Chapter Text
Izuku is a bright boy, or he thinks he is. He is kind, he is smart, and he is as selfless as a 4-year-old can be (if giving Kacchan his All Might toy during one of his tantrums is anything). Right from the start, as long as he remembered, he had a friend in kacchan. He was there when they were toddlers, he was there all day during evening playing, he and his mom, his father mostly were always a fixture during any special day, and he and his mom were there for his. So, he always thought that he would be there for him if things went south. But Izuku never thought that he would be the source of his torture in his slightest dream.
If Izuku could remember, it all started after his 3rd birthday. It wasn't anything drastic, a little push here, a little tease there. For all those things, Izuku didn't mind because he knew kacchan would always be his friend. What if he teases him, and his other friends laugh at it? They are just playful teasing. There is no point in brooding over small things when you can focus on the hero discussion. There is no point in crying over the bruise when you go on a different adventure. But things built up when their group started getting quirks. Ah.. quirks... the doom of his entire existence. It doesn't matter if he is smart, caring, or helpful. If you don't have a good quirk according to their 'standard', they are a waste of space. And God helps someone if the case is no quirk, like Izuku, then all the things built over the years of friendship go down the drain.
He distinctly remembers the day when Kacchan showed his quirk to their kindergarten. He was excited beyond measure to see that his best friend had a great quirk fit for a hero. The possibilities of the things he can do and the ways he can save people excited Izuku to beyond measure. He remembers writing about kacchan quirk in his sloppy kanji, wondering about various special moves he can suggest to the blonde, the endless possibilities of support items to make him indestructible. Izuku saw the way the entire kindergarten looked in awe at kacchan's quirk, and he felt deep satisfaction for his best friend. He was really happy all the way home, during dinner, till he fell asleep. That warmth he experienced and the bright 'pop' from kacchan's hand was truly incredible.
But, as the saying goes, all good things don't last long.
As days turned into months, each of the kids from Izuku's kindergarten started getting quirks right and left. He remembered Ito's sweet candy quirk, Taruma's color-changing hair quirk, Tsubasa's red wings, etc Each was a wonder in the eyes of Izuku, who adores the mere existence of quirk. Because to him, no quirk is useless, and he has heard many times the type of support item ideas his dad has gotten from the quirks around him. As his dad says, 'You need to look at the right information, you can learn from anything and implement the idea to anything and everything. But, he felt bad when dad explained that the world does not see the quirks as an addition; they think that people are worth what their quirks are. He felt that it was unfair for people to judge others based on a factor they cannot decide, but his dad just smiled softly and said that not everyone thinks like that. He didn't understand the meaning behind the smile at that time, but looking back now, he can understand the situation as he is standing on the same platform as his dad did once and stings to see that his own best friend could turn on him for such a silly reason.
So, a year went by with other kids pushing him to the sides, not asking his opinion for any games, and his best friend slowly turning into someone whom he fears instead of loves. He tried to ignore all of that and focused on other things that don't require a group. He started going to the library regularly, volunteered in an animal shelter with his mom(well, his mom volunteered and he played on the side with the kittens - shh, you are not supposed to tell). He talked with his father a lot, sometimes over the phone, sometimes through text, and started to properly analyze the quirks with his father's help. He ignored all of the jeers, harsh words from his ex-friends, the indifferent/pity looks from adults, but no matter what, he couldn't quench the gap in his chest, the nagging feeling that this is all his fault - if only he were strong to defend himself, if only he were brave to shoo the bullies off. But no matter what, he never wanted to give up on his hopes of being a hero. Because of all the bad things, he knows that his mom and his dad are on his side, and he has the hope that they will support him no matter what.
So, he believed in the hope that he is a late bloomer and that his quirk will arrive anytime now. The year turned, and he became 5 years old, and the only kid in his kindergarten to not have a quirk. Every one of his classmates got one, and it became unbearable for Izuku to imagine himself as quirkless. So, he hoped day in and day out to see his quirk. He tried different stupid things in his leisure time to see if he got one, but alas, he didn't. But the finality of his situation occurred when he went to see the quirk doctor. When the doctor informed him and his mom that there would be no chance of him getting a quirk, he broke down and cried all day. No amount of persuasion, no amount of consolidation from his mom or his dad helped him to alleviate the heavy feeling he had, and when the dread of his future finally settled, he was horrified that he would never be able to become a hero. He sat frozen in his seat, engulfed in his mother's arms, who was sobbing for his sake.
When all hope faded away, he remembered asking his mom one thing that changed the meaning of his life. "You can be a hero, Izuku! Sure, you cannot match All Might anymore, given how powerful his punches are and how fast he is, but you can be your very own hero, Izuku! There are so many heroes out there who have a mental quirk, who can't pack a punch like All Might, but they are their very own heroes and help people in controlling villains. So, yes, you can be a hero if you work really, really hard because it's not going to be a smooth sail here on out."
It gave him a new sense of hope, a new perspective on the world. He thought that not all things would turn bad just because he was quirkless. Yes, the teasing is going to worsen(even he can understand that, ok?), no one is going to speak to him, and their behavior is going to worsen just like how it has gone bad for the past year. But, he can overcome it, right? He can fight it out, move out of their way, or simply ignore them and continue with his life.