S i x t y - n i n e

And for those of you concerned about the note that was previously at the bottom of the last chapter, about the eye drops,,, I left that for myself so I'd remember to give my dog her eye drops after I finished the chapter. I could have sworn I deleted it before so uh sorry about that ignore me-

Third person pov

If they noticed the fact that Lillian was missing her medal when she arrived at the exit, they didn't mention it. Instead they just insisted that Todoroki come with them while Lillian dials up Chad to see what he can do about Todoroki's belongings. The meme three would sooner hold the boy hostage than allow him to go back to that house. Lillian had already had the displeasure of holding a conversation with Endeavor. But to live with him? The girl couldn't imagine it without her temper rising.

"Are you sure you need me for this?" Todoroki questioned. Secretly, he was a bit glad they were calling him away. It meant he didn't have to go home just yet. If he was lucky, they'd be needing his help for the rest of the evening. He didn't care how tedious the task happened to be. He felt like he was finally making some friends, and it was keeping him away from his house. Where his father was. He wouldn't be happy about the fact that Shoto didn't place in the finals.

"Without a doubt." Hitoshi promised. "We need to stop at the store on the way there, though. You okay with that?"

Todoroki looked relieved at the mention of a detour. More stops, more time spent away from home and in the company of people he actually enjoyed being around. He gave a nod to the purple-haired boy. Neito grinned widely at him like he knew something. Todoroki didn't quite know how to feel about that. He was somewhat weirded out... but in an oddly good way. It didn't make much sense. 

Lillian's phone stopped ringing and gave a click. He'd picked up.

"Talk to me." Chad answered, mouth full of funnel cake. He was in his car waiting for Lillian's call. He wasn't sure how, but he knew the kids would be needing something. He'd already taken the day off anyway, so it's not like he had anything better to do. Sitting around waiting for the kids to call in need wasn't the worst past time. It was sure better than hanging out with the other guys from the business course at his university as they took down their glorious ad. He really deserved a pat on the back for pulling that one off.

"W-We need you to pick s-some stuff up. Clothes, anything that looks like it may be a personal belonging." Lillian kept her voice low so that Todoroki wouldn't hear her. Chad nodded to himself. He was following. "We're forcing Todoroki to move in with us, because his dad is a dick. We need to get his stuff."

"Copy that, Sergeant. Hit me with an address." The blonde young man said, already pulling a notepad into his lap with one hand, holding his cake in the other. His phone was wedged between his ear and shoulder. He wasn't the most useful person. Being quirkless meant pretty much everyone had the upper hand on you, so he liked having shit to do, no matter how hard it might be. Especially if it was for these kids. They were really going places, and he wanted to see that happen. 

"Hey, Todoroki!" Lillian said louder. The man took another bite of his funnel cake, scribbling on the paper to make sure ink would come out. "Out of professional curiosity, what's your address?"

Chad waited patiently, writing down the address when it was finally given. He clicked the pen and dropped it in the cup-holder, already reaching for his GPS. Neito's voice could faintly be heard asking if Todoroki had any food preferences or allergies. Chad couldn't help but snort just a little. They were just lucky that half-and-half kid was so dense. He would have caught on by now if not for that.

"Got it." Chad said when the GPS found the location. It was on private property, but he was sure he could still get in. "Catch you on the flip side, little slice."

"Don't die." Lillian requested faintly, though there was a smile in her voice. He rolled his shoulders.

"As if I could." Chad scoffed before hanging up, shoving the last of his funnel cake in his mouth and tossing his phone into the passenger's seat. Cracking his neck, he put the car into drive. He had a teenage boy's room to raid.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Todoroki wasn't sure what they needed him for. Maybe another opinion? He didn't know. He was a little embarrassed to admit that he'd only been to a grocery store on a few occasions, both of which being when he was really young. His father had maids get everything, so there had never been a reason for him to go out until now. He hoped they didn't notice him glancing around curiously as they dragged him through the many aisles.

