Aesthete

Chapter 13.

Tsu, or Froppy, was the first person to get her name approved. The class chanted her name with pride, before moving on to the next presentations.

Mina had gunned an adorable hero name, Pinky, while Yaoyorozu chose an elegant one, Creati. Uraraka's and Hagakure's were quickly approved and so was Denki's. I took to complimenting Jirou on 'The Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack,' while she blushed and swatted my head to stop embarrassing her. A heavy sadness wormed its way into the class when Iida donned 'Ingenium,' after his brother who would no longer be able to work as a hero. Bakugo's got rejected two times because of the villainous aspect to his attempted label, and Kaminari and I got wrung by our necks for fighting off laughter. Shoji, Ojiro, and Tokoyami all came up with fitting names to highlight their quirk, and Kirishima dubbed himself after his favorite pro-hero, being named Red Riot rather than Crimson Riot.

When I complimented him on it, he tugged on my arm excitedly as we both watched Izuku make his way to the stand.

Our commotion was silenced when he spoke, "This is going to be my hero name, I chose it because two people helped me realize that it carries more meaning, and it will be what I make of it, not of my past." His board had Deku scribbled on it, while my mouth opened slightly in shock.

"Are you sure about that, Midoriya?" Kirishima asked in concern, eyes filled with reluctance.

"Yes, I'm positive!" Izuku replied, shooting off the same familiar smile that reminded me of a hearth, always nourishing others with warmth.

He stumbled back to his desk as I turned and watched, chest filled with pride at how determined he was to keep pushing himself to fulfill his dream.

"Izuku?" I whispered, tugging on the crook of his elbow. "Yes?" He dropped his voice, curiosity peeking through.

"Deku, that's going to be the name of the greatest hero, right?" My tone was sincere, I smiled, hoping my expression would cast my honesty and faith in him.

I squeaked, startled to be engulfed in his arms as he hovered over my desk with a tight embrace, head buried towards my neck. Luckily, everyone was too distracted within themselves to point us out, but I felt the shrewd gaze of Aizawa through his sleeping bag, Todoroki's stare from the back of the classroom and Kaminari's piercing look through my back.

"What was that for?" I stuttered out, hiding the way my face was morphing into the shy expression I rarely display.

"You believe in me, completely. You're the first person to never doubt me."

I sighed, giving him a look meant to soothe him. "There's nothing to doubt about you, Izuku." I stood, making my way to the stand but not before someone pulled the end of my jacket.

"We're going to get food after school." Denki's voice was insistent, no humor laced in it as he stared straight ahead. I frowned, but shrugged. "You're lucky we're close or I'd totally reject that demand," I said lightly. He only released his grip, eyes narrowing at his desk. What's wrong with him?

I reached the front of the classroom, tinged with concern for the always playful boy who suddenly looked offended.

I shook off the thought, staring at the board in front of me as I spoke, too embarrassed to meet the looks of my peers. "My goal as a hero is to be someone that people look to for reassurance, I want to save everyone, no matter what the cost. I hope that one day my quirk can be worthy of this name, and that I will be, too. I've chosen my name after the Roman goddess of Earth, she was known for giving to others and aiding the gods and goddesses for the greater good." With that, I held my board out to the class, silence ensued when I displayed the words written.