Work Text:
With the waves crashing against the island that held a single lighthouse, his gaze lingered on the single light that circled round and round. Forever guiding ships to safety in the treacherous nights out at sea, so long as the lighthouse keeper continued to maintain the light.
Something to admire as his hand instinctively moved to his side, hovering over the bandages that covered his wound.
He remembered the sheer number of rolls the human had to use just to get a single wrap around his bleeding body.
To think, a mere human would do everything in his power to try and save a god’s life.
Toshinori took a deep breath and smiled at the memory.
He knows he should have died that night, but his death would have been worth it to put a stop to the kraken.
To save the seas, to save his people, from subjugation under a monster.
While he would not be able to return to his people anytime soon, not while he still owes this human a debt for saving his life, he finds he doesn’t mind it as much.
His people will be able to go on without him for the brief blip that is this human’s short lifespan, but a part of him knows it would be irresponsible to not return as soon as possible.
“I need to help clean up the mess that kraken has caused,” he whispered under his breath, but a small tugging in his chest stopped him from moving too far from the island with the lighthouse.
The debt owed to the keeper, a debt that needs to be repaid.
But how is he to repay his single debt?
His mind lingered on this conundrum as he circled the island until the sun started to rise, until something in the distance caught his eye.
Ever the curious one, something his predecessor has commented on multiple times, he moved closer to the thing that floated in the distance—half expecting it to be a piece of debris or something.
But as he got closer, he found a child clinging to a piece of debris.
Floating gently in the waves, but shaking slightly with eyes tightly closed.
A survivor of a shipwreck?
Toshinori knew he could not leave this child alone, so he slowly moved his much larger hand under the child to lift him out of the waves.
Under further examination, he noted the boy didn’t have any clothes on, save for a necklace with a seashell attached to it. Damp hair clung to the child’s freckled face that scrunched up slightly from the motion, until the boy finally opened his eyes that were more of a vibrant green than his hair.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Toshinori said, careful to keep his voice low so as to not startle the child further.
The child stared up at him in silence, clutching the single seashell on his necklace as he gawked at the leviathan who held him. The poor thing was trembling, but Toshinori could not tell if it was from the cold of the sea or from fear at being held by such a large and formidable beast.
Perhaps the boy would do better with another human?
At that simple thought, his eyes wandered towards the lighthouse and he knew that the human living there would have a better understanding of another, albeit younger, human’s needs.
The child would likely be better off in Aizawa’s capable hands, as opposed to his own claws.
“Here, I’ll bring you to someone who can be of more help than me,” Toshinori said.
He turned and started to swim towards the singly rocky island where the shining beacon stood, his massive body easily lifting out of the water and closer to the balcony where he knew Aizawa was surely preparing to shut off the light and get some rest.
As if knowing Toshinori was right there, Aizawa immediately stepped onto the balcony and rubbed at the dark circles under his eyes.
“What?” Aizawa snapped, his voice cold as he stared up at Toshinori with bloodshot eyes.
“I found a child out in the ocean and it looked like he needed help,” he quickly explained, moving his hand up so the mortal could get a better look. “You were already helpful towards me when I was injured, so I thought you could also help this boy? At least until I can find his family.”
Toshinori watched in silence as the boy and man stared at each other, and for a moment he thought he saw a flash of annoyance cross Aizawa’s face before the man sighed and softened his gaze.
“Fine, but he can’t stay here for long. The moment you find a ship that’s connected to his family, you’ll bring him right back,” the human said, helping the boy out of Toshinori’s hand and onto the balcony of the lighthouse. “This really isn’t the place for a child,” Aizawa mumbled as he led the boy downstairs to hopefully dry and clothe him.
Mission accomplished, Toshinori sunk back down into the depths to see if he could possibly find remnants of the shipwreck. That would be his best method of figuring out the child’s identity and reuniting him with his family.
With that in mind, he immediately started to scour the seafloor that surrounded the lighthouse.
–
As Shouta guided the child down the stairs, he noticed a few oddities about the boy that leviathan brought to him.
