After the tower was destroyed thanks to the help of Bakugo, and Gang Orca had applauded the students, the briefing was finally over. Making my way to the front door, I noticed that the students who had taken and passed the exam were all near the front of the building. I took this as an opportunity to catch up with my friends, bursting outside. The small period of gloom had already worn off, and I was refreshed after washing my face in the bathroom.

"Inasa! Todoroki! Bakugo!" I called, excitedly running over to the three boys. I noticed a girl, whom I couldn't recognize off of the top of my head, was also with them. She was the one that created the illusion of the Northern Lights, if I remembered correctly. The group turned my way, surprised looks etched on their features.

"(Y/N)! I didn't know you were here!" Yoarashi exclaimed, pulling me in for a giant hug. I laughed and embraced him back, enjoying the feeling of his arms around me. His large bear-like stature made me feel safe and warm. I heard the girl hum, presumably interested in my presence.

"Oh? Who's this?" she said, voice lifting up a bit, "It's like, totally dope to meet you, yo! I'm Utsushimi Camie!" I beamed at her and waved, my mood sky high because of Inasa. He always knew how to lift my spirits.

"I'm (L/N) (Y/N), and I go to UA with these two," I replied, gesturing to Todoroki and Bakugo, "I'm currently in my hero internship with Gang Orca." She "oohed" and clapped, in awe of how a big-league hero had requested me as his trainee.

"I don't even like, know a person who has such a macho trainer like Gang Orca besides you!" she gasped, a hand delicately placed over her mouth, "Your quirk must be like, super dope!" My eyes widened and I broke eye contact, panicking for a bit. The three guys looked at me funny, wondering why I was taking so long to respond. It wasn't long before things got awkward, and a certain someone wanted to break the curse of silence. 

"They don't have a quirk," Bakugo barked, shoving his hands in his pockets, "If you're gonna be a whiny pussy about it, don't even bother. A hero should own it and be proud." I shot him a look, as I wanted to be the one revealing. It was far too late now for a callback, as Camie had heard every single word he said. She paused for a moment, looking me up and down.

"You're in school with these hot guys, which is like, super rad, and you got invited to work with Gang Orca? That's, like, lowkey actually so cool, yo! You got all of this without a quirk, and like, that so cool! Your life is straight fire!" I didn't mean to get a big head, but a part of me wanted her to keep saying more. I feigned shyness, however, to avoid drawing out time -- I didn't want them to miss their rides back.

"You flatter me too much," I murmured, face red. The girl laughed and cupped her cheek with one hand, winking at me.

"You're cute! UA has got some cute people, huh Inasa?" The baldie suddenly perked up and nodded vigorously, passionately agreeing with his friend while addressing Bakugo, Todoroki, and me.

"Yeah!" I stammered nervously at his comment, trying to find the words that best fit how I felt. It was a problem, really, with me and finding the fitting things to say in a situation. Luckily, someone called for Inasa, Bakugo, and Camie for a moment, that resulted in them briefly leaving for the time being. Todoroki wasn't the best person to start a conversation with, so we were left in silence for a few moments, where I just stood and hummed awkwardly. But fortunately after that, someone else came to speak with him. Unfortunately for Shoto, it wasn't a person he liked very much.

"Shoto." Endeavor's voiced sounded out, footsteps ceasing as he stopped in front of the two of us. He greeted Todoroki solemnly, staring down at his son, then to me. I looked right back into his bright blue eyes, not wanting to back down to him. I could've sworn I saw the pro hero soften his gaze, but it was probably because of an overactive imagination.

"And (L/N)." I nodded, trying to be respectful. The tone of his voice changed when he mentioned my name. A bit lighter, more delicate. Maybe I wasn't the only one trying to be considerate.

"Yes, sir. It good to see you again." Endeavor only blinked before turning back to Todoroki. Slightly taken aback, I grimaced slightly at his lack of enthusiasm, but wasn't surprised. I felt as if he had more important matters to tend to. It looked like he was eager to do something.

