Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Eventually, Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku are set to get released from the hospital.

It’d been a long month of rest and rehabilitation that neither of them particularly cared for, eager to go back to U.A. and rejoin their friends in the efforts to rebuild Japan and create a bright future. Their time in the hospital only made bearable by the fact that at least they had each other.

Katsuki had taken to breaking into Izuku’s room to check on him, enough so that the nurses begrudgingly stopped scolding him, and then took to shaking their heads in disappointment when he straight up moved into Izuku’s room.

Katsuki didn’t know what to expect… after everything. Especially between him and Izuku.

Once All Might had been moved to a different part of the hospital for treatment, he expected it to be stilted and awkward.

He had apologized. In the pouring rain, covered in sweat and blood, he cradled Izuku in his arms. He had fought in a fucking war with him. He had died for him. And he had come back to life for him.

They were childhood best friends.

They were important in each other's lives. And people considered them rivals. And there's something more there too. Their relationship’s always been hard to define. Any one word had always felt… lacking. Like a puzzle with half the pieces missing.

But there was still so much left unsaid between them. It should be weird as hell, right?

And it was weird. How easily they fell into old routines again. Just like Izuku’s hand, his companionship had always been there waiting for him, ready for him to reach out and take it.

They’d watched stupid All Might videos on Katsuki’s phone -- any news apps had been muted before he got it back. And make bets on what Katsuki was already capable of doing with his left hand -- which was basically everything because he was fucking awesome. And laugh about old memories from back when they were brats -- and no, Katsuki didn’t bring up any stupid, fucking rivers. And at the end of the day, Izuku would fall asleep with his head cradled underneath his, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

Eventually, Izuku’s release date came.

“You’re staying?” Katsuki had raised an eyebrow, relief washing over him. “Thought you’d be dying to get back out there with the rest of the nerds.”

“I am!” Izuku insisted before looking at the ground. “But there’s a ton of physical therapy and treatments I need to do and it’s easier if I’m already here, right? And Mr. Aizawa said to take as much time as I needed. And then someone needs to keep an eye on you to make sure you’re still taking it easy, Kacchan. So I-”

“Alright, alright,” Katsuki grumbled, slamming the palm of his hand against Izuku’s mouth. “Shut up. And I’m the one watching you, shitty nerd! Don’t think I didn’t see you overexert yourself when you- WHAT THE FUCK?! DID YOU JUST LICK ME-”

And so, Izuku’s hospital room had technically become Katsuki’s hospital room.

All semantics, really, considering they slept in the same bed more often than not.

Their routine had continued, wrapped up in each other’s presence, playing cards as their knees touched and eating lunch as they wordlessly passed things between them. Until their new release date…

“The nurses told me some extras from our class are coming to get us later,” Katsuki mentions, “Dunno why. It’s not like we’re fucking invalids. We can get back to U.A. ourselves.”

“Kacchan, don’t call our classmates that! It’s nice that they want to take the time to help us,” Deku scolds, raising an eyebrow and giving Katsuki a look.

“Help with what? Walking?” Katsuki growls out between gritted teeth. “It’s my arm that’s messed up, not my fucking legs.”

Izuku, the sassy brat that he is now, just half-rolls his eyes and continues eating the extra serving Katsuki had handed him.

Katsuki glances out the window of the hospital cafeteria. The hospital they’ve been recovering in is incredibly private and secure, used mainly by pro heroes and their loved ones, even before the war. It takes a lot of clearance to be able to move freely through the hospital, much less enter it. Nonetheless, that doesn’t seem to deter the swarms of press that Katsuki can see stationed outside the hospital’s entrance; they’re as close as they can possibly be without the hospital’s security officers having the right to kick them off the property.

Bunch of fucking vultures.

Maybe Ponytail and her fancy car and driver aren’t such a bad idea.

Katsuki and Izuku have hardly heard any news from outside the walls of the hospital, every adult in their life insisting that they just take time to focus on rest and recovery. And for once, Katsuki didn’t fight it, because that meant Izuku had to rest too.

He knows that Japan is in a state of recuperation; everyone’s been coming together to rebuild what’s been lost and make changes so something like this never happens again -- even outside Japan. Katsuki’s met with a few doctors with specialty quirks from abroad for his heart. And the amount of junk -- Izuku insists on calling it gifts, but all it does is clutter the hospital room -- they’ve received from everyone wanting to wish them well and thanking them is honestly baffling.

That Half and Half Bastard’s told them some stuff every time he’s come around to annoy them.

The infamous Class 1-A -- well, now Class 2-A -- has always had the spotlight on them, but now it’s been multiplied tenfold. And though everyone’s trying to be optimistic after all the tragedy, the Hero Public Safety Commission and U.A. have fallen under a lot of scrutiny.

Everyone’s watching closely to see how the next year unfolds. And apparently there’s three main things the reporters and tabloids have been itching to know more about: U.A.’s next steps, the Todoroki Family’s drama, and the status of Deku and Dynamight.

Once again, fucking vultures.

“Did you eat enough?” Katsuki asks when his eyes catch Izuku moving to get up. “I didn’t see any greens on your plate.”

Izuku bats at his good arm. “Yes, Kacchan, I’m good. My nutritional intake is just fine thanks to you and the dozen doctors looking after me.”

“Damn right.” Katsuki smirks.

He gets up to walk with Izuku back to their hospital room. They both walk slowly; Katsuki’s doing it for Izuku and he’s sure Izuku is thinking the same thing for him.

“I think my nutritional intake is a little too good, Kacchan,” Izuku says, pouting. “I miss katsudon.”

Katsuki scowls. “You’d eat like shit if left to your own devices… I can make you katsudon when we’re back in the dorms.”

Izuku perks up. “What, really? Thanks, Kacchan!”

“Whatever, nerd.” A momentary pause. “I’m making it to my spice preference though.”

Izuku gives him a wide, bug-eyed look that makes him want to simultaneously whack him, smush his squishy cheeks, and hold his scarred hand.

All normal childhood best friend things, Katsuki is sure.

“You’ll go easy on me, right, Kacchan?” Izuku pleads with a nervous chuckle. “Right?”

Katsuki shrugs noncommittally and doesn’t bother to muffle his cackle when Izuku starts panicking.

“I- I think I’m going to wait to tell everyone about One For All. And the embers,” Izuku brings up suddenly, cutting through their banter. “Just for a while.”

Katsuki, who’d been opening the door to their hospital room, looks back in surprise.

