Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Izuku woke up, he was greeted with his usual hand pains and sore muscles. Unfortunately for him his mom hadn't been too happy with his english test grade last night. (even though he told her he got the highest in the class) This meant that he had many new bruises on his arms, legs and back. 

Getting up felt harder than hero training, which was super awesome, because he has actual hero training today. That’ll be fun.

Getting dressed was more of a challenge than it should have been. He made sure to have a tight undershirt so that no one could see his bruises when he changed into his hero costume. Unfortunately, that also meant pressure on his new bruises. Painful? Yes, but it's also necessary. 

He made sure to hide the tight shirt under his uniform shirt. Luckily the pants were a bit easier. He barely had any bruises on his legs, so he decided against wearing leggings or tights underneath.

He double checked that he had all of his homework done and packed in his bag. He stayed up late finishing his homework. This was the 4th night in a row, and his dark circles were becoming a bit too dark for his liking. He grabbed the same makeup he used to cover any bruises on his face and covered the dark circles till they looked like the rest of his face.

Breakfast was out of the question, it would definitely wake up mom, and he doesn't need food anyway. He's not hungry. He decides against trying to pack a lunch as well, too loud. He forgot to eat dinner last night as well, oops. 

School passed quickly, he handed in all his assignments and paid attention in class. He stayed in an empty classroom during lunch, since he wasn't hungry. Even if he was, its not like he has a lunch anyway. He doesn't like spending money on lunch at school either. He’s not hungry though, so it doesn't matter anyway.

Then it was time for heroics, which meant he had to get changed, that would hurt. He would have to fight and train, that would hurt too. Maybe it would just be physical exercise/training or something like that.

Battle training, perfect, just what he needed. He got paired with Kacchan, which, perfect. And now they had to fight Todoroki and Iida, wonderful. This was going to be hell. On top of that he didn't feel well.

Of course, now was when his body decided to give out from lack of sleep, water, and food. When else would it happen? So here he was dizzy as fuck, and fighting Todoroki.

If he kept going he would definitely pass out. might as well ask Todoroki to stop, if he doesn’t, he’ll just pass out in the middle of a fight, no biggie.

“T-todoroki-kun can we-can we please take a break i- i'm really dizzy”

Todoroki was skeptical, since they were in the middle of training, but he also saw how pale he looked. Not to mention him swaying, trying to stay upright.

“Midoriya? Are you ok?”

He seemed worried about him, Kacchan on the other hand.

“Damn Nerd! What the hell are ya doin?!”

Kacchan was annoyed, he probably looks like he's not trying or like he’s slacking off. He is trying,  really hard, but.

“K-kacchan i- i can't-”

He's really dizzy, and he can't see straight. He can't stand upright and his eyelids are getting heavier and heavier. 

And then it was dark.

Chapter Text

When he woke up, he was greeted with a bright white light and ceiling. The nurses office his mind supplied helpfully. Oh right, he passed out during training. Who brought him here? How long had he been out?

“Calm down Midoriya, you passed out during training, Todoroki brought you here since you fell onto him. Do you feel fine? Do you know why you passed out?”

It's Aizawa sensei, is he mad? What time is it?! Shit what if it's too late? Mom will be so mad.

“What time is it?!”

“Calm down kid, it's almost 6:30, why? Is everything ok?”

Shit, he's dead when he gets home. Best not to tell his teacher though, that'll only make it worse, right? Doesn't matter, he knows the punishment for trying to get her in trouble.

“U-um I need t-to go”

He grabbed his stuff quickly and used his quirk to get home as fast as he could, he was definitely getting detention for that tomorrow.

“What?- midoriya get back here!-... problem child.”

He’s never been so happy he had his provisional license, luckily he technically still had permission to use his quirk, so he shouldn't get into any legal trouble. He will however still be in trouble when he gets home, speaking of which, he's home.

Maybe if he goes in quietly she won't hear him, or even better she won't be home yet?

“You brat! Where the fuck have you been!”

Or not.

“U-um i-i was a-at the nurse-”

“Why?! Did you show them you're bruises?! You little motherfucker, I'm gonna beat the shit out of you!”

He’s fucked

“N-no mom i swear-”

“Don't lie to me brat!”
“I-im not I promise!-”

“Don't raise your voice at me you little shit!”

“I-im sorry I didn't mean to-”

“Come here you brat, I'm gonna beat you senseless.”

And beat him she did, so much so that there were bruises all over his face and arms and whole body really. He honestly should’ve expected this. Not to mention since no one knew he had bruises, no one healed them, so he had just gotten the shit beat out of him on top of already having new-ish bruises.

What he never expected was what happened next.

“If they already think I'm a bad mom, I might as well get rid of you.”

“W-what?”

“Are you dumb or something? I said I'm kicking you out. You have thirty minutes to pack up your shit and leave. Put your key and phone on the counter before you go.”

“What? B-but mom-”

“GO!”

“Y-yes ma’am”

He packed whatever he thought he needed, his notebooks of course, as many clothes as he could fit, his secret burner phone, and all of his school things. Luckily he was a hero student, which meant he had been prepared in case of any villain attacks on his home and had a utility belt and bag filled with weapons and medical equipment.

As sad as he was to leave his old home, at least he wouldn't have to live with his mom anymore, right? But he was also homeless now. What should he do and before he can think about it any further his mind supplies him with the only helpful information he can think of, he knows where Aizawa-sensei lived.

They were told it was for emergencies only and that it would be better to call him first, but he was so desperate to get help, so he forgot about calling him.he focused instead on the route he had memorized many times, just in case he ever needed it.

So there he was in front of his teacher's door, about to knock, when he hesitates. It's probably late and he might be sleeping. Does this even count as an emergency? He's sure if it came down to it he could last one night on the streets.

