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Izuku’s confused. NemNem and ShiShi are crying as they look at Daddy, but Daddy’s just sleeping. Daddy’s been sleeping for a long time now! Daddy’s going to wake up soon, Izuku’s sure of it. So why is Daddy being silly and still sleeping when NemNem and ShiShi cry into each other’s shoulders. Why are TenTen and YaYa crying?
Izuku doesn’t know why they’re crying over Daddy sleeping. Daddy’s always sleeping. Everyone’s always complaining how Daddy never gets enough sleep so why are they crying now?
“Why cry?” Izuku asks, looking up at the people in the room. He wants to know. Should he be crying over Daddy sleeping too? Are they playing pranks on him? They are aren’t they! Izuku doesn’t think this is a very funny prank though.
“Oh ZuZu.” NemNem coos, crouching down to the toddler who sits next to his Daddy’s sleeping form. “ZuZu honey.”
“NemNem?” Izuku asks, head tilting to the side like it does when he’s confused and needs explaining.
“Oh Zuku. Bunny. Bug.” ShiShi says, crouching down just like NemNem.
Why are they all speaking to him like that? He just wants to know why they’re all crying. This isn’t fair. They aren’t being nice! Tears start running down his face and his tummy starts hurting. They aren’t telling him what’s wrong and he just wants to know! Why can’t he know? Is this for a mitch...musson...mission? Is that why they’re not telling him? Because he can’t know.
“He’s just sleeping! Daddy always sleeps. Why cry now?” Izuku asks, with all the innocence of a 4 year old toddler.
“Because Daddy has to go forever sleep.” Forever sleep? What’s that? Is Daddy not gonna wake up from forever sleep? Izuku doesn’t want that. Izuku doesn’t want his Daddy to go forever sleep. Izuku wants his Daddy up now.
Izuku turns to his Daddy, the man sleeping with all those tubes in his arms and it looks painful. Will Daddy wake up if those aren’t in him anymore? Is that what’s making Daddy forever sleep? Izuku needs to help Daddy then because everyone’s trying to make Daddy go to forever sleep and Izuku doesn’t want that. He wants his Daddy to make him cho-co-late chip pancakes again. He wants Daddy to read him bedtime stories and help him get ready for daycare.
“Daddy can’t go forever sleep. Daddy still has to finish Princess an’ Frog!” Izuku says, like it’ll wake his Daddy up. The tears that were running down his face pick up their speed and now both his tummy and chest hurt and he doesn’t understand why, but he knows he feels icky and Daddy makes the ickies go away so why isn’t Daddy making Izu’s ickies go away. Izu doesn’t like ickies.
“Daddy.” Izuku hiccups. He can’t see anything but his Daddy. He wants his Daddy to be ok now. Izuku starts reaching for the evil things making his Daddy sleep, but someone picks him up. Why are they picking him up? He’s just trying to help Daddy. Daddy will be ok once all those evil tubes are out of him. That’s what happened when Izu had the bad tummy ickies.
“No! No! No! No!” Izuku screams, hands reaching out for his Daddy as the mean arms take him out of the room where his Daddy’s sleeping. He screams, and cries, and kicks until he has no more energy left and he feels himself go limp.
The next time Izuku wakes up it’s in a room similar to his Daddy’s, but his Daddy isn’t here and there’s evil tubes inside of Izuku. Scared of going forever sleep, the toddler rips the tubes out and anything else he can find that shouldn’t be in him . There’s a loud noise that starts screaming at him but he doesn’t care. His Daddy needs help so he doesn’t go forever sleep.
People in white and blue clothes race into his room and Izuku screams as they all gather around him. He’s decided that he doesn’t like the people in white and blue anymore. They’re the ones making his Daddy go forever sleep and they tried to make Izuku go forever sleep. The people in white and blue get closer and Izuku starts kicking out with all the power a 4 year old can manage and then he somehow manages to slip from the bed, running out of the room and into the white-white halls in search of his Daddy.
The people in blue and white chase him and Izuku runs as fast as his tiny toddler legs can carry him until he bumps into a pair of legs and falls on his butt. The legs bend down and suddenly he sees his Daddy. Except it’s not his Daddy because Daddy doesn’t have dark purple hair that goes to the middle of his back. NemNem has that kind of hair though and so Izuku stands up and crashes into his NemNem, crying and blubbering about the mean people in white and blue trying to make him go forever sleep.
NemNem picks him up then and holds him on her hip, bouncing him up and down lightly, like she always does to calm him down. He buries his face in her neck as the people in blue and white finally catch up to them.
NemNem talks to the mean people, but Izuku doesn’t listen. His tears aren’t stopping and he just wants to see his Daddy. He needs to see his Daddy because Daddy has those evil tubes in him and Izuku can’t let Daddy go forever sleep. He weakly bangs his fists on NemNem’s shoulders, wanting to be let down.
She doesn’t listen.
He wishes they knew what he was feeling. He wishes they knew why Daddy couldn’t go forever sleep. He wishes they understood . But they don't and they never will because they’re not Izuku. Only Izuku can be Izuku. It’s what Daddy’s always said.
