This is my pet project I have spent the past 2 months working on, because I love dragons and I love Tododeku, and I have little self-control.

This is a fantasy au, but more of a modern fantasy au. They don't have electricity, but in terms of language and ideas they're more on par with society today, mostly because i can't write in old timey language to save my life. There are a variety of races, most of which aren't being touched on until later chapters. Most of them have their own kingdoms while some share territory.

Before you read, just know that this is set up more like a conjunction of different moments rather than a coherent flow. They are the same age though, from start to finish.

Also the next chapter probably won't be out for at least a month or two. Enjoy suffering!

When Shouto first meets him, it's at the young age of 10.

He should not have even gotten a visitor, that was the purpose of the spells placed around the mountain. His father doesn't want him to see anybody, especially some human.

Still, he feels his scales bristle as a voice calls from outside the cave.

"Hello?" The voice is small, sounding almost as young as Shouto is.

Shouto knows what he needs to do. Slink back into the farthest corners of the cave, ignore the small child, and await his father's inevitable return. His father doesn't want Shouto to be associated with humans. Humans are weak, humans are greedy, all humans do is destroy; that is the mantra forever burned in his mind and onto his skin.

"Hello." His low growl is already ringing out from the dark recesses of the cave before he can stop himself. He freezes, ice trickling out of his right side instinctively as his claws curl into the stone beneath him, because that had been a mistake. He knows there are protective spells around the entrance of the cave, ones that are more meant to keep him inside than anything, but also ones that would keep the human out if they tried to get closer. Fear still creeps through him though, especially with the thought of how his father would react if he knew a human had found their way here.

"I'm Midoriya! Who're you?" The voice calls out once more, and Shouto finds himself shrinking back, away from the strange child.

The caves run deep, and the back caverns are lit by a soft blue glow created by the energized crystals that are embedded into the walls. He rests himself in one of the farthest caverns, his tail curling around his body for comfort. The spikes resting on it brush against his chest as he pulls his tail even tighter around him. He is resolved to ignore the human now, because when his father came back, he would know that Shouto had broken one of his biggest rules, and then he would be punished for it, badly.

He keeps his ears- or rather, the slits right below his horns perked, listening intently for when the boy would leave.

Instead, he hears a small thump as the boy sits down outside, calling out, "You don't have to talk to me, I have to go home soon anyway. I just was running from Kacchan, he was being mean again."

Shouto's eyes widen as the boy continues to ramble, paying no mind that he wasn't getting a response. It's weird, Shouto decides, this human is weird. Not even other dragons talk to him like this, whenever he meets them, either because he's training or he ignores them. He doesn't want to most of the time, because his father says that a member of the Todoroki lineage mustn't talk to dragons beneath their status, and his training had been twice as bad whenever he broke that rule. Most dragons leave him alone after they realize he won't talk back, but this human is still here, talking just as loudly and brightly as he had for the past few minutes.

Slowly, Shouto lets his body uncurl, making sure his claws don't scratch the ground as he takes a step forward, then another, then another, closer and closer to the entrance, and the human.

Shouto doesn't leave the shadows of the cave, still too scared to show his face in case his father found out, but he does creep close enough so he can see the boy.

He pauses when he sees the boy, breathless as something deep within him stirs itself awake. It's huge, massive, and when it brushes against him, he feels a rush of something ancient and raw with power.

The voice inside him growls, urging him to go near the boy, and he nearly does, until he remembers just exactly the voice is telling him to go to.

Shouto wants to listen to it, but he knows better by now. The voice insists, its buzz prickling in Shouto's scales. The feeling is unpleasant, but he can force it down far enough to ignore it.

Now that he can get a good look at the human, he takes his time to consider the boy. He's small, much smaller than any dragon, but that is to be expected. His hair is almost black, although there is a green edge to it whenever the sun hits it just right. He can't tell much else about the boy though, since only a tiny part of him is visible around the cave wall, where the boy sits propped next to the entrance.

What Shouto can see however, is the way that the boy's hands move, emphasizing every word he's says. Shouto can hear the rise and fall of the boy's voice as he moves from subject to subject. Something in him rumbles angrily when Shouto notices the pain in the boy's voice whenever "Kacchan" is brought up. Surprisingly, he finds himself agreeing with it. It baffles him to think that a human with a voice as bright as this could ever be disliked.

Before Shouto even realizes it, the sun is touching the horizon, painting the sky with a variety of reds and oranges. The boy is still talking though, none of his enthusiasm lost in the process.

"Oh! It's almost dark. I gotta go home soon or else my mom will be worried." The boy stands up suddenly, making Shouto flinch backwards. Standing just outside the entrance, the boy flashes a blinding smile, cheerily asking. "See you tomorrow?"

Whatever has been awoken in Shouto leaks out and stretches towards the boy. Shouto pulls it back once more, answering its plea with an almost silent rumble. Shouto is determined to stay quiet, maybe then the boy will leave and Shouto will be left on his own again, where the boy can't be hurt by him or his father.

"Sure." His own voice betrays him yet again, speaking before he could reign it in.

"Okay!" Shouto wants to be mad, he wants to growl at this boy and tell him never to come back. But as the boy flashes him another smile, all Shouto can think about how bright it is compared to the darkness he is accustomed to.

The boy is gone now, running down the mountainside and disappearing into the trees, leaving Shouto alone with his thoughts. The voice inside him has quieted down, no longer looming quite as large, and Shouto is grateful for it.

He spends a long part of the night awake, thinking about the strange boy, the first human he had seen since, since… for a while.

He only starts to really worry when he realizes that he wouldn't mind seeing the boy again.

The boy comes back, to Shouto's surprise. The boy greets the cave- Shouto is hiding in the back again- with just as much enthusiasm as he had yesterday.

Like before, Shouto finds himself edging closer and closer to the entrance as the day continues on. The boy is sitting much like he had yesterday, so Shouto couldn't see too much of him, but there is an air of positivity around him and his words. It draws Shouto in, and even though he has to deal with his rampant instincts, it's just as nice as the day before, if not more so.

The boy leaves earlier than he had yesterday, but Shouto makes sure to whisper a goodbye, just loud enough for the boy to hear. His call is rewarded by another beaming smile, one that is even brighter than the one in Shouto's memories.

That night, Shouto remembers what he had been taught about humans, and thinks, really thinks about his father's words. Some humans could make bad choices, the raw, near numb, skin around his left eye proves that. But he knows the truth, the one that his father tries to constantly deny or push away.

Shouto knows why his mother scarred him, and Shouto knows that sometimes, dragons are far worse than humans could ever be.

Shouto resolves himself to give the bo- Midoriya a proper conversation the next time they meet.

His father arrives home that same night, growling and spitting in rage. His flames burn bright, and Shouto does his best to stay far away from him. His father isn't one to abandon his little project though, and Shouto is found out soon enough.

His father is almost too big for the cave, his massive, crimson scaled form nearly brushing the ceiling. His father's head is massive, full of muscle just like the rest of him. Small, sharp, ice blue eyes scan around with uncaring motions. His father has two large horns on the top of his head, like Shouto's, but instead of the sleek, curved silver-like material that composes Shouto's horns, his father's horns simply emit fire. There are also smaller horns on the side and underside of his father's jaw, his cheeks, above his eyes, and tracing the underside of his cheek.

Shouto can see the razor-sharp claws from his spot in the back of one of the cave's tunnels, attached to giant paws at the end of equally muscular, but short legs. Small horns are attached to the sides of his paws as well, as well as at the end of his tail, which flicks back and forth in quiet contempt.

"Shouto." His father snarls, his jaws closing over Shouto's midsection to pick him up. "We need to train."

Shouto wants to tell his father that his teeth hurt, that Shouto can feel his scales heating up to a near painful level, but Shouto knows what that will bring him, a rant and more training, so he stays quiet. He nods in time to his father's words, not really listening to them. Because in the end, his father is only ever focused on one thing and one thing only, power.

Sure, his father is hailed as the 'savior of dragonkind' the one who had ended the war between humans and dragons over a century ago. Even most humans like him, since now he goes out and helps on some of their quests. But what his father really craves is the attention he receives because of it, the knowledge that you could say the name of his alias, Endeavor, to any being, and they would know immediately who you were talking about. His father basks in the knowledge that he is known as the strongest dragon, and that almost no other being, from human to fae could best him.

Shouto knows what his father hates too, and what he is ranting about now in his pre-training monologue is a subject that Shouto has heard only too much about.

All Might, mankind's savior. The most powerful mage in the land, and the only being who had ever won against his father. Rumors say that All Might wields a kind of magic no other human had, one that could overpower anything, even a dragon.

Well, that's what Shouto is for, in his father's eyes. Shouto is a tool, a weapon to be forged, a vessel for his father's unending desire to beat All Might.

"Now, Shouto," His father's voice snaps Shouto out of his thoughts, bringing him back to the cliff they sat on, a common spot for flight training. "You need to better your flight skills. I'll give you 10 seconds to steady yourself before we start."

That's all the prompting Shouto will get, so wordlessly, he spreads his wings and leaps off the cliff. His wings aren't quite strong enough for a direct takeoff yet, but they're enough to carry him in the air, and that's all his father needs.

The night wind cuts through his scales, sending a shiver wracking through his body. He pushes through the cold and starts to pump his wings furiously, maneuvering himself so he could see his father.

Wasting no time, as soon as the seconds are over with, his father opens his mouth and sends a relatively small fireball aiming directly for Shouto's head.

Shouto nearly loses a wing to the fireball about as big as he is, but he's still flying soundly enough, so his father fires another fireball. This time, Shouto singes his front claws on it. In the next, the tip of his tail is caught. The one after, the base of his horns starts to burn.

