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You'd kissed them both good night. It had been a perfectly normal week, and you hadn't needed to be small at all. Actually, this was probably one of the calmest weeks that had happened ever since you started at UA. You were able to sleep in your own bed, curled with your blanket and Sam. You were even thrilled that you didn't need to be tucked in.
The alarm snapped you out of a dead sleep. You bolted up right, trying to orient yourself. What was that alarm? What was happening. It was loud, with flashing lights. The fire alarm, you realized. You threw the blankets off yourself and zipped out of the hallway. You'd all been strictly told during fire alarms that you were not to knock on anyone else's door, you were not to bring anything with you. Do not take the elevator, go to the stairs and head down to the meeting point in an orderly fashion.
You bolted for the emergency exit, not even putting on your slippers. Sero looked up when he saw you open the door, looking relieved.
“Come on,” he told you. “Let's move.” you wanted to ask where Izuku and Katsuki were, but they were coming, you were sure. They'd probably knock on your door, and when you weren't there, they'd head down. It was fine. You shivered slightly, your bare feet on the cold steps. You and the others were hustling down to the meeting point.
Aizawa was already there, arms crossed, face hidden in his capture weapon. You wondered if he did that so no one would catch his expression in the moment. The rest of your class was milling about the meet up spot. Some had grabbed robes or sweaters, put on slippers. You crossed your arms and shivered, swallowing slightly. Aizawa was looking over all over you, counting again and again.
A sinking feeling spread through your body. You hadn't seen a certain grumpy blond or someone with curls and freckles. And there was no way, whether or not you were big or little, they wouldn't have sought you out immediately. You were trembling and not because of the cold as your eyes scanned the group.
“Where's Izuku?” you said loudly. Heads swiveled towards you as they all seemed to realize. You looked back at the building, your legs moving before you could stop yourself. There wasn't any smoke, so maybe it was a false alarm or bad wiring. Before you could get too far, arms were around you, yanking you back.
“I'm sorry, I can't let you run into a burning building.”
“It isn't on fire! Let me go, Iida, let me go right now!” you struggled against him. Aizawa quietly let his capture weapon wrap around you, effectively stilling you. Gave him a betrayed look.
“You tell me that you don't want to go in there and look for them.”
“My responsibility is to all of you.”
“And my responsibility is to them.” you argued. He only put his hand on top of your head, looking out as Nezu and several of the other teachers were headed your way, looking concerned. You struggled against the bindings, looking for any weak point. Damn him, you thought.
“Aizawa,” the mammal said, looking grave. “Did everyone make it out?”
“We're waiting on Bakugo and Midoriya.” he shook his head. The principal's eyes turned to you.
“I see. Come with me,” he beckoned. “We'll go in and look ourselves. The sprinkles haven't go off, so there hasn't been any fire. I'm sure Yamada will be happy to watch over your students.”
“Of course,” Yamada said quickly. It was late enough at night that his hair was down, in a loose sleep braid. The capture weapon was removed from you, but his hands were on your shoulders before you could take a step.
“If we can cooperate, they'll find them faster.” he said softly to you.
“I'm not little right now.” you said through clenched teeth.
“I know that,” he squeezed your shoulders. You had the feeling he didn't quite believe you, but you said nothing else, eyes tracking Aizawa and Nezu, along with Snipe, as they headed into the dorms. You gave out a little noise, nearly unaware that you were doing it.
“Here,” Todoroki was holding out a robe. “You're freezing, put this on. My pajamas are warmer than yours.” you gave a wobbly smile and put it on, Yamada pulling your hair out so that it would be caught under the robe.
“It isn't like Bakubro to sleep through an alarm.” Denki mused. He got a sharp elbow in his ribs from Sero, whose dark eyes looked pointedly at you. Denki had the grace to look a little ashamed. Your whole body was tight, watching, waiting. It was too long that the three of them came out. Aizawa walked directly towards you, bending down to look you in the face.
