-Uraraka's Perspective-
"Hey Shio-kun!" I called to Itamie, who had just arrived back to the classroom after changing. Everyone else had already left the classroom eager to either get home or wanting to take advantage of the nice weather while they chatted.
"Hello, Ako-san." he said as he made his way to the front to grab a syllabus.
"If I use 'kun', you can use 'chan' It's only fair." I told him with a stifled giggle. So formal and polite.
"Alright, Ako-chan. If you insist." Itamie said with a shrug.
"I was wondering if you wanted to walk with me? Either to the train station or until we have to go different directions?"
"I can't today, but maybe tomorrow? I take the train, so we could walk to the station together. If that's alright with you, of course."
"Sure! I wouldn't have asked if it wasn't okay." I reassured with a smile. "Is it alright if my friend joins us? I'm staying with her so..."
"Yeah. That's fine. I'm assuming this is the friend you mentioned during the exam?"
"Yup! That's her! She's in our class, too! She's in seat twenty-three. Well, she used to be. I imagine that the seat numbers will probably change a little with two of our classmates expelled."
"Probably." Itamie agreed. An awkward silence stretched on for a few minutes before my eye caught sight of the sun out the window.
"Oh! I have to go, or I'm going to miss my train!" I cried out.
"Go ahead, Ako-chan. I'll see you tomorrow." Itamie said, his head motioning once towards the classroom door.
"See you tomorrow, Shio-kun!" I called with a big grin as I made my way quickly out the door.
What an interesting guy. I thought as I ran through the empty halls and across the deserted courtyard. He reminds me a little bit of Fai-chan. So closed off and mysterious, yet easy to talk to. I hope he's doing okay.
-Izuku's Perspective-
After Uraraka left, I couldn't help the anxiety that flooded me. I had talked with Kurogiri the past few days about Nezu's offer. He and I both agreed that it would be in my best interest to take the principal's offer, but that I would have to be careful. Kurogiri and I needed someone to know, but they had to be capable of doing something with the information. I also couldn't tell them, or Sensei would know the next time he went digging around in my head. Nezu was one of the smartest beings in the world, if not the smartest. Whether animal or human, there were very few that could even come close to reaching Nezu's omniscient-level intelligence. This could also backfire on us, though, if Nezu learned the truth too quickly. Before he got to know me as a person and came to trust me as his student. It was a fine line, but it was one I was ready to dance across like an acrobat on a tightrope, especially if it meant that I could help the people who had come to mean so much to me. Taking steps to getting rid of that monster was just an added bonus.
Right now, though. Not even Sensei's brutal training could completely numb the fear and anxiety I felt creeping up at even the mere thought of meeting Nezu. I could only continue to push my feet forward as I made my way through the halls, guided by nothing but the map that had been included in my acceptance letter. Seemingly seconds later, I stood in front of a rather intimidating sized door, though that just seemed to be a thing with UA. I only got one short knock in before a small voice called out for me to come in. I gulped nervously as the door slid open by itself. I walked into the room, trying not to seem cautious, though I let some of my nerves show. Anyone would have been nervous to meet the principal of UA and it wouldn't be good if the hybrid thought that I wasn't nervous, or worse, was hiding something. I only got a quick glimpse around the room, and boy did that make me anxious, before I forced myself into a bow.
"Principal Nezu." I said as I remained in my bow.
I knew most people didn't hold it this long, as the people of Japan had gotten less formal in the last few decades. I knew because Sensei brought it up constantly and forced me to remain bowing until he said otherwise. In this situation, I wasn't sure whether or not the normal teenage bow would suffice, or if I had to do what I always did with Sensei, so I decided to try to find a middle ground. It couldn't hurt to seem polite in front of the principal, but it would probably seem suspicious if I did as Sensei always expected. So, after a minute or two, I rose from my bow and couldn't help the way my eyes scanned the room. I could only hope that the principal took it more as curiosity and interest than paranoia and the kind of alertness that typically only came with years of brutal training or treatment.
"I am here to accept your offer, Nezu-sama. I would like to become your personal student. If you will have me, of course."
Nezu clapped his paws together once in seeming delight.
"Of course, Itamie-kun. I would not have even mentioned it had that not been my intention. I fully intend to teach you all I can to help you improve in any mental area you desire. Please, have a seat so that we may discuss this." Nezu said, motioning towards the couches that were off to one side of his office.
I chose the one that had its back to the wall and that faced the rest of the room. I would rather not have to worry about protecting my back.
"Would you like some tea, Itamie-kun?" Nezu asked as he hopped down from his chair.
Not really. I thought, even as I said,
"Sure, Nezu-sama."
Curse my time with Sensei and my resulting inability to say no to people in positions of power over me and my life. I wouldn't even have the opportunity to check the tea without making Nezu suspicious. Unless...
