Work Text:
Izuku would like to think his life has improved. Sure, he didn't become a hero, much less attend UA (which was probably for the better, considering the villain attacks,) but he found a decent high school.
Kacchan even got in touch with him again, even if it was done after many sessions of therapy persuading him.
He didn't really have a plan for his future. For all he knew, he'd become yet another useless member of society. He'd be doomed to attend a nine to five office job and live off of minimum wage.
He sighs, pushing open the door. “I’m home!” He calls, shrugging off his bag and coat.
“Oh! Izuku, come here for a moment, will you?”
“Um, sure?” He mumbles, pulling off his shoes and replacing them with slippers. He stretches his arms for a moment before heading down the hill and into the dining hall.
His eyes lock onto the man across from his mother. He had relatively broad shoulders and he wasn't necessarily tall. Freckles adorned every open spot of skin Izuku could see and brown, curly hair reached just at his eyes.
He looked like an older version of Izuku.
An.. older version of Izuku…
…oh.
“Izuku, meet Hisashi! Hisashi, meet Izuku.” She introduces, wringing her hands together nervously.
Izuku can’t help but feel like somethings wrong.
“Hello, son.”
He needed to run.
“H-hi. Um. I’m going to d-do my homework, so- so if you need me, ahh, I’ll be in my room,” he stammers, heading back into the hall. He hears Hisashi scoff, but dismisses it quickly.
Pulling out his phone, he pulls up the formerly mentioned teen's contact.
Kacchan!!!
You
hey kacchan :/
Kacchan!!!
hi
what do you want
Izuku hesitates, fingers hovering above the keys. This is Kacchan, why is he so scared ?
You
uh
I might be in danger
I don't know yet for sure!!
Don't worry about me rn
just
idk
The response he gets is immediate.
Kacchan!!!
what.
what's wrong?
are you home right now
i'm coming to get you
You
NO
no
Kachcan dony
Kacchan don't.
It's
It's fine.
I'll message you if I know for sure I'm in danger
I'm just letting you know just in case
How are you?
Kacchan!!!
im fine
what is going on
You
it's alright, kacchan.
Have you finished your homework for today??
Kacchan!!!
no
my arms broken
i have an extended deadline
You
yOUR ARM KS BROKEN??????
KACCHAN WHHA RE YOU MESAGAING ME
Kacchan!!!
because you fucking messaged me first saying you were in danger
dumbass
You
Get some rest!! Don't stress your arm >:((
Kacchan!!!
fine
i'm not going to sleep soon though
update me when you can or else
You
I feel vaguely threatened :(
Kacchan!!!
Good.
He huffs fondly, shutting his phone off and pulling his essay out his bag.
This was going to take a while.
He pointedly ignores the happy laughter and talking coming from his living room.
"Izuku! Dinners ready!" His mom hollers. Izuku sighs, putting his pencil down and rubbing his knuckles.
"Coming!" He shouts back, standing up and stretching. He makes his way to the dining room, Katsuki's contact pulled up just in case.
Hisashi looks at him up and down. Izuku feels increasingly more uncomfortable.
"You look so much like your mother. It's hard to believe we're related," he notes. Izuku nods.
"I get that a lot."
"I wouldn't be surprised. How is life treating you? Especially with your… condition ."
He bristles.
Condition?
"U-uh. Well, it's… it's fine. Better. How- how's yours?"
"Work. Lots of work. I'm glad I could finally come home to my lovely Inko, however," he grins, making eye contact with Izuku's mother. She blushes, instinctively covering her face.
"Oh, stop-" She whines. He chuckles.
"Fine, fine," he concedes. Izuku feels increasingly more out of place.
"Um. Right. I'm going to go grab my, um, my food. Excuse me." He says, voice wavering at the end. He can't do this.
Kacchan!!!
You
Kacxhan soemtjing is definitelu wrong
Kachsan im svared
Kacchan!!!