“Bakugo and Midoriya are not there.” he said slowly and calmly.
“W-what?” you stammered. “But I kissed them good night, Katsuki said he was coming up to bed right after I did.”
“Then there's no point in asking you if you know where they went.” he sighed. You clutched at Todoroki's robe, looking up at Aizawa, wordless and feeling a little lost. The rest of the class was buzzing with plans.
“Everyone calm down.” Nezu said. “It's obviously not safe to go back to your rooms tonight. We don't know where they went, or if anyone took them.”
“Where are we going?” Momo asked.
“To sleep in the common room of 1-B.” Aizawa sighed. “I can't let you go inside and get anything, either. That wouldn't be safe. I'm sorry.”
You all trudged along to the dorms of 1-B. The common room furniture was already moved out of the way by sleepy looking students, and there were stacks of sleeping bags and pillows. All of it was very sterile, very plain. None of it was Sam or your blanket. You went to take off Todoroki's robe and hand it back when he stopped you.
“Would it help you sleep?” he whispered in your ear. You gave a small nod. “Then keep it.” he even laid near you in a sleeping bag. When the lights were out the 1-B students were back in their rooms, he reached out and let his hand rest on your back.
“They're probably okay, right?” you said softly.
“Of course they are.” he soothed. “There's no one I'd hate to pick a fight with more than them.” he rubbed your back.
“Don't cry, darling.”
You just curled into a smaller ball into your sleeping bag, pressing back towards him a little bit. And if everyone else found you two like that in the morning, having barely slept, with Todoroki's arm around your waist, no one said anything.
You were allowed back into the dorm after it had been swept. You darted in to Midoriya's room, shocked that it was marked off by tape. Nothing in there looked strange or out of place. All of his All Might Figures were in place. You went to Bakugo's room, and found the same. You stood there, staring for a moment. Then you shuffled to your room and dressed. You put on a uniform, not bothering with the outfit that you really wanted to wear.
“Are you sure?” Kirishima frowned as soon as he saw you.
“'Bout what?” you asked, feeling cranky already.
“Nothing, never mind.” he turned to his breakfast. They all knew better than to push you right now. You'd come around or you wouldn't they were sure. You poked at the toast that had been hastily made, eventually not eating anything, and following
everyone to homeroom. Tsu came to put her hand in yours, giving it a squeeze.
The air as you walked into the classroom was solemn. Aizawa looked more tired than usual. If he was surprised to see you in your uniform, he didn't show it. He sat behind his desk and waited for everyone to be seated.
“On review of the footage, we can ascertain that someone with a warp quirk has taken both Midoriya and Bakugo.”
“Was it the League again?” Kirishima asked.
“We shouldn't jump to conclusions as this point.” Aizawa said. Your hands went tight in your lap and you stared down at your desk.
“Please know that it's being worked on. I expect all of you to stay safe and look out for one another.” he was quiet for a moment. “Please take out your notebooks, and we can begin.”
After giving instructions, he walked up and down the room, correcting people here and there. He stopped and you and knelt down next to your desk.
“Talk to me, kid.”
“There's nothing to say. I understand the assignment.” you said grimly, moving your pencil. He reached out and took it from you.
“You know that's not what I mean.”
“I don't want to talk about it.” you said tensely. “I'm big right now, and I don't need a whole counseling session about it. You've told us to all stay in place and keep one another safe. I'll do that. I'll do exactly as you told us.”
He contemplated you for a moment as you held your hand out, waiting for your pencil to be placed back into it. He just stood up, walking away with the pencil. You glared at him, staring down at your notebook until he came back with the pencil sharpened.
“If you need me, I am always available to you.” he walked back, letting you continue on with your work. The day dragged on, until just after lunch when All Might gathered your class quickly.
“All of you, we have a lead, we need all hands on deck. Costumes, be ready to go!”
You felt like you were coming alive. Of course they had found them quickly. Whoever had taken them had messed with UA students. There was no end of professionals that wanted them back, just as bad as you did.