He and Izuku had talked a lot during their stay in the hospital, but not about anything important, as much as Katsuki wanted to bring it up. After that first day when Izuku had told him that he lost One For All, lost his dreams, with a smile -- and Katsuki had fucking cried --, he seemed reluctant to talk about it. About anything really.

His borrowed quirk. His future. His dreams. His goals.

Izuku wears a grin. And sometimes it rings true. But Katsuki can tell.

He can feel his panic when they shuffle around in their sleep and Izuku loses his heartbeat. He can see the horrible, blank stare Izuku gives his irreparably damaged hands that were forged in a quirk he no longer has. He can sense the way the quiet seems to bother Izuku, for some reason, until it hits him -- the vestiges.

Then, Katsuki’s drowning out their corridor of the hospital with the soundtrack of Izuku’s favorite All Might movie as a kid.

Katsuki can’t force him to open up -- not yet anyways. Not when their wounds are so open still.

But he can do right by Izuku. He can devote himself to Izuku and his dreams until he’s ready to hold them too. He can continue reaching his hand out -- every day of the rest of his life if he needs to -- until, one day, Izuku is ready to reach back out.

“Okay,” Katsuki says, gruffly adding on, “it’s not like it’s any of their business anyway.”

Izuku sighs, looking painfully relieved at his easy acceptance, and something twists in Katsuki’s stomach. “Thanks, Kacchan. Really, I just- thanks.”

Katsuki closes the door behind them and they move to sit on their shared bed. He casually kicks a random assortment of snacks out of his way.

“I just don’t want everyone to get wrapped up in worrying about me when I’m fine,” Izuku continues as he curls a hand into the fabric of one of their pillows. “We’ve already got enough to focus on with the reconstruction efforts.”

‘You’re definitely not fine,’ Katsuki wants to scream at him. But if he shouts anything of the sort, the only thing Izuku will give him is more reassurance and that stupid, fake smile that makes him want to punch something -- maybe he’ll start with himself.

“They can worry and also move debris around. They’re not that incompetent,” Katsuki points out, roughly nudging at Izuku’s cheek with his index finger.

Izuku blinks at him. He doesn’t move to push Katsuki’s hand away so his fingers just linger there. “Wow, Kacchan! That was oddly nice of you.”

Katsuki scowls something fierce and moves his fingers to instead pull at his hair. “Oi! I’m a damn saint!”

“Ah! Kacchan!”

He moves his left hand back as he cackles.

Izuku grumbles, “Never mind, you’re just as mean as always.”

Red eyes glare. “See who makes your sorry ass katsudon then.”

“Wait, I didn’t mean it!” Something shifts in Izuku’s expression. “Do you think All Might will mind… me waiting to tell people?”

Katsuki stares at him as Izuku’s eyes are locked on their knees, just barely pressed together. He can feel the warmth of Izuku’s skin. He’s always been warm and soft, even now, with all the added scarring and muscle; he’s always felt warm and soft. Katsuki knows he himself runs hotter due to his quirk. Sometimes Izuku will move to follow his limbs, like a cat searching for a heater.

He wonders what Izuku is thinking right now. Is it really because he doesn’t want others to worry or does he just not want to talk about it with anyone? Is it both? Does he want to pretend things are ‘okay’ for just a little while longer?

“If anyone’s going to understand, it’s All Might.” Katsuki’s voice is low and steady.

Izuku nods slowly, not lifting his gaze. Long eyelashes flutter against his cheeks. “Yeah.”

“It’s your quirk,” Katsuki adds, carefully watching his unchanging expression.

Izuku nods again. “Right.”

Out of everything regarding Izuku’s future, there seems to be only one thing he isn’t distressed to talk about: the embers.

Every single day since Katsuki learned that the embers are slowly fading, he’s asked about them. And every single day, Izuku gives the same response.

The fact that Izuku doesn’t want anyone else to know about them… in a way, it’s concerning. But the fact that he told Katsuki and has been okay talking about it with him makes something weird flutter in his chest. It makes him want to protect Izuku and that feeling.

“How are they?” Katsuki asks, pressing his hand against Izuku’s chest.

Izuku makes a soft, pained noise in the back of his throat.

Fast as his shaking limb can move, Katsuki lifts his hand from Izuku’s chest and moves it towards his cheek, palm resting against the barely there smatterings of freckles now covered by a scar. “Does something hurt? Tell me what happened. I’ll get the nurse-”

“No, no, Kacchan. I’m okay, promise,” Izuku assures him, offering him a sweet smile as he leans into Katsuki’s touch. “Physical therapy just left me pretty sore there. I think I did this one stretch wrong and pulled something.”

“You need to take better care of yourself,” Katsuki says gruffly.

Izuku laughs lightly. “Only if you promise to take it easy, Kacchan.”

Katsuki scowls, roughly thumbing at Izuku’s cheek. He still can’t believe half his freckles are gone; it makes him want to keep touching the ones that are left. “Hah?! You think I can’t take it easy? I can take it easy better than anyone in this damn hospital can.”

“Mhm, so that’s why you spent the first two weeks here dragging around your fluids while the nurses ran after you.” Izuku nods along knowingly.

He should yell at the damn nerd for the disrespect. Instead, he drops his hand back down to Izuku’s center.

This time, Katsuki moves his hand a little lower.

“How are the embers?” Katsuki asks, gently cradling Izuku’s stomach in his palm.

Vaguely, Katsuki hears a noise from outside his hospital room. After… everything, it’s easy to be hyper alert. A constant guard up, waiting for something that could hurt Izuku, that could take him away to somewhere he can’t follow. He knows Izuku feels the same. But this is a hospital -- it’s safe. It makes so many fucking noises, Katsuki gripes at the nurses about it because Izuku’s already only getting halfway decent sleep on the best of days.

So Katsuki pays little mind to the stray noise.

Anyway, the boy in front of him is more important than his instincts gone haywire.

Izuku smiles softly. “They’re good. I promise, Kacchan.”

“You all know what this means,” Todoroki says, eyes wide with awe as he nods to himself. “Midoriya’s pregnant.”

The group lets out a burst of noise but Yaoyorozu is quick to shush them.

Kirishima blinks. “Wha- uhm, Todoroki… I don’t think we can assume something like that, man,” he responds, blushing wildly as he scratches at his cheek.

Iida chops his hand, the motion vigorous and flustered, stuttering out a response, “U-uh, w-well, does Midoriya e-even have the parts for -- ahem -- such a… task? In the locker room, does anyone recall-”

“Hey, it’s not very manly to assume or discuss that kinda stuff,” Kirishima reminds him gently, patting his shoulder.

