Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Izuku Midoriya collapsed onto his cell's cold, hard floor and immediately curled into a fetal position. His injuries pulsed painfully on his skin, and he vaguely heard the cell door shut behind him. Izuku shuffled to the corner, body shaking from the pain and the brisk air of the room. His session with Sensei went on longer than normal, and it was a lot rougher this time around. Usually, he would write down the most recent developments for his own peace of mind, but he couldn’t even manage to sit up on his own. He tried to think about anything else to distract himself, but he couldn’t stop feeling the hurt. He gave up, instead trying to fall asleep.

He woke up to a sudden bang overhead. Izuku blearily blinked his eyes open, not being able to tell how long he had been out for. He carefully pulled himself into a sitting position, leaning heavily against the wall as he did so. Izuku whimpered quietly as he adjusted, looking up to see if what he heard was real or a part of his dreams. As he strained his hearing, he could tell there was some sort of fight going on upstairs. It was too muffled for him to make sense of what was going on, and the pounding headache wasn’t helping, either.

Izuku must have nodded off again because he startled awake to the sounds of shouting right outside his door. Izuku flinched and pulled his legs to his chest, making himself as small as possible. Next, he heard grunts of pain or frustration, he couldn’t tell, and then it went silent. A moment later, some shuffling feet were coming towards his cell, and he could make out a shadow beneath the door. Izuku curled tighter against the wall, scared to see what – or who – would be coming inside. As Izuku held his breath in anticipation, the door opened with a soft click.

Shouta Aizawa knocked out another villain, his capture weapon carrying him over to the pile of two other men he had disarmed. Shouta tightened the zip-ties on his wrist and sent a signal to Detective Tsukauchi on his phone, letting him know he needed backup to take them to the station later for questioning. Tsukauchi received a tip that this building was being used as a villain hideout for a quirk trafficking operation, and he asked Shouta to investigate since it fell within his patrol route. It was a relatively small building that used to be a bar by the looks of the interior.

With no other villains making an immediate appearance at the moment, Shouta cautiously made his way forward. He stayed alert as he walked towards the back of the room towards a door leading to who knows what. Capture weapon ready for attack, he opened it, only to find no one there. Instead, a set of stairs greeted him, leading to the building’s basement. He crept down the stairs, taking in his surroundings as he got to the bottom. The last step led to a small hallway that only opened up to the left. Shouta peeked around the corner, and it was definitely bigger than the upstairs. The hallway spanned down at least 25-30 metres, with two doors on the right side and one on the left.

Just as he was about to investigate further, the door on the left swung open and two figures emerged. Shouta hid himself on the stairs, only slightly peeking around the corner so he could assess the situation. The taller of the two had strong, built muscles, black, curly hair, and sported a simple grey t-shirt and black pants. The other was… interesting. The villain wore a formal suit and tie, but where skin should be showing, there was black mist. He had glowing yellow eyes and a metal collar wrapping around the whole neck. They were making their way towards the closest door on the right.

“Get the brat,” the one with black hair hissed out, “or we’re both in trouble.”

Shouta frowned, eyebrows furrowed as the mist villain raised a hand(?) towards a red, glowing panel just next to the door. It blinked green. Shouta could not let them get to whoever was inside, so he leapt forward, quirk activated, and his capture weapon shot towards them. It would have wrapped around the mist villain’s arm, but he was surprisingly quick and jumped out of the way on the other side of the hallway.

“Shit. We don’t have time! Go!” The black-haired man shouted, and he turned to face Shouta. His mouth opened, and Shouta could see his throat lighting up, but he turned his quirked gaze onto him, and it promptly stopped whatever quirk – most likely fire breathing – from activating. The man faltered, and Shouta used that distraction for granted and landed a punch right on his face. Before he could recover, Shouta kicked the man in the stomach in quick succession, which caused him to fall backwards onto the floor, and he landed just behind the mist villain.

Shouta could hear police sirens in the distance, which resulted in the panicked looks on the villain’s faces. Shouta shot his capture weapon out again quickly, aiming to restrain them before the police arrived, but the black mist suddenly transformed into a sort of warped portal. The other villain scrambled through, and as it shut, both disappeared.

Shouta cursed and brought his capture weapon back to his neck, taking a moment to breathe. He scanned his surroundings once more and made sure no one else was present. After he confirmed he was alone, he made his way to the door the two villains were trying to get through, and promptly pushed it open.

The first thing he noticed was how dark it was inside, the only light coming through the hallway behind him. It illuminated a small room of concrete walls, floors, and ceiling, with nothing present except a few stacks of what looked like several notebooks and writing utensils. Shouta heard a small gasp from the far corner, and he turned to see a child. He couldn’t see much, but from what he did see, the boy was small. He had long, matted, green curly hair and clothing not appropriate for such a cold room. He wore a tattered white t-shirt, pants that ended just above the ankle, and a light grey, singular cuff around his left wrist. If Shouta had to guess, he would think it was a quirk-suppressor.

Shouta opened the door further so more light could flit into the room and he could clearly see the boy in front of him. Once he did, he inhaled sharply through his nose. He was covered in scars and bruises that looked fresh. When Shouta stepped further into the room, slowly, the boy pushed further back into the wall behind him. Shouta stopped and crouched instead, trying to seem as non-threatening as possible.

“Hey, kid,” he said, voice quiet. “I’m a pro hero. I want to help you get out of here, okay?” Though he tried to calm him down, it did not seem to be working. The kid was still trembling and staring at him in fear and disbelief. Man, he was terrible with kids. He wished Hizashi were here to help.

Izuku stared at the figure in front of him, hesitant to believe he was who he said he was. He didn’t look like any of the villains that frequented the place, but he couldn’t be too sure. Plus, Sensei did not have any reason to stage a rescue. With all the fighting he heard earlier, maybe this man was a hero. Izuku just had a hard time believing that, after all this time, he was potentially being saved. He shouldn’t get his hopes up, though. Sensei could still be around, and he didn’t want this man in front of him to get hurt.

Izuku slowly uncurled from the wall, eyes roaming over the supposed hero. Long black hair, yellow goggles resting on his head, a light-grey scarf around his neck, black clothing, and a utility belt. He didn’t recognize him, but that didn’t automatically mean he wasn’t a hero. After the prolonged silence, Izuku almost expected the man to get irritated at the lack of response, but he only sat there patiently. Izuku bit his lip and decided to warn him instead.

“Y-you should… should leave. He will hurt you,” he whispered, his throat hurting from disuse. His eyes darted between the hero and the very open door behind him, leaving them both exposed for anyone to see.

The hero didn’t seem worried, though. With a shake of his head, he answered, “No one else is here. They all left or are being taken to the police station. You’re safe.” Izuku frowned. Safe? Left? Sensei had just left him there? Izuku doubted he had been captured, and the fact that he was still talking to the hero proved that Sensei was not here. He was confused, but relieved.

Was he allowed to feel that way?

Not having an answer, the hero spoke up again. “My name’s Eraserhead. What’s yours, kid?”

Izuku wrung his hands together and glanced at him with uncertainty. Just as he was about to respond, he could hear more footsteps coming down the stairs and a muffled, “Eraserhead?” called out from the hallway. Izuku froze and shrank back against the wall again.

Eraserhead muttered something under his breath that Izuku couldn’t hear and slowly rose to stand. “Don’t worry, they’re here to help,” he assured, but Izuku didn’t feel any less scared. Eraserhead turned, and he seemed to be talking to whoever called him in the hallway, though it was too low for Izuku to make out. Eraserhead ended the conversation with a nod, and he turned back to face Izuku, his expression softening. He kneeled on the floor this time, but still kept his distance.

“There’s a team of medics on their way, they will be able to help clean up your injuries. They won’t do anything to hurt you, I promise,” Eraserhead offered, keeping his voice low and stance open. Izuku relaxed a bit from where he was sitting; his body was exhausted from the stress he had endured over the past few hours. His head still hurt, too. Could he really trust this?

Izuku nodded hesitantly in lieu of a response, and Eraserhead nodded back. “Can you stand?” Izuku shook his head, and the hero hummed.

“That’s alright. Is it okay if I carry you?”

Izuku paused. He wasn’t used to this – being asked if he was okay with something. He almost didn’t know how to respond. If the hero wanted to hurt him, he would have done so already. After a few more seconds of deliberation, Izuku nodded. Eraserhead seemed relieved, but it was only for a moment before he neutralized his expression and stood.

“Alright, kid, let’s get you out of here.”

Chapter Text

Shouta hated hospitals.

The strong scent of antiseptic, the glaring white walls, and the overall air of melancholy that permeated the halls did not make for an enjoyable experience. He was only here for the kid he had rescued several hours prior.

While Shouta had only intended to get the kid checked over by a team of medics, there were a lot of underlying issues and conditions that needed to be monitored in an actual hospital. This posed a problem since the kid would barely let the medics on site look him over.

Shouta walked toward the ambulance waiting outside the bar, holding the kid in his arms. As he was setting him down onto the stretcher, the kid tightened his hold around Shouta’s neck. Shouta straightened, rubbing slow circles on the kid’s back to soothe him.

“I know it’s scary, but they need to check your injuries, okay? I’ll be right beside you,” he whispered. The child was trembling, but his arms loosened with a nod. Shouta gently set him down on the stretcher, and he stood beside him as promised.

One of the medics, a young woman with striking eyes, approached him with a kind smile. She introduced herself as Akiyama and explained how her quirk allowed her to check a person’s vitals as long as she had skin-to-skin contact. Akiyama asked the kid directly if he would be okay with that.

As expected, he hesitated, but what Shouta didn’t expect was the kid looking to him for reassurance. Shouta softened his expression and nodded, “It’s okay. She won’t hurt you.”

The kid shifted on the stretcher and turned to face Akiyama. “O-okay,” he consented to the procedure, and the medic telegraphed her movements so she wouldn’t cause him any more panic. She rested her hand on the kid’s left arm, just above the cuff. Despite knowing what would happen, he still flinched, but did not pull away completely.

Akiyama’s eyes glazed over as her quirk began processing his vitals, and it only took a few seconds before her hand lifted off his arm. The kid relaxed ever so slightly, seemingly relieved to have no one touching him.

“He is severely malnourished, and his body temperature is slightly lower than it should be – nothing to be immediately concerned about, he doesn’t have any hypothermic symptoms at the moment, but it is best if we monitor his well-being properly. He also seems to have a lot of fractured and broken bones that did not heal correctly. He needs to be transported to a hospital.” Akiyama’s voice is almost robotic as she rattles off her concerns, a shocking change from when she initially introduced herself.

Shouta was concerned. He could tell the kid was most likely malnourished by how small he looked. While he shouldn’t be so surprised that he had more internal injuries, considering he was taken hostage in a villain's hideout, it still upset him to see just how far the damage went.

After the kid’s health conditions were laid out like that, it didn’t go so well on the way to the hospital. The kid freaked out when Akiyama went to put him on an IV. Shouta tried to calm him as much as possible, but he wouldn’t have it.

Unfortunately, he pushed himself to exhaustion, and his body shut down on its own. It made it easier for one of the other present medics to use a sedative to put him to sleep, just so he could have somewhat of a break from the constant stress he had endured over the past few hours.

Shouta had texted Hizashi as soon as he arrived at the hospital, letting him know he would be getting back late and that he was fine. He knew his husband stayed up late sometimes waiting for him to be done patrol, so he didn’t want him to be worried when Shouta didn’t come home at the promised time.

Seeing the kid lying in a hospital bed was heartbreaking, to say the least. Despite what many people knew about Shouta and his intimidating, harsh nature, he had a soft spot for kids, especially those who came from horrible circumstances. He would never admit that, though, and only Hizashi really knew this about him.

The kid was still passed out. The nurse administered an IV line for nutrients, drew blood, and covered him in a couple of extra blankets to keep him warm. The nurse told Shouta that he would probably be out until the next morning, but Shouta wanted to stay for a little longer anyway. He didn’t really know why, but it felt right.

Shouta woke to a buzz in his pocket. It was still dark out, so Shouta wasn’t asleep for long. He took his phone out, thinking it would be Hizashi, but the caller ID showed Detective Tsukauchi at the top. He looked up to see the kid still asleep, so he quietly stepped out of the room to take the call.

“Tsukauchi, what is it?” he answered, knowing this had something to do with the quirk trafficking case.

“Hey, Eraser. We were looking at those notebooks you told the other officers to grab from the kid’s cell.”

“Do they reveal anything?”

“Not… really. We had a team look through them, but it seems like they’re written in some type of code. None of us could make sense of anything written.”

Shouta huffed. Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. “Do you think I could take a look?”

“Sure, we have no more use for them anyway. Plus, you know we will have to question the kid soon…”

Shouta sighed, dragging a hand down his face. With how he reacted to the medics, he knew this would not end well.

“I understand, Tsukauchi, but you need to wait a little longer. There’s no way he will be comfortable speaking to anyone right now.”

“I know, and I promise I’m trying to postpone it as much as possible. But with how long this trafficking operation has been going on, and now having a possible witness after all these months? The chief is eager.”

Shouta’s jaw clenched. “Well, tell your chief that the witness is a child who had gone through who-knows-what down there. I’ll get the notebooks later. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Eraser.” Tsukauchi sounded tired as he hung up the phone, and Shouta only kind of felt bad. He knew the detective was doing his best.

With another sigh, Shouta made his way back into the room. The next few days were going to be long.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke up and immediately squeezed his eyes shut because of the blinding lights shining above him. He slowly blinked his eyes open to adjust, and after a few seconds, he took in his surroundings.

While his experimentation room looked similar – the white walls, bright lights, the distinct disinfectant smell – he knew he was someplace else simply because of the soft bed he was lying on. His memories were muddled, but he vaguely remembered being taken out of the place he had inhabited for the past few years.

When he turned his head to the right, he jolted at the sight of another person. His heart rate spiked, but he forced himself to calm down. The figure – Eraserhead, if he remembered correctly – was currently slouched to the side, his head resting on his fist and seemed to be asleep. Izuku didn’t want to wake him, so he continued surveying his room.

Izuku tilted his head to the left, where his heart monitor and IV drip sat, and he could only wonder what they were supplementing him with. He still felt pain from last night, though it was not as prominent, and he didn’t feel too groggy, so he was not being deliberately kept unconscious anymore. A small window on the wall brought in soft rays of sunlight, and he mentally calculated how long it would take to undo the latches on the window and slip through if needed.

Izuku took a few deep breaths and forced himself to relax. He was not in any immediate danger, but it was nice to know where he was in case he needed to escape. Since Eraserhead saved him, Izuku didn’t think he would do anything to hurt him, but trusting too easily was his fatal flaw.

He tried sitting up in the bed, but his body immediately protested and he couldn’t help but let out a quiet whimper of pain. Izuku lowered himself back down and inhaled sharply through his teeth. The noise must’ve been enough to wake Eraserhead, because suddenly he was sitting up and leaning forward, eyes alert.

“Hey, kid. Do you need help getting up?” he asked, his voice strangely calming.

“O-oh… um, yes, please,” he muttered, not making direct eye contact.

Eraserhead nodded and leaned towards the bed, pressing a button that made the top half of the hospital bed move upwards slowly. Izuku adjusted carefully on the way up, wincing when his scars ached painfully.

“How are you feeling?” Eraserhead broke the silence, looking him over with calculating eyes.

Izuku gripped the blanket in his fists tightly to stop his hands from shaking. “Hurts,” he whispered. His heart was pounding in his chest as he waited for Eraserhead’s response, and what he would do with it.

“Well, since you’re awake now, I can call in a nurse to look you over. Does that sound okay?” Izuku immediately tensed, not liking the idea of that at all. His fingers twitched against the blanket, and his shoulders hunched forward a bit.

Eraserhead, understanding Izuku’s hesitance, placed a hand on the edge of the bed. Not touching, but there as a reassurance. “Just like last night, kid, I’ll be right here. The staff is meant to help you feel better.”

It took a moment, but Izuku’s grip loosened on the blanket, and he relaxed. It was true, Eraserhead was a steady presence for him last night, but he didn’t trust other people’s intentions. He was on edge, especially with how eerily similar the room he was in was to the experiment room. But with Eraserhead with him, maybe he could let it happen.

“Okay,” he mumbled, and that seemed to be all the confirmation needed because Eraserhead pressed the button next to the bed on the wall meant to call for a nurse’s attention.

After a few moments, a knock sounded at the door before it was pushed open. A voice called out, “Good morning!”, and Izuku lifted his head slightly to look at who walked in. A woman with sleek black hair pulled into a bun and light blue scrubs made her way over to them, a small, welcoming smile on her face. Izuku felt slightly at ease, but not enough to completely let his guard down.

“Hi, sweetie, I’m Nurse Sato. How do you feel? Any aches or pains?” she asked him. Izuku paused, eyes flickering towards Eraserhead instinctively. The man nodded, and Izuku glanced back towards the nurse.

“My arms and head hurt… a-and I feel sore,” he said, and the nurse nodded before coming around to his left side.

“Okay, hun. I’m going to look over your vitals and compare them to what the medic told us last night, then I’ll ask our technician to schedule an X-ray to look at the fractures she also mentioned. That is probably where a lot of your pain is stemming from,” she explained. Izuku’s brows furrowed but he nodded, not sure what to say to all that.

Sato gathered what she needed and began looking over his blood pressure, breathing, and temperature. Izuku was tense throughout each procedure, the heart monitor displaying his rapidly beating heart, but Eraserhead kept his hand on the edge of the bed, a silent yet comforting presence. Sato helped by being gentle and patient, making sure Izuku knew what was going on as it happened.

By the end, Izuku was exhausted. He just woke up, yet all this nervous energy was draining him. Sato was speaking, but he was not paying attention, his gaze drifting toward the window. He felt bad since she seemed nice, but his pain wasn’t going away and he wanted to sleep.

Izuku flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he whipped his head around to see Eraserhead. He muttered a quick sorry and pulled his hand away. His eyes were filled with what seemed like concern, but Izuku wasn’t sure why it was directed at him. Izuku didn’t see the nurse in the room anymore, and he wondered just how long he had been staring at the window for.

“The nurse is going to bring in some pain meds for your headache and soreness. Just stay awake a bit longer so you can take them, alright?” Izuku nodded, and he pulled the blankets a little bit higher on himself, feeling a little cold.

He didn’t have to wait long, as it only took a few seconds after Eraserhead told him that Sato came back with pain medication and a glass of water. Izuku quietly thanked her and swallowed the pill, downing it with the water. He took a few more sips before shakily handing it to Eraserhead, who placed it on the bedside table.

Sato left, and Eraserhead told him to lie back as he pressed a button to make the top half of the hospital bed go back down so he could sleep. Izuku felt himself relax, and quicker than usual, he was asleep.

“His blood pressure is fine, and there’s no issue with his lungs, but his body temperature is still a bit low. It’s better than last night; the extra blankets seemed to keep him warm, but there may be some underlying cause. Just make sure he’s not showing any hypothermic symptoms such as prolonged shivering, pale skin, slurred speech, that kind of thing.”

Usually, Shouta would be annoyed that the nurse was talking to him about the kid’s health when he was right there to be told directly, but he didn’t seem to be paying attention anyway. The nurse told him she would be back with the pain meds, so Shouta turned his attention to the kid.

His usual stoic expression fell away to worry as he examined him. The kid’s body was trembling; in pain or fear, he couldn’t tell, maybe both. A couple of minutes passed, and Shouta schooled his expression before placing a hand on the kid’s shoulder.

Just after he fell asleep, Shouta’s phone started buzzing. This time, it was Hizashi calling. Shouta stepped out into the hallway, but kept the door slightly ajar so he could keep an eye on the kid.

“Hey, ‘Zashi, sorry I haven’t come home yet–”

“Sho! I’m here! What floor are you on? I brought you some coffee and breakfast from home, since I know the hospital food can be gross, and I’m sure the coffee there is the same way. Seriously, you think they could invest in some better options–”

Shouta was dumbfounded as Hizashi kept on rambling. “Here? What do you mean, ‘here’?”

“At the hospital, of course! I know you must be tired because there’s no way you got any sleep last night.”

Shouta huffed, fondness washing over him. “Yes, of course. I’m on the third floor, but be quiet as you come up. The kid’s asleep.”

“Alrighty!” Hizashi chirped, and he ended the call. Shouta shook his head and sat on one of the chairs set up outside the room. It only took a couple of minutes before he heard the elevator ding, and it opened up to his husband, who immediately spotted him and made his way over.

“Hey, Sho,” he said quietly as promised, kissing him before handing him the coffee and breakfast. Hizashi sat next to him as Shouta opened the container he was given, slumping back into his seat a bit with a sigh.

“How’s the little listener?” Hizashi asked, an arm coming up to wrap loosely around Shouta’s shoulders to rub his arm comfortingly.

“He’s on edge and in a lot of pain. I think he underplayed just how much he’s hurting. He has so many scars, ‘Zashi… A child should never have that much.”

Shouta was worried. There were no leads so far on exactly who was running the quirk trafficking in the bar, and the kid was the only victim found so far. He didn’t get a chance to look through the other rooms when he was there; he was focused on getting the kid to safety. The officers Tsukauchi sent were the ones to investigate, so Shouta would have to ask him about it when he went to retrieve the notebooks.

Hizashi frowned, concerned for the kid’s well-being. “Do you think I could meet him?”

Shouta chewed his food thoughtfully, thinking it over before shrugging with one shoulder. “Possibly. I would have to talk to him first. He seems to…trust me. At least somewhat; I still don’t even know the kid’s name.”

Hizashi nodded, his expression brightening at the thought of meeting the child. “I was thinking, if the kid is comfortable enough, I could look after him while you go home and refresh. And– don’t look at me like that. You’ve been out all night and morning, I know you’re exhausted – more than usual – and you need to get out of your hero costume,” he said, firm but not unkind.

Shouta sighed, the end turned more into a groan. It wasn’t often that Hizashi acted like this, so he knew it was serious. “I know. But, like I said, he’s jumpy. Not quick to trust even a pro hero. If it goes well… I’ll think about it.”

Hizashi smiled widely, his stern expression melting away easily. “I can’t wait!” he exclaimed, and Shouta had to glare at him to remind him to be quiet. Hopefully, this meeting wouldn’t backfire and make the kid regress even further into himself.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke with a gasp, shooting up into a seated position. He gripped the blankets tightly as his eyes darted around the room. For a few moments, he thought he was back there, but with his hands gripping the blankets, he slowly came back to himself.

Izuku took deep breaths and shakily rubbed around his sternum to calm himself down. He wasn’t with Sensei, he was safe – well, safer – and Eraserhead was with him–

He froze when he saw that Eraserhead’s chair was empty. Panic washed over him again, and his breaths came out quickly. He could hear a dull beeping sound to his left, but he ignored it. “Eraser? ‘Raserhead?” he called out tentatively, leaning to the side a bit as he tried to see around the curtain that hung at the end of his bed.

Before Izuku could panic any further and try to get up to search for the hero himself, he could hear footsteps making their way towards him. Izuku tensed, chest heaving until Eraserhead came into view, looking a little dishevelled.

“Kid? Hey, hey, I’m right here.” Eraserhead crouched beside his bed, one of his hands stretched out towards Izuku. “Can I touch your hand?” he asked softly, his expression softening. Izuku hesitated before nodding.

Eraserhead gently grabbed his hand and brought it up to his chest, breathing in and out exaggeratedly. “Here. Copy my breathing, kid.” Izuku’s fingers tightened on Eraserhead’s shirt as he tried his best to follow his instructions.

After what seemed like hours, but was most likely only a few minutes, Izuku controlled his breathing and the incessant beeping noise he heard earlier stopped. Izuku looked up at Eraserhead, a little scared to see his reaction, but all he found there was concern and patience.

“Feeling better?” Izuku nodded, and Eraserhead was about to let go of his hand. Breath hitching, Izuku tightened his grip on Eraserhead’s hand. It was warm and comforting, he didn’t want to let go. Eraserhead’s eyebrows rose in what looked like surprise, and Izuku was about to take his hand back, but the hero simply adjusted their hands so his grip was firm in Izuku’s.

Izuku flushed and looked down at his lap. Eraserhead pulled his chair forward so he could sit closer to his bed and still have a comfortable hold on Izuku’s hand. It was quiet; he could only hear the bustling of nurses and doctors walking in the hallways, but it was…nice. To just sit here in comfortable silence, and not feel pressured to do or perform anything for others.

Absentmindedly, Izuku was running his thumb across the back of Eraserhead’s hand, and it was helping him relax. He was lost in his thoughts. Thankfully, nothing too negative, which was a change.

“Is the pain medication working?” Eraserhead’s soft voice broke the silence, but it wasn’t unwelcome. Izuku took a second to take stock of how he felt, not noticing any sharp pains or outstanding aches in his body, even with his abrupt awakening.

“Yes… I think so. I don’t feel like I did last night,” he said, turning his head to face Eraserhead. The hero nodded, and he looked like he wanted to ask something else, but held himself back. Izuku waited.

Eraserhead looked nervous. It was a little concerning to Izuku because up until, well, now, the hero always looked sure of himself and like he knew what to do. After a few more seconds of deliberation, Eraserhead finally looked at him and opened his mouth to speak.

“My… partner is here, right outside the room. He came because he wanted to meet you. I told him I would ask you first, of course, if you were up to it. You can say no; I know you’ve had a rough few hours. He’s harmless, if only a little loud. But I’ll be here to help if he gets too excited…” Eraserhead was… rambling? This was the most he’s heard the hero speak so far. And his eyes had softened considerably at the mention of this so-called partner. Even to Izuku, it was clear he cared about this person a lot.

At this point, Izuku didn’t think Eraserhead would bring anyone inside that would hurt him. It was a little scary how quickly he was trusting Eraserhead. That usually never ended well for him, but this was different. Throughout the whole time he’s been around the hero, he’s only made him feel safe.

Izuku squeezed Eraserhead’s hand to cut him off, and he almost laughed at the expression the hero made. This decision really seemed to make Eraserhead nervous. “Okay. I-I’ll meet him,” Izuku said, and Eraserhead looked relieved.

The hero nodded and squeezed Izuku’s hand before letting go. “He’s just outside, so I’ll be right back,” he assured, standing up. Logically, Izuku knew he had to go get the person, but it didn’t stop his body from tensing up when the hero walked out of the room. Izuku gripped the blankets in his lap and took deep breaths.

Seconds passed before Izuku could vaguely hear excited whispers, and when Izuku glanced up, Eraserhead came in with his partner. The man was only a couple of centimetres taller than Eraserhead, but his hair made him look taller. He wore it in a ponytail, the long, blond locks falling haphazardly around his shoulders. He had blue headphones around his neck that sat on top of a plain shirt covered by a leather jacket. Glasses sat atop his nose, covering green, swirling eyes.

Izuku’s eyebrows furrowed. He looked… familiar. Which was weird. He was sure he’d never come into contact with this person before. It wasn’t until the person spoke that he knew who this man was.

“Hey, Little Listener!” he exclaimed. Not too loudly, but Izuku could tell he was physically holding himself back from activating his quirk. If that didn’t give it away, Izuku wasn’t sure what else would.

“P-Present Mic?!” Izuku gasped, eyes sparkling. Nothing else mattered; there were two pro-heroes in his room, one of them being high on his list of favourite pros! Izuku itched for his hero analysis notebooks, wanting to ask so many questions.

Both of the heroes looked shocked. Present Mic let out a delighted laugh, and he turned to face Eraserhead. “You didn’t tell me the Listener was a genius! And I thought I was in such good disguise!” He was pouting, and Izuku couldn’t really tell if the hero was joking or not. Regardless, Izuku felt bad for just outing his hero name like that for anyone to hear.

“I-I’m sorry,” Izuku muttered, going back to gripping the blankets nervously. Present Mic turned back to him, and his expression softened, his voice coming out more subdued.

“Don’t apologize! If anything, I’m impressed, kiddo. Sometimes my co-workers don’t even recognize me out in the wild. Are you a fan? Here!” Before Izuku could blink, the hero was suddenly in front of him, handing something out in his palm. Izuku leaned forward, hesitantly grabbing what looked like a mini-Present Mic keychain.

Eraserhead gave Present Mic a flat stare. “You brought your own hero merch with you?”

“I couldn’t come empty-handed! I had to give the Little Listener a gift!”

“What if he didn’t even like you?”

Present Mic sputtered. “Well-! Well… I would get something else, of course!”

Izuku huffed in amusement, bringing the keychain to his chest. “I love it. Thank you, Present Mic, sir!”

Present Mic turned his attention back on him with a kind smile. “Oh, none of that! Call me Hizashi! Or, Yamada, if you prefer,” he said, and Izuku felt shocked. He felt a little uncomfortable with calling a pro-hero by their name, but if Pres- Yamada insisted, he would do it.

“O-okay… Yamada,” he said sheepishly. The hero grinned and sat down in Eraserhead’s seat.

Said hero scoffed. “That was my chair,” he grumbled, but Yamada just waved away his concern. “There’s more in the hallway!”

Eraserhead grumbled some more under his breath, but after a quick glance at Izuku, he went to go grab one.

Unlike last time, Izuku felt more at ease when Eraserhead walked out, knowing he would come back. Plus, it was easy to relax in Yamada’s presence; he was like walking sunshine.

Eraserhead came back inside, chair in tow, and he set it beside Yamada before lowering himself onto it. There was a bit of an awkward silence, but nothing too uncomfortable. Yamada and Eraserhead shared a look, seeming to silently communicate something before they both turned back to face Izuku.

“So, Little Listener. What’s your name?” Yamada asked. Izuku’s eyes widened a little, just now realizing he never told Eraserhead his name.

“Izuku Mid- Um…” he flinched slightly at his family name. He didn’t have great memories associated with that name, and he didn’t really want the two people he felt safe with to use it.

“Izuku,” he said, firm, and he glanced up to see their reactions. They both looked concerned, Yamada more so than Eraserhead, but Yamada smiled reassuringly.

“Well, nice to meet you, Izuku!” Izuku couldn’t help but let out a small smile. Yamada’s energy was just too infectious.

Yamada reacted instantly, expression lighting up. “You are just so precious!!” His quirk slipped through a bit on that one, but luckily, Eraserhead seemed to anticipate it. He erased it just before his voice got any louder, and Izuku couldn’t help but watch him use his quirk in awe. However, Yamada didn’t even falter, leaning forward to continue the conversation with Izuku.

Izuku wasn’t paying attention, but if he was, he would’ve seen the warm and fond expression Eraserhead was wearing as he watched them.

Chapter Text

The meeting was going well; at least, Shouta thought so. The kid–Izuku–wasn’t trembling anymore, and he seemed a lot more relaxed than he did this morning. Even when the nurse came in to check on Izuku, he only tensed up once before Hizashi distracted him with more anecdotes from his villain fights.

The kid had some very insightful questions. Honestly, Shouta couldn’t follow a lot of Izuku’s mutterings. He was exhausted, but Hizashi seemed to be handling it well. The coffee helped, however, he definitely needed more.

Shouta was slumping forward, and he felt Hizashi elbow him in the ribs. Shouta grunted and shot the man a glare. Hizashi was giving him a knowing look. Shouta sighed and straightened up in his chair, focusing on Izuku.

The kid was looking between them with concern, likely confused as to why there was a sudden stop in the conversation and why Shouta looked dead on his feet. He quickly checked his phone, noting it was already late morning. He would have to catch Tsukauchi soon before the man was off-duty.

“Hey, Izuku… I need to run a few errands. It shouldn’t take too long, a couple of hours at most. I promise I’ll come back as soon as I can. And, while I’m gone, Hizashi will stay here so you won’t be alone. How does that sound?” Shouta was a bit nervous. Being comfortable around Hizashi was one thing, but alone? It might be too much.

He could tell Izuku was also a little nervous about the idea; his hands were fiddling with the blankets, and his breathing was getting a little abnormal. Before Shouta could say anything, Hizashi placed a hand on his arm. Hizashi just shook his head, and Shouta sighed softly, nodding and waiting for Izuku’s response.

Izuku looked towards Hizashi and then Shouta, seeming to have his answer. “I’m okay with that. Just… come back soon,” he whispered the last part, but Shouta heard. Hizashi did too, if his ecstatic expression was anything to go by. Shouta’s heart grew three times bigger, and he leaned forward to squeeze Izuku’s hand.

“I will, kid. Keep an eye on ‘Zashi for me, ‘kay?” he winked, and Izuku stifled a small giggle. Hizashi feigned outrage, gasping dramatically. “How dare you!”

Shouta rolled his eyes and pressed a kiss to Hizashi’s forehead before walking towards the door. “I’ll see you two later,” he said with a wave. Hizashi blew him a kiss, and Izuku waved back.

While desperately wanting to get home and clean off, he needed to see Tsukauchi. The man texted him just as he left the hospital that they had some information on Izuku. Shouta got to the station as quickly as possible, immediately seeking Tsukauchi out in his office.

He knocked before pushing the door open. Tsukauchi was slouched over some papers, elbow propped up on his desk with his hand rubbing his temple, likely trying to fight a headache. When Shouta entered, the detective looked up, and he swore his eyebags could rival Shouta’s.

“Hey, Eraser. Come see this.”

Shouta didn’t hesitate; he made his way over to Tsukauchi’s side, eyes roaming over the file he had laid out. “What am I looking at?”

“It’s, well… it’s a file on the kid. Dated two months ago. This was the only thing on him that was left in one of the rooms. The officers said it looked like a lab. The contents are… disturbing, to say the least,” he said, handing the file over to Shouta.

Shouta inhaled deeply before taking the file. The first thing he noticed was the picture of a younger Izuku in the top left corner, and underneath it was some writing. Basic information, such as his name, Izuku Midoriya, which is what Izuku had been about to say earlier, he now knew. His age, which made him do a double-take.

“Eight years old?” Shouta gritted out, eyes wide. He knew the kid was young, but holy shit.

“That’s not even the worst part,” Tsukauchi tacked on, rather grim. Shouta braced himself as he read the file, his grip on the papers tightening with each sentence. It was an overview of the kid’s “progress”, but the last few lines made him freeze.

Subject is finally showing symptoms of quirk manifestation. After two years of trial and error, a second quirk is presenting itself. An aerokinetic one, as the subject was able to manipulate some of the air currents in the room, but weakly. We need to capitalize on this and make sure the quirk doesn’t fall dormant. More results to come.

“Second quirk?” Shouta growled, his free hand gripping the desk. He flipped through the other pages and wished he hadn’t. Full accounts of what Izuku experienced in the last few months to get his quirk to manifest were written on these pages.

Medical torture, drugging, suffocation, sensory deprivation, electrocution. There were also recorded instances of “training” that some person named Sensei oversaw.

Taking a deep breath, Shouta flipped back to the first page. “Is there any record of his ‘first’ quirk?”

Tsukauchi shook his head. “No. But I did some digging after I saw the kid’s name,” he said, handing Shouta a separate file. He set the one he had down and took the new one.

He opened it, and his eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw the picture of a man staring back at him. It was the black, curly-haired villain he encountered in the bar’s basement. He checked the name: Hisashi Midoriya.

Every new piece of information was just a slap in the face. He flipped through the other papers in the file, landing on a picture of a kind-faced woman with green hair and a chubby face. Name: Inko Midoriya. The part of her file that stood out was the bolded Deceased underneath her picture.

The last page, as he expected, was the kid. It was the same picture used in his previous file. On this page, the thing that stood out to him was what was listed underneath the quirk status. Quirk: Quirkless. The implications of that filled Shouta’s veins like ice.

“I asked around. Four years ago, there was a 119 call regarding the Midoriya household. Apparently, their house went up in flames, leaving behind one body: Inko’s. The fire was suspected to have been started by a quirk, but with Hisashi gone with no trace, it was hard to tell for sure. Izuku was also never found. Until now.”

Shouta let out a shaky breath, hand sliding down his face. He didn’t even know what to think, what to say. This was… a lot. A lot more than he thought he would get today. And this was only one file.

Tsukauchi let him stew in silence for a few moments. There was a sound of shuffling papers before Tsukauchi set down a stack of notebooks in front of him. Shouta set the files aside and opened the first one atop the pile, eyebrows furrowed as he tried to make sense of what was in front of him.

He can see now why Tsukauchi’s officers had problems with these notebooks. The writing didn’t make any sense. There were numbers, letters, and symbols, all scrambled together. Tsukauchi was right, it was like a code. One he had no way of cracking with how exhausted he was. He would need full brain power to figure this one out.

“They’re all like this?” Shouta asked.

“Yup. And they’re yours to figure out.”

Shouta wondered if it would be a good idea to just give the notebooks back to Izuku. He wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to accidentally trigger any painful memories as he had no idea what these notebooks entailed. He would at least try his hand at it before asking the kid if he wanted them back. And, well… if he couldn’t figure it out, he knew someone who probably could.

“Okay. If you find any other leads on this case, let me know.” Tsukauchi nodded and said goodbye as Shouta left to go home.

Izuku was nervous at first about being alone with Yamada. While Yamada was super nice and bubbly, Izuku didn’t know how to navigate conversation. He didn’t have a lot of people to talk to back in the base, so having the room be filled with Yamada’s chatter was different. Not bad, exactly… but different.

Yamada also encouraged Izuku’s questions. Anytime he had the urge to ask Yamada a question about his quirk, Yamada would gently coax him. The man had a sixth sense for this, and it really threw Izuku for a loop.

Luckily, Yamada filled in the gaps Izuku left in their discussions. He never got upset or irritated by his lack of response to anything. It was nice. Sometimes it was hard to get words out.

“Hey, Listener,” Yamada spoke up after another lull in their conversation. Izuku hummed, showing that he was paying attention.

“Do you know sign language?” Izuku frowned and shook his head. Yamada brightened at the opportunity to teach him something new.

“It’s a way to communicate non-verbally with your hands. Many heroes, especially underground ones, will utilize it as it can be essential to be stealthy on certain missions. Wanna see?” Izuku nodded and inched forward on the bed to clearly see what Yamada was doing.

“I’ll start with a simple one. Watch. ‘Hello, my name is Hizashi’, ” he spoke and made gestures with his hands as he did. Izuku watched in awe. Yamada smiled and brought his chair closer.

“Do you want to learn?” Izuku nodded his head rapidly and only stopped when he started to feel dizzy. Yamada chuckled, and they spent the next hour or so learning different signs. Izuku could now spell out his name in JSL.

After a while, Izuku was starting to get tired again. He was leaning more heavily against his pillows, and his eyes were drooping a bit. But he didn’t want to sleep. He knew he wasn’t alone, but his nightmares would corrupt his dreams whether he knew he was safe or not.

Yamada had his arms resting on the edge of Izuku’s bed, and he was about to speak when something else seemed to catch his eye. Before Izuku could question it, Yamada hovered a hand over Izuku’s left wrist, where his suppressor cuff sat.

“What’s this, Little Listener?” Yamada asked lightly, but not touching his arm. Izuku tensed and fiddled with it.

“It- uh…” he mumbled, his nerves coming back tenfold. He couldn’t meet Yamada’s eyes. “It’s a quirk suppressor.”

Yamada’s eyes widened comically. “Listener! Why didn’t you say anything? Is it causing any discomfort? Do you know how to take it off?”

Izuku honestly forgot about it. He had worn it so many times that he got used to the weird sensation of his quirks being subdued. He was somewhat grateful for it since he didn’t know how to quite control them on his own yet. Izuku just shrugged.

“No, I don’t… feel anything, to be honest. And I don’t know. Sensei always took them off,” he said, risking a glance up at Yamada. The man looked sad and concerned. He wasn’t sure why, since he had just told him that he wasn’t feeling any discomfort.

“Okay, kiddo. I’ll get someone to look at it, alright?” Izuku trembled and shook his head.

“No! No, please, don’t,” he cried, gripping the blankets tight. Yamada frowned and raised his hands in a comforting gesture.

“Hey, hey, no need to be worried. What’s got you so worked up, hm?” Yamada asked in a soothing tone. Izuku brought the blankets up to his shoulders, suddenly feeling cold.

“I d-don’t want to hurt you… I don’t know how to control them,” he whispered, voice shaky.

Yamada’s brows furrowed. “Them? What do you mean?”

“My quirks.” Yamada just looked even more confused and concerned.

“Quirks? As in plural?” Yamada asked, his tone still gentle. Izuku froze and squeezed his eyes shut, curling into a ball. He was in trouble, wasn’t he? He could feel tears streaming down his face as his whole body shook in fear.

Izuku could vaguely hear Yamada speaking, but he couldn’t make it out over the sound of his heavy breathing. He felt something touch his hand and he flinched, but the touch didn’t relent.

Izuku became a little more aware of the feeling of someone’s heartbeat under his hand and the rise and fall of their chest. Subconsciously, he tried to follow it, his breath hitching a few times throughout.

After a little while, he got control of his breathing again, and he could hear the soft voice of Yamada talking. Izuku slowly opened his eyes, blinking his tears away, and the room came into focus. He wasn’t in the lab, he was here with Yamada. When they made eye contact, Yamada gave him a soft smile and trailed off from whatever story he was telling.

“Hey, sweetheart. Are you back with me?” Izuku nodded and shifted slightly on the bed. He didn’t take his hand away from Yamada’s much like he did with Eraserhead. Yamada’s hands were soft, while Eraser’s were rough and calloused. But both were warm.

“I’m sorry,” Izuku whispered, and Yamada immediately shook his head. “Don’t apologize. I’m sorry for bringing up a sensitive topic. We don’t have to worry about that now, okay?” Izuku’s lips wobbled. Yamada was just so kind. He and Eraserhead both were. Izuku didn’t know how to deal with it.

Izuku couldn’t help but yawn, still exhausted. The panic attack didn’t help, either. His grip didn’t loosen in Yamada’s hold, but he was fighting his drooping eyes. Yamada chuckled softly and squeezed his hand.

“Sleep, Listener. I’ll be right here when you wake up.” Izuku huffed, mumbling I’m not tired, but it came out pretty unintelligible as he slowly let sleep overcome him.

Chapter Text

After a hot shower, a change of clothes into something comfortable, and more coffee, Shouta felt like a new man. He was still tired, but he’d survive. He’d done a lot more on a lot less sleep.

Shouta was sitting on the couch while he sipped his coffee, mind wandering towards what he learned today with Tsukauchi. He was so, so angry. How could anyone do this to a kid?

If Izuku disappeared at four years old, and he was just now being found, that potentially meant he was in there for four years. He didn’t put it past Hisashi to put the kid in that situation, considering he was a villain himself.

Before Shouta could spiral any further, he felt one of the cats jump up onto his lap. Shouta placed a hand on Bastard, petting him as he purred. He was a calico. When Hizashi and he found Bastard, he was feral and prone to hissing anytime they got close. It took a long time, but Bastard eventually warmed up to Shouta. He was still iffy on Hizashi, but Bastard would occasionally let the man pick him up and pet him.

Hizashi said it was because of how alike they were, but Shouta didn’t see the connection.

The other one, Sushi, was a brown, fluffy cat and very affectionate. Pretty much the opposite of Bastard. She was probably napping in their room, so she wouldn’t make an appearance unless Shouta went to bother her.

He sat there for a while, recuperating and finishing his coffee. When he was done, he stood and made his way to the kitchen. Shouta figured he should make some food for himself, Hizashi, and the kid. He would make a smaller portion for Izuku, though, because he knew recovering from malnourishment was a slow process.

Shouta made a late lunch, packed it into three bentos, and placed them in a plastic bag to carry. He filled the cats’ food and water bowls and made his way to the door. Before he left, though, he had an idea.

Shouta put the food down and went into Hizashi's and his room, grabbing an old black sweatshirt. It was small on him, but it would be big on Izuku and hopefully offer some comfort and warmth. He gave Sushi a few pets because, of course, he couldn’t resist, then he was on his way back to the hospital.

Shouta texted Hizashi that he was on his way up, and he got a thumbs-up emoji in response. Shouta frowned; usually, Hizashi used at least five emojis every text message, so he hoped nothing was wrong.

When the elevator opened, he went to the kid’s room, quietly opening the door in case he was asleep. Shouta was right, so he kept quiet when he made his way over to Hizashi. He sat in his chair, setting the plastic bag beside him and the sweater on the back of the chair. Hizashi held Izuku’s hand as he slept, focusing only on him.

“‘Zashi?” Shouta whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. Hizashi turned to him with glossy eyes. Shouta’s eyes widened, and he brought his other hand to cradle Hizashi’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“The kid, Shou…” he sighed, shaking his head. “He still has a quirk suppressor cuff on him. When I asked about it, he didn’t seem bothered. But…” he trailed off.

Shouta waited patiently, and Hizashi continued after a moment. “When I suggested taking it off, he freaked out. Told me he didn’t want to hurt me with them. I was confused, so I asked, ‘What is ‘them’?’ His quirks are what he meant. Quirks. Plural. He has at least more than one… That is extremely rare, Shou. And he started crying and… I never want to see him cry, ever. It was heartbreaking.”

Shouta wiped a couple of stray tears from Hizashi’s eyes as he spoke. So, at least some of what Shouta would tell Hizashi he learned wouldn’t be new.

“Yeah, I spoke to Tsukauchi before going home. He showed me a file recovered from the bar. It was bad, ‘Zashi. So bad,” he sighed, before standing. “Come out here,” he said and grabbed Hizashi’s free hand.

Hizashi frowned. “Why?” he hesitantly pulled his hand from Izuku’s, making sure he didn’t wake up before following Shouta outside the room. He stood just outside the room so he could see when Izuku woke up.

“Because, if the kid wakes up and hears what I know, it could trigger his memories,” he said and ran a hand through his hair.

“The file I read said that Izuku was developing a second quirk two months ago. Through… horrible methods.” Shouta shuddered just thinking about it. Hizashi rubbed his arm in support.

“If that wasn’t bad, I also found out that the kid was diagnosed as quirkless when he was four. His father, Hisashi Midoriya, burned their house down presumably with his quirk, killing Izuku’s mother and fleeing with the kid. I am assuming he brought them right to the villains, because Hisashi was there the night I found Izuku. I fought him, and I erased his quirk before he could use it, but it looked like he could breathe fire. This implies that Izuku was there for… four years.”

Shouta didn’t sugarcoat it. He honestly didn’t think he could. But he knew Hizashi would rather have him relay the information as it is.

He kept an eye on Izuku the entire time he spoke, afraid that if he saw Hizashi’s reactions, he would falter and wouldn’t be able to tell him what he knew. Glancing at him now, Shouta wasn’t surprised to see a mix of anguish, shock, and fury coating Hizashi’s expression.

“So he’s only eight years old?” Hizashi whispered, voice breaking. Shouta could only nod.

“He’s a baby, Shou. I mean, I knew he was because look at how small he is! But… knowing for sure, and knowing how long he was in there, enduring what he did…” Hizashi shook his head, more tears coming to his eyes.

Shouta knew how Hizashi felt because he felt the same way. As well as anger towards the people who did this to Izuku. He pulled Hizashi in for a hug, holding him tightly.

“We will find them and make them pay,” Shouta whispered into Hizashi’s ear. Hizashi nodded against his shoulder.

After a few moments, Shouta pulled away. “But for now, let’s just keep the kid company. I brought food for all of us,” he said and tugged Hizashi back into the room.

“Aww, Shou, you cooked for us?” Hizashi perked up, eyes sparkling. Shouta scoffed.

“Don’t act like I never cook,” he grumbled and handed Hizashi the bag.

Hizashi just grinned and kissed Shouta’s cheek before opening his bento and eating. “How were the cats?” Hizashi whispered, taking another bite.

“Mm, fine. Bastard said hello, and Sushi was lounging on our bed. Typical,” he muttered, and Hizashi chuckled. “Well, at least they’re surviving without us. I’m guessing the Little Listener is going to stay overnight?”

Shouta nodded. “Yeah. The nurse told us she would need to monitor his body temperature and make an appointment with a technician for an X-ray. I brought this for him,” he said and grabbed the sweater from the back of his chair.

Hizashi stifled a squeal and ignored Shouta’s glare. “He’s gonna look adorable!” Shouta couldn’t help but smile; he agreed with that for sure.

The two sat in silence for a bit, the only noise being Hizashi eating. Shouta leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, not quite napping but resting before Izuku woke up.

However longer later, Shouta opened his eyes to the sounds of footsteps entering the room. He sat up, turning to see Nurse Sato. She smiled and instead of checking on Izuku like usual, she stopped in front of Hizashi and him.

“Hey, guys. So, I scheduled an appointment to examine Izuku’s fractures and breaks for tomorrow afternoon. The doctor will be able to analyze the results and tell us our next steps. Most likely, if his fractures hadn’t healed correctly, he would need longer-term care. Will you two be the ones to overlook this? Because if not, we will need to submit a treatment plan to a guardian–”

“Yes. We will take care of him,” Hizashi cut in, and Shouta looked at him in surprise. Not that Shouta was opposed to the idea, but they hadn’t been able to discuss potential guardianship at all.

Sato nodded and made some notes on her clipboard. “Perfect! I’ll check in on him later in the evening to see if he needs anything else,” she said and left the room.

Shouta and Hizashi turned to face each other. “Come on, Shou. You can’t tell me you were thinking of just letting some strangers take him in?”

“No, no. Of course not. I'm just… surprised. I know you’ve been wanting a kid, ‘Zashi. But are you thinking this through? We have five jobs between us, so money’s not a problem, but we would need at least one of us to be home. And what if the kid is allergic to cats? And–” Hizashi cut him off, grabbing his hand.

“Shou, relax. We will find a way, you know that. With your patrol hours and mine, at least one of us would be home for the night and morning. You expelled all your students this year, so you’ll have time during the day to look after him. Maybe you could even bring the Little Listener with you to UA! And if he’s allergic to cats, we’ll figure that out, too. Plus, you literally have the perfect quirk to counter Izuku’s if it gets out of control.”

Shouta sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Okay, okay, you’re right.”

“Of course I am!” Hizashi smiled and kissed the back of Shouta’s hand. “The kid is comfortable with us. Well, with you. I think I’m getting there. Oh! Did I tell you I taught him some sign language?”

Shouta smiled fondly and shook his head, listening intently to Hizashi telling him about his and Izuku’s time together while he was gone.

The sun was setting by the time Izuku woke up next. Surprisingly, he didn’t have any nightmares, but his arms were starting to hurt again. He whimpered as he shifted, blinking his eyes open to see Yamada and Eraserhead sitting together next to his bed.

“‘Raser?” Izuku mumbled, vision focusing.

“Hey, kid. Are you feeling any pain?” Eraserhead asked, looking concerned. Izuku nodded. “The nurse should be here any minute, and I’ll let her know you need some more pain medication, okay?”

“Okay,” Izuku said and shifted his gaze towards Yamada. The man smiled. “Hey, baby. How’d you sleep?”

“I slept really good!” Izuku smiled, and Yamada’s smile widened in response. “That’s great! Hey, after you take your medicine, you should show Shouta here what you learned earlier.”

Izuku looked confusedly at Eraserhead. “Shou…ta?” he mumbled, tilting his head. Hizashi gasped. “Shou! Don’t tell me you never told the Listener your name!” he said, quite dramatically in Izuku’s opinion.

Eraserhead grimaced. “Ah, sorry, kid. I honestly forgot. It’s Shouta Aizawa. Whatever you’re comfortable calling me, go ahead.” Izuku nodded, mentally getting used to his name. The hero had just been ‘Eraserhead’ to him this whole time, so he’d have to get used to it.

First name basis with two heroes! Izuku couldn’t believe it. Well, he knew their first names, and he wasn’t quite ready to use them yet, but still! He was so happy about it.

“Also, I brought this for you to keep warm,” Aizawa said and reached behind him, grabbing what looked like a black sweater. Izuku’s eyes widened when he took it, feeling the soft material underneath his fingertips.

“Wow… t-thank you. Are you sure I can wear this?” Izuku looked back at Aizawa, who nodded. “Of course, kid. It’s too small for me anyway. Do you need help putting it on?”

Izuku blushed, but he nodded. His arms hurt too much to raise them. Aizawa stood up and helped Izuku put the sweater on, being gentle and patient the whole way. When it was fully on, Izuku basked in its warmth. The sleeves went way past his hands, and the sweater bunched at his waist. If he were standing, it would probably go to his knees.

Yamada cooed. “Adorable!” he shouted, making Izuku giggle, and Aizawa just sighed.

The nurse came in eventually and gave Izuku another pill for the night.

Time passed, mostly spent by Izuku showing Aizawa the signs he learned with Yamada, and both of them teaching him new ones. He even used some of them during conversation, earning praise from the two heroes.

Izuku didn’t know what emotion he was feeling right now, but happy couldn’t exactly describe it. Two pro-heroes here, spending time with Izuku, complimenting him too! It was a lot more than Izuku thought he deserved. He was so used to minimal words and orders, and when Izuku did anything, there was someone always criticizing and punishing him. He didn’t understand it.

Night was approaching, and Izuku was feeling anxious. The heroes probably didn’t want to spend the night with him, too; that would be too much, right? He just didn’t think he would get any sleep when alone. While Izuku was used to sleeping alone at the base, it took him weeks, maybe even months, to get used to it. He was in a new environment.

The two seemed to pick up on his mood. “Hey, Listener. Tell us what’s on your mind. Are you still in pain?” Yamada asked, reaching a hand out to hold Izuku’s.

Izuku’s hand twitched in Yamada’s hold, and he hesitated. He shouldn’t bother them anymore than he has. The heroes needed sleep. Aizawa still looked exhausted. Izuku just shook his head.

“N-nothing’s wrong. I’m just, um… thinking about tomorrow and… what you guys will be up to.” Izuku didn’t think his subtlety worked, since the heroes shared a knowing glance.

“One of us will stay here tonight, kid. You won’t be alone,” Aizawa reassured him. Izuku felt relieved, but he didn’t show it on his face just yet.

“Are you… a-allowed to? And, it’s really okay! You guys don’t have to do that… I-I’ll be fine!” Izuku tried to argue, but his voice faltered near the end. He really didn’t want them to leave.

“Promise, kid. It’s allowed. Typically, in a pediatric unit, one of us is allowed to stay overnight to make sure you’re alright. And we want to do it,” Aizawa explained. Izuku let out a breath, nodding. It did make him feel better, but he couldn’t help that small sense of guilt in the back of his mind.

“Okay. Thank you,” he muttered, and Yamada squeezed his hand.

Before it got too late, the heroes decided that Yamada would stay over. They bickered about it, but Yamada made some good points. Yamada reminded Aizawa that he still technically didn’t get a full night’s rest, and he had to be ready for his patrol later on. Aizawa argued that he could skip patrol, but after a stern glare from Yamada, that was shut down pretty quickly. Remind Izuku to never get on Yamada’s bad side.

It took a while, but Aizawa relented and got ready to leave. He stood in front of Izuku, reaching a hand down to ruffle Izuku’s curls. He flinched a little from the unexpected touch, but he quickly leaned into it once he realized it wasn’t a harmful one.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay, Izuku? Sleep well,” Aizawa said. Izuku nodded and mumbled a goodnight as Aizawa leaned down to kiss Yamada. The affection between the two of them looked so easy and heartfelt.

“Goodnight, Shou. Text me when you get home,” he could hear Yamada whisper. Finally, after Aizawa said his goodbyes again, he left for the second time that day, leaving Yamada and Izuku to keep each other company for the night.

Chapter Text

The night went smoothly. Nurse Sato brought in a cot, pillows, and blankets for Yamada, placing them all right next to his bed. Izuku felt a lot better having Yamada close. It was already late when Aizawa left, so they didn’t do much. Yamada would speak a little bit about his days as a hero, but he could tell Yamada was getting tired.

After a while, Yamada said goodnight, and Izuku did as well. He watched as Yamada got comfortable and went to sleep, jealous of how easy it was for him. Izuku slept so much today that his sleep schedule was a little messed up, so he stayed awake a bit longer.

Izuku was thinking about the past 24 hours. It still seemed surreal that he was out of the base. He kept thinking it was some cruel hallucination, but he knew it wasn’t. Not when he could feel Yamada and Aizawa’s kindness, their gentle touches, their patient words. They actually wanted to stay around him; he wondered how long that would last.

Izuku spent the next couple of hours in his head before he truly felt exhaustion wash over him. With one last glance at Yamada, Izuku let his eyes flutter closed, and he fell into a restless sleep.

“Midoriya,” a gruff voice snapped, waking Izuku. He jolted, feeling cool metal on his back and exposed skin. His arms and legs were restrained, and all he could feel was pain.

Izuku panicked. No, no, no… he couldn’t be back here! His breath hitched, and he looked up to see the Doctor hovering over him, scalpel in hand. “Looks like I’ll have to be harsher if you’re drifting off in the middle of this,” he said, and his voice sounded warped.

Izuku struggled against the restraints, crying. He couldn’t yell for help, his throat closed up. The Doctor tsked.

“I thought you grew out of this. You know you can’t escape these. It’ll go faster if you stay still.” The Doctor walked around to the side of Izuku, a manic grin on his face.

“Ready?” Izuku kept thrashing despite the Doctor’s words, crying and screaming now as the Doctor dragged the scalpel aggressively down his left arm. It left jagged lines of blood in its path, and the Doctor just went around to his other side to do the same on his right arm.

“Wake up,” the Doctor suddenly spoke, but his voice was off. It sounded… weird.

“Wake up, Izuku!”

“Izuku!” Izuku gasped and wrenched himself up as he woke, and immediately he started crying. He grabbed his left arm, looking down at it, expecting blood. Instead, black cloth met him, and he frantically pushed up the sleeve.

“Hey, hey, sweetheart, look at me,” he heard someone say to his right, and he whipped his head around. Yamada was sitting on the edge of his bed, both hands palm-out in front of him.

Izuku’s brows furrowed, and he looked back at his left arm, immediately disobeying Yamada. There was no blood, just old scars. Izuku pushed the sleeve back down and breathed heavily, instead grasping the sweater at his sternum.

He could still feel the sharp tool on his skin, the blood dripping down his arm.

“Izuku, hey,” Yamada said, and Izuku jumped. He forgot he was there. Izuku looked back at Yamada, his body shaking and tears still falling.

Yamada tried to smile reassuringly, but Izuku could see the deep worry etched on his face. “There you are. Take deep breaths for me,” he said, breathing in and out exaggeratedly himself to guide Izuku.

Izuku copied him, and eventually, his breathing was back to normal. The phantom pain dulled; still there, but almost completely gone.

Izuku reached his right hand out hesitantly, his arm shaking. Yamada met him halfway, gripping Izuku’s hand and intertwining their fingers. “Is this… real?” Izuku whispered, and Yamada let out a pained sound.

“Yes, baby, this is real. You’re here. You were rescued out of that place, I promise,” he said, bringing their hands up to rest over Yamada’s heart. Izuku nodded, his heart rate finally back to normal.

“O-okay. I believe you,” Izuku whispered, and Yamada’s smile was genuine.

“Good, good.” They sat in silence for a moment before Yamada spoke up again.

“Shou will be here soon. Are you hungry? He’s bringing food for us.” Izuku nodded. He actually was hungry. He ate a bit of the food that Aizawa brought last night, and it was wonderful. He was excited to try more.

Yamada’s eyes lit up. “Great!” Izuku could tell that Yamada wanted to ask what he was dreaming about. Izuku thought about it for a minute and decided that talking about it might be easier.

“I was… back there. In the lab. My arms and legs were strapped down and…” Izuku’s breath hitched, but Yamada didn’t interrupt him. He just kept hold of his hand.

“The man who performed the experiments on me… he called himself t-the Doctor. He was in my dream. I was so scared,” Izuku ended his sentence in a whisper, the tears gathering in his eyes again. Yamada leaned forward and used his free hand to cup his cheek.

“You’re safe, Listener. Shouta and I will protect you. They won’t come near you again,” Yamada promised, wiping Izuku’s tears away with his thumb. Izuku sniffed and nodded, leaning into Yamada’s touch.

They stayed like that for a while. Eventually, Aizawa came through the door with two bags in one hand. Yamada turned his head and smiled.

“Hey, Shou! Just in time. Izuku and I are starrrrving,” he dragged the word out, making Izuku laugh. Aizawa huffed and gave Yamada a separate bag before placing the food down next to Izuku.

“Here’s a change of clothes for you. I also brought a spare toothbrush and toothpaste so you don’t have to go all the way home,” Aizawa said. Yamada sprang up and kissed Aizawa’s cheek. “Thanks, babe! I’ll be right back.” He went into the bathroom, leaving Izuku and Aizawa alone.

Aizawa took Yamada’s place on the edge of the bed, offering Izuku a minuscule smile. “Morning, kid. Did you sleep okay? Was Hizashi snoring?” he said the last part conspiratorily, making Izuku smile.

“No, he was fine. I slept okay, but… I woke up from a nightmare,” Izuku mumbled, smile faltering. Aizawa placed a hand on Izuku’s head, running his fingers gently through his hair. Izuku hummed and leaned into it.

“I’m sorry. Are you feeling better now?” Izuku nodded, eyes slipping closed as he relaxed to the sensation of Aizawa playing with his hair.

“Mhm. Y-Yamada helped me calm down. It… it was about the lab. I was back there, and it scared me. I thought… I thought maybe I wasn’t really out of there.”

Aizawa took it in, sitting in silence for a couple of minutes and playing with Izuku’s hair to calm him down.

“I have nightmares too, every so often,” Aizawa whispered, and Izuku looked up at him.

“R-Really?” Aizawa nodded.

“Yup. At times, they feel so real that it’s hard to discern what’s real and what’s not. But I came up with a system. It can take a few tries as it’s hard to focus in a nightmare, and a lot of times we can’t control what we see. What I do is think of anything that seemed off about the nightmare. It could be a person who’s not supposed to be there, or sometimes the place you’re in is not fully developed, so only one part of it is completely visible. If you happen to look into a mirror or something where you can see your reflection, it may look off, maybe blurry. Did you notice anything like that?”

Izuku thought about it, trying to remember aspects of his nightmare. After a while, he nodded.

“The Doctor’s voice… it was weird. It didn’t sound like him. A-and, usually, there are… more people in the room when I’m there. B-but it was empty. He only had one tool in the dream, but he has more than that.”

“Mm, good. Next time, even if you can’t do it while you’re in the nightmare, try doing it when you wake up. Pick out what doesn’t feel right about the dream. It can help you calm down and realize what you saw wasn’t real. That you’re safe. And, of course, Hizashi and I will always be here to help you out of it.”

“Thank you! I-I’ll try my best.”

Aizawa smiled and ruffled his hair one more time before taking his hand away and giving Izuku a small bento. “I know you will. Here, eat.”

Izuku happily did so, taking small bites. It was delicious. He hadn’t had such flavourful food in… well, since he could remember. Meals at the base were scarce and bland. He took all he could get most days, but on other days, he would skip food from occasional nausea. It ultimately made his nausea worse, but eating after a training session was hard.

Izuku could only manage a few more bites before he could feel his stomach turning. He felt bad for not finishing the food, but Aizawa reassured him that it was no problem. He could always save it for later.

When Izuku put the food away, Yamada came out of the bathroom in a different outfit and hairdo. His hair was now in a long, loose braid, and he had on more comfortable clothes than yesterday. He wore a simple t-shirt and jeans, no leather jacket in sight. He still had the blue headphones around his neck, though. Izuku wondered if it was a comfort or a practicality thing. Maybe both.

Yamada took a seat on the other side of the bed, taking out his food immediately. “I hope you know, Listener, that this is a special occasion! Shouta here pretty much never cooks,” he said teasingly, taking a bite of his food.

Aizawa rolled his eyes. “Oh, hush. You literally stop me from cooking most days.”

“Mm, don’t know what you’re talking about!” Yamada smirked before taking more bites.

Aizawa just stared at him with narrowed eyes, before looking at Izuku with a shake of his head. “He’s crazy,” Aizawa mouthed to him, and Izuku giggled behind his hand.

The three of them sat in comfortable silence. Izuku found himself looking out of the window. He missed the outside. It was rare that he was allowed outside back at the base. Sensei would make him do whatever he wanted to “earn” the privilege to go outside. Even then, it was heavily supervised and on a strict time limit.

He wasn’t sure what the villains were so worried about; he was too weak to walk, let alone escape from experienced villains. Especially from Sensei.

Their peaceful atmosphere was broken by the sound of a vibrating phone. Aizawa grunted and took out his phone, his jaw clenching when he read what the caller ID displayed.

“I’ll be right back,” was all he said before Aizawa stepped out of the room.

“Tsukauchi, please tell me you have good news this time.”

“Eraser. Unfortunately, no. Look, I’m really sorry. I promise I did try my best here–”

“Just spit it out.” Shouta didn’t like where this was going.

“Right. The chief wants answers, and he’s scheduled a questioning with the kid on Tuesday.”

Shouta squeezed his eyes shut, hand on his temple. Fuck. That was three days away, not enough time. Not at all. The kid was just barely opening up about his experience to Hizashi and him. But in front of a stranger?

“Tsukauchi–”

“Aizawa, I know. There was nothing I could do. The chief is not backing down on this. The only thing I could compromise on was having me be the one to ask the questions. It was easy enough, given my quirk. And I promise I’ll be as patient as possible. I’ve worked with kids who suffered traumatic experiences before. I will do all I can to make sure the kid is comfortable.”

Shouta sighed. He knew Tsukauchi was good at his job and would probably be the best to handle this case. But still, he couldn’t help that small, protective instinct from flaring at the thought of his– the kid having to recount his trauma just to get the chief his answers.

“Okay. I’ll let Izuku know so he’s prepared.”

“Will you guys still be at the hospital by then?”

Shouta hummed. “Most likely. I’ll message you if anything changes.”

“Alright. Bye, Eraser.”

“Bye.”

The call ended, and Shouta stood there for a little longer, calming himself down. He shouldn’t go back in angry; that would just scare the kid. Shouta hated this, but there wasn’t much he could do. All he could do was make sure the kid was ready to talk about whatever Tsukauchi would ask.

