Chapter Text
Izuku wakes the next morning to an empty bed and sunlight slipping through the closed curtains. He blinks slowly, teeth clicking audibly as he yawns. He doesn’t recognize the space he’s in but it still smells safe and secure so he doesn’t panic. He remembers the night before, running from the scary shop owner and seeking shelter in a car. Meeting Aizawa and being fed and bathed and given a warm bed to sleep in. Having his muzzle removed.
It isn’t often that Izuku finds himself feeling cared for anymore. He remembers once, weeks ago, a young girl a few years older than him sharing her lunch with him outside of the restaurant she worked at. She had tried to remove his muzzle but had nothing to cut the straps with and by then the clasps on the back were too worn and stiff from age to be undone. She had sat with him, patiently feeding him meat and vegetables through the small air holes on the front of his muzzle. She soothed him with gentle pets and kind words when he whimpered.
It was a nice interaction, one that left him feeling brighter and more alive for days after. But when he had returned a week later to see the girl again, she never came. Instead, the restaurant owner found him and chased him away with a dirty broom. Izuku never went back after that. And he never saw the kind girl again.
Most people see him as a lonely wolf pup that stumbled too far from the forest. They pity him but they offer no aid. Not when his bones began to peek through his fur or the muzzle left trails of blood in his wake. They offered sympathetic stares or a whispered ‘poor baby’. But at the end of the day they all turned the other cheek. Left him alone to die with nobody to love him or even hold his hand in those final moments.
Others, the cruel ones, saw him for what he is. The superstition. The myth. Okami. Izuku learned the lore of the legendary yokai spirits a long time ago. Back when his quirk first manifested and he didn’t even know how to say Okami, let alone what it meant. He had researched for hours about the supernatural wolf protectors of the mountains. He found that in some folklore, Okami protect the mountains by offering guidance and aid to the travelers that frequent them. In others, Okami protect the mountains by slaying those travelers and feasting on their flesh. Izuku can’t blame people for seeing him as a monster, but it doesn’t change how much it hurts.
Regardless of societal views, one thing always remains. Humans fear him.
But not Aizawa. Aizawa had taken one look at Izuku, small and starving and terrified, and he had channeled his own Okami. He became Izuku’s protector when he needed it most. He took care of Izuku. Made him and his wolf feel safe and seen and loved. And even now, in the aftermath, Aizawa isn’t yelling at Izuku in anger and fear. He isn’t putting Izuku back out on the street to fend for himself. He isn’t waking Izuku with cruelty and pain like so many others have before him.
Instead, he’s letting Izuku sleep. He’s making food in the other room, salmon and rice judging by the smell of it. He’s humming softly to himself as if he doesn’t have a monster curled up under his covers. Aizawa is perfectly at ease with Izuku here, invading his space and silently pleading for help. And, moreover, he’s meeting those pleas with a silent promise of his own to provide the help and care Izuku so desperately needs.
Izuku stands up on shaky legs and stretches with another yawn. He wobbles over to the edge of the bed and glances down. It looks like a far drop, at least for how tiny he is right now. And without the adrenaline of fighting for his life running through his veins Izuku begins to register the pain in his body. The ache in his bones from malnourishment and the tight, stinging feeling of healing muzzle scars. His body still trembles with exertion and Izuku worries that jumping from the bed might do more harm than good.
But he’s hungry and thirsty and far too warm now surrounded by thick blankets bathed in the dredges of sunlight. He wants to be with Aizawa. Wants to explore the apartment on shaky paws and watch his hero cook. So he sits right at the edge, his paws tipping over the blankets just slightly, leans his head back, and howls. It comes out scratchy and high pitched, the octave breaking every so often from disuse. He hacks slightly at the discomfort in his throat but it’s enough.
He hears shifting in the other room, followed by soft footsteps. The door creaks open and Aizawa blinks down at him with a soft expression. Izuku can’t help how his tail wags slightly, thumping gently against the mattress. Aizawa offers a tiny smile and approaches, scratching at Izuku’s fluffy head as he crouches down in front of him. Izuku basks in the attention, head tilting into the scratches as his tongue lulls out of the side of his mouth and he pants joyfully.
“You’re just a silly little thing, huh? Need help getting off the big scary bed?”
Izuku stands, shaking himself out and trying not to fall. Aizawa gently scoops him up and carries him out to the living area. He sets Izuku on the floor by the kitchen but after only a minute of watching the man cook in silence Izuku quickly gets bored and stumbles off to explore. He sniffs at everything. The couch, the kitchen chairs, the tables. He inspects every doorway, every corner, even the dust bunnies under the couch. The whole apartment reeks of Aizawa. That warm, safe smell accompanied by coffee and pine and a little bit of blood.
