Archive of Our Own

Work Text

Nobody expected to bear the sight of a giant fireball flying across all of the forty-seven prefectures of Japan on a Monday morning. It shook houses and struck panic in the thousands of witnesses. Sonic booms could be heard for up to a hundred miles, which ended in several hundred calls to the Japanese Meteor Society. 
 
Of course, little Midoriya didn’t expect to be right underneath it as his mother walked him to primary school, either. Almost instantly upon detection, he balled up in pain on the cold pavement as blood trickled down his ears. Being a child, he had no idea what had occurred, but it turned out with aggressive crying and a rushed trip to the packed ER. A hundred thousand similar incidents took place, which, strangely, only affected kids under sixteen.
 
The hospitals were so full that nurses could be seen running from room to room. They were entirely flooded, which caused severe problems with the lack of supplies and staff. Some patients were outright rejected care, which caused a huge uproar, defaming some hospitals as a result. To think just that one incident had caused this was outrageous, but it was the ultimate truth.
 
Overall, it was an enormous deal. Although this had happened, young Midoriya, thankfully, had received treatment- being one of the first thousand to reach the hospital. However, they waited over ten hours just to receive a patch over the ears and some painkillers. His case was less severe so he required no surgery, but he could see others being rushed into the ICU in an attempt to save their hearing. For a child, this was quite traumatizing. 
 
Which was why he forgot about it even though the topic of the news still lurked 10 years later. He was an anxiety-ridden teen now with little to no confidence, which was quite a contrast from his younger days. 
 
His mother worried, hence starting him on medication to soothe his overworked mind. The only thing that made him happy nowadays was collecting and analyzing data on his favorite celebrities.
 
“You’ll do great!” Inko encouraged. She handed Midoriya his lunchbox and cupped his cheeks in affection. “Remember to check with a nurse in case you need to take it, okay?” With a kiss on his forehead, she let go of her precious son. “I love you.”

“I-I will!” Midoriya forced a smile on his face. Swallowing, he turned his back to the house, but before he could take off, his mother placed a hand on his shoulder to promptly stop him. He turned his head, “Mom, I’ll be late-” He stopped midsentence when he caught tears accumulating in her eyes. The mildly peeved expression he held instantly softened. “Mom…”
 
“I’m...I’m proud of you.” Inko quickly wiped the tears away and sniffed, “You’re growing up so fast. You’re such a brave boy.” Her hand loosened around his shoulder until she let go completely.
 
A short smile perked over his lips. “See you after school. I love you too.” He gave his mother one last wave before bounding off. 
 
Footsteps trekked over the concrete ground as he leisurely walked with a heartbeat that begged to outrun Usain Bolt himself. It was the first day of class, so he wanted to feel enthusiastic and confident, but he just couldn’t. The ground seemed to swirl underneath him as he tried to keep his breathing under control.

Deep breath in, hold, deep breath out. It didn’t work.

His legs shook violently and he felt like he’d drop anytime, but he remained alert, determined to get to his first day of high school on time. As he continued to walk, though, his breathing grew uneven enough to be considered a near hyperventilation episode.

Were those people looking at him? They were looking at him. They were laughing at him. They were judging him. Did he see a girl point at him?

His eyes stayed glued to the ground to avoid these paranoid thoughts he knew weren’t true.

They were minding their own business, don’t overthink it.

There was a reason why he was this much of a mess; He had neglected his medicine for a few days and was paying for it. What could he say, his mother was overprotective. He didn't need the medicine! They were essentially useless, he thought. A little bit of rebellion coursed through his veins. He wanted thoughts, he wanted motivation instead of a blank mind all the time, but maybe that was a mistake on his side. 
 
Midoriya’s pace fastened until he was eventually outside of the school gate. “It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong.” It felt like his bones were trembling to their inner core. “Nothing is wrong. It’s okay, n-nothing wrong.” He muttered under his breath to try to fool his brain, keep his eyes fixated on the ground as he walked ahead. Perhaps too far.
 
“Watch it!” 
 
A small huff left him as he collided with a larger figure. Taking three steps back, he froze upon recognition of the person. “K-Kacchan!” He exclaimed, reflexively taking two more steps back. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” In an attempt to avoid any further conflict, he made himself look small. Not him on the first day, his heart was going to jump out of his chest at this rate.
 
Katsuki narrowed his eyes dangerously low, putting his animalistic teeth on display. His sharp canines were enough to make Midoriya reel back even more. “Buck up, little shit!” Though the boy attempted to avoid conflict by seeming small, he only made it worse. “Fucking pussy.” Katsuki grabbed the hem of his collar and pulled him close, forcing him to look up at him until he was just on his tippy toes, “Still weak.” It appeared as though Katsuki desired to say more, but by the looks of it, some students had started whispering as they passed by. That was enough to make him let go and walk away with a pissed grumble.
 
Midoriya’s knees almost buckled underneath him. Before he could fall, though, he grabbed onto the metal gate for support and tried to keep a mental breakdown at bay. Easier said than done, honestly.

Deep breaths. He was just messing with you, it’s okay.

It took a few minutes before he could walk on without the egging urge to break down. This wasn’t a good start to the day, but at least he probably wouldn’t run into him again.
 
That was enough motivation to drag himself along to locate his classes. After he grabbed his schedule from the main office, he went right to the nurse's office.
 
She was with a rather weak-looking man when he entered. Midoriya glanced away when the golden-headed male met his gaze, keeping it to the ground until he left. “Ah, how may I help you, boy?” The nurse inquired with her delicate voice. She sounded old enough to be his grandmother. The thought brought him some comfort.
 
“I-Izuku Midoriya,” He responded politely, “I’m here for u-uh.. for… I’m here because,” He started to sweat, “Um,” He nervously looked at her, but she stood there smiling, waiting for him to continue, “because… the forms.” He pulled out a medication list he’d have to come to the nurse to take between classes if needed.
 
“Ah,” She skimmed through them and nodded, “It’s rare to see these, some kids neglect to hand them in.” She tucked the sheet in a file, “I.D.?” 
 
He fumbled to take off his lanyard and handed it to her. She jotted down something on a separate piece of paper and handed it back, “Okay, leave medication with me every morning and remember to retrieve them before leaving. You’re set.” 
 
“Thank you… nurse. Um,” His eyes darted over her name tag, “Nurse Chiyo.” He stood there awkwardly before fumbling with his bag again, “I-I actually… I forgot to take my medicine this morning and mom shoved it in my bag so...” he paused, rubbing his hands together, “So...can I.. C-can I take it now?”
 
“Well you have the forms filled out and approval from me, so within my supervision, yes.” Chiyo answered with stoic professionalism, “But you will have to leave that and any other medication you have with me.” 
 
“Okay...” The boy uncapped the bottle of pills as the nurse poured him water. After downing the medication with a quick swig, he let her keep the bottle
 
“Young Midoriya, if you start feeling drowsy, stop by my office. Otherwise, enjoy your stay at U.A High.” He sheepishly nodded at the request, recalling the medicine as something akin to a sedative as he exited. Now for class. 
 
Despite the warm welcome, anxiety still gnawed at his stomach. Midoriya had to wait at least thirty minutes before it kicked in, and it had only been barely five. He stood in front of the door for a long while without realizing it.
 
Why the hell was it so huge? The door could easily fit a giant in it. Then again, this was a prestigious high school he managed to squeeze into. Would there be rich and stuck-up students attending? Cocky laughter echoed in his head; he’d seen enough anime to have a visual. 
 
He swallowed, a shaky hand resting on the doorknob. He was planning on running away until he felt a presence behind him. That resulted in a surprised jolt, hitting the person right on the underside of the chin. A short slice reverberated through the awkward silence. 
 
Did he just… Did he just bite his tongue? It was because of him. “Oh my god, I’m sorry, I-I’m so sorry!! I didn’t mean..” He panicked, going off in stutters. He messed up. He messed up with a plausible classmate. Now, this would ruin his reputation and he’d be an outcast again! He couldn’t bear this, he couldn’t- 
 
“Excuse me..” 
 
Midoriya squeezed his eyes shut, expecting some sort of smack. Or a punch. Or a knee to the gut that Katsuki was infamous for back in middle school.
 
“You’re still in the way.” His voice was strangely calm, and he stood politely without any shoving or pushing, which greatly contrasted his initial thoughts.
 
Midoriya blinked a few times and apologized one last time before quickly moving aside, taking a moment to glance. He turned pink when he glanced back. “Y-yes?”
 
“Hm.” The boy shuffled forward, consequently allowing the scar on his left eye to peer out. Midoriya tried not to look at it for too long despite the interest it piqued. How did he get that scar? “Nothing.” With that, he entered the classroom as if nothing happened. It was a minuscule situation after all.
 
Midoriya took the chance and followed behind so he wouldn’t garner unwanted attention and kept his head low. 
 
Yeah, no. 
 
As soon as he entered the classroom, the first sight to bestow upon him was Katsuki and... Iida Tenya, he supposed, arguing about school ethics. Unsurprisingly, Katsuki was being rude.

Just my luck

The guy with the burn scar went ahead to take his seat, leaving Midoriya behind to gape at the scene in front of him. For some reason, being the sole person gawking at the scene at the front of the class had many eyes fall on him and he wanted to die on the spot. “Uh,” His fingers tangled with each other. Why wasn’t he dead right now?
 
“Good morning!” Iida marched over with a stern look, which was somewhat frightening quite frankly. He appeared quite intimidating. “My name is Tenya Iid-”
 
“Y-yeah, I know you.” He accidentally cut in.

How rude.

“I-I mean… You ranked pretty high! How could I not know you? Haha... I’m Izuku Midoriya..” God, this was awkward, especially in front of the whole class.
 
“You were a part of the top ten yourself!” Iida acknowledged, “You may seem dull, but you are very smart, I’m sorry I misjudged you.” Midoriya didn’t know what to think of that but he knew it made him feel worse. Did he look dumb?
 
“Oh! I’d recognize that plain-looking boy anywhere!” A familiar soft voice resonated from behind him. The girl emerged with a giggle, “You’re the one that had that panic attack! Remember me? I helped you to the nurse’s office. Uraraka Ochako.”
 
Midoriya wanted to bury himself alive and never see the light of day. “Oh. Ahaha.” The amount of sheer anxiety he was feeling right now made him turn a tomato red, “I, um. No, I- ...N-nerves, you know?... Yeah,” He stammered, glancing around to see everybody but Katsuki and the scar dude minding their business, doing their own thing. Katsuki just stared with that soul-eating glare. Midoriya could feel his core being sucked like a vacuum-- it certainly wasn’t a good feeling. It reminded him of the past.

Don’t fall in a flashback, don’t fall in a flashback…..

Okay, he was good. No flashback. The medicine might have started working. He sighed.
 
“Aren’t you guys excited about the orientation?” Uraraka said cheerily. Maybe it was to break the awkward silence or maybe she was genuinely excited about it, Midoriya didn’t know. “I wonder who our teachers will be!”
 
“If you guys came to socialize, you came to the wrong place.” A deep voice had all of the kids’ attention. Midoriya jumped in surprise at the suddenness of it and looked back to see a dark-looking man with several eyebags. “Welcome to U.A, kids.”
 
Midoriya took several steps back so he was safe in his bubble, wondering if this guy was the teacher. He looked so done with life like he’d given up and was barely surviving. It certainly didn’t match with the apparent prestigious vibe the school had settled on. Shouldn’t he have been at least a little more well-rested?
 
“Time is precious and you kids wasted it by taking time to settle down. I’m your homeroom teacher, Shouta Aizawa.” He pulled a bag full of gym uniforms out of nowhere and shrugged it forward, “Now wear these and meet me outside for an exam.” The abruptness had whispers erupting, but one glare from him shut them up. “See you in fifteen minutes. If you don’t make it by then, you’re expelled.” Audible gasps were heard and a crowd shuffled around the bag. “Find the uniform with your name on it.”
 
Unfortunately for Iida, he was the recipient who it was shrugged into, making him the new holder. But as it turns out, it appeared that it was in the hands of the right person. “In line!” He ordered and people complied.
 
After an organized handout, the students pretty much ran to the locker room. Some shameless ones changed right in the classroom. Not Midoriya, though. He rushed to the bathroom and changed there. Thankfully, he made it with ten seconds to spare. It didn’t seem like anybody would get expelled over this.
 
“What do you think this is about?” Iida whispered to a woozy Midoriya. He shrugged.
 
“We’re going to miss the orientation!” Uraraka added disappointingly.
 
Aizawa glanced at the students and hummed in approval. Everybody was present. “Now mind you, this is more important than the orientation. We’re out here for a little testing.” He motioned to the equipment lying around. “These can’t be taken inside due to safety purposes. We have full consent from your parents and medical experts to utilize these, so there will be no whining. We will be looking to see if you fall into a classification. Alpha and Omega, maybe perhaps, Beta. I will explain what that means at the end. Any questions?”
 