Daddy goes to forever sleep. Izuku cries, because why wouldn’t he. They’re taking away his Daddy and he’s mad. He’s mad and sad and hurt. The worst emotion he feels is something he can’t put a name to though because Daddy hasn’t taught him the words for it yet.
And he never will .
Izuku decides that, no, Daddy’s not gone. He’s just on a mission and he’ll come back, so for now, Izuku’s gotta be a big boy and take care of the kitties. He doesn’t know why NemNem and ShiShi talk about a fu-ner-al, but he’s not going to ask. They’re just pretending for the vul-tures. As Daddy would always say.
So when Izuku sees his Daddy sleeping inside of a box that looks uncomfortable and cold, he asks his questions, because Daddy’s supposed to be coming home now. He doesn’t look comfortable.
“Why’s Daddy in the box, NemNem? He can’t come home if you put him in that box.” His question seems to make everyone else standing around, cry so he pulls on his NemNem’s pant leg, waiting for his answers.
No one gives him an answer and instead his ShiShi just picks him up, letting NemNem fall to the ground and cry. Izuku winces, because it looked like it hurt her knees, but he doesn’t want to say anything in case she cries more.
Izuku feels floaty by the time it’s just ShiShi, NemNem, and TenTen (YaYa leaving with his mommy and daddy). Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku spots a black kitten, watching the group. He mindlessly walks over, not really in control of his body, but a small itching feeling in the back of his mind tells him that Daddy would want to see the kitty too.
Surprisingly, the kitty trots up to Izuku and they meet halfway, the all black kitty meowing at him. Izuku decides that the kitty’s name is going to be Tofu and he picks the kitty up when Tofu paws at his leg.
“I can’t wait to show you to Daddy, Tofu.” Izuku mumbles.
Tofu meows at him and baps him on the nose with his paw, his strangely red-black eyes making eye contact with his own green ones. Izuku’s never seen a kitty with red-black eyes before. It reminds him of when Daddy would use his quirk.
“Can we go home now? I gotsta get Tofu used to the house before Daddy comes back.” Izuku says, ambling up to the three adults. For some reason, they whip around, tears still flowing from their eyes.
Izuku doesn’t like how they’re still pranking him, saying Daddy’s gone forever sleep. It’s not nice and Daddy would say it’s il-lo-gi-cal. His family is being illogical.
“Yeah Bud, let’s go home now.” ShiShi says, scooping up Izuku into his arms. Tofu baps ShiShi on the nose too and Izuku giggles. Daddy’s gonna love Tofu!
It’s been a long time since Daddy’s been home. Izuku’s not sure how long it’s been, but it’s almost Daddy’s birthday and Tofu is bigger than what she was when Izuku brought her home. That’s another thing, ShiShi and NemNem said he couldn’t stay at home anymore. They had even put everything into boxes! Izuku was really starting to not like boxes.
“But how will Daddy find us when he comes home? Daddy’s going to get lost!” Izuku had explained to the three adults. They had only looked at him with eyes full of pity. It hurt. Why? Why did they have to leave? It didn’t make sense.
“Whatcha making there, Bud?” ShiShi asked, kneeling down to the ground.
“A birthday card!” Izuku exclaimed. Daddy’s going to love it!
“For who?” ShiShi asked.
“Daddy! Obviously! Did you forget ShiShi? Daddy’s birthday is in two days! He’ll come home and he’ll get to meet Tofu and we can have cake and finish Princess and Frog!” ShiShi looked sad at his explanation.
“Oh Bubba. Daddy’s not coming back.”
“Why? He’s on a mission right? So he has to come back.” Izuku says matter of factly.
“Bubba, he’s gone. Daddy can’t come back.”
“Well then I’ll just wait longer! It’s ok! I don’t need to give it to him on his birthday!” Izuku says, nodding his head. Tofu walks up to him and looks at him like she understands what ShiShi means.
“He’s not coming back, Zuku.” ShiShi says, picking Izuku up and placing him in his lap.
“Never?” Izuku asks.
“Never. Daddy went forever sleep. People can’t come back from that.” ShiShi says, petting Izuku’s hair.
“But he has to come back! Daddy can’t go!” Izuku cries, gripping ShiShi’s shirt.
“Oh Bubba. I’m sorry.” ShiShi murmurs, holding Izuku to his chest.
Izuku bangs his fists on ShiShi’s chest. ShiShi’s lying. He has to be! Daddy’s going to walk through the door any minute and glare at the blonde for making Izuku cry. He has to. Daddy has to come back. He can’t...he can’t just leave Izuku. Izuku hasn’t given him his birthday card. He hasn’t even gotten his quirk yet! Daddy hasn’t met Tofu! Daddy has to meet Tofu and help Izuku learn about his quirk when it man-i-fests!
When Daddy doesn’t walk through the door to ShiShi and NemNem’s house, Izuku only has one thought on his mind.
Daddy’s not coming back, is he.