For one, the boy clung tightly to Shouta as they went down the steps. He could tell the boy was using him as a balance, something he would expect from someone in shock, but the way the boy walked was like a baby learning to take its first steps.
Then the fact the boy didn’t have any clothes. The leviathan claimed the boy was from a shipwreck, but Shouta knows that those who were on ships had some semblance of clothing. The fact that this child was as bare as a newborn brought on more concern.
However, it’s the boy’s perpetual silence that was more perplexing.
Even though Shouta’s experience with children was minimal, he knows a lot of them can be a bunch of unrestrained blabbermouths. The fact that this boy has not once spoken a word was concerning.
After a slow descent, they finally reached Shouta’s living quarters where he set the boy down in a chair. He held a hand up as a signal for the boy to stay right there before turning to his dresser where he started to dig through his clothes.
While none of them would fit the boy, he knew it was better than nothing. After finding something suitable, he tossed the shirt and pants at the boy before digging around for some rope that could be used to keep the pants held up until his friends bring their boat here with supplies.
He turned back to the boy, only to see him staring at the clothes settled on his lap in confusion. The boy held up the pants and tilted his head to the side before attempting to stick one of his arms through the leg.
Shouta sighed and walked over, taking the pants out of the boy’s hands.
“Do you not know how to put on clothes?” He asked.
The boy stared up at him with vibrant eyes before shaking his head.
His hand reached up to clutch at the seashell as tears started to trickle from his eyes.
Just his luck that he would be brought a child with some kind of mental handicap.
Even still, he pointed at the boy’s legs and slowly explained that the legs of the pants are for the boy’s legs—not for his arms.
As if something clicked for the boy, he nodded and reached out for the pants before shoving one leg through a hole and then the other.
Unfortunately, the boy put the pants on backwards based on the tag that stuck out from the front.
Though the boy seemed to have noticed this as he quickly slipped out of the pants and flipped them so they were the right direction.
So the boy does catch on to things, but the fact that this seemed like the first time he’s ever worn pants made things more concerning.
Just what kind of life did this boy lead before the leviathan found him? Nothing good from what he can assume, based on how this boy doesn’t seem to know anything about clothes.
Shouta quickly shook that dark thought out of his mind as he grabbed the rope and started to help the boy put it through the belt loops to create a makeshift belt before tying it tight to fully secure the pants. He then motioned for the boy to raise his arms before slipping the shirt on him.
“I’ll see if we can get clothes that actually fit you better once my friends visit,” he said.
The child nodded, already fiddling with his seashell.
For a brief moment he continued to study the child in silence, and the child seemed to be returning the favor while clutching the seashell tight in his hand.
“Can you speak?” Shouta finally asked.
The boy blinked and shook his head.
That explains why he hasn’t heard a single pipe out of this child.
Still, that will make things inconvenient if he doesn’t know whether the child needs help or not. He probably can’t even tell Shouta his name, which will make trying to get his attention more difficult.
Even then, it’s not like the boy will be staying here for very long. As soon as that leviathan finds out where the boy came from then the boy will be out of his hair.
It should be about a week at most, based on how fast the leviathan can scour through the seas and collect the necessary information.
How else was he able to effectively locate and rescue countless victims of shipwrecks and return them to their families?
“Alright, I’m going to get you something to eat and then I’m going to bed. Just, stay in a corner somewhere and don’t do anything reckless,” Shouta mumbled, already making his way towards the kitchen to locate something to feed this child.
–
Still bound to the lighthouse, Toshinori knew it would be difficult for him to venture out too far to locate the boy’s home. Even with that difficulty, he still had the seas to assist him thanks to the power bestowed upon him by his predecessor. His hands dug deep into the sands of the sea floor, a golden light flashing from his arms as they dug deep and stretched out to search for anyone possibly missing a child around the same age as that boy.
Much like every other time of searching within the past month, the seas failed to locate anyone searching for the boy.
Troubled by yet another failure, Toshinori floated up to the surface and towards the light of the lighthouse where Aizawa was surely waiting for the result of his search.
