Chapter Text
“Deku! Stop trying to play hero when you can’t!”
“This kid’s all bark and no bite, bet you popsicle he’ll give up after a few hits”
“No bets! We already know the outcome! Hit him!”
Three kids kicked and punched Izuku while he himself tried to defend against them. He didn’t know what was wrong with him? Izuku glanced to his right, Good he escaped-
A kick to his stomach stopped his train of thoughts. Izuku bit his lip to not scream, blood trickled down from his lip and he finally fell down from the impact. The three kids laughed, they walked away leaving Izuku there on the ground. Izuku kept his eyes shut, waiting for the sound of their footsteps fading away. He waited for about a minute before they completely went away. Izuku propped himself up, the ache in his bones felt too painful to be real so he ignored that. Izuku could barely stand as he crawled to a nearby tree to help himself stand.
His vision blurred, specks of black began to appear. He felt himself sway. Izuku saw a bench not too far away from where he stood. Great, now all he has to do is drag himself there without passing out.
Heave ho
“U-ugh…”
The pain flared once again, forcing him to his knees. No! How can he get home if it’s like this? Izuku prayed and prayed there would be someone to help him. A hero to help him. Someone, please, anyone….please help me…
He could no longer hold the pain and fell down to the ground once again. Izuku hugged his knees and closed his eyes, hoping that it would somehow lessen the pain. But no, so Izuku stayed there while trying to busy himself with what lie he could come up to his Mother.
The crunching of a leaf startled him. Who is it? Izuku opened his eyes to take a peek. But the blur caused by his tears did not let him see who is his to-be savior is. He could make out the man’s black suit and his unique fedora. A fedora with orange stripe. Izuku opened his mouth to say “who?” but instead a groan came out.
“Rest. For now.” Said-no ordered the man. Izuku felt arms on his shoulders and on his legs. Then the man carried him easily. After that, black filled his vision and Izuku knew nothing of how the man reasoned to his Mother and how he has seemingly infiltrated his house that day.
When Inko saw her son in the arms of an unknown man with bruises and is passed out, She’s ready to throw hands. But before she could grab the nearest shoe, the man’s words stopped her. “I assume you’re his mother than from that furious look of yours, your son here has just been badly beaten in a park by his friends. Right now he’s passed out because he can’t handle the pain. May I come in?”
Inko eyed him warily, even though the mas was so polite she couldn’t help but feel suspicious of him. But he saved her son, her dear Izuku, so she opened the door wide for him and gestured him to come in. “What’s your name…sir? And please tell me more about his…friends”
The man placed Izuku on the couch gently. He then turned back to Inko with a smirk on his handsome face. A bead of sweat trickled down her cheek to her chin before finally down to the floor. This man is dangerous, thought Inko as she backed away from him. Inko’s eyes assessed the situation at hand and found that she has a slight advantage. She’s still the owner of the house, knew more than he could ever have, though the disadvantage is that he may use Izuku as a hostage-
When the man opened his mouth, Inko assumed a stance of defense. “The name’s Reborn, pleased to meet the lady of the house…?”
“M-Midoriya Inko.”
“Midoriya-san then, Maybe we could sit and talk over coffee?”
Inko nodded hesitantly, a good thing that she brewed coffee for herself before this man came in. Warily, Inko never left her back to him. While still watching him, she grabbed a mug and poured a hot coffee from the coffee maker. Meanwhile Reborn looked at her amusedly. Inko felt annoyed. She placed the mug on the dining table and gestured for him to sit. He sat on the chair and grabbed the cup, seemingly to inhale its content before taking a few sips.
Eyeing Reborn weirdly, Inko sat across him. “Isn’t it hot?” she asked, this man took a few sips of a hot coffee and is still fine. If it had been her, she would’ve jumped around the house. Reborn lets out a low chuckle, “I’m used to it. So about his ‘friends’ “
Inko gulped.
“They have been beating him for a long time. How did you not notice? All of the bruises on his legs are either old or new. Some are not even properly healed. They seem to be the same age as him, perhaps, schoolmates?”
When he mentioned schoolmates, her brain went to one fiery blond. Bakugou Katsuki. Inko’s hands on her lap trembled. No way, he used to be such a sweet child. But only recently has he been this explosive. Ever since awakening his quirk….quirk. QUIRK? Inko’s eyes widened. Her son, she wanted to believe that Izuku is just a late bloomer. But 5 years went by and every doctor said that he’s quirkless. Is it because of that? Inko doesn’t want to assume things about her best friend’s son, but he’s more likely to-
“A penny for your thoughts, Midoriya-san?”
Startled out of her thoughts, Inko looked up at Reborn’s onyx eyes and found that, yep, he’s still there and she just made herself vulnerable. Inko straightened her back and looked back straight into Reborn’s eyes. “Yes, I do know someone who would do such things. But I don’t want to assume,”
Reborn nodded. He took another sip of the coffee, noting that it’s well made. He lets out a hum. “Was there… a child with spiky blond hair and red eyes?” continue Inko, keeping her volume down. Reborn eyed her for a moment before putting down his cup of coffee.
