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“How do you know where I live?”
Bakugou keeps his head down but still somehow glares up at Hawks, “Look, that’s not important.”
“I very well think it’s important, my whereabouts aren’t open to the public.” Hawks said with a hard look and a raised eyebrow.
He sighed, “Fine, I borrowed Deku’s notebooks. You know how he is with any information about heroes.” And then mumbled, “Tokoyami refused to give me the address.”
“Oh yeah, I’m sure you ‘borrowed’ it. Why not just get my number from his phone, I know he still has it.”
Hawks looked about ready to close the door in his face, but Bakugou continued.
“He doesn’t have a phone.” Hawks stopped closing the door, “He said it broke weeks ago.”
Hawks’s eyes grew colder, “What do you mean it broke? Also I would have bought him a new one if I knew.”
“I don’t know. Apparently round face- um Uraraka had gotten upset that he wasn’t answering his phone and he said it broke.” He paused, “Look, I’m taking precious time out of my day to do this. Could I come in?”
Hawks looked at him. The last he knew of the two, Izuku and Bakugou hadn’t gotten along. If anything, Bakugou used to bully Izuku. And he still uses that awful nickname. However, no one else was with him in the apartment that day, so he figured that if Bakugou came to him worried about Izuku, then something had to be very wrong.
He sighed, “Okay, sure.”
Bakugou nods at him and walks into the small apartment. He knew hawks could afford a mansion with the amount he makes, but never wanted to.
Hawks leads him to the couch, and Bakugou stares. It’s always odd when they see pro heroes out of their costumes for the first time. The class was too used to Aizawa and his bun, but it was still quite jarring to see. Especially when the number 2 hero sat in a t-shirt and sweatpants, wearing polka dot socks.
“You gonna take a seat, or what?” Hawks asked.
Bakugou rolled his eyes and took a seat, “I’m only here because I’m worried about your brother.”
Hawks lets out a scoff, “Are we even brothers anymore? He basically denounced my existence when he stopped answering my calls and dyed his hair green.”
“Listen you shit, I don’t care about your dumb family drama. He’s been skittish again, stutter coming back and everything.”
Hawks leaned forward, “Okay? Izuku has pretty bad anxiety, it could be reverting to old habits again.” He paused, “Besides, he’s changed homes again recently, hasn’t he?”
Bakugou glared, “Yeah, but something isn’t right.”
He sighed, “Look kid, don’t you think the teachers at UA would have noticed if he showed up with giant bruises? From what I heard he ends up in the nurse's office like every week.”
“I don’t care if you don’t believe me, but at least take time out of your ‘busy schedule’ and talk to him. He won’t listen to me, and his social worker said she checked it out and everything was fine.”
Leaning back, Hawks replied, “If his social worker checked it out, then I’m sure she’s correct in saying he’s okay. Besides, Izuku doesn’t want to see me. Why come to me and not Eraserhead or even All Might?”
“Because they won’t believe me, Deku and I argue on the daily. And besides,” He pauses, “What can they do?”
“Oh, I don’t know. They’re pro heroes, they can conduct an investigation.”
“And bring his entire history and situation to the public? You do know that’d be outing your past and name as well, right?”
Hawks thinks it over, he hasn’t seen Izuku since the kid was 11 or so. Then the kid stopped answering his phone, and he wouldn’t tell him his new address, only that he was moved again. And then his own hero career took off and they lost touch.
However, he had nothing to lose by just going to see him. He could read Izuku like a book, and he saw what happened to him back when he was placed in bad homes. He still remembers his old cover up habits, his tells when he would lie. One conversation with the kid would be enough.
“Alright, fine. Just get out of my house.”
“It’s an apartment.”
“Shut up.”
____________________
Hawks had patrol that night, and had no idea where Izuku lived. He had called his social worker, but she refused to give out private information, despite them being related.
Therefore the only place he could physically meet Izuku was UA.
