Once more, I put an AN at the beginning.

Look,y'all, I've been working on this chapter since before no.17 was posted. It hasn't been cooperative. That's all.

Another couple days passed, fairly uneventfully. Asui, Uraraka, Kirishima, Light, Kaminari, and Tokoyami all came by in varying combinations to visit, staying for a couple hours before departing.

Todoroki didn't come back.

Izuku, butterflies roiling through his stomach, sent Todoroki the occasional text message. Shallow affairs, usually, just talking about their days (I got out of bed and didn't collapse!) and Izuku sending (and explaining) memes to Todoroki.

After about a week, Izuku was deemed well enough to come back to school.

"The same day Aizawa is coming back, too!" Recovery Girl said, planting a gentle kiss on her charge's brow to heal the last few cracks. Izuku smiled at the old woman.

"I'm gonna miss this, Recovery Girl."

She snorted. "I won't."

The next Monday, Izuku had barely made it inside the school gates when- -

"Dekuuuuuuuu!"

- -something slammed into his midsection, knocking the wind out of him. Strong arms wrapped around him, and for a brief moment, Izuku had a horrible mental image of being popped like a zit.

"H-hi, Uraraka."

The short girl peeled off of his chest, gently booping him on the nose. "Why didn't you say you were coming back today?"

Izuku tried not to laugh at the faux-scolding expression his friend was struggling to keep on. Behind her, he could see Yaoyorozu and Ashido walking across the front lawn towards him. Kaminari walked by with a nod and a muttered "'sup Midoriya."

"Well, uh," Izuku began, awkwardly scratching the back of his head- -never thought I'd miss being able to scratch myself- -as Uraraka turnt to keep walking into the school, "I've, uh, I. . .must've forgotten about it."

Uraraka harrumphed as the pair made their way through the crowded hallways. "Blah blah blah."

"I really did!" Izuku protested. They arrived at their homeroom and made their way to their seats, Izuku waving at and greeting his classmates for the first time in nearly a month. "I'm on so many different pain medications, I don't even remember my name half the time!"

He took his seat, next to Todoroki, who was already there. Todoroki turned and smiled briefly at him.

"Hey."

"H-hey, Todoroki," Izuku said, smiling broadly. "What's up?"

Todoroki shrugged, an elegant wave of his shoulders. "Missed you this morning, apparently."

Izuku smiled and held out his fist. Todoroki stared at his hand for a moment before laughing and bumping it gently.

"Good to have you back, Midoriya."

"G-good to be back."

For just the briefest second, Todoroki held his fist there, before pulling it back and folding his hands atop his desk. He sat back in his seat, looking about as relaxed as Izuku figured he could.

The rest of the class filtered in, stopping by to greet Izuku, and just before the bell rang, Mr. Aizawa entered. Although he wasn't wrapped in his sleeping-bag, which Izuku found odd.

"Calm down. It's just me," he said, shuffling to the front of the room. A large, pale scar scythed across his face, from just beneath his left eye to his right jaw. "I'm sure you're all thrilled that Mic won't be subbing anymore. Midoriya is back too. Good job not dying, Midoriya."

Izuku snorted out a laugh. "Thank you, sir."

He could've sworn he saw the corners of Aizawa's mouth tick upwards for a brief moment. "Now, onto business. Yaoyorozu, Asui, Midoriya, Bakugou, Todoroki, Mineta, Kirishima, come see me after school. Also the Sports Festival is in three weeks."

The murmur that had rippled through the class when he'd called several students- -the students who had fought against the League of Villains- -only intensified when he announced the Sports Festival.

"Oh shit," Izuku said quietly to Uraraka, leaning back, "I'd almost forgotten about that!"

"Wonder why," Asui muttered behind him. Izuku and Uraraka giggled, and Todoroki smiled briefly.

"Shut up."

As Aizawa spoke, the class instantly hushed, staring at the teacher intently.

"The Sports Festival will be one of the biggest events UA puts on this year, to demonstrate the skill and powers of our freshman classes. You will all be going through brutal, awful training in order to prepare. Drop out now if that scares you. Class dismissed."

Finished with his ominous speech, Aizawa pulled his sleeping-bag from under his desk, unrolled it, crawled inside, and began snoring.