Mineta shot his arm up into the air, opting to speak despite not being called on, “Yes, why are we doing this now? Does this always happen?”
 
Aizawa shook his head, “No. The implementation of these machines is fairly recent. To reiterate, it’s for research purposes. Relating to this, why do think you were able to attend this prestigious school when the chances were so narrow? Blood deformities are within all of you. That is the sole purpose of our research.”
 
Quite a few gasped. Midoriya’s thoughts stuck to the part about blood deformity.
 
“Any more questions?” No one dared to ask, fear had struck them silent. “Okay. Line up in front of this machine. It will prick your finger and collect a droplet of blood. It doesn’t hurt.” Aizawa pulled out his clipboard and stood beside it. “What are you waiting for?”
 
The students snapped out of their prompt confusion and lined up, pushing and shoving each other so they wouldn’t have to go first. Unluckily, Midoriya ended up second in line. The first one was a fuming Katsuki. “Bring it on.” 
 
He placed a hand on the instructed area and didn’t even flinch when he was pricked. The blood was collected in a tiny tray, which Aizawa marked and placed in a bin. The mark seemingly dissolved, a new one taking its place. “Next.”
 
Midoriya took a deep breath and placed his trembling hand down. His thoughts had calmed but the knots in his stomach remained. The renewed needle pricked him painlessly, but he still flinched, exhaling when it was over with. Tokoyami was third and Jiro was last.
 
“Next test, smell.” He held up two sheets. One labeled A and the other labeled O. “Bakugo, you’re first. Which one is more appealing?”
 
Katsuki’s face scrunched in annoyance, “You expect me to smell that?”
 
“You will if you want to stay here.”
 
That was all the persuading he needed. “Ugh.” He grabbed ahold of sheet A first. Upon smelling it, he gagged and instantly moved away. “What the hell did you put on this thing?! It smells like shit!” Seeing Aizawa’s gaze, he grumbled and sniffed the O sheet. “Hm..”
 
“I assume you like it.” 
 
Katsuki huffed, “Is that all?”
 
“Yes.” Aizawa recorded the result on the clipboard and motioned to Midoriya next. 
 
Midoriya went for the O sheet first. “Uh… “ He sniffed it again and gave Katsuki an inquisitive look. How could he like the scent of this? “It’s not really..” He went for the A sheet and relaxed against it. He pulled away and stared at it. “I-Is something wrong with my sense of smell?”
 
“No. This is just a test.” 
 
Katsuki gagged in the distance. 
 
When it was the scar guy's turn, he looked straight at Midoriya after smelling the O sheet.
 
“Todoroki?” Aizawa questioned. “Ah. Does this sheet smell like Midoriya over there?” Receiving a nod, Midoriya sniffed himself. There was no smell? Unless he couldn’t smell himself. Did he smell bad? “I take it the O appeals to you more.” Another nod had Midoriya turn pink. This was weird. 
 
“The fuck?” Of course, Katsuki had to pique in, ”Deku smells like nothing. He smells like shit!” Having him up in his face made Midoriya very dizzy. He’d been feeling woozy ever since he came outside for the testing. “Huh?” Katsuki inhaled, face contorting into something akin to embarrassment, and immediately pushed him straight into Aoyama in anger, “What the hell did you do!?”
 
“No roughhousing. Uraraka, you’re next.”
 
Aoyama took the chance and took a creepy whiff of Midoriya. “Hm. He doesn’t smell any different. But I have many colognes on, hm, I should be smelling nice.”
 
Midoriya coughed and backed into Iida to escape. At least he had some decency not to smell him. “Where are your manners!? It’s absolutely rude to sniff someone.” 
 
Katsuki clicked his tongue.
 
“Test three,” The demanding tone in Aizawa’s voice had everybody stand straight, including the hairs of their arms, “And the last test for today since this class can’t seem to control itself. Pheromones. Another teacher will be joining in case something happens.” As if on cue, a lanky blonde man appeared from the shadows of the building. He seemed borderline anorexic…Jeez.
 
“Have you been standing there this whole time?” Kaminari laughed with an accusatory point. Seeing the teacher frown, he laughed harder.
 
“My name is Toshinori Yagi, and I’m your gym teacher.” Some kids held in laughter but all he could do was emit a sigh, “Start the test.”
 
Katsuki voluntarily went up. “What is it?” He was directed to a machine. “What's it gonna do?”
 
“Release five percent of alpha pheromones, increase if there’s no reaction.” Aizawa motioned for Yagi to flip the switch. At first, Katsuki didn’t do anything until the dosage was increased. At 15%, he let out a low growl. At 20% he bared his teeth, which concluded the test.
 
“Huh? What…?”
 
“Bakugo boy, you’ll find out soon,” Yagi answered. “Time for the omega pheromones.”
 
The flip was switched, and it had to increase to 25% until Katsuki could be seen turn visibly pink. “Turn it off.” He demanded.
 
Aizawa took notes and Yagi called up the next person. Midoriya pushed Iida into his place and he just went with it. “So, alpha first?”
 
“For you, yes.” Aizawa motioned for Yagi to turn it on again.
 
Iida could take 38% until he lowly growled. Yagi didn’t push with the numbers. “Good resistance,” Aizawa commented, “Omega time.” Yagi flipped the switch. At 38%, Iida could be seen turn slightly pink. “Hm... “ He turned to Yagi who also nodded.
 
Midoriya was next since no one would take his spot... He inhaled sharply and went up, standing still as Yagi instructed that he’d be turning on the Omega pheromones first. He was wary. Midoriya showed no reaction whatsoever even though it was up at 38%. Just fiddling around and being anxious, but that’s something he’d always do. “Strange.” 
 
“Um, is this working?” Midoriya glanced at Aizawa and Yagi, who nodded. “I don’t feel any different.”
 
“Alpha pheromones next.” Aizawa instructed. They started at 5% and landed at 15% when Midoriya started fidgeting in his seat even more. Yagi didn’t want to start a heat phenomenon, so he gestured at Aizawa. However, he was told to higher the dosage. At 20% Midoriya’s breath started coming out unevenly, and he began swaying. “Enough.” Even though Yagi had turned off the machine, Midoriya still fell back, right on his ass. “Someone take Midoriya to the nurse's office.”
 
“I will.” Yagi offered, only to be declined. 
 
“We need a teacher here.” Aizawa eyed the ash blond, who glared in response
 
“Have the half-and-half bastard take him since he’s so attracted to his scent, I’m not touching that bastard.” Dare anyone say he seemed jealous?
 
“I will oblige,” Todoroki answered, raising his hand.
 
“No, I think it’d be better if Iida took him.” Yagi interrupted. He received a nod from Aizawa which concluded it.
 
Iida thankfully had no complaints and helped him up for the nurse.
 
“Mr. Aizawa, what in the world happened?” Ojiru asked warily, “Will that happen to me too?”
 
“No. All I know is that his fainting would be a potential occurrence due to a prior issue and he be taken to the nurse. Passing out is not something that would result from this machine as a direct effect. Next.” For a while, nobody went up, until Tokoyami begrudgingly volunteered.
 
At the nurses, Midoriya was still very woozy. Chiyo gave him a cup of water and allowed him to rest for a while, at least until class would start. Iida was excused. “Nurse Chiyo,” He called out with a voice lathered with exhaustion. He’d just woken up from his nap. “This has never happened before.”
 
“Ah,” She placed her pen down and turned to face him, “Well, I assume the pheromones overwhelmed you.”
 
“What is this anyway…?” He curled into a ball, “It’s so confusing…Am I going to die?”
 
“No, honey.” Chiyo chuckled, “You’re not going to die, I assure you. You’re perfectly healthy. It’s just…” She pursed her lips and debated whether or not she would tell him. “Well, since you will miss your homeroom teacher's explanation, I deem it appropriate to say. However, keep this a secret, will you?”
 
Midoriya nodded and sat up attentively.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hmm... Where to start?” Chiyo stayed silent for a few moments as she pondered, “About the first few cases, I assume.” She cleared her throat and started when she had collected her thoughts, “ Three years ago, several men and women in their mid-twenties were attacked while in a heat-like state. Let's talk about a specific case study, like… Yamaguchi Tonirami, a deaf young adult. He was about twenty-three when he was found and hospitalized. Despite suffering severe injuries, he was back on his feet within no time. Suspiciously quick. During his stay, he remained in a trance-like state, strangely calling out for the attacker. Upon further investigation, his bloodwork came out very…Unique, which bred conflict. He seemed healthy enough; caught up on his vaccinations, had no underlying issues, and the like. However, there was an unknown element in his bloodstream. And, a few days later, he began displaying odd behaviors. Nesting, like an animal. Then came the slick from behind.”
 
Midoriya’s eyes widened, intrigued just as much as he was frightened. “His back?”
 
“No, his bottom,” Chiyo clarified with an awkward cough, “As a woman would when aroused, although men shouldn't be able to produce that. It’s a lubricant that would assist with...well, intercourse.” Seeing the clear look of discomfort displaying Midoriya’s face, she continued with the topic, “The culprit was put behind bars, but not without a psychic evaluation. His was reputation clean, but he acted like an animal when he was detained with growls and hisses. It took a few days to calm down, and when he had, he retained no memory of what had happened to him. What made this case even stranger was that both had that same unknown element. This went up to the scientists and well... They were tested.” As soon as she saw tears in Midoriya’s eyes, she shook her head, “You’re not going to be tested on, honey, don’t worry. The two are perfectly okay and are living life pleasantly.”
 
“S-several other cases happened, meaning there were more lab rats?"
 
“Thousands more,” Chiyo sighed,” It caused a huge uproar which primarily emerged among young adults. The connecting factor was that all of the subjects were deaf or half deaf.”
 
“Does this only happen to deaf people, then? Did you examine all the deaf people?”
 
“Yes, but they could only do so much. Nondeaf people showed signs as well. Some who showed no signs even had the bloodwork. However, we found something oddly similar to all of them.” Chiyo leaned in as Midoriya struggled to take in the information,” The sonic boom from the meteor ten years ago that ruptured their eardrums. Some had their hearing saved and some hadn’t Midoriya, my boy, you were a victim to that.”
 
His waterline filled to the brim with tears, a heavy droplet breaking. He didn’t mean to cry, he really didn’t- this whole thing was just absolutely anxiety-inducing as it made him uncertain about the past, present, and future. “What...What do you mean? No… You have the wrong person for this…”
 
“It has been confirmed by the doctor who saw you and your mother. Your bloodwork doesn’t lie.”
 
“What is all of that!” Midoriya shot his arms up in the air and paced back and forth, beginning to panic, “Am I going to get attacked like Yamaguchi? Will I also turn into a lab rat with no freedom?”
 
“Midoriya.” Chiyo’s demanding tone of voice had him freeze in place. For a frail lady, she could be intimidating when she wanted. “You’re in U.A high so we can protect you while also monitoring your health. You’re safe here, and we will prevent any attacks from occurring, even if it’s just potential. The teachers here are trained professionals, including me. As for the dynamic evaluation, we’ll get the data by the end of the week, however many of the students are aware of theirs just by today’s test. Still, we must complete all of the tests as required.” She sighed, “We don’t have much information on the Alpha and Omega yet but I’ll tell you what I know to give you peace of mind. I know you’re a good boy, Midoriya, so sit tight and listen to what we’ve put together so far.”
 
Midoriya didn’t know if he wanted to listen in anymore, but he plopped himself back down and grabbed a tissue to blow his nose into. He needed to calm down.
 
“Alpha’s are the most hostile and territorial dynamic, akin to a wolf. They excrete a potent scent to ward off the competition, like other alphas, but it also attracts potential mates. Omega’s. Let’s talk about the scent. Midoriya, feel the sides of your neck.”
 
Midoriya stuttered for a moment before doing as instructed. He felt...a very soft area that was sensitive to the touch on both sides.
 
“That is where the scent gland is located. It varies from person to person on how developed it is. It’s where the scent is produced. Tomorrow will be an individual test seeing how developed the scent glands are and where they are located. I suggest trying to locate where the rest of yours are.” She shuffled through her desk and pulled out a diagram, “Here’s where you should check.”
 
Midoriya took the paper and rolled it up.
 
“Omega’s. Omega’s attract Alpha’s and other omega’s. Unlike the Alphas, they don’t ward the same dynamic off. They’re very hostile in their personal territory and only let family or friends in but in general, they’re less violent. They’re the more nurturing type. They heal faster and are quick on their feet. And Midoriya...Tomorrow might be shocking for you so be sure to come with a calm mind.”
 
“What, What’s going to happen?” He immediately questioned.
 