What
What's wrong
Are you okay?
Wait
Shit
Are you uninjured?
Deku answer me.
Are you panicking?
You
Ofc oruse I'm fjckong panicking
Im uninjured
he's
Fjcm
I have tkgo
Kacchan!!! is typing...
"So. Do you have any friends?" Hisashi asks, completely unaware of how Izuku's anxiety is clawing up his stomach, up his throat, holding his tongue with the grip of an aggressive seven year old who didn't get their way.
"I- um. Yeah. I have- I have Kacchan."
"Oh, right. How is Masaru and Mitsuki doing? Especially with such a… vulgar child."
His mom laughs. "He isn't that bad. He's just like his mother too. Quite coincidental, don't you think?"
"I... suppose." He sighs, clearly uncomfortable.
"Yeah," Izuku hums. "Thank you for the food."
"Thank you for the food!"
"Thanks for the food."
They sit in a comfortable silence, digging into their food.
Izuku couldn't feel more out of place.
"So, Izuku, how's school going?" His mom asks. He smiles softly.
"It's going better than I'd thought. They assigned an essay on how quirks can mutate- like how Kacchan's quirk took both his parents' quirks and mixed them, making explosive sweat? It's really cool. It also talks about quirk theory- the idea that quirks will eventually become too powerful for the human body.
"This has actually even started happening! Heroes like Present Mic and even Katsuki may not have protection in their ears. Touya Todoroki's quirk was too powerful; it destroyed his body , causing his death. It's all just…"
"Wow?" His mom supplies helpfully. Izuku nods, smiling.
"Wow."
Hisashi scoffs. Izuku's heart drops to his feet.
"Ahh, sorry! I didn't mean to go on a tangent just then and I know I can be overbearing at times it's just-"
"Shut it."
His jaw shuts with an audible click.
"Look. I'm extremely stressed right now and I don't need your… your tangent adding on to my headache," he scolds, smoke pouring out his mouth. Izuku feels tears burning in his eyes.
"I…" he trails off, ducking his head. "I'm sorry. May I- may I be excused..?"
He can feel his mother's eyes burning into him with worry. "Of course.."
Kacchan!!!
You
can you call me
please
I dont care what we talk abkut
i just need a distaciton
Kacchan!!!
ok
give me a second, these idiots won't stop harassing me
[image_attachment]
(The image sent is fairly blurry- the photographer obviously didn't want to be seen taking it, much less wanted to be standing still. There's two teenage boys, one with yellow fluffy hair and a dopey grin. He's way more blurry than the other- probably falling. The other has with spiky, red hair. He's bent over, arms stretched in attempt to catch the blonde. His arms look oddly sharp.)
You
If ykrue eith your friends don't worky
ill be fnie
Kacchan!!!
shut up.
they aren't my friends.
you're not okay.
they'll be fine.
You
okay
kacchan ttuley is amazong
Kacchan!!!
of course.
[INCOMING CALL FROM KACCHAN!!!]
[ACCEPT] [DECLINE]
"Kacchan-"
"What's going on?" Katsuki interrupts, his voice sharp.
Izuku hiccups, "I don't- I don't know. " He confesses. "My dad- he's- he's back and he's so- so off ? A-and I don't feel safe and- and he's so mean and he called my quirklessness a condition and when I went on a ramble about quirks he- he-"
"Deku." He interrupts. "I'm- I'm going to repeat what my therapist does with me, so listen. What can you see?"
Izuku inhales, breath scratching at his throat. "M-my hand?"
"What else?"
"The- shit. The, um, I don't- I don't know-"
"Okay. That's- crap, that's okay. Your hand, can you, uh, can you focus on it?"
Izuku's eyebrows furrow. "What?"
"God- shit- your hand." He restates. "Are there any prominent freckles? Shapes?"
"Theres- there's a freckle above my knuckle."
"Which one?"
"The- the ring finger."