So that’s how he ended up next to Aizawa watching as the class did their training.
“Want to tell me why the number two hero decided to come and observe my class?” Aizawa asks without taking his eyes off the kids.
Hawks smiles, “Just wanted to talk to one of your students, coming here was the easiest way.”
“I’m pretty sure you could have just messaged Tokoyami to meet up.”
“Yeah, except I’m here to see Midoriya.”
Aizawa glances to the side, “What do you want with the problem child?”
Hawks chuckles, “Problem child, eh? I just want to have a little chat, you know in case he ever wants to intern with me.”
Aiawa turns his attention back to the kids doing laps, the first few coming back into eyesight as they begin to finish their laps.
Bakugou just stares at Hawks as he reaches the end, while Todoroki’s eyes just get wide. Iida doesn’t seem to notice, instead waving his arms around while asking where they should go since they’re finished. Izuku however catches Hawks eye’s while running, and promptly trips over his own two feet. Bakugou chuckles and Todoroki rolls his eyes while walking up to Midoriya asking if he was okay.
Brushing it off he walks it off and stands by Iida.
“Oi, problem child.” Aizawa calls, “Come here.”
He could see the nervousness growing on Izuku’s face, “Sorry for tripping sir, won’t happen again.”
Aizawa rolls his eyes, “Midoriya, that is far from the worst thing I’ve seen you do in training. Pro hero Hawks has asked to speak with you. You are dismissed from the rest of training.”
Midoriya sputters, “O-oh? I-I’m sure it c-can wait until a-a-after.”
He raises his eyebrows, “I thought you’d be over the moon about meeting the number two hero.”
Hawks almost feels bad for the kid. But he knows that he is shit at lying.
“O-of c-course! I’m s-sorry for a-any disrespect, Mr. H-hawks sir.”
Despite the smile plastered on his face, Hawks could see his gritted teeth.
“Whatever, just get out of here before you decide to do more training.” Aizawa says before instructing the class to go to the pull-up bars.
The two walk away together, Izuku leading the way to the locker room so he could get out of his clothes. He knew this would be a long conversation.
Hawks goes to open his mouth, but Izuku stops him, “While I want to ask why the hell you decided to come to my school, we are not having this conversation here.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just go get changed. We need to talk.”
Izuku just rolls his eyes and heads into the room, only to return less than 10 minutes later.
“Are you ready to talk now?” Hawks asks as they head on their way, Izuku back in his school uniform with his backpack on his shoulders.
“What’s there to talk about? Am I somehow messing up your perfect reputation?”
He sighs, “Of course, the only reason I would talk to you is to degrade you, right? Is that what you think of me?”
Izuku scoffs, “Were you the one who called my social worker? We had a random inspection a few weeks back.”
“How could I, I’m not allowed to know anything about where you live.”
“Good.”
Hawks took a good look at him. Izuku’s hair was wet, so he just took a shower. So any makeup he would have been using would have come off in the shower, unless it was somewhere else on his body. He was able to run, keeping up with the others, so any injuries with his legs are out of the way.
He tries again, “How is your current home?”
Izuku doesn’t miss a beat, “I thought you weren’t allowed to know anything about where I live?”
Hawks laughs, “You don’t have to be a smart ass about it, I’m just checking up on you.”
Setting his jaw, Izuku says, “After 5 years of not talking to you, I think I’m doing okay.”
Looking at him again, Izuku had lost some weight. Whether it was just his baby fat from when he was a kid, or a new training regiment, it was definitely noticeable. He was too thin for the amount of muscle he should have.
“I never said you weren’t. My texts haven’t been going through recently, you block me or something?”
Izuku shrugs, “I dropped my phone in the showers at school, it won’t turn on anymore and the screen shattered.”
Hawks looks at the other out of the corner of his eyes, “The allowance I send you each month should be more than enough to buy a new one. Even if it wasn’t you know where to find me.”
That made Izuku tense up, “I don’t need your pity.”
