Work Text:
Maybe Izuku was pushing it. But sometimes you had to break the rules to achieve the best ends, right? It had paid off before. And if anyone knew his body best, it would be him after all.
Besides, he could not fall behind!
Every time he'd talked to anyone from 1-A, they were using spare moments to hone their skills, but here he was forced to sit around and wait until Recovery Girl and All Might gave him the go-ahead to proceed with any strenuous activity.
These warnings were still loud in his mind as he squeezed the hand exerciser as tight as possible.
The fact he was being held back by a pre-existing condition hurt more than his wounds. Recovery Girl had warned they would take 'good old-fashioned time' to heal.
His physical condition was not the worst it had ever been, but he had both sides of the law, hero, and officer, watching him in the form of his fathers. A kind of restriction he was not sure there was a cure for.
Since his retirement, All Might had become so much more hands-on. And while he could only admit it to himself, Izuku adored the attention, barely recollecting his biological father. The issue was it made it impossible to sneak around. All Might had insisted that if he wanted to train, he had to be supervised 'just in case.'
Izuku had a provisional hero license for god's sake, and he could handle himself!
That was not even getting to Naomasa, All Might's partner. Izuku regularly got along famously with him; however, his quirk posed a problem that never occurred to Izuku until he got to know him. He had a bad habit of telling little lies to avoid worrying people, especially All Might, but Naomasa picked up on them immediately. It was a simple look of sternness that he would give Izuku as a warning to quickly reveal the truth, or he would out the lie. This earned him more than a few scoldings about 'taking care of himself' and 'transparency with the people you trust.'
And one particularly awful instance of Naomasa swatting his behind for lying about having eaten that day.
A sudden knock at his bedroom door nearly caused Izuku to shoot out of his skin. Hiding his exerciser under the pillow, he shook his sore palm before crossing to open up. Toshinori was taken aback as the door flew open, and Izuku was silently thankful it was not Naomasa this time. He was not sure he could talk around his heaving frame.
"Are you alright, my boy?"
His adopted father was clearly concerned, so Izuku sucked in a breath before righting his posture, "I'm fine, I just w-woke up is all."
"Ah, sorry for waking you then. I was just going to ask you if you wanted to watch a movie with me?"
"S-sure, Toshi-papa," If there was anything good about this forced break, it was the downtime he could spend with his fathers. Still, this existed in tandem with his growing desire to keep working.
"Good, I'll make us both some popcorn and get it started. You go rinse your face off," Toshinori said, Izuku both delighted and guilty at the broad grin from the gaunt man.
Wiping his brow with the back of his wrist, Izuku felt a stiffness shoot through his arm, the limb twitching without his consent. Scurrying to the bathroom, he splashed his face with chilling water. He had not gotten to do any kind of winding down from working out, so his entire body was still reeling.
This was all the result of what had been dubbed a 'strike two injury' for his arms. Getting Aoyama and Jiro out of the way from all that falling debris had been his priority, and he did not regret saving them one bit. He just wished his body had not betrayed him. According to Recovery Girl, if his arms had taken only a little more damage, he would need a permanent splint to function normally. Izuku made a mental note to call Uraraka and thank her once more for pushing her own power to the limit to get him out.
The mirror was a reminder of the events that had occurred. A bandage on his cheek while gauze littered about his arms. Naomasa insisted on 'helping' change them every day.
By the time he made it to the living room, he had found Toshinori on the couch, a vintage western paused on their T.V. screen.
"I hope you aren't tired to these Clint Eastwood movies. How do more people not know about these!"
"No, that's fine with me-" Izuku winced as he sat down, pulling his arms closer to his chest in the process, and unfortunately, Toshinori's gaze caught it right away.
"Is it your arms? Let me see," Before he could even protest, Toshinori was going over the appendage for any more possible lacerations, "Where does it hurt?"
"Don't worry; it's not that ba-AH!" Izuku yipped and was nearly on his feet as his father pressed a thumb to his wrist, the retired hero's sympathy was loud even through his sunken expression.
"If you want me to give Recovery Girl a call, I'm sure she can come over tomorrow and give us a clear picture of where your condition is."
Izuku shook him, expression furrowed up at his weakness, "I probably just slept on it wrong, please don't worry about it, Toshi-papa." Despite his pleas, longer fingers traced the length of his arm as if the very gentle touch would ease the hurt. Izuku wished it were that simple.
"What am I gonna do with you?" The space between them was closed by All Might, who pulled Izuku into his side. Any shame was discarded into the fabric of Toshinori's bright yellow t-shirt. In the two years of knowing him, somehow All Might still towered over him as much as the day they met, "This can't be easy for you, my boy, but I promise that if you just give it time you'll be back to training like new…or at least normal…"
Toshinori helped Izuku adjust himself, both his arms resting unencumbered. He was only a few inches from sitting on All Might's lap. A bowl of popcorn was placed between them, but his embarrassment returned in full as All Might insisted on helping him eat when he reached to get some of the popcorn. His reasoning being that he did not wish for Izuku to strain himself. As the black and white film played and Izuku found himself relaxing against his hero, he could feel the passion that drove him bubbling as strong as ever.