The chase was on. When you got to the site, an empty house, you were the first one in, combing through every room, prying up boards. There was evidence of someone having been there recently. The dust was disturbed, and there were spots of blood here and there that you didn't want to think too much about. There were scorch marks on the wall, which gave you some pleasure. Of course Kacchan would be trying, you thought.
The house was large, and you weren't going to rest until all of it had been explored. The sun had set, and you were still trying to pry up a floor board. Your hands were shaking, and you could hear your heartbeat in your ears.
“They're not here.” Aizawa said, watching you. Iida had been going along with you, and you were sure that at some point in the day, he had decided this was futile, but he didn't have the heart to make you stop.
“Yes they are,” you said stubbornly.
“No,” Aizawa was pulling you off the floor, examining your hands. You'd shed your gloves, feeling they didn't give you enough grip. They were full of cuts and splinters. They shook slightly, and you wondered what they were going to feel like when the adrenaline ran out.
“But then they aren't anywhere!”
“Come on,” he was walking you out, ready to put the students in the cars that had appeared. You struggled against him, ready to go back in.
“Kiddo, stop it, they aren't there.”
“They have to be, they have to!”
“Did she sleep last night?” he asked. Todoroki shook his head slowly. “We'll take you to see Recovery Girl.” he told you. He sat with you in the backseat of Yamada's car, buckling you in himself. You kept looking at the building behind you, are of the silence of the car.
“Did you even think they were there?”
“We had hoped.” he said.
“So you sent in the students? You didn't have the Pros go in to handle it?”
“We had hoped whoever had taken them would have abandoned the idea.” Aizawa didn't seem keen to say much more. You narrowed your eyes at him, feeling like he was hiding something from you. But you let yourself be walked into Recovery Girl's office, where a few others were having nicks and scrapes looked at. You were ushered behind a curtain to strip out of your costume and into a pair of your own clothes.
“Hello, dear.” Recovery Girl sat you on one of the beds, pulled up a stool and looked at your hands. She clicked her tongue and got a pair of tweezers, getting out the splinters. You flinched a few times, winced when she daubed the cuts with some antiseptic.
“You're all getting tetanus shots.”
“I don't need one.” you said quickly. “Wasn't that done at my last wellness visit?”
“No, but you're right, it should be added. I'll reach out to the specialist.”
“Well, I don't want one.” you set your chin. Arms reached out around you, lifting you up onto a lap. You growled, trying to struggle.
“Shhh, you're okay.” it was Iida.
“Tenya, no!” you only really used his first name when you were slipping. And it shouldn't have come to any kind of surprise, really.
“Why don't we sedate her while we're here?” Aizawa asked. You gave him a look, jaw dropped and began to struggle harder. Iida was strong, but you were a hero in training too, and in the right head space, you might have had a chance at escaping him.
“I'm right here, you're okay.” Iida said in your ear.
“But I want Daddy!” there it was, the outcry they had all been waiting for. Recovery Girl gave you a sympathetic look.
“I know you do, but it's been a long day, you're exhausted, and you're nearly hysterical. This will help you rest, and then you'll feel better.” he gave you a little squeeze, letting you press against his chest.
“Tenya, please.” you begged. You winced when you felt the needle in. “Tenya, no.” you sounded so disappointed.
“I have to go and find them, I have to.”
“I'm right here, you're okay.” he soothed. “Don't fight, just let it take you under.” you felt tears burning your eyes, his hand coming up to brush them away.
“It's okay, darling.”
It was working quick. You were tired, even if you didn't want to admit it. You didn't even feel the tetanus shot. You were faintly aware of someone reaching for you, letting you clamp your legs around their waist. You nuzzled into them.
“I have you.” Todoroki murmured. “You're sleeping in my room tonight.” he said it in such a way that no one would dare to argue the point with him. He carried you back to the dorms, laying you in his own bed, pulling up the covers, handing you Sam.
“Don't leave.” you mumbled.