Then his father decides it's a good time to up the stakes, even when Shouto is already more hovering than flying, his wings only moving when they must. With a deep breath, a full-on jettison of flames roars towards Shouto, and he only just manages to twist out of its way.

As he's forced to dodge another column of flames, Shouto faintly remembers how by now, his mother might have been yelling at them from the ground by now, trying in vain to make his father stop.

His mother isn't here now though, so the aerial training continues until Shouto plummets to the ground as a way of dodging.

"Get up. You won't have time to fall in a real fight." His father shouts down to Shouto's collapsed and shivering form. Shouto knows all too well what directly resisting an order will bring upon him, so he drags himself to his feet and tries to shake away his exhaustion. His wings burn, and not just from the fire. Shouto creates an ice platform for him to stand on before jumping off it and flapping his wings.

Every breath he takes pushes against his chest as he heaves upwards, and by the time he is in the air once more, he's gasping for air.

"Too slow." His father snarls. "You think you can beat anything like that? I'm surprised you can even hunt."

Shouto doesn't even get the opportunity to respond before two fireballs are hurtling at him. He yelps when his tail is engulfed by one of them.

"That is nothing Shouto. A dragon knows how to endure any pain." His father roars, and Shouto swallows back his cries, focusing instead on icing over his tail before his father could strike again. He's only a third of the way done when the next fireball comes. Its larger than the first two, and Shouto knows another isn't far behind. He manages to duck under this one, although his back feels as if its blistering from the heat.

"Concentrate on your wings." His father reprimands him sharply, smoke pouring from his nostrils. "Push with your shoulders, not with the arm of them. Or else you'll never be able to dodge anything."

With that small tidbit of advice, Shouto is left facing another full-blown blast of flames. He tries to follow his father's instructions, concentrating on the shoulder area of his wings, but he's distracted, and far too slow. The flames hit his stomach, and he is left limp with agony, lurching to the ground once more. On his way down, his vision flickers, becoming hazy with pain. He thinks his scales are steaming, but it's hard to tell between the dim lighting and his miniature blackout.

He hits the ground hard, coughing up the meager remains of his stomach right afterwards. He rolls over onto his back, half delirious with pain, in some effort to cool his scales. The scales on his underside are much softer than the rest of his scales, and they haven't gotten the chance to completely harden yet; that would only come in the next couple of years.

"Pathetic." Shouto only half-hears his father, focusing more on why it has suddenly gotten hot on his right side and how he can make the heat go away without moving. "Get up, we might as well practice with your elements now."

Shouto makes the mistake of whimpering in protest, and by the time he realizes his mistake, his father has already slammed a foot down, trapping Shouto underneath his front claws. Heat licks at Shouto's face as he wriggles, trying to somehow get out of the makeshift prison. It's useless though, his father has put down enough weight to ensure Shouto can only move his head at best.

"I'll do you a favor Shouto. We can do pain tolerance training instead of element training." His father hisses, sparks flying from where his teeth clashed together. "You don't even have to move."

And with that, the heat that has been licking at Shouto's face turns to blistering, and he screams in pain. As always, his cries of pain only make the heat turn more intense, until all he can feel is the burning.

Eventually, his body decides to give him a mercy, his vision fading to black, the pain going with it.

When Shouto awakens, it's to his father's grumble.

"Finally. Now I can get back to doing my job. This should be an easy mission though, so I'll be back tonight for training. Understand?"

Shouto nods his head, his whole body protesting the motion.

"I've weakened the barrier. I would hunt if I were you." His father notes before turning tail and stalking out of the cave. Shouto both hears and feels the rush of wind that accompanies his father's downstrokes, the wind bites at him, and he curls up tighter in a foolish attempt to hide away from the pain. The action only makes his muscles and skin scream at him though, and regret seeps through him.

A part of him hoped Midoriya wouldn't come today. Midoriya doesn't deserve the pitiful amount of conversation Shouto would be able to offer him today. Free to express his pain without his father's presence, Shouto whimpers and wines as he actives his ice, layering over the areas where it hurt the most. It numbs him enough for him to slip back into a dreamless sleep, his eyes flickering shut with a pained sigh.

When he awakes the second time, it to a much more cheerful voice.

"Hello? Are you there? It's Midoriya again." Shouto shakes his head to make sure he isn't just imagining the voice, a gentle, warm feeling settling in his chest when he realizes that the voice is in fact, very real.

"Hello." Shouto's voice is raspy, laced with barely disguised soreness.

"Are you okay? You sound hurt."

"I'm f-" Shouto groans, his breath shuddering against his sides. "Fine. I'm fine."

"Do you need anything? What hurts?" Midoriya asks, and Shouto can see the way he fidgets just outside the cave entrance. Midoriya stays just outside, and Shouto's stubbornness is spreading thin.

"Burns. All over." Shouto states, grimacing when he hears Midoriya's horrified gasp.

"You- I- all over? Just stay there, I'll be back."

Shouto hums. He hopes Midoriya comes back, but honestly, it wouldn't surprise him if the boy just decides to run back home.

Shouto isn't sure how much time has passed when he hears tiny footsteps pelting their way nearer to the cave entrance.

"I'm back." A breathless but cheery Midoriya calls. "I have plants that help with burns. My mom showed me what they look like a while ago. All you gotta do is chew them up and put them where it hurts. It works really well."

Shouto doesn't have time to question just how Midoriya knows the usefulness of burn soothing plants, nor if the plants would work on scales at all. "Could you throw them in here where I can reach them? I don't want you to see me."

Shouto hates how Midoriya looks disappointed when he tosses the leaves inside. "Be careful though, the plants taste yucky."

Shouto might have smiled at the way Midoriya scrunched up his nose, as if even the mention of the taste is enough to disgust him, if he hadn't been forcing himself to his feet, his shaky legs threatening collapse. He unceremoniously flops down just out of Midoriya's eyesight, reaching out a forehand to scoop the plants closer to him.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not that pretty to look at. I don't want to scare you." Shouto tries to placate the disappointment that had crossed Midoriya's face, and is rewarded with a smile.

"That's okay. I'm sure you wouldn't scare me." Midoriya assures him, and Shouto smiles. As if. The races may have peaceful interactions now, but humans are well known in every kingdom for being mostly scared and judgmental of anything that isn't like them.

"Are you sure?" Shouto grunts, bitterness flooding over his tongue as he chews the plants. Midoriya had been right about the bad taste.

"It's just about how nice you are. That's what my mom says, and All Might too!" Shouto winces at the mention of All Might, echoes of his father's rages blossoming in his mind.

"All Might." Shouto repeats, regret and memories lacing his voice.

"Yeah! He's the best wizard!" Midoriya gives a little cheer, and Shouto smiles as he rubs the plant remains over his scales. The affect is immediate, and Shouto can feel himself sink into the ground with relief. "I'm gonna save people just like him when I'm older."

"Your magic must be strong then." Shouto comments, and Midoriya only chuckles weakly. Shouto narrows his eyes, because that reaction screams at there being something that Midoriya isn't telling him, but Shouto lets it go. Midoriya will tell him if he wants to. They haven't even known each other for a week yet, Shouto can't be unreasonable.

Midoriya sits again, and the two pick up where the conversation had left off yesterday. Although this time, it isn't just Midoriya ranting. Shouto tries his hardest to insert the appropriate comments and responses. More often than not, Shouto can't think of anything to add, but he's a little proud of himself anyways.

They say their goodbyes early today, Midoriya having to do something with his mother. Shouto doesn't mind though, because he really does need to get some food in his stomach before his father gets back. Puking at least feels better when there is something in his stomach to puke.

His body still stings when he stands up, but the plants Midoriya gave him have worked miracles. Shouto will have to ask what exactly they were when Midoriya came back tomorrow.

He half slides, half climbs down the hill, following the well-worn trail instead of flying. His wings hang loosely at his sides, and he only wants to move them if he has to.

Hunting itself isn't that hard, not with his ice. The first unsuspecting fawn he comes across is frozen before it can do much but cry in fear. He hates it though, because he's forced to use his fire to thaw it.

He tries his hardest to avoid his fire, only using it for things like this, or whenever it sparks in a meager attempt at saving himself from his father. His father hasn't noticed it yet, the growing scarcity of Shouto's fire, and Shouto hopes he never will, that Shouto's rebellion will go unnoticed.

Shouto knows it won't though, so he'll revel in his secrecy while he can.

Once the dear is mostly gone, Shouto trudges back to the cave, following the cleverly hidden magical markers that show the real path to the cave. There are too many decoy and detour trails in that forest for Shouto to count, but his father would spare no expense for his future weapon.

Shouto collapses on the ground as soon as he's in the cave. He might as well try and rest before his father returns.

At least Midoriya would be coming by tomorrow.

Shouto's reveal happens mostly by chance.

He's out in the woods hunting, his father having left for the afternoon. He enjoys being in the forest, it's quiet, peaceful, and it lets him feel like he's free from his father's molten grip.

But of course, he really isn't, so he takes his time as he strolls through the woods. The sun warms his scales, and he hangs his small wings out to try and catch more of its rays.

He is lost in thought when he hears it, a sniffle. It's barely audible over the sounds of the forest, but he recognizes the voice instantly.

It has to be Midoriya, no one else has ever made it this far past the enchantments. Shouto still has no idea why only Midoriya can navigate the maze of complex spells that his father had made to confuse even the best of fae.

Shouto's pace picks up, although he still treads as silently as possible. He really doesn't want Midoriya to see him yet. If anything, Shouto would like to keep his friend for as long as he could.

It doesn't take Shouto long to center in on the noise, and soon he is looking out on Midoriya from the cover of a multitude of dense bushes. For once, Shouto is grateful for his small size.

"Midoriya?" Shouto calls out softly, feeling guilty as Midoriya jumps.