------
In his grasp was the first dumbbell Izuku had gotten when his training with All Might had begun. Just moving it from the store to his home was impossible at first, but now it was one of the lighter weights he owned.
His mom had been so confused about his sudden interest in exercising but had been supportive, nonetheless.
She had always tried to be.
Izuku gripped the iron bar in his hand and took a breath.
Do not let the egg explode; do not make the egg explode.
Over this forced break, he had already filled up two journals, one with hero observations from the news and another about adjustments that could be added to his own hero uniform and to those of us friends. He was going stir crazy. Moreover, he was not going to let himself become
useless, especially not on the back of all the people who had gotten him this far.
Okay, one rep-
The entire room shook as he dropped the dumbbell mere inches from his feet. Izuku suppressed a cry of pain by biting into his lip, falling backward onto his bed. Clutching his right arm, he only moments later had to force himself back up at the sound of approaching footsteps. To his displeasure, it was Naomasa who opened the door.
"Izuku-are you okay what happened?" That simple question was dangerously loaded if Izuku was not careful.
"A dumbbell fell, don't worry."
Naomasa kneeled to lift the exercise equipment and place it onto the desk, though clearly straining slightly. A dent on the wooden floor remained from his mistake, "You need to be careful; you wouldn't have been able to catch that if it fell in your condition."
"It was on the bedside table, I'm sorry Nao-papa." Not technically a lie.
Naomasa ruffled his air affectionately, "Don't be sorry, kiddo. Just don't try and pick it up yourself if it falls again."
"R-Right!" Izuku stood and was able to contain the wince as he tried to casually hold his strained arm, "I didn't get to ask you how your day was yesterday? Did you have interesting cases?"
"That's because you were asleep on Toshi when I got back, I had to carry you to bed." Naomasa's evident fondness made Izuku begin toward his floor, bashfully as they exited his room.
"One of you could have just woke me up…"
"There wasn't much that would interest you, just a few interviews and paperwork." Izuku turned and raised an eyebrow at that.
"You're not keeping any from me? I already watch the news and have handled villains myself."
Naomasa rubbed his brow, and Izuku could tell the detective was hiding something for sure. All Might was transparent about hero work since it was part of his training, but Naomasa was far more discreet about his job. At first, Izuku assumed it was because of policy, but the information Naomasa allotted to him seemed selective.
"I didn't encounter any kind of noteworthy quirks, nothing that would interest you, kiddo," Naomasa fished in the fridge before he produced two sodas. Izuku awkwardly maneuvered his arm into accepting the drink, and since Naomasa had two working eyes, of course, he noticed!
"Toshi told me your arms had been feeling sore again, Recovery Girl gave us something if it kept persisting like this. Have a seat." Naomasa said as he ushered Izuku into a chair and even went as far as to open the soda can before moving to the bathroom.
Izuku glared at the lime soda, the drink mocking his physical failings. Using his less pained arm, he cracks the can slightly before taking a long drink. It was refreshing, but he was not exactly happy about it.
"Alright, take a long drink because you're going to have to stay still for a few minutes." Naomasa reappeared with a tall white bottle in tow, "This is a prescription ointment that should ease the muscle soreness. Hold your arms out for me."
Naomasa moved to one of the kitchen chairs beside him before sitting down. Turning, Izuku thought holding his arms out still would not be that hard, but the moment the little hero tried another painful spasm occurred, causing his right side to shake with pain. The guilty arm that he was trying to do a rep with continued to buckle. (Un)Fortunately, Naomasa caught the limb in his firm grip, eliciting a yip from Izuku.
"You've got to take it easy on yourself... I don't think I can handle another earful from a doctor about you," Naomasa's tone was lighthearted, yet there was a clear note of concern.
Truthfully, these kinds of comments were not novel for Izuku. It was not as if he sought out ways to hurt himself, but he would do what was necessary like any hero would. Like what All Might would do! Izuku's psyching himself up for an imaginary battle was cut off by Naomasa's free hand, massaging the odd-smelling concoction into his arm. The heated sensation tickled for a moment before the pain eased. After the soreness died down, even a little Izuku realized how light he felt without the strain on even one arm.
"Does it feel good?" Izuku nodded, expression relaxing, "That's great, alright, give me the other arm, do your best to keep that one straight."
"Couldn't we have used this stuff sooner?" With how good it felt, Izuku did not understand why he was not putting it on every night!
"Afraid not, it's heavily concentrated so too much could be damaging to the skin and even muscle. Don't use it by yourself, alright?"
Izuku watched as the clear jelly disappeared on his skin, "I just want to hurry up and get better, Nao-papa."
Naomasa gave an affectionate rub of Izuku's arm, "I know, but these things take time. Think of it as practice for one of the less fun aspects of hero work."
Patience was something Izuku had a complicated relationship with. There had been so many hurdles before him he had thought were impossible to clear only to have struggled over them onward. Now the distance was beckoning for him to push against the impossible. As he sat with his arms erect before him, the warmness seeming to eat away at the strain he had forced onto his body, Izuku hoped that this could open an avenue for how to fix himself quicker.