Shouta finally made his way back inside the room. Hizashi and Izuku were talking about something, but Shouta couldn’t focus on anything other than the anxiety he felt about having to be the messenger for this dreadful conversation.

Shouta sat on the bed, ending the conversation between the two. Hizashi turned to him and, knowing Shouta like the back of his hand, frowned. “Is everything okay? Who was on the phone?”

Izuku looked a little nervous, as if he could feel the tense energy coming off of him. Shouta rubbed a hand down his face and decided he needed to get this over with.

“That was Detective Tsukauchi. He’s the lead detective on your case, Izuku. He… well, the chief, has been looking for the people responsible for you and others who have been caught up in the quirk trafficking. Since you are the only survivor we have physically found, the chief wants answers.” Shouta paused, gauging how Izuku was taking in the information.

It was not that well. Izuku had tells when he was feeling nervous and upset. He started gripping the blankets, and his eyes would dart around in uncertainty. His breathing would pick up, and in extreme cases, his body would start shaking. Shouta didn’t want it to get to that, so he placed a hand over Izuku’s left one.

“Detective Tsukauchi will be the one asking the questions. I trust him, he will do his best to make you comfortable, okay? And Hizashi and I will be right next to you the whole time. The chief is pushing this on us, but they will go at your pace. Do you understand?” he kept his voice soft.

Izuku nodded, his focus now solely on Shouta’s hand. His breathing was evened out now, so Shouta took that as a win. Hizashi was upset; he could tell. But he was holding back for the kid.

“When will Tsukauchi be coming?” Hizashi asked.

Shouta sighed. “Tuesday.”

“What?!” Hizashi screeched, and Shouta immediately used his quirk on him so it wouldn’t blow out their eardrums. Izuku flinched at the sound, but he kept a strong grip on Shouta’s hand.

“Sorry, sorry! It’s just– that’s so soon!” Hizashi hissed, his voice significantly quieter.

“I know. Tsukauchi did all he could, but the chief is relentless. The only thing he could do was be here to question the kid.”

Hizashi shook his head, and Shouta could tell he was still angry.

Shouta turned his attention back to Izuku. The kid was still staring at their hands. While Shouta was glad the kid wasn’t panicking, it was almost like he was too calm. He wasn’t speaking.

“Kid? You alright?” Shouta coaxed, running his thumb over Izuku’s hand to get his attention.

Izuku looked up at him, but his eyes were slightly glazed over. Before Shouta could say anything, Izuku spoke up.

“I-I think so. This… this will help others, right?” Izuku’s voice was feeble, and Shouta’s heart squeezed. Technically, yes, but Shouta sort of hoped Izuku would think more about himself first.

“Yeah, kid. This will help the heroes and police find whoever did this to you and other people and put a stop to it.”

Izuku nodded, looking more determined now. “O-Okay. I’ll do it.”

Shouta and Hizashi shared a glance, worried. But this was the best response they could’ve hoped for. All they could do now was be there in support and make sure it went as smoothly as possible.

Chapter Text

The next couple of days passed by way too quickly. Hizashi stayed over each night since Shouta still had his patrols to go on.

After Izuku’s X-ray on Saturday, the results showed that he had multiple fractures and breaks that hadn’t healed correctly in both of his arms and his left leg.

The doctor told them that Izuku would likely suffer from chronic fracture pain if not taken care of immediately. The doctor suggested physical therapy and over-the-counter pain medication.

When the doctor saw that Izuku was learning sign language, he strongly encouraged him to continue. He had said that using sign language can strengthen the hand and arm muscles, and it would be a productive way of recovering.

On Monday, Shouta stayed with Izuku all day and did paperwork at the hospital while Hizashi taught at UA.

For Tuesday, Tsukauchi was able to push the questioning back until late afternoon to accommodate Hizashi and make sure he would be able to make it.

Even though Izuku had said he was fine with doing it, the boy was stressed. And it showed. He had nightmares almost every time he went to sleep, he had multiple panic attacks, and throughout the day, he would barely speak or eat.

Shouta had half a mind to demand that the police chief postpone the questioning, not caring if the chief wanted it or not. Yet, every time he asked Izuku about it, he wouldn’t back down. Shouta figured it was best to get it over with now.

Once Tuesday came around, Shouta kept a close eye on him. He did the past few days, but especially for today, he had to make sure Izuku was as comfortable as possible. The boy wasn’t eating. Shouta tried everything, but Izuku simply refused to.

Shouta let it go for now and hoped the nutrients from Izuku’s IV would be enough.

The day went on just like the others; Shouta worked on his laptop, and Izuku looked out the window. Hizashi had bought a few things for the kid on Sunday. He bought some books, puzzles, colouring books, and fidget toys for Izuku to use whenever he was feeling anxious.

The fidget toys got some use, and Izuku was fiddling with one now. It did seem to help him relax, but Shouta could still see the tension in his shoulders.

The day passed on like that, and eventually, Hizashi came into the room. It was both a good and a bad thing. Good for the obvious reasons, but bad because it meant that Tsukauchi would be here soon.

Izuku barely reacted when Hizashi greeted him. Hizashi shot Shouta a dejected look, and Shouta just frowned. Hizashi sat next to Shouta on the chair, keeping his hands out of sight from the kid.

‘Has he been like this all day?’

Shouta nodded. ‘He didn’t eat, either.’

Hizashi ran a hand through his hair. It was just down today; he had fixed it after teaching at UA.

‘I’m worried, Shouta. It’s like all progress from Friday and Saturday has vanished. If this is how he’s reacting now, what will happen later?’

‘We will be there with him the whole way. If he regresses further, we will be there to pull him out. However long it will take.’

Hizashi nodded, grabbing Shouta’s hand for support. Shouta leaned forward, kissing him softly. Hizashi smiled and pressed their foreheads together. They would get through this and take care of Izuku as best they could.

The only warning Shouta received about Tsukauchi’s arrival was a simple, “Here.” text message. And Hizashi said he was a horrible texter. At least they could do it from the hospital room.

Shouta stood from his chair, walking over to Izuku. The kid was still staring out the window, so Shouta had to intercept. “Hey, kid. The detective will be up soon,” he told him.

Izuku blinked up at him. His gaze was focused, so that was good.

“Okay.” That seemed like it would be all he would say.

Shouta nodded and went back to his seat, but was stopped when Izuku’s hand shot out to grab his sleeve. He turned in mild surprise and melted at Izuku’s sad eyes.

“P-Please… sit with me?” he whispered.

Shouta immediately complied, making a gesture for Izuku to scooch over. He did, so Shouta sat down next to him. Izuku leaned against him, and Shouta wrapped a loose arm around Izuku’s shoulders.

Hizashi smiled at them, and he set up his chair so that he was on the other side of Izuku. He was sure that if the bed were bigger, Hizashi would find his way there with them.

“We’re both here for you, Listener! And remember, if you don’t want to answer anything, you don’t have to.” Izuku nodded, and he looked better. Shouta was worried that with his behaviour these past few days, he’d be worse, but he was relieved. He just had to hope Tsukauchi wouldn’t ruin that.

Izuku was nervous. Like, extremely nervous. He had no idea what this Detective Tsukauchi would ask, what Izuku would have to expose. What if Yamada and Aizawa didn’t want him after what he would tell Tsukauchi? Some part of him hoped that the heroes would stay with him after everything.

There was a knock on the door, and after Aizawa called for them to come in, the door opened. A man came in, wearing a long, beige trench coat. He had short, dark brown hair and tired yet kind eyes.

“Hi, Izuku. How are you?” he asked him, and Izuku was surprised. He didn’t think he would be addressed so quickly.

“I-I’m good, thank you! How… how are you?” Izuku gripped the blankets, and Aizawa gently unwound his fingers and held his hand instead.

Tsukauchi smiled and sat down in the empty chair. “I’m doing well. I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances.”

“Oh, it’s… it’s okay.” Izuku looked up at Aizawa, not sure how to feel.

“You’re doing great, kid,” Aizawa whispered down at him, and Izuku nodded, feeling more assured.

Izuku turned back to face the detective. He took out a notebook and pen, the notebook already open in his lap. He also had what looked like a recorder.

“So, Izuku. I’ll tell you how this will go so you don’t face any surprises. My quirk is human lie detector, so whatever you say to me, I will know if you’re telling the truth or a lie, okay? Most of my questions will focus on the quirk trafficking. Just answer anything you know. If you don’t want to answer, that is fine. If you need a break, please let me know, and we’ll pause for however long you need.”

Izuku took in the information and nodded along. It sounded reasonable enough. He wouldn’t lie about anything anyway, and even if he did, Tsukauchi would know.

“Oh, also, one unfortunate drawback to my quirk is that I will need a verbal response for it to be activated. It may be inconvenient, I know, but I will work with you to make sure you and anyone else involved are given justice,” Tsukauchi promised.

Izuku’s lips trembled, and he nodded. “Thank y-you…” he whispered, and Tsukauchi’s eyes softened.

“Of course. You’re in control here.” Izuku gave a watery smile.

“Before we begin, do you consent to being recorded during this?” He asked, recorder already on to record his response.

“Y-Yes. I do,” Izuku said, and Tsukauchi nodded before flipping through this notebook.

“Alright. This is Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, interviewing Izuku Midoriya about the quirk trafficking case. I will begin questioning momentarily.” Izuku flinched a bit at his family name being used.

“Please- um… Can you please call me I-Izuku?”

Tsukauchi nodded. “Of course, Izuku. I’m sorry. It’s for formality’s sake.” Izuku let out a breath of relief.

“Okay, first question. Izuku, how did you end up with the villains?”

Okay, wow. Hard questions right away.

“My… my dad brought me to them.”

“True. And who is your dad?”

“H-Hisashi Midoriya.”

“True. Do you know why your dad brought you there, Izuku? Did he want you to join the villains?”

“No… um, well, kind of? I was d-diagnosed…” Izuku’s throat closed up, and he squeezed Aizawa’s hand.

“It’s okay, Izuku. Take your time,” Tsukauchi said, his voice sincere.

“I was diagnosed as… quirkless when I turned four. And he… didn’t like it.”

Tsukauchi hummed, and he made a note. “True. Can you elaborate on why he brought you to the villains because of your quirk status?”

Izuku let out a breath. “He was really mad. H-Hisashi always said how excited he was for me to get a quirk when I was growing up… When my mom told him the news, he couldn’t accept it. Hisashi left for a few days, and… when he came back, he said he had a solution. M-Mommy was upset, but Hisashi didn’t care. He took me away after set-setting the house on fire. He killed her,” Izuku whispered, tears falling, and his breath hitched.

Aizawa was running his fingers through Izuku’s hair and whispering reassurances. Yamada took hold of Izuku’s other hand and offered silent support. After a little bit, he calmed down and wiped the tears away on his sleeve.

“All true,” Tsukauchi’s voice was soft, and he looked concerned. “Are you able to continue, Izuku?”

Izuku nodded. “Y-Yes. I’m fine,” he said, trying to convince himself more than anyone else. Tsukauchi frowned, the statement probably coming up as a lie, but Izuku continued before he lost his nerve.

“A-After he… did that, he brought me to this building. The-the same one I was found in. He told me that I could get a quirk as long as I behaved. I was terrified, but I didn’t want him to hurt me either, so I listened to him.”

“True. And how was this possible? How were you going to ‘get a quirk’?” Tsukauchi asked him.

Izuku’s heart was pounding. He was terrified. But he had to be brave.

“He brought me to this… person. Hisashi told me that he knew someone who could give and take quirks easily. He called himself Sensei but… I know who he really is,” Izuku whispered.

Tsukauchi paused in his writing. The room was tense.

“Izuku, who was it?”

Izuku inhaled and exhaled shakily. “A-All for One.” The temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees, and Izuku shivered. He never called Sensei by his real identity, and even though he wasn’t present, Izuku still felt like saying his name would make him appear somehow.

Tsukauchi didn’t say anything for a long moment. He wrote something in his notebook and opened his mouth. “...True.”

Izuku was staring at his lap. He was too nervous to see anyone else’s reactions. He knew who All for One was, what his reputation was. He had supposedly gone into hiding to steal quirks and continue his operation behind the scenes of the League. Izuku, before being brought to him, thought he was a myth. And most heroes did, too. So he knew this would be shocking.

Aizawa and Yamada still held his hand, but Aizawa’s other hand paused in his hair. After a moment, he resumed, and Izuku significantly relaxed.

Tsukauchi cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “Alright, Izuku. Thank you for telling me. Did… All for One give you a quirk?”

Izuku looked back up at him and shook his head. “No, he didn’t.” Tsukauchi tilted his head, confused.

“True. What happened?”

Izuku sighed. “He was angry at Hisashi. He thought that… I was older. Sensei said there was no way my body would be strong enough to suddenly gain a quirk. Instead of letting me leave, though, he… he said he still had use for me.” Izuku shuddered but continued.

“Since I was quirkless, he said it was a lot rarer these days than before. Instead of… ‘wasting the opportunity’, as he called it, he would train my body to develop a quirk naturally. Said it was a new project he wanted to try. I was a… a ‘clean slate’.”

Tsukauchi was writing a lot, and it kind of concerned Izuku.

“True… Izuku, how long did this… go on for?”

“W-Well… I got my first quirk months into being there. It… it took constant training and experimentation…” Izuku trailed off. His body was feeling fuzzy, and his grip on reality was fading.

Before he could be pulled into a painful memory, he felt someone touch his cheek. Izuku blinked, and suddenly, all he could see was Yamada in front of him. He looked sad, and Izuku didn’t like that look on him at all.

“Baby, are you back with us?” Yamada whispered. Izuku blinked a few more times before looking to his left. Aizawa was still next to him.

“I think so…” he mumbled, shaking his head slightly to get rid of the foggy feeling. He wasn’t sure how long he was out for, but it couldn’t have been too long, because Tsukauchi was still here. The man looked apologetic and a bit awkward, like he wasn’t sure if he should’ve witnessed that.

Yamada sat back down reluctantly, letting Izuku get a full view of Tsukauchi.

“I’m really sorry, Izuku… I didn’t mean to trigger anything.” Izuku just shook his head.

“It’s okay… It’s not your fault,” Izuku assured him, and he could hear Aizawa mutter something under his breath that sounded like It kind of is his fault.

Before he could question it, Tsukauchi spoke. “Just a few more questions, okay? Then we’re all done.”

After Izuku confirmed he was fine to continue, Tsukauchi began his questioning once again.

“We have some reports of people going missing over the past couple of years. We haven’t found them, but there have been rumours about some of those people walking into that place with a quirk and then out quirkless. Do you know anything about that?”

Izuku frowned, trying to remember what he saw.

“Maybe… Sometimes, during my breaks, I would see Sensei talking to some people I didn’t know or had never seen hanging around the base. I think Sensei was taking these people’s quirks to get stronger.”

Tsukauchi sighed. “True. It’s what we’ve suspected, then. Okay. Last two questions, I promise. Do you know any other villains, besides your father, who were involved?”

Izuku nodded quickly. This, he could answer confidently. “Y-Yes! Um, there was Kurogiri. He would be the one to supervise me outside of training or experiments, um… and give me food. He has a warp quirk that allows him to go and take people wherever he wants, as long as he knows the exact coordinates. There’s Dabi. I haven’t seen him much, but he has blue flames that burn him as he uses them. I’ve also seen Twice, Mr. Compress, and Spinner, but I haven’t b-been around them a lot to know what their quirks were. Oh, and… the Doctor. He… he is the one who would carry out the experiments on me,” Izuku whispered the last part, anxiety spiking again.

Tsukauchi was writing all of the names down and as much information as he could. The room was filled with the sound of pen on paper until he was finished.

“Thank you, Izuku. Last one. Do you have any idea where they had run off to?” He thought about it for a moment, but he really didn’t know. Izuku didn’t even know they had somewhere else to go. Sensei and Kurogiri had never mentioned it to him, at least.

“No… I’m sorry.”

Tsukauchi smiled. “True. And it’s okay, Izuku. You’ve been a great help here.” Izuku felt better at that.

Tsukauchi made some last notes in his book before closing it. “Alright, this concludes my questioning with Izuku Midoriya.” And he turned the recorder off.

Izuku slumped against Aizawa, exhausted. He was so glad it was over.

Tsukauchi gathered what he needed and smiled kindly at Izuku. “Thank you so much, Izuku. You’ve been so brave, and we will do our best to make sure those people will never hurt you or others again, okay?”

Izuku nodded, but he couldn’t respond. He felt so drained. All the stress, anxiety, and tiredness from the past few days were weighing on him now. He zoned out when Tsukauchi spoke to Aizawa and Yamada briefly before leaving.

When the door closed to his room, it was like his body had given up because he immediately started crying. Loud sobs echoed in the room, and he could feel Aizawa wrap his arms around him tightly. Aizawa lifted Izuku gently and held him in his lap so that Yamada could sit next to them comfortably, and he also wrapped his arms around both of them.

They held him as he cried, and Izuku had never felt so cared for. He felt safe, even if he was crying because of the painful memories he was remembering. Izuku could hear them both talking, but he couldn’t make it out.

It took a while, but eventually, Izuku’s sobs had dwindled to sniffles and occasional tears. His chest hurt and his arms were sore, but he wasn’t focused on that right now. Above all, he felt warm. Aizawa and Yamada were still holding him.

Izuku leaned his head back against Aizawa’s chest, tired. So, so tired.

“Rest, Little Listener. You did amazing, we are so proud of you,” he heard Yamada whisper, and Izuku tilted his head to look at him. Yamada’s eyes were rimmed red, and tears were glistening in his eyes, but Izuku could tell it was because of his own breakdown. Yamada was a huge empath, it seemed.

Izuku couldn’t bring himself to speak, so he just weakly nodded, and his eyes fluttered shut. Sitting up like this wasn’t the most comfortable position, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want to lose their warmth.

Chapter Text

Shouta was seething. He had to make sure he wasn’t accidentally squeezing the kid as he stewed in his anger. Hizashi was the same. He didn’t have to speak to know that they were thinking the same thing: the chief had gone too far.

Shouta didn’t care about Tsukauchi; he was doing his job and made sure Izuku was okay the whole way through. Hizashi was right, though. Seeing Izuku cry was terrible, and he never wanted it to happen again.

They sat like that for a long time. It was still early evening, so Shouta had time until his patrol. Izuku probably wouldn’t wake up until the next morning.

Shouta ended up taking a small nap, leaning back against the pillows with Izuku still in his lap.

Later, he woke up to Hizashi shaking his arm. He opened his eyes, noticing that it was dark outside already. “Hm?” Shouta hummed and glanced over at Hizashi.

“It’s late, Shou. You should probably go home and get ready for patrol.” Shouta sighed but nodded.

“I’ll take the Little Listener. I feel like he shouldn’t be alone tonight.” Shouta agreed. He maneuvered himself so that Izuku was off his lap, making sure not to aggravate any of his injuries.

Izuku whined softly and shifted. Hizashi quickly took over, holding Izuku in his arms. The kid immediately settled, sighing softly through his nose.

Hizashi quietly cooed. “Shou, look at him!” he whisper-yelled.

Shouta huffed. “I know, I know.” He hid a smile in his capture weapon.

Shouta leaned down to kiss Hizashi briefly. “Okay, I’m going. I’ll text you when I’m done. And get some sleep, I know you’ve been staying awake until I’m done patrol,” he said in a stern tone.

Hizashi pouted. “Fineeeee.”

Shouta gave the kid one more pat on the head before leaving.

The next few days passed surprisingly well. After Izuku woke up from his long sleep, he seemed to be feeling better, as if the interview never happened. However, now Izuku asked Hizashi to sleep in the bed with him each night. Hizashi was ecstatic.

After the questioning on Tuesday, Izuku was seen by a different doctor, Dr. Akino, who specializes in healing broken and fractured limbs. Since Izuku’s were healed incorrectly, she had to be a lot more careful when using her quirk.

Since this was done by a quirk and not regular surgery, Izuku wouldn’t have to take anesthesia. It was painless. Dr. Akino told them that tissue inflammation was normal, and if Izuku experienced any symptoms, not to worry. However, if they did not subside after a long period, they would have to come back.

The physical therapy was going well. The doctor who originally told them about Izuku’s fractures on Saturday, Dr. Hayashi, had shown Shouta and Hizashi the exercises Izuku should be doing every day to strengthen his hand and arm muscles.

For Izuku’s leg, Dr. Hayashi was helping Izuku walk. His legs were still weak, especially the left one, but he needed to be able to move around. They started slow, and Izuku could stand for just over two minutes before feeling like he would collapse.

The doctor told Shouta and Hizashi that this was easy to do at home. The kid would just have to either use their arms to steady himself, or something like metal bars on either side of him, much like the ones at the hospital.

Since Izuku was young, if he kept up with the physical therapy and took his medication regularly, Dr. Hayashi assured the two heroes that he would likely reduce his pain significantly. To keep up on muscle strength, Izuku would also need a proper dietary plan that also satisfied his malnourished state.

Luckily, his body temperature was stabilized. Nurse Sato told them to keep an eye on it and to make sure he stayed warm at home.

Lastly, the issue with his suppression cuff was looming over them. They still didn’t know how to take it off or how to broach the subject without triggering another panic attack. Hizashi had been doing some research, but it was hard to gather information on something that wasn’t legal or supposed to exist. Especially in such a unique situation.

Hizashi came up with the idea of reassuring Izuku that Shouta’s quirk could cancel his out at any moment. If Izuku was worried about losing control of his quirks, Shouta was the perfect person to help.

If there was still an issue, or Izuku’s quirks really were too powerful for Shouta to even handle, they would come up with a solution as always.

Throughout all of that, Shouta was finalizing Hizashi’s and his emergency foster licenses. He went through all the legal processes with Tsukauchi, and all they needed was Izuku’s consent. Well, technically, it wasn’t needed, but Shouta and Hizashi wanted to make sure Izuku’s opinion was heard and taken into consideration.

Hizashi was sure that Izuku would say yes, but Shouta had stupid doubts in the back of his mind. Logically, he knew Izuku felt safe around them, but what if taking him home and looking after him long-term was completely different?

Regardless, they had to ask Izuku today, since his discharge was being completed with the doctor.

Izuku was awake and using the colouring book Hizashi bought. It was a hero-themed one, and the kid was currently colouring in All Might. He looked adorable with his focused face, tongue poking out as he tried his best to stay in the lines.

While Hizashi was at UA, Shouta had to wait to ask Izuku about guardianship. However, Hizashi said it was fine if he tried to get Izuku to agree to taking the cuff off. Shouta wondered how strong the thing was, considering how long Izuku had had it on for.

Shouta leaned over to see Izuku’s progress. For an eight-year-old with limited hand and wrist mobility, it wasn’t bad. Only a few colours strayed outside the lines.

“Looks great, kid. Do you like All Might?” Izuku nodded enthusiastically without taking his attention off the page.

“A-All Might’s the best! He’s my favourite hero!”

Shouta huffed. He was glad the villains hadn’t diluted Izuku’s love for heroes, even if his favourite had to be the very loud and obnoxious one.

“Hm, I bet.” Shouta let the kid colour for a bit longer before deciding to talk to him about the cuff. He didn’t know when a good time to ask was, so better now than later.

“Hey, Izuku. Can I talk to you for a minute?” He kept his voice light, not wanting to cause any unwanted stress. It didn’t seem to work, though, when Izuku’s body tensed up, as if waiting for bad news.

Izuku put the book to the side and looked at Shouta, hands twitching as if wanting to grab for the blanket. He curled them into fists instead, almost invisible under the long sleeves. Shouta softened his expression and leaned forward to place his hand over Izuku’s right one.

“Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble or anything. I just wanted to ask you something,” Shouta said, and Izuku relaxed slightly. Almost there, but Shouta would take it.

“I know Hizashi asked you this already, but do you want to reconsider not taking the cuff off?” he asked cautiously, keeping an eye on Izuku’s mood so he knew when to push and when not to.

Izuku squirmed a little, but no signs of a panic attack coming so far. He was quiet for a moment before speaking.

“I don’t… want to hurt you guys,” Izuku whispered. Shouta expected this, so he had a response.

“Please don’t worry about that, Izuku. Do you remember what my quirk does?”

Izuku immediately perked up, his eyes shining. “Y-Yes! It’s soooo cool!” Well, that was one way to cheer the kid up.

Shouta couldn’t help but chuckle at Izuku’s excitement. “Thanks, kid. If you feel like your quirks are getting out of control, I can easily help. I can erase them.”

Izuku looked contemplative, like he hadn’t thought of that before. He still seemed nervous, but more open to the idea.

“I’m just… scared.”

“I know, kid. It’s normal to feel that way. But I’ve taught many students who could barely control their quirks. You’ll be in safe hands.”

Izuku looked a lot more reassured at that. “I just… don’t know how to take it off. Kurogiri, um… would put it on and lock it. B-But, Sensei usually just broke it when he wanted it off.”

He lifted his left arm so Shouta could see the cuff clearly. Shouta gingerly took his arm and examined the cuff more closely. There was a keyhole on the inside. It was small, but Shouta could work with it.

“I think I know how to take it off. Don’t tell ‘Zashi, though,” he smirked and rifled through his pocket until he found what he was looking for. Izuku watched him curiously when he took out a couple of bobby pins and paperclips. Shouta sat down on the bed so he would have a better way to reach the cuff.

“Hizashi tells me this is 'unhero-like', but honestly, these have saved me during many patrols. More importantly, it will help get this off,” he said while positioning his ‘tools’ and getting to work.

Izuku watched him intently as Shouta picked the lock. It was a bit difficult, but he got it eventually. With a click, the cuff fell off, and Izuku tensed as his quirks presumably roared back to life. Shouta watched him, ready to use erasure if anything happened.

Izuku sat there silently, his body shaking a bit. He clenched his fists, but nothing happened. Izuku seemed to realize that, too, and he slumped forward in relief. Shouta wrapped an arm around the kid, pulling him close to his chest.

“See? Nothing to worry about.” Shouta rubbed circles on Izuku’s back, much like he did the night he saved him.

“I-It’s just… I’ve rarely not used my quirks when this is off. It’s different. It… Sensei w-would push me a lot. Make me use them in ways I didn’t…” his breathing hitched, and Shouta just continued to rub his back comfortingly.

Izuku sniffled and wrapped his arms around Shouta, completing the hug.

“He would force me to use them to h-hurt… and I never wanted to. I swear I didn’t.” It sounded like Izuku was trying to convince him he wasn’t a bad person, and Shouta’s heart just kept breaking.

“I know, Izuku. I know you didn’t. You’re so strong, Hizashi and I both know that. You went through so much for so long, but you’re not alone anymore. You don’t have to hold everything in, you can lean on us,” Shouta whispered against Izuku’s curls, but he knew the kid could hear him.

Izuku’s shoulders were shaking, and Shouta could feel his tears dripping onto his shirt. The kid didn’t speak, so Shouta just held him as he cried.

It didn’t take long for the kid to calm down, and he shifted in Shouta’s hold. Izuku wiped his eyes, and he tilted his head up to look at Shouta. Izuku was just looking at him, and Shouta was about to ask if he was okay before subtle hints of mirth appeared in the kid’s eyes.

“C-Can you show me how to pick locks just like that?”

Shouta snorted and ruffled his kid’s hair. “As long as you don’t tell Hizashi–”

“Don’t tell Hizashi what?” Speak of the devil and he may appear.

Izuku turned in his arms, and Shouta adjusted so they could both see Hizashi walking into the room. He looked vaguely suspicious as he made his way over.

“Don’t worry about it,” was all Shouta would say.

Hizashi put his hands on his hips and he turned his gaze on Izuku instead, expectant, clearly thinking Izuku would spill.

In a surprising turn of events, though, Izuku mimed zipping his lip, locking it, and throwing away the key. Shouta’s eyebrows raised as he let out a laugh, and Hizashi looked scandalized.

“Shouta! What’re you teaching the baby?!”

Shouta just smirked and said nothing. Izuku looked happy, and Hizashi was gleeful. The kid was comfortable enough joking with them, and that was a big step.

Hizashi huffed and flopped onto his chair. “Fine! Keep your secrets. I got my eyes on you,” he said, pointing two fingers at his eyes, then at Izuku’s. The kid giggled and hid his face in Shouta’s chest.

Shouta continued rubbing Izuku’s back. Hizashi and he shared a look, both content that Izuku was in a good mood. Probably the best mood he’s been in since being at the hospital.

Shouta leaned down and whispered in Izuku’s ear, “Do you want to show Hizashi your arm?” Izuku nodded and shifted so that he could face Hizashi.

“Um… A-Aizawa helped me take the cuff off.” Izuku lifted his left arm and showed it to Hizashi.

Hizashi sat up in his chair, shocked but relieved. “That’s great, kiddo. Do you feel alright?”

Izuku nodded and put his arm back down. “Y-Yes. I’m… sorry that I panicked when you asked about it,” Izuku whispered, looking a bit dejected.

Hizashi shook his head. “Hey, like I said, no need to apologize, Listener. Your feelings are always valid, okay? I’m just glad you felt more comfortable this time to let Shou take it off for you. He told you how his quirk can help?”

“Yeah! He did.”

Hizashi smiled, satisfied. “Perfect.”

The three sat in silence for a while before Hizashi suddenly jerked up. “Wait a minute… Shou, how did you unlock it?” He raised a brow, the suspicious look from earlier returning.

Shouta suddenly thought the outside view was interesting, ignoring Hizashi’s question. Izuku watched the two of them carefully, probably trying to figure out if Hizashi was actually upset or not.

Hizashi groaned, already knowing the answer. “Normally, I would scold you for this, but I guess this time it came in handy.”

“So… you agree the lockpicking can be useful?” Shouta looked at Hizashi smugly.

“Only this once! That’s it!” Shouta hummed.

“If you say so.”

Izuku seemed to pick up on the light atmosphere and settled back against Shouta.

Hizashi decided to change the subject, asking Izuku about his progress on the colouring book. Izuku animatedly showed Hizashi his recent All Might page and then flipped through the other heroes he had coloured so far: Edgeshot, Best Jeanist, and Present Mic.

“Beautiful, Little Listener! I think this one is the best,” he said, pointing at the page of himself.

“Biased much?” Shouta muttered teasingly.

Hizashi scoffed. “Of course not! It is a completely, one hundred percent, unbiased opinion!”

“Mhm.” Shouta and Hizashi bickered playfully back and forth, the kid quietly laughing to himself as he watched them.

Later on, there was a knock on the door, and it opened to reveal Dr. Hayashi. Izuku tensed up briefly. Shouta squeezed Izuku’s hand, and the kid relaxed against him.

“Come in,” Shouta called, and Dr. Hayashi didn’t waste a moment.

“Hey, everyone. I have Izuku’s discharge papers here, as well as instructions for physical therapy, medication, and symptoms to look out for during his recovery. I just need a guardian’s signature, and you’re all set to go.”

The room went silent. Shouta and Hizashi still had to ask Izuku about fostering. Izuku’s relaxed posture didn’t last long; he was nervous after Dr. Hayashi said the last thing. Dr. Hayashi left the papers with Hizashi, who took them and said a goodbye and thank you.

After Dr. Hayashi left, Izuku curled into himself a bit. Hizashi set the papers aside immediately and focused only on the kid. Shouta did, too.

“Hey, sweetheart. What are you thinking right now?”

Izuku sniffled and took a moment to collect his thoughts. “I-I don’t have a guardian… right? H-Hisashi–” the kid’s voice broke off, his breath hitching, and tears welled in his eyes.

Shouta rubbed Izuku’s arm gently and pulled him in again. Izuku didn’t resist, so Shouta kept a firm hold on him to calm him down.

“We’re sorry, kid. We meant to talk to you about this, and we put it off for too long. Hizashi and I… well, we wanted to ask if you’d be okay with us taking you in. If we could be your guardians.”

Shouta held his breath as he analyzed Izuku’s expression. He looked up, eyes flickering between Hizashi and him. The kid looked shocked and confused.

“I-I don’t…understand,” Izuku whispered.

Hizashi took over this time. “We’d bring you home, Listener. You’d live with us. Shouta and I will protect you, care for you, and make sure you have everything you need.”

Izuku’s eyes welled up again, and Shouta wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad reaction.

“But… why?” Izuku asked in a broken voice.

Hizashi and Shouta’s expressions mirrored each other: sorrowful.

“Oh, baby…” Hizashi moved so he was sitting on the edge of the bed, taking both of Izuku’s hands.

“Because we care about you. We want you to be safe, Listener. You deserve to live your life, grow, and experience your childhood without pain. And Shouta and I want to be there to help you achieve that.”

Izuku broke down at that, chest heaving and shoulders shaking. Shouta rocked him side to side slowly, hoping to soothe him. He could see that Hizashi was about to cry along with him, but he kept his composure.

“Y-You’re not m-mad?” Izuku got out between cries, confusing them both.

“Mad? Kid, why would we be mad at you?” Shouta questioned softly, not pausing in his rocking.

“I… I didn’t t-tell you about A-All for One and… I was quirkless. M-My quirks didn’t come n-normally.”

“Izuku… we would never be mad at you for that. Even if you were quirkless now, we wouldn’t ever think of you differently. Same with how your quirks manifested; that was out of your control. You went through so much, something no one should ever have to go through. Quirks or no, we would still ask you to come home with us. As for All for One,” Hizashi shuddered at the name, “that information was yours to tell. Even if Tsukauchi never asked about him, and you didn’t bring it up, we wouldn’t mind. You did what you had to for your own safety.”

Izuku’s lips trembled. While his sobs had calmed down, he was still crying pretty heavily. “R-Really?”

Shouta answered this time. “Really, kid. So, what do you say?”

For a moment, Izuku said nothing. Shouta’s doubts came back full force, but before he could start to worry, Izuku’s head nodded up and down.

“I want that,” he whispered, voice hoarse from crying.

Hizashi beamed and leaned forward to wrap Shouta and Izuku in his arms. Shouta couldn’t help the smile forming on his face, leaning into his touch. They were bringing Izuku home.

Chapter Text

After Izuku calmed down enough, they got ready to finally leave the hospital. Shouta and Hizashi signed the discharge forms. Hizashi brought it to the front desk while Shouta cleaned up and gathered Izuku’s things.

In between days at the hospital, Shouta had practically given the kid his wardrobe. At the moment, Izuku was wearing a grey sweatshirt with a cat on it and black sweatpants. He had socks on, too, but no shoes. When Shouta found him, he wasn’t wearing any, and he didn’t know the kid’s shoe size. It would have to do for now.

Shouta packed up all his things, which really were only the things Hizashi bought for him, and placed them in bags. Hizashi came back with a wheelchair.

“Hey, Listener! Ready to go? You can use this, and I’ll push it for ya.” Izuku nodded and positioned himself at the end of the bed. He was about to get down before Shouta stopped him.

“Whoa, not so fast. You shouldn’t put any pressure on your legs just yet. Here.” Shouta placed an arm around Izuku’s back and under his knees before slowly picking him up. Izuku quickly latched onto him, and Shouta set him in the wheelchair.

“Thanks,” Izuku muttered, and he adjusted himself to sit comfortably. Hizashi made sure they had everything before he started wheeling Izuku out.

“Are you excited to go outside, Little Listener?” Hizashi asked, and Izuku nodded with an excited smile.

“Yes! I c-can’t wait!”

Shouta was sure he was. After days of only accessing the outside from a window, it will be a nice change of scenery.

They arrived on the ground floor, and Hizashi continued wheeling Izuku out of the hospital. Once they made it out the doors, Hizashi went at a slower pace. Shouta figured this was so Izuku could savour the outside.

Izuku looked around in awe as he took in their surroundings. After a moment, the kid closed his eyes and let the breeze wash over him. He looked so peaceful like this. For once, Shouta was a bit regretful that their house didn’t have much of a backyard.

Hizashi and he eventually made it to their car, and they were both reluctant to let this moment end. Shouta just handed Hizashi the bags so he could get the car ready, and he crouched down in front of Izuku.

“Hey, kid. We gotta put you in the car,” Shouta said, placing a hand on Izuku’s knee. The kid blinked his eyes open and glanced down at Shouta, noticeably sad that he wouldn’t be able to stay outside any longer.

“How about this? We can roll the window down for you. You won’t be outside completely, but at least you will be able to feel the wind.” Izuku seemed satisfied with that, so he nodded.

Shouta stood and opened the back car door, picking up Izuku the same way he did earlier and gently set him on the car’s seat. Shouta put his seatbelt on, and he genuinely wondered if the kid should have a booster seat because of how small he was.

He shut the door and went around to the passenger’s side, getting in. Hizashi was already in the driver’s seat by the time Shouta got settled, and the car started. Shouta instructed Hizashi to roll the kid’s window down, and then they were on their way home.

Izuku felt a bit surreal. The wind was blowing on his face and in his hair, and he loved it. He tried to take in all the nature and infrastructure they passed, but it was a little overwhelming. Izuku’s last few years have just been concrete walls and pain. But now, he felt a sliver of hope as his guardians (Pro-heroes were his guardians!!) took him to their house.

Eventually, the car turned into a house driveway. Izuku looked up at it, eyes wide. It wasn’t huge, but definitely bigger than the one he lived in before.

Before Izuku could stare at it for any longer, Yamada opened his door for him. He was smiling.

“Home sweet home, Little Listener! Can I take you inside?” Izuku nodded and held his arms up to him. Yamada clicked the seatbelt off before carefully picking him up out of the car.

Yamada situated Izuku on his hip with Izuku’s arms loosely wrapped around his neck. Izuku thought he was a bit too old to be carried like this, but Yamada didn’t seem to mind.

Aizawa was already at the door, unlocking it and going inside. “Hurry before the cats run outside,” he grumbled. Yamada chuckled and followed him in, kicking the door shut with his leg.

Izuku looked around. It was pretty spacious. To his right, there was a living room with one big couch, a loveseat, a rug, and a coffee table. Across from the couch sat a small TV. Straight ahead was an open kitchen, and to his right a small dining room with a table and four chairs. Next to the dining room was a hallway, but he couldn’t see where it led to.

Aizawa and Yamada had both taken their shoes off as Izuku took in the sight of their home. He also noticed many pictures and decorations, some of which he was sure Yamada put up. It made this place seem more like a home.

Izuku heard a meow, and suddenly, a brown cat ran up to them. It brushed up against Aizawa’s legs before doing the same to Yamada. Izuku watched, thinking the cat was very cute.

“This is Sushi! Would you like to say hi to her?” Yamada asked him, and Izuku nodded. Yamada carefully set Izuku on his feet, then lowered him so he was sitting on his butt. Izuku thanked him and turned his attention to Sushi.

Immediately, Sushi walked up to him and climbed onto his lap. Izuku smiled and held out his hand for her to sniff. Izuku’s never had any pets, so this was new to him. Sushi sniffed his hand briefly before headbutting it, purring when Izuku started petting her.

She was so soft! Izuku could sit here forever.

Izuku was about to say something to Yamada and Aizawa, but something else caught his eye. Another cat, with black, orange, and white coloured fur, sat perched on the couch. It was eyeing him in suspicion, if cats could even make that expression.

“Ah, that’s Bastard. Shou named him, not me. He’s a bit less… cuddly than Sushi. So just be careful around him, ‘kay?” Yamada warned, and Izuku nodded in understanding. Then, Bastard leapt off the couch and walked over to Izuku.

Aizawa stepped forward, ready to move in case Bastard did anything. However, the cat just slowly made his way up to him. Sushi seemed uninterested and left Izuku’s lap, trotting off to the living room.

Bastard sniffed at Izuku for a while longer than Sushi did. In the end, Bastard seemed satisfied with something because he took Sushi’s place in his lap and just sat there like he claimed him.

Izuku tilted his head up to look at the heroes, and their looks of shock were comical enough to make him laugh.

Yamada cracked first, playfully hitting Aizawa’s shoulder. “Told ya, Bastard’s just like you.” Aizawa rolled his eyes, mumbling Whatever. He patted Izuku on the head and walked down the mysterious hallway.

Izuku turned his attention back to Bastard and tentatively started to pet him. The cat didn’t react, so he just continued. Izuku felt himself relax the more he pet Bastard. Yamada crouched down a little away from them.

“Wow, Listener, you accomplished the impossible,” he whispered in exaggerated awe. “It took Shou a longggg time to get close to him. Bastard won’t even let me near him some– okay, well, a lot of the times.” As if on cue, Bastard hissed at Yamada before he began to clean his paws.

Izuku giggled and petted him some more. His legs were starting to hurt a bit from sitting on the hardwood floor, so he shifted and stretched them out. Bastard let out a meow and jumped off his lap, going back to his perch on the couch.

Yamada laughed and stood back up. “Alright, kiddo. Wanna see your room?” Izuku gasped softly, his arms raised instinctively for Yamada to pick him up.

“M-My room?” Izuku questioned, positioning himself the same way he did when Yamada carried him from the car.

“Yup! It’s not quite decorated yet, but we can fix that easily.” Yamada made his way down the hallway, and Izuku got a clearer look at what was down here. It led to a laundry room and another that had a closed door, so he didn’t know what it was.

Yamada didn’t go there, though. He turned to the left and went up a flight of stairs. Pictures were lining the walls here, too, but Izuku couldn’t really make out who was in them. He noticed some of Yamada and Aizawa, and younger versions of them. Well, he assumed it was younger versions of them, since they looked familiar.

At the top was another hallway. Two doors sat on the left, and one on the right. It was set up the opposite of how it was at the base, which put Izuku a little more at ease. The first door on the left was open, and he could see Aizawa rummaging around in a drawer. So, that was probably their room.

“This is Shou and I’s room,” Yamada confirmed, making Aizawa turn around briefly to give them a wave. Yamada stopped right in front of it.

“Our door is always open to you, okay? If you need anything, no matter the time, just come to us,” Yamada said with a smile. Izuku nodded and waved back at Aizawa when Yamada started walking down the hallway.

“This,” Yamada said after walking a few steps to the other door, “is a bathroom. It’ll be solely yours, since Shou and I have a bathroom connected to our room.”

Then, Yamada turned to the lone door on the other side of the hallway, right across from the bathroom and diagonal from the main bedroom. Yamada opened the door with a “Ta-da!” and Izuku’s eyes widened as he looked around it.

It was big; well, a lot bigger than he was used to, so he wasn’t sure if he had the best judgment on that. The bed was across from the door, up against the wall, with a bedside table. There was a big window covered behind a curtain with a desk sitting beneath it, and next to the desk were two bookshelves. There weren’t many books on them, but Izuku could already envision it being full.

There were two closet doors at the back of the room, and on the wall adjacent to the door was a small table with a mirror sitting on top of it. There was a rug at the end of the bed shaped like a yellow flower, and another rectangular blue one beside the bed.

“If you think the rugs will be easier and more comfortable to walk on than the floor, let us know, okay? We can replace it with a full carpet. Also! I know it’s pretty bare, but that’s okay! If you want, we can do some online shopping for anything you like! What do you think?”

Underneath all the enthusiasm, Izuku could sense some nervous energy coming from Yamada. But honestly, the heroes could’ve told him to sleep on the couch, and it would’ve been more than what he deserved. This was all his? He couldn’t believe it.

“I-I love it,” he whispered and hugged Yamada, burying his face into his shoulder to hide his tears.

“Awww, I’m so glad, baby,” Yamada cooed and tightened his hold on him. “Do you want to settle in here? Or come downstairs with me? I’m gonna cook us some lunch. Shou will be there, too.”

“With you,” Izuku muttered with almost no hesitation. He didn’t feel like being alone right now.

“You got it!” Yamada brought him out of the room and made his way downstairs. Aizawa was already in the kitchen making coffee for himself. Yamada set Izuku down on one of the stools in front of the kitchen island. Luckily, it had a backrest, so Izuku didn’t have to hold himself up the whole time. Yamada ruffled Izuku’s hair before taking out ingredients to make lunch.

Once Aizawa had his coffee, he sat on the stool next to Izuku. They didn’t speak, but that was okay. Izuku took a lot of comfort in silence with these two. The only sound was Yamada’s humming as he cooked.

The rest of the day was just as quiet and cozy. After lunch, Yamada sat with Izuku with his laptop and asked him the kind of things he would like in his new room. Izuku insisted that he was okay with how it was now, but Yamada and Aizawa convinced him to get some things.

The fastest way to convince him was the hero merch, of course. Izuku ended up with a couple of new All Might posters and figurines. He got one of Present Mic, too, and that was his own choice. Yamada didn’t even suggest it, and it made the hero emotional. In a good way.

Izuku was bummed that there was no Eraserhead merch, and Yamada got a mischievous glint in his eye that made Aizawa glare at him.

“Don’t worry, Listener. I know a way to get you some Eraserhead merch,” Yamada stage-whispered to him, making Izuku perk up.

“Really?!”

“Yup!” Yamada said, popping the ‘p’.

Aizawa groaned and slumped down on the couch, but he didn’t actually seem upset about it, so Izuku giggled.

The only other thing Izuku asked for was a fluffy blanket, and of course, Yamada obliged.

Now, the three of them were on the couch after finishing dinner. Izuku took another pill for his pain, since his arms and leg were feeling sore again. Aizawa was typing on his laptop, and Yamada was scrolling on his phone. Izuku was in between them, a blanket over his lap.

Bastard was also lazing over Izuku’s lap. He thought this morning was a once-off, but the cat had been following him closely all day. His tail was curling back and forth as Izuku pet him. Sushi was lying behind them all on the back of the couch.

The comforting atmosphere made Izuku doze off a bit. He kept his hand on Bastard, but the cat didn’t seem to mind that he wasn’t petting him anymore. At one point, Izuku had tilted to the side completely, head landing on Aizawa’s shoulder. He was about to apologize and move, but Aizawa simply placed an arm across his shoulders, pulling him in closer.

“If you’re comfortable, go ahead, kid.” Izuku huffed sleepily but didn’t protest, just fell into deep sleep.

Izuku woke up with a gasp, chest heaving and eyes darting around the dark room. Where was he? What’s happening? Izuku blinked his eyes hard a few times, trying to make out the room he was in. Izuku felt tears running down the sides of his face, and he couldn’t bring himself to get up.

Izuku vaguely felt movement on his bed, and then it was gone. His door was slightly ajar, and he swore he saw movement in the space between.

Before he could think about that, the remnants of his nightmare lingered. Izuku shuddered as the sound of Sensei’s voice echoed in his ear, telling him that he would never escape him, he’d always be his.

Izuku whimpered when he tried to move, so he stopped. He glanced up at the lamp that sat on his bedside table, and he was about to try to reach it when he heard footsteps coming down the hallway to the room. Izuku froze, but before he could panic, both Yamada and Aizawa pushed the door open.

Relieved, Izuku remembered that he was in their home, and this was his room. Still baffled by that.

Both heroes sat on his bed, Aizawa closest, and he placed a hand on Izuku’s head. “What happened, kid? Nightmare?”

Izuku nodded, a sob escaping his lips as some of it flashed in his mind again. Aizawa ran his fingers through Izuku’s hair gently, trying to calm him down.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Aizawa asked, and he immediately shook his head. “Okay, okay. Come here.” Aizawa carefully positioned Izuku upright so that he could bring him in for a hug. Izuku wrapped his arms around Aizawa tightly, his breath shaky.

He reached a hand out to Yamada, who didn’t hesitate to hold it. Izuku listened to Aizawa’s heartbeat and calmed his breathing, not crying anymore. Izuku shook Yamada’s hand to get his attention, and when he did, Izuku pulled his hand away before signing something.

‘L-I-G-H-T please.’

Yamada understood, leaning over Aizawa to turn his lamp on. Izuku relaxed, slumping forward against Aizawa when he could see the room more clearly. He felt better, the nightmare fading from his mind now.

Izuku felt a nudge against his arm and looked over to see Bastard sitting there. Izuku huffed and used a free hand to pet his head.

Aizawa hummed, amused. “Bastard came to get us. I think you’ve unlocked some other personality of his, kid.” Izuku smiled and patted Bastard on the head.

They sat like that for a bit longer. Aizawa pulled away slightly so he could look down at Izuku. “Are you feeling better?”

Izuku nodded, and he rubbed his eyes, still exhausted. Now that his mind was free of the post-nightmare fog, he could logically put together what had happened. He must’ve fallen completely asleep earlier, and either Yamada or Aizawa moved him to his room.

“Okay, kid. Do you think you can go back to sleep?” Izuku hesitated this time before nodding. He felt safer, but he didn’t exactly want to be alone. He got used to not being alone at night when Yamada would lie with him at the hospital.

But he wasn’t sure if he should bother them with this. He had his own room now, so he couldn’t sleep in their room all the time. Aizawa, always picking up on Izuku’s moods, of course, noticed something was wrong. Instead of asking him, though, he simply made a suggestion.

“Do you want to sleep in our room tonight?”

Izuku clenched Aizawa’s sleeve, unsure. But Aizawa wouldn’t offer if he didn’t mean it, right?

Izuku was too tired to overthink this. He nodded, signing, ‘Yes.’

Soon enough, Izuku was settled between Aizawa and Yamada in their bed. He was covered in the blanket, and he snuggled up against Aizawa. Yamada lay behind him, and he placed his hand on Izuku’s arm, letting him know that he was there.

Both cats were asleep at the end of the bed. Izuku went to sleep with no issue, and luckily, no nightmare woke him up this time.

Chapter Text

It was early morning when Shouta woke up. The sun was just rising, and Shouta mourned the fact that even when he didn’t have patrol, he couldn’t get himself to sleep in.

He had taken a few days off from patrol so he could be here to help Izuku settle into their home. He hadn’t told his agency that was the reason, but they were more than happy to give him the time off. Shouta didn’t even remember the last time he asked for it.

Right now, Izuku was still lying against his chest, sleeping soundly. His husband was turned the other way, soft snores escaping his mouth. Usually, Hizashi was the early riser, so it was nice to see him sleep peacefully.

Shouta relished in the moment, running his fingers softly through Izuku’s hair, careful not to wake him. He looked down at the end of the bed, and Bastard was already awake, staring at him. Shouta raised a brow, and Bastard stretched before hopping off the bed gracefully.

Shouta rolled his eyes and looked back down at Izuku. He was still fast asleep and probably would be for a while. That was good, since he had a rough night.

He took a few more minutes before deciding to get up. Shouta carefully unwound himself from the kid, handing him a pillow to cuddle instead. Luckily, it worked, and he didn’t wake up. Shouta went to the other side of the bed and leaned down to kiss Hizashi’s head.

Shouta made his way to the bathroom and freshened up. He kept his cat pyjamas on and quietly walked downstairs. Shouta started the coffee maker and went to grab his work bag that sat by the couch.

Sitting down, he took out Izuku’s notebooks. He had gone through them every night he came home from the hospital, and still, he had no idea what was written in them. Shouta had done some heavy research into it, too, and still nothing.

On some pages, though, there were doodles. It vaguely looked like a person in different fighting stances, and Shouta wondered if they were supposed to resemble Izuku. He wondered, not for the first time, if just asking the kid about them was a good idea.

His coffee was done, so he put the notebooks away for now and went to grab it. He made a pot for Hizashi since he knew he’d probably wake up soon.

Shouta sat on the couch, just using the time to relax. Bastard eventually joined him and tolerated Shouta’s pets for a bit until he wanted down. Shouta briefly wondered if the cat was going back to Izuku. He was still surprised at how quickly Bastard warmed up to him. He was also glad, though. He wouldn’t know what to do if the cat hissed at or scratched the kid.

Sometime later, he heard soft footsteps padding down the stairs. Shouta turned, and Hizashi came into view. Hizashi immediately went over to him and leaned down to kiss him. Shouta smiled and stood up to face him properly.

“The kid still asleep?” Shouta asked. Hizashi nodded.

“Mhm. I’ll make breakfast. Should probably check on him soon so he doesn’t wake up alone.”

Just as Hizashi was about to go to the kitchen, Shouta grabbed his arm.

“Do you think I should ask him about his notebooks?”

Hizashi’s eyebrows raised. “Still can’t crack ‘em?”

Shouta sighed and shook his head. “Nope. I swear, it’s complete gibberish.”

“Hmm. Well, I don’t know. If you think it’s the best course of action, go ahead. Just be cognizant of his reactions.”

Shouta nodded and let him go start breakfast. He finished his coffee, then went upstairs to check on the kid.

Izuku was stirring when Shouta entered the room, so he slowly sat on the bed. He was right, Bastard was lying next to the kid. Shouta shook his head in amusement.

“Morning, kid,” he said quietly when Izuku’s eyes opened. Izuku looked up at him, his eyes still thick with sleep.

“Morning…” the kid mumbled, and he rubbed his eyes. Izuku was struggling a bit to sit up, so Shouta helped him.

“‘Zashi’s making food for us. You can take your medication after, okay? It’ll help.” Izuku nodded.

“How’s your pain level? Do you think you could walk to the bathroom?” Shouta let the kid decide what was best for him.

After a moment of the kid probably figuring out his limits, he nodded slowly. “I-I think so… it doesn’t hurt too bad. W-Will you be there…?”

Shouta didn’t hesitate. “Of course. I’ll be with you the whole way, promise. If you need a break, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

Izuku nodded. He took a deep breath before getting off the bed. Shouta held his hands under the kid’s arms to steady him, and when Izuku said so, he let go. The kid was standing fine for now, and he started walking towards the door.

Shouta followed closely behind him, ready to be there if needed. Izuku was taking it slow, but that was to be expected. He made his way to the bathroom door, and Shouta waited outside for him.

It took a while, and Shouta was considering knocking on the door to check on him before the door opened. He was relieved, but he could tell the kid was struggling a lot more now.

“I’m proud of you, kid. You did a lot.” Izuku blushed under the praise but didn’t say anything. Shouta knew he’d have to help the kid with accepting compliments. It felt hypocritical, since Hizashi always told him to accept compliments, but whatever.

Shouta carried the kid down the stairs. Hizashi turned to look at them and smiled widely when he saw Izuku.

“Morning, Listener! Did you sleep well?” Izuku nodded and smiled back at Hizashi. His moods were always infectious.

“Right on! Breakfast will be ready soon!”

Shouta brought Izuku to the couch and sat down next to him. “Kid, do you remember any, uh… notebooks, that were in your cell?” Well, one way to bring up the subject was just to be blunt about it.

He could feel Hizashi’s stare on the back of his head, but he ignored it in favour of watching Izuku’s expression. He looked shocked.

“U-Um… yeah I… I thought they were left behind…” Iuzku tilted his head in confusion, probably wondering why he brought this up and how he knew about them.

“Oh, well… I actually have them with me. Here. Do you want to see them?” Now Izuku looked disbelieving but also excited.

“Y-You have them? Really?” Shouta nodded before taking them out of his bag. He set them on the kid’s lap, and he just lit up.

“Wow! I-I can’t believe you had these!” He started flipping through the pages, eyes roaming over them.

Shouta let him examine the notebooks some more before asking him, “Do you mind telling me what’s in them? You don’t have to if you don’t want to. They are yours, anyway.”

If the kid decided to keep it from him, he wouldn’t be mad, but he would be a little upset. He has been so curious as to what they were, but Shouta valued the kid’s privacy above his own needs. If he guessed correctly, this was probably one of – if not the only – thing that Izuku was able to keep to himself at the base.

Izuku hesitated, hands hovering over the notebooks before he looked up at Shouta.

“Some of them… are my analyses on d-different villains at the base. M-Most though… are about me. My q-quirks. Before I was… um, taken, my favourite thing to do was analyze heroes and their quirks. Kurogiri had old ones at the base and gave them to me. At first I didn’t… want to write in them. I was in too much p-pain to really use them. But… they became my refuge in that place.”

Shouta didn’t interrupt him, but he was a little surprised. Don’t get him wrong, he was glad the kid had something for himself while he was there, but he didn’t expect it to be something like this.

“I wrote them in code because… well, I was scared Kurogiri would take them away and show Sensei. I c-couldn’t let him do that. I wrote many, um, theories about my abilities. If… if Sensei knew my full potential… he would’ve done so much w-worse…” he ended in a whisper, and Shouta grabbed his hand to ground him.

Izuku shook himself out of it and continued. “They probably just thought it was nothing important. So I continued doing it. Kurogiri didn’t care when I kept asking for more notebooks… he was weirdly happy about it.”

Shouta hummed, wondering what Kurogiri’s motives were.

“How’d you come up with that code? It’s impressive.”

Izuku blushed and ducked his head. “Ah… thank you. A-Along with notebooks, Kurogiri would sometimes give me books to read. He- he told me it was because I had to get some form of education. Most of the books were about different languages. I put them together… along with some other symbols I created.”

Shouta just breathed out in astonishment. This kid…

“That’s… wow, I mean…” Shouta was at a loss for words.

He could tell Izuku took it the wrong way when he curled up a little and apologized. “It-it’s weird… I know… I’m sorry.”

Shouta shook his head, “No, no. Not at all, kid. Like I said, it’s impressive. I’m just so… amazed that you could do that in your situation. Don’t apologize.”

Izuku glanced up at him, shocked. Shouta felt angry at everyone who told this kid otherwise, who made him think his passions were “weird”. Shouta wrapped an arm around him, and Izuku relaxed against his side.

“Thank you…,” he whispered, and Shouta smiled. Just then, Hizashi called them over for breakfast.

They were eating, soft conversations going on between Hizashi and Izuku, when Shouta spoke up.

“Hey, kid. Do you think you could tell Hizashi and me about your quirks? No pressure, but it may help you feel better about not losing control. Plus, it can help us help you strengthen your control over your quirks.”

The kid didn’t outright object, so that was good. He looked to be contemplating it.

“O-Okay… but, can we go outside? It’ll be easier… to show you.”

Shouta and Hizashi both confirmed that it was fine. Besides the aerokinetic one he knew about from the lab notes, he wondered if his first quirk also had something to do with nature.

“Of course, Listener! Whatever you’re comfortable with,” Hizashi said kindly. Izuku relaxed at that and continued eating his breakfast.

Like always, Izuku didn’t eat much. Hizashi and he wouldn’t push it, though. They didn’t want the kid to get sick. They would just have to be patient and hope Izuku recovered enough to eat more.

After the two of them finished eating, Aizawa gathered their plates. Izuku was adamant on putting his own plate away, too, wanting to help out since Hizashi made food.

Shouta huffed. “Fine, kid. If you’re gonna do it, at least let me help,” he said and put the plates he had down on the table. He then picked Izuku up and held him on his hip like Hizashi did yesterday. Izuku used on arm to hook around Shouta’s neck to hold onto him, his free one holding his plate and utensils.

Shouta brought them into the kitchen with the plates he managed to grab. He put them in the sink and leaned down slightly so Izuku could put his in, too.

Just when Shouta was about to bring them both back to the dining room to get the remaining dishes, Izuku’s eyes caught onto something on the wall beside the sink. It was their calendar. Shouta wondered for the first time if Izuku even knew what the date was.

As if to confirm his thoughts, Izuku asked, “Um… A-Aizawa? What’s the date today?”

“It’s September 20th.”

“A-And… what’s the, um, year?” This question was asked with a little more hesitation. Shouta froze. He didn’t jump to conclusions, but if this is what he thought it was, Shouta was suddenly realizing just how much he didn’t ask Izuku about how long he thought he’d been with All for One.

Shouta kept his voice neutral when he responded, “2090.”

Now, Izuku was frozen in his arms, and his eyes were losing focus. Shit.

“Kid, hey,” Shouta called out, trying to make eye contact with him. He wasn’t responsive.

“‘Zashi!” he yelled as he left the kitchen. Hizashi immediately came over, noticing Izuku’s state.

“What happened?” Hizashi asked frantically, holding his arms out to hold Izuku.

Shouta ran a hand through his hair. “I messed up, I think. He asked about the date, and then the year. When I told him, he… checked out like this. Shit, ‘Zashi. I don’t think he even knew how long he’s been in there.”

Hizashi looked distressed, and he brought Izuku to the couch. He sat with the kid in his lap, and Shouta sat beside them.

“It’s not your fault, Shou. We never even thought of asking him if he knew. I can’t imagine what he’s feeling right now… How long did he think he was in there?” Hizashi started whispering.

Shouta didn’t have an answer for that. They sat with Izuku, trying to ground him back to the present. In the process, Bastard and Sushi had appeared. Sushi was curious, but kept his distance from Izuku, sitting with Shouta since Hizashi’s lap was taken. Bastard was the complete opposite; he immediately made his way onto Izuku’s lap, staring up at him like he knew what was going on.

Bastard meowed and curled up on Izuku, and to both the heroes’ astonishment, started purring loudly. This cat just keeps surprising them.

Izuku was struggling. He kept falling into flashback after flashback, and he hated it. He wasn’t sure what was real or not anymore.

He was back in his cell, it was cold and dark. Abruptly, his cell door slammed open, making Izuku jump. In the doorway was the Doctor. Izuku tensed, immediately curling into the corner to get as far away from the man as possible.

“Midoriyaaa~” the Doctor said in a sing-song voice, and Izuku felt himself starting to panic. Why was he here? He never came into his cell…

Suddenly, Aizawa’s voice filled his mind.

“What I do is think of anything that seemed off about the nightmare. It could be a person who’s not supposed to be there, or sometimes the place you’re in is not fully developed, so only one part of it is completely visible. If you happen to look into a mirror or something where you can see your reflection, it may look off, maybe blurry. Did you notice anything like that?”

Izuku analyzed the dream with a little more clarity. He wasn’t here, it wasn’t real. Nevertheless, the Doctor still instilled such a deep, debilitating fear in him, it was hard to relax with him here.

He took some deep breaths, telling himself over and over, This isn’t real, this isn’t real, this isn’t real.

Izuku didn’t move from his spot, and he didn’t listen to the Doctor’s voice. It seemed like forever before he felt like opening his eyes. When he did, he was somewhere else. No, he was… in Yamada and Aizawa’s home.

He could feel arms around him and a weight in his lap. Izuku blinked, trying to remember what brought him to this point. He was in the kitchen with Aizawa putting his dishes away, then… the calendar. Right. Izuku asked about the date. He was curious, but… he realized he had no idea what year he was in.

Back at the base, he had no way to tell time. There was no window in his cell to tell when the sun rose and set, and he was always inside, besides the off-chance he was allowed out. He figured that a significant amount of time had passed, yes, but he never had an accurate sense.

Food was never consistent, so it wasn’t like the first meal he always had was breakfast. Training and experiments were erratic; most of the time, it depended on Sensei’s moods. And those were never regulated.

By the way his body grew, Izuku estimated two, or at most three, years had passed. But four years? It wasn’t horribly longer than his guess, but knowing for sure was different.

The two heroes must have noticed he had come back to the present because Yamada’s arms tightened around him slightly, and Aizawa leaned forward from his spot.

“Kid, you back with us?” Aizawa asked him, and Izuku nodded. At the same time, he realized it was Bastard that was in his lap, and he started petting him. Ah, that noise was Bastard purring.

Yamada rubbed Izuku’s arm. “Do you want to tell us what happened?”

Izuku took a moment to collect himself and his thoughts. “Back… there, I never had any sense of time. I h-had guessed, but… I was off. And I just…” Izuku sighed, his body slumping against Yamada.

“It’s hard to… to understand completely how long I was there for…” Izuku trailed off, still petting Bastard absentmindedly.

“That’s understandable. Four years is a long time. And I’m so sorry that you had to endure that for so long,” Aizawa said, placing his hand over Izuku’s free one.

Izuku sniffled and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He just wanted to move on, but something as small as the date was setting him off. He was frustrated.

Aizawa squeezed his hand. “I know that look on your face, kid. Don’t be mad at yourself for this. You went through horrific things, and healing won’t be linear. But Hizashi and I will be here for you to get you through it.”

That did make Izuku feel better, but he still felt lingering bitterness at himself.

Aizawa took his hand away and stood up. “I’ll go get your pain meds for you,” he said and ruffled Izuku’s hair gently before leaving.

Yamada kept his hold on Izuku, which he felt was very comforting. Izuku would think that after four years of non-consensual and harsh touches that always brought pain, he would have more of an aversion to it. However, Yamada and Aizawa have only been kind to him, and at this point, Izuku craved it.

Aizawa came back with the medication, and Izuku took it with the glass of water he also brought over. He found that he did genuinely want to show Yamada and Aizawa his quirks, but he wanted to just relax for now.

He was sure the heroes also picked up on that, so they stayed in the living room for a while.

“Do you want to watch something, Little Listener?” Yamada asked him, and Izuku thought about it.

“Can we p-put on an All Might documentary?” he asked hesitantly. Izuku did tell Aizawa that All Might was his favourite, and there was no negative reaction. Back at the base, though, there was such hatred for heroes and especially All Might that any mention of him from Izuku got him in trouble. He learned very quickly to never bring up the number one hero.

“Of course! I’m sure I could find one easily,” Yamada reassured, and Izuku relaxed. Okay, he wasn’t a taboo topic.

They spent the next hour or so watching a documentary, and Izuku will never get over his excitement and fanboying of the hero. He was just so cool! This was the perfect thing to put on; he felt a lot better already.

Even Aizawa was paying attention to the documentary. Izuku wasn’t sure if the hero was a fan of All Might. He would say probably not, just because of how much Aizawa values the underground scene.

So this was interesting to him. Yamada seemed to notice, too, and teased the hero about being “soft”, whatever that was supposed to mean.

When it was over, Izuku felt a little more energized. All Might was just so inspiring! He sat up in Yamada’s hold, startling Bastard and making him jump off.

“Can I still… show you my q-quirks?”

“Of course, baby! If you’re up to it, we can go outside,” Yamada said and lifted Izuku from the underarms into a standing position. Aizawa stood up next to him, holding his hand. Yamada stood on the other side, also holding his hand.

“Will you be okay to walk? How’s your leg?” Aizawa asked him.

Izuku cautiously tested his leg by putting slight pressure on it. He didn’t feel overwhelming pain, so he thought it was probably fine.

“Yeah! Let’s go!” Izuku didn’t think he’d be so excited to do this. The only time he’s used his quirks was for training strictly controlled by Sensei. Ever since the suppression cuff had come off, he felt weird. He couldn’t remember the last time he had it off for so long.

