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Chapter Text

Izuku stood there in the shadows of the world. It was the day of his mother's funeral. The day he realized that he was completely alone.

He sat front row in the small room hosting his mother's memorial. It was filled with people that he had probably met before but didn't remember. He truly didn't recognize the ones that were there.

He looked over to the large picture of his mother. Her smile seemed like she could light up the world. Izuku tried to guess when that picture was taken. He couldn't think about a time where her smile was that bright.

"Izuku," the lady who sat next to him whispered to him. Izuku looked over to the lady. She had explained who she was whenever he first met her.

The lady had slick black hair that seemed to always be tied back in a way. She had told him that she was from child services.

He didn't really know what that meant. He just understood that he was only 4 years old and he was alone.

"Izuku," she repeated, looking down to him.

His tear soaked green eyes looked up to her. "Yes, Mrs. Shinobu?" Izuku's young squeaky voice asked.

"It's time to go pay your respects," she spoke softly.

Izuku looked down to his lap. "I don't want to say goodbye."

Mrs. Shinobu hated this part of her job. She had done her background information check on Izuku when she was first called and put on his case.

Mr. Midoriya, Izuku's father died while Inko, his mother, was pregnant with him. Inko died because of a failed rescue. The place where she worked collapsed and the heroes didn't get to her in time.

Izuku was quirkless unlike the majority of the world's population.

Quirks were some sort of super human ability that 80% of the world's population had. Even though there was a 20% chance of not having a quirk, it was still a rare occurrence. Izuku was just unlucky enough to be part of it.

Mrs. Shinobu let out a deep sigh and stood up from her seat. "I'll go with you," she told him, putting her hand out for him to hold on to.

Izuku wiped away the tears from his face with the back of his sleeve and reached out to her pale hand.

He slid out of his chair and walked with her to where his mother's grave would be outside.

The crowd of people followed them. The family of the deceased always went first, but Izuku was the only one.

Izuku's short legs became tired as they walked to the graveyard. Mrs. Shinobu noticed and lifted him up. She held him the rest of the way and put him down whenever they got to fresh dirt in front of the Midotiya family gravesite. His father was buried there alongside his mother.

The sky was gloomy with not a white fluffy cloud in sight, but there was no rain in sight.

Mrs. Shinobu placed Izuku down but kept his hand in hers.

The crowd of people gathered around them. Izuku looked around to see the people. Most of them weren't crying while others just looked sad.

He could hear the whispers of some of them.

"Poor Inko," some said.

"And we're supposed to trust heroes," others spoke.

"What's going to happen to the kid?"

Izuku let the whispers go through one ear and out the other. He had the same question himself, but he knew he would find out the answer in time.

The service seemed to stretch and the crowd started to leave. Mrs. Shinobu and Izuku were the last ones there.

She wanted Izuku to have his final goodbyes when no one else was around.

She bent down to his level and turned him to face her. "Izuku, it's time to say goodbye."

"I don't want to," he pouted. "I want mom to be home making dinner whenever I go back home."

Mrs. Shinobu had to bite her tongue. The Midoriya household was preparing to go on the market. All of Izuku's belongings were already moved to the foster home that agreed to take him in.

"Izuku, your mother had gone to be with your father. I promise that one day when you're older you'll see them again, but until that day, you have to say goodbye."

"Okay."

Mrs. Shinobu let go of his small hand and walked away. With every case she worked, she always let the child have a moment to themselves to say goodbye. A chance for them to let their emotions out.

Izuku stood there, just looking at the names on the gravestone. "Mom," he started to talk. "I'm scared. I don't want to be without you. Mrs. Shinobu said that I'll see you again when I'm older, but why do I have to wait that long? I still want to be a hero, just like All Might! I said that whenever we got home from the doctor place. I don't care if people say I can't be. I'll do it for you. I want to make your proud. I love you mom and I miss you. Say hi to dad for me."

By the time he finished, there was no dry spot on his cheeks. His green eyes were bloodshot red from crying. His green and black curly hair was still somehow still in place from how it was fixed from the morning.

"Mrs. Shinobu, I'm ready," he said, turning and walking towards her.

"Did you say goodbye?"

"I said that I love and miss her."

Mrs. Shinobu gave a soft smile. "I have some good news for you," she said, taking his hand.

"What is it?"

"You're not going back to the orphanage today. A kind couple with a kid your age has agreed to be your foster family. All your stuff is there already."

"Do I have to call them mom and dad?"

"No sweetie. You can call them whatever you want," she told him.

"Am I going to have to change schools?" He asked her, looking towards his feet.

"Don't worry about that Izuku. I'll talk it over with your foster parents. Let the grown ups handle all the icky grown up stuff," she spoke like she was talking to a normal 4 year old.

The thing was, Izuku wasn't a normal 4 year old. Although doctors labeled him quirkless, the child was extremely smart for his age.

"Mrs. Shinobu, do they know that I'm quirkless?"

"They sure do. My co workers had given them your information before they accepted or denied to be your foster family and lucky for you, they accepted."

The two of them got to the black vehicle that sat in the parking lot of the memorial building.

"Let's get you buckled up Izuku."

Mrs. Shinobu opened the back seat door and Izuku crawled into his car seat. He started to connect the straps by himself, not waiting for Mrs. Shinobu.

"Izuku, what did I tell you about strapping yourself in?"

Izuku's face paled. He remembered how she told him not to do it, but he didn't understand why. His mother let him do it ever since he learned how.

"Sorry, Mrs. Shinobu. I won't do it again."

"You better not. We want the foster family to like you and they won't want a boy who is independent and can do things for himself. You have to rely on them, like-"

"They're my mom," Izuku cut her off.

"Like your parents. Now we have to get going. They are waiting for your arrival."

Mrs. Shinobu closed the door and walked around the car to the front seat. She opened her own door and stepped inside. She buckled her seatbelt and started the car.

Izuku looked out the window to the gravesite. The rain started to fall, creating water streams down his window. The streams of water blocked his view of the graves that stood there.

"Glad we got in before all this rain, right Izuku?" Mrs. Shinobu spoke.

Izuku kept quiet as the car started to drive away. As if the rain on the window came in, a stream of water fell down Izuku's face.

"Bye mom."

—-

"Shut it you brat!" The blonde lady told her 4 year old son as he complained about having a foster kid coming stay with them.

"I don't want a brother!" The child yelled.

"Boy, this child has had everything taken from him. He's even quirkless. He just needs help getting raised and becoming a big strong boy," his father told him.

"Well, he needs to learn for himself."

"Katsuki, I swear, if you don't at least try to get along with him I'm going to send you to the orphanage!" His mother told him.

"Whatever. I'm not giving him any of my toys though!"

"He'll have his own, but you also need to share."

Katsuki crossed his arms. His spiky blonde hair was an exact copy of his mother's, unlike his father's chocolate brown hair. His bright red eyes resembled a ruby shining in the sun.

His personality was a result of his mother and his quirk. His quirk was explosions.

According to the doctors he was able to sweat a nitroglycerin-like liquid from the palms of his hands and ignite it on command. Even though he was only 4 and had absolutely no control over the power, he knew he was strong.

"When he gets here, he's probably going to be gloomy. He had to say goodbye to his parents. We are going to let him open up to us whenever he feels comfortable. Do you understand?"

"Sure," Katsuki rolled his eyes.

The two adults just looked at one another and let out a sigh.

"Masaru, what's for dinner, or do I have to cook again?" The lady asked her husband.

"I was going to ask the kid whenever he came in. The child services person still needs to give us the rundown of the health background."

"True. Thanks for reminding me."

"Katsuki, why don't you go play in your room till he gets here," Masaru told his son.

The child smiled and jolted up to his room.

"Let's go make sure all his stuff is in line," Masaru's wife, Mitsuki, said.

"You've checked that room more times than I can count. If there's something he doesn't like in it, we'll simply change it for him."

"I know. This is just our first foster kid since we got approved and his case is just sad. I'm pretty sure I knew his mother in high school," she said sitting on a kitchen chair.

"That's why we applied to be a foster family. We wanted to give kids a chance with a family."

"I'm just scared. What if Katsuki doesn't like him?"

"I'm sure they will be like true brothers."

The two adults continued to sit there and wait. It was closing in at 5:00 in the afternoon and they were still waiting.

"Good thing today is Saturday. Katsuki will be able to play with him all day tomorrow before school," Masaru said.

"Agree."

After that short conversation between the two of them, the doorbell sounded at the door.

Before they could react, Katsuki seemed to teleport down the stairs and to the kitchen where his parents were.

"Is he here?" He asked with a hint of excitement.

Mitsuki smiled knowing no matter how bratty her son seemed, he was still a 4 year old full of excitement and wonder.

"Let's go open the door and see."

The family of three walked to the door and opened the door.

Standing there was a woman with pulled back black hair holding a bag full of paperwork in one arm and a small child's hand in the other.

"Is this the Bakugo's resistance?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm Masaru. This is my wife Mitsuki and our son Katsuki."

"I'm Shinobu, we talked over the phone this morning and this here," she said motioning to the small boy that stood next to her, "is Izuku Midoriya, your foster son."

Chapter Text

'So this is the family that's taking me in,' Izuku thought to himself as he and Mrs. Shinobu walked inside.

"Katsuki, you and Izuku go watch tv or something while we talk to Mrs. Shinobu here," Masaru told his child.

Katsuki walked to the green and black haired boy and reached out his hand.

Izuku looked up to Mrs. Shinobu, who gave a soft smile and nod.

Izuku let go of her hand and grabbed Katsuki's. The two boys bolt towards the living room. It was only a few seconds till noise from a show started to fill the house.

"Thank you Shinobu for letting us foster him," Masaru said, getting the woman a glass of water.

"I'm happy that you guys were willing to welcome him. It's not easy for a kid being put in a foster system," she replied.

"So what's the basic information that we need to know?" Mitsuki asked.

Shinobu got out a folder from her bag that had all the information about Izuku. "Like stated before, Izuku is 4 years old. His father passed before he was born and his mother died in that collapsed building about a week or so ago. He has no living relatives and is quirkless. He doesn't have any food allergies that I know of."

Mitsuki and Masaru listened to her with open ears learning about the child from a professional viewpoint. Over time, they were going to get to know him.

"Child services has already signed him up for the school near here. He's a smart kid for his age according to his school records, but I'm not sure if this is going to cause a change in that," she continued, bringing up the situation.

The three adults continued on talking about Izuku as the two boys watched some show talking about the number one pro hero at the time: All Might.

Izuku's eyes widened seeing his idol on the screen. Seeing him made Izuku forget about what was going on around him.

Katsuki noticed the other child's amazement to the hero.

"You like All Might too?" He asked Izuku.

"He's awesome! I would watch videos of him saving people with my mom all the time!" Izuku smiled, but the smile quickly faded.

"Well, if you want, we can watch them together."

Izuku looked into his lap and started to fidget with his hands. "Sure."

"What other heroes do you like? I have a ton!" Katsuki continued to talk, trying to make Izuku smile again.

Izuku glanced over to the blonde haired boy and started to talk with him.

——
"Izuku!" Mrs. Shinobu called out to Izuku.

The two boys walked back to where they had left the adults in the kitchen.

Izuku walked to the lady who he arrived with, "Yes?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Bakugo will look after you for a while. I want you to be good to them. I'll come over every now and then to come check on you okay," she told him crouching down to his level.

"Okay."

Mrs. Shinobu stood back up and looked over to the other adults in the room. "Call me if anything happens to him."

The two nodded.

Shinobu gave a soft smile and gathered her things. "I'll see you soon!" She said walking out the door.

Izuku just watched as she opened the door and closed it without looking back at him.

Izuku turned to the adults, slightly nervous.

"H-Hi," he stuttered looking down to his feet.

"Hello Izuku," Mitsuki said, bending down to his level. "I'm Mitsuki Bakugo. You can call me Mitsuki, Mrs. Mitsuki, or Mrs. Bakugo. Whatever makes you comfortable."

"You can call me Masaru or Mr. Bakugo, sport."

Katsuki watched how his parents' usual personalities were altered. It was slightly weirding him out.

"Brat, introduce yourself!" Mitsuki snapped towards Katsuki.

"My name is Katsuki," he said.

"Thank you Mrs. Mitsuki, Mr. Masaru, and Kacchan for letting me stay here."

Mitsuki blushed a little hearing the child already make a name for Katsuki.

"My name is not Kacchan. It's Katsuki."

Izuku pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head. "It's my nickname to you."

"Well, I'm not sure about you guys but I am starving," Masaru said, holding onto his stomach. "Any suggestions Izuku?"

Izuku widened his bright green eyes which seemed to shine in the kitchen lights. "Katsudon."

"Well, I'll start cooking!" Masaru smiled.

"Let's get you two washed up while he cooks," Mitsuki picked up both boys. Izuku giggled a little while Katsuki tried to fight being held.

——

"Thank you for the meal," all four of them said before digging into the food.

Izuku couldn't help but be in awe of the food in front of him. The orphanage would just give them slop like food and call it quits. The food in front of him reminded him of his mother's cooking.

He took his fork and scooped some food onto it. He brought the fork full of food to his mouth and took a large bite.

It tasted exactly like his mother's. Izuku started to let tears slip out his eyes, remembering the memories of him and his mother.

The days where she would come in from work and start the meal for the two of them. Izuku would try to help but she would just let him pick up the chopsticks and forks.

"Izuku, sweetie, are you okay?" Mitsuki asked, seeing the child cry out for what she guessed the millionth time that day.

"Yes ma'am. It just tastes like hers."

Mitsuki looked at her husband and gave a soft smile.

Katsuki didn't like how Izuku was getting special treatment from his own parents. He didn't like the fact that they got happy after he simply took a bite of food.

The only thing he did like about him is how he liked heroes, but he couldn't understand why. He was quirkless and never going to become one himself. Secondly, Izuku's mom died because a hero didn't get to her in time. Katsuki figured that Izuku would despise heroes.

He just sent a look towards Izuku. It was the first time in his life where he was jealous.

—-

"You two look so adorable in your school uniforms," Mitsuki squealed, looking at the two boys just standing there awkwardly.

Izuku didn't recognize the uniform he was wearing. It definitely wasn't like his old one.

"Mitsuki, why are you making a big deal out of this? This isn't their first day of school," Masaru said, taking a sip from his coffee cup.

"They won't be this young forever. Let a mother be happy," she smiled. She looked at the clock in the room and noticed that she still had to introduce Izuku to the principal of the school. "Let's go you two. It's about a 10 minute walk and I'm not letting you two go by yourself."

She grabbed both the boys' hands as they held their school bags that looked way too big for them.

The three of them walked in silence towards the front gates of the school.

"Katsuki, Izuku and I have to go talk with the principal. You're going to be a nice person and help him, right?"

Katsuki stayed quiet.

"Katsuki!"

"Look, it's my friends! Bye mom!" He ran off without saying another word.

"That kid, I swear," Mitsuki said, annoyed.

"It's okay Mrs. Mitsuki. I'm sure I'll make friends of my own here," Izuku peeped out.

She patted his head and held his hand again after. "Let's get you introduced."

—-

The principal of the school seemed nice and understanding of Izuku's situation. She guided him to his classroom after Mitsuki finished introducing him.

"Okay Midoriya, I'm putting you in the classroom where Bakugo is," she told him.

"Can you call me Izuku?," he asked her.

The principal was taken back for a second but eventually smiled. It wasn't normal to just go by your first name, but if Izuku wanted to be called by his first name, then it would be done.

The principal knocked before opening the door to a classroom full of kids who all looked different.

Izuku noticed that some of them had mutation quirks that changed their appearance from birth, but others looked like normal school kids.

"Good morning class, you have a new student here who is ready to hop on board your learning train," the principal said.

The teacher nodded and welcomed Izuku inside.

Katsuki's jaw dropped seeing that Izuku was the one walking in.

"Go on, introduce yourself," the teacher said once Izuku got inside.

Izuku looked at his feet, nervously. "My name is Izuku Midoriya. Please call me Izuku."

"What's your quirk?" One of the kids asked him.

Izuku let out a breath. "I don't have one."

"He's quirkless," some kids laughed.

"Children! Don't be like that to him. He's still unique in his own way, just like every single one of you," the teacher said, trying to save Izuku from the bullying that was going to start.

The kids continued to laugh at Izuku. Izuku just wanted to go back to his old school. They didn't care about quirks, or at least he thought.

The mind of an overthinker is overwhelming. A four year old overthinker is scary.

'Were they just showing me pity? Was my old school just nice to me because I don't have a quirk?' He asked himself.

He started to panic, taking in quick and shallow breaths. His eyes were clouded. He couldn't see where he was. He forgot why he was there.

"Izuku," a voice echoed through his head.

"Izuku!" He felt a hand on his shoulder, taking him out of his mind and back to the reality he was in.

All the kids stopped laughing. The teacher and principal tried to calm Izuku down, but Izuku just let out tears.

The principal and teacher knew his situation. His mother, the foster care system, everything.

"He's back too soon," the teacher told the principal loud enough for only the two of them to hear.

"If he won't come back now, he'll never come back."

The teacher let out a breath knowing that the principal was correct.

"Izuku, how about you sit at that empty table over there," she pointed to a table at the back of the classroom.

"Okay."

Izuku didn't look at any of the kids as he walked back. He just wanted his old life back.

He sat down at the table while the teacher told the other students what to do.

Katsuki just looked back at Izuku. He felt bad for him a little, but that didn't stop his growing jealousy for him.

Izuku wanted to be at his old school. He wanted to be woken up by his mother cooking breakfast for him. He missed her.

'Why me?'

Chapter Text

9 years later

Izuku got his black school uniform on like it was programmed for him to put it on. He looked at himself in his mirror. He was still living with the Bakugo family. Technically he was still in foster care but Mitsuki and Masaru treated him like he was their own son.

Katsuki grew up with his jealousy but it wasn't as bad. He had a more logical reason why he didn't like Izuku. At least he thought.

Izuku looked at his arm through the mirror. He was thankful that the sleeves were long enough to cover the burn scars that Katsuki gave him.

For years, Katsuki and other kids in their class bullied Izuku. The other kids thought that it would be fun to bully the defenseless quirkless kid.

"Hey nerd, mom wants to talk to you!" Katsuki yelled through Izuku's closed door.

"I'm coming!" He yelled back.

He grabbed his school bag and walked out his room. He ran down the stairs to the kitchen where Mitsuki was most likely at.

"Morning Izuku," she said, putting hot sauce in the scrambled eggs.

Living with the Bakugos, Izuku had built up a high tolerance to hot foods. They also yelled a lot to one another.

"Morning, Mitsuki," he smiled. "Kacchan said you wanted to talk to me."

"That brat," she hissed, confusing Izuku. "It's nothing important. Is there anything you want for dinner tonight?" She asked.

Izuku gave her a confused look which he just shrugged off. "I don't have an idea."

"Izuku," Mitsuki said, moving the pans off the heat on the stove. "Sit down for a second."

Izuku nodded and sat down at the kitchen table. Mitsuki sat across from him.

"Am I in trouble?" He asked moving his hand to his arm, subconsciously.

"No. That's Katsuki's job," she joked.

"Then what is it?"

"We've been your foster family for 9 years," she paused. "Well me and Masaru have been talking and we think it's time to take the next step."

"You're pregnant?"

"Hell no! I'm not pregnant!"

Izuku had to hold in a laugh. The way she answered was priceless to him.

"Anyway. We were thinking about signing the papers."

Izuku raised his eyebrows. "The adoption papers?"

"Yeah, kid. I think it's time that we officially welcomed you into the family," she smiled.

Izuku let out a sob. He couldn't hold in his happiness.

"I-I'm getting adopted," he spoke in shock.

"You're already basically our son."

Izuku just smiled. He couldn't express how happy it was.

"Izuku, how did you feel?" She asked, reaching out for his shoulder.

"I-I can't believe it! I'll be officially part of the family. I won't be checked on by Mrs. Shinobu every month," he smiled, crying tears of joy.

Mitsuki just smiled at the boy's reaction.

"I can't believe it mom!" Izuku shot his hand over his mouth. He never called Mitsuki mom before.

"Izuku, you can call me that if you would like."

Izuku just smiled. He was happy.
—-

Izuku left the house early to make a stop at the graveyard his parents were buried at. He would try to go every once in a while.

He would always go by himself. Today, he walked there with a spring in his step. He couldn't wait to tell his mother everything.

He walked up the hill that his parents' graves were at and went straight there. He found the 'Midoriya' name before sitting down on the ground.

"Hi mom and dad too I guess, you'll never believe what happened today," he started to say. He had a smile that stretched from ear to ear. "Mitsuki told me that they would adopt me. I'm sure it will be weird to call them my parents, but I promise that they won't replace you guys entirely."

Izuku placed his hand on the grass that sat above where his mother was buried. "I'm happy mom, sure Kacchan hates me every now and then, but he's still part of my childhood. He'll always be welcomed in my life."

Izuku got out his phone to check the time. "Well, I have to get to school. I'll talk to you again soon mom and dad. Love you."

Izuku got up to his feet and grabbed his backpack. He ran away from the graves towards his middle school.

—-

Katsuki stood against a brick wall waiting. His anger was blinding him. He didn't want Izuku to be his adopted brother. In fact, he didn't want him to be his brother at all. He couldn't figure out why, but deep down he didn't want to call Izuku his brother.

To him, he was just the foster kid that lived with him.

He saw the green curly mess off in the distance.

"Deku!" He called out to him. Katsuki gave him the nickname with added pressure from the other kids their age.

Deku; it meant something useless.

"Kacchan, your mom told me the most amazing news!" He smiled once he got to the blonde boy.

Bakugo just rolled his eyes. Izuku's tan yet pale skin showcased his numerous freckles.

"They didn't ask me."

"I'm sorry, what?" Izuku asked, tilting his head.

"They didn't ask me if I wanted you to be my brother you damn nerd!" Katsuki raised his voice.

"I've been living with you guys for years. We basically already are."

Katsuki clenched his teeth and shoved Izuku into the brick wall. No one was around to see the commotion.

Katsuki fumed with anger, pinning Izuku between himself and the wall.

"You're just the poor kid whose parents died that happens to be living under the same roof as me."

"Kacchan, I-"

"Shut it! I've been holding back my anger just to be nice. To show pity."

Izuku just stood there. He couldn't fight back. He didn't want to admit it, but he was slightly scared of Katsuki's quirk. He's hurt him before, he would do it again.

"I know I can't change my parents' mind about adopting you," he paused. Izuku felt the air get warm around him. Katsuki activated his quirk.

"Kacchan, don't-"

"You don't learn don't you? Your birth mother probably stressed herself to death."

"You know that's not true!" He snapped.

"I'm sorry, she probably kept quiet so the heroes wouldn't find her."

"Leave my mom out of this Katsuki!"

"What was her name again, Inko?"

Izuku punched Katsuki in the face. Katsuki didn't expect him to fight back. He raised his hand to where Izuku had punched him. He winced, feeling some pain from it. It was definitely going to leave a mark.

"Keep her name, out your mouth. You don't deserve to say it," Izuku snapped at Katsuki. "You never met her!"

"And I bet you barely remember her."

"What did I ever do for you to hate me so much? Why do you bully me? Tell me!"

"Shut it."

"No, I deserve to know."

"I said shut it."

"Katsuki Bakugo!"

"Shut it Izuku!"

Katsuki let out explosions from his hand, aiming for Izuku.

Izuku felt the heat from the explosions in his skin, but they were hotter than usual. He fell back, falling into the ground.

Katsuki was blinded with rage. He rushed over to Izuku and put his hands on his ears.

"If I can't say her name, you just won't be able to hear me say it."

Katsuki let out the largest explosions he's ever made on Izuku's ears.

The pain was nothing like Izuku felt before. It burned like fire, but it also felt like it was being cut through. Izuku let out a blood wrenching scream. Katsuki was snapped back into his stable state of mind. He saw where his hands were. He saw Izuku in pain. He saw Izuku have his hands to his ears.

He saw blood.

Katsuki looked down to his hands. He did that to Izuku.

"Help," he said softly.

He looked around and saw someone in the distance.

"HELP!" He yelled out. The person heard the cry for help and rushed towards the boy.

The woman had black hair pulled up into a bun. "Please, I- I let rage take over me. I-I made explosions go off near his ears."

"Katsuki Bakugo," the woman said to him.

Katsuki looked at the woman. His eyes widened seeing it was the worst person to confess to;
Mrs. Shinobu.

"M-Mrs. Shinobu."

"Call your mother. I'll call for an ambulance," she told him.

"Yes ma'am." Katuski, shaking, took out his cell phone and dialed his mom's number.

He brought the phone to his ear. It rang twice before he heard his mother's voice on the other end. "What do you want? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Mom, I did something. It's not good."

"Katsuki what did you do?"

"I didn't mean to do it. I promise," Katsuki started to cry.

Mrs. Shinobu had finished calling for an ambulance before asking Katsuki for his phone. He handed the phone to her and rushed to Izuku's side.

"Mrs. Bakugo, this is Shinobu."

"What's going on? What did my kid do?"

"Izuku was badly injured because of Katsuki's explosions. I'll explain more of the situation in person. Meet us at the hospital nearest the middle school."

The other side of the line was quiet except for a few sobs.

"I have to go check on Izuku now. I'll see you there," she said before hanging up the phone.

She rushed over to the teens. Izuku was still crying in pain. Blood covered his hands.

"Izuku," she said; no reaction. She placed her hand on his arm. His eyes opened to see who was touching him, but as soon as he saw it was Mrs. Shinobu his eyes widened in fear.

"An ambulance is on its way. You'll be okay Izuku," she told him.

The thing was, Izuku knew that she was talking, but he had no clue what she said. "Mrs. Shinobu, I- I can't hear you."

He pulled one of his hands to his eyesight and saw the amount of blood that covered it. "Is that from my ear?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

He started to panic. His breathing became shallow and tears flooded his face.

"Deku- no, Izuku, calm down. You're going to be okay," Katsuki said, forgetting already that Izuku couldn't hear them.

The sirens were starting to sound around them, meaning they were getting closer.

"Katsuki, I want you to stick with me until we see your mother. Do you understand?" Shinobu told him.

"Yes."

"Good."

The ambulance arrived and the paramedics jumped out. Two of the men pulled out the stretcher while another one asked Shinobu more details on what happened.

Katsuki watched as they placed Izuku on the stretcher and tried to calm him down. They managed to get his breathing back to normal, but it didn't stop the extreme pain that he was feeling.

"Load him up. Mrs. and kid, do you want to ride in the back?"

"Please, the boys' guardians will meet us at the nearest hospital."

The paramedics nodded and loaded everyone up.

Katsuki had to squeeze next to Shinobu in the small seat that was there. He saw as the men tried to provide comfort to Izuku in any way until they could get him to a doctor with the right tools and space.

Katsuki knew that this was all his fault. His jealousy did this. He pushed it too far. He shouldn't have done it. He should have just accepted the fact that Izuku was going to be part of his family by being his brother.

He just had to push it. He had to hurt the person that he cared about the most in the world.

He let out a tear knowing what he had done.

Chapter Text

Katsuki and Mrs. Shinobu sat in the waiting room. Katsuki legs bounced with nerves and stress.

Mrs. Shinobu had out her phone. Katsuki didn't look over to see what she was doing but he was scared for Izuku and his parents. He feared about the foster program for them.

When they got to the hospital, Izuku was rushed to the operating room to try to stop the bleeding in his ears.

"Katsuki!" Mitsuki said, rushing to her son.

It was just her. Her husband had to go to their office building for their job.

"Mrs. Bakugo," Mrs. Shinobu said, standing up from her chair. Mitsuki knew that they had to talk but she didn't want to do it in front of Katsuki. She had to control her anger.

"Katsuki, wait in here. Me and Mrs. Shinobu are going to go talk over there," Mitsuki said, pointing to the other side of the room.

"I'm sorry mom," he said letting a single tear fall.

The two women walked away leaving Katsuki.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The hospital had a certain smell to it. He hated it. He couldn't imagine how Izuku felt whenever he did it.

Katsuki looked at the tv that was in the room and saw that the closed captioning was on. He could hear the news reporters talk about some hero that saved someone.

Other than that, the room was pretty empty and when the room is empty, the silence is loud.

Katsuki could hear a ringing. He didn't realize it till then. 'Did the explosions damage my hearing?'

His eyes widened coming to the realization. If his ears were ringing from his explosions, how was Izuku's?

The blood. He remembered the amount of blood coming out of Izuku's ears.

"No!" He heard his mother cry out, going to her knees. Her face was red and tear soaked.

"I'm sorry Mitsuki, but it's for the safety of the child."

Mitsuki just looked towards Katsuki and broke down again.

"You can still see him, but once he's released, he'll need to go back to the orphanage."

The color in Katsuki's face drained.

"Will those here for Izuku Midoriya come with me," a nurse called out into the waiting room.

The three of them walked over to the nurse, following her to a room, but she stopped them from going inside.

"The doctor will be with you in a few minutes, but I can give you things to expect. Firstly, he's not awake yet from his quick surgery to stop the bleeding. He should be waking up within the next hour or so. Lastly, try not to be too loud. We aren't sure how he'll react to sound yet," the nurse told them.

She slowly opened the door and let the tree of them in. Mitsuki's hand shot over her mouth as she let out a small sob.

Izuku lied there with large bandages on both of his ears. An oxygen mask was placed around his nose and mouth, trying to push out any anesthesia. He looked lifeless.

"I didn't mean to do this," Katsuki admitted. He blamed himself. There was no one else he could. He hated himself for doing this to him.

"Mrs. Bakugo, you can sit in the chair if you would like. A lot has happened to you in the past few hours," Mrs. Shinobu told her.

"Thank you," she unusually replied quietly.

The three of them just waited. Waited for Izuku to wake up, or the doctor to show up, whichever came first.

A knock sounded at the door a few minutes later and grabbed their attention.

A man walked in with a clipboard and a doctor's outfit.

"Are you the family of Mr. Midoriya?" He asked.

"I'm responsible for him with child services. These are members of his foster family," Shinobu explained to him.

"Well, I'm here to give you the news," he paused. "We were able to stop the bleeding, but I'm sorry to say that his eardrums are extremely damaged. We had called in the doctor from UA high school, who can heal almost everything, but she was unable to. I'm sorry to say that Mr. Midoriya will most likely wake up 100% deaf in both ears. We will run some tests to confirm or deny that statement."

Grief is something that's different for everyone. Some turn to anger and hatred, others breakdown, unable to compose themselves. Some people say that there are only 5 stages, but those small five stages can stretch out into many more with each one of those steps lasting an unknown amount of time.

Shinobu tried to stay professional, but it was obvious that she was disappointed from the news.

Mitsuki was devastated, crying non stop since the conversation in the waiting room.

Katsuki blamed himself for everything. The hatred, the blindness from rage, the explosions, his quirk.

If only he wasn't given such a powerful quirk, then Izuku wouldn't be in this situation. Izuku wanted to be a hero, even without a quirk. Katsuki knew that. He was jealous of how hopeful Izuku was.

Izuku couldn't be both a deaf and quirkless hero, he would be killed in a heartbeat.

"Mitsuki?" Izuku groaned when he woke up.

"Izuku!" She said going to the side of the bed.

"My ears, they hurt," he groaned. His eyes slowly opened, seeing the hospital room.

"Mr. Midoriya can you hear me?" The doctor said from a far.

"Are you saying something?" Izuku asked.

The doctor let out a sigh. "We'll give him a hearing test, first thing in the morning," he said before walking out the room.

"What's going on?" He asked. "And why do my ears feel like they are stuffed?"

Izuku saw the mouths of Mrs. Shinobu and Mitsuki move, but nothing came out of them. "Are you lip syncing or something?" He asked.

The adults gave a disappointed look before looking down.

"I have to make a phone call real quick," Mrs. Shinobu said before stepping into the hall.

As soon as the door shut, Mitsuki got out her phone and turned on the voice to text for Izuku. 

"Mrs. Shinobu was the one who called the ambulance for you. Katsuki confessed that he did this to you, but he didn't realize it was her at first. I've been informed that for your safety Izuku, you are being removed from our home and we can no longer host foster children or adopt."

Katsuki's eyes widened. Izuku read over the text and worry presented itself all over his face. "I have to go to the orphanage?" He asked.

Mitsuki just nodded her head before crying her eyes out again.

Izuku just sat there. The family that he grew up with, the family that he was finally going to be a part of was being ripped from his grasp. He felt the feeling that he felt when his mother died. It felt like everything was being ripped away from him again.

He felt despair, sadness, everything. He bit down in his lip, fighting back the tears. He put his hand over his mouth hiding the fact that his lip had started to quiver. He wasn't able to stop the tears from gathering in the corners of his eyes.

He was feeling pain not in his ears but his heart.

"I don't want to," he said through the tears. Mitsuki looked at him. "Please, I can't. You see how it is in the movies, the older kids never get out. I don't want that life."

"I'm sorry Izuku." Mitsuki apologized to him.

Katsuki walked towards Izuku with a blank stare with his mouth slightly open. Izuku looked at him. He could remember bits of what happened. He remembered the argument, the insults to his mom, the covering of his ears.

Izuku found it humorous; the action that one would do to cancel out sound would be the thing to make him live in silence.

Mrs. Shinobu walked back into the room seeing Mitsuki and Izuku in a crying mess, while Katsuki was still in shock from what he did.

"Mrs. Bakugo," she said, getting Mitsuki's attention. "I'm sorry to say this but, the higher ups," she paused. She didn't want to finish. "The higher ups don't want Katsuki around Izuku."

"What?" Mitsuki asked.

"I thought that I would be able to give the whole family till Izuku was released, but they want the two of them separated immediately."

"No. I admitted to what I did. They can't take him away just like that," Katsuki raised his voice.

"Katsuki! We don't raise our voice to our elders, especially in a hospital," Mitsuki scolded him.

"I'll give you till today's visiting hours are finished," she told them. "I'm so sorry for this."

Izuku just looked at the three of them like he was a deer in headlights. He couldn't understand what was going on around him.

"Mitsuki, what's going on?" He asked, scared to know the answer.

She pulled her phone to her and started to type away. When she was finished, she handed the phone to him.

He read over the words. From the social services viewpoint, he could understand why they were doing this, but from the foster family's point of view, it was something heart wrenching.

"Kacchan," Izuku spoke. Katsuki walked closer to him, feeling guilty. Izuku slightly flinched, causing Katsuki to let out a sigh.

"I can't apologize enough to undo what I've done."

——

Visiting hours came to an end, meaning Katsuki had to tell Izuku goodbye.

Mrs. Shinobu had permission to stay past the end of the time period since Izuku truly didn't have any one that was 100% responsible for him.

"Why?" Izuku asked her as she typed away on her laptop sitting in the chair next to him.

She pulled up an empty document and started to type what she would respond with.

'Why what?' He read.

"I understand that you had to take me out of the household, but why did you strip them of the ability to be foster parents?"

She started to type again on the keyboard.

'It was a safety issue. Katsuki Bakugo could've lost control with any future children sent there and they could end up how you are.'

"It wasn't just his fault! I pushed back."

'And why did you do that?' She typed out.

Izuku's face went white. He looked to his lap in defeat. "He insulted my mom."

Mrs. Shinobu sighed, going back to her work on her laptop.

She truly felt bad for Izuku. The last couple times she had busted the Bakugo household, Izuku was happier every time. He had formed a bond with the family like he was their own son. Katsuki had the jealousy of a sibling, but what he did was unforgivable.

She heard soft snores come from Izuku. He had fallen asleep. Probably because of the pain medications he was given.

She opened a new browser on her search bar and typed: school for the deaf in Japan.

A list of schools came up. She opened a notepad and started to do her research.

Chapter Text

Izuku sat in a soundproof room with a set of headphones on. The doctor sat on the other side of the glass letting him see Izuku.

Mrs. Shinobu stood next to the doctor as they got ready to begin the hearing test.

The doctor wasn't going to say when he was starting it to see Izuku's reaction.

The doctor sent the first beep to the headphones. Izuku didn't even blink. The doctor made it louder; nothing. He made it even louder; nothing.

The doctor continued to turn up the volume, but Izuku just sat there. He had taken a hearing test before. He was waiting for the sound of the beep to lift his hand.

The doctor got to the loudest setting and sent it to the headphones; nothing.

"Did the test start?" Izuku asked.

Mrs. Shinobu let out a sigh. "I had a feeling this was going to be the result."

The doctor gave Izuku the sign to take off the headphones so the stitches around his ears could breathe.

Izuku slid off the headphones confused as to why he had to take them off before the test started.

The doctor wrote down what he needed before transporting Izuku back to his room.

The doctor left him and Mrs. Shinobu alone in the room while he had to go do paperwork.

"Mrs. Shinobu, didn't I have to take the test? I just sat there waiting, but it never started," when he finished talking, it clicked in his mind. His eyes widened, understanding what went on during that time. "I failed, didn't I?" He chuckled, trying to find humor in the situation.

Mrs. Shinobu just nodded, confirming his statement.  She turned her attention to her laptop, continuing her research from the previous night.

Izuku grabbed his phone from the table next to him. He started playing a game to pass the time. A couple minutes passed and his curiosity was getting to him. He wanted to know what Mrs. Shinobu was looking up, but he wanted to understand what was going to happen once he got back to the orphanage.

"Mrs. Shinobu?" He called out to her. It still felt weird to him to not hear himself talk.

"Yes?" She said, hoping he would be able to read her lips.

"What's going to happen after I'm released? I haven't been to the orphanage since I was 4. I'm 13 now and I don't remember anything about it."

She grabbed her phone and set up, voice to text. She started to talk, making sure the words came up correctly.

She gave the phone to him, for him to read.

'Firstly, there needs to be a way for others to communicate with you that's not just writing and then reading. One of the higher ups recommended that we send you to a school for the deaf and hard of hearing,' he read.

Mrs. Shinobu moved her computer for him to see. There was a school pulled up for him to look over. She handed him her notepad while he gave her back her phone.

He looked at the name of the school from the website and then matched it to the school on the notepad.

The school name was Rō gakkō. (You should translate that to English ;)  also, it's not a real school)

It had a pretty good reputation with a medium sized student body. It would teach him the language he would need to communicate. They would teach him about the culture that he was now a part of.

The students had scheduled classes that differed for each student depending on academics.

Mrs. Shinobu started to type on her phone again while Izuku looked over the notes.

She tapped his arm and went to hand him her phone.

'I know it isn't like your normal middle school, but this school will stick with you till you graduate high school or your future adoptive family removes you and places you in a different school. Plus you never know, you may graduate early. I've seen your grades,' he read out.

"No one is going to want a deaf, quirkless kid. I'm going to be stuck in the orphanage till I'm 18," he rolled his eyes.

She took back the phone and typed something quick. 'You need to think positive. I'm sure there is a family out there that will love you for exactly who you are.'

"If you say so."

—---

It was the morning of Izuku being released from the hospital. Izuku learned a couple new things about himself in the week he was in the hospital. Firstly, He was completely deaf in both of his ears. Secondly, his ears were too damaged for hearing aids.

He had to do his own research. The adults weren't going to type out every single thing for him to read. He wanted to understand what was going to affect his life.

Hearing aids have a microphone that receives sound and converts it into a digital signal. The amplifier increases the strength of the digital signal. The speaker produces the amplified sound into the ear. 

According to the doctors , there was no possible way for his eardrums to collect sound like a normal hearing person ever again. His only chance of ever hearing again was for Izuku to get a cochlear implant.

Cochlear implants take sound and turns it into a digital form. Unlike hearing aids, the implants would bypass the eardrum and go to a surgical plate that connects to the brain.

The orphanage would never pay for such a treatment for him. Any type of surgery is expensive. The orphanage just barely gets by with what they get.

Izuku looked at himself in the bathroom mirror in his hospital room. He turned his head slightly to the left to look at one of his ears. He pushed his hair out the way to get a better look.

The scars from his emergency surgery were showcased for everyone to see. There was a cut on the front of his ear. He moved his ear so he would be able to see behind it. His eyes darted away; too ashamed to look at it any longer. The lines behind his ears would remain there forever as a reminder of that day.

The door opened wherever he was looking away. The light flickered as someone tried to get his attention.

"Ready?" Mrs. Shinobu mouthed to him whenever he looked at her.

He pressed his lips to form a thin line and gave a slight nod.

He followed her out the bathroom and headed towards the door that led it to the hallway. Before he walked out, he looked back to the room. His hospital gown was placed on the bed. He reached up and grabbed the collar of his dark green hoodie he had on.

He turned back around and followed Mrs. Shinobu downstairs and to the car outside the hospital.

The Bakugo family didn't vist him after the first day. He couldn't figure out why. Was it the shame of Katsuki? Was the heartbreak too much for Mr. and Mrs. Bakugo?

Izuku couldn't find it in himself to call Mr. and Mrs. Bakugo by their first names anymore. He just couldn't.

He climbed into the passenger seat of the car that was for Mrs. Shinobu and him. Mrs. Shinobu hopped into the driver's seat. She started the car making sure that everything was ready to go.

Izuku felt the cool air hit his face from the a/c. The radio turned on. Mrs. Shinobu started humming to the music; she looked over to Izuku who was just looking at the scenery passing by.

His face was dull.  Mrs. Shinobu felt bad for him. She stopped humming out of respect and turned down the radio.

"Put it back up," he told her without looking towards her. Mrs. Shinobu was confused. Izuku was deaf, there was no way he was able to hear the music playing through the speakers. The hearing test proved that.

The thing was, Izuku wasn't hearing the music. In fact, he wouldn't have been able to say what exact song was playing.

Izuku was feeling the vibrations from the music while his hand was placed on the door.

Chapter Text

The car pulled up to the large building. Izuku looked out the window. It had been a while since he saw the large building. It looked like a giant school in a way. It had many rooms because of the different age groups.

Izulu felt the vibrations from the radio come to a stop. He glanced over to Mrs. Shinobu, who was getting out of the car. Izuku quickly followed and did the same.

The two of them walked towards the building. Izuku felt his nerves build up. He had watched all the different movies growing up. Teens were never adopted.

Izuku followed Mrs. Shinobu inside. The atmosphere changed at once. It wasn't a welcoming place like the Bakugo family home. It was somewhere that just acted like a roof over people's heads. In fact, that's exactly what the place was.

Izuku just followed Mrs. Shinobu throughout the building. She opened a door that revealed 3 other children to Izuku.

"Boys, this here is Izuku. He is deaf. So don't expect him to be able to hear you. Understood?" she towered over the children.

"Yes, ma'am," they all replied.

She placed her hand on Izuku's back and applied some pressure, letting him know to stay here.

Izuku stepped forward. Mrs. Shinobu turned away from the boys and walked out the room, closing the door behind her.

The boys just looked towards Izuku blankly. Izuku looked at them with the same look.

The boys were no older than 9 while Izuku was 13.

"That's why they brought all that stuff in a couple days ago," one of the boys said.

"Imagine being in foster care for 9 years to not get adopted earlier," another spat.

"Which one is my bed?" Izuku asked, not asking what they were saying.

The three boys just pointed to one of the bottom beds of the bunk beds.

Izuku just walked to the bed. He placed his hand down on it. It wasn't as comfortable as his bed in the Bakugo's home but it would do.

One of the boys tapped his shoulder getting Izuku's attention. Izuku turned to face the child. He had a set of sheets for Izuku to put on the bed.

He handed it to Izuku and then looked over to the clock in the room.

His eyes widened.

"Guys, school starts in a little while. Come on!" He told the other 2.

The three kids ran out of the room leaving Izuku alone. Izuku placed the sheets on his bed and sat down.

Being stuck in silence wasn't his favorite thing. It would cause him to be deep in thought the majority of the time. He realized that in the hospital.

Usually he would at least hear the slow tics of the clock as the seconds passed. The sound of silence was becoming something he hated.

He felt alone; trapped in a world by himself, unable to break free to others.

Izuku brought his legs close to his chest, curling himself into a ball. He wrapped his arms around them and just let all his feelings out.

——

He felt someone shake him awake the following day. His eyes fluttered open to see who was waking him up at such a time.

His green eyes met with Mrs. Shinobu's dark eyes.

"Is it my first day at that deaf school?" He asked.

She gave a nod. She then handed him a notepad that had instructions for him.

He sat up, careful not to hit the top bunk. 'The school uniform is on the edge of the bed. Put it on and come outside to the hall whenever you're done.' He read.

He nodded as a response. Mrs. Shinobu walked out the room, leaving him privacy for him to change.

The other three boys were still sound asleep. Izuku saw this and tried not to make a lot of noise, but being able to hear nothing made it hard for him.

He slowly put on the shirt and tie with matching pants attempting not to make any noise.

He didn't have a mirror in the room but from what he could see, the uniform was a black button up shirt with a light blue tie.

Izuku didn't really like the tie. It wasn't his choice in color. He would go with a different shade of green.

He walked towards the door and opened it, walking into the hall.

Mrs. Shinobu was standing there waiting for him like she had said in the note.

She guided him to the nearest restroom and gave him personal hygiene products.

Everything was new and definitely not the smells he would normally use. His hearing was gone, not his sense of smell.

He quickly got everything that he needed to do, and walked out the restroom.

Mrs. Shinobu watched him walk out the restroom, fixing his tie. Izuku had never worn a tie with a uniform for school before, but then he remembered that the school wasn't just a middle school.

"I'm guessing you're going to bring me to school today?" He asked her.

She just nodded as a response. She started to walk towards the front of the building which Izuku just followed behind.

He took a deep breath trying to keep an open mind about the new school, but every time he tried, the accident came into his head.

The memory was a chain, tugging him closer and closer to the wall it was connected to. If it wasn't for that moment, he would probably be Izuku Bakugo, but he was still Izuku Midoriya, the quirkless boy who is also deaf.

——

The school was massive. Izuku couldn't believe his eyes. The school was as large as a college campus. The front gates were wide open.

They were welcoming others with open arms.

Izuku was amazed. He couldn't really believe that such a place existed.

Kids from probably age 5 all the way to 18 passed by them, walking through the front gates on their way to their classes for the day.

Izuku looked around at the other students and noticed that the ties on the boys and the scarves on the girls were all different colors.

While Izuku looked around, soaking in the new environment, he felt someone accidentally run into him, knocking him into the ground.

Izuku looked towards the person who knocked him down out of curiosity.

"I'm so sorry," the girl spoke to him, collecting her things off the ground.

The girl had two pigtail braids going from the top of her head to about her mid back. She made eye contact with Izuku.

Her grey eyes looked into his green ones. He noticed devices connected to the girl's ears. They were hearing aids.

She wore a the same button down shirt with the same color skirt as his pants. Her scarf was the same color blue as his tie.

She looked to her watch before springing to her feet. "Bye!" She said rushing inside the building.

Izuku was still on the ground dumbfounded by what just happened.

"Was it just me or was she trying to talk to me?" Izuku asked Mrs. Shinobu who was near him.

She took her phone out and started to type a response to him.

'She was talking, but to me it sounded like she hadn't been for a while. Her voice isn't really... sound,' he read.

Izuku pushed himself off the ground and back onto his feet. "Well let's get this day started," he said, trying to still find the best out of the day.

—

Mrs. Shinobu knocked on the door to the principal's office.

Izuku recalled the situation to when Mrs. Bakugo brought him to his elementary school back when he first moved in with them.

The door opened, revealing an older lady, with blonde hair.

"Can I help you?" She asked Mrs. Shinobu.

"I'm Rin Shinobu. We spoke over the phone about transferring a student here," she said motioning to Izuku.

The lady seemed to have a light bulb go off in her head.

"Oh, right! I totally forgot, please come in," she welcomed the two of them to her office.

The two of them walked in and sat down in the chairs that faced the desk.

The lady walked around and sat on her side of the table.

"So, what is he?" She asked pulling up a document on her computer.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Shinobu asked, taken aback from the question.

"Deaf, hard of hearing; and the percentage in each ear. Usually it's stated by a doctor."

"Yes. I'm sorry. It's the first time anyone in child services has dealt with a deaf child. I don't know the exact terminology. Izuku is 100% deaf in both ears with severe damage to his eardrums."

The lady started to type away on the computer, putting in word by word of what Mrs. Shinobu had said.

"Was there a cause by his sudden loss of hearing?"

"An accident with his former foster family."

"Does he know sign?"

"No he does not."

"Academics?"

Mrs. Shinobu got out files from Izuku's academic history and everything else that the principal would need to know.

She went through each paper and analyzed them. She started to create a class schedule for Izuku.

A couple minutes later she handed a sheet to Izuku that had writing on it.

'I'm going to call someone that can help you get around the school. She has most of the same classes as you and she will help you with learning sign language.'

"Thank you," he spoke. The principal's eyes widened hearing Izuku speak with such ease.

She took a sticky note from her desk and wrote something out for both him and Mrs. Shinobu.

'After your tour, your voice will be turned off. No speaking till you learn sign,' they read.

"How will Izuku communicate with us at the orphanage? He needs to be able to tell us things," Mrs. Shinobu told her.

"Well someone needs to learn the language he's needing to communicate. The more he uses it, the faster he will learn."

The principal sent an email to a teacher looking for a specific student. The student in mind was bubbly and loved to talk and help others.

A couple minutes passed until the door opened, the same brown hair girl from the morning.

"Penny, this is Izuku Midoriya."

Chapter Text

The girl from earlier just stared at Izuku. She seemed to be studying him.

"Penny, you can use your tablet's voice to text to communicate with Izuku," the principal told her. The girl nodded and pulled out her tablet from her backpack ready to give Izuku the tour of the school.

"Mrs. Shinobu, please stay here while I discuss more with you. Izuku needs to go learn his new school," the principal smiled as she motioned for Izuku to go with Penny.

Penny reached out her arm, extending it to reach him. He slowly reached for it before she leaned forward and grabbed his wrist.

She yanked him out the chair and into the hall room shutting the door behind them.

Penny tapped a few buttons on her tablet before moving her lips, which Izuku assumed she was talking.

Whenever she was finished she handed the tablet to him and let him read what she said.

'Your the boy I ran into earlier huh?'

"Yeah," Izuku nervously chuckled.

Her lips started to move again. Izuku looked straight down to the tablet which was revealing every word she said to him.

"I'm sure I'll get to know you better, but here's my rundown. My name is Penny and I'm a transfer student from the United States, hence why I don't go by my last name. I'm about 75% deaf in my right ear and 80% in my left. Technically, I'm hard of hearing, but not everyone knows the difference," she paused. "I'm talking a lot aren't I?"

Izuku looked up from the screen to her. "Not at all. I'm just not fully used to the fact that I can't hear anything. I lost my hearing in an accident about a week or so ago."

Penny's eyes widened. "So you know nothing about the deaf culture?"

"Not a bit."

Her eyes started to fill with a sense of joy. She was very bubbly and outgoing.

"First, you need to learn sign. It'll be way easier to chat with others around here," she told him.

"What is sign?"

"Sign language. It's a way of communication that has to deal with hand/arm movements, body movement, and facial expressions. Facial expressions are really important," she warned him.

After that, she started to show him around the school and the different classrooms around campus.

Penny explained to Izuku how the classes were based on academic level and not age. Therefore, a 10 year old can be placed in a 13 year old classroom if their grades are high enough.

After the tour, Izuku and Penny sat on a bench waiting for the principal's office door to open. 

"So what's your quirk Penny?" He asked her.

Penny looked to her feet. "I can create illusions, but I can only have it visible to one person at a time."

Izuku could tell by the way she lowered her head, her quirk was not something she was proud of.

"What about you?" She changed the subject.

"I'm quirkless."

Her eyes widened. Meeting someone quirkless was rare but meeting someone who was deaf and quirkless was nearly impossible.

"Izuku, I think you should turn off your voice now," Penny told him.

"Why? You're talking to me through this voice to speech app."

"Sign language was my first language. I didn't learn how to start talking till I got my hearing aids when I was about 10. I've been taking speech classes to try and get my voice normal."

"Oh."

Penny showed a small smile. She moved a braid from the front of her shoulder to the back and jumped into her feet.  

"Izuku Midoriya, this will be you final sentence you will speak until you fully learn sign language. What shall your life altering sentence be?" She acted like she was talking into a microphone.

Izuku gave a smile in return.

He had to think about it. He didn't want it to be something dumb, but he didn't want it something complicated.

"I'm not alone."

——

Few months later.

Izuku sat in a classroom with a few younger students who were learning sign language for the first time as well.

They were signing sentences slowly, but they were understanding one another with ease.

Izuku finished practicing his words for the day till he got out his tablet and started to work on his core subject classes.

Izuku, only being 13 was in academic classes ment for 3rd years in middle school, two years older than him.

He had to take the courses online due to the fact that they were only taught in sign, but the teachers would go too fast for him to understand.

Nearing the end of the school day, Penny came storming into the classroom.

She got into Izuku's field of vision and started to wave her hand to get his attention.

"Izuku," she signed his sign name.

A sign name is a special sign that is used to uniquely identify a person. They are usually given by other deaf people. 

Penny had given Izuku his.  

"Penny! I'm doing history homework," he signed back to her.

"Can you not be smart for one moment?" She asked joking around with him.

"It's not my fault that my mind is full of knowledge," he signed, sticking his tongue out at the end.

Penny started to laugh. The teacher and other students didn't mind Penny suddenly being in the room.

They understood that she helped Izuku a lot with the language and they saw how happy the other was when they were together.

"So, how's the orphanage? Any luck with potential parents?" She asked him.

Izuku had told her about being an orphan and being out in the foster system at a young age. However, he didn't tell her about the accident. He wasn't ready to share that story yet.

All of a sudden, the lights were turned off and on getting all the students' attention.

"Class is dismissed for the day. I'll see you tomorrow," the teacher signed before walking out.

"Do you have anything planned this afternoon?" Izuku asked Penny before putting his stuff away.

"Not really. Why what's up?"

"I want to go say hi to my parents, I haven't gone in a while because of the social workers but I want them to meet you," she smiled a little at the end.

"I would love to!" She smiled.

Penny helped him pick up his belongings and started to make their way to the graveyard a little while away.

The two of them hopped on a train and kept to themselves the whole way there.

When they got to the graveyard, Izuku grabbed Penny's wrist and dragged her up the hill to the grave site.

He didn't stop running till he got to the two gravestones that marked where his parents lied.

"Mom, dad, this is Penny," he signed. "She has been helping me learn this amazing language that is not becoming my main way of communication. I'm sorry that I haven't come in a while. I promise I'll try to come more often."

Penny just smiled seeing Izuku interact with an old part of himself using a new aspect of his life.

She placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder as a way of asking permission if she could sign to his parents.

He gave a soft smile and nodded.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Midoriya," she started to sign. "Your son here has done so well in learning his new language, but he still needs work. He signs slower than a turtle can walk." She laughed a little.

Izuku lightly slapped her arm, laughing with her.

"You should be proud of him. I know I am," she smiled at the end.

Izuku smiled again. He couldn't remember when he was this happy. He had a friend, a true friend. Not someone who would bully him just because he was quirkless.

"Okay, I'm done," she signed, backing away so Izuku could talk with his parents.

Izuku continued signing to his parents until he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

He slowly removed the phone from his pants pocket and read the text that was sent to him.

His eyes widened with disbelief. He could believe what he was reading. He shoved his phone in his pocket and put his school bag back on his shoulders.

"I'll see you soon mom and dad," he signed before grabbing Penny and rushing to the train station.

He didn't stop still as they were on the train back to the area they lived in.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why all the running all of a sudden?" She complained, catching her breath.

"I didn't know if you made that illusion or if it was real but I didn't want to take that chance," Izuku signed.

"Hell no! Why would I disrupt your time with your parents?" She signed to him.

"Mrs. Shinobu, she texted me. I have a potential adoptive parents interview. I need to get to the orphanage, A-S-A-P!"

Chapter Text

A few hours earlier

"Shouta, I'm so happy that we can finally start our own family together," Hizashi said, holding onto his husband's arm.

The tall black haired man sent a small smile to him. "Hizashi we've been married for a couple years now. I want to take this next step with you." The blonde man next to him held onto his arm tighter.

"I want an older kid. Those kids usually never get adopted," the blonde said, blowing a piece of his long blonde hair out his face.

"I agree. I also want a boy. I don't think we can handle a girl in the house," Shouta replied.

"The only thing we could help a girl with is hair care," Hizashi laughed.

The couple both had long hair with Hizashi's being down to his waist and Shouta's a little past his shoulders.

The two men walked up the orphanage that they had researched. They got to the front door, but stopped. Hizashi had a bright smile, anticipating the new chapter of their lives.

Shouta was happy that his husband was showing so much joy in the moment.

The two of them were teachers at the top hero school in Japan: UA high school. They had watched children grow and graduate but now, they wanted their own child.

Shouta reached for the door and pulled it open. The cool air from inside slapped their faces before they walked inside.

They walked to the front room and saw the lady with dark black hair pulled out of her face.

"Can I help you sirs?" She asked the two of them.

"We're here for a potential adoption," Shouta spoke.

"So you want to meet a child?" She asked, wanting to clarify what they wanted.

"Exactly!" Hizashi answered.

"Please have a seat so we can try to match you with a child."

The two men sat down in the chairs in front of the woman's desk.

"So before we talk about the children, what are your occupations? We need to make sure that your financially secure for a child."

"We are both teachers at UA high school," Shouta spoke.

"And we both work as pro heroes. I'm Present Mic and he's Eraserhead."

The woman's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry for not recognizing you," she gave a slight bow.

"It's okay."

The three continued to discuss housing and other matters before talking about the kids.

"So, firstly give me a rough idea on age and gender," she told them.

"An older boy."

"Our oldest boy is 13, but," she paused.

"What's wrong?" Shouta asked.

The woman sighed fearing the men's reaction. "He's deaf. He is attending Rō gakkō where he is learning sign language."

Hizashi looked over to his husband. He gave a small smile and nodded.

"Can we meet him?" Shouta asked.

"He should be on his way home from school, but I'll text him. Give me a moment."

She got out her phone and started to text Izuku.

She saw the read receipt on the message. He didn't reply back until 5 or so minutes later saying he would get there in 20 minutes tops.

Mrs. Shinobu let out a sigh. "I'm sorry for the wait. He was visiting his birth parents' gravesite. He does that often."

"Can you tell us more about his background?" Shouta asked to pass the time.

"I can't give away too much due to confidentiality, but he was in a foster home for 9 years before he had to be removed for safety reasons."

"You said that he's learning sign language. Was he born deaf or did he lose his hearing?" Hizashi asked.

"There was an accident a few months ago that caused major eardrum damage. According to doctors, hearing aids won't work for him."

Hizashi looked over to Shouta. Deep down they felt a little bad for the kid, but it didn't matter to them. They wanted to meet this child.

The three of them made small talk till they heard a door creek. Two children ran into the room that the adults were in.

Penny's two braids were frizzed and was trying to catch her breath. Izuku stood behind her trying to catch his breath as well.

"Sorry, Mrs. Shinobu. Izuku wanted to go see them," Penny spoke. Shouta glanced over to the girl who was talking and saw hearing aids connecting to both of her ears. While Penny apologized on their behalf, Izuku glanced over to the two men sitting in the chairs on that side of the desk.

"It's okay Penny. At least you were with him," Mrs. Shinobu sighed in relief. She then turned to face Shouta and Hizashi. "Before I send the three of you in the meeting room, do you need Penny to act as an interpreter? I would do it myself, but I know only a few signs."

"No need. I think we will be able to manage," Shouta said, showing a grin.

"Okay then. Let's get the three of you in one of our meeting rooms. Penny-"

"Hold on," she spoke. She turned to Izuku and lifted up her hands to start signing something to him. "Good luck dummy and if need be, use text to speech, but you type what you want to say."

Izuku nodded, understanding what she meant.

"Okay. I'm done," Penny spoke.

"Great, follow me gentlemen," Mrs. Shinobu spoke as she got up from her seat.

She walked out the room while Shouta and Hizashi followed behind. Penny and Izuku followed them.

"What did she sign babe?" Shouta whispered to Hizashi.

"She told them about a text to speech application, but he won't need that. Also 'Good lucky dummy,'" he replied.

"I really need to learn sign language."

"Yes. Yes you do."

—-

Shouta and Hizashi sat on one side of a table while Izuku sat on the other.

The room had a welcoming atmosphere and brightened up the mood of the orphanage.

Izuku let out a sigh and brought up his hands and started to sign. "My name is Izuku Midoriya. This is my sign name," he signed, finishing with the sign name that Penny had given him.

"Well hello Izuku. I'm Hizashi and this is my husband Shouta," he signed in return.

Izuku's jaw dropped seeing the adult sign at a slow speed for him to understand.

"You know sign language?"

Hizashi just smirked, having his teeth show through his smile.

"Just me thought. Someone else in this room doesn't understand the majority of sign."

Izuku let out a chuckle. It's been a while that someone made him laugh, that wasn't Penny.

"Are you two talking about me?" Shouta asked using his voice.

"We might be talking about you," Hizashi spoke and signed at the same time.

Izuku busted into laughter. He still felt odd not being able to hear himself but he could feel the vibrations coming from his throat.

The three of them got to know the basic things about each other with Hizashi and Izuku signing back and forth to one another.

Shouta felt awkward that he had to rely on Hizashi to translate everything.

"Can I admit something?" Izuku signed after they had just finished talking about their favorite food.

"What is it kid?" Hizashi questioned.

"I know that you two are pro heroes. You're Present Mic and he's Eraserhead."

Hizashi eyes widened. It wasn't the fact that Izuku knew who he was. He knew who Shouta was.

Shouta was an underground hero. Being an underground hero, he tried to stay out of the blinding lights of the media.

"Hizashi, what's wrong?" Shouta asked.

"He knows your Eraserhead."

"I adored heroes at a young age. I stopped being obsessed whenever my birth mother died, but I always enjoyed researching quirks," Izuku signed.

"He said that he loved heroes until his birth mom died, but he loves to research quirks."

"So he's a smart kid."

"That's what it's coming to be."

"Hizashi, I'm not sure about you but this kid is amazing."

"Agree."

Izuku tilted his head, not knowing what they were saying. Hizashi had stopped signing and he didnt know how to read lips well.

"I'll see if Shinobu is in the hall," Hizashi told Shouta.

"Okay."

Hizashi got out his chair and walked out the room.

Izuku pointed to where Hizashi was sitting and signed the letters O-K, with his eyebrows scrunched as if he was asking a question.

Shouta knew the alphabet in sign language and put together what Izuku was asking.

"Y-e-s" he spelled out slowly with his hand.

Izuku stood up from his side of the table and walked to Shouta. He took his two smaller hands and formed Shouta's hand into the handshape to sign the word yes.

Izuku then showed Shouta the movement the hand made to sign the word. Shouta then tried on his own and got it right.

Izuku made a closed mouth smile. It was the first time he had taught a sign to someone else.

The door opened behind them. Shouta turned around and saw that it was the lady from before.

"Your husband came to get me. You've made a decision already?" She asked.

Shouta looked back

He brought up his hand and did the sign that Izuku just taught him.

"Yes."

Chapter Text

Izuku ran up to Penny with a smile across his face.

"It's very early in the morning. Why are you smiling?" She signed as she continued to walk to her class.

"That couple from yesterday; Mrs. Shinobu told me this morning that," he paused. "I'm getting adopted!"

Penny's eyes widened. "Wait, WHAT!?" she signed with a shocked facial expression.

"I don't know what they saw in me. I'm just a deaf, quirkless 13 year old."

Izuku's statement earned himself a slap on the shoulder. His hand shot to where Penny hit him and he acted like he was in pain.

"You are not just a quirkless, deaf kid. You're a hearing person that lost their hearing and basically had to relearn life!" Penny signed to him.

Izuku looked at her with a face that basically screamed; you gotta be kidding me.

"I'm deaf, not disabled."

"A lot of people think it's a disability," Penny defended herself.

Izuku playfully rolled his eyes.

"When do you move in with them?" Penny asked. 

"I pack my belongings whenever school finishes. So tonight or tomorrow."

Penny's face brightened, while a small smile started to appear. Izuku's face paled. He knew what that devilish face ment.

"Can I help you pack?"

"Absolutely not! Penny, you're amazing don't get me wrong, but you're the worst person when it comes to cleaning and putting things away."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Penny signed as she acted innocent of the matter.

Izuku remembered the day where her parents made her clean her room. Penny obsessed over every single thing she found.

Izuku had to go through the horror of Penny telling him about her pet rock that she found in a box from when she was 6.

Penny also wore every hair clip that she had found. There were so many at one point, Izuku couldn't see her hair.

Izuku shivered at the memory before the lights in the school started to blink, letting them know it was time for their first class of the day.

"Can I at least walk with you to the orphanage?" She asked.

"Yes."

Penny's face lit up like a Christmas tree with pure joy. "Thank you!" She signed before skipping to her class.

Izuku smiled. He was so lucky to have her as a friend.

—-

"So, tell me about them. I left after the three of you went into that room," Penny signed while they walked through the park on the way to the orphanage.

"The blonde one, Hizashi, is fluent in sign. His husband, Shouta, knows the alphabet and that's pretty much it," Izuku replied.

"So you're going to have two dads?!"

Izuku shrugged. "Is anything wrong about that?"

"Heck no! Did you see their hair? It's beautiful!" Penny complimented the couple. "Help a girl out and get me the hair products they use."

Izuku laughed whenever Penny finished signing.

"Are you saying I don't have beautiful hair?"

"Next question!"

Izuku let out another laugh knowing that her answer was definitely no. In all honesty, the orphanage just provided them with the basic things.

"Do you know where they work?"

"They are both teachers at UA and pro heroes."

Penny stopped dead in her tracks.  Izuku looked back at her. He could tell that the worst was coming into her mind and that she was about to cry.

"Are you going to be leaving this school?"

"Probably not. I still need to learn some signs, plus I like the curriculum here. If all goes well, I can graduate high school in 3 years."

Penny's tears were replaced with a sarcastic look. "I hate that you're smart."

"Yeah, Yeah. Now come on. I need to go move in with my new parents," he signed before grabbing Penny's arm and rushing towards the orphanage.

Little did the two know, there was a boy a little way away from them who watched them sign. He could understand a few of them, but he definitely didn't understand them completely.

He reached up to the hearing aids that he secretly wore and let out a sigh.

It had been a while since he saw the green haired boy smile.
—-

Izuku's past roommates were adopted or placed in a foster home over the time span that he was there. He had the room all to himself.

Mrs. Shinobu had given him a suitcase to put his things in, which wasn't a lot . Whenever they had moved his belongings from the Bakugo household to the orphanage, they only took a few sets of clothes and a few other things.

Izuku zipped the suitcase shut. He backed away and made sure he didn't forget anything.

The room's lights flickered off and on causing his attention to shoot towards the door.

Mrs. Shinobu stood at the door with her hair surprisingly not pulled back. Her dark hair flowed past her shoulders. Izuku had never seen her in such a way.

"Your hair is different," Izuku signed, pointing it out.

"N-e-w s-t-a-r-t f-o-r y-o-u," she spelled out letter by letter in sign language. ('New start for you' if you couldn't read that)

Izuku smiled before walking up to Shinobu and hugging her. At first she was taken back by the action, but she slowly accepted it and hugged him back.

Izuku let go of her and backed away.

"Why?" She signed to him, confused a little.

"Thank you" he signed.

Mrs. Shinobu smiled before walking over and grabbing the suitcase for him. She walked out of the room and into the hall.

Izuku started to follow her, but looked back to the room.

It reminded him of when he left the hospital. He was saying goodbye to another part of himself.

He reached up to touch the still visible scars on his ears. His hair was slightly covering them, but he still felt like they were on full display to the world.

He shook the thought about his scars out his head. 'It's supposed to be a good day. You're getting adopted.' He thought to himself.

He turned  back towards the hall to catch up with Mrs. Shinobu.

When he got to the entrance of the building, his new parents were standing there waiting for him.

They both smiled towards him. Izuku felt the warmth from their smiles. He felt that they welcomed him with open arms. They didn't care that he was deaf. They didn't care that he was quirkless.

"You ready?" Hizashi asked him through sign.

The burn scars from his past were all healed. That reminder was gone, but the silence will always be there.

He knew that he was going to have to tell them at some point the story, but not now.

This was a day to be happy about. The day where he started his new life.

"Yes."

Chapter Text

1 year later

Izuku turned up the music in his room so he would be able to feel the vibrations.

He had been living with his new family for a year and Izuku was now 14.

One of the first things whenever Izuku was adopted was if he wanted to change his family name. It took time but Izuku had to let go of his past. He would still visit his parents after school sometimes but he wanted to start a new beginning with his new parents.

Izuku had let his hair grow out and it reached his shoulders, similar to Shouta's hair length.

They had a black and white cat named Yuki that Shouta had found during patrol one night.

Izuku was happy with his life. He had good grades, a loving family, and an amazing best friend.

Penny would come over almost 3 times a week to hang out with Izuku.

Penny, Izuku and Hizashi made it their mission to teach Shouta sign so he would be able to communicate with Izuku without relying on anything else.

Izuku was completely fluent in sign language and within the year, Shouta was almost fluent.

They made Shouta practice by only letting him sign while they were home.

He loved his family, but he had never told them about the accident yet. He still feared it.

——

"Hey, Izuku Aizawa," Penny signed.

"Can you please stop signing my name like that. It's weird."

The two were walking to Izuku's home. Shouta and Hizashi were still going to be a UA like they normally would. They wouldn't get home until 2 or so hours later.

"I'm just getting used to it still."

Izuku sent her a look with his eyebrows raised. "Penny, it's been a year."

She was about to sign something but stopped. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"I don't have a comeback," she signed, admiring defeat.

Izuku laughed as they started to walk to the front door of the house. He took out his keys and unlocked the door before the two of them walked inside.

"Homework time!" Izuku sarcastically signed.

"Do you mind if I take a hearing break? I don't feel like wearing my hearing aids," Penny asked after putting her book bag down.

"Go ahead. It's not like I'll be speaking to you."

Penny let out a laugh before taking a case out of her bag. She removed one hearing aid at a time and placed them in the case.

She placed it back in her bag before taking out the homework she had.

"Okay. Now I'm ready for homework."

—-

The two of them sat in the living room watching some movie that they had found playing.

Izuku put the closed captioning on so they would be able to read what each character was saying.

Penny, however, wasn't paying attention to the movie. She just looked at Izuku.

His emerald green eyes shined in any lighting they were in. His once curly green and black hair fell to his shoulders. It flowed into waves instead of the curls.