"So I was sitting there, barbecue sauce on my titties." Neito noted as they searched for bed sheets, pillows, and blankets for Todoroki. Lillian had climbed into the cart at some point, and Hitoshi was pushing her along unfazed. Todoroki had done a double take when he realized she was no longer walking next to him, mismatched eyes finally wandering over to where she'd collapsed in the metal basket, too lazy to walk herself. She was tired, so nobody could much blame her. The sight still bewildered Shoto. 

Yet, nobody batted an eye at a full grown teenage girl sitting in the buggy. Was it normal? Did they just not care? Shoto twitched, glancing around. When he went out to places like this, it was almost always with his father. His father drew the press, and that drew out judgement. He was so used to whispers. To being told to act a certain way and hold himself tall. Coming here with Hitoshi, Neito, and Lillian felt... carefree. Almost relaxing.

"There!" Hitoshi turned abruptly, almost tipping the cart over in the process. Lillian shrieked as Hitoshi somehow found the energy to take off dead sprint down the dishes aisle with Todoroki and Neito following close behind. Todoroki's heart rate hadn't even reached such highs during the festival as the cart's wheels squeaked when Hitoshi abruptly stopped again.

"Quick, Todoroki! Sheets! Pick out some sheets!" Neito all but screamed. Lillian looked terrified. Hitoshi was breathing heavily. Todoroki dove for some red sheets and threw them at the freckled girl, who barely managed to catch them. Soon, they were off again, rushing off in desperate search of pillows. Todoroki had never felt such a rush of adrenaline. Momentarily, he wondered if this was why his father had never allowed him to go to the store alone before. It was rather... well, exciting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coming home, Bakugo didn't expect much of a reaction from his parents. He knew they'd both stayed home to watch him compete on the television, but that was about it. It's not like he'd won anything... well, not really. Looking down at the medal hanging around his neck now, he'd never felt more accomplished. It wasn't the same feeling he'd gotten when he came out first in the entrance exams, or anything of that sort. It was different. It felt... better, somehow. 

The Sports Festival hadn't been what he was expecting. He hadn't anticipated that anyone might team up. Certainly not someone as nervous as Lillian. So, he'd basically planned the grind the competition into the ground. He'd planned on getting second place at most going in, seeing as Lillian could just blink and stop him. Again, he wasn't an idiot. He knew his explosions couldn't defend against something like that. He couldn't fight something that wasn't physical.

He opened the door to his house with a scowl on his face. His hands felt like they were being stabbed by thousands of tiny needles all at once. It was a side effect of using his quirk far too much. Eventually it would go away, he knew. That didn't make it any less of a pain in the ass. Hopefully his parents wouldn't nag him too much and he'd be able to take a nap or some shit. A shower was definitely something he'd be needing. He was covered in a thin layer of dust, and his quirk caused him to sweat enough as it was. Even if it didn't necessarily smell bad, the feeling wasn't good either.

The clang of dishes caught his attention immediately. It was quickly nearing dinner time, which meant his parents would probably force him to sit down and eat with them. The thought made him grumpy as he kicked the door shut, hands shoved in his pockets and his shoulders hunched. He wondered if maybe he should have just snuck in through his window to avoid confrontation, at least for a while before they realized he'd gotten back.

"There you are, you brat!" His mother appeared out of practically nowhere, causing him to almost run face first into her. Her eyes immediately dropped to the medal hanging around his neck, narrowing. "Where'd you get that thing? Because I know you didn't win it."

"Yeah, no shit." Bakugo hissed, unconsciously bringing a hand up to grasp at it. He felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. "A uh... fuck, some shithead gave it to me."

"You stole it, didn't you?!" Mitsuki immediately shrieked in response. That was the second place medal, and the second place medal had been awarded to that shy girl who's flushed under the cameras and sputtered to try and find words. She was the same one who'd been carted out of the USJ, bloody and dying as well. While she certainly had a strong quirk, it was made abundantly clear that her skill with her power didn't transfer over to her skill with people.