Now that Shouto can see Midoriya's face, the guilt is replaced by sympathy and a quiet anger.

Midoriya is still crying, his eyes puffy and lips swollen. But one of his eyes is surrounded by an ugly mix of purple and blue. His cheek is swelled up, red and raw, with singe marks around the edge. Some of his hair is frayed, the edges black and twisted.

"To-Todoroki?" Midoriya wiped his eyes, trying to hide his tears even after he winced as his forearm touched his bruised eye. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I was hunting, and then I heard you." Shouto kept careful watch as Midoriya stood on shaky legs, a hand pressed against the tree he has been sitting against for the past few moments.

"I'm sorry." Midoriya pauses, blinking rapidly as his grip on the tree tightens. "I d-distracted you."

"Why? You haven't done anything wrong." Shouto tenses as Midoriya takes his hand off the tree.

"But I didn't mean to-" Midoriya is pitching forward now, and Shouto moves on instinct alone.

Too late, Shouto realizes what he's done. Midoriya is draped over his neck, and suddenly Shouto can feel everything.

The cool touch of Midoriya's skin against his scales. The way the fabric of Midoriya's clothing rustles with the breeze. The gentle exhale of breath puffing against the ridge of small spines running down the center of his neck. The faint itch as Midoriya's hair ghosts over his scales. His wing reaches up to wrap around Midoriya, and its pink membrane tingles at the new sensation.

In an instant though, every touch of skin against scales feels like it's burning, and Shouto is preparing for some inevitable backlash of pain that he logically knows will never come from someone like Midoriya. But still, Shouto can't deal with something this warm yet so gentle, because the scorching wrath of flames and teeth is all he can remember feeling for years now.

He carefully sets Midoriya on the ground, even if Shouto is panicking, that doesn't give him the right to accidentally injure Midoriya more.

With Midoriya resting halfway peacefully in the grass though, Shouto is left staring dumbly, wondering what someone does to help heal human injuries. His father says that a dragon should be able to fight through any sort of pain, but that isn't true- Shouto knows- and even if it is, Shouto doesn't think that it's something you can apple to humans.

But he can remember icing over his pains, and that always soothes him. So delicately, he uses his magic to ice over the tip of his tail, then slowly lowers the limb to rest just above Midoriya's swollen eye. He does the same with a claw, this time letting it hover over Midoriya's swollen cheek. Shouto would let the ice touch Midoriya, but he can remember hearing somewhere that humans were very weak to sudden temperature changes, although not as much as most dragons.

While he does that, he also checks to see if Midoriya is injured anywhere else. Gladly, Shouto discovers that Midoriya's clothes are only blackened in some places, with no other burns or bruises visible.

It doesn't take long for Midoriya to shakily blink his eyes open again though, and Shouto immediately draws his tail and claws away, lowing his head in shame. This is it for him. Midoriya will see exactly what Shouto is and run or get angry, just like almost everyone else.

"Todoroki." Here it comes. Shouto draws his wings in tight, his tail curling around his claws. "You're a dragon!?" Shouto freezes, making sure he hasn't misheard the excitement, the joy, and the lack of fear in Midoriya's voice.

"That's so cool!" Midoriya beams at him like he hadn't just collapsed, although he does flinch slightly, fingers ghosting over his injured cheek.

"Be careful." Shouto warns, swallowing back the wave of relief so strong it makes his eyes water. It's easier to focus on Midoriya's incorrect assumption more than anything else, so Shouto does. "But I'm not a dragon. Just dragonkin."

"Dragonkin?" Midoriya asks, propping himself to a sitting position.

"Half-dragon." Shouto explains, teeth unconsciously gritted. "Half-human."

"I didn't know that was possible!" Midoriya's exclamation nearly makes Shouto jump out of his scales, only years of training keeping his expression neutral.

Midoriya leans in closer, his eyes shining. "So, you can turn into a human, right? Probably easier than most dragons. Does your magic work like human magic or dragon magic? Do your scales shed? How tall are you as a person? Which one of your parents are human?"

Shouto growls at the mention of parents, his mind flashing back to blood red scales, rivulets of fire and lava, piercing gray eyes, and a horrified whisper of "I can't stand to look at him sometimes." He regrets it as Midoriya deflates, his bright smile fading into a guilty frown.

"Sorry Todoroki." Midoriya's voice is small now, his face downcast. "I know I ask too many questions. Kacchan doesn't like it either."

"It's fine." Shouto reassures him. "Just please, let's not talk about parents."

"Okay." Midoriya agrees without hesitation, his smile returning, even if it does have a worried tint to it.

"Do you feel better?" Shouto asks, desperate for a change of subject.

"Oh, yeah." Midoriya puts a hand up to his cheek, sighing. "My cheek feels a lot better. That was you, right?"

Shouto reveals his tail, the tip still encased in ice, and deadpans, "No."

Midoriya gives something that's halfway between a snort and a chuckle. Shouto adds his own amused huff to the comforting sound. It's not long before Midoriya finds his focus again though.

"Your scales are so pretty too. The white and red look really nice. Is ice your element?"

"Sort of." Shouto looks away from Midoriya's eager eyes, a little embarrassed by Midoriya's blatant compliments. "I have a dual element of ice and fire." Shouto decides that revealing the truth is worth it the moment Midoriya face lights up.

"You have two elements?" Midoriya's hands are tapping on the ground, a staccato rhythm as they drift back and forth. "All the books say that dragons are only supposed to have one element. And that's just the perfect combination too. You have a solution to nearly any attack. That's amazing!"

"Not really." Shouto dismisses Midoriya's praise swiftly. He isn't deserving of it, not for something that is as tainted as his magic. "Humans are much better. You can use magic in any way you want, as long as you have the right runes."

Something pained passes over Midoriya's face, and Shouto wonders what he said wrong. Midoriya starts talking before Shouto can say anything, his voice trembling. "I don't know, not every human can use make. But dragons don't have that problem. You know that dragons absorb magic from their environment while they're still in their eggs? It's something that only dragons do and it's why they even have elements."

Shouto doesn't mind Midoriya falling back into a ramble, but he's still curious about Midoriya's previous expression. Shouto also doesn't like to push, so instead he nods along in time to Midoriya's words. As Midoriya continues, Shouto's awe grows. Midoriya still hasn't mentioned his scar, even when the question has to be lingering in Midoriya's mind. The fact that Midoriya seems blissfully uncaring of what Shouto is also helps to fill Shouto with warmth.

It comes eventually though, it's inevitable, and Midoriya pauses beforehand, his eyes flickering between Shouto's face and the ground.

"I, um, I'm sorry if this sounds mean but-" Midoriya draws in a breath. "how did you get your scar?"

Even when he'd been expecting it, the question makes Shouto freeze, figuratively and physically, as ice pricks outwards from his right side.

"I know it's rude, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. My mom says you shouldn't ask about what anyone looks like."

"It's f-"

"Does it hurt?" Midoriya's question cuts over Shouto's automatic reassurance. Shouto is taken aback once more, but in a good way this time. Nobody has ever bothered to ask him that. All they want is to learn the 'cool story' behind it, or gush over how awesome it looks, or whisper how he would look better without it. Shouto can do without a patch of scale-less skin spreading out to cover most of the left side of his face, ending just below his horn and not quite reaching his jaw. He can't do anything about it though, besides for looking at his reflection and wishing things were different.

He doesn't know how to respond to Midoriya's question in words, so he simply shakes his head.

"That's good then." Midoriya sighs, moving to lay beside Shouto, back pressed against the swaying grass.

"How did you get your injuries?" Shouto asks, and Midoriya tenses.

"Oh- t-those were from Kacchan and his friends." Midoriya's voice shakes, and something in Shouto goes dark.

"Again?" Shouto half snarls, and he's practically burning holes into the grass with his eyes alone. "Can't you avoid them? Or fight back?"

"Me and Kacchan are neighbors." Midoriya admits, looking as if he wishes he could somehow sink into the grass below. "It's hard to fight him. They all have magic and I don't."

"Then why doesn't anybody else step in? Aren't humans supposed to want to keep their children safe?" Todoroki's outrage is growing, and his claws make indents in the dirt as they curl.

"It's not their fault- they just, they just- it's not their fault I'm useless." Midoriya mumbles.

"Useless? Who would ever-"

"I-I can't even use runes, I can't do anything with magic." Midoriya sniffles, and Shouto shifts closer. "But I'm gonna find a way to join a guild. I'm gonna be a wizard like All Might and help save people."

Midoriya's eyes shine with a new determination, and Shouto can't help but believe his optimism. Even if Shouto still wants to claw all of those useless humans who ever made Midoriya feel worthless.

"What's so wrong with not having magic then? With a goal like that." Midoriya gapes at Shouto, his expression mirroring a fish's. "You can save plenty of people on your own. Magic doesn't make you better than anything else."

"Yes, it does." Midoriya counters. "To join a guild, you have to pass a magic test. I looked it up at the library. Mom says they're looking to change it, so that might be good. Magic makes you stronger though, stronger than anyone without it."

"Stronger doesn't make you better." Shouto growls. "Anyone who thinks so is an idiot."

"I know." Midoriya says softly. "But still."

"But nothing. All you have to do is work harder." Shouto gives a slight grin. "I'm sure you can make it."

"Really?"

"Of course." Shouto looks over to Midoriya, and flinches when he sees that the boy is crying. "Are you okay?"

"N-no one's e-ever said that to me." Midoriya whispers through his tears, and Shouto's chest clenches in empathy.

"They should have." Shouto retorts, and relaxes when Midoriya smiles through the tears.

After that, their conversation shifts to lighter subjects. Shouto learns about Midoriya's town, and Midoriya learns about the dragon lands in return. Sure, they're more of a memory than anything else, considering him and his father have lived out here ever since Shouto had gotten his scar, but he still knows plenty from his father's rants.

