Chapter Text
Izuku loved quirks.
That much was obvious to just about everyone who met him. He loved watching the news and seeing all of the heroes saving people. He could rattle off facts and trivia about heroes and quirks all day, to the point where his mother had to occasionally remind him to keep eating, or go to sleep, or take a breath. It wasn’t his fault he forgot those things. He was just so excited.
It wasn’t just quirk trivia that Izuku loved so much. He loved thinking about them more generally. It wasn’t just what heroes had done with their quirks which excited the boy, it was what they could do in the future. What ways their quirks could be used in different situations, and how to overcome any downsides a particular power presented. Despite only being 3 years old, he’d managed to fill an entire notebook with scribbles and sketches. The handwriting was atrocious and nearly illegible to anyone but Izuku, but the boy was proud of himself nonetheless.
Izuku loved pre-school. He got to spend all day doing fun things like drawing, playing with blocks and, best of all, playing heroes with his best friend.
“Did you see All-Might last night, Kacchan?” Izuku asked, his smile bright and wide.
The other boy’s red eyes lit up at the name of their shared favourite hero. He immediately dropped his bag, earning a grumble from his mother as she bent down to put it on his hook. Kacchan didn’t care, he was too busy rushing over to Izuku.
“No, mama said I needed to go to bed early for once” Kacchan moaned before growing excited again, “what’d he do? Did he win?”
“There weren’t any villains Kacchan! He saved people from a fire” Izuku said, bouncing slightly while holding Kacchan’s hand.
“That’s so cool! What happened?”
“There was a huge fire at a factory. People were trapped inside but then All-Might showed and he was like whoosh, and he save all the people!” Izuku rattled off.
The pre-school teachers shook their heads fondly at the two. They were patient enough to let them have their fun, even as they gently ushered them further into the room. The other kids glanced at them as they passed. They all knew what Izuku was happily talking about and they couldn’t help but smile. Izuku’s enthusiasm was infectious.
“Of course All-Might would save everyone. He’s the best!” Kacchan said.
“I know. He wasn’t even scared. He just dived right in!” Izuku said.
“All-Might doesn’t get scared” Kacchan said, with all the certainty of a recently turned 4 year old.
Izuku nodded.
“When I grow up, I’m gonna be hero like All-Might, but I’m gonna be even better” Kacchan said.
His grin was set with determination.
“You’re gonna be so cool Kacchan” Izuku said.
The two were sitting on the floor. A couple of toy cars were lying abandoned next to them.
“When I get my quirk, no villain will be able to stop me” Kacchan said, swinging his fists around as though he was fighting of invisible enemies, complete with sound effects.
Izuku watched him in awe. Laughing loudly, Kacchan punched his fist into his palm. A small bang and a puff of smoke startled the boys so much that both fell backwards. It wasn’t loud enough to be heard over the general chatter in the room, but it had seemed loud to them. Izuku recovered from the shock first. He shot up to his knees and pulled Kacchan back up. Kacchan stared at his hands, his eyes wide. One of the teachers, noticing a lack of noise from the two chatterboxes, looked over.
“Everything alright boys?” she asked.
“What was that Kacchan?” Izuku asked.
“I- I don’t...” Kacchan said.
Izuku took Kacchan’s hands in his and looked them over. There was a bang like when his dad made popcorn, but Kacchan’s hands weren’t a microwave. They didn’t look red or anything, so it wasn’t like what his mama told him would happen if he messed around with the stove.
Small pops and crackles blossomed from Kacchan’s palms. Izuku recoiled his hands as his eyes went wide. Kacchan’s eyes did the same, the spiky blonde haired boy obviously coming to the same conclusion.
“Kacchan! It’s your quirk!” Izuku basically shouted.
This naturally drew the attention of the entire room.
“What’s going on you two?” the same teacher as before asked, kneeling down beside them.
“Kacchan got his quirk!” Izuku said.
Kacchan didn’t speak. He was mesmerised by the pops and small flashes coming from his palms.
“That’s amazing Katsuki. With a quirk like that, I’m sure you’ll be a great hero when you’re older” the teacher said.
If possible, Kacchan’s eyes went wider, as did his smile. He barrelled forward and wrapped Izuku in a tight hug.