Hawks pushed, “Regardless, you have been getting the money, correct? You could use it to buy a new uniform, you seem to have outgrown that one.”
Izuku glares.
“Or a new backpack, you’ve had the same one since you were a kid. Or maybe a new arm brace, that one seems to be frayed at the edges.”
“I’m fine, Keigo.”
“Oh good, you still know my name.”
Izuku doesn’t say anything in response and a gust of wind comes, blowing his hair back.
However, before he could fix it, Hawks asks, “Wanna tell me where you got those cuts from?”
He can see Izuku grip his backpack a bit tighter, “Training, where else would they be from?”
“I don't know, the same place that you hurt your ribs?” He says while glancing at him from the side.
“My ribs aren’t injured, dumbass.”
Hawks laughs, “Looks like your old childhood friend taught you some interesting language. And they are. You think I havent noticed your labored breathing or how you immediately held them when you tripped back at UA?”
“You seem to forget that I’m a hero in training.”
“Yes, but you are also a student at UA, where you have one of the best healing quirk users. And an overprotective homeroom teacher who would have definitely sent you to Recovery Girl.”
Izuku bites his lip, he isn’t sure why Kiego decided to show up in his life after all these years, but he’s not going to screw everything up.
“What, are you spying on me now?”
“I am a hero, you know. I’m required to watch the sports festival each year and keep up with the UA students.”
“Whatever, where are we walking to?”
“My apartment.”
“I’m not going to your apartment.”
“Would you rather go to your house?”
Izuku mumbles, “I’d rather get away from you.”
Hawks pretends not to hear, “Apartment it is.”
“I have a curfew, I have to be home by 4.”
That hits Hawks hard, “4pm? That’s pretty early. UA ends at 3:30, correct?”
“Don’t look into it. I have to do my chores, and it gives me more than enough time to make it home.”
“Well I can fly you home late, get you there in a jiffy.” Hawks tries.
“Haha, good one. If I leave now I can still make it in time.”
Hawks had gotten to UA at 3, hoping not to disrupt class too much, however that seemed inevitable. He was also not thinking Izuku would have that early of a curfew, giving them more time.
“I’m sure if you let me call your parents and explain the situation, they’d be okay with it.”
“Don’t you dare. Can’t have pro hero Hawks showing up, can we?’ Izuku says and turns to start walking the other direction.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Hawks calls.
“I told you, I have a curfew. Did you even listen?” Izuku walks away and Hawks lets him.
He decides to take off and fly since he no longer had the kid with him, quickly making his way to his apartment.
In the long run, it was a good thing Izuku couldn’t actually go to the apartment with him. Because when he walked in, Dabi was sitting on the kitchen counter eating cereal directly out of the box.
“Oh for the love of- I told you we were having company today and therefore you should not be anywhere near this place.”
Despite his mouth being full he is able to say, “I don’t see any company with you.”
“Yeah well, if my brother was with me, he would have fought you and you two would have probably destroyed the whole ass building.”
Dabi chokes, “You have a brother?”
Hawks removes the majority of his feathers and removes his jacket, “Sort of. He hates me.”
Dabi opens his mouth again, but Hawks stops him, “Don’t even try and ask his name, I am not telling you.”
“Damn I thought I knew everything about you, birdy.”
“Keep dreaming, idiot.”
Hawks didn’t give much thought to Izuku after that. While there were a few injuries, he couldn’t go to the social worker with it as evidence. Because at the end of the day, it could just be explained as hero injuries. And the weight loss could just be seen as increased training regiments. Izuku did steer away from the aspect of the allowance Hawks gives him, but that could be out of hatred. Even the curfew, despite being early, could be explained with chores. Every household is different.
_________________
The next day Deku showed up to class as if nothing had happened, like the number two hero hadn’t shown up just to see him .
However, something was… different?
That was the best way Bakugou could put it.