Katsuki had always been a bit of a bully. He was too egotistical for his own good, and thought he was better than everyone else. Basically, Mitsuki had somehow managed to raise a narcissistic brat. Though she never thought he'd just take something he hadn't earned. He had seemed too proud for that. Was she misreading this, somehow? That Lillian girl didn't seem like the type to affiliate with her son.

"What th- hell no, I didn't steal it! She gave it to me, you shit hag!" He glared at her venomously, cheeks heating up even more at the admission. Lillian had given him her second place medal. Her first Sports Festival, and she'd placed. And she'd given him her medal. Why, he had no fucking idea. He couldn't even understand himself as a person, there was no damn way he was going to understand someone was weird as she happened to be.

Mitsuki's expression morphed into something more like surprise as her son flushed with obvious embarrassment. Clearly, having to be given a medal wasn't something he'd planned on. He also seemed relatively confused as he blurted it out, gripping the metal with an aching palm and stinging fingers. She felt a grin stretch across her face. Well, she hadn't expected this.

"So you're friends, then?" Mitsuki raised a brow. Katsuki had never really had "friends", per say. Izuku was the last real one she could remember, but her son hadn't mentioned or had him over since they were little. It was a real shame. That also meant Mitsuki hadn't really talked to Inko... come to think of it, when was the last time they chatted? She'd have to call the other woman up.

Katsuki scowled, flushing slightly at the word. Friends. Could he really call anyone in 1-A his friend? Maybe shitty hair and those other three idiots who talked in "meme" references only and talked constantly. Discount Pikachu, Pinky, and Tape Dispenser, as he liked to call them. They hung out around him in general. He... sort of knew their names. Could he really call Lillian his friend? They hadn't really talked until today, excusing the few times he'd walked home with her.

"Tch... hell no." He brushed past her. "I'm going to bed."

"You should probably thank her, you know!" Mitsuki barked after him. He flipped her off as he turned into the hall, still scowling. What did she know, anyway?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Knocking on the front door is for wusses; real men break and enter.

Chad let out a curse as he fell through Todoroki's window. It had taken a simple phone call to Lillian to figure out which window was Shoto's; though, he almost hadn't heard the girl over the immense amount of background noise. There was screaming about pillows, which they apparently couldn't find, and the sound of a grocery buggy rushing along on what had to be linoleum tile. The noise of the metal rattling along still rung in his ears.

Shoto's room was bland, to put it simply. It lacked any hint of a personal touch. It seemed like he'd only been given the bare necessities. A bed and clothes. That was... yeah, that was about it. He'd brought several large heavy duty trash bags, anticipating a lot of shit to haul to his car. Turns out he'd probably only be needing one or two to get everything in here. Anyone who stepped into the room after he was done probably wouldn't even notice he'd been here.

He set to work, taking out the first bag and opening it in a shamelessly loud manner as he approached the dresser. He opened the first drawer and scooped everything out and into the bag, doing the same to the other three below it. The only thing atop the dresser was a small family photo that lacked Endeavor. It had what seemed like Shoto and his three siblings when they were younger, along with their mother. Shoto didn't have his scar. He threw that in with the clothes.

The closet was the next thing he braved. Again, there wasn't much in here either. Some formal wear he left hanging there, amongst other things. He grabbed some of the blankets, some jackets and sweaters, and anything on the shelf above the hanger rack that looked even relatively important. There was a painted mug he wrapped in a few shirts, and a few more photographs in frames he also wrapped in clothing. It was a quick job.

It filled two industrial trash bags, which made him rather sad. With a sigh, he tossed them out the window. The sooner he got out of here, the better. He'd parked his car just beyond the trees surrounding the residency so it wouldn't be immediately noticeable. Still, he certainly didn't want to be here if or when Endeavor got back. The man was an asshole, but he didn't get to being Number Two with power alone. The guy wasn't a complete idiot all the way around.