“Zuku, I’m gonna be a hero!” he said.
Izuku held him tightly as well. When Kacchan pulled back, Izuku fixed him with a determined look.
“When I get my quirk, I’m gonna be a hero right alongside you, I promise” Izuku said.
Kacchan nodded.
“We’ll be the bestest heroes EVER!” Kacchan said.
Needless to say, the games of heroes that followed that day were some of the craziest, whackiest, and all around most tiring that the pre-school had ever seen. Every single person that left that day was exhausted. Frankly, the teachers were more than happy to give the two back to their parents. When the spiky blonde haired boy and the curly green haired boy saw their mothers, it was like they got a second wind. All the way home, Mitsuki Bakugo and Inko Midoriya heard about Kacchan’s new quirk and all the adventures they went on that day.
Izuku Midoriya was 3 when his best friend got his quirk.
“It was so cool mama. She was all liquidy and flowy and the villain couldn’t even touch her!” Izuku said, his voice loud with excitement.
“Oh really? And did this hero have a name?” Inko asked.
“Yeah! The news lady said she was called, um, she was called Rapid Flow!”
Izuku was beaming with his latest hero find. She was new to the scene. Her body could turn into water, which made her super flexible. The villain had tried punching her but she just made her body flow around the hit. The villain couldn’t fight back and she was able to subdue him. It was so cool to watch. Izuku had managed to fill a whole page with notes before Inko had made him get ready for bed.
Izuku wondered what kind of things Rapid Flow could do. Was it just that she could turn her body into water, or was it any liquid? Could she heal herself with water? Did she have to be careful around electricity? So many thoughts that he didn’t even realise he was mumbling until Inko ruffled his hair.
Izuku bounced on the spot, the tufts of hair from his All-Might onesie bouncing with him. Inko smiled fondly. She scooped the boy up and held him high in the air.
“Mama, I’m flying!”
“My little hero!” Inko said.
She flew him around his room before settling him on her hip. Izuku hugged her tightly. Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall. His bedroom door was pushed open, revealing a man in a slightly rumpled suit. Izuku may have gotten his green hair from his mother, but he got his bright green eyes from his father. Hisashi took in the scene in front of him before his face broke into the same smile Inko wore.
“You two having fun without me?” he teased.
Izuku giggled and reached out for the man.
“I was flying daddy!”
“Oh really?” Hisashi said, taking the boy from his wife, “like this?”
Hisashi threw the boy up into the air. Izuku let out a little shriek before descending into a fit of giggles as the weightlessness passed over him. He was joined by the quiet titter of his mothers laughter and his fathers deeper, more booming laughter. It was probably not even a minute, but it felt way longer to the boy, but Hisashi stopped. The man held his son, who wrapped his small arms around his neck. Hisashi let out a contented sigh. It rumbled from deep within his chest. Izuku felt it warm him, his eyes getting heavier and heavier in his fathers embrace. Eventually, he was dead to the world.
It was a little after 2am when Izuku woke up, or at least that was what his All-Might clock said. Izuku was so proud that he could tell the time. For some reason, even if he went to bed on time, and actually went to sleep when his mother told him to, Izuku always seemed to wake up around now.
He didn’t mind it though, because he got to hear the music.
Izuku pulled himself out of bed, careful not to make a sound which would wake his parents up. He climbed on top of his toy box so he could pull open his curtains. The city outside his window was quiet. Sometimes a car would pass by on the road, but other than that, nothing was stirring. Further away, he could see the lights of big city. His mother said that it never slept. Izuku didn’t get how that was possible.
His gaze was drawn upwards, and all he saw were stars.
There were so many of them. They glittered and shone in the sky. Izuku was mesmerised by them. If ever they happened to be walking around outside at night, Izuku would always point them out to his parents. They’d laugh as though they couldn’t see them, but Izuku never cared. He could see them, and even better, he could hear them. It was soft, kind of like bells but also like a flute he heard one time. It was confusing for him to describe. It was never the same rhythm either. That’s what Izuku liked about it so much. The stars were his own personal music box. It didn’t matter that he had to be awake at 2 in the morning. If he got to hear the music then he was happy and would sleep the rest of the night without an issue.