He nods quickly. “Of course. That wasn’t my intention. I didn’t mean to be inappropriate or cross the boundaries of Midoriya’s privacy. Please forgive me!”

Yaoyorozu has a worried look on her face as she pats Iida’s back. “It’s alright. I’m hesitant to admit it, but I’m curious myself.”

Iida and Yaoyorozu, as the Class President and Vice President, respectively, had been tasked by Aizawa with the duty of filling in Bakugou and Midoriya on U.A.’s current standing and the work they’ll be doing after they’re both able to leave the hospital today. And Yaoyorozu had kindly offered her chauffeur’s services to them all in order to avoid the crowd of reporters. Todoroki and Kirishima just like to come to the hospital to visit them when they’re free.

Or as Bakugou puts it: “Bother them like a buncha extras that have nothing better to do.”

It’s okay, Todoroki knows. Because after the war and with their immediate jump into international fame and recognition, they’ve all been sent a litany of well wishes and gifts to their hospital rooms -- especially him, Bakugou, and Midoriya. And Bakugou, now technically the only one with a hospital room to receive such gifts, could throw away Todoroki’s favorite snacks, as he’s always threatening to do.

And yet, when Todoroki visits, those snacks are never in the trash can.

Checkmate, bestie.

Todoroki sneaks another look into Bakugou’s hospital room. They’re sitting next to each other on the bed, knees pressing against each other, bodies leaning forward as though there’s a gravity pulling them together. As though touching is their natural state of being and this whole time, they’ve been trying to return to this.

Midoriya is whispering something, bursts of laughter between words. And Bakugou’s wearing a scowl, but Todoroki has learned a lot this past year -- about people, emotions, lines between lines. When did such longing and devotion start swimming in Bakugou’s red eyes?

Bakugou’s hand is still pressed against Midoriya’s torso.

Todoroki repeats: “Midoriya is pregnant.”

“I’ll go along with you for a moment, Todoroki,” Yaoyorozu acquiesces, thinking over the matter. “If what you’re insinuating is true, perhaps it was some sort of quirk accident. Albeit incredibly rare, there are some quirks capable of producing such feats listed in the quirk registry.”

“It is possible, I suppose,” Iida responds, hesitation clear in his tone. He squints his eyes in contemplation. “Maybe he came into contact with someone and they accidentally set off their quirk. Do you think Midoriya would plan something of this sort? He’s always been quite studious and hardworking with a keen focus on his goals of being a hero. Though if anyone could strive to ace both heroics and parenting, it would be him!”

“Nah, if it was planned then Midoriya would probably tell us, yeah?” Kirishima adds, before something seems to hit him as he stares at three of the smartest students in class. “Wait! Dudes, we’re not actually considering this, right?”

“No, no! Of course not,” Yaoyorozu says lightly, waving her hand. “We’re simply thinking over the possibility logically as if it is true.”

“But I think it is true,” Todoroki says with a blank expression.

Yaoyorozu offers him a sympathetic smile. “Yes, well… you think a lot of things are true. Uh, no offense, Todoroki.”

“As Bakugou and Midoriya’s best friend,” Todoroki claims, ignoring Iida and Kirishima’s squawks of protest, “I think this theory has merit. It makes sense that Midoriya would tell Bakugou first given their closeness and history… wait, that's not right…”

This silences the others as they hang off his words.

Todoroki glances up in contemplation. “Embers… fire… explosions,” he says to himself, though the others listen closely, enraptured. “A nickname like that makes sense given Bakugou’s obviously the one who sired those children. Maybe it’s some kind of narcissism-”

“Hold up, hold up,” Kirishima says quickly. “First, you’re telling me Midoriya is pregnant. And now you’re saying that Bakugou’s the father?! I didn’t even know they were together.”

Iida adjusts his glasses awkwardly. “W-well, let’s not be hasty!”

Todoroki nods. “I never knew for sure, but I’ve suspected the two of them have been hiding a secret relationship for quite some time now.”

“Oh, really? How long, Todoroki?” Yaoyorozu asks, tilting her head.

“Since the beginning of first year. Or maybe since their middle school days,” Todoroki answers as the other three blink in shock. “But I really started to suspect something after Bakugou was taken by the League during our summer training camp.”

Kirishima thinks about it for a moment. Even as Bakugou’s best friend, he’s never fully understood his and Midoriya’s relationship.

No one in Class 2-A has.

Their “relationship” has just always been one of those strange and bizarre constants that everyone in the class has learned not to question too much. They don’t get along but refuse to leave each other alone? Okay. They know each other better than anyone but barely acknowledge it? Alright. They will do anything to protect each other but won’t say it in as many words? Sounds good.

They’ve always had some complicated, tangled up thread of something between them -- everyone can see that. Though even after a year of knowing the two, Kirishima feels as though he’s barely scratched the surface of understanding what’s up with his classmates.

But what Todoroki’s saying… it kinda makes sense.

“Bakugou’s always been secretly protective of Midoriya, especially the last few months. And then all that stuff about knowing him better than anyone,” Kirishima remembers the dark days when Midoriya left U.A. before shuddering as more memories hit him. “And then the four of us know better than anyone how Midoriya reacted when Bakugou was taken.”

Todoroki nods sagely. “Yeah, that’s exactly how someone would react when the father of their future children gets kidnapped.”

“B-but that’s absurd!” Iida exclaims as the others move to hush him, not wanting to disturb the duo inside the hospital room. “The timeline doesn’t make sense. If he’d been pregnant back then, he’d definitely be showing by now.”

“Remember when the two of them got into a fight and then were placed under house arrest?” Yaoyorozu brings up, recalling the scrapes and bruises Bakugou and Midoriya wore, but also the glances and softer expressions. “There was certainly a shift in their dynamic after that night. Perhaps that’s when they got together? And then… uhm, conception… came later.”

Kirishima nods “Oh, yeah! I remember that, Yaomomo! That’s when they started sneaking around everywhere and Bakugou started helping Midoriya with all that extra training.”

“That was for Blackwhip training though, wasn’t it?” Iida mentions.

“It’s the perfect cover for a secret relationship, Iida,” Todoroki points out. “And a secret pregnancy.”

Iida still doesn’t seem convinced. “Hm, I’m not sure, Todoroki… though we know something changed between the House Arrest Boys, we don’t know quite what transpired between them. But we were all there for Bakugou’s love confession- ahem, I mean apology! In the rain. I think starting a relationship together after that point makes much more sense.”

Yaoyorozu swoons. “Sharing your feelings in the rain -- how romantic!”