"Okay. Are your, uh, shit, do your fingers bend? Like- crooked wise."
"Um. Y-yeah. The top thingy on my middle finger is bent."
"Which way?"
"It's- left. To the left."
"Okay. Can you see anything else, now? Besides your hand."
"M-my Kamui Woods poster."
Katsuki snorts. "Okay. What else?"
"The- the closet door."
"And?"
"T-the desk. M-my essay, its-"
"It can wait. Your essay will be fine."
Izuku smiles, tears and snot dripping down his face. "Kacchan, you're so smart."
He scoffs, "I know. Now, are you injured?"
Izuku hums. "Mm-mm. No. He barely even- even looked at me, much less touched me."
"Okay. That's, that's good. Did he mention your quirklessness?"
"Ye-yeah. He, he asked me how my life was going, especially with my condition. "
"Thats…"
"Horrible?"
"Horrible."
"And then he said he came back for my mom, but not once mentioned me. That's understood because he never met me but still."
"No, there's definitely something wrong with that."
Izuku sighs, wiping at the dry tear tracks on his face. "Okay. Um, do you think you can stay on call with me for a little bit longer? Just- long enough for me to finish my essay?"
There's shuffling on the other line, "fine, fine. Just for a little. I need to go to bed soon."
He laughs, "It's only six."
"Yeah but I also have a broken arm, so there's that."
"Fair, fair."
Katsuki yawns, "Okay, I'm gonna go to bed."
"Alright! Sleep well, I'm almost done with the essay anyway."
He hears the ding, signaling that their call was ended. He doesn't pay it much mind.
His door creaks open, revealing the same man Izuku has grown to hate.
"Uh, hi? How can I help you?" He squeaks, gripping his pencil hard.
"You are insufferable," he slurs, closing the door behind him. Izuku's heart jump to his throat, forming a knot.
"S-sir, whaAAH!" He yelps, being pulled out his chair by the collar.
"Shu'up! Don'- don' scream." He warns, rearing a fist back. Izuku tries to back away, only to be hit. Hot, hot pain blooms on his cheek.
He's shoved against the wall, only to be repeatedly punched in the face. He's kneed in the stomach, choked until he couldn't think.
When he's released from that man's death grip, he's doubled over on the floor. There's a foot placed on his back, forcing him to go lower. He places his hand on his mouth, forcing his scream to stay inside his throat.
He couldn't think. There was too much pain and he could smell the alcohol and he couldn't breathe and he didn't know what was happening.
Hisashi stumbles back, catching himself on the desk. "Shi'.." He mumbles. Izuku blinks.
Police. Police police police police police police , Izuku's mind screamed. He chokes on a wheeze breath, rising to his feet. He wasn't thinking.
He pushed himself into Hisashi, knocking his hand off the desk and therefore Hisashi on the floor, grabbing his phone and running into the hallway. His eyes flickered across the doors, landing on the cracked door of the bathroom.
He's inside it in less than a second, locking the door and opening his phone and dialing 110.
"Hello, what's your emergency?"
"U-um my dad started- he started beating the shit out of me- he was- he's drunk-"
He was cut off by banging on the door. He couldn't breathe.
"Okay. Where are you located?"
"U-uh, apartment 721 i-in Blossom apartments- i-its in musutafu-"
"Okay, we're calling a hero nearby. He should be there soon, we're sending police your way. Can you tell me what the attacker looks like?"
"U-uh- he's-" his words stumble over eachother.
He couldn't breathe. The door was opening and he couldn't BREATHE.
"You little SHIT!" He roars, yanking the phone out his hand and throwing it in the wall. Izuku wants to break down and sob.
"H-hisashi please im- I'm sorry I don't know what I did just-"
He's silenced by yet another punch to his face.
He doesn't feel much after that.
----
The world comes back to him in pieces. At first, it was the scent of multiple kinds of alcohol, all mixing together and making a despicable (yet familiar) smell.
