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Inui Ryo's ear twitched as he listened to Izuku babble about his friends' quirks, amusement bubbling in his chest. Their two-hour therapy session was drawing to a close, and Inui wanted to let the teen decompress after the mentally taxing talk they had. For the past three weeks, Izuku had been coming to his office three days a week. While the first sessions were dedicated to Izuku becoming more comfortable around Inui, he gradually opened up about his current day traumas and insecurities. Izuku was just barely becoming comfortable enough to talk about his past.
Hound Dog glanced at the clock, mentally noting that it was nearing the end of their session. He glanced back at Izuku when he quieted, noticing how he traced an invisible pattern on the underside of his jaw. He knew what was there, even if he hadn't seen it. Izuku had requested that only Tsukauchi was to look at the pictures of his scars, and those involved with his situation had agreed— hesitantly, in Toshinori's case. Inui knew the teen's trust issues would have worsened had they done anything else.
"Inui-san," Izuku started, drawing the hero's attention away from his hands, "I think... I think I want to do it today," he said quietly, glancing up at the other from his spot on a beanbag. A deep, thoughtful sound rumbled from the Inui's chest. "Are you comfortable with that decision?" He watched as Izuku took a long breath before giving him a shaky but determined smile. "I am. I trust them." Another low noise came from Inui, this one pleased. It was good that Izuku had people that he could trust. "I'm proud of you for being able to do this, Midoriya-kun. I know it isn't easy." Izuku flushed and ducked his head, the nervousness in his expression dying away ever so slightly. "Thank you, Inui-san," he said softly.
Then he glanced at the clock, which read 5:29. Izuku yelped and scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping. "A-ah, it's time for me to leave. Thank you for our session." He bowed, and Inui grinned at him from underneath his iron muzzle. "You're welcome, Midoriya-kun." Izuku gave him a smile and turned to leave. Right as he was about to step out, he stopped, looking back at Hound Dog. "Inui-san, I understand why you wear your muzzle in public. As you said in your interview five years ago, you didn't want to appear frightening to civilians. Why do you wear it while you're at school, though? Then again, every other hero wears their full hero costume in school, so it makes sense why you wouldn't be any different. However, it seems uncomfortable to wear all of the time, with the possibility of skin irritation and chafing. Maybe there's some sort of padding on the inside-"
Inui huffed in amusement, startling Izuku out of his mumbling.
His eyes widened almost comically, and he frantically waved his arms. "O-Oh, that's a really personal question! I'm sorry for asking without permission; that was so disrespectful of me. I didn't mean to invade-" He quieted when the hero grinned at him mirthfully. "It's okay, Midoriya-kun, and you're right; my muzzle is so that I don't frighten civilians during already stressful situations. I don't take it off until after my sessions so that I don't scare the students, either."
Izuku took in the information, silent for a moment. Then he gave Inui what the staff had dubbed as his 'soft sunshine' smile. "I don't think you're frightening, Inui-san," he murmured. Then he bowed again before turning and padding out of the room, taking care to close the door behind him. Hound Dog stared at the door with wide eyes before snorting to himself and leaning back in his chair. Midoriya Izuku was a special kid.
Izuku padded up to Heights Alliance, aiming a smile at his boyfriends. Maiko, who was on her leash, pitter-pattered away from Bluebell and towards Izuku with a squawk of, "Deku!" Izuku glanced down at her before crouching to her level and gently scratching underneath her beak. "Hello, Maiko! Were you a good birdy for Hicchan and Shoucchan?" She leaned into the touch with a soft croon. "Good birdy," she repeated. Shinso snorted when Izuku practically beamed. "That's my good birdy! Thank you for being a good girl, Maiko." She preened at his words before flapping up onto Izuku's outstretched arm. He lifted her up, gratefully accepting the leash from Todoroki.
Bluebell gently butted her head against Izuku's leg in greeting before trotting over to Shinso when he made a clicking noise. He opened a travel carrier identical to Maiko's, and without prompt, she jumped in, settling onto a blanket with a soft trill of contentment. Shinso gave her a pet before zipping up the backpack. She peered lazily out of the plastic front.
Izuku did the same with Maiko, situating her on her stick. He gave her a loving smile before zipping up her carrier and carefully settling it onto his shoulders.
Todoroki watched with adoration clear in his eyes as his boyfriends cared for their companions. Shinso met his gaze first, giving him a soft grin. Izuku flushed at the look, returning his own bashful smile. "Are you both ready?" Shinso nodded, grabbing his personal bag from the steps of Heights Alliance; he handed Izuku's to him. "I am too," Izuku affirmed, grabbing it with his right hand. Todoroki nodded in return before they all started towards the entrance of Yuuei.