“Ah! That’d be such a manly time to confess!” Kirishima cries out and pumps his fist in the air, and is then promptly shushed by the group. “But Bakugou and Midoriya were pretty focused on winning the war and saving everyone. Even if they realized their feelings, I think they’d wait till later to confess. Maybe it happened here in the hospital.”

Todoroki nods in contemplation. “So, it’s either ‘reconciliation’ sex or ‘thank god we aren’t dead’ sex. Regardless, Bakugou fucked Midori-”

“Uhm!” Yaoyorozu coughs awkwardly, her face turning a bright red. “I don’t think you need to put it like that.”

“… Right. Sorry.”

“It’s difficult to hypothesize a potential timeline for this,” Iida groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. “See! This is why we as a class collectively decided never to try and understand Bakugou and Midoriya’s bond.”

“There’s definitely something there! Even if we don’t really get it,” Kirishima replies, looking more and more resolute by the second. “How early can you get a positive pregnancy test anyways?”

“I’d say the earliest is eight to ten days, though if it’s a quirk accident, I’d say anything is possible,” Yaoyorozu explains.

Todoroki’s eyes widen. “I had asked Midoriya why he extended his stay at the hospital and he deflected the question. This explains everything. Of course he’d want to stay to make sure the pregnancy is moving along smoothly.”

The rest of the group contemplates this new revelation with varying degrees of believability.

“So, you all agree with me then?” Todoroki asks. “Midoriya is pregnant with Bakugou’s children.”

The beginnings of protest form on Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, and Iida’s tongues.

“The likelihood of that exact scenario being true-”

“Are we sure that we want to get into-”

“I don’t think we’ve hypothesized enough on the how of all this-”

He gestures to the window on the hospital room’s door. “Just look at them,” Todoroki replies simply.

They all glance through the small window of the hospital door.

Bakugou’s hand is still pressed against Midoriya’s stomach. He’s just letting it rest there as though it belongs there.

And the intensity of the way he’s staring at him. Like he would do anything in the world to protect him. Burn the world down if need be.

The sceptical air around the group begins to shift.

Yaoyorozu seems to think it over. “It’s certainly unlikely… but maybe not as impossible as I first believed,” she says before a blush rises on her cheeks as she gives the others an eager grin. “And if it’s true, just think about how cute the babies will be! Aw, I can just imagine those adorable blonde-haired, green-eyed bundles of joy. Do you think they’d have freckles? Oh, and I’m sure we could babysit for them. I have the most precious little outfits in mind!”

“You just want to make their kids cute clothes. But if you’re agreeing with me, then I won’t complain,” Todoroki decides.

“Even after our theorizing, I still have many questions,” Iida says, swiftly chopping his hand. “But it would be ill advised of me to ignore the general tone of the group, and I can understand where you’re coming from.”

Kirishima nods. “I don’t know what’s going on… but I am ready to step up when they ask me to be the godfather!”

“Me too,” Todoroki adds and then gestures to the hospital room. “Should we ask them about it?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Todoroki,” Yaoyorozu says, her eyebrows flitting together. “We’re intruding on what looks to be a very intimate moment between them. If they’re not ready to tell us about either their relationship or the pregnancy, we shouldn’t pry. On top of that, it’s quite common for people to hold off on announcing a pregnancy until a certain amount of time has passed. We should let them come to us when they’re ready. Maybe we should simply ignore it for now?”

“But if Midoriya needs our help, it wouldn’t be manly at all to ignore that!” Kirishima protests, hand fisting together as conflicting feelings run through him. “I get where you’re coming from, Yaomomo, I really do. But if I see Midoriya struggling, there’s no way I’d be able to just stand by.”

“Then perhaps the answer lies somewhere in the middle -- a compromise,” Iida suggests, ever the Class President. “I still have some reservations about Todoroki’s realization. It’d certainly be embarrassing, both for Bakugou and Midoriya, and us, to talk with them without knowing more. Let’s just observe them for now. And if they happen to need our help, we can try and do so in a way that doesn’t reveal what we’ve learned.”

“Good idea, Iida. If that’s the plan, we should keep this between us for now, okay? We don’t need news of a hidden pregnancy circulating, especially without their permission or any definitive proof,” Yaoyorozu points out.

“Sounds good to me! Whatever is the best way to help my friends out, I’m game,” Kirishima says with a grin.

Todoroki nods. He is very ready to observe.

Chapter Text

Katsuki knows it’s not just in his head. Their classmates are acting weird as fuck.

Ever since they left the hospital, Glasses’ been lecturing them on hero safety and standard procedure for handling at-risk individuals for some reason. His boring yapping is easily ignorable -- and easy to make fun of --, but Katsuki can’t understand the pointed stares he’s been giving the group.

Shitty Hair keeps awkwardly giving him thumbs ups and shooting him sideways glances.

And Ponytail is usually a well-spoken person, but every time she glances at him, she starts blushing and squealing into her hand.

IcyHot… don’t even get him started on that bastard.

Somehow, they’re able to disjointedly fill Katsuki and Izuku in on the schedule they’ll be keeping and the work they’ll be doing as newly appointed second-years.

Though their behavior remains disconcerting. And annoying as fuck.

“The fuck are you staring at, Half and Half Bastard?” Katsuki half-shouts, half-growls out as he aggressively pounds out a cut of tender pork. He’s in the kitchen prepping dinner for himself and Izuku, making good on his promise to cook the nerd his favorite meal.

He’s still deciding on just how spicy he should end up making it.

Izuku’s sitting on a couch in the common area, still in the eye-view of Katsuki, as he catches up with Round Cheeks and Frog Girl. He looks okay -- good, healthy, happy. Katsuki wonders what’s going through his head. How the heaviness of the war and Izuku’s uncertain future weigh on his heart. If he’s really good and okay and happy at this moment.

Though the nerd does look a bit tired.

They should head to bed earlier than usual, especially because Izuku’s shit at getting the proper amount of sleep he needs each night -- late to bed, early to rise.

Though they haven’t talked about any of that. What would happen after leaving the hospital? What would change between them? For the nth time, Katsuki glances away from the now thinned pork to check and make sure that Izuku’s still there, and catches him already staring at him with wide green eyes.

Todoroki is still watching him. He knows he’s not allowed in the kitchen when Katsuki’s in there. Most of Class 2-A and their grimy little hands aren’t welcome.

But especially Half and Half and his egregiously awful knife skills.

So when Katsuki had entered the kitchen and began taking the ingredients he bought earlier, when he’d demanded they make a stop at the grocery store on their way back to U.A., out of the refrigerator, Todoroki silently slinked behind him, settling himself on a counter stool just outside the kitchen space.