They talk until the sun is nearly gone, but Shouto only notices when the nighttime bugs start chirping.

"I need to go; my father will be expecting me." Shouto admits with regret, rising to his feet.

"That's okay. Do you mind if I come by tomorrow?" Midoriya joins Shouto in standing, stretching back.

Shouto almost agrees instantly, then he remembers that his father doesn't have any missions tomorrow. "You can't come to the cave. But I might be able to slip out around midday. Do you have anywhere we could meet in the forest?"

"Do you know where the big tree is?" Midoriya asks, and Shouto shakes his head. "It's this really big tree, I'm pretty sure it's a near extinct species, but it has these orange flowers on its branches. I think they might be more of an orangish-yellow, but they stay like that all year. I think it's natural, but the tree might also be a natural magic container. It would explain the leaves. Honestly…"

Midoriya drifts off, and Shouto pauses, pulling his wings back in from where they had been stretching. Midoriya's eyes have frozen on Shouto, and he almost appeared lost in thought.

"Midoriya?" Shouto's voice snaps Midoriya out of whatever trance he had been in. Midoriya jumps, his cheeks suddenly bursting into red.

"I, uh, sorry. I just…" Midoriya sighs. "I don't know, it was weird."

"You're fine. But is your face alright? It's red." Shouto's comments only serve to darken Midoriya's cheeks, and Shouto can't figure out why for the life of him.

"I'm fine. I'm probably just blushing. Humans do that when they're embarrassed." Midoriya blurts out quickly.

"Strange. What do you have to be embarrassed about?" Shouto shakes, getting the last traces of numbness out from his nerves.

"I got distracted." Midoriya mumbles, turning away from Shouto.

"That's fine. Why don't we find the tree?" Shouto comes to stand by Midoriya's side, his wing a fingertip away from Midoriya's arm, but still not touching.

"Yes! Let's do that. That sounds fun, right? And it'll be a good place to meet up. Which is good. It's closer than your cave is." Midoriya rambles under his breath as they walk, Shouto following just beside him.

When Midoriya finally presents the tree to him, Shouto has to take a step back, so awestruck by the sheer size. The tree's trunk was thicker around that Shouto was, and its branches reached so far up Shouto had to crane his neck to even get a glimpse of the uppermost layer. Midoriya had been right about the leaves, shimmering a vibrant orange against the plain normalcy of the green trees around it.

Shouto wonders how he had never taken note of it before, and how something so large had lasted so long with his father nearby.

"It's beautiful." Shouto says to an awaiting Midoriya, and the boy grins.

"Isn't it?" Midoriya agrees. "Do you think you can remember where it is?"

"I should." Shouto reassures Midoriya. "Can you meet here midday tomorrow?"

Yep. See you then!" Midoriya flashes Shouto one more smile before running back towards his town. Shouto begins his own walk, which quickly turns into a run as he spots his father's form in the distance.

Him and Midoriya make memory after memory wandering in the forest together. Any chance he gets, Shouto sets up their meetings at the tree. He has never been happier for his father's erratic missions, often leaving him away from home for days at a time. Of course, that also meant his father is home for long stretches of time but that's something Shouto can deal with when it actually happens. He doesn't want to have to think about living up to his father's name, and with Midoriya, he doesn't have to.

For the first time in his life, because of Midoriya, Shouto feels like an actual being instead of just a smaller extension of his father.

And how Shouto revels in it. He spends as much time with Midoriya as the world around him allows. They talk for hours in small clearings. Midoriya shows him all the small wonders that Shouto had overlooked before. Shouto has fun trying to fly with Midoriya in his claws, even if it had taken a few weeks of prodding from Midoriya's side. Shouto teaches Midoriya how to hunt silently. Midoriya tells him about human life. Shouto does the same about dragons, and whatever other creatures he can remember seeing with his father.

Midoriya is the sun, and Shouto a soul who has been trapped in the darkness. Midoriya shows him the world in a way Shouto couldn't even imagine. Midoriya, who is clumsy, brilliantly smart, straightforward, and kinder than Shouto can even begin to fathom, somehow manages to make Shouto realize something else every time they meet.

"Can I touch it?" Midoriya asks one day, sitting in a low branch of an ancient willow tree. Shouto is crouched above him, neck dipping down so his head can sit near Midoriya's.

"What?" Shouto returns, because he can't really think of anything that Midoriya would need to ask to touch.

"Your scar." Midoriya states, staring down at his fidgeting hands.

"I- I-" Shouto draws his head back on instinct, his scar tingling like Midoriya had already touched it. "-why would you want to?"

"I don't know, that was weird, sorry." Midoriya says, ducking his head in shame.

Shouto exhales, frost outlining his breath. "I trust you, but… just- not the scar, please."

"Okay." Midoriya smiles softly. "I won't mention it again, I promise."

"Can you keep that promise?" Shouto teases, lowering his head back down. "You always like to ask about things that shouldn't bother you."

"R-really?" Midoriya startles, looking like Shouto had just accused him of some wrongdoing. "It can't be all the time, right? It bothers you, doesn't it- of course it doe-"

"I was just saying it Midoriya." Shouto interrupts quietly. "It's not a bother, it's just what makes you, you."

"That's good." Midoriya breathes with a smile, and they go back to what they had been originally doing, staring at the tiny tree sprites that float around them. Basking the two of them in an ethereal glow of flickering lights.

"How do thumbs work?" Shouto asks seemingly out of nowhere. The two of them are in the middle of a small flower field, and Shouto is watching as Midoriya meticulously weaves the stems of the flowers into a flower crown. Apparently Midoriya is trying to make one that will fit Shouto's head, but all Shouto has been able to focus on is the way Midoriya's hands mold the flowers with an ease Shouto could never have with his claws.

"Thumbs?" Midoriya pauses in his task, twisting back to look at Shouto. "They're kind of like my other fingers," Midoriya hold up a hand, waggling his finger for effect. "except they're on the side so they can touch my other fingers and pick up stuff. It makes it easier to work with little things, and it also helps you hold things up. They only bend in one place too, even though the rest of my fingers bend in two places."

Shouto hums, satisfied enough to lay his head in the grass and return to watching Midoriya.

Midoriya eventually does finish the flower crown; it rests snugly over Shouto's horns. And even when it dips over his eyes and Midoriya laughs, Shouto decides he'll treasure the gift as best he can.

It doesn't last long, with his father, but Midoriya is happy to make another one.

"Why do you rub against trees?" Midoriya absentmindedly asks, making Shouto lean away from the tree he had just been scratching himself on.

"It feels good. My scales get itchy." Shouto responds simply, going back to assaulting the poor tree that had been unlucky enough to become his personal itch-reliever. It creaks slightly as Todoroki presses his side up against.

"Can dragons clean their own scales?" Midoriya questions next, kicking his feet while leaning forward to look down at Todoroki from the branch he sits on.

"I can't, my teeth can't get under them without it being painful. I think dragons groom each other, but I'm not sure." Shouto sighs as the persistent itch is finally relieved.

Midoriya hums, like he wants to ask something else but won't. Midoriya plows right onwards though, asking, "Do you think I could try scratching you?"

"Uh…" Is all Shouto's brilliant mind can come up with, going blank as Shouto struggles with two conflicting desires. Having Midoriya scratch him sounds amazing, especially to his aggravated scales. However, Shouto remembers the last time Midoriya had touched him with startling clarity. The touch had been too much, and Shouto fears that it won't be any different this time. "I don't think- that would probably be a bad idea."

"Ah, that's okay." Midoriya smiles, and Shouto doesn't feel like his cowardly actions deserve such an expression but he isn't going to stop Midoriya anytime soon. "My hands are kind of small anyways. They'd be like bugs compared to you."

"I wouldn't say that much. Your hands are more like rabbits." Midoriya only gives him a bewildered stare, so Shouto explains. "In size, your hands are like what rabbits are to you."

"I guess, but why rabbits?" Midoriya peers at him, but all Shouto can offer is his approximation of a shrug.

"Why do humans smile with their teeth?" Midoriya freezes from where he is sitting on the ground. The soft hues of the sunset light his face as his smile drops into a more inquisitive look.

"That's just how it is with people, I think it's a sign of trust, you know? Since you only smile with your teeth when you really mean it." Midoriya tilts his head, his eyes narrowing.

"It's just, for most animals, showing your teeth is a sign of anger. Humans are an exception though." Shouto comments, claws brushing against a small rock that jutted out from the grassy soil.

"Did you… were you confused then?" Midoriya questions, then clarifies. "When I first came and I smiled at you. I tend to 'show my teeth.'"

"No, I knew enough about humans to where I knew you didn't mean any harm." Plus, Midoriya's smile was so blinding that Shouto doesn't think he would have ever been able to do anything against it. Not like Shouto is going to tell Midoriya that though.

"Had you ever seen a smile before- before me?" Midoriya asks hesitantly, scanning Todoroki's stoic face for any negative signs.

"… Not with teeth." Shouto admits, because even in his memories, his mother is never smiling. When they were alone, Shouto remembers seeing a ghost of one, an upward tilt to her lips. It had disappeared as soon as he shifted back into a body of scales and claws. He was always too much like his father for her to ever fully accept.

"Oh. Well at least you know now." Midoriya says, coupling it with another toothy grin.

"Yeah." Shouto says softly, forcing himself to stop staring at Midoriya and look back at the sunset. Still, the painted sky has little to nothing when compared to Midoriya's eyes and grin.

Izuku feels lucky, a feeling that had abandoned him for the longest time, ever since he failed the rune test at 5 years old.

It's really because of Todoroki, because before Todoroki, there had only been Kacchan and the judging eyes of his small town. Everyone knows about poor, magicless Izuku, his body too weak to even hold the simplest of runes on his skin. His mom is still here, a pillar of support against the tide of negativity, as is the forest, a place to hide away from it all during the day.