“You will see. For now, I need to you rest for a bit more before you can return to class.”
 
Midoriya slowly laid back down on the bed, head buzzing with questions as Chiyo left the room. Instead of sleeping, he thought about everything she told him. How could he sleep after being told that? He opened the paper he had and examined it closely. 
 
Neck... Yeah, he had two on both sides. A bigger one at the back of his neck, which wasn’t on the diagram. He’d need to ask about that one later. He felt his wrists and only felt one on his right side. None on his upper arms, a small one on the left of his underarm. He looked at the paper again and turned slightly pink. He was supposed to have them in his inner thighs and around his butt as well? This was insane. ….He would check when he got home. 
 
“Um, hello, I’m here to retrieve Midoriya?” A voice reverberated throughout the quiet room. Footsteps and rustling could be heard before Chiyo emerged and motioned to Midoriya that it was time to leave. The boy immediately hopped on his feet and looked past the curtains curiously. “Todo….uh.” Shit, he forgot his name. Well, he only had heard it once when Mr. Aizawa referred to him.
 
Seeing his hesitance, he responded. “Todoroki. Mr. Aizawa called. We’re discussing the class rules and he didn’t want you to miss it or “it’d be a pain.” his words.” He began walking, expecting Midoriya to follow behind with a slight motion to his head. “How are you doing?”
 
“Um..” Midoriya clumsily shoved the paper into his bag and jogged behind him, “I’m okay.” He lied. He was not okay. The thing Chiyo shared with him put him in a state of panic.
 
“That’s good.”
 
The rest of the walk to the class held an awkward silence, which had distracted Midoriya for the most part. His thoughts delved into wondering if it was appropriate to ask about the scar, or about himself, or really anything. Sadly, he lacked the confidence so the questions remained right a the tip of his tongue. Perhaps if the distance was longer would he be able to slowly will himself to ask about his interests… Friends weren’t easy to make
 
“Glad you could join us.” Aizawa had just finished writing on the board. “Write everything down.”
 
The two took their seat, but not without Katsuki giving his infamous glare. 
 
Midoriya tried to write everything from the board, but Aizawa went a little faster than he could handle. He still caught on to the general gist and opted to sloppily paraphrase. “I will

not

need to repeat these rules anytime else, got it?” It was more of a threat than a statement. Some students swallowed and the others nodded. And thus, today's school day officially started. 
 
It all went too quickly for Midoriya’s taste... Lunch came and went, him being dragged to sit with Iida and Uraraka. They talked for a bit, exchanged phone numbers, and it seemed like the day ended just like that. He had kind of dazed out but was brought back to attention when Todoroki cleared his throat. “Huh?”
 
“Would you like to walk home with me?” He looked at Midoriya with some hope, but Midoriya couldn’t understand why he was asking him in the first place. He barely knew him.
 
“Shitty half and half,” Katsuki cut in, “Deku isn’t going home with your sorry ass.”
 
Midoriya swallowed in confusion, “I, uh, I- I’m going home with Iida and Uraraka…” He tried to ignore Katsuki as best he could, “But you can join us.” He saw Katsuki’s intense glare and shrunk in his seat. What did he even want with him, why include himself?
 
“I’ll be joining, then,” Todoroki said pleasantly, although the hot-headed boy behind felt just the opposite. “Is Bakugo included?”
 
Midoriya stilled for a moment and turned his red face to said person. He didn’t mind as much since he had friends come along, so Katsuki could do so much. But, he was still slightly afraid since they lived not too far from each other. When he heard Katsuki grumble, Midoriya’s face turned a shade of purple. Fear. So he was going to join after all. 
 
“Um… I’ll meet you guys by the g-gate.” Midoriya stuttered out. This would be a crowd, wouldn't it? He didn’t do well with crowds. “I need to make a stop.”
 
“Would you mind if I joined?” Todoroki asked with a slightly arched brow. It seemed like he had an idea of where he would stop. The commotion when he fainted did allude to him taking some type of medication. Seeing Midoriya shrug, he decided he’d stick with him. “We’ll see you at the gate, Bakugo.”
 
“What do you mean? I’m comin’ with.” He aggressively decided. 
 
Midoriya scratched the back of his head. What would he do with these guys? It wasn’t comfortable to have his bubble invaded by strange-smelling dudes, especially Katsuki. It made him flush a little. 
 
“Okay..” He softly said. Maybe this would be okay. Yeah, it was okay. He needed to break out of his shell even though it freaked him out. Remembering back to the promise he made to his mom, he nodded. 
 
So he stood and left, having the two following behind. Chiyo without question handed Midoriya the bottles and resumed work.
 
“This why you fainted? Why do you even need that?” Katsuki leaned in close to read the bottles. However, the hard-to-pronounce words had him laying off.
 
“S-symptoms included drowsiness… I was just overwhelmed.” Midoriya muttered, moving away from him. He shoved the bottles in his bag and clung onto the straps. “They help with… conflicting emotions. Mom made me take them after...” He didn’t feel comfortable sharing this, “Look!” He redirected their attention, “There are Uraraka and Iida. We shouldn’t make them wait long.” Without waiting, he jogged towards them. The two went after, though Katsuki was slower to keep up.
 
The group introduced themselves to one another and exchanged numbers excitedly. Well, it was just Uraraka gathering everyone's information. The walk was relatively calm for the most part. Uraraka’s burst of feelings was fun. Midoriya liked her optimism. She and Iida were a great pair. Todoroki stayed silent but hummed a few times and Katsuki running into poles and bushes was hilarious. Dare Midoriya say he had fun? A small group of people was okay and the talk was surprisingly tame and easy to relate to. Midoriya expected hesitance and intensity, but they all melded together easily.
 
Iida had to separate first. With him gone, the balance felt off without him supervising the conversation. Then Uraraka, the radiant energy. Midoriya felt awkward, but it was still okay with Todoroki and Katsuki. No one was going to hurt him, right?
 
“This is where I should leave,” Todoroki stopped, pointing in a different direction. “It was nice walking with you. I hope I hear from you when you get home. Bye.” The small ‘text me’ implication made Katsuki fume.
 
“Bye Todoroki!” Midoriya waved him off. The moment he was left alone with Katsuki, the hesitancy and intensity of the situation rose. Despite that, he kept walking with him.
 
“Say,” Midoriya flinched. He looked up to Katsuki in question, “Why did you start that medication thing?”
 
The boy was quiet for some time and let out a sigh. He was clearly uncomfortable but Katsuki didn’t seem to care. “A traumatic event developed odd emotions. It’s to control that.” He saw his questioning look and turned entirely red. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He murmured. To his surprise, instead of pressing on, he stayed silent. 
 
“I leave here.” Katsuki parted from Midoriya and stomped away.
 
Midoriya felt strangely exposed. Having a group and being suddenly parted from them little by little was like stripping. He felt… He didn’t want to be alone. He watched Katsuki leave and when he saw him no more, he ran home. His mother was just outside, taking the trash out and he burst into tears. “Mom!” He called out. “Mom!” When she turned, he ran into her arms and sobbed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“I-Izuku?” Inko sputtered in confusion. Regardless, her warm arms enveloped him and pet his head in an attempt to soothe him. “Come inside with me, baby,” She cooed softly, “There there, tell mom what’s wrong.”
 
“I-I don’t know...I-I’m… Just crying…” Midoriya answered in between sniffs. Without question, Inko grabbed a tissue for him and wiped his face. These moments made him feel young again, an ugly remnant of his past. 
 
“Do you want to rest?” She played with his hair and sat him down on the sofa. He stayed latched onto his mother's warmth and affection. An ugly but warm remnant he so desperately craved at this moment. At the shake of his head, she stayed with him for the remainder until he calmed down. “Do you want anything to drink?”
 
“Water.” He rasped out. His throat felt utterly dry. When Inko stood up, he tugged on her dress, but let go at her questioning gaze. At her return, he had her sit with him as he chugged it down. “...I feel better.”
 
“You had me worried there,” She worryingly cupped his cheeks. Midoriya closed his eyes. If the ugliness wasn’t connected to the past, maybe he would ask her to do this more often. He loved his mother so much. She was always so caring, supportive, and always there for him. He sniffed and pulled her into another hug. “Izuku?”
 
“I love you, mom.” 
 
“Izu..” She pet his hair again, breaking into a small smile, “I love you too.” When they parted, he felt content, as if he’d never cried in the first place. His emotional mess confused his mother, but she learned to deal with it over time. “So, Izu,” Inko softly said, “How was school today?”
 
“Scary,” He admitted, “At first. But I meet Iida, Uraraka, and Todoroki. They’re all nice people and I even got their numbers.” He avoided mentioning Katsuki for a reason.
 
“I’m so happy for you,” Inko said excitedly, “How do you like your new friends?”
 
“Iida is stern, strict but really caring. He stays composed in situations. He’s like…. The pack leader. Uraraka is a ball of sunshine. She’s optimistic and I really like that,” A smile formed on his lips as he recalled their brief but fun moments together regardless of how quick the day had passed. They made it more bearable. “Todoroki is quiet, but he’s always listening. Oh!” He fumbled with his phone and turned it on and showed his mom the selfie Uraraka took of her, him, and Iida during lunch. Unfortunately, Todoroki wasn’t there for it. “This is Iida and Uraraka.”
 
“My, you look really happy!” She clapped, “Invite them over sometime.”
 
“I-I barely know them right now.” He responded nervously. Just as he was going to close his phone, he received a notification from Iida.

“Hello Midoriya, did you get home safe?”

it read.
 
“What a concerned friend.” Inko was red from excitement, “I’ll start dinner now so change and complete any homework you have. I’ll call you down.” She kissed his forehead and stood up to leave. 
 
Midoriya felt less lonely now. In fact, he had a big smile as he texted back. 
 
When he finished his response, he remembered to text Todoroki.
 
“Is this Todoroki-” No, they double-checked the number, “It’s Midoriya-” No shit, “Hey, what's up-” No, too much at a time, “Hi.” too formal, “Heya!” too informal, “Hey!” Perfect. And sent. He picked up his backpack and went to his room, waiting for a response nervously.

“That’s good!”

From Iida.
 
Okay, things were good with him, but he was more worried about Todoroki. He took a breath and changed while in wait. No response from Todoroki. He went to the bathroom and came back. Still no response. Was it something he said? He conversed well with Iida but where was Todoroki?

“Hey Midoriya. I just got home. How are you?”

Finally! Midoriya felt his worries immediately drop. 
 
He conversed with both until he felt overwhelmed by texting two people simultaneously. It wasn’t what he was used to. A break would be nice, and a break he took.
 
Midoriya shuffled through his bag to finish homework. While neck-deep in history, he noticed his phone buzzing every 5 seconds. Who was spamming him?
 
It was a group chat.
 
Uraraka: Hello?
 
Unknown: What the fuck? Who added me here?
 
Iida: Is this a group chat?
 
Todoroki:?
 
Uraraka: Calm down Bakugou, it was me
 
Uraraka: Give it a chance
 
-Unknown has left-

-Uraraka added Unknown-
 
Uraraka: I said give it a chance
 
Unknown: Ugh fine
 
Uraraka: Everyone but Midoriya is online
 
Todoroki: He said he was doing his homework
 
Iida: He’s busy completing homework
 
Uraraka: Lmao jinx
 
Unknown: So you both talk to him
 
Me: Umm… my phone was buzzing like crazy so…
 
Uraraka: Welcome!
 
Uraraka: I created this group chat because I thought it’d be fun
 
Uraraka: No leaving rule #1
 
Uraraka: No sexting rule #2
 
Unknown: There are rules now?
 
Me: What's sexting
 
Uraraka: Omg
 
Todoroki: Isn’t it when you masturbate to a porn?
 
Unknown: Oh my god
 
Uraraka: I’m 
 
Uraraka: It’s when you and another person send nudes or just sexy talk
 
Me: Oh
 
Todoroki: I see
 
Unknown: You two are idiots
 
Uraraka: Rule #3 don’t harass one another
 
Iida: Sounds good
 
Uraraka: I can’t think of any more right now because I’m tired but I’ll add some later
 
Iida: Did everyone get home safely?
 
Uraraka: You can count on that. I saw a cute cat on the way home!
 
Todoroki: Yes
 
Me: Omg? What color was the cat?
 
Uraraka: Black!
 
Me: That’s cute! I love animals so much
 
Unknown: I have a dog
 
Me: You still have her?
 
Unknown: Yeah. She’s grown big
 
Me: Can you send a pic?
 
Unknown: No
 
Me: Kacchan :(
 
Unknown: Hey, fuck you
 
Todoroki: Have you known Bakugo for a while?
 
Me: Yeah I guess
 
Uraraka: Is that why you have a pet name for him?
 