She hated to admit it, but she had a crush on Izuku, but she didn't want to destroy the friendship that they created in the year they've known each other.

She was scared. She wanted to know how Izuku felt. If he shared the same feelings as her. It was difficult to hide it.

Izuku saw how Penny was becoming uneasy in the corner of his eye. He turned his attention to her, concerned.

"Are you okay?" He sighed after pushing his hair out of his face.

Penny looked away from him. "It's just, I have a crush on someone and I don't know how they would take the news," she signed in return.

Izuku's eyebrows went up. "You have a crush?"

Penny just nodded her head not wanting to sign anything else.

"Tell me all about him! Is he tall? Do I know him?," he quickly signed. Izuku then gasped realizing something. "Is he a she?"

"Oh my gosh Izuku! No," she signed, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, I have two dads. There's always that possibility."

"You do have a point there," she signed, agreeing with him.

"Then, do I know this person?"

"Yes."

"Is he taller than your 5 foot 4 inch (166 cm) self?"

"Firstly, rude. Secondly, yes."

"Does he have long hair?"

"Yes."

"Is it me?"

"Yes."  Penny didn't realize the question till after she answered. Her face turned red in embarrassment while Izuku started to laugh.

"You did that on purpose you idiot!" She signed angrily, making the signs bigger.

Izuku snorted and started to laugh more even though they both couldn't hear it.

"Yeah. I did," he admitted. "I've known you for over a year now and you're my best friend. I think I've learned how you are."

"How long have you known?" She asked.

"To be honest, not until a few days ago. Papa Hizashi was telling me about things he would do to Shouta whenever they were in high school and some of the things reminded me of things you did to me."

"Your parents were talking about their high school life?"

"I know, scary," he signed before laughing.

Penny joined in, but Izuku still never replied to her confession.

She tapped his shoulder, getting his attention while he laughed. "You never replied to the confession."

"Penny, I love you as a friend. I don't see girls like that," he signed.

"Oh," she mouthed sadly. It took a moment before the last thing he signed clicked. She shot a look back at him. "Your gay?!"

"Pretty sure it was obvious, but I guess not."

'How could I have not known!' Penny thought to herself.

"Before I forget, I'm going to hang out at UA tomorrow with my dads. They want me to go meet their classes for some reason."

"That sounds fun, but I guess I'll have to survive school without you," she faked cried.

"You do spend more time with me than your own family, you realize that right?"

"You're more fun to hang out with."

—-

Izuku stood there at the front gates of UA high school. The top hero school in all of Japan.

Growing up, he dreamed of walking through these gates, chasing his dreams to become a hero, but being deaf on top of being quirkless was the losing combo for the field of work.

Shouta and Hizashi grabbed the last few things from their car before Shouta placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"Ready?" he signed.

Izuku grinned, shaking his head.
The small family walked inside the school building. No students were there yet. Izuku looked all around him, trying not to get overwhelmed by the towering walls and doors.

Hizashi looked over to Shouta. "Should we introduce him to Nezu?" he asked, speaking.

"Yeah. If he just saw Izuku and didn't know why he wasn't replying to him, who knows what the mouse thing would do."

Hizashi chuckled. "Let's walk him there first, before we clock in." Izuku followed behind his parents with eyes full of wonder. He wanted to keep looking around, but without his hearing, it would be easy for him to fall behind and get lost.

The three of them kept walking till a small white, bear-mouse thing popped out of nowhere. Izuku was startled. He looked at the strange creature like he appeared out of thin air.

"Hello there Aizawa and Mic!" The bear-mouse thing spoke, calling Shouta by his last name and Hizashi by the second half of his hero name.

"Hi Nezu," Shouta said, yawning. He really wanted to get his daily morning cup of coffee from the teachers lounge.

The bear thing looked slightly up seeing the green hair teen behind them.

"Who is this?" He asked.

"This is Izuku. He is our adopted son. He is completely deaf and can only communicate through sign language," Hizashi signed and spoke at the same time. Izuku understood that he was supposed to meet this...thing in front of him.

"Can one of you translate? I may be smart, but I have no knowledge of this language," He asked the men.

The two of them nodded before turning to Izuku to start signing what the creature was saying.

"Hello there Izuku. My name is Nezu and I am the principal here at UA high school. It's nice to meet you," Nezu spoke whil Shouta translated into sign language.

"Nice to meet you. My sign name is (Does his sign name that Penny gave him)," Izuku signed.

Shouta spoke what Izuku was saying through sign letting Nezu know what Izuku was trying to say.

Nezu just bowed his head as if he was saying 'likewise'.

"What are you, if you don't mind me asking?" Izuku signed, while Shouta translated.

Truthfully, no one in the entity of UA as well as the hero society knew what Nezu was. He looked like a bear, but he had the tail of a mouse. His fur was also silky smooth and a pure white color. Izuku had asked the question that everyone wanted to know the answer to.

"I can be anything you think I can be. I can be a dog, bear, or even a mouse in your eyes!" he spoke while Shouta translated.

'Dang it!' both Shouta and Hizashi thought. They wanted to know the true answer. Izuku shrugged his shoulders as a reply.

"We are going clock in. Izuku is going to hang out in my heroics class today, alright?" Shouta told Nezu.

"That's fine with me. You two are his parents and you know what's best for him. I'm going have myself a cup of tea," he spoke before walking back to his office.

Izuku tapped his parents' arms getting their attention.

"How?" Was the only thing that came to mind.

"Human experimentation."

Izuku's eyes widened as he just nodded his head very slowly.  "Fascinating," he signed.

—
(I know this next part is not canon. Just go with it)

Izuku sat at Shouta's desk waiting. His dad had walked out the room and the classroom was full of teen first years.

He could feel the vibrations of their overlapping voices on the hard surface of the desk.

His eyes scanned over the room. He noticed a boy with piercing eyes and dark blue hair and pointy ears. He tended to keep to himself, but that didn't stop two others from talking with him.

One of the people hanging out near them was a girl with long light blue hair. Her bright blue eyes matched her hair and she seemed like she had a bubbly personality in Izuku's eyes.

Lastly, there was a teen that seemed to resemble the sun itself. He had golden blonde hair and full blue eyes.

Izuku couldn't help but wonder what quirks they had. He would love to take notes on new quirks that he hasn't seen before.

Izuku was in his own world and didn't see one of the teens that he noticed before walk to him.

The blonde boy walked to him and started to talk. Izuku didn't know he was there at first but when he turned in the spinny chair he noticed him.

He jumped his shock. He hated when people did that to him, but he knew it wasn't always their fault.

The blonde boy started to talk again, but the only thing Izuku could make out was the word 'ok'.

Izuku pointed to himself and just gave a thumbs up hoping he was just asking if he was okay.

"Mirio, please go back to your seat," Shouta spoke standing in a large yellow sleeping bag.

Mirio's eyes darted to the teacher before bowing as an apology. Izuku followed The teen's eyes and saw the view for himself.

He had to bite his lip to keep him from laughing at his dad.

Shouta shot him a look while inside his yellow sleeping bag. It basically yelled out 'you laugh and I send you back to the orphanage.'

Izuku fought back the laughter and put his hands up acting like he was innocent.

Shouta sighed before making his way fully into the room.

"Class, this is Izuku, he is my son. He's going to be helping the class today," he spoke aloud revealing an evil -like grin.

Chapter Text

The students stood there in their costumes waiting for instructions from their teacher. However, Shouta had a plan that he didn't tell anyone of his students. He only told Izuku.

Shouta wanted to bring Izuku to the school for two reasons; 1: he wanted to see how the students would interact with a handicaed person. 2: He wanted Izuku to take notes on how the students can improve.

After about a month living with his new parents, Izuku showed them the very detailed notebooks about different heroes and old classmates.

Shouta knew that Izuku was going to stay silent, but his actions and knowledge spoke for him.

Mirio stuck with his two friends. The class was still confused why Izuku was there. The teen looked younger, but not too much younger than them. He was also quiet. Too quiet for a teen.

Izuku took out his phone and waited to see if anyone would walk to him.

"Tamaki, Mirio, why do you think Aizawa brought his kid?" the girl of the group, Nejire, asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure why he isn't talking though," Mirio added.

"Maybe he has social anxiety, like me," Tamaki mumbled the last part.

"I told you to just imagine everyone else as potatoes. Potatoes won't hurt you," Nejire consoled him.

Tamaki shivered from the stress. "That doesn't work. I can still see their bodies."

Mirio looked over to the green haired boy.  "Now that I think about it, Mr. Aizawa didn't say anything to him."

The other two teens looked over to the blonde haired boy.

"He hasn't talked to anyone since he's gotten here, including his dad?" Nejire said in the form of a question.

"Maybe he's mute," Tamaki spoke softly.

"Maybe, but he's not looking at us. You would think he would look at people who were talking about him."

Mirio walked over to Izuku. Izuku didn't budge until Mirio was right in front of him.

"Your name's Izuku right?" Mirio asked.

Izuku read his lips as best as he could. He wasn't perfect but it was something he was practicing at school.

He just nodded his head seeing that the teen in front of him said his name.

"How old are you?"

Izuku didn't want to make the sign for 14. The class had to figure out that he was deaf.

Izuku made a handshape for 1 on one hand and a 4 on the other and showed it to Mirio.

"So you're 14. My friends and I are 16. That means that we'll be third years while you're going to be a first year in high school."

Mirio spoke quickly and Izuku couldn't read his lips anymore.

Izuku put up his hand as if he was telling him to stop. He felt bad that he couldn't communicate properly with him but he had to do what his dad had told him before the class started.

"What's wrong?" Mirio asked.

Izuku just stood there. He didn't want to use his voice. It had been so long since he used it. If he would start to talk again, his voice was probably going to be rough and barely understandable. He didn't want to figure that out now.

"Are you mute?" Mirio asked straight up.

Izuku noticed the word 'mute' and tried to piece it all together.

He shook his head no.

"Deaf?"

Izuku put on a grin and nodded.

Izuku typed something on his phone for Mirio to read. Once he was finished, he handed the phone to Mirio.

'Congratulations on being the one to walk up to me and have a conversation with me even though I couldn't hear you. This was part of the assignment today.' Mirio read.

He handed the phone back to Izuku. After that, Izuku texted Aizawa that someone had figured it out.

About a minute later, Shouta walked to the facility wearing his normal dark clothes.

"Who?" Shouta signed to Izuku.

Izuku pointed to Mirio who was shocked that Aizawa knew a different language.

Shouta looked at Mirio and then looked at the rest of the class.

"You made my poor son sit here for about 10 minutes before any one of you would go up to him."

The whole class caught chills as Aizawa seemed to stare them down with a father's protective eye.

"The class will fight each other 1 v 1. Draw slots and meet me at the ring. I need to help Izuku," he told the class.

Izuku walked up to his dad and tapped his arm. Shouta looked down to see what Izuku wanted.

"You just scared those poor teens. They'll have nightmares for years," he joked but with a serious face.

"Good."

Izuku grinned and rolled his eyes.

"Here." Shouta signed before opening the bag he had with him and gave Izuku a notebook and pencil.

Izuku shook his head as a way to say thank you.

The thing about sign language is that it's a visual language. Therefore, deaf people can't just say what they want when they want. They need to have their hands and arms free whenever they want to say anything.

The father and son duo walked over to a large circle and got Izuku ready with a flat surface to write on.

"Ready?" Shouta asked Izuku.

"Y-e-s," he spelled back. He reminded Shouta on how far he had come with learning the language in just a year.

"First group! You're up!" Shouta shouted to his students.

—-

Izuku had almost written two whole pages for each student in the class on pros, cons, and things they can improve on when it comes to reaching their max potential.

Izuku had Shouta write the names in as the fight concluded for each group. Izuku enjoyed watching all the different quirks be introduced to him. It was like a breath of fresh air.

"Mr. Aizawa, what is that?" One of the students asked him as he flipped through the notebook glancing over the things Izuku wrote.

"Something you'll find out tomorrow. Class is dismissed for the day," Aizawa said, closing the notebook.

The students let out a sigh of relief. Believe it or not s
Shouta was a good teacher, he was just very strict.

"Can I stay with the class?" Izuku asked Shouta before he started to walk away.

Shouta looked to the class. "Mirio!" He called out.

"Yes sir?"

"Watch my son. He wants to stay with the class."

Shouta pointed to Mirio and signed to Izuku to stay with him.

Shouta started to walk away while the class stayed back to talk a little.

Izuku walked over to Mirio and his friend group. Izuku knew they were strong quirk wise.

Mirio's quirk was prediction. It allowed him to pass through solids like walls or the floor. However, Izuku realized that he would take a deep breath before activating his quirk and was crying out for air when he was finished with it. Izuku had written down in his notebook that he would need to work on breathing techniques to hold and catch his breath easier.

Nejire's quirk was wave motion. She could send powerful waves to her opponents. The downfall of her quirk is that the waves would only travel in spirals. Izuku wondered if she could use them to make herself float through the air.

Tamaki was an interesting individual. He could turn into the things that he would eat. Izuku noticed that he had made a crab claw during the fight, meaning he must of had eaten crab. However he was not confident in himself. He would need to work on his anxiety.

"Hi Izuku!" Mirio said to him.

Izuku got out his phone before typing what he wanted to say.

"You guys are strong," Mirio read from the phone whenever Izuku gave him the phone.

"Why aren't you in school right now?" Nejire asked while Mirio typed the question on the phone and handed it back to Izuku.

Izuku read over the text. He typed a reply quickly and handed back the phone.

"Academically, I'm at the same level as you guys. I'm fluent in sign so I don't need those classes. I don't use my voice so I don't have vocal classes as well," Mirio read out.

"So he's as smart as us?" Tamaki asked.

"I'd say he's smarter," Nejire replied.

"Great," he grumbled. "I'm going change back into our uniform. I want to go home."

The group laughed at Tamaki. Izuku smiled. He couldn't wait to watch the three of them go into powerful heroes.

—-

Izuku sat on the couch at his home with a book in his hands. Shouta and Hizashi both had a night shift so he was by himself for the night.

He had his hair half pulled up to keep the stray hairs out of his face. Whenever he thought about it, the only thing that had changed about him since the Bakugos was his hair.

Mitsuki was the only one he truly missed about that family. He didn't want to admit it to anyone but he had a fear of explosions. He never got into the situation since the accident that he had to deal with them, but if he saw one, he would go into a panic.

Izuku kept reading the book, pushing up his thin reading glasses not worrying about the thought.

He kept reading until 10 at night. He had to go to school the next day. Going to UA was fun but he still had to get an education himself.

He closed the book and took off his glasses, putting both of them on the table next to the couch.

The front door slammed open. Izuku saw the door from the corner of his eye.

Shouta stood there with someone shorter than him standing behind him.

"Who's that?" The person behind him asked, seeing Izuku standing there.

"That's my son Izuku." He told them. "Hold on."

Shouta stopped talking and switched to sign language.

"I'm not going to ask why you're still up but do you mind going set up the guest bedroom? I'll explain later."

Izuku nodded before rushing up the stairs.

The person behind Shouta started blankly at what just happened.

"Izuku's deaf," Shouta explained. "Let's get you cleaned up. I'll show you where the shower is and I'll bring you some clothes."

"Why are you helping me anyway? I would have been fine on the streets," the person told him.

"I won't let a 14 year old kid who's alone live on the streets, Hitoshi."

The young teen sighed in defeat. His parents had abandoned him when people would call his quirk something only a villain would have. He could brainwash someone into doing anything he asked by asking them a simple question.

"You'll be staying here. I'm not sending you to the orphanage," Shouta told him while they walked to the bathroom upstairs.

"What about the legal system?"

"My husband and I had to go through it when we adopted Izuku. I'm sure we can go through it again with you."

Shouta opened the door to the bathroom and showed him how to work the shower. He got out a fresh set of towels.

"I'll grab some clothes for you. You can put what you're wearing on the floor. I'll clean it later."

"Eraserhead," The teen said.

"Call me Shouta."

"Shouta?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

—-

"Spill," Izuku signed as Shouta once the other teen was settled in the guest room.

"You know how I am with troubled teens."

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"

"The kid was alone in a dark alleyway. He was extremely dirty and clearly hadn't been cared for in months. I could just leave him there," Shouta told Izuku.

"And you don't want to send him to the orphanage," Izuku finished what Shouta was going to sign next.

"I don't want him to go through that pain."

Izuku nodded. "Does that make him my brother?" He smirked a little.

"I still need to talk to your Papa."

"But that still makes him my brother. You guys are literally heroes and teachers; you won't let a kid go through hell."

"I'm glad you understand."

"As long as he can find a way to communicate with me, I'll be fine," Izuku smiled.

"Now," Shouta started to sign. "Why are you still up at this hour on a school night?"

Izuku's smile dropped and he zoomed to his room.

—-

The small family sat down eating breakfast with one another. Shouta had told Hizashi everything once he got home from his shift and agreed on every detail.

They were going to adopt Hitoshi into their small family.

"So, Hitoshi, tell us some stuff about you. You don't have to share all the personal stuff yet. We'll understand," Hizashi spoke, cutting into his omelet.

"Umm, well, I like cats."

"We have a cat named Yuki, she usually hides though. She pops up randomly to eat," Shouta said.

"How old are you?" Izuku signed.

Hitoshi's eyes widened, not knowing what Izuku was trying to say.

"He's 14," Shouta spoke aloud and signed at the same time.

Izuku gave a thumbs up before going back to his food.

"Am I going to have to learn, whatever you guys just did?" Hitoshi asked.

"We recommend it for Izuku's sake, but if you don't, there's always typing on your phone and letting him read it," Hizashi told him.

"If you do decide to learn it, we'll help you. I wasn't fluent until 6 months after Izuku moved in and I still have trouble with some words," Shouta told him.

A knock sounded at the door. The adults know who it was already. She would almost always come over.

"You can come in Penny!" Hizashi yelled from the table.

The door opened and revealed the girl Hizashi yelled too.

"Thanks, Hizashi. Morning, Shouta," she said.

"Morning Penny."

"You're new," she said looking at Hitoshi.

"This is Hitoshi."

Penny walked over to him and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you Hitoshi, I'm Penny. I practically raised Izuku in deaf culture."

"You're deaf?" he asked, shaking her hand.

"Hard of hearing. I have some hearing left, but it's not the best. I wear hearing aids most of the time," she replied to him.

She knocked on the table which got Izuku's attention.

"Come on, we are going to be late!" She signed to Izuku.

"Can I finish breakfast?"

"No!" She grabbed his wrist and dragged him out the door.

"We'll see you later!" Penny yelled, closing the door behind Izuku.

"That girl is a handful," Shouta said, rubbing his temple.

"She's always been there for him though."

"Was Izuku born deaf?" Hitoshi asked.

"No, we know it was from an accident from when he was 13, but he's never told us the full story," Shouta told him.

"He'll tell us when he's ready," Hizashi finished.

Shouta and Hitoshi took a sip of their drinks and Hizashi couldn't help but laugh. He had  realized something about the two of them.

"Why are you laughing?" Shouta asked behind his cup of straight black coffee.

"Shouta, did you have a secret kid and not tell me about it. You two are almost alike!"

"What do you mean?" Hitoshi asked.

"You'll see it the more you hang out with us."

Shouta and Hitoshi looked at each other and just shrugged their shoulders. They didn't see the similarities...yet.

Chapter Text

Hitoshi, Izuku, and Penny were walking the streets of Japan, bonding with each other. Hitoshi had lived with the Aizawa family for about 2 months and had learned the alphabet and a few basic signs for Izuku.

He was nowhere near the level of his adoptive parents, Izuku, and Penny.

"Izuku!" Penny signed as the pasted by another puppy cafe that had been opened.

"What?" He asked, stopping so Hitoshi could see.

"This is the 3rd puppy cafe we passed and you have no interest in them!" She seemed to shout as she signed.

Izuku bursted out into laughter. He was never prepared for anything Penny would say.

"What's going on?" Hitoshi asked, confused. He could only understand the word cafe.

"Izuku is not a dog person at all! Puppy cafes don't phase the child!" Penny translated for poor Hitoshi.

"Okay. Your point is?" Hitoshi asked.

Penny was taken aback from the question. "Wait, you too?"

"We both like cats more than dogs."

"I can't believe this," Penny started to say under her breath. "I'm friends with cat people." She also signed it for Izuku to see

"I'm not sure about Izuku but I was kinda roped into being friends with you. You're always with him," Hitoshi said.

"Izuku was forced into it too. I taught him sign," Penny half lied.

"You gave me my sign name, and taught me curse words," Izuku signed to her.

"I did not teach you curse words!" She spoke and signed.

Izuku shot her a look that basically shouted the word; really.

"Fine, maybe I did teach you curse words," she admitted.

"I have a question?" Hitoshi asked and signed very slowly.

The two hearing impaired teens looked at him and waited for his question.

"Why aren't you two dating? You are always together," he spoke, not knowing how to sign it.

Penny quickly signed what he said to Izuku.

Izuku signed something back, but Hitoshi had to wait for Penny to translate it.

"She tried, but I'm gay," Penny translated for Hitoshi.

"Izuku's gay?"

"We live with a set of two dads. Plus, men," Izuku signed, poorly defending his case.

"What about you?" Penny asked Hitoshi.

"I like guys."

"I'm the only straight one in this friend group," Penny signed and spoke.

"Yes," Izuku and Hitoshi signed at the same time.

"Let's keep walking, your dads work late tonight."

The group kept walking. They didn't have a specific destination they wanted to go to. It was more of a bonding between the three.

Izuku had the strange feeling that the area around them looked familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He shrugged off the feeling till they came across a gate that held a school.

"Look they have school today," Penny signed as she stopped in front looking inside. She always wanted to get the feeling of attending a normal school. She had only been to schools that specialize in deaf education.

The three of them took off today just because they wanted to. Their parents allowed them to do this at least once a month, as a way to destress from school.

Izuku looked through the gate and looked at the building. That's when the realization hit him.

"This is my old school," he signed, to Penny and Hitoshi.

"When?" Hitoshi signed, asking Izuku.

"When I was hearing."

"When he was still hearing, so when he was 13," Penny translated.

Izuku placed his hand on the gate and remembered his short time there. He was bullied everyday. Everyone knew to target him since he was quirkless.

"Do you know anything about his time here?" Hitoshi asked Penny.

Penny shook her head. "I don't know anything from his past other than his parents died and he was put in the foster care system."

"He was in foster care?"

"You didn't know?"

Hitoshi shook his head no. "He hasn't told me, dad or papa anything about his past. Not even the details of the accident."

"If it makes you feel better, I don't know anything about his past. I only know that he's an orphan that got adopted."

Students ran out into the front yard of the school. Izuku recognized some of the kids as his past bullies. He tried to remember the sounds of normal middle school teens yelling and playing with each other. If you call it playing.

There was a teen that ran out of the building that brought back memories for Izuku. Memories he thought he could bury.

The blonde boy of his past, the reason why he was deaf was walking out the building.

Izuku's breath quickened. Hitoshi and Penny looked towards Izuku, concerned.

Penny reached out and placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. Izuku watched as other students started to crowd around his former foster brother.

"Kacchan," Izuku breathed out. It was the first time Hitoshi heard Izuku speak. It was quiet, but his voice was rough and it was obvious that he hadn't used it in over a year.

"Who?" Penny asked Izuku through sign language.

"Blonde hair," he signed back.

Penny looked to the bit with the spiky blonde hair.

"Get away losers!" She heard him yell from the school yard.

"Who is he?" Hitoshi asked aloud.

"I don't know," Penny replied.

Izuku just watched. He thought about if things were different. What would have happened if Katsuki didn't lose his temper? What would've happened if the accident never happened?

Izuku got lost in thought. He wasn't paying attention to Penny and his brother. His attention was on Katsuki and the other hearing teens that were there.

Suddenly, a bright flash started to form in the palm of Katsuki's hand. Izuku thought he could feel the heat from the explosion all the way from the gate even though the two of them were far apart.

Izuku felt the panic rise within him. The memories flashed back. He could see moments from that day flash before his eyes.

He looked down to his hands. He thought he could see the blood that came from his ears after the explosions.

"Izuku?" Penny signed, hoping he would see her move in his field of vision. Izuku didn't see her. He needed to get out of the situation. He had to get away from the school.

He did the only thing that came to mind in the moment; he ran.

"Izuku!" Hitoshi yelled out of instinct. Izuku ran the opposite way that they came from.

Hitoshi jetted after his brother while Penny just stared at the so-called "Kaccan."

He had heard the familiar name get shouted out. His attention went to the front gate of the school. Penny studied the blonde.

"Pigtails!" Katsuki yelled at her while jogging to the gate.

Penny didn't want to intervene in Izuku's past without him sharing his side first.

"Sorry, but he needs me," she spoke before running after Izuku and Hitoshi.

Katsuki stopped as soon as Penny ran away. He noticed she was wearing hearing aids.

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. All he wanted was to see Izuku again.

—-

Izuku didn't stop running. He seemed like he couldn't get away from the memories; they kept following him.

He didn't stop until he got to a brick wall. The wall was giving him the strongest memories of the day but unlike the school, it seemed to call him closer to it.

He bent down and noticed something near the bottom of it.

Hitoshi and Penny had caught up with him, panting. Izuku looked at them with sorrowful eyes.

"Sorry," he signed.

"What the hell Izu?! You can't run off like-"

"What's that?" Hitoshi cut Penny off. Hitoshi had slabbed her hands to get her to stop signing.

"My blood," Izuku signed, looking at the stain.

"Izuku, I know you're not ready, but you'll never be ready. You need to tell us about your past," Penny signed and spoke.

"I know. It's just hard," he signed, letting a tear slip out.

"Everything in life is hard. Sometimes you need to suck it up and take the step!" She signed.

Izuku got back up. "Let's go home. I'm only going to share it with everyone around."

"O-k."

—

Izuku, Penny, Hitoshi, Shouta and Hizashi all sat around the kitchen table in silence. Shouta and Hizashi hadn't left for night patrol yet.

"Izuku, are you okay?" Hizashi asked.

When the three teens came in, they could tell something was wrong. Penny wasn't being her loud, crazy self. Hitoshi was being an extremely caring brother towards Izuku, who was on the verge of having a mental breakdown.

"I," he paused. He took a deep breath. He had to tell them. It wasn't right to keep them in the dark any longer. They should have found out a long time ago, but he was scared.

Fear had controlled him for too long. Fear was the chains holding him down to that brick wall. Fear made him panic.

It was time fear left and a new Izuku emerged. He had to let Izuku Midoriya leave finally.

Only then could Izuku Aizawa be born.

"I want to tell you about my past. Everything from my time with my foster family to the accident."

Izuku told them how he was taken in when he was 4 with the Bakugo's, however he didn't share their name. He still wanted to give Katsuki his best chance of becoming a hero. It was both of their dreams growing up.

He continued to tell them about the bullying and the harassment growing as he grew up.

Hizashi and Shouta couldn't believe what Izuku was telling them. The kids would bully him just for being quirkless.

Izuku kept going until the day of the accident.

"A week or so before Penny met me was the day that literally changed the rest of my life."

"The accident?" She cut in.

Izuku nodded. He started by saying how the foster parents had finally decided to adopt him but how their son didn't like the idea. Izuku still couldn't understand why. He didn't go into too much detail about it. The events were fuzzy in his mind.

"The last thing I remember is him using his quirk to send two large explosions with his hands in my ears," he finished moving his hands over his ears to show them.

"My foster family was stripped of their foster home abilities and the ability to adopt other kids."

The 4 people who had listened to the story were all speechless. They couldn't understand how such a backstory led up to the teen that sat in front of them.

"Izuku, I didn't know," Penny signed, having a look that still shows she was speechless.

"I'm going to kill that person who did that to you!" Hitoshi signed slowly. The household was a silent family until he had learned sign language.

"No, you're not. Because I think I'm ready to move on," Izuku signed.

"Izu, what do you mean?" Shouta asked, still taken aback by the story.

"That was Izuku Midoriya. I'm ready to become Izuku Aizawa," he gave a soft smile.

"And how does one become Izuku Aizawa?" Hizashi asked his son.

"Do you mind if I start working out?"

"I don't have a problem with that," Shouta spoke for him and Hizashi.

"Also, an ear piercing."

"I'll schedule the appointment," Hizashi said with a smile.

Izuku smiled. He felt free. He had broken free from the chains of his old life. The memories held him back, but sharing the story allowed him to break free.

Izuku Aizawa was born.

Chapter Text

A short year and a half later, Izuku looked nothing like he did before.

His green and black hair flowed to his mid back in waves that anyone could be jealous of. He had a slim figure and if he dressed a certain way, he looked like a girl.

Hitoshi was fluent in sign language and didn't have to rely on anyone to translate for him. He still had his purple hair that seemed to defy the laws of gravity. He trained with Shouta most of the time.

Hitoshi was applying to UA for the hero course. There was no doubt that he would get in. He was skilled in quirkless fighting and was almost a pro in using the capture scarf that Shouta had given him.

Izuku was technically in his third year of high school academically. Penny wasn't as smart as him and was still considered a first year in high school. They still attend Rō gakkō.

It was the day of the recommended students' entry exam to rank them.

Izuku was asked by Nezu to attend to help with the placement. Izuku agreed right away.

He was in his closet picking out clothes for the day. He grabbed some random clothes and put them on quickly.

He somehow grabbed a tank top and jogging pants that Penny had gotten him. Izuku rolled his eyes at the clothes but couldn't help but smile.

Whenever she realized that Izuku looked like a girl with his long hair and ear piercings she had gotten him clothes that would make him look more like a girl.

Izuku didn't care if he looked like a boy or a girl. He had no one to impress with his looks.

As he finished getting ready his room lights flickered off and on.

Izuku looked to the doorway leading into the hall. Shouta stood there in his normal black sweatshirt and jogging pants with his gray capture scarf wrapping around his neck.

"Do you ever get hot wearing that everyday?" Izuku asked, holding in a laugh.

"1. Sometimes 2. Are you ready to go?" Shouta asked him.

"Yeah. I'm ready!" He replied, grabbing a hair tie and placing it on his wrist after he finished signing.

"Let's go."

Izuku followed Shouta out of the house and to the family car.

Hitoshi and Hizashi were having a father son day so they weren't going with them to UA.

Shouta put the radio volume up. He didn't mind how loud it was. He was used to it because of Hizashi's quirk.

Izuku felt the vibrations of the music through the seat. He played with the hair tie on his wrist the whole way to the high school.

Students in middle school uniforms were walking inside the school gates when they pulled in.

As soon as Shouta parked the car, Izuku got out.

"I need to go get a notebook," Izuku signed to Shouta.

"I have an extra in my classroom. I need to go check in with the other teachers. You know the way right?"

Izuku shook his head and started to run into the school building.

The school was empty because of this exam so Izuku didn't have to worry about dodging anyone in the hallway.

Whenever he got to Shouta's classroom there were two people standing in front of the door.

Izuku easily noticed that the taller, older person was none other than pro hero Endeavor. The person with him, he assumed, was the youngest Todoroki; Shoto Todoroki.

"You're going to be the top student during this exam. Do you understand this Shoto? Today will have an outcome that will advance with the plan for you to surpass All Might," Endeavor spoke to his son.

"You said this before we left the house," the half red hall white hair boy told his father.

His eyes veered off of his father to Izuku.

"Who are you?" He spoke louder thinking that Izuku would be able to hear him. Endeavor turned to see who his son was talking to.

Izuku took out his phone and quickly typed something. He walked closer to the two of them.

He handed the phone to them.

"I need to get into the classroom. I'm deaf so I can't hear you. Hand me back the phone when finished," Shoto read aloud.

"This girl is Deaf?" Endeavor asked.

"Yes and she needs to grab something from this classroom."

The two of them moved out of the way and Shoto gave the phone back to Izuku.

"Thank you," Izuku signed, opening the door and walking inside.

Izuku quickly grabbed a notebook that was on Shouta's desk and a pen before walking back into the hall and closing the door behind him.

Izuku turned and saw that Endeavor was standing there waiting. Shoto had left already.

Izuku got out his phone again and started to type away.

Handing the phone to the adult, Endeavor read 'Can I help you?'

Endeavor typed something on the phone before handing the phone back to Izuku.

'What's your name and how old are you?'

Izuku typed his reply.

'I'm Izuku Aizawa. I'm 16.'

Endeavor smiled, but for some reason Izuku didn't really like it.

"I didn't know Shouta had a kid." He spoke aloud.

Izuku reached for his phone back, but Endeavor didn't give it to him.

He typed something else before giving the phone to Izuku.

'You're going to date my son. If you're Shouta's daughter, then you should be strong yourself,' Izuku read.

Before Izuku could put in his piece of mind, Endeavor walked away. 'Guess I look more like a girl today. Also, what the hell?!' He thought.

—

Izuku walked to the field still dumbfounded by the interaction between him and Endeavor.

"Izuku, what's wrong?" Shouta asked, seeing Izuku not be himself walking towards the teachers.

Izuku placed the notebook and pen down on the ground.

"Endeavor, he just told me to date his son," he signed back.

"What!?"

Izuku took out his phone and pulled up the conversation and showed it to Shouta.

"What's wrong Shouta?" Nezu asked.

"Enji thinks Izuku is a girl and told him to date Shoto," he spoke aloud.

"I would want to get to know Shoto before we can be considered together," Izuku signed.

Nezu could understand what Izuku said. He had learned sign language for Izuku for when he would come over.

"What about if Enji finds out that you're not a girl?" Nezu signed.

"And quirkless," Shouta added.

"Then if me and Shoto do end up together, then Shoto would have to man up," he replied.

Nezu and Shouta laughed at Izuku's reply. He had gotten more confident since they had first met him.

"We'll, moving on from that, are you ready to start Izuku? Everything is ready," Nezu asked.

"Yep. Start the tests!"

—

The tests passed and Izuku had filled the notebook with information on each student. Izuku handed the notebook to Nezu to do the rankings.

Shoto walked over to Izuku after the final test.

Izuku had his hair pulled back into a low ponytail having his ear piercings on display. He had a silver stud on each lobe of his ear.

"Your name is Izuku right?" Shoto asked him, walking up.

Izuku wasn't paying attention to him, but he turned towards him after he had finished talking.

"Shoto Todoroki!" Shouta called out walking towards the two teens.

"Mr. Aizawa, it's nice to see you again," Todoroki bowed.

"Dad, is he trying to talk to me?" Izuku signed to Shouta.

"He was at first, but I'm handling it."

"Thank you interpreter," Izuku ended it with a thumbs up.

"The only other person here that knows what your saying is Nezu and he's busy."

"True."

"Am I interrupting something?" Todoroki asked.

"No, just a parent talking to their child," Shouta told him.

"I was told by my father to invite Izuku over for dinner tonight," Todoroki said, not knowing about Enji's and Izuku's conversation.

"I'll allow it, but someone is going to come with Izuku. They can't understand a word that we are saying without focusing 100% on what we are saying."

"Is that her quirk?"

"No. Izuku just can't read lips well. Anyway, Izuku's friend Penny is going to be coming. She's hard of hearing, but when she wears her hearing aids she acts as an interpreter."

"I'll be sure to tell my father. Thank you, Mr. Aizawa. I'll see you soon Izuku," he ended with a smile.

After Shoto walked away, Izuku turned back to Shouta. "Translate."

"You, my child, just got invited to dinner tonight. Penny is going to go with you. I work tonight."

"I'll go call her," Izuku signed, pulling out his phone and going to an area so he could video chat her.

He dialed her number and started the call.

"Hello," she answered the call.

"Penny, are you free tonight?" He signed.

"Yeah, I was planning on coming over anyway. What's up?"

"I got invited to dinner with a family that thinks I'm a girl."

Penny went into shock. "Are you for real?!" She signed.

"I wish I was," he laughed.

"Let me guess, they are all hearing."

"Yep."

"Is there anything else I need to know?" She asked, understanding everything so far.

"It's the Todoroki family."

"Wait? As in Enji Todoroki? As in Endeavor?!"

"Yes. Be at my house by 4. I need you to give me a makeover."

"Already planning it!" Penny ended the call before he could say anything else.

"Who are you?" Someone asked Izuku. They weren't aware that Izuku was deaf.

Izuku got up and headed the other direction not knowing that someone had walked up to him.

The girl was taken aback. "How rude!" She angrily said. She stormed off the way that she came from.

—

"I'm coming in!" Penny shouted from the outside of the Aizawa household.

Penny walked in and saw Shouta drinking a cup of coffee, leaning against the counter.

"Izuku is taking a shower. He should be finished in a couple minutes," Shouta told her, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Rough day?"

"My son got told to date someone that he met today. The father of this person and the person also think my son is a girl." 

"I'm his defense, Izuku can look like a girl sometimes."

"I don't care what he does about his looks. As long as it's legal."

"Can I go to his room and pick something out for him to wear?"

"Go for it. I know you won't do anything."

Penny smiled and skipped off to Izuku's room.

Penny threw down her bag that had her clothes and a little makeup for her and possibly Izuku to wear.

She went straight to Izuku's closet. She went to the clothes that she had got for him.

She found a few options and placed it on his bed.

The lights flickered and Penny's attention went to the door.

"What the hell?" Izuku signed. He was in jogging pants and nothing else.

"Why are you shirtless?" Penny signed, wanting to look away. The thing with sign language is that she couldn't look away.

"Because I live in a house of only men."

"Whatever, throw on a button down shirt so I can do your hair," she commanded him.

"Why a button down?"

"It's a girl thing."

—

Izuku and Penny walked up to the address that Shouta had given them. Apparently Endeavor sent the address to him earlier in the day.

Penny had picked out a white flowy shirt that had thin green horizontal lines on it for Izuku to wear. The shirt looked like a strapless shirt. She had given Izuku a pair of skinny jeans and some white shoes.

Penny had curled Izuku's hair and had half of it pinned back. She was proud of her work. Izuku allowed very minimal makeup; mascara and lip gloss. That was it.

Penny on the other had on jeans and a cute black and white shirt paired with black ripped jeans. She had taken her hair out of her usual braids and let the curls made from them flow down.

"I'm surprised you don't have hair loss from having them in those braids all the time," Izuku signed to her once the got to the doorstep.

"In all honesty, same."

"Got your hearing aids on?"

"Duh!" She pointed to the devices sitting on her ears. "Hey, Izuku," she called out to him in sign.

"What is it?"

"I know you can't get hearing aids because of your eardrums, but have you thought about getting a cochlear implant?"

"Let's knock on the door. I'll talk about it later," he changed the subject.

Izuku rang the doorbell. Penny and him waited for a few moments before the door opened and revealed Shoto.

"Are you Penny?" Shoto asked.

"Sure am! I'm here to act as Izuku's interpreter," she smiled.

"Come on in. Dinner is almost ready."

Chapter Text

Penny and Izuku sat across from another at the table. Izuku had to sit in between Shoto and Shoto's brother.

Penny sat in between Shoto's sister and Endeavor. Penny was trying her best not to fangirl. Izuku and Penny had a list of their top heroes and for Penny, Endeavor was in her top 3.

"Penny you okay?" Izuku signed to her, trying his best not to laugh at her.

"What is she saying?" Endeavor asked Penny. Penny jumped a little.

"She's just asking me something," Penny spoke aloud. She then went from a smiley face to a serious one. "I'm going to kill you! You're lucky that they don't know sign."

Izuku laughed, causing the whole Todoroki family to look at him.

"Can I ask her something?" Enji asked Penny.

"Shoto, tap his shoulder. I can't communicate with her if she keeps laughing."

The half and half teen did like he was asked and tapped Izuku's arm. Izuku stopped laughing and looked at Shoto. His green eyes looked into Shoto's gray and crystal blue eyes.

"Penny wants you," he spoke. Penny wanted to slap Shoto.

'If he is deaf he's not going to hear you!' She mentally yelled at him.

Izuku somewhat read his lips and could put together what he was asking.

Izuku looked over to Penny who waved him down letting him know that someone was about to talk to him.

"What's your quirk?" Enji asked Izuku while Penny signed the question.

"Dad!" Shoto's older brother, Natsu, shouted at him.

"Dad, is that really the question you want to ask her?"

"I was born quirkless. I dreamed of growing up and becoming a hero until I became deaf," Izuku signed while Penny spoke, translating for them.

Enji was taken back from the response. He was confused by the fact that Izuku was Shouta's kid. Surely, Izuku would have some kind of quirk.

"Isn't Aizawa married to Hizashi?" Shoto's sister, Fuyumi, asked.

Penny translated the question for Izuku. "Yes, they are the best parents I could ask for. They adopted me about 2 and a half years ago."

"Where do you plan on doing high school?" Natsu asked curiously.

"Can I answer this one?" She spoke aloud and signed.

Izuku agreed knowing that Penny liked to show off on how smart he was.

"Yes!" She said quietly to herself. "Izuku and I attend Rō gakkō. Even though we are the same age as Shoto, Izuku is at a 3rd year level while I'm at a first year level. Izuku's probably the smartest in our age group," she explained.

"How is that possible?" Enji asked.

"The way Rō gakkō works is the academic level, not the age of the student. Ever since I've known her, Izuku's been two grades above the normal level," Penny continued to explain making sure to call Izuku she to go with the lie.

"That's very impressive. That could be of use for Shoto," Enji spoke the second sentence quietly for only himself to hear.

"Are you done bragging?" Izuku signed to Penny.

"Never, but I guess for now I am." Izuku laughed at Penny's response.

"Shoto, I'll sign you up for sign language classes so you'll be able to communicate with Izuku here," Enji said, picking up his chopsticks starting to dig into his food.

"Okay," Shoto replied with barely any emotion.

"Izuku, are you okay with you being forced into this relationship?! They don't even know you're a guy!" Penny signed to him.

"I'll give him a chance. You never know, we could end up liking each other."

"You're going to get yourself in a hole and you won't be able to get out of it," Penny warned.

"I'll be fine."

Strangely, the dinner was uneventful.
—-

The first weeks of the new school year were approaching and Izuku hadn't told Shoto that he wasn't truly a girl. Slowly, the fact was tearing Izuku apart.

"Are you okay?" Hitoshi asked his brother as he looked up from his phone.

"No! I'm dating this guy that doesn't know that I'm a guy!" Izuku complained.

"What did you get yourself into?"

"Enji Todoroki, Endeavor, he wants me to date his son. I don't know why, but I was going to give it a chance, but he has no experience in a relationship!"

"Says you! This is your first relationship too," Hitoshi called him out.

"Hitoshi, I'm a gay guy with a straight girl best friend. We both go crazy over guys."

"You could have told him no. That is an option you know."

Izuku stuck his tongue out at his brother.

"I hate that you're right."

"Love you too bro."

"How come you never talk about guys with me? Your gay too," Izuku questioned.

"Cause you and I are different. You can go to the feminine side and the masculine side. Me, on the other hand, I only have the masculine side."

Izuku looked at his brother analyzing him. "Yep."

"I love how you agreed so quickly."

"You're the one that signed it!"

Hitoshi reached over to the pillows that were on Izuku's bed and threw one at him.

The two brothers fought until a flashing light and vibrations lit up Izuku's phone.

Izuku rolled his eyes and turned off the alarm.

"What's that for?" Hitoshi asked.

"Shoto's coming over. It's my reminder to start getting ready."

"That's my cue to leave. I'm going to play with Yuki."

"Good luck finding her."

As soon as Hitoshi walked out, Izuku grabbed a set of jogging pants and his hair towel for after his shower.

His hair was greasy and needed a good wash. It was one of the downfalls to having long hair, but he didn't mind it.

—-

Shoto walked up to the front doors of the Aizawa household with a bouquet of flowers in hand.

It had been about 3 weeks since he first met Izuku. Shoto's father forced him non stop to learn sign language. He wasn't sure why he pushed for the two of them to be together, but Shoto knew better than to fight it.

Shoto knocked on the front door waiting. School was starting in a few days, meaning Izuku had to spend more time at Rō gakkō.

In the three weeks of knowing Izuku, Shoto grew to care about him. Shoto still didn't know that Izuku was truly a boy and not a girl.

The door opened revealing Izuku's purple haired brother.

"Hi, I'm here to see Izuku," Shoto spoke to Hitoshi.

Hitoshi looked the other teen up and down, being the protective sibling. "I don't like you."

Shoto tensed up.

Hitoshi bursted out into laughter making Shoto nervously laugh along.

"You can't take a joke, can't you?" Hitoshi asked.

"My sense of humor isn't the best."

"I see that. Come in, I'll let Izuku know you're here."

Shoto hesitantly walked inside, following Hitoshi to Izuku's room.

"She should be finished in the shower in a few minutes. You can wait here," Hitoshi told him. Shoto nodded and sat down in the chair in Izuku's room.

All of a sudden, a cat screeched, scaring Shoto a little. Hitoshi's eyes widened and he jetted out of the room.

"Yuki, what did you do now?!" He seemed to yell, rushing to the cat.

The door shut behind him out of habit. Shoto couldn't help but take a glance around the room. There were a few movie posters on the gray walls. There were a few small, white poster boards with dates on them. There was nothing else to the dates, but most of them were from that last year and a half.

"Must be important dates of her life," Shoto said to himself. There were bookshelves filled with different notebooks and books alike.

The door creaked causing Shoto to look at the person walking in.

Everything seemed to be in slow motion for that split second. The gasp of air Shoto let out because of shock, gravity took a hold of the flowers from his hand and made them crash to the floor.

Izuku stood there in the doorway in shock. His hair was tied into a low bun and all he was wearing was the pair of jogging pants he had brought.

"Izuku?" Shoto signed, questioning what he was seeing.

"Surprise?"

"You're a boy?"

"You weren't supposed to be here till later," Izuku defended himself.

"I wanted to come early," Shoto explained. He had memorized a lot from the lessons he was forced to take.

"I guess I should come out now with the truth," Izuku nervously chuckled. "I'm actually a guy. I just look like a girl because of my hair and body structure. Penny doesn't help the fact. She buys some of my clothes."

It took a few times repeating what Izuku signed, but Shoto was able to understand him.

"Aren't you uncomfortable with being forced to date a guy?"

"No. I rather date a guy than a girl," Izuku told him.

"So you like guys to begin with?"

"Yep."

Shoto sat back into the chair trying to process everything that just happened.

Izuku walked over to Shoto and pushed some of his red hair off of his forehead.

Shoto looked to Izuku who had sat on the ground with his legs crossed.

"I'm sorry I lied. I don't know how to say no sometimes. I didn't think about how it would affect you," Izuku apologized. He felt the edge to let out a tear. He felt guilty.

Shoto placed a hand on Izuku's cheek. He gave a soft smile. He took his hand off to sign something.

"Can I kiss you? I want to try."

Izuku nodded. His heartbeat increased because of nerves. It was his first kiss with anyone.

Shoto placed his hand back on Izuku's cheek. Izuku got to his knees and stood on them.

Shoto's lips met Izuku's. It felt natural for both but at the same time felt like they were strangers. Like it was the right thing, but with the wrong person.

The two broke apart. Izuku's face had a small tint of pink and the same could be said for Shoto.

"You okay?" Izuku asked Shoto.

"I think I like guys, but-"

"Not me," Izuku finished.

"Yeah."

Izuku nodded, letting Shoto know he felt the same.

"So what are we going to do?"

"My dad, he's crazy. He believes fully that you're a girl. My whole family does!"

"I may not like you like you as a boyfriend but I care about you and I do consider you a friend. Just tell me what to do."

Shoto let out a sigh. His father would be enraged to find out the truth, but he wanted Izuku to have a fair chance to find love in his life. Saying that, he knew that he and Izuku couldn't separate. Enji would hurt both of them.

"My dad would hurt both of us if we separated or he would find out the truth. I don't want to rope you into his beatings."

"We can tell my parents. They'll understand the situation."

"That would require me to come out to my father. He would also get found out for the abuse. He'll get arrested."

"If your household is too dangerous to go back there, it's for the best."

"He's still my father!"

Izuku didn't know what to say. He didn't know what they could do to make everyone happy.

"Can we play this charade until we figure it out? I'll give him the satisfaction of us together while in reality we can just be friends."

"I'm okay with that. Act like a normal guy, girl couple in front of our family's for the time being," Izuku signed, making sure he understood.

Shoto nodded.

Izuku felt the water from his wet hair start to go down his back.

"Can you get out of my chair now so I can do my hair? It's getting cold with the water going down my back."

Shoto rushed out the chair while Izuku laughed at him.

The boys got to know each other on a more personal level.

Shoto explained how he got his scar from his mother pouring boiling water on his face while Izuku explained the scars around his ears.

The scars reminded them of the past. They knew they couldn't change the past. However they could change their future. They didn't know if they would get new scars to remind them of the present or if it would just be a random memory in the mind.

Chapter Text

"Shoto knows," Izuku signed at Penny as they walked through the gates of their school.

"That you're a boy?"

"Yep."

Izuku explained that they were still going to fake being together in front of their families but he didn't go into deep detail on why.

"So when do you go to UA to do your yearly observation on the hero class?"

Izuku pulled out his phone to see when it was. He picked up his phone before he signed back to Penny. "I go in 2 days."

"Can't you believe that our color this year is green! I look horrible!" Penny complained about the scarf and tie color of the age.

Izuku laughed at Penny. She acted like the color was going to kill her. "I think it looks good," Izuku signed.

"Because you're basically the color green. Your eyes, your hair, even though it's black too, most of your clothes. You need a new color, Izu!"

"I'll stick with green."

The two of them stuck together until they got to Izuku's first period classroom. Izuku was short compared to the older teens walking into the classroom. Him and Penny were the same height standing at 5 foot 4 inches or 166 cm.

"When you think about it, this could be your last year of high school," Penny signed to him.

"I know, but I will probably need to come back after a small amount of time after the fact," Izuku told her.

"Why would you come back here willingly?" Penny paused. "Are you going to miss me?"

"You're my best friend. Of course I'm going to miss you!" He told her.

"Then why would you come back here?"

"For speech classes."

Penny looked at him confused. "Why would you need speech classes? One of the rules the school puts on us is that we can't use our voice unless we get a hearing device and you can't get hearing aids."

"But I can get a cochlear implant."

"Wait. What!?" He signed with a shocked facial expression.

"I still need to ask my dads but, I want that as my graduation gift."

Penny squeezed Izuku into a hug. She was happy for him. Izuku had done research for a while. He loved being a part of the deaf community, but he wanted to hear his family. He wanted to hear the world again. He had forgotten how things sound.

The lights flicked in the building letting the students know to go to their first class.

"I'll see you later!" Penny signed before skipping to her next class.

Izuku walked into the classroom with the other Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. They had all known Izuku and how smart he was. They all respected him.

The teacher walked in a few minutes later and set up the notes for the lesson. "Good morning class. Welcome to your last first day of high school. Do well in all your classes and that phrase will hold true. Now, we all know each other already so open your math books to chapter 1. Class starts today."

—-

Izuku was already ahead in all of his classes. His teachers knew that Izuku was going to get ahead. They didn't try to slow him down. He kept his grades up and he was polite to everyone so they wouldn't mind.

Izuku put on some slick black pants with a skin tight muscle shirt. He had asked Shouta if he could fight someone of them, but he wasn't given a definite answer.

Hitoshi walked into his brother's room and looked him up and down.

"You're lucky you don't have to wear the uniform," Hitoshi told him, jealous.

"I technically don't go to UA so why would I?"

Hitoshi had a dark blue hoodie in his hand. Izuku was wearing shorts, but he knew that Izuku would make it work.

"Here, I got this for you," he threw the hoodie at Izuku. He opened the hoodie so he would be able to see it. It was an official UA high school hoodie. It wasn't thick and the fabric was surprisingly thin.

"We're leaving in 5 minutes so hurry up," Hitoshi told him before walking out.

Izuku tied the hoodie around his waist. He looked at himself in the mirror in his room making sure he looked good.

He grabbed a hair tie and put on his earrings. He grabbed his phone and walked out his room into the living room.

"Ready?" Hizashi asked everyone as soon as Izuku walked in.

Izuku gave a thumbs up while everyone answered verbally.

"All right, let's go."

—-

Class 1-A was filled with 20 talented individuals all working to become Japan's next heros. Hitoshi and Shoto were 2 of the teenagers in the class.

Aizawa wasn't in the classroom yet, leaving the teens in the room.

"Who did you think this special guest Mr. Aizawa was talking about?" One of the female students, Mina, asked everyone.

"I'm sure whoever it is has a great reputation and is deserving of being here," the up-tight student, Iida, spoke with his arm in a robotic trance going up and down.

"Shinso, what do you think?" Another student with golden blonde hair with a black lightning bolt streak asked Hitoshi.

Hitoshi didn't want anyone knowing that him and the teacher were related so he chose to go by his last name from before he was taken in by the Aizawa family.

"I'm not sure, Kaminari. What do you think, Todoroki?" Hitoshi called out to Shoto.

"I'm not sure."

Kaminari skipped over to Hitoshi's desk and sat on it. "What are you doing?" He asked the blonde boy.

"Nothing. I just wanted to get closer to you," he grinned slightly.

"Are you hitting on me?" Hitoshi asked the blonde, showing a sly look.

"I don't know. Am I, Hitoshi?"

"You should come over to my house then, Denki."

"I might take you up on that," Kaminari said loud enough for only the two of them to hear.

"Kaminari! Shinso! I'm going to ask you to put this teen love on the side and for you Kaminari to get back to your seat," Aizawa said, activating his quirk for no reason. He wanted the hair floating effect to come out.

"Sorry Mr. Aizawa!" Kaminari apologized, sliding off the desk and walked back to his seat.

The whole time Kaminari was going back to his seat, Hitoshi and Shouta were having a stare down.

"Alright class. I'm going to get straight to the point. Our guest today is not okay with sound," Shouta told the class.

"Does it have to do with their quirk? Ribbit," the frog girl of the class, Tsu, asked.

"Not exactly. Shinso, go get her," Shouta said, letting his son know that Izuku was going to use she/her.

They didn't know that Shoto knew that Izuku was a boy and that in reality they weren't going to be together in a relationship.

"Yes sir." Hitoshi stood from his chair and headed out into the hall.

The door closed behind him. Izuku was leaning against the wall waiting to be called in.

"I guess I have to act like I have a sister ," Hitoshi signed quickly.

"No, you are an only child. I'm Shouta Aizawa's adopted daughter."

Hitoshi let out a chuckle. "Let's go."

Hitoshi opened back the door knocking as he walked in.

Izuku followed his brother in and stood next to Shouta's desk waiting.

Most of the students were confused. The person who walked in looked their age.

Izuku glanced over the class. He tried not to make an expression seeing the familiar spiky blonde haired boy sitting in the same row as his fake boyfriend.

"Class, this is my kid. Her name is Izuku. She is deaf and can only communicate through reading and writing or sign language," Shouta signed and spoke aloud.

Izuku gave a small wave after Shouta finished.

"Excuse me sir, but she looks our age. Shouldn't she be at school right now?"

"Izuku is at the academic level of a third year in high school. She is smarter than all of you combined," Shouta spoke and signed.

Izuku had to hold in the chuckle from Shouta's straight response to the boy with glasses question.

"Does anyone know sign language?" Izuku signed, seeing if anyone understood him.

Hitoshi and Shoto raised their hands. There was one other person however who didn't raise their hand.

Katsuki Bakugo couldn't help but question the person that walked into the classroom. Almost everything lined up with the Izuku that he knew.

But the long hair, piercings, clothing choice and the fact the person that came in was supposedly a girl made him question himself.

He just wanted to see his Izuku.

"Alright, everyone go change into your gym uniforms. We'll meet you in the field outside," Shouta told the class.

"Yes sir!" The whole class said.

"Can I go see Mirio and the crew?"

"Sure, they should be in your papa's class right now," Shouta signed.

"Thanks dad!"

"Go to the field in 5 minutes, okay?"

"Okay."

Izuku rushed out the door and to Hizashi's classroom.

He didn't bother to knock on the door whenever he got there. He opened the classroom door.

All attention went to Izuku. All the third year's faces lit up. They all loved Izuku. They loved it when he came to visit UA.

"Aren't you supposed to be with your dad?" Hizashi asked his son.

"I have a few minutes. I just wanted to say hi, well sign," he laughed at his own joke.

"Izuku says hi if you didn't understand him."

"I'm actually her today. Shoto is in dad's class."

"Serious question kid, are you gender neutral or non-binary?" Hizashi asked his kid.

"I don't identify as either. I'm just playing the part until I'm ready to tell Shoto and the rest of the Todorokis that I'm actually a guy."

"So not gender neutral or non-binary."

"Nope. I don't actually like to be called a girl. I just let it happen since I can't hear people say it."

"Got ya. Thanks kid," Hizashi signed to his son.

He waved goodbye and rushed out of the room heading out to the field.

"Sir, what just happened?" One of the students asked Hizashi.

"I asked my son if he was gender neutral or non-binary. He said no, but he lets she/her go by since he can't hear it."

"He really ropes being deaf into his humor huh?"

"Yes. Yes he does."

—-

Izuku was walking towards the field until the girls found him. The class 1-A girls.

"Izuku right?" Uraraka asked him.

"Uraraka, she's deaf remember," Momo told her.

"O-K," Izuku spelled out. He then pointed to himself, "r-e-a-d l-i-p-s." (I read lips)

"I think she's saying that she reads lips," Jirou told the group.

"That's cool!" Mina sequeled.

"Why are you here Izuku?" Uraraka asked him.

"Notes," he mouthed.

"To write notes?"

Izuku nodded his head. The girls kept quiet trying to figure out what he meant by that.

They eventually made it to the field.

Shouta tossed an empty notebook and pen to Izuku, knowing that Izuku forgot, again.

"Thank you," he signed before sitting on the ground and starting to separate the pages.

"Everyone is going to go 1 v 1 with someone. Izuku is going to be analyzing every little detail from quirk to fighting style. Then, possibly one of you might fight her in a quirkless fight," Shouta explained.

"Why quirkless?" Kaminari asked curiously.

"I forgot to tell you. Izuku's quirkless."

Chapter Text

Most of the students fought by the time Shoto was up. Izuku had 2-3 pages written about each student. Shouta had glanced into the notebook as Izuku worked, seeing some of the things he was realizing.

"Ready for the next fight?" Shouta asked Izuku as he finished the pages from the previous fight.

"Who?"

"Shoto and Katsuki Bakugo."

Izuku nodded his head, careful not to show any emotions.

"Ok. I'm ready."

Shouta nodded. "Todoroki, Bakugo, you're up!"

The two boys walked into the circle waiting for the count down to begin.

"If it gets too dangerous, I'll turn off your quirks. Understand?" Shouta warned.

"Understood."

"Now, fight!"

Shoto started out with a giant ice wall that Katsuki dodged quickly.

Izuku noticed that Shoto always started with his ice. Noted, he had only seemed him fight twice, but each time he started with the same.

"Come at me with your full power, icy hot!" Katsuki yelled out to Shoto.

"I refuse to use my father's power!" Shoto sent another wave of ice at Katsuki.

Izuku rolled his eyes at Shoto and continued to analyze the two.

Katsuki sent out a series of explosions as a counter attack. Each once causing Izuku to flinch the slightest. Shouta didn't notice it, his focus was on the fight making sure the two boys didn't go too far.

"You call me out for not using my full power, but I can tell you that hold yourself back," Shoto sent another ice-based attack. "Care to share why?"

Katsuki growled in anger. "I don't hold back for anyone!" He sent out a larger blast at Shoto, which he dodged.

The fight went back and forth for a while until Izuku had enough. He couldn't write notes on the things that they repeatedly did.

"Dad, stop them. They aren't going full out. I can't help if they aren't going to use their full power against each other," Izuku signed to Shouta.

Shouta nodded. "That's enough!" He shouted at the two boys.

Shoto stopped immediately, while Katsuki grew pissed.

"What the hell!? What do you mean stop? I haven't defeated him yet!"

"This is class. I'm not asking for you to defeat each other. Izuku comes a few times a year to collect notes on each individual student. She can't get anymore from the two of you," Shouta told them.

"You tell us to fight and then you want us not to go till one of us is defeated. What kind of assignment is this?!"

"Bakugo, I advise you to go back with the class before I have to expel you," Shouta warned.

Izuku looked to Hitoshi hoping that he would be able to translate what was being said. However, a certain loud blonde was talking to his brother, distracting him from the fights going on.

'Let's see how long it takes before dad freaks out about that blossoming relationship?' Izuku thought,  laughing a little.

"Bakugo, just let it be. You can go all out at the sports festival in a couple weeks," Todoroki told him.

"Tsk, whatever," Bakugo huffed before going to the back of the students.

"Who's left?" Izuku signed to Shouta.

Shoto walked back to the group before Shouta shouted for the last and final students to fight.

"Shinso, Kaminari, you're up!" Izuku watched as his brother and the guy he was flirting with walked into the ring.

Izuku grinned seeing Hitoshi having a faint red on his cheeks.

"Do you know about that?" Izuku asked his dad.

"Kaminari started to flirt with him on the first day of school. We'll discuss this later," he signed in return.

"Mr. Aizawa, do I have to fight him? I don't really want to," Kaminari asked the teacher, shooting a wink towards Hitoshi.

"Kaminari, please don't be difficult," Shouta sighed.

"Denki, let's just get this over with," Hitoshi told him.

"Start!"

Kaminari sent a bolt of electricity at Hitoshi who moved out of the way quickly. He didn't have his scarf that Shouta gave him for his hero suit.

"Denki, how much do you like me?" Hitoshi asked him.

Izuku knew how his brother's quirk worked, but that didn't stop him from writing notes on ways he could improve.

He may not be able to hear voices but if Hitoshi could get a mask that can alter his voice, he would be able to do much more with his quirk.

"On a scale from Bakugo's heartless soul to Iida's love of order; I'm definitely more towards the Iida side of the scale-" Kaminari's eyes went blank. His smile dropped into a relaxed flat smile.

"Do me a favor and walk out of bounds," Hitoshi commanded him. Kaminari was trapped in Hitoshi's quirk; brainwashing.

He could gain the control of a person by having them reply to a simple question.

Kaminari turned around and faced the out of bounds line. One step at a time, he got closer and closer to the line before he stepped out causing Hitoshi to win.

Hitoshi chuckled a little before letting Kaminari out of his trance.

The color reappeared into his face as he turned back to the purple haired teen.

"No fair!"

"Sorry, but I live in a competitive household. You should see us for game night," Hitoshi apologized.

Shouta had to fight the urge to burst into laughter. "Thank you Shinso for making this fight short and informative for Izuku."

Izuku closed his notebook and attached the pen to the book.

He got up on his feet and handed it to Shouta. "I'm finished. I mostly just had to do the electrical quirk guy. I wrote some notes on Hitoshi too."

"You can fight," Shouta signed.

Both Hitoshi who was watching his father and brother sign as well as Izuku's eyes went wide.

"You're letting me fight? What's the reason?" Izuku was skeptical.

"You've been training with both me and your papa Izuku. I want you to see that it's paid off. You wanted to change into Izuku Aizawa. I want you to see that you're not the same child that me and Hizashi met in that orphanage."

Izuku hugged his father. His thin yet muscular arms reached around Shouta. Shouta was proud of his son. Heck, he was proud of both of his sons. He couldn't ask for better children.

"So you're picking or you letting Izuku pick?" Hitoshi asked as he walked to stand next to Shouta and Izuku.

"I'll let him pick, translate to him please," he told him.

The two let go of each other. Hitoshi pulled Izuku aside and got ready to translate what Shouta was announcing to the class.

"Alright class, we are going to do one more fight, however there will be strict rules. Izuku is going to choose one of you to battle. This battle is going to be QUIRKLESS! If one of you uses an ounce of your quirks I will become a protective father and you'll have to deal with my anger and not the school."

Hitoshi was  in a state of shock hearing the last part of the announcement.

"For the students' sake, I hope they don't use their quirk," Izuku told Hitoshi.

"Same, you should have seen him whenever Endeavor wanted you to date Shoto."

"Who did he threaten?" Izuku immediately became concerned for Shoto.

"No one, but me and papa sure heard his protective father side."

"Scary."

"Indeed."

"Shinso, tell him to pick someone before I pick someone for him!" Shouta told him.

"Dad said pick someone."

Izuku nodded his head and turned to the class. Everyone who was scared about Aizawa's threat. They secretly hoped not to be picked.

However, Izuku knew exactly who to pick. He walked past all the different students. He walked straight to someone who knew Izuku Midoriya.

Katsuki looked at the guest of the classroom. The green-haired teen was shorter than him. Izuku took the hair tie off his wrist and pulled his hair into a low ponytail.

He kept his hair in front of his ears to hide his scars.

"You sure you want to fight me nerd?" Bakugo huffed putting on the tough guy mask.

"Yes K-a-t-s-u-k-i B-a-k-u-g-o."

"Bakugo, you and Izuku go to the ring!" Shouta yelled at them.

Izuku and Katsuki made their way to the ring that each group had fought in.

Shoto wanted to watch but there was a guy in the class that had caught his eye. He didn't want to go near them yet, but he wasn't ready yet.

Katsuki took one end of the circle while Izuku took the other.

Izuku took off the blue hoodie that he had tied around his waist and tossed it to his father.

"Remember no quirks Bakugo," Shouta warned him.

"Whatever."

Bakugo got in a ready stance waiting for his opponent to be in a fighting position.

Izuku took a deep breath before stretching out his arms and legs quickly. Last time he fought for training purposes, he beat Hitoshi in a total of 2 minutes.

"I'm ready," Izuku signed, getting into a fighting stance of his own.

"Alright, if anything goes in a direction that is unsafe, I'm stopping this. Start!" Shouta gave a final warning.

Bakugo went in for his usual first attack, but his opponent was fast. Really fast.

Izuku had rushed past Bakugo's attack and used his legs to pull Bakugo down to the ground.

Bakugo didn't expect the sudden hit to the ground. The air in his lungs rushed out.

Izuku went to pin him to the ground, but Bakugo was able to kick him off and got back up on his feet.

'He knew my first move,' Bakugo thought to himself before going to punch Izuku who was charging at him.

Izuku grabbed the incoming fist and pulled it over his shoulder. He used his body to flip the larger teen over him and back onto the ground.

Bakugo landed on his back hard. He felt the pain in his back increase. He hadn't been thrown to the ground so many times in a fight, quirkless or with quirks.

Izuku flipped Bakugo onto his stomach and pulled one of his arms to the center of his back. The pain in Bakugo's shoulder was increasing by the second.

He groaned out in pain, but he didn't want to be viewed as weak in front of the class. Shouta saw the pain that Bakugo was horribly hiding in his face. He sent his capture scarf into the fight and had it wrapped around Izuku.

"Enough. He's not going to tap out," Shouta signed to Izuku.

Izuku nodded and willingly got off of the blonde. Shouta released Izuku from the scarf.

Bakugo rolled onto his back and faced the clear blue sky.

It reminded him of the day he regretted 3 years ago.

"This is why Izuku came. She takes notes on your fighting styles and how to improve your fighting styles with and without a quirk. Izuku is someone you don't want to mess with. Class is dismissed for the day. You're free to change back into your uniforms," Shouta said, throwing the hoodie back at Izuku.

Izuku tied the hoodie back around his waist, but looked back at Bakugo.

"Shinso, stay with Izuku. I need to take care of something in a different classroom," Shouta said to him.

"Yes sir."

The rest of the class made their way back to the locker room leaving Izuku, Hitoshi, and Bakugo in the field.

Hitoshi placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, getting his attention.

"Is that Kacchan?" He signed to his brother.

Izuku gave a slight nod. "Don't tell dad, papa, or Penny."

"Why?"

"I want to see him for myself. If he changed, like me."

"I get that, but why not Penny?"

Izuku gave a certain look to Hitoshi.

Penny would absolutely kill Katsuki. She was very protective over her friends.

"Why are you and the nerd still here?" Bakugo breathed why he was still looking up to the sky, not paying attention to what they were signing.

"I was told to stay with Izuku. Izuku is staying here for some reason," Hitoshi spoke aloud.

"Can you translate something for me?" He asked Hitoshi.

"Depends. Will it harm Izuku in any way, shape, or form?"

"Hell no!"

"Good."

Bakugo took a breath and got up to his feet.

"I know you're a different person, but you reminded me of someone from my childhood," Bakugo started to say.

Hitoshi waited for him to finish to figure out if he would tell Izuku or not.

"Never mind. The person I truly want to tell this to, I'll most likely never see him again."

"Izuku, go inside. I'll meet you there," Hitoshi signed to his brother.

Izuku nodded and slowly turned and walked away from the other two teens.

"Bakugo, I may not know you well, but I know you have your secrets. We all do. Those secrets are the things holding us back. I have a sibling, he held onto a secret for well over a year and a half before me, his best friend and our parents found out. Whenever he told us, he became a new person."

"Why are you telling me this? You're just some mind control freak."

Hitoshi chuckled. " 'Mind control freak.' Not the worst thing I've been called. I'm just giving advice. If you never admit your emotions, they bring you down. I have to go back to Izuku. Mr. Aizawa is going to kill me if I don't stick with her."

Hitoshi jogged back to the locker rooms to quickly change and go with Izuku.

Bakugo was left alone on the field. He ran his hand through the sides of his head through his hair. He noticed his ears starting to ring.

He snapped a few times near his ears to see how much of his hearing was being affected.

He could still hear the sound of his fingers hitting his palm. He let out the breath he was holding.

"I can't show weakness. Weakness holds you back. I'm  doing this for him. I have to make him proud. I need to apologize to him."

Chapter Text

Izuku was at the stove cooking dinner for him and Hitoshi who was in his room.

When Hizashi and Shouta worked, they agreed to take turns to cook.

'I need to ask if I can get a cochlear implant,' Izuku thought to himself as he flipped the pork that was in the pan in front of him.

Hitoshi came running down the stairs in a rush to the kitchen to see what Izuku was cooking.

"What's for dinner?" He asked, smelling the fried pork.

"Katsudon," Izuku signed before moving the pork to the rice bowls he had set up beforehand.

"Can you be the best brother in the world and make a third?" Hitoshi pleaded.

"Is that blonde coming over?" Izuku asked, after placing the bowls on the table.

"Yes, he is and I actually do like him a little," Izuku saw the blush appear on Hitoshi's face.

"It's been a week since your school year started. How can you like him already?"

"It just seems right. I feel like when I'm with him, I can do anything," Hitoshi kept smiling.

"Aww, my brother is happy in his relationship," Izuku joked.

"And what about yours? You and Shoto don't act like a couple unless there's a chance the Enji is around. Why?"

