Behind the Smile | TodoBakuDeku | Book 1

Prologue

Third Person POV

UA's top three first-year heroes-in-training have been interning together for a few months now. Even though Bakugo and Todoroki would never dare to admit it, the fire and ice wielder, the explosive teen, and the future symbol of peace have developed strong bonds with one another. What's more, despite Todoroki's deep-seeded hatred towards his father, Endeavor, he has grown even closer to mastering his quirks' full potential while working at his abusive father's agency.

Midoriya, on the other hand, has no problem expressing his feelings of joy and admiration for his friends and their working arrangements. Walls between he and Todoroki had been gradually crumbling ever since their match at UA's sports festival, where Midoriya put his chance at winning on the line to convince Todoroki that his fire quirk was his and his alone. Todoroki had been terrified of using his right side, because it reminded him of his father and all the pain and suffering that man caused to him and his family in the name of power. The last thing he wanted to do was be like Endeavor, even though he was the number two hero at the time. From that moment on, the two boys had grown closer with each and every interaction between them.

Though Midoriya's relationship with Bakugo is complicated (to say the least), it has taken a complete 180 since middle school. Bakugo's and Midoriya's mothers grew up together as close friends, and so the boys were expected to do the same. The pair were inseparable at first. Wherever one went, the other was surely close beside. They spent endless time exploring, fanboying over top heroes (especially All Might), and daydreaming about one day becoming heroes themselves. They would work together to create little comic books of themselves as the hero pair The Wonder Duo, and looked forward to the day they could be just like their idols. That dream was unwavering and they believed with all of their heart that it would come true...that was until Bakugo developed his quirk, while Midoriya wasn't so lucky.

As time passed, it grew more and more likely that Midoriya would never have a quirk of his own. Out of concern for her son, Inko Midoriya, took him for an exam. She believed that surely he was a late bloomer, with both her and her estranged husband being quirk wielders themselves. She just couldn't stand to see her son so defeated, and didn't want to lose hope. She knew that Midoriya would never change his mind about becoming a hero, quirk or not, but she also knew that she may have to convince him otherwise, depending on the outcome of the visit.

Unfortunately, poor Midoriya's hopes of developing a quirk were shattered, when the doctor slunk back into the clinic's consultation room, with the results. "Regretfully, it seems I have found your son is and will remain quirkless. He simply was not born with the proper gene makeup. It is very rare in this day and age, but not unheard of."

After the news, Midoriya spent days on end glued to his computer screen, watching endless videos of rescue missions. He seemed to watch one in particular on a loop. As a bulky hero emerged from the rubble and decay carrying multiple victims to safety, there was a smile on his face. Though the scene looked devastating, he managed to keep a smile on and offer the world hope through his words, "It's fine now! I am here!"

Inko crept into her son's dark room, illuminated only by the light from the screen. Midoriya turned around, revealing a forced smile on his face, as tears silently cascaded down his cheeks. With all the mental strength the child could muster, he looked to his mother and said, "I'm going to be a hero just like All Might. Right, Mom?"

Inko stood frozen with a lump in her throat. She didn't want her son to lose hope, but at the same time, she knew a quirkless hero would not be long for this world. She did the only thing she knew she could do, and enveloped her son in a tight embrace, pleading for his forgiveness. "I am so sorry," she sobbed.

That apology from his mother broke his heart. He didn't want apologies. He wanted her to tell him there was still a chance and that she still believed in him. He kept his thoughts to himself though, knowing that at least he still had one person who believed in him. His Kacchan would not treat him any differently. They would still be the Wonder Duo. They would still change the world. At least, that's what he thought, anyway.

When he told Bakugo he was quirkless, the thick strands that held their close friendship together snapped like dead twigs. Bakugo turned on him, telling Midoriya that he could never be a hero now and to "get your head out of your ass, and go find your own dream!"

From a childhood best friend to a tormenting bully, Bakugo left Midoriya in the dark. If only Midoriya had known the real reason Bakugo acted the way he did or if Bakugo was able to properly express his concern and care for Midoriya, maybe things could have gone differently.

As chance would have it, Bakugo and Midoriya began slowly mending the divide, years later when they became classmates at UA. At first, Bakugo was devastated to believe Midoriya had been lying to him all of those years about being quirkless, but once Midoriya pleaded for Bakugo to believe it was a borrowed quirk, tensions began to melt. The real turning point for their relationship was when Bakugo finally found out the truth behind Midoriya's borrowed quirk, One For All. In fact, once the pieces began to fall in a way that made sense, Bakugo grew quite protective, in his own ways. He secretly made it his mission to watch over the little broccoli that is Izuku Midoriya, but refused to let others aware of the change in heart. Unbeknownst to him, many people had taken note of the fairly new development in his attitude towards his rival and childhood friend.

Strengthened bonds and countless time spent together have allowed for the three young heroes to fall perfectly in sync with one another. The now trio knows each other's abilities and attacks just as well as their own. More importantly, they trust each other completely. Todoroki, Bokugo, and Midoriya may bicker and banter throughout their missions, but they always have each other's backs no matter what.