Inko knew she shouldn’t trust him. Inko knew he could’ve easily lied to her face about Izuku being bullied. She knew the possibility of him hurting her son himself. But for some strange reason, she got the feeling that he wouldn’t purposely hurt her son. If he can help it. The feeling is weird, but Inko decided to trust her gut.
“No, there was not.”
A wash of relief came over Inko like a tsunami. She unconsciously lets out a huge sigh of relief. Right, no matter how brash the boy is, Bakugou Katsuki is still her best friend’s son. She couldn’t imagine him doing that to Izuku just because he’s quirkless.
Her stomach then churned at that thought. No, he could’ve done that and still play nice in front of her. Inko’s gaze dropped down to her lap. “But,” Reborn’s voice once again startled her. “Yes?” she asked timidly. Reborn’s gaze hardened. “Nothing. Let’s get to the point of what I’m doing here.”
The atmosphere became even tenser that only the sharpest of swords can cut it. “Your son needs to be treated in a hospital. And you know, hospitals are expensive and all. You’re a single mother-“ Inko opened her mouth to protest but Reborn continued “so I’m sure you can’t afford it and also to empty your schedule to visit him-“
“But I can! Don’t you dare think I can’t! And I’m sure it’s not that expensive that even a single mother like me can’t handle!”
“But it is. I’m sure, a surgery will do for him to have a full recovery from all the beatings he took. First Aid will only get you so far. He might also be using half of his allowance on some cream if the bullies didn’t take it. His shoulder is dislocated from earlier, now I ask this of you because I’m running out of time and he’s in a world of pain right now.”
Inko’s eyes widened. She wanted to argue this man again but decided to listen. “I can heal your son, Midoriya Inko. He deserved to be healed. He needs it fast and I can do it.”
Reborn’s offer sounded shady to her but his sincere expression betrays her suspicion of him. This sounded like a trap. No, she shouldn’t trust him. He claimed to have a healing quirk, but shouldn’t someone with a quirk like that be popular? Well-known?
Seeing her silence Reborn tried again, “Please?” he added with a begging tone. He hated to have to beg like this, he knew Midoriya Inko right here doesn’t trust him and that’s good. No one should trust him. But this time, it’s different. He needed to do it right now or else he’ll lose that warmth again.
Inko, moved by his sincerity, stood up. “Okay. Do it. But, as soon as I see something wrong with your method-“ Inko grabbed a frying pan from the counter, the one she used to prepare dinner earlier, “I won’t hesitate to hit you with this, okay?”
Reborn chuckled, as if the idea of her hitting him with a frying pan amuses him, He stood up and followed Inko to where Izuku is. He took off his fedora, placed it on the table, and Leon crawled out of his breast pocket to rest on his shoulder. Reborn first tended to the dislocated shoulder. Izuku’s left shoulder suffered a lot of damage because he used it to protect himself from them. His hand hovered over the shoulder as a yellow flame materialized.
Inko flinched. Reborn glanced at her and gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt him” after he assured her, he looked back towards Izuku. “What’s his name, Midoriya-san?” he asked, realizing that he hadn’t asked for his name.
“Izuku. Midoriya Izuku.”
“Izuku..” murmur Reborn. His eyes trailed from Izuku’s face down to his dislocated shoulder. Reborn felt a hum in his flame and content. It’s as if his flame is waiting for its playmate to come out and play with it. Like a cat. Definitely a cat. Reborn brought up his other hand and placed it on top of Izuku’s stomach. He closed his eyes and focused.
While doing this, Inko watched with wariness still in her eyes. But once the furrowed eyebrows of Izuku relaxed and now his face looked like he’s in peace and is sleeping, Inko sighed. Reborn’s flames died out, he took a peek at Inko and then Izuku. Warmth and home washed over him. To think that he’d find a sky, HIS sky once again.
A fond smile took over Reborn’s face, He’d like to be welcomed home by his sky, but no. Right now, it’s him welcoming his sky. “Welcome home, il Mio Cielo.”
“Huh?”
Realizing Inko is there, Reborn stood up. He grabbed his fedora and wore it as he faced Inko. “I’m sure you’re confused. You can check for yourself here, Izuku is fine and dandy.” As soon as he said that, Inko stormed over towards Izuku and quickly did a check up on him. She looked over for some of the bruises she saw earlier but found nothing.
“It-it worked! I-oh my God!”
Inko stared at Reborn with amazement evident in her eyes. “Do I have to pay you? What do you need? Oh, I know! Stay for dinner!”
Reborn shook his head, after all, he’s wasting his time here when he needed to do a hit tonight. “Oh no, I must go.”
“But-“
Reborn did what he thought was right and of course, gentlemanly. He took Inko’s right hand and kissed it. “I will be back tomorrow night to meet young Izuku,”
Inko involuntarily blushed. Who wouldn’t?! Faced with a handsome and suave young man like Reborn, she couldn’t help it. “Oh, alright…”
“I’ll see you tomorrow night, Midoriya-san.”
Reborn dropped her hand and turned to walk to the exit. Inko watched him leave and as soon as the door clicked shut, she bends down and carried Izuku to his room. She wondered, what does he mean by il Mio Cielo? It sounded like Italian to her. She noted to search for the meaning after she tucked Izuku to bed.
Inko smiled. “Izuku, I love you.”