"Sweetie? Come on, it's time to wake up," a warm voice cooed, just quiet enough to not be bothersome but loud enough to rouse him from his sleep.
He wanted to open his eyes and see the person attached to that voice but the sheets were so comfortable it was like a trap keeping him in place. He found himself sinking further under the warm covers, the feeling of soft sheets surrounding him lulling him back to sleep.
"You're going to be late. You don't want to miss the second day of school," she insisted, a gentle hand brushing against his face.
"Five more minutes," he said, voice a raspy whisper.
She brushed loose strands of hair away from his face. "You said that five minutes ago," she said, voice shaky with laughter. He liked that sound- it was comforting, familiar somehow.
Had he said that? He couldn't remember. His memories felt more like a dream than something real to grasp onto. The more he tried to think the more sleepy he began to feel. Was this even real life anymore, or had he dreamed she'd come to talk to him?
"If you don't wake up soon you won't get to see me."
Pressing his face into the cool pillow, he mumbled, "What?"
She shook his shoulder a little more firmly. "Izuku, come on. Open your eyes. Don't you want to see me?" She asked, sounding more worried than before, like she was trying to hide her urgency and failing. He didn't like that, he wanted her to go back to laughing.
Trying to reason with the voice, he said, "But I don't know you."
"Yes, you do. Open your eyes Izuku, yes you do."
The fog was hard to think through but he managed to squeeze his eyes open, peering out to find the owner of the voice. It took him a moment to adjust, the edges of his vision blurry with sleep.
When the vague shapes around him began to solidify his heart sped up.
Green eyes connected with green.
---
He woke up in a cold sweat.
---
Going into an airport was kind of like entering another dimension.
Nothing felt especially real.
The people blurring by in business coats and brightly colored shoes. Quirks popping up at random times. The myriad of voices yelling at them to go to "Terminal C" or "hold for delay." It's like Izuku had landed in Oz but instead of munchkins, it was sleep-deprived travelers, and instead of a good witch, he had Shouta.
He found himself slowing down as they walked past the checkpoint, trying to read all the neon signs and see down different corridors.
There was a man there arguing with what looked to be a sort of translucent rhino? Maybe a quirk? Izuku stopped misstep, watching the scene with rude curiosity. Maybe the rhino was like an extension of the man himself, kind of like Tokoyami's demon bird. But then why would they be arguing?
He wanted to step closer, just enough to hear what the man was saying, but before he'd even gotten two steps a cool hand tugged him back.
Izuku looked up, startled.
"You have to stay next to us at all times," Todoroki said, sounding much more like a hero student than ever before.
He wanted to protest but they were already moving again, this time with Todoroki's hand wrapped around his forearm gently but firmly. It caught him by surprise, he'd never seen his friend so.... sure of himself.
They eventually made their way to what seemed to be a waiting area, Shouta immediately collapsing into one of the little plastic chairs and gesturing for the others to sit next to him.
Izuku somehow ended up on the end seat, sitting beside Iida, with both Todoroki and Uraraka looking very put out at the new seating arrangement. Iida however, seeming pleased, launched into a nonsensical discussion about why airplanes were the same thing as storage units but for people. He tried to follow the conversation, honestly, but somewhere between Iida telling him the exact measurements of the seating and how airplane food was a joke, Izuku's mind began to drift.
It was hard to maintain eye contact with Iida and not because the guy had a more intense stare than anyone he'd ever met; it was the people around them. All of their quirks seemingly blended together. It was so natural. Ordering coffee without ever opening their mouth, levitating luggage, even going as far as to speed past the other travelers.
Maybe if this trip went well Shouta would be more open to letting him use his own quirk.
He glanced over at said teacher only to find him somehow snoozing despite all the noise of the airport, head dropped down and slouching low in the seat in a way that couldn't be comfortable. The worst part was, he still managed to look intimidating.
Izuku longed for the day he could look that badass while just sleeping.
"Deku?" an unfamiliar voice asked.
Izuku turned in his seat, he looked up and up and up until his eyes finally landed on the tall man's face. Sparkly gray eyes met his and the man's slightly sunburnt face cracked wide in a smile. "It is you! From the sports festival!"
Sports festival? He'd never seen this man before. But maybe he was supposed to remember and it wasn't exactly like he could tell the dude he'd had a recent memory loss but shhh don't tell any villains. "Um, yes," Izuku answered uncertainty, "the sports festival....where we are in a festival....doing sports. Good times."
"Oh look at you blushing! So modest! Let me get a picture with you, my wife is going to freak out when I tell her about this!" The man practically squealed, wrinkles gathering around the corner of his eyes as he broke out into a full-on grin. It was flattering his mere presence could create a smile that wide, but Izuku was at a loss for words. Shouta hadn't told him what to do in a situation like this.
Before he could respond, Iida stood fluidly, stepping in front of Izuku. "Sorry sir, no pictures."
"Oh, just one won't hurt! I'll be real quick I promise!" the stranger insisted, sidestepping his classmate to get to him. The smell of oil and aftershave suddenly clogged Izuku's nose as his personal space was invaded and an uncomfortable itch ran down his spine at the proximity. He leaned as far as he could away from the man while still staying in his seat, resisting the urge to turn back into the terrified child who had to go to Shouta for every little thing.