All it had taken was one wrong step, leading Izuku down a confusing path with only his instincts to guide him. To this day, Izuku has no clue how he had ever found Todoroki's cave. He has several theories, but Izuku can't really find a way to prove them, so for now they stay unsolved.

Izuku won't trade his time with Todoroki for anything in the world by this point, besides for maybe his mum, but that is another story all together.

Of course, he can't live in the forest, and Kacchan is a lingering menace every time Izuku so much as breathes.

Izuku isn't sure where he went wrong. He and Kacchan had been friends once, before the first rune test. Kacchan had been rude, sure, but he had an aura around him that attracted other kids, kids like Izuku. Izuku had been tossed to the side though, a deku to be shoved down and stomped on.

Kacchan's power is no joke though, and even when he's only 11, Kacchan already has more runes than any kid in the village. His body was teeming with raw magic, something Izuku could only admire from afar, imagining what it must be like to wield such amazing power, how he could help people if he only had magic.

Despite Kacchan's insistence on being the most powerful guild member the country has ever seen, his runes are not helpful whatsoever, at least not at a glance.

The intricately carved circles in Kacchan's palm, laced with flames and spikes, glow as a small explosion erupts outward.

"Oi, Deku! Where do you think you're going?" Kacchan and his underlings stand between Izuku and his usual path to the forest, an irritated scowl lining Kacchan's face as usual.

"Um, n-nowhere- just the forest for a walk- it's not r-really that big of a deal." Izuku shrinks back, the sheer power exuding from Kacchan pushing him back.

"Shut up Deku, don't go telling me what's important or not." Kacchan sneers, and Izuku leans back a little further.

"O-of course, I wasn't trying to tell y-you what to do." Izuku says, quickly adding on a "I-I swear!" when Kacchan's glare turns murderous.

"Freaking Deku. You still haven't answered my question dummy; where you going?" Kacchan snaps, more explosions resounding from his palms. "And I don't want to hear 'the forest' again you wimp."

"I- I-" Izuku is frozen, eyes flickering from Kacchan to the two boys standing behind Kacchan. One of them had runes that could stretch his skin into spines while the other could grow different sets of wings. Izuku could get past them though, if he ducked around the right swing Kacchan would throw his way the moment Izuku decided to run for it. Izuku sucks in a breath, preparing his nerves for the giant risk he is about to take. "I c-can't t-tell you."

Izuku bolts to the right, barely dodging Kacchan's right swing. He runs as fast as his legs can carry him, knowing he'll be safe as soon as he enters the maze-like forest. He feels a draft of wind push him from behind, the boy with feather wings right on his tail. Izuku only pumps his legs harder, barely remembering to breathe as he focuses on going faster, staying ahead of the beating that will surely happen if he's caught now.

Fingers graze his hair just before the first foot breaks the boundary separating the forest from the rest of the world. Still, Izuku keeps on running, twisting and turning away from the large walls of magic he could feel lining the trees. The magic walls were subtle in a way, Izuku almost gets the feeling they were trying to distract him more than anything else though. But that is what Izuku is counting on.

Before he knows it, Izuku is already heading to the familiar tree, his feet taking him there more on instinct than anything. He hopes that Todoroki is already there, but even if Todoroki isn't Izuku is more than happy to stay there on his own until Todoroki shows up. Even before meeting Todoroki, the forest has always been a haven for Izuku, the trees and their traces of magic sheltering him from the village when everything became too much.

Today though, Todoroki is already waiting though, and Izuku pauses before revealing himself.

Todoroki is sitting perfectly perched in the tree, his vibrant scales highlighting his lithe form among the orange leaves. But what really grabs Izuku's attention is the way that Todoroki is talking to some sort of creature, one that Izuku has never seen before.

The creature is small enough for Izuku to hold in his hands, and vaguely resembles Todoroki. Its body is covered in tan fur instead of scales though, and its wings, feathery and thin, are flapping incessantly. Its face mirrors Todoroki's, save for the beak and the black, feathery tufts instead of horns. Travelling down the slender neck, miniscule spines poke out. Tiny claws are attached to equally tiny forelimbs, but there are no hind limbs to be seen, only a winding tail that ends with a whip-like thinness.

As Izuku sneaks closer, he starts to pick up bits of their 'conversation,' if it could even be called that. All Izuku can hear is a peculiar sort of growling. Something about it sounds hollow and yet layered. The sounds reverberate around Izuku's head, and he shakes it to try and get rid of the buzzing sensation that accompanies the sound.

The motion gets the creature's attention though, and with a flutter of wings, it zooms off, weaving through the trees quicker than Izuku can follow.

"Sorry." Izuku says, wishing he could just go back and time and stop himself from interrupting.

Todoroki opens his mouth, but all that comes out is more of the strange growling. Todoroki's eyes narrow, and he looks as confused as Izuku feels.

"I'm fine." Thankfully Todoroki has gone back to where Izuku can understand him, and a smile slips onto Izuku's face, like it had never left.

"Are you sure? You two were talking and I…" Izuku's fingers drum against his leg, his anxiety spilling over into his words.

"Don't worry. I couldn't understand it well anyways." Todoroki hums, stretching out his jaw.

"What language was that? I haven't heard it before." Izuku distracts himself from his fear, focusing on his curiosity instead.

"Dragontongue." Todoroki drops to the ground, walking over to stand by Izuku. "I had to learn it when I was younger. They couldn't really speak it though, just bits and pieces. I think he was trying to ask for directions?"

"Directions?" Midoriya chuckles at that before going straight back to his questions. "It just sounded like growls to me, and they were kind of echoing around in my head. Do you hear it like that?"

Todoroki shakes his head. "Draconians hear Dragontongue different than other species. I think there's magic laced in the words, that's why it sounded funny to you. To me it sounds like how we're talking, just… deeper, I guess."

"So, do you know where the magic comes from? Is it something you're born with? Or is it something you have to learn how to apply?" Izuku can feel his shoulders drop as he starts to truly relax, the familiarity of these types of conversations lulling him back into the sense of security.

"Any species of draconian is born with it, from Wyverns to Erthreals to me." Todoroki explains, and Izuku's mind begins to race excitedly from the possibilities of it all.

As Izuku continues to ask questions and their conversation continues, Kacchan and his friends fade into a distant memory, one that Izuku can deal with later. Once more, Izuku can't help but feel blessed.

Todoroki is talking to him, enjoying having him around- or Todoroki could just be tolerating him, but at least Todoroki is subtle about it if he is- and Izuku can't even put to words how wonderful that feels.

Todoroki doesn't judge someone's worth based on how they use magic, he doesn't decide Izuku's place in the world is at the very bottom before Izuku can even try, he even says that Izuku can join a guild. Todoroki isn't like some of his neighbors though, he has no pitiful undertone to his voice. He says these things about Izuku like they're just simple facts, and Izuku still doesn't think he can fully grasp what that means to him yet.

This is fine though, the carefully balanced friendship they've built. Izuku just thanks whatever higher power is out there that his mother thinks he stays within the town's limits, and that he doesn't have to attend the mandatory schooling yet. That doesn't start until he's 11, but by then him and Todoroki should have been friends long enough for it to work. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully.

Izuku shoves those thoughts aside, because for now, all he should worry about is what him and Todoroki are doing right here. Because who knows how long it will last.

Izuku shudders at the thought of Todoroki becoming like Kacchan.

"Shouto." His father's growl wakes Shouto from his slumber. The moment he realizes who is calling him though, he jumps to his feet, snapping the bleariness away from his eyes. His father gives no time for waking up; Shouto has the memories and the phantom pains to prove it.

"We're leaving." His father grunts, claws scraping against the floor of the cave, leaving glowing red marks in their wake. "You're strong enough to survive in the homelands now. We leave at dawn, make sure you eat something before we go. You won't survive the trip otherwise."

Shouto stands still, his half-awake mind still processing the information. Leaving? To his father's old home? What?

What about Midoriya?

A blast of heat by his right side snaps him out of his drowsy thoughts. Smoke trails out of his father's mouth and he hisses, "I would hurry Shouto. The sun will be up soon. Either way you'll be coming with me."

Shouto nods, scurrying out of the cave and down the rocks to clear his thoughts in peace.

The sting of the early morning air tells him that this isn't some feverish nightmare, but if that's true then, then, then-

He only has until the sun comes up, then he has to leave it all behind.

Shouto's feet are moving before he can think about it, jumping into the nearest tree and bounding upwards so his wings could find purchase in the breeze.

He isn't acting logically, Shouto knows that well enough; however, there's not anything in him fighting against this current train of thought, so he lets it sweep through him, overtaking common sense.

He has to see Midoriya, even if it's only for one last time.

Shouto reaches the edge of the forest only moments later. Choking on his own breaths, he sets down in the cover of the trees. He doesn't have nearly enough experience to use any other magic besides for his element, but there is nothing but open clearing all the way to the slew of small houses that marks Midoriya's village. He can only guess how the humans would react to him charging in so suddenly. None of them look good. He's still desperate though, claws tearing into the grass.

Shouto doesn't know how long he stands there, trying to convince himself of one choice or another. He can't take that one step that would let him leave the forest and take him to Midoriya.

"I don't understand, how can- how can I hate my own son? B-but his face, the shifting; sometimes Shouto looks just like him. He's human but not, and I can hardly stand it anymore."

Will the humans attack him? Even if there is supposed to be peace between the different races, will that matter to them? Will Midoriya get in trouble for befriending someone like him?

Shouto doesn't know, he doesn't have any answers to offer. Silently, he prays for the chance that Midoriya comes sprinting down into the forest, right to where Shouto is waiting.

