Chapter Text
Midoriya didn’t have a choice when he took this position.
Well, technically he did, but he couldn’t bear the thought of all those poor kids not having someone to rely on.
Now being the oldest of the Nest, Midoriya was in charge of getting water and snacks. It wasn’t too hard, but he didn’t always have the money.
It was tradition for whoever was the oldest had to be “in charge” of it. The people before him had either died or grown old enough to get their own place, but he was 13 now, and needed to keep this place alive.
The Nest was a place for the shunned from society to collect and have somewhere to go. It wasn’t a nice place; there were cracks in the walls, leaks in the ceiling, but it was good enough for an abandoned apartment. Many of the people who went there were quirkless, some with “villainous” quirks, others just kids who needed a place to stay. Anyone who needed a home was welcome here. Midoriya liked that. It was A safe place for everyone, regardless of quirk status. Those don't exist nowadays.
He had spent most of his time here since he stumbled upon it when he was six. His mother was barely around anymore, too busy working, and being anywhere near his school was a no-go. So he hung around here, helping kids like him.
Today, there were two new people who had arrived. They were twins, about 8 years old, long black air pulled into singular braids, and looked pretty bashed up. Midoriya made his way over to them, from where he was reading.
“Hello! I’m Midoriya. This is the Nest. What are your names?”
The twins looked around, unsure, but gave a timid response.
“I’m Emiko and this is Fumiko.” One gestured to the other.
“Those are nice names. You guys seem pretty hurt, want some help bandaging up? I have a first aid kit right over there.”
Cautiously, they nodded. Midoriya led them over to a corner with a decently sized first aid kit and a small mat.
“Here, you two can sit down. Let’s see how bad it is.” He inspected them for a couple of seconds, before nodding.
“Nothing too bad.” He fumbled with the kit for a bit, before getting some alcohol wipes to clean the blood off of their foreheads. It hadn’t been too bad, just a cut and bruise or two.
“Is it okay if I touch your foreheads? I’m going to clean them up a little before I put a bandage on.” Midoriya learned that you should always ask before touching someone, even if it is small like that. It lets them feel more secure, knowing what’s going to happen. He explained what he was going to do, even if it was just a wipe and a bandage.
They both nodded, and he got right to work.
“Annnd done! Good job!” Midoriya praised. The two girls looked at him, before giving a quiet “Thank you”.
“Oh of course! Any time. Feel free to stay as long as you like.” Midoriya said. “There’s some book over there if you want to read, sleeping bags if you want to sleep, and some snacks here if needed as well. You can do whatever you want, make yourself comfortable.”
Emiko and Fumiko headed over to the book shelf, still a little wary of the place, but getting more comfortable.
Midoriya knew that he shouldn’t try and control them, pretending to be the person to guide them. That was not his job. His job was to make sure that they knew they were welcome here. They can do what they want, however much he wished he could magically make their lives better. Things like that don’t happen. The twins didn’t know him that well, so it’s unlikely they would trust him right away.
He headed back to his chair, reading a new magazine he had picked up. There were a couple people hanging around, but it was a Thursday, so not as many as normal.
Only a couple minutes later, someone else showed up. Midoriya already knew her, they got pretty close after a while. Kaori, her name, was 9 years old, and had been coming since she was 7. She had long dark purple hair, and the quirk to be able to change her eye colour. It wasn’t that powerful, making her parents disregard her wellbeing, forgetting she exists. She only comes to the Nest twice a week, and that’s when her parents are arguing the most. At the moment, her hair was disheveled and she had bags under her eyes.
“Hello, Kaori. Come here.” Midoriya gestured for her to sit down in front of him. He grabbed a comb from a nearby shelf, one which someone else had brought, and started to comb through her hair.
“Want to talk about it?” He asked. She sighed.
“It’s the same as always. My parents had been fighting again, then they started yelling at me, and I needed out. It’s been getting worse.” Kaori started to cry. Midoriya nodded, even though she couldn’t see it.
“Hey. You’re here now. I don’t know what it’s like to have parents arguing, but I do know you don’t deserve that to happen to you. I will always be here to listen when you need.”