Unknown: What the fuck
 
Uraraka: You know, Kacchan!
 
Unknown: Don’t fucking call me that
 
Uraraka: But Midoriya can?
 
Unknown: Ugh shut up
 
Me: Do you want me to call you Bakugo?
 
Unknown: It’d sound weird coming from you
 
Uraraka: Spicy
 
Todoroki: Nicknames are fun
 
Unknown: Then I’ll call you half and half
 
Iida: That’s quite rude, Bakugo
 
Uraraka: What would a good nickname be for Todoroki?
 
Me: Roki??
 
Todoroki: I don’t mind that
 
Me: Awesome
 
Uraraka: Then it’s decided! You’re Roki from now on
 
Todoroki: Cool
 
Uraraka: What about Midoriya?
 
Unknown: He’s stupid Deku
 
Me: :\
 
Iida: A real one
 
Me: No he really calls me that
 
Uraraka: Ooh, doesn’t Deku mean “I can do it?”
 
Unknown: No
 
Me: Huh?
 
Uraraka: I think it fits :)
 
Me: Um…
 
Uraraka: You’re a very motivated person! You can overcome any obstacle if you try
 
Me: That’s so nice of you
 
Unknown: …
 
Me: I guess I wouldn’t mind it
 
Uraraka: You betcha!
 
Iida: Something weird just happened and I’m wondering if you guys can feel it too
 
Unknown: What an abrupt change of topic
 
Todoroki: What happened?
 
Iida: Mr. Aizawa talked about glands, right? I rubbed my neck and I think I found one. 
 
Uraraka: Woah really??
 
Iida: The sides of the neck. Don’t press too hard.
 
Me: Didn’t Mr. Aizawa hand out a diagram?
 
Todoroki: For what?
 
Me: Scent glands
 
Uraraka: This spazzed me out a little
 
Iida: No?
 
Todoroki: Did you get one?
 
Me: Yeah. Hold up
 
Me: <Image>
 
Unknown: Why’s there some on the ass
 
Me: My question exactly
 
Iida: Interesting
 
Uraraka: Woah
 
Me: I don’t have all though. My upper arms don’t have any along with some other places
 
Todoroki: Did you check every place?
 
Me: Not yet. The thighs and bottom are embarrassing places
 
Uraraka: Well I’m using this chart to figure myself out
 
Todoroki: I should do the same
 
Iida: Mmhm
 
Me: Have fun
 
Unknown: Got inactive real quick
 
Me: Aren’t you gonna check yourself?
 
Unknown: No.
 
Me: Hey Kacchan, do you also have like a cushiony glad at the back of your neck? Not the sides… Well I’m saying glands but I don’t know if it is one
 
Unknown: The fuck
 
Unknown: No
 
Me: Hm. Okay.
 
Me: Be right back
 
Midoriya first added Katsuki to his contacts and changed Todroki’s contact name to Roki before placing his phone away in thought. He looked down at his trousers in contemplation and glanced at the door, making sure it was locked before discarding the piece of clothing. 
 
The diagram was held up as he caressed his thigh to find the spot it showed. It was a little difficult, so he pressed down harder until he came across an especially sensitive part. Midoriya gasped, slapping a hand over his mouth in case he let out another weird nose.
 
Okay, that was one scent gland and he totally wasn’t shivering right now. Down to his other thigh. 
 
He searched around the same area and pressed against a soft patch of skin. Experimentally, he pressed down harder, and as expected, another gasp and shudder. It somehow felt really good. Why hadn’t he noticed this before? Perhaps it had to do with pressure… And the fact that he was actively looking right now.
 
…Now for his boxers. 
 
With no shame, he tugged it off and resumed the exploration. Midoriya moved around frustratingly, grimacing when he couldn’t find anything. It was hard to find the one by his ass with a limited view. He couldn’t see his bottom at all so navigation was almost impossible. 
 
To battle that, he changed positions and approached from a new angle; slumped over on his knees, his elbow holding his weight as his free hand ventured back. It was an embarrassing pose, but no one was looking. 
 
Midoriya avoided getting close to his asshole because that was gross. But frankly, could he really make any progress just because of a little fear? He looked down at the paper and sighed. He had gloves, right? 
 
He broke position and opened the drawer to grab the object. The latex gloves were tugged on and he easily got back into position. Well, now he didn’t have to worry about getting dirty. 
 
A blush coated his cheeks when arousal suddenly spread the more he looked for it. He’d never actually used his bottom for any type of prodding, so he didn’t know if the feeling was normal or not. When he pressed against the spot he needed, he shoved his head into the pillow to stifle an unexpected moan. 
 
Well. This was new. His blush grew darker when he continued searching on the other side. Breaths came out hurried and yes, he had a growing erection. Would you look at that? He wanted to stop and will it down, but his curious side was eager to see if the simple touching would bring him to the brink. Since he was alone with no one to bother him, the latter obviously won.
 
Midoriya massaged and kneaded his ass, desperately trying to find the other scent gland. It took a few more presses before he located it. With a swallow, he pressed harder against it and bit his lower lip when arousal pricked at his abdomen. His lips parted to let out a soundless gasp, saliva threatening to drip down the corner of his mouth as he stimulated both glands now.
 
Quickly, he grabbed a tissue from his nightstand and kept it close to him. He wasn’t a very big moaner; the most he did was groan and the rest were sharp intakes, gasps, and pants. It came with the fear of being too loud and alerting mom, which he definitely did not want to do. 
 
Who knew just pressing against the scent glands would make him this needy, it was almost unreal. This was a magical button that would make getting off way easier.
 
The napkin was brought down after a stuttered grunt and with a sigh, he crumpled it and threw it in the trash, along with the gloves. His eyes fluttered back open when a sudden post-nut realization hit him.
 
He didn’t even touch his dick. 
 
Hm. 
 
Regardless, Midoriya let out a content sound and rolled over to his back, grabbing his underwear to tug it back on to feel less exposed. This was really weird, he couldn’t believe he got off to just that.
 
The calm but confused state didn’t last for long. His phone started buzzing again.
 
Uraraka: Hi hi, did anybody find any scent glands? I found 5! Discluding my butt, I'm not doing that.
 
Roki: I found 7. No arse
 
Iida: 6 for me, aside from the bottom
 
Kacchan: You all are stupid for doing this
 
Uraraka: I know you looked. Just admit it
 
Kacchan: No
 
Me: I have 8
 
Kacchan: Fuck off
 
Iida: You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to
 
Roki: It’s okay if you’re afraid
 
Kacchan: Fuck you I have 9
 
Kacchan: Don’t assume I looked on my ass you perverted little fucks
 
Uraraka: What about you Deku?
 
Me: What?
 
Uraraka: You were the only one who didn’t say that you didn’t check your butt
 
Me: Uhh
 
Iida: Don’t pressure him
 
Me: I’d rather not answer
 
Kacchan: He totally checked his ass
 
Roki: Let's not discuss this if Midoriya is uncomfortable about it
 
Me: ^
 
Uraraka: That’s cool
 
Uraraka: Also, I did some scrolling up to your question and I have that too, Deku
 
Me: Really? Then I’m not completely alone
 
Roki: What question?
 
Uraraka: I’ll hit copy and paste
 
Uraraka: Hey Kacchan do you also have like a cushiony glad at the back of your neck? Not the sides… Well I’m saying glands but I don’t know if it is one
 
Kacchan: Why the fuck are you asking the same thing Deku did
 
Uraraka: I hit copy and paste 
 
Roki: I don’t seem to have that
 
Iida: Neither do I
 
Me: Anyway I have to go get dinner so I’ll be off
 
Iida: Have a good dinner
 
Uraraka: Byeeee
 
Roki: See you
 
Midoriya placed his phone down and tugged on his trousers. Before leaving, he looked in the mirror to see if his face was finally at its normal color. All good, no obvious signs that he’d jacked off. 
 
He met his mother setting the plates down and grabbed the dishes from her, urging her to sit down so he could take over the plating. “Smells good.”
 
“Thank you,” Inko said happily, “You’re such a helper.”
 
“This is the least I can do,” When everything was ready, he took a seat and began eating. “How was your day?”
 
“Boring. It felt so odd without you,” She chuckled, “But I’m so happy you’re making friends and experiencing life.”
 
“Mm,” He smiled, “You should go out sometime.”
 
“I have to take care of the house,” She retorted.
 
“One day won’t hurt.”
 
“I know but..”
 
“If you’re afraid of leaving me alone, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” He saw his mother's clear discomfort despite his assurance.
 
“Are you sure?”
 
“Mom,” He started, “I know I’m an only child, but I can do well alone too. You know this. Go out. Have fun, some you time. With your friends.” He pointed an accusing spoon at her, “I know you’ve been denying invites. If you keep doing that, people will stop trying.” He took a spoonful of food and shoved it in his mouth.
 
“Aha..” Inko sighed, “If you insist.”
 
“In better spirit.”
 
“I will.” She chuckled. With that done, they fell into a comfortable silence. 
 
After dinner, he helped with the dishes before returning upstairs. He’d turned his ringer off so he wouldn’t get a constant buzz of messages, so he was rightfully lost when he returned. And he really didn’t feel like scrolling up 200 messages.
 
Uraraka: Then with one more glare, I stepped on his foot
 
Iida: Wow
 
Roki: That’s brave of you
 
Uraraka: The police came and they took him away
 
Uraraka: His face was priceless
 
Me: What did I miss?
 
Uraraka: Hey Deku!
 
Iida: How was dinner?
 
Me: Hi
 
Me: Dinner was good
 
Me: I convinced mom to go out sometime
 
Roki: That’s sweet
 
Iida: You get to hang out with your siblings alone then?
 
Kacchan: He’s an only child
 
Uraraka: Me too! Do you get lonely?
 
Me: Sometimes but not really
 
Kacchan: You used to cry about being lonely
 
Me: Don’t bring that up now
 
Uraraka: Aww. I’ll be your sibling then! Call me Ochako sister
 
Me: Ochako sister
 
Uraraka: Call me that from now on
 
Me: What, really?
 
Uraraka: Yes really
 
Me: Umm
 
Iida: If you’re his sister, does this make me your uncle?
 
Roki: You’re more suited to be the brother in law
 
Iida: In law?
 
Roki: Yes you’ll be married to Uraraka
 
Iida: w
 
Uraraka: Good one! Iida, you’re my husband
 
Iida: I
 
Iida: How did it come to this
 
Kacchan: What the fuck is this roleplay?
 
Uraraka: Bakugo can remain the childhood friend
 
Uraraka: Which leaves Todoroki
 
Iida: Midoriya’s husband
 
Me: What???
 
Kacchan: Why am I the childhood friend and Todoroki his husband??
 
Roki: I have no qualms about this
 
Me: I don’t know what’s going on anymore
 
Uraraka: I don’t know either, but I’m your sister, Iida is your brother-in-law, Bakugo is your childhood friend and Todoroki is your husband
 
Kacchan: I don’t consent to this
 
Uraraka: Would you rather be his husband?
 
Kacchan: No
 
Uraraka: You heavily implied it but that’s none of my business
 
Me: It’s fine as long as Todoroki doesn’t get me a ring and actually propose
 
Roki: Midoriya will you marry me?
 
Uraraka: omg
 
Me: Haha I will
 
Iida: This is quite the progress
 
Kacchan: I’ll crash your wedding
 
Roki: Don’t you dare
 
Me: What
 
Kacchan: I do dare
 
Me: Are you rping??
 
Iida: Let's not take this too seriously let's get to a calm
 
Kacchan: I am at a calm
 
Uraraka: hehe
 
PM
 
Uraraka: Does Bakugo like you?
 
Midoriya blinked at the private message.
 
Me: He hates my guts
 
Uraraka: Why do you say that?
 
Me: You see the way he acts towards me, right? 
 
Me: But… I do want him to like me
 
Uraraka: Hmm, gotcha. Thank you for answering my question ;*
 
The clock blared 7 PM in thick red numbers but Midoriya decided he needed some rest. It was too early to call it a night but he needed to get up early anyway. School was definitely a thing nowadays. 
 
He closed his phone and pulled out his medication bottle, took a pill, and closed the lights to sleep.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Midoriya woke up to a fuzzy feeling in his mouth and head. He blinked several times and yawned, shutting off his insistent alarm, and rolled onto his stomach. His heavy eyes shut in exhaustion but reopened once his alarm started blaring again.
 
He frustratingly closed it again but it rang on repeat as if it didn’t have anything better to do. He sat up and closed all of his alarms manually, tired even though he had 10 hours of sleep. If it made him feel like this, he made a mental note to never fall asleep that early ever again. Time didn’t feel like time.
 