------
"No, Izuku, not yet."
"But how will I know if I'm getting better if you won't let me try for myself!?" The whining in his tone grates Izuku's ears, so he dares not to imagine how it affects the two men before him.
"That's all well and good, my boy, but all this shaking right now is proof enough that you're not quite ready for anything close to strenuous activity," Toshinori said.
Izuku shook his head, furiously, "It doesn't have to be strenuous, just something. Please let me do something!"
"No, young man. I won't let you damage your body, now why-Izuku!"
Before Toshinori could finish his thought, Izuku started toward his room. Though the young hero began regretting this choice when he was halfway to the door, there was no turning back.
"Izuku, come back here!" Naomasa called as he slammed his door shut.
This time Izuku's shaking stemmed from the fact he had just stormed off from Naomasa and All Might! On the corner of his desk was the dumbbell next to a journal he had been struggling to fill. Before he could further entertain thoughts of training, there was a rapping on his door. Taking steps back, Izuku stared at the barrier, not moving toward the knob.
"Izuku, we're coming in," Toshinori said through the door.
The door opened, and Izuku was nearly against the opposite wall now, having burnt himself out storming off. Toshinori entered and made no reservations about approaching him, posture stern.
"Young man, would you like to explain what that was all about? We both called out to you, and you ignored us."
"I'm s-sorry!" Izuku tried to avert his gaze from his father before him, but he found All Might merchandise wherever he looked, reminding him about the severity of the matter at hand.
His chin was turned, and Izuku's glassy gaze met Toshinori's sunken one, "My boy, that is not how we talk to each other, not as a mentor and student or father and son," a deep sigh as he released Izuku's face, "It doesn't matter if you're body's healed if you are under this much distress."
"But I'm not distressed!" Izuku's cracking voice and shivering frame betrayed him, "Can we just do something-anything, please All Might!" Bright tears escaped now Izuku's cheeks, and before he could utter anything, he was pulled into forward. Pain and comfort were strung together as his arms briefly ached before he was able to settle into the towering hero's chest.
"If anything, you certainly need more rest, Izuku. I promise I'm not trying to punish you," Izuku's breathing heaved a little before another form appeared behind him. Naomasa had placed one hand atop his head and another on his shoulder.
"You'll get through this, Izuku, and we'll be here with you."
-------
Having to contain a cough, Izuku squeezed another handful of the medicated ointment out, the heating sensation less pleasant now but still dulling the pain. Rapidly applying it along his marred arms, he had to slow down only when it was getting close to burning. With the amount Naomasa had used before, he had barely noticed the scent, but now his room was beginning to smell like a doctor's office.
Discarding the half-empty bottle on his beside the table, Izuku flexed his arms, this time only met with a warm sensation instead of the nerve-shattering pain. Taking a few breaths, he let the power of one for all course through his form a few times before standing up. Both his fathers were out of the house, All Might having to take care of something at U.A. and Naomasa running some errands, now was the best time and maybe only time to try.
After having such an embarrassing breakdown in front of his fathers, Izuku knew he had to fix himself sooner rather than later. Earlier, he'd finally texted Uraraka and Iida back, and both had responded how much they missed him. Izuku's chest had lurched painfully at that, but it was only compounded when Momo sent him a post about how to properly 'relax one's self.' So not only did people think he needed to relax, but he was worrying them over nothing. It was his own fault, and they did not need to waste their prized summer worrying about him, especially after he'd put a damper on using the school facilities by getting himself hurt.
People would not stop making such a big deal about his injuries when they were fine! It just came with the hero territory! Back at training camp when he saved Kota from Muscular, if he had not pushed himself, the damage could have been far worse. Besides with One for All on his side, his limits were not the same as other people's! He had seen how All Might could fight with just the remnants of it! He should be able to handle far more when he was the one currently possessing it!
It was his duty!
Crossing over to his desk, still there surrounded by his All Might merchandise, was the dumbbell from that he tried to lift before. He had not made an attempt to train since dropping it the other day, so maybe now was the time.
One rep…two…reps…three...threee...
Izuku's breathing was labored, grip wobbling to the point he needed to support the weight with both hands.
Shit, had he really gotten this bad?
The entire length of his arms that had been lathered in medicine was slipping between numb and sting once more. A combination of improper sleep, exasperated injuries and general stress caused Izuku to drop the massive weight onto the ground. This time the ground cracked under strain, causing Izuku to fumble backward onto his rear. He tried to brace himself with his arms only for them to give way as if they had fallen asleep.
As if on a comedic cue the bedroom door opened to reveal Naomasa, plastic bag in tow, "Izuku, are you alright!?" Naomasa on the floor beside him, propping him up, "What happened? What on Earth is that smell?"
The hero-in-training's mind raced a mile a minute to try and think of a way out. But between the pain of his arms and the gravity of the tightrope he was walking made forming a proper response complicated, "I…got hurt…"
Naomasa's concern did not fade as he helped Izuku back to his feet, "Izuku, your arms… You used that medicine, didn't you?"