The last thing Chad grabbed was the small plant sitting on Shoto's windowsill. It was nothing but a small succulent, sitting in a little ceramic pot that was half red, and half white, like his hair. He took it and the matching trey beneath it, hoisting the pair of bags over his shoulder and shaking his head until his sunglasses fell from atop his head to the bridge of his nose. He jerked his head back so they slid into their proper place, grinning to himself widely.

All in a days work for an Uber Eats Driver.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They'd finally found the pillows. Todoroki had cried out victoriously with them, evidently enjoying their shopping trip as they got snacks he'd never tried, soda he thought sounded interesting, and some books he'd always wanted to read. The whole thing was very exciting, and certainly got his blood pumping. How a simple convenience store visit with a trio of weirdos could somehow rev him up more than the Sport's Festival, he didn't know.

Now he was carrying a mound of bags, as were the other two boys. Lillian was carrying a bag of supplies for her new pet, hoping Hitoshi's parents would let her keep him. The half-and-half boy wasn't sure he'd ever had such a fun time. Actually, he wasn't sure he'd ever had fun. It was a rather sad realization.

"Lillian, status on Chad?" Hitoshi asked.

"He's out." Lillian said, squinting at her phone. "And in route. We should hurry."

So they did. Shoto didn't know who Chad was, but he was probably just as weird as his new three friends were. He decided to just roll with it. He met Hitoshi's parents. The purple-haired boy's mother welcomed him with a hug and a semi-cryptic "stay as long as you want, dear!" that made him feel both warm on the inside and a little intimidated.

Hitoshi had a fairly large room. Lillian and Neito, being over there all the time, knew this. It was a rectangular shape, longer than it was wide. Hitoshi's bed had been shoved to the far left corner, a new bed was in the center, and Lillian's was just in front of the door. There were two desks in the room, the only thing separating the beds. Three dressers were also there, sitting at the foots of the beds. It was somewhat cramped, but in an almost cozy fashion. 

"I'll get to work." Neito pulled out several boxes of white, clearance Christmas lights. He cracked his knuckles. "We'll make this room homey yet."

"I-I'll get started on the sheets." Lillian approached the new bed, peeking under it first. She seemed relieved. "They got storage containers, Hitoshi." 

Shoto blinked as he was dragged forward in the bedroom. It was such a... lively and bright place, it stunned him. His bedroom at home was the definition of dry. It was bland and lacked any form of a personal touch. This space, on the other hand, was booming. Neito had turned on music and was standing on Hitoshi's bed, just starting to pin lights to the ceiling. Posters littered the walls, and Lillian's bed was covered in various blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals. 

He looked down as something brushed his legs, eyes meeting two golden yellow ones. He blinked down at the cat, tilting his head slightly as Hitoshi dropped to the ground and pulled one of the rolling storage containers out from under the middle bed Lillian was currently on top of. The feline almost seemed knowing as it trotted over to Lillian's bed to sit.

"Hypothetically, would you be comfortable sleeping in a bed that was in the middle of a room like this?" Lillian glanced back at him with an innocent smile. Shoto shrugged. His bed at home, if he could even call that pitiful mat a bed, was all but in the center of the room. That's how it had always been. He sort of liked the openness, he guessed. He didn't know who this bed was for, though. It might be different for them...

"Personally, I wouldn't mind." He said carefully. Lillian smiled brightly, going back to tucking the sheets over the side. Hitoshi pursed his lips, looking at the snacks sitting on the floor next to him. Shoto also carefully set his share of the things they'd gotten down, blinking as Hitoshi's cat let out a meow at him from its place amongst the freckled girl's pillows. Or perhaps it was actually Lillian's, or maybe even Neito's. He had no idea.

