ACCESS GRANTED

“You got this!” You said to yourself, lifting your spirits before you made your way downstairs and into the kitchen where Shiro was waiting for you. When his eyes met yours, you watched as his gaze went from your face to your clothes while you moved to sit across from him. “Thank you for the meal, Shiro.” You said with a smile before beginning to eat the eggs on your plate. Honestly, you were expecting him to freak out, start screaming and be overdramatic about the uniform which could only confirm his worst fears but when he was quiet, you felt butterflies swarm in your stomach. Shiro focused on his food, fork gently scraping against the plate as he picked up some of his eggs with it, cheek resting in the palm of his hand, head tilted ever so slightly. The silence, minus the sounds of silverware moving against plates, was a bit suffocating.

“So you got accepted to U.A., huh?” There it was… but he sounded so calm… that worried you a little. Swallowing the food in your mouth and gently patting your lips with the cloth provided on the table, you cleared your throat.

“Um, yes. Even though I’m a week late in entering, they accepted me. It wasn’t easy though, I had to take the entrance exam in private though which was hard…” You let out a small laugh but smiled. Shiro and your mother always told you to smile. Even if things are terrible and there may not be a light at the end of the tunnel, always smile. Once your mother had unfortunately passed away, Shiro made that his motto and always told you that on your bad days. Your eyes remained on your older brother as you spoke again. “I’ll be careful if that’s what you’re worried about! I won’t fail, I’ll study every night! I’ll pay super close attention in class, and I’ll—”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Shiro cut you off, sighing softly as he put his fork aside. He wouldn’t look at you, there’s something in his expression that you know too well. There’s guilt. “I know you’ll work hard, (name). You always have. But this isn’t like elementary school or even middle school. This is a competition, there will be other teenagers who want to be a hero just like you but some of them will do anything and if that means exploiting your weaknesses then they’ll do it.” At that, you fell silent, taking in his words. You weren’t dumb, you knew he meant your scar. The looks didn’t bother you, it was when they would say something about it. Though, that was back in middle school with dumb boys who thought they were funny… if you got through that, you can get through this!

Right…?

“This—” you pointed at your cheek, "—is not a weakness, Shiro.” He looked up, finally meeting your gaze, but it was only for a minute before his eyes went to where you were pointing. The guilt became more apparent. “Was it something awful that happened? Yes. I got bullied over it in middle school, I think I can handle some mean words from my peers!” Your smile only grew as your confidence blossomed.

“I’m not only talking about your appearance, (name).” His tone was strict, but there was a softness to it. And that was a hit to below the belt. Your smile was quick to fade as it was now your turn to look down at your food. “I’m saying these things because you’re my baby sister. It’s just us against the world now, and the world has not been kind to you. I want to see you thrive, I want to watch you succeed, but I worry that maybe being a hero may not be something you should get into.” Ouch… you knew he was only saying this with good intention and concern but you had to admit…. that stung a little. “You can’t even stand close to the fireplace without freezing up. Anything with heat scares you.” You flinched at his words, a confidence that was just starting to blossom slowly sunk. He wasn’t wrong. You got anxiety being near any source of excessive heat… but you’ve started using the oven again! That’s progress! Again, the confidence rose, but higher this time.

“That’s true, but I’ve been getting better with controlling it! I can use the oven again, can’t I?!” You exclaimed with a smile, almost challenging him to throw another roadblock your way. Obviously Shiro wasn’t expecting you to slap the bait back into his face. He expected you to just accept it, give up so easily. But seeing a flame ignite in your eyes with determination, he couldn’t help but smile a bit as you continued. “Even if the other kids find out about that and use it against me, that just means it’s another thing to beat! Another challenge to overcome! To prove why I deserve to be there!” You were grinning from ear to ear, fist-bumping the air in a self-celebratory cheer.

Shiro watched you and the guilt on him slowly disappeared (not forever though) as he got up from his chair and came over to you, leaning down and wrapping his arms around your shoulders, resting his head against the top of yours. Whenever you did this, it reminded him of your mother. He missed her so much, and you acted so much like her. “Fine. I’ll cheer you on from the sidelines but the second something bad happens, I won’t allow this to continue, am I clear?” He spoke quietly, but it wasn’t harsh. You rolled your eyes as you gently pushed him off of you.