His quirks were very loud inside of him, but after a few days, they had subsided and just… existed. It was a strange sensation. Even when he developed his first quirk, he had to get used to it. In the first few days of getting his second one, he felt constantly exhausted, like both of the quirks were fighting for his energy.

It wasn’t quite like that now, though he did find himself getting bouts of exhaustion sometimes.

The three of them made it outside in their backyard without an issue. Izuku wasn’t sure if it was because of his quirks, but every time he was outside, in nature, he just felt rejuvenated.

“How would you like to show us, kid?” Aizawa asked him. Izuku hummed and looked around their backyard. It wasn’t too big, so he wouldn’t do much.

“Uh, just stand here,” Izuku said and let go of both of their hands. He steadied himself and took a few steps back. He could stand by himself for now, so this would be fine.

When Izuku reached out to his quirks, it was like a rush of adrenaline hit him. He tried not to get them mixed up; he didn’t have much practice using one separate from the other yet.

Izuku focused on the ground around them. He pulled up with his hands, and parts of the earth jutted up around him. Looking at Yamada and Aizawa’s shocked expressions, he pushed them back down, and the earth went back to how it was.

Izuku was a bit nervous, he had never shown anyone else what he could do. That was just part of it, but he wasn’t sure what else he’d be allowed to show.

“Um… the o-other one is new, so… I-I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to control it,” Izuku warned, and Aizawa nodded at him. He’d be ready to erase his quirk if it was needed.

Izuku took a deep breath and let his eyes flutter closed as he felt the wind around him. He had to admit, this was somewhat easier to handle back at the base because of the lack of wind currents in the training room.

He took hold of the current, opening his eyes and creating a mini-tornado. He then shaped it into a sphere that hovered in his hands. So far, so good.

Yamada and Aizawa watched him in awe, and Izuku couldn’t lie, it felt nice. The villains always had malicious interest in his quirks, especially Sensei, who exploited them with every chance he got.

Izuku tried to make the air sphere go away, but it only got bigger. His eyes widened, and he quickly looked to Aizawa, who didn’t hesitate to erase his quirk. The man’s quirk would never not amaze him, and to have it used on himself was jarring but cool.

Izuku released a breath when his quirk was cut off. “Thanks,” Izuku mumbled, and the heroes steadied him when they noticed how much he was slumping over.

“Those are some quirks you got there, kid. Have you ever had the chance to use them outside?” Aizawa asked him, simultaneously picking him up so he didn’t have to stand uncomfortably.

Izuku shook his head and latched onto him. “No… only inside. Sensei would sometimes turn the training room into different environments, but… it was artificial. Being out here… It’s more power than I’ve ever felt.”

Yamada placed a hand on his back. “Well, looks like we have to go outside more often, then! It helps you feel better beyond just your quirks, yeah?”

Izuku was surprised that he noticed. He guessed it wasn’t that hard, seeing how much more tranquil he felt when he was out here.

“Mhm. I feel… more, when I’m out here. With my first quirk… It’s like I can feel the earth moving and the vibrations underneath the surface. It’s a weird sensation…”

“Hmm, I bet, Little Listener. If you’re up to it, Shou and I can look into getting you proper training–” Izuku flinched at the word choice. He knew that was not what Yamada meant, but… he couldn’t help but feel his body lock up at the suggestion.

Yamada noticed and immediately looked regretful. “Ah, sorry, kiddo. I should’ve chosen a better way to say it. It’s nothing like that. At this stage, we’d probably only work on your control. See how much you can do without experiencing quirk exhaustion. Only if you want to, though. We most likely can’t do too much right now, anyway, with your physical therapy.”

Izuku laid his head on Aizawa’s shoulder, thinking about it. It did feel… good to use them just now. To not have to be pushed until he passed out. To just freely use his quirks with no reprimand or punishment. With professional heroes like Aizawa and Yamada helping him, he may just want to do it.

“O-Okay… I want to,” Izuku said, feeling more determined. Aizawa ruffled his hair with a small smile.

“You’re very brave, kid. For now, we’ll work on strengthening your arm and hand muscles. You probably have to use your hands a lot for your quirks, right?” Aizawa asked him, and Izuku nodded in confirmation.

“So we’ll need to work on that. That’ll be the first step in mastering control.”

Izuku could feel tears building up. Gah, why did he cry so much?! He didn’t think he’d ever get used to their kindness. He was never given these choices, so he thoroughly appreciated it.

“T-Thank you,” he said in a shaky voice.

“Aww, no problem, Listener! We are here to help you!” Yamada said kindly, rubbing his back. Aizawa just tightened his hold on him, whispering reassuring words in his ear.

Izuku cried it out, and they brought him inside again.

Throughout the day, they took it slow. His physical therapy still left him sore, but he could feel a stark difference. He didn’t feel as nauseous when eating, so that was good, but he could still only eat small portions.

Aizawa suggested that he have healthy snacks as the day went on in between meals. This would make up for the small amount he would eat, and he wouldn’t feel overly hungry by the time lunch and dinner were made. Izuku liked the idea, but it would be a lot to adjust to.

When night approached, Izuku felt nervous. He didn’t want last night to happen again.

Aizawa carried him to his room, Yamada and Bastard close behind. Izuku guessed that Bastard sleeping in his room would become a normal occurrence. When he was set down on his bed, Aizawa patted him on the head.

“Do you want to leave the lamp on? It may help. Hizashi and I can get you a nightlight for future nights,” Aizawa suggested. It did sound better than sleeping in a completely dark room, so he nodded.

Bastard hopped onto the bed and made himself comfortable in the space next to Izuku. Maybe Bastard would help with his lonely feelings at night.

“Shou and I will also just be right across the hall, okay? We know the past few weeks have been a big change, so don’t hesitate to come get us,” Yamada encouraged. Regardless of being told this, Izuku still felt bad for interrupting their sleep if he were to do that.

Izuku compromised with himself: he would try to sleep alone, but if he undoubtedly couldn’t handle it to the point of panic, he would get the heroes.

“Okay,” Izuku confirmed, and both of them said goodnight to him before leaving. Aizawa was about to shut the door, but Izuku called out.

“W-Wait!” Aizawa stopped and turned to face Izuku.

“Can you… um, leave the door open a little? Please?” It reminded him too much of the cell when the door would constantly be closed. This door wouldn’t be locked, but it would make him feel a lot better.

Aizawa nodded and left the door slightly open. “Of course. Goodnight, kid. Sleep well.” Iuzku said goodnight and got comfortable in his bed.

Izuku was lying on his side so that he was facing Bastard, who already seemed to be sleeping. Izuku pet him softly so that he wouldn’t be disturbed.

After a bit, he could feel his limbs relax and sag into the mattress. He kept his hand on Bastard and slipped into sleep.

Chapter Text

It had been a couple of weeks since Izuku had shown Shouta and Hizashi his quirks. The kid hasn’t used them since because he focused more on his physical therapy. Progress was going very well, the kid was able to walk short distances without getting tired.

His grip was getting stronger. Izuku could write or colour longer than he used to, but there was still a long way to go. His hands would shake, and his arms would get sore or hurt easily. If he needed significant arm and hand mobility for his quirks, he would have to get a lot stronger.

The second night went a lot smoother than the first. The kid hadn’t come to their room or woke up panicking from nightmares. They got him a nightlight, and he seemed to be a lot more comfortable sleeping alone. Well, alone with Bastard.

Along with the nightlight, his hero posters, figures, and blanket also came in. Hizashi and Izuku hung up the posters, and Izuku chose to place the Present Mic figurine on his bedside table. Hizashi tried to hide it, but Shouta caught him wiping away happy tears when the kid wasn’t looking.

The other All Might figurines were placed on his desk and bookshelves.

Oh, yeah, and that “Eraserhead merch” that Hizashi promised him? It was a blanket with him on it, striking a fighting pose. Izuku was ecstatic. Shouta less so, but seeing the kid so happy made him happy, so he didn’t comment.

There was only one night when Izuku woke up screaming, thinking he was back at the lab. The scream had triggered Shouta’s instincts, and he had to keep himself from running to the kid’s room to wake up Hizashi first. He takes out his hearing aids every night, so he didn’t hear it.

It took them almost all night to get the kid to calm down and go to sleep. There hadn’t been any episodes like that since then, but Shouta couldn’t lie and say he slept soundly after that night.

Now, they were running into an issue. Izuku’s wardrobe. It was basically Shouta’s whole closet, and while the kid looked absolutely adorable in his baggy clothes, it wasn’t practical. He needed clothes that would fit him and not swallow him.

For shoes, Hizashi chose a pair of green slides for the kid to be comfortable walking around the house. It wasn’t the best option for the outside, but it was all he had for now.

Hizashi, of course, suggested a shopping day. Shouta thought that was a terrible idea.

Not only was Izuku not used to crowds of people, but he couldn’t walk for that long. Shouta asked why they couldn’t just do online shopping, and Hizashi argued that Izuku should be able to physically feel the texture and fabric and know the exact size of the clothes he wanted.

They concluded that they would ask the kid what he wanted to do. Izuku seemed hesitant, but ultimately decided he wanted to go shopping. Underneath the hesitancy, Shouta could see the kid’s excitement to go out. Of course, he couldn’t say no to that, so he would just have to keep an eye on the kid’s well-being.

If Izuku did start getting exhausted or his legs ached, Shouta would take out the wheelchair they had kept from the hospital. They left it folded in the back of their car. They didn’t have to bring it inside yet, but there was a lot more walking involved at a shopping mall.

For the outing, Shouta gave the kid something to wear that didn’t completely drown him. It was the same black sweater he gave the kid initially, along with black sweatpants that had to be rolled up a couple of times so they didn’t go past his feet. Still baggy, but not terribly so.

Izuku put on his shoes and waited patiently for the heroes to finish getting ready. Well, for Hizashi to finish. Shouta had just thrown on an all-black outfit and his capture weapon around his neck. He was fine, but Hizashi loved to take his time dressing up, no matter the occasion.

Ten minutes later, Hizashi waltzed through the hallway towards them.

“Are you guys ready?!” he exclaimed enthusiastically, luckily without his quirk activating.

“We were ready twenty minutes ago,” Shouta grumbled, but stood, helping Izuku up as well.

Hizashi waved him off. “It takes time to look this good,” he huffed and crouched in front of Izuku with a smile.

“Listener! I hope you’re excited! Just remember to tell Shou and me if you need a break, alright? We’ll shop at your pace!” Hizashi reminded him, and the kid nodded in confirmation.

Hizashi sprang back up with energy Shouta wished he could muster. “Let’s go!” Hizashi quickly slipped his shoes on and, after making sure the cats weren’t around to dart out of the house, he opened the door and ushered them outside.

Shouta had a hand on Izuku’s back to help him forward until they got to the car. After Izuku was in and buckled, Shouta walked around to the passenger’s side and got in.

Hizashi started the car and they were off.

Izuku still watched the outside whirl by in fascination. The window stayed up this time, though, because it was getting cooler around this time of year. The leaves were turning all shades of reds and browns.

Shouta distantly wondered about the upcoming winter. While it didn’t get crazy cold, he was still worried about how Izuku’s body would react to it. He would have to keep an eye on it once the time came.

The mall was busy, but that was normal. If it were overcrowded, he probably would’ve told Hizashi to turn right back around.

Hizashi found a parking spot relatively close to the mall entrance. Hizashi turned the car off and went around to help Izuku out.

“You ready?” he asked, and Izuku nodded eagerly. Hizashi held the kid’s hand and led him forward. Shouta followed beside Izuku, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.

“So, Listener, any idea on what you want to look for?” Hizashi asked curiously, looking down at him when they made it inside.

“Um… I dunno. I like what A-Aizawa gives me,” Izuku muttered, burying his face into the collar of his sweatshirt as if to accentuate the point.

Since it was getting colder, it was a good idea to get warmer clothes.

“We can find something like that for ya! C’mon.” Hizashi steered them a different way. Shouta marvelled at the fact that Hizashi knew the layout of the mall by memory.

They ended up in a kids’ clothing store that had an abundance of clothes for the fall and upcoming winter season. Sweaters, sweatpants, jackets, long socks, hats, mittens, etc. This was perfect.

“You look for anything that interests you, ‘kay? You can try it on, or, if you don’t want to, we can eyeball it. Worst comes to worst, we come back to return it some other day,” Hizashi explained as Izuku looked around in wonder.

Izuku faced them tentatively. “A-Anything?"

Both the heroes nodded. “Anything, kid. If you like it, grab it,” Shouta reassured him. Izuku still looked uncertain, but he nodded anyway and went to start looking.

Hizashi had let go of his hand to let him wander. They both stayed a fair distance away so they could keep an eye on him but also give him his space to browse.

Izuku checked out the section of sweatshirts that had printed graphics on them. In true Shouta fashion, Izuku reached for the sweatshirt with cats on it first.

“You’re rubbing off on him,” Hizashi whispered to him, tone teasing. Shouta scoffed and hid a smile in his capture weapon.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing. Kid’s clearly got taste.”

Izuku grabbed a couple more that had different designs on them, then sauntered off to another section. Looking at pants now, Izuku picked out solid colours. One black and one green.

Shouta thought he was being very minimal, but he wanted to let the kid pick out everything first before pushing him to get more.

One thing was for sure, though: he would need a winter coat.

Izuku came up to them nervously with the small pile he had accumulated. “I-Is this… good?”

Hizashi grabbed the pile and placed a hand on the kid’s head. “Of course, Listener! But you totally need more than this!”

Izuku looked like he couldn’t believe it. “More?”

“More!” Hizashi parroted and motioned for Izuku to follow him. He did, Shouta close behind.

“Here. Pick out a few t-shirts as well. It is getting cold, but for just loungin’ around the house, it couldn’t hurt!”

Izuku seemed skeptical but started looking through them anyway. Again, he only chose a couple of black shirts. Hizashi, when the kid wasn’t looking, added to the pile. He chose a variety of shirts in different colours and styles.

When Izuku eventually noticed, he became flustered. “Th-This is too much! Really… I-I’m fine with what I have…” Izuku said, clenching his sweater in between his fists.

Shouta crouched in front of him and laid a hand over Izuku’s. “Kid, I promise it’s not enough. We are essentially starting from scratch to give you a full closet’s worth of clothes that will last you. Have you seen Hizashi’s wardrobe? I mean, c’mon, if anything, he’s the one that needs less clothes,” he joked, earning a small smile from Izuku and an outraged squawk from Hizashi.

“If it’s really okay…” Izuku trailed off, still unsure.

“We promise, it is. If you truly ever went overboard, which I highly doubt will happen, Hizashi and I will let you know. Okay?”

“Okay! Th-Then… Can I get these?” Izuku asked while pointing to a pair of cat-printed socks that looked suspiciously a lot like Sushi.

Shouta huffed a laugh and grabbed them. “Of course.”

While they had that conversation, Hizashi had grabbed a basket and filled it with more clothes. How he even did that much in that amount of time, Shouta will never know.

“Alright, Listener! Let’s go through these together, yeah?”

Izuku only rejected one shirt out of the whole pile, and it was because the texture on the inside felt scratchy. Other than that, they were pretty much halfway there to a decent amount of clothing.

The only thing Shouta picked out for the kid in that store was a puffy black jacket that had a fluffy inside. The kid approved immediately, and it was added to the pile.

They went to a couple of more stores after that one. Izuku picked out a bunch of graphic tees, some of which had Shouta questioning his earlier statement that the kid had good taste. But whatever, these weren’t his clothes.

The issue they ran into was the shoes. Izuku was born quirkless, so he had an extra toe joint. This unfortunately meant that he had a limited option for closed-toed footwear.

The most common brand that some stores carried was the obnoxiously bright red sneakers. Other than that, there wasn’t much choice. Shouta didn’t want to settle for making the kid wear shoes that would make him uncomfortable, so he had an idea.

“I could probably ask Power Loader for some shoe designs. He could make it an assignment for his class, or something.”

Before Hizashi could respond, Izuku lit up. “P-Power Loader?! He’s so cool! His costume designs a-are the best!”

Shouta was impressed. Not many people knew Power Loader or his costume designs.

“Yeah! You’ll have the coolest shoes ever, Izu!” Hizashi exclaimed, smiling brightly.

Izuku blushed at the nickname but was still vibrating in excitement. Shouta knew exactly where to take the kid next.

He shared a glance with Hizashi. Even though no words were spoken, he was sure his husband understood what Shouta was thinking.

They brought the kid to a hero merch store. Izuku looked like he was about to explode or pass out from exhilaration. Maybe both. Izuku tugged Hizashi inside, and Shouta had to laugh.

If bringing Izuku here would’ve taken him out of his shell a bit more, Shouta would suffer a thousand more shopping trips.

Izuku was truly in heaven right now. This store was huge! It had something of almost every hero Izuku recognized in here. From keychains to clothing, this store had a lot to offer. Izuku could spend hours here alone.

Yamada was still holding Izuku’s hand when he dragged him in. He felt kind of bad, but with Izuku’s lack of strength, he figured Yamada let himself be dragged in.

Aizawa was following them, and Yamada suddenly stopped and turned to him. “Shou, do you mind shopping with the kid for a sec? I need to go… to the bathroom!”

Clearly, Aizawa didn’t buy it, and neither did Izuku. Before either of them could question him, though, Yamada was already sprinting off.

Izuku looked at Aizawa, bewildered. He just sighed.

“Don’t look at me, kid. Hizashi does as he pleases,” Aizawa deadpanned. Izuku giggled and latched onto Aizawa’s hand instead.

“Can we l-look around?” Izuku asked, suddenly nervous. Aizawa didn’t seem to enjoy crowds too much, and it was a bit more packed in here than in other stores. But Aizawa just nodded.

“Wherever you like, kid. Go crazy.”

Well, Izuku didn’t have to be told twice.

Izuku led Aizawa around the store, gazing in wonder at different merchandise items. He knew that the heroes insisted he choose things for himself, but hero merch was more expensive than regular clothes and items. He didn’t want to overstep.

At the sight of a “Put Your Hands Up Radio” shirt, though, Izuku couldn’t resist. He grabbed it. Aizawa seemed amused.

“You’ll give ‘Zashi a heart attack. In a good way.” Izuku wasn’t sure how someone could have a heart attack in a “good way”, but he didn’t question it.

When they got to the aisle full of hero figurines and action figures, Izuku knew he’d be here a while. He browsed the different heroes, Aizawa occasionally pointing them out and asking if Izuku knew them.

The answer was pretty much always a yes.

After a bit of looking, Yamada still wasn’t back, so they hung around the store. When Izuku was looking at different pins and keychains, Aizawa’s phone started buzzing.

Aizawa’s brows furrowed, and when he looked at the caller ID, he sighed. “Just one sec, Izuku. Don’t go anywhere.” After Izuku confirmed he’d stay put, Aizawa took just a few steps away. Far enough to keep his conversation private, but close enough to keep an eye on him.

Izuku continued browsing. He had one Kamui Woods keychain, and he saw a really cool All Might pin he wanted to look at, but it was unfortunately just out of reach. Even on his tippy-toes.

A hand came up from behind him and grabbed the pin he was aiming for. Izuku jerked back, startled, and the action caused a sharp pain in his left leg. Holding back a flinch, he looked up to see a woman with dark red hair and square-framed glasses.

“Here, sweetie! Is this what you were looking for?” she asked him, and Izuku hesitantly nodded. The woman handed him the pin, and Izuku’s fingers shook as he grabbed it.

“T-Thanks,” he whispered, and the woman gave him a bright smile. It wasn’t the same as Yamada’s, though. Hers felt weird.

“No problem! You a big fan of All Might?” she asked, hands on her knees as she leaned down to talk to him in that condescending way adults usually did to kids.

It reminded him way too much of the Doctor.

Izuku didn’t like this interaction anymore. He looked over his shoulder to see Aizawa still on the phone, back slightly turned to him. Of course, the one time the hero wasn’t overly aware of his surroundings.

Izuku looked back at the woman who was still expecting an answer. Not sure how to politely leave, he nodded.

“Um… Y-Yes,” he muttered, hands twitching and leg aching.

“What kid doesn’t these days! I swear, my son just raves on and on about All Might. He always talks about his fights…”

The woman rambled on, but Izuku wasn’t listening. He felt like he was watching this conversation from outside of his body.

Then, suddenly, the woman touched his hair. Izuku was slammed back into awareness, his entire body locked up.

“What a cutie you are! Do you want to meet my son? I feel like you two would have so much in common! Where’re your parents? We could set up a playdate!”

She wasn’t letting go of his hair. It was similar to how Yamada and Aizawa played with it, but the sensation was all wrong. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t tell her to take her hand off of him.

Then, a voice behind him, deadly calm, “Get your hand off my kid.” Aizawa was finally done with that phone call. And furious. Luckily, it was not directed at him.

The hand was finally gone, and Izuku slumped in relief. So much in fact, that he almost fell over. Aizawa immediately picked him up, and Izuku hid his face in the man’s shoulder.

This person either had no self-awareness or no self-preservation, because she talked as if nothing was wrong.

“Oh! You must be his dad! I was just talking to him about how much my son also loves All Might and that they’d probably be great friends-”

“Not interested.”

And that was that.

Ignoring the woman’s offended scoff, Aizawa turned on his heel and promptly made his way to the register. He paid for the shirt and the keychain and asked Izuku if he still wanted to pin.

While he loved All Might, he shook his head. It had a stained experience attached to it now.

Aizawa didn’t question it and placed the pin on the counter for the employee to put back. He thanked them, then walked out of the store.

Yamada was still gone, so Aizawa sat on a bench outside the store and rubbed Izuku’s back in comfort. Izuku’s hands were tightly holding onto Aizawa’s shirt, trembling slightly.

“Are you alright, Izuku?” Aizawa asked him quietly, and Izuku didn’t know how to answer that. While he was glad to be out of the situation, he couldn’t get the feeling of her touch off of him.

When he didn’t answer right away, Aizawa spoke again. “I’m sorry for not paying attention, kid. That never should’ve happened.” Izuku could hear the frustration aimed at himself.

“N-Not your fault. I didn’t… stop her,” Izuku murmured, playing the conversation over and over in his mind.

Aizawa’s throat made a sound, and in a gruff voice, he said, “No, she never should’ve touched you in the first place. That’s not on you.”

Izuku turned his head so he was looking up at Aizawa. “Then it’s not your fault, either,” Izuku said, trying to be firm in his words, but it probably didn’t come out that way.

Regardless, it did the trick, as Aizawa seemed more relaxed. His features softened, and he sighed. “Ah, fine. You make a good argument,” Aizawa said with a small smile.

Izuku mirrored it and sat up in his hold. He felt a little better now, even if the conversation was lingering back in his head.

Before they could say anything else, Yamada appeared. “Sorry that took so long! Here!” he said, pushing a shopping bag into Aizawa’s arms.

Izuku curiously peeked inside. They looked like pyjamas. He grabbed one, taking it out of the bag. They were very soft and had different kinds of cats printed all over them. Looking through the bag, it looked like there were three sets of them.

“‘Zashi… you didn’t,” Aizawa said, his voice sounding infinitely tired.

“I did!” was all Yamada responded with, and Izuku giggled. Izuku put the pyjamas back in the bag.

“W-We can all… match!” Izuku smiled, his bad mood from earlier melting away.

“Yeah, Shou! C’mon, you secretly love it,” Yamada placed his hands on his hips, an eyebrow raised in what Izuku thought was a smug expression.

Aizawa didn’t confirm or deny, just grunted and placed the bag with the rest. Yamada smirked and saw the shopping bag from the hero merch store.

“What’d ya get, Little Listener?” Yamada questioned, sitting on the bench next to them. Izuku faltered slightly, his mind immediately going to his earlier interaction.

Yamada noticed, though. His lips downturned in a frown when he noticed the abrupt, tense atmosphere. “What happened?”

Before Izuku could say anything, though, Aizawa waved a hand dismissively, saying, “Later.” Izuku was grateful for it because he didn’t think he could handle explaining it.

Yamada looked upset, but he didn’t push it. Izuku instead took out the “Put Your Hands Up Radio” shirt, and it was like Yamada’s demeanour never changed.

He was glowing with that smile he radiated. “Awww, Listener!” He placed a hand over his chest, tears welling up in his eyes.

Although Yamada had given him a Present Mic keychain the first day they met, he always had this reaction whenever Izuku picked something out resembling the hero.

Izuku smiled and showed him the Kamui Woods keychain he also got. Yamada and he chatted a bit about Kamui Woods, his mood slowly becoming better.

Aizawa stayed a steady presence as he continued to hold him in his lap. When there was a lull in conversation, Aizawa spoke up.

“Do you want to eat here? Or at home?”

They both waited for his response. Izuku laid his head on Aizawa’s chest, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him.

“H-Home,” Izuku whispered. The heroes didn’t waste any time; Yamada held all the bags while Aizawa held Izuku, taking him to the car.

It was nighttime, just after Shouta and Hizashi put the kid down to sleep. It was easy, since the day tired him out. Hizashi and he were now sitting on the couch, TV on but volume low, Sushi sleeping on Hizashi’s lap.

“What happened earlier?” Hizashi asked him, voice quiet.

Shouta sighed, feeling his anger spike as he thought about it. “Tsukauchi called me. I stepped away, kid still in my sight, but I looked away for just a few moments. This lady…” Shouta paused, regaining composure before he accidentally started to raise his voice.

“She was standing too close to the kid, talking about something, but she was touching him. Her hand was in his hair, and all I could see was how Izuku was shaking. He was favouring his right side, so I knew his leg was bothering him, too. I told her to get her hands off him, and she did, but she continued speaking like nothing was wrong. Something about her kid and All Might. I had to leave before I made a scene.”

Hizashi looked gradually more upset and angry as the story developed. His fists were clenched, brows furrowed.

“God, what is wrong with people?!” he whispered-shouted. “Poor Izu.”

Shouta ran a hand through his hair, still feeling guilty about not being aware of the situation instantly. Hizashi bumped their shoulders together and pulled his hand away from where Shouta was unknowingly gripping his hair.

“Don’t do that. It’s not your fault, Shou-”

Shouta interrupted him. “What if it’s not just a stranger talking to him, touching his hair, next time? What if he was taken? I wouldn’t have noticed until it was too late.”

Hizashi tsked and placed his hands on either side of his face, forcing Shouta to look at him.

“You of all people should know how dangerous it is to think about the what-ifs. He’s fine, he’s safe. He’s with us, in his room, fast asleep. Okay? Don’t go down that path,” Hizashi said, firm but not unkind.

Shouta just sighed, tension bleeding from his shoulders as he leaned into Hizashi’s touch. He nodded, but otherwise didn’t say anything.

Knowing that was probably the best he’d get from him, Hizashi changed the subject. “What did Tsukauchi call about?” His hands left Shouta’s face and instead wrapped around his shoulders.

Shouta scowled as he thought about the call he had with Tsukauchi. “They found and arrested Hisashi Midoriya. He was apparently outside last night, rampaging about his ‘son’, according to witnesses. Now, though, he won’t speak a word to any of the officers or Tsukauchi.”

Hizashi tensed at the mention of Izuku’s father. They sat in silence for a moment, then Hizashi spoke, “Are you going to talk to him?”

“Mm. I was thinking about it. Tsukauchi said he might recognize me and finally open up. What do you think?”

Hizashi shrugged. “I think it might work. But you have to make sure you don’t accidentally say anything about Izuku’s whereabouts, in case he somehow gets it back to All for One.”

Shouta nodded. “I know. I won’t say anything about him. I’ll go tomorrow morning, is that fine? You can tell the kid I’m on hero business. Which is technically true, but you know.”

“Yup! The Little Listener and I will hang out,” he said, thrilled, and probably already coming up with ideas for the two of them to do.

Shouta smiled and leaned into his husband’s side, not exactly excited for tomorrow, but cherishing the current moment despite it.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He dreamed that the Doctor was the one touching him in that store, not the red-haired woman. He figured it was inevitable since their mannerisms were too alike.

Instead of panicking more, his eyes found the Present Mic figure on his bedside table, and with the faint glow of the nightlight, he felt himself relaxing. Izuku took deep breaths, trying to reassure himself that he was safe.

Even though he was having trouble comforting himself after nightmares or panic attacks, he didn’t have the luxury of Aizawa or Yamada being there for him in the base. Whenever he woke up scared, he would have to ride it out alone. If he ever had a panic attack in front of a villain – especially Sensei – they would punish him even worse.

Well… all except Kurogiri and Dabi, now that he thought about it. Kurogiri was the one tasked with looking after him whenever he wasn’t with the Doctor or Sensei. He was never harsh, and he never punished him when he was having a panic attack. Kurogiri wasn’t exactly helpful, but… he would be there.

Dabi, on the other hand, was interesting. He was scary, but he never actually hurt Izuku. There were rare times when Izuku would see Dabi in his cell. They didn’t really speak to each other, and Dabi had a weird look in his eye whenever he came across Izuku. Not quite guilt, but not malice, either.

Thinking about the two, surprisingly, didn’t push him into panic, as thinking about the base usually did. He just rolled onto his other side to face Bastard, who was awake and watching him. Izuku hummed softly and began petting the cat, which resulted in loud purring.

“I don’t get Aizawa or Y-Yamada’s warnings about you… You’re just a cutie,” Izuku murmured, eyelids heavy. What even was a ‘bastard’ anyway?

That was the last thought he had before drifting back to sleep.

The sunrays woke him up this time. He felt peace for the first time in a while, and he just continued lying there. Bastard was now curled up against his chest. Izuku was wearing one of his new clothes, and while he enjoyed Aizawa’s sweaters, this was also comfortable.

At night, he still got cold, regardless of being covered in blankets, so he would wear a sweatshirt to sleep and pants. He never got overheated, and it was comfortable, so he continued doing it.

He stayed there for a few more minutes before a soft knock at his door sounded. Izuku shifted so he could look at the door over his shoulder without disturbing Bastard.

The door was pushed open more, since Izuku still kept it slightly ajar at night. Yamada appeared in the doorway with a small smile.

“Good morning, Listener. I’m about to start breakfast. Do you wanna join?”

Usually, every morning now, Yamada would ask Izuku to accompany him while he made breakfast. He would only cook alone if Izuku were still sound asleep.

Izuku hummed an affirmative and started to sit up. He winced slightly at his straining muscles, but he sat up on his own. Bastard meowed offendedly, jumping off the bed and walking out with his tail up. He brushed past Yamada, who jumped out of the way, looking terrified.

He couldn’t help but giggle at the sight. When Yamada faced him with an exaggerated shiver, Izuku signed, ‘Scary?’

Yamada huffed, unfazed by Izuku’s choice not to speak this morning. “Very! You should’ve seen him when we first got him, Listener. You wouldn’t believe he’s the same cat as he is with you!”

Izuku thought his question from last night was relevant to ask now. ‘What is a B-A-S-T-A-R-D?’ Not knowing the sign for the cat’s name, he just spelled it out.

Yamada coughed into his fist, looking sheepish all of a sudden. “Ahh… Bastard is like… a rude or unpleasant person. Shouta named him that because he would always hiss or scratch us whenever we got close, and he was generally mean. Over time, though, he got more comfortable in the house.”

Izuku had a hard time reconciling that Bastard with the Bastard that slept in his room every night, that would always cuddle with him, and purr whenever he petted him.

“Oh! And don’t… use that word anywhere else. It’s technically a bad word,” Yamada added on. Izuku tilted his head, confused as to why Shouta would name a cat a bad word.

As if sensing Izuku’s question, Yamada said, “Shouta is horrible with names. Not a lot of thought went into that one.” Izuku nodded, as if that made sense.

‘Breakfast?’ Izuku signed, and Yamada straightened up. “Let’s go!” he beamed, and helped Izuku out of bed and down the stairs. Going down and up the stairs hurt a lot more than walking normally, but Aizawa and Yamada were helping him take it slow.

Once they made it downstairs, Yamada set him on the counter next to where he would be cooking. Izuku didn’t actually do any of the cooking, he just watched in fascination as Yamada made food from ingredients. It was like magic to him, since he never got to witness how his food at the base was made.

Probably not with any ounce of care that Yamada put into his meals.

Izuku swung his legs back and forth idly as Yamada worked. When he was almost finished, Izuku heard footsteps descending the stairs. Izuku looked over and saw Aizawa coming over in his hero costume. His eyebrows scrunched in confusion, hands signing when Aizawa was looking.

‘Patrol?’ He thought Aizawa had patrol at night, so he was confused.

Aizawa hummed and ruffled his hair. It was a habit at this point, but Izuku tensed for a second before relaxing again. After yesterday’s incident, he thought he wouldn’t want his hair to be touched. However, he instinctively knew Aizawa and Yamada weren’t going to hurt him, so it didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would.

Aizawa seemed to realize his mistake, but when he noticed Izuku relax, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he answered Izuku’s question, “No patrol. Tsukauchi called me in to help him with a criminal he caught. He was in my patrol route… a regular that we had trouble catching.”

Izuku nodded. ‘Be careful.’

The hero’s eyes softened. “Always, kid.”

Aizawa and Yamada shared a chaste kiss before he beelined for the coffee maker. “Coffee’s already made, babe,” Yamada said, not taking his eyes off the food in the pan.

“This is why I married you,” Aizawa groaned, taking a sip from his mug.

Yamada scoffed playfully. “I would hope it’s for more reasons than that.”

Aizawa just took another sip of his coffee, not responding.

Yamada faced him now, pouting. “Shouuuu,” he whined, earning an eyeroll from Aizawa. “You’re ridiculous,” he muttered, but leaned forward to kiss him anyway.

The Voice hero brightened at that, returning to cook with more energy.

The three of them stayed in the kitchen. The delicious smell of food wafted throughout the room, and Izuku was craving breakfast. This was different for him; even when he wanted to eat at the base, he never craved whatever he was served. Ever since being with the heroes, he had eaten such delicious food that he couldn’t wait for the next meal, despite his stomach not being able to handle too much at once.

Breakfast was done and being plated by Yamada. Izuku was about to get down from the counter himself, but was stopped by Aizawa. He instead picked Izuku up by the underarms and set him on the ground safely.

“Be careful,” the hero gently scolded, and Izuku looked abashed. ‘Sorry.’

Aizawa waved off his apology and gestured for him to sit at the dining table. Izuku did, waiting patiently for the food.

Breakfast was served, and Izuku happily began eating.

It wasn’t long before that familiar nauseous feeling made its appearance, and Izuku had to stop. He ate a little too quickly this time, and his stomach wasn’t happy. Izuku put his utensil down quickly, and he couldn’t help but let a whimper escape his lips when he put a hand over his stomach.

“‘Zashi…” Aizawa warned, and Yamada quickly got up and ran to the kitchen. He came back with a trash can, pushing it under Izuku just in time. Izuku leaned over the chair and threw up what he had just eaten. He absolutely hated vomiting. Tears pricked his eyes, and when it was over, he was gasping for breath.

“S-Sorry…” Izuku managed to get out, his throat hurting from vomiting and raspy from lack of use.

“Don’t apologize, baby,” Yamada’s voice sounded from above him. He could feel a hand on his back, rubbing it in slow circles.

“It’s alright, kid. It was bound to happen eventually. Your stomach’s still getting used to eating regularly,” Aizawa added. It seemed logical, but Izuku couldn’t help but still feel guilty for throwing up Yamada’s cooking. It’s not like he threw up because it tasted bad, but still.

Yamada gently brushed Izuku’s hair back, using a paper towel to clean up around his mouth. He pushed the trash can away so that the overwhelming smell wouldn’t bother them.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, hm?” Yamada said, carefully picking Izuku up. Aizawa walked around to their side, looking a little worried.

“Should I tell Tsukauchi to postpone the meeting? I can stay home,” Aizawa suggested, but Yamada shook his head.

“No, it’s alright, Shou. Tsukauchi needs you. Plus, the Listener and I got it, right?” Yamada responded, looking at Izuku with a smile. Izuku nodded shyly, feeling a little embarrassed.

Aizawa still seemed hesitant, but when he saw Izuku confirm they’d be fine, he relented. “Fine. It shouldn’t be too long, anyway. A couple of hours at most.”

Yamada and Aizawa kissed goodbye, and Aizawa ruffled his hair before leaving.

Yamada began walking upstairs. “Okay, kiddo, let’s go.”

Shouta arrived at the police station, and Tsukauchi was already at the front waiting for him. On the drive there, Shouta could already feel his temper rising at the thought of facing Hisashi.

He would have to keep himself subtle, and usually, he was good at keeping composure. But this person was directly responsible for his kid’s suffering. Shouta had to be careful, this was his kid’s life on the line. Plus, they needed any information they could get.

Shouta was banking on the fact that Hisashi would let things slip out of anger.

“Eraser,” Tsukauchi greeted, and Shouta grunted in response. He was also glad that the chief didn’t seem to be around; he had a few choice words for that guy.

“He’s in the interrogation room now. He still hasn’t said anything except for asking where his son is. I’m worried that All for One let him loose to search for Izuku,” Tsukauchi informed him as they walked to where Hisashi was residing.

Shouta hummed, “I don’t know. He seemed to be pretty reckless last night, based on what you told me. If he was looking for Izuku on All for One’s orders, I don’t think he would’ve let himself be arrested.”

“You think he went rogue?”

“Something like that.”

They made it to the room, so they stopped conversing. Tsukauchi opened the door and let Shouta inside first. Hisashi was sitting at a metal table, hands handcuffed to two loops attached to the top of the table. He was wearing a prisoner’s outfit, and he looked perpetually angry.

When Hisashi saw him, his eyes lit up in immediate recognition. “You,” he growled, leaning forward in his chair. Shouta sat on the other side, Tsukauchi joining him quickly after.

“Me,” Shouta replied, slouching back in his chair.

“You took my son from me! Where is he?” Hisashi yelled, and Shouta was sure he would’ve stormed up to him were he not handcuffed to the table.

“That would be none of your business,” Shouta answered coolly. “But you can tell us why he was in that place to begin with.” Even though Shouta already knew why, he was sure that Izuku was unintentionally leaving out details.

Shouta was correct in that riling Hisashi up would make him slip up and give information.

“I did it in Izuku’s favour. There was no way he was surviving in this world as a quirkless reject,” Hisashi spat, and Shouta had to remind himself to stay calm.

“What does his being quirkless have to do with anything?” Shouta asked instead of getting angry.

“All for One promised me he’d give my son a quirk. So, of course, I took him there,” he said it like Shouta was an idiot. Shouta swallowed his irritation and crossed his arms over his chest.

“So instead of helping your son grow strong on his own, you brought him to a… supervillain.”

“I don’t think you get it. I needed my son to be like me. He’d never accomplish anything without a quirk.”

Shouta’s quirk levelling the playfield and being effectively useless against mutant quirks pretty much made Shouta fight quirkless, himself. So he knew Hisashi’s words weren’t true. Sure, quirkless people would have to train a lot more than those with quirks, but quirks were just a tool in the end.

Shouta wished he had found the kid sooner.

He didn’t want to get into it with Hisashi. He wasn’t here to change his mind on his quirkist views, which Shouta was sure he wouldn’t budge on.

But, he didn’t even have to say anything, because Hisashi banged the table with his fists, shouting, “And that bastard lied to me! He decided that Izuku was too weak to take in a quirk at his age. Like, the fuck does that matter? He would've been fine if he had developed one naturally like a normal kid!”

Shouta disagreed. He wasn’t exactly too knowledgeable on quirk science, but he’s sure that if Izuku developed a quirk at four, it would’ve been one that made sense for him and his body. Having a quirk forced onto him is a different process.

Again, Shouta didn’t say anything. Ironically enough, it seemed like Hisashi was the chatty one after not speaking to any officer. Tuskauchi was discreetly writing everything down beside him.

Hisashi let out a bitter laugh. “But of course I couldn’t say shit. He’d kill me for going against him. Hell, he’ll probably find a way to kill me in here.”

So, that confirmed Shouta’s guess of Hisashi going rogue. He took his chance.

“Why would he kill you?”

Hisashi scoffed. “His prized possession was taken from him, and he knows that if I find him, I’m not bringing him back.” Shouta gritted his teeth at the kid being called a ‘prized possession’, but he held off.

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“Because I barely had any hand on him while we were there! My chance was taken from me early on,” Hisashi seethed, and Shouta froze.

“Your ‘chance’? What do you mean?”

“All for One compromised with me when I brought Izuku in. He was so happy to have a new project that he told me I could have a hand in forcing a quirk to manifest. And I did. Alongside All for One, I would train him and push him into forcing a quirk. But it took too long. A year in, I got frustrated. My quirk let loose on him, more than usual. I was too close, but it worked. My son raised his arms to protect his face, and instead of my fire hitting him, there was stone blocking it. Stone that Izuku forced up from the ground.”

Shouta was horrified, but kept his expression neutral. So the kid’s timing was a bit off when he told Tsukauchi it took a few months to manifest his first quirk. He wasn’t exactly surprised; Izuku didn’t even know he was in there for four years.

Shouta also made a note to check Izuku for burn scars. He wasn’t sure how the hospital missed it, if there were any.

Tsukauchi didn’t interrupt, so everything Hisashi said was true. It took everything in him not to go around the other side and hurt him. But he couldn’t. This was more information than Shouta thought he would offer.

Hisashi continued, his eyes wild. “All I could think was, finally, the brat has a quirk. But All for One was furious with me. He didn’t want the kid to die, apparently. He could’ve fooled me, the way he treated him. So he took me off training duty. I didn’t have any access to him in those rooms. It took two more years for another one to manifest. Kid was a fucking zombie,” Hisashi let out a laugh, shaking his head, “and I couldn’t test it myself. So I wanted to take him out of there.”

Shouta was gripping the edge of the table now. It was getting harder to keep reactions off his face. “And do what?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“Fuckin’- I don’t know. Train him myself? He had two quirks! That’s powerful. And he’s my son. I can do with him as I please. All for One doesn’t have any right to him. That raid was a good fucking chance to do it, too. But you ruined it.”

Shouta was grateful he found Izuku when he did, then. Still wished it was earlier, but it hadn’t been too late.

“Did you ever think to ask him what he wanted?” Shouta asked.

“Why the fuck should I care? He has quirks because of me. Sure, not in the way I thought it would go, but he’s not a useless runt anymore.”

Before Shouta could retort that, Hisashi banged his fists on the table again. “Where is my son?!” He stood up this time, handcuffs jerking. Shouta glared at him, but did not activate his quirk just yet.

“Safe, away from you.”

Hisashi growled and pulled on his handcuffs harshly, trying to break them off. Shouta activated his quirk this time; less for its actual use, more for intimidation.

“Sit down,” Shouta ground out, and surprisingly, he did.

“Fuck!” he yelled and out of nowhere, started hitting his head off the table aggressively. He kept going, blood splattering over the table. Shouta’s eyes widened, and after a shared panicked glance with Tsukauchi, he ran to the other side and restrained Hisashi from continuing.

Hisashi thrashed in his grip, blood dripping down his nose and forehead. “Get off! He’s gonna kill me! No one goes against him and lives!” he cried out, trying to hit his head back against Shouta’s, but he anticipated it and grabbed Hisashi’s chin to keep his head still.

“You might as well kill the fucking kid, too. If he gets his hands on him…” Hisashi didn’t finish the sentence, but Shouta had an idea of what he meant.

Brief, violent fear shot up his spine. Shouta sneered, “Shut up. The kid isn’t dying. And you’re not killing yourself.”

Hisashi, strangely, calmed down at that. Then, he spoke again.

“I should’ve thrown the damn brat in that fire that killed his mother.”

Shouta was on his last thread with this guy. He punched him square in the face, effectively knocking him out. Shouta set him down in the chair.

“Eraser!” Tsukauchi exclaimed, shocked.

“What? He deserved it. Plus, he probably would’ve tried to kill himself again.”

Tsukauchi sighed wearily, head in his hands. “God, what a fucking mess.”

Shouta scoffed. If Tsukauchi was swearing, then it really was bad.

“What do we do now?” Shouta asked him, still standing behind Hisashi’s slumped body.

“I don’t know. For a villain as powerful as All for One, and I hate to admit how horrible our prison security is, he might find a way to get to him.”

“Hm. Tartarus?” Shouta suggested. Its security was a lot more advanced, meant to hold high-profile villains.

“I’ll see. Chief will have to sign off on it.”

Shouta rolled his eyes at that, but otherwise said nothing else. Honestly, he was a lot more concerned with Izuku’s safety.

Tsukauchi seemed to be on the same wavelength. “What about the kid?”

With Shouta being underground and keeping his and Hizashi’s marriage a secret from the public, he thought they would be safe enough in their own home. But maybe he needed to change that.

“I may know…” Shouta sighed, “Someone who can help.”

Tsukauchi must have known who he was talking about, because he grimaced. “Oh, good luck with that.”

Shouta would need it.

He was finally home. And exhausted. It was only noon.

Shouta closed the door and just leaned against it for a moment, taking a breath. He couldn’t think about what Hisashi told him; he would spiral.

After a few seconds, he heard Hizashi’s voice. “Babe? Are you home?” And then footsteps sounded towards the foyer.

Seeing Shouta’s frayed state, Hizashi frowned and pulled him into his arms. Shouta leaned into it, hugging him back. “Bad?” Hizashi whispered.

“Bad,” Shouta confirmed, clutching onto his shirt tightly.

“Where’s the kid?” Shouta asked him, but did not let go.

“He’s in the kitchen. We were making lunch for you.”

Shouta’s heart warmed, and he felt a little better. “He cooked with you?”

“Mhm! Well, I handled most of it, but he helped! It was his idea.”

Shouta smiled, eyes flickering up to see the kid peeking around the kitchen island at them. At being caught, he quickly disappeared behind the table.

He huffed a laugh and pulled away from Hizashi. “Let’s eat, then.”

His husband still seemed worried, but Shouta knew they’d talk later. Out of earshot of the kid.

Shouta walked toward Izuku. Seeing him here, safe, did help ease his conscious. But only slightly.

Izuku was standing near the stove. He looked better, as if his sick spell from earlier never happened, but nervous.

“Hey, kid,” Shouta said quietly, crouching down to face him. “Did you have fun making lunch?”

Izuku came closer, gripping Shouta’s sleeve. Luckily, Shouta iced his knuckles right away, so the swelling wasn’t too bad, and could probably pass for his hands being cold.

“Are you… okay?” Izuku asked, and damn, his observational skills were better than he thought. But Shouta was glad he was speaking.

“I’m alright. Just tired. The villain was annoying to deal with.” Not quite a lie, but Shouta couldn’t tell him the real reason.

Izuku relaxed at that, and now he seemed a little excited. “L-Lunch was… fun! Y-Yamada let me… help. It’s f-for you.”

Shouta ruffled his hair and stood up. “I can’t wait to have some.”

They all sat at the dining table. Izuku was watching Shouta intently, and he would’ve been worried at Izuku’s lack of interest in his food if he didn’t figure he was staring to see if Shouta liked it or not.

Shouta took a bite. He glanced up at Izuku as he said, “It’s delicious.”

Izuku perked up at that, significantly more joyful. After that declaration, the kid began eating.

He would talk to Hizashi later, and it’d be heavy. But for now, he enjoyed his time with his family.

Chapter Text

The rest of the day went by fine. Shouta put the conversation with Hisashi at the back of his mind until Izuku went to sleep, and it was time to discuss with his husband.

They were sitting on the couch, parallel to how their conversation from the night before went. Sushi was lazing on the arm of the couch this time, tail swishing back and forth languidly.

Shouta sighed, exhausted. He leaned into Hizashi’s side, needing all the comfort he could get. Hizashi wrapped his arm around him tightly, hand softly running through Shouta’s strands of hair.

“What happened, Shou?”

“It was… well, awful,” Shouta began, but continued before Hizashi could say anything and he lost his nerve.

“Tsukauchi was right in that he would recognize me and start talking. I barely had to ask him a thing. He started talking about how he took Izuku to the base because he was quirkless. Pretty much what the kid already told us. Then he went on about how All for One would kill him for going against him, and I asked why.” Shouta rubbed a hand down his face.

“He said it was because he wouldn’t take Izuku back to him if he found him. Apparently… Hisashi was a part of Izuku’s training in the beginning, to help him manifest a quirk. He said… God, he said that he used his quirk on him. His quirk is fire breath, ‘Zashi. It took a year of that for his first quirk to appear. Longer than what Izuku estimated.”

Shouta wasn’t in front of Hisashi anymore, so he could freely show his anger and disgust at his actions.

“Hisashi used a… killing blow with his quirk. And that, apparently, moved Izuku to block it with uprooted stone.” Hizashi tightened his hold on him, gasping softly.

Shouta grabbed Hizashi’s free hand, squeezing it comfortingly.

“But All for One was angry. He didn’t want Hisashi to kill him. So he wasn’t allowed to train him anymore, and it took another two years for his second quirk to manifest, which is what the lab notes said. But that leaves a year in the middle unaccounted for. I wonder if Izuku just… went through ‘training’ in that year.”

Hizashi shook his head, looking troubled. “The poor baby… Shou, no one could be able to withstand that,” he whispered, eyes shining with unshed tears. Shouta felt the same way.

All he had were the lab notes, Izuku’s testimonial, and Hisashi’s harsh words, and he couldn’t imagine all of what the kid went through. And he knew he never would.

Shouta went back on topic. “After Izuku obtained his second quirk, Hisashi said he wanted to take him away. When I infiltrated the bar that night, he was going to take the opportunity to do it, too. Thank God I got there when I did. He was in the process when I got there, and that’s when he and the mist villain disappeared.

“I asked what he was going to do with Izuku if he succeeded, and he said he probably would’ve capitalized on his quirks himself and done whatever he wanted. I didn’t get a chance to question him further, though, because he just started yelling about his son and then… well, he tried to kill himself.”

Hizashi was shocked. “What?”

Shouta just nodded. “Said All for One would kill him in there, so I guess he wanted to die before he got his hands on him. But he said…” Shouta took a deep breath when he braced himself to say the next part, “He said I should kill Izuku, too, before All for One got his hands on him and did worse.”

Now, Hizashi looked murderous. “No one is touching him.”

“I agree. I told him so, and then he remarked that he should’ve let Izuku die in the fire he killed his mother with.”

Hizashi sucked in a breath, his grip on Shouta’s hand tightening painfully. “That-” he paused, calming himself down so he didn’t accidentally use his quirk, “That despicable piece of shit!”

Shouta grunted, agreeing with Hizashi’s words but letting him get it out.

When Hizashi eventually calmed down, Shouta voiced his real concern. “‘Zashi, when he said that, I couldn’t help the unbridled fear that consumed me for a moment back there. If All for One knows where Hisashi is and decides to kill him, he will know which police station oversaw the raid. And he will know the people who were involved in it, and therefore, took Izuku. It won’t be long until it is somehow connected back to me. And while I am confident in my abilities to stay out of the spotlight and know that no villain knows my whereabouts, this is a whole ‘nother situation. All for One, a fucking myth, has revived and is looking into our kid. We need better security.”

Hizashi listened, not immediately saying anything. Shouta fidgeted a bit, uncharacteristically anxious for his husband’s response.

After what felt like hours, Hizashi turned to face him completely and held his face in his hands. “First of all, Shou, even if All for One somehow connected the case back to you, it would not be your fault if he found us, or, God forbid, found Izuku.”

Shouta went to interrupt, but Hizashi shook his head. “No, I know what you really meant when you said that, babe. You’re not slick, hun, especially not with me. Second of all, Hisashi is most likely paranoid and clearly unwell, as you told me he tried to end his life.”

Again, Shouta wanted to protest, but Hizashi wouldn’t let him. “However, I understand your concerns. I’m terrified every night, Shou, that you will run into one of those villains during your patrol and they’ll hurt you, or take you, or worse. I’m terrified that All for One will just show up in our house and take Izuku, and we will be able to do nothing about it.”

Shouta placed his hands over Hizashi’s, brows furrowed in concern. “‘Zashi… why wouldn’t you tell me any of this?”

“Because I didn’t want to burden you with unnecessary worries. I know, logically, you are capable and can most likely beat any villain in your path. I know, logically, that All for One doesn’t know where we are, because if he did, he would’ve done something already. But I am worried about Hisashi being there. If All for One did something, who knows what Hisashi will say to get out of dying? He might describe you or Tsukauchi.”

“You are never a burden to me, Hizashi. If I need to talk you out of what you may think is a very insane, irrational worry, I will do it. We are in this together, yeah?” Hizashi’s tensed body relaxed, and they leaned their foreheads together. He mumbled a yeah.

Shouta sighed. “I agree with you, though. It’s a risk I will not take. We need to talk to Nezu.”

Hizashi let out a small scoff-laugh at that. “I figured.”

They sat like that in silence, just basking in each other’s presence.

“‘R-Raser? Mic?” A small voice called out from the top of the stairs. Shouta and Hizashi both jerked away from each other, instantly getting up and going to where Izuku was standing. He had the Eraserhead blanket wrapped around his shoulders, tears falling, and a pained expression on his face.

The kid usually reverted to calling them their hero names when he woke up from a nightmare. Hizashi figured it was because the kid was subconsciously still wishing for the heroes to save him when he dreamed about the base.

“Y-You weren’t… in your r-room…” Izuku’s breath hitched, shoulders hunching as he wobbled on his legs. Hizashi quickly scooped him up in his arms, and Shouta was there with a hand on his back.

“We’re so sorry, baby. Shou and I were staying up late. Nightmare?” Hizashi cooed softly, slightly rocking him. Izuku simply nodded and lay his head on Hizashi’s shoulder.

Shouta gently wiped Izuku’s tears away, and he leaned into the touch. The kid’s eyes fluttered closed, and his body sagged, seemingly feeling better now that they were here.

“Do you wanna sleep in our room tonight?” Hizashi asked him. Izuku nodded sleepily, “Mhm.”

Shouta and Hizashi shared an adoring glance before walking to their room.

Bastard was already there in their bed, waiting. Sushi had followed behind them when they rushed upstairs and jumped up onto the bed beside Bastard. They sized each other up, then Sushi meowed before lying on the other side of the bed.

Shouta huffed an amused laugh and went to his side of the bed. Izuku was clinging to Hizashi still, even as he lay down next to him. Hizashi ran his hand through Izuku’s hair slowly, coaxing him back to sleep.

Shouta shifted closer, staying awake so he could make sure Izuku fell back asleep. Once his breathing evened out, he shared a kiss with Hizashi before whispering Goodnight and fell asleep.

Morning passed as usual.

Luckily, Izuku slept throughout the night with no issue and woke up early to help Hizashi make breakfast. This allowed Shouta to stay in bed for a little while longer, and he took advantage of it to think about the upcoming meeting he would have with Nezu.

Shouta had emailed the principal as soon as he woke up, and the rat responded within the minute. Suspicious, but with his enhanced intelligence, he’s sure that Nezu was anticipating a meeting for quite some time.

Even though Shouta had expelled his class this year, he still went to UA to complete any paperwork Nezu had burdened him with. He would also help Vlad King with training his class if needed.

Most importantly, Hizashi was also taking a lot of time off work to help Izuku settle, and Nezu was one of the few who knew of their relationship. While they didn’t inform him about their recent fostering, he was sure Nezu suspected something had been going on at home.

When the smell of food became more potent, Shouta forced himself out of bed and made his way downstairs.

The scene that welcomed him was just too adorable. Hizashi had Izuku resting on his left hip as he cooked with his right hand. He was whispering to Izuku as he worked, and the kid’s eyes were sparkling with awe and wonder as he watched Hizashi.

Shouta had noticed lately that Izuku always looked entranced by the act of cooking, and he wondered if, when he was older, he would take an interest in making food himself.

What a jarring thought. Not in a bad way, but to think of their future as a family was a new feeling.

Hizashi looked absolutely joyful, and Shouta quietly watched, leaning against the wall.

When he married Hizashi, the thought of starting a family was a distant one. He knew that Hizashi had always wanted one, and despite what most people thought of him, so did Shouta. It was just too risky with their jobs as heroes, and he hated being the one to tell Hizashi that they would have to wait.

Not to mention how time-consuming it would be to raise a baby. With their five jobs, it seemed impossible.

But now, watching Hizashi and Izuku together, he would do anything to protect them. If he had to sacrifice his underground work for however long it took to make sure they were safe, then he would.

It was a bit of an extreme measure, but as he told Hizashi last night, he was not taking any risks.

Hizashi eventually noticed him, and his smile widened. “Morning, Shou,” he called, and Izuku peeked around to see him too. His eyes lit up, and he waved shyly.

Shouta pushed off the wall and walked over. “Morning, you two. Are you watching over ‘Zashi, kid? Making sure he’s not gonna accidentally poison us with his food?” he asked Izuku in mock seriousness.

Hizashi scoffed as Izuku nodded with the same seriousness he showed. “So far, so good,” Izuku confirmed, making Hizashi whine.

“Shouuuu! Izuuuuu!” Hizashi exclaimed, making Izuku giggle and Shouta smirk. Hizashi huffed. “Rude,” he muttered and continued cooking.

Shouta made his coffee, and the kid stayed on Hizashi’s hip. Once breakfast was done, he set Izuku down so he could plate everything. Shouta helped Izuku over to the dining table, and they both sat down.

Since Izuku’s upset stomach yesterday, he was being more cautious with how much he ate. Izuku barely finished half, which is more than when they first gave him food, but less than how he’s been eating recently.

Much like before, Shouta wouldn’t push it, for now. He didn’t want Izuku to get sick again.

Hizashi took this as an opening to ask Izuku about their plans for the day. “So, Little Listener, Shou and I were wondering if you wanted to come to UA with us today?”

Izuku perked up. “UA?” he asked with excitement. Whenever Hizashi had to leave for the day when he was still in the hospital, Shouta explained that they both worked as teachers at UA High School, a hero school, and that multiple pro heroes worked there.

Suffice to say, the kid was in awe. He eagerly asked Shouta if he could visit, and he told him that he could one day, once he was healthy enough. Izuku was a little disappointed in that moment, but he’s sure the waiting paid off.

“Yeah! We can show you around and introduce you to the heroes who work there!” Hizashi offered, and Izuku was vibrating with joy.

“Y-Yes! Please!” Izuku swung his legs back and forth to show his interest, and Shouta chuckled.

“Let’s get you dressed then,” he said.

After putting the dishes away, Shouta took Izuku upstairs to get ready. Izuku wanted to bring one of his notebooks with him so he could get signatures from whoever was there.

Once they were all dressed, they were off.

When they arrived at UA, Izuku was astonished by everything. Hizashi was currently holding him similarly to how he was this morning because they knew he wouldn’t have been able to walk the whole time.

It was still early, so students were in their classrooms and the hallways were empty. He was glad for it, because he didn’t want students to be overly curious and ask Hizashi any questions.

They made it to the teacher’s lounge, and Shouta had to part from them here. He placed a hand on Izuku’s head.

“I gotta meet with someone, kiddo, but I’ll be back soon, alright? Hizashi can show you around.”

Izuku’s excitement dimmed a bit at that, but he didn’t voice his contentions. He nodded. “O-Okay. B-But I still wanna… explore w-with you.”

Shouta ruffled his hair. “Of course, kid. I won’t be long, promise.” Izuku seemed satisfied with that.

After making sure no one was around, he kissed Hizashi quickly. Hizashi smiled, leaning into it. “Good luck,” he whispered against his lips.

Shouta walked to Nezu’s office. Just as he was about to knock, though, a cheery voice came from the other side of the door. “Come in!”

Rolling his eyes, he opened the door, making sure it shut behind him, and he sat across from Nezu’s desk. The mouse… rat… bear, whatever, was sitting at his desk, hands folded professionally in front of him, and a steaming cup of tea in front of him.

“Welcome, Aizawa! Tea?” Nezu asked, but Shouta declined.

“No, thank you.” He never did take Nezu’s offer for tea, but he always asked anyway.

“I see you and Yamada came in with a child. Is that what this meeting’s about?”

Of course, he saw them. He was sure the rat always had the cameras up and watching them on his monitor while he sipped his tea.

Sighing, Shouta nodded. “Yes. We… need your help,” he said begrudgingly.

“How may I be of assistance?” Nezu asked, looking pleased.

“You need to keep this quiet, Nezu. This kid… Izuku, he was found in a villain’s base. Under the watch of All for One.” He paused, gauging Nezu’s reaction to the supervillain’s name.

“Oh, I know!” Nezu chirped, and Shouta narrowed his eyes at him. “You… know?”

“About All for One, I mean. He has been quite a force in the underground scene.”

Shouta wasn’t sure if he should question exactly how Nezu knew this information.

“Right… Anyways, Izuku was there for a long time. Four years, in fact. He’s eight. He was suffering under multiple experiments and abusive training.” Shouta knew of Nezu’s history with undergoing experimentation. The principal never opened up fully about it, but the scar on his right eye told a brutal story.

So, he broached this topic carefully. However, if Nezu was uncomfortable, he didn’t show it.

“And you need a safe space to stay? I assume you are worried about All for One taking Izuku back from you,” Nezu accurately guessed. Shouta was unsurprised at his intuitiveness, but his next sentence did manage to shock him.

“I’m so glad you asked!” Shouta didn’t, but he let him continue. “I have actually been working on a project myself for the teachers. All for One becoming active is worrying and poses an incredible threat. So, I’ve created a solution for this exact problem!”

Nezu turned one of his monitors around to show Shouta what looked like floor plans. Under UA.

“What exactly is this?” Shouta asked, though he was sure he knew the answer.

“Teacher dorms! Underneath the school. It is probably the safest place to reside in, no? UA is spectacularly secure, thanks to my upgrades, and having these dorms out of sight from the enemy would be the best option.”

Shouta sat back in his chair, arms crossed. “And these dorms are also secure? No one – student or otherwise – could just waltz inside?”

“Correct! There is only one fully built at the moment, however, it is only accessible via eye and fingerprint from the heroes who live there. And the only way down is through the staff elevator. Plus! This would solve your problems, yes? Well, the problems besides the security issues.”

Shouta frowned. “What problems?”

“I assume you and Yamada have not been able to show up to work lately because of your newest member of the family? Staying here would solve that problem. If you wanted, you could even let little Izuku attend classes with Hizashi during the day. Or he could stay in the dorm with you, whatever you choose. UA has the facilities available to take care of him, and you two can give any feedback on the dorms that you find, so I may fix it for future inhabitants.”

It sounded nice, but how could he explain it to Izuku? The hardest part about the whole thing was putting Izuku in a new environment. Especially one that was underground, where the kid had stayed the past four years of his life.

“Will it have windows? Open concept?” Shouta asked.

Nezu nodded. “Yup! Natural lighting, and there will be easy access to the outside. Little Izuku would be able to navigate UA should he wish, under your or Yamada’s supervision, of course. It will be safe, but it will not be a prison.”

They would have to talk about it.

“Can Hizashi and I think it over? We will have to brief Izuku on it. And make sure he knows it is nothing like the base.”

“Absolutely! Do you think it would help if Izuku saw it for himself?”

Shouta nodded slowly. “Perhaps. Since he’s already here, I may just speak to him now.”

“Do you think I could meet the young child?” Nezu inquired. Shouta hesitated, narrowing his eyes at him again.

“I’ll ask him if he’s up to it after I talk to him.” He wouldn’t make any promises, since he knew Nezu wouldn’t let it go otherwise.

Nezu grinned, probably sensing Shouta’s apprehension. “Of course! No pressure,” he said, and Shouta doubted it.

He rose from his seat, bowing slightly to the principal. “Thank you, Nezu.” Nezu nodded at him, and Shouta left the office.

After Aizawa left, Yamada and he were sitting in the teacher’s lounge. It was empty. Yamada explained that it was class time, so most of the teachers were doing their jobs. Izuku asked him what he teaches, which is English.

That led to Izuku showing what little English he learned from the books he read at the base. Yamada was surprised but also excited. Apparently, Aizawa hadn’t retained much English despite how many times Yamada tried to teach it to him.

They went over some common words and phrases that Izuku didn’t know. He could now talk about his favourite colour, how old he is (now that he knows), and what he likes to do (analyze quirks and hang out with the heroes, which of course made Yamada tear up).

Sometime in their lesson, the door swung open, making Izuku flinch and immediately hide in Yamada’s side. Yamada wrapped an arm around him and reassured Izuku that it was okay.

Izuku peeked out, seeing who it was that walked in. It was the pro-hero Midnight! Izuku sat up, eyes wide.

“M-Midnight?” he tentatively spoke, making the hero freeze and look at him in shock. Then, she turned to Yamada.

“I’m sorry, since when did you have a kid?!” she exclaimed, making Yamada put on a sheepish smile.

“Ah… Haha, about that…”

Midnight put her hands on her hips, glaring. “You and Shouta so owe me an explanation. But later!” She suddenly turned on Izuku, eyes softened, and her annoyed expression gone as if she had never been.

“Hi, Green Bean. What’s your name?” she asked him, crouching in front of the couch he and Yamada were sitting on.

Green Bean? He thought to himself before shyly glancing up at Yamada. He smiled and leaned forward. “She’s Shou and I’s friend, kiddo. Why don’t you introduce yourself?” They were friends with Midnight?!

Izuku looked back at Midnight, fidgeting a little. “H-Hello… My name is I-Izuku.”

“Nice to meet you, Izuku! What brings you to UA?”

“U-Um… Tour and… m-meet heroes,” he mumbled, his nerves making him fumble a bit with his words.

Midnight didn’t seem to mind, though. Her eyes sparkled. “Isn’t that fun! Have you met any other heroes yet?” When Izuku shook his head, Midnight squealed.

“Aww! So I’m the first one? I’m so honoured!” She seemed genuinely joyful, so Izuku relaxed. It was hard sometimes to tell if a person was being manipulative or honest.

“C-Can you… Um…” Izuku brought out his notebook, hands shaking as he turned to a blank page. “Can you sign, please?” he whispered, scared that she would say no.

His worries were for nothing, however, as Midnight grabbed a pen from who knows where and already began to sign her name. “There you are, kiddo!”

