"Now, just because you're all grown up and moved out does not mean you can't call for any reason, okay?" Rei Todoroki said with a stern expression, holding onto her adopted son's shoulders so he couldn't squirm away.

"I know, Rei. You've only told me a million times," Izuku said with a soft smile at the woman. "Do you doubt Sho's ability to keep me alive?"

"Yes," she responded, dead serious.

"Mom," Shoto groaned from where he was leaning against the counter. "He's eighteen, not eight. I think he can stay alive on his own now."

Izuku Midoriya had been living with the Todorokis since he was fifteen. Rei and his mom had been close friends for as long as Izuku could remember, so when Inko got sick during his freshman year of high school, there was no one she trusted more to look after him.

Now he was eighteen and ready to start his first year at UA University. He was going to be living in an off-campus apartment with Shoto, his adoptive and older brother by three years. The two of them had been close growing up, but hadn't been able to see much of each other after Shoto moved away for college. Izuku was just a little excited that they got to live together again, even if it was only for a year.

"You want to rethink that statement?" Rei asked with a raised brow. "He forgets to eat."

"Wow, look at the time!" Izuku exclaimed, checking the non-existent watch on his wrist. "You should really get heading home, it's a long drive."

"So glad you caught that, Iz. Wouldn't want mom driving home late, what if she falls asleep behind the wheel?" Shoto asked in feigned horror, his eyes darting between the two of them.

Rei rolled her eyes with a playful huff. "Already trying to get rid of me, huh?"

Shoto raised one shoulder in a lazy attempt at a shrug. "No one likes a helicopter mom."

"He's the baby!" Rei cried, placing a hand on either side of Izuku's face despite the boy's groan of protest. "All of my kids are officially grown up, I'm allowed to be a helicopter mom for a second."

"I'm sure the baby would like to start unpacking and getting settled in," Shoto said in a leading tone, his brows raised as he tried to get through to his mother.

Izuku raised a hand, still stuck in his adoptive mother's clutches. "The baby is actually a fully grown adult now."

"You'll make her cry," Shoto whispered too loudly, not even trying to keep his mom from hearing it.

"You boys will be the death of me," she said with a tired sigh. "Hugs and then I guess I can get out of your hair."

Shoto was the first on the chopping block, being pulled into a bone-crushing hug by the slightly shorter woman. "Call more," she told him sternly and refused to let go until he agreed.

Then it was Izuku's turn. She held him at arm's length for a moment as her eyes started to fill with unshed tears. "Your mom would be so proud of you, Izuku," she said softly before quickly hugging the boy to her chest.

"Now you're just trying to make me cry," Izuku joked, but his words were thick with emotion. The smallest mention of his mother turned him into a sobbing mess most days.

"I would never," she teased as she finally released him and took a step back. Her eyes roamed over both of her boys before she took a breath. "Call me, I mean it."

"I'll call before you even make it home," Izuku promised with a nod. He had meant it as a joke, but Rei looked too happy about the idea for him to completely abandon the idea.

"Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly as a smile took over her features. "Take him to see Katsuki," she said to the older of the two. "They haven't seen each other in ages."

Izuku threw his head back with a groan at the name. "I do not want to visit Kacchan."

"Oh, shush. You two were best friends growing up," she said with a pointed look.

Izuku knew there was no way he was getting out of it. Mitsuki, Rei, and Inko had been best friends since high school and had raised their kids as family. Katsuki was about as much of a brother to Izuku as Shoto was as kids, but after Inko died they drifted apart. It didn't help that their personalities had always clashed and they spent more time fighting than anything else.

"The key phrase there is 'growing up'," Izuku pointed out with a huff. "I haven't talked to him in over a year."

"Don't make me do it, Izuku Midoriya," Rei said in a threatening tone.

Izuku narrowed his eyes at her, his arms reflexively crossing over his chest. "Don't you dare play the dead mom card."

"But it would make her so happy if you went and saw him!"

"Fine!" Izuku said in exasperation, throwing his hands up in surrender. He would have been more upset about the emotional blackmail if Rei wasn't one hundred percent right. It really would have made Inko happy.