Now that he was awake, though, he figured he should start his morning routine. He did so and met his mother downstairs for breakfast. “Morning,” he mumbled, eyes slightly swollen. It gradually got better the more he blinked. “Omelete... With the onions.” He rubbed his growling stomach and closed his eyes. Maybe a little more sleep wouldn’t hurt. Before he knew it, he was dozing off.
 
“You forgot to bring your backpack.” His mother's sudden voice had him jolting up, eyes wide and heart racing. He calmed down when he learned it was her. “Sorry.” She chuckled, “Breakfast is served.”
 
“Thank you,” He yawned, grabbing his toast. After slowly consuming his food, he went back up for his forgotten backpack and of course, phone, which was still ringing from the several alarms. He questioned how the hell that was possible but shrugged it off in favor of getting ready for school.
 
After saying good morning to the group, he went back down to snooze off. He wasn’t particularly in the mood to socialize, he realized when his phone started to buzz, so he turned his ringer off. “D’ya need help with anything?” Midoriya asked, peering at his mom in the kitchen.
 
“Make sure you’ve taken your medication and we’re all good.” She cheerily responded as if the morning didn’t affect her. Midoriya still had to get used to waking up this early. “And have everything you need. Put your lunchbox in your bag first of all.” 
 
Midoriya did as instructed, popping a pill in his mouth before grabbing the lunchbox. “30 minutes left... Is SpongeBob on?”
 
“It should be.” Inko wiped her hands with a towel and joined her son on the sofa. “Let’s watch an episode together.”
 
Midoriya nodded and turned the T.V on, flipping through the channels, and stopped when he came across what he was looking for. “Nostalgia,” He smiled. The time was spent like that until the episode ended. “I should head out.”
 
Inko nodded and saw her son out. 
 
This time, Midoriya didn’t face crippling anxiety as he did the day before. He felt relatively calm and sedated. Maybe he really did need the medication after all. The rebellion in him had been suppressed for now.
 
The best thing out of everything was that he felt less afraid of Katsuki after what happened yesterday. They texted in the group chat and walked home together, so they were a little closer, right? 
 
A mop of blonde hair walking ahead caught his attention. It was him! Maybe he could try to mend the relationship a bit…
 
“M-Morning Kacchan.” He called out when close enough.
 
Katsuki snapped his neck towards him and lowered his eyes. “Morning.” He replied in a strange calm. Midoriya was confused, but it was at least better than yesterday. 
 
“How was... Your night?” It was strange speaking to him like this but after everything, he hoped this was salvageable. Call him crazy. 
 
“Why the fuck do you care.” He huffed, speeding ahead to prevent Midoriya from walking beside him. 
 
That was quite the killer. He watched Katsuki walk ahead and felt his heart twist. He pressed his hand against his rib cage and kneaded it. This was okay, totally okay. No big deal.
 
Midoriya stopped by the nurse first, then class, alone, lips quivering. He was greeted by Iida when he entered.
 
“Good morning!” 
 
“Morning, bro.” He muttered as a joke. He saw Iida’s face flush up slightly and tried not to snort. “Are you okay?”
 
“I’m good!” He exclaimed, glancing behind him to see Todoroki presenting himself. The proximity made Midoriya turn pink. ”Welcome, Roki!”
 
“Iida.” Todoroki acknowledged, moving inside the classroom, “Midoriya.” He pulled out a ring pop and handed it to him.
 
“Oh my god.” He turned a greater shade of red, but took it anyway, “Don’t.”
 
“Will you…” Todoroki started, “join me for lunch?”
 
Midoriya laughed and nodded. “Of course.”
 
“Did someone say lunch?” Uraraka exclaimed from behind, “We should eat outside this time!” The four hummed in approval and with that done, made their way to their seats. The class would be starting soon. 
 
Midoriya could feel Katsuki’s glare but he tried not to glance at him. However, he failed and met his gaze. Katsuki looked away first and Midoriya swallowed.
 
Aizawa entered, looking as tired as ever. “Quiet. Today we’ll be having individual tests as discussed yesterday. Each student will be called one by one by each row. Aoyama, you’re first.”
 
“Already?” He complained. He sighed and stood up, “Where do I go?”
 
“Nurses office.”
 
Midoriya remembered Chiyo’s words and felt himself swallow thickly. Being on anxiety meds or not, he was still afraid, especially due to the vagueness. The warning from yesterday had him alert, and he would be for quite some time because he was one of the last rows to see the nurse.
 
“In the meantime, take this quiz about what you learned from yesterday. It doesn’t count as a grade, but it shows where you stand.” Aizawa handed out a packet which made some students groan.
 
When Midoriya received his, he immediately began working to get his mind off of what his surprise would be. There were a total of fifty questions. The first one asked about the three obvious classifications. He began his work and completed all of it with some thought. It didn’t count toward his grade but he made sure to double-check. When he raised his head, he noticed almost everybody finished with it, and Uraraka coming back from her turn. He couldn’t exactly shout from across the room, so he texted her.
 
Me: How was it?
 
Uraraka: Not too bad. The nurse checked the spots, but she made me go to a private room to check the more embarrassing ones, I got an ultrasound, and boom, done! Ten minutes at most
 
Me: Were you scared?
 
Uraraka: Not scared, nervous. But overall not too overwhelming! I was nervous for no reason
 
Uraraka: And she gave me a candy bar for being a good sport!
 
Me: That sounds nice
 
Midoriya put his phone away when he felt Aizawa eyeing him. He wasn’t exactly breaking a class rule; he was done with his work, but phone usage wasn’t exactly encouraged either... “I see most of you are done with your packets. Hand them in and grab a file from here. Mr. Yamada will be taking over in a bit.” He patted a bunch of files with papers in them. 
 
Each student got up one by one to trade the packet for the file. It was a bunch of ‘read the passage and answer the questions' crap which Midoriya loathed. However, he still needed to complete it. His goal was to get good grades and graduate from a good college and land his dream job.
 
He worked on it until it was his turn to go. “Midoriya,” He snapped his head towards the sound and found his homeroom teacher motioning towards the door. 
 
Midoriya stiffly stood up and marched to the nurse's office. As soon as he reached his destination, he looked around for her. “H-Hello?”
 
“Yes, sit here.” Chiyo appeared beside him and patted the chair that came down to her height level. “Did you check the diagram?” She asked as she softly pressed a finger against his wrist.
 
“Yes,” He responded, shrugging off his uniform so she could have a better look. “I see. Then you won’t have to go into the private room, to check in the vital areas, I assume?
 
“I-I have them all down..” He blushed, “Oh, I don’t have any on my upper arms.”
 
She nodded and scribbled something down on her clipboard. “Okay, come into this room for an ultrasound.” He followed and sat in a comfortable chair as Chiyo cleaned the equipment. “Lift your shirt up for me.” She applied a generous amount of jelly-like substance and pressed a cold object to his navel. It traveled down until it hit his belt, allowing the jelly to coat it. He watched the screen with a twisted expression. “What is.. What is that?”
 
“Young Midoriya, that is a womb.” 
 
“A-A what?” He choked on his words, “What do you mean womb? I don't have a vagina?!”
 
“It’s still in the development process. I suspect it fully grows in about a year or two. This is the result of being an Omega, boy.”
 
“I don’t want this…” He muttered lowly, “Is there a way to get rid of it? Take it out!” He sounded desperate. Tears brimmed at the corner of his eyes and right now, he wanted to do nothing but curl into a ball and weep.
 
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Midoriya. Wipe your tears,” She handed him a tissue, “Listen, scientists, are looking into it but haven’t found an answer yet. There are hundreds and thousands of kids just like you, so you’re not going through this alone. We will notify your mother when the time comes, and she will weigh the consequences and make a decision for you. I’m sorry Midoriya, I can’t do much.” She pulled out a bottle of pink pills, “This is for you, make sure your mother knows you’re taking these.”
 
“W-What decision?” Midoriya quivered, staring at the pills, “What are these pills? Can I get pregnant?” Chiyo pressed the bottle into his hands and gave him a stern look. Midoriya whimpered
 
“We’ll have an FAQ held at the end of the week when everybody's official dynamic will be known. Today, your teacher should hand out slips of paper and have you write your questions. They will be compiled and the answers will be discussed before being made public. It should be a packet anybody can read through, and on the private website in case you lose yours.”
 
Midoriya’s mind went into overdrive with all the information given. He slowly nodded and robotically placed the bottle in his bag before making his way to leave with a lollipop. When he returned to class, he felt all eyes on him. Mineta was called to go next when he reached his seat. 
 
He was torn between telling his friends and keeping it a secret. Then again, his dynamic would be made public in the school anyway. He needed to tell someone, but he also wanted to keep it to himself. He bit his lip until it broke the skin and tried to distract himself with the English work. The contradictory emotions were too conflicting to focus on.
 
Uraraka: So, everyone! How was it for you guys?
 
Iida: It was alright
 
Roki: Fine
 
Kacchan: Eh
 
Me: I found out something… Crazy
 
It seemed like he’d come to a decision regardless. Though it came with a level of hesitance. 
 
Uraraka: Crazy?
 
Kacchan: Did the nurse find out you were mental?
 
Me: It’s
 
Me: I don’t know if I should say
 
Kacchan: Spit it out
 
Iida: Don’t pressure him
 
Me: …
 
Me: I have a womb
 
Uraraka: A what?
 
Me: Nurse Chiyo did an ultrasound and found that I had a womb
 
Midoriya, in front, saw Katsuki shift to glance back with a confused gaze. He also noticed Todoroki’s, but it was a bit different
 
Me: Don’t look at me, it’s embarrassing
 
Roki: I’m sorry, that’s just surprising
 
Kacchan: The fuck
 
Uraraka: Does this mean you’ll have a menstrual cycle?! Those are so painful!
 
Me: I … Maybe? I don’t know. The nurse wouldn’t answer me
 
Iida: She wouldn't answer me either
 
Me: Mr. Aizawa is glaring at me again
 
That was his cue to put his phone away. He wasn’t going to pull it out again in case it got confiscated. 
 
When everybody was done, Aizawa handed out slips of paper as Chiyo suggested he’d do. He wrote many questions down
 
Can male omega’s get periods?

Can male omega’s get pregnant?

What decision will the parent have to make for the student?

What was the pink bottle of pills handed to me?

What is the soft patch of skin at the back of my neck?

Why are my glands sensitive?

Can the womb be surgically removed from a male omega?

Why don’t I have all of the glands?

Why are betas in the classification?

More information on Betas?
 
Carefully, he folded his paper several times and went up to place it in the box as directed. As soon as everybody was done, Aizawa left and Yamada entered seconds after. And the English lesson began.
 
It turned out that the packet handed out was a quiz. Midoriya was thankful he actually completed it instead of fucking around. Most others, though- well, they were unfortunate. Yamada graded the ones who were spacing out or doing no work right on their desks. 
 
Midoriya was one of the students spacing out. A ninety out of a hundred wasn’t that bad, but he felt like he could do better. Seeing Yamada go from person to person prompted the students to furiously complete theirs. Katsuki, surprisingly, received the best grade. He reminded himself that Katsuki had first place in the entrance exam. Of course, he was smart. He looked like a delinquent who’d fail several classes and bully other students but-
 
Midoriya went still when an intrusive memory flickered. He swallowed and buried his head in the crossword puzzle laid out on his desk to avoid it, picking himself back up a second later in case someone questioned it. Focusing on it was a bit difficult, but worked for a while. 
 
When the time for lunch came, his brain felt like it would fail from overdrive. He was thinking too much, but not enough. His bones felt like they’d fall out from trembling too much. The anxiety was killing him.
 
Todoroki noticed him being extra jittery and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. However, that worked against him, making Midoriya jump at least fifty feet mentally. “T-Todo-” He stumbled on his words, recovering from the accidental fright he’d given him.
 
“Midoriya, are you alright?” He asked with a concerned look. 
 
“I’m... I need to go to the nurse. Can you tell the others I’ll meet them outside?”
 
“Okay.”
 
Midoriya left the classroom rather quickly. 
 
When he entered the nurse's office, he saw that same golden-haired man sitting on the chair who was supposed to be his gym teacher. “Um,” He didn’t know his name well. He wanted to ask where nurse Chiyo was but his words caught in his throat. Instead, his eyes darted around the room awkwardly as if the nurse would suddenly pop out from the shadows.
 
“Kid, the nurse is on lunch break. Need something?” The gym teacher asked.
 
Midoriya halted and quickly nodded. “The uh, I need the… the medicine. For my, uh. For the thing.” He sloppily explained.
 
The teacher seemed to understand and looked through the pile of bottles. “Izuku Midoriya, correct?”
 
“C-Correct.”
 
“ID.” Midoriya fumbled with his lanyard but managed to hand it to him. “I see. Here you go.” The man handed him a cup of water and the pills needed. 
 