“You sound more like a dad than a big brother, Shiro. Plus, the ‘bad something’ has to actually be something like… really, really awful. You can’t just pull me out if I stub my toe or if a kid bullies me!” You whine as you stand up to grab your bag. Shiro let out an exhausted sigh, over dramatically.

“I’m just being a good brother! If a kid bullies you, I’ll find the bastard myself and—” You laughed at him. His threats were all but serious. Mainly theatrical because he knew it would make you laugh.

“All right, I’m going to school now. Be safe when you go to work!” You shout over your shoulder, putting your shoes on and opening the door.

“I will, and kiddo?” You paused on your way out, glancing back at your brother as he had his hands in his pockets, smiling softly at you. “I love you.”

You grinned back at him. “I love you too! See you later!” And with that, you were out the door and on your way to school.

—————————

As you stood in front of the gates at U.A. you could feel the start of your anxiety rising. The string of questions flooded in. Will you get along with everybody? Will they judge your face? Will they pretend to be your friend? “Gah! It’s too much!” You cried out quietly, bringing your hands on top of your head, frowning. Your heart was beating so fast…! No, stop, pull yourself together, (name)! Deep breaths… you inhaled slowly and exhaled shortly after. Okay, yeah… that kinda helped… With a nod to yourself, you lowered your hands and made your way to your classroom.

Your eyes were locked on the closed door in front of you, hearing muffled voices of students and your teacher, Mr. Aizawa, on the other side. Your nerves were all riled up and you could feel your own quirk starting to act up. Quickly, you squeezed your hand, calming yourself before you opened the door.

Everything was quiet.

Slowly, you made your way into the room, shutting the door behind you, your eyes skimmed over your classmates, too fast, too nervous before you grabbed a piece of chalk and began writing your name.

HANAI, (NAME). ❀

Then you turned around, your eyes finally focusing on the multiple faces in front of you, all their eyes were on you. God, this was too much… Swallowing a lump you had in your throat, you bowed. “Good morning, my name is (name). It’s very nice to meet you all!” When you could see your class again, there were multiple people who stuck out, there’s was a girl who was all pink, a boy with glasses who looked a bit too serious, another boy with red hair, then your eyes landed on a boy with green curly hair and for a minute… you couldn’t believe your eyes.

“Izuku..?” The name slipped from your lips in a whisper, but some students seemed to notice as they turned to the boy then back to you. And then that’s when you see him. The ash-blond hair, the crimson-colored eyes, the scowl on his face. Memories flash before you of when he grabbed you. He was staring right back at you and you could now feel your heart beating against your chest. Oh god, did it hurt. What were you supposed to do now!?

“All right, Hanai.” Mr. Aizawa announced, obviously unamused. “There’s a seat by Todoroki.” He pointed to the far left and in the back was a hand raised by a boy with heterochromia set of eyes, his hair mismatched in color. He had a burn mark over his left eye… you suddenly felt less anxious… now that you looked around in the class, everyone had something different about them… When you were in middle school there were kids with quirks that altered their appearance, sure, but they weren’t bullied for it because it was quirk related. But standing here, in the classroom, you felt just a tiny bit less insecure. “Hanai,” Aizawa called your last name again, a frown on his face—or was it always there?

“Ri...right, sorry, sir.” You lowered your gaze and quickly made your way to the back, finding the empty desk and sitting down. Todoroki said nothing as you got comfortable, which you expected. You were the new kid… You pulled out your notebook and wrote the date, all the while you got an uneasy feeling to your left. Despite your better judgment, you glanced in the direction meeting crimson orbs staring right back at you. You froze, unsure how to react with his sudden spotlight on you. You felt so small under his stare… Katsuki scoffed at you before turning away, leaving you to stare at the back of his head. Something in your chest felt so…. deflated. It didn’t matter. Not now, anyway. You brought your attention back to your notebook to write notes down for class.