Before he can walk away or change his mind, he knocks on the door and waits for Aizawa to open it. When he does he's not sure what to say, but he's desperate, so he just says the first thing that comes to mind.

“I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I didn't know who else to go to- please help me sensei”

Chapter Text

When Shota heard a knock on his door at 9:07 pm, to say he was confused was an understatement. Zashi and the kids were all having a movie night, and Kei was supposed to be away on a mission. His neighbors never bother them so why was someone there unless…

The blood drained from his face when he realized the only other people that knew where he lived were his students. They were only supposed to incase of an emergency, and technically they’re supposed to call first as well. 

He rushed to the door, when he opened the door Shota saw a Midoriya on his doorstep, covered in bruises and tear marks on his face. He looked so miserable and hurt. Shota immediately looked him over trying to figure out what happened, and then Midoriya spoke

“I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I didn't know who else to go to- please help me sensei ”

And help he would. Why did he think he was bothering him? And what happened?

“Midoriya, what happened? Why are you here?”

His voice was pretty monotone, but not as stern as usual.

“Um my uh my mom kicked me out and I um I didn't know what to do, and I remembered that we had your address for emergencies and I'm sorry I didn't call I didn't have my phone and I forgot to put your number in my burner phone. Um I’m sorry for bothering you, I can leave if you want-”

Was this kid really trying to tell him to put him on the streets? Wasn't his mom supposed to be super lovey dovey and what not? What the hell happened? Not to mention how much there is to unpack with those two sentences. 

“No, you're staying here. Is there any injury that would require you to go to the hospital or is it only bruises?”

“Um I have a sorta deep cut on my back, but I think I'll be fine.”

“Can I take a look at it?”

“s-sure”

“Ok come on in, I'll show you where the bathroom is and you can wait there while I get the first aid kit. My husband and kids might be a bit loud. You can ignore them if they're yelling or something, they're watching movies.”

“O-oh ok”

Right, he hadn't told them about his marriage or kids, oh well they were bound to find out at some point. 

Midoriya put his shoes away in the gakuran, and followed Shota to the bathroom where he waited for Shota to come back. When Shota came back he had a first aid kit and bandages as well as antiseptic.

“Can you take your shirt off, I need to see the cut.”

“Um sure”

When he took his shirt off Shota wanted to look away and just hug his husband. There were so many bruises and cuts, on his student, his kid . He felt sick, how long had this been happening and how had he not noticed? He kept his face neutral.

“Can you turn around please? I need to see your back.”

“Mhm”

He turned around to reveal more bruises, cuts and scars. Starburst scars all over his back and one on his shoulder that vaguely resembles a handprint. It all makes him sick, yet he makes sure to stay calm so as to not scare his student. 

In the middle of his back there is a decent size cut, it's definitely deep, but as long as he's careful, it'll be fine until he can see recovery girl tomorrow morning. 

“It looks quite deep, but if it's not too painful, you should be fine till tomorrow when recovery girl can see you. Does that sound ok? I’ll still disinfect and take care of it of course, but it may be a bit uncomfortable.”

“Um yeah that's fine, it's not that painful. But um are you sure it's not too much trouble? I really don't mind it, so if you don't want to you don't have to wrap it or anything.”

Seriously, who hurt this kid so much that he thinks this is fine, and how would this bother me? Of course I want to help him.

“I promise you Midoriya, I want to make sure you're ok, and I want to help you. I'm gonna disinfect the cuts and wrap them up, is there anything you want or need before we start?”

He just shakes his head and lets shota begin. Shota lays him down, so that he can take care of his back better. He uses antiseptic to disinfect the cut, it stings, but midoriya shows no reaction to it.

Once all the cuts are disinfected, shota puts bandages on the small ones, and wraps the biggest one. He makes sure to apply enough pressure to properly wrap it, but not so much that it causes Midoriya pain.

“Okay Midoriya, im done, you can put your shirt on while i put this away”

He held up the first aid kit and waited for a response, which came in the form of a nod from the boy, and left to put it away. He decides to grab a glass of water for Midoriya, when he hears a small shout followed by a faintly heard stream of apologies and what he assumes were questions. 

Oh right, he didn't tell his husband midoriya was here, and he didn't tell midoriya who his husband was… it'll probably be fine. He’ll get the water first, then go back.

Chapter Text

When Aizawa sensei agreed to help him, Izuku expected him to just let him sleep on the couch. He also expected for his stern, stoic, gruff, kinda mean, and scary teacher to live by himself. He expected the gay part though, it's so obvious.

Still, a husband and kids? Who did he marry? How old are their kids? How many are there? He has so many questions.
The antiseptic wasn't that bad, it wasn't amazing, but he's dealt with worse. He makes sure not to show any of his pain or discomfort, that would be rude. And it's nice to have someone other than him taking care of his injuries. It makes him think he matters.

“Okay Midoriya, I’m done, you can put your shirt on while I put this away.”

He nods his head and Aizawa sensei leaves. He puts his shirt on and is careful not to mess up the bandages and it’s surprisingly unpainful, for something that was just bandaged. I guess there are perks to having an actual medical professional take care of your injuries. Who would have guessed?

Once he was done putting his shirt on the door started opening, of course he thought it was Aizawa sensei. It wasn't. It was his english teacher, present mic. Oh my God… Aizawa sensei was married to present mic… Mina’s gonna get a kick out of this.

He was dressed in gray sweats and a black t-shirt with a graphic from his radio show, “Put Your Hands Up Radio”, and now that he thinks about it Aizawa sensei was also dressed quite casually. Aizawa sensei said they were watching movies right? Oh, did he bother him from the movie?

His English teacher was surprised to see him and let out a small yell. And then Izuku realizes he showed up unannounced at this man’s house, and he didn't know izuku was here… shit.

“Um hi?”