Izuku was so happy. He’s met another pro-hero! His lips formed a wobbly smile when she gave him the notebook back. He excitedly showed it to Yamada, who shared his excitement.

“Soon enough, Little Listener, that whole notebook will be filled!” Izuku couldn’t wait.

After some more conversing with Midnight, most with questions from Izuku about her quirk, more heroes began filtering into the teacher’s lounge. They would each stare at Izuku and Yamada in confusion, before happily indulging his questions and signing his notebook.

Soon after, Aizawa came back into the room. He waved a greeting to the heroes in the room before going over to Izuku and Yamada. Aizawa held his hand out for him, and Izuku grabbed it, pulling himself up to stand.

“Ready to take a look around?” Aizawa asked. “It’s lunchtime, so most of the classrooms will be empty.”

Izuku nodded eagerly, and Yamada sprang up as well. “Let’s go on an adventure!”

The room was silent, Izuku noticed, and when he looked around curiously, each of the heroes in the room was staring at them. Well, more staring at Aizawa. Izuku frowned and hid behind Aizawa, clutching his pant leg in his free hand.

Aizawa must have done something because suddenly, everyone in the room looked away and focused on whatever they were working on or eating. Except Midnight, who just smirked at the heroes. “Come on, kid,” Aizawa said, leading Izuku out of the teacher’s lounge, Yamada close behind.

The heroes showed him around UA. It was a huge school! He couldn’t believe how big it was. When he got tired of walking, Aizawa easily picked him up and continued the tour. They even got to see one of the gyms!

They ended up in an empty classroom that had “1-A” written on it and a huge doorway. “This was my classroom. Before I, well, expelled all of my students,” Aizawa explained before walking them inside.

“E-Expelled?” Izuku asked, tilting his head.

Aizawa huffed. “The students showed no potential or promising heroic characteristics. So I told them to go home. It’s seriously a wonder how Nezu let them into Class 1-A in the first place.”

Izuku’s mouth shaped into an ‘o’ before glancing at Yamada. He just laughed, “Shou’s a very strict teacher, Listener. And ruthless.”

Aizawa groaned, “I’m practical! Being a hero isn’t fun and games. If they can’t handle it, then it’s not the career for them.”

That seemed reasonable to Izuku.

Aizawa sat Izuku down on the desk at the front, and he pulled up two chairs for him and Yamada to sit in front of him. They seemed more serious now, and Izuku anxiously watched them.

“We wanted to talk to you about something, kiddo,” Yamada started, voice soft.

Shouta continued for him, “Izuku, I won’t lie to you. It’s… dangerous, for you and us right now. It’s… possible that anyone from the base could be looking for you.”

Izuku froze, his heart beating faster as fear washed over him. Aizawa noticed, and he got out of his chair to stand in front of him. He placed a hand on Izuku’s. “But, ‘Zashi and I are taking care of it, okay? We will protect you completely. The villains won’t touch you.”

He felt a little better at his words, but that fear wouldn’t be so easily diminished.

“Which is why we were thinking of staying somewhere safer for the time being. What do you think?”

Izuku frowned, uncertain. He was just beginning to think of the heroes’ house as a home, and now they were moving? But it was for their safety. And… they wouldn’t be leaving him alone. As long as he was with them, maybe it’d be fine?

“O-Okay… w-where would we stay?” Izuku asked, and Yamada also looked curious to hear this answer.

“Well, I was talking to Nezu, the UA principal. He has been building underground dorms for the heroes who teach here, for safety measures. UA is the most secure building to be in. Nezu takes his safety precautions very seriously, so we will be in good hands.”

Izuku tilted his head, curious. Stay at UA? It was an interesting idea, for sure. He was a bit nervous to stay in a new place, though.

Aizawa seemed to notice, because he said, “Would it help for you to take a look? So you know where you’ll be staying?” Izuku nodded. Yeah, it probably would be nice to know where they would be staying.

“Mhm. Guess we’re meeting Nezu, then,” Aizawa sighed, and before Izuku could question that, he was picking him up. Izuku wrapped his arms around Aizawa’s neck.

“This should be fun!” Yamada tried for cheerful, but seemed nervous instead. Now Izuku was nervous. Was Nezu nice?

Shouta could tell that Hizashi wanted to ask him a lot of questions. He didn’t really have a chance to talk to him privately before bringing it up to Izuku. At least the kid seemed receptive to the idea.

They made it to Nezu’s office quickly, and this time, Nezu waited for him to knock before he called for them to come in.

They did, and Izuku stared at Nezu in wonder. He had forgotten to tell him that the principal wasn’t human, but Izuku seemed appropriately curious.

“Welcome, welcome! I am Nezu, the one who could be a dog or a mouse or a bear, but more importantly... I'm the principal!”¹ It was his usual greeting whenever meeting someone new, not actually looking for a response as to what species he was.

Izuku, however, took it seriously with a tilt of his head. “I-If you are… a mix of three… th-then you’d be a ch-chimera? Right?” Izuku looked at him for approval, but Shouta was too shocked to answer. He’s never heard that one before.

Neither had Nezu, if the gleam in his eye and his grin were anything to go by.

“What an interesting answer! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Izuku,” he said, and somehow had poured himself more tea since the time he left the meeting and came back.

Izuku watched him, a small smile on his lips. “N-Nice to meet you… too,” he said.

Shouta didn’t bother sitting down since they were going to look at the dorm. “Izuku said he would like to look at where we would be staying.” Nezu clapped his hands in delight and got down from his chair, revealing just how short he was.

Usually, Nezu would sit in Shouta’s capture weapon and ask to be transported somewhere, no matter how much Shouta disliked it. But since he was holding Izuku right now, Nezu opted for just walking.

They followed behind him, and Nezu brought them to the staff elevators he was talking about.

“At the moment, only I have access to this, but that will change should you decide to stay here.” He took out some sort of key-card before opening the elevator, and pressing a button once they were all inside.

“Each room will have its own identification system. As I told Aizawa, it is accessible through an eye and fingerprint scan, and when there are more rooms available, the elevator will go down to the room associated with whichever hero is scanned. That way, there will be no mix-up between which rooms will be accessed by which hero.”

The elevator didn’t go down too far before it opened up to a genkan. Walking down the hallway, to the right was what looked like a living room. It was similar to theirs: a couch in front of a TV and a coffee table. The biggest difference was that the whole floor was covered in a cornflower blue-coloured carpet.

To the left was a kitchen that seemed to have all the facilities needed: a fridge, stove, microwave, dishwasher, sink, cupboards, and a small island. Beyond that was a dining room with a simple rectangular table and four chairs. Beside that was another hallway that led to the bedrooms. It seemed that everything was on the same level; no upstairs or downstairs.

The main bedroom was big enough to accommodate the two heroes, with an ensuite. What would be Izuku’s room was directly beside theirs, and it was about the same size as his one at home. They could easily decorate it the same so that Izuku felt more at ease.

Across the two bedrooms was a bathroom, a laundry room, and an extra room that could be used for anything. Maybe an office. Nezu really had everything here. Throughout the dorm, there were multiple windows at the top of the walls that showed a healthy amount of sunlight coming in.

“And, as promised, there will be easy access to the outside.” Nezu showed them another elevator at the very back of the hallway. “If you press this,” Nezu said, waving towards an ‘up’ arrow button, “it will lead to a small courtyard private from the other fields at UA. Izuku will be safe to sit out there or do whatever he wishes.”

Shouta honestly thought it was perfect. Besides the decorations and other furniture they would need to bring from their house, he could see them living here for a little while.

But his opinion wasn’t the one that would make it official. He was keeping an eye on Izuku throughout the whole tour. He didn’t look upset, he was just quietly analyzing everything they passed.

Izuku still seemed unsure by the end. Shouta understood it would be another big change.

Instead of voicing these concerns, though, he asked, “C-Can the k-kitties come?”

The room was silent. Then, Hizashi let out a laugh. “Yes, Listener, of course. We can bring the cats and anything you want from home.”

Shouta was still bothered by Izuku’s lack of response. It seemed like he approved by asking about the cats, but he could still see that underlying tension. The kid needed to get better at voicing his feelings.

It reminded him of when, instead of talking about how he felt about his quirks being active again, he asked Shouta about lock picking. He deflects, and Shouta allowed it last time, but he would bring it up as soon as Nezu wasn’t in the room.

Nezu clapped his hands. “Well! I’ll leave you three to it. I’ll be in my office should you make a decision.” He left Hizashi a duplicate key card so they could access the elevator, and then he was gone.

Izuku watched in silent confusion. Once Nezu left, Shouta turned his full attention on him. “Izuku, are you one hundred percent sure you want to stay here? We will always make sure you are comfortable, okay? Tell us what you’re thinking.”

Prompting him like this has worked so far, so hopefully he understands that he can talk to them. Hizashi stood on the other side of Izuku as a calming presence as well.

Izuku’s lips wobbled, tears threatening to fall. “I-I just… feel bad that… t-that you guys have to-to move because of m-me…” he whispered, voice breaking. Shouta’s heart clenched and he put a hand on the back of his head, gently guiding it to his shoulder and rocking him slightly.

“This isn’t your fault at all, kid. I promise. Hizashi and I just do not want to take any chances. We will do anything to keep you safe. Do you understand? We want to do this for you. Under no circumstances will those villains have any opportunity to take you. Plus, Nezu was already planning to use these dorms, so think of it as us testing it for him to make sure they are secure, yeah?” Shouta assured him, and Izuku’s body relaxed.

“Your safety is our number one priority. Remember what I said the last day in the hospital? We want you to be safe, to live your life pain-free. Shou and I will personally make sure that happens,” Hizashi added on, which seemed to be the last straw for the kid.

Izuku started crying, and they panicked a bit, until he spoke. “T-Thank you… I-I don’t-don't un-understand but… I want to,” he whimpered, burying his face into Shouta’s neck.

Shouta just continued soothing him until he stopped crying, while Hizashi hummed a peaceful tune to calm him down. It seemed like they were making the move.

Chapter Text

The three of them stayed in the new dorm for a while, just getting familiar with it. Aizawa told him it would be easier to wait until school was over so they could grab what they needed from home.

Izuku actually liked the feeling of the carpet underneath his feet. While he told Yamada he was fine with his hardwood bedroom floors, he wished he had chosen the carpet option. It was very soft and easy to walk on; it didn’t make his leg ache as much.

The day was mostly filled with Izuku exploring what he could. Even though they had the initial tour, he wanted to look around more. The heroes let him; they just sat in the living room, talking about how they would return to teaching with all of them here.

Izuku walked into what would be his room. He took a look around, noticing the differences from his room at home. The bed was in the middle of the room this time, with a bedside table sitting on the left side. On the right was a desk, and on the right wall were two bookshelves. So, at least he would have space for his books there.

On the left wall was a closet. Smaller than his one at home, but it was fine. It’s not like he had a ton of clothes to store.

It was empty, much like his room before he got decorations for it. He couldn’t wait to bring them.

The only thing that bothered him was that this room didn’t have a big window like his one at home did. It should be fine, though. The room was much different than his cell. Just because it didn’t have a window, it doesn’t mean he was back there. That’s what he was trying to reassure himself with, anyway.

Izuku left, exploring the other rooms briefly. When his leg started to ache, he walked back to the heroes. They were still on the couch, so he climbed onto it next to Yamada. The blonde immediately put an arm around him with a smile.

“How was your exploration, Listener?” he asked him, rubbing his arm.

“F-Fine. Not… home, but, I-I think it can work.”

Yamada chuckled, and Aizawa looked amused. “Not home, for sure, but I think we can make it work! Right, Shou?” he turned his question to the underground hero.

Aizawa sighed. “Right. Should we get going, then? Classes are over, and we need to eat before we start moving.”

Izuku nodded. He was hungry; they hadn’t had a chance to eat lunch before their tour of UA.

“That’s settled!” Yamada said and stood up, picking Izuku up along the way.

They made it back home without issue. Yamada instructed them to pack any essentials while he made food for them.

Aizawa guided Izuku upstairs and into his room to help. Since Izuku didn’t have a suitcase to put his things in, Aizawa brought an extra from his room.

“Here, kid. Put your clothes and any other things you want to bring in here. It can fit quite a lot, so don’t worry about choosing between what to bring and what not to. I’ll be in my room if you need me.” After patting his head, Aizawa left him to pack.

Izuku didn’t waste any time. He started putting his clothes in the suitcase. Once that was finished, he gathered other things like his Present Mic figurine and keychain, the nightlight, the Eraserhead blanket, a couple of All Might figures, his notebooks, colouring books and supplies, and other books the heroes got him.

He figured bringing his toothbrush, toothpaste, and medication would be important, too, so he pushed himself up to grab those.

However, his leg didn’t like that, and he abruptly fell back to his knees. Izuku gasped in pain and whimpered. Just as he was about to call for Aizawa, he was already out of his room and rushing over.

His leg hurt badly, worse than it has since he left the hospital. Aizawa picked him up carefully.

“Kid? You alright? Do you need your pain meds?” he asked, a bit frantic. Izuku clutched his capture scarf and nodded, “Y-Yes, please…”

Aizawa quickly took them to the bathroom, and he set Izuku down on top of the closed toilet seat. He grabbed the pill and filled a plastic cup with water, handing it to him. Izuku swallowed it and couldn’t wait for the effects to kick in.

“Did you end up packing what you need?” Aizawa asked him, and Izuku nodded.

“I-I was just coming here to… to grab my toothbrush, toothpaste, a-and medication,” he said in response. Aizawa pocketed the pain meds and grabbed the other two items Izuku listed. He picked him up and walked them over to Izuku’s room.

“I’ll check real quick, then we can go downstairs.” Aizawa placed him on the bed carefully and searched through his suitcase.

He only seemed mildly exasperated when he saw the Eraserhead blanket, but otherwise approved.

“D-Did you finish packing too?” Izuku inquired curiously when Aizawa carried him downstairs.

“Mhm. Hizashi just needs to put anything in there that I didn’t grab. The man’s wardrobe could fit five closets, I swear,” Aizawa huffed, making Izuku chuckle.

“I can hear you!” Hizashi cried indignantly.

“I know you can,” Aizawa deadpanned before setting Izuku down at the dining table.

While the heroes bickered, his attention turned towards the cats. Bastard was already making his way to Izuku, meowing loudly and curling around his legs. Sushi watched from the back of the couch with a curious tilt of her head, ears twitching and tail swaying.

Izuku briefly wondered if they somehow knew they were leaving. But that’d be crazy, right…?

Another meow from Bastard shook Izuku from his thoughts, and he looked down at him to see Bastard staring back. Izuku carefully reached down, picked him up, and placed him in his lap.

Bastard calmed down, curling up and laying his head on his injured leg. When Yamada came over to set the food down, he ‘aww’ed at the sight.

Aizawa looked less amused. “No cats at the dinner table, kid,” he said, and Izuku pouted.

“But… he l-looked upset!” Izuku argued, petting Bastard.

Aizawa didn’t budge. “It’s not sanitary. Plus, he might try to swipe at your food.”

Bastard looked like he would just sleep there on his lap, but Aizawa’s stare was a little scary, and he didn’t want to push his luck.

“O-Okay…” he conceded, dejected. Izuku carefully lifted Bastard from his spot and placed him on the floor. Bastard meowed loudly again before plopping down right underneath Izuku’s chair.

Partially satisfied, Izuku started eating.

With his physical therapy continuing, his grip strength was getting stronger, and he could move his arms better. His arms were more scarred than his left leg, so it was hard on a lot of days. Eating was easier, but other things, like writing, were difficult.

Now, however, his right arm was straining to lift the chopsticks. Why, though? He was doing fine! He’d been progressing, the heroes even said so!

The two didn’t notice his struggles just yet, so Izuku continued trying to eat. They were already moving, he didn’t want to worry them further.

His arm didn’t get the memo, though. He managed a couple of bites before his hand spasmed, and the chopsticks dropped to the floor. Izuku froze, and the heroes did, too.

Aizawa was the first to speak, “Kid? What’s going on?”

Izuku’s hands were shaking, and he hid them in his lap. He couldn’t help it: his eyes filled with tears. Why was he such a problem?!

“N-Nothing! I just… dropped them… haha…” he cringed at how horribly that was said. Of course, they didn’t buy it.

“Izu, baby, what’s wrong? Do your arms hurt?” Yamada said, his voice soft and understanding.

It’d really be so much easier if they were just mad at him! He could handle contempt and annoyance. But this care, their too soft voices, their understanding eyes, he didn’t know what to do with it.

It was overwhelming. His tears poured over, and he hunched his shoulders so he couldn’t look them in the eye.

He could hear chairs scraping against the floor before the two heroes were crouched beside him. Bastard had somehow made it onto his lap between the time his chopsticks dropped and the heroes sat in front of him.

Izuku absentmindedly petted Bastard, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. Yamada placed a hand on Izuku’s cheek, coaxing him to meet his eyes. Aizawa wiped his tears away, and he leaned into their touches.

“If you’re in pain, you need to tell us, kid. Forcing yourself to do things that hurt you will only make the pain worse. It might also limit your mobility in the future,” came Aizawa’s voice, tone firm, but he could hear the concern.

Tears just kept falling, but Aizawa didn’t stop wiping his eyes. They patiently waited for him to speak.

“I-I’m just… embarrassed…” he admitted. Before the heroes could speak, though, he continued.

“I was… wa-walking and using my h-hands just fine! I thought I was doing g-good… but they really hurt,” he whispered, eyes squeezed shut now. He didn’t want to see their disappointed faces.

Yamada spoke, “Listener, look at us, please.”

It took a few seconds, but he did, opening his eyes. What he saw shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did. Pure concern coated their features, no traces of irritation or displeasure.

“There’s no need at all to be embarrassed, Izuku. It’s okay if you’re feeling hurt. And you are doing well. But healing won’t be a straight shot. Your muscles and tissue have suffered a lot, kid, for years. It’s normal that you won’t be able to use them right away, even with the physical therapy you’ve been doing. In fact, I think you’re doing too much,” Aizawa explained to him, and he was confused.

“T-Too much?”

“Mhm. We should’ve kept a better eye on it, so don’t blame yourself. While physical therapy helps strengthen your muscles, doing too much can be harmful, too. We may need to get your doctor to reevaluate your situation.”

Izuku didn’t like the sound of that at all.

“Actually, Shou, since we’re staying at UA now, can’t we just get Recovery Girl to look at it?” Yamada asked him, a glint in his eye.

But Izuku paused. “R-Recovery Girl?” he asked, interest piqued.

Aizawa hummed. “True. And it would be easier. What do you think, kid?” This question was aimed at him now.

“I can m-meet Recovery Girl?” Really, that was his main concern.

Aizawa huffed. “Yeah, kid, you can. But you’ll also be treated by her.”

Izuku sniffled but nodded. “O-Okay…” At least it was better than going back to the hospital.

Aizawa had that unyielding look in his eyes again. “But from now on, kid, you shouldn’t hide your pain, okay? Promise us.”

Izuku hesitated for a second, but he nodded. “I p-promise.”

Both Aizawa and Yamada seemed relieved at that. Aizawa wiped his remaining tears and stood up. Yamada stayed crouched, though.

“Are you still hungry, Little Listener? I know you can’t use your utensils, but I’d be happy to feed you!”

Izuku felt a little embarrassed at having to be fed, but he was hungry. “Um… O-Okay…”

At Izuku’s confirmation, Yamada happily sat down in the seat next to him.

“Just let me know if you’re getting full, okay?” Yamada said before grabbing the chopsticks he was using. Bastard was still in his lap, but Aizawa didn’t make any comments about it this time.

For the rest of dinner, Yamada fed him his food. He still felt awkward for the first few bites, but they developed a steady rhythm. Once he was full, he told Yamada, and the hero took his and Izuku’s plates to the kitchen.

Bastard was still in his lap, and it didn’t seem like he was leaving anytime soon. He didn’t mind; he could sit here while the heroes packed the rest of their things.

When Yamada finished the dishes, he went upstairs to finish packing. Aizawa was gathering the cats’ things, it seemed. He was grabbing their bowls, food, and treats, setting them in a big, plastic bag.

Sushi wandered over there, meowing and pawing at Aizawa’s leg. Aizawa leaned down and rubbed behind Sushi’s ear to calm her down. “Relax,” he said, but Sushi didn’t look appeased.

As Aizawa kept grabbing the cats’ things, like their toys and litter boxes, Sushi followed him, voicing her protests along the way. Aizawa must be a master at ignoring the cats’ meows, because he just kept going as if Sushi wasn’t even there.

Weirdly, Bastard didn’t have any reservations. He just lounged in Izuku’s lap, perfectly content. Izuku just watched Sushi, quietly laughing every so often.

When Aizawa finished that, he just stared at Bastard blankly. “Since when were you the reasonable one?” he grumbled, and Bastard just blinked at him slowly, otherwise not responding.

Izuku petted his head. “S-Sushi probably thinks you… you’re leaving her,” he guessed.

“Hmm. Possibly.” Aizawa was rummaging through one of the small storage closets, taking out two pet carriers. That got Bastard’s attention.

Immediately, he started hissing at Aizawa. Izuku froze, wondering if, after all this time, Bastard’s ire would finally turn on him.

But he didn’t. His attention was only on the carriers. Aizawa sighed. “He always gets like this. We usually take these out if they have to go to the vet.”

Izuku tried soothing Bastard by petting him, and while he stopped hissing, he was still on edge. Izuku felt a little helpless; Bastard always seemed to calm him down when he was upset, but now he couldn’t return the favour.

Aizawa noticed his frustration and put a hand on Izuku’s head. “Don’t worry about it, kid. He’s had bad experiences with the vet, that’s all. Even though we’re not going to one, he doesn’t know that.” And then, he added, “This is the least upset I’ve seen him react so far.”

Izuku tilted his head up to look at him. “Really?”

Aizawa nodded. “Yup. You should’ve seen the first time we had to take him to the vet. Hissing, yowling, scratching anything and anyone he could get a paw on. ‘Zashi still has the scars on his upper arm from when Bastard got him. Second and third times weren’t any easier.”

Izuku smiled a little and went back to petting Bastard. He was calmer now, but didn’t completely relax in his lap.

Yamada finally came downstairs, holding his and Izuku’s suitcases. “Alright! I got everything here. Listener, you grab all you need?” When Yamada rattled off some things, Izuku nodded to each one.

“Shou, you got all the cats’ things?” Aizawa confirmed, so Yamada started gathering everything at the doorway. “Perfect! I’ll start putting everything in the car. Shou, keep an eye on Sushi.” With that, Yamada left with their suitcases.

Aizawa grabbed the carrier again, and this time Bastard didn’t hiss.

“Okay, Sushi, c’mon,” Aizawa grunted, trying and failing to grab the cat. Instead, shockingly, she raced over to Izuku and jumped onto his lap, right next to Bastard.

Izuku’s eyes widened, and even Aizawa looked taken aback. Usually, the two cats wouldn’t sit near each other. He didn’t move, unsure of what to do in this situation. Now, Izuku could see a hint of mirth in Aizawa’s expression.

“Looks like you’re our cat carrier, Izuku.”

Izuku’s mouth shaped an ‘o’ and he looked down at the two cats in his lap. Sushi now climbed up onto his shoulder, curling around his neck and staying there. How was he going to bring them to the car?

Aizawa walked over and picked Izuku up, settling him on his hip. This way, Izuku could hold Bastard in his arms while Sushi still sat comfortably around his neck. Yamada came back inside to this exact scene.

He paused in the doorway, looking confused, then he laughed. “Wow, Listener! Look at you, our cat whisperer!”

Izuku giggled and reached a free hand up to pet Sushi on the head. Sushi purred, rubbing her face on Izuku’s shoulder.

They stayed like that while Aizawa brought him to the car. He carefully set him on his seat and buckled him in. Sushi now jumped off his shoulder and instead curled up against his leg, satisfied, and Bastard stayed in his lap.

Once they were all settled, Yamada drove them back to UA.

Even though he just saw UA, he was still so amazed by it. The building was huge, and he’d be staying here! He would miss home, but maybe this wasn’t so bad.

Plus, a lot of pro-heroes teach here! He could meet so many of them! Well, if Aizawa and Yamada allowed it, of course.

Sushi sat on Izuku’s shoulder again when they arrived, and Aizawa held him the same way as when they left the house. Yamada grabbed their luggage, and in Aizawa’s free hand, he grabbed the bag filled with the cat stuff.

Nezu was waiting for them, his cheerful disposition never wavering. “Welcome back! I have already got the system up and waiting for both of your eye and fingerprint scans. I destroyed the duplicate keycard I gave you, so now I am the only being that holds one. Trust that I will not disturb your privacy unless it is truly necessary. Follow me!”

With that, Nezu began walking down the hallway towards the staff elevators. They were hidden in the back of the staff lounge, away from students, and only really visible to the heroes who knew they were there.

While Aizawa and Yamada were setting up, Bastard was just staring daggers at Nezu. He wasn’t hissing or preparing to attack, but he just kept… staring. Nezu noticed, of course, and there was a strange look in his eye.

After a few moments of this, Nezu finally spoke up. “Aizawa, Yamada, are you aware that your cat here has a quirk? What a rare find!”

Silence. Aizawa was staring at Nezu now (which oddly looked a lot like Bastard’s glare), and Yamada was in open-mouthed shock.

“What,” Aizawa deadpanned, eyes flickering to Bastard and back to Nezu, at the same time Yamada blurted, “How do you know?!”

Nezu just smiled. “It’s in the eyes. It’s really obvious if you know where to look… Anyway! I hope you enjoy your stay!” And with no other explanation, he was gone.

Izuku just looked down at Bastard in his arms, fascinated. An animal with a quirk? That was rare!

The three stood there in silence. Then, “That explains so much,” Aizawa muttered under his breath, but Izuku heard it because he was carrying him. Izuku wasn’t sure what he meant by that.

He held Bastard close to his chest. He didn’t seem bothered. Izuku had to analyze further! He wouldn’t be intrusive, of course. Just observing. Who knows what the poor cat went through if he had been discovered to have a quirk before? Maybe that’s why he acted like such a “bastard”?

The three of them were descending to their dorm, their shocking conversation momentarily forgotten. Once they were down there, the elevator opened, and Aizawa moved forward. He took off Izuku’s slides and his own shoes, then set him down on the couch.

Both cats jumped down from him, walking off to explore the new area. Izuku pouted, but he figured that would happen. Aizawa patted his head, bringing his attention to the hero. “Do you want help unpacking?”

Izuku nodded and lifted his arms slightly towards Aizawa. He picked him up again, grabbing Izuku’s suitcase and going to his room.

Aizawa set him on his bed while opening his suitcase on the floor. “Here,” Aizawa said, giving Izuku his Present Mic figure and keychain, which he probably knew Izuku would like to have close to him. He grabbed them and placed them on the bedside table.

Despite Izuku’s protests to help, Aizawa did most of the unpacking. He said it was because of his leg, and that he should be resting it, but Izuku still felt bad.

With Izuku’s direction, his posters and All Might figures have been placed in their correct spots. Aizawa plugged in his nightlight, put his notebooks, colouring books, and regular books on the bookshelves, and set all his clothes in the closet.

It was feeling more like home, but not quite there. It may never be, but Izuku would have to deal with it for now.

Their night was very similar to how they would spend it at home. They spent it on the couch, watching hero documentaries on the TV. Since their first night, it was easy to convince the heroes to keep watching them. Even Aizawa.

Izuku was getting sleepy. He leaned sideways on Aizawa, who didn’t even hesitate to wrap an arm around his shoulders. Yamada took hold of his hand, gently rubbing circles on the back of it.

No, it wasn’t home, but maybe home wasn’t a place. It was whoever you felt safest with.

Chapter Text

3 years ago

“Again!” Sensei shouted, and Izuku weakly pushed himself off the ground. He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take.

Sensei was impatient. He grabbed Izuku by the arm in a crushing grip, yanking him up. Izuku yelped in pain and stumbled to a stand.

“Obey me, brat. I said, again.” Sensei roughly pushed him backwards and Izuku crashed against the wall. He swallowed a whimper and nodded, positioning himself again.

He had just finished being cut open by the Doctor, and usually, Sensei waited at least a day to train him. But he had been in a horrible mood lately, and it had only worsened because of Izuku’s continued incompetence.

His quirk had just manifested. From what he’d gathered so far, he could manipulate the earth. “That’s what happened when Da-... Hisashi… burned me,” he thought.

Izuku raised an arm and tried to summon the earth like last time, but only a small mound had erupted. He had no more energy, but Sensei didn’t care.

He didn’t have time to block the punch that hit him in the face. The force of it threw him to the ground, and Izuku cried out. He curled up into a fetal position, trembling. He couldn’t make out what Sensei was saying, the words were too muffled.

“Are you even listening to me?!” Sensei yelled, stomping over, arm raised. Terrified, Izuku pulled his arms over his head.

A pause. Then, Sensei’s amused voice, “Was that so hard?”

Izuku blinked his eyes open, not aware of when he closed them. Surrounding him was stone, shaped into a half-dome structure that stopped Sensei from coming toward him.

“It seems like you just need a little motivation…”

Izuku woke up, terror still encompassing him. He gasped for breath, trying to sit up, but his arms were too weak to support him. Izuku cried, and he placed a hand over his mouth to silence himself. He didn’t want to wake up Aizawa and Yamada.

His eyesight was blurred from his tears, but he could see Bastard jump down from his bed, darting out of the room. Even he is over it.

Trying to pull himself out of bed, his arms were straining under the pressure. Izuku pushed through it, though. Instead of trying to coordinate his legs under himself to stand, they tangled in the blankets, and he tumbled off the bed.

He hit the floor with a thud, and if his crying didn’t wake the heroes, that surely would. Luckily, the whole floor was covered with carpet, so it didn’t hurt as much as it could have.

Izuku whined, gasping in pain. His body wouldn’t let him move anymore, so he stayed curled up on the floor. He could hear footsteps hurrying to his room, and then Aizawa and Yamada were kneeling on the ground in front of him.

“Izu, hey, hey, we’re here,” Yamada’s gentle voice sounded above him, and he placed a hand on his shoulder. Izuku, still remembering his latest nightmare/flashback, flinched away from the touch.

“Okay, okay. I won’t touch you. You’re safe, baby. You’re in the dorm, remember? Shou and I are right here in front of you.”

Yamada continued speaking, but Izuku wasn’t focused on his voice. He felt a soft sensation on his arm, and he looked down to see Bastard’s tail curling around it. Izuku’s breathing hitched, and his eyes concentrated a little more on the heroes in front of him.

Aizawa was directly in his eyeline, eyes soft and hand outstretched. Not touching Izuku, but offered. It reminded him of his second day at the hospital when Aizawa did the same thing, unsure if he should touch Izuku or not.

Izuku’s breathing eventually slowed and he could only feel the aching pain in his body from hitting the floor. Tears blurred his vision again, and he reached his hand out to grab Aizawa’s. Aizawa didn’t hesitate to hold his hand, slowly stroking the back of it with his thumb.

Yamada had stopped speaking, instead humming a soft tune. Izuku felt a little relaxed at the sound, his body not as tense anymore.

“Can I touch you, Little Listener?” Yamada asked him, and now that he was more aware of his surroundings, Izuku nodded.

Yamada gently placed a hand on his cheek, wiping his tears away. “Where does it hurt, baby?”

Izuku sniffled and took stock of his pain. “A-Arms… and… my right side,” he whispered. Luckily, he didn’t fall on his left side, where his leg was already hurting.

“Can I help you up, kid?” Aizawa asked him, and he nodded. Bastard moved out of the way, but stayed close. Aizawa carefully maneuvered him so he was sitting up now. One flinch and a whimper of pain later, and he was sitting on Aizawa’s lap.

Aizawa and Yamada had positioned themselves so that they were sitting back against his bed. Yamada sat shoulder to shoulder with Aizawa, and he placed a hand over Izuku’s left one comfortingly.

They sat in silence for a little bit, the only sounds being their breathing. Eventually, Aizawa spoke up, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Izuku paused, thinking. Now that he had a clear head and was surrounded by the heroes’ warmth, he felt that he could recount it. Aizawa had started to rub his back while he contemplated telling them, and it encouraged him to speak.

“It was… a flashback. To when I f-first got my quirk…” he said, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“S-Sensei was training me… I-It was after the D-Doctor… experimented on-on me. Usually… he waits. But he r-really wanted to t-test my abilities.” Izuku bit his lip, trying to calm down so he could speak clearly.

“I was… tired, though, and I c-couldn’t do much. He hit me… and I was on the floor. When I didn’t do anything… he came towards me. I was so s-scared, so my quirk activated when I raised my arms. He realized… that I could do m-more when I was in danger. O-Or had a high emotional response to something.”

Aizawa’s hand paused, and he could feel his inhaled breath more than he heard it from laying his head on the hero’s chest. After a moment, he continued rubbing his back in slow circles.

“So training was… a l-lot harder… after that,” Izuku finished in a whisper, tears filling his eyes again. Aizawa placed his free hand on the back of Izuku’s head, carding his fingers gently through his hair.

“You’re okay, kid. You’re not there anymore,” Aizawa quietly spoke, continuing his ministrations while Izuku calmed down. Yamada didn’t say anything, and with a glance toward the hero, he could see that he was angry for him. His eyes were filled with frustrated tears, his brows furrowed.

He noticed Izuku’s gaze, and he squeezed his hand a little tighter. “I will keep saying this, Listener, but you are so strong,” he whispered, wiping Izuku’s tears away like he did earlier.

Izuku leaned into his touch, ruminating on his words. He didn’t feel strong; his body was aching, and, after what he had been through, he felt as if he should be able to handle the pain. Yet he was here, crying and disrupting the heroes’ sleep.

But he didn’t say anything. He was too tired to argue right now. Izuku’s eyes were already drooping closed; his exhaustion had returned. With strength he did not have, he gripped Aizawa’s shirt in his free hand.

“Please don’t leave…” he mumbled against Aizawa’s chest. Izuku couldn’t be left alone right now. The heroes didn’t respond, but Aizawa held him closer, and Yamada wrapped an arm around his back.

Just when Izuku was about to fall asleep, he could feel himself being moved. Izuku blearily blinked his eyes open, and he lifted his head from Aizawa’s chest in confusion. However, Aizawa just gently pushed his head back down.

“Go back to sleep, kid. We’re not going anywhere.”

Izuku didn’t have to be told twice. When he closed his eyes, he fell asleep immediately.

It was late morning, and Shouta and Hizashi were still in bed, a sleeping Izuku in between them. Last night had been rough. Probably one of, if not the, worst nights they have had.

Bastard had barged into their room, meowing loudly and pawing at Shouta to wake him. Once he did, he noticed a second too late that this probably meant Izuku needed them. The solid thud that came from the room next to theirs only solidified that. Shouta woke Hizashi up, and they rushed to Izuku’s room to find him on the floor.

Shouta was worried, deeply worried. Izuku had never hurt himself when coming out of a nightmare. When the kid told them what he dreamed about, he had to suppress his anger and despair at what he heard.

Hizashi did not fare any better. When the kid wasn’t looking, his expression was hardened, tears slowly trailing down his face.

After Shouta and Hizashi brought him to their room, he thought it was over. But he was wrong. The kid woke up at least twice more throughout the night, crying from nightmares or memories. He was never conscious enough to respond to him or Hizashi; he would fall back asleep once his crying stopped.

After the second time, Shouta didn’t get much sleep. Neither did Hizashi. Usually, after a nightmare, the kid slept fine. So this rattled the heroes.

They were both awake now, Shouta gently running his fingers through Izuku’s hair, careful not to wake him. Hizashi had an arm over the kid’s shoulder, thumb slowly stroking his arm.

Luckily, it was a weekend, so Hizashi didn’t have to leave for classes. They had decided yesterday that Hizashi should go back to teaching. It would be easier since they were at UA now, and Shouta could tell that his husband missed it.

Thinking over last night, Shouta couldn’t help but feel guilty. He knew that bringing them here would ensure their safety, but it came at the cost of Izuku’s mental well-being. They would just have to keep a closer eye on him, make sure he was comfortable and knew he was safe.

Shouta’s eyes flicked up to Hizashi, who was already staring at him with a fond expression. “Morning, Shou. I personally think we should stay here all day,” he whispered, making Shouta huff a quiet laugh.

“I wish, but we need food eventually.”

Hizashi raised a brow. “Hmm, alright. I see. So you’re making me get up to make breakfast so you can have more time to lie here with the baby?”

Shouta rolled his eyes. “You caught me.”

Before Hizashi could retort, Izuku shifted in his sleep, curling closer to Shouta. He stirred, slowly opening his eyes, adjusting to the light.

“Good job, ‘Zashi. You woke the baby,” he muttered, causing Hizashi to scoff.

Izuku rubbed his eyes, blinking up at Shouta. His lips curled up slightly. “Morning, kiddo.”

“Morning,” he mumbled back, voice still thick with sleep. Izuku’s hand found his shirt, gripping it again like he did last night. Shouta continued playing with his hair.

“Morning, Little Listener! Are you hungry?”

Izuku’s face scrunched up and he shook his head. Shouta frowned. “Kid, you gotta eat. Even if it’s a little bit.”

He didn’t look too happy at that, but eventually, he nodded. Hizashi took it as a win, getting up from the bed and telling them he’d be done quickly. Izuku stayed where he was, even shuffling closer to Shouta.

They lay there like that for a bit, until Shouta decided they should get up. “How’re your arms? And your side? Do they feel better or still sore?”

Izuku paused, probably seeing how he felt. “Arms… still h-hurt. Side is… okay, m-maybe a little sore.”

Shouta nodded. “Okay, we’ll take it easy today. Let’s go to the kitchen.” Shouta got out of bed first before picking Izuku up to carry him. Bastard had been on the bed the whole time, and was just now getting up when Shouta did.

Learning that their cat had a quirk was surprising, but also not. Bastard acted way too weird to be a normal cat, and Shouta had interacted with many cats in his days. Especially when they brought Izuku home and Bastard immediately imprinted on him like he knew him for years.

Shouta was curious, though, as to what quirk exactly Bastard possessed. Since Izuku was close with him and loved analyzing quirks, he could figure it out. Or make an educated guess; it’s not like Bastard could tell them. …Or could he?

Before Shouta could think of Bastard speaking, he found his way to the kitchen. There were limited groceries in their fridge and pantry, so a simpler breakfast would have to do.

Shouta tried setting Izuku on the counter since he always loved to watch Hizashi cook, but his grip on Shouta’s shirt tightened and he buried his head in his shoulder. Okay, so he was a bit clingy today. That was fine.

Nezu knew him well and stocked up on coffee, so with one hand free, he tried his best to make some. While he was waiting for that, he stood near Hizashi in case Izuku still wanted to watch him.

Izuku tilted his head Hizashi’s way, watching silently.

And Hizashi, noticing that he was being watched, exaggerated some of his movements so Izuku could follow along.

The kid was quieter than usual this morning. It wasn’t too worrying; sometimes when Izuku had nightmares, he would use sign to communicate a lot more often. His disturbed sleep was probably rendering him tired.

Once Hizashi finished, Shouta was already bringing them to the dining table. Testing Izuku’s clinginess, he went to sit him on a chair. However, Izuku wrapped his arms around Shouta’s neck, bottom lip trembling.

“Okay, okay. We’ll sit together.” Shouta sat in his chair, placing Izuku on his lap. Once he realized he wasn’t being separated, he unwound his arms from Shouta’s neck so that he could twist him around and face the table.

The food was set in front of them, and Shouta decided to feed the kid first. Keeping one arm around Izuku’s front, he used his free hand to bring the food to Izuku’s mouth with his chopsticks.

He hesitated for only a moment, then he opened his mouth, letting Shouta feed him. Izuku took a few more bites before shaking his head, signalling that he was full. Not pushing it, Shouta simply set his food aside and started on his own.

Izuku slumped back against Shouta’s chest, as if eating were an exhausting trial. He hoped the kid would feel more energized as the day went on, and Shouta thought he had an idea on how to accomplish that.

“‘Zuku, you wanna go sit outside when we’re done eating?”

Izuku perked up at that. It was subtle, just a straightening of his posture, but Shouta could tell it excited him.

‘Yes, please,’ the kid responded. Shouta shared a small smile with Hizashi and continued eating.

A few minutes later, Shouta, Hizashi, and Izuku were all outside in the courtyard Nezu put in for them. It wasn’t completely open so that anyone could wander in by accident; the large space was enclosed by red brick walls covered in weeds and ivy, allowing privacy. There were a couple of round tables with chairs sitting under an outdoor canopy and a small garden to the left of it. He would have to remember the upkeep on that… Maybe Izuku would want to do it with him.

Other than that, the rest of the space was covered in grass, stones, and trees. It was bigger than their backyard, so that was a plus.

And, if they were here for a while, Izuku could possibly practice his quirks out here.

Izuku pointed to a small patch of grass under a small cherry tree. Shouta walked over there and sat down. This time, Izuku wanted out of his lap, presumably to feel the grass under him.

He still heavily leaned on Shouta’s side, but his hands were brushing through the grass. The tension from last night eased from Izuku’s shoulders.

Hizashi sat on the other side of the kid, and they enjoyed the autumn breeze.

That first day in their new dorm had a rocky start, but the rest was treated like a normal day at home. It took a few nights for Izuku to get used to his new room. He was suffering from many nightmares and flashbacks, but luckily, they subsided when Izuku felt more comfortable in the new place.

Hizashi’s first day back teaching went well. Even though Izuku got used to him leaving during the day at the hospital, he could tell Izuku was struggling when Hizashi left this time. It took a lot of coaxing, but Shouta eventually got him to relax and do some activities that didn’t involve using his arms that much. Hizashi came back to the dorm for his lunch break and has continued to do so ever since.

Nemuri was apparently bothering him about not telling her when and why they acquired a child (her words). Hizashi managed to placate her for now with a very watered-down explanation, but Shouta knew she wouldn’t be satisfied for long.

So, the first week or so was fine. Quiet. Peaceful, even. So, of course, it was ruined by a call from Tsukauchi.

Shouta was outside with Izuku, but instead of sitting together, Shouta was sitting at one of the tables while Izuku played with the grass. He still kept his voice quiet when he answered.

“I have a feeling I won’t like this.”

“Hi, Eraser. Unfortunately, you’re right. ...Hisashi’s dead.” Straight to the point.

Shouta froze, filled with dread. He was silent for a moment, trying to find the words to respond.

“So, he wasn’t transferred to Tartarus?”

Tsukauchi sighed. “He was going to be transferred. This morning was when he would be leaving. But when the officers went to take him, he was found dead. Neck broken. The cameras go static as soon as it happens, so we can’t see who did it or how they got in.”

Shouta rubbed his temple and muttered curses under his breath.

“There were… some files, left behind in Hisashi’s cell. Files on Izuku,” Tsukauchi said, voice tentative.

Shouta frowned. “What files?”

“Graphic ones. With pictures this time. I… advise you not to look at them, Eraser. But I can describe what they say.”

“... No, I will have to see them for myself. You know that, Tsukauchi.”

“I understand, Eraser, but I don’t think you will want to see them. I was almost sick, and I only looked at two.”

That really didn’t sound good. But Shouta had to know, had to consider them for what it was: a threat.

“I’ll be there as soon as possible. Hizashi is usually back by 4, so expect me around then.” Shouta didn’t give Tsukauchi a chance to deny him again. He hung up. If he really couldn’t handle it… Well, he’d deal with that when the time came.

Shouta entered the police station at 4:05 pm, and Tsukauchi was waiting in his office for him. The files he was talking about were closed on his desk. There were five of them.

“I mean it, Eraser. Be cautious,” Tsukauchi warned, pointedly looking away when Shouta grabbed the first one.

Taking a deep breath, Shouta opened the first file slowly. The picture was horrifying, to say the least. It was Izuku lying on a metal table, arms and legs strapped down. Both of his arms were cut open, blood pouring out. The kid was awake, which was the harrowing part. His eyes were glazed over, but he was awake.

There were notes underneath the picture:

Responds best to fatal injuries. Bringing him close to death activates his survival instincts and he frequently pulls on an invisible force; most possibly reaching for his quirk. Nothing has happened yet, but his quirk is definitely dormant. What will activate it is unclear. All for One has been building his strength, but it is a slow process. All for One doesn’t want him dead, but lucky for him, I can heal anything I do to him.

Shouta swallowed thickly, promptly closing the file and moving on to the next.

This one had a picture of Izuku covered in burns. All on his back, shoulders, and arms. They ranged from second- to third-degree burns. Fat and tissue were visible, the skin appearing leathery and gray. Shouta covered his mouth, closing it and putting it down. He didn’t even want to read the text below it.

The next one just had notes.

His quirk is now becoming a problem—how ironic, considering this is what we wanted in the first place. Every time I get close, he uses that damn ability to cover himself. So, I created a prototype that should temporarily suppress or get rid of his quirk. The side effects are unknown, but I will monitor him closely.

Next, a picture of Izuku on a concrete floor, but not from his cell. Maybe the training room. His arm looked mangled, and bruises coated his skin. Izuku’s face was scrunched in pain, and there was blood pooling beneath his head.

New development. All for One instructed Midoriya to make indestructible armour from the earth, and he partially succeeded. He was able to cover parts of his body, but it was not unbreakable. It crumbled within one hit from All for One. What a mess. All for One knows how much I hate stitching broken bones and tissue back together.

Shouta put the file down, walking a few steps back and covering his face with his hands. What the fuck was the only thought running through his mind. Whenever he handled heavier cases, the crime scenes wouldn’t rattle him. If it were truly bad, he would be able to decompress after work. Cases involving kids hit harder, but this was his kid.

Tsukauchi was silent, thankfully. He wouldn’t know what to do if he tried to comfort him, or something.

After a few minutes, Shouta sighed and grabbed the last one. He opened it, and for a fascinating moment, he noticed his hands were shaking. Ignoring that, he looked at the file’s contents.

The picture showed Izuku on the metal table again, but this time, he was unconscious. Or, it looked that way, because his eyes were closed and body slack. His arms and legs were still strapped down, but his shirt was off this time. His whole upper body was covered in blood.

Experimenting on this boy has gotten boring. Two years after extensive training, and no more progress. All for One is so adamant that Midoriya can gain a second quirk, but that has never been recorded to happen. Regardless, I’ve been recreating the same circumstances that led to his first quirk manifestation, yet no improvement. Anyway, cutting into him can be fun, so there’s a silver lining.

Shouta was going to be sick. He closed the file and set it with the rest. Tsukauchi looked solemn, but didn’t speak.

What Shouta realized was that the notes had a more personal tone than the first one he read in Tsukauchi’s office weeks ago. Reading them just added to the horror that were the pictures. Talking about Izuku like he was a thing, saying they were bored of inflicting pain on a child.

Even though he was sure that whoever left those files in the cell placed them there as a warning, most likely from All for One, he couldn’t think coherently about anything. No strategy, no plan to move forward, nothing. It scared him.

“I’m sorry, Eraser. I know this is… well, there are no words. I understand if you need to get back home.”

Shouta hadn’t even told Tsukauchi that he had moved. He just knew he was asking Nezu for help, but he didn’t correct him anyway.

“Yeah, I’ll be going. I’ll call you… tomorrow.” With that, Shouta left.

He’d been sitting in the car for thirty minutes.

Shouta drove back to UA, taking alternate routes and longer ways, too paranoid to drive straight there. He texted Hizashi that he was coming in, but after he set his phone down, he didn’t move.

A few minutes later, his phone rang, showing Hizashi’s caller ID. Shouta stared at it for a moment before picking up.

“Shou? Where are you?”

Shouta sighed, feeling suddenly exhausted. “In the car, I’ll… I’ll be in in a sec.”

Hizashi paused before he responded, “Why did Tsukauchi call you in?”

“Hisashi is dead. And whoever killed him left more files on Izuku. With pictures.”

No response. Hizashi probably realized what that meant.

“And you… looked at them. Shou…” his voice trailed off, voice rough.

“I know, ‘Zashi. But I had to. These are a clear message to us. Well, not directly, but to whoever they think took Izuku. I’m glad I took us here.”

Hizashi agreed with that. “Alright… The kid’s asleep. He was really tired. We can talk once you’re inside.”

Shouta nodded to himself, hanging up after saying goodbye.

He mustered up the energy to get out of the car and into the building. Once down in the dorm, he met Hizashi in the living room. He sat next to him, body slumped, and Shouta dreaded this conversation.

Hizashi placed an arm around him and pulled him closer. Shouta didn’t mind, he needed all the comfort he could get.

It took a few moments, but Shouta eventually spoke up.

“I don’t… even think I can describe them for you, ‘Zashi. They were terrible,” his voice ended in a whisper. He leaned forward, elbows sitting on his thighs and his head in his hands.

Hizashi rubbed his back slowly. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you can’t. What were the files about?”

“They spanned multiple years. Before he got his first quirk, some training notes, how the Doctor – I assume it was him writing these – created the suppression cuff, and the last one was about trying to find a way to get him to manifest the second quirk. God, ‘Zashi. The Doctor has a damn healing quirk. A strong one at that. The pictures…” Shouta stopped, and he could feel his eyes sting.

He hadn’t cried in a long time. Not ever since Oboro. His eyes were normally too dry for him to be able to, but the phantom sensation was there.

“Multiple injuries he shouldn’t have survived. But because of this Doctor, he was healed. Which explains why the doctors at the hospital didn’t see any burn scars or… worse.”

Shouta rubbed a hand down his face before sitting back up, facing Hizashi. He looked sick, and Shouta was glad that he wasn’t there to see the pictures.

“Fuck, Shou…” Hizashi whispered. “This just keeps getting worse. We keep finding out such horrible things about Izuku, and not even from the boy himself!”

“I know. Those villains, or All for One, just want to mess with our heads. He doesn’t know where we are. And he won’t.”

Hizashi nodded, but he still looked troubled. Shouta placed a hand on the back of his neck and brought their foreheads together. Being around Hizashi always made him feel better. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to get those images out of his head.

“Would it be selfish of me to go see the kid? I know he needs his rest…” Shouta trailed off.

Hizashi hummed. “No. He might want to see you if he wakes up, anyway. You left kind of abruptly.”

“Yeah, sorry… I just needed to evaluate the threat. Was he okay after I left?”

“A little quiet, but otherwise fine. I taught him some more English.”

Shouta huffed. “Soon enough you guys will be having whole conversations that I won’t be able to understand.”

Hizashi smiled and kissed his cheek. “We will plan soooo many pranks without you,” he chuckled.

They sat there for a moment before Shouta pulled away. He stood up, and Hizashi followed him to Izuku’s room. Shouta quietly pushed the kid’s door open, taking in the adorable sight.

Izuku was fast asleep, sweatshirt hood over his head and curled under the blankets. Bastard was laying next to him, but awake and staring at the heroes when they walked in.

Shouta quietly made his way to Izuku’s side, sitting on the edge of his bed slowly so he didn’t wake him. Watching him sleep, safe and sound, did make him feel a little better. Yet, at the same time, his injuries flashed in Shouta’s mind.

Trying his best to ignore these thoughts, he slowly ran his hand through Izuku’s curls, carefully pushing his hood down. The kid didn’t wake up, but he leaned into his touch, sighing softly. Even in his sleep, Shouta thought, amused.

Shouta hid a smile in his capture weapon and continued his movements. Hizashi stood leaning against the doorway, watching them with a smile.

After a little more of this, Izuku woke up. He blinked his eyes open and looked up at Shouta. “Hey, kid,” he whispered.

“H-Hi.” Izuku rubbed his eyes with his sleeve and shifted so he was facing him instead of the side. “A-Are you okay?”

Shouta’s chest squeezed. This kid… Asking if he was okay, when Shouta viewed the most disturbing photos of Izuku’s body covered in scars and burns. Obviously, he didn’t know that’s why he was gone, but still.

“I’m fine. Just had to deal with something that Tsukauchi needed.” Shouta didn’t want to keep lying to Izuku about why he kept going to the station, but telling him right now would probably be worse.

Izuku seemed satisfied at that. He relaxed under his touch, and he finally noticed Hizashi in the doorway. His eyes lit up, and he waved, making Hizashi laugh and wave back.

“Hey, Listener. Have a nice nap?”

Izuku nodded and started petting Bastard. “Mhm.”

“Are you hungry? I can make us some snacks.” Izuku pondered for a moment.

“A l-little…” he mumbled, but Hizashi heard him. “Be right back!” and he went off to the kitchen.

Shouta stayed seated on Izuku’s bed. “Do you want help sitting up?” Izuku said yes, so he carefully positioned him upright.

Bastard moved onto Izuku’s lap without much thought. “Any idea on what quirk he has yet?” Shouta asked him. It had only been a little over a week since they all found out Bastard had a quirk, but the kid was smart.

“Um… I’ve been trying to figure it out. I think it may be s-something related to e-empathy. Like… reacting t-to our emotions. Maybe even… feeling them himself. But I’m not sure.”

Shouta hummed, “That makes sense. He is especially connected to you and always reacts when you’re not feeling well. It could also explain his intelligence. You know, whenever you’re having a nightmare, this guy comes and grabs us.”

Izuku looked down at Bastard, shocked. “Oh… I a-always thought he was… disturbed by m-me. So he would leave…”

Shouta patted his head. “Not at all. He knows that we can help you.”

The kid looked like he was having a revelation. Before he could say any more, Hizashi was back. He had a big tray filled with fruit, crackers, different cheeses, and thinly sliced meats. A charcuterie board.

“Here we are! I made some extra for us, too. You don’t have to eat all of it, Listener. Only what you can.”

The three of them sat on Izuku’s bed, Bastard in his lap, and Sushi had made her way in, too. They ate in silence, only sometimes interrupted by Hizashi and Izuku’s small chatter.

Despite earlier events, Shouta knew they’d be alright.

Chapter Text

Shouta didn’t call Tsukauchi the next day. Or the day after that. …Or the day after that. He spent time with his family, making sure Izuku was okay and comfortable.

Once Shouta felt that he had the mental capacity to call Tsukauchi, he did. Hizashi and Izuku were outside, so he had time at the moment.

“Hey, Eraser. How… are you?” Tsukauchi asked, sounding awkward.

Shouta rolled his eyes. “Fine. I wanted to talk about the files you showed me.”

“I figured.”

“Right. Izuku has told us about a man who experimented on him back at the villains’ base. Someone called the Doctor. From what I gathered in those notes, he has a powerful healing quirk. He was able to heal the kid’s second- and third-degree burns with no evidence of it left behind. Same with other injuries like deep cuts and broken bones. The broken bones weren’t healed correctly, but still healed. He was also very smart,” Shouta grimaced at admitted that.

“He created a suppression cuff to erase Izuku’s quirks. He recognized that his quirk was dormant from almost nothing. Do you think you could find out who this guy is? A strong healing quirk, maybe a scientist, or some type of engineer?”

“Hmm. It’ll be hard with limited information, but I’ll try.”

“Thank you, Tsukauchi. Was there anything else?”

“No. Ever since Hisashi had been killed, it’s been quiet. I know you came here to see the files, Eraser, but maybe it’s safer if you don’t show up at the station anymore. Have you arranged alternative measures with Nezu yet?”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. And we have. We’re secure.”

Tsukauchi understood that revealing his location over the call wouldn’t be the smartest idea, so he didn’t ask where they were.

“Good. Are you… going to tell the kid about his father?”

Shouta sighed. He was thinking about that earlier. Would it be a good idea? He didn’t know if Izuku would want to know, or if it would just make him spiral.

“I don’t know. He’s been having a rough time lately, so might have to hold off. Call me if anything else comes up.”

Tsukauchi hummed an affirmative. “Will do.”

The detective hadn’t called since then, which was good, Shouta guessed. He still hadn’t decided if he should tell Izuku about Hisashi. He didn’t need to worry the kid anymore. Hizashi agree with that, so they wouldn’t tell him yet.

When Izuku was feeling better, they took him to see Recovery Girl. She confirmed what he and Hizashi were thinking: Izuku was overdoing his physical therapy. His muscles were strained, and it was causing increased pain, slowing his recovery.

Recovery Girl told him to only do his physical therapy exercises at most once a week and only moderate activities. If he was feeling any muscle strain or sharp pains in his arms or leg, then he was to stop immediately and rest.

Chiyo gave him a threatening look, as if he were the one who needed this advice. But he knew that was just how she showed her concern. Shouta grumbled about it anyway, but Izuku was happy to meet her, so he didn’t say anything else.

It’s been slow, but Izuku’s progress has been looking up since his check-up with Recovery Girl. They followed her advice, only going through Izuku’s exercises once a week and stopping when he showed clear discomfort.

Izuku was getting better at telling them when it hurt, but there was still a lot that could be improved on there.

Today was a Saturday, but Hizashi still woke up early. It was getting colder out these past few days. Their dorm had heating, but Izuku would still bundle up inside. He thought that they should still see Recovery Girl about it, just in case.

Shouta was about to get up when the bedroom door opened, showing Hizashi and Izuku coming in with a tray. He raised an eyebrow, surprised. Shouta sat up in his bed.

“Happy birthday, Shou,” Hizashi said with a wide smile. Izuku was standing slightly behind him, shy and holding something in his hand.

“H-Happy birthday…” the kid said with a wobbly smile.

Shouta’s face softened. Usually, he and Hizashi didn’t do much on his birthday, just stayed in when they had the chance. If it were a weekday, they’d go to work as normal. But this was his first birthday with Izuku.

“Hey, guys. What’s all this?” Shouta asked, and Hizashi placed the tray down on his lap. Homemade breakfast and some coffee; perfect. Hizashi leaned down to press a kiss to Shouta’s forehead.

Izuku climbed onto the bed next to him, handing him a piece of folded paper, a handmade card.

Shouta took it. On the front were the words: “Happy Birthday Aizawa!” and below it, a drawing of three stick figures representing him, Izuku in the middle, and Hizashi on the other side of him, all holding hands.

Smiling, he opened the card that held a bunch of writing:

Happy Birthday, Aizawa! I am so grateful that you saved me and took me into your and Yamada’s home. You are always so kind to me and tell me I’m strong when I don’t feel like I am. You even offered to help me with my quirks, something I never wanted to do but now find exciting! You are a great hero, my favourite one ever ever! I hope you have the bestest birthday today!

For the second time in a short while, crying was a near thing for him.

Shouta pulled Izuku into a hug, mindful of his tray of food. “Thank you, ‘Zuku,” he whispered into his hair. Izuku hugged him back tightly.

Shouta looked up at Hizashi to see the man teary-eyed but joyful. He would cherish this moment forever.

The end of November marked the transition from autumn to winter, a jarring change for Izuku.

Even with their heating system, the kid was shivering. Shouta and Hizashi did all they could to keep him warm, but it wasn’t enough. Another concerning development was Izuku’s perpetual exhaustion. No matter how long he slept, he would still be tired in the morning.

This led to multiple naps throughout the day. Too many. Even Shouta didn’t take this many naps.

Worried, Shouta and Hizashi brought Izuku to Recovery Girl. However, nothing was medically wrong. Chiyo told them it was just exhaustion. It was simultaneously relieving and not; they still did not know what the cause was.

Then, Shouta had a lightbulb moment.

“‘Zashi, the kid thrives off nature. We’ve both seen how revitalized his body can become when he’s outside. With winter here, the earth is frozen and dormant. Do you think…” Shouta trailed off, looking expectantly at Hizashi.

“Shit… Yeah. That makes sense. Still worrying, but it’s a plausible theory. Do you think Izuku has any insight on this?”

Shouta shrugged, “We could ask him. He had been underground when his quirk manifested, and suddenly being thrust into the outside world could have messed up something up with his quirks.”

“And it doesn’t help that he has two quirks related to nature. If that's the reason, he might be experiencing twice the impact.”

That appeared to be true. Izuku was currently asleep on the couch with them, leaning on Shouta. They had been trying to keep Izuku awake throughout the day and limit his naps, but it didn’t seem to work. His body was shutting down involuntarily.

“We need a quirk specialist, Shou. This can’t be healthy,” Hizashi said, expression concerned as he ruffled Izuku’s curls gently.

“But who? Even if Nezu knows someone, I don’t trust them enough to keep this quiet. A kid with two quirks? Unheard of, and multiple quirks are extremely rare in themselves.”

Hizashi sighed. “Then maybe Nezu himself? He may not be a quirk specialist, but he’s smart. With some information from us and Izuku, he may be able to help.”

“It’d be better than nothing, I guess.”

Shouta was stressed. The first time Izuku passed out — from what he now knew was exhaustion — he and Hizashi freaked out. Luckily, he was around to catch him. Shouta thought it was a one-time thing; maybe the kid just didn’t get enough sleep.

He was wrong.

It happened again, later that day. And it kept happening. When he was awake, he was quiet. Speaking and even signing seemed to require too much energy for the kid. They had resorted to yes or no questions a lot of the time, so Izuku would only have to nod or shake his head.

The beginning of it was the worst part. Izuku would barely be awake most days. But now, a week and a half after the first incident, he was able to stay awake for a good few hours nonconsecutively.

Bastard was overly clingy now with Izuku. He looked concerned – if cats could look that way – and he wouldn’t leave Izuku’s side.

Mornings were still rough, but late afternoon seemed to be Izuku’s most active part of the day. Food helped a little, but the downside of that was ensuring Izuku had enough energy in the first place to eat a lot.

The only upside to this was that Izuku didn’t seem too worried or panicked about his constant exhaustion. He wondered if this had happened before, even though Izuku didn’t go outside much in the four years he was taken.

Shouta opened the door of their dorm to Nezu. “Hello, Aizawa! You wanted to see me?”

He nodded and let the principal inside. Shouta called Nezu first thing in the morning to schedule this meeting. He thought it would be a lot easier if Nezu came to them instead, with Izuku’s limited mobility during the day.

“Yes. As I said over the phone, Izuku has been having… trouble adjusting to the weather, and we think it’s because of his quirks.”

Nezu walked with him to the living room, where Izuku and Hizashi were sitting. Izuku was awake, but just barely. His eyes were already drooping as he lay against Hizashi’s chest.

“We know you’re not exactly a quirk specialist, but you have experience in this field and the intelligence to help us. And we don’t trust anyone else with this information,” Shouta explained.

Nezu nodded and stood in front of them while Shouta sat next to Hizashi.

“And you said his quirks are related to nature, yes?”

Both heroes nodded in confirmation.

“Hmm. Interesting.” Nezu stood there, looking over Izuku. The kid was just staring at Nezu with tired eyes, curious.

“Izuku, may I ask you how you feel when you’re outside? Not in this current weather, but before?”

The kid didn’t move or say anything for a few moments. Then, he raised his hands.

‘More.’

Nezu looked as if he were waiting for him to elaborate, but Izuku didn’t.

“Ah, apologies if I don’t understand, Izuku. More, as in, more energetic? Do you feel like the earth propels your quirks?”

Izuku’s eyebrows were furrowed, and he looked frustrated. ‘I feel it inside.’

Nezu nodded. “Has this happened before, Izuku? Back in the villains’ base?”

Shouta shot Nezu a glare for that question. He didn’t want the kid to have a flashback on top of his exhaustion.

However, Izuku didn’t have much of a reaction. He wasn’t sure how much of that was because he was too tired.

‘Rarely outside. But …,’ Izuku’s hands paused, and he shifted slightly in Hizashi’s hold.

‘Felt tired when it got colder outside. Sensei didn’t like it.’

Shouta mentally cursed at the implication of that. Nezu looked troubled for a moment before his expression reverted back to its natural cheerfulness.

“Aizawa, may I please speak with you?” Nezu said and walked out of the living room without giving Shouta much of a choice but to follow. But first, he made sure Izuku was okay.

Izuku sagged against Hizashi, eyes fully closed now. Hizashi pulled him closer, leaning his head down and whispering praises to Izuku.

Shouta sighed softly and walked over to Nezu. “What is it?”

“I appreciate your and Yamada’s faith in me, but all I can do is provide a simple, on-the-surface analysis of what I see. If you think it is more serious, then you will need to look for a quirks specialist who can look at how Izuku’s quirks are working internally. I know someone who can do that.”

Shouta feared this would be the case. “Just tell me what you know first.”

“In my opinion, I think it is simply quirk exhaustion. While Izuku may not be actively using his quirks, they still thrive off of nature to be used, yes? From what you said, he feels more energized outside, and that may just be it. He experiences the highs of it, which will eventually lead to the lows. This is a low. He hasn’t had the exposure, and his quirks are probably going haywire at the abrupt change of environment, causing his fatigue.”

“So his own quirks are harming him?”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t say that. They aren’t used to the rapid fluctuation. It may just need time. When Izuku becomes more used to being outside, his quirks will hopefully settle, then the lows – and highs – won’t be as extreme.”

Shouta hoped so. As he noticed earlier, Izuku was getting better at staying awake for longer periods of time.

“But that is only what I think. I may not be completely accurate! It is a bit hard to make a full evaluation on the limited information.”

“I understand. Thanks, Nezu. If we need to see a specialist, we’ll call you.”

Nezu nodded. “Of course. I… hope little Izuku feels better soon.” With that, he left.

Shouta walked back over to the couch, sitting next to Hizashi. As Shouta expected, Izuku was asleep.

“What’s the verdict?” Hizashi asked him quietly.

Shouta summarized what Nezu told him, and when he finished, he looked over to gauge Hizashi’s reaction. He looked contemplative.

“I mean, it makes sense, logically. But… it just worries me, seeing the kid so devoid of energy.”

Shouta agreed. “I know. It’s hard, but if we continue as we are, the kid will get better. He’s strong. If not, then we have Recovery Girl here to help. And, if we really need it… then we can consider looking into the specialist Nezu knows.”

Hizashi was about to respond when Izuku started whimpering in his sleep. They both immediately turned their attention to the kid, Shouta placing a hand on his head. Izuku’s face scrunched up and his hand gripped Hizashi’s shirt tightly.

Before either of them could comfort him further, Izuku woke up, his eyes darting around before finally landing on Shouta. His breathing slowed, and his grip slightly loosened from Hizashi’s shirt.

“Kid? You alright?” Shouta asked, running his hands through his hair.