"Shoto," Endeavor spoke again, readdressing his son, "you've changed a lot." As Endeavor reached to cup his son's cheek, Todoroki scoffed. I winced at how cold my friend was being.

"I don't want to hear it," he snapped back, hitting his father's hand away. Endeavor paused, thinking of whether or not to continue. He lowered his hand and just looked at the smaller figure in front of him. 

"I'm proud of you, son." I stepped back a couple of feet, giving the father-son duo a bit more privacy for their sentimental moment. I saw my friend give me a small glance as if to say, "No, come back," but I resisted. Upon hearing that the number one hero himself had come to terms with his son's excellence, I wanted to give them both an opportunity to heal. Shoto needed to deal with this on his own, as my job was only for the moral support that came after.

From personal experience, Endeavor was never the type to admit something so out of his comfort zone, and with Todoroki, I knew it would be in his best interest to listen to what his dad needed to say. He may not have liked it, but it was what was best. These types of interactions didn't happen very often, I presumed. 

"I want to become a hero you can be proud of. Proud that your father is the number one hero, the most powerful man." Shoto's face looked angry, conflicted, and I didn't blame him. I placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a comforting smile. Todoroki relaxed a little bit, though he was still on edge about everything. I rubbed my friend's shoulder, then lifted my head to face Endeavor. 

My breath hitched as I met his eyes. 

They were so soft. The piercing blue stare wasn't cold anymore -- it held warmth, care, maybe even sympathy. Why did my heart shiver for him? Why could I feel his emotions, his regret? Part of my smile faded, replaced with empathy. He knew he was wrong, and he admitted it. 

He wants to act like a proper father.

Maybe he did want to change. 

And then there was a chance that my imagination wasn't so overactive after all.

"I hope you keep your word." My mouth spoke on its own accord. Though my gaze was firm, it held an odd gentleness to it. The pro hero and I locked eyes and maintained it for a few seconds. I wanted what was best for Shoto, and I think that was something that Endeavor and I could now both agree on. With a smile spreading across my face, I held up a fist.

"I'm cheering for you, number one hero. Don't let us down." For the first time, the sparkle in Endeavor's eye remained. My heart felt a bit lighter that day, as I saw his expression. It seemed like anything could have been possible when I saw his smile. The hero who never smiled, who never seemed satisfied or happy. I'd always hear whispers around town about how he had no emotions, or how he'd never been able to register them. I was skeptical until I went to Shoto's house. I believed the gossip more and more as I gathered my opinions and took off with them. 

I believed that he was a cruel man that hated everything, that disliked everyone. I didn't know what he did a hero's job for -- possibly money or glory. The possibility of him doing something humble never popped into my mind because he wasn't that type of person. He wasn't willing to make that sacrifice, right? In my head, he was too prideful to do any of that. 

When thinking of Endeavor, what popped into my head wasn't the idea of the "number one pro hero," but his stupid growling face. I felt bad that Shoto had to deal with that scowl for such a long time, with little to no positivity surrounding him growing up. A helicopter parent, is what most called Endeavor.

Out of the ginger's mouth, I would only hear reprimands. A demanding crash summed up his voice perfectly. He spoke with such ferociousness it made me wonder how his recruits didn't piss their pants every time he called them over. He would never change, he would never change, I told myself after our first encounter. 

Yet, why did his tone change now? Why did the light in his eyes suddenly come about? Was it because he saw his son's power? Maybe because he saw the opportunity to exploit future heroes? Could it be that he's proud that his son is slowly becoming what he wanted?

Or is it just because he saw Shoto happy?

Was it because a father finally had a chance at seeing what true happiness was like, through his son?

After everything, he realized what he really wanted. Not power, not glory, not even money. 

His son's contentment. That's what he craved all this time, out of guilt and empathy. 

It happened in a flash, the thoughts. They raced in my head for what seemed to be mere seconds and disappeared as soon as they came. I remembered I had just said my praise to Endeavor, then prepared to leave, about to bid my farewells to my friends. Of course, I wasn't expecting a response. How could I, after all those times I had been ignored?

My hand was almost off of Todoroki's shoulder when I heard the impossible:

"Thank you."