He’s simply been sitting there. Looking. Watching.

Katsuki resists the urge to shudder. Fuck, it’s so unnerving.

The expression Todoroki gives him is focused and intense. “You,” he responds easily before glancing over to the couches. “And Midoriya.”

Katsuki shoots him an incredulous look as he barks, “Don’t you have anything better to do, you fucking freak?”

Half and Half shrugs. “Not really.”

“Look elsewhere!” Katsuki shouts, his scowl deepening. Rather than doing something that’d get him expelled, he starts chopping up some spring onion and working on the vegetables.

“What are you making?” Todoroki asks, leaning closer, but still not quite in the kitchen.

It’s enough to make Katsuki’s eye twitch. “None of your business,” he responds instinctually before pausing and letting out a short exhale. “… Katsudon.”

Todoroki nods. “Midoriya always orders that for lunch.”

“I know.”

Half and Half leans in even more. “… Can I have some?”

“Fuck off!”

Two servings of pork -- and another small half of one because Todoroki’s annoyingly pathetic like that -- are breaded and frying beautifully in the pot, slowly turning a warm golden color. The comforting aroma wafts languidly through the space, a mixture of childhood memories and spices.

Izuku walks into the kitchen and leans against the counter. His body is warm beside Katsuki's.

“Kacchan, it smells incredible!” Izuku says, enthusiasm lacing each word.

“It’ll be ready in ten minutes. Pork needs to rest before I put it all together,” Katsuki responds as he steps closer to Izuku. “I said I could call you over, Izuku.”

In the time that it’d taken Katsuki to cook them dinner as IcyHot pestered him, many other members of Class 2-A trickled in, welcoming Izuku with excitement and shouting greetings towards Katsuki from the couch.

The living room is lively with boisterous laughter and loud discussion.

“I know, but I wanted to see what you were doing,” Izuku answers, eyes straying to the floor. “Is that okay?”

Katsuki couldn’t stop his eyes from softening. “Yeah, nerd. Why don’t you set the table?”

Izuku’s smile is determined. “You got it, Kacchan!”

He smirks. “I figure it’s one job you can’t fuck up.”

Izuku makes a noise of protest as he grabs the cutlery. “Hey! I’m not a bad cook!”

It’s easy to go back and forth like that while Katsuki finishes up cooking: frying the sliced onions until they’re translucent and slightly caramelized, pouring his stock mixture over the onions before placing the sliced pork on top, drizzling the lightly beaten egg overtop everything.

Izuku’s singing his praises as the egg sets and Katsuki’s serving everything over bowls of steamed rice and garnishing it.

“Kacchan’s amazing!” Izuku beams up at him as he sets his bowl down in front of him. “It looks so good. Thank you!”

“Eat up, Izuku. This is the last time I’m making it,” Katsuki responds like a fucking liar.

Izuku looks so affronted at the thought, but he’s still too delighted by the dish in front of him to protest it much.

“We should head to bed after this.” Katsuki puts those words out into the world, ignoring the way his heart’s pounding against his ribcage as he takes in Izuku’s expression.

The heat in the kitchen is sweltering. And it feels as though it’s rising. Rising. Rising.

Izuku lets out a sigh of relief as he slumps forward. “Please.”

“We’re sleeping in my room. I don’t want a bunch of All Might’s staring at me,” Katsuki continues as a wave of relief washes over him.

Izuku grumbles to himself. “That’s fair, I guess. As long as I get to sleep with Kachan.”

Katsuki can feel the back of his neck heating up. The sound of a chair screeching vaguely sounds in the background. “Shut the fuck up, you damn nerd! Eat your goddamn food before it gets cold.”

Izuku takes a bite.

“Ah! Ah! Kacchan, it’s so hot! The spice! My tongue is going to fall off!”

Katsuki cackles loudly as he switches their bowls before digging in himself.

Izuku pouts at him, wiping the tears from his eyes with a napkin. “Kacchan’s so mean.”

Todoroki stares at his best friends from across the dorm’s shared living space. Now that the war’s over and the threat of the League is no longer looming over them, U.A. students are allowed to come and go as they please, but Class 2-A tends to still hang out in the dorms a lot.

Maybe it’s easier to just be on campus with a shorter commute time and easy access to Yaoyorozu’s tutoring -- or Bakugou’s if one has terrible luck. Maybe the class has gotten used to the space enough so that it’s home. Maybe they’re all horribly trauma bonded.

Maybe it’s all of those things. Todoroki isn’t quite sure, but it’s still nice being in everyone’s company.

It makes it easy to shoot off a few text messages and secretly gather Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Kirishima.

Bakugou and Midoriya clean up the kitchen area together -- perfectly in sync with each other’s movements -- before heading upstairs. Also together.

Todoroki makes eye contact with the group before heading towards an isolated corridor of the building. The others soon follow suit.

“I’ve been observing,” Todoroki starts immediately, “and I’ve observed a lot.”

Kirishima raises an eyebrow. “How? It’s only been a few hours!”

“It’s a skill,” Todoroki explains while simultaneously explaining nothing. “I don’t know much about parenting, but I think Bakugou already has the makings of a great father. He cooked Midoriya dinner and everything.”

“It’s good to see Bakugou providing and taking his responsibilities seriously!” Iida commended, pride clear in his voice.

“Aw, that is sweet!” Yaoyorozu cooed before adding. “But remember Midoriya being pregnant is still only a working theory, it may be potentially disastrous to talk about it so literally.”

“Man, Bakugou is such a man! I knew he had it in him,” Kirishima chimes in with a grin. “Did you notice anything else?”

“The moment Midoriya walked towards him in the kitchen, it’s like all of Bakugou’s attention focused in on him. He completely forgot I was there,” Todoroki replies, remembering the adoring look in Bakugou’s eyes. Then, he adds, “He reluctantly made me a small serving of food. I had to plate it myself.”

Yaoyorozu pensively tilts her head. “You know, it’s strange. When I first met Bakugou, he was the type of person I could never imagine in a relationship, much less as a parent. But he’s so focused and driven towards giving everything he’s got into what he cares about, in a way, it makes sense for him to be such a devoted husband- I mean, boyfriend.”

Iida nods. “Well, we don’t know how they refer to each other relationship-wise. We could try to speculate, but…”

“We as a class did collectively decide never to try and understand Bakugou and Midoriya’s bond,” Yaoyorozu finishes.

“They’re married,” Todoroki says.