His ears strain, hearing a steady and repetitive beeping noise. There's people talking, too, but they're too quiet to hear. When he opens his eyes, he's overwhelmed by the sheer amount of light.
He winces and the voices stop. The beeping picks up.
"Hey, kid. You're safe, it's okay." Someone says and Izuku's forced to open his eyes again to look.
He's definitely not anyone Izuku knows. His eyes are complimented with heavy bags, though they aren't noticeable under his greasy, black(?) hair.
"Wh.." He mumbles, flinching at the pain blossoming in his throat.
"Save your breath, kid. Are you okay to sit up?"
Izuku does a quick internal sweep of his body before nodding. Immediately, there's a hand wrapping around behind his shoulders and helping him sit up. His hair falls into his eyes, poking at them and curling around his nose. His face scrunches up in discomfort. Why can't he move his arms?
"Do you need anything?" The kind man asks. Water, he realizes, nodding.
"Pain meds?" He asks and Izuku shakes his head. "Food?" He shakes his head again. "Water?" He finally asks, and Izuku nods.
"Alright. I'm gonna let a nurse know you're awake." He says, and then he's gone.
And Izuku's all alone.
Just like he was when Hisashi… no. It's- it's over now? Right?
"Excuse me?" Someone asks, stepping in the room. Izuku looks up.
The nurse's hair is a pale shade of green, the sideburns falling down to just below their armpits and curling at the end. The back of his head is a fluffy mess, very similar to her bangs. Their eyes are golden, mixed with black cogs.
Izuku wonders if it's a quirk.
"Mm?"
"Hi, I'm Nurse Walker."
The door swings open yet again and the scraggly man wanders back in, a paper cup sitting on his hands.
"I brought water," he says, gesturing with the cup. Izuku blinks up at him, holding his trembling arm out.
"Perfect," She smiles. "We were just finishing up, anyways. Thank you for staying with him, Eraser."
"E..rase..r..he..d?" Izuku croaks, wincing at how his words manage to scratch at his injuries perfectly.
He doesn't know why he hadn't put it together sooner. This was his childhood hero, his best friend's teacher!
The man nods at him, placing the cup in his (still) outstretched hand. Izuku takes it, bows, and places the cup to his lips.
It tastes like absolute heaven.
"P'per?"
"Paper?"
He nods.
"No, but you can use my phone. Probably easier, too."
Izuku nods again, lowering the cup down to his lap. A phone is soon being shoved into his hands, open to a notes app. He picks it up, bowing again.
Thank you , he types. Eraserhead scoffs.
"It's my job."
Right, ofc. Where's my mom?
"She's a suspect of child abuse and is prohibited to visit, which is why I'm here."
At the mention of child abuse, Izuku shakes his head wildly, curly hair hitting his face rapidly.
"She may not be a child abuser, however she's the wife of that man, therefore a suspect. Basic protocol."
Izuku bites his lip. That makes sense, he thinks.
Right. Where will I stay? Am I going to stay here?
"No, you won't stay here. You'll stay with a pro hero with an emergency foster license until either your mother is proven innocent or until she's proven guilty. If that happens, you'll be sent to an orphanage."
That makes sense. When am I discharged?
"Tomorrow, if all goes well. You're being monitored until then."
Why so soon?
"Most of your major injuries were healed, so there's no need to keep you."
Izuku nods, trying to pull the cup of water back to his mouth.
Keyword: trying.
His hand slips on something as pathetic as a paper cup and it falls to the floor, pouring water everywhere.
"I-"
The nurse is by him in a second, picking the cup up off the floor. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart," she soothes. "This was expected to happen, especially considering your nerve damage."
Izuku blinks. Nerve damage? He thinks, reaching for the phone.
Nerve damage? Why would I have nerve damage??? He types, showing it to Eraserhead.
"Burns can cause nerve damage if they're serious enough," he explains, as if that makes any sense.