Except the sky is growing brighter by the moment, with Shouto's only salvation being that the sun is still hidden.

This isn't that hard though, he ran all the way here, why can't he just finish the journey?

With trembling claws, Shouto's foot nears the boundary. He can do this, he tells himself, he can do this, it's easy.

But as his foot is about to cross the threshold completely, sunlight breaks over from the horizon, spilling out onto the town and field and forest. Its brightness is Shouto's sentence, his father's warning roar, low enough so that it wouldn't reach the town, the executioner.

He debates, for a minute, the possibility of ignoring his father flits through his mind. That thought dies the instant his father roars again, insistent and already sounding annoyed. There is no such thing as denying his father and then escaping unscathed.

But Midoriya. Their tree. Their meetings. All of that just disappears if Shouto lowers his head to his father's will right now.

His foot is still trembling, just across the boundary now, but Shouto can't force himself to go any further than this. Not with the fear and uncertainty that surrounds interacting with humans besides for Midoriya.

Shouto turns, running back into the forest. He isn't running to his father though. He doesn't know exactly where this new idea of his came from, but it is the much-needed compromise Shouto hadn't known he'd been searching for.

By the time Shouto reaches their tree, he is breathless. As he walks towards the tree's bark, Shouto apologizes to it in his head. There is nothing else that Shouto can really do though, so this is a necessary sacrifice.

He raises his left forelimb, one claw outstretched. With the narrowing of his eyes, the claw is covered in a small flame. Shouto traces it against the bark, wincing as smoke drifts up, acrid and cloying. This beautiful and ancient tree doesn't deserve this treatment; and all Shouto can give in return for this travesty is the hope that Midoriya will see his hasty message and somehow understand.

His writing skills, unused since he lived with his mother, are barely legible. That's all Shouto needs though, and he is finished far sooner than he would have liked. Still, his father's third roar pierces his ears, annoyance having drifted into anger, and Shouto must go.

He turns without a second glance. Because if he looks around now, he's bound to do something he'll regret. The flap of his wings whisks the last of the smoke away, leaving only the smoldering message behind.

sorry

Izuku wakes to the birds chirping outside his window. With a grin, he hops out of bed, his night gown clinging to his legs. The nightgown is technically too big for him, but his mum likes to get clothes that he can grow into, or at least that's what she says.

At least Izuku can blame it on the nightgown when he faceplants the moment he steps outside his room.

"Izuku, are you okay?" His mum calls immediately, already worried.

"I'm fine." Izuku says back, brushing off his bruised knees, as well as his pride. It could have been worse, Izuku reasons with himself, far, far worse.

As he tries his best to reach the kitchen without falling again, Izuku takes the time to glance around.

Their house isn't large by any means. It is simply built, with only cheap wood floors and staggered brick walls. Getting anything better took magic, something that his mum can't afford. It's the only home Izuku has known though, and he loves the worn, scratchy walls with all his heart.

Izuku walks into their small kitchen, smelling the enticing scent of freshly cooked breakfast. The cooking fire is still burning, but his mum puts it out with a whispered spell and a simple motion of moving a bit of water over it. Its dying sizzle and wisps of smoke are nothing strange to Izuku, and he holds his nose against the now bitter stench.

"It should clear out soon, the windows are open. It always does have such a smell though." His mum tuts, shaking her head. "If only I was able to hold some wind run- never mind. We manage just fine, right Izuku?"

"Yeah." Izuku replies, as he is expected to. But he had heard his mum's stutter. He doesn't hold anything against her, but it still hurts whenever she skirts around the topic of magic runes. It's like she's afraid he'll break down again, when it's really the opposite; all Izuku wants to do is be a hero, with or without runes. It would be nice to hear that from his mum though.

Regardless, breakfast disappears down his throat quickly, scarfed down even faster at the prospect of returning to the forest. Todoroki had said that he should have the morning free today. Izuku will be able to avoid running into Kacchan first thing in the morning.

After his breakfast is gone, Izuku races back to his room to change. He apologizes after his mother gives a startled "Izuku!"

He slips on a simple green shirt, pale green with a few tatters in it. Pants follow it, the legs cuffing around Izuku's knee. The shorts are filled with various pockets. They're Izuku's favorite, worn around the edges and having a few holes of their own. He's found too many treasures to count though, so much so that his room is overflowing with them. A gem he found lying in the streets once, a feather from some unknown bird, a branch from his favorite tree, he even has one of Todoroki's scales- that one had been taken with permission, and it had been one that Todoroki had shed.

Izuku doesn't bother with shoes, as usual, and speedily walks to the front door.

"Izuku, why are you going out so early? Are you and Katsuki doing something?" His mum's voice is soft, but her gaze is searching from where she cleans up breakfast's leftovers.

"Y-yeah, it's only for the m-morning so I have to go now!" Izuku opens the door faster than he should have, but by the time its shut his mum hasn't had enough time to directly question it. Izuku hates lying to his mum, but she won't believe him if he told her he found a dragon- technically dragonet if Izuku is remembering it right- in the woods, apparently only living with his dad.

Todoroki isn't bad though, just a little awkward and distant at times. Besides, Izuku is learning more with Todoroki than he could ever learn from the tiny library in their town. He's already read every book that he could get his hands on, especially since his mum is a scribe there.

Just before Izuku is about to break the edge of the town, a cry stops him.

"Hey! C'mon Bakugou, that's my brother's!"

Izuku knew the boy talking, someone who had gotten runes for expanding his skin. Most of the town considers them to be rather useless, especially when taking in the fact that the boy isn't compatible with any other runes yet. But honestly, it's not a bad ability, Izuku wonders is the magic applies to only skin, or down to muscles and bones as well. It could really be-

Izuku is getting off track, looking between the safety of the forest and where Kacchan is hurting someone. The choice is obvious.

Izuku darts forward, following the sound of the enraged cries and whimpers until he finds the source. Kacchan and his friends are standing a distance away from the other boy. Kacchan is grinning, runes displayed proudly on his upturned palms.

"You're the one who wanted to fight. So, fight me loser!" Kacchan snarls, sparks dancing above his hands.

"Kacchan!" Before Kacchan can move any closer, Izuku puts himself between Kacchan and the boy- now Izuku feels a little bad he doesn't know the boy's name but there's nothing he can do about it. "Y-you shouldn't pick on others j-just 'cause they aren't as s-strong."

"What? Is the useless Deku going to stop me?" Kacchan steps forward, grinning ferally. "I'd like to see you try."

"P-please Kacchan," Izuku can't stop his hands from trembling, even as they clench into fists and rise to protect his face. He's up against Kacchan though, and he's been beaten down enough times to know where this is going to go. "nobody has to get hurt."

Then Izuku doesn't have time to think because Kacchan is lunging towards him and Izuku must once again deal with the fact that he has to somehow block explosive punches, but he can't because then he'll get burned.

And Izuku tries, he tries his hardest to win. He can't last against Kacchan forever, and soon the fight turns into little more than a merciless beatdown on Kacchan's half. Izuku blocks it out as best he can, with his arms wrapped over his head and his eyes screwed shut. At least the pain dulls after a while, becoming a distant sensation rather than something immediate. That might not be a good thing too.

Kacchan gets tired after a while, leaving Izuku on the ground with his injuries. As soon as their voices become a distant murmur, Izuku dares to unwrap his arms. He gingerly sits up, still sniffling and whimpering as the movement aggravates- well, just about everywhere.

Izuku looks behind him, and with a dazed surprise, realizes the boy Izuku had rushed in to defend is still there. The boy has a few scrapes and bruises, most likely from Kacchan's friends since there aren't any burns accompanying them.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asks, a shaky, but toothy grin lighting his face.

The boy is not impressed. "If you really want to help, maybe find someone with runes instead of…" the boy crinkles his nose in disgust "…you."

"Oh." Izuku says, looking at the ground.

"Whatever." The boy stalks off, muttering angrily.

Izuku kind of feels like curling into a ball and not moving for the rest of the day. But then he remembers Todoroki, and a little bit of the weight comes off his shoulders. Todoroki could help him with the burns- because there is no way Izuku could ever come back to his mum looking like this without worrying her to death- and Izuku would get the chance to enjoy more time with Todoroki.

Mind already set, Izuku gets to his feet, only wobbling a little bit. He slips out to the forest with ease, navigating the web of faint magic. For some reason the barriers that have been erect for years don't seem nearly as strong now. Izuku can't really focus on finding an explanation right now though, not when their tree is so close and Izuku is so tired.

Once the familiar tree comes into sight, Izuku sighs in relief. His eyes are flickering shut already, and by the time he curls up against the tree the pain has already been replaced with weariness. Izuku hardly registers anything before he slips into sleep, least of which being the blackened scrawl carved into the tree's bark.

When Izuku wakes up, the sun is far past midway in the sky, and he has a small infestation of birds and flies that have gathered around him. He shoos them away, yawning.

"Todoroki?" Izuku calls, wondering if his friend is simply hiding from him. One look at the sun makes his hear plummet though. Todoroki had probably come by earlier and hadn't wanted to wake Izuku up, now there is no chance of them hanging out, at least not for today.

Izuku looks around, stopping when he looks at their tree, his eyes narrowing.

"Sorry?" Izuku says, hands tracing the messy writing that has shown up on the tree. "What for?" Izuku assumes that Todoroki did this, although it seems a little much just for not waking Izuku up.

The burns and scrapes littering Izuku's body have their own voices though, sending sharp stabs of pain. Izuku will have to deal with those before he goes back home. As he goes out into the forest to look for the plants he'll need, he hopes that he sees Todoroki tomorrow.

But then tomorrow comes, and Izuku spends almost the entire day in the forest with no sign of Todoroki.

Then the day after gives Izuku the same results. As does the day after it, and the day after that.