Today was the day. Izuku was beyond excited. It was even a Saturday as well, which meant that he could sneak into his parents bed and snuggle up to them. He peeked out of his bedroom door. It looked like no one else was awake. As quietly as he could, he tip toed down the corridor. The door to his parents bedroom was open slightly, and voices drifted out.
“He’s going to be disappointed” a higher voice, Inko, said.
“I know, but I just want to be sure” a deeper voice, Hisashi, said.
“It’s been years Hisashi. You don’t owe that man anything. Why would he come after you now?”
“I don’t know. I never could understand him. If he feels I’m still in his debt then he’ll never stop until it’s repaid.”
“I dread to think what he would consider repayment.”
“So do I, which is why making sure we have money saved in case he comes calling is what’s right.”
“You said he was never all that interested in money.”
“I know Inko, but it’s all I can do.”
Izuku frowned. He didn’t like what they were talking about. It sounded too grown up for him. Remembering what day it was, Izuku easily plastered a smile on his face and burst through the door.
“Mama! Daddy!”
He only had a moment to register the serious looks on his parents faces before he was swept up into a big hug by his father. Hisashi was a well built man, and Izuku made it no secret that he loved his huge hugs.
“My little man’s already four!” his father chuckled as he spun the boy around.
Izuku laughed loudly.
“I’m four!”
It was only when they stopped spinning that Izuku saw what his father was wearing.
“Daddy, why are you wearing your grown up suit?”
Hisashi’s face fell. Izuku felt the rumbling in his fathers chest, saw the orange glow and rise and fall up his neck.
“I’m so sorry, but daddy has to go into work” Hisashi said.
Tears pricked Izuku’s eyes.
“But my birthday!”
“I know champ. It’s only till this afternoon. Then we’re gonna have loads of fun, and there’ll be presents and ice cream, and we can invite Katsuki over” Hisashi said, his deep rumbly voice soothing the boy, “it’s going to be so much fun.”
Izuku looked down at his fathers chest.
“Ok” he whispered.
“Sweetie” Inko said, getting both of their attention with a sing song voice, “I think I might know what’ll cheer you up.”
Izuku’s eyes went wide.
“Rolly egg!”
“Rolly egg!” Inko said, taking the child from Hisashi.
With a last kiss to both their foreheads, Hisashi left with a promise to be back after lunch. Izuku’s sadness wasn’t completely forgotten, but it was pushed aside as he bounced next to Inko as she made the tamagoyaki. He happily dug in before getting dressed into his favourite All-Might costume.
A knock on the door had Izuku bouncing again. Inko opened it, but before it was even halfway open, Kacchan squeezed his way past and ran at Izuku. They collided and fell to the ground in a heap of limbs and giggling.
“Katsuki, what did I tell you!” Mitsuki yelled after him, “you could have hurt him!”
Kacchan pulled them both to their feet.
“Look! He’s not hurt” Kacchan said.
“But he could have been” Mitsuki said sternly.
“But he’s not” Kacchan said.
The blonde woman went to say something else but Kacchan ignored her, dragging Izuku away, already jabbering in his ear.
“It won’t be long now till you get your quirk!” Kacchan said excitedly.
“I know! Then we’ll both start training to be heroes” Izuku said, equally as excited.
“The bestest heroes ever!”
Somehow, Inko and Mitsuki were able to contain the excitement slightly as they put together their picnic. Izuku carefully opened his present from the Bakugo’s, despite Kacchan’s impatient urging. It was a large All-Might blanket, and it was just about the softest thing that Izuku had ever felt. Wrapped up in it were a couple of hero plushies, which Izuku beamed at when he saw them. He didn’t even know they made plushies for Gang Orca, but it went well with his considerable collection.
After thanking Kacchan and Mitsuki for the presents, they headed off to the local park. It was a place that Izuku and Kacchan went quite a lot, but when the weather was warm and it was a special occasion, they’d bring a picnic and enjoy the day in the sun. Izuku didn’t care, because he got to spend the whole day playing with Kacchan. Soon, they’d be able to play heroes for real when he got his quirk.