…that's exactly what he was supposed to say

“I'm sorry I thought Aizawa sensei told you I would be here though I guess he didn't have any time to do that so it was kinda dumb to think that are you his husband? Do you guys have kids? How long have you been married? Sorry is it rude to ask that I'm sorry for bothering you-”

“Calm down kid, for starters I'm assuming Sho let you in, so is there a reason you're here? Is everything alright little listener?”

“R-right um, my mom kicked me out and she took my phone, so I thought I should come here since I knew where Aizawa sensei lived. He told us to come here in case of emergencies even though we were supposed to call first. I have a burner phone, but I didn't have his number saved in it, which was kinda stupid of me, but um I just sorta came here and he was helping me with a small cut on my back, and he was putting the first aid kit away and told me to wait here.”

He definitely talked too much. Was he gonna be mad? Was he gonna be punished?

“I'm sorry that happened to you little listener, it was smart of you to come here. Is there a reason you had a cut on your back? Did your mom do it?”

Yay explaining, his favorite thing in the whole world…

“Um yeah she did”

Luckily before the conversation could go any further, Aizawa sensei walked in. He was completely unfazed and handed him a glass of water.

“Here you go kid, you're probably tired and thirsty. Did you eat dinner already or did you not get a chance to?”

He hadn't eaten, but he couldn't take food from his teachers, he wasn't hungry anyway so it didn't matter.

“I'm not hungry, thank you.”

“Are you sure? It's really no problem if you're hungry.”

“I'm sure, I already ate”

Liar

“Ok. Do you have any clothes with you? What did you bring with you before you left?”

“I um I brought some clothes, my school things, my notebooks and some emergency weapons and medical equipment, also a burner phone, but I don't have any contacts on it”

“Ok, do you have anything you can leep in?”

“P-probably”

“Ok, so we have a few options, you can sleep on the couch if you want, but that might not be too comfortable or you could share a room with Toshi, I’m sure he wouldn't mind. If you have any other ideas on where you could sleep let me know.”

“Um t-the couch is fine, but um w-who is Toshi?”

Should he have asked that? Shit, that was rude wasn’t it? Sometimes it is but sometimes it isn't, i don't know.

“Oh right, so you know me and my husband right?”

“Y-yeah”

“We have two kids-”

“Stop calling our cat a kid sho, it confuses people! Sorry about that little listener, we have one kid and a cat. Our cat is named sushi, and i think you know Toshi, or as you know him, Shinso”

Oh.

Chapter Text

Shinso hates him… he thinks, he's not entirely sure. He always tries talking to him, but he only ever gives him the bare minimum response. He’s pretty sure that means someone doesn't like him, right?

Will he be mad that he's invading his house? What if when they find out Shinso doesn’t like him, they kick him out? Was this really a good idea?

“-doriya? Kid? You still with us?”

Shit, he wasn't paying attention.

“Um yeah sorry, I kinda zoned out.”

Aizawa sensei and Present Mic shared a look but he couldn't figure out what it meant. He never really knows what it means. Stupid. Weirdo. Of course you can't even figure out the most obvious things- 

“Do you know why you zoned out?”

Why did he zone out? What happened when he zoned out? Oh, right. Shinso…

“Um no?”

Liar

“No? Or No”

Shit, he knows he lied. Of course he knows, he's such a bad liar. What does he say now? Will he be mad? Will they kick him out? Shit Shit Shit-

“Sho, don't interrogate the kid, it's fine. Don't worry about it little listener, it happens to the best of us. Is something wrong, or do you just not wanna talk about it?”

Is it a trick? What does he say?

“Um it’s nothing”

Does that count as answering?

They share that look again, what does it mean?

“Ok then, so Toshi is probably in his room and I’ll let him know that you're here. While I do that, Sho will help you get set up on the couch. Does that sound ok?”

“Mhm, thank you”

“Great! Sho, grab the extra blanket from the closet, and I’ll get a pillow since they’re next to Toshi’s room”

Aizawa sensei answered with a grunt and went somewhere, probably to grab a blanket.

“Ok little listener, do you want to get changed into comfier clothes while we set up the couch for you?” 

“O-ok”

“Awesome! You can lock the door to get changed, ok?”

Lock the door? Is it a trick?

“A-are you sure?”

“What?”

Shit was he mad? He shouldn't have asked that. Too late now…

“Um a-are you sure it's um alright for me to l-lock the door?”

Was that the right thing to say?

“Of course you are! You’re allowed to do whatever makes you comfortable ok? If you don't want to or want to do something, just let us know. We want to help you.”

Why? He’s just a useless deku that no one likes. It's not like he even needs help, he's fine.

“O-ok thank you”

“Alright, I'll let Toshi know, you can go to the couch when you're done getting dressed ok?”

“Ok”

Where was the couch? Where did he go to get to the bathroom? This is so confusing.

He got changed into the comfiest clothes he brought, which were leggings and a t-shirt. He also put sweatpants on top of the leggings since he didn't want to look weird. He just hates the texture of anything other than leggings. 

Once he put his dirty clothes into his backpack, he grabbed his things and left the bathroom to try and find the living room. Luckily it wasn't too hard to find, he just had to walk down the hallway and there it was.

Aizawa sensei was there with a blanket. He saw him and motioned for him to walk towards him, so he walked over. 

“Ok kid, you can sleep here tonight, but we'll need to find a better long term solution, until we can get this sorted out.”

Sort what out? Long term? Why didn't this work? Was he bothering them?

“um what do you mean ‘long term’?”

Was that hat he was supposed to say?

“We can't just take you in for a day and then leave you on the streets-”

Why not? No one will care anyway?

“-and even if we could, we don't want to. We want to help you-”

“Why?”