All Izuku can do is repeat the word Todoroki left behind. All Izuku can do is hope that he hasn't been abandoned.

He loses his hope after two weeks have passed. Izuku comes back to see only that same word waiting for him at their tree, body supporting new burns, and collapses into a ball of tears.

Somehow this is worse than Kacchan ever could be.

Todoroki coughs, a bit of blood staining the rocky and barren grounds of his 'home' as he does. This place never seems to run out of rocks, or lava for that matter. A stream of it trickles by a distance away, giving a soft glow.

Endeavor- not his father, Endeavor would never be any sort of father to Shouto- watches him with an upturned lip.

"Shake it off. We both know you should be getting much worse for running away. Again." Endeavor snarls, his flames roaring with new strength. "Not to mention this stupid rebellious streak you've taken on. It's ridiculous. You are much better staying true to your nature."

"Like you?" Shouto huffs, not bothering to hide the anger seeping into his words.

"Better than me. Better than every weak and miserable piece of flesh that dares to walk the world alongside you. You will surpass them all. Starting with All Might." Endeavor's flames turn blue, creating another wave of heat that washes over Shouto.

"I'll be stronger than you." Todoroki affirms, his wings flaring outwards.

Endeavor leers over him. "Not without using fire you won't."

"I don't need your fire to win. I never will." Shouto stares, unflinching even as Endeavor draws in a breath. Shouto is quick enough now to jump away when the flames come pouring out of Endeavor's jaws.

"That's hubris Shouto. Ice can never beat fire on its own." Endeavor stomps towards him, animalistic paws digging into the terrain like its sand and not solid stone. "Combine them however… and then you have a masterpiece."

Shouto bares his teeth, steadying his wings for flight despite their protests against the motions.

"You think you can fly with those kinds of burns on your wings? I don't know when you became so arrogant." Endeavor sits, waving a wing dismissively. "What are you waiting for then? Try and fly away and see how far you get this time."

Shouto considers it for a moment before folding his wings back in. He barely suppresses a sigh of relief as he does, but he isn't willing to give Endeavor the satisfaction.

"I'll keep running; one of these days I am bound to make it."

"And what? Live in hiding?" His father snorts out smoke and ash. "You're a dragon. You were made for greatness. You will never be able hide."

"The world is a big place, I heard some of the other kingdoms are very hard to navigate." Shout draws himself up, standing tall against the glare leveled at him.

Endeavor goes silent, tilting his head as he peers at Shouto. Something in Shouto's stomach drops when a fearsome smile curls its way across the flame-outlined face.

"What about your mother?"

Shouto growls, ice spiking up on the ground, only to start melting immediately. "You wouldn't just abandon her, would you?"

"Don't bring mother into this." Shouto snaps, and Endeavor's grin grows even sharper. "You don't care about her, you never did."

"You know how I feel about that sad excuse for a woman."

"Don't talk about her like that."

"I'll talk about her however I want." In a single motion, Endeavor is crouching over Shouto, flames mere breaths away from Shouto's eye. "I like a little bite from you, it makes this project more interesting. But don't go off thinking you have any say over my actions. If you ever leave there is no telling what might happen to your mother."

"You- you don't know where she is. You left her behind when you took me to the cave. You can't touch her- you can't." Shouto feels hollow now, his scar tingling with suppressed energy.

"My monthly donation of gold is the only thing she's surviving on. Unless those useless siblings of yours actually managed to get jobs. Humans aren't fond of half-breeds from what I hear." Endeavor leans closer, the edge of his snout touching Todoroki's. "I'd hate to have to cut her off, but to help look for my poor, lost son, I would have to."

"You- you wouldn't- you…" Todoroki splutters out, trying to grasp any sort of way to call this as just a bluff, a scare tactic and nothing more. Endeavor doesn't work like that though. Endeavor is straightforward and brutal, using anything at his dispense to get the advantage. Using Shouto's mother as leverage would be no different than brushing a fly off his scales.

"Understand?" Endeavor growls before backing away, giving Shouto the room he hadn't known he needed to just breathe. "I expect you to be at our normal training spot as soon as the sun goes down."

Shouto looks up to see the sun already halfway sunken below the horizon. He sits down, taking as much time as he could to relax and ice over the wounds that are still stinging.

Endeavor leaves without another word, presumably to go brag to his friends here about how he had 'reigned in his wayward son, and the struggles he went through with Shouto.' It's all one big game, an elaborate farce.

This 'homeland' of Endeavor's has been a 4-year long nightmare, one that Shouto can't see the end of. As always when he gets sentimental like this, his mind flickers back to Midoriya, of their tree and bright smiles, and of the shoddy goodbye Shouto had given his friend. Midoriya had deserved better, and surely the boy hates Shouto by now, or doesn't bother to remember him.

Shouto is fine though, or at least he will be eventually. He won't be like his father, in any shape or form. Hell, he'd do everything as a human if he could find out how to.

He doesn't know how to, at least not yet. But he will. One day he will.

Izuku sighs, picking up his now scorched notebook off the dusty ground outside of the school. The title, 'Magic Analysis For The Future #13" is barely legible anymore, and half the pages are burnt around the edges, if not more. Izuku should be thankful that most of information he had poured hours of research and observation into is still intact at all, but all he feels is a numbness spreading from his chest until he can't even feel his fingers anymore.

"You wanna get in a guild like Yuuei shitty Deku? Try dying and hope that you get some runes in the next life."

Izuku's shoulders feel heavy as they tremble. Placing the notebook back in the small pack that holds the rest of his school supplies, Izuku tries to wipe away the tears streaming down his cheeks without success.

His shoulders stay hunched on his walk home, where despite his best efforts to stay positive, he can't shut out the cries of useless, magicless, and weakling that bounce around his skull, engraving themselves into his mind as they always did.

So lost in his own head, he hardly notices the townspeople walking around him, save, until he runs straight into one.

"Oh- I'm sorry! Let me help you- ah- you- you're bleeding!" Izuku is left fumbling as his hands try to find a good place to steady the frail man he has basically just shoved to the ground.

"Don't worry my boy, the blood is quite normal for me, although I can see how that wouldn't be comforting." The man smiles at Izuku, showing off just how hollow his cheeks are. The man gets up on his feet unassisted though, his rather fancy looking robes holding no traces of dirt. "I can assure you that I am fine. It will take more than a fall to bring me down."

"T-That's good…" Izuku trails off, both distracted by the way the man brushes off the blood on his hand- the blood that was trickling out of a scratch that had literally come out of nowhere- and by the fact that he can't realize how he hadn't noticed this man before running into him. The magic surrounding this man is like nothing Izuku has ever felt. It shifts and contorts, instead of being rooted in one place like most other people's magic is. Regardless, its power is near overwhelming, and Izuku's hands are itching to pull out his notebook and start writing down his observations.

"My boy? Are you all right?" The man's voice snaps Izuku out of his thoughts with an embarrassing yelp. Heck- the man has even gone as far as to put one of his large hands against Izuku's forehead.

Izuku jumps backward immediately, stuttering, "Y-yes! I'm fine. Just- just got lost in thought."

The man's mess of blonde hair peaks out from under his hood as his head tilts. "Are you sure? You did look rather scared."

"I'm s-sure. I'm sorry about knocking you over." Izuku bows, making sure he at least looks sincere.

"You don't have to go that far." The man chuckles weakly, holding up his hands in a placating manner. "I'm fine, really. You can go on your way."

"I- I'm sorry again- have a nice day." Izuku bows once more before speeding away. He still can't believe he had done that. Can this day get any worse? First there's Kacchan and now that poor guy. Still, at least Izuku makes it home without another incident.

"Izuku, your school robes are burnt. Did something happen?" His mum frets over him the moment he walks through the door, a fact that warms his heart and also puts a pit in his stomach. His mum shouldn't have to worry about him so much; she wouldn't, if he had runes like every other person.

"It's nothing mum, just a little accident in class." Izuku smiles against her worrying, but it doesn't get rid of the concerned frown.

"All right." His mum says, cupping his cheek. Izuku leans into the touch slightly, nodding. As his mum turns around though, he swears that she mutters, "It better not have been that Katsuki. I don't want to have to have another talk with Mitsuki."

Izuku puts his stuff down in his room, and takes all of two seconds to deliberate his options before taking out a new notebook from his reserve stack.

"Mum, I'm going to go out to the forest. Is that okay?" Izuku asks as he walks out of his room. He had long since told his mum about his forest escapades. She had taken it surprisingly well, just grounding Izuku for a week and then making him promise to always take a bag full of protectionary items.

"Actually, I was hoping to have an early dinner. It should be done soon though, then you can go to the forest until sundown." His mum calls back, and Izuku can hear the sound of dishes moving as she shuffles through the cabinets.

"Do want any help?" Izuku offers, shoving his notebook and pen into one of the shallow pockets in his school robes.

"I don't need it." His mum reassures him. "But if you want to then I'm not going to stop you."

"I'd be happy to." Izuku shuffles into the kitchen. "What are you cooking?"

"Just some chicken, would you be a dear and get one of the carving knives? This one has quite a bit of yuck on it." His mum maneuvers the chicken onto the counter using her runes, a few pots filled with water floating around her as well.

Izuku moves to the silverware drawer, but when he reaches for the knife in question, his hand freezes.

Try dying and hope that you get some runes in the next life

Useless

Worthless

Deku

"Izuku?" Izuku jumps, putting one hand on the counter to steady himself.

"C-coming." Izuku grabs the knife with trembling hands and practically shoves it towards his mother. "Sorry, j-just got lost in thought."

"I- okay darling, just be careful, okay?" His mum cups his cheek again, and Izuku looks at the ground.

"I will."

The rest of dinner goes pretty well. The chicken comes out of the fire tasting delicious, as do the vegetables and fruit. They have some white rice on the side too, and by the end of it Izuku is stuffed.