Izuku looked at his feet. "Can you keep a secret?"

Hitoshi raised an eyebrow.

"Shoto knows that I'm a guy."

"Are you serious?"

"He came out to me as gay, but his father. We are pretending till he's ready to come out to him."

Hitoshi pulled his brother into a hug. However, Izuku pushed him away. "Don't feel bad. I just want to help him."

"It's your happiness too Izuku! I don't want you to be miserable with your love life."

"I know. I want to do this though," Izuku told him.

"Just be safe. Based on how Shoto acts in class and how he is towards his fire, Enji isn't someone to mess with," Hitoshi warned him.

"Thanks for the warning bro. I'll keep it in mind."

The lights flickered, singling that the doorbell was being sounded.

"You know he's going to figure out that you're Mr. Aizawa's son."

"Oh well. That's dad's problem."

"You're so dead!"

Hitoshi rushed to the front door and opened it.

"Hitoshi! I was scared I came to the wrong house! It wouldn't be the first time," Denki laughed seeing him.

"Come in, my brother is making dinner. My dads are out too."

"You have two dads?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Na! It's just cool."

Denki stepped through the door and inhaled the amazing scent of the pork being placed on the pan.

"Hitoshi's brother, that smells so good!" Denki called out, looking around the house.

"Denki, look in the kitchen and rethink what you just said."

Denki looked towards the sound of the sizzling and saw the familiar teen from the previous week of school.

"Izuku?! Isn't she Mr. Aizawa's kid? Wait! You said brother. Izuku you're actually a guy?!" Denki said almost all at once.

"I lied about my last name. Shinso is the name of the family that abandoned me. Izuku and I are the adopted sons of Mr. Aizawa. Izuku is technically a guy but, it's a complicated situation why he was she last week," Hitoshi summed up.

"Oh. That's pretty interesting. I wouldn't have guessed that about your life."

Denki and Hitoshi just looked into each other's eyes being distracted and hypnotized by each other.

Izuku threw a rag at Hitoshi to get his attention. The rag seemed to fly across the room and hit Hitoshi straight in the face.

Izuku bursted into laughter seeing Hitoshi turn bright red not because of Denki, but in embarrassment and anger.

"Why?!"

"No reason."

Hitoshi rolled his eyes.

"Question about Izuku," Denki spoke to Hitoshi.

"Possible answer."

"Is everything that Mr. Aizawa said about him true? Well other than him being his daughter?"

"Sadly yes. The child is too smart for his own good."

Izuku banged his tongs he was using on the counter to get the two's attention.

"What?" Hitoshi signed.

"Dinner is ready." Izuku slid the third bowl on the table and placed out the chopsticks.

Hitoshi walked Denki to the table and sat next to him.

"Water?" Izuku signed.

"Is water okay?" Hitoshi translated.

"Yeah."

Hitoshi nodded letting Izuku know.

Izuku got three cups and a pitcher of water for the three of them.

"Isn't being deaf considered a disability?" Denki asked Hitoshi.

"He doesn't let it control his life. Believe it or not, he was hearing until he was 13."

"He's been like this for only 3 years?!"

"There's only one person who has known him for all three of those years. If it wasn't for that person, I don't want to imagine how he would have grown up."

—-

"Why are we here of all places?" Penny asked Izuku as they sat on a bench in the middle of the park.

"I find it relaxing, thank you very much," he laughed.

"What's the real reason?"

"Hitoshi has a guy over again. He asked if I could not be in the house since apparently I embarrassed him last time."

"Wasn't that 2 weeks ago?"

"Yep. I give it 2 more weeks till they become boyfriends," Izuku guessed.

"Want to place a bet on it?"

"If I'm right, then you have to buy me a candy bar," Izuku told her.

"What are you, 5?" Penny laughed.

"No, I'm 6!" Izuku joked with her.

"I give it a week and if I win, you have to tell Enji that you're a guy."

Izuku's face dropped. "What about Shoto?"

"Izuku, I see how unhappy you are when you and Shoto are together. You guys are clearly meant to be just friends."

"The sad part is that you're right."

Penny let out a sigh. "You need to tell Shoto that you can't live the lie anymore."

"I know. I just want him to find happiness without his family name going down the drain."

"I can't believe that one of my top 3 heroes is an abusive person," Penny signed, hating the fact.

"Dad's class is going to the USJ for class in a couple days," Izuku told her, changing the subject.

"Isn't All Might going to be there? He's a teacher there now."

"I think so. I've never seen him on my trips to UA."

"You've only been there once so far this year!"

"True, but still. You would think I would see the number one hero at his teaching job," Izuku pointed out.

"That's true."

Off in the distance there was a small group of three people watching Penny and Izuku sign to one another.

"Dabi, what are they saying?" One of them said with a crackling voice.

"Looks like there's a class going to something called the USJ soon and All Might is going to be there," the burnt skin man told the other.

"I wonder what their blood tastes like?" The girl of the group wondered.

"Toga, keep the bloodlust in check!" Dabi told her.

"Shigi, Dabi is being mean!"

"Shut it Toga. I'm thinking," Shigiraki scratched the back of his neck.

"One of the kids said 'Dad's class.'" Dabi told Shigiraki.

"So their parent is a teacher. Which means that they are a pro hero. Which kid?"

"The green haired one."

"Toga, go be friendly and figure out their names."

The girl smiled devilishly. "Don't mind if I do."

She skipped away from the group and towards Izuku and Penny.

"What are you two doing?" Toga asked them, scaring them a little at the sudden appearance and question.

Thankfully, Penny had on her hearing aids. "We are communicating through sign language," she answered straightforwardly.

"So are you both deaf?"

Penny felt a little uneasy by the sudden questions. Usually she would be okay answering these questions, but something about the girl in front of them didn't sit right with her.

"Yes."

"That's so interesting, my name is Toga, what's yours?"

"Penny. I go by my first name."

"What about them?" She gestured at Izuku.

"She's asking your name," Penny signed at Izuku.

"She gives me an uneasy feeling. Give her my last name," Izuku signed back.

"His family name is Aizawa."

"That's so fascinating! We should all be friends!" Toga squealed.

"Let's go. She's scaring me," Izuku signed before standing up.

"We have to go. It was nice to meet you," Penny said out of respect.

Her and Izuku ran out of the park to get far away from Toga.

Toga frowned seeing how fast they ran away from her but she got the information she wanted. She skipped back to the two men that were waiting for her.

"The green haired boy's family name is Aizawa," she reported.

"Aizawa huh," Shigiraki scratched his neck again. "He's Eraserhead's son. Very interesting."

"What are you planning?" Dabi asked.

"I think the league of villains should show up for this USJ field trip. Master would love to know that All might is going to be there."

Chapter Text

"I hate field trips," Shouta mumbled, taking a nice long sip of his strong black coffee.

"Dad, are you okay?" Hitoshi asked, sitting in the teachers lounge waiting for the first bell to ring.

"I'm annoyed," he grumbled, taking another sip.

"About All Might?"

"He knew that he had to come to this field trip, but his stupid, arrogant self had to use up all his power already."

Shouta had told his sons the truth behind All Might's power. He didn't tell them fully what it was, but he explained how it had a time limit on All Might's body.

"Just don't let it get to you. I'm sure it'll be fine without him," Hitoshi told him, getting himself a small cup of coffee.

Shouta watched as his son took a sip of the straight black coffee just like he did.

"Hitoshi, remember your first morning with us a while back?"

"I think so. That's when I met Penny."

"Well, Hizashi had noticed similarities between us two and asked if I secretly had a biological son."

"Okay, I remember that. What about it?"

"You're drinking black coffee, your hair defies the laws of gravity, and you have a soft spot for cats. Not to mention you're drawn to loud blondes."

Hitoshi sprayed out the coffee he had in his mouth back into his cup.

"W-What do you mean, dad?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I see how you and Kaminari look at each other. Also, the camera outside the house shows him walking inside when me and your papa aren't home."

Hitoshi had forgotten about the camera. He never worried about it before and it slipped his mind and Kaminari was too oblivious to see it.

"I swear, I was going to tell you and papa. I'm pretty sure Penny and Izuku have a bet on who is going to ask out who."

Shouta chuckled. "They would do that, but something tells me the bet is for something different."

Hitoshi finished his coffee and quickly washed the mug. "I'm going hang out with Denki and the crew."

"Hitoshi, tell me, is Bakugo the one that made Izuku deaf? The explosion quirk. He's the only one I've seen."

Hitoshi stiffened a little, giving Shouta his answer.

"I'm not going to say anything. It's going to be up to Izuku himself if he is going to say anything," Shouta told his son.

"Dad, why do you give us these life altering choices? You let both me and Izuku make the decisions that teens wouldn't usually make for ourselves," Hitoshi asked, turning to see Shouta.

"I believe that we should each take control of our own lives with our choices if we can. You two understand the possible consequences of each choice. I don't know how you two were raised. I never will, but I can guide you in your teenage years to your adulthood. I'm not blood, but I'm your dad."

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"Everything."

"Anytime kid."

—-

"Why the hell are you idiots around me?!" Bakugo yelled out to the people surrounding his desk in the classroom.

"Bakubro, that's not very nice to say to your friends," Kirishima told him.

"Like hell I consider you friends!"

"School's no fun without friends! How did you survive middle school?!" Mina scolded him in a way.

"He was probably too cool for friends," Kaminari imitated the people from high school movies that always walked around thinking they owned the place.

"Denki, don't make fun of him like that. We don't know what each of us went through during middle school," Hitoshi told him.

"Oooo. You two are on first name biases!" Mina squealed.

A blush creeped onto both of their faces. "Well- um- you see," Kaminari struggled to get out.

"Denki, will you be my boyfriend?" Hitoshi asked him right then and there.

"Duh!" He smiled while Mina fangirled since she was right next to them.

"Shinso!" Shoto called out to him.

"What's up To?!"

"Can I speak with you in private?"

"Sure," he called out to him. "I'll be right back," he told the group.

Todoroki and Hitoshi walked out into the hallway and closed the door making sure no one in the class could hear them.

"What do you want Sho?"

"I'm ready to come out to my dad," he told him.

"Congratulations?"

"Aren't you disappointed that I'm breaking things with your sister?" He asked, thinking that Hitoshi thought that he thought Izuku was a girl.

"Dude. Izuku told me about when he walked into his room without a shirt. I knew about everything."

"So you're not disappointed?"

"My brother's happiness is all I care about. That plus my family and now boyfriend. To be honest, I could care less about you, but since Izuku wants you to be happy, I accept it."

"Tell him to come over this weekend."

"Todoroki, why are you out in the hall with my son?" Aizawa asked from afar, walking to the classroom.

"He doesn't know," Hitoshi whispered to Todoroki.

"I was wondering if Izuku can come over this weekend."

"I'm okay with it," Shouta agreed but he could tell that they were both hiding something. "Spill. You're both hiding something."

"I know Izuku is a guy."

"And how do you know that?" Shouta asked Shoto.

"I may or may not have forgotten to tell Izu that Shoto was in his room after he finished taking a shower," Hitoshi admitted.

Shouta let out a breath knowing that Izuku usually doesn't wear a shirt coming out of the bathroom after a shower.

"So you're going to tell your father."

"Izuku helped me realize that I don't have the same feelings for girls as I do guys. I'm going to come out to my father and tell him that he already approved of it since he forced me and Izuku together."

Shouta caught how what Shoto said was worded. Something about it made him uneasy. "Shoto, is your father not supportive?"

"He's many things."

"Shoto, I'm coming with Izuku this weekend."

"What about work?" Hitoshi cut in.

"I can call out. I have a gut feeling that I should go."

—-

The bus ride to the USJ wasn't eventful in Shouta's eyes. The kids were loud, but he was used to it. One of the joys of being a high school teacher, having a deaf son who doesn't know that he is loud, and a husband who's quirk makes him 10 times louder than a normal person.

Eventually the bus came to a stop in front of the USJ.

He glanced out the window and saw fellow pro hero thirteen. All Might was nowhere in sight.

"Listen up!" He raised his voice, standing up. "We are here for training purposes. This isn't an opportunity to mess around. Iida!"

"Yes sir?"

"Have everyone get off the bus in an orderly fashion."

"Of course sir!"

Shouta got off the bus to greet Thirteen before the students bombarded her with questions.

"Aizawa, how are you?" She asked him, extending her hand out.

"I need more coffee. How are you?" He shook her hand.

The hero laughed at her co-worker. "I'm well. How's Izuku? I haven't seen him in a while."

"He's good. He should be graduating this year. His academics are something anyone could only dream to achieve."

"Does he know what he wants to do after school?" She asked.

"I'm guessing he would want to analyze quirks and help others. I'm sure Nezu will offer him a job to be a teacher."

"I wouldn't be shocked."

"Mr. Aizawa, everyone is off the bus and ready for your directions!" Iida shouted like someone out of the military.

Aizawa sighed, wishing that the kid wasn't as uptight.

The group walked into the building being amazed by the surrounding scenery. The different rescue zones each had its own destructive yet beauty to it.

Thirteen gave an introduction on who she was and what the USJ was about. She continued to talk to the kids but Shouta felt something off.

He had the feeling that something wasn't right.

"Look at that they even got fake villains!" Kirishima called out smiling.

Shouta's face paled as he turned around and saw the purple warp gate brought people into the building.

"Seems like we are in time for class," the leader chuckled, looking around for a specific person.

"Iida, get help! This is real!" Shouta said getting into a fighting position.

Iida moved quickly, but the warp gate person was blocking the exit, making sure no one would be able to escape.

"I don't think so kid," the villain spoke.

Bakugo and Kirishima tried to attack the portal man but failed, resulting in most of the students being sent to one of the zones in the building.

Shouta dashed down to where the main villain was.

"Why the hell are you here?!" Shouta said, preparing for the worst.

"I heard that All Might was going to be here. It seems like my intel lied."

"Who is your intel and who are you?!"

"Eraserhead, like I would tell you who gave us our information. But I can share that we are the league of villains. My name is Shigiraki."

Shouta tried to capture the villain using the scarf and his fighting skills, but the younger villain dodged the attacks.

"Tell me, where is All Might?" The villain asked.

"Shigiraki! A kid got out!" A villain yelled out distracting him. Shouta took the chance and kicked him to the ground.

"He's not here, obviously. What is your goal?"

Shigiraki let out a crackle sending shivers down his spine.

"To kill him." Shouta's focus was on the villain on the ground but he didn't expect to get knocked to the ground himself by a different villain.

"Dad!" Hitoshi shouted, wanting to rush to him.

Denki held him back from the zone they were in to keep him from going into the fight.

"Hitoshi, you're going to get yourself killed if you go in. Your dad's a strong person. He'll get back up. I promise," he comforted him.

Hitoshi hugged Denki and buried his face in his shoulder, not wanting to see if his father was being beaten.

"I AM HERE!" A voice echoed throughout the building. All Might had shown up in his hero form ready to save the day like he always has.

Hitoshi looked up and had some hope.

"Seems like our intel was correct," Shigiraki smiled an evil grin.

"Eraser, are you okay?" All Might spoke bringing a sense of justice into the area.

"You should be worrying about yourself!" Shigiraki replied before Shouta could yell a response.

"Sir, there's no time! The rest of the heroes will be here any moment!" The warp gate panicked.

"Shut it Kuroguri! Send it here."

A large warp gate appeared in front of All Might revealing a large creature that was black as darkness with the mind on display for everyone.

"What the hell?" Shouta asked as he knocked the villain that was on top of him to the ground.

"Nomu attack!"

The creature charged at All Might, throwing punch after punch, with All might sending a counter attack with the same amount of power.

"He's going to get himself killed," Hitoshi mumbled to himself. His family wasn't a huge fan of All Might. He was too flashy to be a hero. He was an icon, yes, but there was something about him that made Shouta, Hizashi, Izuku, and Hitoshi uneasy.

The fight continued between the teachers and the main villains in the middle of the building. The minor villains were all too injured or invested in the main fight to go on.

The students that were still there couldn't go into the battle. The fear and the mood overwhelmed them to stay back.  

Hitoshi and Denki had joined with the rest of the class. Hitoshi was thankful that no one heard him yell 'dad' earlier in the fight.

Smoke started to appear around All Might and Nomu.

"Holy crap, they are creating smoke," Kirishima gasped.

Hitoshi looked at the fight. His eyes widened slightly seeing that the smoke wasn't a result of the fight. It was the steam from All Might himself. He was losing his strength.

The students cheered on All Might like they were cheerleaders at a sports event, doing everything they could to motivate the hero.

"SMASH!!!" All Might yelled loudly. The air went still. The air turned quiet, but at the same time it filled with noise.

The sound of skin hitting flesh was loud enough to make the building shake. Nomu was defeated with the final punch delivered by All Might before he shrunk back into his weak form.

Before the students could rush to him, a wall of cement blocked from getting closer.

Bullets were fired hitting Shigiraki in multiple places, each one being non life threatening.

"We have to go!" Kuroguri apologized in a way before creating a warp gate to drag everyone back to the headquarters.

"We will be back. All Might will parish in the leagues hands!" Shigiraki shouted as he was pulled back through the portal.

Hitoshi didn't want to go near All Might. He went straight to Shouta who was banged up and bruised. A trail of blood started at his hairline, with a cut under his eye.

"Are you okay?" Hitoshi asked worried and panicked for the sake of his father.

"I've been through worse. I promise, kid. I'll be fine. I'll just need to go to the hospital to get fixed up," Shouta told him.

"Thank goodness," he let out a sigh of relief.

That day opened the eyes of the students of Class 1-A. This was a villain attack. It was planned. They had a reason to be there.

It wouldn't be the last time that they came face to face with a villain. Blood was shed, but not enough to kill. Not yet.

Chapter Text

Hitoshi, Hizashi and Izuku rushed into the hospital room where Shouta was being held. Turns out he had much more wrong with him other than a coffee addition, scrapes and bruises.

"You have broken ribs?!" Hizashi shouted, trying not to accidentally activate his quirk.

"You knew and just lied to me huh?"

"Totally."

"What's going on? No one is signing and life doesn't come with subtitles."

"Sorry Izuku," Hitoshi apologized to him. "Dad has broken ribs."

Izuku just looked at him with a look of disappointment.

"Why is your son judging me?" Shouta asked his husband seriously.

"Don't you mean our son?"

"Nope, today he's your son."

"Now, dad and papa are... I'm not too sure...but dad asked papa why you were judging him," Hitoshi explained to Izuku.

"Sho, what's on your mind? You have your thinking face," Hizashi pointed out.

"Those villains, they said they had intel."

"So someone told them that the class was going to be at the USJ today," Hitoshi spoke aloud without signing.

"There's a mole somewhere in the class?"

"I don't want to name that possibility."

The hearing people in the room all sighed while the one deaf person sent them all a judgmental look.

Izuku clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention.

"You forget that I physically can't hear anything! I am a part of this family and I've been a part of your classes and UA for almost 3 years already. I deserve to know what the hell is going on!" Izuku signed large. The bigger someone signs, the angrier they probably are.

"Izuku," Hizashi signed.

"I'm sorry that I'm not hearing like a normal human being, but you knew this when you brought me into this family," Izuku let out a tear.

"Kid, calm down," Shouta signed to him.

Izuku took a few deep breaths, calming himself. "Sorry."

"Why the anger?" Hizashi asked.

"I feel left out when you guys don't sign when we have a family discussion. I don't read lips well so I rely on sign."

"We are sorry Izuku. We just forget that we need to sign along with speaking," Shouta apologized.

"We can just turn our voices off when we're together," Hitoshi signed. "We all know sign so I don't see why we wouldn't."

"That's a great idea!" Hizashi agreed.

"Okay then, voices will be turned off," Shouta signed, smiling through the pain.

Izuku smiled. He loved his family. "I have to ask something, well I'm not sure if it's truly asking," he signed.

"What is it kid?"

"I'm thankful for everything that you guys have done for both me and Hitoshi, but there's something Hitoshi has that I don't."

"A quirk?"

"Well, yes, but we can't do anything about that," Izuku laughed a little.

Shouta and Hizashi thought about it. They tried to provide the same opportunities to both of their kids.

"He's able to hear you. Honestly, I'm jealous of it. He can hear his friends, you two, everything while I feel like I have cotton shoved in my ears."

"So that's what it feels like," Hitoshi signed mostly to himself.

"My eardrums are too damaged for hearing aids. I've been told that since the accident, but I've learned the deaf culture and the language."

"Where are you going with this?" Shouta asked.

"You want to get a cochlear implant?" Hizashi asked him before Izuku even got the chance to sign the words.

"I want to be able to hear you guys, even if it's not like my hearing before."

"Hizashi, what's a cochlear implant?" Shouta asked.

"It's a device that turns sound into electrical waves or something through a processor that bypasses the ear canal. It requires surgery to insert the plate near the part of the brain that lets us hear sound," he explained.

"Papa, how do you know about it that well? Follow up, why did you know sign when I first met you two?" Izuku asked.

"My quirk, you know how it makes me loud right?"

"Yes, I can feel the vibrations of it."

"Well, it damaged my hearing whenever I was younger. It didn't get horrible, since I learned to control my quirk, but it didn't stop the ringing in my ears. I learned sign and looked up different hearing devices in case my quirk would cause me to go deaf."

"So you're hard of hearing?" Izuku signed.

"Do I count as that?"

"If you have some hearing loss or any for the matter, I'm pretty sure it counts."

"Interesting."

Izuku looked at his parents. "So is it a yes or no?"

"I'm proud that you told us how you feel. We would gladly let you get this device."

Izuku let out tears of joy as he hugged Hizashi not wanting to accidentally hurt Shouta.

Hitoshi felt a little left out and joined in the hug as well.

"Love you..." Izuku spoke roughly aloud. He didn't want to let go of the hug to let those words till the room.

He couldn't have asked for a better family.

—-

TRIGGER WARNING!!! TRIGGER WARNING!!!

For remaining chapter.

"Are you sure that you're well enough to come? Papa or Hitoshi could've came," Izuku asked Shouta as they walked up to the Todoroki's front door.

"I was going to take off from work anyway. Plus, I had told Shoto that I was coming. I have a feeling that I should come."

Izuku shrugged knowing that Shouta would be a way better interpreter than Shoto. He wasn't the best at sign language.

"Has he told you why he invited you over?" Shouta asked before knocking on the door.

"He's coming out and doing the grand reveal that I'm a guy."

Hitoshi had told Izuku what happened in the hall before the USJ attack.

The door opened and revealed an on edge Shoto Todoroki.

"Kid, you okay?"

"Nervous, that's all," he paused. "Come in."

Izuku and Shouta walked in. Shoto's sister and brother were pacing the floor in the family room nervous for the events that were most likely going to happen.

"I told them first. They know everything," Shoto whispered to Shouta.

"Fuyumi, Natsu, good to see you two," Shouta spoke, seeing the older Todoroki siblings for the first time in years.

"Hello Mr. Aizawa," Fuyumi welcomed him as her voice quivered slightly.

"Shouta is fine. Is there something that I should know? You feel the tension in the air."

"Our father, behind closed doors, he's different," Natsu explained.

"What do you mean?"

"Promise that if something goes wrong, take care of Shoto," Fuyumi pleaded.

Izuku could read the expressions of Shoto's siblings. Something was going to happen. Something bad.

"Fuyumi, what's going to be for dinner?" Enji echoed through the hall connecting to the family room. The larger man walked through the hall into the family room. "Aizawa? What are you and Izuku doing here?"

"Enji, let's all sit down," Shouta spoke calmly.

Enji raised an eyebrow as everyone in the room sat on a couch or a chair that was in the room. Shoto sat next to Izuku who held his hand not in love, but in fear.

"Enji, do you love your family?" Shouta spoke.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do."

"Shoto," Shouta said, letting him know that he should do it now.

"Dad, there's something I need to tell you that's really important to me," Shoto started to say. He squeezed Izuku's hand harder to try to calm himself down.

"Is it something about school? Are you failing?!" Enji raised his voice slightly.

"Dad, I like this person in my class."

Shouta raised an eyebrow. He never noticed Shoto close to anyone in the class. He mostly kept to himself and only briefly talked to...Sero.

"What about poor Izuku? She's sitting right next to you!"

"Both Izuku and I see each other as friends."

"So tell me about this girl in your class that you like," Enji sat back.

"That's the thing dad. It's a guy," Shoto slowly shared.

Enji's eyes widened. "No."

"No?"

"My son is not going to date another boy."

"Enji... careful," Shouta warned him.

"Your daughter should be ashamed of him!" He yelled, causing Shoto to flinch.

"You mean my son!" Shouta raised his voice.

Enji shot up to his feet, but Shouta did as well, ignoring the pain that went through his ribs.

"Your kid is one of those people who think they are the other gender!"

"No, my kid is a born male and he goes by he/him."

Enji's quirk activated with rage. Aizawa activated his and turned Enji's quirk off.

"Shoto, get yourself and Izuku out of here. It's not safe for you or him here."

Shoto held Izuku's hand tighter and rushed off of the couch and towards the front door.

Shouta quickly looked to see if the boys were out the door, but accidentally blinked in the process.

Enji summoned a ball of fire and fired it at the two boys.

Izuku saw the ball of fire. Shoto was in the path of it. Izuku let instinct take over. He pushed Shoto out the way and moved to the path of the fire.

His right arm took the damage of the fire. The feeling of it hitting his skin felt familiar in a way.

The heat, too hot to handle, was like a memory to him.

Shoto heard Izuku hiss in pain. He saw his right sleeve burnt to a crisp. He panicked and ran even faster out the house.

"You can't take my child away, Shouta!"

"I have 3 hearing witnesses as well as a deaf one that will agree with me. I've only seen the surface, but I'm pretty sure that this was barely a scratch."

"I'll get a lawyer!"

"Really now? It's not like my husband and I have dealt with the government when it comes to children. This will be the third time."

"You mean you willingly took in a handicapped person? Izuku is weak. You probably adopted him out of pity."

Shouta sent his scarf flying and entangled Enji in it. He activated his quirk as he got closer to the other man, fuming with anger.

Protective dad mode was activated.

"Don't you EVER say that about my son!! That child is smarter and stronger than you'll ever be! He is kind to others and puts others' happiness before his own, even though that's one of his flaws. Both Hizashi and I knew what we were getting into when we first met him. We both love this kid and will protect him like the proud parents we are! You will NEVER do anything that brings him harm while both of us are still breathing."

Fuyumi and Natsu were shocked how Shouta talked back to their father. Thankfully, they had their own homes that they could go to.

Shouta released Enji from the scarf. "It's best if you stay away from Shoto and my family."

Shouta walked out the house not even regretting a second of what he said.

"Mr. Aizawa, Izuku's hurt," Shoto told him once he got outside.

"Get in the car. I'll call recovery girl to meet us at the house."

"What's going to happen?"

"You're going to stay with us unless you find a different person to live with. I'm not sending you through social services and I'm not sending you to anyone that Enji can get a hold of you."

"Will I be able to see my siblings?"

"Of course but only at our house."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome problem child. Now, get in the car."

Chapter Text

"Shouta. Explain. NOW!" Hizashi signed once he saw the three of them walk inside the house.

"I'll explain Shoto's situation later, but Izuku got burned. Recovery girl is on her way," he signed.

"Do you guys only sign?" Shoto asked aloud while trying to comfort Izuku.

"Yes. It'll help you learn if you want to if you join in," Shouta spoke and signed.

Shoto brought Izuku over to the family room and sat Izuku on his ice side to cool the skin without scaring it.

"You guys act like I haven't been burned by a quirk before," Izuku signed, hiding the pain his arm was in.

"That doesn't help your worrying parent!" Hizashi stressed.

Izuku let out a pained laugh.

"What do you mean?" Shoto asked Izuku.

"Don't worry about it. It's something in the past."

While Shouta explained the events that occurred at the Todoroki household, Shoto tried to distract Izuku with his poor signing skills.

Izuku watched as Shoto slowly signed a story about him and his mom from when he was little.

He signed slowly and his hand positions were wrong at some points, but after a couple minutes, he told the story.

"You called?" A small woman spoke, opening the door and letting herself in.

"Shuzenji, thank you for coming at such a short notice," Shouta spoke giving a small bow.

"Where's the kid? Burns aren't a big deal for my quirk," she smiled seeing the two teens on the couch.

"It's his right arm ma'am," Shoto spoke moving out of the way for her to get closer to Izuku.

The woman walked and stood in front of him.

"Izuku, do you know who she is?" Shouta signed, asking if he knew the school nurse.

Izuku scrunched his eyebrows together. He had seen her before, but it had been a long time.

"I know you," Izuku signed, ignoring the pain.

Izuku took his left hand and moved his hair behind his ear showing his scars.

Recovery girl took a good look at Izuku. The scars were something she saw before on a kid with short, green hair.

"You're the one I couldn't heal," Recovery Girl said.

"What?" Shouta asked.

"The hospital had called me in to see if I could heal a boy that had eardrum damage, but the damage was too severe for me to be able to make any change," she explained.

Shouta and Hizashi were amazed that her quirk had such limits.

She turned back to Izuku and planted a kiss on his forehead. Izuku felt embarrassed having the feeling of someone kissing him in front of his parents.

The burn slowly faded and turned back into his normal skin tone. However, his past scars stayed.

"That's it?" Izuku asked.

"Yep!"

Izuku looked over to where the burn was and was impressed by the effects of the quirk. He let out a yawn suddenly. He felt tired all of a sudden.

"Go take a nap, kid. Her quirk does that," Shouta signed.

Izuku nodded and sluggishly got up and walked towards his room.

"My work here is down. I'm going back home to my cats," the small woman spoke, not letting anyone thank her before she left.

"I'll go over to your old house to get some of your clothes," Hizashi said leaning back on the kitchen counter.

"You're not going back there, as long as I'm breathing. You can stay here until you figure out where to go. We'll help you along the way," Shouta added.

"So am I going to be adopted like Izuku and Hitoshi?"

"Not exactly. You more of in a foster care, but we are going to look after you for the time being."

"Shouta, show him around the house. I'll get him some things," Hizashi said, grabbing the car keys. "Shoto, what sizes do you wear?"

"XX shirt and XX bottoms."

"Thank you!" Hizashi walked out the door leaving just Shouta and Shoto in the room.

Shouta listened to how quiet the house was. Unusually quiet.

"Shouta, what's wrong?" Shoto asked.

"Hitoshi, is with a loud blonde. Probably on a date, but he didn't tell me. His papa better know or I'm going to set some rules with him."

Shoto pulled out his phone and saw the many messages from his father telling him to come back. Shoto glanced over a few messages. The words there felt like arrows stabbing into his heart.

His father was saying hurtful words about him and the guy he slightly had a crush on.

"Give me the phone," Shouta commanded him, holding out his hand.

"Are you going to break it?" Shoto asked, slowly handing him the phone.

"No. Something better." Shouta tapped the screen until he performed the action that he wanted to do on the phone. Shoto didn't know that he was reading the messages as well.

Shouta handed him back the phone with all his father's messages gone. "Did you delete the messages?"

"I deleted the number and blocked it. You shouldn't get any messages from him anymore. If he wants to talk to you, he needs to come through me, but before he can do that, he needs to learn to respect others' choices and lives."

Shoto could sense a different emotion from Shouta. A feeling that he didn't see from him in a while. He was offended.

"I can't believe he said such things when I was around. He was the one who congratulated Hizashi and I when we got married."

"He didn't want his masterpiece to go to waste. He wanted it to keep going for generations."

"Shoto, as long as you are under my roof, you will not refer to yourself as an object of creation. You are a breathing, living, human being. You deserved to be loved and cared for. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

—-

Shoto sat at the kitchen table staring at the amount of food that was on his plate. There was scrambled eggs, bacon, and a biscuit.

"Shoto, the food isn't going to eat you. It's the other way around," Shouta said from across the table.

Spending the night there made Shoto a little uneasy. His body was telling him to go back but he knew that he had to stay for his own safety.

"Sorry, I just don't get this much food normally."

"Put that plate on the side then. Penny should be getting here in a few minutes. She'll eat it. Go fix you whatever you want," Hizashi told him.

Shoto pressed his lips into a thin line before getting up.

He walked to the stove where all the food was still out. He fixed him a small scoop of eggs and a biscuit. He was never allowed to eat much. His father didn't want him to get fat.

He came back to the table with his plate. Shouta and Hizashi didn't mind that he took less food. They understood that it would take time for Shoto to fully adjust.

Izuku rushed down the stairs in his uniform. He had his tie loosely on and his jacket on.

"Penny is going to get a plate. You can slow down," Shouta signed to him.

"Okay. It smells good," Izuku responded.

Izuku walked over to the stove and fixed himself a plate before sitting with the rest of his family...and Shoto.

"1,2,3..." Hitoshi signed.

"Thank you for the meal," everyone signed or spoke before digging into the food.

Shoto noticed that the family ate in silence with the occasional short conversations between Shouta and Hizashi.

A knock sounded at the door disrupting the silence. Shoto took a hinged breath, frightened by what was on the other side of the door.

"Penny, you know you don't have to knock!" Hizashi yelled using a quirk a little on accident.

"Papa," Hitoshi mumbled, beating Shouta.

Penny opened the door and walked in. "No using quirks in the house!" She shunned him for Shouta and Hitoshi.

"Come on! Cut me some slack," Hizashi whined.

"Nope! You got  mad whenever I played a prank using mine!" Penny played along.

"What did she do?" Shoto whispered to Hitoshi.

"She created an illusion that Izuku buzzed-cut his hair and pranked papa. Papa has a thing for long hair so it shattered his heart," he explained.

"Penny, there's a plate of food for you," Shouta offered her.

"Thank you!!" She skipped to where the plate was and joined the others at the table.

She sat down at the table and looked up. "Why are you here?" She asked Shoto.

"Ummm... well, my," Shoto mumbled.

"I'm sure Izuku will tell you later. I know you two talk more at school," Shouta told her.

"Okay, thank you for the meal," she spoke before eating.

"Penny, would you like to come to the UA sports festival in a few weeks?" Hizashi offered.

"Is that even a question?!" She beamed a smile. "Hitoshi, are you going to win?" She joked, taking a bite of food.

"Only class 1-A knows my quirk, so if my quirk keeps a secret then I should be fine."

"What about you Shoto? Izu tells me that you have a strong quirk."

"I refuse to use my father's quirk. I won't give him any satisfaction."

Penny scrunched her eyebrows, confused. "Your father's quirk?"

"My fire."

Penny rolled her eyes. "Firstly, you say it's your father's quirk, but then you then say it's your fire. Your father has absolutely no control over the fire that comes from your body. I've seen Izuku's notes. Your ice is powerful, but you limit yourself and put your body in danger. Do you not know the dangers of frostbite!?!"

"Penny!" Shouta raised his voice.

"Sorry, but it's true. I'm just trying to help."

Everyone finished eating around the same time. Penny and Izuku put away the plates while everyone else cleaned up.

"Can I go see mom today?" Izuku asked Shouta before going to grab his book bag.

"You know I don't mind."

"I know. I just like letting you know where I am."

Shouta showed a soft and gentle smile.

"Go to school, you may be smart, but you're still a student," he chuckled.

"Bye everyone!" Penny yelled out before the two of them walked out of the house.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Hizashi asked, grabbing his paperwork from his classes.

"So they walk to school on their own?" Shoto asked, confused.

"They're deaf, not blind. They just need to be extra careful around their surroundings," Shouta told him.

"He said something about his mom," Shoto pointed out.

"His birth mother. She died when he was 4. We may not know the lady, but she played a large role in his life. We respect her," Hizashi explained.

"I wish I had a supportive family like this. You two are proud no matter what."

"Trust me, our road wasn't simple," Shouta started.

"There were many fights to get to where we are not just as a family, but as a couple," Hizashi finished.

"Are we finished talking about the surface of our crappy past or do I need to add something too?" Hitoshi but into the conversation.

"You never really told us your background Hitoshi," Shouta raised an eyebrow.

"My dad was abusive and my mom as well. I left to protect myself. There you are, my life story."

"Let's get going before Nezu takes away the coffee pot for the day," Shouta said, grabbing the keys to the car.

"You know he does that just because of you?"

"Sadly, yes."

——

"Did you see that fight in the hall during lunch? I'm shocked I didn't see a hearing aid or a processor get ripped off!" Penny signed to Izuku while they walked to the grave site.

"No, I didn't. I actually eat during lunch," he joked.

"Stupid middle school age kids. You'd think they would be more responsible."

"Penny, they were a year younger than us. Their color was red."

"Why don't they give us one color that lasts our whole school lives. It would be a better financial option."

"You are reading way too deep into that."

Penny laughed as they got to the bottom of the hill. "I have to go babysit my neighbor's youngest kid. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye! Get there safely!"

"I have my quirk!"

"Which is weak!"

The two laughed, waving goodbye. Izuku started to walk up the steep hill after Penny turned her back.

He loosened his tie and took the hair tie out of his hair, letting the strands of green and black fall towards the back and sides of his head.

Izuku noticed there was someone else visiting the graveyard.

He noticed they were standing in front of his parents' grave site. He confusedly walked closer.

The person was an older woman with short blonde hair. Izuku recognized her as soon as she turned to face him.

It was Mitsuki.

"I'm sorry. Are you visiting them too?" She asked not recognizing Izuku.

Izuku just nodded.

"How did you know them? You're awfully young to know the Midoryias."

Izuku looked at the dark gray headstone.

Mitsuki spoke again but the teen in front of her didn't budge. She placed a hand on his shoulder, getting his attention.

"You're deaf?" She signed, asking him.

Izuku's eyes widened. Two words was all it would take to make him go into complete shock.

"You know sign?" He asked in return.

"My son, he's hard of hearing. The brat doesn't wear his hearing aids all the time. He claims he 'doesn't need them.'"

Izuku's eyes seemed to widen a bit more. Katsuki was hard of hearing.

"Mrs. Bakugo, your son attends UA, right?" He asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes, he does. How do you know? More importantly, how do you know my family?"

"Izuku."

He gave a small bow towards her and then another towards the grave stone. He turned and ran away from the graves to avoid any more conversation.

Mitsuki watched as the teen ran. Their long hair bounced with every step. "They must know Izuku," she smiled at the thought.

It never came across her mind that she was seeing the real Izuku.

Chapter Text

The weeks passed and it was a few days before the big sports festival event at UA high school.

The sports festival was one of the most watched events on TV. More views than the Olympics.

News had gone around Rō gakkō that Izuku and Penny were going to watch the big event live.

It was the talk...more like sign of the whole school, but it didn't stop the two of them from getting their work done early so they could enjoy the event.

Back at UA, class 1-A were waiting for class to start.

"Does anyone like potatoes?" Kaminari asked randomly.

"What?" One of the other students asked because of the randomness of the question.

"Potatoes raw are disgusting, but cut up and fried or baked and it's one of the most best unhealthy snacks around!"

Hitoshi blankly stared at his boyfriend. He loved him, but his randomness scared him.

"I guess you're right," Mina shrugged.

"Telling him he's right is a dangerous thing. Be careful Mina," Hitoshi warned her.

"Why would that be dangerous?"

"Heck yeah! I'm a smart and intelligent person! I'm ready to face Izuku in a battle of the smarts!" He joked around ending with him biting his lip playfully.

"Never mind Shinso. You win."

Hitoshi let out a chuckle. "Kaminari, Izuku would run circles around you both in intelligence and speed," Shoto spoke from his corner desk.

"Why are we bringing up that nerd?" Bakugo huffed, hiding the device he had around his ears.

"Because it's Mr. Aizawa's child."

Bakugo rolled his eyes as he put his head down on his desk.

"Someone's in a sour mood," Hitoshi mumbled.

"We'll if this isn't the so-called strong class 1-A," someone said from outside the door.

"Who are you?" Iida wanted to maintain order in the class.

"I'm sorry, your stuck up class wouldn't know a low life class 1-B."

Hitoshi stood up and walked closer to the door.

"The class president asked you a question," Hitoshi spoked.

The boy in the doorway looked Hitoshi up and down admiring him.

"And I have a sarcastic answ-" the boy was cut off by Hitoshi activating his quirk.

"Good job babe!"

"What's your name?" Hitoshi asked him.

"Neito Monoma."

"Why are you really here?"

"To see what makes this class powerful."

"And who said we were powerful?"

"Izuku."

Hitoshi immediately released him from his quirk's grasp.

"Izuku was right about a few of you being strong."

"Izuku's a pretty smart girl. We could only wish to have the intelligence equivalent to her," Iida spoke with his go to arm motion.

"Girl?" Monoma said in the form of a question

Hitoshi grabbed Monoma's arm and dragged him out of the classroom, closing the door behind them.

"If you wanted to be alone with me, you could have just asked," Monoma flirted.

Hitoshi tried to not let it fase him. "Look, that class doesn't know Izuku is a boy. Only a few know the truth."

"Why would he lie to the class about his gender?"

"It's a long story, but someone that was in his past is in that class and I don't want him figuring out that the Izuku that comes into class every now and then is the same Izuku."

"And how do you know this much about him?"

"He's my brother, which is another secret."

"My, my. You're awfully trusting me with big secrets," Monoma smirked.

"Just don't tell anyone, okay?"

"I won't, under one little condition."

"And what's that?"

"I get your number."

A blush crept up onto his face. A familiar feeling was going through him.

Monoma saw Hitoshi's phone on his pocket and reached for it. Hitoshi didn't have a password set up so it gave him full access to it.

"I put my number in. I expect a text from you soon," he winked before walking back to his class.

Hitoshi leaned against the wall trying to calm himself down. He couldn't deny it. He was getting the same feeling that he had with Denki, but it was wrong to like another while dating someone else, right?

He didn't stop Monoma from taking his phone. In fact he watched as the blonde put his number and placed the phone back into his pocket.

'Should I text him? Should I do this? What about Denki?' Questions started to fill his head. 'I need to get back.'

Hitoshi recomposed himself before walking back into the classroom.

As soon as he stepped into the room, he was attacked with questions.

"Why did you talk to him outside?"

"What was his deal?"

"How did he feel about being under your quirk?"

Hitoshi rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "You guys are very nosy about other people's business."

"Just ignored them babe," Denki told him sitting on his desk. Hitoshi gave a thin lip smile and gave a small nod.

He had to understand his feelings.

—-

"Aizawa, can you share what you would like to do once you graduate?" The teacher asked.

Izuku hated this teacher with a passion. It was his real world scenarios class. (Totally just made that up). It was the only class in all his life that he dreaded going to. The teacher never listened to him.

"I'm not too sure. My dad says that I might get offered a position at UA for the amount of research I do for them," he explained, wishing she would just sign his sign name.

The teacher didn't like this answer. "Mr. Aizawa, you can't rely on your parents to get you through life. You need to get a reasonable job."

"Firstly, I don't. I just had opportunities that I took advantage of. Secondly, what would be a reasonable job for me? I'm deaf and quirkless. Being a hero is out of the question."

"You can work in child services," she signed thinking she was one upping him.

The whole class gasped. They knew that Izuku was adopted. The teacher however didn't.

"Like hell I go work for the people who dragged out my life!"

"Language!"

Izuku stood from his chair. His hair was pulled back into a braid, displaying his scars around his ears.

"Mrs. Haruna, with all respect, learn about your student's history before you go and tell them what they should do with their life," Izuku signed.

The students in the class were invested in the event occurring. They knew Izuku was the mentally strongest in the whole school. He would talk back to a teacher without fear, but inside of school and outside of school Izuku were two completely different people.

"Please, fill me in with your history," she signed, wanting to hear about his 'terrible life.'

"When I was 4 my birth mother died from a failed rescue mission. My biological father died before I was born. I grew up with a foster family for 9 years where I was bullied everyday by the family's son. One day the son used his quirk and through a series of events caused me to go completely deaf. I was sent to an orphanage where I was the oldest kid there. My parents adopted me a few months later."

The teacher was left speechless. She couldn't believe that he was raised in a foster home.

"I grew up hearing. I wouldn't have guessed that I would be deaf by the time I was a 2nd year in middle school."

"Aizawa...I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"You don't know a lot about your students outside of school, right?"

The teacher nodded conforming.

"Then don't put them in a risky situation that'll bring up painful memories."

Izuku sat back down feeling accomplished.

"Dude, I want your confidence," his table partner signed to him.

"Trust me, I can be free to be who I am here. I'm not as free outside of these school walls."

The day went normal for the rest of the day with the small addition of a rumor going around.

Penny walked up to Izuku and slapped his arm with no explanation.

"What the heck?!"

"You told off a teacher...again."

"So?"

Penny wanted to slap her best friend across the face. "You can't stand up to every person you disagree with."

"I can if I can prove a point."

"And what point was that exactly?"

"Not to assume about her students. She told me I should work in child services."

Penny went to sign something, but paused. "You have a point there."

"I will now be accepting an apology," he joked.

"Only in your dreams. You get enough satisfaction from being right all the time."

Izuku and Penny walkes oh the school and towards the Aizawa household like they normally would after school.

"So, the sports festival is in a few days. You're excited?" Izuku asked Penny.

"Duh! I'm so happy your dad invited me to go watch it live! I couldn't be more thankful!"

"I'll get to see so many different quirks," Izuku smiled at the thought.

"You enjoy that, I'll be looking for me a man!"

"You are seriously going into this looking for a boyfriend?" Izuku raised his eyebrows.

"Let a girl dream. You crushed my hopes and dreams when you came out to me," she faked cried.

"I thought I was obvious!"

"Well you weren't!" She joked.

Izuku laughed as he unlocked the front door.

The two of them walk inside before going to start on their homework.

Izuku finished his in a matter of minutes. Penny on the other hand... she was crying over a math problem.

"I don't understand this!" She cried out. She was stressing out over the math problem. She wasn't the smartest person when it came to math.

"Penny, it's just trigonometry."

"You say it like it's easy!" She complained.

"You're stressing way too much over something you won't really use in the future," Izuku told her.

Penny scrunched her eyebrows "Why in the world are we learning this?!"

"Truly, I have no clue." Izuku shrugged his shoulders before pulling out his phone.

"I can't believe it. You rather spend time on social media than help your best friend with her homework." Izuku didn't look up from his phone. Penny sent him a death glare knowing that he had no idea what she just signed.

Penny slowly worked on the problems but ended up giving up. Izuku finally helped her with the rest whenever she couldn't take it anymore.

"Why are you evil?" She asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"I had multiple mental breakdowns and you only helped whenever I gave up."

"Do you understand the problems now?"

"Izuku, does it look like I know what I'm doing in math?!"

Izuku pressed his lips into a thin line. "I had at least some hope."

"The world's a rude place. Live with it."

They picked up all their school work before going to the couch to watch tv till Shouta and crew came back.

"I have a question," Penny told him.

"What?"

"Do you still talk to Mrs. Shinobu? Last time I heard/ signed the name was when you got adopted."

Izuku shook his head. "Same thing. I'm guessing once the kid is adopted, they don't care anymore."

"Or Shouta threatened them in anyway."

"Protective father mood?"

"Your dad is extremely scary."

Izuku just smiled and laughed a little. "My parents are letting me get a cochlear implant whenever I graduate."

Penny's face dropped into a shocked yet excited expression. "You're serious?"

"Would I lie about this?"

Penny's lips widened into the largest smile Izuku had ever seen. "You'll be able to hear us; your dad, papa, brother...me"

"I don't remember what I sound like to be honest. Should my hearing be the same as before?"

"That's a question that only you will know the answer to. I've had hearing aids all my life. That's my normal."

"It's funny how normal is different for everyone.

Penny reached over him and grabbed the tv remote and put on a show that they had started to watch together.

Watching the show, Penny had a thought come into her mind. She would have her hearing aids during the sports festival. She would have something to balance out visuals and noise.

Izuku didn't. 'Has he ever went through visual overstimulation?'

Chapter Text

Izuku and Penny sat in the back of Hizashi's car, heading to UA a few hours before the festival started. Hitoshi and Shoto were riding with Shouta.

Penny had her hearing aids fully charged, but she was worried for Izuku. She had a feeling that something was going to happen today. She tapped his shoulder getting his full attention.

"Have you ever been in a large crowd?" She asked.

"Like the school assemblies? Of course, we have them all the time." Penny was filled to the brim with worry. Those assemblies were designed for deaf and hard of hearing people. He had never been in a large crowd with majority hearing people.

Before Penny could warn him, he jumped out of his seat, quickly getting out of the car. Penny didn't realize that they were in the teacher parking lot. "Penny, were you trying to tell him something?" Hizashi asked, opening the door for her.

"It's the crowd. I'm worried that he's going to get oversimulated."

"Do you know how it would affect him? What's going to happen?"

"I'm not sure. When it happened to me a bursted into tears and shut my eyes for a good while. He could do the same or completely different," She explained.

"Keep an eye on him. I have to announce the event. Almost all the teachers know about the two of you."

"Almost?"

"All might. Shouta, Izuku, Hitoshi, and I don't really care about the man. There's something about him that doesn't sit right with me for sure. Like there's something that he knows that no one else can possibly know."

Penny and Hizashi continued to talk as they followed Izuku inside the school building.

The group met up with the others in Shouta's classroom. "Morning Penny. Morning Izuku," Shoto greeted them.

"Dude, you live with Izuku and you saw them both at the house before we left. You don't need to greet them again," Hitoshi slapped his arm lightly.

"Hitoshi, don't traumatize the poor boy," Penny told him.

"Aren't I already traumatized because of my father's abusive relationship with me?"

Penny and Hitoshi didn't know how to react. They both pressed their lips into a thin line.

"Shoto, please, let's not talk or sign about him," Hizashi acted like a responsible adult.

"Izuku," Shouta signed, getting Izuku's eyes in him.

"I know. I'll grab a notebook."

"No."

"No?"

Shouta tied his hair back for the time being before signing a response.

"I don't want you to stress yourself out with getting every student in that notebook. I also want you to enjoy the event."

Izuku crossed his arms. "Calm down child. You can write notes later when you get home," Penny added.

Izuku tried to fight off the smile that eventually went to his face.

"Is there anything that needs to be known before all the students get here?" Hitoshi asked.

"The girls found out that Izuku and I were 'dating'."

"Like they know that it's fake?" Penny jumped in.

"No, they think we are together."

"Great, so they are going to try to ask me about that," Izuku rolled his eyes.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry, I'll tell them you broke up with him," Penny defended him.

"And say that I'm single and ready to mingle? Sorry, but not one of those students has tried to hit on me," Izuku sassed.

"Can we not talk about our children's relationship status right now?" Shouta groaned while he signed.

"I thought you two are okay with us being...well us?" Hitoshi signed. 

"I am. I just don't want Penny to become the protective best friend."

"What do you mean ' become the protective best friend'? I am the protective best friend!"

The group laughed at her bright energy. Even though she wasn't technically part of their unusual family, they would take her in, in a heartbeat.

"You kids can go wherever. Hizashi and I need to grade papers. Penny-"

"I know. Stay with Izuku," Penny cut him up in sign.

"Why am I being treated like a child?" Izuku couldn't help but ask.

"You're the only person that can't hear a pin drop," Penny explained to him.

"I hate when you're smart."

"Love you too idiot."

"Let's go walk the halls and show Penny around," Hitoshi suggested.

"Yes, show me the ways of UA students."

——

About an hour or so later, students started to pile into the building. The four teens kept to themselves and tried to ignore the rest of the students.

They were walking through the third years section of the school. Izuku noticed the area and kept a lookout for his friends.

"What is Izuku looking for?" Shoto asked the group.

"No clue."

"Food."

Hitoshi and Shoto gave Penny a funny look questioning her guess.

"What? I thought we were guessing what he was looking for."

Izuku focused his vision on the group of three teens that he was familiar with. There was no mistaking the sunshine that came off of Mirio.

Izuku dashed straight to the older teens leaving Shoto, Hitoshi, and Penny behind.

"I hate when he does this!" Hitoshi ran after his brother.

"Izuku!" Nejire smiled seeing the boy run up to them.

Izuku stopped right in front of them and signed their sign names that he gave them.

"How are you?" Mirio signed to Izuku.

"I'm good. I see that those sign language classes are coming into use."

"It's the only way Tamaki will talk to us in a crowd," Nejire admitted.

"I do not. I simply don't talk at all."

"I wouldn't know. I can never hear you."

Mirio, Nejire and Izuku laughed while Tamaki became flustered with embarrassment.

"I want to go home," he mumbled.

Hitoshi and crew finally caught up with Izuku, out of breath.

"I'm sorry about my brother. He's deaf and fast," he breathed, trying to catch his breath.

"Don't worry, we know he's deaf," Nejire replied.

Hitoshi looked up and saw exactly who he was talking to.

"You guys are the big three!" Hitoshi exclaimed.

"Big three?" Penny questioned.

"Basically, they are the strongest and most powerful in the school," Shoto summarized.

"Aw. Don't say that! We are all strong and amazing in our own way!" Nejire smiled.

Hitoshi pulled Izuku by the shoulder to face him.

"You didn't tell me you knew the big three!!" He signed-yelled at him.

Izuku giggled. "You never asked. Plus that was before dad and papa brought you in."

"So you're Izuku's brother?" Mirio asked Hitoshi.

"Yeah."

"I'm Shoto Todoroki. I am his friend."

"And I'm Penny! His best friend!"

Penny was glad that she put on her hearing aids before they had left the classroom. She could hear sounds one at a time in a quiet area but the overlapping noise drowned out her hearing.

"I recognize you two. You're in class 1-A," Nejire concluded.

"Tamaki, how's your public speaking classes with FatGum going?" Izuku asked him, bringing up where he was an intern at.

"Not well. I fear that I'll let him down if I try."

Izuku sighed. "Do me a favor and try next time."

"No promises."

"Your eyes are wicked dude! They are literally all blue!" Penny was amazed by Mirio.

Mirio chuckled at the comment. "Thanks, I guess."

"Penny, Shoto and I have to get back to our class. Remember to call me Shinso today."

"I'll try, but I might call you Hitoshi accidently," She warned.

Hitoshi let out a sigh before him and Shoto started to walk back to the first year hall.

"You guys should go get ready. Penny and I are probably going to stick with my parents."

"We'll see you later then," Mirio signed.

"It was nice to meet you Penny," Nejire added.

"Same to you." Izuku waved goodbye before they started to walk randomly throughout the halls.

—

Katsuli walked through the gates of UA. He didn't want to be bothered. Partly because he was focused on the festival, but the true reason was that he was wearing his hearing aids.

He didn't want to wear them, but whenever he woke up that morning, his hearing was muffled more than usual. He tried to keep the sides of his hair down so they would be able to hide them.

He had to take them off before the class went out to the festival. Who knew what challenges they would have to face during the day. Hearing aids were expensive. They also weren't waterproof.

"Hey Bakubro!" the redhead of the class ran up to him. Katsuki panicked a little. He didn't want anyone to know he was hard of hearing.

He brought his hand up and pulled down on his hair, making sure they were covered.

"What do you want Red?" (the clean version nickname)

Kirishima was slightly shocked. During class he would notice that Katsuki would lean towards whoever was speaking.

"Nothing. I just saw you walking inside and thought you looked lonely."

"What if I want to be by myself?"

Kirishima was about to say something, but nothing came to mind. "You got me there."

Katsuki huffed while walking slightly faster towards the front doors.

"He was acting weird," Kirishima spoke aloud. He shrugged his shoulders, not letting it get to him. He walked at the same speed inside.

"Shoto, I swear, if you don't tell me who I am going to brainwash you and make you tell me!" Kirishima heard from outside the classroom door.

He opened the door slowly. The sight in front of him was something he would never have thought of.

Shoto was lying on the ground with Hitoshi on top of him kneeling on him. Usually, it wouldn't be funny, but Shouta was standing at his desk just letting it happen. He had a smirk, like he was trying not to laugh himself.

"Did I walk into something that I don't want to know the details to?"

"It would be best not to question it," Shouta told the teen.

"Where's Bakugo? He walked into the school before me?"

Shoto, Hitoshi, and Shouta all looked at him weird.

"You're the first one here other than these two idiots."

"Ouch, that one hurt," Hitoshi acted.

"Another question, why did you call him Shoto, Shinso. Are you cheating on Denki?!"

"Hell no! He's my loud blonde. He can't get away from me if he tries. Also, he hates to not see me almost everyday. He's at my place most of the time."

In truth, Denki was the only person within the rest of the classmates that knew the entire truth of the Aizawa household.

The door opened again and Katsuki walked in. His hair was pulled up showcasing his bare ears.

"Dude, where did you go?"

"I went to fix my hair. Obviously."

Shouta looked down to his watch to check the time.

"Shinso, you're in charge. I have to go get Izuku and Penny, wherever they are."

"They were in the third year hall before we came back," Hitoshi told him before the adult left the room.

"How long have you two been here?" Kirishima asked the two who were strangely still on the ground.

"Mr. Aizawa gave us a ride this morning," Shoto spoke in his monotone voice.

"So that deaf nerd is here too," Katsuki asked from his desk.

"Yes. Also the best friend," Hitoshi chuckled evilly.

"Dude, what's that laugh for?" Kirishmia worried.

"Advice, don't piss her off. If you thought that Bakugo here is angry at literally anything, this girl is extremely protective."

"Sounds manly! Why would I be scared?"

"Your funeral if you get her mad," Shoto said finally getting off the ground.

Kirishimia was anxious to meet this girl.

Chapter Text

The stands were like the most important sports even in the world, the stadium was filled to the brim.

The students were gathered around in the waiting area waiting for the time to pass before they were called to walk in the open field.

"Izuku, I'm worried about you," Penny signed while they were separated from the students. They were in the same area but they were closer to the stairwell that led to the stands.

"Why?"

"I have a bad feeling that this will all be overwhelming to you."

"I'll be fine," Izuku ignored her worries. Penny had tried all morning to warn him, but nothing was getting through to him. He was too excited for the event.

Meanwhile, class 1-A were all gathered with their friend groups talking away. Shoto was with Momo, but his attention was the group behind her.

Sero and crew were gathered next to Katsuki who was clearly annoyed to have them surround him.

"Todoroki, you're not paying attention to a word I'm saying aren't you?" Momo concluded after he wasn't faced with what she just told him.

"Sorry, I'm just distracted," he admitted.

"You aren't living in your house aren't you?" She asked him.

"How do you know?"

"You don't seem as pressured. I grew up with you. Our parents tried to get us together, but I could never like you that way."

"Same."

"I'm glad that you're with Izuku. She seems like a lovely lady. I'm going to be honest with you, during our exams I thought she straight up ignored me, but once I found out she was deaf, I see her in a different light."

"Oh. Well you see, we broke up actually. We agreed we were better just as friends."

"What?!"

"Besides. There's someone else that I want to get to know," his gaze shifted from her to the group behind her again.

She slowly turned her head and filled his gaze to Sero. "You like Sero?!" She whispered yelled at him.

"I'm attracted to him. I want to get to know him more, but I'm nervous. What if he doesn't like guys that way?"

"Todo, sweetie, stop being a baby about this. You'll never find love if you are always scared to make a move."

A phone started to ring in the group he was looking at. Sero took the phone out of his pocket. His eyes widened immediately.

"I have to take this," he told the group before running to a quieter place.

Momo pushed Shoto towards the direction he was running. "Go get your man!"

"Thanks Momo."

Shoto jogged after him and followed him into the mens restroom that was a short distance away from where they were. He opened the door slightly to hear the conversation.

"mamá, papá, ha pasado un tiempo. ¿Cómo estás?" (mom, dad, its been a while. how are you?)

Shoto was taken aback by the language change that Sero had. He sounded the same, yet different. It was hypnotizing him in a way.

"Estoy genial. Mi tía y mi tío me están tratando bien. ¿Qué hora es allá en Columbia?" (I'm great. My aunt and uncle are treating me well. What time is it there in Columbia?)

"8 de la noche! ¡No sabía que era una diferencia horaria de 14 horas!" (8 at night! I didn't know that it was a 14 hour time difference!)

He heard Sero laugh a little before talking again in the different language.

"Gracias mamá y papá. Lo haré lo mejor que pueda. Te amo y te extraño." (Thanks mom and dad. I'll do my best. Love and miss you.)

"Adiós." (Do I need to translate that one)

Shoto heard Sero walk towards the door, but by the time he heard the echoed steps, it was too late.

The door opened, resulting in Sero and Shoto being face to face.

"Uh- Hi," Shoto struggled to get out.

"Did you hear that whole conversation?" He switched back to his "normal" voice.

Shoto let out a sigh. It was best to just be honest. "I did, but I can't tell what you were saying. What language was that?"

"Español, aka Spanish." He smiled slightly.

"I didn't know you could speak a different language."

"I'm Latino. I was born and raised in Columbia," he let his accent slip out when pronouncing the country. "Whenever I applied to UA, I moved in with my Uncle and Aunt who live here."

"So you had to learn Japanese?"

"I started to learn it a few years ago, but my accent powers through sometimes," he chuckled.

Shoto couldn't help, but gaze into Sero's eyes. There was something about them that was mesmerizing about them.

"My cousins and I are going to a hispanic party this weekend. Do you want to come with us?"

A blush climbed onto Shoto's face. "Y-Yes. I would love to."

"It's a date then. Let's get back to the group before they call us in."

Sero held out his hand inviting Shoto to grab ahold of it. Shoto reached out and intertwined his fingers with Sero's.

"Todoroki," he spoke before they started to walk towards the class.

"Yes?"

"Call me Hanta."

"Call me Shoto."

—-

Penny and Izuku didn't really care about the first part of the festival. Correction, Penny tried to keep Izuku away from the crazed arena.

She wanted to prevent him from overstimulating as much as possible.

Soon it was the lunch break. Penny had put their lunch in her backpack so they would be able to find an area away from all the people.

"Penny!" She heard someone call out.

She grabbed Izuku's wrist causing him to stop at once. Hitoshi had called out to them and was making a movement for them to go sit with the class.

Hesitating, Penny and Izuku made their way to the group.

"Guys, this is Penny. She's Izuku's best friend and acts as an interpreter," he introduced.

Kirishima was amazed by the girl that he was told about. Her hair was tied into braids and her eyes sparkled even without the sun shining in them.

"Hello. I'm hard of hearing. I wear hearing aids, but there may be times where I still can't hear you. My hearing isn't the absolute best," she told the class.

"I have a spot next to me," Kirishima spoke up.

Shoto was sitting across from him but moved over, closer to Sero, for Izuku to sit across from her.

The two hearing impaired teens sat at the table. Penny was thankful that Izuku's back was facing most of the crowd.

"So how did you guys do during the first rounds?" She asked while opening the bag that had her lunch.

"You guys didn't watch them?" Kirishima asked.

Penny glanced over at Izuku, who was taking a bite of his sandwich that she had made for him.

"It's a deaf and hard of hearing thing."

Katsuki kept to himself the whole time. He tried to listen, but his hearing was not functioning well today.

"Hit-Shinso," Penny corrected herself.

"What?"

"What's the next event?"

" 1 v 1 battles. It's mostly hero course students and this one support course girl."

"Okay."

The group started to eat their food. Small murmurs could be heard by a few of them.

"So, Penny," Kirishima spoke getting her attention.

"I'm sorry. What's your name?" She asked.

"Eijiro Kirishma."

"Is it okay if I call you Eijiro? I'm originally from the United States and I find it weird to call someone by their family name."

"Sure," he chuckled.

Izuku looked up, he could feel the vibrations on the table of people talking. He saw Penny and the redhead talking to each other.

Izuku smiled before knocking on the table.

Penny's attention immediately went to him. "What's wrong?!"

"Looks like someone found them a man," he chuckled.

Her smile dropped and her face became red as Kirishima's hair.

"What did she sign?" Kirishima asked her.

"Don't worry about it," Penny nervously laughed.

—-

Penny's leg bounced as the stands started to slowly fill back up after the lunch break. She was biting her thumbnail to help calm her nerves.

"Penny, the P.A system might mess with your hearing aids," Hitoshi whispered to her before going to sit next to his boyfriend in the class 1-A section.

Penny took out her case that she kept her hearing aids in.

"What's that Penny?" Mina asked since she was sitting behind the two.

"It's my hearing aid case. Shinso warned me that the frequency from the mics might mess with them."

"So you're taking them out of your ears?"

"Yeah. So tell everyone else that I won't be able to hear them clearly. If it was an empty room and they were right next to me, it would be a different story."

Izuku glanced over to her and saw the case out.

"Hearing break?"

"Frequency. Hitoshi warned me."

She removed the devices and placed them in the case.

She had experience being overstimulated in a large crowd before. Over time she had gotten used to it and learned to overcome it.

She took a deep breath and hoped Izuku would be alright.

"Welcome back to the second half of the first year's sports festival!!!" Hizashi yelled into the mic.

Immediately, Izuku felt the overwhelming combinations of the yelling from the mic and the roars of the crowd.

He placed his hands on his ears like he was hearing an extremely loud noise.

Hizashi continued to speak into the mic. He was introducing the first competitors. Iida of class 1-A and the support course girl that somehow got into the final round.

The cheers roared and overwhelmed the sights he was seeing.

Izuku couldn't see straight anymore. This was what Penny was warning him about.

He rushed out his seat and out of the open arena. Penny didn't see him get up since all her focus was on the two in the field.

Izuku ran down the stairs and tried to find an unlocked empty room.

His mind was going a million miles a minute. His senses were picking up on every living thing.

Tears pooled in his eyes as he opened random doors.

One of the doors he opened was the competitor room for the next battle.

The familiar blonde hair boy looked towards the door. Izuku's hair was covering his ears, hiding the scars.

"Izuku?"

"Kat." Izuku spoke aloud with his rough voice.

Chapter Text

Katsuki's jaw dropped. The voice didn't sound like it had been used in a long time. Izuku didn't have to worry about pronouncing words. He had forgotten how to voice some letters.

There was something about the voice that didn't match up for Katsuki. A deaf voice sounded unique, but the voice didn't sound like the ones at his doctor's office.

"You're not a girl?" Katsuki signed. He put the info together and figured out that the person in front of him was the Izuku that he grew up with.

Izuku's breathing was fast paced. He didn't care about the person in front of him.

"Sorry," he spoke trying to calm himself.

"Do you need me to call someone?" Katsuki asked. He wanted to ask him so much, but it wasn't the right time.

"Penny, Hitoshi, Dad, Papa."

"Where's your phone?" Katsuki signed quickly.

Izuku pointed up to where the stands were. Katsuki groaned and took out his gym pants pockets.

He pulled up the group chat and clicked on Hitoshi's number.

The phone rang for a second before the other person picked up.

"Please tell me you found Izuku!" Hitoshi panicked.

"Yea. He's with me right now in the competitor area. He's asking for you, Penny, his dad and papa."

"Wait, did you say he?"

"Yeah. I want to ask questions but I've never felt with someone who is dealing with a panic attack and deaf!"

"I'll grab Penny."

The phone call ended abruptly.

He tossed his phone off the table and slowly walked towards Izuku.

He slowly reached his hand to put it on Izuku's shoulder. Izuku's tear filled eyes met with Katsuki's ruby ones.

He pushed the hair away from Izuku's face to see the scars caused by him those years ago.

The scars were still plain as day across the front of his ears. He didn't want to look at the back of them.

Izuku pulled away slightly from his hand, but immediately tried to find comfort elsewhere.

He wrapped his arms around Katsuki. Katsuki didn't expect the action after all that he's done, but he could tell something was messing with him.

Slowly, he reached his arms and wrapped them around Izuku.

Katsuki felt a part of himself rejuvenated. The pieces that had been lost long ago were finally part of him again.

Izuku buried his head into Katsuki and blocked out anything in sight...including Katsuki.  

A few moments later, the door swung open, but Katsuki still held Izuku in his arms.

"Penny, explain now," Hitoshi worried, seeing his brother wrapped in Katsuki's arms.

"He's overstimulated. It's too much so suddenly."

Katsuki could feel the cold tears seep through his clothes and touch his skin.

"His last name was Midoroyia huh?" Izuku could feel the vibrations of Katsuki talking, but tried to ignore them.

"We'll talk about it later. We need to get him stable," Hitoshi told him.

"Bakugo, right?" Penny asked.

All he did was nod, not wanting to disturb Izuku through the vibrations.

"I want you to push him off of you and turn him to face me. I'll try to sign through what he's possibly feeling," she informed him. "Hitoshi, I think it's best for us to stay secluded from everything. I need him to calm down."

Penny gave Katsuki the signal to push Izuku off. He didn't want to though. He wanted to hold Izuku for a little longer. He felt complete knowing that the person he wanted to be forgiven by was holding onto him.

He took his hands off of Izuku's back and placed them on Izuku's chest, adding slight pressure.

Izuku got this and backed away from him. Katsuki glanced at Penny, letting him know to turn.

Izuku turned and saw the girl with his brother in worry in both of their faces.

"I'm sorry," he signed.

"That's not important. Are you okay?" Penny signed.

"No."

"Come on Bakugo. Let Penny and him do their thing. They know more about being deaf and Hard of hearing than any of us."

Hitoshi and the blonde walked out the room, but before the door shut completely, Katsuki looked back to see the person that had been missing from his life, but was already here.

The door slowly closed behind them. Hitoshi threw himself against the wall, running his fingers through his hair. 

"Has this ever happened to him before?" Katsuki asked not caring about the festival anymore.

"Not that I know of. I've never seen him like this," his voice waived, like he was trying to hide his feelings.

Katsuki looked back to the closed door and tried to imagine the life Izuku had for himself.

"How are you so close to him? He asked for you, the girl and his parents. Why you?"

"It's complicated."

"Did you two date before you started to go out with dunce face?"

"First of all, don't call my boyfriend that. Secondly, and more importantly, Izuku's my brother."

"He didn't have a brother when he lived with us," Katsuki tried to catch Hitoshi in some lie.

Something clicked within Hitoshi's mind. Granted, he put the thoughts together a while back, but with that sentence, everything made sense.

"I knew I recognized you on the first day of school."

"I never knew you."

"But Izuku told us about you. He told our family how his foster family's son caused him to go deaf. The boy had an explosive quirk. We passed by your middle school a while back. He recognized you almost instantly. He said 'Kacchan'. From that day he opened up to us and never kept secrets. He never said your name. I guess he still cared about you in a way."

"I know what day you're talking about. I heard his name."

Hitoshi and Katsuki just stood there thinking. Hitoshi was silently judging him while Katsuki was overwhelmed with the questions we wanted to ask.

"Bakugo, please make your way to the field!" An announcement called out.

"You should go. This is still the sports festival for our school."

"But I just found someone I thought I lost forever."

"You can wait a little longer."