"What did you two while I was in therapy?" Izuku asked, cocking his head at the two boys on either side of him. Shinso snickered, and Todoroki huffed softly. "Toshi roped Monoma-kun and me into pranking our classmates."
"Hicchan, you didn't!" The insomniac of their group smirked. "You should have heard Kaminari's shriek when I used my directional voice modifier to whisper in his ear." He only cackled when Izuku flicked his arm. "Hicchan, that's so mean."
"And then Kirishima accidentally hardened when Shou blew a cold wind on him." Izuku turned his distressed look on his second boyfriend, who only shrugged apologetically. "And then Sero ended up taping everything down in the commons room because Monoma copied Yanagi's quirk. They were yelling about ghosts for a solid 30 minutes." Izuku huffed at that, trying not to let his smile show. "Stop messing with the Bakusquad, Hicchan." Shinso just snickered. "It's fun watching Mina accidentally melt things, though."
Izuku just shook his head. "How'd you even get Monoma-kun to join you?" Shinso grinned. "The prospect of pranking Kaminari is too high for anyone to decline." The greenet just laughed softly, quietly drawing out of the conversation. He contently listened to the soft chatter as his boyfriends conversed with each other. He glanced at Todoroki, examining the red, wrinkled scar on his face; it made the turquoise of his eye pop. From experience, he knew that Todoroki couldn't feel much there. He couldn't help thinking that he was beautiful.
Then he turned his attention to Shinso, eyeing the faint silver lines that marked his jaw and the bridge of his nose— scars from his muzzle. They were almost invisible, as it had been nearly seven years since he was forced to wear it, but Izuku could pick up on their faint sheen. He thought Shinso was so brave for wearing his directional voice modifier.
Izuku looked down at his hand, viewing his crooked fingers and dark scarring. He wondered if they would think him brave or beautiful once he showed them his face.
Todoroki gently nudged Izuku's arm, drawing his attention back to the present. "We're here," he said softly, a silent question in his eyes. Despite being hit with a sudden wave of anxiety, Izuku gave the other a weak smile in an attempt to convey that he was fine. He glanced at the door of his mother’s apartment before pulling his key out of his pocket and unlocking it. As the three of them shuffled in, Mamadoriya appeared from around the corner down the hall. She visibly brightened at the sight of them, padding towards them and planting a kiss on each of their foreheads. Despite having done this dozens of times, Shinso felt no small amount of amusement that all three of them bent down for her.
"Welcome back, Izuku, Hitoshi-kun, Shouto-kun," she greeted brightly, gaining a, "Hi, mom," from Izuku. "Hey, Mamadoriya," Shinso hummed in return; Todoroki followed with a, "Hello, Inko-san."
Inko beamed at them. "Go ahead and set your things in Izuku's room; I just finished with dinner." The three of them murmured various words of understanding, immediately filing into Izuku's room. They all set their personal bags down before both Izuku and Shinso got to work on freeing their companions. Bluebell stretched out with a loud mreow, while Maiko flapped her wings a few times.
While they did that, Izuku rummaged around in his bag before grabbing a bottle full of a clear liquid. It had no label, only a taped-on piece of paper stating: Do not drink. Thank you :). Both Shinso and Todoroki eyed the bottle in confusion. They didn't comment, though, just watching as Izuku slipped it into his pocket. Then he stood, fixing them with a shaky smile. Shinso gave him a grin in return before turning and making his way out of the room. "Come on; I want your mother's delicious food." Izuku giggled at that before he and Todoroki followed. Bluebell trailed behind with Maiko perched comfortably on her back.
They entered into the dining space, and Shinso and Todoroki momentarily stalled at the sight of Toshinori helping set the table, Then they continued on without fanfare, remembering One For All. Izuku just beamed at his mentor. "Hi, Toshinori-san." The previous number 1 hero gave the three teens a wide smile. "Hello, boys. It's nice to see you all."
"You too, Yagi-san," Shinso said in return, moving to get Bluebell's bowls and food from one of the cabinets in the kitchen. Izuku did the same for Maiko, setting a towel on the counter and placing water, diced fruits, and nuts in three separate bowls for her. Almost immediately, the bird flew up onto her eating space, sorting through her options before choosing a piece of mango. Bluebell was situated on the opposite side of the dining space to prevent Maiko from accidentally tossing food at her.