“Lunch break,” Aizawa announced as he left the room shortly after. With a soft sigh, you stood up from your desk, only to bump into someone. Quickly you turned around to apologize only to see a familiar face again.

“Oh! (name)! I’m so sorry—I was just—uh; I wanted to ask you something, and I didn’t mean to bump into you! I’m so sorry!” Izuku bowed so many times you lost count. He beat you to the apology… Looking at him now, he may look older but he’s still like that kid you befriended so long ago… Oh man, it’s been a while since you’ve thought about him…! That made you feel a little guilty…

“Oh, no, don’t apologize! I should be the one doing that! I should have looked before getting up.” You smiled softly at the boy with a small tilt of your head. “What’s up?” Izuku seemed taken back by your question, almost confused before his cheeks became a rosy pink!

“Haha, right! Um, I… I was going to ask if you wanted to eat lunch together? Y… You don’t have to… so, please… don’t feel you have to say yes!” He strutted out, flustered and you couldn’t help the small giggle the escaped you causing him to look up at you almost scared he may have said the wrong thing.

“I would love to. Thank you.” You grabbed your bag, putting the straps over your shoulder before following Izuku out the door.

Katsuki watched as you two left, a frown on his face. He never thought he’d see you again after what happened. He remembered how his mom was so upset with him, how they had to go to your house to apologize in person. Your mother was quite upset but when she looked at him, he remembered how her gaze softened and her tone became less angry… There was another boy there, your brother. Katsuki can remember the glare your brother gave him, how he was shouting at him only to have your mother stop him.

The memory slowly faded away, and Katsuki turned his head out the window, already seeing you and Izuku outside, walking and talking. The way you looked at him when you saw him… like you were terrified… Katsuki didn’t like it, especially now more than ever with that scar on your face… The one he caused…

“Hey, Bakugo, want to go get some food?” Eijiro asked with a grin only to watch as his friend stood up from his seat, hands in his pockets. “Bakugo?”

“Not today, shitty hair.” He spat out as he walked past Eijiro and out the door. Why did you have to come back?

You couldn’t help but laugh, almost spitting out your water at the joke Izuku made. You were nervous to talk with the boy again, but honestly? It almost seemed like you never left, your friendship was still strong as ever! Man, it felt good to talk to Izuku again. Your cheeks hurt from smiling so much as a relaxed sigh escaped from your lips. Despite how cheerful the conversation just was, you could feel tension lying underneath the sunshine and rainbows.

“How’s your brother doing?” He asked after a few minutes of silence. “And your mom? I always remember how she baked our class cupcakes, and she had painted our faces on the cupcakes!” Izuku grinned, and you couldn’t help but smile at the memory. Those were fantastic cupcakes… Your mom was quite the artist… you missed waking up in the mornings, walking into the living room to see her painting what she saw outside the sliding doors… how when she would notice you, she’d let you sit on her lap as she painted, watching the bristles of the brush glide along with the canvas… how your mom would even let you paint on her masterpieces despite knowing that you would bombard it with colors that didn’t fit the theme…

You missed all of it.

“My mother got sick one day and unfortunately after months of treatments, doctors, and testings… she didn’t make it.” Your voice never wavers, your mother never wanted you to cry thinking about her, you promised you wouldn’t. You promised a lot of things…

“O-Oh… I’m sorry, (name)! I didn’t mean to—” You raised a hand up to him with a big smile. Izuku hasn’t changed… You liked that.

“You didn’t know, plus… I want to talk about her whenever I get the chance. Whenever I think about her or even speak about her, I feel like she’s watching me and cheering for me. So I want to make sure everyone knows about her! She’s my biggest fan, even from up in the clouds.” You let out a soft giggle. “Shiro is doing good, though he acts more like a dad than my big brother. He’s super protective and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was disguised as one of those bushes, checking up on me.” The giggle soon turned into a laugh. Shiro was very overdramatic but you don’t blame him.