“Mm,” Izuku made a sound from his throat, lying back against Hizashi. He didn’t look as tired, but not super awake either.

“Hey, bud. Still tired?” Hizashi asked him softly.

Izuku shrugged. “K-Kinda. I don’t… want to keep sleeping,” he muttered, agitated.

Shouta frowned. “I know, kid. I’m sorry you’re experiencing this. You said to Nezu that you felt it before. Was it this bad?”

He shook his head, “N-No… I… It was only some tiredness. But… my quirk at th-the time wouldn’t… cooperate. Using it made me a lot… more tired.”

Shouta and Hizashi shared a glance. “Okay. You won’t be using your quirks if you don’t want to, ‘Zuku. And I know you’re tired, but it’s getting better, right? Nezu told us that your quirks might be getting used to the environment. Once they adjust, you should be fine,” Shouta reassured.

Izuku nodded, looking a little relieved. “T-That makes sense.”

Before Izuku could fall back asleep, Shouta spoke up again. “You also need to eat. It helps with your energy, kid,” he added the last part when he could see Izuku wanting to protest.

Izuku huffed and rubbed his eyes. “Fine,” he mumbled, dejected. Hizashi shifted, about to get up, but Shouta stopped him.

“I’ll get some food ready. Just stay with him.” Hizashi seemed happy with that, wrapping his arms around Izuku again.

Shouta went to the kitchen, and Sushi happily followed him with a meow. “Yeah, yeah,” Shouta muttered, filling her bowl with cat food. Satisfied, she started eating.

With that out of the way, Shouta made something for all of them that would hopefully help with Izuku’s energy. Once finished, he set everything on the dining table. “It’s ready,” he called out for them.

Hizashi made his way over to the table, Izuku on his hip. Bastard was following steadily, meowing offendedly, probably because Izuku was out of his reach.

When Hizashi tried to set Izuku down, he clung to him, much like he did to Shouta after his series of nightmares.

Hizashi whispered reassuringly to him, sitting with Izuku in his lap. After the first time Hizashi fed him, Izuku was getting a lot more used to it. Shouta didn’t exactly want to make it a habit, but at the same time, he couldn’t force Izuku to use his hands if they hurt.

And, with the colder weather, Izuku’s pain was flaring. Just another thing for the kid to suffer through this winter.

Shouta sat next to Hizashi and Izuku, eating his food. Fortunately, Izuku seemed to be hungry, because he ended up eating a lot more than he had been recently. Good.

After he finished, Izuku didn’t immediately fall asleep, which was another good sign.

Shouta wondered if he’d be up to reading with him. It was something they ended up doing throughout the day as part of his education. Since he wasn’t in school right now, Izuku had a limited way of learning. Granted, he did have sufficient knowledge on some things like analyzing, problem-solving, quirk history, some parts of different mythologies, and knowing different languages. Nezu would have a field day teaching him…

Ultimately, he was still a kid. The books he read back at the base were surely for kids in high school, maybe even college-level. Impressive, but there were still valuable things to learn from books targeted at his age level.

Shouta would encourage Izuku to read aloud to him, but a lot of the time, the kid somehow ended up convincing Shouta to read to him instead. Really, all it took was the kid pouting at him with wide eyes. Those things could be lethal.

Hizashi handed the kid to him, so he went to the living room after grabbing one of Izuku’s new books. “Wanna read?” Shouta asked him.

Izuku leaned his head on Shouta’s shoulder and used his hands to sign, ‘You read?’

Shouta huffed. “I would, ‘Zuku, but it’ll help you stay awake if you read.” Izuku started pouting. He was sure that Izuku knew this was Shouta’s weak spot.

But he stayed firm. “C’mon. At least this one,” Shouta said and opened up the book.

Izuku didn’t argue, but Shouta could tell he wasn’t that happy about it. However, as Izuku read, his mood got lighter. Shouta had to help him with some words; not that he couldn’t read them, but his speech was still a work in progress.

After the third book was read, Izuku was getting sleepy again. His eyes were drifting shut, so Shouta quietly put the book aside. He placed a hand on the back of the kid’s head, gently pushing him so he was completely lying against Shouta.

“Back to sleep?” Hizashi murmured from behind him. Shouta nodded. “Better than before, though. He read through three books.”

“That makes me feel better. Maybe Nezu was right.”

Shouta scoffed quietly. “Of course the rat was right.”

Hizashi chuckled and kissed the top of Shouta’s head. “I’m gonna clean up the rest of the kitchen. You fine here?”

Shouta just nodded, and Hizashi left him with Izuku.

As the rest of December went by, Izuku’s energy levels were thankfully progressing. He still had bad days were he slept through the majority of the day, but other than those outliers, he was able to do more than he could at the beginning of the month.

Christmas was approaching. The kid seemed confused about why a tree and other decorations were being put up. Shouta was neutral to the holiday, but Hizashi loved it. Growing up in a big family, Hizashi always celebrated Christmas and did a lot of common traditions.

With Shouta, they would still celebrate, but just with the two of them. Not that Shouta didn’t like Hizashi’s family, no; he was just never used to big family gatherings and celebrating big holidays. Hizashi understood; his family less so, but they got used to it. Big family gatherings were limited throughout the year, but Hizashi still visited his family regularly to make up for it.

After explaining Christmas to Izuku, he seemed to remember something. “Oh… I w-would sometimes get gifts from m-mommy on that day,” Izuku said, and both the heroes could see him slightly drifting. Hizashi quickly grounded him to the present.

“Is there anything you would like for Christmas, Izu?”

Shouta, though, could already sense Izuku’s answer before he said it. “Oh! Um… N-No, that’s okay! Y-You have gotten so much for me already…” And he knew Hizashi would not accept that answer. Neither would Shouta, to be honest. They would have to make their first Christmas together special.

The day of, Hizashi woke them all up early. Shouta would complain that this could mess up Izuku’s sleep schedule, but he didn’t have the heart when his husband looked so excited. Izuku looked tired, but not too much, which was good.

The three of them walked into the living room, where some presents were placed under the tree. They might have gone a little overboard for Izuku.

Izuku’s eyes were sparkling. “You g-got a lot of gifts for each other!”

Shouta and Hizashi shared a glance, both frowning. “Izu, you know some of that’s for you, too?”

“W-What?” Izuku gasped, surprised. Hizashi smiled. “Yeah! Let’s open them up!”

Izuku looked a little skeptical, but followed them both to the tree. They sat down in front of the tree, Hizashi designating Izuku his gifts.

Most of it was hero merch. The most notable was the light-grey scarf Izuku got, an idea from Hizashi, so that Izuku would have a scarf that looked like Shouta’s capture weapon. The kid loved it and immediately wore it so he could “look like Eraserhead” – Izuku’s words.

Shouta didn’t know how to react to that. Being underground, he wasn’t used to having fans. He liked it that way, actually. But maybe he could make an exception for his so- the kid.

The kid got more notebooks and supplies, more books, and a lot of cat-themed toys and clothes. He loved it all, even tearing up at the end. “This is t-too much!” he cried. Hizashi pulled him into a hug, and Shouta rubbed his back soothingly.

“Like we said before, kid, it’s never too much. You deserve all of this, and more. We wanted to spoil you because you deserve to have nice things, okay?” Hizashi affirmed his words, and Izuku still looked uncertain, but didn’t argue.

After they calmed Izuku down, the kid insisted that they open each other’s gifts now. Shouta let Hizashi go first. He opened up a gift that he and Izuku picked out for him. When Hizashi was teaching, Shouta and Izuku custom-created a print on an apron. It had a cockatoo with big headphones on, mouth open in a chirp and music notes coming out of it.

Hizashi loved it, to say the least. They alternated, so Shouta was opening his now. It was a cheesy mug that read, “Cats & Coffee” with said items printed on either side of the words.

“Izu picked it out for you!” Hizashi said with a wide grin. Izuku looked nervous, but Shouta quickly assuaged his worries. “I love it, kid,” he said, and Izuku smiled. Looks like they both had the idea to let the kid pick out a gift for the other.

There were two left, one each hero picked out for the other. Shouta got Hizashi new headphones that were an upgrade from his last ones, ones he could use for his radio show. Hizashi got him a yellow sleeping bag, and Shouta remembered why he loved him so much.

They shared a kiss, and Shouta could say this was a successful Christmas.

The New Year passed, and winter finally came to a close as March began. The warmer weather helped with Izuku’s drowsiness, and he had a lot more energy now. It was like a switch flipped.

Since he was so fatigued throughout winter, they didn’t really have a chance to work on his strength. They did smaller exercises every now and then, but even Recovery Girl told them it would be worse if they forced Izuku to do physical therapy while he was tired.

Entrance exams were in February, so Shouta and Hizashi had been busy with those. Luckily, Shouta could stay with Izuku while Hizashi ran the actual exam, and Nezu met with the two of them privately to show them the exam and potential students for 1-A.

Izuku was allowed to view it with them, and the kid had a field day analyzing all the quirks that showed up on screen.

As soon as Izuku was comfortable, they sat outside a lot more to help the kid reenergize. It was really helpful. Regardless, Shouta was a little worried about how dependent Izuku seemed to be on the weather, something so precarious. He just hoped this neutralized once his quirks settled.

No calls from Tsukauchi. It was good, but ironically still made Shouta nervous. Silence never boded well with these types of things; calm before the storm and all that.

But Shouta tried not to let it bother him. Key word: try. He still had nightmares over what he saw in Izuku’s files, and he could tell Hizashi was having trouble sleeping some nights, too. Even though Izuku was adjusting well to his new environment, he had some nightmares and sleepless nights himself. Nothing as bad as that first night, but up there.

The best thing he and Hizashi could provide was their presence and protection, letting the kid know he was safe and that they were always there for him.

Now, beginning of April, Izuku was able to walk longer distances for a longer period. His hands and arms weren’t as strong, but they were getting there. They kept physical therapy to once a week, still not wanting to push him until he felt truly comfortable.

The UA term was starting soon, and Shouta and Hizashi were trying to figure out how to manage classes and Izuku. If Shouta actually kept his class this year, he wouldn’t have the time to stay in the dorm and look after him.

Hizashi suggested that they bring the kid to their classes, like Nezu suggested when they first moved in, but Shouta didn’t think that was a good idea. Kids liked to gossip, and it would be a lot harder to keep Izuku safe if something got out.

Shouta was content to expel his whole class again, but Hizashi was less than enthusiastic about that idea.

So, they went to Nezu. Who had an interesting proposition.

“You want to… teach our kid?” Shouta asked, suspicious.

Nezu beamed. “Correct! Nothing too crazy, I assure you. He is still young. But while you and Yamada are in classes, I can look after little Izuku here. You needed a plan for his education anyway, right? Well, this tackles both problems!”

Shouta was still hesitant. Nezu wasn’t exactly the best with human empathy, and Izuku still needed a lot of care. He turned to Hizashi, who seemed to share his same contentions.

“What exactly would you be teaching him? I wasn’t aware you were privy to an eight-year-old’s curriculum…”

“If you would allow it, I would like to give Izuku an assessment test. Nothing too complicated, just something that will tell me exactly how much he knows. I would love to hone in on his skills like quirk analysis, something that is extremely valuable. I believe he could really become a master at it.”

Shouta sighed. “Nezu, with all due respect, Izuku is still a child whom I am not sure you are… equipped to handle. He still needs constant care and reassurance. This arrangement cannot resemble anything close to an experiment.”

“I understand your reservations, Aizawa, but please, I have certain experiences that may help me… relate, in some way, to little Izuku.” His smile was strained, and Shouta was surprised at this small tidbit of information about the principal. Maybe he and Izuku could teach each other something in their time together.

Shouta and Hizashi shared another glance, a silent conversation passing over them. With another deep sigh, Shouta faced Nezu.

“Fine, but, you also need to keep an eye on his physical limitations and ensure he isn’t pushing or hurting himself. He can’t do much with his hands, so you may need to work on the test with him if it’s written. And you notify me or Hizashi immediately if something is wrong.”

Nezu nodded along. “Of course, of course. If you feel it is necessary, maybe you could leave Izuku with me for a few hours before you two start teaching. See how he handles it, and we can adapt from there.”

Shouta and Hizashi agreed. They would also have to talk to Izuku about this and let him know that they couldn’t be with him all day for now. It would be an adjustment for sure, for all three of them.

Shouta just hoped that this wouldn’t backfire on them or make Izuku regress any further.

Chapter Text

Izuku didn’t take the news well.

Shouta and Hizashi sat him down on one of his good days and explained how they most likely will be busy during the day while teaching classes. Izuku was confused and said that he knew that Hizashi had already been teaching during the day. Shouta hated how confused and upset he looked when he had to tell the kid that now he would also be busy teaching as well. As long as his class held potential, that is.

Izuku cried. For a long time. He didn’t want to be alone, and Shouta almost walked right back to Nezu’s office and demanded a substitute to replace him for however long it was needed. But he didn’t.

Instead, he and Hizashi held him as he cried. They whispered soft reassurances, letting him get all of his emotions out. Izuku balled his fists in Shouta’s shirt, shoulders shaking as he sobbed. The sound just broke his heart over and over again. Hizashi wasn’t doing any better.

“Do-Don’t leave m-me…” Izuku hiccuped, pressing his face into Shouta’s shoulder. Shouta wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close.

“We’re not leaving you, kid. I promise. It’ll only be for a few hours, and we’ll visit during lunch. Nezu will take good care of you. We trust him, and he wants to teach you new things. Doesn’t that sound exciting?” Shouta tried to sound optimistic, but he thinks he failed.

Yet, Izuku paused. He didn’t exactly stop crying, but they weren’t heartwrenching sobs anymore, so progress.

“Here, Izu,” Hizashi said, voice hushed as he pushed an object into Izuku’s hands. It was the Present Mic figure Izuku got at the mall all those months ago. He wasn’t sure when Hizashi got this from the kid’s room, but whatever.

Izuku released his hold from Shouta’s shirt, grabbing the figure and holding it to his chest. His hands were shaking, but he didn’t look to be in pain. “We are always with you, Listener. You’ll never be alone, and we won’t ever leave you,” Hizashi promised, his hand over the top of Izuku’s.

Shouta hummed, “And you have this,” he added, tugging gently at the light grey scarf sitting around Izuku’s neck. No matter the weather, he had worn it ever since he got it for Christmas.

The kid was only sniffling now, wiping any remaining tears on his sleeve. As much as Shouta wanted to say fuck it and stay off work to make sure Izuku was okay, he knew that it wasn’t optimal to potentially create an unhealthy situation where the kid couldn’t be without one of them in the room.

If it were debilitating, however, then of course they would work on an alternative. But he believed that the kid could get through this. Plus, it would be good for him. Even if Shouta didn’t exactly favour the rat’s approach to teaching, Izuku needed his education. He just hoped Nezu wouldn’t accidentally mess up, no matter how well-meaning he was.

Shouta was brought out of his head when Izuku leaned against his shoulder again. He was still gripping the Present Mic figure. “I-I can try…” he mumbled, but it was enough. Shouta shared a relieved glance with Hizashi.

Even if it all crashed and burned, they’d be there to pick up the pieces.

It was the weekend before UA classes started, according to Aizawa and Yamada. Izuku had been consumed by nervous energy for days since the two heroes told him they would be teaching. He tried to keep it to himself, he didn’t want to stress them out any more than they already were.

Izuku noticed a lot of things. Like how Aizawa’s shoulders were tense whenever he opened his laptop, working on whatever it was for the new semester. Or how strained Yamada’s smiles were after a long day of prepping for his classes.

When they sat down in the evenings to watch TV, usually Yamada was still energetic, laughing loudly or commenting passionately when something happened that he either agreed with or disagreed with. Aizawa chimed in sometimes, but lately, they were quiet. More tired.

When Aizawa sat Izuku down to read, he had to repeat sentences sometimes when he forgot what he was saying, eyes glazed over and wandering off the page. Izuku wouldn’t correct him; he’d just nod along.

Being hypervigilant of his surroundings and other people’s moods saved him a lot of pain in the base. And that was saying something, considering the pain he did go through in there.

Sensei’s mood swings were unpredictable, but sometimes, he could tell when his mood would take a turn for the worse or the better. He learned to adapt quickly.

So Izuku kept his anxieties to himself. He couldn’t dump his worries onto the heroes after he agreed to stay with Nezu for the day, as he had already cried on their shoulders embarrassingly. Logically, Izuku knew they weren’t leaving him. And he couldn’t be around them 24/7.

But logic didn’t live well in his mind. Logic didn’t work in the base, either. Even if he followed every rule, every command, he’d still be punished. Not that Aizawa and Yamada would punish him! He trusted them and believed their sincerity, but didn’t want to make their lives any harder. More than he already was…

Izuku was currently sitting on the ground in front of the coffee table, colouring in a page filled with florals and different kinds of plants. Aizawa and Yamada were still tense, but not as much, luckily.

Aizawa was on the couch, scrolling on his phone. Yamada had his head in Aizawa’s lap, legs dangling over the armrest. He wasn’t asleep, but his eyes were resting. It was peaceful, and days like this would usually help calm Izuku. However, today was the day he would meet with Nezu and have a “trial run” of what they would be doing in the future while the heroes taught UA students.

His hands were shaking as he coloured, but they weren’t in much pain, just the usual amount. After his fainting spells and constant exhaustion, he felt restless. He was full of too much energy now, the opposite of what happened in the winter.

Izuku wasn’t sure if it was any better. Don’t get him wrong, he was glad he wasn’t sleeping all day, but this buzzing energy had no outlet. He didn’t have to deal with this back at the base; the Doctor would just put his suppression cuff on. Morbidly, Izuku kind of wished he had one on right now.

There was a sharp pain in his wrist that made him drop the crayon he was using. Aizawa, ever observant, glanced over. “Kid? You alright?”

Izuku nodded and hastily closed the book. “Y-Yes. It just- hurts a l-little,” he lied, rubbing his wrist. Aizawa seemed skeptical, but left it alone for now. “Rest it for the day anyway. Plus, we gotta get ready for Nezu,” he said and shook Yamada to get him up.

Yamada whined and flopped back onto Aizawa. “Five more minutes,” he mumbled, placing an arm over his eyes. Izuku stifled a giggle when Aizawa gave him a look that said, You see what I have to deal with?

After shoving Yamada off and ignoring his outraged cries, Aizawa stood up and walked over to him. Izuku instinctively raised his arms, and Aizawa picked him up. Izuku immediately held onto him and placed his head on his shoulder.

Aizawa walked to his room, and Izuku squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Again, he knew that the heroes weren’t leaving him. He repeated it to himself every day. And he was used to Yamada leaving for the day, so why was this hitting him so hard?

Izuku really liked Yamada, but Aizawa saved him. He was the first adult in- well, in four years, to not hurt him. Sure, Kurogiri was nice, and Dabi occasionally spoke to him, but they didn’t make his situation any better.

So leaving him, even if only for a few hours, really scared him.

Aizawa placed him on his bed, and he blinked his eyes back open. Izuku expected him to start picking out clothes as usual, but instead, Aizawa knelt in front of him, his gaze softening.

“Kid, can you tell me what’s going on?” he asked in a soft voice. Izuku froze, confused and slightly alarmed. He gripped his sweatshirt, ignoring the dull pain that shot through his wrist.

“W-What… do you mean?” Izuku deflected, looking away. Aizawa huffed and gently untangled his hands, holding them instead. “You’ve been quiet and stressed out these past few days. You’re not talking to us about it, and you keep hiding your pain. You know you can always talk to us about anything.”

Izuku bites his lip, focusing on their hands. He should’ve known the heroes would notice his stress. Maybe he was good at reading others, but he guessed he wasn’t that great at hiding his emotions, either.

Aizawa was silent, letting Izuku gather his thoughts. He couldn’t lie about how he felt; he was sure the hero would notice, and it felt wrong to, anyway.

“Y-You and Yamada have been… stressed, too, and I-I just didn’t want to add on to it,” Izuku whispered, peeking up to see Aizawa’s expression. He seemed mildly surprised, like he didn’t think Izuku would’ve noticed.

The underground hero just sighed softly, rubbing his thumb over the back of Izuku’s hand. “I’m sorry you felt that you couldn’t come to us about it. To be honest, we have been. We always are before a new school year. There’s a lot to do in so little time. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to hear about anything that’s stressing you, okay? You’re our priority. We should’ve been more open about our feelings, too, huh? Is it me and Hizashi going back to teaching that’s bothering you?”

Izuku nodded, still feeling guilty about it. “Y-Yeah… But I don’t know why! I was u-used to Yamada going… B-But now you…” He ducked his head down again, feeling tears rise.

Aizawa gently lifted his head, bringing a hand up to wipe his tears away. “It’s understandable, kid. We will both be gone now, so it’s still a hard change to get used to. But I believe in you, ‘Zuku. I know you will enjoy the things Nezu will teach you. You love analysis, right? So does Nezu, and he’s the best in the business. So you got quite a deal out of it,” Aizawa smiled slightly, gently nudging Izuku’s right knee.

Izuku did feel better at his words, huffing softly in amusement. He was excited to do more analysis, especially with the “best”, as Aizawa believed. “O-Okay,” he acquiesced, leaning forward a little and lifting his arms, silently asking for a hug.

Aizawa’s expression softened and he met him halfway, wrapping his arms around Izuku firmly, but not too tightly. Izuku leaned on his chest, arms around Aizawa’s neck. They stayed like that for a bit, and Izuku would’ve stayed like that for the whole day if he didn’t have to see Nezu or knew that the position Aizawa was still in was probably uncomfortable.

Eventually, they pulled back. Aizawa patted Izuku’s hands before standing back up. “Alright. Which one? This cat sweater, or this cat sweater?” he asked, a hint of humour in his tone as he held up two of Izuku’s favourite sweatshirts.

Izuku feigned deep concentration as he thought about what to wear. Then, he decidedly pointed to the one on the right. It was a cream-coloured sweatshirt with a brown outline of a cat on it that vaguely resembled Bastard if you really looked at it. “I think t-this one will be best.”

Aizawa nodded approvingly. “Good choice.” He handed it over along with a pair of black pants. “Here. If you need help changing, let me know. Hizashi made a bunch of snacks for you earlier, so I’m going to pack those for you.” After Izuku confirmed he’d be okay, Aizawa left the room, closing the door.

It didn’t immediately make him panic as a shut door once did – but still, it did make his nerves jump a bit before he reminded himself that it wasn’t locked, and the heroes were just a few feet away.

After he finished getting dressed, he opened his door and walked into the main area. Aizawa was in the kitchen, and Hizashi was still lying on the couch, arm over his eyes. His breathing was slow, so Izuku wondered if he was actually asleep this time.

Izuku was still worried about the heroes and how much stress the upcoming semester would put on them. I’m gonna do something nice for them! Izuku thought. They always did things for him when he was stressed, so naturally, Izuku should pay it back!

But what should he do?

Before Izuku could think about it any further, Bastard spotted him from the corner in the living room. He made that his usual lounging spot; he was always there when he wasn’t occupying Izuku’s lap.

With a meow, Bastard padded over and looped around Izuku’s legs in a figure-eight motion. Izuku smiled and sat down in front of him, waiting for Bastard to sit on his lap before petting him. The two of them were content to stay that way until Aizawa walked over.

“Ready, kid? I got your food and notebooks here. Although I really think you shouldn’t be using your hands anymore today. I’ll let Nezu know.” Izuku could only nod because he knew protesting would lead nowhere. Bastard hopped off his lap like he knew he was about to leave, and went back to his spot.

“I also got these,” Aizawa said and handed him his Present Mic figure and the capture scarf. Izuku gasped softly and took them, loosely wrapping the scarf around his shoulders and holding onto the figure tightly. “T-Thank you.”

With a nod, Aizawa easily lifted him from the floor and held him on his hip as usual. Izuku could walk, but this was nice.

The plan was to spend the day with the UA principal as he would be once school started. They would go over what Izuku should expect in their day-to-day lessons. This also included Izuku getting used to being around someone who wasn’t Aizawa or Yamada. Then, for lunch, the two heroes would spend it with him to, again, emulate what their new schedule would look like for the foreseeable future.

Was it selfish of Izuku to wish that Aizawa would expel his whole class again? Probably. But the thought crossed his mind more than once…

“Hizashi,” Aizawa called out, prompting the man to jerk up from his lying position. Aizawa chuckled, and Izuku hid a smile.

“We’re going now.” At that, Yamada scrambled up and met them at the elevator.

“Ah! Sorry, Listener. Didn’t think I’d sleep for that long there.” Yamada ruffled his hair. “Have a great time, yeah? Don’t hesitate to tell Nezu if you need anything!” And then, for the first time, Yamada leaned forward to kiss the top of Izuku’s head.

Izuku’s eyes widened a bit, but not in panic. The action greatly reminded him of his mother and her affectionate nature from… before. Holding back tears that were definitely an overreaction, Izuku just smiled shyly at Yamada and nodded.

The blond hero looked surprised at his own gesture, too, brows slightly pinched in worry. But after seeing that Izuku didn’t react badly, he eased back into a genuine smile. “See ya in a few hours, kiddo.”

Izuku waved goodbye. The heroes kissed, then Aizawa left the dorm.

As they got closer to Nezu’s office, Izuku’s anxiety trickled back, having never truly left. In one hand, his Present Mic figure sat, and in the other, he gripped his scarf. He was immensely glad that Aizawa remembered to bring these two things. It wasn’t the heroes themselves, but the items still brought comfort.

Eventually, they made it. Nezu had his door open already, so Aizawa didn’t have to knock.

“Welcome!” Nezu greeted, eyes bright and grin wide. While Izuku didn’t exactly think the principal was disingenuous, he still found his constant cheeriness unnerving. Izuku shyly waved, and Aizawa set him down on the chair in front of Nezu’s desk.

“Morning, Nezu. I got all of Izuku’s things here,” Aizawa said while he set the bag that he was carrying down beside Izuku’s chair. “And you have my contact if anything goes wrong. And I mean, anything.”

Wow, Aizawa could be really scary.

Nezu wasn’t fazed, though. He just nodded, a smile still present on his face. “Of course! I will message you if Izuku here needs anything or if there is any complication.”

Seemingly satisfied, Aizawa grunted and turned to kneel before Izuku. “Alright, kid. I’ll see you at lunch, okay?”

“O-Okay,” Izuku responded. Aizawa’s lips quirked up slightly before he stood, ruffling Izuku’s hair and leaving.

Now, it was just him and Nezu. Still nervous, Izuku fidgeted with his Present Mic figure, eyes averted. It was quiet, and Izuku could feel Nezu’s assessing eyes on him.

Then, the chimera broke the silence. “How are you feeling, Izuku?”

Surprised, Izuku’s eyes flickered to where Nezu sat at his desk, hands folded professionally in front of him.

“U-Um… I’m okay.” After a moment, he whispered, “A- A little nervous…”

Nezu’s smile softened into something kinder. “That is to be expected. I’ll admit, I am also quite nervous!”

Izuku stared, disbelieving. “R-Really?”

Nezu nodded. “Really. I am not exactly… good, at reading human emotions or understanding all of their needs, especially a young child. So, if I make any mistake, which I am bound to do, please let me know.”

Still shocked, Izuku nodded slowly. “U-Um… Sure.”

“Excellent! Now, I was going to make up some sort of test for you, but Aizawa informed me before your arrival that your hands hurt. So, I have a question.” Nezu paused dramatically, and Izuku leaned forward subconsciously, wondering what he would ask.

“Have you ever played a game of chess?”

The next few hours passed surprisingly well, with Nezu demonstrating how chess works and then Izuku trying it out for himself. It was fun! After getting over the initial frustration of losing to Nezu, Izuku told himself that Nezu was a genius, and this was his first time playing chess. It was only logical that he’d lose.

But every time? Nezu could at least humour him! Well… Actually, he wasn’t sure that Nezu letting him win would make him feel better, anyway.

Eventually, Izuku got the hang of it. Not so much so that he would win against the chimera, or even come close to it, but at least he wasn’t losing the game almost immediately.

He swore, Nezu’s cheerful Checkmate would haunt his dreams.

Hours passed like this, and Izuku almost forgot that Aizawa and Yamada were supposed to come for lunch. When the office door opened with a “Hey, Listener! Did’ya miss us?!”, Izuku jumped and turned quickly to face the heroes, chess game momentarily forgotten.

Nevertheless, Izuku nodded emphatically and raised his arms towards Yamada. The man indulged him, scooping him up into a hug. Izuku held on tightly, acting like he hadn’t seen them in years instead of just a few hours.

Aizawa came over and ruffled his curls, a tiny smile gracing his face. “Hi, kid. Having fun? Brain melted yet?”

Izuku huffed a small laugh and confirmed he was having fun. “N-Nezu is t-teaching me chess!” he exclaimed happily. Aizawa’s expression abruptly fell flat, his gaze narrowing on the principal behind him.

Before Izuku could panic, thinking maybe he wasn’t allowed to do that, Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, “Damn rat.”

Nezu's grin only widened at that.

Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, Izuku tightened his hold on Yamada. Yamada squeezed back, then turned to face Nezu. “It’ll probably be easier if we eat in the lounge. Do you… want to join us?” Yamada’s voice was hesitant, but Izuku thought it was kind that he asked.

Nezu only shook his head. “That’s alright, Yamada, but thank you. Enjoy your lunch together.”

That was all the confirmation they needed before leaving the room.

Izuku put his head on Yamada’s shoulder, and the man ran his fingers through Izuku’s hair. “We missed you, kiddo. I cooked us up some lunch, but ya know…” Yamada lowered his voice conspiratorily, “Once UA classes start, Lunch Rush will be here, and we can ask him to make us some food. How does that sound?”

And that made Izuku’s head shoot up, eyes sparkling. “R-Really?!” he exclaimed, gasping. Izuku had dreamed of tasting Lunch Rush’s food. And now it could be a reality! Like every day!

Yamada chuckled, and even Aizawa looked amused. “Of course, kiddo.”

“You know what that means, right, ‘Zashi? The kid will eventually prefer Lunch Rush’s food over yours,” Aizawa adds in, lips pulled in a smirk.

Yamada gasped, affronted. “Blasphemy! Izu wouldn’t ever! Right, Listener?” he turned his pleading eyes on Izuku, and he had to hold in a laugh.

“N-No one could top y-your cooking, Yamada,” he reassured.

“Awww, Izu!” Yamada squealed and hugged Izuku tighter. And Izuku did genuinely mean it.

(Not that he would ever tell Lunch Rush, though…)

The three sat in the lounge, Izuku on Yamada’s lap, and Aizawa beside them. They ate in contented silence until Yamada asked about his day and how he liked chess.

After chatting and eating for a little while, the heroes had to bring him back to Nezu. While he was upset, he wasn’t as anxious as he was earlier.

Aizawa carried him back to his office and set him down in his chair. Yamada kissed his head again, and Izuku was happy that this would become a normal habit for him.

Some goodbyes were said, and Izuku was left alone with the chimera once again. But this time, before they could continue, Izuku had a question.

“U-Um… N-Nezu? Can… Can you h-help me with something?”

Nezu tilted his head inquisitively. “Of course. What is it?”

Izuku wrung his hands nervously, looking down. “I w-wanted to do some-something for A-Aizawa and Yamada… B-But I can’t do it alone.”

Izuku told him his idea, and Nezu was more than happy to help.

The rest of his time with Nezu was spent playing some more chess and going over his analysis. Aizawa packed his notebooks, so he showed him, and Nezu looked absolutely delighted when Izuku explained his code. And a little… terrifying. He also got the hang of cracking it quite easily.

Nezu complimented his analysis. Izuku kept the ones about his quirks to himself for now. He wasn’t ready for that; there was still some lingering fear that Nezu might read about his quirks and want to do his own… experiments, on him.

He knew that Aizawa and Yamada trusted Nezu, but Izuku couldn’t shake that feeling so easily.

Nezu helped with Izuku’s plan near the end of their time together because it was a bit of a time-sensitive ordeal. Finishing in the teacher’s lounge, Nezu messaged Aizawa asking them to come up.

On the main table in the room was a spread of miso soup, rice, meat, and an array of vegetables. Nezu did most of the work, but Izuku helped where needed. He wanted to make a meal for the heroes; they always cooked for him, so he wanted to return the favour! Izuku didn’t know how to work a stove, so that’s why he asked Nezu for help.

And for Aizawa’s birthday all those months ago, Yamada told him that Aizawa generally didn’t have a preference for food, as long as it is homemade, he will most likely love it. Additionally, Izuku knew that Yamada loved homemade dishes as well, since he always cooked for them.

He just hoped his attempt – well, Nezu’s attempt and his help – was sufficient.

Nezu left him alone after they set up the table, but it wasn’t for long. Aizawa and Yamada were already coming in when Nezu rounded the corner.

Izuku stood next to the table nervously, wringing his hands together forcefully. When the two walked in, Izuku noticed how stressed they looked. More than earlier. He frowned, but didn’t question them. He was just glad he did this for them.

The two finally noticed him, and they looked slightly confused at why he was alone, before their gazes caught onto the setup behind him. It was funny watching them both make the same expression at the same time.

They turned to him, Yamada looking surprised and emotional. Aizawa was more subtle, but Izuku noticed his eyes crinkle slightly around the edges.

“Did you make all this for us?” Yamada asked, coming over to hug Izuku. He hugged him back, nodding. “Mhm. W-With Nezu’s help!”

Aizawa ruffled his hair. “Wow, the rat really agreed to help you?” he muttered, tone pitched with amusement. Izuku nodded anyway, smiling. “Yeah! I d-didn’t uh… trust myself with th-the stove.”

Yamada chuckled and pulled away. “Good idea. Maybe I can teach you later!” Izuku gasped. “Y-Yes, please!” He wanted to be able to do it by himself next time.

The three sat together, enjoying their food. Izuku’s hands were feeling better, so he was able to feed himself this time. He only gave himself a small portion because he knew he wouldn’t eat much.

Even though Aizawa and Yamada were happy with the meal, praising him as they ate, they were still noticeably tense. Izuku was worried, but he hoped that they’d be okay.

Earlier…

Shouta and Hizashi had just gotten back from their lunch with Izuku. Even though they’d just seen him, Hizashi was already complaining about missing him. Shouta couldn’t really blame him, though; he missed the kid, too.

It would only get harder once classes started on Monday.

To take this time for granted, both of them finished up on their lesson plans. Shouta would have to prepare the rest of his heroics class once he saw his class in person. Even though he had a good idea from the entrance exam, the quirk assessment test he usually conducted on the first day would give him a better insight into his students’ strengths and weaknesses.

Shouta and Hizashi sat next to each other in silence, Sushi lounging on the armrest and Bastard on the carpet, tail curled around his body. It was nice, but would’ve been better with the kid around.

Their peace was broken up by the buzzing of Shouta’s phone. Glancing over, he did a double-take when he noticed who was calling. Tsukauchi. Hizashi and he shared a glance before Shouta grabbed his phone and pressed Accept, then the speakerphone option.

“Hey, Tsukauchi. You’ve got me and Hizashi here.”

“Ah, perfect. Remember what you told me about the doctor? It took me a while, but I have a file here that may match what you told me. A man named Eikou Kobayashi, born in 2045. Super powerful healing quirk, he heals the tissue and muscle directly. He worked as an actual doctor, a pediatrician, for many years. But… something happened during his practice that made him renounce his license. In the following years, he was recorded creating and selling drugs that allegedly were strong enough to dull or completely erase a user’s quirk temporarily. This sounds a lot like that suppressor cuff he engineered on Izuku.

Anyway, the station actually arrested him a few times, but he always found a way to escape. His last arrest was dated May 23rd, 2082. He’s been gone ever since, disappeared. If this is him, I assume that’s when he got in contact with the villains.”

Shouta and Hizashi shared a glance. This was probably their guy.

“Does he have any family?” Shouta asked him.

“Uh…” Shouta could hear Tsukauchi riffling through some papers before he spoke up again. “He did. A wife, Yuna Kobayashi, and… a daughter. Kohana Kobayashi. Both deceased. No other family members mentioned.”

They were all silent at that. Shouta wondered if they were one of the reasons why Kobayashi ended his practice and suddenly started to sell illicit drugs.

Hizashi was the one to speak next, “So, are you going to tell the Chief? Get some people to look after him?”

Tsukauchi hesitated, and Shouta already knew he wouldn’t like the response.

“I already did. And he said if we didn’t have direct proof of this man being the Doctor, then we didn’t have a reason to go after him. Something about accidentally prosecuting an innocent man, and all that. We have a picture of what Kobayashi looks like, and… the only people who could confirm his identity are the villains or… Izuku himself.”

Shouta sighed, rubbing his temple. “Of course, nothing is ever easy with him, is it? Is it really the only way?”

“I’ve drawn the necessary parallels between him and the Doctor you described. But he doesn’t care. Ever since the leads dried up months ago, he hasn’t exactly been optimistic about finding the villains involved or All for One. Hisashi was his breakthrough, then… Well, you know. So it’s either direct confirmation or nothing.”

Hizashi shook his head, looking angry. “So, traumatize our kid more or let this man – who is most likely our suspect – go, ruining our chances of finding him and eliminating at least part of the threat.”

“I know… I’m sorry, guys. I know it’s been hard the past few months…” Tsukauchi trailed off, unsure of what to say.

“You’re only trying your best,” Shouta said, though he didn’t like it either.

Tsukauchi was silent for a moment. Then, “If you decide something, let me know. Sooner would… be best,” he muttered, before ending the call.

Shouta placed his phone back on the coffee table, leaning back against the couch with a long, drawn-out sigh. “Do you think it’s worth it?”

Hizashi leaned back with him. “It depends on how seriously the chief takes this. And we don’t have to show Izuku right away. What if we just asked him if he is up to it? See his reaction, then go from there.”

Shouta nodded, otherwise silent. Hizashi grabbed his hands. “What’re you thinking?”

“Just… I want Izuku to be safe. To not have to interact with those people anymore. But everything that comes up involves hurting him in some way.”

Hizashi sighed and wrapped his arms around Shouta, and he reciprocated. “I know, Shou. I know,” he whispered, and they sat there like that for a while.

Now

Shouta was pleasantly surprised to find the kid stood in front of a table full of food, telling them that he got Nezu to help cook this for them. Shouta swore that this kid was an angel. Once again, Shouta had to bear some bad news about Izuku, and yet, the kid was the one comforting them, whether he knew the true reason they were stressed or not.

Once they started eating, Izuku was quiet. Shouta could tell he was most likely surveying their mood, seeing past their forced calmness. They were genuinely happy that the kid gifted them this, of course, but the tense conversation from before was still hovering over their heads.

Izuku was a lot more perceptive than he lets on, and while that is a good trait to have, he was too young to notice these things. And it could lead to potential misunderstandings if the kid wrongly thought their bad mood was his fault.

When they finished, Shouta turned to face Izuku. “That was really good, kid.” He ruffled his hair, and his stiff shoulders relaxed slightly when Izuku shyly smiled.

He and Hizashi put the dishes away, waving off Izuku’s attempts to help them. “Relax. You made this for us, so let us clean up.”

Izuku sat back in his chair, huffing, but not actually upset. Once finished, Shouta picked him up, settling right on his hip as usual. “Alright, let’s go down.” The kid lay his head on Shouta’s shoulder, eyes fluttering closed.

Shouta was worried that Izuku’s exhaustion from winter would carry over, regardless of the new season. It waned by late February, luckily, and Izuku was back to a relatively normal sleep schedule – when he wasn’t having nightmares. Only sometimes he got tired enough for mid-day naps.

The three of them went back to their dorm. Sushi and Bastard were waiting by the door, both of them meowing loudly as soon as they walked in. Hizashi leaned down to pet Sushi, but Shouta walked past them. Bastard followed on his heels, likely wanting to see Izuku.

Shouta glanced back at Izuku, seeing that his eyes were still closed, but not sleeping. “Hey,” he whispered, and Izuku’s eyes blinked back open. “Tired?”

Izuku shook his head and lifted it, and Shouta was sure he was telling the truth. He didn’t notice any lingering drowsiness.

He took a seat on the couch, Izuku in his lap, and Bastard jumped up to sit next to them. Hizashi sat on the other side of Shouta. They shared a glance, then Hizashi turned to face Izuku.

“Hey, Listener. We wanted to ask you something,” he started, voice low and gentle.

Izuku’s eyes darted between the two of them, his nerves clearly rising. “O-Okay…”

Hizashi reached forward to hold Izuku’s hand, and the kid squeezed it. “We got a call from Tsukauchi earlier. He’s been looking into… the Doctor,” he said slowly, both of them watching the kid’s reaction.

Izuku flinched minutely, but Shouta still caught it. They stayed quiet, though, waiting for Izuku to speak. “Did he… find him?” Izuku asked, brows slightly pinched in confusion.

“Possibly. Tsukauchi has a suspect in mind, but he’s not one hundred percent positive. Does the name Eikou Kobayashi sound familiar to you?” Hizashi continued, hoping it would be easier if Izuku somehow knew his name. Shouta figured he didn’t, though.

Confirming his suspicions, Izuku shook his head, looking troubled. “N-No. I only… knew him as th-the Doctor.”

Hizashi leaned forward slightly. “That’s alright, kiddo. Tsukauchi has a picture. And… You’d be the only one to confirm whether it is him.”

When Izuku realized what that meant, his eyes widened slightly, and he looked a bit scared. He didn’t answer immediately.

Shouta and Hizashi looked at each other, worried. This already wasn’t going well.

“I w-wouldn’t have to… see h-him? J-Just a p-picture?”

Hizashi nodded. “Yes, hun, only a picture. We wouldn’t put you in danger like that ever,” he responded, tone heated a bit near the end. Izuku wasn’t bothered by that, though, and looked only slightly relieved.

“O-Okay… Um, I c-can do that.” He still seemed uncertain, which Shouta wasn’t exactly happy about.

“If you don’t want to, kid, you don’t have to. Don’t force yourself,” Shouta reminded, rubbing his back slowly.

Izuku still looked contemplative, but he seemed less tense than before. “I th-think I want to… I w-won’t actually be n-near him,” he said, appearing to reassure himself of the latter.

Both heroes nodded in confirmation. “Right. You won’t be in his presence; you would only look at the picture Tsukauchi has, and tell him if you recognize the man as the Doctor or not,” Hizashi repeated.

Izuku nodded absently, suddenly looking tired, even though earlier he said he wasn’t. “I-I’ll do it.”

Shouta was reminded of the time Izuku agreed to do the interview with Tsukauchi months ago. He suspected that the prospect of potentially saving future victims of the Doctor was Izuku’s motivator, similarly to how him answering Tsukauchi’s questions could help people not be victims of the villains and All for One.

Not for the first time since taking care of Izuku, Shouta hoped this wouldn’t go wrong.

Chapter Text

Shouta woke up abruptly, inhaling sharply. His heart was pounding and he had to force himself to calm down, taking deep, purposeful breaths. Once his breathing was back to normal, Shouta took in his surroundings.

He was in his and Hizashi’s bed, the room slightly lit from the open doorway. Hizashi must be up already. It was the day before the UA semester started, and the heroes intended to take the day to relax.

Izuku was sleeping soundly next to him. The kid wanted to sleep in their room because he missed them all day prior from being with Nezu. Hizashi of course said yes, and Shouta would be lying if he said he didn’t miss the kid, either.

Flashes of his nightmare lingered. It was usually hit or miss on whether Shouta remembered them or not. This one was about those horrid files on Izuku he looked at some months ago.

He sighed, turning over to look at Izuku and reassure himself that he was okay. Shouta gently ran his fingers through Izuku’s hair, tension leaving his shoulders, and the nightmare slowly being forgotten. Why couldn’t they just stay here, like this, instead of having to take this kid to identify his abuser? Even if he wasn’t seeing him in person, he knew it would still trigger something.

Izuku just couldn’t catch a break.

After a little while of this, Izuku eventually stirred, groggily blinking his eyes open. Shouta’s features softened slightly when the kid noticed him there. “Morning,” Shouta mumbled.

“G-Good morning,” Izuku replied quietly, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. He shuffled closer to Shouta, his head lying on his shoulder now. Izuku has been getting a lot more comfortable around him, being the first to initiate contact now. He was getting there with Hizashi, too, but he wouldn’t shy away from Hizashi’s touches either.

They lie there in silence, letting the kid use the time to wake up properly. Shouta could faintly hear the rustling around in the living room of Hizashi doing whatever he was doing. Bastard, surprisingly, wasn’t with them, probably in his newly claimed spot in the corner.

Shouta had just closed his eyes again to rest them when he felt Izuku shift and lift his head from his shoulder. “A-Aizawa?” the kid asked, his voice still quiet, barely there.

“Hm?” Shouta grunted, keeping his eyes closed.

“I-Is that your f-friend?”

His eyes opened now, glancing over his shoulder to see what Izuku was looking at. On his bedside table was a picture frame of him, Hizashi, and Oboro in the middle, back in high school at UA. Shouta looked like he’d rather be elsewhere than taking this photo, and the other two had big, cheery smiles that matched their personalities.

Shouta had to swallow forcefully past the lump in his throat so that he could respond. “Yes. He was a friend of mine and Hizashi.” What an understatement.

Izuku realized Shouta’s use of the past tense when referring to Oboro because he asked, “Wh-What happened?”

Shouta paused, wondering if he would be able to talk about him.

When Oboro died, grief hit Shouta hard. He and Hizashi were Shouta’s closest friends during his second year at UA, and Nemuri came along later. By that point, Shouta fully intended to breeze by his years at UA alone, but he realized how stupid that was as soon as he let them into his life.

Oboro was one of the reasons he stopped feeling so lost around that time. He supported Shouta, bringing him out of his own self-pity and finding his purpose as a future hero. Besides Hizashi, Oboro was one of the only people in his life who truly believed in him.

So losing him so abruptly, when Shouta could’ve saved him, thrust Shouta into some of the darkest times in his life. He will forever be grateful to Hizashi for never giving up on him then, even when he had all the reasons to.

When Shouta hesitated for a moment too long, Izuku’s eyes widened a little. “I-I’m sorry! Th-That was rude… You don’t… have to tell me,” his voice faltered, struggling.

“No, no, it’s fine, kid.” Shouta continued running his fingers through Izuku’s hair, hoping to calm him down. It also allowed him the courage to speak about it. “His name was Oboro Shirakumo. I met him during my second year at UA. We were doing a Hero Work-Studies program, and during a battle with a villain, Oboro was killed by falling concrete hitting him in the head.” Shouta’s voice was mechanical, as if he were describing a random news story he heard on TV rather than his closest friend dying in front of him.

Izuku’s face, perceptive as ever, scrunched into something like concern and understanding. And wasn’t that just upsetting, that a kid as young as Izuku could comprehend that pain and grief?

“I-I’m sorry…” Izuku whispered, and while Shouta normally hated hearing those words being said whenever Oboro’s death came up, he could tell that the kid truly meant the sentiment. It still wasn’t his favourite response, but he didn’t immediately bristle when hearing it.

“It’s alright, kid. It was a long time ago.”

“But it still… h-hurts, doesn’t it?” Izuku asked tentatively, as if he wasn’t sure if he should really be asking this.

Surprised, Shouta huffed. “Yeah. Yeah, it does.”

There wasn’t much time for more conversation, because the door pushed open some more, and Hizashi appeared, hands on his hips. “Hey, sleepyheads! Are you gonna spend all day in here or what?”

Izuku giggled and sat up. “M-Morning,” he called out. Shouta sat up next, and he just knew his hair was a mess from the look Hizashi gave him.

Before he could say anything, though, a mournful meow sounded from Hizashi’s heels. Sushi and Bastard stood there, though the sound appeared to have come from Sushi by the way she was glaring up at his husband.

Hizashi chuckled, “Looks like someone’s hungry. What about you two?” He glanced at the two of them in bed, and Izuku nodded. Shouta hummed a positive as well.

“Alright, I’ll get breakfast started. You two get dressed.”

Hizashi left the room, and Shouta got out of bed. He helped Izuku get out of bed, too, and set him down. “Go get dressed. If you need help, let us know, okay?” With a nod, Izuku left for his own room.

Shouta sighed when Izuku left, his shoulders slumping. He kept most of his composure when talking about Oboro, but that, along with his nightmare, just left him exhausted. He didn’t regret telling Izuku; it’s just been so long since he talked about it, especially with someone who didn’t know Oboro.

They still had to meet Tsukauchi so Izuku could identify the Doctor. Izuku didn’t seem too anxious about it as he usually did when recounting anything about the base, so that was a good sign.

After taking a minute with himself, he dressed in casual clothing and placed his capture weapon around his neck. More out of habit than out of caution.

When finished, he walked out into the main area. Hizashi was still cooking, but Shouta could tell he was almost done. Izuku was still in his room, so Shouta wrapped his arms around Hizashi’s middle and leaned his head on the back of his shoulder.

He could hear the smile in Hizashi’s voice when he spoke, “Hey, Shou. Coffee’s over there.” He tilted his head to the side, gesturing to the already-made coffeepot and Shouta’s favourite mug sitting beside it.

Shouta grunted and tightened his arms around his husband instead. Hizashi paused, placed the spatula down, and turned in Shouta’s hold to hug him properly. “Okay, what’s going on? You always run for the coffee immediately,” he joked, but Shouta could hear the underlying concern in his voice.

Despite everything, Shouta huffed a quiet laugh. “The kid asked about Oboro,” he whispered, and Hizashi tensed briefly. “Oh,” Hizashi breathed, resting his head on top of Shouta’s.

“I told him what happened. Surprisingly, it went well. But still…” he trailed off, knowing Hizashi would understand. He did, nodding against Shouta’s head and just holding him there.

Shouta heard soft footsteps coming from Izuku’s room. He reluctantly pulled away from Hizashi, seeing the kid standing right outside of his room, looking at them nervously. Shouta crouched down, holding an arm out for Izuku so he knew he was welcome.

Izuku hesitated, but eventually made his way over and into Shouta’s arms. He picked him up, Izuku instinctively wrapping his arms around Shouta’s neck. “I-I’m sorry for… for a-asking about your f-friend…” Izuku whispered, looking guilty.

Shouta shook his head. “Don’t be, kid. I wanted to tell you about him. Maybe, in the future, Hizashi and I will tell you more about Oboro and all the mischief they dragged me into.”

Hizashi scoffed. “As if you didn’t willingly join us most of the time,” he grumbled, but with no real heat behind it. Izuku’s tension bled from his shoulders, and he watched them with a small smile. “I-I would like that.”

Breakfast went on as usual. With the meeting with Tsukauchi looming over their heads, Izuku still seemed at ease; it was almost like he forgot about it, which Shouta sort of hoped wasn’t the case.

Tsukauchi agreed to meet in Nezu’s office, which seemed like the most secure location. Even though there haven’t been any recent threats, Shouta still wanted to keep it safe and not go to the station with this. Especially with Izuku.

A couple of hours later, Tsukauchi messaged him, letting Shouta know that he was almost at UA. He showed Hizashi the text and gestured for him to get Izuku, who was sitting with Bastard on the couch.

“Hey, Little Listener,” Hizashi said as he approached Izuku. The kid met his eyes, sitting up straight. “It’s time to meet Tsukauchi. Are you ready?”

Shouta could see Izuku tense slightly before nodding. So, not completely at ease, then.

When Izuku shifted, Bastard leapt off his lap and stalked off to his corner. The cat watched them all as they got ready to leave, which honestly unnerved Shouta a bit.

Izuku wanted to wear his scarf, and Hizashi happily brought it to him from the kid’s room. Shouta rolled his eyes fondly and walked towards the elevator. The other two met him there, and Shouta brought them up.

Izuku was gripping Yamada’s hand tightly, but he doubted it bothered the hero, since his grip wasn’t that strong. He was nervous, but knowing that he was only seeing a picture and not the real Doctor was a bit reassuring.

But not by much.

When the elevator opened up to the teacher’s lounge, Izuku followed them on shaky legs. His free hand was gripping his scarf around his neck. It brought him some comfort, even when Aizawa was physically here with him.

Luckily, the walk wasn’t that long, so they made it to Nezu’s office quite quickly. Nezu was sitting in on the conversation, which made him a little more nervous, since he hadn’t told Nezu anything about his time… there.

He just hoped Nezu wouldn’t mention it during their first official time together.

They entered his office, Aizawa going in first. When Izuku walked in, he noticed Tsukauchi right away. He was wearing almost the same thing as last time: a long, brown trench coat, a brown hat, and a white shirt underneath.

Nezu was drinking tea at his desk, silently observing. So, nothing new there.

Tsukauchi greeted the heroes and gave Izuku a kind smile when he acknowledged him. Izuku waved to him, and before Tsukauchi could say anything, his eyes flickered to the scarf around his neck. Izuku watched as the detective looked back and forth between him and Aizawa, and saw as realization lit up his eyes.

His smile curled into something more amused, but Aizawa shot Tsukauchi a look that had him staying quiet about whatever he was about to say. Instead, Tsukauchi said, “Nice to meet you again, Izuku. How have you been?”

Izuku fiddled with his scarf before responding, “I-I’ve been okay.” An overly simplified answer, truthfully, which he’s sure Tsukauchi caught with his quirk. But he didn’t think that the detective really wanted to hear about Izuku’s troubles since he last saw him.

Yamada led him over to the couch that sat to the side of Nezu’s office. Both heroes sat on either side of him, and Tsukauchi took his seat in front of them. He had the usual things: his notepad, pen, and recording device. What was new was the light brown folder he set on the coffee table in front of them.

“So, even though this should be very quick, I still need to record this for the Chief and make sure he knows my quirk was used to confirm the identity. Is that alright with you, Izuku?”

Izuku nodded. Tsukauchi placed the device on the table and turned it on. He went through a similar spiel to the one in the hospital, introducing himself, Izuku, the heroes, and then asking Izuku’s consent to record so that it would be legally viable.

After Izuku’s verbal confirmation, Tsukauchi picked up the folder. “Okay. Here is the picture and name of the man I believe is the Doctor, a man who caused a lot of torment to Izuku,” he explained, probably for the recording’s sake. Still, the mention of him made Izuku uneasy.

“Izuku, I’m going to show you a picture of him. All you need to do is tell me if this is the Doctor, okay?”

Izuku nodded, but Tsukauchi gave him an apologetic look, which reminded him that he needed to verbally respond. “O-Okay,” he said, throat straining a little.

Tsukauchi slipped out a photo, along with some papers. He set the papers face down on the table and flipped the picture around for Izuku to see. Izuku froze, registering the face quickly. While the man in the photo looked younger, he could tell, undeniably, that he was the Doctor.

His breath hitched, and he was snapped out of it by Yamada squeezing his hand. He blinked, then stammered out a response, “Um, y-yes, that… it’s him.” Tsukauchi muttered a True, and went on talking about something, he wasn’t sure what. His focus was struggling to stay on the conversation.

Izuku felt himself being pulled into Yamada’s side, and Aizawa’s comforting hand was on his back. Yet, all he could hear was the Doctor’s taunting voice telling him how much fun they were going to have, his screams when the knife pushed into his skin, the buzzing sound of the glaring lights above his head.

He was very disoriented. He didn’t even know where he was right now. His vision was going dark, and when he opened his eyes after who knows how long, he saw Yamada and Aizawa kneeling in front of him, hands on either side of his face.

Izuku blinked some more, clearing the black spots dotting his vision. It was Yamada’s hands on him, and Izuku lifted his own to grab onto the man’s wrists. Yamada was wiping something underneath his eyes, and it took him a moment to realize he was crying.

Izuku really hated not being in control of his own body; it left him too vulnerable.

“Hey, baby. Are you back with us?” Yamada’s soothing voice filled his ears, and Izuku nodded. He quickly looked around and realized they were back in the dorm. So the questioning was over?

Aizawa sensed his confusion. “Tsukauchi got all he needed. He was only recounting the information he had on Eikou Kobayashi, the man you saw, for the official recording near the end.” When you spaced out was left unsaid, but Izuku understood anyway.

“O-Oh. Okay. I-I’m glad he…” Izuku didn’t remember what he was going to say. Instead, he leaned forward, suddenly exhausted. He didn’t think this would affect him so much. Izuku greatly miscalculated the influence the Doctor had on him. He thought only seeing a picture wouldn’t be that bad, but evidently, he was wrong.

Yamada maneuvered him so that he was resting against his chest, now in the hero’s lap. “Rest now, baby. We’ll be here when you wake up.” Izuku kept a weak grip on Yamada’s sweatshirt until he fell asleep.

The rest of the day had been difficult. Izuku was clingy and emotional, more than usual. But they dealt with it. It didn’t help, though, that they had classes the next day, and had to leave Izuku with Nezu.

He seemed relatively fine in the morning, and he didn’t have a meltdown when they left, which Shouta had been prepared for. Hizashi said it was cute how much of a worried Dad he was, which Shouta glared at him for. But it wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

He just wouldn’t admit that to Hizashi.

The first day went better than Shouta had expected. His class wasn’t entirely useless; some even gained Shouta’s approval during the quirk assessment test. He kept his eye on a select few who had the potential of being expelled or, at the very least, moved to gen-ed.

Other than that, nothing major.

Even Izuku seemed more upbeat at the end of his time with Nezu. He chatted excitedly about the new things he was learning about analysis, the Doctor situation forgotten entirely.

Well, Shouta shouldn’t have spoken too soon.

That night, and for the following few, Izuku had some nasty nightmares. Many of which had him thinking he was back in the base, and Shouta and Hizashi had to stay up with him most of the night to convince him he was safe. It was rough for the first couple weeks back at UA.

However, Nezu noticed Izuku’s lack of sleep most days and let him sleep on his couch. Those days usually ended better than they started.

By the end of April, Shouta had only expelled five students, and three were transferred to gen-ed. A record, really. At least Izuku seemed amused, Hizashi less so, since he was gaining more students.

The second week of May, though, brought something interesting. Nezu contacted Hizashi and him for a private meeting and stressed that Izuku could not be present for it. He explained that with his fragile state, he may not be in the right headspace to hear the news.

Of course, this only stressed the two further. Shouta and Hizashi could only think of the worst situations, and they could tell that their tense moods were troubling Izuku. They really needed to find a way to hide that better.

On the day of the meeting, Shouta and Hizashi had to leave Izuku alone in the dorm. It was a weekend, so they didn’t have classes to worry about. But both he and Hizashi were uncomfortable with leaving Izuku alone, even if it was in their dorm.

Nezu assured them that the meeting wouldn’t take long, but the rat should know by now that Izuku shouldn’t be alone. But Shouta also knew that Nezu wouldn’t be so adamant about this if it weren’t important.

…Maybe Shouta should consider Nemuri as a potential babysitter. She would give them a lot of shit for keeping the kid a secret from her, but he knew she’d be ecstatic.

Izuku was nervous and trying to hide it, but with Bastard in his lap and Sushi on the couch next to him, Shouta knew he’d be okay for now.

“We’ll be quick, kid, promise.” Shouta ruffled his hair gently, lingering a second longer than usual to make sure Izuku relaxed. Hizashi leaned down to give him a hug, which Bastard didn’t like. He meowed loudly, swiping at him, but not actually touching him.

Hizashi comically leapt back from Izuku and Bastard. Izuku’s shoulders shook with barely contained laughter, while Bastard just looked smug. Shouta had to cover his smile in his capture weapon.

“Well!” Hizashi sighed, clearly shaking off his momentary terror. “See ya in a few, Listener. Try not to get into too much mischief, yeah?” he joked, shooting Izuku a wink.

Izuku smiled a little. “I-I’ll try.” Hizashi cooed and, at the risk of getting scratched by Bastard, leaned down to give Izuku a quick kiss to the head. Bastard allowed it.

They said their goodbyes, and the two of them left in the elevator. Hizashi’s grin fell as soon as they were out of sight of the kid.

“Shou, I swear, Nezu better be correct that this is important enough to drag us away from Izuku…”

Shouta sighed, “I agree.” They could only wait and see.

When the elevator brought them to the teacher’s lounge, they made the familiar walk to Nezu’s office. They didn’t even have to knock when a voice called out to them, “Come in!”

Shouta opened the door, letting Hizashi in first before going in and shutting the door. They took their seats, and Shouta looked at the rat sitting at his desk. He had his tea, of course, but his expression was not his usual cheeriness.

“I’ll make this quick. I know you have Izuku at home,” he started, taking a sip from his cup. Shouta crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

“All Might was badly injured in a recent villain fight. It had completely incapacitated him, at least for now,” Nezu said, voice neutral.

Before Shouta could ask what the hell this had to do with them, and why it was so important that they had to leave Izuku alone, Nezu gave him a look, and Shouta snapped his mouth shut.

“That villain was All for One.”

Now, Shouta had nothing to say to that. Neither did Hizashi. After a moment of silence, Nezu continued.

“Apparently, All Might was doing some sleuthing when he got back from America. He and Tsukauchi are very close friends, you see, so when the detective started being cagey about his recent case, All Might got suspicious.”

Shouta didn’t like where this was going at all. If All Might knew about Izuku–

“Aizawa, I can see what you’re thinking, but please, let me finish,” Nezu interrupted his thought process. Reluctantly, Shouta nodded and eased back against his chair. He didn’t even notice when he leaned forward.

“As I was saying, All Might got frustrated. When Tsukauchi wasn’t around, All Might searched through his files and saw All for One’s name. Coming to his own conclusions, he went off to find him. He didn’t see anything about Izuku, because Tsukauchi understands how classified that information needs to be. Those files were safe and sound in a spot he put them in.

”Now, I don’t know many of the details, but their fight was disastrous. All Might was severely injured, but so was All for One, according to Gran Torino, who was with him and sustained only minor injuries. Gran Torino is sure that All for One is dead, but without seeing the body, we can’t be sure.”

Shouta shared a glance with Hizashi, both of them shocked. Shouta still didn’t know what to say.

Nezu took another sip of his tea. “So while I can’t say for certain that All for One has been neutralized, he is, at the very least, in hiding and severely injured.”

Shouta recovered first. “Why wouldn’t this news be good to tell Izuku?”

Nezu shrugged. “You may know more than I, as his guardians, but I just wanted to be one hundred percent certain that any mention, while positive, wouldn’t trigger anything. I saw how he reacted to a photograph of this… Doctor person. Maybe Izuku would be relieved to hear that All for One is injured, but without direct confirmation of his death, it may not do much. And, isn’t All Might Izuku’s favourite hero? Hearing about his injuries may upset him, too.”

Shouta thought about it. He had a point. Plus, he and Hizashi hadn’t even told Izuku that his biological father was dead. He wasn’t sure if they should spring this on him. Shouta wanted to wait it out anyway before going back to normal life and normal patrols, just in case.

“Do you think we could… go back home? Shou could start doing patrols again?” Hizashi asked Nezu, and the principal took a moment to think about it.

“I can’t say for certain. However, I will be monitoring all channels and keeping a close eye on the underground scene. I did find out he was active, after all. If I hear anything, even a sliver of information, you will know.”

Shouta nodded. If he were confident in anything, it was Nezu’s way of getting information. “Understood. Thank you, Nezu. If that’s all…” he trailed off, and stood up when Nezu nodded.

Hizashi followed him out of the office, his voice hushed when he spoke to Shouta. “Can you believe it? I wonder how badly All Might was injured, if he’ll go back to heroics…”

Shouta scoffed. “I don’t think anything could stop All Might from being a hero. He’ll somehow find a way.”

Hizashi nodded, but didn’t say anything else. Shouta was anxious to get back to Izuku. They were only gone about ten minutes, but still.

Once they made it down, Shouta slipped off his shoes and padded into the living room. Just as he was about to call out for Izuku, he saw him on the couch, curled up and asleep. Bastard was lying next to him, wide awake, tail swishing back and forth slowly.

Shouta frowned, sitting on the edge of the cushion. It was still late morning; Izuku didn’t nap until later, and that was still rare since the winter. Hizashi walked in, stopping just before the arm of the couch and placing a hand on his hip. “He’s asleep?”

“Mm.” Shouta rubbed Izuku’s shoulder, watching the tension leave them. “Wonder if he had a nightmare last night,” Shouta muttered, worried that now, Izuku was hiding his nightmares from them. This was the opposite of what he wanted.

Hizashi sat on the other side of him, slowly, so that Izuku wouldn’t wake up. “That’s concerning, Shou. How do we convince him that he can trust us with these things?”

Shouta placed his free hand over Hizashi’s, and he intertwined their fingers. “He does, but his trauma won’t let him. Do you remember how incorrigible I was, after Oboro died?”

Hizashi quietly scoffed, “Of course.”

Shouta’s lips lifted in a small smile. “Right. You showed me, time and time again, that you were there for me, yet I kept pushing you away. I didn’t want to drag you down with me; you were also grieving him.”

“Shou…”

“I felt like a burden. I hid my worst nightmares from you, the panic attacks, the meltdowns. Retrospectively, I was being stupid. Yet at the time, it seemed like the most rational thing I could do.”

Hizashi lay his head on Shouta’s shoulder. “I hate when you hide things from me like that. Even back then.”

“I know, love,” Shouta whispered. “And Izuku will come to us. He always has.”

When Izuku woke up, he told them he was having trouble sleeping at night after a little encouragement. He felt bad about keeping it from them, but Izuku insisted he could deal with it by himself.

He and Hizashi immediately objected to that, telling the kid that he shouldn’t handle something like that alone. It took a bit more coaxing, but Izuku agreed to come to them when he had nightmares or couldn’t sleep — or both.

The following week was somewhat fine. The stress Izuku had been carrying seemed to diminish whenever he told Hizashi and him when he was having nightmares or trouble sleeping. Nezu didn’t have any update regarding All for One, so Shouta tried not to worry too much about that.

The week after that, Tsukauchi called, sounding distressed.

“Eraser? There’s someone here at the station requesting you specifically. He’s… I think he’s that warp villain Izuku mentioned? I can’t remember his name.”

Shouta froze, shocked. “Kurogiri?”

“Uh, yeah, I think so. He literally warped himself into a holding cell and kept asking about you. He says he has information.”