Shit. Did he just cut him off? Shit shit shit shit-

“Because you're my student and I want to help you. You are a good kid and you didn't deserve what your mom did to you. Speaking of which, we're gonna have to talk about that. We can either do it tonight, or tomorrow after school, it's up to you.”

Shit. wait after school? Like at school? Or is he coming back here tomorrow after school?

“Am I coming back here tomorrow after school?”

“Of course you are kid, unless you have somewhere else you can go?”

“N-no I don't.”

“Then yes, you are coming back here tomorrow. So, do you want to talk today or tomorrow?”

If he waits till tomorrow he might be able to get away before they bring him back after school. He can survive a few nights by himself right? 

“Um tomorrow?”

Chapter Text

“Ok, that works, until then, is there anything you need? Water? A snack? Does your back feel fine?”

“Y-yeah I’m fine, thank you.”

Why does he care? He’s just gonna bother them, why are they all being so nice?

“Ok, let either of us know if you need something, Zashi should bring you a pillow soon. Do you want me to wait with you till he comes, or would you prefer I leave?”

What does he say? What's the right answer?

“Um I don't really care, it's up to you, whatever you want.”

Did he answer right?

“I’ll wait for Zashi to come back, I need to talk to him anyway.”

Why do they need to talk? Is he in trouble? 

“O-ok”

While they wait, Aizawa sensei gestures for Izuku to sit down. He sits down on the couch with a blanket, while  Aizawa sensei sat across from him on a different couch. They wait silently until Present Mic comes back with two pillows in pillow cases. 

“Is this enough, little listener?”

“Y-yes, thank you.”

Why are they being so nice to him?

“Awesome! Do you need anything else? Or do you want to sleep? It's getting kinda late.”

Was he keeping them up? Shit

“Um no thank you, sorry for keeping you up late”

They shared a look again, why do they keep doing that? Did he mess up?

“It's no problem little listener, we stay up pretty late anyway.”

Ok that’s good, maybe they won't be too mad at him then.

“If you need either of us at night, we'll be in the first bedroom on your right ok?”

“Ok thank you”

Why would he ever bother them? Is it a trick? Or is he supposed to talk to them?

“Great! We’ll head off to bed then, feel free to come to us if you need anything.”

“Ok thank you.”

They left and went to bed, while izuku sat on the couch. He checked his watch, it was almost 12:00. How long was he in the bathroom for? He laid down and tried to sleep, but it's not exactly his best skill. 

By the time it was 5:30 he decided it was useless to keep trying and sat up to check his backpack. Luckily he didn't have much homework, so he could do that on the way to school, and- nevermind. He’s not at home, so he won't be taking the train to school. HOw will he get to school?

Doesn't matter, he needs to finish his homework. He only has to do math so it doesn't take him long. By 6:00 he was finished with his homework, and getting ready for school. He went back to the bathroom he was in yesterday, and changed into his school uniform.

When he walked out he was greeted by the sight of Present Mic walking out of his bedroom. He looked towards him, and Izuku was prepared for the yelling and lecture that were about to come his way. 

It never came, instead he heard his teacher's calm voice asking him what he wanted to eat for breakfast.

“What?”

He was prepared for yelling, why wasn't he yelling? Was it a trap?

“What do you want for breakfast, little listener?”

Was he hallucinating or something? His mother always yelled at him when he woke her up.

“Um I’m sorry for waking you up”

That was the right thing to say, right?

“You didn't wake me up, I always get up at 6:00. Sho sleeps in as much as humanly possible and gets ready in like 20 minutes.”

Why was he being so nice? Shouldn't he be in trouble? 

“Oh ok…”

“So what do you want for breakfast?”

He shouldn't take their food, that’s rude. He’s not hungry anyway.

“Oh I'm not hungry, but thank you”

Was that right?

“Are you sure? Did you already eat?”

“No I didn't”

That's what he wanted to hear right?

“Oh… ok, are you sure you're not hungry?”

Shit, did he mess up? What did he say wrong? Was he mad?

“Y-yes?”

Did he fix it?

“Ok if you get hungry let me know, I'm gonna make breakfast for everyone else.”

“O-ok thank you.”

Chapter Text

Midoriya didn't eat breakfast, it was strange, but Shota just thought, with the house he was living in, breakfast wasn't a big thing for him. Maybe he was just nervous or something. He really hoped he was just nervous and this isn't some deep rooted problem.

Getting to school was even worse than he expected. Midoriya was ready way too early and just sat on the couch while Toshi rushed to get ready. The car ride was silent even though he thought Toshi liked Midoriya and wanted to be friends.

The whole morning and even last night, MIdoriya hadn’t smiled once. He had the same miserable expression on his face. It was such a stark contrast to his usual radiant smile.

When they got out of the car, Shota saw how Midoriya started smiling. Hiding all of his emotions under a carefully crafted mask. It broke his heart to see how easily and  quickly he made the change. As if he was never sad in the first place.

He said bye to his husband and started walking to class with the boys. MIdoriya was smiling, but he stayed quiet the whole time. Shota tried to stay calm, but he was getting more and more worried.

He didn't want to push any boundaries and he thought he could make it one day, but Midoriya hadn't eaten anything for breakfast and now he was sitting in the classroom during lunch. Now that he thinks about it, how many times has he seen midoriya in the classroom during lunch? And how many of those times had he not eaten before then?

~POV change~

Izuku didn't want to eat lunch, he wasn't hungry and he didn't deserve it anyway…

Unfortunately that meant he had to stay in the classroom, which was usually fine, but his 

Teacher, who saw him have a breakdown the night before, was in that same room, staring at him. He tried to keep his head down, but he could feel the stare burning into his skull.

He looked up to see his teacher standing in front of his desk.

“Sensei? Do you need something?”

“Why aren't you eating lunch? You didn't eat breakfast either, is something wrong?”