Izuku always admired that about you, even when you were kids… You always smiled through the bullying, the hits, the name callings… and all the bad times. You never stopped smiling… Honestly, he was a little jealous. Izuku had his own insecurities and there were days where he just wanted to give up, hell, he tried to give up on his dream when everyone told him it wasn’t possible for a quirkless boy to become a superhero! Well, look at him now! He got into U.A. and he inherited All Might’s quirk! Oh… wait, that reminded him…

“Hey, (name.)…?” He questioned after another moment of silence came and went. When you responded with a gentle ‘mhm?’ Izuku glanced to his hands in his lap, debating on the question in his head before facing you once more. “Can I ask what your quirk is?” He watched your facial expression, just in case it changed or if he asked the wrong question, but you continued to smile.

His question caught you off guard for a second. Didn’t he know? Well… probably not considering you left suddenly and before your quirk even came to light… But you still didn’t have control over it… nor did you really know what exactly it did yourself, minus a few things! With a simple nod, you turned so your body was completely facing Izuku, and you raised your hand, palm facing up and with a deep breath, you slowly exhaled. A faint pink mist escaped past your lips, moving towards your hand where the bud of a blossom sprouted in the center of your palm. It didn’t take long for the flower to bloom. Izuku stared wide-eyed at the flower before he reached out. But you were quick with your free hand to make him halt in his action.

“No!” There was a small bit of panic, smile gone from your face but you quickly regained your composure. “I’m not exactly sure what it does, but I know once you touch it, it’ll relax your muscles. I know, it sounds great, but it’s like sleep paralysis. You can’t move and it’ll create this feeling of something heavy over your chest. It’s great for calming down panic attacks, but not so good if you’re fighting against it. It only sets off if you come in physical contact with it… I accidentally got Shiro with it one time and… long story short, I’ve felt sorry ever since…” You sighed not really wanting to dive into that memory again, gently plucking the flower off your hand, you held it between your thumb and index finger, the pink mist gone. You then let the flower drop to the ground, you pressed your foot over it and rubbed the cherry blossom into the dirt.

“That’s cool, though! I—” Izuku began but was cut off.

“Hey, dumbass!” An approaching voice shouted, jumping the two of you. You both knew that voice. Your head snapped to where it was coming from, and there you saw the blond making his way over, unamused. His gaze went from you to Izuku. “Get lost.” Upon his order, you both stood up, and you went to gather your things, but Katsuki spoke again. “Not you, dumbass. Only Deku.” That caused your heart rate to spike in anxiety. Izuku looked like he was about to say something against the other, but you were quick to place a hand on his shoulder. That didn’t go unnoticed by Katsuki. “It’s okay. I’ll come find you.” You breathed with a small smile. It felt forced, but Izuku only nodded, walking back into the building. Leaving you alone with Katsuki. “Bakugo…” You greeted with a nervous smile… your anxiety only increased when he remained quiet, his gaze now on anything that’s not you. It felt like minutes were just passing by with how awkward this was, especially with the painful silence. “Did you—” “Listen, I—” You both spoke, cutting the other off. “Ah..!” A soft gasp left your lips, cheeks burned with embarrassment. “I’m sorry…! You go first…” You bowed slightly before looking at him again.

‘please, introduce yourself.’ Mr. Suzuki smiled brightly at her and katsuki watched the girl carefully. she was obviously shy, her cheeks were a light pink color as she played with her fingers. ‘here, write your name.’ he offers her the piece of white chalk which she takes hesitantly before writing her name on the board for all to see.

hanai, (name).

when she turned around, she bowed. ‘it’s...it’s nice to meet all of you..!’ to katsuki, she sounded and acted just like deku... great now there would be two of them.

‘it’s nice to meet you too!’ izuku spoke out loud with a big grin, katsuki looked at the green-haired boy in shock. he really made it easy to make fun of him. a few classmates giggled at the boy’s outburst but the new girl only smiled.

a month had gone by since (name)’s arrival and katsuki noticed how fast she became friends with deku. she was always with him, and when deku would follow katsuki around; she always came with him. it was starting to get on his nerves how she had to be everywhere. they even had the same reaction to katsuki getting his quirk.

‘that’s so cool, kacchan!’ deku exclaimed, eyes sparkling.