“I won't,” he promised. He sat at his desk, leaving you be. It didn't take much for you to fall asleep, your arms wrapped around your comfort item.
When you woke up, you didn't want your uniform. You padded to your room and pulled out a sweater and skirt, holding your toe socks in one hand. Your eyes ached at the thought of having to put them on yourself. Barefoot, you went and brushed your teeth and washed your face.
“What's up, babycakes?” Kirishima asked as he stepped it, ruffling your hair. You looked at the socks and at him, holding them out.
“Need some help? I can do that.” he lifted you onto the row of sinks and helped you on with your socks. With a smile, he set you down and you headed off to breakfast. You didn't eat much, but no one seemed to notice. No one really seemed to be eating much, when you really got down to it.
When it was time for class, someone had grabbed your rainbow star bag, and Todoroki held your hand as you walked to class. He sat you in a seat next to him. Aizawa said nothing, seemingly unsurprised by the whole thing. He only stopped to cup your face in his hand.
“Are you all right?”
You only shrugged in response. He sighed and headed back to the head of the class. Lessons were continuing, which seemed wrong to you on some level. When it came time for combat training, you stood next to All Might, slipping your little hand into his.
“I want Daddy and Kacchan.” you said softly. He turned to you and smiled, bending down.
“I promise you, every single person that can look for them is looking for them. I trained Midoriya myself, and I do have a special interest in Bakugo as well. I have faith in them. Just like I told them to have faith in you when you went missing, hm?” he pushed some hair out of your face.
“Did they miss me?”
“Every moment.” he stood up straight. You left your hand in his the rest of the lesson, until Kirishima was ready to collect you and walk you back to the dorms. You spent the rest of the evening quiet, then went to sleep in your own bed when Sero suggested it was probably your bedtime. You couldn't be upset, Denki and Mina were going to bed, too. You declined offers to be tucked in, laying down yourself.
Sleep didn't come, and you weren't surprised. How could you sleep when you were so worried about them? What if they were hungry, or cold, or hurt? They could even be dead. It was a sick thought, you knew that, but there was nothing else you could think of. What would happen to you then? You clutched Sam closer, hoping to chase away such thoughts.
You fell into a weird headspace. That fuzzy in between space. You couldn't force yourself one way or the other. Everyone else was so occupied that they didn't pay much attention to you. Just as well, really. As long as you managed your uniform and stayed quiet, no one would have any reason to pay much attention to you. Denki and Mina were managing to stay big, there was no reason you couldn't. And if there was a little tremble in your hands, well, you could chalk that one up to nerves.
Classes went by, and you were able to fake it enough that none of your teachers had many questions. Really, they seemed distracted, too. They had bigger fish to fry than worrying about you. Easy to slide under the radar.
But then the weekend came.
“I think it would be for the best if any of our small people indulged.” Aizawa announced. You felt yourself growing pale.
“But what if we get called?” Shoji asked. “Wouldn't that be dangerous?”
“I can assure that everything will be handled. I've talked to Nezu, and we're concerned with the morale and well being of the class in general.”
“I don't want to.” you said firmly. He just looked at you.
“I'm sorry, miss, did I offer you a choice?”
“It's my headspace, and I'm not going down if I don't want to.” you set your chin. The class looked between the two of you, anxious. Aizawa just set his mouth in a firm line and said nothing. Good, you thought. Besides, you were busy.
You gathered your laptop and sat in the living room, resting it on the coffee table as you searched. You were reading old newspaper articles about any villains you could find with a warp quirk, trying to search up the documents about their arrests and sentences. There had to be something there, you reasoned, something that could help you.
You must have been at it for an hour after school before a big hand came up and closed your machine. You jumped and glared.
“Go and change out of your uniform and get a snack.” Aizawa said in a level tone. You shook your head. “Denki and Mina are eating,” he gestured to the table, where the two Littles were calmly having a snack. You bet they had juice in the sippy cups.
“I'm not hungry.” you went to open your laptop again.