"Sir, this is your last warning. Step away from my classmate," Iida ordered.
Ignoring Iida completely, the man leaned over and brought a phone up, twisting the camera so Izuku could see his face twisted into a grimace next to the man's smiling one. An arm was slung over his shoulder.
Before Izuku could bail or Iida could even step in, a new presence announced themselves.
"Hands off. Now."
Even if the order hadn't been directed at him, Izuku didn't waste another second hopping out of the seat and over to his teacher's side. By now both Uraraka and Todoroki had stood up, looking more curious than worried.
"Sir, I didn't mean any offense. I was just asking for a picture with Deku. He seemed fine with it!" the man tried to explain, glancing nervously from Iida to Shouta. He could probably sense how angry the two were, even Izuku could feel it from his spot beside them.
"It's fine! Honestly!" Izuku tried to interject but Shouta wasn't having it. He was tugged behind Shouta without much say in the matter.
"I take offense to anyone touching my students without permission. You may dismiss yourself now," Shouta all but growled. Izuku had never seen him so angry...or awake. It was like this whole other person. He somehow took up more space and the black slack and shift he'd had on that had seemed lazy before now almost looked like a hero costume in itself. If his quirk hadn't already been revealed Izuku would believe it was the ability to change his appearance and aura.
When the man just stood, mouth hanging open slightly, Shouta added, "Now." His eyes glowing red.
They were left alone soon after.
While having his picture taken probably wasn't a great idea and the man needed a lesson on boundaries, the whole thing seemed to have been blown way out of proportion. He wondered how his teacher would have reacted if it had been an actual threat.
As soon as the man practically ran off, the woman at the desk next to the boarding ramp announced that they would begin boarding.
Shouta grabbed Izuku's bag and motioned for him to follow, not even looking at the other students.
"We should go over some ground rules before we get to the States," he said, the tired look returning to his eyes. "Number one- do not talk to strangers. Number two- do not let a stranger get close to you. Number three- do not make eye contact with strangers."
Izuku blanched, "Wait what? That means I would only get to talk to you and like- three other people!" he thought about it for a moment as they weaved past the other people rushing to find a spot in line. "And Principal Nezu."
"That reminds me, no talking to Nezu unless I'm there too," Shouta added.
This was getting ridiculous. Izuku glanced behind him to see a shared expression of confusion on his friends' faces. But it was beginning to seem pointless to argue and the longer Izuku stayed with Shouta the more he was beginning to learn it was best to just go along with these things; besides, nothing could be weirder than Shouta numbering his cats.
They boarded the plane without too much of a problem, although Iida and their teacher got placed in two separate rows on accident. It ended up with Uraraka eagerly taking the window seat and pulling Izuku down next to her. Todoroki slipped into the seat next to him silently, immediately closing his eyes and leaning back against the soft cushioning- apparently he was done peopling for the day entirely.
Izuku didn't know when he'd become so aware of Todoroki, but all at once, he found himself fascinated with the way his barely readable expressions changed when relaxed or how he could make himself warmer or cooler by standing to one side of him. As bad as he felt that his teacher and classmate had to sit by strangers, he was equally as grateful to have Todoroki as the one sitting next to him.
Uraraka was a mess of giggles and silly explanations of how planes were 'so awesome' despite the fact she'd never been on one. She pointed to the faintly glowing lights of the runway, scooting sideways so Izuku could look out the tiny window with her.
However, when the plane actually started moving her smile grew smaller and smaller until it was replaced with a worried frown. She looked from Izuku and back to the window, muttering something about how this would be much different from zero gravity.
Izuku was a little worried too. Despite Iida's in-depth explanation, he still didn't understand how a plane with that many people on board could lift off the ground much less fly. But he forced himself to stay calm, grabbing Uraraka's hand as the plane pulled further away from the airport.
But it seemed they were worried for nothing. It began to speed and it only took a few seconds for the front of the plane to lift up, making them airborne.
He gasped, shaking Todoroki's shoulder and forcing him to watch too as they rose up past puffy clouds and suddenly entered a new world where the floor was made of cotton balls and the walls and ceiling becoming one. It was the most mesmerizing thing he'd ever seen.
For the rest of the trip, Izuku watched in anxious excitement as the clouds drifted and changed like mountains moving, entranced by where the swirling white whips met the bright blues of the sky. Even where Uraraka got tired of it and pulled out a book and Todoroki seemed to be off in his own little world thinking about something, his eyes remained glued to the window, watching the world go by.
---
Hi! This was mainly a transition chapter but we can also see the friend group growing closer! The next chapter will start getting more plot-heavy. This is gonna be a somewhat long book so I'm doing my best to realistically show the friendship (or more than friendship ;) ) process and not just rush it into automatic best friends forever.
Also- if you've read any of my past stories you know I usually write bonus chapters. So if there is anything you guys want to see just let me know and I'll try my best to include it (but don't hold me to that). For example, a pre plot chapter like Todoroki freezing Midoriya to a door like I referenced a few chapters back or it can be something completely unrelated. Just a random prompt where I use the MHA characters.
Thanks for reading! I hope you all have a great day!