Before he could be checked out of the hospital, Izuku wanted to check on the twins. He knew that what they had just gone through must have been traumatizing.

"Suzuki!" Hina and Yuna jumped into Izuku's arms animatedly.

"We got our quirks!" Hina crowed, clinging to Izuku's shoulder for dear life. "We have quirks now! I can be a Pokémon trainer just like Ash!"

Nevermind, they were fine.

Yuna wrapped her arms around poor Izuku's neck and sat on his shoulders. "Are you okay? Mommy said you were fine, but sometimes she lies, so I can't believe her. She told me a mean fairy likes to steal my teeth to make a necklace."

Todoroki, who was standing right behind Izuku, let out a quiet snort. But if anyone had asked him about it, the teen would have denied it. It was a quirk he was slightly embarrassed to have. (Later on, a certain someone who I cannot name quite yet would confess to loving that peculiarity of his.)

"I'm fine," Izuku reassured the young girl. "I promise, nothing hurts anymore. See?" Izuku lifted Yuna from his shoulders and gently threw her up before catching her. She squealed with laughter and her brother took this time to clamber up Izuku's body and steal her spot on his shoulders.

"Who's that?" Hina hung upside down, scaring Todoroki half to death as the young toddler stared at him intently.

"Whoah, okay, please be careful!" Izuku reached behind his back to pull the young boy back into a sitting position while using his other arm to catch the young boy's sibling.

The heterochromatic teen smiled in amusement. My resources have informed me that this smile is quite charming, and while I normally have the utmost trust in this resource, with this specific opinion, I believe them to be biased. Meanwhile, Izuku, who had become more terrified about the children's' safety, quickly set the twins on the ground - much to their disappointment.

Izuku was eager to visit the children before he was checked out of the hospital. He had been worried that they may have been shaken by what had occurred the night before, but as the kids chattered on animatedly about their quirks and how the doctors were confused every time the children corrected them on Hina's gender, Izuku tossed those worries aside. For now, these children were fine. Kids were resilient like that, able to bounce back quickly. Who knows what would happen further down the road? But for now, they were okay, and that's what matters.

Izuku was eager to fall back into his routine and assist the people who had messaged him for help while he was in the hospital, but due to Todoroki's concern for his well-being, the green-eyed teen was forced into one more day of bed rest before he could, "go outside and completely disregard his health again." Todoroki's words.

Normally, being quarantined in one place made Izuku antsy. When he was a child, he was always doing something with himself, playing hero, trying to reveal his quirk, or clicking 'like' for the millionth time on All Might's debut video. When he reached middle school, he had started writing notebook after notebook, filling it with information on new heroes, their quirks, and their styles whenever he had a free moment. It was a desperate attempt to make something of himself, something useful. But more important than that, it was a way to keep him distracted from his failure. His time in UA was filled with hero exercises and studying, always keeping him on his toes, ready for battle at all times. Then he joined the enemy, whoever that even was. Every waking moment was something. If he wasn't committing a crime then he was training to commit one. If he wasn't doing either of those, then he was devising plans to help his fellow villain lackeys do whatever felony they had been instructed to do. He barely slept. Doing nothing was a punishment. He would be locked in a dark room, with nothing but his own thoughts and the consistent voice that plagued his mind - it drove him mad. They would let him out days later. After a proper thrashing, he was good to go. When the door opened, Izuku would be filled to the brim with a tired sense of relief and joy. Even though it meant he had to defend himself from the lashings, it was still something to do. He just wanted something to do. He just had to stay busy and not think. Distract himself as he shattered, slowly but surely.

Izuku didn't like the idea of staying in a bed for a day, the doctor had already said he was fine, but after glimpsing the genuine worry on Todoroki's face, Izuku stayed put. It was actually much more relaxing, doing nothing with Todoroki. It didn't feel like wasting time, it actually felt like time spent well. Getting to know the enigma that was Shoto Todoroki, getting to see what makes him tick. Shoto was sweet and sincere, under that stoic facade. It was a mask he had donned at a young age, to hide the sensitive person underneath, to keep him from breaking. Izuku never brought it up, but after experiencing the same, it was pretty easy to see.

Todoroki was not just a rich boy with daddy issues. He was a caring person. Someone who persevered to be a hero, even with all the negative examples that would make anyone quit. He was someone who invited a struggling traitor into his home and promised to protect him. Todoroki brought Izuku soup while he was bound to his futon. He watched Disney movies with Izuku and had a secret obsession with pop songs. He furrowed his brow when he was confused and cried watching Bambi. He snorted when he laughed -when he really laughed - and was embarrassed by it. Shoto Todoroki was expressive, beautiful, strong, sweet, and compassionate. He had been beaten down over and over and over again.

But he refused to stay down.

