Work Text:
“I’m sorry Izuku!” My mother cries, falling forward and bringing my crying little brother into a hug. Now they’re both crying while I myself just lean against Izuku’s bedroom door frame, a few tears leaking from my own eyes.
Izuku just found out he was quirkless only mere hours ago, that’s all it took to utterly crush his life dream of becoming a hero. A sorry was not what Izuku needs, I know this and I know mom knows this too… but yet that’s all she could do, apologize for something that was in no way her fault.
I’m not sure how much time has passed with just my brother and mother embracing each other and crying but mom soon breaks the hug, standing up. She starts to walk out of his room, sniffling, but stops beside me and leans in so only I could hear what she had to say.
“Can you talk to him, he needs you now more than anything (Y/N)” she whispers. I glance at her and nod, knowing I need to take up the roll of talking to him since she couldn’t at the moment. “Thank you…” mom whispers, continuing to walk away, probably to the couch or to her room.
I take a small inhale of air, trying to think of what to tell Izuku. My mind races for something I could tell him put ultimately I just say screw it and walk over to stand beside him. Just as I’m about to open my mouth to say something, Izuku presses the pause button on his video, stopping it at the part where All Might’s face takes up the whole screen, sniffling.
“I-I can become a h-hero like y-you r-right (Y/N)-chan? I-I can be a g-great hero like you too r-right?” My heart just shatters at his heart broken voice and I suppress the urge to cry. I spin Izuku’s computer chair around so he’s facing me only to be met with a still crying Izuku. I frown and pick him up off his chair, carrying him over and setting him in my lap as I sit down on his bed.
“Of course you can Izuku, I see no reason why you can’t be” I whisper to the small, fragile boy. He gazes up to me with tear stained cheeks, no longer crying, but with a confused look.
“B-but I’m quirkless, I can’t be a hero like All Might or you…” he whimpers out, lowering his head as tears start to form in his eyes again. I lift his head so he’s looking at me, chuckling a little while wiping his small tears away.
“Who said you can’t become a hero?” I question, though I know who but I just want him to answer.
“The doctor, Kacchan, everyone in my class… They all say I should give up, that I should stop trying, that I can’t do it…”
“Are you going to listen to them?” I inquired. Izuku gives me a quizzical look so I restate my question, “Are you going to listen to them? Are you going to give up?”
Taking a moment to think over what I’m asking him, Izuku just shrugs, “maybe…”
“Nope! Wrong answer Izuku!” I smile down at him, “do not let others lead your life, it’s your life for a reason…” I pause a moment, debating whether or not I should let this information slip past my lips or not. Maybe I should, Izuku needs to hear this…
“I want to tell you something Izu. People are going to tell you that you can’t do it, whether it’s because your weak or quirkless or not smart enough. I know you know this, but listen, you can do it. Want to know why I think you can?”
“Why…” he whispers.
“Because when I was your age… I was told the exact same thing, that I could never be a hero, but look where I am now! I proved them all wrong, I became the hero that I wanted to be! I did that by not listening to those who told me other wise. I pushed through, I set goals for myself and I set morals that I would stick by and every time I did I became stronger, more confident in myself, and so can you! You can become the No. 1 Hero that you want to be Izuku!”
When I finished my little motivational speech, my small, 4 year-old brother is left speechless with floods of tears streaming down his eyes, but in no way is he sad. Embracing me tightly, Izuku stands up on my lap and leans his head into the crook of my neck, crying but I can hear him say something, something that puts a smile on my face.
“Thank you (Y/N)-chan, you’re my hero and the best sister ever…”
We stay like that for a little bit until Izuku finally lets go, wiping his tears away. He hops off my lap and goes to the head of his bed, climbing under the covers and laying his head on the pillow. He lets out a tiny yawn and I chuckle, the poor boy having tired himself out. I stand up from where I was sitting on the edge of his bed and walk over to his computer, shutting it down. Pacing back over to Izuku’s bedside, I turn on his All Might nightlight, lean forward and give his forehead a kiss.
“Good-night Izu, sweet dreams little hero-to-be” I murmured. Turning to his bedroom door about to head to my own room to retire for the night, I halt in my steps by the quite call of my brother.
“(Y/N)-chan, I have a question…” Looking at him, I nod to him as a way of saying that I was listening and to ask his question. “W-what’s a moral? You said you have those but, what are they?” I hum in though as I walk back to kneel beside him, pondering the best way to explain this to him without confusing him. What the hell am I talking about, he’s a smart boy, he’ll understand.
“It’s a little hard for me to explain but it’s like what a person believes is right, it’s like something they live by.” I try to explain. A small ‘oh’ leaves Izuku.
“What’s a moral that you have?” If I’m being honest I was a tad taken aback by him asking me that. I nevertheless smile and think of my answer.