Okay , he settles for, moving onto another question. What happened to me? Like, injury wise?
"He wants to know his injuries," Eraser repeats, turning to the nurse. They smile.
"It's quite a list, are you sure you're up to hear it?" She asks. Izuku nods. He pulls out a clipboard, clearing her throat.
"You have several bruises, all varying in size and intensity. Your left cheek is swollen, so don't rub it. As for eye damage, we'll see, however it is extremely likely. When you came in, you had a mild concussion from falling on hard tiles, however the effects should be slowing down.
"No sports activities for two weeks. You lost a tooth and your vocal cords experienced mild damage, however it won't have permanent effects. You experienced second to third degree burns, mainly across your left side. That's the cause of your formerly mentioned nerve damage.
"This mainly occurred in your arms, so expect some getting used to. You have bruised ribs, once of which were broken. Those were healed when you first arrived by one of our staff. You were actually pretty lucky, all things considered!"
Izuku nods. Thank you. Im sorry for the trouble. If it's not too much trouble, may I have my phone?
"Broken." Eraserhead answers him, blinking slowly. Izuku ducks his head, curls covering his eyes.
sorry. I forgot
"Okay. Moving on, who are we going to put in charge of you?"
"If I may, sir," the nurse chirps, looking slightly embarrassed. "I think he should stay with you. "
The man stares at them. "I have a class to teach."
"Exactly. Let him stay around them in the dorms, it'll be good for him."
"Why are you insisting I do it?"
"You're a pro hero with an emergency foster case license. You saved him. Your class could also monitor him and keep him safe incase of any danger. Plus, he's going to be absent from school for a while and nobody really wants him to get behind. I suppose you could say…
"...it's the most logical result?"
The man's eye twitches. The nurse laughs.
"Good morning, Izuku," Walker greets, a bowl of rice in her hands. Izuku blinks, nodding.
"This is for you," she says, handing him the rice and a pair of chopsticks. "Aizawa should be here soon to pick you up, how exciting!"
He smiles, breaking apart the chopsticks and settling them into his hand. "Mhm!" He hums.
He ignores the pins and needles that had started to collect in his hand.
"Are you experiencing any pain?" They ask. Izuku does a sweep before shaking his head.
"Wonderful! We're going to have to check your blood pressure beforehand, but then we're all set."
Izuku nods, letting him wrap the sleeve around himself and momentarily pausing when it tightens.
"And you're all set," they say, undoing the velcro.
Izuku's hand feels… internally cold.
He gives the nurse another smile, going back to his food. He wondered how Kacchan was doing.
"D...date?" He whispers, wincing at his throat.
"It's the fifteenth of July," she answers. Izuku's eyes widened.
Did I really forget how close my birthday was? He wonders, chewing on his food. Oh well. Happy seventeenth birthday to me, I guess. Woo.
This seems… ironic.
Knock, knock, knock.
The nurse looks at him for confirmation- which Izuku gives. "Come in!" He chirps.
Eraserhead, looking just as disheveled as ever, walks in, keys in hand.
"Are you ready to go?"
"We're here," Eraserhead says, twisting the keys in the ignition. Izuku blinks, looking around confused.
"We have to walk a bit, but we're pretty much there," he explains, opening the car door. Izuku nods, doing the same.
"Most of the class can be overbearing, but I promise they're good kids."
Izuku nods, (seriously, this was getting repetitive at this point,) following him closely.
Soon enough, they were at Heights Allience's 1A building.
"Are you ready?" He asks, eyeing Izuku carefully. He takes a deep breath in, and nods.
As soon as they open the door, Izuku's already sweeping the room.
His eyes meet crimson.
He's running before he could think.
He's wrapped around Katsuki, legs wrapped around his middle.
Yeah, he thinks, a smile creeping up his face and tears clawing at his eyes, I'm gonna be just fine.
"Happy birthday, you stupid nerd."