The park was basically empty when they got there. There was only a young woman and a boy around their age. The woman was sitting on a bench, while the boy was digging around in the sand pit. Mitsuki laid out the blanket as Inko set out the food. Izuku’s eyes went wide when he saw all his favourite things.
He saw the boy from before leave the sandpit, joining the woman on the bench. He looked sad. Izuku didn’t like that. He picked up the tub of fruit his mother had just given him and marched the short distance to the bench. Getting closer, he saw the boy had a jagged streak of black in his hair. The two saw him coming and Izuku flashed them a huge smile. He held the tub out to the boy.
“It’s my birthday! You want some?”
The boy looked really confused.
“I think you should ask your mom if it’s ok. We wouldn’t want to take things on your birthday” the woman said.
“Ok!” Izuku said, marching back to where his mother was watching him carefully.
“Mama, can I share my fruit with him?” Izuku asked.
“I’m really sorry. We didn’t mean to intrude” the woman said, having followed after the boy.
“Nonsense. We’ve got plenty of food. Is that alright with you two?” she asked the Bakugo’s.
Mitsuki nodded, but Kacchan fixed the boy with a shrewd look. Before Mitsuki could utter a warning to be nice, the boy spoke.
“Who’s your favourite hero?”
The boy tilted his head slightly.
“I like Crust” he said.
Kacchan gasped.
“But what about All-Might?” he asked.
“All-Might’s so cool, but everyone thinks so, so I never get to be him when we play heroes.”
“You like to play heroes?” Izuku asked.
The boy nodded vigorously, likely feeding off of Izuku’s excitement.
“Let’s all play heroes together! My name’s Izuku.”
“I’m Katsuki” Kacchan said with a grin.
“Denki” the boy said.
“Come on, let’s play!” Izuku said.
“Hold your horses, birthday boy” Inko said, “lunch first.”
They ate together, with Izuku sharing some of his food with Denki. The boy shyly accepted, not even needing the woman he was with to tell him to thank everyone profusely. After lunch, the three of them raced around the park. The game of heroes was in full swing. Denki was confused when Izuku said he could be All-Might, because Izuku was wearing an All-Might costume.
“Oh” Izuku said, thinking for a moment, “but you can still be All-Might!”
They played all afternoon, with Hisashi arriving not long after lunch.
“How come you’re here all by yourself?” Kacchan asked.
“All my friends got sick at school, so Emi said lets go to the park to cheer me up. It didn’t work because I was on my own, but then you came!” Denki said.
Izuku was happy, even when they all had to go home. The woman, Emi, was telling Hisashi something about her dad would have given him time off for his sons birthday, to which Hisashi scratched at the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. Saying goodbye to the other two boys, Izuku spent the rest of the day with his parents. Hisashi kept his promise. There was presents, and ice cream, Kacchan had already been and gone, but it was still so much fun. That night he was lulled to sleep by the happy feeling and the music from outside.
Even though it was a few weeks later, the excitement of Izuku’s birthday hadn’t left him entirely. How could it? Izuku had no idea, because all he could think was that it’s coming. His quirk was coming. He’d spent everyday thinking about what it would be. Most people got one of their parents quirks, or some combination of them. Inko could move small objects and Hisashi could breathe fire. Izuku had went through every single combination he could think of. He was so excited to find out what it could be!
Hisashi had seemed sad earlier when he got in from work. It was something about someone getting in contact with him. Izuku didn’t know what it was, but both his parents didn’t seem happy about it. Izuku retreated to his room. His dad was upset, so Izuku would draw him a picture. His parents were always happy when he gave them his pictures.
He grinned down at the piece of paper. He drew his parents as heroes. The bestest ever, except him and Kacchan. He sat back when he was halfway done. It would be his bedtime soon, so he might not get to finish it. That was alright. His dad would be even happier because he would know that Izuku hadn’t just forgotten his sad feelings after sleeping.
Something pricked at his ears. It was the music. Izuku frowned. It wasn’t dark yet. He never heard the music when it wasn’t dark. He looked up at his ceiling, focusing on the glow in the dark stars Hisashi had put up for him. He liked the music.