He couldn’t understand why the seas were failing him now, unless maybe he was looking in the wrong places? But how? Surely that boy came from a shipwreck of some form, if only he knew that boy’s name then it would make things far easier.
As he sat up to bring himself closer to the balcony, he could see the boy sitting at the edge with his legs through the bars that acted as a guardrail, feet kicking as he held his seashell to his ear.
For a brief moment, the boy went misty eyed as he kept the shell to his ear. This lasted until he caught sight of Toshinori, that was when the boy perked up and let the shell fall back around his neck.
With a light chuckle, Toshinori moved down so he was eye-level with the boy.
The way the child’s eyes shone whenever he saw Toshinori made him realize that when he first pulled the boy out of the water, he was not scared of the god that helped him. The shaking very well could have come from the cold of the ocean.
“Were you trying to see if you could hear the sea through the shell?” Toshinori asked, remembering the stories heard from sailors channeled through the seas.
The boy smiled as he held a hand to his chest before shaking his head. He then made a small gesture with his hands, one of the signs Aizawa surely taught the boy to signify “Home.”
“The shell sounds like home?” Toshinori asked, smiling when the boy quickly nodded. “Well, may I listen? I’d like to know what home sounds like to you.”
The boy hesitated before nodding and holding the seashell up to Toshinori. However, he quickly pulled it back before Toshinori could take it from his hands.
“I promise I will give it back,” he said, watching as the boy processed his words before nodding and handing the shell over. If this really was the last thing this boy had of his home, then it would be too cruel to take it and never give it back.
With the shell pinched delicately between his thumb and index finger, Toshinori brought it up to his ear where he carefully listened to the shell.
While humans would only hear the sound of the ocean waves in a seashell, Toshinori could hear the voices of those that have carried this shell. Some were louder than others, and this shell was no exception as he heard the voice of what he could only assume to be a kindhearted woman.
“I’m sorry I have to send you away like this, Izuku. But know that I am doing this for your safety, because it’s my job as your mother. So please don’t cry my child, when the danger settles I will do my best to reunite with you. Keep your chin up and prepare your biggest smile for when we meet again, and remember that I will always love you.”
A single tear fell from Toshinori’s eye as he pulled the seashell away from his ear and gingerly set it in the boy’s hands.
No, surely the boy must be named Izuku.
“Izuku, is that your name?” He asked, receiving a shocked nod in response.
Izuku looked up with wide eyes as he pointed at the shell and then Toshinori.
“Yes, I heard the message your mother left for you,” he explained, watching as the boy stood up and ran into the lighthouse. He found himself chuckling slightly when the boy pulled Aizawa onto the balcony before holding the shell up to him.
“What is it?” Aizawa asked with a tired grunt.
“Izuku wants you to listen to his shell,” Toshinori explained.
The mortal blinked.
“Izuku? Did you name the kid or something? I thought we weren’t going to-”
“Actually, there was a message from his mother in the shell. I asked him if that was his name and he confirmed, now he wants to see if you can also hear his mother,” Toshinori explained quickly, though he already knew the answer even before Aizawa could bring the shell up to his ear to listen.
“The only thing I hear is the ocean,” Aizawa said, confirming what Toshinori already knew.
Which brought on another question about Izuku.
The boy looked sad as he pressed his two index fingers together, looking down after taking the shell back from Aizawa.
“Izuku, can you also hear the message your mother left for you?” Toshinori asked, smiling gently when he got a nod from the boy.
That confirmation explains just why Toshinori did not hear anything from the seas about a missing child—because this child was not from shipwrecks at all.
This child was from the seas.
Aizawa looked between the two of them, the confusion evident on his face as he stared up at Toshinori with a raised eyebrow.
“Izuku isn’t actually a human child, like we thought. He’s from the seas, like I am. But what he was before he gained human legs, that’s something I don’t know,” he explained, though the idea of there being some kind of danger has him wondering just what kind of trouble this boy could have gotten himself into.
“So what, this is some kind of Little Mermaid situation?”