Bakugo huffed as he walked towards the field.

Hitoshi watched Katsuki turn the corner. He waited till there was no one around to break down.

Both of his hands raked through his hair. He let out a staggered breath full of stress.

"Are you okay?" He heard a familiar voice call out to him.

Hitoshi looked directly at the person who spoke to him.

"I got your text the other day," the blonde walked closer to him.

"Neito, not now, please," Hitoshi stressed.

"It's Izuku isn't it?"

"It's my life. I have so many things conflicting with each other and it's overwhelming me, but I can't let it show. My brother means the world to me. He comes first!" He snapped.

"When do you feel the most happy, that's not with your brother?"

"What?"

"When are you happy? Is there a moment that you truly feel free that's not around Izuku?" Neito repeated.

"That's one of the things that is conflicting. I don't want to talk about it here," Hitoshi told him.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I'll send my address. You can come over and I'll explain it there."

Neito nodded before looking slightly up to Hitoshi. 'I can wait' he thought before walking back to be with his class.

The day was supposed to be competitive, fun, and overall just a good time, but what goes on behind the pretty picture is always something unexpected.

Pain, stress and sorrow are always a part of life. The confusion of the unknown drives for others to face it. The truth is also something dangerous and could lead to many things.

That's the way life is...

Chapter Text

"Are you sure that I look okay?" Shoto asked for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Sho, trust Izuku's work. Sero is going to love it," Hitoshi told him as the two boys were helping Shoyo get ready for his date.

Shoto had on black plants with a loose, blue button down shirt. Izuku figured that Shoto would be moving around a lot since it was a party and there would most likely be dancing.

"What if I'm overdressed?"

"Relax, if you're overdressed just ask Sero if you can borrow some clothes," Izuku signed. Hitoshi knew his brother signed that with two different meanings.

"That wouldn't be appropriate. I don't think we wear the same size clothes."

'The boy totally overlooked the second meaning,' Hitoshi said to himself.

"Well, you're handsome as hell and if he doesn't ask to be your boyfriend tonight then, he's missing out!" Izuku proclaimed in sign.

"What are you children doing," Shouta signed standing in the doorway of the room.

"Hanta asked me out on a date," Shoto rubbed the back of his neck.

Shouta raised an eyebrow slowly transitioning into the protective father mood.

"Where is said date?"

"Hanta is taking me to a party with his family," he smiled at the thought.

"Do you know what time you'll be back?"

"Not exactly."

Shouta sighed and thought about it. "If it gets too late, then stay over at Sero's. I don't want you traveling when you're tired."

"You're letting him stay with his potential boyfriend but I can't stay over at my boyfriend's place?!" Hitoshi signed in jealousy.

"You're my kid. He's just here till he finds himself a safer place to stay."

Hitoshi crossed his arms in defeat.

Shoto's phone started to ring and he quickly answered it.

"Hello?"

"I'm at your front door and I'm pretty sure the doorbell is broken. I didn't hear anything," Sero spoke through the phone.

"Tell him your guardian is going open the door for him," Shouta told him walking out the room.

"Someone is going open the door for you. I'll see you in a second," Shoto hung up the phone after that and looked at Hitoshi. "You want him to know you're Mr. Aizawa's son yet?"

"Na, I'll just tell him that I'm hanging out with Izuku since I know sign."

"Come on you two! I want to see Sero's face whenever he sees Shoto!"

Izuku dragged them from where they were and pulled them into the hall.

The group walked downstairs and couldn't help but be breath-taken about how Sero looked.

Tight pants fitted him perfectly with a button up white shirt that the top two buttons were undone. His hair was pulled back into a low bun, showing the undercut that he hid during the school day.

"Wow," Shoto breathed.

"Don't get a nosebleed now," Hitoshi elbowed his side.

"Shinso, Shoto, why are you two at Mr. Aizawa's house?" He asked the two.

"Mr. Aizawa is looking after me since my home life isn't the best for my well-being," Shoto explained his part.

"I'm just hanging out with Izuku here."

Shouta picked up on the lie and just went along with it.

"Remember if it gets too late-"

"Don't worry Mr. Aizawa. My family won't let him come back in the middle of the night. They are already okay with him staying over till the morning, if it's okay with you," Sero interrupted.

"Well, I have nothing more to say. Have fun kids."

Izuku pushed Shoto towards Hanta. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," Shoto waved as the two walked out.

Once the door shut behind them, that's when Hanta spoke.

"You look handsome."

"Same to you."

"Come on, my cousins are dying to meet you!"

—-

The two boys walked hand in hand the whole way to their destination.

They ignored all the stares others would send to them. It wasn't everyday that they saw two boys holding hands.

It took about an hour or so until they got to Hanta's house.

"Is this where you live?"

"My family wanted to meet you before we went to the party," he told him as they walked up to the front door. "They might speak a lot of Spanish. I'll translate for you."

"Thanks."

Hanta opened the door. "¡Estamos aquí! Puedes empezar la fiesta ahora." (we are here! You can start the party now.) Hanta announced into the home.

"Living room!" Someone yelled with a thick accent.

Hanta and Shoto removed their shoes and made their way to the living room.

Shoto walked into a room that had 5 people in it.

"Tía, tío, primos, este es Shoto Todoroki. Es el chico que me gusta." (Aunt, Uncle, cousins this is Shoto Todoroki. He's the boy i like.)

"¿Él sabe español?"  (Does he know Spanish?)

"No, he doesn't speak or understand Spanish primo," Hanta spoke for Shoto to understand.

"Hello," Shoto spoke. "Thanks for having me."

"Anytime sweetie. I'm Hanta's aunt, you can call me Tía Rosa," the woman's thick accent powered through the entire time she spoke.

"I'm Tío Carlos," the man spoke in a similar accent.

"And we are the triplets!" one of the children announced, sitting on the couch.

"That's Isa, Antonio, and Mateo," Hanta introduced.

"We are third years in high school, but we don't go to UA like Hanta," Antonio told Shoto.

"We aren't as powerful as him," Mateo added.

"You two are just jealous that he got in when you two couldn't," Isa made fun of her siblings.

"No fighting! We leave in an hour, get ready!" Tía Rosa got up from her seat.

"Let's go hang in my room while we wait for the triplets. Tía is going to hit them with a chancla if we are late," Sero laughed but also shivered at the thought of the chancla.

"What's a chancla?"

"Don't worry about it."

—-

The group walked into a larger building that was fully packed with people dancing and singing to the Spanish songs playing. The main lights were shut off with multicolored beams shining and moving throughout the dance floor.

"Remember, if you want to leave, let someone in the family know," Rosa told the group. "Now go have fun!"

The triplets rushed into the crowd and immediately started to dance around to the unique music.

Shoto was amazed by the room around him; he hadn't seen anything like it before.

"Come on, let's go dance!" Hanta let out his full Coulumbian accent.

"I'm not really good at it though."

"Do you want to watch a little before coming in?"

"If you don't mind. I don't want to stick out."

Hanta looked him up and down before raising his eyebrows. 'He already sticks out. He's the only true Japanese person in this place.'

"Suit yourself." Hanta went out into the crowd and was immediately greeted with screams of mostly girls.

"¡Es el rey de la danza Hanta!" (It's the dance king Hanta!) Shoto heard someone yell.

"¡Gracias! ¡Gracias! Hay alguien mirando que está demasiado asustado para bailar conmigo. ¡Mostrémosle lo que se está perdiendo!" (Thank you! Thank you! There's someone watching that's too scared to dance with me. Let's show him what he's missing!) Hanta yelled out into the crowd causing everyone to scream.

Hanta never told anyone that he was good at dancing. He was extremely flexible and could move his hips with ease.

"Hanta! Do your hips lie?!" Someone called out before the song started to play.

"Ayyy," the whole crowd went before leaving an opening whenever they surrounded Hanta to make sure the half and half boy could see.

Hanta felt the beat of the music and only moved his hips one side at the time at the beat drops. Out of habit, he lifted his shirt slightly to show off his hip movements. Doing this, he also showed his abs from training almost every day.

Shoto went red in the face after seeing this side of Hanta. When the chorus of the song started to play, he didn't rely on just his hips to move with the beat of the music.

Shoto watched as every inch of Hanta's body moved like it was the most natural thing for him.

He was like this for the entirety of the song until it switched over to the next one.

"Look at that cutie," Shoto overheard some creeps say. "Wonder if he's single?"

"Dude, bet I will go in for a dance with him before you."

"The king of the dance floor will be with me!"

Shoto started to get annoyed with the two disgusting men and walked onto the dance floor.

"Decided to join in on the fun?" Hanta joked, grabbing onto Shoto's hands.

"These two guys were talking about wanting to dance with you."

"Did someone get jealous?" He smiled, moving Shoto's arms to the beat of the music.

"So what if I am. I just don't want to embarrass you. You're an amazing dancer and I'm probably stiff as a board. I-"

"Shh. Don't worry about it," Hanta started to say. "Do you want to know what I was always told when I first started to dance?"

"Sure."

"I would always dance with a better dancer and they said it to me bluntly but, I'll change it up for you," Hanta put his hand on the back of Shoto's head, intertwining his fingers through his messy red and white hair. He pulled Shoto towards him and rolled his body slightly onto him. "They're not looking at you, they are staring at me."

Shoto went red immediately. Hanta removed his hand and placed it back into Shoto's hand. "Ready?" He asked him, letting the music drown out everything else.

"Yes."

—-

Back at the Aizawa household, Shouta and Hizashi decided to go out for date night, since they were both off.

"It's so boring!" Izuku complained about the show that Hitoshi put on for them.

"What's boring about it?"

"The main character is obviously going to end up with the childhood bully. The way they act is a typical enemies to lovers situation!"

"Not all things are that predictable. Just look at Shoto and Sero getting together. Did you expect that?!" Hitoshi sassed into the signing.

"Not exactly, but they weren't enemies. To be honest, I'm not sure how they developed feelings for each other," Izuku admitted.

"Same, they rarely talk to each other in class except to exchange notes and training tips."

The brothers shrugged their shoulders and decided to just leave it at that.

"I'm having a friend over later. You don't have to worry about them, we'll stay in my room the whole time," Hitoshi sighed to him.

"Is it Denki?"

"If it was Denki, I would've signed 'boyfriend'."

"Okay. I would tell you not to make a ruckus, but I can't hear so, I don't care!" Izuku laughed at his own joke.

"Why do you make your jokes surround the fact that you're deaf?"

"You're just jealous that you don't have an amazing sense of humor like yours truly."

Hitoshi took one of the throw pillows that were on the couch and threw it at Izuku causing the both of them to laugh.

"I'm going to my room. I'll make dinner later," Izuku signed, tossing the pillow back to where it was supposed to go.

"Okay."

Izuku walked to his room, he wanted to get ahead in his classes...again.

He got out his notebooks and pens and put them on his desk. Penny had told him to do things to get his brain back into the flow since the festival.

He still wasn't 100% back to normal, but  over time he would get there. He would also go into smaller crowds to start small and work up to the sports festival. He really wanted to watch it with no side effects.

About an hour or so later, Izuku finished his work and decided to go start dinner for him and Hitoshi.

Izuku walked out of his room and towards the kitchen, noticing that Hitoshi's door was closed. Usually, they left doors open when they were by themselves.

Izuku shrugged it off and made his way to the kitchen.

He stared dumbfounded into the empty pantry, refrigerator, and freezer.

'We literally only have eggs and rice.'

Izuku rolled his eyes and thought it was best just to order takeout and have it delivered.  

He walked to Hitoshi's room to let him know of the change of plan. He didn't think about knocking and opened the door right away.

"What the?!" Izuku spoke aloud in his deaf voice, seeing the sight in front of him.

Hitoshi and the student for class 1-B were kissing away without a care in the world.

Hitoshi and the blonde broke away immediately.

"It's not what it looks like Izuku!" Hitoshi quickly signed.

"That's not Denki!"

"I know, but it's complicated. I would need to explain it to both of them, but it'll be weird."

"Invite Denki over right now! You are telling him and..." Izuku had forgotten the boy's name.

"N-e-i-t-o M-o-n-o-m-a." Hitoshi finger spelled.

"Should I leave?" Neito asked, seeing the anger on Izuku's face.

"No, I need to talk to you and someone else at the same time. It's one of the many complicated things in my life."

"Who is it?"

"Denki Kaminari."

Chapter Text

The four teens sat at the kitchen table in silence. Izuku was only there to make sure that things actually happened.  He had speech to text on, so he would know if something was said.

"So, is there a reason that I'm still here?" Neito asked, starting the conversation.

"Yeah, I'm confused. You sounded urgent on the phone," Denki agreed.

Hitoshi looked back and forth to the two blondes. His heart pounded with nerves. He could hear it pounding in his head.

"There's no easy way to say this," Hitoshi spoke. "Denki, I love you and nothing can change that. You are one of the best things that's ever happened to me, but-"

"There's a but?"

"Obviously! That's why I'm still here!" Neito crossed his arms, pouting.

"Neito came into my life and I couldn't help, but feel the same feeling that I had when I'm with you. My heart beats like crazy and I have the urge to protect him the same way I want to protect you."

"What are you saying then?" Denki asked, slightly confused still.

"I have feelings for the both of you. I can't pick which one I love and care about more because in simple terms, I can't!"

Denki and Neito watched as Hitoshi was overwhelmed with his nerves and slowly broke down because of them. The two blondes looked at each other.

"Well, I never told you this, but I actually started to flirt with Denki during the summer before we all started at UA," Neito started placing a hand on Hitoshi's shoulder.

"I wouldn't be against all three of us being in a relationship," Denki smiled.

"So you're not mad that I lied to both of you?"

"Of course not! I need someone to keep me in check whenever my quirk makes me go into my dumb mood," Denki made fun of his quirk.

"Thank you," Hitoshi let a tear slip out.

"I'm not sure if you and Neito are on the L word stage yet, but I love you!" Denki reached over and hugged his boyfriend.

"This blonde wants hugs too!" Neito hurried to join in.

Izuku took off the speech to text app and started to place an order for food. Whenever he looked over to Hitoshi, he had the true genuine smile that he hides most of the time.

"Why are there not one, but two loud blondes hugging my son?!" Shouta announced whenever they walked into the house.

"You two suck at giving us food options in this house," Izuku signed to Hizashi while Shouta dealt with Hitoshi.

"Dad, papa, these are my boyfriends," Hitoshi smiled while talking. It was the best thing in the world to say and it felt he was meant to say that word for the rest of his life.

"You're poly or whatever the correct term is?" Shouta asked while his husband and their deaf son continued to talk about food in sign.

"If that's what you call this, then yes."

"I've hung out with Neito before and we kinda flirted with each other before UA," Denki admitted to the adult.

"You two are both adorable and I don't regret anything I've done flirtatiously," Neito added.

"Shouta," Hizashi interrupted the serious conversation.

"What?"

"Izuku told me that we only have rice and eggs in the house."

"We do?"

Izuku nodded his head, putting together what he lip read.

"I'm a starving teen here. I'm ordering food," Izuku signed while getting out his phone.

"Get me something too!" Hitoshi added.

"What's going on?" Neito asked.  He wasn't familiar with sign language...yet.

"Izuku's ordering food. Want something?"

"Yes!" The two blondes said simultaneously.

"They want something too."

Izuku nodded before filling out the order online and made it for delivery.

"So, Izuku is technically the only single person in this house," Denki pointed out.

"I'm sure he'll figure that one out on his own," Hitoshi fought off the laugh.

He felt happy. Sure Shouta was being his overprotective father mode, but it was only because he was dating two loud blondes. He loved his loud blondes.

"It'll take about 20 minutes," Izuku signed.

"Great, I'm starving!"

—-

Shoto and Hanta left the party early to spend time alone together. Shoto couldn't remember when he had that much fun.

"You had fun?" Hanta asked hand in his.

"I never knew I could have that much fun. Your dancing was breathtaking," a smile was plastered on his face.

"I'm proud of my heritage, but I know the accent is hard to understand sometimes, that's why I hide it at school."

"Is it hard to hide it?"

"You have no idea! The amount of times I want to speak normally is so much!"

"You shouldn't hide who you are," Shoto told him while they walked into the house.

"You think?"

"If you're proud of who you are, who cares if others can understand you! It's you! Our friends know you. They'll learn to accept the amazing, true person you are!"

Hanta didn't give Shoto a chance to continue talking. He turned himself so he was face to face with him and immediately went in for a kiss.

He felt bad that he didn't ask for permission first, but he felt Shoto kiss back at once.

The kiss felt different from the one with Izuku. To Shoto, it was perfect. He felt like he was needed. He wasn't forced into it or anything for the matter.

The two broke apart, needing to get air. A red tent was on both of their faces and was quite obvious.

"I thought you would be oblivious," Hanta admitted, guiding Shoto to his room.

"I really like you. It's something of my choice and not others. I'm choosing this."

Hanta closed the door once they both got into the room.

"Well, if you don't mind, I would like to kiss you again mi amor."

"Only if you tell me what those words at the end mean," Shoto smirked, bringing his hand to Hanta's cheek.

"My love."

——

"So how is Izuku? Is she, he, okay? Also, explain the situation again. I keep getting confused," Kirishima asked Penny through a FaceTime call.

During the festival, the two exchanged numbers having some interest in the other person.

"He's still a little skittish at school, but I'm pretty sure that he's okay once he gets home," Penny started. "And he only went by she because someone in your class has a history with Izuku and he didn't want them to know that he was Shouta's, Mr. Aizawa's son."

"So why aren't you at his place then?"

"Homework. It's my speech therapy class, so Izuku is the last person that could help me," she laughed.

Kirishima flipped from his side onto his back on his bed. His red hair wasn't spiked and he was wearing a muscle shirt.

"What's speech therapy like? You talk like you've been doing it for years!"

"Cause I have been silly! It's me being able to lip read better mostly. My hearing aids can only do so much."

"Do you guys do quirk training?"

"Not really. The school focuses more on the deaf world, the silent world they call it. Quirks are the least of their worries."

Kirishima loved talking to Penny. She was sweet, feisty, and overall amazing.

"Penny's your first name right?"

"Sure is! I was raised in the United States so everyone would just sign my first name or sign name. That's why I don't call Izuku 'Aizawa'. Heck, I call the whole family by their first names," she laughed.

"What's your quirk, I couldn't really watch the festival too well because of Izu?"

"I can make my whole body hard like a rock. It's great for defense."

The two of them continued to talk until Penny's hearing aids died. She heard the beeping noise and rolled her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Ejiro asked, concerned.

"My hearing aids. I need to change the batteries, but I don't want to."

"What happens if you take them off?"

"I'll still hear you, but not well. You might need to repeat yourself a few times."

"I'm okay with that. As long as I can see you and hear you, I don't care if I need to repeat myself."

Penny tried to hide the red that rushed to her cheeks.

"O-Okay."  She took off her hearing aids and placed them on her night stand next to her bed.

"So what's the difference between you and Izuku? He's deaf, but you go to the same school?"

Penny read his lips and tried to put the words together.

"Izuku can't hear a single thing, however I can still hear if I'm around a single person in a non echo room, but even with those circumstances I still can barely hear."

Ejiro wanted to test a theory he had formed after she told him this.

"So you wouldn't be able to hear me whisper?"

"Probably not. With the audio of phones and your phone's microphone, I most likely won't hear it."

"Then I hope you are able to read lips well," he spoke in a normal volume. "I think I'm starting to  like you," he whispered.

Penny pressed her lips into a thin line. "For your information I couldn't hear a single word you said. Whispering is considered rude to me," she fake pouted.

"Sorry," Ejiro chuckled.

"And Ejiro...I think I like you too."

"I thought you said you couldn't hear me?"

Penny put her hands in the air acting as if she was innocent. "You underestimate how well I red lips." a smile appeared on both of their faces

"You want to hang before we go back to school for the week?"

"Sure. Where shall we go?" Ejiro's smile dropped and turned into panic. Penny laughed at the change of emotion. "Relax pretty boy, we'll figure it out tomorrow."

"Go get some sleep. It's getting late," Ejrio told her.

"It's only 3:00 in the morning.I'm fine!"

"Go to sleep."

Penny smiled into the camera. "Fine. Good night Ejiro."

"Good night Penny."

Chapter Text

"So you're abandoning me for another guy," Izuku was acting offended as Penny told him about the call with Ejiro from the previous night.

"You two are different," She signed back to him.

"I'm deaf and he's not," he added a fake tear.

"More like he dates girls and not just guys."

Izuku changed his expression into a happy, shocked face. "So it's a date?"

"No! It's two friends that happen to like each other hanging out."

Izuku rolled his eyes knowing that Penny was lying to him, but he kept his smile.

"Why was there another blonde boy here with your brother and his boyfriend? He looked at me strangely whenever I just walked in."

"Apparently, my brother likes two boys. They are all in a relationship together," Izuku explained.

"And what about Shoto? How was his date?"

Izuku bit his lip and pointed to his neck. Penny raised her eyebrows in shock.

"You're kidding!?" Izuku just shook his head.

"Dad and Papa didn't see it, but he wiped the makeup off of it when I went to check on him."

"I can't believe it!"

"I know right!" Izuku admitted. "Want to place bets on what's going to happen in that relationship?"

"Is that even a question!? What's your bet?"

"Shoto is going to move in with Sero. Hanta? I don't know what to call him right now."

Penny nodded agreeing with Izuku. "I'm glad Shoto was able to find someone."

"Low key jealous," Izuku signed with thin lips.

"You'll find someone soon. I promise!"

Izuku gave a slight smile before pulling out a card game for the two of them to play.

"Shouldn't we invite the others?" Penny asked.

"Na. Hitoshi has his blondes and I'm pretty sure Shoto is still in a daze from last night. This battle is between you and me," Izuku signed with the last part having an evil grin.

"You're going down!"

—

"So you don't drink coffee?" Ejiro asked, sipping on his. Unlike Shouta and Hitoshi, his wasn't straight black, strong coffee.

"Nope! The only way I'll drink it is if it's mixed with a bunch of sugar or stuff. Frappés are my go to."

The two teens sat at the coffee shop talking about random things.

"Tell me something that no one in your class knows. I won't tell Izuku, I promise," Penny laughed.

"I dye my hair this color," Ejiro started to play with the ends of his hair. He didn't feel like putting hair gel in so, the hair fell to his shoulders.

"What is the natural color, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Black. I dye it because it's helps my self confidence. Middle school me was not a sight to see."

"Don't we all feel that way about our younger selves," Penny smiled, making him feel better.

"What about you? What's something that you never told anyone?"

Penny had to think about the question. Izuku had known so much about her, but she wanted this bit of information to be something just Ejiro knew.

"I can use my quirk to let people hear."

"I'm guessing you're meaning deaf people and not hearing."

"Yeah. I've never used it on Izuku. The knowledge of not being able to hear anything then suddenly hearing a voice is not something pleasant to experience."

Penny shivered at the memory of doing that to herself whenever her quirk first formed.

"Let me guess, you've done it to yourself before?"

"Not my brightest moments in life."

Ejiro laughed a little, causing Penny to join in as well.

"Do you mind if I take a hearing break for a few minutes? My hearing aids are being difficult today."

"Go ahead, you've done it to yourself before?"

"Not my brightest moments in life."

Ejiro laughed a little, causing Penny to join in as well.

"Thank you!" Penny took off the devices one at a time from her ears. She could hear the muffled overlapping voices. She wouldn't be able to hear a single thing anyone was talking about.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath enjoying the muffled silence for a minute.

Ejiro couldn't help, but smile at her. To him, Penny was amazing. He liked how she was whenever it came to stressful situations. He liked her humor. He liked how she would happily explain anything about herself. He liked her.

"Excuse me young man," a lady came up to their table.

"Yes ma'am?" Ejiro politely answered her.

"I couldn't help but see your girlfriend take things off her ears. What were they?"

He looked over to Penny who had her eyes closed still. She was truly taking a hearing break.

"She's deaf. Those were her hearing aids to let her hear."

The lady placed a hand on Penny's shoulder, scaring her.

Penny's eyes shot open and took a sudden breath. Ejiro could tell that wasn't something someone should do to a deaf person.

"Sweetheart, I pray that your hearing comes back. Your boyfriend is amazing for putting up with such a disability," the crazy woman spoke.

"Ma'am, can you please take your hand off her. She's not able to hear you and can't you tell you scared her," Ejiro spoke up.

"But, you're such an amazing person. I bet she's quirkless too. Deaf and quirkless is such a horrible thing."

Ejiro bounced to his feet. He took a deep breath trying to hold back the majority of his anger.

"Ma'am, please get your hand off of her. It doesn't matter if she has a quirk or not. She is amazing and is a human being who deserves the same respect as you and me no matter if she is deaf or hearing!"

The lady immediately took her hand off of Penny. Penny quickly put back on her hearing aids.

"Ejiro, I got this," Penny spoke, turning the devices on. Ejiro nodded before sitting. "Hello ma'am. I'm sorry if he was rude to you," she apologized, hating every moment.

"Tell your boyfriend here that it's not nice to speak to his elders in such a way," the lady sassed. "Wait, how are you talking? I thought deaf people can't speak."

"Some deaf people can't. I have a friend who doesn't talk at all. However, through many difficult classes that I've taken since I was 13 I can speak almost exactly like you," she smiled, showing off.

The lady was left speechless. "We'll..um..."

"I'm sure my boyfriend was just trying to protect me when I'm at my most vulnerable."

"I'll leave you two be," the lady said before walking back to where she was.

"So..." Ejiro started to speak. "I'm your boyfriend?"

"Putting puzzle pieces together, the only reason she would call you my boyfriend is if she called me your girlfriend."

Ejiro smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "You got me there," he chuckled.

"So Ejiro Kirishma, am I your girlfriend?"

"I mean, if you want to. I know we haven't known each other for long, but I love your personality and attitude. It's freaking amazing!"

"Well, I thank you for the humble compliments. I shall think about my answer ," she paused. "Sure. I guess I'm up for that," she joked.

"You're going to tell Izuku as soon as I get out of your line of sight," Ejiro tried to guess, sitting down.

"Am not! I'm going to tell him whenever I go home. I sign using both hands. Let me rephrase that, I have to sign with both my hands," she corrected.

"Penny?" They heard a woman talk from a different direction. Penny glanced towards the direction of the person who called her name.

The woman had black hair, pulled into a low ponytail.

"Mrs. Shinobu?" Penny spoke standing up.

"You look so grown up!" The woman gave her a small hug.

"Uhhh. Penny, who's this?" Ejiro asked, standing up as well.

"She was Izuku's social worker. She knew him whenever he was hearing," she explained.

"Speaking of Izuku, how is he? How's his family?"

"He's in his last year of school. His parents are supportive of everything he does. He also has a brother! Hitoshi and Izuku act like they have been brothers their whole lives!"

"That's great to hear. Does he look different from the last time I've seen him?"

"His hair is to his mid back/waist. He's slimed out from working out. He's about the same height as me; a little taller though," Penny gave a brief description of Izuku.

"The boy has changed since I've last seen him," Mrs. Shinobu laughed. "I'm guessing you two are still friends."

"He can't get rid of me even if he tried!"

"That's true. Izuku had a panic attack the other day and she was the only one to calm him down," Ejiro added.

"What about his hearing?"

"He's getting a cochlear implant after he graduates. He wants to be able to hear his family and me."

Mrs. Shinobu couldn't help, but smile.

"How are you? We haven't seen you in three years."

"I actually had a child of my own. He's full of energy and loves animals."

"Aww."

"What about you? You are an important part of Izuku's life."

"Not too much. Izuku and I pretty much spend most of our time together."

"You have a boyfriend now," Ejiro butted in.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it!"

"Well, it was great seeing you again. I have to get back to the orphanage. There's another kid coming in today and apparently it's one of my cases."

"Fun," Penny spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

Penny's phone started to ring but when she looked down at it, it was a text from Izuku.

"Ejiro, we need to go save Izuku!"

"What happened?!"

"He's alone in his room! Hitoshi has his boyfriends over and apparently Shoto went back over to Hanta's house."

"I'll let you two go to him. Penny, let's not have it be three years before I see you. You and Izuku should stop by one day," Mrs. Shinobu referenced the orphanage.

"No offense, but I'm pretty sure Izuku has trauma from that place. He hated it."

"All kids do."

"Fair point. Come on Ejiro!" Penny grabbed his hand before dragging him towards the Aizawa household.

"They grew up so much," Shinobu smiled to herself. "I hope I get to see him soon."

Chapter Text

"I wish something interesting would happen around here," Izuku signed while him and Penny sat in a bench in the hallway of their school.

"Why do you say that?"

"Sometimes it feels like it's the same things over and over again and time feels like nothing."

"Izuku, stop being poetic or whatever you're calling this, but I got a feeling that something is going to happen!" Penny signed knowing a secret.

Ejiro had let it slip to her that class 1-A and 1-B were coming to tour Rō gakkō. Shouta and family didn't want Izuku stressing over it.

"Penny, school days are just a blur. Every time I think it's Friday, it's really Thursday."

"Spoken like a true student," Penny laughed.

"Izuku, Penny, follow me please," one of the administrative staff members signed to them once they found them.

Izuku and Penny nodded, grabbing their stuff.

The two of them followed the admin into the meeting room where a few other students were standing.

Izuku was confused on why he was the only one not having a device to help him hear.

"I'll get right to the point. You students were selected to give tours of our school to one of the hero schools in the area," the admin started to sign. "The students have already been broken down into groups and placed with the appropriate tour guide."

Izuku raised his hand to ask a question.

"Izuku, your group will have students who are currently learning sign or are already fluent."

Izuku slowly put his hand back down.

"What school?" Another student asked.

"I won't disclose that information till they get here. They should be arriving within the hour. You're excused from classes today, but don't let this be a reason to get behind in your work. Do you understand?"

All the students nodded. Penny was filled with excitement.

"What hero school do you think it is? It's certainly not UA. Dad, papa, and Hitoshi would have told me."

"I don't know, but whoever they are, I'm amazed that they have people who know sign!"

"Same! It's hard to find a hearing person who is fluent in sign language."

The admin walked out the room to be prepared for when the classes would get there.

"Aizawa," one of the other students signed, getting Izuku's attention.

"What's up?"

"I know that you were hearing, but how long ago was that? I'm curious."

"Let me think." Izuku thought back to when he got adopted. He knew it was a few months after the accident. "About 3 years ago."

"Are you kidding?! You sign like you've been deaf your whole life!" Another one of the students joined in the conversation.

"Nope. I got adopted a few months after I became deaf."

Penny kept to herself knowing that she would spoil the surprise for Izuku. She just watched the conversation play out.

"Has the school ever given tours like this to hearing people?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah, but the way they are guided, we keep out the way of students."

"What's the path?"

"Go around the school, explain why things are set up certain ways," one student started.

"Then usually you show them your daily school routine," another finished.

Izuku and the rest of the students made small talk till the admin came and got them.

—-

"You do know that he's going to kill us right?" Hitoshi whispered to his father.

"I'm his father, you are his brother. If he goes to kill you, I'll hold him back."

"I should have stayed with papa," Hitoshi mumbled, moving back to his group.

Shouta chuckled at his son.

"So why exactly did you schedule this field trip?" The class 1-B teacher asked Shouta.

"Because our students need to learn that there are people in the world that function differently. This school is just one of many that gets overlooked. If it wasn't for my son, they probably wouldn't have even known someone who is hearing impaired."

The doors of the assembly room opened. All attention went to the admin and the students walking in.

"It's Izuku!" someone from class 1-B shouted.

"Everyone quiet down! We are guests of this school so it's best if we give them the respect they deserve," Shouta spoke to the UA students.

"Thank you Mr. Aizawa," the admin spoke. They then turned towards Izuku and saw Penny right next to him. "Translate for him please."

Penny nodded and informed Izuku that she was going to translate whatever the admin was going to say to the UA students.

"I welcome you to Rō gakkō; school for the deaf and hard of hearing. We teach our students how to communicate, be a part of the world, and give them the education that you hearing students receive. Mr. Aizawa contacted me about one of our students going to visit and take detailed notes about your quirks, but you knew little about how to interact with someone who is hearing impaired. I may not be a hero, but the next generation should be able to be able to communicate with people with different, well we don't like calling it this, but disabilities."

Penny was shocked she was able to keep up with the admin's speech. Being a hearing impaired translator wasn't the most ideal situation.

"I believe that your teachers have placed you in groups randomly, except those who know or are learning sign language. Mr. Aizawa, I leave the rest to you."

Izuku sent a death glare to his father. He was angry that he wasn't told about this field trip.

"Shinso, Kaminari, Monoma, Todoroki, and Bakugo," Aizawa called out. "You're with Izuku."

Katsuki's eyes widened. He never shared that he understood sign language. He barely wore his hearing aids!

Hitoshi sent a glare at Katsuki. This was going to be an interesting tour.

The boys walked towards Izuku, who was slightly fuming with anger.

"Penny, am I good to go now?" He asked her before walking away.

"Yeah, you can start now. Make sure you stay out of the way of the other students!"

Izuku nodded before guiding his group into the hallway and around the corner.

Once they got out of any possible sight of the admin, that's when Izuku turned around.

"You didn't tell me about this!" He signed largely, showing he was angry. The facial expressions added to the knowledge.

"It was a surprise."

Izuku glanced over towards Katsuki. Izuku didn't remember the exact details of when he became overstimulated. He did remember outing himself to Katsuki.

"How much does he know?" He signed not caring that Katsuki could see what he was saying. He remembered Mitsuki telling him that her son was hard of hearing.

"Relax, he knows you're my brother."  Izuku rolled his eyes.

"Question: why am I in this group? I have no idea what is being said...signed? I don't even know!" Neito spoke aloud.

"Don't worry babe. I'm not sure either," Denki reassured him.

"You two are in this group cause I wanted you two to be. Out of the five of us in this group, I'm pretty sure I know the most sign. I'll translate," Hitoshi told them not knowing that Katsuki had been knowing sign since Izuku left the Bakugo family.

"Izuku, I want to talk to you about that day," Katsuki started to sign, but Izuku quickly looked away.

"Anyway, I guess I'll start the tour now. Just letting you guys know, we have to stay away from the normal students, so be prepared for those times," Izuku signed. "If anyone needs to talk to me while we are walking, just tap my shoulder."

Izuku made the universal sign to follow him. Katsuki let out a deep sigh before going with the rest of the boys, following Izuku.

—-

"This place has so many cool places!" Denki basically shouted.

"Denki, don't scream in the middle of the hall," Neito told him.

"Sorry."

They were taking a break from the tour since it was time for normal students to switch classes.

"I find it interesting that they use the light system as a normal bell system," Shoto spoke aloud trying to make conversation.

Izuku just leaned against the wall, messing with the end of his tie. 

Katsuki wasn't interested in the tour. He wanted to talk with Izuku. No, he needed to talk to Izuku. He didn't get the chance to formally apologize, but he understood one thing; sorry wouldn't change the reality.

He walked in front of Izuku. Izuku looked up seeing someone move in front of him.

"What?" Izuku signed as if he was annoyed.

"I want to talk with you about that day."

"Can't you see I'm giving a tour of my school?" He sassed.

"Izuku, please," Katsuki almost begged.

"No! I know you're going to say the famous words of 'I'm sorry,' but guess what? Sorry won't change the past. Now, I'm not going to speak about this while I'm at school."

The lights flickered in the hallway.

"Students should be in classes now. We can continue, Izuku signed to the group.

Katsuki was in shock. This wasn't the Izuku that he grew up with. This wasn't the Izuku that he saw at the sports festival. If it wasn't for the scars, Izuku was a completely different person.

"Is he always like this?" Katsuki asked as Hitoshi walked past him.

"If someone took away something you've had all your life, you would be angry too."

Hitoshi left it at that and followed Izuku as the finished the rest of the tour.

—-

"There's a dance studio, a full size kitchen, AND a bunch of classrooms in this school!" Denki was in shock as they finished the tour.

"Which classes have you taken here Izuku?" Neito asked, while Hitoshi translated .

"I took a pottery class, a dance class, and the cooking class here, everything else is normal subjects."

"That's why you're so flexible?!" Hitoshi signed after he translated for his boyfriends.

Izuku chuckled. "That was before you came into the picture. It helped with the feeling of sound," Izuku told him.

"You cook?" Katsuki asked curiously.

Izuku was relieved that he wasn't trying to ask about the accident again.

"All the time. I love it actually," he admitted.

"Yet you complain whenever dad and papa go out on patrol and you have to cook," Hitoshi sighed.

"They never leave anything in the house to cook! Don't you remember the rice and eggs!?"

"Of course I do! That was 4 days ago!"

Katsiki watched as the brothers interacted with each other. It made him happy that Izuku had a family that he loved. He knew Izuku hated him, but he couldn't have Izuku as a brother.

He never understood why until a year after the accident. Katsuki didn't love him as a brother. If he became his brother then he couldn't be in a relationship with him.

It was sickening to him that he thought that way. He had to destroy Izuku's happiness then to be able to possibly be with him, but he didn't count the fact that Izuku wouldn't like him in that way.

He was his bully for years. He took away his happiness. He took away his hearing. He wasn't worthy of earning Izuku's love.

"So what other secrets are you and dad not telling me?" Izuku asked as they sat on the floor in the hall.

"I promise this was the only one that I knew of," Hitoshi admitted.

"I want to believe you, but I simply don't."

"Look, I'm sorry bro. Dad said he'll make it up to you."

Izuku raised his eyebrows basically telling Hitoshi 'really now.'

"So how's your relationship going Todoroki?" Denki asked while Izuku and Hitoshi continued to sign to one another.

"Honestly, it's the best thing I could ask for. He gives me so much freedom to be myself. I never knew I could fall for someone so quickly."

"Aww. How adorable!" Neito smiled.

"I thought you were supposed to be annoyed and rude towards others," Shoto called him out on how he usually was before he had gotten together with Hitoshi and Denki.

"I'm a different person when I'm around my boyfriends. Enjoy it now because when we get back to school, you'd wish that they were still next to me!"

Denki elbowed Neito in his side, bringing him back to reality.

"Sorry. I got carried away."

"I see that."

Katsuki knew it was impossible to talk to Izuku about the accident anymore that day. He would need to wait. He had to wait for the right time.

"Hitoshi, I'm going to be late getting home," Izuku signed to his brother.

"You're going to see her?"

"Yeah, last time I went, someone from my past was there."

Hitoshi nodded, but then glanced over to Katsuki.

"Bakugo, I've been meaning to ask you this since the tour started, but why in the world do you know sign?! I think you're better than me!"

"I have my secrets."

Hitoshi switched to sign, knowing that Izuku and Shoto were the only two that would understand him and Shoto wasn't very good at sign language still.

"I know what you did to Izuku. If that's the secret then I already know it."

"He's hard of hearing Hitoshi."

Katsuki's eyes widened. "How in hell do you know that?!"

"Ask your mother. She's the one who told me."

"When did you see my mom?"

"She was at the gravesite last time I went."

Denki, Neito and Shoto just looked at one another. "Are we giving up on trying to understand what they are saying?" Denki asked the other two.

"Yep. I'm not advanced like them. They move too fast for me to understand."

"Isnt Class 1-A having a party soon?" Neito asked the other two.

"It's more of a bonding thing that Mina wanted to put on. She claims it will strengthen the relationship of the class," Shoto explained.

"So a party?"

"Basically," Denki agreed.

"When will it be?"

"In a few weeks. Exams need to happen first. The party is happening after midterms before the summer camp," Denki told Neito.

"Is anyone welcomed?"

"I'll tell Mina!"

The group of boys didn't know that the party would change everything. All they knew would change in the matter of seconds.

A few weeks is a lot of time for things to happen.

Chapter Text

Izuku was bored, lonely, and couldn't get ahead in any more of his school work.

It was the middle of the day on a Saturday, and he was completely home alone. His parents had a morning shift therefore would be the first ones to get home.

Izuku hated being alone. It made him feel isolated. It reminded him of when he was bullied; with no one there to help him.

Growing up, he and Katsuki loved to turn on the tv and watch the news reports about the newest and greatest heroes.

There would always be a section about the great symbol of peace, All Might, that they would go crazy over, but as time passed, reality sunk in for Izuku.

No one was there to save his mom in her hour of need. At least that's what Izuku thought. He couldn't bring himself to pull up the news report from that day. With the technology that they had, a simple click of a button and everything would be there.

'If All Might is such a great hero, he could've saved my mom,' Izuku told himself once he realized the symbol was basically just for show. That's when he found out about underground heroes and the people didn't become heroes just for fame.

That's why he looked up to his parents more than a normal child would. They were his heroes before they had saved him.

The lights in the house blinked and Izuku's attention went straight to the front door.

"Finally you two are home!" Izuku smiled.

"Where's Penny?" Hizashi asked Izuku.

"More importantly, where is your brother? Also, Shoto, where is he?" Shouta added.

"Hitoshi is spending the day with his boyfriends. Penny is with Kirishima, her boyfriend apparently. Finally, Shoto is with Hanta."

"I don't like you being by yourself at home," Shouta signed, putting the food that the two brought home for them and the teens to eat.

"Cause I'm deaf?"

"More or less. I have no doubt in my mind that you are able to defend yourself, but you're still my son and I want you to be safe."

"Not complaining. I understand. I just don't like to be by myself for long periods of time," Izuku told them.

"Why's that?" Hizashi asked.

"The bullying. I was always alone."

"Your dad wouldn't let a bully come a mile close to you. His protective dad mode would scare them away!" Hizashi joked.

"We brought food. Let's eat before it gets cold," Shouta signed, ignoring what his husband said.

"After we eat, can we go somewhere, just the three of us?"

"Where to?"

"I want you two to meet my mom. I've brought Penny numerous times, but I don't remember ever bringing you two there."

"I would love to meet the woman who gave you life!"

"We have to give our thanks to her for giving us an amazing son to care for," Shouta smiled.

Izuku smiled and got our glasses of water for the three of them. It would be a fun family experience.

—

Izuku led the way to the graveyard. He knew the shortcuts and all the tricks to get there, even if they weren't the safest ways to go.

"Shouta, I'm worried about him," Hizashi spoke aloud.

"What do you mean?"

"Hitoshi has his boyfriends, I have a feeling that Shoto is going to move in with Hanta, and Penny is spending more time with Ejiro. Izuku has no one like that. He has us, but we work most of the time."

"I know. I'm not sure what to do about it. I'm not going to get him a babysitter. He's 16 years old."

"But he is deaf. I just want him to be happy and safe."

Shouta planted a quick kiss on his husband's cheek before kissing the back of his hand.

"Me too. He's our first child and he means a lot to us. Like all parents we want what's best for him."

The two men followed their son the rest of the way in silence, until they arrived at a large hill.

"She's just up this hill," Izuku turned back and signed.

They continued to follow him up the hill and to the grave stone that had his old family name engraved on it.

"This is my mom and my birth father. He died before I was born."

Shouta and Hizashi were sorrowful, but at the same time they were relieved.

"Do you want us to sign?" Hizashi asked Izuku.

"You don't have to."

They nodded.

"Hello, Mrs. Midoriya. My name is Shouta. This is my husband Hizashi," he spoke aloud.

"I know as a mother, that you would want what's best for your child. We may not know how he was with you or how he was exactly in his foster home before, but we've been with him for almost 3 years. We've seen the way he's changed."

"I'm sure you are still watching over him. He's made many friends. I think I speak for both of us when I say that we don't know if he is the way that you would have raised him, but we thank you."

"If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have met this amazing young man. We don't care about his disability. We care for the person he is and we love him."

"He will always be your son in his eyes, but I hope we are good parents for him according to you."

Izuku walked in between his parents wrapping his arms around them. A smile was plastered on his face. Hizashi couldn't hold on to the tears that were forming.

She wasn't able to talk to them, but the love they received from Izuku no matter the situation gave him the answer they were looking for.

"I love you," Hizashi signed to Izuku.

"I..Love..you..both." He slowly and roughly spoke aloud.

Shouta placed a parental kiss on the top of Izuku's head, letting him know that they will always be there for him.

"Mr. Aizawa?" A voice called out to them.

Hizashi and Shouta looked back to see Katsuki with his mom who was holding a bunch of flowers.

"What's up little listener?"

"I'm sorry, but are you the brat's teachers?" Mitsuki asked them.

"I'm his home room teacher," Shouta spoke.

"I'm his English teacher," Hizashi added.

Izuku turned to see why his parents turned away. His eyes widened seeing the people standing there.

"It's you again," Mitsuki signed to Izuku.

Izuku gave a slight wave to her before looking at Shouta.

"Did you know Inko? Her and I were friends growing up," Mitsuki asked the men.

"Mom, you've seen him here before," Katsuki asked her.

"Yeah. I have. They told me they knew Izuku."

"Mrs. Bakugo," Hizashi got her attention.

"Yes?"

"This is Izuku."

Izuku pulled back his hair showing the scars on his ears.

"Izu," she gasped. "Can I hug you?" She asked permission.

Izuku walked forward slowly to the woman, giving her a slight nod.

She didn't waste another second. She embraced Izuku, holding him tightly in her arms.

Katsuki felt uneasy. He figured that Izuku told them about the accident.

The woman let go of Izuku. Izuku looked over to Katsuki before walking back to his parents.

"I'm sorry, it's just-"

"It's okay. We're just relieved that someone cared for him before us," Shouta spoke for the two of them.

"We know about the accident. Izuku never told us names however. He wanted to give Katsuki his chance to make something of himself," Hizashi added.

"So, you're not angry with me? I'm not getting kicked out of your class?"

"I can't expel you based on something personal. Plus, I gave Izuku the choice."

"You're wearing your hearing aids," Izuku pointed out the devices on Katsuki's ears.

Katsuki's hands shot up to cover them and hide them.

"I already knew about them. I am your teacher. I know about important medical history," Shouta told Katsuki.

"Why don't you come over for dinner? I would love to know how Izuku has been."

"Mom!"

"Shouta, don't you have to go get our other son from his boyfriends' house?"

"You can go with Izuku. You two hardly have bonding time together," the two of them discussed in sign so Izuku could see.

"Wait, where are papa and I going? No one's been signing."

"Mrs. Bakugo invited us to dinner," Hizashi signed for Izuku.

"Okay, but I want to wash up beforehand. I need to clean my new piercing," Izuku moved his hair revealing a second lobe piercing on his left ear.

"When did you get that one?" Hizashi asked.

"He asked me. I brought him when you were still at work," Shouta told him.

"Izuku, do you remember where we live?" Mitsuki asked him.

Izuku shook his head. "3 years is a long time."

"Katsuki, text him it."

"But I don't have his number. I only have the one from when he lived with us," he signed.

"I have the same number. Mrs. Shinobu made me delete all of your numbers because of the rule they placed."

"What rule?" Hizashi asked.

"That's a story for dinner. Be over at 6:00," Mitsuki signed to them.

"Okay," the two men agreed before bowing towards the gravestone of the Midoriyas.

"Bye mom," Izuku signed before catching up with his parents.

"Why did you invite them?" Katsuki grumbled.

"This is the first time I see that boy in 3 years after what you did to him! I was his mother figure for 9 years of his life!"

"I told you why I did it," Katsuki kept his voice low in respect for the dead around them.

"A crush you developed doesn't change the fact that you made him deaf."

"Don't worry he hates me."

—-

"So why is Hitoshi in trouble for spending time with Denki and Neito?" Izuku asked Hizashi as they walked towards the Bakugo household.

"He left you alone. That's the main reason. Also, we trust you boys, but you two are still young."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not going to spell it out for you."

With that sentence Izuku understood exactly what was being signed.

"Just a warning, if my memory serves me right, their spice tolerance is super high. Like very high!"

"I know. I could tell whenever you first moved in. Remember, we couldn't eat the food you made. It took you months for you to be able to cook something we could actually eat," Hizashi laughed.

"You said that the food was too good to finish," Izuku recalled the past.

"Izuku, we weren't going to call out your cooking skills. We were shocked whenever you could actually cook."

"Thanks I guess."

Hizashi rang the doorbell and waited for someone to come open the door.

The two of them had their hair pulled back in a sleek low ponytail, but Izuku's waves made his hair appear thicker and fuller.

The door swung open and revealed Katsuki.

"Come in. Mom is finishing up right now."

Chapter Text

Walking into the home felt nostalgic for Izuku. The smell of spices flying through the air because of the cooking, and the slight scent of caramel seemed to calm him.

"It hasn't changed since last time I've been here," Izuku signed.

"Not really. Your old room is the only thing that's changed," Katsuki signed.

"Honey, get in here real quick!" Mitsuki yelled to her husband.

'And I thought I was loud,' Hizashi thought to himself.

The man came almost flying down the stairs and saw Izuku standing there.

"Is that?"

"Yes. And this is his...I'm sorry, what are you to him?" Mitsuki asked not wanting to get it wrong.

"I'm his papa. His dad is with our other son, his brother," Hizashi shook his hand.

"Katsuki, go show him around the house. Be a good host," Mitsuki slightly snapped at him.

"Whatever."

"Can I go see what you're cooking. It smells amazing," Izuku asked, already knowing the layout of the house.

"Sure sweetie."

Mitsuki, her husband, and Izuku walked into the kitchen while Katsuki showed Hizashi around.

When the two got upstairs, that's when Hizashi spoke freely. "Why are you on edge?"

"I'm not."

"Kid, I'm not my husband, but I can tell something is up. Are your parents causing you harm in any way?"

"What, no! It's just, now that Izuku came back today for them, it brought back memories to that day."

"The accident?"

"I've always regretted it. Sorry wasn't enough for them. I had to wear quirk restraints for months on end. I wasn't allowed outside to be with others. I wasn't allowed freedom. I slept, woke up, ate, went to school, came home and repeat."

"I can figure that the day was traumatizing for you as well."

"I want to apologize to him, but every single time I try, he doesn't want to hear it. He won't let me say I'm sorry."

Hizashi placed a hand on Katsiki's shoulder. "Give him time. With him, it's about timing. He keeps things to himself until he hits a breaking point."

"What do you mean?"

"We knew nothing about the accident till over a year of him living with us."

"Really?"

Hizashi nodded. "Let's get down there. If what Izuku warned me is true, I won't have any taste buds left."

"You don't like spicy food?"

"There's a certain level of spice and death. I don't feel like dying today."

Katsuki laughed a little, showing a small sign of vulnerability.

—

"Seems like you used the small cooking lessons I gave you," Mitsuki laughed, signing to Izuku as he took over cooking the last of the dish.

"I do most of the cooking for me and Hitoshi. I lower down the spice though," he signed quickly before focusing on the stove.

"You have a lovely home Mrs. Bakugo," Hizashi spoke as he and Katsuki walked into the kitchen.

"Please, call me Mitsuki."

Izuku moved the pan off of the burner that was on and placed it on a cool one and finished up the last bit of the dish. He placed the spoon he was using to the side and backed away from the stove.

"Done," he signed with a wave of his hands. (ASL description)

"Katsuki, get some plates out. I'll get out some cups for everyone," Mitsuki told her son.

"Is there anything you would like us to do?" Hizashi asked for him and Izuku.

"You two can go to the table. I want to talk to him real quick, mother to son."

"Where's your husband? He was here earlier."

"He had to go to work. The life of fashion designers never stops."

Hizashi nodded while he and Izuku made their way to the dining room.

Once the two of them got out of the room and couldn't see the kitchen, that's when Mitsuki dropped her smile.

"You better not screw this up," she grumbled.

"I know. I'll keep quiet," Katsuki knew not to fight back. He would be fighting a losing battle.

"I want this night to be perfect! You destroyed his life already; I don't want you to do it again!"

"Yes ma'am," he seemed to peep out.

"Now, let's go and have a pleasant meal with him and his dad."

"Present Mic is papa to him," Katsuki silently corrected her.

"You know what I meant."

—

"What's wrong?" Hizashi asked once the two of them got to the dining room.

"Nothing," he lied.

"Izuku Aizawa!"

"Fine. I'm nervous, okay," he admitted. "This is the first time I've seen the inside of this place in 3 years. I'm not sure how Katsuki was treated after the fact. I don't remember the hospital really well."

"So you are caring about Katsuki?"

"Maybe a little. I may dislike him, but I don't despise him. He's a human being that's made mistakes. We all do," Izuku signed thinking about the argument before the explosions. He could see the words in his head, but he could remember the sounds.

"Do you think you'll ever forgive him? I can't tell that you're not your usual self around him."

"I... I don't know. I hate when someone says 'I'm sorry.' Nowadays those words have little meaning. Those two words have been signed and spoken to me all my life. I hate them! To me, they are just something that people say to place a bandage on a wound."

Hizashi let out a sigh. He never noticed how much those words hurt him. Izuku had a point however. People say sorry so quickly no matter the situation. It had become difficult to separate those who were truly apologetic or those who put no meaning in the word.

"I'm pretty sure they are coming to the room, I can hear footsteps," Hizashi signed to Izuku.

Izuku gave a slight nod before putting on a metaphorical mask.

"Sorry if that took a little long. I hope water is okay with you two," Mitsuki spoke with Katsuki following her.

"It's fine for us. Thank you."

Each one of them served their plate and sat down on each side of the table.

"So, was Izuku talkative when he was little?" Hizashi asked, breaking the silence that had come about.

"Nonstop! He would talk about heroes all the time with Katsuki. They both loved All Might when they were kids," Mitsuki laughed.

"You liked All Might when you were little?" Hizashi asked Izuku, switching to sign.

"It was a phase."

Hizashi laughed a little seeing Izuku roll his eyes at the end of the sentence.

"I'm guessing you don't watch his videos as much anymore," Mitsuki was shocked seeing the reaction to the hero.

"I grew up. I realized things about him that I didn't like. That's it," Izuku replied.

"So, how is your school? Whenever we found out Katsuki was hard of hearing, we tried to get him into the deaf deaf school, but they didn't allow it."

"Rō gakkō? Why wasn't he allowed to get in?" Izuku asked.

"Whenever they stripped you from our home, they filled an order that while you were under the care of the orphanage and child services, we couldn't be anywhere near you," Mitsuki explained.

Izuku was shocked. He didn't know about that part. I just knew that he was brought back to the orphanage. He didn't know about the order.

"So, when we adopted him, that order technically didn't exist anymore?" Hizashi asked for clarification.

"Exactly."

"They let me take sign language classes online though. They didn't want me to not have the knowledge in case my hearing got worse," Katsuki spoke up.

"That's how I learned it, but I had a teacher to help get handshakes and locations correct," Izuku signed his point of view.

"Well I'm not sure about you guys, but I'm starving. Let's eat," Mitsuki signed.

Hizashi showed three fingers for Izuku. He did a countdown before him and Izuku signed, "thank you for the meal."

The group dug into the meal. Izuku tasted the food with memories flooding back to him. The spice was something he hadn't tasted in years. He missed the heat of the food.

However, while he was enjoy the sweet memories of the spice, his father on the other hand was trying to compose himself.

His food didn't even have to enter his mouth. The many spices seemed to produce heat separate from the food itself.

"Uhhh. Are you okay?" Katsuki asked, seeing the man's face turn red.

"I see why Izuku cooked with heavy spice when he first moved in," Hizashi spoke in between sips of water.

"Izuku, how do you live with the man? He can't handle spice!" Mitsuki signed.

"A lot of trial and error."

The woman laughed a little. "Sorry about that. Do you need milk or anything?"

"No thanks, water is doing just fine," Hizashi slightly lied.

Izuku continued to eat the food. He savored every bite of it like he was never going to get it again, but he wanted to see something. He wanted to see what his room looked like.

He put down his chopsticks and got Mitsuki's attention.

"Bathroom?"

"Upstairs. I'm sure you remember the way, right?"

Izuku nodded and left the table.

He ran up the stairs and immediately passed up the bathroom. He kept walking slightly down the hall to the familiar closed door in the hall.

The dark brown door was a blockage, preventing him from seeing the life he could have had.

He placed his hand on the cold, golden doorknob. The coldness of it seemed to travel through his fingertips and spread through the rest of his body.

He ignored the chills and turned the doorknob, pushing the door inwards.

The cool air trapped in the room caused him to flinch as it hit his face. He slowly opened his eyes and say the image that he remembered in his head.

The posters were still on the wall. The bed still had the same sheets that he slept in. Everything about the room was the same.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He quickly turned to see Katsuki standing there.

"I had a feeling you would come in here," Katsuki signed. 

"It hasn't changed a bit," he pointed out the obvious.

"They only took about half of your clothes."

"They aren't my style anymore," Izuku signed, showing off his skin tight white shirt with a similar fitting, skin tight black pants.

"I see. Your parents are okay with you wearing that kind of clothes? You look like someone who-," Katsuki stopped signing, realizing what he was about to say.

"No, finish what you were telling me. What do I look like? I don't look like the pitiful, quirkless, kid that you grew up with. Tell me Katsuki!" He signed the last part larger than usual.

Katsuki looked at his feet. "Is how you've signing my name you saying K-a-t-s-u-k-i or K-a-c-c-a-n?"

"What do you think?"

Katsuki knew that it was the first option. Izuku clearly didn't look up to him like he did when they were little.

"Can we talk about it now?"

"About what?" Izuku asked, confused how the conversation changed quickly.

"About that day."

"No."

"But Izuku."

"Don't 'But Izuku', me," he signed, mocking Katsuki.  "I don't want to hear it," he chuckled to himself. "'Hear,' such a funny word for me to sign."

"Izuku, please," Katsuki's eyes watered.

"I can't believe that you're going to cry over this," Izuku rolled his eyes. "My papa and I are leaving. I don't think I can stand being in this house anymore. My old life clashing with my new one isn't something I like."

"Because you're letting it be two opposing forces!" Katsuki signed, bringing in his temper slightly. "Nothing from the two lives will ever go together until you let go of the thing separating them."

"And who told you that advice? That you should just open up about our secrets," Izuku raised an eyebrow.

"Someone you should already know everything about. Your brother."

Izuku didn't want to deal with this anymore. He left the room, leaving Katsuki there.

He rushed down the stairs back into the dining room.

Hizashi immediately saw the unusual emotion Izuku was showing.

"What's wrong?" He signed to his son.

"I want to go home. I'm uncomfortable."

Mitsuki raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth slightly.

"Is there anything I can do? I don't want you to be uncomfortable here."

"I just want to go home. Thank you Mrs. Mitsuki for inviting us," he thanked.

Hizashi got up from his cheer while Izuku started to walk towards the door.

"I don't know what happened, but i'm sorry for leaving this suddenly," Hizashi spoke.

"It's okay. Please don't be strangers. I hope Izuku feels better," she spoke, caring for Izuku's well being.

"Me too. Thank you," Hizashi bowed before catching up to Izuku who was already out the door.

Mitsuki waited till the door shut. "KATSUKI!! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SIGN TO HIM!?!?"

Katsuki could hear her plan as day without his hearing aids on. Her anger was worse than his at times. Her yelling was never a good sign.

He took a deep breath as he prepared for the worst.

Chapter Text

"It's game night!" Penny smiled as she and Izuku were setting up the room for family game night.

"Penny, I find it hilarious how you always come to family game night for my family, but I never go to yours."

"My family doesn't have one, hence why I always come here."

Izuku nodded as they continued to set up.

Meanwhile, in Hitoshi's room both of their parents were standing there as Hitoshi just sat there.

"I'm in trouble for some reason aren't I?"

"You left your deaf brother alone!" Hizashi raised his voice.

"He's 16! He knows how to care for himself," Hitoshi defended himself.

"Hitoshi, we understand this, but we didn't know that he was alone till we got home. At least let us know," Shouta replied.

"Also, we don't like it when you're by yourself with your boyfriends. Your dad told me that it was only the three of you at Denki's house."

Hitoshi gulped. The three of them had nothing to hide. The only thing that they would do was kiss. That was the only level in the relationship that they had gotten to, but that didn't stop the nerves from forming.

"They aren't allowed over for game night. You are also not allowed to go out for a week. You will go to school and straight back here. Do you understand?" Shouta gave him his punishment.

"Yes, sir," Hitoshi spoke, not wanting to fight back.

"Now, let's go help Penny and Izuku set up. Shoto should be on his way back from Sero's."

When the three of them walked downstairs and into the living room, Izuku and Penny were signing about something.

"What are you two signing about?" Hizashi laughed whenever the two of them looked over to them.

"Nothing much. Penny was telling me about her and Ejiro's date today," Izuku signed to them.

"Are the blondes coming over?" Penny questioned.

"No they aren't. Someone is grounded," Shouta signed, ending by pointing at Hitoshi.

"So all we are waiting for is Sho," Izuku signed.

"Yep. He texted saying that he was on his way so he shouldn't be too much longer," Shouta explained.

"So what game is going to be first?" Hizashi asked.

Izuku lifted up a single finger letting his family, plus Penny, know exactly what game they were playing.

—

"No fair! Izuku can't even say Uno when he has one card!" Hitoshi complained as Izuku won the second time in a row.

"You're just a sore loser," Izuku stuck his tongue out.

"I can't believe this," Hitoshi mumbled, not signing.

Izuku and Penny couldn't help but laugh at Hitoshi.

The sound of the door opening grabbed Shouta and Hizashi's attention.

Shoto walked in and was followed by Hanta.

"Sorry I'm late. I hope you guys don't mind that I brought Hanta," Shoto apologized.

"Hi Mr. Aizawa, Mr. Mic," Hanta hid his accent.

"Please call us Shouta and Hizashi outside of school," Shouta replied. "Also, we don't mind. Come join in, Izuku is kicking our butts in Uno."

"You guys play Uno?!" Hanta tried but failed to keep his accent hidden when lever saying the Spanish word.

"The game is different in every household, so it brings out a different competitiveness in each of us," Shouta explained, not realizing Hanta's accent.

"Spoken like a poet!" Hizashi added.

"Izuku said to get over here before he makes us play 52 pick up," Hitoshi shouted to them from the table.

"What's 52 pick up?" Shoto asked, confused about the game he had never heard of.

"Do me a favor and never say that to a person holding a deck of cards," Hanta told him straight away.

"But I want to know."

"I'll let you play it with Antonio and Mateo," Hanta placed a hand on Shoto's shoulder.

Shoto nodded before heading to the table to join in on the card game.

"Sero, I never realized you had such an evil side to you," Hizashi whispered to the boy.

"I warned him, but he must learn how we all have learned the true nature of that so-called game," Hanta laughed.

"Let's go play. Uno has way more than 52 cards," Shoto added.

"Good call."

—-

"I win!" Penny celebrated as they finished up playing a different game that they had started to play.

"How come I'm the only one who hasn't won a single game tonight?!" Hitoshi pouted.

"Karma," Hizashi spoke blankly.

"That reminds me, Shinso, why are you here?" Hanta asked not knowing about the family relationship.

"Uhhh, well, you see."

"He's our kid," Shota answered for him.

"I'm sorry. What?"

"Izuku is my brother, well we were both adopted by them two," Hitoshi spoke while Penny signed what was going on for Izuku.

"That's so cool! Why did you hide this?!" Hanta asked.

"What would you think if I had walked into class the first day and I said that my dad was the teacher."

"Fair point, but why Shinso?"

"My old family name."

Shoto liked that Shouta and Hitoshi let Hanta in on the secret. He had explained to Hanta about why he was living with the Aizawas and his situation.

He honestly enjoyed the time he spent with Hanta's family.

"Shouta, Hizashi, there's something that I would like to ask the two of you," Shoto started. Hanta looked over to his boyfriend, knowing where the conversation was starting to go.

"What is it, little listener?"

"I know that Hanta and I haven't been together for the longest time, but I spend most of my time with him and his family. I really like it there and I think his family has already accepted me as part of them."

"My tia is already planning a wedding," Hanta joked, interrupting accidentally.

"Tia?" Shouta was confused.

"Hanta, tell them. It'll be the baby steps," Shoto urged him.

"You see, I was born and raised in Columbia. I moved here with my aunt, uncle, and cousins to attend UA," Hanta spoke with his thick accent on full display.

"So you know 2 languages?!" Hizashi was shocked. Japanese wasn't the easiest language to learn.

"Yeah. I also know a little English, but only because of music," he explained. Shoto was proud of him finally showing his true self to others. "Enough about me, Shoto, please finish what you were asking them."

Attention went back to Shoto.

"I was wondering if you'll allow me to move in with Hanta and his family. I'll be away from my father and only my siblings will know where I am. Hanta's tia is extremely protective and I'm pretty sure she'll throw a shoe at him if he comes near."

"A chancla mi amor. It's called la chancla." (I'm not sure my spelling is correct. I'm not Hispanic or Latinx)

"That thing is a weapon of its own! Isa threw one at Mateo!"

Hanta laughed a little, placing his hand on Shoto's thigh.

While that was going on, Penny was quickly signing to Izuku what was going on.

"So tape dude is from Columbia, Shoto is horrible at Hispanic culture, and they want to move in together! And what's this about a wedding?!" Izuku signed trying to piece everything together.

"Yes, kinda, yes, and there's no wedding that I know of," Penny finished.

"Shoto, you know that we took you in for your own safety," Shouta started.

"I know, but I feel safe with Hanta! He's the first free choice that I've had my entire life!"

"Hanta, do you care about Shoto?" Hizashi joined in.

"More than anything. I would give up my quirk for him."

Giving up his quirk meant that he would give up his dream for Shoto; the dream to become a hero.

"Well, it's too late for you two to leave tonight. You two can pack up your room after school," Shouta told them.

"Wait what?" Shoto didn't expect them to agree so easily.

"If you feel safe with him-"

"And you truly love and care for him," Hizashi added to what his husband spoke.

"I don't see a problem with it."

Shoto was in shock. He wasn't used to the freedom he was given yet. "Thank you so much Shouta and Hizashi. I'll never be thankful enough."

Shoto turned and gave Hanta a quick kiss on the cheek. Hanta went straight into a blush since they were in front of his teachers.

"So, it's basically one giant sleepover tonight?" Izuku signed, once Penny finished telling him what was going on since no one was using sign language.

"Shoto and Hanta will share his room. Penny," Shouta started to explain.

"I know, I know. I got the official guest bedroom that I claimed as my unofficial bedroom over here."

Hanta was shocked that they were signing while speaking aloud.

"If you need to wash up, there's 3 bathrooms in this house. I'm going to bed," Shouta mumbled as he left the table, heading upstairs.

"Goodnight kids!" Hizashi signed before following his husband upstairs.

"I didn't bring any clothes," Hanta blushed a little knowing what was going to happen.

"I'm going to bed before things happen," Izuku signed, rushing upstairs.

"I'm with Izuku on that one," Hitoshi followed.

"What did he even say?" Hanta asked Shoto.

"Penny?" Shoto asked for the last resort.

"If you're going to leave evidence, I brought makeup," she spoke, before going upstairs herself.

"Sho, I thought you covered it," Hanta questioned, recalling the night of the party.

Shoto face palmed himself, remembering the events. "Izuku saw whenever I wiped the makeup off."

"Izuku tells Penny everything, doesn't he?"

"Yep."

—-

Shoto and Hanta stood outside the classroom. Hanta kept picking the skin on his nails. Today was the day that he wasn't going to hide his accent anymore.

"Hanta, stop it. You're going to make your fingers bleed," Shoto grabbed a hold of his hands.

"Sorry," he apologized. Everyone, but Shouta was in the classroom. "I'm just nervous. What if they can't understand me? What if they make fun of me? What if-"

Shoto placed his lips on Hanta's. It was short, but meaningful. Even though Shoto was the more oblivious out of the two, he knew the time and place for when he could do certain things.

"You're going to be fine. I can understand you most of the time and if I don't, I take the time to try. Both you and our classmates will just need patience with one another."

Hanta quickly placed a small kiss on Shoto's hand that was holding his. "Why did you fall in love with me?" He smiled.

"I could ask you the same, but definitely your freedom you express. It's something I admire."

"Well, if I had to say, it's how mysterious you are. I like how you have a side to you that only I can see," Hanta chuckled.

"Ready?"

Hanta took a slow, deep breath. "Estoy listo," he spoke naturally.

"I'm guessing that means you're ready."

"Sí."

The two boys walked in the classroom. Hitoshi knew what was going to happen, but the class continued to talk loudly.

"Hey listen up!" Hitoshi yelled out, grabbing everyone's attention. "Sero needs to say something."

"Thank you," Shoto mouthed to him.

"So, there's something I've been hiding never since the first day of school and I think I'm finally comfortable enough to share it," Hanta spoke hiding his accent at first.

"If you're going to say that your bi; we know already," one of the other boys in the class spoke.

"I came out the first week of school so no. I'm actually from a different country."

"Are you from China?"

"Does it look like I'm from China?" Hanta snapped a little. Hanta's facial features were obviously different from his classmates. His eyes were wider and his skin tone was different. "I'm from a country called Colombia," he spoke in his normal accent.

The change in voice took almost everyone back. "Your voice!" Mina gasped.

"Sí. My first language is Español or Spanish. I only learned Japanese a few years ago."

The whole class, except Shoto and Hitoshi, was shocked. Hanta's Japanese was almost perfect.

"I'm more comfortable with speaking like this. It's hard to hold an accent that isn't your natural one," he chuckled scratching the back of his neck.

"Say something in Spanish!" Mina squealed.

Hanta thought up a sentence that he could say on the spot. It was difficult to pick something to say.

"Me gusta escuchar música y bailar Shakira." (I like listening to music and dancing to Shakira.)

Most of the girls squealed hearing the different language spoken with ease.

"I told you that they would love it," Shoto elbowed Hanta.

"Gracias, mi amor."

—-

"Izuku, Ejiro added me to the class 1-A group chat and told me to add you," Penny signed as they walked home from school.

"Why? Most of them still think I'm a girl," Izuku signed, taking the hair tie out of his hair.

"I'm not sure to be honest. He just told me to." Izuku shrugged his shoulders before they found a bench in the park to sit on.

Penny added Izuku's number to the chaotic chat.

Izuku pulled out his phone and waited for the messages to come through.

'IZUKU!!!' He read the message from Mina.

'Hello.' He replied blankly.

'Why is Izuku here?" Hitoshi typed in the chat.

'Cause I want her to! She's invited to the party you know. Penny, sign the info about the party to her," Mina replied immediately.

"The class is having a party and basically everyone is invited," Penny signed to him.

Izuku just nodded as a response.

'Ladies and gays, we have to go shopping!' Mina typed in the chat.

'Mina, you don't know who's gay in this class.' Denki added to the chat.

'True, true. Okay then, if you want to go shopping, let's meet up at the mall this weekend. I'll text the details Friday!'