"Good," Rei said with a satisfied smile. She patted Izuku's head before giving in and pulling him into another hug. "I love you two, call me," she repeated again as she pulled Shoto into a tight embrace next.

"We promise," Shoto said in an attempt to appease her enough for her to actually leave.

"I'm holding you to that, Shoto."

"Love you, Rei!" Izuku called toward the door.

"Love you, mom!" Shoto echoed.

Once the front door was shut behind her and the two boys were alone, Shoto turned to Izuku with a small frown. "We don't have to go if you don't want to."

Izuku let out a long sigh as he took a seat on one of the stools at the counter. "Rei'll find out somehow and then we'll never hear the end of it."

"Leave in twenty?" Shoto asked, knowing that he couldn't talk Izuku out of going even if he wanted to. Rei had used mom guilt and there was no stronger force on Earth.

"Yeah, sounds good."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It is so weird that we're just showing up here," Izuku grumbled as he and Shoto trekked up the sidewalk of a house.

Katsuki's parents were well off and owned rental properties all over the country. When he'd gone off to college, they'd let him and some of his friends stay in one near the campus. Izuku had never been, but Shoto at least looked like he knew what he was doing.

Shoto shook his head at the anxious mess Izuku had quickly become. "You might not talk to him anymore, but I'm over here almost every week."

"Didn't realize you and Kacchan were still close," Izuku mumbled as they stepped up to the front door.

Katsuki and him hadn't had a falling out or anything, no big fight to pick sides over. They had just grown apart after Izuku's mom died. Looking back, it was probably Izuku's fault. Okay, he could admit that it was definitely his fault, but he'd been a mess and Katsuki wasn't around. It was harder to ignore Shoto when they lived in the same house. Izuku had healed enough to recognize that living with the Todorokis had been the only reason he hadn't completely isolated himself back then.

"That's what happens when you don't text me back," Shoto said with a shrug as he pushed the door open without knocking. "You don't realize things."

"Oh, we're just walking into his house, okay," Izuku mumbled as he followed his brother across the threshold.

"Iz, relax," Shoto instructed as he slipped his shoes off. "It's just Katsuki. You've known the guy your entire life."

"We don't even text each other on our birthdays anymore, Sho," Izuku hissed, grabbing onto the string of his hoodie. He needed something to fidget with before he decided bailing on the situation was better than going through with it.

Shoto glanced at him over his shoulder before moving further into the house with a shout of "Katsuki!"

"Todoroki's here!" An unfamiliar voice yelled in answer.

"What the hell do you want?!" was the next shout to be heard, followed by thudding footsteps.

Moments later, Katsuki Bakugou appeared in the hall with a scowl on his lips. He glared at Shoto, probably for all the noise he'd caused, before his red eyes turned Izuku's way and went wide.

"Mom says it's your turn to babysit," Shoto explained in a much too casual tone, nodding his head toward Izuku.

Izuku scrunched his face in annoyance, remembering exactly why he didn't miss hanging out with both of them. Being three years younger than them meant that he was on the receiving end of endless jokes and teasing. "I don't need a goddamn babysitter, I'm not seven."

Before the blond could get a word in, a new person stepped into the hall with a smile on his face. His spiky red hair was the first thing Izuku noticed. The second was the way he casually slipped his hand into Katsuki's as he greeted Shoto.

Izuku couldn't help himself, laughter pouring out of him at the sight. "Kacchan has a boyfriend now?"

"Uh, who's that?" the redhead asked with a worried-looking smile in Izuku's direction.

Katsuki didn't answer him, instead, he scowled at Izuku. "Why the hell is that surprising?"

"Because I distinctly remember you saying romance was for losers," Izuku told him, walking further into the house and letting his eyes roam over the walls. It was an average house, nothing too fancy or eye-catching. He couldn't help but think it was a very Katsuki thing to have an undecorated place.

"I was fourteen."

Izuku clicked his tongue in disappointment. "The fact you remember the exact conversation is telling."

Katsuki looked him up and down once. "See you haven't changed at all."

"You're wrong, Kacchan," Izuku said, excitedly bouncing on his toes. "I'm meaner now!"

