Chapter Text
Inko is very supportive of Izuku finding another soulmate-familial according to All Might, his Delight only makes clothing and accessories for familial bonds-with the tears coming out for both her and Izuku over the whole thing. She's known how lonely he's been all these years after all, even if Izuku hasn't told her the true extent of things, so she obviously would want to welcome his new soulmate into their home. And when a hyssop flower (electric blue, according to mom) blooms on one of her ring finger knuckles, and when All Might (Call me Yagi!) gasps out a green-metal ring sculpted into vines and with a lily made from black stones... well, there's a lot of blushing and stammering and coughing blood, then mom panicking about the blood-honestly, Izuku's BS meter for the day is already capped out, so it doesn't really phase him. It probably will after he's had a night to process it and get some sleep, but for now he just kind of watches the two of them slowly get themselves back together.
Inko is not, however, supportive of Yagi's idea for a training schedule. Oh the physical training itself is fine, she knows her child has the determination to push through anything with just a little encouragement. Her issue is how he'd suggested cleaning up a beach-turned-dump, and then had zero responses for her questions about gloves and boots and other safety equipment. As it turns out, having skin that can literally block bullets for decades makes safety concerns kind of redundant, which makes Yagi particularly grateful to have gone over the plan with his student's mother. Two heads are better than one after all! (And Izuku is privately thankful as well, since in hindsight he definitely wouldn't have thought about that himself.)
So, Izuku does not work in a dirty beach for the next 10 months, but Yagi still insists on him doings volunteer work, and on the importance of sticking to the roots of heroics. Plus Izuku still needs to get stronger to prepare for All for One. Instead, Yagi helps them find a good gym nearby, membership paid for on his tab (Think of it as a belated birthday present young Midoriya!), and he starts volunteering at a food drive a train ride away, since there isn't one in jogging distance of the house. And if the food drive is in a worse-off neighborhood, one where there's cracks and holes in the concrete, scorchmarks on wood, definitely-not-gangs hanging around... well, where else would there be enough unhoused or those close enough to it to convince the government to put a food bank here? It keeps Izuku's schedule busy, often too tired to care about the scorn he receives in school, too tired to think about why his new muscles don't inspire pride, just numbness.
Working at the food drive is awkward at first, because Izuku has lived most of his years conditioned to speak too fast or pause mid-sentence, the absence of explosions and the scratching of lengthened fingers and the battering of wings leaving him tripping over himself, like a dancer expecting a lead for a duet and being constantly surprised to be able to dance on his own. Despite this, as the months pass, he grows more comfortable with himself, relaxes into his own skin, and a mix of intuition and analysis helps him figure out how to people. He figures out how to tell at a glance when the people coming in are exhausted, or angry, or numbed by stress and worries. He learns how to work around people, being gentle and patient-familiar-or defiant and confrontational-much less familiar, his hands always end up shaking after-or even teasing and complimenting, all to set people at ease while they line up for a warm meal. And if, after a while, he stops feeling the stares of gang members following him to the drive? Well, it's just a relief that they no longer seem to see him as a threat.
Then, about 4 months into Izuku's 'ready for UA' marathon, a new face comes into the drive and almost makes him spill stew onto someone's hands. She practically skips through the front door, gaze pointed down and staring into the middle distance, and yet somehow walking unerringly towards Izuku. He, meanwhile, is preoccupied with the new color blooming seemingly everywhere. It is the color of the sunset light highlighting the shadows outside, it is the artificial humming lights that hang from the ceiling, old and likely not changed in years, the cheese in the sandwiches and the corn kernels in the stew. Most importantly, The girl's hair buns and her eyes are this new color, eyes a little darker, a little greyer, a little mixed with something else or even just actually being darker in 'hue' (He's still not completely convinced hue isn't just a thing Kacchan made up). The girl stops when she's close enough to realize that whatever she's looking at, it's apparently connected to a person. She finally looks up, and the smile on her face is almost manic. Izuku gets the feeling that he's got a similar look on his face right now.
"Hello! Did you know that we've got a rope tying us together?"
"I did not, actually. Is that what your Delight is? Seeing threads between you and your soulmates?"
The girl's grin gets even bigger, somehow, and her slit pupils dilate just like a cat spotting a feather toy.
"I wouldn't know! This is the first time this has happened for me!"
Oof, yeah, Izuku knows exactly why she's so giddy. He's always had mom and Bakugo, but it took until just months ago to find his next soulmate. He can barely imagine going so long, his whole life without anyone at all! He calls out to the head chef, Ukoya-san, to let him know that he's going to take the rest of the day off. Thankfully, Izuku and his new soulmate weren't quiet, so he just shoos the two out of the building to have fun. He feels almost impossibly giddy as they walk along, to the point it takes a minute for him to actually remember to introduce himself.
"Oh, yes, I'm Midoriya Izuku by the way! It's very nice to meet you."
"It's amazing to meet you too! I'm Himiko Toga. So, you're my first, but it seemed to me like you've got other soulmates?"
"Yes! I've got my mom, and also a parental soulmate. I've...technically got another soulmate, but they don't really like me. At all."
The reminder about his faded color finally brings down his mood, especially when he spots some construction cones in the corner of his eye. He can literally see Himiko wilt at the mention, which... seems a bit strange? She shakes off the depressing mood before he can put his finger on it though.
"Well, I guess they've got no taste. I've literally just met you, and already you seem super nice! Ooh, what color did I give you? And which ones do you have so far?"
"Well, you gave me whatever color your hair and eyes and the sunlight is! Mom gave me green, the soulmate who doesn't like me gave me orange-though it's mostly faded back to grey now-and my familial soulmate gave me red. Actually, he... had a cut when we first met, so the first red I ever saw was blood."
The manic joy that bubbles up in Izuku's chest is definitely foreign, now that he's paying attention. It must be some kind of effect from Himiko's Delight! And Izuku, of course, delves into his theories about potential reasons, and asks more questions both about his soulmate's Delight and just her life, trying to get to know her better. He'd grown up with mom and Bakugo, and even though Yagi obviously wants them all to get closer, it's kind of intimidating nevertheless. With Himiko though, there's none of that pressure, and all the fun of learning about someone that Izuku can be at least reasonably sure won't reject him don't think about his first friend, don't think about how much that hurt.
Neither of them talk about their Quirks. They both silently seem to agree not to, the same way that Izuku doesn't ask about how worn and dusty Himiko's clothes are, and the same way that Himiko doesn't ask about why Izuku refuses to look at his reflection in the store window glass as they walk around. Maybe they'll ask those questions some other time, but right now they just share that thread of happiness together.