Chapter Text
"Ochako dear?"
"Yes dad?"
"Are you ready for your playdate?" Gunhead asked his little girl. Now six years old and very much a daddy's girl, his little darling nodded her head. Oh, how fussy she had been when she had been first brought home, now she adored her dad.
"Yes dad. I can't wait to play with my best friend!" Ochako said with a big smile.
"Oh? Have you brushed your teeth?"
"Yep!"
"Alright, and have you brushed your hair?"
"I have dad!" Ochako responded. Gunhead gave his daughter a big smile.
"Do you want me to style it for you?"
"Oh! Can I have braids?" Ochako asked. Gunhead nodded as he sat down to work with her hair. It had grown quite a bit since he had taken his little girl in. He patted to his lap and Ochako scrambled up. He separated her hair in two to make twin tail braids. A simple but cute look for his little girl.
"There you go. Now, let's go meet with the boss alright?" he said as Ochako got off his lap.
"Zu's not my boss. He's my friend!" Ochako responded.
"Yeah. And what about Tomura?"
"Mm... He's Zu's big brother. He's okay. But he's kind of weird. I think he has cooties dad."
Gunhead had to stifle his laugh at the comment. His daughter was so precious.
"Well, you know what to do with people who have cooties right?"
"Yep! Stay away from them. And if they don't stay away, call you!"
"That's my girl."
"Can we go now dad?"
"We sure can."
Izuku sat next to his mom at the silent breakfast table. As usual, there were no words passed, just the quiet resignation. His mom looked tired as she did every morning. Her special medicine that she was forced to take always made her tired. Tomura was lingering in the hallway, more focused on his game than he was in eating. He could come and go more or less as he pleased. At the head of the table, on Izuku's other side, was a larger-than-life man who's piercing red eyes would rove over Izuku and his mom. Fully dressed in a suit even at breakfast. Izuku didn't think he had ever seen him wear anything else.
In fact, he didn't let Izuku wear much other clothes either. Gone were his colorful hero clothes he had back at home with his mom. Now he just had white button up shirts, black shorts and black socks. No shoes though. He wasn't allowed to leave the house he and his mom were kept in.
"Izuku, are you not feeling well?" the man spoke. "You've hardly touched your breakfast."
"I'm fine... dad," Izuku answered, then taking a quick bite of fruit. He didn't pay attention to what he was eating. Breakfast was always so tense. He just wanted to eat with his mom feeling good again.
"Hm. Are you sure?" he stated more than asked, "Because if you are unwell, I can always call off your little playdate so you can rest."
Izuku's stomach grew queasy. Ochako was his only friend. Sure, she didn't see anything wrong with his mom, or the man who insisted he was called dad, or Tomura other than the fact that he might have cooties, but she was the only kid his age he had seen since the day her dad brought him and his mom here. And he didn't want to have a day smothered by a man "concerned" about his health. He'd rather play with Ochako.
"No! I'm fine," Izuku assured, now eating his breakfast with more vigor. He kept his eye on his plate, feeling the burning gaze of the man on him. The man didn't make a sound, just continued to silently eat his own meal.
Izuku waited until he was nearly finished with his plate before looking over at his mom again. Her own eyes met his and she gave a weak smile. Her plate was only half eaten, and she was moving the food around the plate with her chopsticks.
He wanted to hug her. But if he hugged his mom in front of the man, the man would insist on a hug too. And Izuku didn't like hugs from the man. The only man he kind of liked hugs from was Ochako's dad. He was warm and funny and kind of goofy. The man here, he always made the hugs too tight, and made them last too long.
It only strengthened Izuku's resolve. When he met with Ochako, they would finish their plan. And then put it into action.
Izuku would prefer to be Ochako's brother than Tomura's brother anyway. And he was sure his mom would be happier with Ochako's dad than with the man who kept them in the house.
There was a knock on the door. Izuku recognized it as Ochako's dad's knock. He wanted to get up and run to the door but remained still under the threat of more attention from the man.
"They're early," the man said as he stood from his seat, sounding annoyed. Izuku watched as he walked to the door. A small smile came on his face as he heard the door open.
"You're early," he heard him say dryly.
"Sorry boss!" he could hear Ochako's father exclaim jovially. "But the early bird gets the worm!"
"Hello Mister Midoriya! Is Izuku ready to play?" Ochako greeted.
"Izuku is finishing his breakfast."
"Ah yes. Breakfast is important. Isn't it princess?"
"Uh huh!"
Izuku wolfed down his food left on his plate, gave his mom a hug and left the table. If he was done, surely, he could play with Ochako because she was already here, right?
He walked quietly towards the door and Ochako beamed at him.
"Hey Zu! Are you ready to play?"
"Izuku, have you finished your breakfast?" the man asked.
"Yes dad. I have finished," Izuku monotonously responded. His voice perked up with a slight amount of hope with his following question, "Can I play with Ochako?"
The man lowered his body into a crouch. "Give me a hug, and you can go play."
Izuku walked over to the man and reluctantly put his arms around his neck, then felt the iron like arms constrict around him. He held back a whimper at the feeling. Somehow, the man would take it as him not wanting to play with Ochako and keep him in his arms all day. Again.
Eventually, he was released from the uncomfortable hug.
"You may play in the living room. Tomura will be here if you need anything. Izuku, I will be taking mommy to see the doctor today, but we'll be back in time for lunch."
"Okay dad," Izuku responded robotically. There was no fighting it. Not until they could get Ochako's dad and his mom together. Then Ochako's dad could help him and his mom escape.
They could be a happy family. Once he and his mom could get away from the man who kept them locked up.