"Thank you, Nezu-sama." I said a few minutes later as I was handed the tea. I brought it up to my nose and gave it a sniff. "Smells good." I said with a small smile, playing off the other-wise weird gesture. Nezu smiled as he drank his own cup of tea.
I hadn't smelt any poison. Only Peppermint, which made sense since peppermint tea could help with thinking. Well, there was nothing left to do but drink it. I had been hoping it would be hot enough that I could take a sip and claim it needed to cool, but Nezu had gotten it to a perfect temperature before he gave it to me. I brought the cup up to my lips and took a couple sips. It was... good. Probably one of the best peppermint teas I'd had in a long time. I could even detect hints of cherry and chocolate that I hadn't been able to smell. It didn't taste poisoned, but even if it was, I felt I could die in bliss from the taste of such a delicious blend of tea.
"This is really good, Nezu-sama." I said with a small smile. "It's peppermint with cherry and chocolate, right?"
"I am glad you like it. And it is indeed, Itamie-kun! Most people don't notice the cherry and chocolate and even fewer can positively identify such subtle notes. I am impressed!"
"Thank you, Nezu-sama." I could feel my cheeks heating up at the praise and I brought my tea back up to my mouth to hide the blush I knew was starting to show.
"Of course, Itamie-kun. Though, if it's alright with you, I think we can be less formal with each other. I appreciate how highly you see me, but if I'm going to be teaching you, I'd like to feel more equal with you. You can call me sensei, or even just use san. I don't care which you choose. I want you to feel comfortable here and I'll do everything I can to make that possible." Nezu said as he set his cup down on the table in between the two of us.
I could feel the sincerity of his words and felt my eyes beginning to itch with building tears. I quickly shut my emotions down and smiled at Nezu.
"Thank you, Nezu-san. I really appreciate that." I said trying to force my earlier overwhelming gratitude into my words past the forced apathy. "I've never had a teacher that was willing to go that far for me." I said honestly. Nezu didn't say anything to that, so I just finished off my tea.
"Shall we get down to business?" I asked as I set my empty cup down on the table. Nezu's grin was almost feral at that.
"Let's."
~~~
"Sanosuke-san?" I called as I opened the door to the apartment and pulled my keys out of the lock.
"I am in the kitchen, Itamie-kun." I heard Kurogiri call from inside.
My face broke out into a grin and I rushed to close and lock the door. I made quick work of swapping out my shoes for a pair of slippers and dumping my bag on the hook in the genkan. I then rushed into the kitchen to find Kurogiri cooking, though he was in his disguise form.
I actually really liked Kurogiri's disguise because it made him look more like me. His eyes were a combination of my emerald green and a really stunning light blue. His hair was also like mine. A dark black but with a slight hint of color. Though, instead of my forest green, his was that same light blue that was part of his eyes. His hair was also shorter than mine. While his reached just below his - currently human - ears, mine went down to somewhere between the top and middle of my shoulder blades. While he didn't have any freckles, there was a small scar across the bridge of his nose. Kurogiri also had slightly tanned skin. It was a good disguise, and Kurogiri and I often wondered how similar it was to how he looked before Sensei got to him.
One thing confused me, though. Why was Kurogiri disguised now and not later, when we would be joining the Ichika's for dinner in a few hours? While both Kurogiri and I enjoyed when he looked like this, Sensei certainly didn't. I always figured it was because Sensei was worried that the more time Kurogiri spent looking human, the more likely he was to remember his time before Sensei. Unable to figure it out myself, I simply asked Kurogiri.
"Why did Sensei change you already?"
Kurogiri smiled at me. I loved his smile in his human form. Especially since I could actually see it. It always seemed to shine. Not quite like the full on sun, like All Might's - too bright, blinding, and damaging if you spent too much time around it (not to mention not the real thing) - but like the sun reflected off a lake - calm, but still bright and warm and beautiful.
"He had business to attend to today, so I've been like this since this morning." Kurogiri said happily.
"I take it you've been making the most of it, then?" I asked with a slightly cheeky grin.
"Of course." Kurogiri responded. "I went shopping and to the mall. I even stopped by that cat cafe that you've been going on about." Kurogiri said, his own grin growing cheeky as I blushed. "The food and drinks there were just as good as you said and the cats were very friendly. I really liked it. We should go together sometime." Kurogiri said with a soft smile. I smiled at him and nodded.
"I'd like that." There was a lull in the conversation where I warred with myself. Should I say it? I'd been building up the courage for this for a couple months now. It was finally time.
"I'm going to go change out of my uniform." I said, hesitating. Kurogiri nodded, that soft smile still on his face as he turned back to the food. "Also, umm..." Kurogiri turned back to me. "Thanks... Pops." I said quietly before bolting to my room, my cheeks blazing with red-hot embarrassment.
-Kurogiri's Perspective-
He called me 'Pops'.
