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15: Childhood Trauma
Painful Hug | Moment of Clarity | “I did good, right?’
It was just after lunch on a Friday afternoon for class 1-A. The bell had just rung and they were out at one of the training gyms for heroics. All Might and Aizawa had come with a small battle simulation. It was four teams of five, two battles of capture the flag. All out brawl style.
Izuku stood in the control room. Eyes locked on the screens, bouncing to different views and angles. His classmates were amazing! Katsuki let off an impressive blast, launching towards Shoto only for a wall of ice to divide them.
“Sorry to interrupt. Midoriya Izuku, you are being signed out for the day. Please gather your belongings. Your father will be waiting at the front gate.” Nedzu's voice came over the PA system.
His father? He hadn’t seen his dad in years. Barely remembers what he looks like. He does remember the pain, his cruel words. He felt his heart kick up a beat, his breaths coming quicker. He couldn’t fill his lungs properly. Why? Why is he-
“Midoriya.” Izuku's gaze snapped to Aizawa’s. “Go collect your things. Get changed. See you soon.”
Izuku just nodded. His thoughts ran wild on why he came back. Why now? He thought for just a moment that maybe he could ask Aizawa to stay. To keep him away from his father. He couldn’t though. That came with telling him everything and he couldn’t betray All Might like that.
Izuku slowly changed. Hands shaking the entire time. He shouldn’t be afraid! His father hated him back then because he was quirkless. He has a quirk now. That must be why he’s back. Saw Izuku fighting at some point with it and decided he had value. Maybe? Why did his mom let him back in? He shouldn’t be allowed back.
Izuku tucked his costume back in its case. Grabbing his bag he slowly walked out of the changing room and towards the main gate. With each step he felt himself his mind would stop playing the last time he saw his father. It just kept playing the old hazy memories.
“Izuku!” He nearly jumped out of his skin at his father’s voice. So much deeper than he remembered. His gaze shot up from the path and he was thrown back in time. A man, close to Aizawa in height, stood just outside the gate. Wild black hair, freckles dotting his cheeks. Dark eyes that didn’t quite match his. Izuku felt a wave of fear coarse through him.
“It’s been so long my boy! Come, your mother is waiting at home.” He nodded, swallowing down whatever emotions he could. Stepping forward, he sat in the passenger seat of the black car.
Bakugo Katsuki was pissed off. He hasn’t seen the nerd since heroics and now the bastard had missed their training session. He stormed into the common, eyes set on the stupid nerds' friends.
“Where is he?” Katsuki growled, staring at Todoroki.
“He went home. Dad picked him up.” Katsuki felt his blood run cold. He shoved his hands in his pockets to hide the shaking.
“What’s the real reason?” He wouldn’t believe the bastard was back. That would mean Auntie invited him, knowing what he did to Izuku when they were kids. Why would she-
“Bakugo! Todoroki has no reason to lie to you!” Iida added, hands chopping like an idiot.
“No.” He growled. More to himself then them as he turned and left.
Katsuki stomped down the hallway. The bastard couldn’t be back. He couldn’t! Why would Deku go so easily?
His fist pounded on Aizawa’s door. It swung open quickly, and Aizawa looked ready to break up a fight or something. Katsuki watched as the man settled before; “Bakugo?” Left his mouth.
“You need to get Deku back to school.” Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose.
“If this is some petty-”
“He can’t be around his dad.” Anger bubbled below Katsuki’s skin. “It’s already been too long.”
Aizawa met his gaze. Katsuki couldn’t get a read on whatever he was thinking. He just needed Aizawa to move. To do something!
“And why is that?” There was the barest hint of concern in his voice.
“He beat the shit out of Deku. Put him in a hospital for days. Auntie has a restraining order. Deku can’t be with him!” Bakugo shouted.
Aizawa’s eyes widened a small fraction.
“I will talk to Nedzu. See what I can do.”
“That’s it?” He yelled. Sounds of small pops and the scent of caramel filled the area around them. “See what you can do? Deku could be hurt!”
“Could be Bakugo. Could be. He could be completely fine too. Nedzu told me he would return before curfew tonight.” Katsuki just shook his head.
“He won’t come back if that bastard stays with Auntie. He’d be too worried.”
“Let’s see what happens. I’ll talk to Nedzu. Go have dinner with your classmates.” He was dismissed. Aizawa stepped around him and closed the door. Bakugo followed him down the hall. Watching as Aizawa left the dorms.
Deku didn’t come back that night.
Deku didn’t come back during the weekend either.
Aizawa Shouta watched the students enter. It was Monday morning, just before homeroom. Midoriya hadn’t returned to the dorms. Any attempts to contact the Midoriya’s failed. He kept thinking about what Bakugo said. Days in the hospital. He should have asked for more details. Shouta doesn’t think he’s ever heard Midoriya talk about either of his parents. Brief mentions of his mother, but nothing of a father.