Iida puts his hand up. “Let’s have one theory at a time, Todoroki.”

“Also, I overheard Midoriya confirm that he and Bakugou are sleeping together,” Todoroki says casually. “Bakugou’s in his room right now fucking Midoriya into his mattr-”

“You should’ve led with that, man!”

“Todoroki, that sentence is not appropriate to finish!”

“Oh my goodness!”

Todoroki blinks. “We said we’d observe. And the more I observe, the more evidence I find that Midoriya’s pregnant with Bakugou’s children.”

“Midoriya is what?!” A collective scream echoes through the isolated corridor.

The group turns to find Uraraka, Asui, Ashido, Jirou, Hagakure, and Kaminari peeking out from behind the wall. Their mouths are open wide with shock, awe, confusion, elation.

Ashido lets out an affronted gasp. “Yaomomo! When you said you were too busy for girls night, this is what you had planned? How could you hide this from us!”

“Girls night? What are you doing here then, Kaminari?” Kirishima asks with open curiosity.

Kaminari grins. “They said they could make my hair feel like silk!”

Kirishima shouts, “Wha- I want to join girls night!”

Ashido waves her arms around. “Yeah, can we get back to the issue at hand, please?”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard some yelling when we were going up to Hagakure’s room, so we decided to check it out just to make sure everything was okay,” Jirou explains and then lets out an awkward laugh.

Oh.

Whoops.

“Is Deku actually pregnant?!” Uraraka voices as Hagakure lets out a squeal.

Asui places her index finger on his chin. “Yeah, how did you all find out?”

With all the noise, it’s a good thing Bakugou’s dorm room is all the way up on the fourth floor. And that Bakugou is certainly occupied with other noises; probably noises coming from Midoriya’s mouth.

Todoroki tells them everything they saw and heard at the hospital, and then all of the evidence he gathered throughout dinner.

Ashido grabs onto Yaoyorozu and shakes her. “Girl! You should have told us. I can’t believe you’ve been sitting on a secret pregnancy.”

“I’m sorry, but we wanted to respect their privacy!” Yaoyorozu exclaims as she waves her hands in surrender. “And we only realized it earlier today at the hospital. If anything, we were only able to keep this a secret for an embarrassingly short amount of time.”

Iida shakes his head and says, his voice edged with somberness and disappointment, “I have failed disastrously. I’m so sorry, Bakugou and Midoriya.”

Hagakure cheers. “I almost can’t believe it! This is so exciting!”

“It all makes sense now… I think,” Kaminari quips with a confused, but lively smile. “Bakugou, Midoriya, and secrets are three words that definitely belong in the same sentence. I wonder how the secret relationship finally started…”

“I thought we as a class collectively decided never to try and understand whatever Bakugou and Midoriya have going on,” Jirou points out with a raised eyebrow.

“We did,” a flurry of voices respond.

“I can’t believe it. Why wouldn’t Deku say anything?” Uraraka whispers, hugging herself as she ducks her head down. “We’ll all be supportive and we could help him! Does he not feel comfortable telling us?”

The group all give each other looks of sympathy. They’re heroes. All they want to do is help people. Especially their friend. Someone as caring and kind hearted as Midoriya Izuku.

But they can’t say or do anything directly until Midoriya opens that door himself. So they’re here, standing in this corridor, stuck at an impasse.

Asui pats her comfortingly on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Ochako! This may not have anything to do with us. We just have to respect Midoriya’s boundaries.”

Todoroki should say something to comfort the group too. It is his responsibility that everyone knows and is having mixed emotions about the circumstances.

“Don't worry, Bakugou and Midoriya have to admit it eventually when they ask me to be the godfather to The Embers since I’m their best friend,” Todoroki says.

Immediately, Iida and Kirishima, and now Kaminari, start protesting.

Eventually, Yaoyorozu is able to calm the group down. “No need to get so argumentative about this! We’re all good friends. No matter what, I’m sure we’ll all be very involved in their children’s lives.”

Asui nods. “Yeah, and there’s no need to fight. Just wait until Bakugou and Midoriya make their decision, ribbit.”

Kirishima groans. “Man, that could take months! I can’t take anymore of my best friend status being questioned.”

“Or maybe you should just fight it out,” Ashido suggests with a cackle. “Have some sort of battle and then decide the winner.”

“Oh, yeah…” Uraraka mumbles as she gets lost in contemplation. Then with a grin, she claps her hands together. “We’re not having the Sports Festival this year! Maybe this could be some friendly competition.”

“I don’t want our class to get injured over something like this,” Yaoyorozu says with worry. “Nothing too crazy, everyone!”

Asui suggests, “It doesn’t have to be fighting, ribbit. Maybe each participant gunning to be godfather can take turns hosting a game and then whoever wins the most of them wins overall.”

“As long as it remains school appropriate!” Iida reminds everyone.

The group makes their plans with Todoroki hosting the first game. And they all agree,

“Remember, no one else outside this group can know about this. We have to keep this between us. Bakugou and Midoriya especially cannot know that we already figured it out.”

Katsuki and Izuku walk down to the common area together the next morning. Normally, Izuku’s more lively and awake in the mornings, but he’s been getting tired more and more these days. Izuku yawns, rubbing at his eyes as he clings to the back of his shirt.

Dunce Face spills water all over himself. Raccoon Eyes gives him the most unhinged grin of all time. He doesn’t know what Invisible Chick does, but he hears some sort of crashing noise.

Half and Half stares.

Once again, weird as fuck.

Katsuki will get to the bottom of it eventually, but right now, he has a sleepy nerd leaning against his side and he needs to cook him breakfast.

Two days later, everyone who’s in on The Secret Pregnancy Theory -- which is not a theory and is very much true -- is gathered in the dorm’s common area.

Bakugou and Midoriya will be at the hospital for the next few hours; the former for his physical training for his right arm, and the latter for… well, they all have their suspicions…

It makes for the perfect time to host the first game of the Sports Festival for Godfather Status.

“Midoriya’s going just to ‘keep Bakugou company’ as he says,” Ashido giggles behind her hand. “Yeah, likely story. He’s definitely meeting with an OB/GYN or something.”

Yaoyorozu looks up pensively. “Mh, I don’t know. I think I’d believe Midoriya’s reasoning. They’ve always been quite attached to each other -- especially after everything that’s happened.”

Hagakure quickly shushes her. “Hey! Don’t ruin my omegaverse fantasies with logic!”

Kaminari chokes on his soda for some reason.