Once he’s satisfied with his investigation he stumbles back over to the kitchen and lays down in the doorway. He curls up much like he had in the car the night before, resting his snout on his paws and his tail on his snout. He watches Aizawa work with big green eyes, tail wagging against his own face every time he’s given even so much as a glance. Okami seems to preen at every ounce of attention they receive as well, spinning in circles and wagging his tail in the back of Izuku’s mind each time they’re acknowledged.
“I did some research on what wolves eat this morning. Not sure if that applies to you as well but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.”
Aizawa sets a plate of raw salmon and rice with chopped up bits of carrots mixed in on the floor in front of Izuku. He wastes no time ripping into the tender fish and painting his face in simple white rice. It’s relatively plain, no seasonings or sauces, but it’s delicious nonetheless. And more importantly, it’s filling. He polishes the food off before Aizawa even sits down with his own, licking the plate clean for good measure.
Once he’s finished he leaves Aizawa alone to eat his own breakfast in peace. He wobbles his way out to the livingroom, sniffing a few things again on his way, before flopping in the middle of the floor and rolling around on his back. He listens to Aizawa’s soft chuckles and decides to play up the act, turning his head to look at the man with his tongue flopped out and all four paws sticking out in odd directions. He hopes he looks silly and cute. He’s having fun here, enjoying nice meals and safety and warmth. He doesn’t want to ruin it before he has a chance to earn the care being provided.
Aizawa eats quickly and cleans up even quicker. He leaves Izuku to his little wiggle fest while he scrubs away at plates and cooking utensils. And then finally, he joins Izuku in the living room. He sits cross-legged on the floor and Izuku doesn’t even hesitate to approach, worming his way into Aizawa’s lap and panting as he catches his breath from all the movement. Aizawa runs a gentle hand along his spine, simultaneously providing affection and gauging just how underweight he is. And then he wraps some fur around a finger and tugs gently to get Izuku’s attention.
“Don’t freak out, pup. I’m not upset or anything. But I know you aren’t a real wolf. Do you feel comfortable enough to talk to me properly?”
Izuku stills in Aizawa’s lap. Most people don’t catch on so quickly. They take one look at him and assume he’s nothing but a stray dog at best. Though, most people don’t take the time to talk to him, let alone spend as much time exposed to his behaviors as Aizawa has in the past twelve hours or so. Izuku knows he has some odd behaviors for a wolf. Namely because he isn’t actually a wolf. But he had been hoping that he could get away with this for a little while longer.
Selfish.
‘Pup. It is alright. Okami will keep pup safe, as he always has. Dark pup is safe. Dark pup will not hurt us. Only wants to help.’
‘But what if he changes his mind? What if he gets mad cause we lied. O-or hurts us cause we were bad and made him bring us home and-’
‘Shhh. Dark pup would not do such things. Dark pup is not like others. Dark pup is good. Kind. Okami trusts dark pup.’
Izuku peers up at Aizawa’s patient expression. He hasn’t spoken again since he asked, giving Izuku the time he needs to feel comfortable. If he decides not to trust his hero, he could just walk away now and Aizawa wouldn’t stop him. He keeps his hands visible at his sides, non-threatening. He has no intention of hurting Izuku. At least not yet. And if he tries, Okami will protect him. He always has. So with a soft whine Izuku stumbles to a corner and shifts. He pulls his boney knees to his chest, hiding himself and his modesty all at once. He stares at Aizawa with wide, terrified green eyes.
Aizawa says nothing at first, doesn’t even move from his spot on the floor several feet away. His gaze scans Izuku quickly, taking in his trembling form and bony limbs. Taking in the fear. He reaches to the side, stretching slightly to pull a small throw blanket off the couch, and offers it to Izuku. He takes it slowly with trembling hands, wrapping it around himself and making sure to cover all the parts that should never be visible.
He’s always felt more exposed this way. Naked in every sense of the word. He had grown out of his clothes ages ago and had never been able to replace them. He hasn’t grown much since being on his own. Starvation will do that to a person. But the clothes he once wore had already been small on him by the time he lost everything, and that was years ago. But putting all of that aside, Izuku hasn’t truly felt human in so long. Of course, he’s no feral animal. He’s held tightly to what remains of his humanity for as long as he can. But surviving as a wolf has been a necessity for far too long. Being Okami is easier than being Izuku.
“Can you tell me your name?” Aizawa asks softly.