"I find it funny how they think I'm a girl, but in reality I'm a gay man," Izuku laughed, signing to Penny.

"That's ironic."

Izuku and Penny bursted into laughter, barely able to contain themselves.

"You are not buying me girl clothes," Izuku told Penny.

"Can I at least style you?"

"No! Why don't I style your clothes?" Izuku smirked.

"No way! Your taste in clothes is a little too skin tight for my liking."

"You wear one skin tight outfit and now it's your style," Izuku mocked himself.

"You signed it, not me."

"You're dead!" Izuku signed. Penny took this moment to jet away from Izuku who immediately started to chase her.

Chapter Text

The day had come. The day that Izuku slightly dreaded; mall day with class 1-A.

"I'm surprised dad and papa are letting me go. Technically, I'm still grounded," Hitoshi signed to Izuku as they made their way to the mall.

"Penny is most likely going to spend time with Ejiro. I don't blame her. He is her boyfriend," Izuku signed, letting him know why he was allowed to go.

"But what about my boyfriends?"

"Hitoshi," Izuku signed with a plain face.

"What?"

"Shut up."

Hitoshi pressed his lips into a thin line. "So, are you going to get a new outfit for the party? That's what this shopping day is truly for," Hitoshi signed, changing the subject.

"Maybe. I'm not sure. I'm already very stylish," Izuku laughed.

"Your fashion sense is something I wish I had."

"You can only wish, brother," Izuku chuckled.

"You're evil."

"Thank you."

Izuku and Hitoshi kept to themselves the rest of the way. They took their time getting to the mall, resulting in many different text messages, yelling at the two of them.

When they finally got there, Mina slapped Hitoshi across the face.

"What the hell?!" He whined, bringing his hand to his cheek.

"You two are late!" Mina scolded them.

"I'm sorry? Why didn't you slap Izuku? We got here at the same time!"

Mina crossed her arms and turned away. "I wouldn't hurt the disabled person in this group."

"Let me guess, she didn't want to hit the person with a disability," Izuku signed.

"Yep."

Izuku chuckled. "Nice."

"Hitoshi!" Denki called out, practically jumping into Hitoshi's arms. "I missed you!!"

"Denki, you see me in class."

"It's not the same!" Denki kisses Hitoshi quickly.

"He's my boyfriend too, Denki!" Neito tapped his foot.

"Wasn't this supposed to be a 1-A shopping trip?" Hitoshi asked.

"We invited people who are in relationships. It would be mean if we didn't invite him too," Mina explained.

"Makes sense," he told Mina. He then turned to his boyfriends, after Denki got off of him, "I should be ungrounded in a few days."

"Yay!" The blondes cheered.

"Izuku, are you going to buy a new outfit today?" Penny asked, letting go of Ejiro's arm for her to sign.

"I'm not sure. I want to go check out some earrings for my piercings," he signed. "Is anyone else coming?" He asked, looking around to see most of the class there. Katsuki was not one of the people in the group.

"That should be everyone according to Mina," Penny signed to him.

"Okay, so I think it's best to break into groups. We want some element of surprise when seeing each other at the party!" Mina informed them.

Izuku just stood there as the group spoke aloud on the game plan, leaving him out.

They must have forgotten about him being deaf since everyone broke off, leaving him just standing there.

'This is why I brought something to entertain myself,' he sighed to himself.

He made his way to the piercing store that he wanted to go to and bought a pair of earrings that he wanted. He didn't plan on buying an entire new outfit for the party. He already had so much clothes in his closet.

He decided to sit down on a random bench and played on his phone for a little while to pass the time. Time ticked passed as he was in his own little world; one of the perks of being deaf.

Someone tapped his shoulder, grabbing his attention. Izuku looked up and saw a burnt skinned man who was probably in his late teens or early twenties.

"Your phone is loud," he signed to Izuku.

Izuku gasped, quickly turning the volume off. The man chuckled slightly seeing the teen move quickly.

"Thank you! I wouldn't have known!" Izuku thanked the man.

"You're deaf?" He asked.

"Yep! I would ask if you are, but you heard my phone," Izuku chuckled at the end.

"I'm hearing. I just happen to know sign language."

"What's your name?" Izuku asked, already becoming friends with the stranger.

"Dabi. This is my sign name," Dabi showed Izuku his sign name.

"I'm Izuku, this is my sign name," Izuku did the same.

"Can I sit with you?" Dabi asked politely. Izuku nodded, trusting the man. "Are you waiting for anyone?"

"My friends are shopping for clothes for a class party. They are all hearing and I like to do my own shopping."

"If you don't mind me asking, are you a boy, girl, or non-binary? Don't want to get signs wrong."

"I'm a boy. I know it can get confusing because of the hair and body structure. How old are you?"

"I'm 24 years old."

"Cool!" Izuku smiled. "Where did you learn to sign? I can tell that you've known the language for a while."

Izuku had noticed how Dabi picked up what Izuku signed very quickly. His movements moved with ease and didn't get jumbled together when signing fast. (A real life struggle there)

"Someone that took me in when I was at my lowest taught me," he explained, not wanting to go into detail. You could never know who was watching the two of them.

"Well, from what I can tell, the person did an amazing job. It's hard for a deaf person to get treated normally in public."

"Where do your friends go to school?" Dabi asked him.

"Majority of them are first years at UA high. One of them goes to the school for the deaf and hard of hearing: Rō gakkō."

Dabi made sure to keep anything and everything he learned in his mind. Deaf people are observant. He couldn't take the chance of writing it down anywhere.

"Is there a date to this party?" Dabi chuckled, acting like he was a normal person making small talk with Izuku.

"I'm pretty sure it's in a week. It's before their final exams," Izuku paused. "To be honest, they should really do the party after exams, but that's my thinking."

Dabi noticed Izuku's way of thinking. "Random question, how smart of you? You don't seem like the life of a party."

Izuku chuckled a little. He didn't see himself as a party person either. He likes to stay in, but he wouldn't mind going out every now and then.

"I'm at a third year level of education when in reality I should be a first year in high school," Izuku explained. Dabi's eyes went wide.

'The kid's that smart. My god!' He thought to himself.

The conversation was interrupted with Penny walking up to Izuku. She looked at Dabi up and down. Izuku could put his trust in others really easily. She worried for him about that aspect of him.

"Everyone is waiting for you at the food court," she signed, ignoring Dabi.

"Okay. It was nice to meet you Dabi," Izuku signed, standing up. Penny looked back to Dabi while the two of them walked away.

Dabi had a back shivering grin plastered on his face. Penny felt uneasy. "Izuku, who was that?"

"His name is Dabi. He knows sign and told me that my phone was loud. Hearing people usually just give bad looks when that happens, you know that."

"I get bad vibes from him."

"Penny, you don't like anyone that you don't talk/sign to."

"That's a lie! Look at Ejiro!"

Izuku just laughed at Penny. She was getting flustered just signing Ejiro's name.

"Please don't break his heart. I know his quirk is hardening his skin, but we don't know if it links to his heart."

"What about me?! Aren't you supposed to break him if he breaks my heart!?"

Izuku just gave Penny a certain look. "Penny, I am able to defend only myself with my martial arts."

"Liar! Hitoshi told me that you kicked Bakugo's butt when you went to UA earlier in the year," Penny yelled at him in sign by signing very largely and changing her facial expressions.

Izuku just smiled. He was thankful for Penny. Other than his parents and Hitoshi, Penny was the best thing that's ever happened to him.

"Penny," Izuku signed as the were nearly approaching the rest of the group.

"What?"

"Thank you."

Penny was confused about what exactly she did to earn his thanks for the present moment.

"You're welcome I guess," she shrugged.

—-

"Let me see what you bought. I don't need a fashion disaster as a brother," Izuku signed once the two of them got him.

"Neito gave me options but it was my choice in the final," Hitoshi signed. He pulled the clothes out of the bag.

Izuku examined the clothing. He tried to picture it on Hitoshi and style it the best way.

"How in the world are you so good at fashion? Your fashion sense is probably the best in this family," Hitoshi complained slightly.

"Being stuck in a foster home where both the adults were fashion designers for 9 years does that to you."

"So you've been like this your whole life."

"Kinda. I had a t-shirt and baggy pants phase; never again," Izuku shivered at the thought. He was never going to wear a t-shirt that literally said 't-shirt' on it again.

Hitoshi flopped onto his bed, running his hand through his hair.

"I wish you could hear the world," Hitoshi spoke aloud. He didn't want Izuku to understand him. He knew that Izuku was going to get the surgery, but that was still a ways away. He wished that Izuku could hear in the present moment.

He sat back up and noticed Izuku was still there. "Is there a certain term for your voice? It's rough and sounds like nails on a chalkboard."

"That hurt. Also, I'm pretty sure it's considered my deaf voice. When you don't talk for 3 years, it changes your vocal cords. Mine aren't used, therefore you get whatever I sound like."

"Did dad or papa say when your surgery is?"

"I think it's after your summer camp after exams," Izuku widened his eyes, realizing he signed something he wasn't supposed to.

"What summer camp?"

Izuku let out a nervous chuckle and tried avoiding the question; which didn't work. Hitoshi rushed in front of his door, trapping Izuku in the room.

"Don't tell dad that I let it slip. After you guys' exams, there's a summer camp to help develop your quirks."

"That's why he's been more involved at UA!" Hitoshi realized.

"What you mean?"

"He usually stays a little later than usual to take care of things and I'm guessing that is why."

"Can I go to my own room now or go play with Yuki. The poor cat gets left alone a lot during the day."

"Go for it."

Hitoshi moved out the way while Izuku walked out of his room.

Hitoshi flopped back onto his bed and just closed his eyes.

"You'll be able to hear us soon," he smiled before letting much needed sleep take over.

Chapter Text

"Bro, you look hella amazing!" Hitoshi complimented his brother seeing the way Izuku dressed.

Izuku had on tight white pants with a dark green, skin tight muscle shirt crop top. His hair was tied up into a high ponytail, having his scars on full display. He knew there was no need to hide them anymore.

"Thank you brother and let me just sign that you actually look decent and not just emo!"

Hitoshi had black pants that seemed to be the absolute perfect size with a white shirt. He was able to wear his black leather jacket, allowed by his boyfriends.

"Did you get a piercing?" Izuku noticed the chain going from his earlobe to the top of his ear.

"No. It's a clip on and a cuff. Momo made it for me."

Izuku was slightly impressed. He couldn't imagine his brother wearing earrings, but now that he saw it, he didn't hate it.

"Where's the party at anyway?"

"At Momo's place. Apparently she's super rich and has a giant hang out area," he explained. "Are you going to be okay with the music?"

Izuku nodded. "I think because of the microphone, the thousands of people, and the fights going on during the festival is what got me over stimulated. It was too much at one time."

"Okay, just please let me or Penny know if you need a break. They may be my friends, but you are my brother. Even though we aren't blood, you always come first."

Izuku smiled, "I love you brother."

"You too bro, now let's get going before Mina goes to slap me for us being late."

—-

Izuku gasped whenever seeing the large mansion type house that they had arrived at.

"Shut your mouth before bugs get it," Hitoshi signed, getting Izuku's attention.

"This place is huge!" Izuku couldn't help but be amazed. Hitoshi rolled his eyes with a slight smile on his face.

Hitoshi grabbed Izuku's wrist and basically dragged him inside the house. Izuku stumbled over his own two feet, but Hitoshi didn't look back.

Hitoshi opened the door where Mina stood. Her arms were crossed and her foot was tapping as if she was waiting for the two of them to arrive.

"You two are late!"

"Technically we are 1 minute late. We are practically on time."

"Also why are you two always arriving at places at the same time? It's like you two live in the same house!"

"Sure, okay."

Neito, Denki, Shoto, Katsuki, and Hanta were the only ones who knew the truth of the family.

"Well, come in already. The room is bright enough for Izuku to sign to Penny or you."

Izuku tugged on Hitoshi's sleeve. "Is Katsuki here?"

Hitoshi nodded, giving Izuku his answer. Mina guided them to the party room.

Music was blasting at full volume, vibrating the entire room.

"IZUKU!!!" Penny signed his name practically jumping up and down.

"I can feel the music," he smiled.

"Yep! I made them turn it up for you."

"You are literally the definition of amazing."

Penny grabbed Izuku's wrist and dragged him onto the dance floor.

"Babe!" Denki squealed, running up to Hitoshi.

"My love, you see me everyday."

"He has attachment issues," Neito laughed at his blonde boyfriend.

"Yep. He's definitely right."

"You two are mean!" Denki complained.

"But you love us," Neito placed a quick kiss on Denki's cheek.

"Fine! I guess I'll forgive the two of you. Also Hitoshi, may I say, you look stunning."

"Why thank you. My amazing boyfriends picked it for me."

Mina joined everyone else on the dance floor dancing around to the random music.

Katsuki didn't want to come to this party, but he was forced to by Mina and Ejiro.

He looked into the dance floor not being able to look away from Izuku. His long hair tied up showcases his ears. With his ears showing, Katsuki knew the scars were showing as well.

"Damn Izuku! You got some abs!" Mina shouted. Of course Penny translated.

Izuku looked down at his showing stomach and saw he had a lean body structure with small formed abs.

"Thanks, but I didn't have this before I was adopted," Izuku signed while Penny translated.

"Hey Izuku do you remember some of the dances you did in your dance class?" Penny asked.

Izuku finger spelled a song title. He immediately regretted telling her whenever she rushed to the stereo.

"Alright, Izuku will dance to a song that we learned at school. Enjoy!" Penny announced before giving a countdown to the start of the song.

Izuku felt the unique vibrations of the song and remembered the moves that went with each beat that he felt.

"I know this song!" Mina squealed as she joined Izuku on the dance floor.

The chorus of the song started and the real show started.

Izuku dropped to the floor, keeping on his toes. He repeated the action till it got to the next section a few seconds later. All of class I truly learned how much control and flexibility Izuku had over his body.

Mina couldn't compete. She thought that she was an amazing dancer, but she bowed down to Izuku.

When the song ended, Izuku was out of breath. He hadn't danced like that in a while. A genuine smile was on his face.

"You are literally a queen!" Mina bowed to him.

Izuku glanced over to Penny who shrugged her shoulders. She was busy turning back on the playlist they had on.

"Did you know that he could move like that?" Denki whispered to Hitoshi.

"I knew he was flexible, but my knees hurt watching him," Hitoshi rubbed his legs as if he was the one who just did that entire dance.

—-

"Mi amor, I think we should dance to one of the songs that I taught you," Hanta whispered to Shoto.

Izuku stepped off the dance floor to take a break.

"Are you sure? I'm not as good as you or your primos," Shoto replied, speaking the Spanish word that Hanta calls his cousins.

"We grew up with the music and dances. You are simply dating it," Hanta grabbed Shoto's hand and made their way to the dance floor.

Hanta quickly ran over and put on a Latinx song that he was teaching Shoto how to dance to.

The sound of the Latinx music filled the room. The sound of the cowbell in the music filled Hanta with nostalgia from his childhood.

Shoto knew slightly the kind of dance that was about to happen. Hanta started to move his hips to the beat of the music. Shoto made his way to Hanta, moving his arms to the beat of the music.

Hanta didn't want to tell him that he looked like a chicken flapping his wings, but it showed that he was trying.

The two latched hands and moved to the beat together. Hanta let the Colombian in him come out when it came to dancing.

Salsa was mostly a lower body dance. It was one of Hanta's favorite kinds of dance. Granted, there were many dances he grew up with. (Seriously, the amount of research that was done for this is unreal. I barely have any knowledge of Hispanic and/or Latinx culture)

"Stop being stiff Sho," Hanta let go of one of Shoto's hands and twirled himself out and back into Shoto's arms.

His back was pressed onto Shoto's chest. They continued to move the music like this, but evenly Hanta turned around and finished the dance facing Shoto.

They ended the dance with Hanta spinning into a dip with Shoto catching him. To them, they felt like they were the main characters of their own story. They were happy together and didn't care about anyone else around them.

Soon, the applause from their classmates filled the room. Hanta stood back to his normal height, slightly out of breath. Dancing was a workout in itself.

"Your shirt came unbuttoned," Shoto told Hanta. Hanta looked down to his orange button down shirt. It was half undone, but he didn't care.

"I think I'll leave it," Hanta grabbed Shoto's hands and started to dance to the next song that started to play. Most of the class joined in on the dancing, joining in on the fun.

Izuku watched from afar as everyone jumped around to the music. He was proud of Shoto. He had found his happiness all on his own.

He watched Penny and Ejiro goof around as the music played. He saw the smiles on everyone's face. He wished that he was like everyone else. He wished that he could hear the music and join in.

'I need a break,' he thought to himself before walking out the room and outside of the building.

Penny noticed Izuku walk out. "I'm going to check on Izuku. He just walked out," she told Ejiro. "Plus I could go for a hearing break."

Ejiro nodded. Penny gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing out to Izuku outside.

The air was cool compared to the heat from everyone in the room. Izuku felt the sweat from his body chill his body.

Penny walked up beside him showing him a gentle smile.

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah, I just needed a break."

"Shoto looked like a bird set free didn't he?"

"He looked happy. I'm proud of him," Izuku smiled slightly.

"Look at you being a supportive ex," Penny laughed.

Izuku couldn't help but join her. "There's something I got to tell you. I forgot to tell you that my surgery is in a couple weeks."

Penny's expression changed in an instant. "Are you serious!? I thought you were getting it after graduation!"

"Dad, papa, and I discussed it and we agreed to have it done beforehand, that way I would get hearing back in time for graduation."

"That's smart! Do you know what's the healing time for post surgery?"

"Around 4 to 6 weeks."

"Wow, I would have thought it was longer than that," someone spoke aloud. Penny looked to the person who spoke to them since she still had her hearing aids in.

"Toga, Shigiraki," the burnt skinned man commanded the two villains.

Penny felt a cold metal against her throat causing her to gasp. The air was trapped within her.

"These are pretty little things on your ears. If I were to rip them out, would there be blood?" Toga asked, fascinated with the thought.

Izuku on the other hand felt a hand wrap around his throat with only four fingers touching his skin.

"Don't try to fight back. I know that you can defend yourself, but she can't," Dabi motioned over to Penny. Izuku looked over to her. She was the definition of fear. He could see her breath quicken, her eyes widen, and her face pale.

Dabi pulled out phone and typed something before placing it back into his pocket. A purple portal appeared behind him.

"After you," he signed to Izuku. Izuku kept his feet planted to the ground. Even though he couldn't physically fight back, he could at least do this. "Don't be difficult Izuku."

Izuku felt the fifth finger be placed around his throat. The burning sensation caused him to scream out in pain. Penny flinched at the sound. It was loud; louder than the sports festival.

"Crap," Dabi mumbled. Shigiraki lifted a finger and deactivated his quirk. Tears pooled in Izuku's eyes, threatening to come out. "Knock him out and get him in before everyone else comes out. I'm sure they heard him."

Shigiraki nodded and hit a certain pressure point on Izuku's neck. His eyes became heavy in an instant. His arms became heavy and so did his legs.

"Izuku!" Penny screamed out. Togo pressed the blade closer to Penny to keep her quiet.

"Start walking and nothing will happen to him," Togo told Penny. Penny let fear take over and did as she was told.

Dabi had picked up Izuku's small body and carried him behind Toga and Penny into the portal.

"I hate that you were in charge of this mission," Shigiraki complained as he walked with Dabi.

"I'm the only one in the league that knows sign language idiot. Of course I got put as the lead."

The villains didn't worry about the students who had rushed after them. The portal closed as soon as they stepped in.

They had heard Izuku's scream. It was something out of a horror movie. Hitoshi fell to his knees. Panic rose within him. His brother was kidnapped. His breathing quickened. He couldn't hear anyone around him. He couldn't feel anyone touching him trying to calm him.

All he knew was that Izuku and Penny were taken; and he didn't know why...

Chapter Text

Denki pulled out his phone immediately. Neito tried to calm Hitoshi down. Shoto was panicking as Hanta tried his best to comfort him.

Denki's hand shook uncontrollably as he scrolled down to Shouta's contact. Everyone was in shock. No one knew if they should panic, jump to go save the two of them, nothing.

The phone rung only once before Shouta picked up.

"What is it, Denki?" Shouta answered not having any knowledge on what happened.

"Izuku a-and Penny, they- they just got kidnapped," his voice quivered the whole time.

"What!"

"One of them was the main guy from the USJ. Hitoshi's panicking. I- I don't know what to do," Denki started to panic as well.

"Where are you?!"

"Everyone is at Momo's house. We are outside."

"Get everyone inside that house now! Hizashi and I are on our way."

The call ended leaving Denki in charge of instructing everyone inside.

"Guys, Mr. Aizawa said to go back inside. He's on his way!"

Slowly, everyone followed the instructions. They were in too much shock to do anything else.

"Shoto, mi amor, are you okay?" Hanta attempted to comfort him.

"They took him. They took the first person to ever give me a choice." Shoto grip on Hanta tightened. Hanta didn't complain. He just let it happen.

"Hitoshi, honey, they'll be okay," Neito rubbed his arm, feeling the tension.

"Neito's right. Izuku could kick their butts in an instant," Denki tried to joke, but in reality he was terrified. They all were.

They didn't know the extent of the villains' powers. They didn't know why they kidnapped them. Everything was a mystery to them.

It seemed like minutes before Shouta and Hizashi crashed into the building. They rushed through the house and found the group of teens.

"Hitoshi!" Hizashi called out before racing over to his son.

The rest of the class didn't pay attention to the fact that the blonde checked in Hitoshi first.

"They- They took him. Penny too. We just stood there. We just watched," he cried into his papa's shirt.

"Shh, It'll be okay. We'll find them. Both of them."

"What happened? Someone explain now!" Shouta seemed to shout. He panicked himself, but he tried not to show it.

"Penny saw Izuku walk outside. She was going to check on him. She said she was going to take a hearing break. N-Next thing we know, we hear a blood curdling scream and rush outside. We watched as Penny and Izuku were dragged through the same portal from the USJ," Ejiro explained, having his voice sway during it.

Shouta ran his hand through his dark hair. This wasn't supposed to be how first years dealt with villains. They were too young to be this deep already.

"Shouta," Hizashi called out to him. Shouta looked back to his husband holding onto their son like he was a small child.

Hizashi had his arms wrapped around Hitoshi, rubbing his back in small circles.

"Tell them the truth. We can't hide it forever," Hizashi told him.

Shouta gave a slight nod knowing that the truth about the family would come out sooner or later, but it would explain to the kids about Shoto's and Hitoshi's reactions.

Shouta turned back to the kids who were worrying about the situation.

"We all have our own secrets to protect ourselves," he started out. "Sero hid the fact that he was Colombian to help you guys understand him."

Hanta nodded letting Shouta know it was okay to use him in that way.

"As you guys know, Izuku is my kid, but Hizashi and I have another kid." He looked back to see Hitoshi wiping the tears from his red, tear soaked face.

"My name isn't Hitoshi Shinso. That was the name of the family that abandoned me. My real name is Hitoshi Aizawa," he let out.

"Wait, so Izuku is your sister?" Mina asked.

"No. Izuku is my brother."  The people of Class 1-A that didn't know stood there in shock. They were confused.

"He asked us to keep it a secret for 2 reasons," Shouta told the class.

"The first was because of me. My father didn't know that Izuku was a boy whenever he forced us to be together. Izuku went by as a girl to protect me."

"The second reason is because of me," Katsuki spoke up. "We have a past that he wanted to hide from. He wanted to hide from me and the truth."

"My family is one of the most important things in my life. We won't stop until we find the two of them. Everyone go home for the night. I hate to say this, but it's too late at night to search for them. We'll start tomorrow," Shouta spoke.

"Please, everyone be careful. Don't walk alone. We don't know if they are still out there," Hizashi added to his husband's words.

—-

Izuku groaned as he opened his eyes. His mind felt heavy and his body weak. It felt like times from when he was bullied.

Penny saw Izuku start to move around. She was sitting in the ground across from the room from him. Both of them had chains around their ankles, keeping them bound to their side of the room.

The room was lit enough to see. The villains did that on purpose. Dabi would be able to see what they were signing through the camera in the room.

"Are you okay?" Penny signed from across the room. Izuku rubbed his head, nodding.

"Where are we?" He signed, glancing around the room.

"I'm not sure, but your friend Dabi brought us here," she signed.

"I can't believe he was a villain. He was nice to me," Izuku signed, being angry with himself.

"I told you that I didn't like him!" Penny laughed painfully.

Izuku's eyes finally came into focus to see the small details of the things around him. Penny had dry blood on the sides of her face.

"Penny! You're bleeding!"

"Relax. It stopped a while ago. The blonde girl from earlier back ripped my hearing aids out," Penny signed with a weak smile.

Izuku didn't know that such an action would cause someone to bleed.

"Any guesses why we're here?" Penny asked Izuku, leaning against the wall to find some sort of comfort.

"No clue. What do two hearing impaired teens do for villains? We don't provide anything of benefit for them."

"He's wrong, you know," Dabi spoke, aloud. Penny heard him slightly, but not well.

Dabi walked towards Penny with something in his hands.

"Sorry about Toga. She has a thing for blood," Dabi apologized, handing Penny her hearing aids. "They aren't broken, that I know of."

Penny hesitated reaching for the devices in his hand. One at a time she put the devices on, hoping they turned on. To her surprise, they did.

"Can you hear me better?" Dabi asked her.

"Just because you're being nice right now doesn't mean that you're forgiven!" Penny hissed at him.

"Now, why say such a thing to the very person that has control of whether you live or die?" He signed and spoke.

Izuku banged his hand on the floor, getting Dabi's attention on him.

"Then why bring us here?" He asked.

"For information," Dabi signed without hesitation.

"For what? We have nothing to provide you with," Izuku thought they had the upper hand.

"Penny may not have the information we want, but you do Izuku Aizawa."

Izuku's eyes went wide. They were using his family against him.

"Don't try to sign that you and Penny are going to get out of here on your own. We know your quirkless and her quirk isn't powerful enough to do anything to us," Dabi signed.

Izuku's face dropped. He didn't understand how they knew so much about them.

"How? Why?" Izuku signed, trying to process everything.

"How? Well believe it or not, we paid someone to get info about the two of you. As for why, I think it'll be more fun if I don't say," he laughed evilly. "Now, someone will bring you two food. Don't want you dying on us. Well, not yet at least not yet."

Dabi walked out the room leaving the two of them with their thoughts.

"They are going to use me to make you give them information. You know that right?" Penny signed to Izuku.

He sighed, pushing his hair off his shoulder. They were both in the same thing as they were wearing for the party.

Izuku's hair was still in its ponytail. His white pants weren't bright, clean color, but instead were brown and dirty, full of what he guessed was dirt.

Penny's sky blue blouse was covered in a similar dust color with small drops of blood from her ears. Her dark, black pants looked like they usually did.

"Penny, can I admit something," he asked her.

"I know. You're scared. I am too."

He pulled his knees to his chest. 'Dad, Papa, Hitoshi, help,' he prayed, letting a tear slip out of his eye.

Chapter Text

"24 hours. You mean to tell me that my son has been missing for 24 hours with no lead to where the hell he is!!" Shouta slammed his hands on the table that sat other pro heroes.

"Shouta, please. Calm down. 24 hours isn't a lot of time to search for someone," Sir Nighteye adjusted his glasses.

"But it sure is a lot of time to kill Izuku and Penny!"

"Shouta, we know our son. He's smart enough to make sure they both survive," Hizashi tried to calm his husband.

"Shouta, I promise you we are searching nonstop for the two of them," another pro added.

Shouta hadn't slept since Denki had called him. He knew that Izuku would be able to defend himself, but that didn't stop the parent in him from freaking out.

"We know the league took them. That's a start and any start is a good start," Nezu added.

"That's true. If we can find their hideout, it can also help us take them down entirely," All Might changed the subject to make it a broad subject.

"Shouta, you should really get some sleep. We are still teachers," Hizashi told him.

"I won't sleep until my son is found."

"But you can't live off of coffee for multiple days without sleep."

"Watch me."

Hizashi rolled his eyes. "Excuse us for a moment," Hizashi grabbed his husband's ear and practically dragged him out the room.

Hizashi shut the door once the two of them were in the hall alone.

"Why'd you do that Hizashi?" Shouta rubbed his ear.

"You'd know what Izuku would tell you right now?"

"What?"

"He would say something about your eye bags firstly. He would drag you to the bed and stay in there until you fell asleep."

"The eye bags are that noticeable aren't they?" Shouta rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes. Yes they are," Hizashi confirmed. "Honey, you need sleep. Izuku will understand if you sleep for a few hours."

Hizashi pushed the strand of hair out of Shouta's face, pushing it behind his ear.

"I'm just worried. I know we have Hitoshi, but Izuku was our first child together."

"I know and as his dad, you have every right to be pissed off at those villains. I'm angry too, but whenever we save our son and Penny, they won't make fun of how horrible we look worrying about them," he tried to joke.

"What would I do without you?" Shouta smiled, accepting what Hizashi was telling him.

"Probably have a caffeine overdose. It's a real thing you know."

"Tell your son that. He drinks almost as much as me."

"I'm going to kill that kid," Hizashi mumbled under his breath.

"We'll find them," Shouta spoke, mostly convincing himself that everything will be alright.

"We'll find them both alive." 

—-

Toga held Izuku back as Shigiraki used his quirk on Penny's leg. Her jeans had been cut and torn to look like shorts. Her skin was dark and bruised from her being hit every time Izuku refused to tell them information.

"You know she wouldn't have to go through all of this if you simply answered the questions we ask," Dabi signed leaning against the door. Toga let Izuku go for him to reply.

"You're basically asking for me to kill the only family that's ever cared about me!"

"But we could be your family. The league is a very welcoming place for outsiders."

"Not interested."

"Shigi," Dabi's voice seemed to echo in the room.

Toga took this as a sign to hold him back again as Shigiraki pressed all of his fingers onto Penny's skin.

Penny's voice became rough with all the screaming she had done on the last day. She had never experienced such pain in her life. The feeling of her skin decaying right in front of her was something out of a horror movie.

"That's enough. We don't want to kill her. If she's dead then we can't use her for him to break," Dabi commanded.

Shigiraki stepped away from the girl who was crying out in pain. Tears stained her face as they fell into her lap.

"Dabi! You should really teach us sign language. It would help with torturing them!" Toga pleaded as she skipped towards the burnt skinned man.

"It took me years to learn this language. I'll teach you the alphabet if you don't cut anyone in the league today."

"Fine!"

The three villains walked out the room, leaving Izuku to watch his best friend suffer.

"Izuku, I don't think I can handle this much longer. Everything hurts," Penny signed. Her movements were slow and it was obvious that she was in extreme pain.

"I'm so sorry Penny. I want to stop them from hurting you, but if I tell them what they want they'll kill everyone we both love. Even Ejiro," Izuku stressed.

His pants were no longer white and had rips of their own. He hated that he was held back the entire time. He could always feel something against his back as they attacked Penny physically, but for him, the attacks were mentally.

"What should I do? I don't want them to hurt you, but I don't want the others to die."

"You're supposed to be the smart one out of the two of us!" Penny tried to joke, wincing in pain as she laughed.

"It's not a time or place for jokes."

"Did I ever tell you that I saw Mrs. Shinobu whenever I went on me and Ejiro's first date."

"No. You didn't."

"She looks almost exactly the same! Everything from the hair to the way she dresses. She told me she has a kid. She loves him with every once in her body. She asked about you."

"Really now? What did she ask?"

"She asked what you looked like, how your parents were towards you, and if we were even still friends," she laughed again, ignoring the pain.

"I couldn't get rid of you even if I tried."

"I wouldn't leave without a fight," she smiled.

"How much longer do you think it'll take for them to find us?" He asked.

"Hopefully not long. It's only been a day since we've been locked up. I don't want to find out if we stay longer."

"I hope my dad has gotten some sleep. You know how he is."

"The man lives off of coffee. I don't understand how!"

"The eye bags on him are probably the worst in the world," Izuku laughed, trying to get their minds off the present moment.

Penny looked down to her legs. There was definitely permanent damage done. She would probably never walk again. They had left her arms alone so she would be able to communicate with Izuku without them there.

Dabi watched the camera footage nonstop to see if Izuku would spill without them in the room.

"Izuku, what if I die?" Penny asked fearing the worst.

"I won't let you. I won't let them get an inch close if they intend to kill you."

"Do you promise?" Her eyes seemed to have a different shine to them. It was something Izuku had never seen before.

"I promise. I swear I will hear you with my own, well It won't be through my ears, but you get the point."

Penny smiled, giggling a little. "I love you idiot."

"I love you too."

—

Time passed. Each second that passed led into a minute. Every minute phased into an hour. The hours turned into days.

Penny and Izuku had been missing for a week. The heroes had narrowed down the location of the league down to a handful of cities.

UA teachers were on edge. The students were the same. Class 1-A, plus Neito, we're the worst. Exams had been canceled. The summer camp too.

All time and energy was placed into finding Izuku and Penny.

"Hitoshi, are you okay?" Denki asked, running his thin fingers through Hitoshi's knotted hair.

Denki and Neito noticed that Hitoshi wasn't taking care of himself like he should. The connection he and Izuku had was something other siblings wished they had.

Izuku and Hitoshi's connection ran deeper than just being adopted brothers. They had a past that tore them down. They were beaten and bruised from the struggles of their past. They both had their own scars, both visible and invisible.

They understood that they were saved. Their parents, the people who took them into a living and safe household, saved them from those fights.

Hitoshi missed his brother. He hoped that he wasn't dead. He hoped that Penny wasn't dead.

"I miss him," he cried out, snuggling closer to Neito.

The two blondes did their best to try to comfort him, but they knew that they wouldn't get their Hitoshi back unless Izuku was found.

However, Denki had a feeling that he didn't share with others. It was a gut feeling that he tried to push down. He hoped that it was wrong. He hoped that the feeling would be nothing but a bad guess on the situation.

He had a feeling that Izuku was going to be found dead.

Chapter Text

Mental and physical pain. One can be seen, the other isn't as obvious. Physical pain could heal with time. The same could be said about mental pain, but it's not as easy.

Izuku was tired of the pain. He couldn't bare seeing Penny being destroyed right in front of him.

He wasn't free of injury himself. He had a cut on his eyebrow as well as many others on his legs and even a few on his arms.

His white pants were stained with his blood and dirt combined. His hair was matted and felt heavy on his head.

Izuku watched as Penny slept on the other side of the room. He was honestly surprised that the two of them were still alive and breathing.

Penny was a fighter in her own way. She went through the pain gladly. She didn't want Izuku to cause harm to the Aizawa family. 

Izuku coughed out in pain. It was getting harder for him to breathe with the kicks to the gut that he had gotten. It was worse than the bullying from his younger years.

The door creaked open. Izuku wasn't fazed by the movement anymore. He just kept watch over Penny.

The person walked towards Izuku and stood in front of his line of sight.

"What do you want now?" Izuku signed, looking up.

Dabi rolled his eyes. "Do I have to answer that question again?"

Izuku slumped back into the cold wall. "Just don't wake her up."

"I'm not that heartless. I know she means the world to you," Dabi bent down, basically standing on his toes.

"She was my first true friend. She was there for me while I was still in the orphanage."

"The others shouldn't be coming in for the rest of the day. I told them not to," Dabi started. His feet got tired quickly standing like that so he switched to sitting on the floor.

"Can I ask you something personal? I know that you'll probably won't give me an answer."

"Hit me. I don't mind."

"Why do you know sign language? You just don't learn the language out of spite."

Dabi chuckled a little. "Before the league, before I learned the language, I grew up in an abusive household. My father abused my mother nonstop and put me through hell like training. I wanted to become powerful. I didn't mind the training. In fact I would train behind his back, but when my youngest brother was born that's when I couldn't take it anymore."

Izuku was shocked that Dabi was actually sharing his life story, but he paid attention to the man's story.

"My brother was the golden child. He had the perfect quirk. He was the image that my father dreamed of. He stopped my training, but when I kept going, he forbade me to train. He claimed that I was destroying my own body. I knew what my quirk did to me, but I didn't care. So I ran away."

"Your father sounds like my ex's father. He was horrible to all his children."

"You have an ex?"

"It was a forced relationship, but we were able to get him out of the household and then we broke up. We're still friends though. Your information didn't share that had it?" Izuku chuckled softly.

"Who's your ex?"

"Shoto Todoroki."

Dabi's face dropped. His family was becoming involved in his life again. He hated it. He didn't want it.

"My brother is your ex!"

Izuku's eyes went wide. 'This is where I die, don't I?' He asked himself, preparing for his end.

Izuku felt the heat radiate off of Dabi. It was familiar in a way. It didn't scare him like it should have.

Dabi took a few deep breaths calming himself. He needed to cool down.

"I'll share the rest of the story later. I need to go burn something," Dabi signed standing up and then walking out the door.

Izuku let out the breath he was holding. He didn't know what death looked like, but he imagined it to be dark and lonely.

'If I do end up dying, at least I'll be with mom.'

Izuku struggled to bring his knees to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his legs and placed his head on his knees.

The longer they were in that room. The more he worried that they would never be found. He accepted the fact that there was a chance that they wouldn't get out of that room alive.

They both knew it.

—-

"We think we've found their location," Hawks announced to the group of pro heroes in the room.

"Are you serious?!" Hizashi lit up. Shouta was at their home getting the sleep that he needed. Hitoshi too. Denki and Neito were in charge of making sure the two coffee addicts were getting proper sleep.

"We noticed that crime wasn't as active in this area," Hawks pointed out in the map. "But the area is surrounded by crime. I flew over there and noticed someone with black hair walking out an abandoned building. From what I could see, it looked like his skin was burnt."

"That's the man! That's how the students described the one who carried Izuku." Hizashi informed them. "Do you have any intel on if they are alive?"

"I can't confirm it. I'm sorry."

"No. We have a location. We need to act on it in case they are still alive."

"I agree with Mic. If these children are still alive, we don't know the treatment they are being given. They could be at the brink of death as we speak," Nighteye spoke. Hizashi let out a shaky breath trying to get the image out of his mind. "Sorry."

"We need time however to plan out an attack. We can't just rush in their blind," All Might added to the conversation.

"Is there any way we can help?" Mirio asked from where he and his two friends were standing. They were doing internships with pro heroes that were on this case.

"Actually yes!" Nezu had an idea. "Mirio, your quirk allows you to slip in and out of walls, floors, etc. right?"

"Yes sir!"

"What if you slip your way through the building and try to find where they are being kept? This will be extremely dangerous, but extremely beneficial to saving the two of them. Without this intel, I don't think Shota will be able to handle it."

"I'm Izuku's father too!" Hizashi added.

"Izuku showed us qualities that a hero should have outside of having a quirk that helps others or having your name in shining lights. He showed us that there are different kinds of people out there and we shouldn't overlook them. Doing this won't just be me providing intel. It'll be my way of saying thank you to him."

Hizashi smiled hearing that. Izuku had made an effect on people's lives. He was proud.

"I know you're going to hate me for saying this but I think we should use today to plan, send in Mirio tonight, and move in tomorrow. We can't rush into this blind," Nezu directed towards Hizashi.

"You're correct. The parent in me is angry, but the hero side is agreeing with you."

"Two sides of the same coin," Nezu chuckled to himself.

The meeting was dismissed after the fact, but the pro heroes stayed to create a plan. They were going to save Penny and Izuku no matter what.

—-

Dabi shut the door to Izuku and Penny's cell. He was nowhere near getting the information that he wanted out of Izuku.

"How hard is it to give in-depth detailed information about UA students and teachers!" He groaned, kicking the wall.

"He's not cracking even with all the pain we are putting the girl and him through," Shigiraki leaned against the wall.

"It's like we are in an endless loop. We, well, I sign the question, give him time to answer and when he doesn't, the girl gets hurt. It's starting to piss me off!"

"I say we give them until tomorrow. If he doesn't share the information then we kill the girl."

"It's tempting, but we should say the same thing towards him. She most likely knows information, but not as in-depth as him. If she could crack then we could kill him," Dabi told the other.

Shigiraki nodded, agreeing with Dabi.

Dabi started to walk away from the cell door and back towards the main portion of the bar.

"Aren't you going to turn on the camera in the room? The controls are right here you know!"

"Let them have this last night of freedom cause tomorrow, one or both will die."

Chapter Text

"Lemillion, do you copy?" Nighteye spoke into the microphone that connected to the earpiece that Mirio wore.

"I hear you loud and clear," he softly spoke as he stood in an alleyway that was connected to the location in question. There were pro heroes in the are hiding in case something were to go wrong.

"Okay, stay hidden, we don't know if they have cameras inside," Nighteye warned.

Hizashi and Shouta stood behind Nighteye. They weren't allowed to go out into the field since Izuku had a chance of being there alive. They were too invested emotionally.

Mirio pulled his hood up, covering his hair and face as much as possible. (His clothes are made out the same thing his hero costume is made of)

He took a deep breath before activating his quirk, passing through the floors and walls.

"I'm inside," Mirio spoke, giving the heroes step by step information.

Mirio looked around the hall that he had appeared in. There were a few doors on each side with labels on the side of each door.

"I think I'm in some sort of cell area," he spoke softly. He didn't see any cameras, but still moved with caution.

He noticed that the floor near one of the doors was scoffed. People had been walking in and out of that room.

"I'm going into a questionable cell," he informed, activating his quirk, passing through the wall.

His face dropped seeing the two bodies in the room.

"I found them."

Hizashi and Shouta held on to each other tightly, taking in a breath.

"Are they alive?" Nighteye asked, keeping his cool.

Mirio walked towards Penny first. Her eyes were closed, but she was still breathing. Her breathing wheezed with each slow breath she took.

"Penny is extremely injured, but alive. She's sleeping."

"What about Izuku?" Nighteye asked.

Mirio walked to the other side of the room towards him.

Izuku stirred in his sleep feeling like he was being watched. Mirio placed his hand on Izuku, scaring him awake.

His breathing quickened, fearing for his life. His green eyes were full of panic as he woke up feeling the connection on his arm.

"It's okay. You're okay. It's just me," Mirio signed and spoke.

"I'm I dead?" Izuku signed slowly, questioning why he was seeing Mirio.

"No. You're alive and breathing."

Izuku looked over to Penny. "Is she dead?"

"She's alive as well. You both are." Mirio couldn't believe how Izuku reacted to him and looked.

He could tell that Izuku's mind had been broken. Their clothes were ripped, torn, destroyed, or stained with their own blood.

"Where's my family?" Izuku asked, feeling a pain in his chest.

"We are planning on getting you two out in 1 day. We just need to see if you two were really here," Mirio ignored Izuku's question.

"Mirio," Izuku started to sign. "I don't think we can survive much longer here. I'm in pain and Penny is too. I don't think we can-"

Mirio grabbed onto Izuku's hands, stopping him from signing anymore.

"You two are going to survive this. We just need you to last 1 more day. I promise."

"What's that thing on your ear?" Izuku asked Mirio, seeing the device.

"It lets me hear the pro heroes in charge of this mission."

"Are my parents there?" Izuku wanted them to hear his voice, even if it was his rough, barely understandable voice.

"Yes. They can hear everything I'm saying."

"Could they hear me?"

"I'm not sure."

Izuku let out a tear. Mirio watched as the teardrop fell down his face, washing away the grim and dry blood.

"Can you tell them that I love them if," he paused. He accepted the potential reality, but that didn't mean it was easy to say.

"You can tell them yourself tomorrow. Please, stay strong." Mirio looked back to Penny who looked like she had been dragged to hell and back. "Both of you."

"Please hurry."

"I have to go now. Be smart and strong. I'll see you tomorrow," Mirio gave a soft smile before heading out of the cell and back out to the alleyway.

That's when he broke down himself.

Hawks flew down to Mirio, since he was the one on watch in that area.

"H-He's accepted that they might die," Mirio cried out. He fell to the ground, using his arm to his eyes.

"We won't let that happen. I promise," Hawks tried to comfort him.

"Promising to save someone who fully believes that they are going to die isn't the most effective message. Sir, Present Mic, Eraserhead you have less than 24 hours to make this plan. They look like death itself and I'm not letting them die."

"We are already starting."

—-

Izuku fell back asleep as soon as Mirio left. His body and mind were tired.

Every time he closed his eyes, he always had a thought in the back of his mind that there was a chance that they wouldn't open again.

A couple hours later, he woke up on his own.

"You're awake?" Penny signed, seeing Izuku's eyes start to flutter open.

"Barely," he replied. He rubbed his eyes. He tried to remember events from last night, but he didn't know if it was part of a dream he had or not. "Don't you hate when you have a realistic dream?"

"Those dreams suck! You can't determine the difference between real life or if it was in your head," Penny let out a weak laugh.

"I'm tired," Izuku signed.

"Same. I'm tired of fighting back."

Izuku nodded, agreeing with her. They were both mentally tired.

Izuku felt his stomach growl, cramping with the little to no food that they were given. He couldn't remember the last time they ate.

"Do you know how long we've been here?" Penny asked him.

"I lost count of the days."

They just sat there for hours until the villains came back into the room. They were too weak to keep signing all day.

"Hello children," Dabi smiled, dragging in a chair from the main room of the building.

"Not today Dabi, please," Izuku signed slowly, letting his arms drop after he finished signing.

"Sorry, Izuku, but I'm getting my information one way or another," he signed. "Toga!" He switched to yelling.

The blonde girl skipped into the room with a knife in hand. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, showing her fang like teeth.

"Izuku, tell us what you know about any pro heroes," Dabi signed to him as he sat down on the chair.

"No."

"I would answer if I were you or this room will be a new shade of red."

Izuku looked over to Penny. She just gave a soft smile, accepting their fate.

"I'd rather die than betray my family," Izuku signed.

Dabi sighed, pushing his bangs out of his face.

"Izuku, Izuku, Izuku, I thought you were supposed to be smart," Dabi chuckled while signing. Izuku looked at him confused. "There's a reason why you aren't as cut up and bruised like her," he motioned towards Penny.

"Because I'm the one you truly wanted and not her?" Izuku had some of his sarcasm in the statement.

"That's very true. That's why I don't have a problem in doing this," Dabi motioned for Toga. Her face brightened as she dashed towards Penny.

Izuku watched as Penny was stabbed in her stomach. It wasn't enough to kill her, but like Dabi had said, the room was starting to become a new shade of red.

"Stop it," Izuku spoke with his deaf voice.

"So he speaks!" Dabi laughed, "and why shouldn't I? She's not important to me."

Izuku felt uneasy.

"Maybe, if she dies in front of you, you'll be traumatized enough to tell me what I want."

"You'll just kill me after the fact."

"I would make you stay in this room with her until you tell me. Don't test how far I'll go."

Penny figured out what was going to happen. They were going to make Izuku watch her die and then leave him with her lifeless body.

"Last chance. Spill."

Izuku looked at Penny again. He watched her face change into realization. She was understanding why they wanted the information. She understood that she was going to die and Izuku was going to live. She realized that Izuku was never going to be able to hear her on his own.

"Times up. Say goodbye!" Dabi activated his quirk, forming a large, blue flame in his hand.

Penny quickly thought back to when she first got her quirk. The secret she had told Ejiro.

She gathered the little strength she had left and put it into activating her quirk. The blue flame grew closer to her. She understood that she had to do it quickly.

"Close your eyes," Izuku heard a soft yet firm girl's voice in his head. It was peaceful in as way. He was shocked by the voice. Penny just smiled at him.

"I love you," she mouthed before closing her eyes. Izuku followed her instructions and closed his own eyes.

The pain was like nothing before. She felt like she was burning from the inside out. The heat blanketed her. The fire connecting with her open cuts and wounds caused her to scream out in pain.

Izuku winced, feeling her screams. He clenched his teeth together. Quickly, the vibrations died down. He was scared to open his eyes. He didn't want to see it.

With tears slipping out, he opened his eyes. The sight was like a horror movie. Penny's skin was burnt to a crisp. The only things left was her body and the few things that didn't burn away.

Izuku felt his heart shatter. It hurt more than the abuse from the villains. It hurt more than when he became deaf. It hurt more than the bullying. It hurt more than when his mom died.

"PENNY!" He cried out, gasping for air as he cried out.

"If he does break after this, I'm not sure we'll get anything out of him," Dabi told Toga.

"We just killed his best friend. He's bound to reveal something."

Chapter Text

The two villains had left the room, leaving Izuku just looking at Penny's lifeless body for what seemed like hours.

He felt a part of himself die with her. He thought back to the voice in his head.

'Was that an illusion? Was that really her voice?' Izuku asked himself. He felt broken. Part of him was missing.

He wished he knew if Mirio being there was true or if it was just a dream. His dreams had been realistic ever since they got to the cell.

One of his dreams was about his mother. It was the life that he would've had if she was still alive. He would've been hearing. He would've had short hair. He would've been in a healthy relationship with someone he loved.

'I wonder if you're meeting her,' Izuku thought as if he was talking to Penny.

Izuku's emotions were all over the place. He was happy that Penny wasn't in pain anymore, but he wanted to hear her for himself. He didn't want her quirk. Izuku could only guess if the soft yet rough voice was Penny's.

He just had to assume.

The cell door opened again, breaking Izuku from his thoughts. Dabi walked in, ignoring the mood that was settled in the room. He sat in the chair that he had brought in from earlier.

Dabi didn't feel any remorse for what he did. He was in charge of getting the information and he was going to get it...no matter what.

Izuku's tear soaked face looked up to Dabi. Dabi had a smug grin. Izuku didn't like it. There wasn't a single emotion powering through.

"Don't you have any sympathy?" Izuku signed at Dabi with a blank face.

"Look, I'm getting that information, like it or not."

"Then why can't you just get the information like how you got mine and Penny's?" Izuku signed.

"Because Rō gakkō's information is more accessible than UA and the hero commission."

Izuku wasn't even fazed. He just accepted the fact. The security would be more strict for future heroes than some random deaf kids.

"Can you at least answer the question I asked before you killed her?"

"About why I learned sign?" Izuku nodded. "I'll tell you if you give me some information."

Izuku sighed. "My dads have a soft spot for kids."

"What?"

"You said information. I gave you some. Take it or leave it. I want your story."

Dabi didn't know how to react. He wasn't expecting an answer like that. In fact he wasn't expecting an answer at all from him. Izuku must have really wanted his story.

"When I was little and I ran away, I lived in the streets for who knows how long. One day, a lady took me in. She couldn't live with the fact that a child was living on the streets injured. She was deaf so I had to learn the language to communicate with her. She treated me like I was her own child. She homeschooled me and didn't care if I trained my quirk. If it wasn't for legal reasons, I would have changed my family name to hers, but technically I was considered dead," Dabi smiled at the memories, but the smile quickly dropped. "She died 2 years ago at my father's hands."

Dabi didn't want to admit it aloud but he looked up to this woman as a mother figure. Her white hair matched his before he dyed it jet black. You could mistake them as an actual mother and son relationship. Her quirk wasn't powerful at all, but she loved to care for kids. She used every once of her quirk to provide the needs for others.

Dabi loved this woman.

"Why become a villain then?" Izuku looked at Penny. If he wasn't a villain, then she would be alive. They wouldn't be caught in this mess.

"They were just the next group to take me in. They took me in whenever I was alone. No one likes being alone."

"I know what you mean," Izuku agreed at the third line.

"Being alone is the worst," Dabi signed, realizing that if they would have a normal conversation, Izuku may accidentally reveal answers that he wanted.

"When my mom died, I thought I wasn't going to be alone anymore, but the bullying made me realize that wasn't true. The people that were supposed to care didn't."

"How did your mom die?"

"She was killed before the heroes could get to her when her work place collapsed."

"Did you move into a foster home or something?"

"I was with a foster family for 9 years. I became deaf because of an accident with the child of the family. The scars on my ears are constant reminders of that day."

"What was it like to be adopted?"

Izuku gave a soft smile at the memory, but it quickly faded with the memory of Penny's excitement whenever he told her the news. "It felt like I was actually accepted. They didn't care that I was deaf. They just cared for my well-being."

Dabi couldn't help but be jealous of him. He was an outcast like him, but he was saved. Izuku being able to live with the people who adopted him pissed him off.

"So, what's it like having heroes be your parents?"

Izuku gave a weak chuckle realizing what Dabi was trying to do. "You're not getting any more information about my family from me."

Dabi rolled his eyes. "I killed your best right in front of you, you're on the brink of death yourself, yet you're not going to give us the information we want to save your own damn life!"

"I'm not selfish. I'd rather die to protect others," Izuku buried his emotions for a split second.

"If that's the case, I'll make sure you have a personal meeting with your mother and your friend, but I'll make this painful."

Dabi got up from his seat and pulled out a knife. Izuku knew that this was going to happen if he and Penny weren't saved.

Izuku closed his eyes and just waited for the blade to come in contact with his skin, but it never did. The cold metal necker came into contact with his skin.

He was tired of fighting back and was emotionally and physically drained. He was starving and most likely dehydrated, just adding to his weak state.

He felt a hand on his cold leg. It wasn't rough like Dabi's skin looked. His eyes slightly opened to see a familiar blonde hair man in front of him bent down with another man behind him.

"Dad...Papa..." Izuku spoke weakly before his strength gave out. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. He was too weak to keep awake.

—-

Hawks kept his grip on Dabi tight. His wings pinned the villain to the floor, with Hawks kneeling on his back.

"Careful hot wings, don't want you to burn yourself," Dabi went to activate his quirk, but was immediately stopped by Hawks placing a band around Dabi's burnt skinned wrists.

"Looks like I'm not becoming fried chicken today," Hawks joked.

"Where's the rest of the villains?" Midnight was ready for an attack.

"They most likely ran off whenever they first noticed you showed up. They just left me to the wolves. They do that, you know," Dabi put up a tough act. He had realized that he was alone again. They didn't come back for him because he could've been replaced. That's how his whole life was.

"Where's Penny?!" Hizashi stood up while Shouta got the chains off of Izuku.

"Don't you recognize her? She just had a little...tan."

Hizashi's eyes widened in horror, in fact all the pro heroes that were in the room were like that.

Hizashi walked towards her charred body. He was scared that if he would touch it, she would simply turn to ash.

"How long?" Hizashi asked, fighting back tears.

"A few hours. Don't worry, Izuku was able to see every second of it."

Hawks placed more of his weight in Dabi causing him to groan in discomfort.

"Present Mic, Eraser, Mirio, and you two," Nighteye motioned to them plus Nejire and Tamaki, "get the boy to a hospital. We'll do the rest."

"But sir," Mirio went to question his boss.

"Look, I know that you know him and honestly, his family needs all the support they can get right now, so go. We'll handle the rest."

Shouta carefully lifted his son up off of the floor. Izuku was still in the clothes that he went missing in, at least Shouta guessed. The clothes were ripped, stained, and covered in blood.

Izuku was light in weight. Shouta could feel his bones pressing on his skin.

"Is he alive?" Hizashi asked Shouta as the walked out the room to where an ambulance was waiting.

"He's breathing, but weakly."

They got Izuku settled with the paramedics and watched as the vehicle drove away.

"Mr. Aizawa, do you want me to get in contact with Hitoshi?" Mirio asked.

"No. We'll do that once we are at the hospital."

The group got in the car and followed the ambulance all the way to the hospital.

Izuku was rushed to the back, keeping Hizashi and Shouta in the waiting room with the other 3 teens.

"You know that we have to call our other son right?" Shouta told his husband, hugging him from behind.

Hizashi felt his husband's warm tears fall on his neck. Hizashi pulled out his phone and dialed the teen's number. He placed it near his ear, but made sure it was loud enough for Shouta to hear.

"Hello?" They heard Neito answer the phone.

"Neito, where's my son?"

"We've been trying to get him to sleep, but he just keeps worrying about Izuku."

"Put it on speaker. I need to talk to him." Neito did as he was told and placed the phone call on speaker.

"Hitoshi Aizawa, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear papa," Hitoshi answered.

"We found him. Alive."

Chapter Text

"What!" Hitoshi became wide awake. "How is he? Is he okay? Where was he? Where are you?" He rapid fire questions.

"Calm yourself. We are at the hospital. We don't know his state, but he is extremely weak. He passed out as soon as we got him in our hands."

"What about Penny? How is she?" Hitoshi asked.

"She's dead."

Hitoshi fell back to his bed. There was no way. "You got to by lying. She's tougher than most of the people in my class! Sorry Denki."

"No, you're right. She could probably take most of us down," Denki agreed.

"We can't talk about it over the phone because it's classified. We'll tell you whenever we come home."

"No, I want to go with you guys. Netio, Denki grab my shoes."

"Hitoshi, I'll send one of the older students with us to go get you. Don't go out on the road and absolutely DO NOT tell any of your classmates. That goes for all three of you."

"Yes sir."

The phone call ended, but that didn't stop the relieved and sorrowful thoughts.

"Penny's dead," Hitoshi didn't know how to feel.

"Ejiro is going to be so broken," Denki added.

"But Izuku's alive. I know Penny is a major part in Izuku's life, but Izuku, your brother, is alive and breathing," Neito tries to comfort the tallest boy out of the three of them.

The three of them were sitting in the living room. Neito was in the middle as the other two were cuddling against him.

Neito couldn't help but laugh slightly. Usually him and Denki were the ones on Hitoshi.

"What is it?" Hitoshi spoke, cuddling closer to the blonde.

"Usually Denks and I are the babies cuddling against you."

"Let our boy experience comfort. He just found out his brother is alive, but someone else he cares deeply for is dead!"

"I guess that's true. You're just a baby every time aren't you?" Neito smirked.

"Exactly! I need attention 24/7!"

"You two suck at providing comfort," Hitoshi mumbled.

Denki and Neito couldn't help, but giggle.

Hitoshi let them laugh as they waited.

—-

"Dad, Papa!" He almost shouted running to his parents.

Hitoshi, Hizashi and Shouta all gathered in a hug. Tears were being shed.

"Any word?" Hitoshi asked through his tears.

"Nothing. He was so fragile," Shouta told Hitoshi.

The three backed away from each other. "Penny?" Hitoshi asked, wanting to know.

"She was burnt to a crisp. A villain with a fire quirk burned her alive," Hizashi spoke softly. News about the mission wasn't released to the public yet.

"Apparently they made Izuku watch," Shouta added.

"They did what?!" Hitoshi couldn't believe it. They were monsters.

"We don't know if he lied. It's something that Izuku will have to tell us," Hizashi placed a hand on his son.

They waited in the waiting room for hours. The three older teens had gone home since it was nearing morning hours.

Denki and Neito were sound asleep on Hitoshi's shoulders. Hitoshi was asleep himself.

Hizashi had his head on Shouta's shoulder. He glanced over at their son and just smiled.

"Look at our son. He's actually getting some sleep."

Shouta glanced over to see for himself. "He needs it."

"You need sleep too. Yes, you slept for a small period of time the other day, but you need a few hours a day, not a few hours a week."

"I'll sleep once I know our son is okay, deal?"

Hizashi rolled his eyes, but moved closer to his husband. "Deal, you insomniac."

A nurse had walked into the waiting room with a clipboard in hand.

"Izuku Aizawa," she announced.

Hizashi and Shouta popped up onto their feet.

"Are you his guardians?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am, we're his parents," Shouta spoke for the two of them.

"Izuku is out of the immediate care unit and is in a room. He's still asleep, but you are able to come see him now."

Shouta let out a sigh of relief. Hizashi just smiled while letting tears fall out of his eyes. For the first time in weeks, he was happy to be crying.

"Hitoshi!" Shouta called out to his other son.

The teen jumped out of his sleep, scarring his two boyfriends away in the process.

"What's wrong?!" Hitoshi feared the worst.

"We can go see him," Shouta smiled.

"You go see him Toshi," Denki told him.

"You are his brother. We are just the boyfriends of the family," Neito added.

"I love you two so much," Hitoshi quickly kissed both of them before getting up to go with his parents.

The nurse guided them to the room where Izuku was.

Before waking in, the nurse turned to them. Shouta and Hizashi were confused about it.

"I'll give you three the rundown before you go in. Izuku was extremely dehydrated and almost completely starved. He had many cuts on his legs, but none are too major to cause permanent damage. Nurses were able to give him proper hygiene. The starvation and dehydration is what almost killed him. Recovery could last for a few weeks, but can also be months. It depends on him," she told them.

"He had a cochlear implant surgery scheduled that was supposed to happen in a few weeks. What's going to happen to that?" Hizashi asked her.

"I would reschedule it. We need to get him at a healthy weight. His body needs to recover from the events that lead to his state."

She opened the door, letting them know she was finished with what she had to say.

"How long do you think it'll take for him to wake up?" Hitoshi asked her.

"I'm not sure. It can be at any moment."  She closed the door once the three of them got inside the room.

Izuku seemed as if he was faced with death itself. His skin was pale. It was obvious that he was underweight, but it wasn't severe.

There was a consent Iv drip connected to his arm giving him the hydration he needed. A feeding tube traveled through his nose to be able to get him nutrients. (Not a doctor or nurse in any way. Just go with it for dramatic purposes)

"He looks like a ghost," Hitoshi couldn't believe his sight.

"But there's something different between a ghost and him," Hizashi told him.

"Our son, your brother, is breathing," Shouta finished.

They watched as Izuku slept peacefully.

"Those cuts on him didn't look minor whenever we found him," Hizashi spoke, placing his hand on the foot end of the bed.

"The nurses and doctors cleaned it up, like that nurse said," Hitoshi told him.

"There's a cut on his eyebrow," Shouta noticed for the first time.

The cut was small, but definitely noticeable. "Do you think they will scar?" Hitoshi asked.

"Some of them, no. Others, most likely.

They say that Izuku moved around a little as if he was just waking up from his slumber.

The three of them went to the bedside to be there for him.

Izuku was blinded by the lights in the room whenever he tried to open his eyes. The sky was filled with the light from dawn.

He groaned and went to rub his eyes.

Hizashi grabbed Izuku's wrist, stopping him from accidentally hitting the feeding tube or taking out the iv.

Izuku's eyes didn't fully open until a few seconds later, whenever he realized that he wasn't in the dark cell anymore.

The first thing he saw when he woke up was his family standing near him with a smile on each one of his family members.

"Am I alive?" Izuku spoke out loud. His deaf voice was hard to understand, but they knew exactly what he was saying.

"You're as alive as the cherry blossoms when they bloom," Hizashi signed for him.

Izuku smiled before breaking down into tears. For a moment, he forgot about Penny and the horrors of that room.

All he knew in that moment was that he was with his family, alive and breathing.

Chapter Text

A few days later, Izuku was finally able to sign more comfortably, but that didn't mean that he wanted to talk about the cell.

The feeding tube had been removed since he was eating on his own.

Izuku felt like he was in a daze the whole time. Time moved quickly for him. Shouta, Hizashi, and Hitoshi would come in, but the conversations were always short. They never asked about Penny or anything yet.

The news had got out about him and Penny being found, but only he had survived. Ejiro didn't take the news well.

He was with his parents whenever he had found out that Penny was killed. His heart had shattered into millions of pieces. It was his first experience with loss of someone he loved.

"Hey bro," Hitoshi signed, walking towards the chair in the room. Hitoshi came to visit him everyday since Izuku woke up.

Izuku gave a small wave. Izuku noticed that Hitoshi's eye bags were worse than usual. He figured that he didn't sleep whenever he was gone.

"Why aren't you at school?" Izuku asked his brother, seeing that their parents weren't there.

"Because I'm cool and I do what I want," Hitoshi signed with a lot of sarcasm.

"Lies! We both know I'm cooler than you with all my old and most likely new scars," Izuku tried to joke, but his mind went straight back to the cell.

"Fine. I told dad and papa I wanted to be with you today. I'm a student and you're a respected guest of UA. I can use you to get out of school easily."

"Please don't use me as an excuse," Izuku scolded him. The way Hitoshi said it made Izuku believe that this was not the first time his name was used in such a way.

"I see they took that tube out your nose," Hitoshi pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm able to eat on my own so they took it out. They left this lovely thing in my arm though. It's annoying," Izuku referred to the Iv in his arm. It was hard for him to not accidentally knock it out while signing.

"At least you're on the road to recovery."

"I guess you can say that," Izuku sighed. It was supposed to be both him and Penny in recovery, not just him.

Hitoshi noticed the vibe in the room changed. Izuku's emotions seemed to change the mood of the room entirely.

"How's Ejiro taking it?" Izuku asked. It was the first time Izuku had mentioned anything about the event.

Hitoshi held in a breath. "He hasn't been to school in a few days."

Izuku took that answer and figured it out. Izuku remembered that he didn't go to school after the first few days after his mother died.

The grief was too much for Ejiro.

"Look, dad and papa are going to tell you this, but I just want to give you a warning," Hitoshi signed.

Izuku gave his brother his full attention.

"You're going to have to share what happened there. They can't really close the case without having the information they need."

"No." Izuku signed, straightforward.

"No?"

Izuku felt his sadness rise to the surface. It was harder to control his emotions. He found it difficult to hide the fact that he was depressed and panicked from everything that happened.

"I can't. If I do, I'll-" he paused.

"You'll what?"

"I'll have to accept the fact that my best friend is dead and that she was killed right in front of me!" Izuku signed with a hint of anger.

"It'll be healthy for your grief if you do."

Izuku's eyes widened. His sadness was changing into anger. Being locked in a room for a week and just sitting in a hospital bed gave him the time to think about everything.

"I've lost so much in my life! I've lost my birth father before I was born, I've lost my mother, I've lost my happiness for 9 freaking years, I lost my hearing, and just lost my best friend! I know how to handle my grief. I should be an expert in the matter, but that doesn't stop it from hurting Hitoshi. My life is meant to lose everything that I love!"

"But you've gained so much in the process!" Hitoshi stood up signing. He hated that Izuku felt that way. Izuku didn't usually think this way.

Hitoshi sighed before continuing with what he was telling him. "You've gained a fashion style that anyone could kill for. You've gained parents that love you and don't care that you're deaf or had a troubled past. You've gained a best friend who's been with you till the end. You've gained friends that are both your age and older than you. You've gained a brother who freaking loves you more than his own life!"

Izuku was taken aback from the emotion Hitoshi put into his sign.

"I'm not going to lie to you. When you were gone, Denki, Neito, and papa had to force me to sleep. I couldn't fall asleep. I would try to sneak out just to look for you."

"What luck in this world drove you to be a part of my life?" Izuku smiled softly, as the mood in the room changed again.

"My crappy birth parents. Dad did find me living on the streets," Hitoshi laughed a little.

"You're lucky you didn't have to go through the system. It sucked!" Izuku joined in laughing.

"Looks like both our childhoods were messed up."

"I think you had the worst end of the stick. My foster parents were nice. It was their kid that bullied me to no end."

Hitoshi raised an eyebrow and smirked. "At least he is trying to apologize."

"You know how I feel about those words."

Hitoshi nodded, not wanting to fight a losing battle.

Izuku sighed before looking out the window that let the sunlight shine into his room.

Hitoshi followed his eyes. The sun was bright. He didn't know how Izuku could look at the light without squinting.

"I'm ready," Izuku spoke with his deaf voice. Hitoshi smiled and took out his phone. He clicked on the group chat that consisted of him and their parents.

'He's ready,' Hitoshi typed out, sending it to his parents.

On the other end of the phone, Shota and Hizashi looked at each other.

"I don't know what Hitoshi said to Izuku, but there's no way Izuku would want to talk about that so quickly," Shouta told his husband, taking a sip of his coffee.

"We were blessed with two amazing children that care for each other. Let's be thankful for that."

—-

Izuku was released from the hospital the next day, but he had to use a wheelchair and go to physical therapy for his legs.

Izuku shared the entire story of what happened. He didn't leave out a single detail, well, except for one. He also included how Penny used her quirk on him.

While Izuku shared the story, Shouta and Hizashi watched in horror. They couldn't believe the pain and horror that Izuku and Penny had gone through.

"Did you two tell him that today was Penny's funeral?" Hitoshi asked his parents. He was in charge of pushing Izuku's wheelchair into the house.

"No. Go help him charge into some appropriate clothes for the occasion," Shouta mumbled, passing up his kids, going up the stairs.

"Shota!" Hizashi yelled at him. Hizashi rolled his eyes and sighed. "We brought it up to him, but just tell him again in case," he cleared up.

"Why do I have to help him though?"

"Hitoshi, sweetie, you dress in all black. Your style looks like you're going to a funeral everyday."

"Gee. Thanks papa," Hitoshi rolled his eyes.

Izuku slowly got up from the wheelchair. Hitoshi and Hizashi held him to his feet. Once he was on his feet, they helped him go up the stairs and into his room.

"We're leaving in 1 hour," Hizashi told his son aloud before leaving the room to go get ready himself.

Hitoshi guided Izuku to his bed and sat him down.

"I hate being useless," Izuku signed, wishing he was able to walk from place to place on his own.

"Physical therapy won't be too bad. Once you can get the strength back in your legs fully you can go run a marathon if you want."

Izuku wasn't fazed by his brother's joke. "My legs were just cut up and slightly decayed. Also burned a little. I should be fine!"

"How many times did you walk around in that cell?"

"None."

"That plus all those cuts, burns, and decayed parts will be the reason why you literally can't walk a few steps."

Izuku smirked letting Hitoshi know that he had won the argument. "Go pick me out some clothes. I smell like the hospital."

Hitoshi walked into Izuku's closet. He didn't feel right going through Izuku's clothes. It was the first time he had walked into his closet.

He found a few black articles of clothing and brought it with him to show Izuku. He knew that it was the day of Penny's funeral. He just didn't want to show his true emotions.

Hitoshi let Izuku pick out the clothes that he had taken out and helped him change, even though Izuku denied that he needed help.

Izuku stood up and used his bed as a guide to walk to his desk. He grabbed his hairbrush and a few hair ties.

"I'm going to get ready. I think we're leaving in a little while," Hitoshi signed.

Izuku pulled his hair into a bun. It was the first time in a while he had his hair like that. However, he added a small braid that wrapped around the base of the bun.

It was going to be his first time going out somewhere since the cell.

It was also that last place both him and Penny were going to be together.

Chapter Text

The car ride was quiet. Izuku picked at his nails while Hitoshi just looked out the window.

Shouta looked in the rear view mirror to see his two kids. Hizashi placed his hand on Shouta giving him a soft smile.

Izuku recognized the building whenever they arrived right away. It was the same place his mother was buried.

Izuku's breath started to quicken. Everything felt like it was crashing on him; the realization of Penny being gone, the realization of his birth parents being buried here, the realization that someone else that he loved was dead because of him.