Todoroki’s leaning down as he messes with the TV’s settings, connecting his laptop so he can share his screen. He blinks up at the group. “No offense, but why are the girls here? This is to help figure out who Bakugou and Midoriya’s best friend is, so we can determine who the godfather should be.”

Ashido cackles. “Yeah, we know. That’s why we’re here.”

Asui ribbits. “Mhm, no way we’re missing out on this, Todoroki.”

“We want to participate!” Uraraka adds, pumping her fists in the air. “I know you boys are trying to compete for godfather rights, but I’d like to think I’m Deku’s best friend, so I know him pretty well.”

Jirou smirks as she twirls her earlobe. “Yeah, watch one of the girls win whatever you have planned.”

Ashido cheers. “I could be the godfather!”

Kirishima tilts his head, trying to sneak a peek at Todoroki’s laptop screen. “So… what exactly do you have planned, dude?”

Iida chops his hand. “I hope you remembered that it must remain appropriate for school! Even though this is for our own amusement and entertainment, we are still on U.A.’s campus and we must conduct ourselves in a way fitting the finest of students!”

Todoroki nods and says, “Sure. I understand, Iida.”

And then he clicks a button on his laptop, sharing his screen with the entire group.

A cacophony of noise follows suit.

“Kahoot?!”

As most of the group begins screaming for some reason Todoroki cannot fathom, Yaoyorozu shyly raises her hand. “Um- what is Kahoot? I’m afraid I’ve never heard of this before.”

“I’ve never heard of it as well,” Iida adds, looking at everyone in the group sternly. “Though judging from everyone’s reactions, I find myself feeling rather apprehensive.”

“It’s just a game and trivia based learning platform, ribbit. A lot of teachers use it in school for educational purposes,” Asui explains, and understanding dawns on Yaoyorozu and Iida’s faces. “A question will appear on the screen with a few multiple choices, and you have to pick the correct one before time runs out. If you get the question right and you answer quickly, then you get more points. Whoever has the most points at the end gets top of the leaderboard. Ribbit.”

“And will therefore rise to the top as number one best friend and godfather contender!” Kirishima finishes with a cheer. “Alright, everyone, let’s do our best! And don’t be too upset when I come out on top.”

Ashido elbows him in the ribs. “You mean, if you come out on top.”

“It makes sense Yaomomo and Iida never played Kahoot at the prestigious academies they attended,” Jirou points out before giving Todoroki a sly smile. “But I’m surprised you know about it, Todoroki.”

“One time, I was studying with Midoriya and he kept playing All Might trivia Kahoots by himself,” Todoroki explains, recalling the excitement on his face when he got every Kahoot question right and the subsequent crashout when Midoriya found another Kahoot in which its creator apparently didn’t know their trivia so they marked a bunch of questions incorrectly. “Midoriya showed me how it worked because we’re best friends-”

The racket of shouting cuts off the rest of Todoroki’s sentence.

“Okay, enough!” Iida calms everyone down with a hand chop and his authoritative voice. “No need for further arguing. We’ll have our answer by the end of the festival.”

The group all take out their phones and type in the Kahoot game code to connect to the page Todoroki’s hosting. An oddly catchy song plays out from the TV.

“Kaminari, did you make your nickname Pikachu?” Iida asks as names begin popping up on screen. “Everyone, please use your real names so as to avoid confusion!”

“Ugh! But nicknames are part of the fun,” Kaminari whines.

Uraraka gives Iida a sympathetic smile. “Yeah, Iida, I think it’s fine. If we don’t know who someone is, then we can just ask.”

Iida reluctantly acquiesces. “If that’s what everyone agrees on.”

“Alright, then,” Ashido starts with raised eyebrows. “Who is Yaoi Master 4000?”

“Me!” Hagakure says without a hint of hesitation or shame.

“Has everyone joined the game? Can I start it?” Todoroki asks after the laughter and yelling settles. Since he’s hosting the game, he can’t participate. Which is a shame because Todoroki knows that he would win regardless.

Everyone nods and the first question loads onto the screen: “What day is Bakugou’s birthday?”

“Oh, starting off nice and simple to get us into it. Great thinking, Todoroki,” Iida commends after quickly choosing his answer. “Of course, as Class President, it’s my responsibility to know every student’s general information.”

“What the?! How do I not know this?” Ashido screeches as she throws her hands up. “I should definitely know this.”

Uraraka, who’s sitting next to her, pats her knee. “Bakugou’s really private! It makes sense that he doesn’t just give out that information.”

Kirishima chuckles. “I only know the answer because I saw his planner one time when he was tutoring me and his birthday was marked… wait- it’s June right now!”

Kaminari raises an eyebrow. “Um… yes. So?”

Kirishima cries out, “We forgot his birthday!” Just as the correct answer -- April 20th -- is confirmed on the screen.

“I didn’t,” Todoroki mentions because he’s Bakugou’s best friend. “I gave him a Best Jeanist leisure suit.”

Bakugou screamed at him and may or may not have exploded the fabric, but at least Todoroki didn’t forget.

They all laugh and joke around at his second question: “Who is Midoriya the secret love child of?”

But Todoroki doesn’t quite know what they’re laughing about because the question is valid and the answer is absolutely true. No, their bond isn’t just their quirk. There’s definitely something else going on there too.

The third question -- "What middle school did Bakugou and Midoriya attend together?" -- brings more laughter from the group. Less so because of the question and more so because of the multiple choice options.

“Haha! Tokyo Prefectural, heh, Jujutsu High- haha- School,” Kaminari is somehow able to say between breaths of giggling. “You really used the full government name!”

“Man, Ouran Elite Private Academy! What kind of mangas are you and Sero reading?” Kirishima jokes with a friendly grin.

“Hey! Don’t knock it till you try it,” Hagakure defends and crosses her arms. At least, Todoroki thinks she does by the way her shirt moves.

Yaoyorozu smiles in amusement. “In Haikyuu!!, Karasuno isn’t even a middle school. Though it would be fun to attend, wouldn’t it?”

The correct answer -- Aldera Junior High -- gets confirmed and Ashido remarks, “Are we sure it’s not Teiko Junior High?”

Uraraka giggles. “Or the Ninja Academy?”

At the fourth question -- "Who was in Otheon along with Bakugou and Midoriya?" --, Todoroki has to defend himself, insisting that he doesn’t have some sort of secret agenda. Though Iida and some of the girls give him suspicious and conspiratorial looks; Todoroki knows those kinds of looks well.

“Oh, no! I accidentally read it wrong and clicked “All For One” instead,” Kaminari cries out at the question: “What is the name of Midoriya’s quirk?”