“That wasn't a suggestion, little miss.”
“I'm not--.” you huffed. “I appreciate you think you're helping. I have to do this work.”
“You're all done for the day.” he reached for you, pulling you up gently to put you on your feet.
“Don't touch me!” you shrank away from him with a scowl. There was a low gasp from someone. Everyone was watching the two of you.
“I don't need help, and I don't want you to touch me. Go away,” you plopped back down and pulled your laptop towards you.
“I understand that you're upset.” Aizawa's voice was tight. You were reminded, somewhere in the back of your mind, that he was probably upset, too. These were two of his students, and he adored all of you. It had to be eating him up that he couldn't find Daddy and Kacchan. He was probably just trying to take care of you as best he could, so he could do something that would be helpful to them. You should just give in, the more reasonable part of your mind whispered. But no, if you gave in now, you'd show him that he could always run you.
“You still need to do as you're told.”
“You're not telling anyone else.” you pointed out.
“I'm not worried about them right now, I'm worried about you. You can go and sit down and I'll get you a snack, and we can speak no more about it.” you shook your head and crossed your arms, stomping your foot.
“I don't need a snack, I don't need to be worried about. Go away!” you grabbed your laptop and sat down on the couch, flicking open your laptop with a snap. Aizawa reached out and took it.
“That's mine!”
“You'll get it back. This display of attitude is not acceptable behavior. You and sit at the table.”
“You can't make me.” you spat back. “You're not my Daddy, you're not Kacchan, I don't have to listen to you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, I don't. When they're not around, I'm allowed to listen to myself. I can make choices for myself.”
“As long as they're healthy choices, and that's not what you're doing right now.” you reached for the laptop, and he held it out of your reach. With a frustrated scream, you pulled your leg back and kicked him. The whole room went silent, Denki dropping the cookie he was eating back onto his plate.
You stared up at him. He stared back at you. Neither one of you quite knew what was going to happen. Finally, Aizawa seemed to come back to life.
“That is enough. You're in time out.” he had your elbow and was steering you to the corner with the little chair. He pushed your shoulders until you sat. Without another word for you, you began to sob like your heart would break. Your face went to your hands, your shoulders shaking with the force of it. You couldn't see behind you, the way Aizawa was scrubbing his hand down his face.
Every single caregiver in there wanted to come and sweep you from the seat. They wanted to place you on their laps until you stopped crying, then have you apologize. Everyone knew you owed him an apology, but maybe he had pushed you. And exceptions could be made, given the circumstances. You gave out long, choking sobs.
“Hey, hey, hey, song bird.” Yamada was kneeling in front of you. “I've never heard such a sad song. What's up?”
“I didn't mean it!” you managed to gasp out. “I didn't, I was just mad, sensei, I was just mad.” he hummed, realizing he wasn't going to get anything more out of you that moment. He leaned back and looked at his husband, eyebrows raised.
“She kicked me.” he said flatly.
“You kicked him? You know better than that.” he scolded gently. “Why would you go and do a thing like that?”
“He took my laptop, and he said we have to be Little this weekend, and I don't want to be Little, I have to find them. I can't do that if I'm Little, I'm useless if I'm Little.” you were damn near hyperventilating. Yamada gave Aizawa a rather unimpressed look.
“We're just going to breathe first, okay? In and out.... In and out....” he coached. You followed the breathing pattern until you weren't gasping for air. He lifted you out of the time out car and settled you on his hip. For someone who didn't want to be Little, you were curling into him.
“Do you have something to say to Aizawa?”
“I'm sorry!” you held out your arms to him. He looked at you for a moment and took you from his husband, giving you a hug. “I should never have kicked you. I'm sorry.”
“I know you are, kiddo. I am, too.” he murmured. “We're all just stressed out. Why don't you go and change and wash your face?” you nodded as he put you down, wandering towards the elevator and your own room. You dressed in one of Kacchan's old shirts, worn in well and smelling like him, and a pair of pajama pants. You washed your face and headed back downstairs, sitting next to Todoroki on the couch.