“What? Tsukauchi, this is clearly a setup–”

“I already asked him if anyone knew he was there, and he said no. He was telling the truth.”

Shouta sighed, running a hand down his face. “Why me specifically?”

“He remembers you from the day you rescued Izuku.”

Hizashi was coming into their room at that point after a shower. The kid was in bed. Seeing Shouta on the phone, his husband shot him a confused look. “Just a sec,” he mouthed, then went to answer Tsukauchi.

“How long will this take?”

Tsukauchi hummed, “Depends on what he has to say. But probably not long.”

Shouta glanced at Hizashi briefly before responding, “Okay. I’ll text you when I’m on my way.” He ended the call just as Hizashi sat on the bed next to him.

“What was that? Why are you going somewhere this late?” Hizashi asked him.

“Tsukauchi. Apparently, Kurogiri, the warp villain from the base, put himself in one of their cells and asked for me. Said he had information and only recognized me because I was the one to rescue Izuku.”

“And you’re really going to go?”

“Mm. Tsukauchi said Kurogiri wasn’t lying about going there by himself. It has to be about All for One.”

“Shou,” Hizashi reached over, touching his shoulder. “Can’t this wait? You’re considering meeting with a villain who had a hand in Izuku’s time there.”

Shouta put his hand over Hizashi’s. “I know, I know. But Izuku told us that this Kurogiri was more of a caretaker. Maybe he has actual, useful information. We can find out if he really knows where Izuku is, and if All for One is out of commission.”

Hizashi stayed quiet for a few moments, pensive. Then, he let out a tired sigh. “I just hate how much you’ve been doing this alone. I feel like I’m the underground one here,” he joked, chuckling.

Shouta huffs. “Right. After this is over, only bringing villains to the station and leaving will be a relief.”

They stayed like that for a while longer before Shouta stood. “I’ll update you as soon as I’m done.” They kissed, then Shouta grabbed his capture weapon and left quietly.

When he got to the station, Tsukauchi was waiting at the front for him. “Thanks for coming.”

Shouta grunted and followed him to the cell Kurogiri was in. It was empty, so they would have the opportunity to speak freely.

Once Kurogiri noticed them, he stood up from his position on the floor. His glowing yellow eyes stared through him, unwavering. “Eraserhead.”

“What did you need me here for?” Shouta asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kurogiri’s head shifted to where Tsukauchi was standing, then back to him. “Can we speak alone?”

Shouta shook his head. “Tsukauchi will be here to let me know if you’re lying or not.”

“Ah. A sort of lie detector quirk, then?”

Tsukauchi didn’t respond, but Kurogiri didn’t necessarily seem like he would do anything malicious with that information.

Before they could say anything else, Kurogiri turned to face him again. “I assume you know of the attack between All Might and All for One?” Shouta nodded in confirmation.

“I don’t know how much you know… But All for One was hit hard. His head was destroyed, and many of his quirks have been lost. He is… less, than what he was before.”

After Tsukauchi confirmed he was telling the truth, Shouta asked, “Why are you telling me this?”

Kurogiri was silent for a moment. “Is Izuku safe?”

Shouta bristled. “How do I know anything I say, you won’t go telling All for One? He may not know you’re here right now, but you could still tell him anything you find out here.”

Kurogiri shook his head. “All for One is barely hanging on to life, I assure you. He won’t know I’m gone, let alone understand anything I tell him.”

Tsukauchi nodded. Shouta sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine. Why do you care about Izuku’s safety? Last I saw, you were about to let Hisashi take him away.”

Again, Kurogiri was silent, probably weighing his words. “You know, I don’t have any memory of my life before All for One. I’m not even sure if this quirk is my own. But… when I saw how Izuku was being treated, how kind he still was to me, even though I had orders to bring him to Sensei, or the Doctor…

”I don’t know. I always follow orders; it’s all I’ve known. So when Hisashi had this ‘plan’ to take Izuku back for himself, I wasn’t going to go through with it. Honestly, I was going to bring him here. It was the least I could do.”

Shouta shared a glance with Tsukauchi, who muttered True after Kurogiri stopped talking. There was a lot to unpack. Kurogiri didn’t know about his quirk or his life before All for One. Even though he was complicit in Izuku’s torture, he still wanted to get him to safety near the end.

Not that that absolves him of everything, but Shouta was surprised.

Kurogiri continued. “Then, I saw you. And for some reason…” he paused, and if Shouta could see any facial expression, he’d assume Kurogiri was frustrated. “I can’t explain it. But I had this feeling like I knew you from before, when I wasn’t like this.”

Shouta frowned. Knew him? He wasn’t sure what that meant. Tsukauchi looked at him, confused, and Shouta shrugged.

“Anyways, I felt that I had an… obligation to let you know.”

It was silent while Shouta tried to come to terms with everything he was hearing. So All for One was out of commission, but for how long? Kurogiri made it seem like he’d be down for a while, and Shouta could only hope that was the case.

As for Kurogiri recognizing him, he wasn’t so sure what to do with that.

“Izuku is safe,” Shouta remarked. He figured he should know that much. But that was all he would give away, just in case.

Kurogiri bowed his head. “Thank you.”

Shouta wanted to ask him one more thing, but Kurogiri had already warped himself away. If he was helping him, why didn’t Kurogiri just… not go back to All for One? If he truly was that injured, then couldn’t he slip away?

When I wasn’t like this echoed through his mind. Was Kurogiri created? Manufactured specifically to obey All for One’s orders? He also mentioned that he didn’t know if the quirk he had was his own. Did the Doctor have something to do with it?

So many questions left unanswered, but nothing he could do about it now. All he wanted to do now was tell Hizashi the fairly good news. Maybe Nezu, too.

Chapter Text

Every day was the same.

“Heya! I’m Oboro. What’s your name?”

Vacant, black eyes stare back at him, wary and untrusting. “Aizawa.”

Wake up, check on All for One, assist the Doctor with anything he needed, sleep, repeat.

“I saw your quirk during the Sports Festival. It’s sick! You overpowered those guys like it was nothing!”

But it was peaceful.

With Izuku gone and All for One inactive, he had more time to himself. More time to think. To… remember. But remembering was painful.

The memories weren’t his own, yet they were at the same time. It was from another time, another life. They floated in front of him, just out of reach. Flashes of people he thought he had never met before.

“Shouta! Hizashi! Come look at this!”

Except for one… Eraserhead. Or Shouta… Aizawa? The name was unfamiliar, yet it came to him so easily when he saw him that night. It didn’t make sense. How could he simultaneously know and not know a person?

Besides those memories, he remembered clearly when he woke up seven years ago to the Doctor and All for One’s faces looming over him. He was to be All for One’s assistant, and All for One his ‘master’.

He had no issue following orders. Much like he told Eraserhead (it felt too intimate to call him Shouta — that was for someone else, someone who wasn’t him), he blindly obeyed until Izuku came around two years after that.

“Stop calling me that.”

“But we’re best friends, aren’t we?! I keep telling you to call me–”

Oh, Izuku. That boy. Kurogiri wasn’t sure what he was — human or not — but if he had a heart, it broke every day seeing him suffer for so long.

Kurogiri knew he didn’t try hard enough to help Izuku. His entire being was created to serve All for One — quite literally. If he even thought about going against orders, his body would lock up and suffer through an extraordinary amount of pain.

He wasn’t sure if this was happening because of a quirk All for One had, or the Doctor made him this way, but he never wanted to feel like that again.

“What’s going on with you?”

“None of your business.”

“Of course it’s my business. Shouta, you’re coming to class with bruises all over you. And don’t tell me it’s from hero training. We both know I don’t believe that excuse.”

So, he obeyed orders. He was to be Izuku’s caretaker, and he was. It was never explicitly stated what that entailed, so of course, Kurogiri cared for the boy in ways he knew All for One hadn’t originally meant.

Regardless, it wasn’t enough.

(He constantly ignored that voice in his head for years that told him this was wrong, this was not who he was, he was supposed to be a hero-)

Recently, memories of his past life were becoming more solid. There was a name intruding on his mind continuously — Oboro. Was that his name? Could he claim it? Did he have any right to?

“OBORO WATCH OUT–!”

During the last few weeks of Izuku’s imprisonment, he felt that it was easier to disobey All for One’s orders. Not completely, no; but when he hesitated, that searing pain was dulled significantly. He found loopholes in All for One’s reasoning that allowed him to get away with things he wouldn’t have been able to before.

The memories weren’t completely clear just yet. He wondered if remembering would sever his connection to All for One fully, or maybe he was wrong altogether, and the reason he had more freedom was because of All for One’s current state.

He wasn’t sure. But he couldn’t risk it just yet. The Doctor was still working hard to fix All for One’s injuries with his quirk. Powerful as it was, he still had limits.

However, he was still recovering. And Kurogiri wouldn’t know what would happen were he to wake up and that connection was reinforced tenfold.

“We’re all totally gonna work at the same hero agency together after UA. I don’t care if you’re going for underground heroics, Shouta. We’ll make it work!”

“Pft. Whatever you say.”

He needed to remember, and he needed to do it now.

Chapter Text

When Shouta returned to the dorm, he quickly and quietly strode to his room. Just in case Hizashi fell asleep – which he doubted – he opened the door quietly, and was met with a surprising scene.

Izuku was in their bed, fast asleep but curled against Hizashi, who was awake. He glanced over when Shouta came in, eyebrows furrowed, tense.

Shouta frowned and slowly sat on their bed. “He okay?”

Hizashi sighed softly. “Yeah. He came in shortly after you left; he had a nightmare. He asked about you. I just said you had something to take care of, but you’ll be back. He was worried, but… he was too tired to stay up.”

Shouta removed his capture weapon and got back up to change into more comfortable sleep clothes. He wanted to discuss the conversation with Kurogiri now, but he could see how tired Hizashi was, too, even if he was trying to hide it.

“Let’s talk about it in the morning?” Shouta suggested, and Hizashi shrugged.

“If it can wait until tomorrow, I assume it’s not too urgent?”

“Mhm.”

Hizashi smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. “Alright. Goodnight, love you,” he whispered, and Shouta returned the sentiment, falling asleep easily.

In the morning, he woke up alone. He assumed Hizashi got Izuku out of bed to help him make breakfast. Anticipating the conversation they were going to have, he sat up and went through his usual morning routine before going out to the main room.

In the kitchen, Hizashi showed Izuku what he was doing as he cooked, whispering things that made Izuku smile and giggle. Shouta’s lips quirked and he walked over, greeting Hizashi with a kiss on his cheek and Izuku by ruffling his hair. “Morning.”

“Hey, Shou!” Hizashi grinned widely, and Izuku shyly whispered a Good morning back. Shouta poured his coffee and leaned against the counter. He watched them cook – well, Hizashi cooked, and Izuku observed and occasionally helped – as he took sips from his mug.

Once breakfast was done, they all sat together. Izuku had been eating on his own recently; he rarely needed help with it. He knew Hizashi loved feeding him, but he’d let Izuku make that decision if he wanted assistance.

It was quiet, all of them practically done eating now, and Shouta thought it would be perfect to bring it up now. He was originally going to leave Izuku out of the conversation, but he felt the kid would want to know. Shouta would be tactful about this; if Izuku showed signs of distress, he’d stop.

“So, I was at the station last night with Tsukauchi,” Shouta spoke suddenly. Hizashi glanced at him, momentarily confused before realizing what he was talking about. Izuku seemed worried.

Well, the best way to talk about it was to just get straight to the point, right?

“Kurogiri was there asking for me. He said he had some information about All for One.”

“K-Kurogiri?” Izuku mumbled, eyebrows pinched. “What did… he say?”

“He told me that All for One was out of commission. He was gravely injured recently, so much so that he won’t be bothering anyone for a long while.”

Hizashi was shocked but quiet, for once; the reaction that really mattered was Izuku’s. The kid was silent for a few moments, and Shouta was honestly concerned he wouldn’t say anything… Until he bent forward, head in his hands and shoulders shaking from sobs.

Shouta shared a quick, panicked glance with Hizashi before they both went around to where he was sitting. “Kid? Hey, ‘Zuku, it’s alright,” Shouta soothed, internally panicking still as he kneeled in front of Izuku and placed a hand on his shoulder. Hizashi stood by his side and also rubbed Izuku’s arm in support.

“S-Sorry, sorry… I just…” Izuku hiccuped and wiped his tears away unsuccessfully. “I’m so relieved. He w-won’t h-hurt you or… or anyone!”

While Shouta was glad Izuku wasn’t crying from distress, it was upsetting that Izuku cared more about Shouta and Hizashi’s safety than his own.

Hizashi seemed to share his concern, because he leaned down slightly and said, “And you, Listener. He won’t hurt you most of all.”

Izuku sniffled and processed his words, as if he wasn’t even thinking about himself getting potentially hurt again by All for One. “I-I’m… used to it. I’m m-more s-scared that he w-would take y-you–” he cut himself off, eyes welling with more tears, “T-That would really h-hurt.”

This kid…

Shouta’s heart ached, and Hizashi looked like he was about to start bawling any second as he swept Izuku up in a hug. “Well, we won’t have to worry about any of it now, hm?” Shouta could tell he wanted to say more, but didn’t for the kid’s sake.

Izuku leaned into Hizashi and hugged him. Shouta offered his comfort, rubbing circles on the kid’s back. He made solemn eye contact with Hizashi, a silent conversation passing through them.

“W-What about…” Izuku’s voice broke the silence, faltering. He didn’t continue his question, so Shouta coaxed him, “What about what, ‘Zuku?”

Izuku squirmed a little in Hizashi’s hold, but not enough to signal that he wanted down. “Uh… Hi-Hisashi… Is he… did Kurogiri say anything about him?”

Shouta paused, unsure of how to proceed. He didn’t want to keep lying to the kid, but was telling him this right now the proper move? He again shared a look with Hizashi, who looked just as lost as he did.

“No…” he cautioned, but continued before Izuku could say anything, “He’s dead, Izuku. He has been for a while.”

Izuku’s eyes widened. “Wh-What? How?”

“We don’t know. But he was in custody months ago, and Tsukauchi assumed that All for One or one of his villains did it without anyone else noticing until it was too late.”

“Oh…” Izuku’s eyes drifted to the side, getting that faraway look in them. He laid his head on Hizashi’s shoulder, silent. Shouta wasn’t sure if this was a positive or negative reaction. How would he react? Hisashi was his father, but also abusive and the reason why Izuku was in that hell-hole for four years.

Shouta wouldn’t care one way or the other for whatever happened to his biological parents, but he had years to sit with those feelings and come to terms with how they treated him. Izuku was eight and still recovering from perpetual trauma.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Hizashi asked, and that seemed to bring Izuku back from wherever he had drifted to.

“I-I’m okay. Just… shocked.” It seemed true enough, Shouta guessed. Of course, he would keep an eye on his behaviour.

“That’s understandable. Come on, baby. Let’s read something.” Hizashi carried Izuku to the couch, and Shouta busied himself with putting the dishes away. He hoped he hadn’t made the wrong decision.

Izuku sat in Nezu’s office, the chimera’s voice going in one ear and out the other. Nezu was teaching him more about quirk theory, or was it quirk analysis? Izuku couldn’t remember.

“Izuku? Are you paying attention?” Nezu asked him, and Izuku looked up to face him. He didn’t seem angry, but Izuku was still nervous.

“I-I… I’m sorry! C-Can you please, r-repeat what y-you said?”

Nezu smiled and set down his tea, closing the book he was using to help with his lesson. “I don’t think we will get far. I’ve noticed your mind drifting this whole time.”

Izuku leaned forward in a bow, hands trembling. “I-I’m really s-sorry, Nezu. I-I promise I’ll pay attention!”

“Ah, none of that now. You’re not in trouble. Something is bothering you, correct? Would it help to talk about it?”

Izuku straightened back up, hands still clenched. Would it help? Probably. He just wasn’t used to talking about this sort of thing with Nezu.

“W-Well… Aizawa told me that…” he sighed, anxiously rubbing and pulling on his fingers. “Hisashi – my, um, my father – d-died. A… while ago.”

Nezu hummed, taking a sip of his tea. “I see.” Nezu said nothing else, and the two awkwardly sat in silence.

“Oh! Uh, did you not know until now?” Nezu asked, looking vaguely uncomfortable.

Izuku shook his head. “He said that… o-one of the vi-villains did it. A-And… I don’t know… I f-feel weird about it.”

“Your father, was he working with All for One?”

He flinched slightly at the name and looked away. “Y-Yes. And he brought me there… S-So I k-know I should probably be r-relieved that he’s dead! S-Some part of me is… but…” Izuku trailed off, upset.

Throughout everything, Izuku couldn’t be completely happy that Hisashi was gone. That he wouldn’t hurt him. But it was still his father. Before he cared about his quirk, Hisashi was a good dad. It was hard to reconcile who he was in the base with who he used to be.

Maybe that was why it was so hard. Izuku always wished for the Hisashi from before to come back, but he knew he never would. Especially now.

“It’s a difficult situation,” Nezu paused, but unlike before, it seemed like he wanted to say more. So, Izuku stayed quiet, patiently waiting.

“I do not have memories of my family. I suffered from experimentation for a long time. It’s how I got this,” he said, and pointed to the scar that slashed through his right eye.

“There’s honestly not much I can relate to in that regard, Izuku. I held a deep hatred for humans for a long time after I was free, even those who showed me kindness. I put them all into one box, thinking it was easier to hate them all than to come to terms with what happened to me, to recognize that you all aren’t the same.

Now, I see how that thinking is flawed, even if sometimes you humans prove me right,” he chuckled, causing Izuku to smile a little in humour.

“I think it would be easy for me to tell you to hate him. He hurt you; he was the reason why you ended up with All for One in the first place.” Izuku frowned at the reminder and the blunt way Nezu said it.

“However, if there’s anything I learned from being around humans, is that nothing is in black or white for many of you. I think you are allowed to mourn him despite that hurt. You are young; there is still much for you to process. You don’t need to explain your feelings in great complexity.”

Izuku nodded, staying silent. There was a lot for him to think about.

The following days were spent as normal. Shouta could tell Izuku was having a hard time getting over Hisashi’s death. They talked about it – well, Hizashi talked about it with him, actually. Shouta was there for emotional support.

Izuku referenced the conversation he had with Nezu and what he said. Suffice to say, he and Hizashi were shocked that Nezu offered up any information about his past. Of course, Shouta wished Izuku had come to them about it first, but he supposed it was good that Izuku trusted Nezu enough, he guessed.

He totally wasn’t being an overprotective parent…

Anyway, Shouta was on the couch right now, Izuku lying next to him with his head on his left leg. Hizashi was on the loveseat, glasses on, and reading a novel. Izuku was reading his notebook, flipping through the pages. Shouta rested his head against the back of the couch, eyes closed but not asleep.

Suddenly, Izuku’s head lifted off Shouta’s leg, and he settled against his side instead. Shouta opened his eyes and looked down at Izuku, curious. The kid lifted his notebook towards him.

“C-Can I sh-show you this?” Izuku asked timidly.

Shouta nodded encouragingly. “Of course.”

Izuku’s face lit up in a smile and he pointed to a section on the open page. “I-I’ve been thinking about B-Bastard’s quirk lately. I h-had some ideas…”

Shouta watched in amazement as the kid started rambling about different theories. It was probably the most he’s heard Izuku speak in one go, and most of the time, his stutter wasn’t present. He could see Hizashi listening, too, his head slightly tilted towards them.

While it was hard at times to catch what Izuku was saying, he got the gist of it. It was most likely a quirk tied to empathy. What was interesting, though, was that Izuku theorized it was mostly touch-activated.

“I-I noticed that whenever I’m in d-distress or… upset, Bastard will get in my lap or curl his tail around my arm or wrist. I didn’t n-notice any difference at first, but… If I r-really focus, I can feel my more negative emotions either dim or go away a-almost completely.

“I’m not sure where they go… I don’t th-think he absorbs them because he doesn’t usually s-seem upset or generally impacted. So I-I’m unsure about that. I-I also believe part of it doesn’t have to do with touch. I-I think his senses are heightened more than normal cats or any other animal. Um… n-no offence, Y-Yamada, but I think he’s usually b-bothered by you because you p-physically inhibit a lot of energy.”

Shouta snorted and Hizashi gasped in mock indignation. “I knew he always had it out for me!”

Izuku ducked his head, shoulders shaking in quiet laughter. Shouta nudged him. “That’s some excellent analyzing, kid. Did you tell Nezu about your findings?”

Izuku blushed at the praise and shook his head. “N-No. I wa-wanted you guys to hear it first,” he muttered, and Shouta ruffled his hair.

“Thank you for sharing it with us. You’re good at it. And I’m saying that as someone who’s worked with professional quirk analyzers before.”

“Same here, kiddo! You have a real talent,” Hizashi added.

Izuku ducked his head again, mumbling a quiet Thank you. He heard some sniffles, but Shouta suspected it wasn’t because he was upset. They sat like that for a while, Izuku occasionally writing in his notebook, or muttering under his breath something that Shouta couldn’t hear.

Hizashi went back to reading his book. It was rare that the two of them weren’t working on lesson plans or other things related to UA classes. It was nice, relaxing.

A few hours passed this way until it was time for dinner. Hizashi got up to prepare, and Izuku followed him excitedly. Shouta cleaned up the clutter around the dorm, and he wondered if, since All for One had been subdued, they would move back home.

Even though it was the first place they brought Izuku to, it worried him that they weren’t providing stability with the near-constant moving. He would talk to Hizashi and eventually Izuku about it, but Shouta thought it would be beneficial for them to stay in the dorms during the UA semesters and then return home for the summer. It was easier for them to be so close to UA for classes, and Izuku had access to many essential resources here, too.

They would have to discuss it later.

There was a loud crash that came from the kitchen. Shouta stopped what he was doing and rushed over. Izuku stood in front of a pile of broken glass, hands shaking and a small puddle of blood near his feet. He looked terrified.

Hizashi was trying to calm him down and get him away from the glass, but Izuku wasn’t responding. Shouta stepped forward, avoiding the glass and reaching to safely get Izuku away from hurting himself even more.

Izuku flinched away from him. “I-I’m sorry!” he cried, hunching in on himself.

“Kid, you’re alright. We just need you to step away from the glass so you don’t hurt yourself. We’re not mad.” Shouta tried to sound reassuring, but he wasn’t sure it was working.

Hizashi tried again. “Baby, please look at me,” he said, his tone soft.

Izuku did, his lips wobbling and eyes still filled with tears.

“Just a couple of steps back, okay? Shou and I aren’t mad, honey. It was just an accident, they happen all the time! It was just a cup, and they’re easily replaceable. But you’ll get hurt if you stay near the broken glass,” Hizashi reasoned, and Shouta could see Izuku start to calm down.

After a few more moments of Izuku trying to calm his breathing, he took a step back with his right foot, his left one staggering backwards after it. Izuku gasped in pain, and Shouta quickly steadied him, this time without the kid flinching away.

As soon as Izuku was safely away from the glass, Hizashi went to grab a broom and dustpan to clean the glass. Shouta asked Izuku, “Can I carry you to the bathroom? It looks like you cut your foot.”

Izuku nodded, and Shouta picked him up gently, making sure his foot wasn’t hitting anything on the way to the bathroom. He set him down on the closed toilet seat, and Shouta kneeled in front of him to take a look. There was a small piece of glass lodged in the middle of his foot, causing it to bleed.

“I’ll have to take this out and disinfect it. It’s going to hurt, but I’ll be here the whole time, okay?”

He still looked scared, but nodded anyway. “O-Okay…”

Shouta got to work, pulling the piece of glass out with care and throwing it away. Izuku whimpered slightly but otherwise seemed fine. Next, Shouta used a washcloth to clean the wound and an antibiotic ointment. Izuku tensed whenever he touched his cut.

“All done. Just needs a bandage now,” Shouta said, looking at Izuku to make sure he was okay. Izuku’s tears had dried, and he still looked faintly guilty.

Shouta put a hand on his knee. “Hey, like Hizashi said, it’s not a big deal. You should see just how many cups we’ve had to buy because of ‘Zashi’s clumsy self,” he mused, and it worked in making Izuku smile.

“R-Really?”

“Mhm. Bastard has knocked over dishes deliberately before. I promise, it’s okay.”

Izuku looked more assured at that. Shouta finished wrapping his foot. Unfortunately, it had to be the foot on his already injured leg.

“Can you walk?” Shouta asked.

Izuku stood up carefully, leaning his weight on his right foot before putting some pressure on the left one. He winced and leaned on his right foot again. “K-Kind of…”

Shouta sighed softly. “Don’t force yourself. We’ll have Recovery Girl look at it in the morning. She’ll heal it, and we can see an assessment of your leg at the same time. How does that sound?”

“Sounds g-good!”

Shouta nodded and picked him up. “Let’s go see ‘Zashi.”

Recovery Girl healed the wound first thing. It didn’t take much, so Izuku was drowsy but not completely asleep. She also looked at his leg with swiftness. Chiyo noted that it was healing very well, and soon enough, he should be able to walk long distances for a longer period.

Izuku asked about his arms, too, and Chiyo said that they were also on track to heal well. However, he still needed to be careful about the activities he did with his arms. Since they were essential for his quirk usage and writing analysis, he would still have to go easy.

The kid didn’t seem too happy about that, but there wasn’t much for him to do about it. “Thanks, Chiyo,” Hizashi said, already carrying a sleepy Izuku on his shoulder. Shouta nodded his thanks, and they walked out.

If Izuku’s arms and leg were feeling better, maybe he could ask Nezu to help them with his quirk usage and control. Similarly to how Shouta trusted Nezu with Izuku’s education, he would hope that the rat wouldn’t make his kid uncomfortable in any step of the process.

Chapter Text

The first term of UA was soon coming to an end. Summer break was approaching, and Shouta was ready to have a break from teaching these gremlins. He still hadn’t expelled or transferred anyone since that first time, and every day he regrets it.

Nezu and Hizashi, of course, found it amusing.

Even though All for One was injured, Shouta couldn’t stop feeling restless. His conversation with Kurogiri kept running through his mind. He told Hizashi about it, and he seemed just as confused as he was.

The words, “But I had this feeling like I knew you from before, when I wasn’t like this,” especially stumped him, because he was so sure that he had never met Kurogiri. However, he also said “when I wasn’t like this”, so if Kurogiri wasn’t who he used to be, it really could’ve been anyone.

Nezu had been quiet about it, so he guessed he didn’t have anything to worry about. For now, at least.

There was also a question of training Izuku’s quirks. Beyond that, they also needed to register the kid’s quirks, since he knew for a fact that his records hadn’t been updated since he was diagnosed quirkless. He could talk to Tsukauchi about that process.

It was warm enough outside that the three of them spent more time in their courtyard than in the dorm. Izuku loved it, plus it helped him.

Shouta had been noticing that he wasn’t as affected by nature as he was when he was first exposed to it. That was exceptional progress, and he hoped that their second winter together would go a lot smoother.

Izuku was sitting under his designated cherry tree, scribbling away in his notebook. Hizashi and he were sitting at one of the tables, working on the usual. Bastard and Sushi stayed inside; Shouta didn’t trust them not to try to wander off, even with the walls securing them. They would find a way.

Shouta was thinking about moving home again. It was nice here, but he missed it. That house was the first home he made his own with his husband. They had many good memories there, and now with Izuku, they could create more.

“‘Zashi?” Shouta called out quietly, not wanting to involve Izuku just yet. Hizashi hummed to show he was listening.

“What do you think about moving back home for the summer? We could stay here during classes since it has been a lot more convenient for us. And Izuku.”

Hizashi tilted his head in thought, tapping his pen against his lips. “We could do that. You don’t think it’s too much?”

Shouta shrugged. “I wanted to ask Izuku what he thought, too. We’d have at least a couple of months at home, the rest here, depending on our schedules. And we don’t have to move everything back and forth. We could leave some things here, some things at home.”

“Shou, I think it’s fine. Honestly, I miss home. We just have to make sure Izuku is okay with it.”

“Right.” Shouta shifted in his seat to face where Izuku was sitting. “‘Zuku, can you come here, please?”

Izuku looked up at them and nodded. He closed his notebook and made his way over. “W-What’s up?”

“Hizashi and I wanted your opinion on something. Since it’s safer for us now, we were thinking about going back home for the summer. During the UA semester, we could come back here. It’s a lot easier to be here during classes, not only for us but for you, too.”

Izuku didn’t think about it before he nodded. “Y-Yes. I want… want to g-go home. E-Even if it’s f-for a little bit.”

Hizashi smiled and ruffled his hair. “Then that’s what we’ll do!” he said with a smile. Shouta hummed in agreement.

Izuku smiled shyly and climbed up onto Hizashi’s lap. He easily accommodated the kid, adjusting and wrapping one arm around his middle.

“Whatcha been working on?” Hizashi asked him, which led to Izuku rambling quietly about some quirk analysis he was doing on a hero that Nezu assigned him. They both listened intently; Hizashi more actively, and Shouta as he was working on his laptop.

Izuku had a dilemma.

It’s been a few weeks since they decided to go back home. It was almost the end of the UA semester, and Aizawa and Yamada were busy dealing with final exams. Tomorrow, though, was Yamada’s birthday.

Aizawa and he were planning for it. Similar to Aizawa’s birthday, they would get up early and make breakfast for him. Yamada almost always does it, so they wanted to treat him.

Izuku’s dilemma involved his own birthday. It was soon after Yamada’s, just eight days, but Izuku wasn’t sure if he should bring it up. Was it selfish? He hadn’t celebrated since he turned four, and that wasn’t exactly a happy memory.

Hisashi either forgot his birthday or didn’t care enough, because it was never brought up in the base. Izuku didn’t have any sense of time, so it’s not like it mattered, but it’s been so long. A birthday didn’t mean too much to him anymore, but with Aizawa and Yamada, he wanted to make new memories that overshadowed the bad ones.

Plus, it’s not like Izuku expected anything for his birthday anyway. The heroes were kind and spoiled him unnecessarily, so maybe they would do something, but he wasn’t doing it to gain something. Izuku only wanted to share the day with them.

Maybe that’s what he could do! Just spend the day. It didn’t have to be anything special; he wouldn’t even have to tell them. It could save him an awkward conversation, at least.

Dilemma fixed!

Izuku was working on a card for Yamada while Aizawa finished up the breakfast. It was similar to the one he gave Aizawa; it had stick figures resembling the three of them on the front with “Happy Birthday Yamada!”

His message inside was like this: Happy Birthday! You and Aizawa are the kindest adults I’ve ever known, and I want to thank you for taking me into your home when you didn’t have to. I love our English lessons and the way you let me ask as many questions as possible about your quirk. You deserve only the best birthday possible! I hope we can spend many more together :D

A bit cheesy, but Izuku really was grateful for Yamada’s kindness. Aizawa saved him, but Yamada took him in with no hesitation, even though he barely knew him. Taking care of an eight-year-old in his situation wouldn’t have been — and still isn’t — easy.

He finished up the card and folded it when Aizawa called him over. Izuku bounded over, card in hand.

“Looks like we’re finished here, kid. Ready to wake him up?”

Izuku nodded. “Yes!”

“Okay. Remember, he doesn’t wear his hearing aids to bed, so don’t startle him too badly.”

When Izuku agreed, they both walked to the room. Izuku pushed the door open and went over to Yamada’s side of the bed. After a nod from Aizawa, Izuku gently shook his arm.

It took a few tries, but eventually, Yamada woke up. Luckily unstartled. Instinctively, the hero immediately reached for his hearing aids resting on the bedside table and he sat up in bed.

“Morning, Listener. Oh, Shou, what’re you doing up…?” His question trailed off when he noticed the tray of food in his hands. Eyes wide, Yamada glanced at both of them.

“Happy birthday!” Izuku exclaimed and handed him the card nervously. Aizawa was less enthusiastic, though, but set the tray beside Yamada with careful hands. Surprisingly, Bastard slunk in and jumped onto the bed near Yamada. Sushi followed in but stayed on the floor.

Yamada gasped softly and held the card close to his chest. “You guys! Come here!” he cried. Aizawa sat on his side of the bed while Izuku climbed up to sit next to Yamada. He opened the card, and Izuku waited anxiously for his reaction.

Almost immediately after Yamada finished reading the card, he began to cry. “Oh, baby, I am so happy we brought you home, and I will always be grateful that you’re with us,” he said, kissing the top of Izuku’s head and pulling him in for a tight hug.

Izuku automatically hugged him back, tearing up at his words. A couple of minutes later, he pulled back slightly from Yamada. “T-Try our b-breakfast,” he said, wiping his remaining tears on his sleeve.

“Of course!” Yamada kept an arm around Izuku’s shoulders and maneuvered the tray onto his lap. He leaned over to kiss Aizawa, and the two shared some quiet words that Izuku didn’t hear. Instead, Izuku leaned his head on Yamada’s side and sighed contentedly.

Izuku must have drifted off because Yamada woke him up gently. “Did you eat yet?” Yamada whispered to him, and Izuku shook his head.

“We made extra. C’mon, ‘Zuku, let’s eat out there,” Aizawa offered. He came over to his side and picked him up, and Izuku held on. They entered the dining room, and Aizawa set him in a chair. Then, he made their plates.

While they were eating, Yamada came in, now dressed for the day. He sat down with them, leaning forward in his seat. “You know what I just realized? We have never asked about your birthday, Listener! Oh, please don’t tell us we missed it?”

Izuku froze with his chopsticks to his mouth, surprised. Well, at least he didn’t have to bring it up awkwardly himself. Aizawa also looked shocked and a little dismayed that he didn’t think to ask either.

He put his utensils down. “Y-You didn’t miss it. It’s um… n-next week. The fifteenth.”

Yamada’s eyes widened. “So close! I’m glad we didn’t miss it, though! Is there anything in particular you’d like to do?”

Izuku was already shaking his head no before Yamada even finished his sentence. “I- N-Not really. I w-would just like to s-spend it w-with you guys.”

Yamada looked slightly upset, but he wasn’t sure if it was because he wanted to have a big celebration or something else. Aizawa looked like he predicted Izuku’s answer. “Then that’s what we’ll do,” Aizawa commented, giving Yamada a look when he seemed like he was going to argue.

Izuku felt like he needed to explain himself anyway. “I-I just… I h-haven’t had a r-regular birthday in… a long t-time. I d-don’t want to make it a big deal, really. H-Having it here, with you two, is p-perfect.”

Yamada’s eyes softened, and he placed his hand on Izuku’s hair, running his fingers through softly. “It will be perfect, Izu. We’ll make sure of it.”

Shouta had an idea.

Normally, he wouldn’t go against the kid’s wishes, but he felt that this was an exception. For a long time now, he’d been thinking of his and Hizashi’s emergency fostering licenses, and how long that exactly was valid for.

Turns out, not long at all.

Thankfully, no one has challenged or questioned them fostering the kid, but it could’ve ended badly for all of them if someone did. Of course, he knew Tsukauchi and Nezu would help if that were to ever happen, but it would’ve been an unnecessarily stressful situation.

The night Izuku told them about his birthday, he made a call to Tsukauchi. It was very last minute, but Shouta wanted to try to have this finalized by the kid’s birthday. Adoption was a long process, but he was hoping that since he and Hizashi had been looking after Izuku for this long already, it wouldn’t be that much more complicated.

After congratulating them for this development, Tsukauchi didn’t make any promises about how long it would take, but he would call back for any updates.

Shouta was relieved when Izuku reassured them that his birthday hadn’t passed already. He felt like a shitty parent, for lack of a better term, not knowing or even asking about Izuku’s birthday. And it seemed like Izuku wouldn’t have shared that with them first.

He didn’t blame the kid. Four years of uncelebrated birthdays – especially in that place – would affect how he saw the importance of it. They wanted Izuku to have a normal childhood, and this was one way to do that, even if he couldn’t exactly have a birthday party.

He told Hizashi the plan, who was obviously on board with it. Even if the adoption didn’t happen on his birthday, Izuku would still end up officially being their child. It was truly a surreal feeling, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The closer it got to Izuku’s birthday with no call from Tsukauchi, the more Shouta doubted they’d be getting the process done in time. Hizashi had a backup gift (he would give it to Izuku regardless of whether they had the process done or not) of an All Might action figure that was apparently the newest edition. How or when Hizashi obtained it escapes Shouta.

Then, on the fourteenth, Tsukauchi called. Luckily, it was their day off to evaluate final exams, so he answered with no problem.

“Eraser, hey. You’re in luck. I pulled some strings and I was able to get the court order for you. It took some favours, but it’s done. I just need you and Yamada to come in and sign some things.”

“Oh, okay. We’ll be in soon.” Shouta paused, then, with great reluctance, “Thank you, Tsukauchi. I… owe you one.”

Before Tsukauchi could respond, he hung up the phone.

Izuku was with Nezu for some end-of-the-semester lessons, so the trip to the station would be quick. Hizashi and he went in, did what they needed to, and left, all the while ignoring Tsukauchi’s knowing eyes on him.

They just decided to give Izuku both of their last names: Izuku Aizawa-Yamada. If he wanted to change it, they could, but they didn’t really have the time to think of it. They also didn’t want to give him the pressure of choosing one over the other, so giving both was the most rational solution.

The morning of Izuku’s birthday was spent the same as theirs: waking him up early for breakfast. The two of them decided they would give Izuku the paper after he finished eating.

Hizashi set the table while Shouta brought the kid into the dining room, carrying him on his hip. He was still a little sleepy, but otherwise awake. Shouta was quite worried, though, because when he woke Izuku up, he had tears in his eyes. Izuku didn’t mention anything, but Shouta wondered if he had a bad dream or memory relating to this day.

All the more reason to do this and make new memories.

When he was about to set Izuku down, he tightened his hold on Shouta. Knowing how to deal with this, he simply sat down with Izuku in his lap. Hizashi set his plate in front of them with a smile, and he kissed Izuku’s head.

“Happy birthday, baby,” he said, and Izuku perked up slightly. “T-Thank you,” Izuku whispered shyly, a small smile on his face. When Hizashi sat down, Shouta started feeding Izuku.

After a little while, Izuku was finished, so Shouta ate his food. The kid leaned back against him as he did, and Shouta kept an arm around him in comfort.

Hizashi got up from the table. “I’ll be right back!” he announced before leaving for their room to grab what they needed. He came back with a brown envelope, setting it down in front of Izuku.

“Here, Izu. This is our gift to you.”

Izuku looked shocked. “O-Oh… Th-Thank you!” He leaned forward to open the envelope. Hizashi was practically vibrating with nerves or excitement, probably both, and Shouta had to give him a deadpan look for him to calm down.

Shouta was also nervous, of course, but luckily, he had a better way of hiding it. Izuku held the paper up, reading it. It was a generic paper outlining his adoption and his “new” name. It was a physical way to show his adoption – other than the legal documents – that Izuku could keep.

A few moments of silence, and now Shouta was getting more nervous. “Kid? Do you understand what it says?” he asked him softly.

Izuku set the paper back down on the table. His shoulders were trembling, and he could hear muffled sniffles. “I-I do…” he whimpered, hands coming up to cover his eyes. “I-Is that r-real? You… y-you’re my p-parents?”

Shouta tightened his hold around Izuku slightly, and Hizashi kneeled in front of him. “Yes, baby, you’re our kid now. Permanently. Is that alright with you?”

Izuku nodded, a sob leaving his lips. He leaned forward, arms up towards Hizashi. Shouta handed him to Hizashi, and he carried Izuku easily. Izuku wrapped his arms around Hizashi, face buried in his shoulder as he cried. Hopefully, happy tears.

Shouta stood next to them, a hand on Izuku’s back rubbing up and down. Izuku reached his arm out toward Shouta, so he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around them both.

“T-Thank you. I-I am s-so happy…” Izuku mumbled through his tears.

“We’re glad you are, kid. It was an easy decision to make,” Shouta said, eyes softening when Izuku looked at him.

Izuku sniffled and wiped away his tears. “B-Best birthday ever,” the kid remarked, making Hizashi chuckle and Shouta smile.

“Just wait until you see what else we got you…”

The tears returned tenfold.

Chapter Text

A few days had passed since his birthday, and it still felt surreal that he was officially Aizawa and Yamada’s kid now. Should he even call them that? It’s technically his last name now, too, so would it be weird? Should he call them… Dad? Or Papa? He wasn’t sure. Maybe it would come naturally.

Classes at UA were officially over for the summer, and that meant his lessons with Nezu were done for now, too. He would miss them, but he also missed being around the heroes all day. They did for weekends, but now they would have every day.

Nezu offered the training facilities at UA to them in the summer if Izuku wanted to test out his quirks once he felt he was able to. Izuku was nervous. He knew the heroes wouldn’t hurt him, but all the training he got was filled with hurt.

Yet, he remembered the first time he showed Aizawa and Yamada his quirks. It felt good to do it outside the base with people who were genuinely curious instead of malicious.

Maybe it would be that way. He couldn’t suppress his quirks forever. Literally. Ever since they went haywire in December, he could feel them buzzing under his skin. It lessened over time, and now he would have to really concentrate to feel them, but on highly stressful or bad days, he felt them rise to the surface.

Izuku guessed it was more about learning control. If his quirks somehow lashed out and hurt someone he cared about, he’d never forgive himself. There were times at the base… he couldn’t quite remember, but he knew it was bad.

Anyway, Izuku was willing to try. Aizawa said they could start training once Recovery Girl cleared him and they settled back in at home. Speaking of that, Izuku was excited to go back to their home. The dorm was nice and all, but it had been missing a certain feeling, even if they had technically been in the dorm longer than at home.

They were able to see Recovery Girl on their last day before packing everything. She checked his leg, his arms and hands, and his energy levels. Things seemed good; she cleared him for more activity, including using his hands and arms more.

For the past few weeks, using his hands to write in his notebooks had been a lot easier. There was barely any strain, and that only happened if he continuously wrote and pressed the pen or pencil hard on the paper.

“If you want to try using your quirks, dearie, that’s fine. But you cannot overdo it, understand?” Recovery Girl said in a stern tone, which made Izuku agree immediately. “Good. And you,” she turned toward Aizawa and Yamada, “keep an eye on him. Any sign of quirk exhaustion or strain, and it ends there.”

Izuku hid a smile when the heroes nodded, Yamada looking mildly terrified, and Aizawa, though unaffected at first glance, looking tense.

When the check-up ended, Izuku got off the medical bed and over to Aizawa and Yamada. Yamada held his hand out of the room, while Aizawa placed his hand on his back to guide him forward.

The walk down the hallway was quiet, and that was why he could hear the click-clack of heels down the corridor. Izuku frowned; all the other teachers should’ve been gone by now.

Rounding the corner came… Midnight? Izuku’s eyes widened, and the heroes stopped walking when Izuku did. The woman saw them and smiled.

“Well, look who it is!” she exclaimed, walking closer once she got over her initial shock. Aizawa sighed a deep-suffering sigh. “Nemuri, why are you still here?”

“Forgot some things in my classroom. What about you two?” She stopped in front of them, hands on her hips. She wasn’t in her hero costume; she was wearing normal civilian clothes. Still, he could recognize her.

“Needed to check on Izuku’s health.”

Her attention turned towards him. She crouched down, her smile turning softer. “Hey, sweetie. How are you?”

Izuku stayed near Aizawa and Yamada, but he felt a little more at ease. “I-I’m okay. R-Recovery Girl told m-me I can d-do more with m-my quirk now!” It felt weird to deliberately say ‘quirk’ instead of ‘quirks’, but he wasn’t ready just yet to reveal that information.

“That’s wonderful news! And you’re in good hands. Shouta and Hizashi here will make sure you grow to be the strongest hero ever.”

Izuku’s smile faltered, and he tightened his grip on Yamada’s hand. Those words… He didn’t know why, but they didn’t sound right.

Not knowing how else to respond, he just nodded. Midnight must’ve noticed his abrupt change in mood because she easily backed off and stood. “I gotta get back home. But I hope to see you again soon.” She shared a look with Aizawa and Yamada, then waved and continued walking down the hallway.

When she was gone, Yamada tugged his hand gently. “Are you okay? What happened there?”

Izuku shrugged. “I-I don’t know… really… I just…” he trailed off, looking down, scared that he had offended their friend and, by extension, them.

Aizawa kneeled in front of him. “You’re not in trouble. We just want to understand where your mind’s at so this doesn’t happen again.”

Izuku didn’t know how to explain it, and he felt frustrated. Tears lined his eyes, and he ducked his head even more. “I-I’m sorry… I d-didn’t m-mean to make her l-leave,” he cried, voice shaking.

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry about her, she didn’t take it personally. C’mere,” Aizawa coaxed him into his arms. Izuku buried into his chest, his hand in Yamada’s still.

Yamada knelt with them, keeping a firm hold on his hand and whispering reassuring words, “Nemuri was jesting. If you don’t want to be a hero, that’s fine, love. You don’t have to worry about that far into the future just yet. Please don’t feel pressured if that’s the problem.”

Izuku wasn’t sure if that was the problem, either. Since he was younger, he had always dreamed of being a hero. After he was diagnosed as quirkless, he no longer thought that was a realistic dream. But now, maybe it could be. However, something was nagging him in the back of his mind, and he was annoyed with himself that he didn’t know what it was.

He didn’t want to worry the heroes, though. “O-Okay…”

Izuku was exhausted, so he was more slumped against Aizawa than he was before. Aizawa easily shifted his weight to hold him up. “Let’s go down,” he whispered and carried him the rest of the way.

He laid his head on Aizawa’s shoulder and closed his eyes, not quite asleep but almost there. He must’ve drifted off, though, because when he opened his eyes, he was suddenly in his bed. Aizawa was sitting on the edge of it, and Bastard was curled up next to his chest.

Izuku rubbed the sleep from them, catching Aizawa’s attention. “Hey, kid. Feeling better?”

“Mhm,” he hummed, petting Bastard’s fur slowly. He started purring, making Izuku smile a little.

“You know, we don’t have to do anything with your quirks right away if you don’t want to. If it’s too much, we can wait.”

Izuku thought about it. Was this uneasiness related to his quirks? He didn’t know. He didn’t have the best time with his quirks in the base, sure, but he couldn’t let that stain his entire experience going forward. Izuku couldn’t ignore his quirks forever.

“I-I think it-it’s better if I know how… how to control them a-at least.”

Aizawa nodded, running his fingers through Izuku’s hair gently. He leaned into the touch, relaxing his tense shoulders. “That’s sensible, but still. Like Recovery Girl said, if it’s too much, we stop, alright?”

“Alright,” Izuku agreed. They sat in silence for a little while. “Where’s Yamada?” Izuku asked quietly.

“He was just in here, but he left to start packing our things for tomorrow. Are you still up for moving?”

He nodded. “Y-Yes. Sh-Should I pack now?”

“I was going to ask you that. If you can, you should start packing whatever you won’t need for tonight and tomorrow morning before we start moving everything. We still have the rest of today, so don’t rush.”

The rest of the day was spent packing. Izuku didn’t have much trouble; his hands weren’t as shaky, and his arms could hold more weight. He got most of his stuff packed away, including his hero-themed merch. The only things he left out were his Eraserhead scarf (even if that is not its official name, that’s what he was calling it), the Present Mic figure (he can’t sleep without it), the nightlight, pyjamas for tonight, clothes for tomorrow, and his toothbrush and toothpaste.

Throughout all of this, Bastard watched him from the bed. Izuku huffed and playfully glared at the cat. “You were no help,” he grumbled, to which Bastard just flicked his tail and went back to lazing on the blankets.

After everything, he was hungry, and the smell of food wafting into his room from the kitchen wasn’t helping. So he stood and walked into the main room. Bastard followed him on his heels. “Oh, now you’ll move when there’s food involved.”

“Meow,” was all he gave in response. Typical.

Yamada, as always, was in the kitchen preparing the food. Aizawa sat on the couch, head tilted back and, if Izuku had to guess, his eyes probably closed for rest. Izuku went into the kitchen, observing Yamada as he moved around effortlessly.

When Yamada finally noticed him, he lit up. “Hey, baby! How was your impromptu nap?”

‘Good,’ he signed, moving closer to watch. Yamada ruffled his hair. “That’s great to hear. I’m almost finished, wanna help?” Izuku nodded eagerly, and Yamada found ways for him to contribute to the meal.

The rest of the evening proceeded as usual. Even with his nap, he still felt fatigued, so he said an early goodnight to Aizawa and Yamada. Bastard followed him to his room, taking his usual spot near his chest when he lay in bed.

He fell asleep easily, but it was staying asleep that was the issue. He kept getting flashes of his time at the base, but whenever he woke up, he couldn’t remember what the memory or nightmare was.

Bastard tried to help the best he could, but there were only so many negative emotions he could offload from Izuku. It happened throughout the night, and usually, he would go to Aizawa and Yamada’s room, but he was too tired to ever get up. Bastard tried, but Izuku didn’t want to bother them.

Plus, if he slept in their room, it was possible that he would just wake them up along with him, and they needed their energy to move everything in the morning.

Izuku finally had a restful sleep, but it was unfortunately interrupted when Yamada came in to wake him up for breakfast. He must’ve slept through him making it, though.

“C’mon, sleepyhead,” Yamada teased. Izuku sighed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He really wished they would give him more time to sleep. He would skip breakfast if he could.

But he knew Aizawa and Yamada wouldn’t let him do that. So he gently nudged Bastard away from him and got up from the bed. He followed Yamada out of the room and went to his seat at the dinner table.

He signed his good mornings and started eating. He didn’t have much of an appetite, but he knew moving would take a lot of energy, so he tried to eat as much as his stomach would allow.

“How’d you sleep?” Aizawa asked, seemingly an innocent question, but Izuku could hear the underlying concern.

Izuku took another bite to stall the question a bit longer. He swallowed, then signed, ‘Didn’t sleep much.’

“Kid…”

‘I’m sorry! I kept waking up, and I didn’t want to wake you up either.’

“Izu, you know it’s okay if you come get us. We’d rather try to help you go back to sleep than have you up all night. And if we are up with you, then at least we’re together.”

Izuku didn’t say anything, so Yamada spoke up again, “What happened? Nightmares?”

He nodded. ‘Or memories. Didn’t remember.’

They dropped the subject, maybe realizing that he was too tired to talk about it anymore. Izuku didn’t eat anymore, even after Aizawa and Yamada both tried to get him to. He felt bad, but his brain wasn’t computing anything.

After his dishes were put away, Izuku got up to go change and put the rest of his things away in his suitcase. He got about halfway there… he changed, then sat in bed to organize his suitcase to better fit everything. Then, well…

He couldn’t help himself. The bed was right under him, and he was just so tired.

Izuku wasn’t sure how long he was out for this time. He woke up, still in bed. So maybe not long?

The sun was shining through his window, casting a low light… wait.

He blinked hard a few times, taking in his surroundings. This wasn’t his room from the dorm; he was back home.

Izuku sat up quickly, ignoring the small dizzy spell, and he got off the bed. The blue carpet they left here was soft under his feet, and it was a jarring difference when he stepped onto the hardwood floors. He wondered if Yamada would still change the flooring for his room, which was really the only thing he truly missed from the dorm.

Izuku stepped slowly down the stairs when he didn’t find Aizawa or Yamada in their room. His leg was feeling better, but stairs were never his strong suit anyway. He rounded the corner, seeing the two of them sitting in the living room.

They looked up, Yamada smiling when he saw him. “There he is! How’d you sleep?”

Izuku frowned. “F-Fine. We-We’re here? Already?”

Aizawa hummed. “Mhm. You slept the whole way through. Do you feel more rested?”

Izuku actually did. He nodded. “I-I’m sorry I couldn’t help…” he said, wringing his hands nervously.

“Don’t worry, kid. We wouldn’t have let you help with how tired you were, anyway. You needed the sleep.”

“T-Thank you.” Izuku walked over to the couch, sitting between them. Yamada wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

“I’m glad to finally be home again and spend our whole days together!” he cheered, making Izuku laugh a little.

“M-Me too.” Aizawa didn’t say anything, but it was clear he thought the same thing by the way his lips tugged in a small smile. He turned the TV on, putting on one of the first documentaries they watched together during his first week here.

It felt good to finally be back home.

It’d been almost a week since they moved back home. Izuku hadn’t had any more sleepless nights, and the nightmares he couldn’t remember stopped. For now, at least. It unsettled him that he didn’t know what they were about.

Usually, his nightmares – or memories – were so clear that they scared him even when he woke up, and he knew he was out of the base. Whatever, he wasn’t complaining.

The topic of his quirks came back up while Aizawa and he were lounging on the couch. “Do you still want to work on your quirk control? Nezu told me he was free to come help. He offered one of the training rooms at UA.”

Izuku didn’t think about it; he just nodded his head. “I w-would like that. W-When?”

“Well, there’s still a lot of time today to do it, if you’re up to it. We could always go tomorrow instead.”

“T-Today’s fine.”

Aizawa nodded. “Alright. I’ll let Nezu and Hizashi know. Go change into some lighter clothing.”

Izuku got up and went to change. He pulled out a black t-shirt and some loose, black pants that tightened at the ankle. He didn’t usually wear t-shirts, partly because of how easily cold he gets. But also because of the scars on his arms.

They were jagged and curled around his forearms, all the way down to his hands. They reminded him too much of the Doctor and what he would do to him. He would have to get used to them, but seeing them still made him uneasy.

Before leaving his room, he grabbed a sweater just in case it was too cold at the school.

He went downstairs to see Yamada and Aizawa standing together by the door. “Ready, Listener?” Yamada asked him, to which he nodded. He slipped his shoes on and they were off to UA.

Izuku was nervous, but a small part of him was also excited. He was curious as to what else he could do with his quirks. He followed Aizawa and Yamada inside the school, and the walk to the training room was pretty quick.

When they got there, Nezu was already waiting for them. Sometimes, Izuku swore he lived here…

“Good afternoon, all!” Nezu greeted, and Izuku smiled and waved hello.

“Hey, Nezu. You ready for us?” Aizawa asked, adjusting his capture weapon and walking over to where he was standing.

“Of course. All I need right now is to see Izuku’s quirks in action – or one of them, whatever he chooses – so that we can figure out the best way to move forward.”

Izuku fiddled with the hem of his shirt, unsure of where to go. Yamada placed a hand on his back and gently guided him near the centre of the room. “Here. Just do whatever you can. Remember, Shou is here to help erase your quirk if anything happens,” he assured him.

“O-Okay, th-thank you,” he muttered. Yamada ruffled his hair and went back to where Nezu and Aizawa were standing. Izuku felt a little weird standing here alone. Whenever he came to the training room at the base, All for One would tell him what to do. He rarely had free rein of his quirks.

After a couple of awkward moments, Nezu piped up, “Whenever you’re ready, Izuku. Just whatever you are comfortable with doing.”

Izuku nodded and took a deep breath. He raised one of his hands, and when he focused, he could feel his quirks stirring within him. It was hard to differentiate between the two at first, but when he concentrated, he could feel the one he wanted to use.

He was more comfortable using his earth-based quirk, but they weren’t on solid earth. Concrete would be possible to manipulate; he’d secretly tried it out of Sensei’s sight, but it was a lot harder. It would take quite a bit more skill than he had.

So, he called on his other one. It took a lot of effort, but he was able to create a small wind current. It was too weak, though, and he lost it. Izuku huffed in frustration.

“C-Can we… go outside? It’s a lot easier…”

“Of course. We probably should’ve done that first thing,” Nezu said, and gestured for them to follow him. Izuku blew out a relieved breath and walked behind them towards the outside.

As soon as they stepped onto the grass, Izuku felt a lot better. When he focused this time, he could feel his quirks’ presence a lot more distinctly. He focused on his first quirk this time, taking a deep breath before abruptly raising his right arm.

A large sphere of dirt and rocks jutted out of the earth, hovering over the ground. Izuku struggled to keep it up for a moment, then he swung his arm, throwing the sphere in a low arc across the field, away from everyone.

Izuku swayed a little, and he could see Yamada start towards him. He waved his hand. “I-I’m fine,” he said, which was true. It’s been a long time since he’d done anything like that, so it took his breath away for only a moment.

Yamada hesitated, but seeing how Izuku got up more determined, he went back to where Nezu and Aizawa were standing.

“That was great, Izuku. However, do you think you could do anything, ah, smaller? Doing too much too soon could exacerbate your quirk exhaustion.”

Izuku stood still for a moment, shocked. He always had to do the most, the biggest, the best, for All for One. He should’ve guessed it would’ve been different here, but still, it surprised him.

He nodded. “O-Okay. I’ll try.”

Izuku got back into his stance, feeling for the earth around him. His fingers tingled, and he pulled up a small circle of earth, about 2 feet tall, surrounding him in a half-formed protective barrier. He left it there, looking over at the heroes to see their reactions.

Yamada looked proud, Aizawa though more subtle, looked pleased, and Nezu looked unreadable as ever. He was making notes on his notepad that he pulled out of nowhere.

Nezu was correct, though. Doing that didn’t leave as much strain as it did when he pulled the sphere up.

“Do you think you could make it higher? To completely cover yourself?” Nezu asked, head not lifted from his writing. Izuku tensed slightly, but he shook the feeling away and confirmed he would try.

He was only able to raise it a few more inches, and he couldn’t control the whole thing, so only the front part rose. Izuku let it go, and instead of it going back into the earth, it crumbled around him.

Nezu wrote some more things down. “So you have more trouble concentrating your quirks, well, at least this one. That’s normal. Usually, children who just get their quirk, or even for years after, use all their energy for bigger bursts. Control comes in when you can harness it and only focus part of your energy on certain parts of your quirk. It takes a lot of time.”

Izuku nodded. It made sense. The only “control” Izuku had over the years came from the suppression cuff, so he didn’t have that experience.

Nezu continued. “Do you think you could outsource small doses of your energy?”

“I-I think. Um… C-Can I t-try my other quirk?”

Nezu looked up at him for the first time since he started using his quirk. “Of course. My apologies, Izuku. Please do whatever you think is right.”

Izuku gave him a wobbly smile, and he tried calling on his second quirk. It was a bit hard separating the two again since he was using the first one more frequently, but he got a hold of it.

Just like inside, he created a wind current; however, Izuku could tell the difference immediately. It was stronger, a little more wild. He could see Aizawa tugging on his capture weapon, ready to step in. Izuku took a deep breath and tried to pull on the air around him.

Instead of taking shape of it, he gasped softly, thrown into a violent memory. One his mind had been suppressing up until this point.

1 year ago

There was a harsh pulling sensation on his scalp; Sensei had his hair in a tight grip, wrenching his head up from the ground. “You know if you don’t do it, he will die anyway. You can’t save him,” he whispered in his ear.

Izuku blinked back tears, staring ahead at a figure sitting in a chair, chained to it. It was a man, conscious but just barely. He had blood running down the sides of his head and a bruised eye.

“Y-You can’t… m-make me…” he whimpered, wincing when Sensei threw him back to the ground. He coughed hard, crying out when he was kicked onto his back so that he could stare up at Sensei from his position.

“You’ve gotten quite bold lately. Not following orders, resisting treatments. I can’t keep doing the dirty work for you. If you are to truly be one of us, you need to do this. No more coddling.”

I don’t want to be one of you! Izuku thought, wishing he could scream it in his face. But that would end terribly. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take of this. All for One kept talking about Izuku officially joining “them”, and Izuku wasn’t sure what that entailed completely.

Probably something like their current situation. Sensei wanted him to use his quirks to hurt – no, torture – this man in front of him. He simply wouldn’t do it, but Sensei wasn’t budging. Not like before when Sensei would eventually cave and do it for him. He always made Izuku watch, and it was horrifying, but he didn't want to use his abilities to hurt another person.

The more Izuku resisted, the more hurt he got. He had built up a strong pain tolerance at this point, but he was nearing his limit.

Sensei stepped on his chest, making Izuku wheeze painfully. “Do. It. With your new quirk, preferably. Take the air right out of his lungs.”

Izuku tried pushing his foot off, but it was like an ant trying to push a boulder. Improbable.

Eventually, Sensei moved, and Izuku took in deep, desperate breaths. The relief didn’t last long, however, when Sensei pulled his arm until he was up in a sitting position. “I won’t ask you again. I can tell the Doctor to try more of his experiments on you, how about that? I know you especially love that dark room. Or maybe it was the electrocution?”

Izuku shook his head, sobbing. “Please…” he whispered, but Sensei had his mind made up. He turned Izuku around to face the man again, letting his arm go. He dropped into a kneeling position, his hands holding him up.

He looked at the man, limbs trembling. A second. That’s all he needed, to show Sensei he was “willing”, and then he’d stop.

“I-I’m sorry,” he whispered, though he wasn’t sure the man heard him. It didn’t matter; he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for this, so he was sure the man wouldn’t, either.

Feeling for his quirk, he focused the feeling in the man’s lungs. It took a few seconds, but he could sense the air in there. He tugged it, pulling the oxygen out from him. The effects were immediate: the man began to choke, hands pulling on the restraints.

Izuku tried to let it go, but it got out of hand. Suddenly, the air was completely pulled from the man’s lungs, and he dropped unconscious after seconds of struggle. Izuku panicked and stopped using his quirk instantly. But the damage was done.

“No… No, no, no…” Izuku cried, trying to crawl forward to check if the man was still alive. Please, God, let him still be alive.

Sensei stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “I knew you could do it,” he praised, and the words churned in his stomach. “After you do it a few more times, we’ll make a real villain out of you. My strongest one yet.”

The words echoed in his head along with the ringing in his ears. The last thing he saw before he passed out was the twitching of the unconscious man’s fingers.

Back to the present, Izuku had collapsed onto the ground, hands covering his ears as he rocked back and forth. His throat hurt, and he realized a second later that it was because he was crying uncontrollably.

Voices surrounded him, and he couldn’t make them out. Where was he? He opened his eyes, which he had just realized were squeezed shut tightly. Grass was what he immediately noticed, alongside two pairs of knees. This is probably where the voices were coming from.

Izuku couldn’t breathe. He took his hands off his ears, one coming up to claw at his neck. The stinging pain brought him back, just in time to notice a hand coming at him. Izuku flinched backwards and ducked his head out of the way.

“I-I’m sorry! Please, I w-won’t do it again. I won’t do it again, I won’t do it again…” he repeated, voice dissolving into cracked whispers due to his sore throat.

Izuku sagged forward, lightheaded and dizzy. He wasn’t unconscious yet, but he was close to it. This time he didn’t flinch away from the arms that came up to catch him from falling over completely.

He was pulled into an embrace, soft words spoken into his ear. “You’re okay, baby, you’re okay. I’m here, Shou’s here, you’re safe. Deep breaths. That’s it, love.”

Izuku followed the pattern of Yamada’s breathing, and after what felt like hours, he could breathe normally. His hand clutched at Yamada’s shirt, and he lifted his head slowly from his chest.

His head felt like it weighed a ton, so he dropped it back to its original position. Exhaustion swept over him, and his eyes fluttered closed. Yamada’s arms tightened around him, and he fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

Chapter Text

Izuku was fast asleep in Hizashi’s arms. Shouta’s heart was still racing, filled with adrenaline.

As soon as Izuku’s eyes went cloudy, he knew they had made a mistake. Before he or Hizashi could even go up and comfort him, Izuku was on the ground crying. They rushed over, down on the ground with him.

They tried everything that usually worked to get Izuku out of a bad nightmare, but he kept crying, mumbling unintelligible words. It wasn’t until about ten or twelve minutes later that he seemed to come back to him, looking around in confusion. Then, to Shouta and Hizashi’s horror, he started scratching harshly at his neck.

Hizashi moved forward to stop him, but Izuku flinched away from them. At least he stopped, but his neck was bleeding. Izuku started apologizing, and Shouta got a weird sense of déjà vu, seeing himself in that moment.

Shaking his head to forget about it, he watched as Hizashi pulled Izuku into his arms. Shouta moved closer, placing a hand on Izuku’s back to comfort him the best he could. He fell asleep easily, and that was a small mercy.

Shouta let out a breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Hizashi was near tears, but he looked angry.

“Shou, I am so close to finding All for One and finishing the damn job.”

“Let’s worry about getting him some medical attention before we commit murder.”

“I heard that ‘we’.”

Shouta rolled his eyes and stood up. “C’mon.”

Hizashi carefully adjusted Izuku in his grip, then stood up while carrying him. Shouta was about to get his phone out to call Recovery Girl, but a noise from behind made him pause. He and Hizashi turned to see Nezu standing there, looking troubled.

“Is he okay?” the principal asked.

Shouta sighed. “For now. He did some damage to his neck, but otherwise just passed out from exhaustion.”

Nezu nodded, though he still looked upset. This was the first time he had ever seen Nezu in such a disgruntled state.

“I apologize… I should’ve stopped. I didn’t notice his distress.”

Hizashi shook his head. “This wasn’t your fault, Nezu. None of us noticed. He genuinely wanted to work on his quirks. I think… This was something he’d been dealing with for a while now, and it all came to a head today.”

Nezu didn’t seem all that reassured, but before they could say anything else, he spoke up. “I’d appreciate it if you updated me on his well-being.”

Shouta and Hizashi shared a look. “Of course. I need to call Chiyo,” Shouta said before stepping to the side and pulling out his phone again.

Yeah, he got yelled at—a lot.

She was upset, to say the least. Shouta didn’t take it personally.

They were already at UA, so they only had to wait for her to get there. Hizashi sat with Izuku in his arms, refusing to let him go. Shouta didn’t blame him.

When Recovery Girl arrived, she forwent any pleasantries and got straight to work. She didn’t use her quirk, of course, since Izuku was already exhausted, but she checked him over, especially the marks on his neck.

“Nothing too much to worry about, he didn't scratch hard enough to scar. It will be sore, but his throat isn’t damaged. It might hurt to talk. However, if it continues to hurt for a prolonged period, come back immediately.”

She cleaned the wound first before administering bandages. They wrapped around his neck, and Recovery Girl made sure they weren’t restricting. “He should be fine now.”

“Thank you, Chiyo. Sorry for the call-in. It wasn’t because we didn’t notice his quirk strain; this was something else,” Hizashi said, fully protective.