Unable to properly form words, she nodded her head silently. Midoriya finished up the quick comb, before handing Kaori a packet of tissues to use.
“Thank you. I’m going to be staying here tonight.”
“Of course.” He paused. “Need a hug?” Kaori nodded after a moment, letting Midoriya give a short 3 second hug. He knew she didn’t like long hugs. It made her feel trapped, which Midoriya understood and respected. Feeling trapped was never a nice experience, even if coming from a nice place. Letting her go, she made her way over to a corner and sat down, fidgeting with her hands. The concerned boy knew better than to go up to her. It wasn’t his place. He had to keep reminding himself that he wasn’t the one that fixed everyone’s problems. He wasn’t the one who could swoop in and save the day. However much he dreamed of it, it’s just not a reality. This place, people didn’t come here to get their problems fixed. They came here for a shelter, for a haven. Midoriya probably wouldn’t like it that much if someone came up to him, saying “I know everything that’s wrong with you! I know how to fix it, and how to make no one hate you ever again!” No. Having someone to listen to is all he could ask for. He didn’t like venting to children younger than him, though, so honestly someone would be nice.
He can’t always be the saviour he wants to be.
The day quickly draws to an end, some people leaving, some people coming. For the most part, Midoriya sat back and continued to read his book from the pre-quirk era. It was pretty old and unknown, the Sherlock Holmes series. He loved the perspective, and found the stories fascinating for their time. So much intrigue.
Unfortunately, as soon as the sun sets, it’s too dark to catch the glimpses of light from in between the cracks of wood, and he puts the book down. The twins are still here, he noted. Probably a new addition of regulars. Nice, but sad.
The green head got out his sleeping bag, and unrolled it near the window. That way he could start reading as soon as the sun comes up.
. . .
The sun rises too early, as always. Everyone from the previous night was there, slowly waking. The boards didn’t let in much light at this time, as the sun was on the other side of the building, but there was enough for people to start getting ready for the day.
Midoriya wasn’t the first up, knowing that he was close enough to his school he could sleep in for a little bit. Unfortunately for some people, their school was too far away, and had to leave extremely early. Midoriya didn’t know if there were other places like the Nest, but if there were, he didn’t know about them.
Around what he assumes is 7, he makes his sleeping bag and packs his backpack. It doesn’t have much, just his textbooks, some clothes, water, and obviously his notebook that he carries everywhere. He hopes that today at school isn’t too bad. He’s going to go back to the Nest tonight, as Friday was one of the busiest days.
Koari has long since left. She lives a 45 minute walk away from here, and her school is even farther. It’s surprising she even found this place.
The two twins were still here, which was surprising. Despite knowing better, Midoriya goes up to them.
“Good morning. Do you know if you two are heading to school today?”
Neither of them respond, both just staring at him.
“It’s ok if you don’t. But, if you do, I hope you have a good day. I hope you have a good day either way!”
The twins nod, unsure of what exactly to do. Midoriya sighs quietly, before making his way out of the Nest. School was only around 15 minutes away. He would make it there early, but it’s better than being late. He has some writing he has to catch up on.
. . .
The school day was relevantly uneventful, Kacchan was the same as always. He had to stay a couple minutes late to clean up his desk. Friday was always one of the worst days for the writing, as a bunch of kids have a club or something held in this room the day before, and it’s a “fun” way to interest them while they’re bored.
Either way, it was the end of the day, and it was time to head back to the Nest.
Something felt off today, though.
It felt as if it was an important day. Something was going to happen.
That’s unlikely, though, as nothing ever did happen. It was just a false gut feeling. Maybe from not having enough food. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter.
But that feeling kept nagging at him. For almost the entirety of his walk. That was until he heard a small rustle and whining from an alley beside him. Assuming it was an alley cat, he went to investigate it.
The sound came from pretty far down the alley, behind a dumpster. Quietly walking, so as to not disturb the cat.
But what he found was one hundred percent not a cat.
When he turned around the dumpster, he found a kid, around his age, wild purple hair, wide, scared eyes, but most importantly, a mask covering his entire mouth. He looked panicked, and was trying to take off whatever that was off of his face. The moment he looked up, fear washed over his face.
What was a kid doing back here?