Izuku was yanked out of his spiral of panic with Hitoshi placing his hand on Izuku. He had forgotten the feeling of someone touching him with no intent of hurting him.

"Don't cry yet. You'll hate yourself later if your eyes are extremely puffy."

Izuku just looked out the window trying his best to keep his emotions bottled up. Hitoshi sighed knowing that Izuku would do that.

"Just give him time Hitoshi. If we've learned anything about Izuku, he may act like he's confident, but he keeps his more valuable emotions to himself until it overwhelms him," Hizashi spoke aloud.

"Isn't that unhealthy?" Hitoshi pointed out as Shouta parked the car.

"Yes, but he's been like that ever since we've met him. We aren't sure if it's because of trauma from his foster home or something," Shouta added to the conversation.

Hitoshi opened the car door as soon as Shouta turned off the car to grab Izuku's wheelchair.

Izuku looked past the parking lot and looked at the familiar hill that he climbed every so often.

'Hi mom.'

—-

The room was crowded and full of people from both Rō gakkō and UA.

Hitoshi didn't know where to push Izuku to. He didn't want to leave him out of conversations before the service, but he didn't want to put him in his spot yet.

While Hitoshi was trying to figure that out, Izuku could feel the eyes of everyone on him. He let his eyes go down to his hands that sat in his lap.

"Izuku?" a woman called out. Hitoshi looked over to who verbally called his brother.

Hitoshi was confused whenever he saw a woman with black hair slicked back, pulled into a low bun.

"Can I help you, miss?" Hitoshi spoke on his brother's behalf.

"Sorry, I just haven't seen Izuku in 3 years. I just wanted to know if it was him," the woman apologized. Hitoshi tapped his brother's shoulder and pointed towards her.

Izuku's face dropped seeing her. "Mrs. Shinobu!?" Izuku gasped. 

"Hello, Izuku," she signed. Over the three years she had learned more sign language. She just felt that it was the right thing for her to do.

"I haven't seen you in years!" Izuku's face lit up slightly.

"I saw and talked to Penny a few weeks or so ago. She talked about your family and how you were."

Izuku's face dropped. Memories of his and Penny's conversation flooded back to him.

"She told me you have a kid," Izuku signed.

"Yep. He keeps me on my toes," she laughed slightly.

Hitoshi placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, asking for permission to join in the conversation in his own way. Izuku gave a quick nod giving Hitoshi his answer.

"Who are you if you don't mind me asking? I see you two know each other like you've known each other for years."

"I was Izuku's social worker ever since he was four. I stopped having contact with him whenever he got adopted. It's nice to meet you..."

"Hitoshi. Hitoshi Aizawa. I'm Izuku's adopted brother," he brought out his hand and shook it with Mrs. Shinobu.

"I'm going to wheel myself around. I want to go see Penny's parents," Izuku signed, not giving Hitoshi a chance to protest against him.

Izuku's arm strength wasn't affected as much as his legs. Having to sign to communicate helped him keep his strength.

Izuku looked around for the only American people that would be in the room. He looked for the familiar brown hair of the family, but couldn't find them.

He felt his wheelchair being pushed and turned around. A tall man with messy brown hair gave Izuku a soft smile.

"Mr. Syd," Izuku signed his sign name.

"Hi, Izuku. Hope you don't mind," he stopped, so he was able to sign.

"Where's Mrs. Eclipse?"

Syd glanced over to the front where his wife stood in front of Penny's picture. Izuku put his head down in shame. He felt like this was his fault.

Syd tapped his shoulder. Izuku looked at him trying his best to fight off his emotions.

"Do you want to go talk to her before the ceremony? My wife that is," he asked, making sure Izuku wouldn't get confused.

Izuku nodded his head. The man pushed Izuku towards the woman.

Her hair was cut short, and she stood at the same height as Penny. The two almost looked like twins, minus the hair length.

"Honey, someone wants to talk with you," Syd spoke aloud to her.

The woman turned around and saw Izuku in the wheelchair. She quickly wiped her tears away and gave him a soft, comforting smile.

"Hi sweetie," she signed, going in for a hug.

Izuku let the woman hug him. It was the least he could do.

"I'm so glad that you're safe," she signed. Izuku was confused. Yes he was safe and alive, but their daughter, their blood, was dead.

"I'm sorry," he signed, looking to the floor.

Syd and Eclipse looked at one another. "He feels guilty," Syd spoke.

The man crouched next to the chair in front of Izuku's eyesight. Syd could see the water in his eyes. He could see Izuku almost at his breaking point.

"It's not your fault. I bet she would die a million times to protect you. She did spend most of the time with you," Syd comforted him.

"But she died because of me. She died right in front of my eyes," Izuku started to break down.

Eclipse got down to Izuku's level and placed her hand on his leg.

Izuku looked at her with crying eyes.

"Do you remember what her final words were?" She asked him.

"She used her quirk to let me hear her voice. She said 'Close your eyes. I love you.'"

Izuku let out a sob, not being able to hold back his first wave of feelings.

Izuku pushed himself out of the chair to stand up. Syd helped him stand and made sure he wouldn't fall.

"I'm sorry," he used his deaf voice. He cried into Syd's shoulder.

Shouta and Hizashi ran over to the group, seeing Izuku out of his chair.

"You must be Shouta and Hizashi, Izuku's parents," Eclipse bowed her head. "We're Penny's parents, Eclipse and Syd."

"Wish we could've met in a better way," Hizashi spoke.

Syd just let Izuku cry into him. He didn't mind the teen reaching his breaking point.

"He finally let his first set of walls down," Shouta spoke, reaching for his son.

"We got filled in on what happened in that room. Our children may have not been training to be the next heroes of society, but I think they saved each other and your family to the end," Syd told the two of them.

"I agree entirely," Hizashi added.

"These kids are amazing in their own way," Eclipse pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, looking at the small box that held Penny's ashes.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Syd and Eclipse," Shouta told them out of respect for the couple.

"Please no. It's his loss just as much as ours," Syd replied to Shouta, holding on Izuku tighter.

"Do you mind if Izuku sits next to us during the ceremony? He deserves to be included in the family section," Eclipse asked for permission.

"We count Penny as part of ours. Just make sure Izuku doesn't bottle up his emotions too much," Hizashi started.

"The last funeral he's been to was his mother's," Shouta added.

"Of course."

—-

Hitoshi and Mrs. Shinobu's conversation soon came to an end after Izuku left. He saw Ejiro looking depressed in the group of UA students that were there.

He walked over to his classmates to join in the conversation.

Denki and Neito filled him in on the conversation before he piped in. "Hey Kiri," Hitoshi almost said in a whisper.

"You would think it wouldn't hurt as much since we were together only for a short amount of time, but this hurts," he admitted.

This was Ejiro's first experience with a death of someone he cared about. He truly didn't understand the emotions he was feeling

"I bet she fought till the very end," Urkaka comforted him.

"She probably told them off in some way. Her words were harsh you know," Denki tried to lighten the dark mood.

"Did you read the report that Izuku gave?" Hitoshi asked him.

"Yeah, I did. She was something that we all strive to be; a hero."

"I'm just glad that Deku, I mean Izuku, is alive to tell her story," Katsuki mumbled. Katsuki looked behind the group and saw Izuku standing and crying into a man's arm. He saw the man, a woman, Shouta, and Hizashi make conversation.

Flashbacks from the sports festival flooded his mind. Izuku's walls were down. This was the time that Hitoshi told him about, but it wasn't the right mood and place. He didn't want to, but with respect, he would just have to wait.

"Bakugo, a word," Hitoshi called him out looking at his brother.

The two boys separated themselves from the group and started their own private conversation.

"Why are you obsessed with trying to apologize to my brother? I know he's just going to ignore you when his walls are up, but you keep trying no matter what."

Katsuki rubbed the back of his neck, accidentally moving his hair that hid his ears.

Hitoshi saw the devices on his ears. The color drained from his face seeing them. "You wear hearing aids?"

Katsuki quickly moved his hair back to hide his ears. "Tsk, no," he tried to play off, but obviously failed.

"That's why. You want to show him that it's not just him."

"Listen, I had a reason why I was so mean to him as we grew up. I didn't realize it until after the accident," he sighed. "I liked him. My stupid, idiotic self thought it would be better for him to leave so I could be in a relationship with him, but I should of put his happiness first, even if it ment distroying my own."

Hitoshi was just wide eyed. Katsuki just confessed his feelings to him.

"My mother hated me for months. I regret every second of that day."

"Look, I understand that you're sorry, but if you truly care for Izuku and want to be forgiven," he paused. He turned his head to see Izuku and Penny's father have a conversation. He could tell the man was trying to make Izuku feel better. "Just be there for him. He's has a hard exterior, but once those walls come crashing down, he's as fragile as porcelain."

"He's lucky you know," Katsuki quickly told Hitoshi.

"Why's that?" 

"You're the brother that he deserves."

Katsuki walked back to the group and took his seat.  The lights flickered getting everyone in the room's attention.

"Can everyone take their seats. We are going to start this memorial for the young lady that we have lost; Penny Dawson," someone announced, while another signed.

Chapter Text

Izuku sat in his chair staring at the gravestone in front of him.

He read over the engravings more times than he could count. 'Penny Dawson; a daughter, best friend, a hero.'

Her date of birth and death were displayed underneath the words that he kept reading.

'Looks like you did something I've always wanted to do when I was younger: be a hero.' He thought.

The ceremony had ended and most of the people had gone home. The only people left were him and his family, along with Syd, Eclipse, Neito, and Denki.

"Your son is probably one of the strongest people I know," Syd told Hizashi and Shouta.

"He used to come over before you two adopted him. His hair was short and curly, but he had burn scars almost all over him. We were worried about him for a while," Eclipse added.

"Wait, he had short hair?" Hitoshi asked, confused.

Eclipse and Syd just nodded.

"Your daughter is probably the bravest person of all the kids training to become heroes," Shouta told them.

"Dad, papa, do you realize where her grave is?" Hitoshi noticed something about Penny's grave.

"What is it?"

"Penny's grave is next to his birth parents'."

Shouta and Hizashi looked over to Izuku. They didn't realize the location during the ceremony.

"Did you happen to know the Midoriyas?" Shouta was curious.

Eclipse quickly looked to her feet. "I worked with Inko before she died."

The entire Aizawa family, minus Izuku, was in shock.

"What?" Hizashi gasped.

"I worked in the same department as her. That day," she referred to the day of the building collapsing, "Penny was sick and we were just getting her settled in Rō gakkō. My daughter saved me from that day."

"If you don't mind us asking, what was she like? We can only guess based on what Izuku told us," Shouta asked her.

"From what I remember, she was extremely hard working. She loved her son too. She would always share something that he learned. I don't remember too much about her. I do remember however All Might talking to the survivors that he tried to save everyone-"

"All Might? He was the hero that went to get everyone out?" Hitoshi peeped in.

"Yes, but something seemed off about him. I couldn't put my finger on it."

"Dad, Papa," Izuku called out to his parents, using his deaf voice.

The group gave their attention to the teen in the wheelchair. Izuku had run out of tears long ago. He just looked sorrowful.

"Are you ready?" Shouta signed.

Izuku nodded and turned his wheelchair away from Penny's grave.

'Goodbye Penny,' Izuku thought before pushing himself towards the group

"So when do you start physical therapy Izuku?" Syd asked him.

"I don't know."

"He starts tomorrow. They want him to get back to normal health so he'll be fine for his cochlear surgery," Shouta answered for him.

"We should go honey, this family needs to spend some quality time together that's not in a hospital room," Eclipse held onto her husband's arm.

"Thank you. Please don't be strangers."

—-

Ejiro was in his room staring at the pictures he and Penny took on their first date. The bright smile on their faces seemed like a century ago.

He felt like something inside of him was missing. He couldn't understand why. They had only been together for a short amount of time, yet he was hurting so much.

"Why?" He questioned. It was the question that they all had.

Why did these villains want to destroy the hero society so badly? Why did they have to target Izuku? Why did they take Penny with Izuku? Why did Izuku keep quiet for the entire time? Why did Penny die?

Why? Why? Why?

Ejiro looked at the mirror that he had in his room. He saw a piece of his middle school self reflect back at him.

His dark, black roots were showing. He would need to re-dye his hair.

He looked at the scar that went across his eye. He accidentally gave himself that scar from when he was little. His quirk caused him to cut himself.

"Ejiro," he heard from the other side of the door that led into the hallway.

The soft voice came from his mother. She had only heard of Penny, but never met her. However, she could see that emotional roller coaster that her son was on.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes," his voices quivered.

The woman opened the door and walked in. Ejiro's room was a mess with clothes all around on the floor.

She looked to her son who was still in the clothes that he wore to the funeral.

"Sweetheart, let's get you out of those clothes," she told her son as she searched for a clean set of clothing.

"Mom, why does it hurt so much?" He hoped that she could answer one of the many questions that he wished to be answered.

She eventually found a clean shirt and shirt for her son and tossed them to him. He could hear her sigh as she tried to think of an answer.

"She was your first love," she simply put it.

"But we were only together for a few weeks before she died. I thought it took longer to fall in love?"

The woman walked to her son and sat themselves in his bed, rubbing circles onto his back, soothing him.

"Love is a strange thing. It can be as small a seed, but that seed can grow into a tree that stretches into the grand blue sky. You having feelings for her and telling her, was you planting that seed into the ground."

He rested his head into her shoulder and let out a sob. "I hate when you use metaphors."

She wrapped her arms around her son letting him let out his emotions.

"Only love can hurt like this, my dear. It'll take time, but I promise you'll overcome it."

—-

Hawks was in charge of watching over Dabi for the day. He didn't mind it. From a young age, he learned to follow orders without question.

"Are you just going to keep staring at me like that, bird brain?" Dabi complained, just sitting in his cell.

"It's my job to watch you for the time being, deal with it crispy."

Dabi let out a chuckle at the insult. "Is that all you got for me? I know you can do better than 'crispy'."

Hawks didn't give in to the taunting and just kept quiet.

"Tsk, you're no fun little bird," he rolled his eyes.

Hawks watched the man fidget with the zipper that was on his prison uniform. He didn't look like he was expecting the league to save him. In fact, he just looked helpless.

"Why did you say that your friends left you back then?" Hawks was curious.

Dabi looked over to the birdman and let out a deep sigh. "They do that. They hold onto you if you're powerful, but when there's a point that they can't get you out of a predicament, they'll leave you. They'll just find someone else to fill in the spot that I was in."

Dabi was honestly disappointed. He thought he had a forever place within the league. He knew he was one of the most powerful ones among them, but that still didn't phase them.

"Why'd you take those kids?"

"What are you, a detective?"

"No, I'm just a curious person from time to time."

"The boy, he's smart. We thought that we could get information that could help us bring down some of the most overrated heroes."

"Like who?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions."

"Just answer it! What do you got to lose?"

"They wanted to take down All Might, but I wanted to take down Endeavour for personal reasons."

"I used to be a big fan of him, but once I found out that he abused his children and wife, I changed the way I felt about him. The rumor is that he didn't accept his youngest son whenever he came out to him. The poor boy had to move in with his teacher, but now he's with his boyfriend being happy I assume."

Dabi was listening fully to Hawks speak. It was the first time he had heard something about his old man being outed for all the things that he did. Sure it wasn't every single thing that the man had done, but it was something.

Dabi gave a smile knowing that the burning piece of trash's crimes were finally catching up to him.

"What are you smiling for?"

"A win in my book."

Chapter Text

"I think that you are our fastest recovering patient ever Izuku!" The physical therapist was shocked how fast Izuku was able to get back onto his feet.

Izuku gave a weak smile and pushed his hair that was in a braid over his shoulder. It had been only 3 weeks of pure work and pain.

Izuku didn't like feeling helpless. He still felt useless. He felt himself still vulnerable to the world surrounding him.

"Can I go home now?" He signed, leaning against a wall.

The physical therapist looked him up and down. He knew that Izuku was hiding the fact that he was fighting to stand. Izuku had been using his legs nonstop for a few hours, he was bound to be tired.

"Just take it easy. You may be stronger than before, but you still aren't at 100%. Take breaks throughout the day, but other than that, I think you should be good until your pre-operation check up in a few weeks."

Izuku nodded and turned to walk out the room. The physical therapist watched as Izuku walked. He watched the braid swing side to side with each passing step. He didn't know the full story, but he noticed that everyday Izuku had come, a braid was some part of his hairstyle.

Izuku walked home alone, not wanting to take out his phone to text anyone to go pick him up.

He knew that UA was nearby so he decided to just walk there.

Rō gakkō gave Izuku the freedom to do his school work online till he was mentally ready to go back.

He walked through the front gates of the hero school without an issue. Being a child of a teacher and being well known throughout campus had its perks.

Izuku walked straight to Nezu's office to let him know he was there.

Izuku opened the door, knowing it was going to be useless if he knocked.

"Hello there Izuku! How are you?" The mouse thing signed once Izuku's attention was on him.

Izuku gave him a small wave. "I just finished physical therapy and didn't feel like going home."

"Do you need to rest? I'm sure you're tired and sore from using your legs so much."

"No!" He raised his voice.

Nezu was taken back for two reasons. The first being Izuku used his voice to begin with. The second being the anger Izuku had.

"Can I go to my dad's classroom? I'm caught up in my school work," he signed.

Nezu just nodded and excused him from the room. He honestly felt bad for the boy. He couldn't understand human emotions well. There was something about it that just didn't make sense. All the building blocks that make up a person's emotions were complex. Each individual in the world was different.

Izuku made his way to Shouta's classroom, but as he walked there he felt himself get heavier.

'Please not yet,' he seemed to mumble as he placed a hand on the wall of the endless hallway.

He turned himself and placed his back against the wall. He slowly lowered himself to the floor. He was tired.

"Young man!" an adult called out to him, he didn't know that Izuku was deaf. The adult walked closer to him and repeated himself. "Young man!"

Izuku still didn't see him. The adult was getting angry and ended up picking Izuku up by the arm.

Izuku let out a scream, not expecting anyone to be near him.

"I wouldn't need to do that if you listened to me!" He spoke loudly in Izuku's face.

Izuku's panic turned into disgust seeing it was one of the few people he despised in the world, All Might.

"Who are you? Why aren't you in class and where is your uniform?"

Izuku yanked his arm out of All Might's grasp and took out his phone. He knew that he was going to get yelled at, but like a lot of noise that usually scares others, it didn't phase him.

"Who is your teacher?"

Izuku continued to type on his phone. He didn't hand it over to the man until he finished typing everything.

'Firstly, I am deaf. I can not hear anything no matter how loudly or slowly you will tak. Secondly, I am not a student here. My name is Izuku Aizawa. I am one of Shouta and Hizashi's adopted sons. I am simply taking a rest since I had physical therapy this morning and I was just tired.'

All might read over the message and then look back at Izuku. There was something familiar about his green hair that stuck out to him.

All Might did the smart thing and typed out the rest of the conversation on Izuku's phone.

'You say you are adopted, but there is something about you that seems familiar.'

Izuku looked at the man confused. Technically, it was his first time meeting All Might so he couldn't think why he would be familiar.

'You probably met my mother whenever she was still alive. Her name was Inko Midoriya. She worked at the company where the building collapsed about 12 years ago.'

All Might's eyes widened. There was no way that the past was coming back to haunt him. He thought that everything about that day had gone down with the building.

Memories flooded into his mind.

—- The day of the building collapse

Inko wiped away the debris from her eyes. The dust particles as well as the pieces of the building that had turned to powder floated into the air.

She coughed a few times, getting the suffocating air out of her lungs. She felt a pressure on her legs, keeping her from moving around.

Her breath quickened as she hesitantly looked at her legs. Her face turned pale seeing lots of blood surrounding the large rock that sat on top of them. Her legs were crushed.

"Help!" She screamed out hoping for someone, anyone to hear. "Please help!"

She couldn't hear any of her co-workers around her. She feared that they were dead, but she didn't have time to worry about others.

She had to get out. She had to get back to her son. She was the only one there for him. Without her, Izuku would be alone in the world. He was to young to be alone.

Inko felt herself get lightheaded. "The blood loss is killing me," she forced out, feeling herself become more in pain.

She didn't know how long she was there, but with every bit of strength, she yelled out for help.

The ruble moved around her, revealing a bit of sunlight in. She was fighting to keep her eyes open. She was using every bit of strength she had left.

"Thank goodness! You're here!" She smiled, but was followed by coughing. She groaned in pain feeling her body slowly shutting down.

All Might watched the green haired woman in front of him fight with every last fiber within her, but she was already so close to dying. It didn't pay for him to try to save her.

"I'm sorry, but you're too close to death," All Might told her, ignoring her.

"What?" She questioned. His words clicked to her, seeing him maneuver past her leaving her to die. "Please, don't leave me! I am a single mother! My son, he's quirkless and only 4 years old! You can't do this to him! He needs his mother!"

All Might ignored the cries of the woman. Eventually, her cries died out, leaving nothing but the sounds of the still falling pieces of ruble falling.

—-

All Might was in horror. This was her son. The woman he left to die's son was standing in front of him.

"I killed your mother," he spoke quietly. He felt a cold sweat form around his face.

Izuku read his lips perfectly. He placed the phone back into his pocket while in shock from what All Might had confessed.

"You did what?" He spoke using his deaf voice.

"I left your mother to die," he admitted.

Izuku couldn't believe it. The person he looked up to the most growing up was the one who killed his mother, not the building, not the air around her, but him.

A man of human flesh that was living and breathing right in front of him left her to die.

Izuku didn't know how much he could take anymore. Penny's death already broke down his walls, but this topped it.

The walls he kept up were absolutely shattered into a million different individual pieces. He didn't know where to go or what to do.

He couldn't stay next to the man, he couldn't go home. He did what he could only think of in the second.

He ran.

But someone else ran after him.

Chapter Text

TRIGGER WARNING: Verbal abuse

Katsuki zoned out during the lesson that was being taught. He understood the lesson completely already.  

He picked up his pen and started to doodle out something.

At first he didn't mean to draw anything specific. However, the more he seemed to draw, the more the doodle became an actual picture.

He snapped out of his daze and removed his pen from his notebook paper.

He saw the slightly detailed drawing of an ear. He looked over it. He decided to add something to it. He added a hearing aid that sat on top of it.

He hesitantly brought his hand to his ear. He had to wear his hearing aids today. The ringing seemed to grow by the day.

As the ringing grew, the harder it was to keep the devices hidden from his classmates. He didn't want to be seen as weak.

Being weak means that he couldn't become a hero for the both of them.

The internal complex of a person is what drives our motives and why we do what we do.

Katsuki knew that Izuku wanted to be a hero. If it wasn't for the accident, he probably would have been sitting right next to him, following his dream, but Katsuki destroyed that chance.

Being a quirkless hero was difficult to archive. Being a Deaf, quirkless hero was something near impossible.

Katsuki felt guilty for the things he did growing up. The bullying, the aduse, the accident, everything.

He could still remember vividly how his parents reacted towards him whenever they got home from the hospital that day. He had nightmares about it constantly. No matter how hard he tried to push the memories away, they always seemed to come back stronger.

—

"I can't believe you did this, you worthless brat!" Mitsuki threw down her purse, yanking Katsuki inside the house.

Katsuki gasped out in pain, hitting the cold floor of his home.

"You think that was enough pain to match Izuku?!" She raised her voice, shutting the door.

Her husband came flying into the room to see what the ruckus was about. He noticed the dried blood on Katsuki's hands and sleeves.

"What's going on?" He asked the two of them.

"Our, I don't even want to call him this, son used his quirk to make our now ex-foster child possibly lose his hearing completely!"

"It was an accident!" Katuski raised his voice, still on the floor.

"Shut it, stupid child! You're the reason that Izuku's probably deaf! You're the reason that he was stripped from our home! You're the reason that we can't adopt or foster any more children in this household! You have destroyed what me and your father have worked for!"

Katsuki felt her words become weights on his shoulders. Every statement felt like something just holding him down.

"Was I not enough to begin with?" He mumbled, looking to the floor as he stood up onto his feet.

"Speak up brat!" She was angry not just at him, but the whole situation.

"Why did you two push so hard to become foster parents when you had me! Instead of worrying about your child growing up with everything he needed, you wanted to add someone before you had the chance to find out you would become good enough parents to your actual son!"

Katsuki felt a slap against his face. He knew better than to talk back, but he did anyway. He knew that he was going to get consequences for his actions already. It was the perfect chance to get out his hidden emotions.

"You are selfish! I can't believe that you turned out this way! We wanted to provide a chance for other children to have something growing up when they have absolutely nothing! Izuku's the prime example of this! Both of his parents died! He had no family left after them! He had no one! He didn't even have a quirk!"

"So you took him to be a part of our home in pity?" Katsuki earned another slap to the face.

"It didn't stop you from bullying him."

Katsuki felt his breath stop.

"You act like I didn't see the burn marks on his arms today. I can't believe that you would bully your own foster brother. The person who was supposed to become your brother-"

"Maybe I didn't want him as a brother!" He cut her off. "What if I wanted him in my life as something more? If he would become my brother then he couldn't be what I truly wanted him to be in my life!"

"And what reason was it that drove you to make the boy deaf and taken away from our home!" Her face beamed in bright red. Katsuki had never seen his mother this angry.

"I loved him more than a brother!"

"Sometimes, you need to give up your own happiness so the people we love the most get theirs."

From that day Katsuki practically lived with quirk restraints on, making sure he wouldn't use his quirk to hurt others again.

However, over time he noticed the ringing in his ears would become louder and he wouldn't hear things around him.

"Ka- uki," he heard particularly at the dinner table.

He wasn't phased by the noise.

"Katsuki!" His mother yelled louder at him.

Katuski's eyes widened in fear. Every time she raised her voice, something bad was going to happen.

"Yes ma'am?" He asked quietly.

The woman was confused. She had called out his name multiple times, yet he didn't hear her until she yelled it.

"I'm booking you a doctor's appointment," she told him.

"Why?"

She threw down her chopsticks causing Katsuki to flinch.

"Don't question it!"

A week later she brought him to the eyes, ears and throat doctors office.

She explained to the doctors that she would call out to Katsuki, but he would only respond whenever she yelled at him loudly.

Katsuki went through a hearing test where they determined that he was slowly damaging his hearing because of his quirk.

"Your son here has about 25-30% hearing loss in both of his ears. Based on his quirk, this seems to be a drawback or side effect from it. I recommend hearing aids to be worn. We can schedule a follow-up appointment so we can get it customized to his fit."

Mitsuki listened to the doctor and did what a parent should be doing. Katsuki just looked to the floor. Yes, his mother was acting like she was concerned for his well being, but he knew that once they were behind closed doors, she would switch instantly.

—

"I can't believe that you are becoming Deaf!" She groaned.

"It's not my fault that my quirk is doing this," he mumbled.

Mitsuki continued to drive them home in silence.

The relationship between the two was tense throughout the three years. Slowly, Mitsuki slightly forgave Katsuki, but the amount of guilt he received stayed in his mind.

Deep down, he knew that the only way to forgive himself was if Izuku could forgive him.

—-

Katsuki let the memories play out in his mind. They replayed so much in his head that he grew to just ignore them, even if he felt the weight of her words stronger each time.

But, if he gave in to his mother's words and fully succumbed to the thought of him being weak, it would cause him to be worthless. He wanted to be forgiven.

He wanted to have Izuku tell him that he forgave him fully. He didn't care how their relationship ended up, he just wanted Izuku to have no resentment over him.

Katsuki raised his hand, getting Shouta's attention.

"What do you want, problem child?" He asked in his monotone voice.

"Can I be excused to the restroom?" He wanted to get out of the classroom. He needed a change of scenery.

"Go before I change my mind."

Shouta continued on with the lesson as Karasuno got out his chair and walked into the hallway.

He was walking to the restroom until he saw All Might talking to someone with a green braid.

"Izuku?" He asked himself as he hid around the corner.

He must have gotten there at the end of the conversation, but the next thing he knew, Izuku was running full speed away from the man.

Katsuki did the first thing that came to mind.

He ran after him.

Chapter Text

Izuku ran as fast as he could and as far as he could. He made it outside of the building before he collapsed, falling to his knees.

He couldn't tell if he was having a panic attack or just being out of breath in general. It was definitely both.

He clenched his shirt, hitting his final breaking point. He didn't know how much more he could take. Everything was happening to him all at once.

Katsuki stopped in his tracks whenever Izuku wailed out. He could hear Izuku scream, but it wasn't loud. It was like he was calling for someone to save him out of the downward spiral he had fallen in.

Slowly, Katsuki walked towards him. At that moment, he didn't care about pushing Izuku to forgive him. He just wanted to let Izuku know that he wasn't alone.

Katsuki got in front of him and crouched down to his knees.

Izuku's eyes slightly opened. "What?" He threw out the one handed sign for it.

"Are you okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay!?" He snapped back.

Katsuki looked around the area quickly and noticed the bench that sat next to the walkway they were on.

"I'm going to help you to that bench. Is that okay?" He asked for permission first.

Izuku gave him a nod, letting Katsuki lift him up and place him on the bench.

"Do you want me to stand or sit next to you?" Katsuki asked him before doing anything else.

"Stand. Please." 

Katsuki didn't fight it. He listened to what Izuku told him.

"What happened?" He signed, knowing he was taking a risk, but it needed to be done.

"My whole life is just one giant mess that destroys the people I love," he cried out a few more tears.

Katsuki quickly tried to think about the things that lead up to Izuku's situation. His mom dying when he was little, him being removed from their home, getting kidnapped, and Penny dying, but whatever All Might had told him must have put it over the edge.

"The people I looked up to the most when I was little just seem to be the ones that mess up my life," Izuku hinted at him.

Katsuki ignored it and tried to find a way to calm him down.

"What's something positive that has happened in your life?"

Izuku looked at him confused. "What?"

"You saw what I signed. What's something positive that's happened to you?"

"I have excellent grades and I'm about to graduate."

"And another?"

Izuku was taken aback by Katsuki's quick response.

"I got adopted by two amazing people who love me for who I am."

"And another?" Katsuki repeated.

"I have a brother who looks out for me when he should really focus on his well being," Izuku thought back to Hitoshi's eye bags.

"And another?"

Izuku rolled his eyes. "I had an amazing best friend who never failed to put a smile on my face."

"And another?"

"Look, if you keep signing that, I'm going to slap you and not feel sorry about it!"

Katsuki put his hands up, as if he was surrendering. Izuku took a deep breath. Even though Katsuki was annoying him, what he did seemed to work. It calmed him down.

"Why didn't you just run off and get my parents or Hitoshi?"

"Cause I didn't think. I just saw you run off and I just followed," he admitted.

"Thank you," Izuku signed, giving him a different sign to let Katsuki know that he could come sit down.

Katsuki sat next to him, but kept his distance, not wanting to rush the process.

"Izuku, can we talk about it? I'm not going to say the words you hate. I just want to talk."

Izuku let out a sigh. He didn't want to, but he couldn't run away from it forever. Plus, Katsuki deserved it after what he had just done for him.

"Fine."

Katsuki was shocked, but he had to maintain his cool. This was probably his only chance.

"What do you remember?"

"It's spotty, but I slightly remember our argument. I remember your hands on my ears. I barely remember the hospital and that I completely failed the hearing test."

"You don't remember much from before that?"

Izuku looked up to the sky before he started to sign again. "I remember your mom telling me that your family was going to adopt me, but you changed that."

Izuku gave Katsuki a death glare as his walls were slightly building back up.

"You put your hands on my ears. You created those explosions. You completely ruined my chance of happiness in that home!" Izuku stood up out of anger, but his legs couldn't take any more. He fell back down to the bench.

"You act like you're the only victim!" Katsuki signed largely, standing up.

Their position made Katsuki have the larger "voice" at the moment. He was standing looking down at Izuku. For Izuku, he had no choice, but to watch and listen.

"I've been verbally abused by my mother for months, probably years! Yes, you had to go back into the system, but at least you had an adult who tried to give you a fair chance in life. Having your blood call you worthless everyday hurts. That and whenever you are isolated both physically and having a part of yourself locked dormant is lonely. I know you know how the loneliness feels."

Izuku just sat silent. He truly never thought about how deep Katsuki's side went for that day.

"The guilt built up. Eventually, mom calmed down, but she became verbally abusive again whenever we found out I was hard of hearing. She still doesn't forgive me and I know it."

Katsuki paused.

"I don't even forgive myself."

With that line, Izuku realized the situation wasn't just black and white. He strictly thought Katsuki wouldn't get as much as a consequence. Izuku could now see the pain that hid behind Katsuki's mask that he wore in front of others.

Katsuki felt a weight get lifted off of him. It was the first time he told someone about what happened to him, what were the after effects that affected him.

"Can I ask you one thing?" Izuku signed.

Katsuki nodded, fearing what the question was going to be.

"Why did you do it? I don't believe that it was jealousy of your parents giving me attention. They treated us as equals."

"Can I answer that question in the future? I promise I'll tell you, but for now, it isn't the right time." Katsuki gave him pleading eyes as he signed it.

Izuku just nodded.

"Katsuki, don't betray me again."

"I won't."

"If you make me lose any other senses, I promise it won't just be me planning your death," Izuku half joked.

"Your parents and brother would kill me... and my mom."

Katsuki had found the cracks in Izuku's walls. He still had many more to go through, but in that moment, he did the hardest yet most difficult thing.

He got through the first one.

—-

Katsuki had helped Izuku get to Shouta's classroom.

Shouta and Hitoshi were both generally confused seeing Izuku willingly being helped by Katsuki.

"Why is my son here?" Shouta stopped class and asked Katsuki.

"Don't ask me. I saw him and All Might in the hall. All Might said something that he shouldn't have causing him," he motioned at Izuku, " to run off."

Katsuki helped get Izuku to Shouta's chair that he had at his desk.

Katsuki walked back to his desk once Izuku got settled.

"What did All Might and Katsuki tell you?" Shouta asked. He was concerned how Izuku was acting completely different towards Katsuki at that moment.

"If I tell you, you're going to go into protective father mode."

Shouta raised an eyebrow, questioning his son.

"Shinso, I mean Aizawa, no."

"Just call me Hitoshi. It's easier for you, me and my dad," Hitoshi corrected his classmate.

"What are they saying?"

"Hitoshi, this is a family conversation. You tell them and I will make you clean Yuki's litter box," Shouta spoke in before he has the chance to reply.

Hitoshi raised his hands in defense. "You heard the old man, Mina. It's a family conversation."

"Did you just call me old?"

Hitoshi went pale. He didn't think before he started to speak.

"I'm on litter box duty now, aren't I?"

"Yes. Yes you are."

" All Might killed my mom," Izuku signed.

Everyone in the room that could understand sign grew very angry in a split second.

"HE DID WHAT?!" Shouta signed largely.

"Apparently he left her to die, but don't go kill him for it," Izuku stopped Shouta, Hitoshi, Shoto, and Katsuki immediately.

Izuku looked over to Katsuki and thought about their conversation. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have the amazing parents and brother that I have now."

Shouta and Hitoshi gave Izuku a weird look.

"What kind of physical therapy is he going through?" Hitoshi asked, confused.

"Bakugo, what did you do to him?" Shouta suspected him immediately.

"He realized that he's not the only victim of that day."

All the other teens in the class were confused about what day they were talking about, but that day would forever be known as the accident.

"I simply got through a wall."

—-

"I'm telling you that's all that went down!" Izuku explained to his family the conversation that happened between him and All Might as well as him and Katsuki.

"So basically he apologized without signing 'I'm sorry,'" Hitoshi summed up.

Izuku nodded, leaning back on the couch.

"He helped me calm down. He deserved for me to actually listen to him."

Shouta got up from his seat and pulled his hair back.

"Why are you doing that?" Hitoshi asked his dad.

"Doing what?"

"You're pulling back your hair. You do that whenever you're planning on going to kill someone," Hizashi added.

"Dad! I told you not to kill anyone!"

"I'm not going to kill anyone! Do I want to kill All Might? Yes. Am I going to? No, because you asked. I'm gonna make us dinner. What do you three want?"

"Katsudon!"

"Izuku, you always say that! No!" Hitoshi cut him off.

"What about fried chicken?" Hizashi's mouth watered saying his favorite food.

"I'm okay with that," Hitoshi agreed.

"Not as good as katsudon, but I'll survive," Izuku joked.

"Permission to kill our son?" Hizashi signed to his husband.

"He's your kid. Do what you want."

Hizashi snapped his head towards Izuku, baring an evil-like grin.

"Hitoshi..." Izuku looked at his brother with pleading eyes.

"I'm going to help dad cook."

"Traitor!" Izuku yelled out loud.

Hizashi grabbed a pillow off one of the chairs they had in the room and started to hit Izuku with it.

Shouta and Hitoshi heard the laughter from both Izuku and Hizashi and just smiled. Their family wasn't perfect, but they had each other.

That's all they could ask for.

Chapter Text

Izuku stood in front of Rō gakkō's front gates. He clutched tightly onto his crutches.

His doctor wanted him to use them instead of a wheelchair since he was able to walk, and apparently run short distances, for a limited amount of time.

However, his doctor was not happy that Izuku spent that much time on his feet after his physical therapy appointment. Apparently, he was supposed to relax and rest his legs.

It was his first time back at Rō gakkō since he was kidnapped.

The way he just stood there reminded him of his first day there.

Part of him was waiting for Penny to run up from behind him and just jump onto his back. He closed his eyes, imagining her smile, her long braids, her eyes, everything.

He opened his eyes, seeing the cruel reality. He was there without Penny. It was the first of many.

Shouta had brought him to school, not wanting him to be alone on that far walk.

Izuku took a deep breath before making his way into the building. He felt the eyes of everyone once he got inside.

His pants hid most of his scars, but the few on his hands and the one on his eyebrow were definitely ones others could see.

Izuku kept his eyes on where he was going. He didn't want to see how the other students were talking about him.

That's the thing about sign language, a secret never stays silent.

Izuku opened the office door and quickly moved inside before the door shut.

"Aizawa, you're back already?" The front admin lady signed, shocked seeing him. She then noticed the crutches. "Please, take a seat."

Izuku shook his head. He simply placed the crutches leaning against the wall as he kept standing.

"The doctors didn't like how I was walking long distances without rest. They are making me use those things for a little while," he explained.

News has traveled quickly about the cell. The whole school knew everything the news did. A lot of students and faculty even went to Penny's funeral.

"Well, I'm glad to see you back."

"Thanks," he sighed while he signed. He looked over to the second seat in the room.

He imagined Penny sitting there.

"Aizawa, if you need to talk about anything, just know we are here for you."

Izuku gave a slight nod.

"I'm fine, but thank you. I've accepted her death."

"Take it easy please and don't be afraid to come here if you need to," she worried for him a little.

Izuku smiled. "I'm going to head to class now." He turned to grab his crutches and walked out the room.

She took a deep sigh before looking back down to her paperwork she was filling out.  She noticed something about Izuku whenever he had walked out though.

He wore a braid in his hair. 'He might have accepted her death, but he's still trying to hold on to her.'

—

Izuku headed straight to his first class of the day. Usually he would mess around with Penny as they waited for the lights to flicker.

The memories of school mornings flashed before his eyes. Those images were first before the memory of Dabi sending the flames towards her.

Izuku tried to shake the memory out of his head. He didn't realize his breathing quicken. His sight blurred out as the memories of her sitting across from him came back.

A student who was in a few of Izuku's classes raced towards him seeing him start to shake.

The boy placed his hands on Izuku, giving Izuku the new feeling of touch.

He saw the pain in Izuku's eyes. He didn't need to ask what was wrong. Everyone around campus, excluding the younger kids, knew that when Izuku had come back, he was going to be different.

They had to help him get through the day.

"Thank you," he signed, putting some of his weight on the crutches.

"No problem. Panic attacks are the absolute worst! I always get them for real world scenarios class. I hate that teacher."

"Same! I told her off because she said I should work for child services," Izuku started to have a conversation with the other student.

"Literally everyone knows that you were adopted. It's no secret in the student body."

"Telling her off was the best feeling in the world," Izuku smiled at the memory.

"Even better than getting adopted?" The other student asked, smiling.

"A very close second," he laughed.

The other student laughed with him. "Let me walk you to class. Those crutches look uncomfortable to use while signing."

"They are! My dad texted my physical therapist that I was on my feet for a good while after my session and long story short, they are making me use these for a few weeks."

"So you can walk without them, but they don't want you on your feet all the way?"

Izuku nodded since the two of them had started to walk.

"That's stupid."

Izuku nodded again, agreeing with him.

Throughout the day, no one treated Izuku like a glass bottle about to break. They treated him like a normal human being, having conversations that stayed away from anything that had to deal with Penny.

The school student body had their own culture. They were all part of a world together that not many others were a part of; the silent world.

—-

"Todoroki," Shouta called out to the half and half boy who was rightfully talking to his boyfriend.

It was nearing the end of the school day and Izuku had asked if he could go see the villain that killed Penny, but he requested that Shoto come with him.

You see, Izuku didn't tell anyone that Dabi was Toyua Todoroki. He left that part out of the repost that he gave.

"Yes Mr. Aizawa?"

"Are you busy after school? Izuku wants to go somewhere and requested that you come with him."

Shoto looked over to Hanta. Hanta just shrugged his shoulders. "Do what you want. You have a free will Sho."

Shoto softly smiled. "I'll come along only if Hanta gets to come too."

"Shoto, mi amor, puedes hacer las cosas por tu cuenta," Hanta mumbled underneath his breath. (Shoto, my love, you can do things on your own)

Hanta learned that Shoto most likely had a version of separation anxiety when it came to him. Shoto was very clingy, believe it or not.

"Sure, I don't care," Shouta told him. "Hitoshi!"

Hitoshi's head popped up from his desk. Shouta held back a laugh realizing that he had woken him up.

"What?"

"You're going home with Hizashi."

"Why can't I come?" He whined. He wanted to beat that villain himself for harming Izuku and killing Penny.

"Kid, you are my son. I know how you are. You are like me. I'm not letting you kill this man."

"Come on dad! Just a little?"

"Kaminari, are you and Monoma busy after school?" Shouta ignored his son's question.

"N-No sir."

A grin appeared on Shouta's face. Hitoshi feared the grin. Shouta was planning something.

"They can go over."

"And spend the night?" Hitoshi tried to push the limit.

"I let them go over. Hizashi makes that decision."

Hitoshi and Denki ran out of their seats and out of the classroom to go tell Netio.

"Mr. Aizawa, I think it's very inappropriate to talk about your son's personal love life while everyone is still in the class," Iida piped in, being his usual self.

"Does anyone have a problem with me being a parent to my child?" Shouta asked the class.

"No sir," everyone replied with, except Iida.

"See, there's your answer."

The bell rung and most of the students right away grabbed their belongings and headed out the door.

Shouta had texted Izuku a while back to stay at school and that he would go pick him up. He didn't want a repeat of yesterday.

"Alright lovebirds, let's go pick up my son from school," Shouta grabbed his car keys and his bag that had papers to grades.

"Do you actually grade those papers?" Shoto asl Shouta.

"No. Izuku grades them."

The group of three made small talk as they walked to the faculty parking lot and drove to Rō gakkō.

Izuku was leaning against the front gates with his crutches to the side of him.

"I'm going to kill him," Shouta mumbled. "Stay in the car."

Shouta got out of the car and quickly signed to Izuku explaining that Hanta was coming along. He also explained to Izuku why he should really use the crutches.

"Hanta, text Tia Rosa that we are with Mr. Aizawa," Shoto told his boyfriend, already knowing how the family functions.

"That's a good idea." Hanta took out his phone and did just that.

Shoto looked outside and watched as Izuku took his crutches and placed them in the trunk of the car before making his way to the front passenger seat of the car.

Shouta soon followed by getting into the driver's seat.

"I'm going to give the summary run down. Izuku said that he'll explain in more depth when we get to our destination," Shouta started. "Izuku wants to go see the villain that killed Penny. He pushed for you to come with him, Shoto. I don't know why, but he wouldn't tell me until we got you on board."

Shouta started to drive the car away from the school and towards the prison that held Dabi.

Izuku watched as the world moved past them. He felt the vibrations from the speaker by his legs. He couldn't help but tap to the rhythm of the vibrations.

"Okay Shoto, do you remember how to introduce yourself in Español?" Hanta asked, giving Shoto a short Spanish lesson.

Shoto had to think about it. Hanta had shown him two different phrases to introduce his name, but he would always confuse them with each other.

"Hola...mi nombre... es Shoto Todoroki?" he spoke slowly and basically in the form of a question.

"Sometimes if you don't think about getting it right and just say it, you'll say it with ease."

"Was I right though?" Shoto asked him.

"Sí."

Shoto cliched his fist and brought it down slightly, being proud of himself that he remembered.

Hanta playfully rolled his eyes and then glanced out the window, humming a song that he liked.

Shoto just smiled. He was happy to be with someone so free and patient. He loved Hanta with all his heart. He never wanted to leave his side.

—-

The atmosphere changed instantly whenever they pulled into a high security parking lot. They had multiple gates to pass through before they were able to even see the building.

They all got out of the vehicle as soon as the engine was shut off.

Izuku quickly grabbed his crutches before the group walked into the building.

"Este lugar da miedo," Hanta mumbled underneath his breath. He didn't like the feelings he was getting from his surroundings. (This place is scary)

They had to go through endless amounts of security before fully being able to get inside.

Shouta had to translate to Izuku whatever the security guards would tell them to do.

It took a while, but they finally reached the point where they could go see Dabi.

"What is this place?" Shoto asked, as they walked into a room where they could clearly see the villain tied down to a chair, but it didn't seem like he could see them.

"This is a viewing room. We can see him, but he can't see us," Shouta explained.

"Dad, translate please," Izuku signed to him before turning to be fully in Shoto's and Hanta's eyesight.

"Izuku's about to explain," Shouta told the two hearing teens. 

Izuku took a deep breath before looking through the window to see Dabi. He felt the braid that his hair was in on his back.

"In that room, Dabi told me basically his life story. I left this part out whenever I gave the report of what happened in that room," Izuku paused. "He told me that his real name was Toyua Todoroki."

"What!?" Shoto gasped. He shot his eyes to the villain in the other room. Dabi wasn't able to dye his hair the her black color that concealed who he was truly. His white hair was peaking through the spots of black, but there were also spots of red in the white.

Shoto looked at the villain's eyes. They were the same sky blue as his one blue eye. The burns on Dabi's skin was different from his own scar on his eye.

"What was his quirk?" Shoto asked aloud while Shouta quickly translated for Izuku.

"It's some sort of blue flame."

Shoto didn't really remember what his brother's quirk, but based on genetics and how his father's harsh words toward him, he can only assume that it was him.

"Izuku, why did you hide that information?" Shouta asked his son.

Izuku looked down in shame. In truth, he wasn't completely sure why. Part of him wanted to share every bit of information about Dabi, but if he did, then Shoto would be affected as well.

"Shoto would have been affected. He deserves to be free from the Todoroki name."

Shouta sighed, running his hand in his hair.

"I'm going inside. I want to talk with him," Izuku signed. "I want him to see that after all he's done, I'm not broken."

"I want to go with you," Shoto signed the little sign that he knew.

Hanta looked between the two boys, feeling out of place. He really was out of place.

"Hold on you two," Shouta grabbed both of them before they stormed into the prison cell.

Izuku gave Shouta a look, wishing that he would let him do what he wanted.

"This villain almost killed you."

"And?" Izuku asked. He didn't want fear to control his life; not again.

Shouta had to learn that Izuku was able to do things on his own. He didn't know if it was because Izuku was deaf, quirkless, or even just his son, but he was over protective of him. Hizashi told him this everyday, even if he was in a similar way.

"I just don't want you to get hurt."

"You'll be able to watch us sign through the window. Plus I'm pretty sure places like this have microphones in the cells. Am I wrong?"

Shouta nodded letting Izuku know that he was correct.

"Shouta. Let them," Hanta popped in.

Shouta let out a sigh, knowing that Izuku was able to take care of himself. He was his son.

"Just be careful and know that I'll be watching and listening the whole time."

"It's not like there's any secrets in sign language," Izuku joked.

Since sign language is a visual language and requires facial expressions and the overall movement of your upper body, a secret never stayed a secret. Other people could see exactly what you were saying.

Shouta chuckled a little, leaving Shoto slightly confused and Hanta completely confused.

"Go before I change my mind."

Izuku and Shoto looked at one another. They were both nervous; Shoto showed his nerves more.

"Ready?" Izuku asked Shoto.

"Ready."

Chapter Text

The two teens walked into the cell, staying close to each other. It was like they were dating again, but they were just nervous.

Dabi was chained to the wall after the guards had gotten word that Shouta and a few others were going to visit him.

Dabi smirked watching the two of them walk in.

He made eye contact with Izuku, attempting to send shivers down the boy's spine.

"Long time no see, Izuku," Dabi signed, ignoring the fact that his younger brother was with him.

Izuku handed Shoto his crutches. The half and half boy didn't know what to do with them. He felt the cold metal in his hands. He just placed them against the wall for the time being.

"It's lovely that you and little Shoto Todoroki here came to see me. Did you get back together?" Dabi signed and spoke with sarcasm to the highest level.

"I only see Izuku as a friend," Shoto spoke up oblivious to the fact that Dabi was joking.

"I know. You moved in with your new boyfriend didn't you? You sure moved on quick."

Shoto wanted to jolt and attack Dabi for bringing Hanta and his relationship into the conversation already, but Izuku grabbed his wrist.

"Why are you here then? You came here willingly, didn't you?" Dabi asked Izuku.

"I wanted to show you that I'm healed from the things you've done. Emotionally and physically," Izuku lied slightly.

"Really now?"

"My life is continuing on and you can't do anything to stop it. That cell is in my past!"

Dabi just raised his eyebrow not believing a single word Izuku was signing.

"And why are you here?" Dabi asked Shoto.

"I know that you're Toyua." Dabi didn't expect that. He had forgotten that he told Izuku that Shoto was his little brother. "Why did you leave?" Shoto asked, taking control of the conversation.

"Cause our father sucks. That's the long story short."

Shoto shook his head. That was only the surface. He wanted the deeper truth. "Why did you leave your siblings? The people who loved and cared for you everyday! Natsu still mourns your so-called death!" Shoto raised his voice.

"Our father wanted a kid that could surpass All Might! I wanted to! I trained everyday, ignoring the harm I was doing to my body. But I wasn't perfect! He tried again, and again till he got EXACTLY what he wanted: you! I was an outcast. He gave up on me for you. He kept me from my goal, so I found my own path!"

"But Natsu and Fuyumi needed a big brother! Dad might have kept me away from you and them because of training, but they needed you! They needed you when mom got sent to a mental hospital! They needed you whenever they were at their lowest. They needed a big brother!"

Dabi didn't miss his family. To him, Toyua was as good as dead. Did he feel slightly guilty, yes, but did it affect him, no.

"The only thing I share with the Todoroki family is my blood. Nothing else. Toyua is dead. Deal with it," Dabi then turned to Izuku. He could see straight through the teen's lies. "You're not completely fixed. If you were as good as you say you are then why is your hair in a braid?"

Izuku's hand went straight to his hair and played with the ends of it out of habit.

"That girl always had her hair in two braids that went from her hairline all the way down, didn't she? What was her name again? Penny," Dabi signed. "The braid in your hair is you subconsciously holding on. She's dead! We both know that I wasn't the only thing that caused her death. You dragged her into your mess. She didn't have to die. You could have told us what we wanted and we would have let the two of you free, alive."

"That's enough!" Shouta's voice boomed because of the microphone system.

Izuku was breathing heavily, fighting back tears. Dabi was right. Izuku was still fighting the truth.

"Shoto get my son out of there!" Shouta called out to him.

Shoto grabbed Izuku's crutches and helped him out of the room.

"Thanks for visiting!" Dabi called out to them, laughing in his psychotic ways.

Izuku went straight to Shouta, crying in the man's arms. He was still weak, still broken. Penny's death was his fault. She could've been still alive and breathing right next to him if he did what they wanted.

Shoto went to his boyfriend who was trying to get him out of his anger.

Shouta pushed Izuku back to sign something to him. "You didn't do anything. You are strong. Penny was strong. You two are heroes for what you two went through. She didn't die because of you."

Izuku went back into his arms, crying. At that moment, he didn't see his son Izuku, but he got flashbacks to when he first met Hitoshi.

—-

Shouta was doing his normal nightly patrols not expecting anything to happen. The past couple nights had been the same.

Hizashi had a shift somewhere different then him while his son was hopefully sleeping. Shouta looked down to his watch and checked the time.

The night sky filled the streets with darkness. His insomniac self enjoyed the mystery of the night.

Shouta kept to himself on his patrols unless his husband was there with him. Even though he found him annoying at times, but he couldn't help but love his extrovert husband.

The sound of a cat screech caught his attention to a dark empty alleyway.

"Get away from me you stupid cat! Scram!" He heard someone yell from inside the alleyway.

Shouta raised his eyebrow and moved his goggles over his eyes. He got his scarf ready to attack if needed. You could never be too careful.

Slowly, he walked into the alley. He listened to the muttering of someone until they went silent.

He was close.

He looked around slowly, making sure not to overlook any detail.

The sound of metal crashing down next to him made his attention go straight to it.

Shouta saw a teenage boy wide eyed and tucked away in a corner. A metal bucket was on its side right next to him.

"D-Don't come near me!" The boy commanded.

Shouta crouched down to the ground. The cat that had screeched was near his foot. He let the cat rub against his hand.

The teen was confused. Usually adults would just try to get a hold of him immediately to turn him into a police station.

"Why aren't you doing anything?" He asked, thinking if he should activate his quirk.

"I heard a cat," Shouta spoke blankly.

The boy didn't activate his quirk on the man. He had recognized him from the few times he had access to a computer.

"You're Eraserhead aren't you?"

"That's my hero name. What's your name kid?"

"Hitoshi. Hitoshi Shinso," he replied. "Don't try to turn me into a police station. My folks kicked me out a couple months ago. They are just going to send me to an orphanage."

Shouta was taken aback from the sudden switch. Hitoshi became defensive, but at the same time, Shouta could hear the small amount of sadness in his voice.

"You've been out here for months?"

"Yeah." 

Shouta got up to his full height. "I'm not going to bring you to a police station, but I can't let you stay out here. Come on, I'll bring you to my home."

"What?"

"You need a proper place to sleep, shower, and eat. You can stay with my family," Shouta explained to him.

"How do you know I'm not going to kill you or your family in your sleep? I could be a serial killer for goodness sake!"

Shouta looked the boy up and down. "I'll take my chances," he paused. "Come on, problem child. My shift is ending. I'm going home anyway."

Shouta walked back into the street, not looking back at the kid. He heard the sound of feet hitting the ground approaching him from behind.

Hitoshi had stopped slightly behind him and started to follow him.

"Thank you," Hitoshi seemed to whisper. The kid needed him, even if he didn't show it.

—-

The memory faded and Shouta's mind came back to the present.

"Let's get everyone home. It's been a long day," Shouta reached for Izuku's crutches and placed them in between him and Izuku.

"I can't believe that my brother would do such a thing to him," Shoto calmed down, but he was still angry.

"Shoto, that man in there isn't your brother. Yes, you may share blood, but a brother doesn't hurt people that you care about. He wasn't there for you or your other siblings," Shouta told him.

Hanta felt like he had to lighten up the mood. The tension in the room was sharp. He was the odd one out. He had to be the comedian.

Penny wasn't there to make a snarky comment about anything.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll have Tia Rosa bring the chancla," Hanta laughed a little at his own joke.

Shoto showed a smile knowing that Tia Rosa was dangerous with such a weapon.

Shouta smiled, having some knowledge about what Hanta had said.

"Let's get out of here. I'll stop for food."

"Soba!"

"Chicken!"

"Pork!" Izuku signed,  reading his father's lips since he wasn't signing.

The group made their way out of the room and back to the car.

A chapter was closing, with Dabi being behind bars. His truth closed his story for Izuku, but it also opened Penny's story back up.

Dabi was right. He still missed Penny. He missed how she would come over almost every day with a smile on her face. He missed how her hair would always be frizzy at some parts.

She's the reason Izuku learned how to braid hair.

He missed every detail about her. He tried to remember how long it took to get over his mothers death, but it couldn't compare to Penny's.

She had been with him at his lowest and definitely at his highest.

He missed her.

Chapter Text

Izuku's leg bounced with anxiety all day. He had been cleared from using crutches and was able to get from place to place on his own two feet.

He couldn't focus on his school work, but his teachers knew why: his pre-surgery appointment was later on that day.

It had been a few weeks since the visit with Dabi. Like clockwork, Izuku wore a braid of some sorts in his hair.

He still couldn't let go of the memory of Penny.

Izuku had to walk to UA after school so Hizashi could bring him to the doctors office. Shouta had to patrol that night since he was taking the day off the day of Izuku's surgery.

The student that sat next to Izuku, slammed his hand on the table to get his attention.

"What happened?" Izuku signed in a panic.

"Nothing, but I can tell something's wrong," he signed.

Izuku sighed and looked back to his notebook. "My cochlear implant surgery is coming up soon. My pre-surgery appointment is today."

The boy smiled gently and turned his head, pointing to the device that stuck to the side of his head.

Izuku's eyes widened seeing the device that he was going to get.

The boy turned back to face Izuku before he started to sign again. "The scariest part, in my opinion, is when they turn them on. It's overwhelming at first, but with frequent breaks, it gets manageable."

"Do they shave your hair?" Izuku asked, worried for the sake of his hair.

"Only a small section. You should be fine."

Izuku let out a sigh of relief. If they had to shave his whole head, he wouldn't be able to braid his hair. He would also feel like he was back to Izuku Midoriya.

"Thanks." Izuku smiled.

"It's not really a major surgery, but I guess they want you to be checked up after..." the boy stopped signing, realizing he was about to bring up the cell and Penny.

"Yeah. A lot of things have happened to my life in the past couple weeks," Izuku turned his attention back to his notebook as he attempted to write any notes down.

The boy looked at his own notebook and let out a deep sigh. He didn't know the full emotions Izuku was feeling, but he could try to help him in any way.

—

Izuku got to UA at the same time they were letting students be dismissed. However, most students stayed to help clean up or train.

He walked straight to Shouta's room, not bothering to stop by Nezu's office.

Izuku opened the door since he wouldn't be able to hear if anyone shouted to him on the other side.

"It's Izuku!" Mina squealed, happy to see him.

"Raccoon eyes, why are you even still here?!" Katsuki grumbled.

"Cause Kiri and I are going to mall. I'm trying to cheer him up! He just needed a moment in the restroom before we left," she explained, sticking her tongue out at him.

"And what about you explosion boy. Why are you here?" Hitoshi asked, getting ready to leave with Denki.

The poly- couple were allowed to hang out at Denki's house since Hitoshi wouldn't be able to do anything for Izuku's doctor appointment.

"I don't need to tell you why."

Izuku looked around the room while everyone was having their conversation. Shouta was nowhere in sight.

"Hitoshi!" Izuku called out with his voice since there was nothing near him to bang his hand on.

"What?" Hitoshi threw the sign.

Katsuki, Mina, and Denki had never heard Izuku speak like that before. Yes, Katsuki and Denki had heard him speak softly, but it was the first time he had called out something.

"Where's dad? I need to go check-in in a little while."

Katsuki tilted his head, confused on what they were talking about.

"Papa is bringing you. Not dad," Hitoshi reminded him.

Izuku facepalmed himself. He couldn't believe that he forgot.

"I'm going to his classroom then. Tell your boyfriends not to leave any marks unless they want dad to kill them," Izuku joked before walking out.

"Hitoshi, what did he say?" Denki asked his boyfriend.

"Don't mind him. He's just jealous that I have two amazing boyfriends."

"What did he mean by 'check-in?'" Katsuki asked.

Hitoshi grabbed his bag and Denki and him started to walk towards the door to go get Neito from class 1-B.

"He has a doctor's appointment. Nothing major."

Katsuki watched the two leave, leaving him and Mina alone in the room.

He started to put away his belongings until he heard a beeping from his hearing aids.

"You gotta be kidding me," he mumbled, not wanting to take them off around someone, but he didn't want to listen to the beeping.

If he just turned them off however, he wouldn't be able to correctly hear those around him.

"I'm taking a nap," Katsuki spoke loud enough for Mina to hear. Before she could give an answer, he put his head down, turning off the devices. He just waited till she left a couple minutes later.

—

Hizashi had the music blasting in the car. The playlist was a mix that had every genre ranging from rap to rock, and even a little bit of country.

He made this exact playlist specifically for Izuku. All the songs had something in common. You could easily feel the vibrations from the beat and the lyrics; mostly the beat.

Izuku pressed his leg against the speaker. He loved when Hizashi put on this playlist.

Sometimes he would hum the beat that he felt. Hizashi smiled whenever he heard Izuku hum.

'I'll finally be able to call you little listener,' Hizashi thought as he turned into the hospital parking lot.

Izuku let out a nervous breath as the two of them pulled into the parking lot.

Hizashi tapped Izuku, getting his attention once he parked the car.

"Nervous?" He asked his son.

Izuku nodded his head. "Any idea what they are going to do for this appointment?"

Hizashi shook his head, giving Izuku his answer.

The two of them got out of the vehicle and made their way inside. Once they got inside the building, Hizashi found a map to locate the waiting room that they had to go to.

Izuku just followed Hizashi, trusting that he knew the way. Izuku didn't get to see the map and understand it.

After a few wrong turns, multiple elevator stops, and then resulting in asking a worker, Hizashi and Izuku finally made it to the small waiting room. They walked up to the desk in the waiting room to check Izuku in.

"Hello, how can I help you?" The lady asked Hizashi, seeing Izuku just looked around behind the blonde.

"Appointment for Izuku Aizawa."

The lady quickly typed on her computer for confirmation. The lady smiled seeing it was for pre operation.

"The doctor should be out here shortly."

"Thank you," Hizashi gave a small bow. Izuku went to sit down in the chairs that were in the waiting room.

(Going to be honest, idk how preoperative appointments work. I'm not a doctor and never had surgery, knock on wood. I'm just going to make it up for plot purposes.)

Izuku pulled out his phone and looked at his Lock Screen picture. It pained him to look at it, but he didn't have it in him to change the photo.

It was him and Penny one day after school. The two of them went to get ice cream. The picture showed her practically having him in a choke hold to take the selfie. He had whipped cream all over his face.

The memory came to him of whenever Penny had put the whipped cream in a napkin and shoving it into his face.

Hizashi pulled out his own phone and started to scroll through work emails. He noticed that something was being planned and there was probably a chance he would be called in later.

He hoped he wouldn't. Hitoshi was staying over at Denki's house and if he was called in, Izuku would be by himself.

"Aizawa?" The nurse called out, hoping someone hearing was with the teen.

Hizashi picked up his phone and stood up. Izuku noticed the movement in the corner of his eye and copied it.

"I'm one of his parents. I'm Hizashi Aizawa," he introduced himself, once they got to where the nurse was.

"Are you going to be able to translate to him. Not all of our doctors know sign. If not, we can find a translator."

"No need. I'm fluent."

The nurse gave a soft smile and looked over to Izuku.

"Follow me," she guided the two boys to a scale and a ruler. Izuku looked at her and got ready to read her lips. "Step on the scale please." She pointed to the small box on the floor, using her pen.

Izuku stepped on the box and turned his back to the ruler that was connected.

The nurse quickly wrote down the information and told him to step off.

"Let's get him set up in a room. There is a note stating that this is a physical check up as well as pre-operation because of the situation a while back. It may take longer and may require other means than normal check up," she explained to Hizashi.

"That's fine. I trust you know what's best for the time being."

The nurse smiled at the compliment and brought them to a room.

The room was covered in diagrams about the inner-workings of the ear. It was kinda weird to see everything in such detail.

"I'll inform the doctor that you two are ready for her."

The nurse left, shutting the door.

Izuku hopped on top of the table thing that the patient usually sits on while Hizashi sat in a normal chair.

Hizashi pulled out his phone and continued to check the emails, trying to figure out what was happening.

Izuku could notice the changed expressions on his face. He softly tapped his hand on the seat and got his father's attention away from the phone.

"What's wrong?"

"Work." He simply replied. "Your father is going to be busy tonight."

"Why? What's going on?"

"There's this guy doing terrible things to his daughter. They are making a plan to rescue her."

Izuku's mouth gaped. His eyes went from nervous about him to worried about the girl.

"Do you know how old she is?" Izuku asked.

"I'm not sure the exact number, but guessing from the emails, 5-9 years old."

Izuku let out a gasp. He felt like he should help as well, but he couldn't do anything. He was quirkless and deaf. The two things held him back.

"I know this is not a topic to be talking about at a doctors office, but what do you want to do with your life after high school?"

"Something with research. You and dad see all the notebooks I have filled with notes about quirks and such."

Hizashi smiled. "That would suit you. As long as you have fun and do what you absolutely love, we will be there every step of the way. I'm proud of you."

Izuku felt a warmth from the last sentence. Someone was proud of him. He couldn't remember the last time he was told that.

The door slowly opened revealing a young lady wearing a doctor's coat as she held onto a clipboard.

"Hello there. I'm Dr. Naomi," the doctor introduced herself to the two of them.

"I'm Hizashi. I'm one of Izuku's fathers. I can translate if needed. Izuku doesn't read lips extremely well."

"Thank you. I only know a few words in sign, but I could never understand the full language," she explained to him as she looked at Izuku. "Can you tell him to stand. I need to see how his legs are."

Hizashi signed to Izuku to stand up so she could see. He slid off the table onto his feet not feeling any pain or soreness.

"Tell him to do 4 lunges. Two for each leg."

Hizashi did as he was told. Izuku did each lunge with ease.

Izuku had to do a series of exercises that required him to bend his knees or apply full pressure on one of his legs. Dr. Naomi wrote down the results and that he had passed each section with flying colors.

"They need to run some blood work on him. After that you two should be good to go. The briefing for the surgery will be the day of."

"Do you want me to come with you and him for the blood work?" Hizashi asked her.

"I can bring him to the back. Just tell him that we have to do some blood work and that you'll see him after the fact. You can wait in the waiting room."

Hizashi quickly explained the situation to Izuku before he left.

Izuku had followed the doctor out of the room into a lab of some sorts. There were a few chairs that had an arm rest only on the right side.

Naomi pointed to one of the chairs, instructing Izuku to sit there. She cleaned her hands and grabbed her supplies as Izuku went to sit down.

She got everything set up for and started the blood work. Izuku had to look away from the needle in his arm. He had seen too much blood from himself and others.

It didn't last long and Izuku was already weak in the arm.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, seeing him space out slightly.

"I'm fine," he signed while nodding.

Dr. Naomi had her worries, so she gave him a bag of fruit snacks and a cup of water.

"Eat and drink," she told him. Izuku shrugged his shoulders and slowly ate and drank the snack and water.

He honestly felt a little better. "What kind of fruit snacks were those?! They worked like magic!" He signed jokingly, but by the doctor's face, she had no idea what he was signing.

"I'll walk you back to the waiting room. You can go home now."

They did just that. Izuku let out a yawn as soon as he and Hizashi got into the car.

As Izuku started to fall asleep, placing his head on the window, Hizashi felt a pit in his stomach. The issue he had been reading about was really getting to him.

Being a hero, he had to be ready to spring into action at any moment, he just didn't expect that moment to be as soon as he pulled into the driveway of their home.

He had been called in. Izuku would be alone.

Hizashi cursed to himself has help Izuku inside. The teen was sound asleep. The emotions and the stress from the past couple of weeks were finally calming down.

Hizashi carefully laid him on his bed, but took Izuku's phone into the hall.

He unlocked the phone and went through the contact list. He had to find someone who would be able to have a conversation with him and actually keep him company.

He forgot that Izuku's phone was set up to go to a video call as soon as he hit call.

The phone rang for a short moment before the image appeared of another teen.

"You're not Izuku?" the other teen pointed out the obvious.

"Look, I know this is unexpected and last minute, but I just got called into work. Hitoshi is with his boyfriends for the night and I can't break up his time with them. Shouta and I don't like Izuku home alone if anything happens. I'll give you the address and house code. Can you please come over and keep him company?" Hizashi spoke very quickly, but the teen understood every detail.

His hearing aids did have a Bluetooth connection.

"I'll be over as fast as I can."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Expect a text to come in as soon as this call ends!" Hizashi hung up the phone and texted him the details he promised.

Hizashi placed Izuku's phone on the kitchen counter. He quickly grabbed his hero costume and jetted out of the house.

He felt bad for not telling Izuku, but there would have been no time. If there's one rule that every hero knows, it's don't make the commission wait. If they ask for you, you drop everything and go.

He would apologize later, but in the meantime he just had to trust the teen he called.

Katsuki Bakugo.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke up a little while later. He still had the bandage on his arm from the blood work, but he noticed a large bruise forming.

He pushed himself up, feeling how his arm was already sore.

'Great,' he sighed to himself, getting up. He looked over to the clock in his room and noticed how it was almost 5:45.

He walked out of his room and downstairs to the kitchen. He took off the bandage and tossed it into the trash. 

'Why is my phone here?' He asked himself, not remembering him putting it there. He picked the item up and saw the top notification was a text from Hizashi.

Izuku opened the text wondering why he didn't just tell him. He thought that he was in the house.

'Little one, I got called into work to help out with the mission. Since your dad and I don't like you alone in the house, I asked someone to go over to keep you company. Eat whatever. We probably won't be back until late tonight. Love you son!'

Izuku placed his phone down, rolling his eyes. 'They got me a freaking babysitter.'

He didn't care. He didn't know who was coming over, but this was still his home. He wasn't going to stop what he would normally do just for this person.

He decided to take an early shower and feel comfortable for the rest of the night. Izuku's habit of never wearing a shirt after a shower never went away. He still did it every night.

—-

Katsuki looked at the address again, making sure that he had the right house. It get weird going over to his teachers' house, but he also had to remember that it was also Izuku's.

He didn't tell his mother that he was going to spend time with Izuku. Mitsuki thought Katsuki was going over to Ejiro's house.

He looked up to the house that matched the address that was sent to him. It didn't seem as large as he thought, but it also wasn't small.

He ignored what the house looked like on the outside. Hizashi had sent him the code to the front door in case Izuku was still asleep.

Katsuki punched in the code and the door unlocked. He placed his hand on the handle and pushed it open.

The place was larger than he thought. It looked like a true family home.

