One day when I had come down to a small town, a green haired boy had just hung up the public pay phone and had spotted me following Endeavor like I was told to. The small town had a large crime issue and was suspected of housing some big time villain. I guess I wasn't into what he was doing or paying attention as the boy had slipped into step with me, a few feet away. Endeavor hadn't noticed him, the odd green haired boy that started walking with us. Endeavor was talking on the phone, not loud enough for everyone to hear, but loud enough that you could tell the gist of the conversation if you really listened to it.

I'd never seen him before, but even in the small northern town you could tell he didn't really belong there. It was almost lunchtime, but Endeavor wasn't planning on letting us stop until he found the guy. He was planning on letting us starve until we found a crime lord. I hadn't had much of a breakfast as I wasn't supposed to eat in the car or on the plane.

Soon the conversation ended and the Pro Hero (I've figured out that a Pro Hero is different than a hero) hung up, he turned to check I was still following him, and spotted the boy. "Shoto, who is that?" He turned back around again.

"I don't know father." The boy furrowed his brows at the interaction, and stepped a bit closer to me.

Endeavor waved the boy away, not bothering to look at him. "Go away, we're busy."

"Actually, only you are Endeavor-san." The boy replied, noticing the gap between me and the man, slid between them. "I don't think your son is old enough for a hero license yet, so he cannot help you."

This seemed to trigger my father. "Shut up boy, he can follow me."

"Umm but he can't? Excuse me for my rudeness Endeavor-san, but Pro Heroes aren't allowed to let a civilian follow them, it puts them in physical danger."

Now the looming man seemed to have a loss of words, as the smaller boy was legally correct.

"What's your name, boy?"

The curly haired boy fell silent before replying. "Endeavor-san, may I have lunch with your son before I return to the mountain?"

I didn't say anything. I didn't say anything when Endeavor told me to stay put and dragged the boy by the collar of his... coat. I didn't say anything when the boy came back running to me with a burn on his side, and I certainly didn't say anything when he dragged me to a small noodle shop. Lunch was a quiet affair, the boy sat across from me, offering to be a silent pair of ears.

I said nothing. He wouldn't believe me.

After lunch Endeavor had a car pick me up to take me to the small airport. But unfortunately for him, the boy had listened to my silence and said one thing before standing up and leaving.

"I have no special skills. I'm not skilled yet. I just tried to save you. I promise one day I will, but until then, please try to save someone else."

--

After that, after he had thought about it, he decided to save his mother. He hadn't seen her for years, he had tried to before, gotten his shoes on even, but he never made it outside. But for now, while he had a shell of safety, he would gather proof and learn about her as much as he could.

Now that boy is standing in front of him in an empty hallway, still a silent pair of ears. "Midoriya, will you try to believe me?"

He tilted his head. "Shoto-kun, I don't need to try. I promise I'll believe you."

I promise I'll believe you.

I promise I'll believe you.

I promise I'll believe you.

I promise I'll believe you.

I promise I'll believe you.

He found himself hugging a slightly smaller yet firmer body. They weren't really hugging though, he was covering the person who was pressed sitting against the wall. "I... I- Thank you. Please... please thank you-"

"Shoto-kun, you're my friend, don't thank me." Todoroki could feel tears slipping by his cheeks, slipping past his chin, dropping onto the gym shirt of the boy below him.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed away from Midoriya. "I- Mid- Have you ever heard of a quirk marriage?"

The boy's eyes widened before he nodded. "It's like a political marriage right? It benefits one person directly... Shoto-kun, they're illegal. Even if the family consents to it." He nodded allowing the boy time to say something, anything to make it easier. "Shoto-kun, are you the product of one? I don't mean to be insensitive but-"

"Yes Midoriya, my father married my mother without her consent. Or her full consent at least."

"Shoto-kun, I would like to hear the story at some point, but you don't have to tell me everything now. I would just like to know what to be careful of. Tell me more about yourself. And please, I call you by your first name, call me Izuku."

Mid- Izuku has caught Shoto off guard more times than once in that statement alone. He believes in Shoto, something no one has ever done before, he is actually careful with Shoto, he wants to know more about his friend, and wants to be called Izuku.

So Izuku is told everything.

--

The first 1v1 fight that takes place is Izuku against Shinsou, a boy who Izuku had asked to be a part of the Cavalry Battle team for the sole reason that reminded Izuku about some stories about butterflies. Something about the purple. It had taken almost all of the planning period, but they had coaxed him enough out of his shell to learn his quirk and abilities, mostly due to the support course Hatsume's incessant begging.

Shoto had seen Izuku somehow conjure up a huge wave at the USJ, he had been running down the landslide zone when he felt an odd prickle and saw it. However, every time he asked about his quirk, Izuku would turn the conversation away from it. A mysterious water quirk versus a brainwash quirk.

Standing at opposite sides of the arena, they seemed to stay rock still until the whistle blew.

They both ran at each other, Izuku stayed low to the ground while Shinsou simply ran straight at him. At the last moment, just before Shinsou could land a punch, Izuku flipped over the taller boy, simultaneously turning to grab his forehead and slam him backwards onto the ground. Izuku spun around to sit on his stomach, staring the boy down.

Almost impossible to catch at the distance, Shinsou squinted his eyes before sitting up and moving his legs back to pin Izuku back down on the ground. Izuku instead rolled over, quickly standing up, letting the other stand. Shoto could see Shinsou's mouth moving almost the whole time, trying to get a rise out of the shorter boy. Shoto was handed a pair of binoculars by a UA staff member, and could now see Izuku's face contorting slightly, depending on what was being said he was either covered in grief or was barely hiding simmering anger. Eventually, Izuku ran at Shinsou, catching everyone off guard and pushing him out of bounds.

Reaching a hand out, Izuku said something as Midnight declared him the winner, this time surprise finding a rental space on Shinsou's not-very-expressive-face.