“Didn't mean to kick him.” you mumbled. Todoroki only rubbed your shoulder a little bit, letting you lean on him. When it was dinner time, you sat at the table with a sippy cup, same as the other two. You drink a little, and maybe ate a few bites. You couldn't help but notice that Aizawa hadn't left. When dinner was done, he looked at the clock and sighed.
The rest of the evening, you felt listless. The toy box was emptied out, and Denki and Mina were content to play with the blocks. You just watched, not speaking. But Denki kept giving you long looks, like he wanted to say something, he just wasn't sure to say in this situation.
“It's bedtime, I think.” Aizawa finally announced. The other two small people protested, ushered away by Kirishima and Jirou, who murmured about the long several days it had been. You walked up to Aizawa, not looking him in the face.
“If I promise to sleep, can I sleep in Daddy's bed? Just for tonight?” you begged. He looked at you and softened, just for a moment. It was a look only given to small people and cats. He nodded.
“His room has been cleared. Go and get your teeth brushed.”
You obeyed without question. Your blanket and Sam were gathered up, and you made your way to his room. Aizawa was there, pulling back the blankets, still messy when Izuku had been taken from the bed. He covered you over.
“I'll stay with you.” he said gently. He put his hand on your back, beginning to rub. “I'm sorry this was such a hard day, kiddo. I know that didn't end the way either one of us wanted it to.”
“Didn't mean to kick you.” you mumbled once again.
“You know it's all right to cry, don't you?”
“I'm a hero. Heroes don't cry.” you said stubbornly.
“Yes, they do.” he said gently. “And you're still human, whether or not you're a hero. And you're a Little, and your primary caregivers are gone.” that was all it took. Tears were spilling down your cheeks, and your shoulders shook again.
“I'm sorry, we are trying to find them.”
“I know, I was trying, too.” you sniffled. “I was trying to find any articles about anyone with a warp quirk and cross reference what their sentences had been.”
“Such a clever girl.” he praised softly. He stroked your hair out of your face. “Working so hard. It's going to be okay.” you wondered how he could tell you that, when he didn't even know what was going to happen. But the bed smelled like Daddy, and you were wrung out having had a whole fit. And Aizawa's hand in your hand on your back felt nice. It was easier than you thought to fall asleep.
But Aizawa was gone in the morning.
Just as well, you thought, you could work left alone. You ignored breakfast, and just gave off vibes that you wanted to be left alone. The others nudged each other and cut you a wide berth, which was for the best, really.
You plopped down again with your laptop, leaning forward, pulling out a notepad and scrawling notes as you did. Lunch passed, and still you didn't think of food. Dinner must have happened too, because when you looked up, eyes burning, it was close to bedtime. Kirishima was hovering around you, but didn't say anything. Good, you thought, you wouldn't want to stop now, and you were on a roll. There had to be something, you felt like you were close to finding something out. You barely noticed when the rest of the students went to bed. You knew you were supposed to be Little, but they didn't seem to want to test the waters, and you were fine with that.
“You've been at this tirelessly, I'm concerned.” Kirishima said. You looked up, blinking, looking around. The sun was up, they were gathering some breakfast.
“I gotta find 'em,” you shrugged, going back to your laptop. Kirishima sighed, looking like he very much didn't like the way this was going.
“Fine. You have until the count of ten.” you froze, looking up at him, eyes and head aching. You were tired, when you thought about it. Still, though.
“You're not making anyone else stop what they're doing.”
“I would if they were at risk of putting themselves in danger.” he pointed out. Iida was hovering around the peripherals. You glared at him, hoping he'd back away. Instead, he stepped a little closer, looking like he was backing up Kirishima. That didn't bode well for you.
“Isn't that the nature of being a hero? Putting yourself in danger?” you went back to typing on your laptop.
“I really don't care for the sass right now.”