Normally, Deku would show up around 6 am, an hour and half before everyone else. Well, besides Iida who started showing up at the same time after he found out. He would always do his homework during that time, saying he spent too much time training and would forget.
Today, Deku had shown up at 8 am.
Fifteen minutes after class had begun.
When Aizawa had come around for homework, Deku was empty handed.
That should have been a red flag to everyone, especially when Deku had flinched when Aizawa had put his hand out for his homework.
The second red flag should have been when Deku was shaking when Aizawa had asked him to stay back after class.
Bakugou however had waited outside the classroom for Deku to come out before lunch, and because he wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation. However, when he heard a loud thump and Aizawa frantically saying Deku’s name, he ran back inside.
Aizawa was over Deku feeling his neck for a pulse, when he noticed Bakugou he yelled, “Call an ambulance. Recovery Girl isn’t here today.”
Bakugou, once brought out of his stupor, dialed the emergency line and explained the situation.
With the paramedics called, Bakugou asked, “What the hell happened?”
Aizawa kept his attention on Midoriya but said, “I’m not sure. I thought he was having a panic attack at first, but his whole face was scrunched up in pain and he was breathing fine.”
The ambulance showed up not too late after and Deku was being loaded into the truck.
When Aizawa was climbing in, he refused to let Bakugou do the same.
“Call Hawks!” Bakugou yelled, “Just trust me. Call him as soon as you get there. He’ll want to know.”
After seeing his childhood friend passed out on the floor, Bakugou was required to go back to class and try and focus. However, once Hawks showed up and Deku found out who told him, he’d be pissed.
___________________
Aizawa wasn’t stupid.
He knew Hawks lied to him when he asked to speak to Midoriya the other day. However, he wasn’t sure why Bakugou, of all people, was so adamant that the number two hero be told about his problem child’s current situation.
But when Deku was brought into the room to be examined, he took out his phone and clicked on his number.
He wasn’t expecting a quick answer, but it stopped ringing almost immediately.
“Eraserhead? I don’t think you’ve ever called me. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Letting out a breath, Aizawa starts, “To be honest I’m not quite sure why I’m calling you.”
“Oh? Just wanted to chat? Didn’t see you as that type.”
God, Aizawa hated these heroes, “No. One of my students, Bakugou, told me that I needed to contact you.”
Hawks’s tone seemed to change after that, “Is Izuku alright?”
“Okay, well if you know who we are talking about then that saves some explanation.” He paused, “I don’t know. I held him back after class and he passed out. We are at the hospital closest to UA, if you want to come and see him.”
Aizawa wasn’t sure what response he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't, “Give me five minutes.”
Hawks promptly hung up and the doctors took Midoriya out of the room for an X-Ray a few moments later, leaving the room empty besides Aizawa when Hawks arrived.
The pro hero must have come from home, as he was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, not his normal hero suit.
He also seemed quite worried, “What’s going--”
Hawks was interrupted by two other people joining the room.
Aizawa didn’t recognize them, but he noticed that Hawks immediately hardened his gaze and plastered on a smile.
“Hello, you must be Izuku’s foster parents.”
Aizawa blinked. Foster parents? His file stated he lived with his mother, Inko Midoriya.
However, the couple didn’t greet Hawks nearly as kindly.
“Oh. We were warned about you.”
Hawks furrows his eyebrows, “Warned?”
“Yeah, apparently you’re the reason the kid was moved around so often. We were assured the contact between the two of you was cut.”
The foster father jumped in, “I don’t know why you keep trying. The kid obviously hates you.”
Hawks grit his teeth, the smile no longer on his face, “Well, the kid has a name. Do you even know it? Or do you just keep him around for the hefty allowance I give him each month.”
“Oh, here we go again.” The woman mumbled, “What money?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know. Izuku broke his phone a little while ago. I know he had enough money to get a new one. And yet, he hasn’t. Why is that?” Hawks digs further.