Izuku knew if he spoke, the dam might break, so instead gave the slightest nod. Naomasa kept a hand on him but had apparently spotted the bottle, giving it a shake to gauge the remaining contents, "Come on, we need to wash this off."
Before Izuku could even begin to take another step, he was swept into Naomasa's arms, bridle style. His aching arms made struggle difficult, but thankfully the perilous journey to the bathroom was short. He was deposited before the sink.
"Izuku, can you move your arms good enough to wash them right now?"
"Yes," Izuku had spoken without thinking. He just lied to a walking lie detector. The shivering boy could not tell if it was better or worse that he was let off with a sigh as Naomasa grabbed a nearby washcloth and went to work.
Try as he might Izuku could not conceal the wincing as some feeling began to return to his injured limbs, it was more than a little frightening that he was somehow both numbed and in pain.
"It's okay, you're okay," Naomasa said gently, far more than he deserved.
"Izuku, can you try and make a fist for me?" His fingers twitched a few times before his hand fully closed, "Good, can you feel the heat of the water?"
"Only b-barely."
It could have been 5 to 15 minutes of Naomasa trying to desperately scrub away the evidence of Izuku's mistake. Eventually, the heat of the water had broken through the medicated layer, "I can feel the water better," Naomasa simply nodded before shutting off the faucet and passing him a towel.
"Dry off, and then go to your room, we need to talk." Izuku nodded, and Naomasa met his eyes and lingered before making his exit, producing his phone as he walked away.
Running his fingers over the towel's soft material confirmed that his sense of touch had not fully recovered yet. A stiffness that waned every few moments into aching. 'Needed to talk' meant nothing good. Tears nearly slipped out of Izuku's eyes right there as he suspected Naomasa was on the phone with All Might right now!
Scurrying from the bathroom, he caught a glimpse of Naomasa on the phone for a moment as he passed into his bedroom. Settling onto the bed, he struggled to rest his arms comfortably but eventually decided to lay against the wall with the slack at his side. Taking a few deep breaths, Izuku knew if Naomasa was going to understand, he had to try and calm down.
Letting his mind drift about the room, his attention traveling along the eras of different All Might posters, his figure collection on the desk…. The dumbbell still smashed into the floor.
The sharp pain was somehow easy to ignore as Izuku shot up, all but willing his arms back onto the weight. To his horror, it was lodged in the wood paneling. Breathing hoarse, Izuku glanced over his shoulder once before internally flipping the switch for One for All.
Green flickers of light dancing up around him, lines of flashing color appearing across his face, but as he forced his hand to grip the weight, he was swept from the ground around the waist.
It was only when he was deposited back on the All Might bedspread did Izuku see Naomasa's fierce glare bearing down on him. Like a frightened firefly, all the light drained from Izuku.
"Would you like to explain why you were using your quirk after Toshi explicitly told you not to?"
"The dumbbell…fell." Not great, not great…
"Izuku, that's not what I asked. Tell me why you were using your quirk?”
"I had to…" Izuku's voice was near a whisper, "to clean up."
"You're lying to me, Izuku." Zero change in inflection made the words sting, but Izuku shook his head.
"It fell and got lodged in the floor," Izuku nodded toward the dumbbell.
"How did it fall?"
It was as if the room shook at the level of directness. Swallowing Izuku tried to force a casual grin, "It…slipped."
"From where, from the desk?" Quick as a whip.
His heart was thumping wildly, he tried to nod, but, "Verbal answers only, young man."
"N-no, it didn't fall from there," Izuku felt faint, "It just fell down."
"Izuku Midoriya, how can you just sit there and lie to me?"
"I'm not! It did fall down!"
"From where!"
"I don't know!" Izuku roared back, turning to shoot a glare at Naomasa. What he found was a look of clear realization. Naomasa sat down beside him now. Izuku's posture went stiff as he stood on end.
"You need to calm down," the same comforting hand on his back as before.
Before he could focus on that, the green-haired teen found himself sitting in Naomasa's lap.
Ducking his head, he tried to hide the flush of embarrassment that somehow found itself through the panic. How had he trained for so long, but still being held like this made him feel as small as he was in middle school again?
No one spoke until the sound of Izuku's labored breathing and worried shaking had died down to a level acceptable, at least for Izuku.
"Have you been training without Toshi around?” A nod, "Verbal answers please and why?"
Izuku would have made an attempt to retreat, but his arms were comfortable at the moment, so he settled for turning his head away. His retreating tactic was foiled by a hand, returning him back into place, "You obviously felt like you had good reason, and I want to hear it."
"Everyone else gets too. My injuries aren't…that bad that I can't do some things…"
Those words suffered like milk under heat as they sat in the air. Unable to contain himself, Izuku now craned his neck to see if Naomasa was upset. His current position however, made it impossible to conceal the act. He met with the same serene expression that always greeted him when it came to Naomasa.
"Izuku, you can't move your arms properly without hurting. You are only going to irreparably damage yourself-my god, you're no better Toshi is." This might be one of the few times he had heard someone use an All Might comparison in a negative light. "How do they feel right now, can you move them or make a fist?"
