The Emerald Prince

Chapter 65: Logical Ruse

To those of you... who feel Todoroki has had plenty of time, and Shindeku is your thing. I present this chapter and the one I'll publish on Wednesday to you with a smug grin, and the hope that they are worth the wait.

———

The bus to the training camp was filled with chatter, with Izuku at the centre of it.

After he told Asui about cool applications for aspects of her quirk, it had become a challenge to see if he could think up five for each person. And it raised their self esteem when he came up with ten for each seemingly on the spot.
Only Bakugou, Shinsou, Iida and Todoroki knew about the hero analysis books, but they kept quiet. The class morale was at an all time high thanks to Izuku's fanboying.

It was an hour before they reached the rest stop, and the greenette eyed the dusty bypass doubtfully. This screamed logical ruse, as did his instinct quirk and there was no way in hell he was leaving the bus.
He'd sat next to Todoroki since the taller teen had been in a strange mood most of the last few days... and had supported him through his stupid nightmares... and even had the tact not to mention that it even happened the next morning.

Moving his gaze from the window, he watched as the bicoloured teen extricated himself, with his usual grace, from the cramped seat, and turned to him.
"Coming Izuku?" He asked, as Bakugou and Shinsou got up from their seats by Kirishima and Jirou respectively to move down the aisle towards them.

Izuku smiled slightly, "I don't need to, you guys go." He glanced over at Shinsou, eyes innocently questioning, "stay with me Toshi?"

Shinsou needed a piss, but it could wait in exchange for a few minutes of conversation with just him and Izuku. It had been a while since just the two of them had talked.
Besides there was something in the greenette's expression that told him more was happening then just a toilet break. So he settled in Todoroki's vacated seat and sent Bakugou his usual smirk. "Sure."
"Fine." Bakugou scowled back at him as he and Todoroki followed the rest off the bus.

Aizawa looked in once the last of the class had left, "Coming Izuku? Hitoshi?"
Izuku smiled brightly, "we're good, dad!"
Shinsou nodded and Aizawa ran a hand through his hair. "How the hell..." he sighed as he left.

Shinsou glanced at the greenette smirking beside him, "did you ever tell him about your instinct quirk?"
Izuku raised his eyes to meet Shinsou's tired ones, and his smirk widened. "More fun not to."
"Why didn't you rescue Shoto and Katsuki from whatever's about to happen?"
The greenette's expression was almost devilish. "More fun not to."

Shinsou laughed, Izuku may act nice, but he did have an devious Aizawa streak. "How did you even get that instinct quirk? Surely the guy must have known?"
Izuku chuckled, "It's kinda a funny story actually, I was just walking down a main street heading for a club when this salary woman walked up to me. She said that she had a husband but her quirk was telling her to kiss me and if she could. I said yes, and she gave me a peck on the cheek. She smiled in relief, saying it seemed that was all she had to do, and she hoped I had a nice evening before leaving."

Shinsou stared blankly at Izuku, before they both burst into laughter. It had made Izuku chuckle at the time, but somehow Shinsou's reaction made it even funnier. They snickered like a pair of preschoolers, every time they recovered enough to see the other's face, it would send them back into fits. It wasn't even that funny, but they were too happy to care.

———

"I want to burn something again." Muttered Todoroki.
Bakugou sighed and gestured to the two members of the Wild, Wild Pussycats that had just arrived. "Do us all a favour and burn those fucking weird ass costumes."
The blond glanced back at the bus, catching Izuku laughing at something Shinsou had said. Jealousy curled in his gut. But he ignored it.