He walked inside, locking the door behind him. He stepped into the kitchen and noticed the many coffee pots on the counter.

He explored the living room after. The couches and chairs were set up in a way that no matter where you sat, you could see the television as well as everyone else.  It was set up for a Deaf person.

He felt a small, hairy thing rub up against his leg. The feeling disgusted him at first, but looking down he saw the family cat.

"They have a cat?" he asked himself aloud. "Why am I shocked?"

He made his way upstairs and heard the faint sound of running water. He could hear music from a room. The vibrations were more intense than normal music.

He walked into the only room that had the door open. His eyes widened seeing the posters of dates on the wall, with pictures of Izuku's family and Penny on a desk. 

This was Izuku's room.

He didn't want to snoop around. He would feel guilty if he did.

He just looked over every poster and tried to guess what each date was for, but he noticed there was one that was empty. It was like it was waiting to be written on.

The sound of a door shutting snatched Katsuki out of his whirlpool of curiosity.

"What the hell?!" Izuku signed, seeing the blonde standing in his room. He was getting flashbacks from when a similar event happened with Shoto.

Katsuki turned to see a shirtless Izuku. He felt his face heat up and his heart pick up in pace. He felt his mouth go dry slightly.

"You're the one that papa called?" Izuku asked Katsuki.

Katsuki just nodded, having to focus extremely on what Izuku was signing.

"Whatever. I don't hate you as much anymore," he signed, walking to his closet to get something to put on as a shirt.

Katsuki blinked, asking himself if he saw that right. He gave a soft smile knowing that he was through a wall already, but he couldn't celebrate just yet. He still had to get through more.

When Izuku walked out of his closet, he noticed the small tint of red on Katsuki's face. He was in a daze just staring at the ground. Izuku smirked and used this as a prime opportunity to throw something at him.

He slowly walked to his bed, careful not to make sudden movements. He grabbed a pillow off his bed and with all his strength, threw it straight around Katsuki's face.

Izuku bursted into laughter, practically hyperventilating.

"What the hell Deku!" Katsuki yelled out at him. It was out of instinct. He didn't sign.

His anger calmed down seeing the smile on Izuku's face.

"Sorry, but it was worth it," he signed with his eyes closed, laughing still.

Katsuki rolled his eyes and picked up the pillow, tossing it towards the bed.

Katsuki placed his hands on Izuku's shoulders to stop him from laughing and actually pay attention.

Izuku's laughter turned to straight fear. He was usually okay when people touched him to get his attention, but for Katsuki it was different.

Izuku moved out of his grasp and sat on the bed.

"Don't touch me like that, please."

"Sorry," Izuku gave him a quick look. He usually didn't like the word, but there was something in Katsuki's expression that told him he meant it.

"I haven't eaten dinner yet. You want something?" Izuku asked him.

"Sure. I'm good with whatever."

Izuku's soft smile appeared again. "I'll make it extra spicy."

—-

Katsuki helped Izuku with the dishes after they ate. Katsuki couldn't believe the food that Izuku made for the two of them.

It was the best, spiciest thing he's ever tasted.

Izuku placed each dish on the drying rack, trying not to let his arm bother him. His arm felt sore and stiff. It was painful to try to move normally.

Katsuki handed him a dripping, wet plate, but it slipped through his fingers. The plate went crashing down to the floor. Izuku quickly caught the plate just before it broke into millions of pieces.

The quick movement caused his arm to cry out in pain. Katsuki heard Izuku curse to himself, bending his arm as if it was in a sling.

Katsuki dried his hands and tapped on Izuku.

"You're okay?" He asked.

Izuku just nodded his head. He turned his arm as far as he could away from Katsuki.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Do you want to play a game after?" Izuku asked.

"Sure," Katsuki shrugged. "How about 21 questions?"

Izuku saw this as an opportunity to learn more of his side of the story. Katsuki thought the same.

The two of them quickly finished the dishes and headed to the living room.

"Do you mind if I play some music? I know you'll actually be able to hear it. Just a fair warning, I turn it to the max."

"What about your neighbors? The houses aren't that far from each other."

"They learned that I turn the music up since I'm deaf and can only feel vibrations. Dad, Papa, and I helped them put in sound proof walls in both their houses and this house. This was before Hitoshi came to the family."

Katsuki was fascinated by how easily Izuku signed. He didn't stumble on his signs and acted like he had known the language all his life.

Izuku turned on the stereo and turned the music up to the max volume.

Izuku placed his bare foot on the floor and felt as the vibrations traveled through the floor. Normally, families would wear slippers inside of their homes, but Izuku tried not to wear them. He would do it out of respect in others' homes, but feeling the floor without the barrier helped him. He could feel if someone was trying to call him.

"You start since you suggested the game," Izuku practically commanded Katsuki.

"Why did you grow out your hair?"

Izuku looked down at the strands that sat in front of his shoulder, "It was a transformation thing. Plus, I liked it." He made it short and simple. He didn't want it to be super complex. "Have you ever been in a relationship?"

"No. Other than Todoroki, have you been in a relationship?"

"Nope! Shoto was my first boyfriend, but the situation was kinda complex and weird."

"Did you two even kiss?" Katsuki asked curiously.

"I was supposed to ask a question, but yes. How long did it take you to learn sign?"

"It took a little over a year. Probably 2 years."

"That's fast! It took me a few months. I was forced to turn off my voice. I'm pretty sure Penny was the last person to hear me talk normally."

"Really?" Izuku nodded his head with a sorrowful smile.

"Can I ask you something weird?"

"What is it?"

"What do I sound like? I know I don't sound like a normal Deaf person, but I know I don't sound like a hearing person."

"Izuku, that requires you to actually speak out loud."

Izuku let out a chuckle and lowered down the music till the vibrations weren't as rough. He decided to go as if he was introducing himself. "Hello, my name is Izuku Aizawa. I'm 16 and I am in a third year of  a high school education level. I have a brother and two fathers."

Katsuki listened to Izuku speak. It seemed to be a lifetime since he last heard him speak full sentences to him.

"You miss some of the pronunciation of some letters and you say Aizawa differently from how your dads and brother say it. Other than that, it's just rough, but that's probably from not using your voice in so long," he explained to Izuku.

"Oh. I wonder how you say it correctly," he shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to tell Katsuki about his upcoming surgery.

"I believe it's my turn now. Why is your arm bothering you?"

Izuku looked away to try and avoid the question.

Katsuki rolled his eyes and moved closer to him. He grabbed Izuku's chin and pulled to face him, only letting go to sign. "I'm not going to ask again."

Izuku let out a sigh of defeat. He rolled his sleeve up, showing Katsuki the bruise that was forming.

"Who did this?"

"What?"

"Who did that to you?"

"Why do you care? It's not like you haven't done it to me yourself," Izuku snapped, wanting to see what he would say.

Katsuki bit down on his lip hard to keep him from yelling. "Izuku, I don't know how to say those words you hate so much! I regret everything I've done to you! I know I'm not your favorite person in the world, but I care about you! Now, who did this to you?!"

"I'll tell you if you answer me the one question I've always had for you," Izuku paused.  "Why? Why did you do all those things you regret? Why did you hurt me for all those years?!"

"If I tell you then everything is going to change!"

Izuku fumed in anger. "Why can't you see that everything has already changed?!" Katsuki watched the color red flooded Izuku's face. "Penny's dead! My birth mother is dead! You came back into my life! My parents and brother almost watched me die! No matter what reason you had, I'm sure it won't top those life changing events."

"I liked you!" Katsuki signed out quickly.

"No you didn't. If you would have liked me, you wouldn't have bullied me every day."

"No. My childish, younger self thought it was a better idea to treat you horribly and try to get you kicked out. I liked you more than just being the kid my parents housed in foster care."

Izuku didn't know how to feel. He wanted to know the truth, but he wasn't expecting that to be the truth he desired. Katsuki could see the confusion on Izuku's face.

"I know now that what I did was wrong. If I truly cared for you that much, I would have put your happiness first, even if that meant destroying my own."

"So, you had a crush on me?"

"Yes." 

'Penny would have freaked! This is totally a Cherry Blossoms After the Winter, moment!' he thought to himself. (Tbh, I've never read it. My friend just told me about it)

"Do you still have those feelings for me?"

"I do, but I understand if you don't accept them. I just want to be a part of your life, even if I'm just a background character."

"I had blood work done."

"What?" Katsuki was confused at the sudden sentence.

"The bruise, the soreness. They are both from me having blood work done. Remember, I came into the classroom today."

"Why did you have blood work done?"

"They wanted to make sure I was fully back to normal," he half lied.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay. If anyone was treating you the way I used to, I would help them realize that they would live to regret it. You don't deserve to be treated the way I treated you," Katsuki apologized, without saying the words, 'I'm sorry.'

"If you want to be a part of my life and that you care for me, then show me. Actions speak louder than words. Show me that you changed. Show me that you're not going to make me go through the hell of those 9 years again."

"Haven't I shown you already?"

"That was before I knew the reason. I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself. Take this opportunity. I'm not going to give it to you again."

Katsuki thought that their conversation at UA would have meant something. He thought that repeatedly trying to apologize meant something. He thought that telling Izuku the truth meant something, but it didn't. He was starting from scratch. He thought he was climbing the wall, but at the top was just another and taller mountain.

"Are you staying the night? I can set you up in the guest bedroom and get you some clothes," Izuku offered.

"You're not weirded out that I practically confessed to you?"

"Katsuki, believe it or not, but I care for you too," Izuku pressed his lips together as if he said something that didn't want to be known. He was showing vulnerability. He was letting his soft side show.

"You...care...about me?"

"Shower is upstairs, my clothes are probably too small for you. I'll grab some of Hitoshi's clothes he never wears."

Izuku left him with his own thoughts to go search for the clothes.

Katsuki ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a smile. "He cares about me."

Chapter Text

Shouta watched the small child sleep in the isolated hospital room through the one way window in the room. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to keep himself awake.

"Did someone order a coffee from his loving husband?" Hizashi handed him a large cup of the drink.

"Thank you," Shouta mumbled, taking a long sip. The bitter taste of the jet black coffee didn't do much to keep him awake, but it was much needed.

"Any idea on her quirk yet?" Hizashi asked him, looking at the young girl.

"Other than she doesn't know how to control it and that I'm the only one who can deactivate it, not a clue," he sighed, but then looked over to his husband. "Who is with our child right now?"

Hizashi gave a weak and nervous chuckle. "Katsuki Bakugo."

Shouta learned against the wall not caring that out of all the people, the person who grew up with Izuku was with him.

"Izuku's surgery is in a few days, right?" Shouta asked Hizashi.

"Yeah. He has the thumbs up from all the doctors."

"I can't wait for him to hear our voices. I want to tell the problem child that we love him." Hizashi laughed at his husband. "What's that laugh for?"

"How come you call not just our kids, but the students too, 'problem child'?"

"I can ask you the same thing for when you say 'little listener.'"

"That's a lie! I don't call Izuku that!" Hizashi defended himself.

"Cause technically he can't actually listen, right?"

"How does your brain even function with little to no sleep and coffee?"

"Determination," spoke with a straight face, looking back at the young girl.

She was saved from people who were using her just because of her quirk. The poor girl didn't even understand what her quirk was. Shouta felt bad for her. He couldn't imagine what horrors she went through growing up.

"I know that face," Hizashi noticed his husband's visible emotions.

"What face?"

"The face you make whenever you see kids who are in need, or our kids."

"Do you blame me? Her arms and legs are still wrapped up in bandages. Who knows the scars that lie underneath?" He stressed.

"Then let's make her feel wanted. I'm okay with adopting another kid."

"You're serious?"

Hizashi grabbed Shouta's hand and kissed it. "I love having a family with you, but this is the last one. We have 3 kids now that we are raising!

"Calm down before you accidentally activate your quirk. We don't need to be waking her up," Shouta warned him. "Besides, we need the okay from the commission to bring her home."

"I'm sure they will be okay since you can help her control her quirk," Hizashi smiled.

Shouta looked down to his watch and noticed it was going on 3 am. (Changed time for plot purposes)

"Do you think Izuku let Katsuki stay the night?" Shouta asked.

"I'm not sure. Do you know if you'll be coming home later or do they want you to stay with her?"

"Most likely I have to stay with her."

"Do you know what her name is?"

"Eri."

—-

Izuku woke up on his own. He had forgotten to set his alarm. He groaned seeing that it was 9:00 in the morning.

It didn't pay for him to go to school so he decided to just have a chill day and get ahead on his online work.

He got out of bed, having his bare feet hit the floor. He felt the floor slightly vibrate, but he could tell it was only one person walking.

'Is papa or dad home?' He asked himself heading towards the hall.

He opened the door, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. As soon as Izuku opened it, Katsuki was standing there wide eyed.

"Can I help you?" Izuku signed with some sass.

"We're late! You have to get to school! I have to get to school!" Katsuki panicked.

Izuku grabbed Katsuki's wrists, holding them and bringing them down to his sides before letting go.

"It's already 9. Just don't go in. Blame it on me. Hitoshi does it all the time. Plus, dad won't be too harsh since you are with me," he paused. "I wonder why they didn't show up yet."

"Do you think it has something to do with last night?"

Izuku nodded. "I just hope they are okay. I already lost my birth parents and my best friend. I don't think I can lose them too."

Katsuki grabbed Izuku's arm and pulled him in. Izuku gasped being pulled against Katsuki's chest. He could feel Katsuki's heartbeat quicken. He felt his chin rest on his head.

Izuku turned his head, that way the side of his face was resting on Katsuki's chest. Izuku felt a hand go through the tangles of his hair. Izuku pushed back from him, looking to the floor.

"That's not you proving anything. That doesn't count," Izuku signed.

Katsuki could see Izuku's eyes start to turn a slight shade of red. He was fighting the tears just at the thought of losing Shouta and Hizashi.

"I'm sure they are okay," Katsuki ignored what Izuku told him. "I'll go make something for us to eat."

Katsuki left Izuku standing there. Izuku turned to grab his phone. He wished he was confident like Penny. He wished he could go into things without overthinking. He wished he didn't have to worry so much.

He picked up his phone and quickly texted his parents. Even if it was even a simple word, he would be relieved.

He picked at his nails, waiting for anything to happen.

His phone started to vibrate and the flashlight began to flash. He was getting a video call. He quickly answered it and set the phone up on his desk.

The image of both his fathers came up, both with a smile. Izuku let out a sigh of relief seeing the two of them.

"Sorry Izu, I should have texted you," Hizashi signed.

"You didn't tell him that we were okay?!" Izuku saw Shouta raise his voice. He just guessed that Hizashi was in trouble with Shouta.

"I just got worried. Katsuki and I overslept so we are just taking an off day," he let them know.

"So Katsuki stayed over? How are you with that? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay."

Shouta noticed Izuku looked down while he signed; Izuku was hiding something.

"Izuku, what happened? You're hiding something."

"Katsuki told me the reason why he bullied me growing up."

"There was a deep meaning?!"

"Was he jealous of you? That's usually the main reason."

"He said that he liked and still likes me. It's confusing."

Hizashi and Shouta looked at one another. Izuku was in too much pain to start a new relationship of any kind.

"I told him I wouldn't consider it unless he proved himself. I want to give him a chance, but I don't want to open myself just to get hurt again. I don't want to lose another person I care for."

"I understand. You know yourself best. We can only be there for some steps. Whatever you choose, we will be there for you. No matter what," Shouta signed ending with the universal sign for three simple yet complex words. "I love you."

"Thank you. I love you too."

The lights flickered in Izuku's room causing him to look towards the door.

"Breakfast is done," Katsuki signed to him.

Izuku simply nodded. "Katsuki made us breakfast. Please text me when you two are coming home."

"About that. I don't know when I'll be back. There's a kid with a quirk that only I can cancel out," Shouta told him.

"I'll come home tonight. I'll help your father till then."

"Do I need to get the guest bedroom ready for this child?" Izuku asked.

"Yes."

"Okay. Text me updates," Izuk waved bye before hanging up. He grabbed his phone and turned to go to the kitchen. Katsuki was still standing at the door. He watched the end of the conversation.

"Is everyone okay?" Katsuki asked.

"I think so. They are alive. That's all I can ask for," he sighed in relief. "You're excused from school."

"You're still hella smart right?" Katsuki asked.

"I'm offended that you think that I'm not," Izuku laughed. "What do you need?"

"I need help with history."

"Weren't you smart when we were in elementary school?"

"Elementary and High school are two different things!"

Izuku laughed at Katsuki's outburst. As long as he didn't use the explosions, he would be okay.

"I'm starving! Hope you cook as good as me!" Izuku raced out of his room, past Katsuki and down the stairs.

"Don't screw this up," Katsuki told himself, going down the stairs.

—-

Shouta and Hizashi sat anxiously, waiting for the hero's commission to give them the all clear to take care of Eri.

They used every trick that they had to make sure that she would end up in their care.

The head of the hero commission came into the room where they were waiting. "Eraserhead, Present Mic. You two gave us the opportunity to place the young girl under your care, permanently. Through much consideration, we are allowing it, but we want you two to be aware that you have to explain the situation of your youngest child, Izuku. (Hitoshi is older than Izuku by 14 days. That's canon) His disability isn't something that she would be familiar with."

"We understand this. We had to go through a similar situation whenever bringing our oldest, Hitoshi, into the family," Shouta told her.

"She's been given the all clear to leave the hospital. Just keep an eye on her. She's bound to have panic and anxiety attacks."

"We are prepared for when they come. The first few nights Izuku was back since the incident, he woke up with nightmares almost every hour," Hizashi added to the conversation.

"Well, congratulations to you two. Your family has grown quite a bit in the past few years," the head of the commission smiled gently.

"Two teen boys and now a 7 year old girl," Hizashi chuckled.

"Good luck whenever she starts her teenage years and she goes through puberty."

"Why?" Hizashi asked, confused.

"Honey...you're a high school teacher. You should know why," Shouta just stared at him with a blank face.

The situation finally clicked for him. "Oh...OH! My bad! I can't believe I forgot about a normal part of the female human body!"

"Can we go talk to her 1 on 1 now?" Shouta asked, ignoring his still panicking husband.

"Of course. Just take things slow and don't rush anything."

The two men left the room and walked towards the room Eri was in. It had been a full 24 hours since they called Izuku to tell him that they were alright.

"Did we tell Izuku and Hitoshi to set up her room?" Hizashi asked.

"Izuku texted saying he just set up the guest room. It's not set up for her age however. We'll get her some things whenever she gets more comfortable."

"I'll text Izuku and Hitoshi to get coloring books and a doll for her."

Shouta reached for the door and slowly opened it for him and Hizashi. Eri's dull, fearful eyes widened at the sight of the two of them.

"Y-You're two of the h-heroes," she stumbled on her words.

"Yes, we are. Do you remember our names?" Hizashi asked her.

"They called you," she pointed at Shouta, "Eraserhead and you," she pointed at Hizashi, "Mic."

"That's our hero names. The adults call us that whenever we are fighting the bad guys," Hizashi tried to put it into terms that she would understand.

"My name is Shouta. This is Hizashi, but if you want to call us by our hero names for now, you can."

"Okay," she spoke softly.

"How would you like to stay in our home? We have two boys that would love to have a little sister to protect," Hizashi asked her.

"Two boys?" She was confused. She didn't have the right mindset on what a family was.

"Yes, Mic and I," Shouta used their hero names, "we promised to be with each other till we grow old. We decided to take care of some kids and call them our own. We have two boys named Izuku and Hitoshi, and now we are asking you to be a part of our family."

Eri looked back and forth between the two of them. "But all the stories that the nice bad guy told me, there was always a mommy and a daddy," she was still confused.

"Some families have both a mom and dad. Some have 2 moms, but our family has two dads," Shouta tried to explain it to her the simplest way.

"Do I have to call you dad 1 and dad 2?"

Hizashi let out a chuckle while Shouta quickly elbowed him to cut it out.

"Whenever you are comfortable, you can call me dad and him, papa. We don't want you to feel like you're forced to call us that."

"Okay. T-thank you. I-I think I would like to be a p-part of your f-family," she gave a soft, weak smile.

"Eri, there is something important that we have to explain to you," Hizashi opened the can about Izuku.

"There are some people in the world that don't function like me or you," Shouta added.

"Some people can't see through their eyes. There are also people who only have one arm or no legs."

"Izuku is similar to them. Izuku can't hear the same as you and me."

"I don't understand," Eri told them.

"His ears don't work," Shouta told her.

"How does he talk?" She was curious.

"He uses a different language, but you don't have to worry about it. Do you know how to read and write?" Hizashi asked her. Eri just nodded, giving him his answer. "Whenever you want to tell Izuku something, just tap his arm or leg and ask for his phone or use a pencil and paper to tell him anything you want."

"Can you understand what we are saying?" Shouta asked her.

"I-I think so."

"I'll go ask for some clothes for you to put on. Then we can bring you to our home to meet Izuku and Hitoshi."

Eri was still confused about the world around her. She didn't understand why people would help her. She felt like a curse. She was confused about everything, but she knew that these two men wanted to help her.

Shouta left Hizashi and Eri to get her some normal clothes to wear.

"Mr. Mic?" Eri's voice seemed to squeak.

"What is it, little one?"

"W-What if my curse hurts them?" She worried.

"My husband has a gift that can help you control your gift."

"But it killed people. H-He used me for all those b-bad things! It's a curse!"

"Shh," He calmed her. "Listen to me carefully, Eri. Your power is a beautiful and amazing gift. Those bad people didn't take the time to help you learn how to control it. We will help you every step of the way. Shouta, Izuku, Hitoshi, and myself will help you."

The commission had filled them in on what her quirk was. She was able to rewind something, and even someone, into a past version of themselves.

"Why don't Izuku's ears work?" She asked as she touched her ears subconsciously.

"Izuku went through some scary things growing up. There was an accident with some other kids which caused his ears to stop working."

"Oh," she spoke softly. Eri became shy after the fact and stayed quiet. She tried to imagine what Izuku and Hitoshi looked like. She didn't fully understand the concept of the two of them being adopted.

She imagined Izuku to have blonde hair with dark eyes while Hitoshi had black hair with matching eyes.

"I'm back," Shouta's monotone voice called out, opening the door.

Hizashi watched Eri's face go from confused to slightly fearful.

"Do you want one of us to help you?" Hizashi asked her.

"Can you stay?" She asked Hizashi.

"Of course sweetie."

"I'll be outside, in the hallway. I'll text Izuku and Hitoshi that we are on our way," Shouta told the two of them before stepping out.

"Now, let's get you out of that hospital gown and into comfy clothes!" Hizashi smiled as he helped the small child change, looking away when needed.

—-

"Izuku, calm down."

"No Hitoshi, I can't calm down. Why? Cause there's another hearing person coming into this house!" Izuku complained.

Izuku didn't mind the fact that his parents were adopting another child, it was the fact of how young she was and how confusing the situation would be for her.

His surgery was coming up and he didn't want to be the one to explain what was going to happen to him.

"Everything is going to be fine. I promise."

"What if she doesn't like the things we got her? I got her a princess coloring book. I don't even know if she likes princesses!"

"And I got her a doll. She could not like the doll. It's okay! We are meeting her for the first time and we will get to know her and she will get to know the two of us. Listen to your older brother," Hitoshi tried to act wise while calming Izuku down.

"I came into the family first. You just happen to be 2 weeks older than me!"

"Do we know when her birthday is?"

"No idea."

Hitoshi pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Are you nervous about your surgery?" Hitoshi asked, sitting on the couch as they waited for them.

"Who wouldn't? They are going to shave a small section behind both my ears and make new scars!"

"Your hair is going to grow back."

"It took so long just to have it this length! Did you know Penny accidentally cut it whenever I went to her house when I was still at the orphanage? I had to hide the piece of hair for weeks!" The two of them laughed, but for different reasons.

Hitoshi was laughing at his brother having to hide hair, but Izuku was remembering the times he had with Penny.

"How about you go visit her before your surgery? Your school is giving you a few days to prepare and heal for the surgery, right?"

Izuku nodded. "I think I'll do that. It'll be the first time I go."

Hitoshi heard the sound of keys hitting the door at the front door.

"They're here," Hitoshi signed to Izuku, as the door opened.

The two boys looked at their parents, but their eyes fell on the small girl, holding Shouta's hand.

"I've never seen dad like this," Izuku signed quickly.

"Tell them if they laugh, they are grounded," Shouta told Hizashi. He didn't want to let go of Eri's small hand.

The two boys got off the couch and made their way to their parents, who had fully walked into the kitchen.

Eri's eyes widened seeing the two boys look like nothing she imagined.

She made eye contact with Izuku right away. There was something about him that she seemed drawn to.

Izuku's hair was pulled into a side braid.

"Eri, these are our sons Izuku and Hitoshi," Shouta spoke to her while Hizashi translated for Izuku.

"Hi," she spoke softly, her voice barely over a whisper.

"Hi!" Hitoshi put on a comforting smile. Denki taught him to not seem so depressed whenever he smiles. "I'm Hitoshi."

"Hi Eri, my name is Izuku," he signed, while Shouta spoke it for Eri to understand.

Eri let go of Shouta's hand and walked towards Izuku. He bent down to her level, not wanting to seem threatening to her because of the height difference.

She seemed to scan Izuku's facial features, connecting each freckle with another.

She slowly brought her hand up towards Izuku's ear. She saw his scars. Before she fully placed her hand on them, she hesitated.

Izuku gave her a small nod letting her know it was okay.

Her small fingers traced over the lines left from his surgery those years ago. She seemed to analyze each and every one that she could see.

"You're just like me," she spoke, relating his scars to her own.

Izuku was able to read her lips.

"Where are your scars?" He asked her. Hitoshi translated since he was able to see what he signed.

"Arms and legs."

"You know, I have more scars than just my ears," Izuku signed to her. Hitoshi translated again.

"Really?" Her voice perked up.

"We all have physical and mental scars that affect us everyday. The one on my eyebrow reminds me of something bad that happened, but they also say that I survived."

"He's right. We have scars all over our bodies, but we can't let them hold us to the bad things. They are our reminders that we survived the horrors," Hizashi added.

"Scars aren't bad?" She spoke without her voice shaking.

"Not one bit. I would be shocked if someone had no scars," Hitoshi got down to her level with his brother.

"I don't like mine. I think they are ugly. That's what O-Overhaul always told me."

"Your scars are beautiful. It's going to take time to accept them, but don't ever let someone say that they are ugly. Those people are just jealous that they didn't survive the things you've had," Shouta joined his sons.

Eri smiled, feeling a warm feeling in her stomach. She was wanted and surrounded by people who didn't fear her because of her scars or quirk, even though Hitoshi and Izuku didn't fully know about her quirk.

"Eri, do you want to go color in a coloring book or play with dolls?" Hitoshi asked aloud and in sign. Izuku shot a look over to his brother as if they were in an intense staring contest.

"Coloring book."

Hitoshi sighed in defeat. Izuku took his reaction and guessed that he won the mini contest they secretly had.

"Can I color with you?" Izuku asked her, while Shouta translated.

She shook her head repeatedly, full of excitement.

Shouta joined his husband again and watched as their three children interacted with each other.

There was a smile on each of their faces, but Hitoshi's smile was a little dull. He was sad he lost.

"Did you notice that this was the first time Izuku openly talked about that scar?" Shouta asked Hizashi.

"Yeah, I did. I wonder why?"

"We may never understand how his mind works."

Izuku flagged his hand, getting his parents' attention.

"What happened?" Shouta signed.

"Nothing happened. Can I go visit Penny tomorrow? It's the day before surgery and school gave me off for the next couple of days."

"Would you be able to watch Eri too? You two can come over to UA after the fact."

Izuku nodded and went back to coloring with his new sister.

"We're doing good right?" Hizashi asked, placing his head on Shouta's shoulder.

"I think we are. These three kids are our lives. I would choose them over anything."

"Same."

"I love you, my loud blonde," Shouta smirk, Turning his head and placing a small kiss on Hizashi's head.

"I love you too, my insomniac."

Chapter Text

Izuku started at the blank poster board. It was going to be the next one added to his collection of important dates living in the Aizawa household.

He grabbed his ruler and marker and started to draw out the next day's date, but he did something different to this one compared to the others.

He separated the top half and bottom half with a thick line. The top was going to be his surgery date, the bottom was going to be the activation date.

He let out a sigh as he finished up the top section. Him and Penny usually made them together.

He turned to see what time it was and saw it was nearing 9 am.

'I should go see if Eri's awake,' he thought as he started to clear up his work space.

He didn't feel any vibrations on the floor, but he knew Eri's light footsteps wouldn't create them.

He walked over to the bedroom him and Hitoshi set up and slowly opened the door.

He gave a soft smile seeing her sleep peacefully. He noticed a separate blanket folded at the foot end of the bed.

'Someone must have came sleep in the room,' Izuku thought, but then it clicked. 'She had a nightmare.'

Izuku flicked the bedroom lights off and on out of habit. Eri whined because of the change and sluggishly opened her eyes.

"Izuku?" She rubbed her eyes, waking up.

He walked over to her bed and sat at the end and took out his phone, setting up his notes.

"Good morning," he spoke aloud. Eri looked at him confused. He didn't sound like the rest of the family.

"I thought you couldn't talk," She tilted her head. Izuku handed her the phone, practically asking her to type out what she was saying.

She gave the phone back to him and he read over her statement. "I can talk. Not well, I'm guessing. I just can't hear. I thought this would be easier than passing the phone back and forth."

Eri had a hard time understanding him. Izuku forgot how to pronounce certain words and sounds.

"Where's everyone else?" She typed out.

"Dad and papa are at work. Hitoshi's at school. We can go there later if you want," Izuku told her, mispronouncing Hitoshi's name slightly.

"Why are you here then?"

"I have a surgery tomorrow. My school is giving me time off so I can prepare and heal."

"Do you and Hitoshi go to different schools?"

Izuku nodded, giving his answer.

"Let's go get some breakfast. Then we can have a sibling day!"

"What's a sibling day?"

"Since you're part of the family now, you and I are brother and sister."

"So you and Hitoshi are my brothers?"

Izuku smiled, putting away his phone. He helped her out of bed and found her some clothes to put on.

They went downstairs once they were finished upstairs.

Izuku turned on the TV and put a cartoon on in the living room for Eri while he cooked.

A little while later the two of them ate pancakes with small apple slices.

"Just nod or shake your head. Do you want to come with me to see my birth parents and friend?"

Eri looked at him confused with a pancake hanging out her mouth. She nodded her head, but was confused why the three of them would be in the same place.

Izuku smiled and finished up his food. "I'll go start dishes and then we can leave. Okay?"

Eri nodded, taking a bite out of an apple slice.

—-

The two of them stayed close the whole way to the cemetery.

Eri held Izuku's hand as if it was the last thing she could hold onto.

She looked around as they walked, taking in the beauty of the world. She never went outside whenever her captors had her under lock and key.

Izuku was their eyes and she was their ears as they walked.

Eventually, she and Izuku made it to the hill that Izuku used to climb every now and then.

Eri squeezed his hand, getting his attention.

"Why are we here?" she asked him.

Izuku was able to read her lips and put the 2 words he knew and create the sentence she was asking him.

"My birth parents died whenever I was little. That's why I'm a part of dad and papa's family. They brought me to their home to take care of me. My friend died protecting our family."

Izuku and her climbed up the hill. He guided them to the three grave sites and sat on the green grass in front of them.

"I'm going to sign to them. Okay?" He told Eri so she wouldn't be as confused.

She gave a slight nod. She walked over to a patch of clovers that was nearby.

Izuku watched his new little sister look through the green plants full of wonder. He gave his attention to the gravestone in front of him.

Just reading her name gave him memories from their 3 year friendship.

He could see her teaching him signs, helping him learn. He could see her freaking out about schoolwork, while he just sat there laughing at her frustration. He could see her smile.

"Hi Penny," he signed. The sign name felt foreign to him. It felt like a lifetime since he last signed it. "Tomorrow's the day. Well the day I get the surgery, not the day I start hearing, but I'm pretty sure you know that."

He paused and looked over to Eri, checking on her to make sure she was okay.

"I miss you," he gave his attention back to the grave stone. "I miss walking to school with you everyday. I miss not being able to talk to you. I miss everything." He let out a staggering breath. He needed to change the subject before he broke down again. "I decided to give Katsuki a chance. I can't believe that he liked me!"

He looked over to his parents grave, having hope that Penny and them had now met in the next life.

"I promise I'll come around more often. I'll try to get Kirishima here too. You know he loved you right? It's a crazy thing that word is. Why is such a simple, four lettered word so complex?"

He chuckled to himself, laughing at his own rhetorical question.

"I have a new sister too! Her name is Eri. I can tell she isn't comfortable yet, but she'll learn over time. She doesn't know sign, but we are making it work. I'm using my voice, since I'll be using it again in a few weeks."

Eri had come up behind him and tapped him on his shoulder.

"What is it?" He asked, turning to her.

"This one was different," she handed him a 4 leaf clover that was among the many 3 leaf ones.

"You know 4 leaf clovers represents luck."

"Then I want to give it to you," she smiled. Izuku tilted his head, not able to understand what she was saying. He pulled out his phone and handed it to her.

"Sorry Eri. Once I get my implants activated, I'll be able to hear you."

She ignored him and typed onto the phone exactly what she told him.

Izuku took the phone and looked at her in shock.

"No. I can't. You found it. It was your luck."

Eri took back the phone and started to type again.

Handing it back to Izuku, she had a smile on her face.

'I already had my luck. Meeting you. You showed me that scars are pretty because you're pretty and have tons of scars,' he read out.

He held back tears. He was always slightly self conscious about his scars. He knew he could never hide them all. The one in his eyebrow would definitely stay forever.

But she called them pretty. She thought the scars were beautiful. His message sparked something in her.

Eri hugged Izuku, putting her hands in Izuku's hair. "I think I'm going to like having you as a big brother," she spoke aloud, forgetting about his hearing.

"Let's go see the rest of our family."

—-

"What do you mean I can't cosplay Pikachu?! I'm basically the human version of him!" Denki complained. Hitoshi was taking a nap on his desk during their free time.

"No one said you couldn't, Kaminari," Shoto told him.

"Oh. Well, I guess I'm going shopping later!"

"Neito will kill you if you go shopping without him," Hitoshi mumbled in his sleep.

"He can hear the conversation! I thought he was sleeping?" Hanta asked, having his accent power through more than usual.

"I don't question it. As long as he is sleeping and not living off of coffee, I'm happy!"

"What's wrong with living off of coffee?" Shouta asked, waking into the classroom.

Denki knew better than to answer that question. A similar situation happened between him and Hitoshi.

"Nope! Not answering! I choose life!"

"Smart choice," Shouta chuckled. "Listen up, Izuku is on his way with our new daughter."

"Are you sure that it's your daughter?" Mina joked, remembering the first time Izuku was introduced.

"Yes. She's 7 years old and very shy. Please don't smother her with questions."

Hitoshi woke up and rubbed his eyes, letting out a yawn.

"Dad, can I talk to you in the hall?" He asked him.

"Sure."

The two of them walk out the classroom, closing the door behind them.

"What is it kid?"

"I don't want to go to Izuku's surgery tomorrow."

"What?!"

Hitoshi put up his hand, stopping Shouta before he got extremely angry.

"Let me say it better, I don't want to be there while he's in the operating room. You and papa are probably going to be there the whole time, but someone needs to watch Eri. I'll watch her at home. We'll just come over whenever he's out of surgery," he explained.

Shouta let out a relieved breath.

"You should had started like that instead of saying you don't want to be there for your brother."

"Sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck. 

"Okay then. Make sure you tell your boyfriends. I see how they are whenever you're not around. Well, mostly Denki, but you get the point."

"Yeah, he definitely has abandonment issues."

"Alright."

"What are you two talking about?" They heard a small voice ask.

The two coffee addicts turned their head down to see Eri standing there. Izuku was standing behind her.

"We didn't hear the two of you walk up," Hitoshi signed. "You're usually loud."

"I'm loud?"

"Yes," Shouta answered.

"Great," Izuku rolled his eyes.

"Come on Eri. I want you to meet my classmates," Hitoshi reached out for her to grab his hand.

"Okay," she reached for his hand and they walked back into the classroom.

"I'm nervous," Izuku told his father. "What if something goes wrong?"

"Izu, calm down. It's a simple operation. You know this. You've done research on it for years. What's the worst that's going to happen? You'll lose your hearing?" Shouta joked.

Izuku let out a laugh. "Totally. Losing my hearing is the absolute worst thing!"

Shouta rubbed Izuku's hair, causing it to frizz up more than usual.

"Hey! Don't mess with it!" Izuku backed away, fixing the braid before pushing it to his back.

"You know what that braid means right?" Shouta called him out.

"I know. Can you blame me? It takes only seconds to break something, but it takes a while for it to be fixed."

"I just don't want this to control the rest of your life."

"I know. It takes time to heal. I'll heal...eventually," once he finished signing Izuku opened the door to the classroom.

Shouta let out a sigh and went to follow his son inside.

"Shouta!" He heard someone call out to him.

Shouta looked to see All Might calling out to him. He rolled his eyes and walked towards the other adult.

"What do you want?" Shouta crossed his arms, getting ready to become protective of his children.

"I want to apologize for my behavior towards your son, the deaf one."

"Please don't refer to Izuku as 'the deaf one.' Also, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

"I know, but with his disability, I can't communicate with him as well as you and your family." Shouta felt himself tighten his hands putting them into fists.

"Don't call it a disability. It doesn't define him."

"Well, he isn't like you and me. Him not being able to hear must be so hard on him. Also, his hair is so long. Why don't you and Hizashi encourage him to have a more masculine image? You don't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

"Don't you ever criticize Hizashi and I's parenting styles! Izuku is his own person and we encourage him to do so! So what he can't hear like us!? He's adapted to function in this world! He's an amazing person and more importantly my son! You can not disrespect him, his brother, his little sister, or my husband without dealing with me! You're just jealous that I have an amazing family!" He snapped, keeping his cool enough to not become physical.

"You two adopted a little girl now?" He tried changing the subject.

"Yes, but you are not allowed to go near her! You already disrespected one to many of my children. I don't want you near them."

"I was just trying to say I'm sorry!"

"Too bad my son, Izuku, doesn't believe in those words," Shouta spoke as he walked away from the man.

All Might was so confused how he was just told off by another pro hero. He was supposed to be the best in the field. People were supposed to adore him, yet this family didn't.

Shouta didn't look back at him and continued back to his classroom.

He opened the door and saw the girls playing with Eri, Hitoshi talking with Denki, Shoto, and Hanta, and Katsuki attempting to talk to Izuku.

Shouta looked at his students and felt relieved. In all the years he had been a teacher, this class felt different. Maybe it was the fact that this was his sons' age group.

He wouldn't admit it out loud, or in sign, but he loved this class. He loved his children. He loved his life.

He would say the last two things only at any given moment.

Chapter Text

The slow ticking of a clock was something Izuku was glad he couldn't hear. He couldn't hear the slow movement of time. He couldn't hear the elongated seconds.

He could care less about the news report being shown in the waiting room or any of the magazines that were out for people to read.

This was his first time in the waiting room for an operation. The ones he had been in beforehand were all emergency ones.

He never experienced the stress of just waiting.

Hizashi noticed Izuku was stressed. He could practically feel it radiating off of him.

He waved his hand in his son's eye sight, getting his attention.

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened. I just want to have a conversation with you."

"Sorry. I'm just stressed," Izuku apologized.

"I know, kid. I know," Hizashi gave him a comforting smile. "Did you tell anyone about your surgery today?"

"No. I didn't. Well, the people at school know. A secret doesn't stay a secret there, but UA students, no."

"I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually," Hizashi laughed a little.

"I should have told Mirio and the crew. Them and Shoto."

"Why?"

"I just feel like they should know, but they are in class right now so I can't call them."

"You do realize that their teacher, your father, is literally getting a cup of coffee already. Nezu is probably watching over the class. Just call."

Izuku raised an eyebrow, shocked. He shrugged his shoulders and got out his phone. He set it up on one of the side tables the magazines were on.

He searched for Shoto's name and hit call. He waited for a moment before the image of Shoto appeared in his school uniform.

"What's up?" He signed.

"Hello to you too," Izuku laughed.

"Where's your dad at? Nezu is watching the class right now."

"I'm having surgery."

"Are you okay?!" Shoto started to panic for his sake.

"It's for my cochlear implant idiot!" Izuku signed.

"Amor, what is he saying?" Hanta asked, standing behind Shoto.

"He's having surgery. That's why Mr. Aizawa isn't here."

Hizashi tapped on Izuku and quickly signed to him.

"They just called for you."

Izuku let out a deep breath. "Wish me luck. I'll be out of surgery in a few hours."

"Bye, Izuku. Good luck."

Izuku hung up the phone and got up from his seat.

"Ready for preoperative stuff?"

"Sure. I wonder if they can give me an undercut instead of having two bald sections on my head."

"I'm sure they will," Hizashi laughed as he, Izuku and Shouta went to the back.

"Sir, you can't bring drinks in the back," someone told Shouta.

"Okay," he drank the hot, bitter drink in one gulp. "Where's the trash can?"

The poor nurse didn't expect that to happen and just pointed to the trash bin.

"Shouta, don't traumatize the workers!"

—-

"Is Izuku okay?" Kirishima asked Shoto.

After the phone call, everyone surrounded the introvert's desk. Everyone, except Katsuki. He was in the restroom.

"He's getting his hearing device put in. He's been researching it before I started to date him."

"I forgot the two of you dated," one of the other boys in the class spoke up.

"That's why Hitoshi told me that he wasn't coming here today! He's watching Eri!" An idea popped into his head. "Hey, Mr. Nezu. My princi-PAL.  I should go with my boyfriend and help him emotionally."

"Mr. Aizawa gave strict instructions not to dismiss any of his students till after the school day ends. If you're that lonely, you have another boyfriend a little ways down the hall."

Denki's smile dropped and everyone in the room bursted out into laughter.

"Dude, oh my gosh! You just got told by the principal," Jiro laughed.

"Not cool bro. Not cool at all," Denki crossed his arms and went back down to his desk.

Katsuki came back from the bathroom and saw the unusual layout of the room with everyone surrounding Shoto.

"Why is Icy-Hot the center of attention?" He asked.

"Izuku called him to let him know that he's going into surgery," Uraraka, a girl in the class, told him.

"Surgery?"

"Yep. He's finally getting his cochlear implant surgery," Shoto spoke up.

"He's getting a cochlear implant?!" Katsuki felt himself move to his desk and grab his belongings.

"Where are you going?" Iida, the uptight, class president asked him.

"Prove myself."

Katsuki left the classroom and headed straight to the Aizawa household.

"Why didn't you stop him?! You didn't let me go?!" Denki asked Nezu.

"Hizashi warned me something like this might happen. Katsuki likes Izuku, but Izuku didn't forgive him for what he did to him in middle school. So, Izuku told him that he wouldn't consider it unless he proved himself."

"That still doesn't explain why he could leave but I can't!"

"He's going to attempt to get into a relationship. You just want to spend time with the 1 of yours. How would your other boyfriend feel."

"Fine! We'll go after school."

—-

Katsuki raced towards the Aizawa household. He figured with Eri being new to the family, they wouldn't bring her to the hospital, meaning someone had to watch her.

Out of breath and knocked on the door until it opened.

Hitoshi opened the door, wearing a purple hoodie and black pants that Neito had got him.

"What the heck dude? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"You didn't tell me that he was getting that surgery!" His face was red, trying to catch his breath.

"Cause it wasn't my place to say so. That was my brother's business. Now if you excuse me, Eri and I are about to go to the store and get some things for Izuku."

"Can I go with the two of you? I want to be there for him," he begged.

"We won't be there till later. I don't want to stress Eri out."

"Fine, then what hospital?"

"I know you like my brother and all, but is this really necessary?"

"Yes! If I don't do this, I will lose him in my life forever. This is huge for him and out of your whole entire family and I, I'm the only one who knows what he truly sounds like."

Hitoshi let out a sigh. "He's at the same one from before. The surgery is supposed to last a few hours. He's getting a double cochlear."

"Thank you."

Katsuki rushed towards the hospital, ignore his school back weighing him down.

"Hitoshi, why did the loud blonde from yesterday show up just now?" Eri asked him.

"You see Eri, that boy that was just here likes our brother similar to how Dad likes papa," he picked her up as she giggled the whole way up. "Also, he is your brother's loud blonde. My loud blondes are at school," he smiled.

He locked up the house with Eri and everything else he needed in hand.

"Let's go get some stuff for Izuku whenever he wakes up. That sounds fun right?"

"Yeah!"

—

Katsuki had never ran like he was running ever in his life. His legs ached, his feet hurt sprinting in his school shoes, everything was becoming sore.

His only time of rest was when he had to catch a train or cross a street.

He knew he wasn't going to be there for when he was first going in. Time wasn't there for him there. He needed to be there when he woke up however.

He practically crashed into the hospital's front doors.

His chest rose and fell quickly, trying to catch his breath.

"Sir!" A nurse called out to him, seeing how deeply he was breathing.

"Where's- the- waiting room- for - surgery. My-," he paused. What was Izuku to him and what was he towards Izuku? Could he say boyfriend? He couldn't say friend. "The guy- I like- he's having surgery- didn't tell me."

"Third floor. To the left," a deeper, monotone voice told him.

Katsuki looked up and saw his home room teacher with his hair pulled up into a bun.

"Mr. Aizawa!"

"Why aren't you in class?" He crossed his arms, careful not to spill his fresh cup of coffee.

"He didn't tell us. I need to be there with him. I couldn't be there for him when I needed to be growing up. I hate myself, the way that I treated him! I want to be forgiven not just by him but myself and I can't flipping do that without him!" He grabbed onto his school blazer fighting off the tears pooling in his eyes.

"My son grew up with you. You caused my son to become deaf," Shouta spoke with a straight face. "But."

Katsuki looked up to his teacher, his eyes turning red because of the tears.

"Without you doing such that horrible thing to my son, he wouldn't be part of my family," Shouta finished. "Come on. Hizashi and I are in the waiting room, till he comes out."

Shouta placed his hand on Katsuki's shoulder.

"I know I sound like a horrible person, but thank you."

Katsuki didn't know how to feel at that moment. He had destroyed Izuku's happiness on that day, yet he was being thanked for what he did.

He had destroyed Izuku's happiness in the Bakugo family, but it caused his happiness to grow and strive in the Aizawa family.

"Problem child, save the tears for when he wakes up."

Katsuki brought his hand up to his face and felt the water droplets on his face. He was in fact crying.

He let out a small chuckle. "How come the nerd makes me show a weak side of myself?"

"Please don't call my son a nerd. He has an intelligent mind and he shouldn't be made fun of because of it."

"Yes sir. Sorry sir."

The two of them walked into the elevator and rode it towards the third level.

They walked into the waiting room where Hizashi was reading a magazine, letting the time go by.

"Babe, Katsuki's here," Shouta told him as he sat down next to him.

Hizashi looked up from his magazine and leaned into Shouta. Shouta wrapped his arm around the other, letting him get comfortable.

"Don't just stand there. The doctors told me since it's a double cochlear, it's going to take a little longer than usual," Hizashi took the coffee out of Shouta's hand and took a sip of it.

"I was drinking that," Shouta mumbled.

"You're just going to get one later,"  Hizashi laughed, trying not to make a face of how bitter the drink was. "It's going to be a long 4 to 6 hours."

—-

Hizashi had fallen asleep in the corner of the waiting room. Hitoshi and Eri had gotten there with a gift basket full of things to cheer Izuku up; Eri picked out most of the things in it.

Hitoshi was coloring with Eri, trying to keep her mind off of the moment.

Katsuki watched the two siblings color the sheets of paper with green, yellow, and reds. The laughs and giggles from both him and her made Katsuki jealous.

He wished he had a relationship like that with his parents.

Shouta took Katsuki out of his daze by sitting next to him.

"Water?" He offered a cup to him. Katsuki took the drink and took a long, slow sip.

"Thanks," he mumbled. "How much longer do you think it'll take? It's been almost 5 hours," he glanced over to the adult.

"I don't know. I wish I did," he replied.

It was going on 1:00 in the afternoon. (13:00) The group ate a small lunch, not wanting to leave the room for a long period of time.

Katsuki had let Eri put a hair pin in his air a while ago.

The pin held back his hair enough to show his hearing aids.

"Can you explain something to me?" Shouta asked Katsuki.

"What is it?"

"What's the difference between your hearing aids and what Izuku's getting? Hizashi knows more about them, but never told me the difference."

Katsuki took out one of them to show him the device.

"This piece goes into the ear canal and amplifies the sound. My ear drums are slowly deteriorating because of my quirk. Over time, I'll probably need to get stronger amplifiers, but without them, I can still hear, but not low noises. I can hear humming and other times it just cuts out," he explained his hearing aids and what he hears.

"And what about Izuku?"

"His device is going to connect to the nerves near his brain. It passes his ears entirely. I'm not sure the difference when it comes to hearing or what he hears."

"Why don't you tell your classmates about your hearing aids? I'm sure they'll understand just like Sero."

Katsuki let out a breath. "My pride. I didn't want to be seen as weak. I want to become a hero, for both of us."

"Kid, no one is weak. We just have our low points, but with each low point, the only way to go is up. I admire that you have something to fuel your desire, but don't ever think that you are weak. The only limits there are in this world are the limits we put on ourselves."

Katsuki let out another breath. He knew what Shouta said was true, but that required him to forgive himself.

A doctor came out from behind the closed off doors and saw the family waiting.

"Aizawa!" He called out.

Hizashi sprung awake and went next to his children and husband.

"That's us," Shouta spoke for them, grabbing Hizashi's hand.

"Izuku is out of surgery and is currently in the recovery room. The surgery went well with no complications."

A weight was lifted off everyone's shoulders hearing this.

"He should be waking up in a few moments, but I can only allow 3 people in the back. I'm sorry, it's not my rule," they apologized.

"I'll stay back and watch Eri, I'll be there whenever they get turned on," Hitoshi volunteered.

"So we aren't going to see Izuku?" Eri tilted her head.

"Izuku's still sleeping. We'll see him when he wakes up," Hitoshi told her. "Let's color while we wait." Eri nodded.

"Mr. and Mr. Aizawa also..."

"Izuku's boyfriend," Shouta spoke up.

Katsuki felt the blood rush to his face. He could have never said that as quickly as him.

"Alright then, follow me."

"Why the hell did you say that so casually?!" Katsuki practically yelled at him in sign language, so the doctor wouldn't be able to hear the conversation.

"Would you rather me say that you're his childhood bully that made him go deaf?"

"No."

"Good," Shouta smirked, turning his attention back to the doctor.

The group walked to an open room where Izuku was lying down.

The oxygen tube connected to his nose, pumping out all the anesthesia out of his system.

The most noticeable thing on his head was the two large protective guards around his ears. They looked like large earmuffs.

"Looks like they just cut the small part in his hair," Hizashi pointed out.

Katsuki watched as Izuku's chest rose and fell peacefully.

"How much longer is he going to be sleeping?" Katsuki asked the doctor.

"He should be waking up at any moment."

Shouta reached out and put his hand on Izuku's. Izuku's hand wrapped against his and his face muscles began to twitch.

His eyes slowly fluttered open. His vision was blurry and wasn't as clear, but he could make out who was who.

The doctor explained to them what Izuku was most likely going to experience when he woke up.

Izuku saw the black and gold personas next to him and immediately figured it was his parents, but he couldn't figure out what the third golden figure was.

"Who-who is that?" Izuku asked, his voice sore.

Shouta took Izuku's hand so he would be able to feel the letters Shouta was making.

"K-a-t-s-u-k-i."

Katsuki watched as a smile appeared on Izuku's face.

"Thank you."

Chapter Text

"That should be everything for now. Make sure that he keeps those guards on for a few days. His next appointment will be his activating session, but he won't fully understand or hear yet. The more he uses the device the better. They will explain more when the time comes," the doctor gave his final checks on Izuku.

Hizashi was holding Eri while listening to the man speak. Hitoshi and her were able to go in the room once Izuku had woken up and passed the first few stages of recovering from anesthesia.

"When should he be able to go back to school?" Shouta asked the doctor.

"What school does he attend?"

"Rō gakkō."

"He should be able to go back in a few days. That school is for the deaf and hard of hearing so they should have a special program when it comes to recovery."

"Thank you so much for this," Hizashi said, readjusting Eri in his arms.

"Mr. Shouta, do you mind assisting me in moving him to the wheelchair? He won't be strong enough to walk quite yet," the doctor asked him.

"Hitoshi, you and Katsuki start heading towards the car. Here," he tossed the keys to his son.

Hitoshi and Katsuki left the room leaving the group.

Shouta and the doctor grabbed one of Izuku's arms and got him into the wheelchair.

"I'm still tired," Izuku signed, letting out a yawn.

"Let's get you home and then you can sleep as much as you want to," Shouta signed before heading to the back of the wheelchair and started to push it.

"So when can Izuku start to hear us?" Eri asked Hizashi as they walked towards the elevator. She couldn't understand what the doctor was saying.

"In a couple weeks, but we don't know how long it will take for him to get used to the sounds that we hear everyday."

Hizashi put her down and had her walk alongside him.

Eri skipped to the side of the chair and walked alongside Izuku.

"Hi," he mouthed, feeling a headache start to form.

"Hi."

—-

"Katsuki, you can stay over if you want. We can let your mother know you're helping out with Izuku's recovery," Shouta told the teen.

Izuku was fast asleep on the couch, sleeping off the rest of the anesthesia.

The car ride back to their home wasn't eventful in any way. Everyone just tried to keep Izuku as comfortable as possible.

Hitoshi tossed the blonde a hoodie and sweatpants.

"What the hell?!"

"Watch your language around my daughter!" Shouta raised his voice at Katsuki.

"Sorry."

"Go change out of your uniform. You can use some of my clothes. You wouldn't fit Izuku's."

"Thanks," he mumbled, heading towards the bathroom to change.

"Any ideas for dinner?" Shouta asked opening up the cabinets to see what food they had, which was barely anything.

"Apples!" Eri laughed. Ever since she had tried an apple, she was fascinated by the fruit.

"How about I make an apple pie? It's not a meal, but I'm sure you'll love it," Hizashi twirled Eri around, causing her long curls to hit her in the face lightly.

"Yay! Thank you Mic!"

She wasn't comfortable with calling the two adults dad and papa yet, but they didn't force it on her. They would gladly go by their hero names for her.

The door swung open, causing Shouta, Hizashi and Hitoshi to get into a fight position, ready to attack the intruder.

"Denki! I told you to knock first!" Neito slightly yelled at him.

"Oops, sorry!"

"What are you two doing here?" Hitoshi asked, relieved it wasn't an intruder.

"Nezu let us out early. Majority of us wanted to come check on Izuku, but..." Denki paused, revealing the rest of the people with him.

"Did you bring the entire school to my house?" Shouta raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"No! We-"

"Don't drag me into this Denks," Neito cut him off.

"Fine, I brought Shoto, Sero, Kirishima, and three third years."

Mirio and the crew walked into the house, moving Denki out of the way a little.

"Hi Mr. Aizawa," Mirio greeted.

"Lemillion!" Eri cheered out seeing the teen. (Mirio still has his quirk)

"Hi Eri! How's the Aizawas treating you?" Mirio asked, picking her up.

"Izuku told me that my scars are pretty!" She smiled like never before. It was a true, bright smile. The smile reminded Hizashi and Shouta of when they adopted Izuku and Hitoshi.

The smile of a child that was saved.

"Of course your scars are beautiful!" Nejire added, smiling with her.

"Where's Izuku?" Tamaki asked.

"Sleeping," Shouta pointed to the teen on the couch. "Don't worry about accidentally waking him up. He's sleeping off the last bits of the anesthesia."

Ejiro felt out of place. He wasn't part of any group that related to the family. Denki practically dragged him along.

Hizashi walked over to the red head and pulled him to the side, away from everyone else.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine."

"Try again. You forget I've been a teacher for a while now and I have two teenage boys. I know about the 'I'm fine' lie."

Ejiro grabbed his other arm and rubbed his hand over the UA blazer. "It still hurts. It isn't as bad, but it still stings," he admitted, looking down.

"Izuku's the same way you know."

Ejiro looked at the adult with confusion. "Really?"

Hizashi nodded his head. "It took him a while to make him stop thinking that it was his fault. Well, at least we think so. He went to visit her yesterday for the first time."

"The first time?"

"Her death affected all of us. Her influence was something incredible. And if I know anything about her, she loved you Ejiro."

"Thank you. I needed to hear that," he gave a soft smile.

"Don't take this question the wrong way, but why are you here as well? I understand the others, but I didn't think you were as close to Izuku."

"I'm not. Kaminari dragged me along."

Hizashi let out a laugh and looked at the others messing around and making small talk about how the surgery went.

"If there is a thing about that blonde, he cares for others. He may not be the smartest person in the world, but he has a lot of passion. Passion for others both far and near."

Katsuki had snuck back downstairs wearing the clothes Hitoshi gave him. He didn't want to bother the conversations going on. He also had his hearing aids on, but he wasn't ready to tell his classmates yet.

He crept into the living room and sat next to wear Izuku's head was. He looked over Izuku, making sure he wasn't doing anything to mess up the guards on his ears.

Izuku started to move around in his sleep and start to turn his head.

Katsuki quickly moved to not let him move his head to much.

Izuku's eyes peeked open and saw him trying to help him.

"Sorry," he quickly signed, since it was easy to sign quickly.

Izuku pushed himself up to make his head fall into Katsiki's lap.

A blush made it's way up to his face. He didn't expect anything of that nature to happen.

He soon feel back alseep, using Katsukis lap as a way to keep him from turning into his sides.

Katsuki let his rough fingers flow through Izuku's silky hair. He softly smiled thinking back to all the movies the two of them watched when they were younger.

He didn't know if this was the anesthesia controling Izuku's actions or if it was actually him. All he knew was that he didn't want that moment to end.

—-

Shoto and Hanta had left a little while later. Shoto noticed how Hanta wasn't as vocal as he usually was. Shoto was usually the quiet one out of the two of them.

The two of them walked in silence a little ways away from the house. Hanta kept looking to the ground and didn't say anything.

Shoto pulled the him to the side and they stopped walking.

"You're quiet," Shoto spoke with his monotone voice.

"And?"

"You're never quiet. If I've learned anything about living with you and your family, Hispanics and Latinos are never quiet."

Hanta smirked at Shoto. There was much truth in that statement.

"Now, what's wrong?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was jealous?"

Shoto grabbed a hold of Hanta's hands. "Why?" He questioned.

"I see how Izuku and your relationship is. I just find it uncomfortable how close you are to an ex boyfriend."

"Technically ex girlfriend."

Hanta looked at him confused. "Last time I checked, Izuku isn't trans."

"No, he isn't. But he was misgendered by Enji," Shoto called his father by his name. He lost the right to be called his father.

"I don't understand."

"Izuku and I were forced into a straight relationship, but that was because Izuku was misgendered. Enji didn't know that Izuku was a boy to begin with. Yes, he may have been my first kiss, but other than that, we saw each other as friends. We acted like a couple-"

"Because of Enji," Hanta finished. He looked down in shame forgetting about the details of their relationship. "I'm sorry," he rolled his 'r's. Shoto loved when he did that.

"Izuku and I are and will always remain friends. I promise. You don't have to worry about him," Shoto let go of one of Hanta's hands and placed it on Hanta's cheek.

Hanta had leaned into his hand feeling the cool skin against his.

Shoto pulled Hanta into a slow yet passionate kiss.

When they broke apart, Hanta's face was a slight shade of red. "I'm usually the affectionate one," he laughed.

"We're rubbing off on each other," Shoto laughed with him.

"Now all you have to do is learn Spanish."

"Baby steps. Spanish is hard!"

"Te quiero."

Shoto smiled, understanding those words.

"I love you too."

"You can understand it, yet can't speak it."

Shoto put his hands up in defense. "Tia always yells at the triplets. Based on their reactions is how I know what words mean."

Hanta grabbed Shoto's hand and pulled him so they can get to their own home.

Hanta and Shoto made conversation the whole way back. Hanta's jealously was still there, but he trusted Shoto as well as Shoto trusted him.

Their bond couldn't be broken by anything. They didn't care about the comments and stares of other people. They were able to over come Enji.

Shoto was free and happy with his life with Hanta. He would never let it go.

—-

"Be back by 8:00! No sleeping over tonight!" Shouta told the three boys as they walked out the house.

Everyone else had left already leaving just the family, plus Katsuki there.

"Dad, we are just going on a date. We are going to be fine," Hitoshi insisted.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure we bring him back on time!" Denki gave a thumbs up.

"All my worries have suddenly vanished," Shouta spoke sarcastically.

"Bye dad," Hitoshi grabbed both of his blondes' hands and dragged them away from the house.

The three boys walked together towards the mall. Neito liked to spend money on the two of them, even though they told him not too.

"I was thinking that we go to the arcade!" Denki smiled.

"We always go to arcade," Neito spoke up.

"But we have fun there," Hitoshi added.

"That's true," Neito gave in.

"Good! Cause I almost have enough tickets to get the items I want!" Denki skipped ahead.

"What do you think it is?" Hitoshi whispered to Neito.

"Probably some gaming thing."

Hitoshi nodded agreeing with him.

—-

"Yes! I won!" Neito cheered, beating Hitoshi in one of the games.

"Babe, I though you were a gamer too?" Denki asked Hitoshi, giving Neito a victory kiss.

"I don't game as much. I do help take care of my Deaf brother."

"Don't bring Izuku into this," Neito told the purple haired boy.

"I bet Izuku games more than you!"

"He watches movies and Tv shows more than anything. He critiques them harshly," Hitoshi admitted.

"Remind me never to be a director of any sorts," Denki widened his eyes.

The other two nodded in agreement.

"Do you have enough tickets now Denks?" Neito asked him.

Denki's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Stay here! I'll be right back!"

Denki zoomed off towards the prize counter and started to talk with the worker.

"I think date night was a success," Hitoshi leaned against the wall.

"How's life with a little sister?" Neito asked Hitoshi.

"She isn't bad. I think her trauma is affecting her, but she trusts us. She likes Izuku more than me I think."

"Why's that?"

"I think it's because of his scars. He has so many visible ones. She connects hers to his."

"She'll get comfortable eventually. She'll have to with a house full of boys," he laughed.

"She'll just have a whole army if anyone tries to break her heart," Hitoshi smirked.

"The protective older brother, I see."

"She'll have dad, papa, me, you, Denks, Izuku and Izuku's future boyfriend."

"What do think about that situation? Bakugo don't seem like the most ideal person for him."

"Katsuki came out to me that he liked my brother during Penny's funeral. I kept it to myself though. I didn't want to stress Izuku out more. Plus, things worked out without me getting involved."

"Their relationship is complicated isn't it?"

"Definitely."

"I'm back!!" Denki came over with a small bag.

"I'm guessing you had enough," Hitoshi smiled seeing how big Denki was smiling.

"Yep! It's something for the three of us." He opened the bag and started to reach in it.

In total, there were 6 objects in the bag, two for each of them.

"I know that it may seem silly and these are fake but whenever I saw them I immediately wanted to get them for us."

Denki handed them each two cheap metal things.

They were rings.

"Denks..." Hitoshi gasped.

"They don't have to have any deep meaning behind them. We are just in high school. I just wanted something for all of us to have."

"They are beautiful Denks," Neito kissed his cheek.

Hitoshi took off his chain that he had on and slid the two rings on it then put the necklace.

"They are quite beautiful, but there is something that tops how beautiful they are," Hitoshi smirked looking up to his boyfriends.

Denki's felt his heart dropped. He thought he was doing right. He thought he was doing well.

He didn't want to mess up this relationship.

"Denki, relax, I was going to say the two of you, but now I know not to joke like that."

Denki was relieved. He just smiled at the two of them. "I love you two!"

"I love you two as well," Hitoshi added. They looked over at Neito for him to finish the circle.

"I love you two also."

Chapter Text

A few weeks had passed since Izuku's surgery. His headache was still there but it was manageable most of the time.

Rō gakkō had help him with recovery and started him in speech therapy. Granted, it wouldn't go into full affect until the implants were activated.

Eri had gotten more comfortable in the Aizawa family and was slowly starting to call Shouta and Hizashi 'dad' and 'papa'.

Ejiro and started to visit Penny's grave after school. His talk with Hizashi impacted him.

It was going to hurt, but he needed to let her go.

Izuku was able to take off the protection guards off his ears a few days after surgery. He kept his hair pulled into a low bun with a braid around it or just a simple braid.

He couldn't let go of her so easily.

—-

"Why do I need to go to his school again?" Katsuki asked Shouta as it was nearing the end of the school day.

Shouta had asked Katsuki to walk with Izuku and bring him around town.

"If you do this, I'll let you come with us to his implant activation appointment," he crossed his arms.

Katsuki let out a huff at his teacher. "You're really using my crush on him as blackmail?!"

"Or I do you a favor and tell everyone in the class about those devices you wear," Shouta raised an eyebrow.

"Fine! I'll go walk with him."

Shouta smiled and uncrossed his arms. "Good, you're excused from class now. Thank you."

Katsuki could definitely tell that his teacher was up to something. He knew that Shouta would never let him leave, but fearing for the worst, he grabbed his bag and left the classroom before everyone else got back inside.

"Hitoshi!" He called out.

"You don't have to yell. Denki and I were just in the hall," Hitoshi sighed.

"Yep! And we were definitely not kissing, ow!" He said in pain after Hitoshi elbowed him.

"You two know I'm okay with kissing. I just don't want to see any marks on anyone and not in public. Those are my only rules."

"I know dad. Denki and Neito understand that too. Right Denks?"

"Definitely!"

"So, Katsuki is going to get Izuku from school. We're having a family movie night while the two of them are away," Shouta changed the subject.

"I can't believe Izuku remembered him actually being there. Usually people don't remember anything just off of anesthesia."

"Izuku knew though. He wanted to talk to Katsuki one on one, but I think I have an idea on why."

"Do you think that Izuku will actually forgive him? We both know how he is," Hitoshi asked his father.

"I don't know what goes on in his mind. He keeps to himself when it comes to his more vulnerable feelings."

"I'll never fully understand his personality."

"Penny did."

—-

Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets as he made his way towards Izuku's school.

He ignored the weird looks he got since he was still in his uniform, granted it wasn't the full uniform.

He despised wearing the tie around his neck and haired to tuck in the shirt. It looked really baggy on him, but he didn't care. Appearance wasn't as important to him compared to his parents and Izuku.

Before he knew it, he was in front of the gates of Rō gakkō.

He walked inside the school and looked around curiously.

A few students were in the halls, skipping or just hanging out.

He walked straight towards the office to let them know why he was there. He also didn't know Izuku's class schedule.

He opened the office door and walked inside.

The secretary recognized the uniform he was wearing immediately.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class at UA, young man?"

"Mr. Aizawa, my teacher sent me to walk with Izuku after school," Katsuki replied, keeping his hands in his pockets.

She looked down the her computer to check the time quickly. "He's in speech therapy right now. Students will be released in a few minutes. You can stay in here, or go to the speech therapy classrooms."

"Where's the classroom?"

She gave him instructions how to get to the classroom. Katsuki remembered a little for the tour a while back, but he didn't really pay attention to it.

"Before you leave," the secretary called out to him. Katsuki looked back to her, giving his attention to her. "Do you know when his activation appointment is? He doesn't know when it is and it's difficult to contact his parents."

Shouta and Hizashi's work schedules were inconsistent. They also had Eri set up in school, but they were always on call in case of emergency. Shouta was also helping Eri control her quirk in the evening.

"I don't."

Katsuki walked out the office not wanting her to ask more.

He followed the instructions she gave him and made it to the classrooms a few minutes later.

The door was opened, letting the loud, rough voices echo.

He noticed the student had their own teacher, granted there were only 5 students in the room.

"Can I help you?" One of the teachers noticed Katsuki standing there.

Izuku noticed his teacher looking towards the door and turned his head to see what he was looking at.

"Katsuki! Dad let you come!" Izuku spoke aloud, shocked. Izuku's sentence structure was better than before, but some sounds still didn't come out right.

"Yeah, he wanted me to walk with you after school," Katsuki signed.

Izuku's teacher tapped his arm, grabbing his attention.

"You can go early. Remember to contact me whenever you find out your activation appointment."

Izuku nodded his head and grabbed his things. He didn't waste a second to get to Katsuki.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Izuku signed before grabbing Katsuki's arm and practically dragging him outside the school.

Izuku didn't let go, until they were outside of the school gates.

He loosened his green tie, not wanting to feel it press against his neck anymore.

"I'm glad they let me out early. Therapy sucks whenever you can't hear what you have to fix!" Izuku complained in sign.

"Why did I have to come get you? Your dad wouldn't tell me," Katsuki signed.

"Let's go to the walking trail. It has some pretty comfortable benches," Izuku ignored the question.

Katsuki rolled his eyes and followed Izuku, who was already heading towards the place.

—-

"So, are you going to answer my question?" Katsuki asked Izuku once they sat on the bench.

"Cause I wanted to talk to you. My dad isn't the only one that can ask you to do things," Izuku signed, remembering the question.

"You...wanted to talk to me?"

Izuku nodded and turned his head so that his face was being hit with the bright light. The soft warmth brought him comfort in a way.

"I remember you being there when I woke up," Izuku spoke out loud. "I was at my house sleeping on the couch. I woke up during the night and saw I was in your lap," he turned to face Katsuki, "I don't mean to do that."

"It's okay."

Izuku softly smiled at the blonde. "Can I ask you something?" Izuku questioned.

"What is it?"

"Why do you like me? And don't you say that is because I power through with being Deaf. You knew me before that."

"I liked how you were always nice to people no matter if they were mean to you," he signed. "I liked how you didn't really care how people viewed you. I loved how your smile could light up any room you went into. I could name all the little things, but they all added up to the larger picture."

Izuku lifted his hand and pushed the side of his hair facing Katsuki upwards showing him the buzz cut section.

"Is there a visible scar?" He spoke aloud before letting go of the hair and turning to him.

"I can see the incision line, but everything else is normal."

"So two more scars to add to the count," he rolled his eyes.

"You're being more open towards me," Katsuki pointed out.

"So?"

"Are you forgiving me?" Katsuki's face slightly lit up.

"No, I'm not," Izuku signed.

"What do you mean?!" Katsuki felt his heart drop.

"I don't forgive you."