To Izuku's relief, the answer was yes, but it was more difficult than ever before. Naomasa observed this with an intensity Izuku was not sure he had ever event felt from Recovery Girl's inspections.
"Stand up for me," despite being the one who made the request, Naomasa helped Izuku to his feet.
"Izuku, I think you know how All Might would handle this, correct?" As he spoke, Naomasa crossed the room, and a bomb dropped in Izuku's stomach.
Naomasa returned, and to his horror, possessed Izuku's hairbrush in tow, which was All Might in theme. Aside from the plastic bearing his idol's iconic color scheme, the top was notably shaped like All Might's pointed hair antennas. Naomasa sat down before him, and Izuku took a few tentative steps back.
"If you want to wait until Toshi gets home, I understand, but he's going to be no happier about this, Izuku."
Lip trembling, Izuku took a few shaky breaths before speaking, "You haven't told him yet?"
"No, you will be telling him when he gets home. You can either do it after your spanking or before. So, what is the answer going to be?"
The question was not cruel or pointed, but somehow it wounded Izuku all the same. Either way, he was going to be punished. On the one hand, All Might had obviously spanked him more by virtue of knowing him longer, but if he had already been punished by Naomasa, then at least, he would not have to wait for another scolding.
"F-From you…" Izuku squeaked, bowed his head, gaze locked with his bedroom floor instead of the man before him.
"Izuku, look at me," sucking in a breath the little hero obeyed, "I'm not angry with you, I just don't want you to keep making this mistake. You mean too much to Toshi and I for me to let this kind of disobedience continue." A few stray tears escaped Izuku’s eyes, but he nodded.
"Alright, I need you to take your shorts down for me. Or do you need my help?" The question was clearly genuine and not any kind of taunt. Izuku, however, shook his head and was able to work his shorts down, though not without a bit of strain.
The little hero tugged down the front of his shirt. This mattered little in that Naomasa guided him over his lap with great care. Naomasa had done the laundry around the house, meaning he was already acquainted with Izuku's variety of All Might and hero-themed briefs. This did little to quell dismay for the boy wearing a red pair that exclaimed I AM HERE in a comic-style font across the seat.
"Are you comfortable, do you need a pillow to rest your arms?"
"N-No," Izuku's voice had been reduced to quivering whine by now, "Do we have to do this? I won't train on my own, I promise."
A palm was running gently over his back, "I'm afraid it's not that easy, kiddo. This is a disturbing pattern you have continued to show us. Toshi and I are…are your parents, we know better about some matters."
The concept of parents was a sore spot for Izuku Midoriya, who, by the young age of 14, had tasted the cruelest types of loss, tragedy, and abandonment. If not for Toshinori and later Naomasa being there, he was not sure what his present would be like. Hearing that he still had people in his life who cared this much was frankly almost enough to distract from the fact he was about to get a spanking.
The first smack came with no warning on the direct center of his rump. That one and the few that followed elicited little more than whines from Izuku as the irritating level of pain began to rise.
"Izuku, did I not tell you, you were not allowed to use that medication by yourself?" Izuku tried to nod, but this earned a lighter spank, "Verbal answers please."
"Y-yes, you did."
"And why was that?"
"B-Because its effects are heavy?" Then he answered him with another swat, but this time lower on his bottom.
"Correct, I had to call poison control, and they said if your arms had remained numb, we would have to take you to the hospital. You could have done more damage on top of your current injuries, Izuku!"
A pair of fierce slaps landed on either cheek as Izuku looked to his arms through glassy eyes, the horrifying prospect of losing the function of his arms was one that had remained with him for quite some time. He could not help feeling ashamed that so early in his career as a hero, he'd already put a limit on himself before he was even a pro.
"Izuku, get out of your head," Naomasa warned with another smack, "We also need to discuss you sneaking around and training. I'm nowhere near as wise in these matters as Toshi, but even I can see when someone is pushing themselves too far."
This time Izuku's whole body seized at the slap, the painful sting now covering the entire scope of his bottom. His wiggling was rewarded with Naomasa's arm snaking around his waist tighter and lifting him up.
"Stay still, kiddo. We are not done yet. You lashed out at Toshi and me instead of talking about what was wrong. We should not have let you off back then, so we'll discuss it now. Was that an appropriate way to respond, Izuku?"
"N-No, but-but I didn't know what to say-say-you wouldn't listen-AH."
Izuku wanted to cover his cry at the harsher spank, but the strain of his arms kept them in place, "We did listen to you, Izuku. You just did not like Toshi's decision," A smack, "and chose to disobey."
"Every-everyone else gets to train, it's not that bad!" Izuku could not keep his voice level anymore. It just was not fair that he just had to wait in the wings like this! He should have a say about how he got to train!
The spanking ceased at that answer, merely forcing Izuku to bask in the painful glow and ominous silence. Eventually, Naomasa's palm began stroking softly, rubbing the whole of his back, misleading part of Izuku into thinking that this punishment was done.
"We really have let you down. To let it get this far," Izuku was just barely able to see Naomasa's deeply thoughtful expression, "There is no better day to start doing better, I suppose."