The plastic stars peeled away from the roof, but they didn’t drop. They hung in the air, their glows growing brighter. Izuku giggled at them. The stars twinkled, slowly drifting down to float around him. They got brighter, but not overwhelming. Their shapes contorted to become spheres. The music came from them, just as it was coming from outside.
He didn’t notice when his bedroom door opened. He didn’t notice Inko watching him. He also didn’t notice when the walls started twisting, folding out of the way so Izuku could see the sky outside.
“Izuku!”
Izuku jumped. The walls snapped back to where they should be and the stars fell to the ground, once more just glowing plastic. Izuku looked up at his parents. Both were stood in the doorway to his bedroom. Inko kept glancing at Hisashi, who’s face was a mask. Izuku looked at them both for a moment, before realisation struck.
“Mama! Daddy! My quirk! That was my quirk!”
He beamed up at them and waited. He was expecting them to sweep him up into one of Inko’s light hugs, or one of Hisashi’s big ones. He was expecting something like when Kacchan got his quirk. He was expecting them to be happy. Inko kept looking at Hisashi, who was looking at Izuku weirdly. Izuku didn’t know what it was, but he knew he didn’t like it.
“Daddy?”
This snapped Hisashi out of it. He shook his head slightly before kneeling down in front of the boy.
“Congratulations champ. You got your quirk. I’m happy for you” Hisashi said.
He didn’t sound happy, but Izuku didn’t mind that. He smiled big enough for the both of them.
“It’s so cool. I wonder what I can do. I’m gonna be an awesome hero with it!”
Hisashi winced at the mention of heroes. He carefully laid his large hands down on Izuku’s shoulders. This silenced the boys excited muttering.
“I know you’re excited, and I know you’re not going to like this” Hisashi paused, drawing in one deep breath, “but you can’t tell anyone about your quirk.”
Izuku froze. He felt tears started to form.
“B-But why? I want to be a hero!”
“I know you do, and maybe when you’re older, maybe you will, but right now you can’t tell anyone. You can’t use it. Nobody can know.”
“No!”
“Champ-”.
“NO!”
Izuku cried. Tears flowed freely as he tried pulling away from his father, but Hisashi held on tight.
“I need to! I need to use it if I’m gonna be a hero!”
“I’m sorry but that might not be the best-” Hisashi’s words were cut off by Izuku’s wailing.
Izuku looked to his mother, her figure blurry through the tears.
“Mama, make him stop! Tell him I can be a hero, mama! Please!”
Inko cried as well.
“I’m sorry” she choked out.
Izuku shook his head.
“No! No no no! Why? Why can’t I tell people?”
“Because we think-” Hisashi was again cut off.
“No! Kacchan can use his! Why can’t I use mine?”
“Izuku!” Hisashi shouted.
Izuku froze, his cries silenced. Thin tendrils of smoke leaked out of Hisashi’s mouth. Hisashi never shouted, never at Izuku. Izuku was still crying, but now his tears were silent.
“I need you to understand. There are bad people in the world, very bad people, bad people who are always looking out for their next terrible deed. If they found out that you were anything other than a completely normal boy, they would come after us. They’d do terrible things to try and get us. Do you understand? That’s why you can’t tell anyone about your quirk.”
Izuku took it all in. He knew there were bad people in the world. They were villains. But heroes stopped villains. If Izuku became a hero, then he could stop these villains from hurting them.
“Izuku, I need you to promise that you will never tell anyone or show anyone your quirk. Understand? Do you promise?”
Izuku didn’t answer. His tears were still flowing but he just stood there, being held up by his father. Hisashi gave him a little shake.
“Do you promise?”
“Not even Kacchan?” Izuku whispered.
Hisashi’s face fell. He sighed.
“I’m sorry. Not even Kacchan.”
Izuku broke down in sobs.
“Ok daddy” he choked out, “I promise.”
Hisashi scooped the boy up, cradling him against his chest and tucking his head into his shoulder. Inko joined them, hugging Izuku from behind. They swayed and shushed him through his tears, assurances that they loved him so much. It all fell on deaf ears. As Izuku cried himself to sleep, only one thought was on his mind. He promised Kacchan they’d be heroes together.
I’m so sorry Kacchan.
Izuku Midoriya was 4 when he got his quirk but couldn’t tell anyone.