A small growl escapes him as he answers. “Izuku.”
“Ok. And how old are you?”
“Eight.”
“Eight.” Aizawa whispers softly in disbelief. He takes a deep breath and nods. “Do you know where your family is?’
Izuku shrugs, bringing a hand up to roughly paw at an inch behind his ear. “Papa might be at home. Or workin. Haven’t been back in a long time. And I dunno about Mama. Never met Mama.”
“I see. And how long has it been since you saw your Papa?”
“I dunno. Two years I think. Papa was mad cause I ripped the couch while I was playin. He put me in the cage for time out cause I was a bad pup but it was too small, Mr. Aizawa. It was uncomfy. An so I kept whinin and Papa got mad and put me outside instead. Said bad dogs can’t be indoors. I slept at the park cause the bushes are warm sometimes and then when I came back Papa never let me back in. Wolfie said we should just stay away cause Papa was a bad pack leader.”
“Wolfie?”
“Mmhm. My quirk. He says his name’s Okami but I call him wolfie cause I couldn’t say his name for a long time.”
“Your quirk is sentient?” Izuku nods shyly. In his mind Okami presses his snout forward, as if pressing it into Izuku’s palm. He relaxes just slightly at the gesture.
“Right. Ok. And did your Papa put the muzzle on you as well?”
“Yeah. I’m supposed to wear the muzzle when I’m a wolf cause I bit him by accident once. He was just mad and he kept hurting me and I was scared. I didn’t mean to. I promise I won’t do it again.”
“Hey, no. It’s ok kid. Even if you did, you wouldn’t be in trouble. No more muzzles, ok? No more cages or sleeping outside either. I promise.”
“R-really? I don’t gotta sleep outside no more?”
“Never again Izuku.”
And for the first time in a long time, Izuku smiles.
–
The rest of the day goes by in a blur after that. Izuku showers properly, Aizawa sitting with him to teach him how and make sure he doesn’t fall. Being on two legs again after two years is odd. And standing is still hard even now. Izuku thinks his shakiness has something to do with the lack of muscle mass. Aizawa promises to help him get back to a healthier weight as soon as possible. He dresses in a large baggy shirt that falls down to his knees before letting Aizawa carry him out to the couch.
Aizawa makes several phone calls. One to someone named Zashi, asking him to bring by some more appropriate clothes and leave them outside the door. Izuku is glad the new person won’t be coming inside. He’s not too thrilled with the idea of being around any strangers right now. The other is to a person named Tsukauchi, asking him to start a new case file on Izuku’s behalf. He assumes this Tsukauchi person is a police officer of some kind and wonders if they plan to find his Papa. Izuku can’t really bring himself to care. As long as he doesn’t have to go back.
He picks up on the request for emergency guardianship papers. Izuku isn’t entirely sure what that means but he does know what the individual words are and hopes that it means he’ll be able to stay with Aizawa. He likes it here. Likes the safe smell and the sunlight coming through the window. Likes being able to roll around on the floor to his heart's content. Likes being carried and cradled and held whenever he wants it. Aizawa is kind. Izuku doesn’t know kindness anymore. It’s, admittedly, a little bit scary. But Izuku has already grown attached in the short timeframe he’s been here.
He thinks it might have something to do with his wolf. Okami clearly trusts Aizawa. He gets excited just being around the man. They gravitate toward him at every opportunity, following him around the apartment on wobbly legs and curling against him when they sit together on the couch. He’s pack now, Izuku thinks. And neither Izuku or Okami want to give that up.
“Mr. Aizawa?” He asks softly, curled beside the man on the couch in fresh, better fitting clothes.
A hand cards through his curls as Aizawa hums above him. “Will I be able to stay here? With you?”
“Is that what you want?”
Izuku nods shyly, turning his head to blink up at Aizawa with wide eyes. “Pack. Don’t wanna go away. Don’t wanna go back. Don’t wanna be alone again. Wanna stay with pack.”
Aizawa nods slowly. “Ok. Then I’ll make sure you can stay, pup. You never have to be alone again. I promise.”
Izuku cuddles against him. Aizawa continues to card a careful hand through his hair, easing out small tangles and tugging gently every so often. He keeps Izuku close, wrapping a protective arm around his shoulders and humming a soft tune Izuku’s never heard before. He doesn’t bat an eye when Izuku eventually shifts with a yawn, only pulling Izuku closer until he’s sprawled out on his hero's lap and dozing lightly with gentle scratches behind his ears. And Izuku falls asleep content and warm and safe for the second night in a row.
He thinks, maybe this is what it’s like to be loved.