“Which means you know I'm right.” you didn't even bother to look up this time. He stared at you for a moment and sighed.
“Babycakes, can you just--.”
“I don't need your help, Kirishima. Piss off,” you snapped. He looked like you slapped him. Guilt rose up in you for a moment, but it was quickly tamped down. You were busy, goddammit. You had told them that, and this was more important that however he was feeling about something you said. Your hand was shaking as you picked up your pen and kept writing.
“Hey,” Iida was frowned. “That is not nice.”
“Did I ask you?” you scowled. “Everyone is doing everything they can to help get Izuku and Katsuki back, but I'm the only one who seems to get in trouble for it.”
“You didn't sleep or eat yesterday.” Iida sounded beside himself.
“Fine,” Kirishima sounded heartbroken. You looked up at him, your pen drifting down. He turned away from you. You scrambled up and rushed over to him.
“Kiri, no!” you held your arms up. “I'm sorry! Please, don't be mad.” he turned to you and sighed, bending down to lift you up, letting you hug him right. He sway back and forth for a moment.
“I'm not mad, babycakes, I'm not.”
“I love you, Kirishima.” you felt desperate, longing for him to know that.
“I know. You're tired and you're scared and this is all overwhelming. I understand.” he was bouncing you in one arm, the other one suddenly full of Sam and your blanket and a—paci? You blinked, confused.
“We're going to go and lay down.”
“But, I--.” you looked at your laptop.
“It's been long enough. I can't watch you do this. I wouldn't let Mina, and I'm not letting you. I love you too much for that.” he sounded determined, still giving you a little bit of a bounce.
“I need Daddy or Kacchan.” you said softly.
“I understand that, I really do. No one misses them like you. But we all do miss them and we're all scared and worried. Only we also have to worry about you. So can we play just lay down for a little while?”
You relented, letting him take you to the elevator and to his room. Had your body always been this heavy? Had you always been this tired? He covered you with your blanket and put the paci in your mouth. You reached out one arm to him, begging him to stay near you. He just laid out next to you, letting you snuggle into him, the same way you had seen Mina do a million times.
“When you were missing.” he said gently. “They didn't sleep or eat, either. When we found you, I wanted to be the one to hand you back to Bakugo. He's my best friend.” his hands were in your hair.
“Why'd you want to hand me back?”
“Because I knew how much it would mean to him, and I wanted to be the one to give that to him.” he kissed your forehead. “I'll bring them back to you, okay?”
You hummed, already mostly asleep. He fussed with your blanket for a moment, making sure you were warm enough, comfortable. He was sure you'd sleep for a good long while, and hoped it would help the dark marks under your eyes.
You slept the whole of Sunday. You woke Monday, dressed in your uniform, and headed to class. Everyone was looking anxious, worn down. Aizawa dragged through the lessons. You felt like your body was on fire. You couldn't sit still, you couldn't stand to stay here and keep doing nothing!
When classes changed for hero training, you snuck down to get your hero costume. You knew without being told that this was not a good idea. Still, desperate times called for desperate measures. Sneaking off campus was easier than it probably should have been, but you weren't going to let Nezu know that now.
Taking the train to the side of town you longed for, you exited and dressed in your hero costume. You knew there was a tracker, but if you were right, you'd probably need them to find you sooner rather than later.
The house here looked less abandoned, and for whatever reason, that made you feel more uncomfortable. The person with the quirk had been arrested multiple times, trying to kidnap and ransom people. You wondered why he hadn't tried to ransom your caregivers, but in the back of your mind, you wondered if he was trying to ransom them to someone else.
It was easy enough to climb into a window. The house was mainly empty. The hair stood up on the back of your neck as you crept through. You tapped your costume, mask coming down over your face. Just in case, you told yourself.
You tiptoed up the stairs. The house still had a lived in smell, even if it didn't have any furnishings. You peeked into every room. Finally, there they were. They were strung to a wall, quirk canceling cuffs on both of them, their arms high above their heads. Blood oozed from cuts above their eyebrows. They had fat lips, black eyes.