“Thank you, uh..” The guy's ID was covered by his oversized shirt, and he didn’t have a nametag.
 
“Yagi.”
 
“Thank you, Mr. Yagi.”
 
“No problem. Stay out of trouble.”
 
Midoriya furiously nodded and left without another word. He exited the school to make his way to the garden, the most probable area where he’d meet the three, and found them hanging out on a bench. Todoroki was reading a book as Uraraka and idly Iida chatted about classes.
 
“Deku!” Uraraka exclaimed. Midoriya stiffened up, not used to being called that by others. He recalled her definition of the nickname and let out a relieved breath seeing she had no intention to insult him.
 
“Uraraka,” He greeted shyly. He waved to the other two boys and seated himself across Todoroki, who smiled. Midoriya smiled back and pulled out his lunch. 
 
They talked about nothing in particular until Todoroki had to mention something that made him uncomfortable. “My womb? I, uh…”
 
“Sorry if this makes you uncomfortable,” He quickly added with a hue of pink blossoming on his cheeks. How odd of him, Midoriya saw him as stoic.
 
He felt a little bad. “It’s fine. I was just, uh, surprised.” He swallowed, “Anyway, the womb thing caught me off guard” He saw Iida giving him a strange look and turned away from him, “I don’t have….” He pursed his lips “The female organ, so I find it unlikely that I can give birth… And she also mentioned slick yesterday.” 
 
The others moved closer in curiosity. It seemed they didn’t mind that kind of talk. “When an...o-omega, when an omega is aroused, they produce...slick from.. Their bottoms,” He stuttered out, ”Like how a woman would.”
 
“These two know nothing about vaginas,” Uraraka cracked up, making them grunt in annoyance, “But that’s kind of spooky. Have you experienced that?”
 
“What! I- no. I haven’t.” Midoriya looked down and sighed, remembering the stuff nurse Chiyo mentioned about Yamaguchi.
 
Uraraka saw his obvious discomfort and allowed the topic to change. 
 
They reported to class two minutes before the bell rang and continued with classes. Katsuki avoided the group as they left to walk home. Instead, he hung out with Kirishima. He must’ve thought Midoriya didn’t notice, but of course, he did. Midoriya stared at him for a few seconds before leaving the class.
 
The walk home was still okay, but he still felt disappointed when Iida and Uraraka parted. He remained that way next to Todoroki when his stop neared. His head hung noticeably low and it caught the man’s attention. “Midoriya, would you mind if I walked you all the way home?”
 
Midoriya’s head shot up almost instantly. “Doki- Todoroki,” he thought his mind had been read for a few seconds, but that was impossible, “I, are y- can you?” He wasn’t even going to hide his desperation because he needed someone with him.
 
“Of course. I have plenty of time,” The look of happiness on Midoriya’s face made a handsome smile break on his face. He wanted to comment on it but thought against it. Too soon.
 
“Then…please do.” He felt his mood light up immediately. 
 
The walk home with Todoroki had him ease up considerably. They talked about books and silly little things like hobbies and theories. It was fine until he saw Katsuki turn the corner. He didn’t notice him, and it seemed Todoroki didn’t either. Instinctively, he walked closer to Todoroki, which mistook him into thinking that he wanted to hold hands? 
 
Midoriya didn’t know, but he didn’t mind either. Todoroki’s hands were noticeably cold, but they warmed up a lot upon touch. It served as a good distraction. They didn’t cross paths and Midoriya got home safely. 
 
He held his hand all the way to the end, and Todoroki was the one to comment on it since he hadn’t yet let go. He didn’t realize it sent the wrong message to him.
 
“Then I’ll see you later at school,” Todoroki was a little too close. Before Midoriya knew it, he was hugged. “Bye.”
 
“B?...Bye!” He composed himself and practically skipped inside, the huge smile on his face going unnoticed by him. For once he felt content. He couldn’t wait to tell his mom everything that had happened. He giggled and placed his bag on the sofa and looked around. “Mom?”
 
He traveled around the living room, then went into the kitchen. A note was posted on the fridge. “Text me when you get home. Food is in the fridge, I’ll be back at 5.”
 
“Yay.” Midoriya laughed, “Finally.” He flipped through his phone, messaged his mom, and did everything he needed to do. As soon as he was done, he slumped on the living room sofa and watched T.V as he did his homework.

Buzz

PM
 
Roki: Hey
 
Midoriya’s heart thumped in his chest and he shakily responded. 
 
Me: Hi there! Did you get home safe?
 
Roki: Yeah, just ten minutes later than usual, no problem.
 
They talked for an hour straight with no disturbances until the topic of homework came up. He still had to do his. The discussion ended and Midoriya went back to work until his phone buzzed again.
 
PM
 
Kacchan: <Image>
 
Kacchan: Are you two going out?
 
Me: What?! I met him a few days ago!
 
Me: Why did you take a picture of us holding hands??
 
Kacchan: That doesn’t answer the question
 
Me: No, I’m not going out with him
 
Kacchan: Are you sure? You look like you like him a lot
 
Me: I do, he’s a nice person
 
Me: Wait
 
Me: In

that

way, no??
 
Kacchan: Okay.
 
Me: Why are you asking?
 
Kacchan: Just saw you two real close together
 
Me: Oh.
 
Me: Yeah…
 
Kacchan: I saw you look at me
 
Kacchan: Are you scared or something
 
Me: No…
 
Me: Just, you know, your aura is like, big
 
Kacchan: What’s that supposed to mean?
 
Me: You’re just big
 
Kacchan: So you’re scared of me
 
Me: Not really
 
Kacchan: Sure
 
Me: Maybe a little...
 
Kacchan: Are you serious?
 
Me: I look up to you
 
Kacchan: That’s a fucking lie and you know it
 
Me: No it’s not. 
 
Kacchan: Yeah right
 
Me: I’ll admit, your aura is big and somewhat frightening but I honestly do look up to you
 
Kacchan: Stop repeating your lies
 
Me: They’re not lies!
 
Kacchan: Ok
 
And then he stopped responding. Midoriya shook with anger, a few tears managing to slip down his face. But before more could make their way down, they were wiped away. After a quick intake of breath and a few more glances towards his phone, he tried to concentrate on his homework. 
 
An odd feeling in his stomach refused to let him. For the first time, Midoriya was frank with his feelings. Being shut down prompted him to hesitate on doing so. The rejection was painful. His heart hurt. He liked Katsuki even though he did nothing but bully him. It was weird of him and he knew that, but he wanted to recover the torn friendship they once had. He was afraid, yes, but he wanted to do something about it instead of feeling useless all the damn time!
 
Midoriya ended up distracting himself with T.V and finished the remaining homework he had. His phone buzzing snapped him back to his anxious thoughts.

Did Kacchan text me back?

A flood of relief took over his body when he found Todoroki had messaged him. The disappointment of it not being Katsuki was there, but he tried to ignore it. He knew Katsuki wouldn't PM him anymore today.
 
PM
 
Roki: Can I ask something?
 
Me: Sure!
 
Roki: What cologne do you use?
 
Me: I don't really use cologne. My deodorant is unscented. Why?
 
Roki: No reason in particular.
 
Me: Okay
 
Roki: Are you done with your homework?
 
Midoriya: Yes! It was a little hard, though 
 
They continued talking about the homework and shared answers. Strangely, Midoriya felt like he could be himself with Todoroki. He'd never opened up to anybody as fast as he did with him. It was a little scary, and he thought of distancing himself in case he got too comfortable, but Todoroki was nothing but sweet. It kind of clashed with his appearance. At first glance, he seemed cold and uncaring, but it was just the opposite. 
 
Uraraka: It's still a bit boring. Who’s on?
 
Roki: How are you?
 
Uraraka: Bored, and that's a problem. Talk to me.
 
Roki: Well, how was your day? 
 
Midoriya read through the group chat but didn't bother responding. He stuck to privately messaging Todoroki, whose responses became slower due to interacting with the group chat. The moment when Katsuki decided to join in the chat was when he lurked more intensely. His heart thumped and he felt a little betrayed that he'd respond to the group and not him, but it was expected. 
 
Craving some space from his phone, he left it in the living room as he went back to his room to write more about his favorite celebrities. He stared at an All Might poster and couldn't help but compare the anorexic-looking gym teacher to him. Maybe he was also a die-hard fan?
 
“I'm home!” the echo of his mother's voice had him perking up from the surprise nap he’d ended up taking. He wiped whatever drool was there and let his eyes adjust before making his way down to greet her. 
 
She told him about her day, he helped her in the kitchen and with chores and he went back up with his things. That concluded his day. He had yet to open his phone, and he wasn't going to until morning.
 
+
 
Morning came. The alarms woke him up and he repeated his daily routine. He checked his phone after breakfast, scrolled through the group chat first, then checked his private messages. He replied to Todoroki, the only person who had messaged him, and waited until it was time to leave. His mother was occupied with a call, so he didn’t have anyone to watch Spongebob with. “I’m heading out.” And so he did. He purposefully avoided Bakugou at the entrance.
 
Yagi, this time, was laying on one of the beds with Nurse Chiyo scolding him about something. He hummed awkwardly and knocked on the door for attention.
 
“Oh, yes, honey.” She said with an apologetic tone. After taking his things, she sent him off.
 
When he got to class, Uraraka was the first to greet him. 
 
Midoriya was tempted to tell Uraraka about Bakugo, but seeing Iida approaching them had him swallow it down. The two started to talk with him feeling like the third wheel, but he didn’t mind much. Katsuki shoving past him had him stumbling back, but pretended nothing happened. He pretended Katsuki didn’t exist.
 
He eventually made it back to his seat. Todoroki was late today. Seconds before class started, said boy appeared with a slight limp. He didn't have enough time to comment on it when Aizawa made his way in. 
 
“Today is an important test for your abilities.” Aizawa went straight to the point, “Change into your gym uniforms and meet me in the gym in a single file line. Iida, you direct the boys, and Yaoyorozu, you direct the girls.” 
 
Thankfully, it wasn't timed like it was before, so everyone was directed to their changing rooms accordingly in a calm manner.
 
“Mineta, do we have a problem?” Iida asked seeing the small boy hide in a corner when everybody had already exited the changing room.
 
Mineta clicked his tongue and made his way out. “It's freaking me out.” He grumbled.
 
Midoriya and the rest began walking when Iida emerged from the changing room. He noticed that Todoroki had been acting a bit odd. He hadn't been talking to him or the others. Upon closer inspection, he saw a burn on his chest he desperately tried to hide.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Speed, resistance, strength, stamina, and potency are on the list for today,” Aizawa announced as the students shuffled into the gym in an orderly manner. “However, we will have you do this twice in some tests. Once, normally and the second with your pheromones fully activated. This will prevent biased results and better control over yourselves. This will be a long test, so we have several teachers with us. We have your Math teacher,” Ectoplasm gave a nod, “History,” Kayama waved, “English,” Yamada grinned, “Gym,” Yagi bowed his head “and Literature..” Ishiyama only stared, “...teachers with us for backup.”

Kayama smiled at the crowd of students, "You can call me Midnight if you’d like.” Ishiyama gave Kayama a silent warning in response, which she brushed off. “Okay, class, you will form a trio to make this process quicker.” She jiggled the box she’d been holding. “Grab a badge and clip it onto your shirt. The people with the same number shall be your partner.”

Midoriya glanced at Todoroki in concern. Did he say something to him? Why was he hurt? Everything yesterday seemed great. Amazing, actually. Well, mostly amazing. Bakugou and the omega thing were still on his list of things that gave him anxiety.

That noticeable limp made things worse as a queue of questions swirled in his head. Todoroki looked as stoic and guarded when he first met him. That demeanor seemed to dissolve away the more time he spent with him, but it was back now and he didn't know what to think of it.

First Bakugou and now, Todoroki?

Midoriya's heart clenched at the thought. With a breath, he grabbed a badge from the box. The number 4 was written in a thick bold font. It would be horrifyingly hilarious if Bakugo and Todoroki had the same number as him.

He looked around hopefully but saw that both were in separate groups. Well, at least it wouldn't be as awkward. Sighing, the search for his partners began. It didn't take long to find them. A much shorter boy approached him with the badge raised in the air. Midoriya didn't want to judge, but it seemed that puberty went to his hair rather than himself.

“Hey, you’re the guy that fainted that day. You’re not lethargic, are you? Oh, man.” That short guy could be identified pretty much anywhere. It was Mineta, the odd one of the bunch.