Shit. Is he in trouble? Where did he mess up?

“U-um no sensei, I'm just not hungry”

“Are you sure? You haven't eaten in over 12 hours, do you not have anything you like to eat?”

Shit, what is he supposed to say?

“Um no, it's fine, I'm not hungry thank you.”  

Did he say the right thing? Is it a trick?

“If you’re sure, but you have to eat something for dinner ok?”

Shit, is it a trick?

“O-ok.”

 Was he going to be in trouble if he didnt? Or the opposite, if he did? 

All he could think about at school was having to eat, he completely forgot about trying to run away. When he finished his last class (homeroom) he was asked to stay back by Aizawa.

Shit. 

Chapter Text

I'm doing inktober this year and that will very likley slow down the writing progress for this work, i will still try to post, but it will not be very frequent or according to any schedule. Sorry for the inconvenience and i hope you continue reading when i start posting this work again :)

-Minubu0 

Chapter Text

“Midoriya, it's time to talk, I need to know what happened last night.”

No one else was in the room and the door was closed. He was scared, he didn't want to talk, he wanted to leave.

“W-what do you want to know?”

Maybe he’ll let him off easy?

“I can ask you questions, but I need you to answer honestly, ok?”

Maybe he can lie his way out of this.

“O-ok”

“Why did your mom kick you out?”

What does he say? How does he lie his way out of this?

“She um- she was um- mad? And she um she told me to leave and she gave me um- she gave me 30 minutes to pack my things and then she kicked me out.”

Was that good? Was it the right answer?

“...So she decided to… kick you out… because she was mad?”

Shit, did he say the wrong thing?

“Y-yes sir”

“Do you know why she was mad?”

“N-no sir”

Liar

“Ok… do you have any relatives you can be with?”

“N-no sir.”

“Ok, Zashi and I both have emergency foster licenses, so if you want, we can foster you until we figure out a more permanent solution. We could also get you in an orphanage, but it would probably be a bit hard to keep you in UA if we did that-”

“No! I-i mean- please no, I want to stay at UA… I’m sorry for yelling.”

“It’s ok kid, do you want us to foster you?”

His voice was hesitant, he didn't want to scare him off, but he didn't want to leave him in an orphanage.

“Um… I don't want to bother you…”

“Midoriya” His voice was stern but not unkind “you have not, are not, and never will bother us, ok?”

“Y-yes sir.”

“Now, if you want, we can foster you until we figure out something permanent. Is that what you want?”

“Yes sir”

“Wonderful, now, we also need to talk about something else”

What? Wasn't that all that needed to be discussed? Was he in trouble?

“What?”

“We talked a little about this, but I need to know more. Your eating habits aren't healthy, is there a reason for that?”

Shit. How the hell was he supposed to explain this?

“Um, I don't really know what you mean, could you please elaborate?”

Liar

“You haven't eaten anything since you came to us for help.”

“Oh…”

He didn't even realize it had been so long, not to mention he hadn't eaten a few days before.

“Is there a reason you’ve been starving yourself?”

“Wha- starving myself? Isn't that a bit extreme?”

“Midoriya, when’s the last time you ate something?”

“I-i’m not sure”

“The fact that you don't know shows how long it’s been.”

“Sorry…”

“You don’t need to apologize, I just want to understand what’s going on, and how I can help.”

“I um I guess I just haven't been hungry. It’s nothing to worry about.”

He was smiling, but it wasn't real. It hasn't been real in a long time.

“Kid, of course I’m going to worry about you. You need food and you need to take care of yourself. I know you haven't heard it enough in your life, but you are important. It’s not fair, and it's not your fault, that you had to take care of yourself from such a young age. You were and are a child, your mother’s love shouldn’t have to be earned. Love in general does not have to be earned. You are a good kid. Your mother is an adult, it is her responsibility to take care of you, you are a child. You are allowed to be a child.”

Izuku didn't realize it immediately, but he was crying. 

Oh.

Chapter Text

He hadn’t meant to cry for so long. He hadn’t meant to fall and be caught by Aizawa sensei. He hadn’t meant to at all, but it happened and now, here he was, sitting in the back of his teacher’s car. 

The whole drive was practically silent, the only noise being the car itself and Aizawa-sensei moving his legs to switch pedals. Even Shinso, who was now sitting next to him, didn't say anything when he saw the state Izuku was in.   

When they got to the house Aizawa-sensei led him to a bathroom silently, with a hand on his back as they walked down the hallway, and left after saying:

“You can wash up in here, take your time and we’ll eat dinner and talk later ok? When you're done you can go to the living room, if you need to talk to either me or Zashi you can. We want to help you and we care about you.”

Izuku knows he would be crying again right now if he weren't so exhausted. 

After Aizawa closed the door Izuku finally looked into a mirror. He looked like a mess, to put it lightly. 

His eyes were red and puffy from crying, which explained the dry burning sensation in them. He had tear tracks running down his slightly red cheeks, it was a stark contrast to his otherwise blank pale face.  

To make a matching set he also felt horrible. He was beyond exhausted and moving was too much work. If he could, he would just collapse and sleep forever.

Unfortunately for him, that’s not socially acceptable. So, he washes his face to try and reduce the redness and puffiness. It sort of works, but it's still quite red.

On top of his eyes still stinging from dryness, he has a pounding headache. Everything was too bright and sharp. The cold water slightly helped, but it was still horrible. He was struggling to keep his eyes open with the bright lights, not to mention that he was tired too.

He hadn't slept properly in days, and he was really starting to feel it. Apparently coffee and energy drinks are not enough to keep a person going for days, even though they totally should do that.

Izuku carefully took off his blazer, then unbuttoned and rolled up his uniform sleeves. The previously white bandage on his arm was now stained red-brown. The blood was dry, which means the cuts stopped bleeding. That’s good.