“Well, I actually have a few. Like a villain is not born, they’re made. No one is born to be evil, something has to happen to them or they were raised that way, and were never showed the light and beauty of the world around them. But two of my favorites have to be that a true hero isn’t measured by his strength or how many villains he defeats, but by the strength of his heart and his will to be a hero. The second one is that a hero isn’t born, they’re made, meaning that it takes hard work for them to get to where they want to be, which is to be a hero of course. I know for sure that I had to work hard to get to where I am now, but you, you’ll have to work extra hard, but I believe in you Izuku and when you become a hero, you’ll be letting the world know that you did it. But to do that you need to go to bed silly!” I flash smile at him and he smiles his big, bright, pure smile back.
“Will you train me when I’m older (Y/N)-chan!? Please!?” Izuku pleads and I laugh.
“Yes Izuku I will and I’ll be with you every step of the way, I promise. But you gotta go to bed first!”
“Okay! Good-night (Y/N)-chan, I love you!” Izuku laughs with a smile as he closes his eyes, falling asleep within moments. A smaller smile crawls onto my lips and I stand up once more to my full height, tip-toeing so I don’t wake Izuku up. Just as I’m about to close the door I whisper out,
“I love you too Izuku, my little brother. I believe in you…” What I didn’t know was that he heard what I said and that those words would stick with him on his journey to becoming a Pro Hero.
——–(Time Skip, Izuku is now at UA and 15 years old)——–
The words my sister said to me when I was told that I couldn’t become a hero 11 years ago has got me through so much and has gotten me to where I am now, at UA High, the prestigious school for heroes-to-be. Even while she isn’t here with me now, I know that she is watching over my every move.
“Settle down students” Mr. Aizawa sighs, hopping into class dressed in his favourite yellow sleeping bag. At the sound of the very, and always, tired teacher’s voice, Class 1-A did as told and settled into their seats as they all ended their conversations and such, ready to focus on the lesson for the day.
Well, all but one. That being Izuku Midoriya.
“As some of you may know,” Aizawa began, “today is the anniversary of the War of Pros, a war between many Pro Heroes and Pro Villains worldwide. So, as some of you can guess, that’ll be the lesson for today.”
As Mr. Aizawa was setting up the projector to show a slideshow featuring some notes, videos and pictures, his dark and sleep-deprived eyes made eye contact with Midoriya’s. At that moment, the usual stone coldness of Aizawa’s eyes shifted to one of sympathy. Midoriya could tell what his teacher was thinking, so he merely nodded, letting the Pro Hero know he was okay sitting around for the lesson. Nodding back, Aizawa continued with the planned lesson.
“The war ended quickly, with it only lasting 3 weeks, and some of the greatest heroes served in it. Who knows what heroes from Japan fought in it?”
Right away, Midoriya’s hand shot up, making it quite known to the class that he knew what the answer was. Aizawa was quite surprised but didn’t show it.
“Midoriya?”
Clearing his throat, Midoriya answered, “All Might, Endeavor and… (H/N).” Many caught the hesitation with the last Pro Heroes name, but paid no mind to it. Except Bakugou and Aizawa, because they knew the reason behind it.
When I was 10, (Y/N) was assigned to partake in war overseas along with All Might and Endeavor. At this time, my sister moved up the ranks to be the No.3 Pro-Hero in Japan, meaning she was one of the strongest there was and one of the more fit ones to go to battle. This war was classed as a triple-S level war, so Pros from all over the world, such as America, came to assist as well. It was chaos and destruction between villains and heroes alike, many were injured but only one Pro-Hero was killed.
My sister…
“Right…” Aizawa replied in a monotone voice, like always.
Aizawa was the same age as (Y/N), they went to school together and were in the same classes. As for Bakugou, despite being the nerds older sister, Bakugou still knew the Pro deserved respect.
As the dark haired teacher continued on with the lesson, Izuku Midoriya was stuck in his own thoughts about his sister and the day he and his mother were told of her death.
The day my mother and I found out was the worst day of my life, it greatly out weighted the agony and sadness I felt when I found out I was quirkless. My mother cried for months and wouldn’t even go anywhere close to her room, avoiding it like the plague, but only because every time she would be near it, she would burst into tears.
When my mother was finally ready to go into (Y/N)’s room we found letters in her desk drawer. One was addressed to mom, one to All Might, one to Mr. Aizawa, one to President Mic. Then there was a stack of 7 addressed to a group that (Y/N) was apart of called the RFA. The last letter was for myself. Mom mailed the other letters after she read her own, but I read my letter later that night.
When I read the letter it seemed to have meant to be for me to read before she left, (Y/N) must have just forgotten to give it to me before she left, she did leave 2 days earlier than she was originally suppose to.
~~~~
Dear Izuku,
Hey there little buddy! I know you don’t like that nickname all that much but meh :P
Now onto some serious things… I know, I know, there’s no fun in serious things but I gotta! As you know I have to leave for a little while to go overseas, but I’ll come back as soon as I can! Then we can go back to our usual of training and goofing off okay! I promise, pinkie promise Izuku!
And if you ever miss me you know what to do right? Yell out the window as loud as you can so I can hear you 'Goddess 606 help me!’ or you can call on my friend God 707, he’ll be there for you too if I can’t be :)
Like I said Izuku, I’ll be home as soon as I can be, so just keep training while I’m gone, then when I get back I’ll test you, so be ready!
