chin on her hand, "Wait until you have to read six contracts with four different businesses all dealing with different things, and all the contracts seem the same except for like, two words that change everything."

Himiko made a face that drew some laughter from the adults, but Izuku recalled his own NDAs with the jewel company. It had taken more than an hour to read through the whole thing, even with help.

Ice successfully broken, peaceful chatter filled the table until their food arrived.

The largest, the tempura platter, was set in the middle. Each piece was fried to a light golden crisp with a delicate, almost airy crust that subtly gleamed with the remnants of oil. Despite the elegance of their arrangement, they crunched between the teeth with an almost gleeful noise, the contents cooked to tender perfection.

The steaks had been grilled and seasoned artfully and, if they were seeing right, had even been branded with short prayers for deliciousness by the chefs. In Haiku, no less. And they'd worked; upon slicing the meat open, red juice had dribbled almost lewdly from a dark red center that steamed with a thick fragrance, each bite a silky yet meaty treat that demanded to be savored to the very last second.

Inko's salad was the most basic, but each leaf was a vibrant green or purple, slim-cut bamboo shoots arranged into the character for Purity on top and circled with light dressing. The chicken had been fried darker than the tempura, the crust speckled with spices and still lightly crackling. The meat was tender and moist, every mouthful bringing with it a sense of warmth, comfort and gentle but insistent heated spice to follow, contrasting wonderfully with the crisp freshness of salad.

The eel was rather inelegant in comparison, a strip of browned flesh atop a pile of rice crisscrossed with sauces, but the appearance was more than deceiving. The meat was dense yet flaky, chewy yet tender and bursting with flavor, tangy and sweet sauce carrying it almost to a breaking point; but the rice, the simplest of dishes, was light and fluffy, absorbing and soothing the harshest tang and blending it all together perfectly.

The soup, however, was the center of attention. The appearance alone was more than enough to display just why it was the House Specialty. Shimmering steam rose from glittering broth, bamboo shoots bobbing gently next to strips of pink meat, dusted with a sprinkle of spices. The bamboo was tender and had absorbed the strongest of the salty broth, practically bursting on the tongue, and the pork had been cut from what must've been the lightest cut of pork belly imaginable, cooked so gentle that it melted in their mouths.

Even Katsuki, still scowling, asked for a taste and afterwards, and even wore something close to a smile.

The food took precedence and they dined in almost silence, buoyed by the chatter of the other customers and soon enough, the gentle playing of a small string band. Each dish was (mostly) shared freely with sounds of appreciation, but soon enough it was all consumed.

Cleaning the corner of his mouth with a napkin, Izuku eyed the dance floor and the couples there. The music had picked up a bit in speed and sound, but not to anything wild. "Hey mom," he pushed his seat back and stood, holding his hand out to his mother, "Want to dance?"

Inko blinked at him, glancing at the floor and back to him with a bit of color in her cheeks. After a moment of lip-biting thought, her emerald eyes met his own and she nodded, taking his hand. Together, mother and son walked to the dance floor and with his hand on her waist, hers on his shoulder and the others clasped, they smoothly stepped into the small crowd.

He took a second to look at her. She wore a conservative-length dress down to her ankles, deep blue just like Himiko's, but with a white shawl over her shoulders and clasped around her neck. Her green hair was done up in a fancy little bun with a few strands artfully loose, with only subtle hints of makeup to bring out the youthful roundness of her face and the color of her eyes. As they danced, Izuku couldn't help but compare her to the woman he'd grown up with.

Even as a child, Inko had always seemed short, even when he barely reached her waist. It seemed her natural posture was hunched over, head bowed, eyes away even when she was heated. But after the years of slimming down and being a model, even a niche one, she stood straighter, met the gaze easier. She didn't 'ooze' confidence, being naturally shy, but it had become obvious that she held herself in higher regard.

Izuku had always loved his mother, and her little personal evolution had made him love her even more. "You look beautiful, mom," he said earnestly, ignoring the fact that she'd just stepped on his toes.

Inko smiled warmly, cheeks pink. "And you're so handsome, Izuku," she replied, moving her hand up from his waist to cup his cheek, "This place is a little high-class for us, but dancing like this is nice. I'm glad I didn't fight Tsuki-chan too much."

"Me too," he nodded, "The food is really good."

"Mm," she hummed dreamily, "I'll have to look up the recipes and try them out for…us…"

Seeing her eyes start to glisten and her lower lip wobble dangerously, he quickly took her into a spin and pulled her close. "Please don't cry, mom," he whispered, "There will be breaks and weekends, we'll visit you all the time…we'll be around so often it'll be like we never left. And who knows, they might just kick us out."

Inko huffed and lightly slapped his chest even as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Don't say that," she muttered, "I know how hard you've worked, both of you. If they don't keep you, they'd be crazy. And I knew the time would come when you'd have to leave but…I'm afraid of living by myself."

Izuku grimaced. He didn't really have an answer for that. "You won't be alone, mom, Mitsuki will always be around, we'll visit…" That probably didn't help. At all.

But instead of bursting into tears as he expected, his mom took a deep breath and mustered herself. "I know, Izuku, and I accepted it a while back. Just remember to call me, okay?" Her arms slipped around his torso and she hugged him tight. "No matter how far you go, or how big a hero you become, always remember your mother, please?"

"Always," he promised, kissing her cheek. They stepped around the floor a bit more before a hand tapped his shoulder. He glanced back to find a smiling Himiko.

"Mind if I cut in?" she asked, offering a hand to Inko.

"She's all yours," Izuku bowed out gracefully, watching two of the most important ladies in his life spin around the dance floor. Turning to the table, he found Mitsuki bent over, whispering furiously into Katsuki's ear, two pairs of ruby red eyes glancing up at him as he made his way back.

Then a hand grabbed his shoulder. "Kohai?"