The class instantly erupted with conversation- -Iida and Aoyama yelling at one another, Kaminari and Mineta with their heads down conferring, Bakugou bellowing at everyone in sight. Izuku gulped, running a hand through his messy hair. "This is intense."

"You cried because of a class president election," Asui said quietly, "and honestly? This is, like, about a third as intense as I expected."

"Nobody's dead yet," Uraraka said brightly.

Todoroki snorted. "Yet."

Izuku furrowed his brows and turned to stare at Todoroki. Todoroki caught his eye and quirked his brow. "What?"

Izuku reached up and dug a finger into his ear. "Todoroki Shouto, was that...a joke?"

Todoroki's mouth opened and closed a few times in rapid succession. "I- -"

"Hoooly shit," Kirishima said, his voice bubbling at the edges, "it was! A for-real, on-purpose joke! Good job, buddy!"

Kirishima slapped Todoroki on the back. Todoroki's eyes widened briefly at the sudden contact- -Izuku could swear he heard his breath catch for a moment over the din of the crowd- -but as the moment passed, the bell rang overhead. The class, some members still embroiled in melee combat, shuffled into the hallway.

After a particularly weird English lesson with Present Mic- -who insisted that he be allowed to perform an original song he'd written about Izuku called "Holy Shit, Kid"- -Izuku trudged to the cafeteria. He wasn't really choosing to trudge, though; it was the weight and exhaustion of returning to school, particularly a high-intensity school like UA, while also hopped up on a Missouri trailer park's worth of painkillers. So focused was he on simply putting one foot ahead of the other, he didn't see the immovable object up ahead until he bounced off of it.

"Oh!" He stumbled back, shaking his head to clear it, "I'm sorry, I- -"

"Deku."

"I- -" Izuku sighed. "Kacchan."

Bakugou Katsuki glared down at him, nostrils flaring. "Watch it, punk."

Izuku sighed again, more deeply. "'Punk'? Really?"

Bakugou growled, an honest-to-God growl deep in his throat. "You're gettin' a lotta attention lately. But you better. Watch. It."

Bakugou stepped forward, looming over Izuku, tiny sparks popping on his fingertips. "Because I'm gonna win the fuck outta that Sports Festival."

Izuku, dreary, gaped up. "Oh my God. You're psychotic."

Another growl- -a snarl- -animalistic. He jabbed a finger into Izuku's chest, above his heart. "What'd you- -"

Another hand, a stronger hand, suddenly wrapped around his right elbow. Izuku was tugged backwards. He found himself staring at the back of a head, half-and-half, red and white.

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself."

The voice was steady. Almost contemptuous. Izuku rolled his eyes. "Todoroki- -"

"I'm tired of you, Bakugou." Todoroki hadn't listened. Or he didn't care.

"'I'm tired of you, Bakugou'", Bakugou said, mockingly, his voice pitched annoyingly high, "Am I supposed to care, half-n-half? Get outta my way, I'm talkin' to Deku."

"No." Todoroki stepped back again, alongside Izuku. His hand wrapped Izuku's elbow again. "You aren't."

Todoroki tugged on Izuku's arm, almost dragging the shorter boy behind him into the crowd. Izuku faintly heard Bakugou yelling, but the haze in his head from the drugs, the roar of the crowd pulsing down the hallway, and the haze in his head from the hand on his arm combined to drown the words out.

"Why do you let him do that?"

Todoroki sounded furious. Izuku licked his lips, running a hand through his hair. "I- -whar?"

"Stop you in the hallway and threaten you. Call you names in class. Try and blow you up during training."

Izuku sighed. "It's complicated- -"

"When are you going to stop? Or stop him?"

They entered the cafeteria, Todoroki's hand still fixed firmly on Izuku's arm. Izuku glanced down at it.

"Well, I...I'm working on it. On proving myself to him. Prove that I can be a hero, and be strong, like him."

Todoroki practically screeched as he stopped, his face flushing red. "You don't have shit to prove to Bakugou. He's a violent, egotistical bully. You're- -you're. . ."

Teeth clenched on his lower lip, Todoroki glanced down at Izuku. "You're not. That. You're...good."