He would usually change his bandages by now because the texture of used bandages makes him want to gag, but he doesn't have any with him right now. Since it stopped bleeding, he decided to take the bandages off and leave the cuts to air out.

The process of removing bandages was as painful and tedious as usual. The cuts weren’t too deep, but there were lots, all around his wrist. Every single cut stuck to the bandage and it was a pain to take off.

After repeating the process on both arms, a few of the scabs peeled off, but they would be fine in just a few minutes. He ran water on his cuts to make sure they didn't get infected. He used a towel to dry off his arms, careful to make sure there was no residual blood. 

He carefully rolled his sleeves down and buttoned the cuffs to ensure his sleeves wouldn't slide up. He decided against wearing his blazer and folded it and put it into his school bag for tomorrow. 

Looking over himself once more, he decides that he’s ready to go out. He walked out the bathroom and retraced his steps to find the living room.

Shinso was sitting on the couch with their cat (sushi), Aizawa sensei was sitting next to him watching the TV, and Mic sensei was cooking something (it smelled good, but he wasn't hungry). 

Aizawa sensei noticed him first

“Hi Midoriya, you can sit down if you want”

And then Izuku realized he had been awkwardly standing in their living room for like five minutes… wonderful. 

“Um o-ok”

He stepped forward and sat on the ground next to the couch. Aizawa looked at him weirdly but didn't say anything and went back to watching the TV.

After about an hour of sitting there Mi sensei called out:

“Dinner’s ready!”

This should be… interesting.

Chapter Text

They all sat down at the table to eat. Yamada sensei had already put out the plates and utensils.

He really doesn't want to do this. He wasn't hungry, but it’s rude to refuse food when offered. 

He wants to run away and never come back. He really doesn't want to do this.

He sat down with everyone and made no move to eat. Opting to simply stare at his plate. He didn't notice how Aizawa sensei shot him concerned glances while everyone else ate. Once Yamada sensei and shinso both finished, Aizawa sensei finally spoke up

“Do you not like the food problem child?”

Shit, he forgot everyone was watching. Speaking of everyone, where did Shinso go? Did he already go back to his room? Was he really not paying attention?

“I-i um…”

How does he respond?

“If you don't like the food we can get something else.”

Yamada sensei speaks up now.

“N-no it’s not that, I um…  I’m just not that um hungry?”

Was he gonna get in trouble? Aizawa is the one to respond now, but he is confused.

“You’re… not hungry? When was the last time you ate, problem child?”

Shit, when was the last time he ate? He hasn't eaten since he got kicked out, and he didn't eat on that day or the day before either. So then… 4 days ago? That's bad though, right?

“Um i-i um had a big lunch”

“You didn't eat lunch”

It wasn't accusing, but Izuku didn't understand that.

“I-I’m sorry I just um…”

~POV change~

The kid was starting to worry him, he hadn't eaten dinner, breakfast, or lunch since he had come to them. DId he nor like the food? Shota had a feeling it was a bigger problem than that.

“Would you like something else, just something to eat so you’re not hungry later? We have fruit, or jelly?”

If he couldn't eat a full meal, something was better than nothing.

“Um are you sure?”

Ah, he was scared of taking food from them. But then what about school lunch? THis is definitely something he needs to address more soon, but for now if he can get the kid to eat something he’ll be happy.

“Yes, we’re sure. We want you to be happy and healthy.”

And he meant it.

“Um ok, c-could i please have some um jelly?”

“Sure that works, is there any fruit or flavor you like?”

“Um a-apples”

OK he would eat something, that’s good. He can figure this out slowly, with the kid, but he’ll make sure to help him. 

Until then, he grabs a jelly pouch labeled “APPLE” and hands it to the kid. 

“Here you go Midoriya, let either of us know if you want anything else or if you're hungry ok?”

“O-ok thank you.”

“No problem.”

The kid started eating the jelly, it looked like he was enjoying it, so he and Zashi just talked for a bit. Whenthe kid finished eating he asked

“WHere is the um trash can?”

Zashi spoke up

“Don’t worry about it Midoriya, I got it”

He grabbed the empty package and threw it away while asking

“By the way, you saw recovery girl this morning, right? Sorry Sho or I couldn't take you, we had a teacher meeting”

The kid paled a bit, he must’ve forgotten, or he didn't go on purpose a worried part of his brain said

“Um yeah, she healed me.”

He lied, shota should talk to him about it later. For now, he needs to make sure the kid’s back is ok.

“Good, let us know if it’s still bothering you, ok?”

Zashi replied

“Mhm”

He hopes the kid really means it. Until then, he should check the kid’s back, maybe without Zashi there.

“Midoriya can you please come with me, you’re not in trouble, I just wanna talk”

Zashi gave him a questioning look, but he just signed 

Later

He didn't want to tell him just yet. If MIdoriya didn't trust Zashi but trusted Shota then he would never want to break that trust.

The kid looked scared of him, but he followed anyway.

Shota led him to their biggest bathroom.

“Midoriya can I see your back please?”  

Chapter Text

“Midoriya can I see your back please?”

What the hell was Izuku supposed to say now?

“W-what? Um W-why?”

Did he not believe his lie? He should've said something else. Was he mad?

“I just wanna check to see if it’s fully healed, you didn't seem very tired so I want to see if recovery girl didn’t heal it all the way.”

What if he saw his arms. He would be so pissed. Maybe he can lie his way out of this?

“She um she did, i just um… had an energy drink?”

“Mhm”

Izuku’s not very good at sarcasm but he’s pretty sure that was sarcastic.

“Um so c-can i um go now?”

He was getting a blank stare in return

…

Aizawa sensei sighed and then,

“Fine, but can you please go to Recovery girl tomorrow morning to double check that you’re cleared?”