You can do it Izuku, go beyond, Plus Ultra! I believe in you!!
~Love your sister, (Y/N) Midoriya~
~~~~
“Even though a life was taken that day in battle, her sacrifice was not in vain. Can anyone tell me why?” Zoning back into the lesson, Midoriya hears Aizawa ask the class another question, and with no one else raising their hand, whether it’s because they don’t want to answer the question or no one actually knows, Midoriya reluctantly raises his hand once more.
Hesitantly, Aizawa calls on him, “Midoriya…”
With clenched hands that tremble slightly, Midoriya answers through his teeth, “Her sacrifice wasn’t in vain… b-because her finally attack won th-the war…” Midoriya couldn’t hold them back any more, his tears of sorrow and hurt. Hurt because his sister promised to come home, yet she’s not here, with him and cheering him on! Not here with him sparring, not here helping him grow, not here with him every step of the way like she said, like she promised!
The sudden noise of a chair scrapping against the tiled ground caught everyone’s attention, except for Midoriya, who’s still crying in his seat while his fellow classmates gave him sympathetic looks before the noise occurred.
“Oi, Deku…” The rough and raspy voice of Katsuki Bakugou sounds out in the quiet classroom. While the pitch of Bakugou’s tone seems to not have changed, to everyone that knew the young boy, they would catch the softness in it. Marching over to his desk, Bakugou lifts Midoriya by the back of his collar and sets him on his feet.
Calming down just enough to talk coherently, Midoriya mutters out “w-what is it Kacchan? I-” before being pulled into someones embrace, Bakugou’s. Class 1-A and their teacher are shocked to their core, no one expecting him to comfort his childhood rival. Before Midoriya could sputter out anything, Bakugou began to talk.
“Now listen here shitty Deku cause I’m only saying this once, (Y/N) wouldn’t want you to be this upset over her, she’d want you to continue living your life and become the hero she knew you could, no um, become the hero that you can be. Don’t think I didn’t see you and her training all those years ago! Now don’t let her hard work go to waste shitty nerd and brighten the hell up, it’s what she would have wanted!” Bakugou’s tone held so much sincerity and truth that Midoriya couldn’t help but cry more, not in sadness, but in content. He should have realized that if his sister was still here that she would have been disappointed in how he’s been living his life, in sadness and despair.
“Th-thank you K-Kacchan!” Midoriya cried, hugging his friend just a little tighter, Bakugou returning the tight grip.
“No problem nerd…” He whispered, tone gentle.
The class sat shocked yet eternally happy that Bakugou dropped his pride to comfort the very emotional green haired teen, showing a side of himself that very few would ever get to witness and experience. Smiling faces filled the quiet classroom as 1-A just let everyone calm down, to regain composure of their feelings so they could return to the lesson.
Suddenly, frantic and heavy footsteps could be heard from the hallway just outside the classroom, catching many off guard. Bakugou and Midoriya parted, positioning themselves into a fighting stance, ready to defend themselves and those around them.
As the classroom door slides open with much ferocity, the entire of Class 1-A is thrown into shock, but in three of them, other emotions bubble in them. Aizawa, Bakugou and Midoriya all hold a sense of sadness, relief, confusion and pure joy at the face that has appeared before them.
Lowering their fighting stances, Izuku staggers forward, tears beginning to brim his emerald coloured eyes.
“(Y-Y/N)…?”
(Y/N)’s POV
“(Y-Y/N)…?” Izuku whispers, voice shaking though thick with emotion. As I lean against the door frame to the classroom, clutching the side of my stomach, I can see the tears in his eyes. In my little brother’s eyes. Eyes that I thought I’d never see again along with his atrociously messy green hair, his distinctly familiar voice that despite him being older, is still recognizable.
“I-Izu-uku, I told y-you I’d c-come home” the arm that wasn’t holding my injured side reached out to him, my body leaning off the only support I had at the moment. Izuku rushes forward, the tears that had been accumulating finally running down his cheeks as he wraps his arms around me, myself doing the same as I let go of my injury momentarily.
His tears start to soak my tattered, torn and slightly burnt shirt but I could care less. All I care about is being here, home, with part of my family.
“H-h-how a-are you-u he-here. Th-the n-news said you were d-dead” the small green haired boy hiccups, clutching onto me tighter, like if he even loosened his grip a fraction I would disappear forever. His fingers claw slightly into another wound of mine, causing me to wince though Izuku doesn’t let up.
“I know, I know. I never died, I was kidnapped by those I was fighting back then and only now was I able to escape. But I promise, I’m here, I’m okay and I’m never leaving you again. And hey, I see you made it into UA! Told you that you could make it!” I smile.
Izuku only seems to sob louder and harder. His tears aren’t tears of sorrow any more but more like tears of happiness.
In that moment, we both knew that everything was going to be okay. That neither of us would be absent from each other’s lives ever again.
I was home and someone I care about most is happy.
Everything is finally alright.