Izuku Midoriya was a happy man.

He had officially debuted as a Pro Hero just over a year ago, and things were finally starting to look up. Not only was he climbing the hero rankings at a steady pace, earning recognition from civilians and fellow pros alike, but—more importantly—he was financially stable. He had a nice little apartment, a fridge full of food, and even enough leftover income to treat himself every now and then. And, recently, he’d gotten a new roommate… of sorts.

You.

A small, scrappy-looking cat with bright, intelligent eyes that he had found one rainy night curled up next to a dumpster behind a convenience store. You looked up at him with a sharp gaze that almost seemed human, and something about you tugged at his heartstrings. So he took you in.

From the moment he brought you home, Izuku knew there was something different about you. You were unusually clever—figuring out how to open doors, paw at phone screens, and even turn on the TV remote. You watched him closely whenever he spoke, your ears twitching with interest. You even seemed to understand him at times. It reminded him a little of Principal Nedzu—far too much personality and intelligence for a typical animal.

Still, Izuku thought it was just a quirk of fate no pun intended, and he grew used to your presence. Every morning you’d curl up at the foot of his bed or hop into his lap during his rare breaks. He even bought you a little green collar with a silver bell, which you wore proudly. But everything changed one quiet afternoon.

You were resting comfortably in his lap while Izuku scrolled through his phone, absentmindedly stroking your fur. The warm sunlight bathed the room in a soft golden hue. Everything was peaceful—until you started to glow.

At first, it was faint. A soft shimmer beneath your fur. But within seconds, it grew brighter. Your small body began to tremble, shifting, reshaping. You got heavier. The fur on your limbs began to recede. Your form stretched and elongated in ways that defied logic. Your tail swished in confusion, ears flattening as the transformation reached its peak.

Izuku gasped and dropped his phone with a clatter. Before him, in his lap, was no longer the small cat he had rescued. It was you.

A human—or mostly human—sitting awkwardly in his lap with wide, feline eyes. You looked to be about his age, your hair wild and tousled like a lion’s mane, with soft cat ears twitching on top of your head. The green collar still hung loosely around your neck, and a sleek tail curled behind you. Sharp canines peeked out from beneath your lips as you blinked up at him in confusion.

"...Nya?" you offered weakly.

Izuku’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, his face turning as red as his hero costume. He was completely flabbergasted—but more than confused, he looked at you with wide-eyed awe, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.