"Would you put snacks in this container or the other?" Hitoshi asked him.

"I don't think it matters." Shoto shrugged. Hitoshi shrugged back, beginning to shove the things they'd bought into the bin. Shoto felt his mouth water at the sight of some of them. Maybe he could somehow... somehow get some on his way home. If the stores were still open. He almost hoped they weren't, because that would mean he got to stay here the rest of the day. He liked hanging out here. Hitoshi had nice parents, and this room was comforting.

The song seemed to hit its chorus, and Neito almost fell off the bed.

"All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you'd better run, better run, outrun by gun!" The three all broke out into song right then and there. No communication needed, no glanced, no nods. They all three just seemed to know that the others would be chipping in. Shoto immediately felt envious, but the feeling vanished when a phone was shoved into his hands. A phone with lyrics.

He couldn't help but smile and join in, even if it was quietly. 

Lillian finished putting the bed together. They put on the sheets Todoroki liked, and set out the throw pillows he wished he had. She splayed the blankets Todoroki's father would never let him have out over the fluffy mattress, and put the three pairs of fuzzy socks Todoroki wished he could wear in the top drawer of the chest at the end of said bed. Neito continued to hang the lights Shoto had been awed with, and Hitoshi placed the succulents Todoroki had been eyeing on top of the dresser as well. The books he wanted to read were set on the desk between the middle bed and Hitoshi's. 

Shoto was tasked with hanging the wall art they'd trusted him to pick out. Why they'd trusted him to do it, he didn't know. The space across from the bed Lillian had redone was completely empty. Like one end was Hitoshi's, one end was Lillian's, and the middle was some void. He immediately began to hang them to the best of his ability. He wasn't too sure where they had gotten all the money for this, but he wasn't about to ask. It would be rude to.

Mihoko, as Shoto had learned her name to be, brought in snacks at some point. Shoto had been to countless fancy restaurants. They had a professional cook at the house, and his father settled only for the best and most expensive foods to pertain to Shoto's diet. And yet those crackers and cheese with slices of ham were the best thing he'd ever tasted. He didn't know how, but they were. He savored it, and hoped that maybe one day they'd invite him over again.

It was only after the sun began to set that Chad made his appearance. He wasn't a terribly tall man, around two inches shorter than Shoto. He had sandy blonde hair and sunglasses that looked reasonably expensive. He waltzed through the door like he owned the place, dropping two stuffed trash bags at his feet and offering a familiar potted plant forward with a brief yawn. Shoto was stunned.

Opening the bags revealed to him most of his belongings. Not that he had much beyond his clothing. He found some of the blankets he didn't often use for fear of them getting taken away, a familiar mug his siblings had all three made for him when he was little to try and make him feel better, and the few framed photos he actually had. Essentially, Chad had somehow gotten everything important to him.

"Why..." He trailed off, brows furrowing. Lillian smiled brightly at him while Hitoshi and Neito rushed off to go talk more to Mihoko.

"You're moving in, Todoroki!" Lillian smiled, raising her hand for Chad to high-five on his way out. A small snake was curled on her shoulder, half in her shirt and half not. Her tone left no room for complaint, but it wasn't harsh like his father's. "Text the dumpster fire to let him know you're staying with a friend a few days. He can't claim you've been kidnapped if you're here willingly, can he?"

Shoto had never felt so at home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They'd someone convinced Shoto to stay for a while. It didn't take much. They had bought him a shit ton of stuff, after all. They all piled together on Hitoshi's bed and started a Disney movie marathon. They started with the Lion King, and made their way to Frozen by the early hours of the morning. It was very clearly Shoto's favorite. His eyes were wide as he watched the actor use her ice quirk to create a hulking castle, singing her heart out as she did so.