Izuku spotted the hairbrush and bucked up, though his arms prevented him from moving enough to make a difference. Naomasa pressed him back into place before giving a few comforting rubs to the small of his back. This did extraordinarily little to cease Izuku's panic.
"Please no-no! Nao-papa, I-I'll be-behave, I'll behave!"
"You'll be getting the last few with the brush on your bare bottom, but first, you need to calm down," Naomasa's level tone found itself over Izuku's fretting little noises.
"Once we're done, we'll go to talk to, Toshi-papa-"
"H-He'll be m-m-mad!"
"No, he won't be. I've known him longer, and I know for a fact he'll feel the same way I do. We just want you to be safe and come to us when you have a problem."
Tears escaped at the sweet words, so Izuku forced himself to swallow the desire to continue protesting. This earned him a "Good boy," confirming to Izuku that Naomasa's soft praise gave him the fluttering feeling of love in his stomach that made returning home worth it and a reminder of one of the reasons he chose to become a pro-hero. To protect what he loved.
Despite having calmed down, Izuku still shuddered as his briefs were peeled away. The material rubbing against his spanked bum was enough to irritate the pain even further.
"Izuku, you lied to Toshi and myself more times than I likely know, you purposefully went around my quirk because you knew what you were doing was deceitful!" The first spank fell on Izuku's right cheek.
"AH!-I'm sorry! I k-knew yo-you wouldn't like it!" The same place received a swat making Izuku begin to kick.
"There is never a reason you should lie to us. You are a child, Izuku. You have limits; you will grow out of it." A spank to his apparently more sensitive left cheek caused large, blue tears to begin falling in earnest, "If this trend continues we may have to wash your mouth out, Izuku, please don't let it come to that."
"Moreover, you should know better than to go behind our back and take medicine like that. Does Recovery Girl need to give you a private lecture on proper drug use? You could have hurt yourself, Izuku,” Two swats in quick succession, but this time lower down.
In addition to the All Might hairbrush's stinging slaps, which he wasn't sure he would ever be able to use in the same way again, Izuku couldn't help having the harsh reality bear down forcefully. He was not just a liar, but he had worked around Naomasa just to sneak around. Not even getting into disobeying All Might and almost hurting himself with the ointment.
"N-Noo, d-don't" Replying felt impossible for Izuku, with heaving breaths between sobs and the typhoon of guilt raging.
"Now, you are going to be getting ten more, and then we are going to talk to Toshi, he's probably home by now. You don't have to count." Izuku forced a little thanks under his breath, though this gratitude was cut off by the first swat to the undercurves of his bottom.
Izuku was sure the neighbors could hear the sound he made. For the first time since his injury, he was glad he would not be in regular classes, the thought of sitting right now was enough to conjure some further sobs from the little hero. Naomasa continued the punishing blows on his sit spots. The wiggling and fighting against the strikes has long since ceased in favor of Izuku resting his tear-soaked face against the fabric of the bed.
Two more swats fell on Izuku's thighs, but before he could even fully take in the hurt, he'd just received, he was hoisted upward. On some base instinct, Izuku tried to wrap his arms around Naomasa's neck only to wince painfully as he did so. Instead, Naomasa sat him sideways, holding him in just a way to not put pressure on his bottom. Though Izuku still yipped at the pain to his thighs, it was far preferable. Naomasa kept an arm behind him while his other produced a handkerchief to begin cleaning Izuku's messy expression.
"I-I'm sorry, Nao-papa," Izuku whimpered as Izuku is still teary eye was dabbed with the soft fabric.
"I've already forgiven you, Izuku, you don't need to continue tearing yourself up inside."
Izuku shifted as he struggled to get comfortable and eventually gave into little sobs, turning to fully meet Naomasa's gaze, "M-My arms really hurrrt!"
It was an admission of pain that Izuku had kept sealed away behind so many walls that he'd forgotten it was there. His arms had been hurting so severely since the incident, and truthfully it was scary. The thought of losing the ability to use his arms was genuinely frightening!
Acknowledging this almost hurt Izuku almost as much as the strain in his limbs and his stinging bottom.
Naomasa carefully embraced him, and Izuku, through his own pained cries, heard, "It'll be alright, we'll find something for the pain, don't worry. Just do your best to calm down, so you don't work yourself up," While shushing the distraught teen all the while.
"You should have come to us, we can't help you unless we know you're hurting, Izuku," Naomasa admonished with the firmness of feather, all the while keeping one hand on Izuku's back while the other was stroking his hair.
"Thought I could do it…" Izuku muttered into the fabric of Naomasa's shirt that had since become wet with tears.
"It's not a matter if you can Izuku; it's a matter of should. Your body has limits for a reason, and I know that it may be different in the heat of danger, but you're safe here." To Izuku, the reiterated words of love helped erase the painful mutterings that had led him away from the comforting embrace he was currently wrapped in.
Izuku gave a pitiful whine as Naomasa leaned him back, and the handkerchief began dabbing his freckled face once more. Expression scrunching up, Izuku produced little mewl of displeasure, "Are you ready to go talk to Toshi, or do you need a little more time to breathe?"