"Thank you for dinner."

His mum waves him off. "Izuku, you always say that, really, there's no need for it. Besides, you cooked half of it yourself."

Izuku's face heats up slightly. "Still."

"You're too sweet. Now go off to the forest while there's still some light out. I have to go shopping."

"Is there a sale on night charms?" Usually his mum doesn't bother with shopping this late, not unless the marketplace is getting an influx in magical items that can only be sold once the sun is set, like lunar flowers and such.

"The rumors said so, I'm just hoping they're reliable so we can get some more glowstones. Our lamps are running low." His mum clasps her purse, tutting nervously.

"I think I know where there might be some in the forest." Izuku remarks, thinking back to the very cave where he had found Todoroki. He can still remember the soft blue glow that he had silently marveled at while rambling away to someone he only half-thought had been there.

"Really? I would have thought they'd found it by now- then again, no one I know has been able to get anywhere in that forest for a while now. Except for you of course." His mum smiles at him. "Just don't go putting yourself in danger for something as silly as glowstones."

"I won't." Izuku promises before heading out, waving one last goodbye.

The trip to the forest is quick, since the streets leading to it are mostly abandoned. The forest itself is quiet, strangely so for it being so late in the day. Izuku keeps a hand wrapped around the small dagger stashed in his bad. He isn't any sort of expert, but he's had a couple of bad run ins that have taught him some basic skills on the fly.

Izuku makes sure he doesn't go anywhere near their tree, giving it a large berth as he tries to remember the way to the cave, settled on the edge of a particularly steep hill. Of course, this hill is only vaguely visible from the edge, so Izuku has no idea just how deep into the forest this cave is.

He jots down any interesting things he sees as he goes along, ranging from some of the usual sprites interacting with one another, to a lizard that he's only seen a handful of times- that one is an exciting find, especially since Izuku thinks he had heard it speaking some form of draconian.

Sooner than he thought, Izuku is trekking up the rocky path that leads to the cave. The sun is almost touching the horizon now, so he needs to hurry. As he nears the cave though, dread builds up in his gut. Something… something doesn't feel right to him.

He sniffs the air, only to gag at the foul odor. Tiptoeing closer, Izuku breathes through his mouth as he tries to get a glimpse of whatever is giving off the feeling of decaying magic. Izuku's back is pressed up against the hillside and he steadies his nerves as best he can as he inches closer to the entrance. He dares to tilt his head around the corner, and is met with a gruesome sight.

Surrounded by glowstones, their blue glow outlining it, some monstrosity- one that will surely appear in Izuku's nightmares after this- stands, gurgling. It doesn't have a tangible form, unless one counts a black slime as tangible. Even then it can't hold any real shape, the only definable features being the mouth of curved teeth and two bloodshot eyes.

"Water… water." The thing croaks, voice hoarse, a slimy appendage shooting out to drag along the cave floor. "Where- water."

Izuku leans away instinctively, only to dislodge a few pebbles from the cave wall. Helpless to stop them, time seems to slow down for Izuku as they fall, smacking against the ground and rolling away.

The moment they hit, the creature turns at speeds Izuku wouldn't have imagined possible. Izuku finds himself shaking as its eyes bounce frantically around before landing on him.

"…water." The creature smiles, and that's all it takes for Izuku to turn and sprint, jumping down from rock to rock, ignoring the path. All he can hear is the sickening sound of liquid slapping against the ground as the creature presumably gave chase. Izuku is trying to think of anything that could help him. The creature's only weak points are probably its eyes and mouth, so he knows where to aim. Fire would probably be effective, but there's nothing in his bag to start a fire with. He has his dagger, but he doubts that he'll get a chance to use it face to face.

Something slimy wraps around his leg, interrupting his thoughts and sending him face first into the dirt. The slime stings as it creeps up his leg, and Izuku is gasping in fear, eyes blown wide.

"Water." The creature is still smiling, pulling itself closer to Izuku, He tries to stand up and run, but is yanked to the ground before he can get anywhere.

Frantically, he digs a weak acid out of his bag and flings it at the creature. With an ungodly shriek, the thing recoils.

"Water. Need water." The thing hisses, lunging at Izuku once more, this time managing to wrap around both his arm and head. Izuku pulls more, but the slime sticks like he isn't pulling at all.

Izuku chokes as the slime suddenly slides down to cover his face. He can't see. He can't breathe. An even deeper panic starts to set in as Izuku realizes that he's going to die here, swallowed up by whatever this thing is.

Izuku struggles, he thrashes as hard as he can. He pulls and cuts through slime in jerky motions, but nothing is working. More and more, he can feel himself slipping closer to unconsciousness as his lungs start to burn for air he can't reach.

"I am here!" A booming voice rings out, and Izuku wants to cry in relief- he probably would if he could.

A wave of magic washes over Izuku and the creature, peeling away the creature's grasp on Izuku's skin. Izuku doesn't see much of what happens next, to busy coughing out the residue slime still in his mouth. But he does hear the creature's final wail as it disappears- or is killed- Izuku doesn't know which.

As Izuku's breaths finally even out, a reassuring hand pats his back. Izuku can't help but freeze at the sudden touch, and the voice asks, "Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah. Thank…" Izuku loses all ability to function as he turns to face his savior, because there, just as he has been described by every person Izuku has ever asked, stands All Might. He's positively a giant, but his trademark smile is still on his face. Tears are streaming down Izuku's face before he can stop them, and All Might looks alarmed.

"My boy, are you sure you're fine?" He asks, and Izuku furrows his brows despite the tears. Where has he…?

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Izuku had- the old man from earlier was. Their magic felt the exact same- it couldn't be a coincidence.

"All Might!" Izuku yelps, jumping back.

"Ah- I can see how that would be a surprise. But yes, it is I, All Might." All Might says with a quick bow. And did Izuku just meet All Might? Half of him is wondering when he's going to wake up from this nightmare turned dream.

"Wha- how- why?" Izuku splutters out, wiping away the last of his tears.

"I was looking to see if a comrade was here, this cave was where the last sighting of him were rumored to be, so I was hoping he'd still be in that cave. Regardless, I am glad that I came so that you could be saved."

"What was that t-thing?" Izuku asks, sitting on his knees.

"Corrupt water sprite. Nasty things to deal with." All Might explains, rising to his feet and offering Izuku a hand. Gingerly, Izuku takes it, eyes blowing wide when All Might picks him up like he was nothing but a baby.

Now standing on his feet and with a little more control over his racing thoughts, Izuku bows as low as he can. "Th-thank you for saving me. And I am sorry about earlier. Can I please have you sign my notebook?"

"I am happy to help anyone in need, and I would be just as happy to sign your notebook." Izuku could die now, at this moment, on the spot, and he would be fine with it. All Might was signing his notebook. All Might was signing his notebook!

Izuku almost trips over himself with how quickly he pulls his notebook and pen out of his pocket, shoving them towards All Might. "T-thank you again."

"It was no trouble." All Might assures him. "Although," All Might pauses from where he had been about to sign, blue eyes boring into Izuku. "I do have to wonder what you were apologizing about."

"Oh!" Izuku exclaims, slumping. "Oh- that- ha- it's just, I think I might have run you over in the street earlier. Not while you look like this- but you were skinnier- kind of like a skeleton if I'm being honest."

"Hm?" All Might hums, and Izuku starts to panic.

"Well, not like a skeleton skeleton, you know? Your cheeks were really hollow and I think some blood just kind of popped up out of nowhere- I felt really bad about it and now I definitely feel worse about it. Of course! If that's like your secret identity or anything you don't have to worry about me telling anyone- at least on purpose because that just wouldn't be polite or even safe-"

"My boy," All Might puts a hand on his shoulder, and Izuku jumps, shutting his mouth immediately. "it's fine as long as I can trust you not to go telling the entire town about this. I assume you already know what it would do to my reputation, and therefore the safety of this kingdom."

"I know." Izuku has grown up on stories about All Might's feats, and on tales of current adventures. He knows how All Might is known across the whole kingdom, more than any other mage past or present. People believe in him, just like Izuku does. "I swear I won't tell anyone. Nobody would believe me anyways."

"You'd be surprised on how word spreads." All Might's smile turns sad, almost bitter, and Izuku desperately wants to ask about the reason behind it. "But for future experience, what gave me away."

"Your magic." Izuku answers immediately, and All Might tilts his head. "It moves, but everyone else's magic stays in place. You and the man had the same type of magic."

"You… you can sense magic to that degree?"

"I- um- can't everyone?" Izuku narrows his eyes, because he's never heard anyone describe magic in the way he can feel it, but he can't even support runes, why would he be able to feel magic differently from the people who could actually use it?

"My boy, if you can really tell the difference between people's magic, you have an incredible ability. I can only imagine how powerful your runes are." All Might's smile has turned bright once more, and Izuku can only feel his insides crumbling. He almost doesn't want to tell All Might at all, but Izuku won't lie to his idol like that.

"Actually- can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, although we may want to start heading back afterwards."

Izuku sucks in a breath, then lets it out, clenching his fists. "All Might, can someone- can someone who can't hold runes become a hero- become a mage like you?"

"I-" All Might looks around, sighing. "I can't say that you can, not when you don't have access to your own brand of magic. But being a hero doesn't mean being a mage. Healers save others with potions constantly, and knights protect the ruling council and the kingdom from threats of war. You can look into one of those if you want to be a hero."

Izuku almost wishes he would wake up now, but the breeze picking at his skin tells him that this is all, all too real. He can feel himself shaking, but he can't find anything to say.

A part of him feels like he shouldn't have expected anything different.

Feel free to ask or comment on anything! Criticism is absolutely wanted! I want to improve my writing as best I can.