Chapter Text
The realization of Izuku being a little came slowly. She knew what the littlespace was, and as a nurse, she came into contact with coping mechanisms like that. She even dabbled herself in regressing when she was younger but quickly realized that she was more suited and comfortable with being a caregiver.
She started to notice how Izuku would slur his speech when they had cozy family movie nights. Inko didn't really think anything about it and thought that her baby was just sleepy. Then he started to cuddle a stuffie that he hadn't touched since kindergarten. It was a little red lion, that he got as a gift from Mitsuki.
But Inko decided to stay silent and just have Izuku this. If he was comfortable cuddling his stuffie and her, then who would she be to oppose that?
She had her suspicions the more he regressed around her. But she decided to let Izuku come to her on his own. Inko didn't want to pressure him.
When they had movie nights, Inko wordlessly gave him his favorite juice and searched her entire dresser for the baby blanket he had. It was a soft, faded Gang Orca blanket with a cute ocean animal border. She placed it on the couch next to the other adult ones, just in case he wanted to take it himself.
Finally one day he came to her. Hands nervously wringing and a bit shaky.
“Mom?” he asked and she tried to stay calm, just so her son won't combust.
“Yes, baby?” giving him all the time in the world she waited. Waited for him to say something, not really sure what it was about.
“IthinkImightbealittle” Izuku mumbled fastly and his full face was red, ready to cry. Inko chuckled a bit and opened her arms, smiling when he barreled in her arms and hid his face in her chest.
“You want to repeat that, honey? It was a bit fast for me.”
Izuku whined a bit, probably because he was too embarrassed. “I think I might be a little. I think I age regress,” he whispered and Inko relaxed. So it wasn't anything bad.
“Oh, baby. I know. You know that age regressing is a healthy coping mechanism right?” She asked carefully, cuddling him and petting his back, trying to comfort the young teen.
“Y-Yes I read .. that … But it's weird. It must be wrong right? What if Dad hates me?”
“Baby. Izuku.” She leaned back and forced him to look at her. Nothing but love and support in her eyes. “It's not weird. It is a healthy way to cope with stress and trauma. I don't hate you, I gladly take care of you. No matter if you are big or small.” she smiled as he started to sniffle softly “And your dad won't feel any different.”
With that the floodgates were open and the famous Midoriya tears started to flow. Inko allowed her baby to cuddle up to him again and started to rock him in her arms. Happy that her son trusted him so much to come to her and that he believed her.
It wasn't a lie. She knew that Hisashi would be excited to spoil him even more. Even though he was in America most of the year, they still had daily video calls and still loved each other dearly. When Izuku got his ´diagnosis´ (A word she hated because Izuku wasn't sick or disabled) he didn't even blink. He loved Izuku as much as she did and there wasn't a sliver of a doubt that he would be anything other than supportive and loving.
Inko didn't know how long they sat there, humming a low tune and letting Izuku cry it out.
“Mama?” a tiny voice asked her and she smiled. Izuku probably cried himself into being smaller.
“Yes, baby?”
“See All Might?”
Inko laughed softly as she dried his little face off with a small towel she always carried around. “Of course baby. But first, go wash your hands ok?”
With a squeal, the little boy jumped up to run to the bathroom. Her cries for him to go slower were ignored, accompanied by excited giggles.
Yeah, she loved her boy.