“No, it’s not that, hah, I was…Never mind, it’s not important. Anyway, have you seen our third member?” He took no offense. It was a bit funny hearing an attempted insult come from him. Almost cute, if it could be described in a way. When Midoriya saw Mineta’s eyes light up and snap toward a specific direction, he followed suit and turned pink. “Wha-”

“Look at her ass, it’s so plump and luscious. I bet she’s on our team. God, I hope she is. Wait, look at that other girl's boobies. They’re so full- mmph” Just as Mineta began, he was shut up with a smack to his head. Midoriya watched in horror as their supposed teammate karate-chopped the hell out of him. A well-deserved chop.

“Good evening, I’m Asui.” A blush of embarrassment briefly coated her face, but it had withered away at the greeting. “We’re on the same team. I hope we get along well.” A look of nonchalance had replaced her expression as groans were heard from below.

“Um..Nice to meet you, I’m Midoriya.” Midoriya simply bowed, letting his eyes travel down to Mineta. He didn’t seem too troubled as he attempted to start a conversation with the newest addition. Midoriya couldn’t seem to focus on the conversation at hand, however. His eyes sought out Todoroki. 
 
The feeling of dread just couldn’t be shaken off no matter how hard he tried. He was spotted walking around aimlessly until one of the teachers took him to stand with them. At further examination, it seemed as though the numbers were off, so one person didn’t have a team, and that just so happened to be the person he was worrying over.

This was exactly how it was for him in middle school. Always excluded, never fit in, zero friends, bullied- he could go on, but it didn’t seem appropriate to while he was in the middle of a conversation he was already slaving out on. The urge to call him over was real. But, honestly, could he? Midoriya lacked courage and self-esteem. He didn’t know if his team members would mind, or if Todoroki would want to join in the first place. It was conflicting, and the only thing he could do was stare and stay silent.

Call him over. Call him over. It’s okay, invite him to your team. Sure, the teacher said trio, but there’s no one else for him. Just say his name. Say his name and he’ll come

. “Todo..” His voice cracked. Midoriya took one second to clear his throat, inhaled, and tried again “Todorok-”

“Hey, Todoroki, if you don’t have a team, join us!”

Midoriya froze in place.

“I was planning to keep him with me, but that seems better. Go to your new team, Todoroki.” Kayama announced, giving him a push of encouragement.

Midoriya still couldn’t move. He shut his gaping mouth as an odd feeling flooded his chest. The painful feeling of rejection. It made it hard to breathe.

Don’t be negative, Todoroki has a team now. That’s what you wanted. That’s what he got, it’s okay. You spoke too softly, it's fine. No big deal.

For now, that seemed to calm him down. 
 
It seemed that Uraraka had called him over. That was understandable.

He was in good hands, calm the hell down.

His heart was racing for no reason now.

“Oy, you look like you’re about to cry. Are you scared of the test? I mean, the teacher did mention a lot of things we have to test out. That’s kind of scary if you ask me. I didn’t understand half the stuff he mentioned about not having biased results and that part about pheromones.” Mineta trotted over and gave a slightly concerned look.

“Oh, I,” Midoriya choked, “I’m fine. I’m not scared, let’s hope we do good in this test. Yeah. How about you, Asui, feeling confident?”

Don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry. You weren’t loud enough, that’s all. Don’t be a loser.

He offered her a smile, which she returned and nodded. It didn’t seem like she was much of a talker, which he was thankful for. It felt like he’d burst out in tears if he had to talk for any longer than this.

“Group 1 is with me. We’re doing resistance. Group 2 is stamina with Ms. Kayama. Group 3 is speed with Mr. Yamada. Group 4 and 5 are with Mr. Yagi and Mr. Ecto, both are doing strength and lastly, group 6 will be with Mr. Ishiyma, who will be looking over potency. We’ll rotate every 15 minutes. Any questions?” Aizawa announced once he had everyone’s attention. The silence had him blowing a whistle. “It starts now.”

Midoriya’s group quickly found themselves in front of Yagi and Ectoplasm, Ecto, as most preferred to call him. Strength wasn’t his strongest suit, but he sure as hell would try to get this right. The chaos only lasted for a minute at most, but once everybody was with their assigned teacher, the test began.

“This will be a simple handgrip strength test to start out with.” Yagi motioned to Ecto who held a box full of handgrip dynamometers. “Please take one.” Mineta was the first up to grab it, followed by Asui. Midoriya followed closely behind. Group 5 consisted of Aoyama, Tokoyami and Ojiro. Midoriya didn’t know them well enough to start small talk, but he did remember how Aoyama took a sniff out of him before. “Okay. Stand straight and hold it with your dominant hand. There will be 3 attempts, and the best score will be taken. You’ll have to hold it for 3 seconds, followed by a 30-second break before having to do it again.” Yagi continued.

Ecto held the timer hanging by his neck as Yagi grabbed a clipboard to record the results. “Start,” Ecto ordered.

Midoriya let out a breath and pressed as hard as his nimble fingers could manage- to the point his arm started to shake. But as soon as he started, it ended. The command to stop was given and the results were recorded. It continued until his hands felt like jelly.

“Phew! I feel like I did okay.” Mineta laughed in a cocky manner. He gave Asui a wink, who recoiled and turned her attention to Midoriya instead.

“How do you think you did?”

“Frankly, it feels like my fingers are about to fall off, hah. I have no clue.”

“It’s not over yet.” Ecto reminded them. Yagi nodded and flipped a page on his clipboard and scribbled things down.

“Excuse me,” Ojiro piqued in, “Does this include activating our pheromones?”

“Precisely,” Yagi answered in place. “It’s simple to turn on manually.”

“Manually?” Tokoyami questioned with a raised brow, “We are humans, are we not? Do we have an… On button?”

Both Yagi and Ecto held a solid expression, and the rest of the group watched on in interest. Ecto let out a sigh. “In simple terms, yes. We have yet to teach you how to turn them on, and that in itself is slightly dangerous, therefore, it will be done in separate groups next week.” The students swallowed. “It’s nothing to worry about, though.”

“I’d like a volunteer,” Yagi spoke when silence fell upon them. Ojiro went up first, and Ecto had the rest take 3 steps back to give them space.”You might feel a pinch, but that’s all. Take a deep breath and relax.” Yagi made a move that even Midoriya couldn’t decipher. It looked like a poke to his tailbone, if it could be simplified.

“Oh, Woah.” Ojiro gasped.

“Try the test again, and you’ll see different results depending on your dynamic.”

Ojiro tried again and laughed at the numbers. “You’re right! This is drastically different.”

“Indeed. You went from average results to very good.” Yagi noted. “That’s all. I’m going to deactivate your pheromones now. Are you ready?” At the nod, Yagi continued with the poke-like motion.

Tokoyami went from below average to average, and Aoyama had the same result as before… below average. Mineta pushed through and got from very poor to poor, which was ..a result in itself at least. Asui had the same results as Tokoyami. 
 
When it was Midoriya’s turn, he trusted he’d do better. Everybody else did too, so why wouldn’t he?

“Are you ready?” Yagi asked. Midoriya nodded. The touch felt… odd. It was like he felt a hundred times lighter. He swallowed and gave the test another 3 chances to redeem himself. When it beeped, a higher number was expected, but the sight wasn’t what he expected.

“Um… did it just fall a decimal?”

“It seems so,” Yagi observed. “Don’t worry about it. Some excel in this while some don’t. Your dynamic will do much better in speed and stamina.” Despite the encouraging words, it didn’t make him feel any better. His results sucked, he sucked. He was going to fail the entire test. “I’m going to deactivate your pheromones. Deep breath in.” Midoriya sucked a breath in and released. He didn’t feel the poke this time, but it did leave a tingling sensation. “Your results remain below average, but that’s okay.”

Aoyama pat Midoriya’s back and flicked his bangs to the side. His whole being shone, and the potency of his cologne reeked. Midoriya had to hold his breath so he wouldn't gag. “Don’t worry, Midoriya, we’re in this together.”

Midoriya gave a painful smile and tried to move away. Thankfully, the buzzer went off, which signaled the rotation. The excuse of having to move to the next teacher was acceptable as a form of running away.

Mr. Ishiyama had a stone face, looking stoic and unemotional as he waited for the groups to settle down. He was much further away from the others, nestled into the corner of the room. “This test will be done one at a time inside of this booth. No one is to enter or leave without proper protocols. Firstly, no more than 1 person is allowed in. Secondly, Once your pheromones are activated, leaving will not be permissible until it's deactivated. Each of you will spend 2 minutes in this, accumulating the potency to the best of your abilities. This will determine how much of an effect you may have on others. There are other rules, but seeing that you’re a group of two, it can’t be discussed in detail because of the time limit .”

“Uhmm,” Mineta raised a hand, “How do we accumulate our potency?”

Ishiyama nodded, “Think of something you gain pleasure from, whether it be a hobby, sport or person. You will unconsciously release it. Any more questions?”

Asui tilted her head and went up first, “May I start?”

“Of course.” Ishiyama led her into the booth and returned with a timer in hand. Midoriya couldn’t see in if he tried. Thinking about going into such a dark booth made his heart hammer. Did he even have anything he liked? Hobbies? Collecting All Might merch and other popular celebrities he liked for sure. What else… his mother. He loved his mother. A hand was placed on his chin as he muttered to himself. Journalism? No, not really. Maybe analyzing data. It intrigued him. What else did he like? He was sure he had many things he liked but thinking about it when made to allowed most things to slip his mind. He snapped out of his thoughts when someone poked him.

“You’re scaring everyone with your muttering.” It was Mineta who was whispering to him. Midoriya looked around to see Tokoyami and Ojiro staring and offered them a sheepish look. That was embarrassing. God, he needed to-

And Asui was out. Great timing. Midoriya went up as she came out and shuffled in place to have Ishiyama lead him inside.

The booth wasn’t dark by any means, but it was vacant of posters or any distractions. Right ahead was a monitor that displayed 0% in big green letters. “I can see my own result?” It increased to 5%.

“Yes. Deep breath.” Midoriya did so and felt the same feeling of lightness as before. “I’ll be back when the time is up.” The curtains were closed and Midoriya was left alone.

The first thought was about how white the walls were. It looked like it was painted brand new. He stared at the screen ahead and realized the instructions were displayed in smaller letters. Something he liked….

Mom. She was the sweetest person alive. Strict when needed, but supportive. She’d let him cook with her and would kiss him like he was still a little boy. It was a little embarrassing, but the display of affection was always appreciated. Affection... He wanted a lot of affection. Was it weird to want to be hugged all the time? He was too afraid to initiate it, though. That one time with Todoroki made his heart jump out of his chest. He was so gentle and warm. His hands were calloused, but that only meant that he was strong. Those tough hands around his waist would probably feel amazing. His face in his chest. Sturdy chest, Like Bakugou. Bakugou had a little more muscle than Todoroki and smelled even heavier. He reeked of dominance, which made him weak to his knees. 
 
Weak to his what? Why the hell was he fantasizing about the two?

Midoriya’s face went red. Calm down, it just happened. Thoughts happened all the time, and intrusive ones happened too. He swallowed and shook himself out of the weird haze he’d gotten into. His attention was redirected to the screen that showed him his steadily increasing numbers. It was around the forties. It struck 43% when Ishiyama entered, and 44% when he jotted down the results. “Hm. Excellent.” A switch was flipped, and it seemed like the ventilation was turned on. The numbers fell until they hit 0% again.

“Is 44% good?” Midoriya trailed.

“44% is around the higher side in the 3-minute mark. Others have gotten below 30% so far.” Ishiyama motioned Midoriya to stand. He did and was sent out after having his pheromones deactivated.

A higher score? His potency was high? This could only mean good things. A silent first pump was given as he joined the group outside.

“What were your results?” Mineta crowded him as soon as he appeared. “It’s so boring waiting outside.”

“Um, something around the higher side.” Midoriya smiled in accomplishment. “How about you, Asui?”

“A very low score.” She didn’t seem bummed out about it. It was interesting to see her calm and collected. “Mr. Ishiyama reassured me that any score is good and that this doesn’t affect us in class.”

Ojiro went in next and returned with a relatively high score. Aoyama had the same results, but Tokoyami, as well as Mineta, had low scores. The variety of results was starting to confuse Midoriya. It didn’t make a lot of sense to him.

You’ll see different results depending on your dynamic, Yagi had said during the strength test. It was peculiar, these dynamics that had suddenly been tossed at them.

The buzzer indicated the test for resistance. The name itself was worrisome. Resistance against what?

Midoriya stiffly made his way toward Aizawa who seemed bored, slumped back against the chair. “Alright, kids. It’s annoying having to repeat myself for the third time, so I’ll summarize. This is like the test we had that day,” He glanced at Midoriya, which had the boy remembering how he’d fainted for a split second. “But less potent. A constant amount will be released instead of a steady increase, and reactions will be observed. As soon as you feel something, let me know. Don’t try to overestimate yourself, it won’t end well, trust me. Three at a time. Hop on.” He gestured towards the suspicious-looking chairs. They had straps for both hands and feet and some sort of device attached to the head. “First up, Ojiro, Asui and Tokoyami.”

