Chapter Text
The cafeteria is noisy the first day back to school. People catching up with friends, talking about their summer, about internships. Izuku is late to lunch, he had gotten a bit lost because of his back to school jitters. It was so embarrassing having to ask Aizawa where the cafeteria was even though he already knows the layout of the school from last year.
After he gets his food from Lunchrush, he is met with a surprise when he walks up to his friend group's usual lunch table and sees Hitoshi Shinsou sitting with his friend Uraraka. He sits down across from Shinsou, next to Iida. Todoroki on his right, with Tsu across from him. Shinsou glares at him the moment he sits down.
“Hey Deku! How's your first day been?” Tsu asks after her and Uraraka finish a conversation they were just having about summer break.
“Oh, it was good. I didn't do much outside of training..” he says, trailing off as him and shinsou basically have a staring contest, Shinsou giving him the death stare. Mostly because that's just his resting look, but partly because he's glaring.
Shinsou has had a problem with Izuku ever since the sports festival. He has it in his head that Izuku is some power drunk guy that just gets everything in life handed to him because he has a quirk so similar to All Might's. Izuku tried to be nice at first after Shinsou had been transferred to their class at the end of last year, but he gave up after months of Shinsou being rude.
“Sorry, why are you sitting here?” Izuku finally questions, glancing between shinsou and the others.
Shinsou's lips slowly curl into a smirk. “What? Is it illegal to sit next to my girlfriend?” he replies with that damn smug look on his face. Izuku gives a bewildered look at Uraraka, who blushes shyly.
“Right.. Deku you weren't here when I told the others earlier.. Me and Hitoshi have been dating for a couple months now. I hope you two can get along.” Uraraka says, fidgeting with her finger pads.
Izuku stares, shocked. Uraraka… and shinsou… dating? Uraraka is dating shinsou? Shinsou and Uraraka? Out of all people him? Seriously?
He pulls himself together, forcing a smile on his face. “Well… that's great news. Welcome to our table Shinsou.” He says behind a slight grit in his teeth. He has to keep reminding himself to be polite. That this may be a good thing, and maybe Shinsou can get past whatever problem he has with Izuku and they can be friends.
After all, everyone has room for growth and development. Except maybe Bakugo, who can be heard yelling at his group from across the cafeteria.
Well, Shinsou can't be that bad...right?
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When Izuku gets back to his dorm at the end of the school day, he pulls out a notebook he hasn't used since the beginning of last year. He had labeled it 'How to Make Friends No. 1.' He cringes looking back at his fresh out of middle school self.
He used to write about his classmates' interests in the book, hoping to be friends, and stay a good friend if he ever managed to get one. He flips to a new page, titling it 'Shinsou.' Some stubborn part of him refuses to write Shinsou's first name until they at least are on good terms, like acquaintances. He guesses if he's really gonna do this he has to jump straight to addressing the root of the problem. When did this all start? Why does Shinsou have such a big problem with people with flashy quirks?
Izuku can't really blame him, though. He used to be the same. Though he was much less expressive about it. He starts to lose his train of thought, thinking about before All Might gave him OFA. When he used to aspire to be a quirkless hero. Sometimes he wonders if he could've, if he had really tried. It had been his dream, after all. To be the first ever hero completely quirkless, and to give hope to others without powers they can use. Somewhere deep down it still is his dream.
He doesn't like to think about it too hard.
Sometimes he wishes he had given himself more time to actually process getting a powerful quirk. All Might's quirk. Back then, he had been a desperate kid, who had literally been offered something life changing by his idol. Everyone's dream, right?
Though, back then he hadn’t understood the physical and mental toll that came with forcing your body to accept a quirk it was never meant to have. The constant Recovery Girl visits, the 24/7 control he has to have over his body. He's broken glasses and snapped off door knobs on accident more times than he can count. Not to mention how horrible he was at sports last year, his gym grade was so bad the first half of the year because he had no control over how hard or soft he hit a ball, and he didn't want to hurt anyone.
It's been a struggle, but he supposes it’s normal. That it's just harder for him to adapt because he wasn't born that way. Normal. Everyone else grew up learning constant control over the power thrumming through their veins. All Izuku grew up with was the pain that came with someone unleashing their power onto him. Maybe Shinsou grew up like that too. He finally writes,
Goal 1: Show Shinsou I'm not a quirkest asshole.
He hopes this will work out, for Uraraka's sake if not his own.
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He tries to talk to Shinsou, he really does. He gets ignored by Shinsou at the lunch table, avoided in the halls and dorms, and in trouble in class when he tries to pass notes to Shinsou. It doesn't help that Aizawa finds Izuku's suffering entertaining and keeps pairing them together during training. Shinsou works well with him when paired together, but when paired against each other? It's brutal. Izuku breaks his fingers every time escaping Shinsou's quirk, then Shinsou gets more frustrated he's practically quirkless against a powerful guy like Izuku.
Currently, Izuku is getting his fingers healed by Recovery Girl for the 3rd time this week. RG scolding him as usual, saying something about how All Might should train him more. As if he doesn't already spend majority of his time training till his bones ache trying to figure out new methods and keep his quirk controlled. Then, Shinsou walks in with a grumpy Aizawa following. Shinsou's nose got broken apparently when fighting against Shoji. Izuku perks up, taking the chance to speak after recovery girl heals Shinsou and steps out with Mr. Aizawa.
"Shinsou.. Hi" Is all he manages to awkwardly say, words rushed so Shinsou can't just turn his back to him this time.
"What." Shinsou replies, a blank expression on his face. "Don't get in over your head about being the only one bale to break out of my quirk. You're idiotic for breaking your fingers every time to do it." Shinsou says before Izuku can even think of forming another sentence.
"Oh. Uh, I actually just wanted to talk about... I dunno, what your issue is with me? I don't want you to hate me. You're dating one of my best friends after all. We should try to-" Izuku is cut off by an annoyed huff from Shinsou.
"Issue? My issue is that you're a nepo baby who only got into this school because of your quirk. All Might clearly favors you, it's weird. You have horrible stance, horrible quirk control, make rash decisions-"
"I am not a nepo baby! I'm not even related to All Might!" Izuku says with a wide gesture at nothing.
"Oh yeah? Sure seems like it." Shinsou says, glaring harshly. "Im surprised Sensei hasn't expelled you yet. Now leave me alone." He adds harshly, turning away from Izuku as Aizawa and RG enter the room. Aizawa giving the two of them a look because of the tension in the room before gesturing for them to follow him back to class.
It's gonna be a long week.