"No, I-I think I'm ready. Toshi-papa won't be m-mad at me, will he?" Naomasa pressed a soft peck to Izuku's forehead as he helped the shaking boy to his feet?
"I know he won't be happy with your behavior, but you're clearly sorry and have learned your lesson, right?" Izuku nodded furiously, clearly trying to force a resolute expression despite his red-rimmed eyes.
Naomasa helped Izuku step back into his briefs, but when he made to help the little hero back into his shorts, a pout and accompanying whine of protest made the detective think better of it. Izuku allowed himself to huddle close to Naomasa's side, lightly gripping the fabric of the other man's shirt. By this point, Izuku had little reason to be embarrassed, this was his home after all, and he was with his fathers, a sense of restored perspective now with him.
From a place on the couch, Toshinori could be seen, and Izuku's stomach fluttered nervously.
"We're here, sorry we couldn't be there to welcome you home," Naomasa said lightly to alert his partner of their presence. Toshinori paused what appeared to be vintage film and right away sympathy rung loudly on the symbol of hope's expression.
"Hey, what happened, my boy?" Toshinori opened his arms, and right away, Izuku could not resist climbing up into his idol's lap. To his displeasure, he could not fully wrap himself around his idol and settle for resting against the lanky hero's chest.
The question almost felt as difficult as the ones Naomasa had proposed earlier, and part of Izuku just wanted to remain silent and rest himself against All Might, but after a few false starts, he began.
"I..." Izuku gave a look to Naomasa, who took a seat beside the two, but he simply gave an encouraging nod rather than an attempt to explain for him, "Um …I l-lied to you and Nao-papa, train-trained without your supervision, and used medication even though Nao-papa, t-t-told me not to without him." As he spoke, Izuku kept his eyes pointed anywhere but at either of his fathers.
"Well I can see Naomasa, already talked to you about all this," Izuku shifted, trying to tug his shirt down more, "You always seem to want to go out with a bang when it comes to getting yourself into trouble, Izuku."
"Since you have probably exacerbated your condition, we are going to extend your rest period, and, before you start pouting, I don't want to hear any backtalk, young man," Izuku denied that he was pouting under his breath, "We are also going to be taking a trip to Recovery Girl so she can give you a proper checkup to make sure you haven't injured yourself internally. And we'll be keeping your training equipment until I feel that you can be trusted with it." The scolding was mitigated by the soft rubbing of his head as he leaned against All Might.
"I'm sure that we can get Recovery Girl to give you something else for the pain, but you'll need to be more honest with her this time, kiddo," Naomasa warned softly.
"I just wanted to get back to training as soon as possible," Izuku said, fiddling with his shirt, which proclaimed it was indeed such in bold text.
"My boy, that's not your decision to make. And I do not say these things to be stern with you, but I am not going to let you push yourself like I do," Toshinori admonished.
"B-but you're great, Toshi-papa."
Such a sweet statement brought a deep sigh from Toshinori. He wrapped his arms tighter around the somewhat confused Izuku, who, through all of his knowledge, didn't see how painful that statement was for his mentor, predecessor, and father. Though he was not sure what had conjured such tenderness, he could not turn away the warmth. Izuku could almost fall asleep like he had the previous night, but before he could drift, he was cruelly parted from Toshi-papa, who gave him a placating look.
"Why don't you go wash your face real quick, and we'll keep talking when you get back?'
Izuku nodded, but the frown on his freckled expression clearly said that he did not want them to part. Toshinori helped the boy to his feet, and Izuku scampered off, and neither father spoke until the bathroom door closed.
-
"What am I supposed to do? How do I get through to him?" Naomasa had moved closer and laid his hand over his partner's, "Gran Torino is right, there's much of me in him, and it feels like I never notice until it's too late."
Naomasa frowned deeply, too often he felt out his depth when it came to the matters of heroes.
He had been by Toshinori's side through some of the hardest times and didn't wish to see the same for Izuku. When Toshinori had decided to adopt Izuku after his mother's passing, he had not been worried since he had known he was a good kid.
It had not occurred to Naomasa how attached he would become to the green-haired youngster. He would come to know the urges he suspected most parents felt when it came to protecting their children.
"It's not your fault, your being in Izuku's life has probably helped in ways I can't begin to imagine. I know that just by how much he's changed since I first met him and how much you've changed me." Toshinori's frown became a tired grin.
"You're acting as if you haven't done wonders in helping Izuku and myself, we'd both probably be lost without, you Nao."
Naomasa rubbed the back of his head, face tingling with a dusting of flush at the high compliment, "Hehe, I think you're overpraising me, Toshi."
The lanky man tightly gripped his partner's hand, "I'm not. I couldn't imagine my life without you. Or maybe I just don't want to."
For a moment, the two men erased the boundaries between them, and their lips met. When they parted, they were able to rest in the comfortable silence of their home before they had to continue to address the issues at hand.