Shoto scoffed, ruffling his green curls. "He learned it from you, you know," he said, elbowing the blond.

"Yeah, whatever. Don't try to blame his bullshit on me," Katsuki said with a flippant roll of his eyes.

"Hella confused over here," the redhead said, looking between all three of them like they were aliens.

Katsuki turned and started down the hall, pointing one thumb over his shoulder at Izuku. "That's Deku."

"Oh!" the supposed boyfriend exclaimed with wide eyes as realization crossed his features. A blinding smile took over a moment later as he held a hand out to Izuku. "Eijirou Kirishima, it's great to finally meet you."

Izuku hesitantly let Kirishima shake his head, a perplexed look on his face at the action. "Um, Izuku Midoriya."

Kirishima didn't seem thrown by the behavior, just waving him further into the house. "C'mon, Ash is almost done with dinner and she always makes extra."

Izuku was led into a living room where he found Katsuki already sitting on the couch. Another boy was lying in the middle of the carpeted floor, scrolling through his phone with vague interest.

"You talk about me, Kacchan?" Izuku asked as he hopped onto the couch, but on the opposite side. It was easy to tease and annoy the blond, but that didn't mean he was suddenly comfortable around him again. Besides, Kirishima claimed the spot next to him.

"Is this gonna be a thing now?" Katsuki asked in annoyance. "You already planning a hostile takeover of my house?"

"Oh, new face," the boy on the floor said suddenly, pushing himself to sit up. His golden eyes locked onto Shoto as he tilted his head. "Your stray?"

"Not a stray, my brother," Shoto corrected, taking a seat on the couch adjacent to the one Izuku and Katsuki were on.

"You have a brother?"

It was Izuku's turn to look confused now. "He has three and a sister," he said before looking over at the half-and-half man. "You don't talk about me? What the fuck?"

"He doesn't really talk, don't be so goddamn offended," Katsuki scolded, slipping back into the big brother role easier than Izuku had expected. He'd thought the blond would want nothing to do with him, maybe kick him out even. He didn't think he'd instantly start trying to parent him again.

"Cool, cool, cool," Izuku said with a nod, leaning back onto the couch. "So, Kacchan talks about me."

"You've been here for five fucking minutes and I already want to snap your neck."

"Do it, pussy. No balls."

"I like this kid," the blond on the floor said with a barking laugh. "I'm Kaminari, by the way," he introduced himself with a small wave.

"Midoriya," Izuku said simply before looking back over at Katsuki. "You know, I have a whole two friends now and neither of them knows a thing about you."

The blond gave a short snort of laughter. "Wow, two friends."

"Hey, you have three, and one of them is Sho!"

"I have more than three friends!"

"Didn't miss this," Shoto muttered, pulling his phone out of his pocket to kill time.

"In what world does Katsuki Bakugou find more than three people who can tolerate him?" Izuku asked in a snarky tone.

A guy with shoulder-length black hair walked into the living room and came to a dead stop as he looked at the scene unfolding. "Uh, who's the little guy with a death wish?"

"Todoroki's brother," Kaminari said conspiratorially up to the newcomer.

"He has a brother?"

"Three," Izuku corrected again, looking over at his brother in shock. "You need to socialize more, Jesus."

"You sound like my therapist," Shoto mumbled, not looking away from his screen.

"You don't have a therapist."

"Exactly, so maybe you should stop."

Izuku scowled at the jab, suddenly not so excited about being at college. "What atrocities did I commit in a past life to get saddled with you two?" he asked aloud.

"Been asking myself that for twenty-two years," Katsuki grumbled.

"Anyways," the raven-haired man drawled, nodding his head toward the doorway he'd just walked through. "Ash wanted me to let you know food's done."

"Finally!" Kaminari cheered, jumping to his feet and taking off before anyone else could respond.

"How many more people live in this house?" Izuku asked as he pushed himself to his feet with the rest of the guys.

"Told you I have more than three friends, Deku."

"That's Deku?"

"Do you tell everyone about me, Kacchan?"

"Shut the fuck up."

once again got impatient while waiting for a cover lolz. but hi, not dead :)