Shoto Todoroki always got back up again, and he didn't let his experiences change him in the ways that mattered. He still managed to be a kind person, even after everything.

It was one of the things Izuku loved about him.

And as the two boys sat and conversed together that day, something was becoming alarmingly apparent to the both of them. It was getting extremely hard to ignore.

Oh, Izuku thought.

How didn't I see this sooner? Todoroki mused.

I love him.

••••••••••••••••••••

The day passed peacefully, and Izuku was freed from his enforced quarantine.

His realization didn't really change anything. He still felt comfortable around Todoroki, and laughed and lived with him freely. He enjoyed the time he spent with the dual hair-colored boy and was just happy to be in his company.

And isn't that all love really is? Whether it's just with friends, family, or someone who might mean something more, we love them for them. We want to spend time with them. We want them to be happy and feel loved. Sure, kissing and all that is amazing, but in the end, it's not what's most important. It's the bond two people feel, platonic or otherwise, that ties them together in a way that is almost indescribable. That's love. That's what Izuku had begun to understand.

So nothing changed. They existed together as they had since the moment they became friends, just maybe with a little more something.

Izuku visited everyone who messaged him during his stay and had some nice idle conversation as he completed various tasks, refusing to be paid extra and only accepting the bare minimum he needed.

Any inquires asking about his whereabouts within the past few days were met with a vague wave of Izuku's hand and a simple, "Oh you know, around." He didn't want to needlessly worry anyone.

After bidding farewell to a kind person in their mid-fifties, Izuku decided to pay Mr. Sato a visit. It had been a while since he had seen him, and Izuku doubted the old man got much human interaction. Mr. Sato had gotten more tolerant of Izuku within the past few months, and Izuku was optimistic that their relationship was flourishing into a beautiful friendship.

"Oh, it's you." Mr. Sato opened his door and looked at Izuku in an unimpressed manner. "What do you want?"

Izuku smiled beneath his face mask. "Is there anything wrong with wanting to catch up with an old friend?"

Mr. Sato grunted. "It is when it's me. And you aren't making me like you more by calling me old. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Don't give me that crap. You're the type of kid who always manages to get into some kind of trouble. I can tell something happened just by the look on your face. You fluster easily, kid." Mr. Sato eyed Izuku warily then sighed. "Just come on in, already. I'm not going to be responsible for you getting a cold. Why the hell aren't you wearing a jacket?"

Izuku grinned sheepishly and stepped into the small house, shutting the door behind him. "It's not that cold yet."

"Kids these days. Always trying to defy nature. 'It's not that cold yet,' my ass. It's almost winter. Put on a coat." Mr. Sato continued on into his kitchenette, gesturing for Izuku to follow him. "Sit down or whatever. It's not like I care. I'm going to make some tea. I'm not an uncultured swine, unlike some people. I know how to treat my guests properly. Even if they're unannounced."

Izuku smiled at the old man's disgruntled muttering, a sound that had become familiar over time. It reminded him of Aizawa, on occasion. Even if his old homeroom teacher had been... unconventional, he was an effective teacher all the same and had managed to worm himself into Izuku's list of potential father figures. But if Aizawa ever found out, Izuku would have died of embarrassment.

And now I have published it for the world to read.

Sorry, Izuku. Forgive me.

As the old man clattered noisily around the kitchen, Izuku decided to explore. He wandered into the minuscule living room, noting an addition to the room that had not been there previously. Ever the curious youngster, the teenager of course decided to walk towards it in order to get a closer look.

It was a photo, and a quite nice one at that. It depicted a family. There was a kid, a little younger than Izuku, who was standing in front of two adults. He father had one arm wrapped around the mother, smiling at her in a way that could only be described as adoration. The man's other hand settled on his son's shoulder. The woman was laughing, her face bright as she ruffled her son's hair. Her other hand rested on her stomach, almost as though she was caressing it gently. The son was looking at the camera slightly disgruntled, the way most teens often were, but not seriously. If anything, his face portrayed excitement more than anything else. Even if the pouting lip suggested otherwise.

It was a beautiful photo. But why did Mr. Sato have it?

"You being nosy, kid?"

The teen jumped at the sudden noise and turned around. The elder man was holding two cups of tea, a wistful look on his face. He held one out to Izuku, a silent offer. The teen took the cup gently and held the warmth between his palms.

Mr. Sato sighed before continuing to speak. "That was a long time ago. Her name was Ena. It means 'gift from God', and Jesus Christ, she sure was. The funny thing is, she hated her name. She shunned religion. But she was the strongest and most intelligent woman I knew. The only thing that made sense in this damned world. We got married and started a family, you know, the normal schtick. She was the bread-winner, not that common back then, but she had all the brains for both of us and I wasn't going to let that go to waste. Besides, there's nothing wrong with staying home and raising your kid. That's just as admirable as any other job. Suzu was our first kid. He was always a little grumpy, Ena said he got that from me.