Everyone pauses at the sixth question before freaking out, though the thirty second time limit doesn’t offer them much respite: “Why were Bakugou and Midoriya put under house arrest?”

“Todoroki, what are these multiple choice answers?!” Jirou shouts, her face a furious shade of red.

Iida adjusts his glasses as he begins to sweat. “Todoroki, I thought I mentioned to keep this appropriate!”

“Oh, this is appropriate,” Todoroki simply says. The multiple choice answers are very appropriate given the situation: “For fighting at Ground Beta, For getting married at Ground Beta, For conceiving a child at Ground Beta, For making out at Ground Beta.”

“Ribbit. This is a disaster.”

“How am I supposed to know which one to choose?” Kaminari whines, shooting him a dirty look. “Hey! How do you know the right answer?”

Trick question. They’re all the right answers. Everyone looks relieved when they get points, but most of the group’s faces are still flushed a pink color.

The group gets through the next few questions easily enough, with laughter and shouting interspersed through the experience. Though Todoroki has come to realize that’s just normal for this group. It makes sense given the situation. It’s not everyday two of one’s classmates hide a secret relationship and pregnancy while fighting at the center of a war and then recovering from the aftermath.

Iida reads off the new question: “Is Shinso secretly Aizawa’s love child?” He quickly clicks his answer before turning and giving him an expectant look. “Though I disagree, I know what you’d say the correct answer is. Todoroki, remember what I said earlier about conspiracy theories?”

“What does this even have to do with Bakugou and Midoriya?” Ashido brings up, pointing her phone in his direction.

Kirishima nods. “Yeah, man! This is rigged!”

Todoroki blinks. “Whoops.”

Finally, it’s time to lock in for double points! The leaderboard gets shown as everyone takes a breath and pure determination fills their eyes.

Iida’s in first place, but only barely. Uraraka and Yaoyorozu right on his back, nipping at his heels. With Kirishima and Ashido following behind to round out the top five.

“Ugh! Sixth place! I almost made it on screen,” Kaminari bemoans, flopping back onto the living room couch.

Ashido sticks out her tongue. “Heh.”

The eleventh question begins loading onto the screen.

It’s now or never.

The new question: “Whose house have Bakugou and Midoriya gone to the most?”

The group, especially Iida and Kirishima and Kaminari, begin protesting again. Something about Todoroki having a sinister agenda with his leading questions.

“This is clearly a biased question!” Iida insists with a hand chop.

Kirishima’s quick to agree. “Yeah, man! We were locked down on U.A.’s campus for most of the first year. How would we get the opportunity to check out each other’s houses?”

Todoroki blinks. “Skill issue.”

Kaminari narrows his eyes. “You’ve been spending too much time reading manga with Sero.”

The group insists that question twelve -- “When did Bakugou and Midoriya start dating?” -- is also very biased towards his agenda. Though Iida doesn’t protest it much when he’s one of the only ones, along with Yaoyorozu and Kirishima, to get it right, remembering Todoroki's theories from when they picked up Bakugou and Midoriya from the hospital.

The thirteenth question leaves everyone in a heavy, contemplative silence: “Does Bakugou know what your name is? Be honest.”

Todoroki has a lot of pride for coming up with a question like that. Because as much as Bakugou lives to give him nicknames -- and Todoroki’s learned that nicknames are a sign of true friendship --, he has actually said his real name once or twice. It’s rare, but it’s happened. And that means he actually knows it.

“He knows my name!” Uraraka shouts with glee. “I remember he said it during the Sports Festival our first year!”

Kirishima’s grin is bright and filled with sunshine. “Yeah, we’re buddies! Of course he’s said my name before.”

Iida tenses up. “He’s our fellow classmate! Surely, Bakugou knows all of our names, right?”

Everyone looks at him.

A resounding pause.

“Ah, I cannot be dishonest to get the question correct!” Iida admits between gritted teeth. “I’m not certain if Bakugou knows me as anything other than Glasses.”

Fondness for his best friends swirls through Todoroki as question fourteen pops up on screen: “What dish does Bakugou cook for Midoriya the most?”

Everyone waits in anticipation as the final question loads onto the screen. Kirishima and Kaminari are on the edges of the couch cushions. Iida and Yaoyorozu are holding their phones tightly, ready to quickly press an answer. Ashido has her eyes narrowed and her tongue sticking out. Uraraka is leaning forward as though she’s about to jump onto the screen.

Well, everyone except for Hagakure. Who appears to be switching between the Kahoot tab and some sort of online story. Todoroki squints his eyes and catches that word -- omegaverse -- again. Whatever that means.

The final question appears.

The cacophony of noise that follows is deafening.

“I knew you had a sinister agenda, man!”

“Todoroki, putting something like that is unbecoming of a U.A. student!”

“I refuse to answer by protest!”

The question: “Who should be The Embers' godfather?”

And the multiple choice answers: “Todoroki Shouto, Todoroki Shouto, Todoroki Shouto, Todoroki Shouto.”

Todoroki has no regrets.

Yaoyorozu ends up winning the first game of the Sports Festival by a very narrow margin. Though the win for the godfather competition goes to Iida who’s in second place.

“I can’t believe Yaomomo got first when she’s never even played Kahoot before!” Kaminari whines, throwing his phone onto the couch.

Asui nods. “Iida too. You both did great!”

Yaoyorozu flushes slightly. “It’s not like I actually know Bakugou and Midoriya the best! I just worked off of how I thought Todoroki might tailor the questions and I’ve always been quick with trivia games.”

Jirou smirks and then teases, “We shouldn't expect anything less from our top student.”

Uraraka, who’d gotten third place, smiles. “Ah, I was so close to winning! That was a lot of fun. It’s nice to just relax and not think about… you know…” Uraraka shakes her head. “Enough of that! Iida, it looks like you’re going to host the next round?”

Iida nods affirmatively. “That’s correct! I hope I can live up to everyone’s expectations and host an unbiased game with sportsmanship and respect!”

“I’m definitely going to redeem myself in the next round,” Kirishima, who’d gotten fourth place, responds.

“I’m just happy I got fifth, ribbit,” Asui chimes in.

“That surprised me. You jumped up during double points,” Jirou points out.

Asui explains, “I play Kahoot a lot with my siblings to help them study.”

“Whatever you plan, Iida, I’ll meet you head to head.” Todoroki’s words are laced with resolve as he stares him down.

Iida jumps slightly. “So serious! Very well, Todoroki. I am committed to keeping my winning streak alive.”

Todoroki’s eyes narrow. “We’ll see about that.”

Let the festival continue.