This was the only thought running through my head as I finished cooking the Katsudon and packed it up. As I called for Izuku and we both slipped our shoes on. As Izuku's cheeks remained pink in a constant blush and he avoided looking at me. As we made our way next door to the Ichika's slightly larger apartment. As Yua-san and I dished up dinner and set it on their table. As we all sat down. As we all ate. It even remained in the back of my mind as we talked after dinner and a small dessert. Though when the conversation shifted, I was pulled fully into it.
"It's crazy how similar you two look. It's hard to believe that you two aren't biologically related."
"Well that's a funny story, actually." I said. While it would have been fine to just say "yeah, what a weird coincidence", Izuku and I had agreed a few weeks ago on an actual story to explain the similarities. "You see, when I first started fostering Itamie, I took him to the mall to get some new clothes. We were both really new to the whole child and foster parent relationship so we were really awkward around each other. At one point, while I was trying on some clothes, a very concerned lady who worked at the store we were in asked Itamie if I was his dad. Itamie said no. Then the lady asked if I was related to him. He said no again. Then, before he could explain our situation, the lady took off and called the police. I explained the situation to the police when they arrived and pulled up the paperwork on my phone." I said, chuckling. "You can't imagine how confused I was to come out of the change room, clothes slung over my arm, and have the police burst into the store."
Beside me, Itamie was chuckling.
"I remember that. You were so confused you just stood there and looked back and forth between me and the cops. You couldn't seem to figure out whether to carry on with the shopping, ask the officers what was wrong, or grab me and run. It was pretty funny to watch that lady get scolded for jumping to conclusions and making assumptions."
"That sounds like some adventure." Hiroshi said with a wide grin.
"Well, a week after that, I decided to dye my hair black so that we would look like we were related. It's definitely made public excursions safer. Besides, I was more than happy to share a physical trait with Itamie." I said, looking over to the boy. He blushed heavily, a small smile on his face as he looked down at his lap.
"Ita-chan! Ita-chan!" Riku called as the little boy rushed in from the hallway.
"What is it, Riku-kun?" Itamie asked from beside me. We were on the couch across from Yua and Hiroshi and I could see that they had also turned their attention towards their 3-year old son.
"Will you please come play with me?" Riku asked, suddenly shy once more. I watched as a gentle and genuine smile grew on Itamie's face.
"Of course." Itamie said gently as he stood up. "Lead the way, bunny."
Itamie held a hand out to the boy, who eagerly grabbed it and started tugging him back in the direction of the hallway the 3-year old had originally come from.
"They look like brothers." Yua said in shocked disbelief.
"Yeah. They do." I agreed quietly as the boys disappeared from sight.
I fought down the anxiety that came from not knowing where Iz- Itamie was. We were with the Ichika's and Sensei wouldn't be finished with his business until late in the night. It was a night of freedom for both of us that we sorely needed.
"What about you, Shira-san? Do you have any family still around?" Yua asked.
"Oh, um, not really. It's always just been me and my father." I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "What about the two of you?" I asked, hoping to get the attention off of myself.
"My parents are both alive, but they were pretty old when they had me." Yua said. "Who knows, though. With the shape those two are in, they could last for centuries." she said with a chuckle.
"And how often do you see them?" I asked, previous discomfort forgotten.
"They live a few hours away, so I try to take Riku to see them once or twice a month." Yua said with a small smile. "They spoil him with candy every time we go." the woman said with a fond shake of her head.
Just then, we could hear giggles coming from down the hall. I was surprised to hear some of them coming from Itamie. My smile grew though. I was glad that he felt safe enough here to laugh like that. I was glad that he had found people he trusted. I looked over at Yua and Hiroshi and saw them both smiling fondly in the direction of the hallway.
"And what about you, Hiroshi-san?" I asked, turning to the green-haired man and drawing the attention back to our conversation.
"Ah. I was in the same situation as you and Itamie are." Hiroshi said with a small, sad smile. "I was put in the system when I was six. I had an older sister who was ten at the time. We were able to stay together for a few years, but we were separated when I was ten. I got adopted two years later when I was twelve. The man who adopted me, Ichika Futari, raised me by himself. He passed away last year, but I was happy to have had him in my life. To me, he was truly my father in all but blood. I hope that Itamie feels the same way about you as I do about him."
I could feel myself tearing up at the man's words.
"I hope so too."
A/N - It's only been a month this time! Progress! This chapter is also longer, so I hope you enjoyed it. There were a lot more perspectives in this chapter, too. I loved writing the PapaGiri stuff at the end. I want you guys to know that I have big plans for this fic and I can't wait to get to all of the exciting stuff. I really enjoyed writing so much fluff.
I just got a new full-time job a week or two ago (my first full-time one), so I'm hoping to still be able to squeeze in time to write. Comments and votes really help motivate me to write and they're greatly appreciated. Let me know what you liked and what you want to see in the future. Thank you, everyone!
Shill, out.