Nedzu had told him to wait until. After he was done teaching on Monday then they could call the detective and go to the Midoriyas. It would be hard to shake off Bakugo. The boy had been asking nonstop questions all weekend. Angry accusation about why they hadn’t done anything yet even though Shouta promised they were working on it.
Once the afternoon rolled around, the final bell rang, he immediately was walking to his car. Bakugo quickly caught up to him before he could reach the end of the hall.
“Take me with you.” Shouta looked at the teen, the visible shake to his hands. The worry was clear on his face.
“Bakugo I-”
“Please.” And wasn’t that a miracle. Shouta sighed.
“I could get in so much legal trouble.” He mumbled and pinched the bridge of his nose. Walking down the stairs to the main floor.
“I need to know.” The man just nodded.
“No quirk.” The teen scoffed.
“Obviously.”
Shouta parked the car in a guest stall. Briefly they just sat and looked at the apartment building. If something was happening someone would have called it in, right? The Midoriyas were surrounded by other tenants.
The two got out of the car. Making their way up to the correct floor. They paused outside the door. Seeing if they could hear anything.
“You useless fucking brat!” A man screamed. Glass smashed. A quiet cry and the harsh thud of a body hitting something.
Aizawa took one quick step back and kicked the down open. A scream echoed behind the loud thud and he moved quickly into the room. Shouta stood in the living room taking in the sight before him.
Shouta wished he had fought harder to come see them sooner.
A man, Midoriya’s father he assumed, had the teen pinned to the wall. A broken bottle in hand. Blood dripped from one end. His other hand wrapped tightly around Midoriya’s throat. Fingers digging into the soft flesh.
The kid was beaten to hell. Bruises and blood littered his skin. His clothes charred, the skin beneath blistered and red. His nose looked broken. His right leg too. A long deep gash from just above his eyebrow to the middle of his cheek. Shouta knew that scar would ruin the kid.
Souta launched forward, capture weapon flying and ripping the man away from the kid. Shouta knew he was saying his usual spiel, under arrest for child abuse, but he couldn’t help but to watch the way the kid just… crumpled. Falling to the floor in a heap. Bakugo raced past him then, kneeling next to the kid.
The man didn’t even get a chance to put up a fight as he tightened his weapon, slapping quirk suppressants on the man’s wrist. Shouta sent the man a deadly glare before kneeling beside his students.
“C’mon Izuku. Wake up!” Bakugo yelled. He didn’t move Midoriya from where he collapsed. The kid laid on his side, hands in front of his face. Shouta thinks one of his fingers are broken too.
Shouta gently nudged the teen out of the way. He pressed two fingers to the kids neck. He felt a pulse, weak but there and sighed. With a gasp the kid shot up. Hands slapping away his own. Before settling on the floor. Midoriya tried to move away from the but only pushed himself back into the wall.
“Easy Midoriya. You’re badly hurt.” Aizawa spoke. The kid's eyes snapped to him. Fear was clear in the one that still worked. That wasn’t cut and coated in blood. Shouta met his gaze. The kid watched for a long moment before his eyes moved to Bakugo.
“Kacchan?” Midoriya asked, voice barely a whisper and scratchy. Too much screaming, too much pain. Why hadn’t a single person reported any noises?
“You’re alright Izu.” Shouta was surprised with how soft the boy could be.
Midoriya reached out a hand to Bakugo. Who just pulled the teen into his arms. Holding him close, Bakugo leaned down and pressed his forehead into messy curls. Midoriya hissed in pain, the sudden movement jarring too many open wounds.
“Shit I-” Midoriya just held on tightly to his… friend? Could he call them that?
“No. Please.” He whined. “I’m sorry.” Tears fell down the right side of his face.
Bakugo just held Midoriya a little tighter, but was more careful of where he touched.
“Midoriya, where is your mom?” Shouta had to ask.
“Mom… mom left for work an hour ago? I don’t know.”
Shouta tried so hard not to be angry. An hour means she would have been around to see this. Would have seen how hurt her kid was and did nothing. Yes, she might be afraid of her own husband but Midoriya didn’t deserve this. To be left alone and ignored by his own mother. Left to deal with a raging father.
“M- mom isn’t-” Aizawa watched the kid swallow his own blood. “Mom isn’t hurt?”
“No Kid, your mom is fine.” A broken sob from the teen. Shouta hated that he was so worried about the woman. She didn’t deserve it if he was this hurt. This was days worth of injuries all piled on.
Aizawa could see the adrenaline leaving the kid. How tired he was. Eyes dropping, leaning further into Bakugo.
“I… I did… good, right?” Such a quiet whisper as his eyes closed.
“Yeah kid. We’ll take it from here. Rest up.” Shouta gently ruffled his hair and the kid was out.
Bakugo looked up at Aizawa. “She would have seen.” Aizawa nodded.
“He can’t stay here anymore.” Bakugo’s eyes looked around the room. Shouta followed his gaze, catching on empty beer bottles. Shattered glasses and dishes. Blood splattered on the walls and carpet.
“I’ll handle it kid. It’ll all work out.” He reassured Bakugo.