His racing, out-of-control heart slowed. Izuku stared at Todoroki. "Gee, thanks," He said, drolly, "nice to know you don't think I'm an egotistical violent bully."

"That's a joke, right?"

"Mostly," Izuku said, pulling his arm from Todoroki's grasp as they approached their lunch table. Asui and Kirishima were already there, eating and laughing at something on Asui's phone

"Hey guys," Asui said, nodding at them. Izuku waved back. "What's up?"

"N-nothing!" Izuku said. Todoroki stared and him and shrugged. The pair sat, as Uraraka appeared behind them with her lunch.

"Hi!"

"H-hey Uraraka."

The table was quiet for a few minutes, as Izuku and Todoroki got their lunches and everybody ate. Kirishima, who ate like a starving shark with a tapeworm, finished first and leaned back in his seat, hands behind his head.

"So...how 'bout that Sports Festival?"

"Oh god," Izuku groaned, "not this again. Please."

"Why not?" Asui asked, bulbous eyes boring into Izuku.

"Because Bakugou stopped him in the hallway to threaten him about it," Todoroki said dryly, slurping a noodle. Uraraka gasped and slapped the table.

"He did what."

"H-he, uh ," Izuku's brain was melting. His knees were weak. His palms were sweaty. Kirishima had paused mid-swallow and was staring at him. They were all staring at him.

"Yep." Todoroki shook his head.

"I'm sorry. Deku," Uraraka said, laying her hand on Izuku's shoulder. "That's..not cool."

"No," Izuku said, staring at Todoroki, "not at all cool."

Todoroki's eyes slid over, briefly glancing at Izuku. Izuku stared back, trying to focus through the fog wrapped around his brain.

"So..." Uraraka said, clapping her hands together, "what do you guys think Aizawa wants with you?"

Izuku kept staring at Todoroki. "Not cool."

Todoroki sighed, brushing a strand of red hair out of his eyes. "Probably going to berate us for saving his life against those villains."

Kirishima snorted. "Honestly. 'Hrnnng I'm very disappointed please die in a hole.'"

"That was a terrible Aizawa impression."

"Then you do a better one, Tsu!"

"'The school is making me punish you for fighting the villains even though it was the right thing to do. Sit down and be quiet for an hour.'"

"Okay, so it was technically better, but you're lacking that...that..."

"I'm not..." Izuku said. His eyes had stayed on Todoroki as he watched Kirishima and Tsu bicker. A flush crept up his neck. "I'm. Not...helpless, Todoroki."

A silence fell over the table. Todoroki slowly turned to look at Izuku. "When did I say you were?"

"Earlier. Like five minutes ago. You swooped in to save me from big bad Bakugou. I..." he clenched his fists, "I don't need your help. I can handle Bakugou myself!"

"Deku," Uraraka said, leaning across the table, "you're stressed, calm down."

Todoroki's mouth opened and closed a couple times.

"I..." Izuku searched his brain for the words again, as the fog grew thicker. He'd had to take more medicine halfway through the day and he wasn't used to actually doing things while on it. "I can handle him."

"Then do it," Todoroki snapped, standing up suddenly and walking away. Izuku, shocked, watched him walk away, not even staring at his butt this time. When he'd gone, Izuku turned back around.

"I'm an asshole."

"Yep."

"Not helping, Tsu."

After the final bell rang, Izuku made his way back to Aizawa's classroom, hands shoved deep into his pockets, shame running hot and cold through his body. Truthfully, he had zero idea why he'd snapped at Todoroki like that. He just...he couldn't think. He couldn't think right. He felt every blow and claw from the Nomu again, throbbing through his body.

Todoroki had been there to save him from Nomu too.

Izuku sighed deeply. "What a cock I've been."

"Yea."

If Izuku had had a Flight Quirk, he would've taken off. As it was, he merely jumped about a foot in the air, before whipping around. Tsu was walking beside him. Had maybe been walking beside him for a while.

"You really were a cock," she said calmly, her bulbous eyes digging into Izuku's very soul, "but not a big one."

"I regret my phrasing."

Tsu shrugged as they kept walking. "I mean, really, it's not that big a deal. Just apologize to him."

"I..." Izuku sighed again. "I'm not used to it. I spent my whole life in Kacchan's orbit, so being the bad guy is new."