Never let it be said they wouldn't go down without a fight, you thought.
“S-sweetness?” Izuku rasped. “What are you doing here? You have to leave!”
You pressed one finger to your mask, shaking your head. You reached for the cuffs, struggling, trying to get them off. There had to be a way to do this, you thought. This shouldn't be that hard.
“Get out,” Katsuki said harshly. “He's going to hurt you, too.” you just shook your head and kept working. Someone would have noticed by now that you were gone, and they would have been on their way. You just had to be smart about this.
But you couldn't manage the cuffs. Izuku's eyes went wide as he looked in the doorway. You turned to see him, a man with sharp looking teeth and shaggy hair. He giggled in a way that a grown man shouldn't have been able to.
“I wondered how long it would take. Longer than I thought, of course.” he stepped towards you. Katsuki struggled in the cuffs.
“Stay the fuck away from her!”
“You can do anything you want to us, but not her.” Izuku was glaring.
“I think I can do anything I want to any of you, really.” he shrugged. “You can't help her.”
You glared at him. You took in a big breath and screamed. You screamed out your frustration, your fear, your agony at having been separated from them. The kidnapper cried out, clamping his hands over his ears, falling to his knees.
It wouldn't help with the cuffs, though. You needed him knocked out for that. You regulated your breathing, staring at him. Could you know him out? You'd been working on your quirk, but you didn't know if you could do that without hurting the other two. There was hand to hand combat, but he was bigger than you.
You needed someone else with a little more power.
As you were thinking, a scarf came out and wrapped around the kidnapper, pulling him away. There were sounds downstairs now. Ignoring it, you turned to the cuffs. If there were more on the kidnappers side, you were toast. You pulled and tugged, yanking and pressing.
“Wait,” a deep voice you knew. You glanced at Aizawa as he reached for a key and undid the cuffs. You caught Katsuki, putting his arm around your shoulder, while he braced Izuku the same way. All of you stood for a moment, breathing hard.
“The police are taking the kidnapper. We'll get you to a hospital or Recovery Girl, whatever you need most.”
“Recovery Girl.” Izuku managed. “We're just weak. We did fight back but--.”
“Save your strength.” Aizawa said gently. You stood up straight, one arm around Katsuki's waist to help him down.
“I got him,” Kirishima said, moving to take his friend. “You've done enough.”
You followed behind, aware of the way your knees were quaking. You realized then you hadn't taken off your mask. You tapped your costume, letting it fold away and taking big breaths of fresh air. You were silent on the ride back to UA.
“You realize,” Yamada said as he drove, Aizawa taking the other three in a different car. “This was not at all the thing to do?”
“Yeah, I know.” you murmured.
“But I do have to praise the thought that you figured it out before everyone else.” he winked. “Don't tell Aizawa I said that.”
You were checked over by Recovery Girl too, who deemed you fine, just a little shaken up. You sat on a bed and watched as she patched up Daddy and Kacchan. You had taken off your gloves, fiddling with them as they sat up, obviously exhausted.
“Sweetness,” Daddy sighed, opening his arms. You walked towards him, slow and cautious. He patted the bed next to him, letting you curl into him gingerly.
“You saved us.”
“I wasn't supposed to.” you admitted.
“No, I understand that.” he stroked your hair. “But... sometimes being a hero means you have to do what's best.”
“Aizawa is gonna be mad.” you mumbled.
“We'll deal with it.” Kacchan said. He was sitting on the side of the bed, his hand on your back. “I'm sorry we didn't get home sooner.”
“Maybe sometimes I can save you though. I'm a hero too.” you tipped your face towards him. He laughed and bent to kiss your cheek.
“Of course you are. When the hell are we cut free from this joint? I wanna go home and cuddle with both of you. That way I know you're both safe.”
“Soon as Recovery Girl believes we won't keel over dead.” Izuku smiled. “But right now, I'm happy we're all here and safe together.”