Once the animals were situated, their caretakers joined Todoroki, Inko, and Toshinori at the table. While Toshinori ate miso soup because of his lack of a stomach, the remaining four ate helpings of katsudon and soba— cold soba, in Todoroki's case. For dessert was Shinso's favorite, manjū. How his mother sensed that they would need comfort food, Izuku didn't know. He appreciated it, though. Izuku picked up his chopsticks with his left hand, silently cursing himself. His right hand was numb from carrying his heavy bag for a straight half-hour.
Slowly, he began to eat his katsudon before switching to the soba halfway through. Despite his efforts, Izuku could only make a dent in his dinner, his stomach in knots over what he was planning to do. Quietly, he slid his bowls away from himself, gaining his mother's attention. "Izuku?" She asked softly, carefully reaching over and clasping his hand in hers. The other three quieted, watching the exchange.
When he remained silent, Inko opened her mouth to ask if he was alright. "I have something to show you," Izuku blurted out before wincing. He couldn't take that back now. While Shinso and Todoroki immediately nodded their understanding, the two adults exchanged glances at his words. "What is it, Midoriya-shounen?" Toshinori asked softly, a stark contrast to his usually booming voice.
This time, when he didn't answer immediately, they all patiently waited for him to gather his words. "My scars," he said quietly, staring at the table and missing how all of them stiffened in surprise. "Not-not all of them. Just the big one Kac... Katsuki gave me."
"Are you comfortable with showing us?" Shinso asked without missing a beat, and they all relaxed when Izuku immediately nodded. "I don't like keeping secrets from the people I trust, and I trust all of you," He announced quietly. Toshinori mouthed a silent oh, just barely restraining himself from coughing up blood. Shinso and Todoroki shared a happy glance while Inko looked ready to cry.
"Thank you," Todoroki murmured, giving Izuku a small smile when he looked up. "We can wait here while you take off your makeup?" Izuku nodded his assent before standing from the table, giving everyone a nervous smile before turning tail and padding through the living room and into the bathroom.
He closed the door behind him, releasing a trembling breath as he closed his eyes and pushed down his anxiety-induced tears. This was fine. He would be fine. He could do this.
Once he was shaking less, he padded over to the mirror, looking at his reflection. He looked like the standard human without a quirk mutation. Nothing about him stood out or brought attention to him. He was the average, ordinary high school student.
He watched himself pull the plastic bottle out from his pocket, uncapping it and squeezing some of the liquid onto his cheeks. Almost immediately, the scar wax started dissolving, dripping down his face and into the sink in a sickening splat of white gunk and skin-colored makeup. He watched as his jaw and chin followed, leaving behind the imprint of a hand. Carefully, he rinsed his face and neck of any excess makeup, cleaning the sink afterward. Then he looked back up at his reflection.
Deep starburst scars were etched into his cheeks, the underside of his chin, and his jaw. His junior high uniform had protected his neck enough so that only the inch above his Adam's apple had been affected. The scar healed rather crudely, gleaming in jagged waves of red and white. He didn’t feel so ordinary now.
Slowly, Izuku fitted his right hand over it, watching as his crooked fingers arched over his left cheek and his thumb over the right; they each stopped right before his ears. His palm cupped his jaw and hovered over his neck as he tilted his head back. (He could still feel Bakugo's harsh grip, the way he shoved him up and back against the wall, his abrasive jeers, the thick smell of smoke, the searing pain—)
He quickly lowered his hand, trying not to have a panic attack in the bathroom when everyone could probably hear his gasps and whimpers. Fuck, he was fine. He wasn't there; he wasn't in that alley behind the school with his junior high peers. He wasn't weak or useless or quirkless.
He was in his bathroom at home. He could feel the countertop underneath his fingers, smell the sharp tang of citrus acid, taste the katsudon on his tongue from dinner. He could see his reflection in the mirror and hear Maiko squawking and Bluebell meowing from the kitchen. One For All thrummed in his chest, warm— a reminder.
He was surrounded by family.
He was safe.
Izuku took a long, deep breath, held it, and then exhaled slowly. He gently wiped the tears from his face. He could do this. Before he could chicken out, he opened the bathroom door, wincing when he put too much force behind it. Everyone, including Maiko and Bluebell, jumped at his sudden exit; Toshinori spewed blood into a hastily drawn handkerchief. Inko opened her mouth to gently remind him to watch his strength before the words died on her lips. Everyone was silent, just staring at the prominent scar carved into his skin.