Hitoshi had fallen asleep, as had Neito. The blonde had his face buried in the taller boy's shoulder and was snoring lightly. Todoroki also seemed to be dozing off, and Lillian was leaned up against his left side and using him as a heater. Yeet was no better, curling up against him as well. Lillian was a bit nervous about falling asleep with him out and about, but there wasn't another place to really put him at the moment.

Her phone gave a ding, and she blindly reached for it. The brightness was as low as it could go, and yet she still managed to blind herself. Shoto didn't even twitch, head nodding forward as his eyes drooped again. Lillian was glad he felt comfortable and safe enough to fall asleep here, even without the door locked, and even with other people present. She blinked in surprise. She knew she'd saved everyone's number from 1-A's chat, but still...

Maybe Bakugo's number?:
Hey

Lillian:
Bakugo, is that you? Why are you texting me at three in the morning?

Maybe Bakugo's number?:
Why the fuck are you awake?

Lillian:
I could really ask you the same thing.

Maybe Bakugo's number?:
....

Maybe Bakugo's number?:
Thanks for the medal, I guess

Lillian snorted to herself, shifting slightly. Of all the things she'd expected, it wasn't this. Too tired to restrain herself, she found herself texting back an unfiltered response, wondering just how her life had gotten to this point to begin with.

~~~~

Okay I think I know the prize for the contest.

It's gonna be like, a one shot for this story. I don't care what kind. You literally get to choose. I don't really know how else to explain it, but here's some examples I guess. Also if any of these sound interesting to the rest of you just as like a bonus "what-if" thing, they actually sound pretty fun to write so let me know which are your favorites.

-Lillian meets Bakugo's parents

-Lillian dies

-Lillian x Kaminari one-shot

-What if Mic told Aizawa about the dad thing?

-Neito and Hitoshi finally get together

-Lillian meets (instert OC, cannon character, character from another anime)

-Soulmate AU where Lillian and Bakugo are soulmates but Lillian literally looks no one in the eyes so it takes them ages to realize

-More Chad

-Aizawa sees Lillian's hair do the thing

-Lillian's hair does the thing at the festival in front of literally everyone

-Poor Endeavor his being hazed by the meme squad

-Lillian is an avid PC gamer and doesn't realize she's best-online-friends with Shigaraki. Then they meet up and Shigaraki now doesn't want to kill her, but adores her and wants to make sure she's okay.

-Lillian accidentally adopts Kurogiri

-Lillian has moved in with Aizawa. Aizawa wakes up to find Lillian and Dabi in the kitchen raiding the fridge, and questions himself as a father.

-Chad delivers food to the League of Villains and takes them out single-handedly, but hey, it was an accident

-Nobody realizes Bakugo and Lillian are dating until they... well, do realize

-Lillian never learns Aizawa is her father. Until her four year old gets pissed off and erases the quirks of everyone in their line of sight, with floating hair and glowing red eyes and a single blink.

-(Insert character) has a crush on Lillian???

-Lillian has a crush on (insert character)???

-A day in the life of Chad the Uber Driver

-Does Mic want to know why Lillian has an actual gun? No. Does he want to know why she's holding half the League of Villains hostage in his living room? Also no. Does he want to know how she knew where he lived? Well... maybe a little.

-Mina jokingly calls Aizawa dad while he's writing on the board, and Aizawa turns around and is like "Yes, Lillia-" and then freezes when he realized what just slipped out and whoop the secret is out everyone knows

-Power move: Aizawa adopts his own child. Only he doesn't know she's his child... also, he's become best friends with a book on parenting.

-Lillian and (insert name's) child from the future falls from the ceiling.

-Future Lillian and her husband are sent back in time and wake up in their teenage bodies. The future is a hellish wasteland where everyone died. They're relieved and crying, and nobody knows what to do.

-Lillian and Kirishima would be a cute couple just saying

Yeah it doesn't have to be one of those. You can choose one of those if you want to, but you can also make one up, pick one of those, pick one of those but change it, etc. Feel free to drop some suggestions in the comments because I may do some for fun because why not?