Puppet Master

Growing And Reaching Out

Something was a bit different, Izuku thinks, walking through the school.

"Hey, man!"

"It's Izuku!"

"Great job at District!"

He tightened his grip on his backpack straps as he walked down the hallway the next day. Hime walked beside him, her vest on and leash in his grip as well. "W- why i- i- is everaeone c- calling out to m- me like t-this?" he asked his friends as they walked to class. "The last time any sports team or any team in general from our school went to a national competition was twenty years ago," Furuya informed him. "You're a celebrity, 'Zuku!" Mina piped. Izuku lowered his head. He didn't like all of the eyes on him. The compliments were nice and all but also too much... He felt tense.

"Hey, man," Eijiro tapped his shoulder lightly with his fist. "Don't worry about them. It will all die down soon enough."

"Unless he places at Nationals," Hino commented.

"Or wins," Mori chipped in.

Izuku sighed. "BUT!" Mina piped loudly. Izuku flinched slightly. "Nationals are a month away so let's not think about that now and just enjoy life!" His friends all hummed in agreeance.

"R- Right."

Mrs. Saito called homeroom to order. The class president stood up. "Stand." The class stood. "Bow." They bowed and all sat. Mrs. Saito nodded. "Thank you, president. Now, before anything else, Izuku Kirishima, will you please stand up?" Izuku paled, eyes wide. He glanced over at Eijiro who gave him a thumbs-up under the table. Izuku's legs felt like jelly as his chair pushed back and he stood up. "Let us all congratulate Izuku on his victory at the District Fighting Tournament and making it to Nationals!" The class clapped. Izuku had to force his arms to stay by his side instead of slamming them against his ears. His thrumming heart overtook their applause and Izuku found himself sitting before the clapping completely stopped. Eijiro grinned at him. Izuku swallowed thickly. He jumped slightly when Hime jumped into his lap and settled there, a comforting rock. Izuku took a few deep breaths before Mrs. Saito let the class to their own muses which meant they all came to him to congratulate him and Izuku soon found himself overwhelmed.

_______________________________

Eijiro waved off the last of the students trying to get to Izuku who was staring down at Hime, not willing to look up at anyone. Eijiro narrowed his eyes slightly but shook it off when he felt Akio nudge his hand. He sighed and pat the dog's head before turning to Izuku. He knelt by the desk and splayed his arms across lazily, glancing up at his brother.

"Maaaaan... What a rush." Izuku didn't respond. That was fine. When he was particularly shaken up he never spoke. Eijiro would carry the conversation than to loosen him up.

"Don't worry, they won't do that in every class," he said. Eijiro glanced up when he saw Yamamoto hovering nearby, leaning on the wall. He didn't comment but Eijiro could feel himself tense out of habit. Is this what Izuku feels like? "Getting popular," the boy suddenly said. Izuku shrugged. Eijiro's eyes flew to the greenette who just responded to that. Why? Are they close? They are in the same class but still... after Izuku told them off, I thought they were on bad terms. Eijiro held back a glare at Yamamoto. He doesn't like the boy, safe to say.

"Good luck with the rest of your day," Yamamoto smirked. See? He is mocking Izu- Izuku deadpanned. He found that funny?! The bell rang. Yamamoto pushed off the wall and walked off, pausing to look over his shoulder.

"Rematch today," he stated. Izuku looked up at the boy. "Sure." EHHH?! They're speaking?!

"Yamamoto!" The boy half-waved at the call of Ito and walked off.