The three went up and seated themselves as Aizawa tucked them in. The chairs were at least three feet apart. “Is this necessary?” Asui questioned as Aizawa strapped her feet to the chair.

“It’s to limit fidgeting. I assume you’re all ready. Again, let me know as soon as you feel something.” The timer started.

Midoriya watched in silence. Things were okay until the four-minute mark. Ojiro looked visibly uncomfortable and called out to Aizawa. He was taken off. At the seven-minute mark, Tokoyami was taken off and Asui followed at the eighth.

“Last three, you’re up.” Aizawa motioned them to sit down.

Midoriya almost tripped on his way there, but somehow managed to regain balance before doing so. His legs had been shaking the whole while in anticipation. He’d been embarrassing himself a lot in front of people, it was excruciating.

The straps were snug against his wrists and ankles and they did restrict him from bouncing his leg. Not being able to fidget to let off steam felt weird. The scent he was bombarded with was weirder. It didn’t affect him right away, but it did remind him of… Alpha. There was a tickle in his stomach. He swallowed and stared at Aizawa with a miserable expression until he got the hint and took him off. “You gotta speak, kid. Two minutes isn’t bad but it isn’t good either.” Aoyama started complaining as soon as Aizawa finished his sentence. “2:30.” He was taken off as well, which left Mineta dozing off in boredom.

“Huh? Is everybody done? What about me?” Mineta snapped back to reality when the group gathered around Aizawa to be explained a good level of resistance.

“1-2 minutes is poor, 2-4 is below average, 4-5 is average and anything above that is above average.” Aizawa glanced back to Mineta and then to the timer. “It’s been five minutes and fifty seconds, you feel anything?”

“Not yet… Wait.. Now I do.”

Aizawa recorded 6 and unstrapped Mineta. With a sigh, he slumped back into the chair and glanced towards the other groups doing other activities.

“Umm.. Are you going to activate our pheromones now?” Ojiro tentatively asked. The silence was so thick one could slice it with a knife.

Aizawa glanced back at them and shook his head. “No. That’s going to be saved for when we train you guys to better your resistance.”

“What do you mean?” Tokoyami questioned, “There are more tests?”

“I will announce whatever there is to know in class.” He waved them off.

Midoriya placed a hand against his ribcage and exhaled deeply. Staying out of the loop freaked him out, but he couldn’t do much except be patient and wait. That sounded like a difficult task… Who could just wait this out? Blood deformities, pheromones, tests, training, dynamics, what were all of these?

The buzzer going off had Asui pushing Midoriya to their next destination. He could only wonder how the stamina test would be.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Well, shall we get started?" Kayama smacked her hands together contently. She didn't seem weary despite the endless amount of groups she drove through. Perhaps she was just glad it was coming to an end; that’s what one would assume anyway. Just another 30 grueling minutes to get through before normal classes continued. Then again, one could argue this was better than sitting around in class with a sore ass. The chairs weren't exactly comfortable. "You guys know how to swim, right?"
 
Midoriya’s entire body instantly vibrated in nervousness at the thought of it. Seeing how many times he'd choked on water in the past, he wasn't very enthusiastic to learn to swim any time soon. You could call it a phobia if you wanted to dramatize it, but it was just really just another fear from several bad experiences. Surely, he wasn't the only one who didn't know how to. 
 
He whipped his gaze to Asui, who seemed to be relishing the idea of swimming. Mineta, unsurprisingly, was undressing the teacher with his eyes. Those two didn't help at all. He turned to the other team and saw Tokoyami, his savior, raise his hand, "Ma'am, I can't." 
 
"I'd rather not get wet." Aoyama piqued in a second after. 
 
Midoriya sucked in a breath. His face grew red in color, but he knew he had to speak. "Um," He murmured, "I…. can't either…"
 
Kayama hummed in thought. "Well, that's better than what I got before! At least three of you know how to," She eyed Asui, Mineta, and Ojiro, "That's fine. We'll stick with sit-ups, then." She turned and presented them with mats messily strewn about the floor. "Just keep in mind that this isn't about how much you do. Rather, it's about how you hold yourself. I'm looking for before and after results. Stamina is endurance. Kind of like Mr. Aizawa's test, but this is physical. Ah, I have five mats right now, though.” She laughed after doing the group a one-over.
 
Craning his neck, Midoriya spotted an empty spot where the sixth matt would be and sighed. He wouldn't blame her if she were rushed into this as well. However, the contraptions they'd already developed were…. Interesting. The one that produced pheromones, especially. He eyed the machine Aizawa was monitoring and hummed in curiosity. How exactly was that possible? Moreover, inciting different reactions from everybody. The durability-
 
"Where are you looking?" Mineta tugged on Midoriya's pant leg, snapping him out of his thought process, "Come on, stop muttering. If you stand like a statue, you'll end up being last."
 
"You two go ahead, I'll go last. I have a few questions to ask Ms. Kayama." Asui cut in with a smile. She turned her attention to Kayama and walked towards her as she fiddled with her fingers.
 
Midoriya turned his gaze back to the machine but quickly seemed to regret the decision. He saw Aizawa staring directly at him. Awkwardly, he averted his eyes and ushered himself towards a free matt. 
 
It appeared that he still couldn't hold eye contact even after all these years. It was too intense for him. Eyes judged. They saw through everything -- And Midoriya was very uncomfortable with the notion. The only person he could maintain it with was his mother. 
 
"Alright, guys, sit your butts down." Kayama continued with Asui by her side. The group did as instructed. "When I say start, start. You have five minutes. I'm looking for posture. Feel the burn! I'll be looking after you guys, so if you mess up, I'll be there to help. Got it? Ready?"
 
Maybe it was her general disposition or the way she held herself, but Midoriya could tell at this point that Kayama enjoyed doing this. The grin lathered over her hips as she held up her watch, watching them for their readiness said that much. So far, she seemed to be the only delighted teacher doing this. Not to say the others seemed pretty much dead, but they

were

pretty much dead. “Start!”
 
Hands crossed underneath his head, Midoriya clenched his abdominal muscles to bring his torso up before relaxing to go down again. The first twenty were easy enough, but there was a slight burn on the thirtieth, allowing his speed to drop considerably. Kayama trod beside him and stepped on his shoes so he wouldn’t lift them as much. 
 
The silent understanding had her walking away to check up on the other students. This was both exhilarating and exhausting. Midoriya gave up when he hit sixty and panted feverishly, letting his limbs sprawl out as he caught his breath.
 
Both Mineta and Aoyama seemed similarly tired, giving up a bit after Midoriya but it looked like Ojiro and Tokoyami were still holding up.
 
“Times up. Take a breather, guys. Asui, you’re up.”
 
Tokoyami collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily as Ojiro brushed himself off to give room to Asui. “You beat me.”
 
They were competing against each other. Ojiro grinned, “I was barely holding myself up by the end. You didn’t do half bad yourself.” They ended it with a handshake.
 
Did they just become best buds? So that’s how friendships worked, Midoriya mused to himself. Friendly competition. Maybe he and Todoroki could-
 
His lingering gaze finally met the aforementioned person’s, allowing a tint of pink to coat his cheeks at the sudden occurrence. Todoroki was the first to look away as if he’d been wronged by him somehow. Midoriya clenched his fist, holding it with his other hand so it wouldn’t tremble as much. 
 
All he wanted to do was wave… Now he knew for sure that Todoroki was avoiding him. He could’ve smiled, nodded, waved, winked, literally done anything to affirm his presence, but all he was met was a cold front. Maybe he really did mess up somehow. The thought had tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. 
 
“Heheh, look at the way her boobs jiggle when she gets up like that.” Mineta elbowed Midoriya, wiping the drool from his mouth.
 
Midoriya blinked away the tears and turned to see what the dude was pestering him about. It was about Asui’s boobs. His cheeks flushed a tiny bit when he picked up on the movement he mentioned and immediately looked away. “Dude!” He gasped in disbelief. 
 
“Don’t be shy. I know you wanna look. You’re a guy like me after all!” Mineta giggled pervertedly, making a grabbing motion with both his hands. “She’s probably a double D, hehe.”
 
Tokoyami did him the favor of kicking his feet for him, resulting in Mineta falling flat on his face. “Oomph!”
 
“Apologies, that was an accident.”
 
Midoriya held in a snort and smiled at the guy, mouthing a ‘thanks.’ He was met with a nod, and soon after that, his attention inevitably turned back to Todoroki, who seemed to be sitting further away from the rest of his group, clutching at his stomach. His eyebrows were knitted together as if he was holding in something. As if he’d been roughly punched in the gut.
 
Why? Why was he like that? What happened?
 
A look of panic rose over his features when he recalled the burn on his chest he spotted this morning. Did the two overlap with each other? It seemed too fresh to be considered old. Believe him-- he knew what new burns looked like. Fresh oil burns that would soon fill with liquid. Sensitive skin that you’d fight the urge to peel. It started red, then would grow darker and darker in color until it scabbed and healed. Todoroki’s burn was still red.
 
There was a very big possibility that he was avoiding him because he was in pain. And if he was a prideful person, it was also very likely he was avoiding him to save face, not because he did something wrong. Because frankly, he couldn’t think of a single thing he did wrong aside from saying, ‘see you at school’ this morning. It only made sense to him. 
 
But where did he get the burn from? Why did he look like he’d been kicked? 
 
He saw Uraraka spare him a worried glance and try to approach him, only to be stopped by another student who wanted to swap results. Todoroki was essentially neglected, and Midoriya didn’t have the heart to keep it like that. He had to do something.
 
PM
 
Me: Todoroki
 
Me: If you want to talk, I’m here for you
 
Me: Just let me know if you’re okay or not. I’m worried about you
 
Midoriya anxiously lifted his head to see Todoroki looking down at his phone. Shortly after, their eyes met. He looked down again to message him back.
 
Roki: I appreciate your concern, it means a lot to me
 
Roki: I’m okay now. I faced a rough morning
 
Roki: …Is it okay if I spare the details?
 
Me: Of course. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to
 
Me: But just know that I’m here for you, okay? 
 
Roki: I’m sorry
 
Me: You don’t have to apologize for anything! We’re all entitled to things we’d rather keep to ourselves
 
Roki: Thank you
 
Me: But if you need anything, just let me know, okay?
 
Roki: Hm…There is one thing I’d like
 
Me: Yeah?
 
Roki: Can we meet at lunch alone?
 
Me: Absolutely!
 
Roki: Is the library okay?
 
Me: For sure. I’ll meet you there
 
Midoriya shut his phone after exhaling a breath of relief and laughed to himself. It was a good thing he was observant and made an effort to reach out, otherwise, he could see this friendship falling apart out of sheer assumption and anxiety. It needed more communication to be considered solid, as shaky as it was right now.
 
“Off your phones!” Kayama called out, motioning Midoriya to get in line for activation. The mats were even wider apart now. And this time, Mineta stayed behind to let Asui take his place. The reason why was very obvious, but he didn’t dare spare him a glance in case he caught sight of something extremely inappropriate. He wasn’t exactly in the mood to deal with it, even when he felt a bit lighter. 
 
Ojiro went first and Midoriya went last, taking his place on the mat as instructed. The feeling of lightheadedness wouldn’t dissipate no matter how many times he’d been activated, he’d never get used to it. It felt like he was floating as if he’d shed weight and could do anything he wanted.
 
The static that struck through when he got into position made him flinch. Kayama’s eyes were trained on him and Aoyama, grinning as she exclaimed, “Start!”
 
And start he did, lifting himself up easily. His feet stayed grounded, huffing as his body earnestly racked up the number of times he lifted himself, surpassing his record from before. “A hundred and fifteen,” He panted, body trembling before collapsing once more. That was the most he’d ever done all at once.
 
Kayama was by his side in a flash, happily taking notes before deactivating him. Midoriya stayed slumped on the ground, glancing to the side to see Tokoyami in a similar state. Everybody was done. Well, mostly everybody. Mineta still had to do his part.
 
“Fantastic results! All of you did incredible, especially Midoriya and Aoyama over here. This is what I’m talking about!” The teacher squealed in excitement, “I haven’t seen anyone aside from another girl do as well as you guys out of this whole class. Now this is interesting.”
 
Midoriya furrowed his brows in curiosity. Who else was there? Did he really do that good? Though he couldn’t deny it-- the fact that Kayama had said his name did wonders for his pride. Did he beat Ojiro even though he’d outnumbered him? Then again, it wasn’t about how much you did, but h, ow you held yourself and improved. How interesting.
 
To think just a second ago Midoriya felt like passing out from the accumulated anxiety, fear, and hopelessness. He was just getting started. Now all that was left was speed.