The woman waves him off, “The kid can get a new phone when he earns it. He shouldn’t have broken that one in the first place.”
“How did it break?” Hawks asks.
“He was texting during dinner, he knows the rules.”
He squinted at her, “Did you break his phone?”
The women laughed, “Of course not. He dropped it in his soup. Such a shame, that’s what he gets for not following the rules.”
Hawks pushes further, “He told me he dropped it in the shower at school, cracked the screen. Why would he lie about it?”
“How should I know, the kid is probably just faking being a hero. I swear he’s a delinquent.”
Aizawa, who had been listening the whole time, decided to jump in, “Excuse me, I will not have you speaking about one of my students like that.”
The woman scoffs, “Oh, so you’re the teacher that assigns the homework that gets in the way of his chores. We told him that his responsibilities at home come first and that he should give up on being a hero, but he never listens.”
Hawks had to grit his teeth to keep from yelling, “You do not get to talk about my brother that way! He has wanted to be a hero since he was a kid, and he is doing a great job at becoming one. His homework is meant to be done at home , and he is getting the normal amount for someone his age.” He paused to catch his breath to keep from yelling, ignoring Aizawa’s attempts to stop him, “You foster children , you should know how to treat them. Because putting their academic integrity at risk is not the correct way to raise a child. And crushing their dreams is so much worse! How did you even get your foster lisc-”
Aizawa had to physically pull Hawks away from the couple since Midoriya had been brought into the room a few minutes ago and he was conscious again.
Midoriya was hooked up to an IV and was getting his upper abdomen wrapped, while staring at Hawks, who was now wide eyed and staring at him back.
“Why are you here?” Midoriya spat out, flinching in pain.
Aizawa answered for him, “Bakugou told me to call him.”
“And you listened?”
Hawks stepped in, “Look Izuku. Like it or not, I’m your brother. And I’m sure as hell not going to sit back and watch you go from home after home and be mistreated.”
Without missing a beat he said, “You did it for almost 12 years.”
“You think I didn’t try? Every Time I went to check on you, you pushed me away.”
“I don’t need you.”
Hawks scoffed, “Obviously you do, because if you didn’t then you wouldn’t be at the hospital.”
“ I’m fine .”
All heads snapped over to the doorway.
“We are not mistreating that child. We are simply implementing the correct rules to make an upstanding adult.” The father input.
“By repeatedly telling him he can’t be a hero?” Aizawa beats Hawks to the chase.
“Heroes don’t exactly live glorious lives, we’re just protecting the boy.”
“I don’t think that’s your choice to make.” Aizawa states.
The woman laughs, “You act like you’re going to take him out of our care, we haven’t done anything to hurt the boy.”
“What about the cuts on his head?”
The women waved Hawks off, “He probably tripped on the way home, or something.”
“And the fractured ribs?”
“Must have hurt them during your ‘hero training’.”
“Okay, sure. What about his weight loss?”
“I don’t know what the school feeds him.”
“Excuse me,” Aizawa interjects after seeing Midoriya getting upset, “We serve healthy food at our school, but that isn’t enough to keep up with the vigorous training exercises if he isn’t being fed correctly at home. But Hawks is correct, Midoriya is lacking healthy weight for his amount of muscle mass.”
Hawks turns to Izuku, “Why don’t you tell us your side?”
Midoriya fidgets with the hospital blanket. He had been patched up and deemed healthy for the night, but was asked to see Recovery Girl when she was back at school the next day.
Keeping his eyes and head down he stutters out, “I-it’s n-n-not po-polite to-o speak w-when th-the ad-dults are sp-speaking.”
Hawks stared. When Izuku was a kid, he always stuttered. The degree of how bad, of course, increased with how much anxiety he felt in that moment. However, when they talk just the two of them, his stutter never makes an appearance. Which means that no matter how much his brother hates him, he isn’t anxious when they’re together. It also means that Bakugou was correct, something was definitely wrong.