"I don't want Izuku to think I'm still mad at him, but I feel like we can't just go right back to normal. There is still this…this worry in my chest about what he could have done to himself," Toshinori said, forcing himself to break the silence.
"You're not alone in there. I think that is one of the luxuries of being a child, they just don't understand how much they worry those around them," Naomasa recalled the number of run-aways he'd seen at his work.
Toshinori straightened up, "Why don't you get his pajamas? You know his favorite pair; he likes them the most after he's had to be punished. I'll get him something to eat since I highly doubt he's had anything today."
"The pair with the hood, right?"
------
The pattern was strange—the lines of pink against the deep crimson red. Not to mention it had the curve of the hairbrush's top that made it look like cartoon waves had been imprinted on his rump. Tugging down his briefs a little more, Izuku noted the pattern extended down to his upper thighs. His bottom was such a deep red that none of his freckles were visible through the painful color. Somehow looking at the damage done to his backside made the string feel all the worse. Bringing his underwear back into place, Izuku sniffled as he bashfully began to shuffle in place. He did not have to use the changing rooms and deal with any potential teasing from his classmates.
Though neither of his fathers seemed upset when he had gone to the bathroom, Izuku was not foolish enough to think they were not discussing his various lapses in judgment. This train of thought was almost sufficient to summon tears back, but Izuku knew that sobbing in the bathroom would do little to redeem himself in the eyes of the two men he respected so.
Returning to the living room with the stealth of a rabbit, Izuku was not greeted with the scorn he had created in his mind, but two warm expressions. However, before either man could utter a single word, a few tears escaped from Izuku. Without a second thought, he tried to rub them away, but All Might was drawing him to sit between himself and Naomasa. Even if the plush material of the couch was forgiving, Izuku still winced as he sat down.
"What's wrong, my boy? Neither of us is upset at you, you are forgiven," Toshinori's words were accompanied by a hand running through the messy green locks. Izuku ventured a glance at Naomasa, whose smile did not contain an ounce of aggression.
Before his eyes, an onigiri with a picture of katsudon was held out. The lack of a proper lunch beckoned him to accept.
"How would you feel if we go over to Aizawa-san and Yamada-san's home for dinner this weekend?" Toshinori said. With a mouth full of rice Izuku simply nodded, trips to visit Shoto, Hitoshi, and Eri becoming more frequent weren't anything he was going to complain about.
"Just make sure you don't rough house and aggravate your injuries," Naomasa warned. Swallowing thickly, Izuku looked up with benign annoyance.
"We're not little kids, e-except Eri-chan," Izuku attested before taking another bite to punctuate the statement.
"I have been to the dorms before and seen how your class acts," Naomasa countered.
Sighing, Izuku realized there was little he could offer at that bit of truth; he then took note of a blue, red, and yellow buddle of fabric that was on Naomasa’s lap. The detective took note and revealed what he'd been holding onto, Izuku's favorite pair of pajamas, a one-piece that was All Might in theme complete with a hood adorned with hair antennas like the symbol of peace's.
"You didn't have to get that…" Izuku muttered as he crumpled up the wrapper of his snack, though he clearly was not unhappy.
"Come now, you'll be far more comfortable in something soft. It will also be a good reminder that you need your rest, my boy," With no protest, Izuku allowed himself to be led up.
All Might pulled away his shirt with zero fanfare, and Naomasa helped him step into the pajamas as if he were a little kid. Once one of his arms was through the sleeve, another onigiri was placed in his palm. Now standing fully dressed, in what somewhat might mistakenly call a 'onesie,' All Might set the hood upward. Izuku returned to the couch to sit between them, feeling far snugger as he ripped into his snack.
Despite the trouble he had caused earlier, he felt like his fathers were spoiling him more than usual. Naomasa brushed one of his messy curls back into place, "How are you feeling, Izuku?"
The same loaded question as before. This time Izuku rested his head against All Might's side with a smile, "S-still sore, but better."
To his pleasant surprise, Izuku found himself now scooped up to sit on Toshinori's lap, back pressed against the lanky man's chest. While it took a moment for him to adjust on his very sore bottom, eventually he could lean back comfortably. Naomasa closed brought himself beside his husband before patting Izuku's knee thoughtfully. Between his two fathers' comfort and how his body was demanding that he relax, he decided to bury his training worries for as long as he could.
"You seem to have calmed down, nicely,” Toshinori chimed, giving a soft rub to the top of Izuku's covered head.
"Whenever he's cuddled up like this he's never as fretful," Naomasa playfully pinched Izuku's freckled cheek.
"Will that make you behave better and take care of yourself? If Nao and I just keep you like this until you are completely healed?" Izuku squirmed at the level of attention, but a smile was fighting to show on his flushed face.
"He's not that ill-behaved, are you, kiddo?" Naomasa said, Izuku nodded bashfully.
"You're right." Toshinori punctuated the statement with a light squeeze, Izuku felt faint at this downpour of praise.
"How about another Clint Eastwood movie?" Toshinori suggested. A genuinely content Izuku nodded and took another bite, though he would have been happy to watch anything in this moment.
"Toshi, we can't just keep watching westerns," Naomasa bemoaned.