“izu is right, baki!” there she went with the nicknames again. she was quick to come up with them and it didn’t go over katsuki’s head how deku’s was his first name. ‘i bet you’re gonna be super strong!’ she exclaimed with such a bright smile.

IT MADE HIM SICK.

‘what are you talking about?!’ katsuki raised his voice, turning to face her. that smile of hers began to fade. ‘i’m ALREADY strong! and i’m better than all of you!’ despite his outburst, katsuki watched as her smile had come back just as soon as it went away. that made something twist in the young boy’s stomach and he stomped away from her.

ever since then, he kept having outbursts directed at her and she would always respond with that stupid smile. it got to the point where he refused to call her by her name and instead gave her the name ‘stupid.’ that still never effected her smile and praise towards him. katsuki never asked for it.

‘go away, stupid.’

‘why would I want to play with you?’

‘what are you even wearing, stupid?’

as time went on, she never treated him differently... that is until...

‘woah bakugo, you’re so cool!’ one kid claimed with a grin as katsuki marched forward with deku, the girl, and two other kids following right behind him. he grinned, his pride beginning to bloom!

‘i know! i mean, even when you guys get your quirks, you’ll never be as good as me!’ he stated with a toothy grin, turning to face the group only to have his footing slip and katsuki was suddenly tumbling down the hill and landing in the shallow creek. there were no injuries, just minor little cuts, and scrapes from the grass & rocks.

‘are you okay, bakugo!?’ one of the kids hollered from up the hill. katsuki grinned and gave them a thumbs up.

‘of course! why wouldn’t I be!?’ he laughed but it was soon cut short when he saw her come running down the hill with deku to katsuki’s side.

‘kacchan!’ ‘baki!’ they both yelled out. god they were infuriating. he watched as deku offered a hand to him in the water. ‘kacchan, I was so worried!’ whatever the brat was saying now was muted as katsuki stared at the girl behind him, huffing and puffing from the rundown, the concern on her face made him angrier and he didn’t know why. and just like that... something snapped.

‘i don’t need your help, deku!” katsuki shouted, standing up with a glare, brushing past the boy. he could feel his palms becoming sweaty.

‘baki, that’s not fair--! izu was just trying to--’ katsuki immediately turned around to face her, taking a few steps closer to her.

‘and i don’t need yours either! you and that stupid face of yours!” he yelled at her, his anger boiling so much that he didn’t even notice her flinch at his words. ‘why don’t you just grab your things and move back to wherever you came from! you’ve been nothing but annoying this whole time! i have an idea, let me help you!” what came next happened all too fast. katsuki went to push the girl to the ground out of anger, but one second his hand was on her cheek and the next thing he knew, he heard her let out a scream and she was on the ground crying with izuku by her side

later that night katsuki’s parents had a long night yelling at him for what happened. he never intended to hurt her. it didn’t know how powerful his quirk really was... how was he suppose to know that..?

the next day at school they all made get well soon cards for (name). katsuki never finished his. a week went by and when she was supposed to come back to school, Mr. Suzuki made the announcement that (name) hanai would no longer be attending their school. izuku was upset and katsuki remained quiet.

‘alright, everyone! in your seats! Mr. aizawa will be here in a few minutes!’ Iida announced, adjusting his glasses as he and the other students sat down, waiting for their teacher. it didn’t take long as the doors opened and their teacher came walking in.

‘morning. this is unexpected but today we have a new student joining your class.’ he exclaimed with very little enthusiasm as the rest of the class, minus katsuki, began to murmur quietly. the blond was more interested in looking out the window. it was just another extra who he would end up beating anyway. as the class doors opened once again; everyone became silent--waiting eagerly--as a girl walked into the classroom, her hair pulled back, hands resting politely in front of her as she took in her surroundings.

‘ho-holy crap!’ izuku whispered out, stunned. that brought katsuki back down to reality as he looked forward and froze once crimson hues landed on the burn mark that was on the girl’s left cheek.

‘no freakin’ way...’ katsuki whispered out as his hands were now fists, knuckles turning pale. the girl smiled and grabbed a piece of white chalk, writing her name on the board.