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Tiny little fingers clutch at her pinky. Inko smiles down at the baby, Izuku, who babbles and gurgles, waving his free hand around excitedly as he kicks his feet. Only a few months old and he’s already such a chatterbox.
She loves it.
Inko blows a raspberry on his little leg, and almost gets her mouth kicked for her troubles, but she really can’t find it in herself to mind. Izuku shrieks, looking up at her and tugging on her pinky. He’s smiling, still kicking his little feet with excitement. Inko can’t help but fall even more in love with her little boy.
“Ba, ba, ba, ba!” Izuku’s other hand latches on to her thumb.
“Yeah?” Inko coos back to him. “Tell me about it!”
He does.
Cooking in the kitchen after a long day at work, Inko hums to herself. She’s making an easy soba dish for dinner, something little Izuku will eat, as picky as the three-year-old can be.
As she begins plating the food, she feels a little tug at the bottom of her skirt. Looking down, she finds Izuku, clutching at the fabric tightly, sniffling with big watery eyes.
“What’s the matter, sweetie?”
Izuku sniffs again, loudly, two big tears running down his cheek. “I got a boo-boo.”
“Oh, dear! A boo-boo?” Inko wipes her hands on a kitchen towel, before bending down to look her son over. “Where baby?”
Izuku raised his little pointer finger, showing off a little paper cut. Blood wells up in the middle of it, but it isn’t too bad, thankfully.
Lucky for them, she has band-aids stashed all around the house, including the kitchen. Gently scooting Izuku out of the way, she pulls out the bottom drawer. Shuffling around for a moment, she finds an All Might band-aid. Izuku’s already stopped crying by the time she shows him it.
She places it on his little finger, very carefully before kissing the center of the bandage.
“It’s okay! For I am here!” she cheers.
Izuku stares at his band-aid for a second before looking up at her with a big smile. He giggles, wrapping his arms around her neck. “Love you, mommy!”
She hugs him back, letting her eyes fall shut so she can enjoy this a little longer.
Izuku walks beside her, arms crossed and quiet. He’s got a bruise on his freckled cheek and he’s soaking wet. Inko worries her lip between her teeth.
So far, he hasn’t said a word since getting home. Not even when she threatened to take this to the principal. Izuku is eleven now, and he’s nearly the same height as her now. Still her baby boy, even though he’s no longer very little.
Instead of taking him to talk to his principal about whatever is happening at school though, she surprises him with a trip to get some ice cream. She has him wait outside at the little convenience store around the corner from their little apartment, while she goes in.
It takes only a second, the store blissfully empty.
Inko buys little Present Mic pops, banana-flavored ice cream shaped like the spunky hero. Izuku blinks at her and at the packaged treat owlishly before his cheek flush. He takes it silently.
Smiling to herself, she walks home with him.
They’re both enjoying their little pre-dinner treat when she feels Izuku lean on her shoulder with his uninjured cheek. His hand clutches hers as they walk.
“Hey, mom?”
“Hmm?” She hums as she licks her ice cream.
“Thank you.”
“Any time, sweetheart.”
Izuku looks pale, laying alone in the hospital bed. He’s sleeping right now, chest rising and falling slowly. His arms are covered in gauze.
She had been scared out of her mind, her little boy having gotten hurt again. She should be used to this with how often this happens, but every time Inko feels her heart squeeze.
There’s nothing she hates more than seeing her baby in the hospital.
He’s only fifteen, but he’s been in the hospital more times than some sidekicks have.
Head resting on one of her hands, Inko waits for any news from the doctor. Her other hand clutches the bed sheets tightly.
She’s distracted by her thought so much she hardly even notices when gauze covered fingers brush over her knuckles. She looks up to see Izuku is smiling at her.
“Hey.”
She takes his hand in her, absentmindedly marveling at how big he is now. She squeezes his hand carefully, so as to not hurt him on accident. “Hey.”