After taking a moment to think about which story that one was again, Toshinori found himself nodding.
“It would probably be the closest to Izuku’s situation here, if that’s the one where a young mermaid traded her voice for legs?”
Izuku perked up when hearing that and quickly nodded, tugging on Aizawa’s sleeve and staring up at him with pleading eyes before signing for a book.
“You’re lucky my friends thought it would have been funny to get me some books,” he explained, walking back into the lighthouse to search for whatever book. Then again, it’s possible that Aizawa could understand Izuku in some capacity, likely from the time they spent together.
With a gentle smile, Toshinori held a hand out for Izuku to climb on.
“I’m honestly shocked Aizawa didn’t suspect this truth about you, but I’m honestly glad I was the first to find out,” he admitted.
Izuku’s shoulders shook in a silent laugh as he smiled up at Toshinori, however his smile soon dropped as he set a hand over the seashell he wore around his neck.
“You’re worried about your mother, aren’t you?” Toshinori asked.
The boy nodded as he stared out into the horizon, as if hoping he would see his mother appear from the distant ocean.
“I’m sure wherever she is, she is just fine and just waiting for whatever is happening to calm down. Once everything is settled down, I am certain she will come for you and you can finally regain your voice and go home.”
Even as he said that, he couldn’t help the gnawing feeling in his chest.
It has only been a month since he found Izuku, but he can’t imagine a day without seeing the boy running around the lighthouse and helping Aizawa in whatever way he can.
He can’t imagine days where this boy wouldn’t be looking at him with awe, especially as he used his magic to search the seas for more shipwrecks.
Even now, as he brings the boy up so he can rest on his head, Toshinori wonders how Aizawa would feel when the day comes for Izuku to return to his mother.
Would he feel the same sorrow Toshinori is feeling now at the idea? Or would Aizawa be relieved that he no longer had to watch over Izuku?
As he sank down, just low enough so Izuku could dip his feet in the water, he thought further about it and knew that the choice would be rough when they got to it.
But he also knows that, ultimately, they would have to take Izuku’s feelings and happiness into account.
And if Izuku would be happier to return to the seas with his mother? Then they would have to let him go.
He just hopes that day won’t come anytime soon.
–
When Shouta returned to the balcony, he found himself smiling softly when he saw the boy curled up in the leviathan’s hair. Based on the quiet snores, he knew the child was likely napping.
He thought about waking the boy up, especially since he found the book, but he knew it would be too cruel to wake the boy up.
Especially since the boy is always respectful whenever Shouta goes to take his own naps.
As he sat on the balcony, he cracked the book open to the first page and began to read the small story the child, Izuku, asked for.
Now that he knew the boy’s name and where he actually came from, the latter of which he should have realized so much sooner with all of the strange quirks the boy had, he’s certain the time for Izuku to return home would soon be upon them.
Much like how soon the leviathan would also return to the deeper seas, and Shouta would go back to his life of solitude in the lighthouse.
Except for the few times his friends come to deliver supplies, but those were far too rare at this point in time.
The idea of being completely alone again, somehow he found the idea to be unpleasant.
It isn’t like the leviathan is that much of a problem, in fact the times where he would assist with guiding ships and rescuing survivors of shipwrecks made him all the more admirable.
And then there’s the boy, Izuku.
Always a quiet and polite child, there were times where Shouta almost forgot the boy was even living in the lighthouse until he helped with a few chores that Shouta would admittedly neglect in favor of taking a small nap.
Could he honestly go back to a time before the leviathan and the boy came into his life?
As he looked at the two who plagued his thoughts, he realized that his answer was one of selfishness.
What right does he have to make them stay for his own benefit? In the end, it’s probably for the best that they return to where they came from the moment they’re able to.
And then he can go back to being alone.
With a deep sigh, he shut the book and set it aside before getting up.
Perhaps if he hires an apprentice then he can curb the loneliness that will plague him the moment the leviathan and Izuku ultimately leave him.
“Yeah, that would probably be for the best,” he mumbled to himself as he went back inside.
That day will eventually come, so he had better prepare for it.