Aizawa’s face was hard to read as usual, but Hawks could see his rage when their eyes met.
Luckily the woman’s phone started to ring and she excused herself.
The father replies, breaking the silence, “That’s right, kid. Being polite is the utmost importance. Always know your place in the world.”
Hawks grit his teeth as the woman returned.
“Oh, little Hina is sick, so the nurse asked that we go pick her up. You’re okay to make it home, right? We can call you an Uber if you would like.” The woman asked.
Midoriya was still shaking but put on a smile, “I-i’ll be f-f-fine.”
The woman smiles and nods and leads the man out of the room.
“Izuku-” Hawks starts.
His stutter disappearing, “What was that for?”
“What” He asks in defense.
“The interrogation. I told you I was fine, and I told you that everything at home is fine as well!”
Aizawa who had stayed out of the argument interrupts, “I’ve called a car to bring you home, I trust you’ll be at class tomorrow?”
Midoriya gets up from the bed and carefully pulls on his uniform, “Of course, sir.”
He then leaves the two pro heroes alone in the room.
Hawks glared at Aizawa, “Oh come on, I know you noticed something was off.”
Aizawa doesn’t even flinch, “Of course I did. But we have no proof, we could conduct a whole investigation and they’d get away free.”
“Whatever,” Hawks leaves the other hero alone, taking flight as soon as he’s out of the door.
_______________
When Midoriya shows up at school the next day, he immediately goes to Recovery Girl to heal his ribs. While she gave him the third degree about getting hurt again, he sheepishly smiled and headed to class.
Bakugou stared at him as he walked in, and he glared in response.
When he took his seat he said, “Any reason you decided to call Kiego?”
Bakugou turns his head slightly, “Because you’re terrible at lying.”
He let out a scoff, “You too? I’m fine. Drop it.”
Bakugou looked as if he wanted to continue arguing but he stopped when the bell rang and Aizawa arose out of his sleeping bag.
The day went by smoothly, as did the next few weeks.
Bakugou and Aizawa watched him like a hawk the entire time, but he paid it little attention.
However it wasn’t until he had gone on a walk to get groceries and had run into Present Mic had things really gone downhill fast.
“What happened to your face?”
The voice had snapped Midoriya back to reality when he was zoning out while staring at the shelves.
“Huh?”
He turned to his right to see his incognito english teacher, who was sporting a concerned look on his face.
“Kid, you have a handprint on your face.” He points to his own cheek.
Midoriya splutters for a second before saying, “Oh, I was studying and fell asleep at my desk. Guess it left a mark.”
He turns back to the shelf when he hears, “Then why are you shopping for concealer?”
Midoriya freezes, and turns and shrugs at the teacher, “I honestly hadn’t even noticed, guess I need a longer nap.”
Mic looked at the kid in front of him, the hand print was blatantly red and was beginning to bruise. Shouta had said the kid had lost some weight, but he wasn’t imagining that he had lost this much.
His winter coat was puffy, but it couldn’t distract from the cheek bones that were protruding from his face. Or his bones in his hands that were a bit too noticeable.
While Mic was zoning out, Midoriya attempted to try and sneak a tube of concealer into his basket, but he should have known not to try and outsmart a pro hero.
“Midoriya, I thought you didn’t need makeup?”
Before he could think of an excuse, Present Mic continued, “You know, me and Aizawa share an apartment not too far from here, why don’t you come by for lunch?”
“Oh no, I couldn’t. I have homework.” Midoriya tries while backing away.
“Nonsense, you have your backpack, right?” Mic glances at the strap on the kid’s shoulder, “I mean, me and Aizawa wrote the homework. I’m sure we could help.”
“No, it’s okay-”
“Kid,” Mic says in a soft voice, “It’s just one meal, right?”
Midoriya’s brain ran a million miles a second trying to think of a way out, but he knew Present Mic wasn’t going to back down.
“Yeah, what’s one meal?” He gives his teacher a smile.