Viel Of Scales: The Dragons Ascension

A few months before U.A

Note:Hey if you are wondering Izuku looks like that 👆.

Izuku strolled through the streets of the city, his expression a mix of boredom and effortless cool, but his aura screamed cheerful. He had perfected the art of walking like a star-hands in his pockets, eyes glancing around as if he had better places to be, but still waving and grinning at anyone who caught his eye. The crowd around him squealed in delight, with every person whispering to their friends, "Isn't he just the cutest?!"

Izuku was almost fourteen and a half now, and the fame from his mysterious transformation still followed him. But instead of the usual awkwardness, he had started carrying it with a certain disinterest. His hair, once a wild mess, now had small black tips at the ends, adding a sleekness to his look that suited him well. He was growing into his appearance, and it suited him. His claws were no longer something he had to concentrate on-they came out with ease whenever he willed it, a sharp reminder of his growing control over his dragon side.

The town came to adore Izuku and Bakugo not just for their antics but for their surprisingly heartfelt contributions. While Izuku's disarming smiles and willingness to help anyone in need made him beloved, it was Bakugo's hidden soft side that won the town over. Despite his loud and aggressive exterior, he would begrudgingly help kids stuck in trees or fix broken bikes, yelling the whole time but refusing any thanks. The locals quickly noticed that Bakugo never let anyone truly struggle, always stepping in with a grumble and an eye-roll, but his actions spoke volumes.

One memorable event cemented their reputation: during a small festival, an unexpected fire broke out. While Izuku calmly guided people to safety with his natural empathy, Bakugo charged in to extinguish the flames, his determination unmatched. Afterward, when praised, Bakugo brushed it off with his usual scowl, but the town knew better-they'd seen the way he ruffled a crying child's hair and mumbled, "Tch, don't cry, idiot. Everything's fine." It became an unspoken truth: Bakugo was all bark, but his actions showed a fiercely protective heart, especially when it came to Izuku and the people of their town.

Bakugo and Izuku knew they both had become the star students of Aldera, their names known by everyone in the school, not just for their quirks but for their somewhat.....different treatment. They were the kind of students who walked into school with their own style, choosing to wear whatever they felt like. School uniforms? They didn't need those. They still got straight A's even when they submitted blank sheets of paper, and the teachers didn't even blink. It was unfair; Aldera was straight up biased towards their 'strong' students who probably had the highest chance to make it pro as a hero.

"Don't you just love the attention?" Bakugo muttered, walking beside him with an unamused expression. He was used to the crowd by now, but it didn't mean he enjoyed it.

Izuku, however, waved like he was the president of some fan club. "It's like walking through a parade every day, besides your the one to talk, some people worship the ground you walk at!" he said, not entirely sarcastic.

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "You mean it's like you're the parade float, and the crowd's obsessed with you, not me."

"Eh, I guess it's fine, and they do like you you just ignore them." Izuku said, shrugging. "Though, sometimes, I just want to chill, you know? Maybe just read a book or-"

"I know the deal," Bakugo interrupted. "You want to take a nap on top of your adoring fans' heads. You have to be the center of attention at all times. It's practically your job now."

"I don't do that! I'm just friendly," Izuku said, pretending to be offended. He waved at a passing group of girls, and they giggled in response. "See? Friendly."

Bakugo grunted in disbelief as they reached their usual training spot. "Friendly? You mean 'distract them with that puppy dog stare of yours.' Seriously, where'd you learn to flirt? You look like you're trying to play the role of a confused, charming mess."

Izuku blinked. "I'm not confused! I-"

Bakugo groaned. "You are. Don't even act like you aren't. You're just lucky you're cute, or you'd have zero chances with any of them."

Izuku sighed dramatically. "I don't try to be flirty. It just happens! I guess I'm naturally charming."

"That's because I trained you to be charming," Bakugo shot back, deadpan. "I saw some stuff on HeroTube about building confidence, and we had to do something about your... 'lack' of it."

Izuku's eyes widened. "Wait-that was your idea?"

"Hell yeah, it was!" Bakugo grinned, pushing him playfully. "The world needs to know just how awesome you are, whether you like it or not!"

Izuku gave him a look. "I'm... not sure if I should be thankful or horrified."

Before Bakugo could reply, a group of girls approached, their eyes locked on Izuku. They were the usual crowd-fluttering hearts in their eyes, as though he was the most magical thing they'd ever seen. They fawned over him, wishing him good luck for the U.A. entrance exam the next day. Izuku smiled at them and, following Bakugo's training, threw them a small flirty smile that made their hearts nearly explode.

One of the girls gasped. "You're so cute, Izuku! You're gonna do great at U.A.! I guess Bakugo can get in too."

Izuku gave a casual wave, a little too practiced now. "Thanks! Good luck to you too!"

Bakugo, in the background, was trying his best to look uninterested, but a small, reluctant smile crept onto his face. "Tch. Whatever."

"C'mon, Kacchan, you could be a little more supportive. They do wish us well, you know?" Izuku teased.

Bakugo rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, yeah. Sure, go ahead, keep pretending you're not the cause of all this fan madness."

With that, they continued their walk home. After a few more moments of light conversation, they reached their street. Izuku's aura had shifted back to its usual laid-back vibe. He waved his goodbyes to some more fans and sent a playful smile Bakugo's way.

"Tomorrow's the big day, huh?" Izuku asked as they entered their home.

Bakugo nodded, looking a little more serious now. "Yeah, but you better not mess up. You've been trained, now use it. No getting distracted by fans or whatever."

Izuku smirked, brushing a strand of his hair from his face. "Don't worry, Kacchan. I've got it all under control. Besides," he added, walking past Bakugo, "I'm cute enough to get away with anything."

Bakugo gave him a deadpan stare. "If you mess up the exam tomorrow, I swear to all that's explosive, I'm never training you again."

Izuku laughed, looking way too smug for his own good. "Don't worry, I've got this."

And so, they went to bed, the U.A. entrance exam looming on the horizon.

Authors note: this is mostly a timeskip chapter not something major although the 'major stuff'will start after the next chapter. I'm sorry if I made izuku a bit too OOC but I feel he would gain some sort of confidence[not arrogance] if he stayed with Bakugo of all people.

P.s: Please do vote and comment your thoughts, any and all support is appreciated.

Btw: if you like manipulative villain Izuku, then please do check out my new story : Echoes Of Rebellion,

What the story is about: Izuku signs up for a program in which quirkless kids are given quirks, its and HPSC branch and they torture and abuse Izuku before they give him a quirk, but the quirk is something Izuku hates because it's not his own quirk, Izuku escapes the facility after saving Nezu, and the story goes om from there