Chiyo sighed. “I believe you. It just upsets me to see him in here so often.”

“It upsets us, too, Chiyo. It’s not like we want him to be in pain,” Shouta remarked defensively.

“You know that’s not what I meant. I know I give you shit for it, but you really can call me any time regarding his health.”

Shouta relaxed. “We know.”

Hizashi piped up, “Thank you again. We should probably get home now.”

After they said their goodbyes, Shouta and Hizashi went to their car. Shouta got in the driver’s seat, and Hizashi carefully maneuvered Izuku into the back seat without waking him.

The drive home was silent, but you could cut the tension with a knife. This event will probably set them back in terms of progress. They were just getting Izuku comfortable enough with the idea of using his quirks, and now he might not want even to mention them.

They could only hope it wasn’t that bad.

Izuku woke up slowly.

He felt a soft cushion beneath him, and he was wrapped in the warmth of a blanket. There was a weight against his chest, and Izuku didn’t have to open his eyes to know it was Bastard.

It also could’ve been the loud purring coming from the cat that gave him away.

Izuku lifted a hand to pet him, blinking his eyes open. The sight of the TV greeted him, so he was on the couch.

It was quiet, and that wasn’t unusual, but it unnerved him a bit. He gave Bastard some more pats and then sat up. A loud meow! sounded from behind him, making Izuku gasp and turn to see Sushi jumping off the top of the couch.

Izuku sighed, letting out a breath of amusement. He could hear footsteps coming down only a few seconds later. Yamada and Aizawa rounded the corner, looking a little frantic until their eyes landed on him on the couch.

Yamada sighed in clear relief, coming over and sitting next to him. Well, a little further away because of Bastard, but close. Aizawa stood, hunched over the back of the couch with his arms crossed. “How are you feeling?”

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but they both stopped him. “Wait, don’t. Your throat might still be sore,” Aizawa warned.

He frowned, and suddenly he could feel the bandages on his neck. He raised a hand to touch them, and the whole day came rushing back to him—his quirks, the memory, his panic attack, scratching his neck, then passing out.

“Oh,” he said, then immediately regretted it as he began uncontrollably coughing. It worsened his pain, tears gathering in his eyes. Aizawa rushed to the kitchen for something, then came back with a glass of water. Izuku took it with shaky hands and gulped it down in one go.

Aizawa rubbed his back as he did, and eventually he stopped. Okay, so no talking for now. He set the glass down on the coffee table.

“Do you… remember what happened?” Yamada asked him tentatively.

Izuku nodded. Those feelings of shame, guilt, and self-resentment rose back to the surface. He couldn’t tell them what he did. They were heroes. What he did was the opposite of what a hero would do.

He wouldn’t use his quirks either. The very possibility of hurting Aizawa or Yamada, even if by accident, terrified him.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Aizawa asked, his hand still rubbing his back. Izuku shook his head automatically. No way.

The heroes shared a knowing look that made Izuku shrink in on himself. Did he somehow let slip what his memory was about while he was panicking? He couldn’t remember.

“That’s fine, baby. But you were pretty freaked out, we just want to make sure you were okay,” Yamada explained. He put a hand out, telegraphing his movements. When Izuku didn’t flinch back like before, Yamada gently cupped his face. His eyes were filled with sorrow.

Izuku’s lips wobbled. Like most of his memories, this one left a disconcerting feeling; however, the contents of this memory specifically exacerbated it to an all-encompassing level.

‘Memory of the base,’ was all he offered. They didn’t pry, and Yamada pulled him in for a hug. Aizawa came around the side of the couch and sat next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders.

“We’re always here if you ever want to talk about it,” Aizawa added, and Izuku just nodded. He wouldn’t, not if he could help it. Izuku leaned into Yamada, clutching his sleeve.

They sat like that for a little while, until Yamada broke the silence. “I made some food earlier while you were asleep. Hungry?”

Izuku confirmed he was, and the evening continued as normal.

“Izuku’s being distant.”

Shouta looked up from his book to face Hizashi. It was late, and the kid was asleep.

Ever since Izuku’s panic attack days ago, his husband had been unsettled. He’d put on a cheery front for the kid, but Shouta could see through him easily.

He bookmarked the page and set his book aside. “I’ve noticed.”

“Should we, I dunno, do something? He’s clearly having nightmares again, he’s barely eating, and anytime we bring up working on his quirks again, he shuts it down immediately.”

Shouta leaned back against the couch. He was worried. Whenever Izuku lied about sleeping well or ate less than usual, Shouta didn’t know what to do. He was worried that if they pushed too much, he’d retreat into himself. If Izuku was hiding his nightmares again, they were back at stage one.

“What can we do? As you mentioned, anytime we discuss his quirks, he shuts it down. If we keep pushing too hard, he’ll just keep finding a way to push us away. It may be best if we let him come to us. He always does eventually. We need to show him that we’re here, and we’re not going to leave.”

Hizashi sighed, his whole body sagging with it. “I know, I just don’t like it. He’s reverting to his old sleeping and eating habits; it’s not good for him.”

“If it continues, then we can talk to him about it.”

They sat in silence for a bit. Hizashi placed a hand on Shouta’s knee. “Are you okay?”

Shouta frowned, confused. “Yes? Well, besides our son” – It felt so weird to say that – “not taking care of himself and refusing help, I’m fine.”

Hizashi tsked. “I saw how you looked when Izuku was having his panic attack. And you’ve not been yourself.”

He guessed that made two of them. Shouta sighed, “Nothing can get past you, can it?” Hizashi moved his hand to hold Shouta’s but stayed silent, letting him collect his thoughts.

“It was nothing really. His reaction just… It reminded me of myself. And the way he’s acting… I know he’s not scared of us, or, at least I hope not, but I sometimes wonder if I’m unknowingly perpetuating my own father’s parenting.”

Hizashi frowned, his brows pinched with worry. “Shou, what? Of course you’re not. You are leagues better at this than your piece of shit father.”

The thing was, he didn’t completely think he was acting like his father. But that doubt was seeded in his mind like an intrusive thought, and he resented it.

“Izuku loves you, Shou. Anyone can see it. He’s comfortable around you, and he trusts you. This is a setback, sure, but it’s going to happen.”

Shouta huffed. “I thought I was supposed to be comforting you about this.”

Hizashi smiled. “What can I say? You’re just that good at reassuring me.”

His worries were assuaged for now, and they could only work with whatever Izuku gave them.

Izuku gasped awake for the third night in a row. He lay there catching his breath, clenching his sweatshirt in his hand. Bastard meowed softly and nuzzled his head under Izuku’s chin.

“I’m okay,” he whispered, unclenching his hand to pet him. His memories kept plaguing his mind, turning most – if not all – of his nights sleepless. Memories of hurting that man, but also of all the times before when Sensei wanted him to hurt other people.

Izuku realized he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. But he also didn’t want to be alone. He’d been pulling away from the heroes lately, and while they didn’t outright say it, he knew they noticed. Izuku didn’t want to, but he was so scared of himself.

Ever since the memory resurfaced, his quirks became more present than ever. Just one flick of his hand, and he could feel a disturbance in the air pressure around him. He didn’t know how to stop it. For the second time in a short while, he wished he had the suppressor cuff.

Izuku sat up, decision made. Bastard stretched before leaping off the bed, trotting out of his room. He followed him, and Izuku could see Bastard slip into Aizawa and Yamada’s room just as he emerged from his own.

Taking careful steps, he made his way to their room. He pushed the door open as quietly as he could, but it still didn’t stop the hinges from squeaking. Izuku winced, hoping it wasn’t too loud.

Despite his wishes, however, Aizawa stirred from his sleep and looked up to see him in the doorway. Izuku froze, feeling caught. He fiddled with his sleeves in the silence until Aizawa shifted again to sit up on his elbows and move to the side. “C’mere,” he whispered, patting the empty space beside him.

Izuku relaxed and padded over. He climbed into the bed, hoping not to wake Yamada in the process. Bastard was already sleeping at the end. When Izuku got himself situated, he practically melted into the mattress.

Aizawa played with his hair in soothing motions. “Nightmare?”

He nodded. Aizawa hummed softly and placed an arm over his shoulder. “We’re here, go back to sleep.”

Izuku closed his eyes and, unlike earlier, fell back asleep easily. No nightmares this time.

In the morning, he felt a lot more rested than he had this past week. He was comfortable, and he could still feel Aizawa’s arm over him. He shifted slightly, making his arm move. He missed the warmth already. “Morning, kid. Sleep better?”

“Mhm.” His throat was feeling better after Recovery Girl looked at it again. He was still too exhausted to be completely healed, thanks to his nightmares, but the smallest bit she was able to do helped a lot.

“Good. Hizashi’s already up cooking. We slept in quite late.”

Izuku rubbed his eyes and sat up, Aizawa along with him. They didn’t immediately get up, though. It felt like Aizawa wanted to speak, so he waited patiently.

Aizawa brought a hand up to rub circles on Izuku’s back. “I know we already asked you this, but do you want to talk about it? I don’t mean to be, uh, blunt, but you’ve been down this past week. Moreso than usual. It may not seem like it, but talking it out can be helpful.”

He had a feeling it would be about that. Izuku pulled and twisted his fingers anxiously. Before he could respond, Aizawa reached down and pulled his hands apart carefully. “Gentle,” he murmured, holding it instead.

Izuku bit his lip. What did he say? He wanted to open up to the heroes, but the terror of what he had witnessed in his memory held him back. “I-I want to… Just not now…” It was a cop out answer, but Aizawa didn’t push.

“Whenever you’re ready, we’ll listen.”

They walked down to the kitchen to see Yamada finishing up. He was plating the food, and he looked up when he heard them coming down. He grinned. “Hey! Perfect timing. I was just about to come get you.”

Aizawa helped Yamada set up the table, and Izuku sat down in his usual spot. He had a hard time eating lately, and the smell of food made him feel slightly nauseous. Nevertheless, he wanted to eat, but his stomach commonly had other plans.

Izuku forced himself to eat a few bites, but that was all he could take. He set his chopsticks down, to the displeasure of the heroes.

“No more? You gotta eat, kiddo,” Yamada urged. Izuku could feel tears starting to rise, and he looked away.

‘Sick,’ he signed, feeling horrible. Yamada always puts in so much time and effort into his meals, and Izuku was here wasting them.

Izuku didn’t see the concerned glance the heroes shared, and the quiet made him even more nervous. Bastard was sitting underneath him, looking up at Izuku and blinking slowly at him. He relaxed his tense muscles and glanced at Aizawa and Yamada.

“That’s fine, Izu. Don’t force yourself to eat if it’ll make you sick. Do you want any medicine?” Yamada asked him, tone deliberately light. Izuku shrugged. He wasn’t sure what would make him feel better.

Aizawa got up from his seat and left, presumably to get the medicine in question. Izuku swung his legs as he waited, his restlessness getting to him. His quirks weren’t helping, either.

The underground hero came back with a closed fist and a cup of water in the other hand. When he reached Izuku, he handed him what was in his fist: one small, pink tablet. “Here, this might help. I got you water in case you don’t like the taste or have a hard time getting it down. It’s chewable.”

“Th-Thank you…,” he muttered, taking the tablet and putting it in his mouth. After swallowing it, he took some sips of water. Surprisingly, not a bad taste. Aizawa ruffled his hair and took his plate. “Go lie down, take it easy for now,” he instructed, and Izuku could only nod.

He thanked Yamada for the meal and also apologized for not eating much of it. Izuku knew he was upset earlier, and he hoped it wasn’t because he didn’t eat his food. Regardless of what it was, he felt like apologizing was appropriate.

Yamada waved his apology away, “No problem at all, Listener! You can’t help it if you feel sick. I care much more about you feeling better.”

Izuku’s nerves didn’t lessen at that. It was nice that he cared, of course, but he still couldn’t help but feel responsible for Yamada’s sombre mood. He got up from the table and walked to the couch, intending to rest like Aizawa told him to.

However, he could feel the familiar urge to throw up, so he raced upstairs, not really taking the time to care about his leg.

“Izuku?!” “Kid?” was both shouted at him as he ran, but Izuku didn’t stop. Even with the stairs, he still made it in time to throw up in the toilet. Because of his mostly empty stomach over the past week, he didn’t throw up much. Most of it looked like bile.

Luckily, it didn’t last long, and he was slumped over in front of the toilet by the time the heroes made it up there. His leg was aching, and his quirks were buzzing, eager to be let loose.

“Come here,” a voice muttered, gently positioning Izuku away from the toilet seat. When Izuku looked up through his tears, Aizawa was kneeling in front of him with the same glass of water from downstairs, and a washcloth in the other hand. He wiped on and around Izuku’s mouth before giving him the glass.

He could hear a flush behind him, then Yamada was kneeling at his side. “Izu, honey, what’s going on? This is more than just feeling sick.”

Izuku set the glass aside when he finished, and his tears returned. “I-I’m sorry… P-Please don’t be m-mad!” he cried instead, shoulders trembling.

“We’re not mad, sweetheart, not ever–”

Izuku cut him off before he could help himself, “Y-You are! Y-You… You… w-were m-mad I didn’t eat, a-and… and…” he broke off into sobs, curling in on himself.

He went too far; he’s gotten way too comfortable. If Izuku even thought about talking to Sensei that way, he’d be beaten to hell and back. Just because they were kind to him, it didn’t mean he could talk back.

A hand rested on his shoulder, and Izuku, expecting some sort of punishment, flinched back instinctively. His leg hurt really badly, but he didn’t deserve to complain right now.

“Hey, it’s okay. No one’s mad, kiddo. I promise,” said Aizawa. “We’re just concerned. Hizashi wasn’t mad about you not eating; he was worried. As was I. You haven’t been eating a lot recently, and you throwing up is making it worse. We have to do something about this, ‘Zuku. Your health is taking a steep toll.”

Izuku relaxed minutely at his words. Okay, he wasn’t in trouble. And they weren’t mad. Old habits die hard.

He wiped his tears away and finally looked up at them. Their expressions shocked him; Yamada looked heartbroken and slightly guilty, and Aizawa, normally composed, was upset and frustrated, but not at him. At himself? But for what reason?

“S-Sorry… I didn’t m-mean to yell at you,” he whispered to Yamada, who immediately shook his head. “No, Izu, don’t apologize. I’m sorry for not controlling my emotions better and making you think I was mad at you. Like Shou said, I was concerned, I promise.”

Izuku believed him now, but he still felt weird about Yamada apologizing to him. He just nodded, unsure of what to say or do now. Thankfully, Aizawa broke the silence. “Brush your teeth so you can get that taste out of your mouth. We’ll be in our room when you’re done, okay?”

“O-Okay.” Both heroes stood, and Izuku followed. Well, tried to. As soon as he put pressure on his left leg, he gasped in pain and immediately leaned on his right side.

Yamada quickly steadied him. “Shi– I mean, shoot. Is your leg hurt?”

“A-A little. I th-think it’s from r-running upstairs. I-I’ll be fine.” He tested it, slower this time, and there was only a slight stinging pain. It’d probably go away once he rested overnight.

“If you’re sure. Will you be okay to do this on your own?”

“Yes,” Izuku confirmed, and Yamada and Aizawa left him to it. He wasn’t lying; he could easily balance on his right leg for now. He brushed his teeth, washed his mouth out a couple of times, then braced himself as he walked – limped – into Aizawa and Yamada’s room.

Izuku climbed onto the bed, stretching his left leg out comfortably so it would stop aching. Bastard was already there. He swore Bastard had some sort of way to sense Izuku’s distress before it happened.

He crawled onto his lap, and Izuku felt a little more at ease.

“Does this have to do with the panic attack you had when you used your quirks?” Aizawa asked. Always straight to the point with him.

Izuku hesitated, but he nodded eventually. “Y-Yes…”

Aizawa continued, “I don’t want it to seem like we’re forcing you to tell us anything, but it’s clear that ignoring this is a detriment to your health. So before we discuss anything, I want to ask, are we doing anything that is deterring you from coming to us about these things?”

Izuku shook his head vehemently. “No! No I-I… It’s m-me. My m-memory…” Izuku paused, and he could feel tears rising again. Aizawa and Yamada kept reassuring him, but he still had that fear that they would be disgusted.

They let him take his time, which was good. He needed to really compose himself for this. Izuku absentmindedly started petting Bastard, which did help slightly.

“I-It was in the base… I-I told you that S-Sensei would train me, but he also…” Izuku couldn’t look at them for this. “He wanted me to… h-hurt others. W-With my quirks. I would always refuse, n-no matter what. It always ended… horribly, but… I couldn’t do it.”

He paused again, his hands noticeably trembling in Bastard’s fur. He was glad the heroes let him speak; if they interrupted, he would definitely lose his courage.

“When I got my… second quirk… S-Sensei wanted me to use it to take the o-oxygen out of someone’s lungs. I r-refused, as always, but he w-wouldn’t let it go. He h-hurt me… a lot… th-threatened me… I–” he broke off, tears streaming down his face. Every word was harder to get out.

“I d-did it… For only a second! I d-didn’t want to h-hurt him! I swear… I swear it was j-just a second. T-To get him to s-stop. But it went too far…” He put his head in his hands, shoulders shaking with his sobs.

Izuku was pulled into a hug, hand on the back of his head as it was pushed onto one of their shoulders. He gripped their shirt tightly. He didn’t calm down for a while. He just basked in their comfort, shocked that they weren’t pushing him away in disdain.

When his sobs eventually calmed into occasional hiccups and sniffles, he noticed it was Aizawa he was leaning against. Yamada was using his thumb to wipe his tears away, humming softly in a soothing tone.

Once they noticed he was a little more aware of his surroundings, Yamada spoke. “Izuku, listen to me. That was not your fault, okay? I know it may seem like it, but you didn’t have a choice. You survived in the best way you could.”

Izuku frowned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I h-hurt him… I acted like… like a v-villain,” he whispered the last part, ashamed.

“Kid, no. You’re not a villain. Not even close. You went through something traumatic, and you were coerced to do something you didn’t want to do. The only one to blame here is All for One,” Aizawa added, tone firm but not unkind.

When Izuku didn’t say anything, Yamada asked him, “Is this why you didn’t want to use your quirks anymore?”

He nodded. “They’re… They’re a lot s-stronger right now. I’m s-scared I’ll hurt y-you or… s-someone else.”

It was quiet for a moment, and Izuku wasn’t sure what they were going to say to that. Would they agree? Tell him to get another suppressor cuff?

“You know, Listener, when I was younger and I first got my quirk, I practically blew out my and my mother’s eardrums.”

Izuku looked at him, shocked. That was definitely not what Izuku expected him to say. “Y-You did?”

“Mhm. I had little to no control over my quirk. When my parents brought me to a quirk specialist, they just told me to stay quiet, to not speak unless I was sure my quirk wouldn’t activate. Obviously, that’s horrible advice, and my sweet mother, even though I had hurt her with my quirk, thought it was terrible too.

“They tried finding better specialists who could actually help with the root problem. In the meantime, I took that first specialist’s advice seriously, and I didn’t speak. For a long time. But that made it worse; I had no control over my quirk. I mean, even though I’m a pro, I still have slips in my control.

“When I finally found someone who could help me, it made all the difference. Izuku, I understand your fear, really, I do. However, ignoring your quirks won’t help. It might make everything worse. Shou and I are trained to help kids with their quirks. He literally teaches future heroes, and I promise you he’s had his fair share of quirk mishaps.”

“Unfortunately, that is true,” Aizawa sighed solemnly, causing Izuku to smile a little.

“If anything gets out of hand, Shou here will erase your quirk. Simple as that. You won’t hurt us, baby, and even if you do – that’s a strong if – we will never be upset or mad. Alright?”

Izuku took in his words, feeling a weight lift off his chest. That constant mantra of “You could never be a hero” dimmed, but not completely. What happened still haunts him, and it may never go away for good, but at least he had Aizawa and Yamada to help him through it.

Aizawa rubbed his arm. “We don’t have to go right back to testing your quirks right away if you don’t want to. You should rest, especially since what happened took a lot out of you. But when you feel ready, just let us know, okay?”

Izuku nodded. “I love you,” he muttered, not even thinking about it. The words just slipped out. He didn’t really register his words or the shocked silence until Yamada said, “We love you, too.”

He hid his face in Aizawa’s shoulder, embarrassed, but not regretting his words. He felt warm.

Chapter Text

Izuku had been feeling better ever since he talked about his memory with them. There were some bad nights, as always, but his appetite had gotten better, and he wasn’t feeling as sick.

Hizashi reasoned that it probably had something to do with his anxiety. He brought up the possibility of seeing Hound Dog, and Shouta had to agree. Getting so anxious to the point of throwing up was not good; plus, they could probably do something to help with his nightmares.

And if Hound Dog wasn’t equipped to handle Izuku’s trauma, he could always suggest someone he trusted.

They probably should have done this sooner, but Shouta was more worried about Izuku becoming comfortable around them, let alone other people. Nezu was a great start, though Izuku could also use friends his own age.

With All for One being disarmed, they didn’t have to be too worried about bringing Izuku out in public. Since he’s very receptive to nature, Hizashi brought up the idea of going to the park.

While Shouta hated any kind of social interaction, he agreed. It may be scary at first, but he was sure Izuku would find someone to play with. If he absolutely hated it, they could try something else another time.

There was one nearby, and whenever Shouta passed it, it seemed to be busy but not too busy, which would be perfect for Izuku to meet someone.

Izuku was hesitant at first, but ultimately agreed. He seemed excited underneath the nervous exterior, so Shouta was glad. The park wasn’t too far, but he didn’t want to risk Izuku walking on his leg after he had hurt it a few days before. The kid said it felt fine, but still, he had to be sure.

In the morning, they ate breakfast, and Hizashi packed some extra food for them in case they stayed a while longer. He told Izuku excitedly that they could have a picnic, and the kid looked confused.

“W-What’s that?”

Hizashi gasped dramatically. “Your first picnic?! We have to make it special!”

Shouta sighed. “Just nothing too overboard,” he grumbled, sipping more of his coffee.

“Oh, hush, party-pooper. I just want to make sure Izuku will have the best time.”

Izuku looked a little overwhelmed, and Hizashi noticed. “Don’t worry, hun. It’s just eating some food on a blanket, usually outside.”

The kid visibly relaxed. “O-Oh. Th-That sounds fun,” he said with a small smile.

Hizashi was clearly vibrating with excitement. Any progress Izuku showed was exciting for him, and Shouta too. With Izuku potentially making friends, it was one step closer to the normal childhood they promised him.

After Hizashi finished packing a bag filled with their food and water, Shouta told Izuku to get his shoes on. He did, and immediately went to Shouta’s side to hold his hand.

“Are you excited?” Shouta asked him.

Izuku nodded. “Mhm. A-And a little n-nervous,” he admitted.

“That’s understandable. I mean, I was never the most sociable, especially at your age. This will be a big change for you, but remember, we’re here to help. And if you want to leave at any time, that’s okay too.”

Izuku looked more reassured at that, which was a success in Shouta’s book. Hizashi had the bag resting on his arm as he slipped his shoes on. “Everybody ready?” he called out and opened the door for them.

“Y-Yes!” Izuku responded and tugged on Shouta’s hand as he went outside. Shouta let him, helping Izuku into the car and then getting in the passenger’s side. Hizashi put the bag in the seat next to Izuku before getting in the driver’s seat.

“Alrighty! Let’s go!” Hizashi exclaimed before driving off.

Izuku watched the scenery go by as they drove to the park. He wasn’t lying when he said he was excited; he did want to meet other kids. But there was a deeper part of him that was terrified. What if no one wanted to be his friend? What if he was rejected or laughed at?

Going down the ‘what ifs’ would not help. If no one wanted to play with him, that was fine; he could always explore the park by himself. Izuku couldn’t even remember the last time he went to one. He assumed he must have before… the base… but he wasn’t sure. Did he have friends? Did they miss him?

Okay, another bad path to go down. Maybe he should focus on the present instead of the past.

They got there pretty quickly. Izuku wasn’t completely paying attention, but the drive didn’t seem too long. He got a glimpse of the playground ahead; it was quite large. He could see at least two big slides, a mini rock climbing wall, a ladder, and some horizontal bars going across, leading to nowhere.

Outside of the main playground was a swingset, a small sandbox, and some other smaller structures that he wasn’t sure what they were.

Once they parked, he got out with the heroes and stayed close. Upon his first inspection, he could see at least two families already there. The parents sat off to the side while their children played, but they looked a lot younger than Izuku. That was fine.

Aizawa and Yamada led him towards a big tree, sitting in the shadowed area. Yamada laid the blanket on the grass, set the bag down with their food and snacks, and then sat down himself. Aizawa followed him, but Izuku stayed standing, unsure.

“Kiddo, if you want to go play, go ahead. Or, if you want to sit with us, you can do that too. No pressure, yo! Do whatever you’re comfortable with,” Hizashi said, tone laid-back and reassuring.

Izuku looked over at the playground where the two other kids were still playing, then back at the heroes. “I-I’ll sit h-here for now,” he decided, then sat across from them. It was a little much; there was so much he could do, and he wasn’t sure what he wanted to try first.

They didn’t question him. Aizawa positioned himself so that he was lying down with his head on Yamada’s lap, and Yamada was leaning back against the tree trunk. Aizawa closed his eyes, but Izuku knew he was still fully aware of his surroundings.

Izuku sat with them for a while. He kept psyching himself up to go to the playground, but then his worries would overpower his desires, and he’d stay sitting. The heroes never pushed him to do one thing or the other, and Izuku was glad for it.

Later on, though, Izuku heard quick footsteps coming his way. He looked up to see a kid around his age running towards them. He had blond hair, yellow eyes, and a black streak on the left side of his hair that looked like a lightning bolt.

Slightly alarmed, Izuku tensed. However, he didn’t seem like he had bad intentions. In fact, he had a bright smile on his face that reminded him of Yamada.

“Hey! You wanna come build some sandcastles with me?!” the kid asked him, voice a little loud, but nothing he wasn’t used to.

Izuku hesitated, looking back at Yamada for help. “Go ahead! We’ll be right here,” Yamada said, nodding at him.

Before he could answer, a tall woman came running over. She looked like the kid’s mom. “Denki! Stop running off like that!” she huffed, catching her breath.

“I am so sorry about that, guys. I hope he wasn’t bothering you?” she asked, her hand coming to rest on the kid – Denki’s – head.

“Not at all, don’t worry! I think they were about to go play?” Yamada said, voice lifting at the end in amusement.

Izuku smiled small, and he nodded slowly. “S-Sure.” He stood up, and Denki’s face brightened even more than before, if that was possible.

“C’mon, this way!” Denki shouted before running off to the sandbox.

Izuku followed, a little slower because of his leg, but Denki didn’t seem to mind. He kneeled down next to Denki in the sand, watching as he pulled out a couple of buckets and shovels.

“What’s your name? I’m Denki Kaminari, but you can call me Denki!”

“It- Um, Y-You can call me I-Izuku.”

“Awesome, Izuku! Nice to meet you!” His smile was infectious.

“Y-You too,” he responded, feeling a lot less tense. This boy was very kind and obviously outgoing. Maybe that was just what Izuku needed.

“S-So um, h-how do you… build a s-sandcastle?” He was a little nervous to ask. Did every kid know how to do that? Would he be seen as weird for not knowing?

But Denki didn’t seem to care at all. He actually looked excited to show him how. “Watch!”

Izuku did. Denki filled his bucket with a bunch of sand, then he quickly flipped it upside down. “Like that! It’s sooo much better with wet sand, because it sticks better, but this is fine!”

Izuku was sure that almost nothing could get this kid down. “L-Looks easy enough.” He grabbed the other bucket and shovel, filling it with sand just like Denki did. He flipped it over next to Denki’s, making two round sand structures. The sand crumbled, but only slightly.

“You’re a pro! Keep going!”

They both made more, though it didn’t really look like a sandcastle. That was okay. Izuku was having a lot of fun. They stayed in the sand for a little bit longer, but eventually, Denki got bored.

“Wanna go swing?”

Before Izuku could even respond, Denki was already halfway there. Izuku laughed a little to himself and followed. He sat on the swing next to Denki, who was already swinging high. Izuku tried to copy his motions so that he could also get higher.

The motions made his stomach swoop a bit, but swinging was pretty fun! Izuku caught himself laughing as he swung up and down, and Denki looked absolutely delighted as well.

He caught a glimpse of Aizawa and Yamada in the distance. Aizawa still had his eyes closed, but Yamada was watching them. His smile was muted, but he seemed so happy. Izuku shared his feelings; he actually made a friend!

Abruptly, Denki jumped off the swing. Izuku gasped, terrified for a moment, but he relaxed when he saw that the boy was laughing uncontrollably. “Never gets old. Try it!”

Izuku’s smile faded. He couldn’t, his leg… It would hurt too much. Instead, he slowed the swing down, much to Denki’s disappointment.

“S-Sorry… I, um, m-my leg… It hurts,” he admitted, nervous about his reaction.

Denki, though, looked concerned. “What?! Oh no! Did you hurt it just now?”

Surprised by his concern, Izuku stared at him for a second before he answered. “O-Oh, no. I h-hurt it a w-while ago, but it s-still aches. Rec- um, m-my doctor said to t-take it easy.”

“Aww, man. What’d you do?” Denki walked back over to the swing next to Izuku and sat on it. He swung slowly, and his feet stayed on the ground.

“It- Uh, b-broke. And d-didn’t heal correctly.”

“That sucks. We can take a break if you want. I’m kinda hungry.” Denki hopped off the swing, and Izuku followed.

Aizawa was sitting up now, scrolling on his phone. Yamada seemed to be setting up the “picnic”. He was putting the food out across the blanket, and he looked up when Izuku and Denki approached.

“Good timing! I was just about to call you over, Izu.”

Denki walked over to his mom, who was sitting close to Aizawa and Yamada. He plopped onto their blanket next to her, and they started to chat. Izuku tuned it out and focused on his food.

“T-Thank you,” he muttered, taking small bites. He stretched his leg out so that it didn’t strain under his weight.

“Were you having fun?” Aizawa asked him after he put his phone away.

Izuku nodded eagerly. “Mhm! H-He’s very n-nice.”

“Good.”

Aizawa and Yamada started eating, and Izuku looked over to see Denki and his mom doing the same. He was extremely energetic; Izuku wondered where he had gotten it from.

After a while, Denki came running over. “Can we play some more?” he asked hopefully.

Izuku glanced at Aizawa and Yamada for permission. Aizawa nodded. “Go ahead. But we have to be home in a little while.”

Denki cheered and pulled Izuku – gently, minding his leg – off to the playground.

“He’s like a mini you.” Shouta eyed Izuku and Denki on the playground, ensuring everything was going well.

Hizashi scoffed. Then, he sighed. “Yeah, okay, I see it.”

“Of course he would attract a loud, hyper blond.”

“You’re getting outnumbered, Shou.”

Shouta rolled his eyes. “Shut up,” he grumbled.

“Hey,” a voice said from his left, and they both looked over to see Denki’s mom coming over to them.

“Hey! Denki’s mom, right? You kinda look familiar,” Hizashi commented.

“Hah, I get that a lot. I’m Narihana Kaminiari. I just wanted to say thanks for letting Denki play with your son. His outgoing nature can be… Well, pretty off-putting to some kids.”

“I’m Hizashi Yamada, and this is my husband, Shouta Aizawa. And no problem at all! Izuku looks like he’s having a lot of fun. They get along very easily.”

“Would you mind keeping in contact? I bet Denki would love having Izuku over for a playdate, or vice versa.”

“That’d be awesome!” Hizashi dug out his phone and handed it to Narihana. She put her number in and handed it back.

“Just call or text me whenever. Denki loves this park, we frequent it pretty often. If Izuku feels up to it, just let me know, and I’ll get Denki out here too.”

“Sounds good!”

“Agreed. We gotta get going, but it was wonderful meeting you.”

“And same to you,” Hizashi said with a smile, and Shouta echoed the sentiment.

Narihana waved goodbye and went to grab Denki. The two boys said their goodbyes, and Izuku walked back over to them.

“Hey, kiddo. Ready to go?” Hizashi asked.

Izuku nodded. He looked pretty tired, but there was still some lasting joy from his time with Denki. This park outing went better than he could’ve imagined. Shouta was proud of Izuku for getting out of his shell.

When they went home, Izuku was gushing over the day he had at the park, and with Denki. Shouta didn’t think he’d heard the kid speak this much all at once, besides the time when Izuku talked about his quirk theories for Bastard.

They let Izuku know that Denki’s mom gave them her number so that they could set up playdates or coordinate days at the park. Safe to say, he was ecstatic. Shouta was glad they encouraged him to do this; Izuku having friends will help him a lot.

Suddenly, in the middle of Hizashi talking about how excited he is for Izuku to meet up more with Denki, he gasped. “I know who she is! She’s pro hero ElecTricks! Wow, how did I not notice right away?”

Izuku’s eyes sparkled. “D-Denki’s mom? T-That’s awesome! I h-have to ask about her w-when I see him again.”

“She’s really cool, a good hero too. I bet you she’d love to talk about her quirk with you if you asked,” Hizashi commented.

“R-Really? You t-think so? She won’t find it… w-weird?”

“Of course not, baby. She’ll love it, promise.”

Izuku smiled a little and petted Bastard, who was sitting in his lap.

After that day, Izuku asked if they could go to the park pretty often. Since it was summer, and they had the time, it was a good way to pass the mornings and afternoons. Hizashi sometimes stayed home to work on his radio show or go on patrol, but Shouta honestly didn’t mind taking him alone.

Narihana was really the only parent who interacted with him, and Hizashi was right; she was cool. Occasionally, Denki’s dad, Kenji Kaminari, would tag along to the park outings, but he was quiet. Ultimately, seeing Izuku become more of a carefree child made him… content.

Izuku was having a better time sleeping, eating, and overall looked happier. It wasn’t a cure, of course, but things were looking up.

Izuku was having so much fun with Denki. The past few days they’d been hanging out have been some of the best Izuku’s had. They learned quite a bit about each other. Denki, for one, was fluent in English because his dad was born in Canada. Izuku wasn’t fluent, but he could speak a good amount, which helped them bond over the language.

Denki also loved heroes, and when Izuku admitted that he knew about his mom, he started to gush about how cool she was and that she inspired him to be a hero. Izuku didn’t spill that his parents were pros, too, because he wasn’t sure if they’d want him to do that.

Once Izuku got over his nerves, he eventually asked Denki about his mom and her quirk. Luckily, Denki had quite a bit of information to share. When Izuku mentioned that he loved analyzing heroes and their quirks, Denki asked him to analyze his quirk. He was super enthusiastic about it.

They couldn’t really do much at the park because public quirk usage wasn’t legal, but Denki tried explaining it to the best of his abilities. Izuku had about two to three pages filled with theories and ideas about how Denki could utilize his quirk, but he hadn’t shown him yet.

They were in the sandpit, Izuku and Denki were making their own structures and digging with their shovels. They were trying to see how big they could build their sand castles before they crumbled. So far, Izuku was winning.

“Dude! How come I show you how to build a sandcastle, yet you’re beating me?!” Denki cried out dramatically.

Izuku chuckled. “Y-You just need to f-find the right t-technique.”

Denki huffed and kept trying to pile more sand on top, but in the end, it toppled over.

“Aw, man!” he sighed, slumping back.

“M-Maybe next time y-you’ll get it!” Izuku encouraged.

“Ugh, stop being too nice! I totally would’ve bragged about winning.”

Izuku shrugged and continued adding onto his tower.

Loud footsteps came from Izuku’s right, and he turned to see a boy, probably their age, with spiky blond hair and red eyes. He looked mad.

“Are you extras gonna hog the whole sandbox or what?” he asked in a gruff voice.

Izuku frowned. The sandbox wasn’t exactly big, but he and Denki were in the corner; there was ample room for the boy to play there.

“Um, t-there’s room o-over–”

“Wait, Deku?!”

Izuku reared back, eyebrows furrowed in confusion and hurt. “Wh-What?”

Denki scooched forward on his knees to sit slightly in front of Izuku. “Hey, no need for names. There’s room over there.”

The kid, though, looked shocked and slightly scared. “Where the hell have you been?”

Izuku shared a look with Denki, both of them clearly confused. Did he know him? He seemed vaguely familiar, but Izuku wasn’t sure. Maybe he’d seen him around the park before?

“I-I don’t know w-what you mean…” Izuku trailed off.

Instead of responding, the boy just ran off, towards whom he assumed was his mother.

“What a weirdo,” Denki said, and Izuku agreed. They went back to playing, but Izuku still felt unsettled.

Just as they were about to go do something else, the boy returned, but this time, with his mother. Izuku anxiously looked over to where Aizawa and Yamada were sitting, but they weren’t paying attention at the moment. They were talking about something. Luckily, though, they weren’t too far away, so if he needed them, he could easily shout for them.

“I swear, he looks just like him!” the kid yelled, and his mother just looked exasperated, but also a little sad.

“Brat, we talked about this. You can’t just think every kid with green hair…” The mom abruptly stopped talking when she saw Izuku. It looked like she’d seen a ghost.

The boy, seeing his reaction, crossed his arms over his chest. “I told you!”

The mom took slow steps forward until she was kneeling in front of Izuku and Denki. Instinctively, Izuku moved closer to Denki, who was glaring at both of them.

“Hey, we’re not hogging the sandpit. Can you leave us alone?”

The mom, however, ignored Denki. “Izuku Midoriya? That’s you… right?”

Izuku flinched, eyes wide. What? How does she know? Who is this?

Seeing his confusion, she continued, “You don’t remember us? It’s Mitsuki. Your mom’s friend? Where– Where have you been?”

Izuku didn’t respond. She continued to speak, but Izuku couldn’t hear her. His ears were buzzing; he needed to get out of here.

When he refocused, Mitsuki was still speaking. “Did your dad take you? I always knew he was a piece of shit,” she spat.

Frozen and terrified, he turned towards his parents. “Ai– Dad?! Dad, help!” he yelled, shaking. Denki was trying to comfort him, and while he appreciated it, he just needed his parents’ help.

Before he could even finish his sentence, Aizawa and Yamada were already up and running over. Mitsuki was shocked, and she stood back up. Away from him, thankfully.

They both looked apprehensive, though Aizawa looked a little angry. “What’s going on?” Aizawa spoke, arms crossed in front of him. Meanwhile, Yamada grabbed Izuku’s hand and pulled him so that Izuku was standing behind him. He relaxed, gripping onto Yamada’s shirt.

Narihana, seeing the commotion, also walked over, probably to make sure her son was okay.

Mitsuki put her hands on her hips, defensive. “Who are you?”

The conversation went on, but Izuku wasn’t listening. He hid his face in Yamada’s back, and Yamada turned and picked him up. “C’mon, baby. Dad’s handling it. Let’s pack up.”

Izuku buried his face in Yamada’s shoulder, tears welling up in his eyes. He stayed that way while Yamada packed everything. It probably wasn’t easy with Izuku on his side like this, but he never complained.

Yamada sighed softly. “Let’s wait in the car.”

Shouta was frustrated. Of course, something like this had to happen when Izuku was having such a good time.

“Shouta Aizawa, Izuku’s father. Who are you?”

The woman scoffed. “No, you’re not. I knew Izuku’s father and mother. I was her best friend. Then, out of nowhere, he disappears! And turns up with some sketchy-looking dude!”

Shouta’s eye twitched, but he didn’t react. “Frankly, who I am is none of your business. Izuku is my and my husband’s child, and if you or your son continue to harass him, I will escalate this to the police. Do you understand?”

Not waiting for a response, Shouta twisted on his heel and walked away. Her voice made him pause.

“Wait! Shit.” She sounded desperate. Footsteps sounded closer to him, and she continued to speak, “Please, I just need to know what happened. I swear, I knew him since he was a baby, up until he was gone five years ago. I promised Inko I would look after him should anything happen to her.”

Shouta pinched the bridge of his nose. That was Izuku’s mom’s name. She could be telling the truth. He turned around to face her, and she looked wrecked.

“What happened to Izuku is not my story to tell. He doesn’t seem to remember or trust you right now, and I don’t blame him. Don’t ever talk to him that way again,” Shouta declared.

“I understand. I really am sorry. But… It’s like I was seeing a ghost. I never expected to see him here, of all places, so close by. Please, can you tell him about me? Ask if he remembers anything?” she pleaded.

Shouta sighed. “I won’t promise anything. He’s pretty shaken up, and mentioning anything about his mother is a sensitive topic.”

“I’ll wait, however long it takes. I just miss him. Here’s my number,” she said, and took out a small notebook and pen from her pocket. “Even if it takes months, please update me. I need to know he’s okay.”

To placate her, Shouta grabbed the piece of paper. Mitsuki Bakugou and her number were written on it. He pocketed it. “Fine.”

Mitsuki nodded and grabbed her son’s hand, taking them both away. Narihana and Denki were still there, but thankfully, neither pried.

“Will Izuku be okay?” Denki asked him.

Shouta nodded. “He’ll be fine, he just needs some space right now.”

Denki nodded in understanding. Shouta said goodbye to both of them, then made his way to the car.

Izuku was in the backseat, already fast asleep against the window. Hizashi looked troubled.

Shouta got inside and shut the car door as quietly as he could. Hizashi turned to face him. “What happened?” he whispered.

“I guess she was Inko Midoriya’s friend. She knew Izuku when he was younger. She wanted to know how he was doing.”

“What’d you tell her?”

“Nothing. I told her Izuku may not remember or want to know her. And bringing up his mom would be difficult. She gave me her number, in case he asked about it, but I dunno. I doubt he’d want to rehash the past right now.”

Hizashi agreed. “He’s barely spoken about his mother. Thanks for stepping in, by the way.”

“Of course. I’m just worried Izuku may not want to go back here anymore.”

“If that’s the case, there are other parks around. Or maybe we could find a different hangout area. No big deal, Shou.”

“I know, I know.”

Hizashi drove them home, Izuku peacefully sleeping the whole way back, and even when Shouta carried him up to his room. Bastard followed and immediately jumped on the bed to cuddle with Izuku.

Shouta left the door open a crack and went back downstairs.

Izuku woke up with a slight headache and a weight against his chest. The weight in question was purring, so he knew what that was. When Izuku blinked and looked around, he noticed Yamada sitting at the edge of his bed. He smiled when he noticed Izuku awake.

“Hey, kiddo. Feeling okay?”

“Mm. K-Kinda.”

“That’s good. You needed the rest. Are you up to talking to Denki on the phone? He was pretty concerned about you.”

Izuku nodded. “S-Sure.” It made him feel better that Denki was concerned; he really cared.

Yamada pressed a few buttons on his phone, then put it to his ear. After a few moments, the call connected. “Hey, Narihana. Yeah, he’s okay. Thanks for your concern. Is Denki available to talk? Perfect.”

The phone was handed to him, and Izuku pressed it to his ear. “H-Hello?”

“Izuku! How are you feeling? Are you okay? Those guys were sooo weird! Who were they anyway?”

Izuku giggled a little. “Yeah, I-I’m okay. A-And I d-don’t know. It was s-scary though…”

“Yeah, it totally was. Hopefully, they don’t go back there. Or, if they do, they don’t bother us.”

“M-Maybe. We c-can always find a-another park.”

“Ugh, I guess. Anyway, mom’s making dinner. I’ll see you later?”

“See you,” he confirmed before Denki ended the call. Izuku handed Yamada his phone back.

Yamada pocketed his phone. “Shou is gonna order take-out for us. Do you have any preference?”

Izuku took a moment to think about it. He usually ate anything they got him, but…

“Katsudon?” Izuku suggested.

“Of course. I’ll let him know. Come down whenever you’re ready.” Yamada ruffled his hair gently before leaving the room.

After being reminded of his mom, he remembered his favourite dish that she always made for him. Take-out wouldn’t measure up to it, obviously, but it was a part of his life from before that he could somewhat share with his new parents.

Chapter Text

Shouta didn’t believe that there was a good time to bring up what happened with Mitsuki, let alone talk about Izuku’s mom. Ever since it happened, and Izuku stayed quiet, he and Hizashi decided to let him bring it up on his own time when he felt ready.

Meanwhile, it took Izuku a few days to go back out again. Thankfully, the event didn’t completely stop Izuku from wanting to play outside with Denki. The first few hangouts were spent at the Kaminari home, and Shouta did the work to find an alternative playground in case Izuku decided he didn’t want to return to the original one. It was a useful search because when Denki brought up wanting to adventure outside with Izuku again, he seemed too anxious to go back to the one Mitsuki was at.

The one he found was a little bit further away, but Shouta and Hizashi didn't mind the extra drive. Narihana and Kenji didn't, either; so, when the kids and them had a free day, they decided to check it out. Hizashi drove him, Izuku, and Denki there together.

One thing Shouta immediately noticed was the larger playground. The area was definitely bigger than the last one, and if Shouta was being honest, it worried him a little. Maybe it's his "dad" side speaking — which Hizashi would tease him endlessly for, no doubt — but a bigger playground meant more people and more potential injuries.

Shouta knew Denki had taken Izuku's leg into account after their first meeting, but it just seemed like a lot. Denki could be very energetic and, by extension, prone to forgetfulness fostered by impulsiveness. He knew Izuku would be cautious; he just hoped nothing happened.

Besides the large playground, there were also two sets of swings instead of one, and a few picnic tables sitting under a pavilion. The park had an abundance of trees that produced a great amount of shade to relieve from the summer sun. Shouta was glad for that, since he loved to wear all black and grey.

Unfortunately, though, there was no sandpit, much to Denki's despair. It wasn't a dealbreaker, but only because Izuku reassured him that they could still have fun without one. The kids went off to play, and Shouta slumped over on the picnic table.

Hizashi nudged him. "What's wrong?"

"I know we said we'd let Izuku bring up his mom on his own, but is it healthy for him to keep it buried like this? He hasn't mentioned anything since Mitsuki a couple of weeks ago. Should we be worried?"

His husband sighed. "I dunno, Shou. Maybe it'd be helpful to contact Hound Dog sooner rather than later? Have him work out that repressed trauma?"

"Sure, but… How would Izuku feel? It took him throwing up from anxiety to tell us about his memory. Would going to a stranger make him talk?"

"That's precisely why he should talk to Hound Dog. It should never get to that point. We have to figure out something. If not Hound Dog, then someone else. A professional."

Shouta rubbed a hand down his face. "I know. I'm just… I'm thinking of when I was younger. Well, older than Izuku when you and— and Oboro suggested I talk to someone." He scoffed, "And I was so mad, I ignored you guys for days."

Hizashi chuckled. "Oh, I remember that! Oboro and I were freaked out. I genuinely thought you'd never talk to us again."

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

Hizashi rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around Shouta's shoulders. "While I agree it will be a hard topic, he's resilient. We'll tell him the upsides of talking to Hound Dog, and him being a pro-hero might work in our favour. Let him know we're still here for him, and he can still always talk to us."

Shouta hummed, leaning into Hizashi's side. He watched as Izuku and Denki swung on the swings, Izuku laughing at something Denki said. It would be for the best, Shouta knew. However, he also understood firsthand how difficult it was to accept outside help.

They waited a couple of days to ask Izuku about it. Shouta was terrible with this kind of conversation, so he let Hizashi lead it this time. Izuku was currently scribbling something in his notebook with Bastard in his lap. Shouta and Hizashi were sitting on either side of him.

"Hey, kiddo. Can we talk to you about something for a minute?" Hizashi asked, turning slightly to face Izuku better.

Izuku paused in his writing, nervously putting his notebook on the coffee table before petting Bastard for support. He nodded to show he was listening.

"There's no real easy way to have this discussion, so if you need a break, let us know, alright? You're not in trouble or anything." Hizashi added the last part when Izuku looked significantly more worried as he spoke.

"O-Okay," Izuku agreed, more relaxed now.

"I know it's been a hard year for you, baby. And we always want what's best for you. So, Shou and I wanted to know your thoughts on seeing Hound Dog. He's a youth counsellor, and he can help you work through anything you need, like your anxiety."

Hizashi paused to gauge Izuku's reaction. He had perked up a little at Hound Dog's name — of course, the kid knew who he was — but he looked confused by the end of what Hizashi said.

"H-Help? I… What d-do you mean?" Izuku questioned, lost.

Shouta gestured to Hizashi that he could talk for this part. "Ryo — Hound Dog's — job is to help kids deal with any… ah, issues in their lives. Like Hizashi said, you've been through a lot, and we are always here for you, but talking to a professional would be a lot more helpful for your situation."

Izuku frowned. He fidgeted, ducking his head down. After a few silent moments, Hizashi moved slightly closer.

"Hey, Izu, talk to us. What're you thinking?"

The kid kept his head down when he responded. "Y-You don't… w-want m-me to t-talk about… t-that place anymore? I-Is this because of… T-That lady a-at the park? Because—Because I-I'll talk ab-about it! I will!"

Shouta and Hizashi shared a brief, panicked glance before Hizashi spoke, his hand on Izuku's shoulder. "No, no, nothing like that, we promise. We don't want to force you to talk about anything until you're ready. You won't even have to speak about… your mother, if you don't want to. But Izuku, last time you kept something in, you got sick from anxiety. We don't want you to hurt yourself in any way."

Izuku sniffled and used his sleeve to wipe his eyes. Shouta put an arm around Izuku slowly to see if he wanted contact or not. The kid leaned into him, so Shouta pulled him closer and rubbed his arm.

"Talking to someone else who can work through what you're feeling could be beneficial. There's nothing wrong with it. And this doesn't mean you have to stop coming to us at all, and it doesn't mean we want to stop talking to you. You don't have to decide right now," Shouta added. "You can do it when UA classes start up again for the upcoming term. If you're still unsure by then, you don't have to commit to anything. Hound Dog allows students or younger children to have one session to see how they feel. You can do that, too."

Izuku didn't respond right away, but it seemed like he understood what Shouta was saying. They let him take his time to collect his thoughts and work through them.

Eventually, the kid spoke up. "I-I'll try it," he whispered, but both he and Hizashi heard it.

Hizashi let out a small, relieved breath and kissed the top of Izuku's head. "That's a good step forward, honey. I'm proud of you."

Izuku nodded, but it felt like he wanted to say more, so they were quiet again.

"I d-didn't…" he started, trailing off before speaking up again, "I w-wanted to talk about m-my mom but… I-I'm embarrassed."

"Why, baby? There's no reason to be embarrassed," Hizashi encouraged.

Izuku shrugged. "I… I d-don't r-remember much… of before… I g-get flashes of her, i-in my mind, but—" he broke off into a soft sob, "I-I'm forgetting her."

Before Shouta or Hizashi could say anything, Izuku continued, his voice breaking from his cries. "I-I tried so hard t-to remember her, in my t-time there. But it g-got harder the l-longer I was kept there…"

Vaguely, Shouta recalled the first file he saw of the kid that Tsukauchi showed him. There were recorded instances of exactly what he went through: being drugged, electrocuted, subjected to medical torture, etc. Of course the kid's recollections of his younger life would be muddled. Being there for four years was enough of an explanation for his fragmented memories.

Shouta pulled him closer so that he could hug him properly. Izuku melted into his embrace, hiccuping occasionally as he calmed down. "Kid, that's not your fault. There's no need to be embarrassed. You haven't had the proper time to grieve and process what happened to you at the same time."

He figured mentioning the methods of torture he went through wouldn't be a good idea, so he forewent that route. "It happened when you were a lot younger; it's completely normal to forget details when you age."

Izuku shrugged. "I-It makes sense, but… E-Ever since the f-fire, I don't h-have any pictures of her."

Shouta rubbed Izuku's back to soothe him. He had an idea, but he wouldn't mention it just yet in case it fell through. "I know, that sucks, kid. If you remember anything and would like to talk about her, you're always welcome to do so with us. We would love to hear about her."

Hizashi echoed the same sentiment, his hand running through Izuku's hair gently. "Th-Thank you…" Izuku mumbled, curling in closer.

Later on, when the kid wasn't in the same room, he called Tsukauchi.

"Eraser? What's up?" the detective answered the call, inquisitive.

"Hey. Random question, but do you still have Inko Midoriya's file?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You don't necessarily need her picture attached to it, do you?"

A pause. Then, slowly, "I suppose not."

"Perfect. Can I come pick it up?"

"Context, Eraser," Tsukauchi said, exasperated.

Shouta sighed quietly. "The kid doesn't have anything left of his mother. No pictures, and barely any memories. So…" he trailed off, sure Tsukauchi understood now.

He did. "Well, I'm here late, as always."

There was another pause before Tsukauchi continued, "Is Izuku doing alright?"

"Better than you last saw him. He's made a friend."

"That's awesome. I'm happy for him."

Not sure where else to go with this conversation, he asked, "Anything come up that I should worry about?"

Tsukauchi hummed. "Not really. Just petty criminals. Although they're popping up a lot more lately."

"Do I need to take longer shifts?"

"No, no. It's under control. If it gets worse, I'll let you know."

"Alright. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Eraser," Tsukauchi responded before he ended the call.

Shouta let Hizashi know the situation, and he thought it'd be a great idea. It was at least something the kid could have to remember his mom. Izuku was in the living room when he was getting ready to leave, watching him with slight curiosity.

"I'll be right back, kid. Look after Bastard and Sushi for me," he joked, to which Izuku nodded in mock seriousness.

"I-I'm on it," he replied, and Shouta smiled small in amusement.

Sushi meowed offendedly from her perch on the couch as if she understood what Shouta said. Bastard just lazed on Izuku's lap with no care in the world. It felt like a lifetime ago when they used to be the opposite in behaviour.

The ordeal only took about ten minutes. It's not like Shouta had any reason to linger, since Tsukauchi wasn't working on any cases that involved him at the moment. However, it was nice to see that Tsukauchi was under significantly less stress and looked like he actually got a good night's rest.

Anyway, the photo of Inko would suffice. It was a little impersonal, being part of an official document and all, but it was something.

He got home, the picture hidden in his pocket. He slipped his shoes off and went straight to the couch, where Izuku was sitting. Hizashi was on the loveseat, reading, but he put the book down when Shouta came into the room.

"I know this probably won't make up for any family photos you had with your mom, Izuku, but here," he explained before handing the picture to the kid.

Izuku's brows were slightly furrowed when he took it, but his expression turned into one of shock when he saw who was in the photo. Then, his face immediately crumpled, and he started crying.

Shit. Was this a bad idea? Shouta didn't even think about waiting to give it to him before the topic settled. Hizashi looked just as frantic, unsure of what to do.

Before Shouta could rectify the situation, Izuku launched himself onto Shouta, wrapping his arms around his neck tightly.

While Izuku was better at initiating contact, this was surprising. He didn't hesitate to hug him back, though, one arm around his back and one hand in his hair. "Whoa, kiddo, careful," he muttered, but it wasn't an actual admonishment.

Hizashi looked close to tears as he watched them, hand over his mouth. Izuku didn't say anything as he cried, and Shouta hoped they were happy tears.

Shouta held him through it, and it didn't take long for him to calm down enough to speak. "Th-Thank you, thank you! H-How did— Where d-did you get this?" he asked, trying to wipe his tears away, but they kept coming.

"Tsukauchi. He has a file on her. I asked for the— if he had a picture of her, and he did."

Izuku sniffled and rested the side of his head against Shouta's shoulder. "T-Tell him I-I said thank you," he whispered, clutching the photo against his chest protectively.

"I will."

They sat like that for a bit, Bastard next to them purring loudly. Hizashi had migrated to the couch to comfort Izuku. The kid mostly stared at the photo, running his thumb over her features. He didn't speak about her tonight, but Shouta knew he would come to them about it soon.

Shouta: Izuku says thank you.

Tsukauchi: Aww. Tell him it was no problem at all.

Izuku was at the park, alone.

Okay, not alone alone, Aizawa and Yamada were here, but Denki wasn't coming.

Apparently, Denki had short-circuited himself with a quirk mishap. Narihana assured them over the phone that he was fine and that it happened quite often. On days like this, he just needed rest.

So, by himself. It was one of the busier days at the park, and he felt a little overwhelmed without Denki there. He knew he couldn't rely on Denki all the time, but it was hard.

He knew his dads were worried, Yamada a little more obvious about it, but Izuku didn't want to leave. It was a nice day, the summer breeze enveloping him. He wasn't comfortable wearing short sleeves in public just yet, so luckily, the weather wasn't unbearable.

There were more kids about his age there, and some younger. Izuku anxiously watched as kids played, mostly together, only a couple alone. The groups intimidated him the most.

Aizawa gently nudged him. "You don't have to do this today, kid. We can go home. No pressure."

Izuku shrugged and fidgeted with his sleeve. "N-Not yet. I-I wanna… try," he replied, trying to give himself the courage. They didn't push after that, which Izuku appreciated. Even if it took him all afternoon, he wanted to try to talk to at least one person.

He noticed that one of the two swing sets was completely occupied, but the other had two seats open. Izuku's right leg was bouncing up and down in nervousness, and then he finally stood up.

"I-I'm gonna go t-to the swing," he announced. After his dads acknowledged it, he walked off towards it.

Thankfully, no one took the swing before he got there, so he sat on it. He went slowly at first, then his pace increased progressively.

As Izuku kept going, a kid with blond hair, blue eyes, and a perpetual scowl on his face sat on the swing next to him. His body language screamed 'don't talk to me', so Izuku left him alone for now.

He did, however, slow down a bit so that he wasn't swinging as high now. Izuku didn't exactly expect a conversation from him, but it just felt right.

Not even five minutes later, two kids came up to stand in front of the boy beside him. One had flat, black hair, with green eyes narrowed in a glare, and the other had curly, dirty blond hair with a neutral expression. They didn't look very nice, and that was only confirmed when the one with black hair spoke up.

"Yo, Monoma. Gonna hog the swings now or what?" he said with a sneer.

The boy, Monoma, scoffed. "That's not how parks work, idiot. Do you know what public means? It means I can be here for as long as I want," he challenged.

Izuku swallowed back a laugh at his statement and the subsequent reactions of the two boys in front of him. The black-haired boy looked outraged at Monoma's condescension, while the curly-haired one only looked mildly irritated.

The black-haired kid took a threatening step forward, as if to attack, then he changed his mind and stepped back. "Why are you even here? It's not like you have friends to play with. Your parents are rich enough to make you your own playground," he spat.

Izuku's amusement vanished. He noticed a minute change in Monoma's expression, but it was carefully sculpted back to indifference. Somehow, even though the other two kids were practically towering over Monoma, he seemed to be looking down on them.

"Yet you two can't leave me alone. Now go away," Monoma declared, going back to swinging without a care.

If the boys were mad before, they were seething now. Izuku could tell it was going to escalate terribly.

"H-Hey!" Izuku interrupted, causing all three of them to look at him in shock. The two bullies gazed at him as if they didn't know he was there in the first place.

Izuku faltered slightly, but he already said something, so he might as well continue. "H-He was there f-first. G-Go find some-somewhere else to swing."

The two boys looked at each other in disbelief, then the one with curly hair turned back with a scoff. "Who do you think you are? 'G-G-Go find s-s-somew-w-here else to swing,'" he mocked cruelly.

Izuku tightened his grip on the chains holding the swing, masking his expression before his hurt was on display.

The other kid chimed in, "Is this your bodyguard, Monoma?" he snickered, "He's kinda tiny to be at all intimidating."

Izuku glanced to the side at Monoma, who was still staring at him, but his shocked expression had changed back to its usual indifference.

"No, I don't even know who he is," Monoma replied.

Izuku turned his attention back to the others, his heart beating quickly in nervousness and anticipation. "J-Just leave us a-alone."

"Or what?"

Gratefully, Izuku was saved from responding when a woman's voice called out in their direction, "Touji! Hikaru, let's go."

Both boys rolled their eyes. The one with black hair made a parting comment, "This isn't over." Then, they both left.

Izuku let out a breath of relief. He wasn't sure what exactly would have happened there. He turned to face Monoma. "A-Are you okay?"

Monoma didn't look particularly bothered, but when Izuku spoke to him, his scowl from before came back. "I don't need your pity. Now I look ridiculous. Why the hell did you step in anyway?"

A little taken aback by his answer, Izuku hesitated before stammering out a reply. "Th-They w-were being m-mean. I-I don't know…"

That shock from earlier flickered on his face, but Izuku blinked, and it was gone. Did he imagine it?

"Well, just stay out of it," was Monoma's clipped response.

A little hurt, Izuku didn't say anything else. He wished Denki were here; he'd know what to do. Should he go somewhere else now? Was it awkward?

Izuku's emotions must've shown on his face, because a moment later, Monoma let out a long-suffering sigh.

"They're just some losers who go to school with me. They terrorize anyone they feel like it, but I've been their primary target for a while now," he said, then rushed to add, "But I don't care. They're insignificant."

Surprised he actually said something, Izuku could only nod. So… Should he stay here?

More silence. Izuku started pushing his right foot off the ground so that he swung low enough to carry on a conversation comfortably.

Monoma's face was scrunched, as if saying the next words were painful: "Thanks. I guess. No one's ever… No one stops them. So, yeah."

Izuku smiled a little at that. "N-No problem."

Monoma didn't respond, and Izuku was trying to gather the courage to say something else. A couple of minutes later, he asked him, "Do y-you want t-to go o-over there?" He gestured to the playground, which was almost empty now, thanks to most of the children either eating lunch or leaving.

The blond glared at him, but it lacked any real malice. "Just because you told them off, doesn't mean we're friends now."

Izuku deflated slightly. "O-Oh. Okay." He was too eager, wasn't he? He should probably leave this time, maybe back to Aizawa and Yamada instead.

Before Izuku could do that, though, Monoma slumped his tense shoulders and slipped off the swing. "Come on," he grumbled and walked off towards the playground.

Izuku sat there stunned for a moment before he quickly followed Monoma. "I-I'm Izuku, b-by the way," he introduced.

"Monoma." Izuku already knew his name, but he didn't say that.

"C-Cool. Nice t-to meet you."

Monoma hunched his shoulders, but not before Izuku could see his ears turning pink. "Whatever. Let's go to the slides."

"See? You were so worried," Hizashi commented, voice smug.

"Honestly, I'm still worried that both of his friends are blond. Although this one seems less excitable, at least."

"Hm. I'm curious how this new guy and Denki will get along," Hizashi mused.

A little while later, Izuku was making his way over to them. He sat down at their picnic table, opposite Shouta and Hizashi. Shouta was already handing Izuku his lunch.

The kid thanked him before he started eating. Hizashi leaned forward, elbows on the table, and his head resting on his chin. "Have a fun time?" he asked.

Izuku nodded. "Mhm!"

"Who's your new friend?"

"H-His name is M-Monoma. Didn't get h-his given name, though."

Shouta's eyes slightly widened, and he shared a look with Hizashi. Izuku stopped eating, concerned. "Wh-What's wrong?"

Hizashi quickly reassured him. "Nothing, baby. We're just surprised. The Monomas are a very well-known family, that's all."

Izuku tilted his head. "O-Oh. A-Are they nice?"

Shouta let out a sort of half-laugh, half-scoff. "Not when we went to school with them."

Hizashi elbowed him in the side, but Izuku already looked contemplative. "Th-That makes s-sense. He seemed… upset, w-when he had t-to leave."

Shouta was mostly kidding, but it was a bit disconcerting to find out that they potentially had not changed for years, especially now that they had a child.

He could tell Hizashi felt the same way. "Well, he has you as a friend now," his husband said, which made Izuku perk up a little.

"Did he say when he'd come next?" Shouta asked him.

Izuku shook his head. "N-No. H-His mom rushed him. B-But I h-hope soon."

"Hopefully. Then you can have him meet Denki, too!" Hizashi exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

Izuku looked excited at that, and Shouta could only feel content and proud of how his kid was progressing. Shouta could just tell that he would have a lot of friends in his future.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke up with a gasp, chest heaving with heavy breaths. He rolled onto his side, searching for the Present Mic figure on his nightstand.

Bastard was also there, sleeping soundly. He sighed, his breathing going back to normal. It wasn't particularly a bad dream; he was having memories of himself and his mom.

Granted, they were a bit fuzzy, and Izuku didn't completely remember them, but he just knew. Luckily for him, Hisashi was never present in these memories — or he just blocked him out of them.

Knowing it would take a while to go back to sleep, he slowly slipped out of bed without waking Bastard. He crept out of his room, going down the stairs carefully.

Izuku reached the kitchen and turned on the lights. He grabbed a cup and filled it with water, taking small sips of it.

As he stood there, he ruminated on his memories. Lost in thought, he jumped when he felt something brush up against his leg. Izuku glanced down, seeing Sushi wrap around his legs with a quiet meow.

Izuku smiled and placed his half-empty glass on the counter. Crouching down, he gently picked up Sushi and went to sit on the couch with her.

He must have sat there for a while, because the front door opened with a soft click, and Aizawa came inside. Oh, right, Izuku forgot that he had late-night patrols.

Aizawa seemed surprised to see Izuku up this late. He took his shoes off and padded over to the living room, taking a seat next to him.

"Trouble sleeping?" his dad asked.

Izuku shrugged. "K-Kinda. Was d-dreaming a-about her," he whispered, though he didn't really need to. Yamada slept without his hearing aids, so he wouldn't have heard them. Still, it just felt appropriate to talk at a lower volume at this time of night.

Aizawa hummed softly and brought a hand up to slip through Izuku's curls soothingly. Izuku leaned into it, already feeling sleepy.

Sushi was already fast asleep in his lap, curled up against his stomach.

They sat there in silence, Izuku close to falling back asleep. However, something was pressing on his mind that he needed to get out.

"W-Was she… b-buried somewhere?" Izuku asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Aizawa's hand paused on his head, only briefly before he resumed. "I can ask Tsukauchi. I'm sure he would know."

Izuku nodded. What to do with that information? If she were, should he visit her? Would that be weird? He wasn't sure what the right answer was here.

As if Aizawa could hear his inner turmoil, he pulled him closer. "Don't think too much about it now. Go to sleep, we can discuss it in the morning if you wish."

"O-Okay," Izuku responded, but the word barely exited his mouth before he fell back into slumber.