Katsuki stood up, feeling his eyes and chest start to burn. "What else do I have to do to prove it to you?! I can't live my life like this anymore!"

Izuku stood up as well, still needing to look up to look Katsuki in the eye.

Izuku had a reason why he didn't forgive Katsuki. He didn't want to sign the words to him. He wanted to say and hear it.

"Just because I'm not signing that I forgive you doesn't mean that we can move on from it!"

"This is fricking hell!" Katsuki signed largely.

"I'm sorry that I'm not the same little kid from our childhood! I'm sorry that I went through so much trauma growing up! I'm sorry your mother treated you like a piece of trash after I left, but I want to keep you in my life!"

"You signed the words you hate so much three times."

"So?"

"It's not fair that I can't sign them, but you can."

Izuku looked down and slightly bit his lip.

Katsuki felt something come over him. He raised his hand and placed it on Izuku's cheek, pulling it to face him.

He watched Izuku turn to straight fear. His breathing hitched and his body started to shake.

Each and every painful memory of his childhood came back. The pain of the burns, the scars he gained from them, the blood, the accident.

His mind drifted to Dabi. The pain he caused Penny. Izuku could imagine what the blue flames felt like.

Katsuki immediately removed his hand, looking at his palm with wide eyes. He messed up...big time.

"Izuku...I-I'm sorry," he stuttered as he signed what he was saying.

"I-I want to go home," Izuku stuttered as he spoke aloud.

"Izuku wait!"

"No."

Katsuki reached for his wrist and grabbed it before Izuku was able to walk out of his reach.

"Please... don't leave me again," Katsuki seemed to beg.

"I can't trust you. You were going to do it again," he let panic take control of his talking.

"No. How many times do I have to explain it to you? I like you. I don't care if we don't make this into a romantic relationship anymore. I just don't want to lose you and if you walk away now, I don't think you'll ever come back to me."

"2 weeks." Izuku signed.

"What?"

"My activation appointment. It's in 2 weeks."

Katsuki was taken aback. "The secretary of your school told me that you didn't know?"

"I wanted to tell Penny first, but you beat her to it."

"How about we go tell her now?" Katsuki asked him.

Izuku gave a slight nod. He was still shaken up, but tried to control his breathing. He practiced his breathing exercises that Shouta taught him a while back.

He tried to use them, but his mind would go straight into panic and not think about calming down.

Katsuki didn't let Izuku walk away. He didn't let him turn his back on him.

The two walked side by side, the whole way to the grave yard. Izuku brought his hand up and pushed the frizzy hair behind his ear.

He thought about doing something he never thought he would do. With his other hand, he extended his pinky and latched it onto Katsukis.

The blonde snapped his head towards him because of the sudden contact.

"Thank you... for everything," Izuku spoke.

Chapter Text

Izuku had gotten used to the smell of a doctors office. The smell was always the same no matter what the time was.

He slouched down in the chair he was in.

Hizashi and Shouta were talking with Eri and distracting her from the pain of waiting. Hitoshi was texting his boyfriends to past the time.

They seemed to be waiting for hours when in reality it was only ten or so minutes.

Izuku leaned his head on the person next to him, being too anxious to go on his phone.

Katsuki looked down at him, taking his eyes off his own phone.

Him and Izuku had slowly started to hang out more. Izuku was testing the waters of their relationship, but Katsuki was just happy that he wasn't losing Izuku again.

"Why is this taking so long?!" Izuku mumbled, to himself.

Katsuki heard him say something but couldn't make out exactly what words were being said.

A couple minutes later, the audiologist stepped out from the back room.

"Izuku Aizawa," they called out. Katsuki moved his body letting Izuku know that he was being called.

The rest of the Aizawa family stood to their feet and instantly felt the nerves go through them. It would be the first time Izuku would actually hear them.

The group walked up to the audiologist and greeted them. The doctor wasn't Japanese and looked similar towards Penny. They were American.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Alex. My pronouns are they/them so please be respectful towards that," they greeted the family.

Izuku looked at someone to see if they would start signing, but no one did. He let out a huff and rolled his eyes.

"I'm Shouta, this is my husband Hizashi, our children and Izuku's..." he paused looking at Katsuki.

"I'm his friend," Katsuki spoke up.

Dr. Alex smiled and guided them to the back to an office like room.

"Someone instruct Izuku to sit in the chair right there," they pointed at one of the chairs pulled in at the desk.

Hizashi quickly signed to Izuku what the doctor told them.

"I hope you know that I have no clue what that doctor said whenever we first went up to them," Izuku signed with a blank face.

"Sorry," Hizashi apologized. "Their name is Dr. Alex. They use they/them pronouns."

"Thank you." Izuku wakes to the chair and sat down, looking at Dr. Alex.

"I'm afraid I don't know sign language," they admitted. "Can I ask one of you to translate?"

"I'll translate," Shouta spoke up.

Eri moved from standing in front of Shouta and moved to Hitoshi.

They had gotten closer, even though she was obviously closer towards Izuku.

"So will Izuku be able to hear us now?" She whispered to her brother.

"I think so. I'm not sure how we will sound to him. I looked online and learned that we might sound totally different then what we actually sound like to him," he explained to her.

"Kats," she called out to Katsuki. She gave him a nickname whenever he started to come over more often. Yuki, the cat, seemed to like him hence the nickname "kats" was born.

"What is it short stack?"

"Are you and Izuku together like Hitoshi, Denki, and Neito?" She asked him.

Katsuki's cheeks became a light shade of pink.

"Umm. Well... you see."

"They aren't there yet. Him and Izuku are friends," Hitoshi spoke for Katsuki.

"Oh," Eri's soft voice sounded looking to her other older brother.

The process of turning the implants on seemed to stretch for hours on end. It wasn't as easy as simply flipping a switch.

Dr. Alex played different levels of sounds into the implants to set the volume at a comfortable level.

Izuku's hair had grew slightly since the surgery. The hair was slightly longer but Dr. Alex showed him how to correctly place the processor.

Izuku started to get impatient. He wanted to be able to hear his family. He wanted to hear Katsuki. He wanted to hear himself.

"How much longer is this going to be?" Hitoshi asked, trying not to sound rude.

"I'm finishing up the last bits. He'll need to come back every so often for about 3 months to alter and change the settings," Dr. Alex explained, not looking up from their computer screen.

"Any idea on what he will hear once they are turned on?" Katsuki asked, wanting to compare his hearing aids to the implants.

"Past patients have described it as high pitched at first, but the more they used the devices the more 'normal' everything sounded."

"Can I go by Izuku?" Eri asked, getting tired of sitting on Hitoshi's lap. (There we're only 4 chairs other than the ones for Izuku and dr. Alex)

"Sure sweetie. Just watch out for the wires," they instructed her.

She slid off of Hitoshi and walked towards her other brother.

"I'm getting a headache," Izuku signed, letting out a breath.

"Dr. Alex, Izuku said he's getting a headache," Shouta informed them.

"That's normal. The nerves around his head aren't used to the implants being activated. The more he uses the devices, the easier it will be on him, but for now, let him take many hearing breaks. He's going to get overwhelmed a lot."

Dr. Alex smiled slightly seeing that all they had left was to press the button to fully activate the devices.

They got up from their chair, walking around the desk to disconnect the wires from the devices.

"You were given the documents about the capabilities of these certain cochlear implants, correct?" They asked removing the wires and placing them on the desk.

"Yes, we were," Hizashi spoke up.

Alex walked back to their chair and sat down.

"Don't sign this to him," they told Shouta. "All I have left is to push a button and officially turn them on. Don't all talk at once. There is going to be a change in his expressions whenever they are on." They paused. "So, are you guys ready?" They smiled.

Izuku was looking around the room since no one was signing to him. He just thought it was something for his parents to hear and not something for him.

(I'm just guessing on this next part. I've watched several videos in an attempt to understand what it is like, but they are all different.)

In a split second, there was a difference in the silence Izuku heard for three years straight to something different.

His family watched has Izuku became confused in the moment. Dr. Alex gave them a nod letting them know that the devices were turned on.

"Hey problem child," Shouta smiled.

Izuku's face went straight to his father. He was in awe hearing the man's high pitched voice.

"What's up little listener?" Hizashi added.

"Little bro," Hitoshi waved his hand.

"Izuku!" Eri cheered, still standing next to him.

"Deku," Katsuki said Izuku's nickname from when they were younger, but instead of it being a way of bullying Izuku, he used it as a sort of familiarity.

Izuku felt the tear drops fall to his hands as he just sat there in awe. He has been waiting for this moment. He was finally able to hear the comforting voices of his family.

"Izuku!" Katsuki called to him.

Izuku looked at him wiping the tears from his eyes, but was failing.

"What do we sound like?" He asked him in sign.

"High pitched," he laughed, but was shocked about how his own voice sounded. It was definitely different from what he remembered.

A light bulb seemed to go off in his mind. He pulled out his phone and opened his camera roll.

He found a video that Penny had made a while back.

His finger hovered over the play button, hesitant to hear it.  

"Let's worry about that later," Hizashi got up from his seat, and took the phone out of his hand.

"Thank you," Izuku signed out of habit, still having the emotions come up to the surface.

"Just take it easy and focus on your goals," they told Izuku. "We'll call later to discuss the adjustment appointment," switching to Hizashi and Aizawa.

"Thank you Dr. Alex," Shouta got up and shook their hand.

"Go take this time to celebrate this achievement," Alex smiled, opening the door for the family.

"Izuku! Up!" Eri reached for her brother as they walked out.

Izuku chuckled and lifted her up. Even though he didn't work out as much as he used to, he was still strong physically.

"I have a question," Izuku asked his family as they walked out the office and towards the family car.

"What is it?" Shouta asked.

"How do you pronounce your names?" He laughed, readjusting Eri.

"Is that seriously your first question for your family?" Katsuki raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! I just know sign names!"

Hizashi and Shouta looked at one another and gave a soft smile.

They turned around to face Izuku and stopped the group in their tracks.

"Hello, my name is Shouta Aizawa. I'm your loving dad."

"I'm Hizashi Aizawa, your amazing papa!"

Hitoshi got the hint and joined in. "Hitoshi Aizawa, your big bro."

"Eri!" The small girl said in a loud, cheerful voice. The loud noise caused Izuku to flinch. "Sorry," she apologized seeing she caused him pain.

"It's okay. I'm just shocked you guys can understand me," Izuku admitted. He knew that he didn't sound clear.

"Let's go get some fast food and get home. Katsuki," Shouta looked at the blonde teen.

"Don't worry, I'll go home."

"No!" Izuku raised his voice. Everyone looked at him. Katsuki was confused, but everyone else had a smile on their face.

"Stay. You can go home tomorrow."

"I'll call Mitsuki," Hizashi pulled out his phone.

—-

Katsuki and Izuku sat on his bed just looking at one another.

Izuku had his processors on his desk since he was taking a hearing break.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" He asked, innocently.

"You could've let me go home and yet you didn't.  I want to know why."

Izuku reached over and grabbed his processors, the bed creaking as he moved.

He placed each one on, sliding them underneath his hair.

"I thought you were taking a hearing break?" Katsuki spoke instead of signed.

"I wanted to hear this conversation," Izuku spoke still trying to get used to the sound of his own voice.

"You should be taking a longer break. I know that you most definitely have a headache from hell."

"Don't control my life. I will do what I'm comfortable with, got it?" Izuku snapped at him.

"Yea," he sighed, looking at the posters around the room. He noticed the newest one with the day's date on the bottom half of it.

"I started making them to remind me of the amazing things that happened while I live here. That one," he pointed to one a few months after he got adopted, "is when Hitoshi got adopted and I became the older younger brother."

"What about that one?" Katsuki pointed to one closer to the date of the accident.

"My first day at my school. The day I met Penny."

Katsuki looked back at Izuku. He noticed Izuku's hair was in a braid over his shoulder. 

"I can tell you miss her."

"She was my best friend. Of course I miss her." Izuku looked to his hands that were in his lap. He was fidgeting with the skin near his nails.

"You're going to hurt yourself if you keep picking at your nails."

"I forgive you."

"What?"

Izuku stopped picking at his nails and looked Katsuki in the eye. "I forgive you. For everything."

Katsuki's mouth slightly opened, not believing what he was hearing.

"I've forgiven you a while back, but I wanted to be able to hear what I was telling you."

"So, back then whenever I walked with you to the park," Katsuki started.

"I wanted to just hang out. I was going to invite you to come to the activation appointment regardless."

"Wait, so you lied to me, signing that you didn't forgive me, just because you wanted to tell me and hear it for yourself," Katsuki summed up.

"There's more meaning whenever you hear it for yourself. That's just how I feel about it."

Katsuki leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Izuku.

"Thank you," his voice quivered.

"All I did was forgive you."

"I can finally forgive myself," he mumbled close to Izuku's processor.

Both of the boys felt something ease off their chests.

Izuku wrapped his arms around Katsuki pulling him closer to him than he was.

"Izuku," Katsuki smiled being happy in that moment.

"I'm sorry, Kacchan."

Chapter Text

A few weeks had passed since the day Izuku's implants were activated.

His speaking sounded smoother, but still struggled at some points. He tried to wear his implants as much as he could, but there were times where he would get so overwhelmed by everything around him.

Eri had started to go to school and was living like a normal 7 year old child, well, trying to at least.

The Aizawa family seemed to finally settle down from the crazy events that disrupted their peace.

Eri was starting to call Shouta and Hizashi "dad" and "papa." She was finally comfortable with the people around her.

—-

"Izuku! Wake up!" Eri shook him awake a few minutes before his alarm went off. Izuku groaned, sitting up to see the small girl practically jumping up and down, trying to wake him up.

He reached over and grabbed one of the processors off its charger and put it on to talk to her.

"What is it, Eri?" He asked, rubbing his eyes, letting out a yawn.

"Can you walk with me to school? I heard some of the other kids talk about the people at a nearby school that talk weird or don't even talk! I think they were talking about your school."

Izuku rubbed Eri's head, making her tight curls frizz up. She giggled pushing his hand off of her head.

"I would love to, but that requires us to get dressed and eat breakfast first."

He pushed the covers off of him and reached for his other processor, before putting it on.

"Can you do my hair?" She asked him, moving out his way as he got out of bed.

"Sure. Just tell me how you want it," he walked to his closet and got out his own uniform.

"2 braids please!" Izuku held in a breath and almost dropped his uniform.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep! I want to look just like her!" Eri pointed to a picture of him and Penny that was on his desk.

Izuku let out the breath, calming himself down and walked out of his closet.

"Go ahead and change into your uniform and I'll do it after. Okay?" He gave her a gentle smile.

"Okay!" She skipped out of his room and closed the door.

Izuku watched as the door shut. He glanced over at the picture he knew Eri pointed to.

He walked over to his desk and picked up the photo, smiling slightly.

It was the two of them with their hair braided exactly the same, using the other's hair as a make-shift mustache.

He placed the picture back on his desk and changed into his uniform before Eri burst in on him with 1/2 of his clothes on.

—-

"Dad! Papa! Look at what Izuku did!" Eri ran down the stairs to her parents who were cooking breakfast and drinking coffee.

Hitoshi and Izuku just looked at each other at the stop of the staircase. "How come she has the most energy in this family?" Izuku signed, not wanting Eri to hear the question.

"You have energy too. Just not that much," Hitoshi replied to him.

Izuku chuckled, going down the stairs with Hitoshi following behind him.

"Izuku, you did Eri's hair?" Hizashi asked him, even though he knew the answer. Izuku would do her hair most days, but it was the first time it was this specific style.

"Yea, I did," he said, heading straight towards the cabinet that held the plates.

Izuku had his own hair in a single braid.

"Dad, what number pot of coffee are you on?" Hitoshi asked, getting out the milk and apple juice.

"Two. It would have been three, but someone made me stay in bed longer," he side eyed his husband, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Like I tell you almost everyday, you can't live off of just coffee."

"Is that a challenge?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No, no it is not. Kids, don't live by his example," Hizashi told them.

"Too late, already am," Hitoshi laughed, making himself his own cup of coffee.

"Papa, can I have an apple?" Eri asked. She had a fascination with apples.

"Of course! Let me finish up this real quick. Don't want it to burn."

Hizashi quickly finished cooking while Shouta started to cut an apple into slices for Eri.

The family sat down at the table once everyone had food on their plates.

"Thank you for the meal!" They all said before digging into the food.

Izuku glanced up at the door, but immediately looked back down to his food and started to eat. He knew Penny wouldn't burst in anymore.

——

Izuku and Eri walked together to her small elementary school. Usually, Shouta and Hizashi would drop the two of them off at their schools since she was so young.

"Eri, can I meet some of your friends?" He asked, watching Eri skip ahead.

"I only have one," she admitted.

"It's better to have one true friend than hundreds of people who say that they're your friends when really they're not."

Eri kept the smile on her face.

The two of them passed the front gates of Rō gakkō, it felt weird for Izuku to keep walking.

"Aizawa!" Someone called out to him.

He grabbed Eri to stop her from walking and looked at the person who called him.

A boy from his class ran up to him and Eri. It was the boy that talked to him about the cochlear implants a while back.

"What's up man," Izuku greeted him. Eri slightly hide behind him, not really comfortable yet meeting other people older than her.

"Who's this?" He bent down to Eri's height.

"Kaito, this is my little sister, Eri."

Kaito gently smiled and held out his hand. Eri was peeking at him from behind Izuku.

"Hello there Eri, I'm Kaito. I'm in your big brother's class. He's really smart and kind."

Eri stayed by her brother's side and quickly shook the other boy's hand.

Kaito stood back up to talk to Izuku. "Does she go to the elementary school around the corner?" He asked.

"Yeah. She asked if I could bring her today."

Kaito looked down at her and noticed her hair for the first time. He thought about Penny.  The only difference between the two was the color.

"If I'm late, cover for me," Izuku told him.

"You know it."

"Izuku let's go," Eri whined, pulling on his arm.

"See you later, Kaito."

"Later man."

The two siblings kept walking towards the elementary school, but before they got there, Eri was curious about something.

"Why did he talk normal?"

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked her.

"He didn't sound like you did, or like how the other kids explained it."

"Well, he has the same things that go around his ears as me," he pointed at his processors. "He's had them for a lot longer than me. He's been able to talk a lot longer than me. He's just had more time than most of us at that school."

Eri looked away from him and saw her school nearby. Her eyes lit up and her smile widened. "Kota!" She squealed, running to the boy.

"Eri!" Izuku called out to her, but she kept running to her friend.

Izuku rushed after his sister.

"Aizawa!" The boy smiled, hugging her.

"I told you to call me Eri, silly!"

"And I told you to call me Izumi."

Izuku caught his breath as soon as he caught up to his sister. "Eri, you can't run off like that."

"Izuku, this is my friend, Izumi Kota."

Izuku bent down to the child's level and put out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

Kota looked the teen up and down before turning his nose up and turning away.

"Izumi! Be nice to those who are your friends' family!" A woman scolded the boy.

"Sorry Auntie."

Izuku stood up to see the woman. He recognized her immediately outside of her hero costume, but to be nice and not creepy, he just pretended that he didn't know.

"The name's Shino Sosaki. I'm his aunt," she introduced herself.

"Izuku Aizawa."

A lightbulb seemed to go off in her mind. "You're Shouta and Hizashi's boy."

"Yes ma'am. I am."

"The two of them always talk about you and your brother at meetings," she gasps realizing she never told him how she knew his fathers. "Sorry, I'm one of the wild wild pussycats."

"I know. I'm pretty observant when it comes to pro heroes and quirks," he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I remember them saying that. I just didn't want to seem rude."

"It's okay."

Eri and Kota talked as the two older people spoke to each other.

Izuku looked down at his watch and realized that class was starting in a few minutes for him.

"Eri, I got to go. Papa will come pick you up like normal. Okay?" He told her.

"Okay! Bye Izuku!"

Izuku said his goodbyes and rushed towards his school.

Somehow, he was able to make it to his first class on time. Out of breath, he got out his school books.

He felt his phone vibrate before class officially started. He pulled out the phone and checked what message was sent to him.

He read over the text and then who it was from. He softly smiled seeing it was from Katsuki. 'Do you want to come over after school?'

Chapter Text

Izuku nervously walked towards the Bakugo household. It would be his first time going there by himself since he lived there.

His fathers were okay with him going over, but that didn't stop the small nerves that built up within him.

Izuku stopped walked whenever he past by the brick wall from 3 years ago. It felt weird. He looked down and noticed the dried up blood was gone.

He didn't spend anymore time there, since it was a part of his past he was no longer afraid of. The accident was turning into the day everything changed.

—-

Walking up to the house felt weird to him. It felt like he was back in elementary and the start of middle school.

Last time he was at this house was the dinner. He couldn't imagine what Katsuki went through after that. The two of them opened up to what happened after Izuku split from the Bakugo family.

He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Izuku could hear someone yelling, but the door muffled the sound. The processors couldn't piece what exactly was said.

Mitsuki opened the door, not expecting Izuku to be standing there.

"Izuku?" She signed.

"Is Katsuki here yet?" He asked aloud.

Mitsuki was taken aback at first, but remembered the times Katsuki stayed over at the Aizawa's home.

"I forgot you got your implants activated," she shook her head.

"It's okay. I still take a lot of hearing breaks. Sign language is never going away," he laughed.

"Katsuki should be getting here any minute. Come in," she welcomed him inside.

As soon as Izuku stepped inside, he could smell the aroma of spices in the air, but nothing was cooking.

"No matter how distant I am, I will always love the smell of spices here," he looked over to her.

"Let's go in the living room while we wait."

The two of them walked towards the family room and sat in each a chair. The sound of a ticking clock echoed throughout the room.

"So, Katsuki told me that you got a little sister now," Mitsuki started a conversation.

"Yeah. Her name is Eri. She's only 7 and she's amazing! But," he paused. "She went through things no person should ever go through."

Mitsuki noticed how Izuku's mood seemed to change after mentioning the second part.

"If I may ask, what happened to her?"

"I don't know the full story, but I can see the scars the peek out from underneath her sleeves. The ones on her legs aren't invisible as well."

Mitsuki felt her heart start to ache.

"But, apparently mine are beautiful to her. She looks up to me and my own scars. She sees the scars of my past and doesn't judge or question it. They are beautiful," Izuku smiled. He looked up and made eye contact with Mitsuki. "I love my little sister and I'll protect her and try to be the best brother I can to her."

"Sweetie, you're doing an amazing job so far," Mitsuki smiled towards him.

"Mom! Izuku's coming over so..." they heard someone yell. Katsuki came around the corner and saw the two of them sitting there. "Never mind."

"Izuku was just telling me about his little sister."

Bakugo tossed his school stuff on the couch and grabbed Izuku's wrist, dragging him out of the room.

"Don't bother us!" He yelled before shutting his bedroom door. He liked spending time with Izuku. He didn't want his mother to ruin it.

Izuku stared at Katsuki as he turned away from the door and towards Izuku.

"You didn't have to slam the door," Izuku spoke reaching to take off one of his processors. "Do you have somewhere I can stick this so I won't lose it?"

Katsuki pointed at his mini fridge that he had in his room.

Izuku placed the device on the fridge, leaving it there hanging till he was ready to leave. (Btw, cochlear implant's use magnets. Ngl the way they work is honestly really interesting. Not going to explain it in depth but it's something to learn)

"So, why'd you invite me?" Izuku asked him.

"I just wanted to."

"So you invited me over with no plan?"

"Exactly! Do I need to spell it out for you!?" His temper started to flair.

"Who pissed you off today?" Izuku asked pointing out his temper.

Katsuki let out a breath, calming himself down.

"I just wanted to spend time with you, but you probably think we hang out to much already."

Izuku looked at him confused and walked up to him so they were face to face.

"If I thought that, I wouldn't have came."

"Why do you hang out with me so much? There's so many other things you could be doing instead of hanging out with me. Heck, I caused your life to spiral!"

"Where is this coming from!?" Izuku snapped at him. "Why are these thoughts in your mind?! I hang out with you cause I want to!"

Katsuki was in a moment of self doubt. He hand them often. He would thing everything in the world was just showing him pity in some way. He felt like he didn't deserve anything in his life.

"Are you sure you're not doing this out of pity?"

Izuku raised his hand and slapped Katsuki across the face, attempting to snap him out of whatever was going through his mind.

"I can't believe you would say that," he huffed. "I'm the last person that would show pity to someone. If this is how your going to act, then I rather go home to my family."

"Wait," Katsuki stopped him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. My mind does this to me every now and then."

"Have you considered going the therapy?" Izuku asked him.

"No. Why would I?"

"Mental health is just as important at physical health."

"Shouldn't you be going to therapy too?"

Izuku shrugged his shoulders ignoring the question. He tossed himself onto Katsuki's bed, taking in the sent of it.

He could smell the small scent of caramel from his sweat. He used to be frightened by it, but he felt it comforting in a way.

"You graduate this year, right?" Katsuki asked, sitting at the foot of the bed.

"Yes, yes I do."

"When even is that?"

"I'm pretty sure it's in a month or so." (Totally don't remember the process of time in this story)

Katsuki leaned back in the wall that lined up with the other side of the bed.

"Our middle school would have never let you skip grades," Katsuki spoke.

"Yeah. They never really helped out the quirkless kid," Izuku laughed a little.

Izuku pulled his hair to the front of him and started to redo the braid to make it look cleaner and not as frizzed.

"When are you going to stop wearing a braid in your hair?" Katsuki asked him, moving closer to him.

"I'm not sure. It's getting better, but I just can't let this go quite yet."

Izuku threw the braid to the back and looked Katsuki in his eyes. Katsuki and never forced any sort of moves on Izuku since his confession.

"Can I ask you a weird question?"

Katsuki shrugged his shoulders and got ready to listen to him.

"How did you know you liked me?"

Katsuki rubbed the back of his neck. Izuku could easily notice that the question wasn't easy to answer.

"Sorry."

"No, it's just, I don't remember. I think deep down I had this sort of pull towards you, but I used my temper and my ego to hide it," Katsuki said simply.

The two of them were practically sitting next to each other at that moment.

"I remember you telling me that you were never in a relationship," Izuku started.

"Way to point out my loveless life."

Izuku decided to ignore him and kept going. "I can only assume that you've never had your first kiss either."

Katsuki looked at him confused. The suddenness didn't make sense to him until Izuku's lips were on his.

It was quick and sudden, but enough to make both of their hearts race.

"Thank you for showing me that I can't have the Midoriya side of me lay dormant. I can't have my guard up all the time, but I think it'll he alright if I left it down every now and then. Also, I should of asked first, I'm sor-"

Katsuki pulled Izuku's chin that way they faced each other and slowly start to kiss him. This time it wasn't quick and sudden, but slow and meaningful.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Katsuki whispered once they broke apart. "Does these mean that you like me as well?"

"Katsuki, I hate to break it to you, but you don't like me, you love me. And to answer your question, yes, but we are going to take things slow. That means opening up to our weaknesses together, got it?!" Izuku told him.

"You're going to make me tell the class about my hearing aids, aren't you?"

Izuku gave a devilish smile, giving him his answer.

"But why?! I can just keep it a secret forever!"

"Sure. The paparazzi will definitely ignore the devices hanging on the back of your ears and how you need people to repeat themselves multiple times."

Katsuki paused himself to lie down instead of sitting up.

"If we are sharing our weaknesses together then I want you to do something," Katsuki looked up at him since a Izuku was still just sitting there.

"And what's that?"

"First lie down," he commanded him. Izuku raised an eyebrow, hesitant on where this was going to lead. Izuku lied down, facing Katsuki.

Katsuki reached his hand and slowly placed in on Izuku's cheek, not wanting his anxiety to kick in and cause him to go into another panic attack.

Izuku stiffened slightly at the contact, but he soon let the warm hit him, letting it comfort him.

Katsuki acted like he was pushing a strand of hair behind his ear, but when he brought his hand back towards him, he had grabbed Izuku's long green braid, pulling it towards the front of him.

"No," Izuku raised his hands to take his hair out of the blonde's hand.

"I'll tell the class about my hearing aids, only if you'll let me remove this hair tie."

Izuku looked down to the braided hair in Katsuki's hand. "I don't think I can let her go that easy."

"Fine," Katsuki let go of the hair and pushed it over Izuku's shoulder. "I won't pressure you."

Izuku smiled, letting out a yawn. Katsuki's bed was very comfortable.

"Why don't you sleep over tonight?" Katsuki offered.

"I don't want to sleep in my old room. It'll be weird," Izuku told him.

"Okay, you can have my bed, I'll go on the couch or something."

"You'd give up sleeping on your comfortable bed for me?"

"I would give up my quirk for you."

Chapter Text

"Izu, you busy?" Hitoshi popped his head into Izuku's room. Thankfully, Izuku had on one of his processors so he was able to hear his brother.

"I was reading. Why?" He asked, putting down his book. He didn't tell his family about the night he spent over with Katsuki. He needed to tell them, but it never got to the right time.

"Dad and papa want to share about their past. I think it's because of Eri."

"Are her nightmares that bad?" He asked him. Izuku would take off all hearing devices while he slept to charge them.

"I think she's had it worse between the three of us."

"Obviously! We both had screwed up pasts, but her's take the cake. This guy is just lucky he never met me," Izuku became very protective of his little sister.

"You and I both, but it'll be interesting to hear about their past," Hitoshi went back to the topic about their parents.

"Agree, we don't know to much other than the burning piece of trash congratulated them on their wedding day," Izuku mentioned Enji. Shouta had ranted to Izuku about that event and what was said between the two of them.

"Anyway, dinner should be ready in a little bit."

"Who's cooking?"

"You're amazing brother," Hitoshi smirked.

Izuku took a deep breath through his nose, scrunching his nose. "Hitoshi, something's burning."

Hitoshi took a quick sniff and smelled exactly what Izuku was talking about. He jetted down the stairs to see if anything was salvageable and edible.

Izuku picked up his phone and started to order takeout just in case.

—-

"Did you burn the food again?" Shouta raised an eyebrow seeing how the table had bags of fast food, waiting to be split among them.

"I was talking to Izuku and got distracted."

"If you get married to those two blondes, I would trust Neito to do the cooking," Hizashi said, seeing what exactly Izuku ordered for them.

The entire family, minus Eri, knew that Izuku would be the one to order takeout when something went wrong.

Hitoshi's face went to a deep shade of red at the thought of marriage. "I-Isn't that a topic for the future?"

"Didn't Denki get everyone rings? You're wearing them right now. They are practically promise rings," Shouta told him.

"What are promise rings?" Eri peeped in.

"Basically, Hitoshi and his boyfriends promised that one day they will be just like me and your dad," Hizashi explained to her.

"Why is my love life the topic of discussion?! I don't like it! What about Izuku's?!"

"Let's not," Izuku shrugged, not wanting to say that he kissed Katsuki not once, but twice.

The boys of the family gave Izuku a certain look. Izuku's eyes went wide knowing that he messed up just by saying that.

"Something happened that night didn't it?" Hizashi asked his son.

"Who made the first move?" Hitoshi was invested.

"Were any marks left?"

It was Izuku's turn to be a deep shade of red. "Yes. Me. And no dad! All we did was kiss."

"Does this mean Izuku has someone like Denki and Neito?" Eri asked, trying to understand the situation in her own way.

"Something like that, Eri. I'm sorry if it's all confusing to you," Izuku apologized to her.

"It's okay. I bet I'll understand when I'm older."

"Did Hitoshi tell you what we wanted to do tonight?" Hizashi asked Izuku, sitting down at the dining table.

"Yeah, he did."

"Good, Shouta and I wanted to keep our pasts away from our family, but I think it will let Eri know that she's not alone in the horrors of life," Hizashi switched to sign language.

Izuku nodded and looked down to his food. He was going to learn about his parents.

—-

Izuku, Hitoshi, and Eri all sat on the couch across from their parents. Izuku made sure that his processors had a full battery beforehand. He didn't want to miss a single word of it.

"So, who do you want to go first?" Hizashi asked their children.

"I want to hear dad's!" Eri spoke, overruling any other decision.

Shouta let out a breath and looked over to Hizashi.

"We both didn't have the most ideal family life. Do you three understand that?" Shouta started out.

The three kids nodded, understanding that this was one of the reasons why they were sharing their story.

"My parents were kind people as I grew up. They helped me with schoolwork and practically raised me like their perfect child, but," he paused. The memory that came to mind still got to him. He could still feel the harshness of their words. They seemed to cut like daggers, years later.

"Dad, are you okay?" Eri asked, seeing the small tear form in one of his eyes.

Hizashi grabbed ahold of Shouta's hand, giving it a slight squeeze.

"My parents didn't like the fact that I fell in love with your papa. They didn't like how I didn't love a girl."

"Why does that matter?" Eri asked.

"Not everyone likes that some people like the same gender," Shouta told her. "After I started to fully commit myself to your papa, my parents told me not to come around again."

Hitoshi felt himself relate to Shouta's pain. His birth parents abandoned him just because of his quirk, but being abandoned just because of who he loved was on an entirely different level. Still, he felt the weight of his past come out.

"I guess it's my turn," Hizashi broke the tension in the room for a split moment.

"Is it a similar situation?" Izuku asked.

"Slightly," he started. "I was not always a he/him person."

Hitoshi and Izuku looked at one another in shock. "You're trans?!" They both were shocked.

"I was. I was assigned male at birth, but growing up I found myself not being entirely like boys were usually. I know for sure I wasn't on the extreme feminine side, but I was the same way with masculine."

"You were non-binary," Izuku realized. "That's why you asked me that one day I went to your classroom."

"I noticed similar signs. My parents weren't the most acceptable people, but they still consider me their child. They would misgender me all the time whenever I fully came out."

"He was like that all of high school," Shouta piped in.

"Your father and I didn't start going out till our last year in high school. I didn't feel like myself completely until I was with him and whenever he asked what we were as a couple, I changed my gender at that moment. I didn't want to be his partner. I wanted to be his boyfriend, his lover, his husband."

Hizashi smiled at the memory.

"So how does this tie into our family trauma?" Hitoshi asked.

"Toshi!" Eri elbowed him. Hitoshi just laughed since there was no real strength in her action.

"My parents wanted to have biological grandkids. I've told them about you three, but they didn't seem to care since we aren't blood related. They text me only for holidays."

"So they don't like us?" Eri asked.

"They respect you three as people, but not as our children," Hizashi tried to explain in a way she would understand.

"Eri," Shouta got out of his seat and crouched down in front of her. Her red eyes met his and seemed like they were looking past the surface. "Our pasts don't define who we are as a whole. They make us who we are, but it's up to us how they affect us. This is our family. We have our flaws and we have history that we wish we could hide from, but as long as we are there for each other, I promise, our pasts will not hold us back."

Eri shot up from her seat and launched herself onto Shouta, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you dad," she told him.

Hitoshi and Izuku stood up and joined in the hug.

"Screw your parents, dad. They don't deserve to be a part of our family," Hitoshi snapped.

"Watch your language," Shouta told him.

"I want to join in this hug!" Hizashi squealed, getting out of his seat and joining in.

After a few minutes, they let the hug break apart. "Can we watch a movie?" Eri asked with a smile on her face.

"What movie?"

Eri named some princess movie making Hitoshi groan. He loves his little sister, but he couldn't stand watching princess movies.

Izuku raised an eyebrow and had an idea immediately.

"I think we should dress up for this amazing movie. Right papa?" Izuku gave a sly grin to Hizashi.

"I agree with Izuku. We must dress up in the best prince and princess attire."

"Hitoshi would make a lovely princess," Shouta joined in on the fun.

Hitoshi realized what was happening and his eyes widened. "Absolutely not!"

"Can I dress you up?" Eri pleaded with puppy dog eyes.

Hitoshi turned away not to face the danger of her puppy dog eyes.

"Hitoshi! Look at your poor sister! She's suffering because of your defiance," Shouta raised his voice.

Hitoshi slightly looked at Eri and immediately fell under her spell.

"Fine!"

—-

"Why did Izuku create a group chat with us three?" Denki asked Neito who was lying down on Denki's bed.

"I'm not sure. Do you think something is wrong with Toshi?"

"Logically, he would have called. This is a text," Denki unlocked his phone, immediately busting out into laughter.

"What is it? What's wrong?!" Neito started to panic.

"Here," Denki tossed his phone to his boyfriend.

"Oh, my goodness!"

Hitoshi had on messy makeup that Penny used to keep over at the Aizawa household with one of Izuku's long skirts and a matching hoodie. He looked miserable.

Izuku had snuck a picture and sent it to the two blondes. "Use as you wish," he sent with the picture.

"Izuku is dead once Toshi finds out he sent this to us."

"His problem, not ours," Neito tossed the phone back to Denki.

Denki caught his phone and put it on his dresser, face down.

Instead of picking up his gaming system, he got out of his chair and lied down next to Neito.

He was about to open his mouth and ask Neito something, but Neito beat him with his reply.

"No, we cannot cuddle."

"But why?!" Denki whined, leaning onto the other blonde.

"It's unfair for Hitoshi. All three of us are dating, remember."

"But, I want cuddles," he pouted his lip.

Neito rolled his eyes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Denki's face lit up with joy. "That's all you get."

"Are you sleeping over?" Denki asked, changing the subject.

"I don't have any clothes."

"I have one of Hitoshi's hoodies in my closet."

"Denki, do you have abandonment issues?" Neito asked.

"Yeah, I do. That's why I like to have someone I know loves me with me. Hence why I like you two to come over or I go to one of your houses."

"Babe, what about your parents? I'm sure they love you just as much," Neito pushed his hair back.

"They do, but I was left by myself a lot growing up. They love me, but I love you and Toshi more."

"10 minutes."

"What?" Denki scrunched his eyebrows.

"10 minutes of cuddles. No more, no less."

Denki smiled ear to ear and moved himself closer to Neito. He wrapped his arms around him and imagined Hitoshi holding him too.

Chapter Text

Today was the day Katsuki dreaded, Izuku was making him tell the class about his hearing aids.

Izuku went over to Katsuki's house before heading off to school. Izuku grinned ear to ear scrolling on his phone, waiting for Katsuki to finish getting ready.

"Don't forget to put fresh batteries in them," Izuku spoke, not looking up from his phone.

"You act like I've only had them for a few weeks. I've been having these stupid hearing aids almost as long as you've been deaf!" Katsuki scuffed, putting on his shirt, not caring if it matched the ideal uniform look.

Izuku laughed at Katsuki's temper being swayed at the simplest thing. He wasn't as scared as before.

"I know. I just want to make sure you'll actually going through with telling everyone. You better not chicken out."

Katsuki made a tsk noise, making sure his hair covered his ears out of habit.

"Katsuki," Izuku looked up from his phone. He noticed how his hair was. "I didn't tell anyone you were doing this."

Katsuki looked at Izuku and let out a sigh. "I promise, I'm not going to chicken out," he paused. "It's a habit," he pushed his hair back to reveal his hearing aids.

"Old habits die hard," Izuku got off of Katsuki's bed and walked over to him. Izuku looked him up and down, analyzing the uniform. "Where's the tie?"

"I don't wear it."

"Why?"

"I don't like it."

"So?"

"If I don't like it, I don't wear it."

"But your parents are fashion designers."

"I'm not my parents."

Izuku grinned, ruffling his hand in Katsuki's blonde. Katsuki grabbed Izuku's wrist and removed it from his hair.

"Don't do that. My hair is going to frizz."

"Trust me, the amount of hair gel I felt in your hair will definitely keep the flyaways at bay," Izuku held his hand out, slightly being grossed out by the amount of gel.

"Shouldn't you be heading to school?" Katsuki looked over to his alarm clock, seeing the time.

"I should, but I'm giving a tour today. Apparently I am the most qualified for this specific tour."

"Why would you be the most qualified?"

Izuku raised his finger over his lip as if he was telling Katsuki to be quiet. "Confidentiality."

"Are you coming over later?"

"I have to babysit Eri. Hitoshi and Denki is staying over at Neito's house and dad and papa have a night shift tonight."

"Can I come over then?"

"Nope. Eri already claimed my full attention. She requested that no loud blondes come over."

Katsuki chuckled. "A 7 year old is fighting me for your attention."

"Yes and she will always win."

"Even when you're old and probably have kids of your own?"

"Family comes first."

Izuku glanced at the clock and realized that he was going to be late if he kept wasting time.

"I should be heading out now."

"One more thing," Katsuki told him before Izuku started to walk away.

Izuku knew exactly what Katsuki wanted. He knew Katsuki wouldn't admit it, but he was an extremely affectionate person.

Izuku smiled and leaned up giving him a quick kiss.

"By the way, my family knows we've kissed. It kinda came out last night. Good luck!" Izuku quickly spoke, rushing out of Katsuki's room.

"Mr. Aizawa is going to kill me."

——

"Aizawa, you're late," the administrator raised an eyebrow as Izuku was panting, rushing into the office.

"Sorry, my friend needed a confidence boost," Izuku told them. The two of them never confirmed what they were to each other. As far as Izuku knew they were just 'cuddle buddies.'

"Do I want to know?"

"He's telling his class about his hearing aids. He's been keeping them a secret the whole year."

The administrator looked at him shocked. "All year?!" Izuku nodded. "I'm impressed. Usually you can only hide them if you have long hair and you keep it styled a certain way."

"That's what I was thinking!"

"Yuka should be getting here at any moment," she told him. "Do you know her from passing in the halls?"

"No, I don't. I usually stayed with Penny, but ever since she died, I've been by myself, occasionally talking to some of my classmates."

She nodded and motioned for him to sit down.

"How long do you usually take hearing breaks?"

"I usually take them during lunch and sometimes at home. I'm pretty okay with them."

She nodded and moved on back to Yuka. "Yuka is a year younger than yourself. She wants to attend a hero school and become the first completely deaf hero. You're friend, is he hard of hearing, or does he wear them for a different purpose?"

"He's hard of hearing."

"I thought it would be a good idea to show her around UA since you have connections with them."

"You guys are using my parents and family name aren't you?"

"Precisely."

Izuku smirked and shrugged his shoulders knowing he had no control over that.

"Well, I would be happy to show her around UA. Did you call the principal there yet?"

"I've spoke to him a few days ago. You just need to check in with him before you go free range at their school."

"Understandable. I'll be able to show her my dad's class since he's one of the hero course teachers."

"If I make ask what does your other father teach?"

"He teaches English, I think."

The two of them made small talk till a young girl walked into the office.

——

Katsuki looked himself in the mirror, trying to boost his confidence. It was nearing the middle of the school day and he had locked himself in the bathroom.

He had hid them all morning, but he was ready to tell everyone about them. There was no use of hiding them anymore.

He unlocked the bathroom and walked back to the classroom.

"Bakugo, you're back!" Mina squealed, even though he had only been gone for a few minutes.

"Relax, raccoon eyes, I only went the the restroom, not another country."

"Does anyone know where Mr. Aizawa went?" Denki asked, since he had been spaced out.

"He got called to the office. Apparently someone is here that needs to talk to him," Hitoshi yawned.

Katsuki picked at his nails, but glanced over to Shoto and Hanta. Shoto had fully come out of his shell and was even starting to speak simple sentences in Spanish.

Hanta caught Katsuki looking at the two of them. "Are you okay Bakugo?" He asked, sliding off of Shoto's desk, since he was sitting on it.

"Yeah, but...umm, I have to share something," he rubbed the back of his neck.

Everyone in the class looked at him confused, even Hitoshi. There were a number of things Katsuki could be sharing with everyone.

"I, um, I sort of have..." he mumbled.

"Bakugo are you actually showing us vulnerable feelings?" Mineta, the class pervert, made fun of him.

"Shut it grape boy! Can't you see he's trying to tell us something!" Hitoshi stood up for him.

The attention went back onto Katsuki.

"There's a reason why I know sign language and was able to communicate with Izuku so easily before his surgery."

"Bakubro," Kirishima gasped slightly figuring out what was about to happen. He was connecting the subtle details between him and Penny. He noticed how they both had to listen closely when someone was talking to them. He noticed how when multiple people would talk to them, they wouldn't be able to make out who said what.

"My quirk, like everyone's, has its own drawbacks. Mine is...well, destroying my hearing."

A few gasps could be heard from everyone in the classroom. Katsuki was ready to feel like a worthless piece of trash, but he noticed Hitoshi smile.

"I'm hard of hearing and over time, my hearing will get worse, but I don't think I'll go completely deaf like Izuku. I've been wearing hearing aids since our first day."

He moved his hair away from his ear and turned his head to show the class his hearing aids that sat on his ears.  The part everyone could see was the rustic orange color device that sat on top of his ear.

"That's...awesome!" He heard one of the girls shout.

"What?"

"That's so cool how you are powering through the drawbacks just like all of us. Most of us has scars, or headaches but yours is literally destroying your ears!" One of the boys added.

"So you guys don't think I'm weak?"

"Why would be? I bet Penny would be proud of you!" Ejiro smiled.

"Actually she wanted to kill me most of the time," he admitted.

"Why?"

"Cause she realized that Katsuki bullied me when we were younger," a familiar voice piped in. Everyone looked to the door and say the familiar green haired boy standing next to a girl with dark black hair.

"Izuku?!"

"One moment," he spoke aloud turning to face Yuka. "This is my dad's class. He teaches the hero course students. If you were to apply and get into the school, you might be lucky to get him. You wouldn't need a translator most of the time."

"What's going on in here?" She asked seeing how most of the students were standing around.

"The boy there," he pointed at Katsuki, "is finally telling his classmates about his hearing aids."

"He's hard of hearing?!" She gasped, signing.

"Yep, but don't worry, if you work hard, I'm sure you'll become the first deaf hero."

"I accept that challenge!"

Izuku laughed and looked back at Katsuki.

"I'm proud of you," he signed to him.

"I did it because if you," Katsuki smiled.

"You always use me as an excuse to do something," he poked fun of.

Shouta finally walked into the classroom behind Izuku and Yuka.

He ignored the fact that Katsuki was standing up front and basically talked over him while signing.

"Izuku is giving a tour of this young lady who is thinking of joining our hero course next year. She is deaf and wants to become the first deaf hero, I'm told. I'm using this opportunity to share with you a lesson I learned a while back. The only limits we have are the ones we set for ourselves. I know this is cheesy, but you must go beyond them...plus ultra," he mumbled the last bit. He hated saying the school motto.

"Thanks dad. I'm going to show Yuka the rest of the school," Izuku waved to everyone and guided the girl back into the hall.

As soon as the door shut, Shouta sent a death glare towards Katsuki.

"You kissed my son," he signed not wanting to cause a ruckus in the class.

'This is where I shall die.'

Chapter Text

Izuku looked at himself in the mirror. It was weird to see him in his school uniform knowing it was the last time he would be wearing it.

The school year seemed to fly by with everything that had happened to him.

The past month, Izuku and Katsuki never really established what they were. Yes, they would kiss and cuddle, but neither of them actually said if they were just cuddle buddies or something more.

His processors sat on his desk, waiting for him to put them on.

The lights flickered around him. He turned towards the door and saw his brother standing there in nice clothes that Neito had bought for him.

"Sorry," Izuku apologized.

"It's fine. I can't believe that you're graduating today," Hitoshi signed.

"I'm going to be honest, it feels weird. I never would have thought that I would be where I am whenever I was in foster care."

"Neito and Denki are downstairs. Thanks for letting me bring them," Hitoshi signed.

"You're welcome. I had the extra tickets. Is Katsuki here yet?" Izuku asked. Hitoshi shook his head no.

Izuku looked to his feet and grabbed his processors, placing them underneath the braid crown he had did earlier.

Izuku flinched, suddenly hearing the murmurs of people downstairs. "I'm not going to get used to that feeling," he shook his head.

Hitoshi walked into his room and sat on the edge of Izuku's bed.

"May I help you?" Izuku joked, making sure the curls he put in his hair earlier didn't clump together.

"I'm curious, what is Katsuki's relationship with you?"

"Dad already gave him the talk, I think. He told me that dad scared him after I left the classroom, but we never really confirmed anything."

"So you've been making out with this guy that you have no clue if he's actually your boyfriend."

"Hitoshi!"

"I'm telling the truth aren't I?"

Izuku sat down next to him and put his head on his brother's shoulder, letting out a sigh.

"We've both confessed, but he wants me to stop wearing the braids."

"I know you wear them for her, but she's been gone for months now."

"I just wished I could've heard her voice without the use of her quirk."

"What about one of the videos you two made?"

"I want to watch them, but," he paused. "My first instinct whenever the implants got activated was to watch them, but I can't seem to bring myself to watch them."

Hitoshi threw his arm around his brother, giving him a side hug. "I just want you to be happy. I want you to live your life with nothing holding you back. You've already changed so much this year because of everything."

Izuku chuckled thinking back to how he would always have his walls up and didn't let anyone but his family get through the first few layers.

Izuku Aizawa was changing from being a stone cold person to someone more like his old self.

He opened himself more towards others, but still kept a few walls up every now and then.

"Hitoshi, tell your brother to hurry up or we are going to be late!" Hizashi yelled throughout the house. 

"You heard our papa."

The two boys got up and walked towards the family room downstairs.

Izuku noticed his family brought all their attention towards him.

Hizashi wiped away a small tear, seeing his son ready for his high school graduation.

"Papa, you're not supposed to cry yet," Izuku laughed.

"Let me be emotional!"

Shouta started to walk towards Izuku, but Eri zoomed past him and got to him first.

"Izuku! Look what papa did to my hair! My curls are gone!" She jumped up and down.

Izuku was impressed that Eri's hair was staying flat and not gaining any curls already.

"How is her hair that straight?" He asked, looking up to Hizashi.

"You really think my hair is naturally this straight? It's a combination of heat damage, hair gel and hair spray."

Eri's hair stretched to her knees. It was impressive how long her hair was in the first place.

"Thanks for letting us come, Izuku," Denki smiled, fixing his choker that he wore.

"No problem. You two are pretty much family at this point."

Shouta moved Eri to the side and gave Izuku a hug. Izuku was taken aback since Shouta wasn't really an affectionate person, but he let his arms wrap around his father.

"I'm so proud of you son." He spoke in a low voice.

"Dad! Technically I'm still a high school student! I still have to get my diploma."

Shouta let go of Izuku and rubbed his head, causing Izuku's hair to frizz.

Izuku backed away giggling, using his hand to pat down the small frizzes.

"Shouta, you know he doesn't like that," Hizashi scolded his husband.

"Precisely, why I do it," Shouta smirked, picking up Eri.

Izuku looked at the time and noticed that they were needing to leave in a few moments.

"I'm sure, he'll show up," Hizashi comforted Izuku, gathering the last minute things they needed.

Izuku sighed and went over to the coffee pot and fixed himself a cup.

"Easy, you don't want coffee breath," Shouta warned him.

"I just want him to be here."

"Don't worry Izu, I'm sure your loud blonde is just running late," Eri peeped out.

"I hope so, Eri."

Izuku took a sip of the bitter drink, calming himself.

He finished the drink and put the mug in the sink to clean later.

"Go brush your teeth. I'm known for my coffee addiction. You're not."

Izuku laughed and ran back upstairs.

As soon as Izuku was up the stairs, he gave an evil glare to the three teens in the room, sending chills down their spines.

"You three better start calling Katsuki Bakugo and if he doesn't show up in the next minute, he's a dead boy."

"Yeah!" Eri agreed with Shouta having her own devil-like smile.

——

"Crap! I'm late! I'm late!" Katsuki zoomed past the people that were in his way.

He had overslept and didn't hear his alarms.

He had thrown on random clothes that looked decent and rushed out the door. He texted Hitoshi that he would meet everyone at the school.

As he ran, he hoped that Izuku would be able to forgive him. He wanted to be there for him.

He cursed to himself the whole way there.

"Katsuki!" He heard someone yell out to him.

He looked towards the voice and saw the Aizawa family plus two other blondes standing there, waving at him, but Izuku wasn't with them.

He rushed towards the family out of breath, hating that he put on black pants.

"You're late," Shouta towered over him, casting his shadow onto Katsuki.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm usually not like this," Katsuki bowed, apologizing.

"I want to take a picture of this moment," Denki mumbled. Neito heard him and elbowed him, giving him a warning of sorts.

Shouta sighed before replying, "You're lucky that I know you get to school early everyday, but," he paused, "I'm not the one angry at you."

Katsuki sighed looking at the ground. "I don't want to hurt him anymore."

"Kids let's go inside and find some seats," Hizashi told everyone else.

"I want to stay with dad," Hitoshi told him. "You guys head on in there."

Hizashi trusted his son and walked everyone else inside the gates.

Hitoshi walked next to his father and joined in on the conversation. "You say you don't want to hurt him anymore, right?"

"I've hurt him way too many times in my life."

"What is your relationship with my brother?"

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Last time I checked, Izuku doesn't know what the two of you are. There isn't a label on your relationship."

"Not everything needs a label."

"If you truly knew Izuku, you know that he needs to know exactly how things are. He doesn't like having information being kept from him," Shouta added in.

Katsuki didn't know what to say. "I-I."

"Save it," Shouta sighed. "That's a conversation for you and Izuku to have one on one."

"Where is he? I noticed he wasn't with you guys whenever I got here."

"He's already inside. He is graduating," Shouta told him.

"Let's go in before they start the ceremony," Hitoshi said, leading the three of them inside the gates.

——

(I know Japanese high school graduation vs American high school graduation is 2 different things. I'm combining the two of them for plot purposes)

Izuku didn't feel nervous until he sat in his chair waiting for the ceremony to begin.

He felt his hands calm up and a small sweat build up around his forehead. The people sitting next to him were the same way.

Izuku let out a breath and let his eyes wander into the crowd where the families of graduates were sitting.

Izuku knew that he wasn't allowed to look completely around him to keep the professional image that graduation was.

He didn't see anyone in his family on the sides. His only guess was that they were all sitting behind them, near the back of the area.

'I wonder if Katsuki showed up,' he thought to himself. He tried not to let the thought bother him, but it stayed on his mind the entire time.

As the ceremony started, Izuku noticed that there was an interpreter standing near the podium on the stage.

He knew that the administration staff was most likely going to be using their voices.

The ceremony began with a few speakers that Izuku became bored with. He was thankful that he could simply take off the things that allowed him to hear.

Soon, it was time for the handing out of diplomas. He slid back on his processors and got ready for the main event.

He could feel the tension in the air and was ready to officially graduate.

"Before we start handing out diplomas, I would like to say a few words about one of our fallen students," Izuku's face froze. "Penny Dawson."

He felt his breath quicken, but he calmed himself down and continued to listen to what the principal was saying.

"A few months ago, Penny and one of her classmates were kidnapped by villains. I respect her friend's privacy and will not name them, but according to Ms. Dawson's family, she was able to save not just her friend, but their family as well. Penny truly wasn't going to graduate until 2 years from now, but out of respect for this family, we would like to present the first diploma of the ceremony to Ms. Dawson's Parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dawson."

The interpreter finished translating what they said and the crowd started to wave their hands in the deaf way of clapping. Only a few hearing people actually clapped their hands since it was normal to them.

Syd and Eclipse walked onto the stage, ready to accept their daughter's diploma.

The principal handed them the item that held Penny's well deserved diploma and pulled them in into a quick, comforting hug.

Izuku looked down to his hands and felt a warm tear fall from his face.

He watched as Eclipse and Syd gave a slight bow and walked off the stage, going back to their seats.

"I will now name the rest of the graduating class. Please come up when your name is called," the principal spoke into the microphone.

One by one Izuku's classmates were called up through sign language and speech. Each one of them were given the same item that held their diplomas.

"Izuku Aizawa," he heard his name be called out.

Izuku stood from his chair and slowly made his way up to the stage. His mind blurred, but his body went through the action of receiving his diploma.

"Congratulations, Aizawa. We are proud of you," the principal told him.

Izuku pressed his lips into a thin line and bowed.

"Izuku," she spoke in a low voice. Izuku looked up at her with wide eyes.

"She's proud of you." Izuku gave a soft smile after hearing that.

"Thank you," he spoke as he was handed his diploma.

He looked out into the crowd seeing the students wave their hands as the hearing people clapped normally.

Izuku's gaze went towards the back of the area. His eyes scanned over the crowd till he found his brother's unique purple hair.

Eri seemed to be waving at him, practically jumping around in her seat. He noticed an extra person with his family. The ash blonde hair made Izuku know exactly who it was.

Katsuki had a smile on his face, but it was obvious that fear was on his mind.

Izuku went back to his seat and the rest of the ceremony passed by. He looked down to the item in his hand and thought back to the life he had leading up to that moment.

——

"Shouta, Hizashi, it's good to see you two again," Syd spoke to the family outside the gates, while they waited for Izuku to come out.

"How have you two been?" Hizashi asked, holding onto Eri's hand, making sure she wouldn't get lost in the crowd.

"It's been rough. Losing a child isn't the easiest thing in the world," Eclipse let out a breath. Her eyes landed on the small girl in the group. "And who might this be?"

"This is Eri. She's our daughter."

Eri peeked at the two new adults and looked at them with fear.

"It's okay Eri. They are Izuku's other friends," Shouta made it easy for her to understand.

"H-Hi," she peeped out, hiding behind Hizashi's leg.

"She's a shy one," Syd laughed.

"Mrs. Eclipse, Mr. Syd, this is the first time you'll see Izuku since the funeral, right?" Hitoshi joined in on the conversation.

The two adults looked at each other and thought back to the last time they saw him.

"You're absolutely right! How has he been?" Eclipse asked.

"Izuku can hear!" Eri had a boost of confidence, since they were talking about her favorite older brother.

"He got the implants?" Syd asked, putting together what Izuku told them whenever he was still at the orphanage.

"He got them a month or so ago."

Eclipse gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.

"He still hasn't listened to anything with Penny's voice in it yet," Hitoshi spoke up.

Syd placed an arm around his wife, comforting her. "Can we see him before your family leaves?"

"Of course you can. In fact you two can come over for the celebration," Shouta told them.

"We can't, we have a flight to catch to go back to America," Eclipse spoke.

"We moved here to give our daughter her best chance at an education, but," Syd paused. "It's time we have a new beginning."

"Dad! Papa!" They heard someone call out.

Eclipse and Sud looked towards the voice and saw the boy they watched change over the last 3-4 years.

Izuku didn't give anyone else his attention. His face dropped seeing the two of them standing there.

"Mr. Syd? Mrs. Eclipse?" He signed using their sign names Penny had taught him a while back.

"Sweetie, you can say our names now," Eclipse signed and spoke at the same time.

Izuku felt himself trying to hold back from all his emotions coming out, but there was something in that moment that let him free.

Hearing her voice lit a small spark.

"So how's it like hearing the world again?" Syd joined in so Izuku would be able to hear his voice.

Izuku let out a staggered breath. "C-Can I hug you two?"

The two of them just smiled and nodded.

With his diploma still in hand, he wrapped his arms around the two adults, imagining that their daughter was with them.

Syd and Eclipse just held onto him as he cried into their shoulders.

Katsuki watched the interaction. He could tell something was changing inside Izuku...and it was a good thing.

Chapter Text

Izuku didn't speak to Katsuki the entire way back to the Aizawa household.

Hizashi felt awkward in the very quiet vehicle since it was only the three of them in the car. Shouta was in the family's second car with everyone else.

"So," Hizashi broke the silence, "how does it feel to officially be a graduate?"

"I have no idea what to do with my life," Izuku mumbled.

"Lighten up. It's not everyday where someone graduates 2 years early," Hizashi tried to lighten the mood. "Plus, Nezu offered you an internship. He thinks that you can go far with that mind of yours."

Katsuki raised his attention to Izuku. He was still looking out the window watching everything go past.

"Mirio and the crew is coming over," Hizashi spoke again.

That was the last thing said  for the rest of the car ride.

——

"There's our fellow graduate!" Mirio laughed, putting Izuku into a headlock.

"Mirio, he can't breathe," Tamaki told him, wanting to leave the party already. His social battery was already running on empty.

Nejire just laughed seeing Izuku struggle in Mirio's grasp, but laughing as well.

Mirio let Izuku slide out from the chokehold.

"Just to think, when you three met me, I was deaf and mute. Now...I'm still deaf," Izuku joked , recalling the three's first year at UA.

"I still can't believe that you knew the big three before they were even the big three!" Hitoshi yelled from across the house.

The four of them laughed at his statement, going back to their own conversation.

"So, I'm guessing you three are going straight into the field?"

The three older teens told Izuku about their future plans and went on about the opportunity that Nezu had given Izuku.

Katsuki watched from afar as Izuku spoke with them. He knew he messed up and Izuku wasn't given him the chance to apologize, but whenever he tried to leave, Shouta and Hizashi wouldn't let him.

Eri walked up to the loud blonde and stood in front of him.

"What is it short stack?" He asked leaning back in the chair he was sitting in.

"How did you meet Izuku?" She asked. "Dad and papa told me that you knew Izuku before all of us."

Katsuki didn't expect her to ask such a question. He didn't know if he should share the entire truth or just the good parts.

He let out a sigh, leaned forward and began to explain to her, "I met your brother when we were about four years old. He lived with my family while he looked for a real family."

"Why didn't your family become his real family?"

"Things just didn't work out. I was mean to your brother for selfish reasons. I did a lot of bad things to him that I regret."

"He forgave you right? You and him are like dad and papa or Toshi, Neito, and Denki! You two love each other!"

Katsuki showed a soft side of him show to the small girl. "Love is a strong word. It can mean anything and everything at the same time."

Eri tilted her head and scrunched her eyebrows. "I don't get it."

He pat her head and watched as she giggled and her hair frizzed around his hand.

"You'll understand when you're older."

"That's what dad and papa say! Apparently, things make perfect since when your my big brothers' age, right?!" She smiled.

Katsuki wanted to tell her that life wasn't easy now matter the age, but he didn't want to break the 7 year old's heart.

"Not perfect, but mostly."

Eri squealed and went towards Hitoshi who was talking with his boyfriends.

Katsuki's eyes went back towards Izuku, but his eyes met with his.

Izuku sucked in a breath and quickly looked away from Katsuki.

'I wonder what that was about?' Katsuki asked himself.

——

"Bye Mirio!" Eri waved at the three older teens who were walking out the door.

"What about Nejire and Tamaki, Eri?" Denki asked wondering why she left out the others.

"That's their names?"

"Yeah, that's their names."

Eri shrugged her shoulders and decided to skip over towards Neito.

'She totally just ditched Nejire and Tamaki!' He made his way to his boyfriends.

Shouta looked over at the clock in the room and noticed it was nearing 6 in the afternoon.

He looked over to the couch and saw Katsuki just sitting there playing on his phone, not paying attention towards Izuku who was sitting in the opposite end.

"Bae," Shouta called out to Hizashi.

"Yes?"

Shouta made a movement for the two of them to go somewhere private to talk.

Hitoshi noticed his parents walking upstairs together.

"Are they go to..." Denki started.

"Ew, Denks no!" Hitoshi didn't want that thought in his mind. "I think I know what they are going talk about." Hitoshi glanced over to the two boys on the couch who were avoiding each other.

"What was Denki going to say?" Eri asked Neito.

Neito eyes widened. "Don't worry about it."

"It's an older person thing isn't it?"

"Yep."

—-

"Those two need to talk whatever happened out," Shouta told his husband.

"The car ride here was very quiet. Izuku's really mad at him."

Shouta pushed his hair back. "Love our son dearly, but he needs to not bottle up his emotions. It's no longer hurting just himself."

"We should have put him in therapy," Hizashi passed a hair tie that was on their dresser in their room.

Shouta put up his hair in a messy bun, not caring about how his hair looked like.

"We should have, but we always give our a kids a choice. If we were to ask him if he wanted to go..."

"He would say no."

"Exactly," Shouta concluded.

"How about double date night?" Hizashi proposed an idea.

"I love you, but this isn't a time to leave our kids."

"You didn't hear the word double."

"What do you mean?" Shouta asked.

"Hitoshi can take his boyfriends and Eri to mini golf or something and we can go see a movie or something. Basically leave Izuku and Katsuki here alone. You know how Izuku likes to deal with things alone."

"That's...not a horrible idea."

"I'll call Hitoshi up here and explain the situation," Hizashi smiled.

——

"Why do you hate me?" Izuku groaned.

"We just think that you and Katsuki should really talk out whatever is going on. We are just giving you space," Hizashi comforted him as the neared the door.

"It was your father's idea," Shouta smiled innocently.

"Shouta!" Hizashi slapped his husband's arm.

"What about Eri? Someone needs to watch her," Izuku tried to bring out a flaw in their plan.

"Eri, do you want to come with me and my blondes to go get candy apples?" Hitoshi crouched down to his sister's height.

"Candy apples!" Her face lit up with joy. Neito and Denki just stood there not faced by being called Hitoshi's blondes. They knew it was the truth.

"You're seriously using her love of apples!" Izuku switched to sign language.

"What's going on?" Katsuki asked, walking up towards the family.

"Katsuki, would you please stay here with Izuku? We have some errands to run," Hizashi slowly grabbed the doorknob.

"The whole family?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Got to go!" Hitoshi took control and rushed out the door with everyone else tuning out behind him, shutting the door behind them.

"What was all of that?" Katsuki asked Izuku who was facepalming himself.

"My family's idea of getting us two alone."

"Look I know you're mad at me," Katsuki started.

"Yeah, I am."

"My alarm didn't go off. Your brother, Dunce face, and copycat's phone calls woke me up. I ran faster than I ever did in my entire life to get to your graduation."

"It's not just that Katsuki!" Izuku raised his voice.

Katsuki felt his breath get caught in his throat. It was what Hitoshi had told him before the graduation ceremony.

"What even are we? I can't just kiss you and go on not knowing what we are. We confessed to each other, but that's it!"

"Isn't that all you need to know?" Katsuki asked.

"No, I need to know the details. You still hear with your hearing aids, right?"

"Yeah, I can."

"Being deaf, people who were hearing and knew sign, like my parents and brother, can choose what to tell me. I may never know if they told me everything. They could have kept things secret from me," he paused and looked Katsuki in the eye. "I don't want that anymore. I don't just want to know, I need to know everything I can, especially when it's about my life."

"I never thought about it that way."

"No one does."

"That's not the full truth," Katsuki told him.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's go sit down first," Katsuki held out his hand for Izuku to grab. Izuku slowly put his hand in his and followed him back to the couch where Katsuki sat for most of the party.

"Did Hitoshi talk to you?" Izuku asked sitting down.

"Yeah, he did."

"And?"

"They know that you like to have labels on things. They can see that about you. I don't think they would hide anything from you intentionally. They aren't the kind of people to do that."

"But what if they did?"

"Izuku, questioning your family like that isn't going help. They love you from the bottom of their hearts. I honestly can't think of another family that is as close as yours."

"I just don't want to be left out of anything anymore," he looked down to his lap.

Katsuki placed his hand lightly on Izuku's chin and carefully pulled Izuku face to face his.

"Izuku, will you do me the tremendous honor in becoming my boyfriend? I promise I'll try not to keep any secrets from you. I will always be there for your special moments no matter what. I promise I won't hurt you like I did in the past."

Izuku let out a small breath as a slight smile started to appear on his face.

"Those are some pretty big promises."

"And I won't break a single one."

"Yes. I'll gladly become your boyfriend Kacchan."

Katsuki leaned in closer towards Izuku until their foreheads were touching.

"Can I kiss you again?"

"Do you need to ask permission now?" Izuku joked.  

The two of them started to kiss slowly as if they were living in their last moments.

Katsuki's hand started to make its way into Izuku's hair, careful not to accidentally remove his processors, but he could feel the braid that still sat on Izuku's head.

Katsuki broke apart from him with his hand still in Izuku's hair.

"Izuku, the braids," Katsuki told him.

"I know," he mumbled. Izuku's eyes lit up and moved quickly out of Katsuki's grasp, reaching for his phone.

"What are you doing?" Katsuki asked him.

Izuku didn't answer the blonde and went to his camera roll. He scrolled till he found the video he was looking for.

"Is that..."

"Penny's video diary that she made on my phone. She made it has a joke whenever I was still in the orphanage."

Izuku's finger hovered over the play button, hesitating to click it.

"You can do this," Katsuki encouraged him.

Izuku took in a deep breath and let it out, hitting the play button.

"Hello Izuku's phone!" Penny laughed as the video started to play.

Izuku gasped hearing her voice on his own. It sounded sweeter than what he had played in his head back in the cell. It was warmer, welcoming in a way.

"Right now, you are signing for me to stop, but being the amazing best friend I am, I am choosing to ignore your efforts," she laughed again.

The camera moved and showed Izuku in the background reaching for the phone.

Penny continued to laugh as she successfully kept it out of his reach. "I'm not sure you if you'll ever watch this video with the sound on, but if you ever do, I just want to say that I love you and I always will. Not even death can break us apart. If I die before you whenever we are old and gross, I'm definitely going to haunt you as a ghost!"

Izuku let out a chuckle at the irony her last sentence. "That didn't age well."

The video ended with the image if Penny's smile on the screen.

Izuku wiped the few tears that made their way out of his eyes. He place his phone out the way and crawled on top of Katsuki.

"I- I think I'm ready," Izuku told him.

"May I?" Katsuki asked, reaching for the hair tie that kept the braided crown in place.

Izuku nodded.

Katsuki carefully pulled the hair tie out of his hair. The two sections came falling to the sides of Izuku's face.

Katsuki started to unbraid one section while a Izuku did the other.

When they were finished, the sections of hair were pushed out of Izuku's face.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Katsuki asked him.

"For not giving up on me," he smiled resting his head on Katsuki's shoulder.

"Thank you for giving me the chance."

The two of them stayed in that position until they eventually fell asleep holding each other, with a smile on their faces.

——

"Mrs. Inko! Mrs. Inko! Look at him!" Penny bounced up and down seeing Izuku and Katsuki holding each other.

"Penny dear, I can see him. I've been watching him for a lot longer than you have," Inko told her.

"I know. Did it take him this long to move in from you?" She asked Inko.

"I may have died whenever he was little, but he has more people around him that love him than when he was just 4."

"I'm just happy to see him actually smile because of someone he loves that's not just his family," Penny smiled.

Inko put her hand on Penny's shoulder. "I think he doesn't need us watching over him all the time anymore."

"Oh, I'm still watching him, but I think I can let this moment slide."

"Penny dear, thank you for being there for him. You were their for him when no one else was."

"That's what best friends are for," Penny smiled.

The two of them walked away from where they were and went back deeper into the afterlife.

Izuku had moved on. He finally let go.

He was no longer alone. He had others that he truly loved and trusted in his world; the silent world.

The end