Chapter Text
"Nee-chan, nee-chan!", a small form barreled into Mira's midsection.
Izuku watched on as his friend easily picked the little white haired girl up to hug her tightly. His heart swelled with something warm and bittersweet as the little girl babbled on about how the daycare lady had given her crayons and how she drew something so cool that day. Better than kittens and unicorns! Eri was so energetic nowadays. Nothing like the withdrawn and shy 4-year-old he was first introduced to when Mira deigned to finally let him meet her little sister.
That was a little over four months ago. Two months after he met Mira and his life turned around.
He'd had a friend again for half a year.
A friend who went to the same school and protected him. His body felt tingly as he watched the girls before his body moved to ruffle Eri's hair and grin.
"That's great Eri-chan! Did you take the drawing with you?"
"Yeah, I'd love to see it!", Mira agreed immediately, a soft smile on her lips.
Eri immediately brightened and wriggled to be let down, digging into her cat bag and taking out a slightly crumpled at the corners paper. She presented it to them eagerly. They looked.
There was an outlined white and pink triangle dressed figure with red dots as eyes and a sideways unicorn horn in the center. It was small and had stick hands coming up on each side. Eri herself. On the right side was another red dot eyed and white haired figure whose hair was only a messy black outline that made Mira look like she had a white afro. Not her chin length poof of white cloud-like curls. On the left-
Izuku's breath caught.
There were green dots as eyes and a green bush as hair above a green messy body. A line that was most likely hand held Eri's, mirror to Mira's side.
"I drew us!", the little girl chirped, peeking over the paper, "Izu-nii is green 'cause Izu-nii's name is green too!"
"It's amazing, Eri! But why do I have cat ears?", Mira laughed, as though the vibrating little girl hadn't just practically stated he was family to them.
"They're cat ear unicorn horns, dummy sis!"
"Of course, why didn't I see that", the older sister ruffled the younger one's hair.
Eri beamed before turning to a still frozen Izuku. Her face radiated earnestness.
"Do you like it? Your hero suit is all green 'cuz you can't have a school suit as your hero suit!"
He jolted out of his shocked state, processed what was being said, and made valiant attempts to not cry. In the end he just crouched down and hesitantly opened his arms a little. Eri dumped the drawing to her sister and eagerly jumped into the hug. He buried his face to the side of her head, the small horn poking at his cheek. He was shaking slightly and Mira's hand landed softly on his shoulder. A shuddering breath left him as he tried to compose himself.
"...I-", his voice was choked and he swallowed before continuing on, steady but oh so full of emotion , "I love it, Eri-chan… Thank you."
For accepting me. For believing I can be a hero !
Mira's hand squeezed his shoulder gently and he pulled back to sniffle and rub his eyes. He gave his friend a wobbly grin. She was smiling. Smiling like she understood.
"Let's get to Inko-san's house to eat, yeah?"
And Izuku remembered why he went with her to pick up Eri. He'd even invited them over since their own mom was so busy all the time!
"Oh! Yes!"
Eri cheered and babbled about how Inko-san's meals were the best ever and that they needed to go before food got cold and dragged the two older children along easily.
If they ended up holding Eri's hands and letting her jump and swing between them, full of energy and giggles, a mirror image of the picture… Well, that was just a heartwarming coincidence. It sunk in again just how lucky Izuku was that the Koneko family moved to Musutafu. Mira grinned at him with a sparkle in her eye and they simultaneously lifted their arms up again to let Eri shriek in delight as her feet left the ground.
Very lucky indeed.