He was a good kid. Stubborn and really ambitious. His quirk came in, and it turned out he was a healer. We tried to encourage him to be a doctor, but that darn stubborn kid just wanted to be a hero. You know Thirteen? He was rising in the ranks when Suzu was growing up, and the kid was in love with the idea of a hero who was more of the rescue type than the fighting type. Ena encouraged it, and I didn't mind." Mr. Sato smiled, clearly nostalgic talking about the memory.

"We learned about her second pregnancy when Suzu was thirteen. He was excited to have a little brother, and of course Ena and I were happy. Ena said the kid loved the water. She'd aways feel this urge to go to the ocean while she was pregnant with them. They probably had a water quirk, like me." Mr. Sato demonstrated by floating a few droplets of water into the air from a cup of water nearby. "Mine's pretty weak, but we had a feeling the new kid would be really powerful. They were pretty opinionated too. They would kick whenever I would kiss Ena, when they were more developed." He laughed. "I was so excited to welcome that kid into this world. Suzu was too."

This was when he paused, taking a deep and shaky breath. "She was headed to the ocean, she was feeling a strong urge so she said she would see me later, and we would make dinner together. She kissed me on the cheek, grabbed her purse, and walked out the door. I got a call from the hospital a few hours later. She was killed when she was caught in the middle of a fight between a hero and a villain. They said they couldn't save her or the kid."

Mr. Sato lifted his hand, massaging the space between his eyes. "Suzu took it really hard. He and his mother had a bond that was once in a lifetime. They understood each other in a way I could never understand him. I held myself together best I could. Went and found a job at a small company to support him. We fought a lot. I didn't want him to be a hero, now more than ever. But that whole incident made him want to even more. I think he figured if he had been there, he could have saved her. That's a lot of guilt for a kid to hole up. I didn't want to lose him, hero work is dangerous, so I tried to make him do something else. Anything else. Maybe I was too harsh," he sighed. "I banned everything possibly related to heroes from the house. I refused to talk about them. I drove my own son away. He was all I had left and I just made him hate me."

Izuku was saddened by this story, of course. Anyone would be. This man had gone through a lot, and there was clearly more to the story. But there was something the teen didn't understand. Why did these words, the ones about Suzu hating his father, make Izuku feel so sick? That wasn't a normal reaction. Something deep with him, in the recesses of his mind, wanted to scream out of desperation. Out of refusal about Suzu's hatred for Mr. Sato. He was almost bawling. But Izuku held it in. The poor old man didn't need Izuku to break down right now.

"He ran away when he was seventeen. He wanted to learn how to save people, and I wouldn't let him. I hoped and prayed every day that he would come home, show me he was safe and that he had accomplished his dreams. I imagined the moment I could pull him into my arms and tell my baby 'I'm sorry'." Mr. Sato was not crying, but he certainly looked like slightest touch would make him disintegrate.

"Two years later, I opened my front door and found a body bag."

Green eyes widened in horror, but Mr. Sato paid them no mind. "I fell into a hole. I did all the normal things adults do when they lose hope. I drank, I gambled, I never left my house. After a while of all that, I got bored of it. What's even the point in drinking or throwing my money away? I was numb whether or not I had those addictions. So I sat in my house everyday. For years. I don't even remember how long it was, but it was enough to grey my hair." His lips twisted into a wry grimace, before slowly melting away into something gentler. Not quite a smile, but not quite a frown. He sipped his tea before continuing with his story. "Inko Midoriya knocked on my door and demanded for me to have tea with her. We both needed a friend, she had just lost her child too, so we hang out on occasion. She was the first friend I've had for a long while. She told me about you, ya know. You remind her of her kid. She sent you over here because she wants me to interact more, even though I told her I refuse to go outside."

Mr. Sato walked over to his door, Izuku trailing awkwardly behind him after a few moments. The elderly man opened the door and gazed outside, the wind gently pushing limp strands of silver hair out of his face. "You know, it has been a long time. Maybe I should go outside again." Then he smiled. It was the first full smile Izuku had seen on this man's face, something that was beautiful and pure and full of hope. "I think they would like that."

The strange feelings that didn't feel like they belonged to him, began to swell in Izuku again. However, this time, instead of sadness, it was jubilation.

••••••••••••••••••••

Hey everyone! How are ya? I hope you're doing well! Wow, 3,000 words! I think that's a new personal best. And all in one sitting!

Here's my question for this chapter:

Q: If you can eat your favorite food for the rest of your life, but you are not allowed to eat anything else, would you?

A: Personally, I would absolutely do that. Potatoes for life!

Also, before I go, I want to give a quick thanks to UltimaAur264 for drawing adorable fanart for this story! If you want to see it, go check out their page! It's in their book of fanart, and I love it so much!