"You're barely a bad guy. More like a rude guy, at worst."

He snorted. "Yeah, I guess."

The pair rounded the corner and entered the classroom. The others were still standing in a semicircle around Aizawa's desk, Mineta standing on Kirishima's shoulder like a demented parrot. As they entered, Aizawa grunted.

"Finally. Let's get this over with."

Tsu and Izuku walked down and stood on the end of the line, by Yaoyorozu and Todoroki. Todoroki glanced at Izuku briefly before looking away.

"So. I'm gonna make this quick. You all did very well, fighting those villains. Very brave, very skilled. Unfortunately, very stupid. You're all in detention, effective tomorrow. Report here after school, we'll be working on some things that need done. Okay, get out."

The group stood there for a brief moment, glancing at one another. Aizawa stared at them for a few seconds, before rolling his eyes. "Leave. Go. Shoo," he said, gesturing at the door, "do you understand what I'm saying? With my mouth? At you?"

The students departed swiftly, Bakugou storming out first, followed by Yaoyorozu, who waved a quick goodbye to the others. Izuku left with Kirishima and Tsu, leaving Todoroki and Mineta trailing behind. Izuku could faintly hear Mineta behind him, chattering away to Todoroki about girls.

Heh...hopefully he isn't interested, Izuku thought, half desperately and half dryly.

As they walked out of the school's front doors, Izuku stopped. Tsu and Kirishima turned to him, but he waved them on. "Go. I gotta...gotta do. Do a thing."

Kirishima snorted and Tsu rolled her eyes. "Alright then," she said.

"See ya Midoriya!"

"Bye, Tsu. Bye, Kirishima."

The pair of them departed, discussing what their detentions with Aizawa would entail. Meanwhile, Izuku remained by the door, drumming his fingers against the cement wall. His leg twitched a little bit, and he ground his heel into the dirt in reply.

Why the hell are you suddenly so slow?

As Izuku was beginning to consider leaving, Todoroki emerged from the building, glancing over his shoulder. He walked past Izuku, running a hand through his hair.

"Where's Mineta?"

At the sound of Izuku's voice, Todoroki jumped, his feet nearly leaving the paved path. He rounded, frost beginning to creep up his arm.

"Whoa, hey!," Izuku said, stepping back, "Just me!"

Todoroki stared at him for a moment as the ice receded.

There was another long, awkward moment.

"Sorry for- -"

"I didn't mean to scare you-"

"overreacting"

"I thought you'd"

"I..."

"seen me."

"No."

They stared at each other for a moment, Todoroki with his lips pursed, Izuku with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders back, and took a step towards Todoroki.

"Look, I-I'm sorry. For snapping at you earlier. You were just...trying to help."

"I did help."

Hands clenched into fists, he stepped forward again, drawing even with the taller boy. "Maybe I didn't need your help."

"Really? Because it looked like you were letting Bakugou terrorize you, again, and not doing a damn thing about it."

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but Todoroki continued, his voice flat.

"You let him beat up on you and mock you and hurt you all the time, and the only thing you ever say is that you want to be stronger and prove yourself to him like he deserves to treat you like shit because he thinks you're weak."

Todoroki took a deep breath, crossing his arms over his chest. "You are not weak. And you have nothing to prove to Bakugou Katsuki. But if you want to act like you are and you do and let him walk all over you, go for it."

He turned and walked away, shoving his hands into his pockets, leaving Izuku standing outside UA, staring at his back.

For anyone out there reading who's wondering why Iida only shows up in the background- -I've tried writing him. It doesn't work, I can't make him into a person. So I let him fade into the background as an occasional joke, and Kirishima has taken over his role.

I know the trailer park joke doesn't make sense, since Izuku is a Japanese kid who probably couldn't find Missouri on a map. That being said, I don't care. I found it funny. Also, I'm a Missouri native, so I get a pass on mocking us.

Bakugou and Mineta are the only characters in this series I will bash, and only by having them act in-character. So not really bashing, they just suck, and I will stand by that opinion.

If you enjoy my writing, please keep an eye on my page for a while; I've been having quite a few plot bunnies running around. Hope you like Harry Potter and/or Stoker's Dracula.