Thank gods, it worked.

“Um y-yes sir, will do, th-thank you”

“No problem kid, feel free to talk to either of us if you need something ok? “

“R-right, um thank you”

He turned around and walked to the living room, where his things were, and took out his homework. He had homework in English, math, and law and ethics. It would be really embarrassing if he were living with his teachers and didn't do the homework in their class, so he decided to do Law and ethics first, then English, then math.

The law and ethics homework was relatively easy. It was a reading and answering questions, but Izuku already knew  all the information in the reading so he just had to answer the questions.

Math was pretty simple, but he had to show his work which took a while. He understood that teachers needed to see their work because they want to make sure no one’s cheating, but it was still annoying.

He speaks English fluently so it was pretty easy for him. He had to make some words plural and identify verbs and nouns. 

In total his homework took him an hour and a half or so of actual work and and hour or so of getting distracted.

All the while, Yamada and Aizawa sensei were both sitting, talking in the kitchen. He decided he wouldn't get in trouble if he asked for water, right?

He got up and turned around to face the kitchen. He walked up to his teachers and they turned to look at him when they noticed him. Aizawa sensei spoke first,

“Do you need something Midoriya?”

He took a deep breath before answering 

“Um do you have- er um could I have a um glass of water please?”

His teacher looked at him for a second before responding

“Yeah of course, do you want me to show you where the cups are? So that you can get water whenever you need, even if Zashi and I aren't here?”

“Um y-yes please?”

Aizawa sensei nodded, then stood up and walked up to some cabinets. He opened them up to show some shelves. The cabinet was split with three shelves, each shelf cut in half by a long piece of wood going down the middle.

The top two shelves were relatively bare save for a few fancy looking plates and cups. The middle left shelf had glass plates stacked in the middle, with a few plastic ones standing vertically against the side of the shelf. 

The top right shelf had ceramic, glass, and plastic bowls stacked on eachother.  The bottom two shelves had glasses, cups, and mugs. They were roughly split with mugs and cups on the left and glasses on the right, though a few of them were on the wrong side. 

Aizawa told him to check if he could reach everything. He was able to get the glasses, cups, mug, and some of the bowls and plates. He was a bit too short to reach the top plates and bowls.

“Um is there any specific things I should use?”

“Nope, you can use anything, but ask us before you use the fancy plates at the very top.”

“O-ok thank you”

He reached up again to grab a glass, he grabbed a clear glass with a small fox on it. He brought it over to Aizawa and asked him where he could get water from.

“We have a water and ice dispenser on our fridge, left is ice, right is water.”

“A-alright, thanks”

He started walking over to the fridge, but accidentally slid his arm on the counter. 

“Ah!-”

Shit, that hurt.

“Sorry kid, are you ok? I forgot how short you were…”

“I-its fine”

He finished walking over to the fridge and filled up his glass, his arms were hurting and he couldn't focus on the water so it almost spilled.

He placed the glass on the counter and looked up to thank Aizawa, but he was already looking at him. 

At his arm.

He looked down too.

His sleeve was red.

Chapter Text

Shit.

Shit shit shit shit shit shit-

Fuck. 

He was so fucking screwed, he actually had a fucking chance and he just had to fuck it all up with his stupid fucking problems

Fuck.

Izuku’s head was moving way too fast, and the blood dripping down his arm probably wasn't helping. He was so screwed, he was gonna be kicked out again.

His chest felt tight and his vision was blurring, he couldn't see anything except for the red blood dripping from his arm. Soon even that image became blurry as tears clouded his vision.

The world around him was spinning and everything was starting to be too loud, too bright, too much .

He knew he was spiraling, but he couldn't do anything. He wanted to say something, anything, but it felt like he wasn't able to talk. He wanted to stop and he couldn't .

He could hear voices saying something, probably telling him off, but he can't process any words. Everything is too much and he can't focus on anything.

Something touches him and he flinches away from it falling backwards and hitting his back against the cabinets on the floor. He vaguely registers the pain that comes from it.

Someone moves towards him and he curls in on himself to protect his ribs and head. HE could still hear a voice talking, but one of them was gone now.

He slowly opened his eyes to see something black in front of him. He couldn't make out what, but it was tall and then it became short, and he realized it was a person. Soon after he remembered that he was in Aizawa and Yamada sensei’s Apartment.

It must have been Aizawa sensei then.

Great, more reason for him to be expelled and kicked out.

Fuck.

He really wanted to die right now, this was too much and he couldn't handle losing everything all over again. 

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-

Something touched his hand and this time he couldn't back away any further. 

Part of his mind, the more logical part, told him that Aizawa sensei would never let him get hurt, would never hurt him. But the panic was overtaking his brain and it was all he was able to think about. 

So when his hand was gently pulled away by someone else he tried to pull back. He pulled his arm back and then brought it close.

The other person, Aizawa sensei, the more logical part of his brain argued again, tried again. Gentler, softer, and slower, so very, painfully slow, giving him the chance to pull away any second. 

He lets his hand get moved, it lands on someone’s chest. They’re taking deep, even breaths, and he unconsciously follows.

After what felt like hours, his breathing finally evened out enough for him to realize that it really was Aizawa sensei. He was talking to him, quiet, placating words of encouragement. 

He was able to feel the stinging pain from his palms where his nails had dug into them. He noticed the bandages and anti-bacterial spray next to Aizawa sensei. 

Then, as slowly as it came back, everything started to fade till it was just dull numbness. He felt like he was floating. He faintly remembers nodding to his teacher, giving him permission to bandage his arms and hands.

Nothing felt real and he was tired, struggling to stay awake. His movement was sluggish and he didn't remember moving to the couch, just that he was there now. 

The still panicking part of his brain reminded him that he was in his teacher's apartment and he needed to be more aware, but he was too tired to care.