Fuck, he couldn’t do this.
Izuku felt his anxiety clawing at his skin with the building silence. He had no idea how his mother was going to react to this. Todoroki, Shinso, and Toshinori all had abstract scars— they would understand, right? And his mother seemed okay with theirs, so she’d be fine with his, right?
(But Todoroki and Shinso weren't her sons. She was used to seeing them like that; she wasn't used to this mess. It would be such a disappointment to her to see him like this, so damaged and ugly. He couldn't believe he had let her down again—)
Izuku sharply inhaled when he felt warm, trembling arms wrap around his torso and a face press into his shoulder. "My sweet baby boy, how could he have done this to you?" Inko choked out, pulling her son closer to her. Izuku's eyes welled with tears, and he hugged her back, burying his face into her hair with a sob. "I-I'm sorry," he cried, fisting the back of her sweater as they swayed back and forth. “Don’t apologize,” she whispered, fervently just pulling him closer.
Toshinori watched as his scar throbbed in sympathy, lips pressed tightly together. He couldn't help but feel a flare of protective anger at the sight of his skin. He wished that he could save everyone. He wished that he could've saved Izuku. Shinso and Todoroki sat there, keeping their expressions void of the lividity they felt because how the fuck did Bakugo think this was okay? Complexes or not, that gave him absolutely no right to permanently scar Izuku's body.
All three of them found themselves empathizing with Izuku in a way they wish they hadn't.
After what felt like hours, Izuku pulled back from his mother, sniffling and wiping his cheeks clear of his tears. Inko dried her face with her sleeves before gently grabbing her son's hand and leading him back to the table. Each of them sat down, and Bluebell jumped into Inko's lap while Maiko flapped over and landed in front of Izuku. The greenet drew her into a gentle embrace, petting her feathers to keep calm.
Shinso took a deep breath and adopted a smirk. Izuku didn’t need anger. His humming drew Izuku’s attention. "I don't know, Zuku. You still look as breathtaking as the day we first met." Izuku immediately flushed, squawking out, "H-Hicchan, you can't just say stuff like that!" Todoroki nodded sagely in agreement with Shinso, lowering his head so he could look into his boyfriend’s eyes. "Toshi is right, Zucchan. You haven’t changed at all. Your personality defines who you are, not your scars. That’s what we fell in love with, after all." Izuku sniffled. Why were they okay with this?
Toshinori chuckled softly. "Todoroki-shounen and Shinso-shounen are quite right. You're still the Midoriya Izuku that we've known since day one. You've never judged or thought lesser of us for our scars, and we can only do the same for you." Izuku felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.
Why were they okay with this?
"Izuku," Inko called softly, Bluebell purring from her lap, "while I wish you would have told me, I understand why you didn't. Just know that I would never be mad at or disgusted by you. You're my son," she whispered, voice cracking. "No matter what you look like, no matter your sexuality or profession, I will always love you with every inch of my heart. You're my pride and joy, and while I wish you wouldn't run into unnecessary danger," they all chuckled at that, "I will always accept who you are. You will never be a different person just because you have scars."
Izuku felt like his emotions were dialed up to 11. Confusion and happiness and pure love welled up in him before being released in a loud, ugly sob. Maiko's crown feathers raised in surprise before she pressed her face into his chest with a croon of, "Calm." Shinso smiled at her behavior before standing and walking to Izuku, wrapping his arms around him and kissing the top of his head. The other three followed his lead, engulfing Izuku in a group hug filled with loving murmurs and gentle whispers. Bluebell scaled up Shinso's back and perched on his shoulder, settling a paw in Izuku's bushy locks.
“Thank you,” he sobbed, repeating his words over and over. “Zuku, you could look like Dabi, and I’d still think that you’re one of the most adorable people on this planet,” Shinso chuckled, trying to withhold his own tears.
Izuku laughed wetly at that, closing his eyes and basking in the tender moment with his family— a family that, until recently, had only consisted of two people. No longer did his mother stare forlornly at pictures of her ex-husband. Never again would he have to hide injuries and wash down red water in the sink.
For the first time since that fated doctor’s visit, Izuku could say that he trusted and loved people that weren’t of his own blood. He was happy in every sense of the word. As his family continued to murmur words of comfort and support to him, his trauma suddenly didn’t seem as daunting as it had five minutes ago. They wouldn’t let him face it all alone.
Izuku felt raw love for them well in his chest, bringing more tears to his eyes and spreading warmth through his body.
Never again would he be alone.