He doesn't remember how or when, but he ends up falling asleep on the couch to the white noise of the TV running on some random channel.

When he wakes up, he’s much more aware, suddenly remembering what had happened the night before. Before he could work himself into another panic his teacher walked into the room and spoke to him

“You feelin’ better Problem Child? You were pretty out of it last night, not that anyone could blame you, panic attacks suck.”

He… wasn't mad?

“I um y-yeah i do”

Even though he didn't really want to remind him, Izuku was too curious to not ask

“Aren't… Aren't you mad at me?”

Aizawa looked flabbergasted at his question.

“Why would I be mad at you?”

Why? Was this a trick or something? It was painfully obvious to Izuku why.

“Because I hurt myself and then I freaked out over nothing, why wouldn't you be angry?”

And something about his teacher’s expression confused Izuku, because instead of anger, it was sadness that flashed in his eyes. The type of sadness that makes you feel sorry, sorry because you couldn't didn't do anything

“It makes sense that you “freaked out”, you were scared and it makes sense why, but I promise you have nothing to be afraid of, I would never hurt you. I’m sorry I ever made you think I would”

And now Izuku was even more confused because his teacher was apologizing to him .That wasn't something teachers did. 

“But- but I hurt myself, I’m a sick freak a-and I don't even have a reason to do it. And I-i shouldn't have gotten so freaked out because I know you don't hurt us, you never have. I’m sorry-”

His teacher cut him off before he could finish

“Don’t apologize” and it wasnt mean, it was kind and caring, Izuku had never heard a voice like that directed at him before. “It's not your fault, and you didn't do anything wrong. And you are not a freak, it’s completely valid, no matter the reason. You are an amazing kid, and I'm sorry the world has made it so hard for you to understand that.”

Shit, He was gonna cry again.

Chapter Text

After crying for almost 20 minutes, Izuku had calmed down and he felt a little lighter. Once he got him a glass of water, Aizawa spoke up

“Do you think we could talk a bit though? about what happened and why?

Izuku didn't want to, but he felt like he owed it to his teacher, and he kinda sorta maybe might trust him. Only a little though. 

“Um sure”

“Awesome, do you want me to ask questions or do you want to just talk and let me know what happened? It's entirely up to you.”

His teacher’s voice was so soft, it was out of character for him. 

“Um can you a-ask me questions, p-please?”

Maybe he would regret it, but it was better than explaining things that his teacher didn't even want to hear.

“Sure that works. Firstly, do you know what a panic attack is?”

Ok, that was easy enough to answer, maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

“Y-yeah”

“That's good, did you know you had one last night?”

“K-kinda?”

Would he be mad? Was that a bad answer? Of course it was, that was so vague. 

“Kinda? Like you weren't sure, but you were suspecting it?”

Izuku was a little surprised, his teacher explained his thoughts perfectly without any explanation from him, and he wasn't at all angry at his vague answer.

“Y-yeah, exactly”

“That’s ok, do you know why that happened?”

And that was a much more complicated answer that Izuku really didn't want to tell his teacher.

“Um I… well- I- it's um…”

Shit, he didn't answer, he was definitely gonna get yelled at.

“You don't have to answer if you don't want to, it's up to you what you do and don't answer.”

Aizawa spoke as if talking to a scared cat, like he was trying carefully, so very carefully, to gain their trust.

But even worse, he… wasn’t mad… again, he wasn't mad at him even though he messed up. Why was he so nice, why was he always being so nice. Why did he care?

“Why?”

Aizawa looked at him curiously

“‘Why’ what?”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

The look of confusion turned into one of sadness, and one of old understanding, understanding from years ago, that he thought would never come back.

“Because you deserve it.”

Izuku’s mouth moves before his brain does

“No I don't”

Shit, was he gonna get in trouble? 

To his surprise Aizawa’s response came just as quickly as his own.

“Why do you say that?”

His response wasn't angry, it was hurt. Not his own hurt, but someone else’s that he felt as deeply as his own. Izuku’s hurt that he felt as if it had been his at some point.

“Well i- um i don’t um i don't deserve it” 

“But why dont you deserve it? Did you do something for you to not deserve it?”

Izuku didn't know how to respond. It had always just been that he didn't deserve kindness, no one questioned it so neither did he.

“Well I um no? But i- I never um earned it?”

His teacher had an exasperated look of sadness on his face. He spoke calmly, doing little to veil the sadness in his eyes.

“What makes you think you have to earn it?”

And this makes Midoriya stop and think, why did he think that? Did someone tell him that, or did he just accept it as the truth when no one was nice to him? He didn’t know. It was just… the way it worked. 

“I don’t um I don’t know.”

He admitted guiltily. His mom always hated when he said that, because he should be able to understand and explain everything he says. Because if he didn’t, he deserved to be punished.

But Aizawa sensei was different, never once did he hit him, or yell at him. Not the way his mom did. The way his old teachers did. 

“Is it ok if I tell you what I think? Why you might think this way?”

Izuku nodded. No one had ever been so gentle with him.

“I think that maybe, for whatever reason, people didn’t show you the kindness you deserved, and instead of being angry, you tried to make your brain understand why, and the most logical explanation you could come up with was that it had to be earned somehow, and that the reason you weren’t treated nicely, was because you didn’t know how to earn it. Does that sound right? Or do you think there’s a different reason?”

Izuku shifted nervously. He felt like an open book written in a language he didn’t know. But Aizawa was such a good translator.

“I um… maybe?”

Aizawa wasn't mad, he was so patient. 

“I think, and please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you don’t believe you deserve kindness because you think you haven’t earned it”

Izuku responds so confidently for someone so unsure.

“I haven’t”

Aizawa’s response came so fast that it took Izuku a few seconds to process what he said.

“You don’t have to”