When he next woke up, it was to muffled voices. Izuku blinked his eyes open, rubbing them with a free hand. A "Shh" was said from above him, and Izuku blearily looked up. Aizawa was lying in front of him, his arm over Izuku's shoulder.

"Morning, kid. Sleep better?" he asked, his voice still hushed.

Izuku nodded and slumped his head back onto Aizawa's chest. They must've slept on the couch. Aizawa chuckled softly and held him close. "You can go back to sleep if you'd like."

He didn't necessarily want or need to; he had a fine rest. He was just comfortable and didn't want to get up. Izuku rested there, closing his eyes but not falling back asleep. The conversation resumed in soft voices, which he now knew was Yamada talking to Aizawa.

This was nice. Izuku basked in the early morning quiet, the sunrays washing over the living room in a warm glow. It's been months, almost a year now, but Izuku still couldn't believe this was his life now. It felt just like yesterday when Izuku thought he'd never escape the base, forever condemned to a life in his cell.

Izuku's fingers twitched slightly against the fabric of Aizawa's capture weapon, which made him open his eyes again in realization.

"Y-You didn't change f-from your hero outfit?" Izuku questioned, his voice a stark contrast against the quiet.

Both heroes stopped their conversation. Aizawa huffed a laugh. "No, I guess I didn't."

Izuku sat up, careful on his leg. He frowned. "I-I'm sorry. Th-That was… probably uncomfortable."

Aizawa shrugged. "I'm used to it. There have been many nights — or early mornings — where I crash in my hero outfit. This one always scolds me for it," he gestured to Yamada, "but sometimes, it's just too inconvenient to change."

Izuku giggled quietly when Yamada tsked. "I'm just trying to save you from an uncomfortable sleep, and the gross feeling you get from wearing your hero fit too long after a patrol."

Aizawa waved his hand. "In the moment, they're the most comfortable pyjamas. But since I'm awake, I do need to change. And a shower."

The hero ruffled Izuku's hair and planted a brief kiss on his forehead. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he said before getting up off the couch.

Yamada sat next to Izuku when Aizawa left the room to refresh. "How'd you sleep, love? Shou was telling me you had some memories in your dream last night," he coaxed, placing an arm around him.

Usually, Izuku would casually lean on him, but he was feeling clingy this morning. He crawled into Yamada's lap instead and lay his head on the hero's chest. Yamada shifted to accommodate him like it were second nature.

Once Izuku was comfortable, he explained what had happened last night. "I-I did h-have memories of her," he muttered, absentmindedly fiddling with Yamada's shirt. "Nice ones. I-I miss her. A-And I f-feel bad a-about saying that, b-because I have y-you guys now."

Yamada shut down that train of thought. "Don't feel bad about that, baby. She was your mom; it's only natural you'd miss her. Especially with how everything happened. I know she'd be so proud of how strong you are."

Izuku's eyes welled with tears, and he hid his face in Yamada's shirt. "Y-You think so?"

"I know so," Yamada confirmed, voice so sure that Izuku couldn't really do anything else but believe him.

His cries were quiet, but Yamada's words hit him hard. In a good way. It was the reassurance Izuku needed. Yamada kindly wiped his tears away, not needing to say anything else.

Izuku's tears had dried up by the time Aizawa came back downstairs. He came over and sat next to them. "I talked to Tsukauchi, Izuku. About your mother's burial, if you still want to know."

Surprised, Izuku nodded. He didn't expect Aizawa to take his ramblings from last night seriously. "O-Oh. Yes, I-I do."

Aizawa nodded. "She's a little further away from us, I assume in a graveyard near where you two lived. We could see her anytime you want."

Izuku took a moment to think about it. "M-Maybe not n-now… B-But thank y-you for checking."

"Of course. Whenever you're ready, just let us know, okay?" Aizawa responded, voice understanding.

They spent their morning as usual, and today he stayed home with the heroes instead of going to the park. It was nice to still have days like that.

Over the next few park visits, though, he didn't see Monoma for a while. He was a little disappointed in that, but he had a feeling he'd see him again. Izuku just needed to be patient.

On the bright side, he also didn't see the two bullies, Touji and Hikaru, which was a relief.

In the meantime, Izuku told Denki all about Monoma. He left out the part where the two kids were being rude, though. He didn't want to make a big deal out of nothing.

Denki kept grumbling about how, after one day, Izuku had already replaced him, but Izuku reassured him that he could never be replaced.

Then, one day, Izuku spotted him. Monoma was on the swings like the first time they met. Excited, Izuku rushed over, pulling Denki along with him. "Monoma!" he called, and he waved when said boy looked over at them.

Denki put his hands on his hips, scrutinizing the boy before him. Monoma just flicked his eyes over Denki, then back to Izuku with no comment.

An awkward silence fell between them, and Izuku wrung his hands together anxiously. Maybe Monoma changed his mind? He didn't want to be friends?

His worries were assuaged, though, when Monoma stood off the swing. He tilted his head towards Denki. "Who's he?" he asked, as if Denki were intruding on their conversation.

Izuku gave a wobbly smile. "M-My friend, D-Denki Kaminari."

"You can call me Kaminari," Denki said, to which Monoma just shrugged.

Izuku inwardly rolled his eyes at Denki's dramatics. Ultimately, he just wanted them to all get along.

Denki nudged Izuku's hands apart, which made him realize that he was still pulling at them painfully. Izuku instead laid them on his upper arms with a silent nod at Denki in thanks. Monoma watched the whole interaction with a calculated gaze.

"Um, s-so… Slide?" Izuku offered, and both boys followed him to the playground.

Today was a lot warmer than normal, and Izuku was getting uncomfortable in his long-sleeved shirt. The material was light, but it didn't help. The shade the trees provided could only do so much.

Izuku would be sweating after climbing the stairs to the slide each time, and his leg strain didn't make things better. Monoma noticed after the third time just how out of breath he was.

"Why would you wear that in the summertime?" Monoma questioned, and though he sounded belittling, his eyes betrayed his worry.

Denki bristled at his tone, but Izuku waved him off. "J-Just thought i-it was cooler t-today than it is," he excused weakly. Denki didn't know about his scars either, and Izuku didn't exactly want to reveal them now when he wasn't mentally ready for the questions he was sure the two would have — even if they wouldn't verbally ask them.

However, it only got worse. This was new territory for Izuku. Ever since he'd been in his cell at the base, he had trouble staying warm, even when he was rescued. He was comfortable in oversized hoodies and sweaters, but this was almost painful.

Izuku wasn't sure if he'd rather be too cold or too hot.

When Izuku sat down on the steps, Denki floundered about what to do. "I-I'm okay, I-I just n-need water," Izuku said, trying not to concern them.

Monoma huffed and pulled Izuku up by his arm. Izuku, not expecting that, flinched slightly at the abrupt touch. Monoma faltered, but Izuku didn't pull away. He made a weird expression, but it was gone by the time Izuku looked at him. "Where are your parents?" the blond asked, so Izuku pointed towards Aizawa and Yamada.

Thinking Monoma was just encouraging Izuku to get water, he followed the boy to his parents, Denki trailing behind. His dads watched them, both worried for Izuku's well-being.

Izuku thanked Monoma and sheepishly asked Yamada for some water. He was embarrassed that he had to be practically dragged over. He gratefully sipped from his water bottle, thinking that'd be the end of it.

Then, Monoma said, "Why is your son not dressed properly? He could have a heat stroke."

Izuku froze, water bottle held stationary to his lips. He turned to Monoma in surprise, and he also caught a glimpse of Denki's shocked expression, brows raised and jaw slightly dropped.

Before Izuku could somehow alleviate the situation, Aizawa spoke, "You're right. Izuku has his reasons for dressing how he does, but we should've kept a closer eye on the weather."

Monoma frowned, and Izuku thought he wasn't expecting Aizawa to agree so easily. He crossed his arms over his chest, unsure, but his posture was a little less tense. "Right," was the only thing he said.

Izuku drank more water, and while it didn't completely cool him off, he felt better from the hydration.

It was still silent between the five of them. To relieve the tension, Yamada pressed his hands together and said, "Would you two like to join us for lunch?"

Denki already sat down beside Izuku like it was only natural, but Monoma hesitated. He looked back over his shoulder, but Izuku couldn't see what — or who — the boy was looking at.

Monoma turned back to them. "I can't, I have to go home now." He offered up no more information.

Izuku was a little disappointed. "D-Do you know w-when you'll be back?"

"No," Monoma said with a shake of his head. Izuku pouted, slouching over the table. Monoma sighed. "But I can— I can give you my home phone."

Izuku perked up again, and he nodded eagerly. Monoma rattled it off, and one of the heroes saved it for him. They said their goodbyes, then Monoma left.

Still curious, Izuku watched him while Denki chatted with Yamada. Monoma walked off with whom he assumed was his father, and his friend's posture was rigid.

Izuku sighed quietly to himself. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he was worried for Monoma.

Focusing back into the conversation, Izuku took small bites of his lunch. The heat was making him feel nauseous, so he stopped. Aizawa noticed.

Izuku wiped his sleeve across his forehead, then signed to Aizawa, 'Don't feel good.'

He coughed, then leaned into Aizawa. The hero took care of telling Yamada and Denki that they should get home. Denki understood right away and told Izuku to feel better soon before leaving for his mom.

Izuku didn't pay much attention to what happened between leaving the park and getting home. The blasted A/C in the car calmed him down, then Izuku thought he was carried into his room by Aizawa.

He woke up in his bed. Izuku shivered and pulled the blankets up higher over himself. He was wearing a t-shirt now, but with the A/C circulating the house, he felt cooler again.

It wasn't the same feeling as it was in the base, but he hated feeling cold. The ache in his bones was all too familiar. Bastard was lying against his chest, which helped provide the warmth he needed. It took him a few moments to muster the courage to get up from under the blankets. Once he did, he quickly pulled on a sweatshirt.

Izuku padded out of his room, Bastard cuddled in his arms. He carefully went downstairs. When he rounded the corner, Aizawa and Yamada were sitting on the couch. They both turned to face him.

Yamada stood up and walked over, hands on Izuku's shoulders. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Y-Yeah. C-Cold now," he muttered, and Yamada pulled him in for a hug, much to Bastard's displeasure. However, he didn't swipe at Yamada.

Izuku melted into his embrace, already feeling better. Aizawa came over as well, rubbing his back. "Do you want some tea?" Aizawa asked him, and Izuku nodded.

Yamada kissed his head, then led him to the couch so they could sit. "Shou turned the A/C off for now. Monoma was bold, but he was correct. I'm sorry, Izuku, we should've known it would be too hot for you to wear that."

"I-It's fine. I— I didn't w-want to wear sh-short sleeves…"

"I know, baby. But it's way too hot for that, and you almost passed out today. Is this about… your scars?"

Izuku tensed slightly at the mention of them, but he nodded in confirmation. Yamda hummed knowingly. "You know, Listener, I don't think Denki would mind. He's sweet, and if you didn't want to talk about how you got them, I know he'd honour that. Now, Monoma is a bit rougher around the edges, but he obviously cares about you."

It sounded logical to Izuku, but he still feared the reactions he would get. "Wh-What if…" he trailed off.

Yamada placed a hand on his head. "What if what, honey?"

Izuku's lip wobbled. "Wh-What i-if they— they think i-it's gross o-or…" he sniffled, choking back a sob, "A-And they l-leave?"

Aizawa had just come back from making Izuku's tea, but seeing his distress, he set it down and sat next to him. Yamada wrapped an arm around him. "That won't happen, Izu. I know it. But I won't rush you to do it if you really don't want to. You guys don't have to hang out at the park; you can go to one of their houses, or they could come here," Yamada suggested.

Izuku hiccuped, and Aizawa gently wiped away his tears. He leaned into the touch. "I-I'll think about it," he whispered.

"That's perfect," Yamada reassured. Aizawa handed Izuku his tea, which he just held in his hands for now for the warmth. When it was safe to drink, he took some sips. What Yamada said made sense, and maybe he just had to trust his friends for this.

Next time the three of them hung out, Izuku had his scars showing. He still tried to hide them by hugging his arms to his chest, but it didn't really do much. His friends' reactions, though, were pretty anticlimactic. They took one glance, and while Izuku could tell they were curious, they said nothing.

Yamada was right, and Izuku had nothing to worry about.

They weren't at the park, though. Izuku invited Denki and Monoma to his — well, the heroes' — house. Sushi was with them, sitting on the arm of the couch, while Bastard was off somewhere, probably his or Aizawa and Yamada's room. He didn't enjoy the extra company.

He and his friends watched movies, played some board games, to which Denki and Monoma had to teach him the rules of, and now, they were on the topic of quirks.

"Oh, Monoma, you should see Izuku's notebooks! He wrote some cool stuff about my quirk. Maybe he could do yours!" Denki exclaimed.

Izuku blushed under his praise, fiddling with his shirt. "Ah, th-they're nothing s-special," he muttered.

Up until then, Monoma hadn't told them what his quirk was. Izuku didn't mind it. After all, he wasn't so forthcoming about his, either. Denki didn't even know what it was. He never asked, which Izuku was grateful for.

Izuku wasn't sure what he should tell them. He didn't discuss this with Aizawa and Yamada, but Izuku wasn't sure if it was smart to tell them he had two quirks. It was extremely rare, as he'd learned, and he didn't know what his friends would think.

He had the idea of combining his quirks as one and explaining it as having to do with nature. Either that, or he chose one quirk to showcase and suppress the other. He didn't think that was a great idea, though.

Monoma didn't say anything, and Izuku scrambled to speak up, "Y-You don't h-have to t-tell us your q-quirk, if you d-don't want!"

"No, it's fine. I call it 'Copy'. I can copy another person's quirk by touching them."

Izuku froze, dread overcoming him. He kept a neutral expression, but he was panicking a little. So that time, when Monoma touched his arm, did he copy his quirks? Did he know he had more than one?

Monoma didn't look suspicious, but he was hard to read sometimes. Izuku mentally shook himself out of it. At least he could ask him questions about his quirk; regardless of Izuku's feelings, it was a nice quirk.

"Th-That's really c-cool! C-Can you hold q-quirks for a certain amount of t-time? H-How many can you copy at once?…" he rambled off different questions, simultaneously reaching for his notebook he usually kept on the coffee table.

Monoma looked overwhelmed. "Whoa, slow down. You're going too fast."

Izuku stopped, embarrassed. "S-Sorry… I… Y-You don't have to…"

Monoma rolled his eyes. "I didn't say to stop, I just can't answer when you talk that fast."

"O-Oh," Izuku breathed, straightening in his seat. "Y-You don't m-mind if I write them down?"

"Go ahead."

So they spent the next hour or so on Monoma's quirk. He had a lot of questions! Monoma didn't seem tired of it, and he never told him to stop. Izuku knew he would if he wanted, so Izuku happily scribbled down every aspect and theory he had on Monoma's quirk.

He learned this from his questions: Monoma's quirk was always on when he made contact, but, he also said his quirk worked a lot better with skin-to-skin contact. So, it was possible Monoma didn't feel anything when he touched his arm.

Denki was interested in the quirk interrogation for about the first ten minutes, then he got bored and turned on the TV.

By the time that was over, it was time to eat dinner. Aizawa got them from the living room and into the dining room. The table was mostly filled with chatter from Denki and Yamada, with Izuku chiming in occasionally, Monoma less so. He seemed considerably more tense than when it was just the three of them.

Later on, Denki's mom came by to pick him up first. They weren't sleeping over — Izuku wasn't comfortable with that just yet — but did stay over quite late. Izuku was surprised that Aizawa and Yamada even allowed it.

Denki said his goodbyes, hugging Izuku tightly. They'd gotten close enough for contact like this, which Izuku was happy for. He didn't hug Monoma, but Monoma didn't seem the type to hug just anyone anyway.

So then, it was just them two until Monoma's mom or dad came for him. They sat back down on the couch, silent but not awkward. At least Izuku didn't think it was awkward.

Before Izuku could start up any conversation, Sushi crawled onto Monoma's lap. He froze, unsure of what to do. Izuku giggled softly.

"She's v-very affectionate," Izuku said, and Monoma relaxed a little. He started to pet her, and Sushi purred loudly.

They sat there in silence. Monoma's eyes would dart to Aizawa and Yamada, who were both still sitting in the dining room having their own hushed conversation. Izuku could tell he wanted to say something, so he waited.

Eventually, Monoma said, "Your dads, they're… nice," in a quiet voice. When he said that, his eyes flickered to Izuku's scars briefly before he focused back on Sushi.

Izuku nodded slowly. He didn't say anything right away. After a small breath, he replied, "Th-They are… Um, they d-didn't do this… i-if that's what y-you're wondering."

"Yeah, good. Good."

It was quiet again, the only sounds coming from the dining room, but Monoma looked a lot more relaxed. Izuku was sleepy; he wasn't used to this much social interaction in one day. Without really meaning to, his head sagged to the side on Monoma's shoulder. His friend tensed, and Izuku was about to move, but Monoma shifted closer.

Content, he closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh. He must've drifted off, because Monoma was gently shaking Izuku awake. "My mom is here."

Izuku lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. "S-Sorry about that," he muttered and stood up. Monoma told him he didn't mind it. He carefully picked Sushi up off his lap and deposited her on the couch. She gave a mournful meow and rolled onto her back.

Izuku shook his head at her dramatics, then led Monoma to the door. "T-Thank you f-for coming today."

Monoma shrugged, awkward from the thanks. "You invited me."

Izuku smiled and opened the door to see Monoma's mom waiting outside. She gave him a look up and down, then turned to face her son. "Come on, Dad's waiting in the car," she said, ignoring Izuku completely.

"Yeah, yeah," Monoma grumbled. He said goodbye to Izuku and left. His mother didn't acknowledge him at all when she left with him. Izuku didn't mind exactly, but it was a weird interaction compared to Denki's mom, who was very kind to him.

Izuku closed the door and yawned. He was a lot more tired than he thought, and getting woken up from his impromptu nap didn't help.

He collapsed onto the couch with a huff, careful to avoid Sushi. Aizawa's shadow cast over him, and Izuku peeked up from where his head was resting on his elbows. The hero quirked his lips.

"Have fun?" he asked him, and Izuku smiled.

"Mhm. L-Long day."

Aizawa nodded and sat on the edge of the couch, reaching a hand down to ruffle his hair. "I heard you and Monoma talk about his quirk. How was that?"

Izuku's eyes sparkled, some energy coming back to him at the mention of his quirk. "S-So cool! He h-has a really n-nice quirk, s-so p-perfect for hero work. I-If he wanted to b-be a hero, he c-could work so well w-with an agency, o-or if he wanted t-to do underground, it'd be p-perfect too!"

"You know, Izuku, if you want to tell them about your quirks, you can. That's your call."

Izuku stayed silent for a moment, thinking. Yamada finished in the kitchen during that time and sat next to Aizawa, giving Izuku a warm smile.

"I-I want to… B-But I'm scared. I-It's not normal."

Yamada rubbed his back. "It's okay to be scared, love. You took a big step today, showing Denki and Monoma your scars. You don't have to make a decision now, do whatever you're comfortable with."

Izuku nodded, eyes dropping closed. Aizawa and Yamada had some conversations above him, but he wasn't paying attention. He slowly drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Shouta could tell it took a lot of courage for Izuku to say to him and Hizashi that he wanted to go to his mother's grave. He was a little shocked; he thought it would take Izuku longer to want to go to it.

It was morning, so they were already dressed. Well, except for Izuku's sweatshirt. Mid-August was still very warm, so he advised him to wear a t-shirt. The kid wasn't happy, but Shouta didn't want a repeat of the other day at the park.

Shouta had the address to the graveyard, so he took up driving for once. Hizashi sat in the back with Izuku to provide him comfort, which they both knew he needed for this. Izuku leaned against Hizashi as Shouta drove, the drive silent and slightly tense.

The navigation was telling them they were almost there. They were in a small neighbourhood with a school, and Shouta had a feeling that it was potentially the one Izuku went to before he was taken.

Izuku didn't show any recognition until they turned a corner. He gasped, small but significant in the silent vehicle. Shouta glanced in the rearview mirror for a moment before he focused back on the road. "What is it, kid?"

He didn't respond for a moment until they passed a half-built house, surrounded by yellow tape. Shouta's fingers tightened on the steering wheel, but he didn't stop.

"Th-That house… It— W-Was that…?"

"Do you want to look at it after?" Hizashi asked him. Shouta didn't really think that was a good idea, but Izuku confirmed he wanted to.

Shouta sighed quietly to himself. "We can come back this way. We're almost there now."

Just a couple of minutes later, they arrived at the cemetery. Shouta parked on the street and got out of the car as Izuku and Hizashi did too. They stood on either side of the kid, each holding his hand.

"Ready?" Shouta questioned, and Izuku hesitated a moment before nodding. They walked in, and since it was still early, they were the only ones there. Shouta kept a lookout for her name, and eventually, they stumbled upon it.

Inko Midoriya written on stone, near the middle. There were some flowers, though they looked old. Shouta assumed they were from Mitsuki.

"Here, kiddo," Shouta muttered, gently pulling him forward. "Do you want some privacy?"

Izuku stared down at her name for a minute before he responded, "U-Um… It d-doesn't matter."

Shouta nodded and took a few steps back with Hizashi. It allowed the kid some privacy, but close enough to still offer reassurance. Izuku knelt down before the grave, and he took out the picture of Inko that he had given him.

It was silent, the summer breeze rustling against the leaves the only audible noise. Then, he could hear Izuku whispering. He didn't make out everything the kid said, but he did hear some sniffling and hiccups.

They let him take his time to process, to grieve, and whatever else he needed. It took a few minutes until Izuku stood back up and turned to them. He still had some tears streaming down his face, his cheeks flushed.

Shouta took a step forward and gently wiped them away. Izuku leaned into his touch as Hizashi came up to ruffle his hair. "C-Can we b-bring flowers next t-time?" Izuku asked through shaky breaths.

Next time. That was probably a good sign. "Of course, kiddo."

Izuku leaned against him when they walked back to the car. Shouta had an arm around his shoulders, and Hizashi held his free hand. When they got to the car, Shouta pressed a quick kiss to Izuku's head before leading him into the backseat. Hizashi followed, and Shouta took up the driver's seat again.

As Shouta promised, he went back to the house they passed. He stopped on the side of the road. "Did you still want to look at the house, 'Zuku?" Shouta questioned.

"Y-Yes, please."

Shouta nodded and parked, then got out. Izuku got out more cautiously, eyes on the house in front of them. "T-This is wh-where I lived…" Izuku muttered quietly.

Shouta guessed as much. If this house had been burnt down five years ago, it seemed the city wanted to rebuild.

"A-And… that w-woman… she l-lived there," Izuku added, pointing to the house on the left.

"Mitsuki?" Hizashi asked for confirmation.

"Mhm. I-I remember… s-some. That kid…" he trailed off, shaking his head and tearing up. Shouta frowned and placed a hand on his head.

"What's wrong?"

"K-Kacchan, I called him. H-He was my… friend. U-Until I was d-diagnosed quirkless. H-He was so mean."

Shouta shared a glance with Hizashi. His husband said, "Did Mitsuki know about his behaviour?"

Izuku shrugged. "I-I don't think so. I— I think I a-also hid it f-from my mom." From Shouta's disapproving glance, Izuku sheepishly added, "I d-didn't want to w-worry her. She a-already went through so m-much with… um, H-Hisashi and my… status."

Shouta sighed softly. "Well, it wasn't okay, and I hope you understand that now. You won't have to see them if you don't want to, okay?"

"O-Okay," Izuku agreed. Shouta wouldn't contact Mitsuki, even if some of the kid's memories came back. There was no way he would bring Izuku around someone who caused him hurt.

Izuku's eyes looked slightly out of focus, and Shouta was worried. He wondered if he was remembering something else. Hopefully not the fire itself.

"Alright, kid, c'mon," Shouta cajoled, gently pulling him back towards the car. Izuku didn't say anything, but he didn't resist, either. He went back into the car with no issue, Hizashi following. Shouta drove them back home.

Izuku seemed tired from what he discovered, so he fell asleep on Hizashi's shoulder. When they got back home, his husband carried Izuku inside and placed him gently on the couch to avoid waking him. Shouta watched as Hizashi pulled the blanket over him and ran his fingers through his hair.

Shouta walked over and placed a hand on Hizashi's back. "Are you okay?" Shouta asked him quietly.

Hizashi sighed, "Yes. I just— I wish he could go one month— no, one week without stress."

"I know, 'Zashi. It's hard. But he's also doing really well; he has two good friends who care about him, and yeah, even though he probably didn't have great memories coming up at the end there, he has a tangible place to grieve his mother."

"You're right. It's easy to get hung up on the negatives."

"Of course I'm right," Shouta said, playfully smug.

Hizashi scoffed, "Yeah, well, don't get used to it." Then, Hizashi smiled and kissed Shouta.

Shouta huffed a small laugh against his lips and kissed him back. Before they could get carried away, Sushi meowed loudly, startling them both. Luckily, she didn't wake Izuku.

"Someone's hungry," Hizashi muttered in amusement. He gave Shouta one last kiss on the cheek before he went to take care of Sushi. Bastard stretched from his position on the rug and followed Sushi into the kitchen.

While Hizashi was in the kitchen, Shouta sat on the couch with Izuku. His thoughts went back to earlier; even if Mitsuki truly didn't know about her kid's bullying, he wouldn't trust her around Izuku. The only way they'd be near him is if they somehow ran into the two of them in public.

Shouta sympathized with Mitsuki on the fact that she lost her best friend and her son — whom she probably saw as a nephew — in one day. Maybe Izuku would be comfortable enough to speak to her in the future, but not now.

It seemed like Hizashi was also starting lunch for them, too, so Shouta got up to make some coffee. He shared some more intimacy with Hizashi until he shooed him off so he could focus on making food. Shouta sat at the end of the couch, pulling out a book to pass the time.

Minutes later, Izuku stirred and lifted his head to check his surroundings. When he noticed Shouta, he lay his head back down on his arm. Shouta didn't say anything, but he kept an eye.

After a few considerable moments, Izuku shifted until he was lying the opposite way with his head resting on Shouta's leg. He adjusted the blanket along the way. "I-Is this o-okay?" Izuku asked him.

"Of course, kid." Shouta tucked the blanket around Izuku more comfortably.

Izuku nodded slowly and closed his eyes again. Shouta ran his fingers through Izuku's hair, which made his body sag completely into the couch. He only stopped a few times to take sips of his coffee. The last time he did it, his kid looked up at the mug when Shouta brought it to his lips.

"W-What's it taste l-like?"

Shouta raised a brow and lowered the mug towards him. "Bitter. Probably not to your taste," he warned, but let him try anyway.

Izuku lifted his head and held himself up with his elbow propped on the couch. He used his other hand to hold the mug, it only shaking slightly in his hand, but Shouta wasn't too worried.

He took a small sip, but his reaction was priceless. Izuku's face immediately scrunched up in disgust, and he shoved the mug back into Shouta's hand. "H-How do you d-drink that?" Izuku asked, baffled.

Shouta chuckled and took the last drink. "Years of practice."

Hizashi called from the kitchen, "Shou, stop corrupting the baby's taste buds!"

"He's fine," Shouta replied, going back to ruffling Izuku's hair.

Izuku huffed and resumed his previous position on Shouta's leg. He dozed off until Hizashi called them in for lunch, and it was like the cemetery and old house visit never happened.

Denki groaned and flopped backwards on his bed. "School's coming way too soon!" he exclaimed.

Izuku looked at him from his spot on Denki's carpet next to Monoma. The latter rolled his eyes. "We still have, like, two weeks."

"Like I said, too soon."

Izuku brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. School? He totally forgot.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Denki's voice. "Izuku, are you going to our school? You weren't there last year, right? I think I would've noticed…"

Izuku pulled at his sleeves. "Uh, n-no. I w-wasn't there la-last year. Um…" He wasn't sure how to answer his first question, though.

"I was uh… I w-was in online school," he decided to say.

Denki sat back up. "Well, you should come to school! With us! That'd be fun, right?"

"'School' and 'fun' should not be in the same sentence," Monoma grumbled.

Izuku shrugged. "I-I can talk t-to my dads about it."

That was all Denki needed, though. He cheered, "Yay!" and jumped down to hug Izuku from behind.

Izuku flinched, but Denki didn't notice. He put his hands on Denki's arms, accepting the hug. Monoma tsked. "School wouldn't suck with you there," he admitted, which made Izuku smile.

"W-Would it be weird… C-Coming in i-in the m-middle of the year?" Izuku asked, nervous.

Denki let go and sat next to him. "It's not common, but people do it. Plus, I could help you with classes."

Monoma scoffed, "Do not go to Denki for homework. He's terrible at it."

Denki gasped. "Hey! Rude!"

"You forgot to hand in three assignments. In a row."

Izuku drowned their voices out as they bickered. He was thinking about school and what he would do. Should he go now? Or wait until the new school year started? He enjoyed his lessons with Nezu, but perhaps attending an actual school with kids his own age would be beneficial.

He'd have to think about it, as well as talk to his dads about it.

His sombre mood lifted throughout his time with his friends, but the question about school still lingered in the back of his mind.

When he got home after Aizawa picked him up, he mustered up the courage to ask, "C-Can I talk t-to you and um, Yamada a-about something?"

Aizawa nodded and guided Izuku to the couch with a hand on his back. "Of course, kid. Anything. I'll get 'Zashi."

Izuku waited patiently for them to return to the living room. He sat on the end, so Aizawa and Yamada sat beside him respectively. "What's up, kiddo?" Yamada asked him, expression open.

"Um, D-Denki a-asked me about s-school. He was w-wondering if I'd join this up-upcoming semester," Izuku quietly spoke, voice faltering.

Aizawa and Yamada shared a thoughtful glance. "What do you think about that?" Yamada was the one to speak, both of them facing him again.

Izuku shrugged. "I-I don't know. I w-would like to g-go… But a-also, I'm n-nervous about starting i-in the middle of the s-semester."

"That's understandable. I want to remind you, Izuku, it won't be like lessons with Nezu. School is a lot more structured, with a lot more children. We won't be able to come see you as often during the day," Aizawa said, his voice more reserved.

Izuku clenched his fists painfully. That was what he was worried about the most. Would he be able to handle it? He didn't know.

"How about this? You let the year end, and — if you decide to take sessions with Hound Dog or otherwise — decide what you want to do for the new school year," Yamada offered. "Being around your friends may help, but there are just too many variables right now."

Izuku nodded, letting his hands unclench. "I-I like that idea. I… I just w-wanted to get y-your opinions."

"We're glad you asked, baby. It's a big decision. Are you sure you're okay with that choice?" Yamada asked, brows slightly pinched in worry.

He nodded again, more eagerly. "I-I am. It-It's easier."

"Okay, good," Yamada said with a smile.

The rest of the day went relatively normally. Izuku was a little nervous to tell Denki and Monoma that he wouldn't be joining them just yet. It seemed like a small thing to be worried about, but his mind didn't care.

Later, Izuku used the home phone to call Monoma. He was curled up on the couch with a blanket, Bastard on his lap.

"So, you're not coming to school in September with us?" Monoma asked him, voice monotone.

Izuku shook his head even though Monoma couldn't see him. "N-No. Sorry… B-But, m-maybe next year."

Monoma hummed. "Okay, cool." He didn't seem mad or upset, so that was good. It was silent for a moment. Izuku was about to strike up some conversation, but Monoma beat him to it.

"Izuku, are you…" He huffed, then muttered something away from the phone he couldn't hear. Izuku frowned.

"Am I…?"

"Are you… okay?"

Izuku's hand paused on Bastard. He was confused. "Um, y-yes?" he replied, more as a question.

"Ugh, God. I'm horrible at this. In general, I mean. Like… physically, mentally. You seem— ah, I don't mean to be rude. Shit, sorry."

Izuku would be a lot more amused at Monoma's rambling if he didn't feel suddenly morose. He knew his friends would ask something like this soon enough, but he just didn't know what to say. Izuku didn't think he could recount what happened to him without breaking down.

He took a shaky breath and said, "I-I am now. I… It's hard. Sometimes. I don't know i-if I can explain, r-right now. I'm sorry," he whispered the last part.

"No, Izuku, it's fine. I shouldn't have asked like that. I'm just…" he sighed, "worried, I guess. I want to make sure we — Denki and me — aren't hurting you or anything."

"Y-You're not. I p-promise. Th-Thank you, Monoma."

"Neito."

"Huh?"

"Call me Neito. My given name."

"Oh! O-Okay," Izuku said with a smile.

They ended the call, and Izuku felt slightly elated. A weight off his chest. He leaned back on the couch and enjoyed the quiet of the evening. Abruptly, Sushi jumped onto the couch next to him and started to playfully swat at Bastard.

Bastard reacted offendedly, jumping forward and meowing loudly. Izuku watched in fascination. This happened sometimes, where Sushi and Bastard would play fight, but it still made Izuku a little nervous.

He watched them, and it seemed like Bastard wasn't in the mood today, because he growled at Sushi and hissed. His fur was all puffed up, and his ears were flat. Sushi didn't seem deterred, though, and flicked her tail out in Bastard's face.

Before this could escalate, Izuku leaned forward. "Hey, let's—" Bastard interrupted him with a hiss, baring his teeth at him. Izuku's eyes widened, and he moved backwards, confused and upset.

Aizawa walked in at that moment, eyebrows furrowed. "Hey," he said, voice a lot more stern. Sushi was miffed, but she rolled onto her back, otherwise unbothered. Bastard, though, seemed shocked at his own reaction. His ears drooped, and he quickly left the room, probably to hide.

Izuku put the blanket back over himself, lips wobbling. Bastard had never done that to him before, and he knew logically that he was tense from Sushi, but still. It hurt.

Aizawa sat next to him with a sigh. "You okay, kid? He didn't get you?"

"N-No," Izuku answered, miserable.

"Don't worry about it. Bastard gets into these… moods, sometimes. He didn't mean it, I'm sure. He really loves you."

Izuku nodded. "I-I know. It— He just s-surprised me."

Aizawa patted his leg. "He'll come back to you."

Izuku was anxious for the rest of the night. Bastard never came out of his hiding spot, and Izuku didn't try to find him. When it was time for bed, he still didn't come out. That was a lot more worrying.

He tried to stay awake as long as he could in case Bastard came in, but he never did. Izuku couldn't help it; he cried silent tears. He sniffled and wiped his tears on his sleeve, but more kept coming.

Ultimately, it was too late for him to keep his eyes open. He curled up more under the blankets and tried to sleep. Then, just as he felt himself drifting off, he heard the small creak of his door.

Izuku blinked his eyes open, and he lifted himself on his elbow. He looked down to see Bastard entering his room cautiously, and froze when Izuku saw him, his yellow eyes glinting from the glow of his nightlight. He stayed like that for some time, probably calculating whether he should jump onto his bed.

Bastard moved forward eventually, and he jumped up next to Izuku. His ears were still drooped low, his eyes remorseful. Izuku lifted the blanket for him to lie in his usual spot. Bastard made a small mrrp sound and crawled up to Izuku.

He brushed his face against Izuku's cheek, purring softly and curling his tail around his arm. Izuku petted him and lay back down. Bastard followed, cuddling up against his chest.

"Y-You came back," Izuku whispered into Bastard's fur. In response, Bastard licked his chin, making Izuku scrunch his face at the feeling. He giggled softly, though, and hugged Bastard tighter. He fell asleep a lot more easily.

As if to make up for his transgressions, Bastard stuck close to Izuku. He didn't mind; he liked having Bastard around close by. It was, however, an issue whenever Izuku wanted to leave the house. He would give loud, mournful meows as soon as Izuku reached the door.

It broke his heart and even moved him to tears a couple of times. Aizawa reassured him that Bastard would be fine, but wow, his cries struck his heart! He would bring Bastard along with him to the park if he could, but his dads thoroughly discouraged that idea.

When Izuku told Denki he wouldn't be attending school in September, he was upset. Until he said he'd probably join in the new year, then he got excited again. It unfortunately meant they wouldn't be able to hang out as much, especially when Izuku was moving back to the UA dorm.

It was nearing the end of August, and Izuku was dreading the new semester. He was so used to seeing his friends practically daily. He was excited to see Nezu, though. Although… the last time he saw him, Izuku freaked out over his quirks. Hopefully, Nezu wouldn't bring it up.

That brought up another issue: his quirks. He hadn't met with Nezu that summer, mostly because he was hanging out with his friends. Nezu didn't reach out either, though, so Izuku assumed he had been busy.

He wondered if he could somehow get Nezu to work on his quirks with him. Izuku knew his dads would probably want to do it with him, so maybe they could work on it after UA classes end? For an hour or so? Izuku would have to ask.

Denki suggested they have a sleepover for their last night before school started for them. Izuku was immediately nervous and selfishly hoped they'd have the sleepover at his house. He didn't feel comfortable being away overnight from his dads, and it would possibly only exacerbate his nightmares.

Luckily for him, Denki asked if Izuku could ask his dads to host it. He easily agreed and did so the same day. They had their concerns, but Izuku told them that they'd be close by if anything went wrong. Eventually, they agreed, Aizawa was a little more reluctant. But that was probably because the man would be around an energetic Denki in the morning.

Once they had the date for the sleepover planned, Izuku spent the majority of the day with Yamada setting up the living room. They made it a cozy space for them to sleep and hang out. Blankets and pillows littered the floor, some of the blankets hanging up around the couch as a makeshift fort.

Izuku still had some nervous energy, but he was also happy to spend the night with his friends. His first sleepover! Well, he thought so, anyway. He didn't think he ever had a sleepover with Kacchan.

Once late afternoon fell, there was a knock at the door. Izuku happily answered it, and Denki was on their porch. He welcomed him and his mom inside. She said she would only stay for a couple of minutes.

Denki had a small bag with him, presumably his essentials for the sleepover. Izuku welcomed him and his mom inside, and Izuku told Denki he could put his bag near the blanket fort or he could put it in a room. Denki didn't mind, and he set it down near the couch.

It took a little while for Neito to arrive. Narihana was already gone by the time he opened the door for him. When he did, he looked irritated. His parents didn't even come to the door; they just drove off as soon as Izuku opened it. Izuku ushered him inside.

"A-Are you okay?" he asked Neito with some caution.

Neito shook his head and set his things down next to Denki's. "I had to basically beg my parents to bring me here. They changed their minds to let me come last minute."

Izuku frowned and brought him over to where Denki was sitting in the middle of the blanket and pillow pile. "H-How come?" Izuku questioned.

Neito shrugged and said, "I don't know! I don't understand them. They just want me fu— I mean, miserable." He sent a wary look towards the kitchen, searching for Aizawa and Yamada, probably.

Izuku reassured him, "T-They're in their r-room."

His friend's shoulders relaxed slightly. "No matter what I do, they disapprove. They think I spend too much time inside, so I go out to stop their complaining. I make friends, and suddenly I don't spend as much time at home with them. But whenever I do spend time at home, they ignore me.

"They wanted me to be friends with some rich snob's kid, but he was stupid and obnoxious. My parents and his didn't like it very much when I insulted him. It ruined their relationship with the guy's parents."

Neito wrapped his arms around his legs, sullen. "I don't know what they want from me," he said in a low, broken voice.

Izuku moved close to him and leaned his shoulder against Neito's. Denki sat on his other side, both supporting him. It was rare that Neito showed any kind of vulnerability, if at all.

"I-I'm really s-sorry, Neito. That s-sounds frustrating. We're always h-here for you, to listen o-or h-help however you want," Izuku consoled, and Denki nodded.

"Yeah, for real. Your parents suck, no offence."

Neito huffed a laugh at Denki's words. "I agree with you. And thanks, Izuku. Sorry to bring the mood down right as I get here."

"N-Not at all! I-I'm glad you t-talked to us about it," Izuku stated, trying to be firm so Neito knew he meant it.

They played some games, went over quirk analyses (mostly from Izuku), and ate dinner that Yamada provided for them. Aizawa made them popcorn and hot chocolate.

"Don't stay up too late, now. If any of you need anything, we'll be in our room, okay?" Aizawa told them all, and the three of them nodded their understanding. Yamada kissed Izuku's head and said goodnight. Izuku flushed slightly in embarrassment, but it was nice.

Bastard surprisingly stayed with them. Izuku thought he would have been deterred by Neito and Denki, but his clinginess probably overrode that concern. He stayed near Izuku the whole time, not entertaining Denki when he wanted to pet him.

Izuku chuckled softly at Bastard's glare directed at Denki. "H-He's not as a-affectionate as Sushi."

Denki pouted. "You must be the cat whisperer or something."

Neito smirked. "Bastard has taste."

Denki crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, well, he probably doesn't like you either."

Izuku smiled fondly at the two bickering. He focused on the TV as he sipped his hot chocolate. It was too soon after dinner for Izuku to be eating, so he let the other two have the popcorn.

Once it got late, Izuku started to doze off a bit. He leaned his head on Denki's shoulder, who accepted it. Bastard stayed curled up on his lap all the while.

Izuku heard whispered voices. "What do I do? I can't wake him now!" Denki's.

"You're stuck like that forever," Neito responded.

It was quiet again, and Izuku almost slipped back into sleep until Denki spoke up, more hushed: "Izuku worries me sometimes."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I asked him about it a few days ago… He'll talk to us about it when he's ready."

Izuku stayed still for a few more minutes so it didn't seem like he was overhearing their conversation. He blinked, eyes bleary for a second, and he lifted his head off Denki's shoulder. "S-Sorry," he muttered, but Denki shrugged.

"It's fine! I don't mind it," he responded. Izuku yawned and stretched his arms.

"Sh-Should I t-turn the lights off?" he asked them. They both looked tired.

"We should probably change first," Neito suggested. He grabbed his pyjamas from his bag, Denki doing the same.

Izuku nodded. "T-The bathroom is u-upstairs. S-Second door on th-the left."

They went up to change. Izuku was already content in his sweatshirt and sweatpants, so he stayed there. He just got his "bed" — a pile of blankets and a pillow — ready, Bastard already sleeping next to it.

When they came back down and got comfortable, Izuku turned the lights off. Izuku didn't take into account just how dark it would get. Instead of freaking out, he tried to focus on his friends next to him.

Neito was on the left, Denki in the middle, and Izuku next to him. He lay down on his bed, his friends following suit. "Goodnight!" Denki cheered, and Izuku and Neito responded with their own goodnights.

Izuku had trouble falling asleep, even with Bastard next to him. He could hear both Neito and Denki's breaths even out, and he wished he could sleep just as easily. He pulled at his sleeves anxiously until, eventually, he was tired enough to fall asleep.

Unfortunately, his brain didn't think he was safe. He was plunged into nightmares, but he couldn't remember them completely. Izuku woke up gasping for breath, chest heaving. He could feel Bastard on his side, nudging him.

Izuku sat up and tried to get his breathing under control so he didn't wake his friends, but it was too late. Denki was already stirring. "Izuku?" Denki mumbled, confused and rubbing his eyes.

He couldn't get his breathing to regulate, and Denki sat up, eyes clearer. "Izuku? What's wrong?" he asked, voice filled with more urgency.

Izuku brought his hand up to touch his neck, trying to communicate without actually speaking. Denki scooted closer and put his hands up towards him, unsure. "Oh, shoot. Uh, what do I do? Should I get your dads?"

Izuku shook his head frantically. No, he shouldn't bother them with this. Neito also started to wake up, and Izuku felt bad for disturbing his friends' sleep.

"What's the commotion?" Neito asked, sitting up. He saw Izuku struggling and immediately moved over to him.

"I-I don't know! I woke up and he was like this. I think he's having a panic attack?" Denki responded, voice still frantic.

Neito bit his lip. "Izuku? Can I touch you?" he asked him, and Izuku nodded slowly. He grabbed his hand, placing it over his heart.

"Denki, go get some water." Denki scrambled to get up and rushed to the kitchen.

"Here, follow my breathing. Can you name me five things you see?" Neito asked, his voice calm.

Izuku's eyes darted around. It was a little hard to see in the dark, but his eyes were adjusting. "Um, B-Bastard, t-the blankets, y-you, TV, a-and— um, the couch."

"Good. Four things you can feel?"

"B-Blanket, hoodie, uh, y-your heartbeat, um—" he broke off, breath hitching and tears welling in his eyes.

"It's alright, keep going. What else do you feel?"

"A-Arm. Hurts," he whispered.

Neito looked concerned, but he kept going. "Three things you can hear?"

"Um, Bastard m-meowing, t-the A/C, a-and, Denki s-stumbling in the k-kitchen."

Neito scoffed slightly, his lips twitching in amusement. "Yeah, I think he's going through every cupboard for your glasses. Two things you can smell?"

"I— I don't k-know—" he hunched forward slightly, and Neito held his hand a bit tighter.

"It's okay! Just keep matching my breathing. What about one thing you can taste?"

"S-Salt, tears," he whispered, and he realized his breathing was getting better. Izuku focused on Neito's breathing, and eventually, he calmed down.

Denki ran back over with a glass of water. "Here!" he said and handed it to him.

Izuku thanked him and used his free hand to take some sips. He handed Denki back the cup, and he slumped forward. Neito wrapped his arms around him, and Denki did too from the side.

He relaxed in his friends' hold. "I-I'm s-sorry… I d-didn't mean t-to wake you."

"Hush, don't apologize," Neito scolded, but without any heat.

"I'm sorry, I kinda panicked. I wasn't sure how to help," Denki said, voice filled with guilt. Izuku shook his head.

"N-Not your f-fault. You d-did what you could," he reassured him.

Denki held him tighter, and Izuku closed his eyes. He felt a lot better now with his friends next to him.

They all lay down and ended up falling asleep like this, together, and Izuku didn't mind it at all. He was a lot safer with his friends holding him.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke up to the early morning sunlight drifting through the windows. He blinked a few times, lifting a hand to rub his eyes. He felt a presence at his back, and coupled with the soft snores, he knew it was Denki.

In front of him, though, Neito was lying on his back, eyes open and staring at the ceiling. When Izuku shifted, he looked down at him.

"Morning," Neito greeted, and Izuku smiled slightly.

"Morning," he whispered back. They stayed quiet, not wanting to wake Denki or ruin the softness of the morning.

A few minutes later, though, Izuku spoke up, a question on his mind. "Neito? C-Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," he responded quickly, as if he couldn't help himself. Then he huffed. "Go ahead."

Izuku clicked his tongue chidingly before speaking. "D-Do you… have p-panic attacks? Y-You seemed to k-know what you were doing."

Neito visibly hesitated before he spoke his reply. "Not often… It happens sparingly, but enough for me to know how to deal with them. The last one I had occurred months ago."

Izuku took in the information with a nod. "Oh. W-Well, thanks f-for your help last night."

Neito shrugged. "What are friends for?"

Izuku pondered. "H-Helping each other w-with panic attacks?"

He scoffed a laugh. "Obviously."

Izuku smiled and relaxed again into his blankets. He didn't fall back asleep completely, but he dozed off. He didn't know if Neito did, either, or if he just stayed awake.

Next time he opened his eyes, it was to muffled voices and the smell of breakfast. Denki was still snoring behind him, and this time Neito was sitting up with his back against the couch.

Izuku carefully untangled himself from Denki and sat up alongside Neito. It wasn't all too successful, though, because Denki started to stir.

He mumbled incoherently before sitting up, his hair a mess. Izuku stifled a giggle, but Neito had less tact.

"Did you shock yourself in your sleep or what?"

Denki just looked at him, confused, then he ran a hand through his hair. "Mm, nope. Just horrible bedhead."

"More like terminal."

Izuku sighed. "It's t-too early for your f-fighting," he said, though he wasn't actually annoyed.

Denki mimed zipping his lips just as Aizawa entered the living room with crossed arms, one hand carrying a mug. "I agree. And breakfast's ready."

His dad looked exhausted. He hadn't done patrol, but Izuku knew he and Yamada were getting back into UA planning. There was also the stress of moving back into the dorm.

Izuku was the last to stand from his cocoon, and he followed his friends to the dining table. Aizawa patted his head as he passed, making him smile.

"Did you sleep well?" Aizawa asked, voice slightly hushed.

Izuku considered lying, but he couldn't. He slowly shook his head. "I-I woke up o-once from nightmares, b-but they helped me," he said, adding the last part quickly when he saw Aizawa's expression drop into a frown.

Aizawa sighed softly and rubbed his shoulder. "Okay, I'm glad they were there for you. Was the nightmare bad?"

Izuku shrugged. "I d-don't remember it," he said honestly. Aizawa nodded.

"Go eat," Aizawa said with a slight pat to his shoulder. Izuku went to the dining room, sitting next to Neito. Denki was at the head of the table, already eating.

Yamada was also at the table, sitting across from them. Aizawa joined them afterwards, and Izuku started taking small bites.

"Did you guys have a fun night?" Yamada asked them with a curious smile.

Denki nodded enthusiastically. "Yup!" he exclaimed with his mouth full. Izuku laughed quietly to himself, but Neito looked disgusted.

"Close your mouth, stupid," Neito groused.

"You're stupid," Denki retaliated, but he swallowed his food. Aizawa looked like he would rather be anywhere but here, and Yamada looked at Izuku, bemused. He only offered a shrug as an explanation.

They spent the rest of their breakfast quietly, the cats meowing for food being the only sounds made. Izuku had finished his food first, but he waited at the table for his friends to be done.

They all put their plates in the sink, and Izuku led them upstairs so that they could do what they needed in the bathroom and change. Denki opted to go first, so Izuku brought Neito into his room.

No one else except his dads had been in his room, and it made Izuku a little self-conscious and hyperaware of what his room looked like. It was clean, Izuku never really made a mess in here, but still.

Neito looked around and hummed noncommittally. "Cool room," he commented at last.

Izuku's shoulders eased from some of the tension he was holding. "T-Thanks."

He rummaged around in his dresser for clothes, taking out one of the cat sweaters he loved and some light pants. Izuku set them out on his bed, then sat down. Neito was still curiously looking around.

"You like Present Mic?" Neito asked him, stopping at the figurine on his nightstand. Izuku smiled a little, nodding. He forgot that his friends didn't know who his dad was. While he knew Denki's mom was a pro hero, he never thought about whether he knew who Yamada was, if Narihana ever mentioned it. Izuku would think Denki would say something if he did know.

"I-I do. He's cool," Izuku responded. "You?"

Neito shrugged, "He's alright. A little too loud for me."

Izuku laughed internally. If only he knew, he thought.

Denki finally came out of the bathroom, dressed. He found them in Izuku's room, and he plopped on his bed as if it were his own. "Nice room!" Denki said, his head swivelling around to take everything in.

"T-Thank you."

Neito was fidgeting, but Izuku knew he was going to propose that Izuku go next. Izuku just shook his head. "G-Go ahead," he offered. After some hesitation, Neito went into the bathroom.

"You can change in here if you want, Izuku. I'll look away, promise," Denki said once Neito left the room.

Izuku tensed a little at the suggestion. He didn't think Denki would break that promise, but he still didn't feel comfortable changing around others due to the multitude of scars on his body. His arms were a lot, and that was a huge step.

"I-It's okay. I'll w-wait."

Denki nodded, looking unbothered by Izuku's denial. He thought back to what Denki said to Neito last night, that he was worried. Izuku didn't want to keep worrying his friends, but he couldn't yet make himself talk about what happened to him.

Neito was quick, so now Izuku was going to get ready. He wasn't too nervous about leaving them alone in his room; he thought they could behave for five minutes.

Izuku refreshed, brushed his teeth, and got dressed. His arms were only a little sore, but he thought it was because of how he slept last night. It wasn't too bothersome.

Finished, he came out of the bathroom and dumped his sleep clothes into his hamper. "W-Want to go b-back down?" Izuku asked them, and they agreed.

They hung out for a while, and the heroes were chilling in the living room with them. Yamada was reading, but Aizawa looked focused on his laptop, probably UA stuff. Izuku would have to check in with him later.

Eventually, Denki's mom came to get him. They hugged goodbye, and Neito was left with him, much like the last time they all hung out at his house. It wasn't too much longer until one of Neito's parents came by.

It seemed that Aizawa was going to answer the door. Izuku was a little anxious, because he and Yamada hadn't met with Neito's parents since they started hanging out. Neito looked unnerved as well.

Izuku and Neito stood off to the side when Aizawa opened the door. It was Neito's father. He looked surprised to see Aizawa there, then, when he realized who it was, his eyebrows arched up in shock.

"Aizawa, what a pleasant surprise." A clear lie. "I didn't know you were… Neito's friend's dad." Izuku shared a glance with Neito, who looked annoyed. He was sure Neito told his parents his name, but they didn't bother to learn it anyway.

Aizawa looked less than pleased to see him. "That could be because you haven't bothered to talk to us despite the multiple hangouts with my son, Izuku."

He brushed his shirt down, disgruntled. "Right. Well, we need to go. C'mon, Neito."

Neito hugged Izuku with one arm, the other holding his overnight bag. Izuku hugged him back tightly, hanging on for a second too long before letting go. "S-See you soon," he whispered.

"I will," Neito promised, then left with his father. Aizawa shut the door, running a hand down his face.

"He hasn't changed," he grumbled.

"H-He was m-mean in school?" Izuku wondered.

Aizawa nodded. "Popular, influential, bullied those with 'lesser' quirks," he said, using air quotes for "lesser". "Unfortunately, I was caught in that crossfire."

Izuku frowned and hugged him. "I-I'm s-sorry," he said, voice sad.

Aizawa hugged him back with a chuckle. "It's alright, kid. It was a long time ago. I'm mostly worried for Neito's sake."

"M-Me too." He didn't mention what Neito told him last night; he didn't want to betray his trust that way. Maybe, when he told his friends what he went through and how his dads saved him, Neito would be comfortable telling them what was going on.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay? You didn't eat a lot at breakfast today. That usually happens after a bad nightmare."

Izuku gripped the back of Aizawa's shirt. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't remember the nightmare, but it must have affected him more than he realized.

"I-I feel better. I r-really d-don't remember my n-nightmare," he promised. Aizawa rubbed his back.

"Okay, I believe you. If you're feeling hungry, please let us know."

Izuku confirmed he would, and they walked back to the living room.

Over the next week, Aizawa and Yamada started packing up the things they were bringing to the dorm. Izuku packed what he needed, too, and offered to help his dads, but they insisted they could handle it.

Izuku cuddled with Bastard on the couch. He felt bad for letting them do all the hard work, but Aizawa told him he shouldn't be lifting heavy things with his arms.

He asked them about what he should tell Denki and Neito. Yamada had the idea that he could reveal to them that he was Present Mic, and since he was a pro working at UA, he needed to move there for better access. Aizawa was fine with it, mostly because it left him out of the spotlight.

Yamada also said this would be a viable story for if — or when — Izuku went to school. A lot of pro heroes took their kids to the school Neito and Denki attend, so it wouldn't be unusual. Izuku was just curious to see his friends' reactions to learning his dad was a pro hero.

They moved early in the morning the weekend before classes started. Izuku dozed off in the car with Bastard and Sushi resting on him, much like the first time they moved to UA. They arrived, and Izuku could see Nezu waiting for them at the entrance.

Izuku rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and he got out of the car with his dads. Bastard was in his arms, and Sushi was curled around his neck. Nezu greeted them.

"Welcome back! I hope your summer break went well?"

Izuku nodded with a smile. "I-It did. H-How was yours?"

"Very productive. Now, shall I show you to your room? Or do you remember how to get down?"

"We'll be fine. Thanks, Nezu," Aizawa said, and bowed slightly.

"It's my pleasure. I'm excited for our lessons, Izuku," Nezu reminded, and Izuku brightened.

"M-Me too!" And he was. He loved learning more about quirk theory and how to strengthen his own quirk analyses. Plus, actually working on his quirks if Nezu and his dads allowed it.

They got inside and went down to their dorm. Bastard and Sushi immediately jumped down, sniffing around to familiarize themselves (even though they had been here before).

Again, Izuku offered to help with the bags and boxes, but Aizawa and Yamada told him to relax. He sighed and lay down on the couch, tired even though he hadn't done anything. It could be anxiety from starting lessons again and not seeing his dads during the day.

He also decided he would try out a session with Hound Dog. Izuku didn't tell Aizawa or Yamada that yet, but he would soon. Maybe… Maybe, if he could talk about his time at the base with Hound Dog, it would be easier to talk to his friends about it.

But Izuku didn't want to think about that right now. Aizawa and Yamada came back down with their things.

"Hey, kiddo, I'm gonna set your bag in your room, 'kay? You can unpack whenever you're ready," Yamada told him, and Izuku acknowledged him with a nod.

After a minute or so, Izuku mustered up the energy to get up and go to his room to unpack his things. Just like in his room at home, he put the Present Mic figure and picture of his mom on the nightstand. The Eraserhead scarf was set down on it, too, and his nightlight was plugged in.

Izuku padded back into the main room, where his dads were taking a break. He bit his lip, nervous. Maybe he should wait until they were in the right mood to talk about it?

As if sensing his nervous energy, Aizawa spotted him from his spot on the couch. "What's up, kid? Everything alright?"

Izuku placed his hands on each arm, shivering a little. It was cold in here…

"U-Um… I-It can w-wait," he muttered, but both of them sat up straighter to give him their attention.

"C'mere, kiddo, talk to us," Yamada encouraged, sliding over so that Izuku could sit in between them.

Izuku hesitated slightly before he walked over and sat down. Aizawa covered him with a blanket, and Izuku felt a lot better with that, plus their body heat.

"I-I, um, I w-want to see H-Hound Dog, I think," Izuku started. "D-Do I… Will I h-have to t-talk about… that place?" he whispered.

Aizawa shook his head. "Not if you don't want to. Hound Dog is there to help and to talk about whatever you want. It doesn't have to be exclusively about the base."

Izuku nodded. That did make him feel better and a lot less pressured. "O-Okay."

"We can set up an appointment if you'd like. It would most likely be during lunch break, or, if you want, it could be after classes end," Yamada suggested.

"L-Lunch is okay." Izuku let out a breath. "W-Will you… Um, c-could you b-be in there w-with me?"

"If you want us to, we can arrange that," Aizawa assured. Then he added, "But if at any point you want to have the session alone, you let us know."

"O-Okay," Izuku said, and he leaned against Yamada. He put his arm around Izuku's shoulders.

"O-One more thing, um, c-can we w-work on my quirks? M-Maybe after c-classes?"

Yamada seemed happy that Izuku wanted to, especially after what happened the last time. "Of course, baby. Do you want to do it with Nezu too?"

Izuku nodded. "I-I would."

"We can tell him when we pick you up after the first day," Aizawa commented, which made Izuku relax. Good, this conversation went well!

"Kid, you can always come to us about this, you know? You can ask us anything," Yamada said, rubbing his shoulder gently.

"I-I know! I just… Y-You guys seemed t-tired, and, w-with classes starting, I-I didn't want to a-add stress."

Yamada held him a little tighter. "We don't want you to feel that way, honey. Whatever is on your mind, please tell us. Especially if it's important, which it was."

Aizawa agreed. "Remember what we told you? You're our priority. No matter what, we'll have time for you."

And he did know that. But it was hard, and a little overwhelming, to have this much support after years of nothing. His brain hadn't caught up to it.

Izuku just nodded. "I-I know."

They stayed on the couch, enjoying their last couple of days before classes.

The first week went smoothly. Izuku had an appointment with Hound Dog in two days, and he had been working on his quirks with Nezu and his dads. He was making minimal progress, but Nezu told him it was normal.

Izuku basically had to relearn from the beginning since Sensei had wanted him to use maximum power right away. Now, he needed to do the least amount he could with his quirks so that he could build the control. It was hard.

Luckily, though, he hadn't had any bad flashbacks or memories. That was a good sign, right?

Since school started, Izuku had called Neito and Denki almost every night. He told them to call him whenever they had time, since Izuku was in "online school", he had the time.

Neito and Denki were in the same class, which made for some chaotic stories. Denki had some school friends named Eijiro Kirishima and Hanta Sero, whom Neito always grumbled about being too loud to be around.

Izuku was just glad that Denki and Neito were sticking together. Izuku was honestly a little worried. They hadn't started as the best of friends, but it seemed like they were finally getting along together.

He did feel sad that he couldn't see his friends as often, but when he did see them — mostly on the weekends — it was nice.

Speaking of, he had explained why they couldn't exactly hang out at his house anymore. Denki was shocked and freaked out about being around a pro hero for a while. No matter how many times Izuku reminded him that his mother was a pro hero herself, he didn't calm down.

Neito, on the other hand, just seemed contemplative. "You know, that makes a lot of sense," was all he said, and refused to elaborate on what he meant.

When the shock wore off, Denki was raving about how cool it was that Izuku got to stay at UA. Neito, so usually neutral about these things, agreed. He asked him if this meant he could meet other pro heroes, to which he replied that he mostly has.

They spent their next hangout going through each signature he collected in his notebooks.

When the time came for his first session with Hound Dog, he was extremely unsettled. The presence of his dads barely did a thing to reassure him.

Aizawa knocked on his office door, and a gruff, "Come in," sounded from inside.

He opened the door and led them inside. Hound Dog's office was spacious; there was a white couch on the far wall, along with a table in front, two chairs, and a rectangular desk with a swivel chair behind it, where Hound Dog was sitting.

Most people were scared of Hound Dog and his quirk, but Izuku thought he was very cool. He didn't have his muzzle on, which he usually wore with his hero costume, so his dog-like features were on display.

The sight of him calmed him a little, but not by much. Yamada closed the door behind him, and Izuku squeezed his hands into fists. He quickly crossed his arms over his stomach, hiding his hands.

"Welcome in, guys. Hi Izuku, I hope you don't mind that I keep my muzzle off?" Hound Dog greeted.

Izuku shook his head. "I-I don't mind."

Aizawa brought him to the couch so that he sat between Yamada and Aizawa.

"Just to make sure, Izuku, you are comfortable with having your guardians in the room with you?" Hound Dog asked him.

"Y-Yes, I want t-them here."

"Okay, perfect. Izuku, I just want to ask you a couple of questions. You don't have to answer anything you don't want to, but this first session is to build a foundation for both of us. We can figure out what works, what doesn't, and if I am a good fit for you. Sound good?"

Izuku took a shaky breath, but he nodded. It sounded easy enough.

"Before we begin, I want to let you know that anything you say in here is confidential. It will only be between you, me, and your guardians should they attend any other sessions. The only time I will say anything is if you are a danger to yourself or others," Hound Dog explained.

"O-Okay." Before Hound Dog could say anything else, he asked, "D-Do you know s-sign language?"

Hound Dog's lips turned up in what Izuku thought was a smile, but looked more like a snarl. "Of course. If you prefer communicating that way at any time, go ahead."

Once that was settled, Hound Dog continued. "How are you feeling today, Izuku?"

Izuku kept clenching his fists with anxiety, but the question surprised him. "Um, I-I'm fine. N-Nervous…" he replied.

"That's completely normal. I think it would be a little worrying if you weren't nervous," Hound Dog joked, which relieved some of the tension. Izuku smiled a little at that.

"Do you want to expand on that? What are you nervous about?"

Izuku pulled on leg up to his chest, settling his arms on his knee. "I-I never t-talked to a-anyone else about a-anything except… well… my dads. A-And it was h-hard even then. I-I'm scared to… r-relive things."

Hound Dog nodded and wrote something down on his notepad. "Understandable. Like I said earlier, you don't have to answer anything you don't want to. We don't even have to go into anything too deep right away. Part of building this relationship is building trust. You take the lead on what we discuss here. Does that make sense?"

"Mhm," he responded.

"Can I ask you why you decided to have a meeting with me?"

"Um, Ai— M-My dads suggested it. I h-had a… bad e-episode a f-few months ago."

Some more writing. "Would you want to talk about this episode? What triggered it?"

Izuku shook his head right away. No, he didn't think he could recount that. He felt sick just thinking about it.

"Okay, that's fine. Is there anything you wish to get out of seeing me?"

He took a minute to think about it. His dads said he could find better ways to cope, to understand his traumas, and not always feel so anxious and sick. He supposed those were good goals.

"I-I don't w-want my… past… to a-always haunt me. I h-have a l-lot of nightmares that a-affect me negatively, I j-just w-want them to stop."

Hound Dog scribbled some things for a few seconds before he responded. "I hope this is beneficial for you in that way, Izuku. If you continue with me, I want to make this a safe space for you to talk about what causes these nightmares."

Izuku nodded. His arms were starting to hurt from the stress he was putting on his hands, so he stopped. He was feeling a little more relaxed as the time went on.

"I'm going to ask your guardians now, Izuku, but I don't want you to think I am undermining you by doing this. Sometimes those close to us notice things we don't," Hound Dog reassured.

"O-Okay," Izuku agreed. He didn't think his dads would say anything to hurt him or go against him, so he trusted them.

"Aizawa, Yamada, is there anything you want to add?"

They both paused, and Izuku assumed they were doing that thing where they communicate with their eyes at each other. Then, Aizawa spoke up.

"One of the main reasons we wanted to bring Izuku here is because of his anxiety and the trauma he went through. His nightmares… They can be debilitating. He hasn't had a really bad one for a few months, but most of the time, it affects his energy, his eating habits, and overall demeanour throughout the day." When he finished speaking, he set a comforting hand on Izuku's back, which he leaned into.

Hound Dog nodded. "Yamada? Any other concerns?"

"Mostly what Shou said. Plus his anxiety. I think it's stopping him from doing certain things," Yamada added.

Izuku shrank a little into himself. Hound Dog was right; he didn't really notice these things. Hound Dog, either noticing Izuku's distress or planning to ask him anyway, said, "How do you feel about that, Izuku? Do you agree?"

He shrugged. "Um, I-I do. A-After nightmares, e-even if I-I don't remember them, I f-feel off the w-whole day. S-Sometimes sick."

"Okay, we can work on that," Hound Dog replied, then placed his notepad down and faced him fully.

"Like I said earlier, we don't have to go into everything right away. For each session — the amount per week is up to you — we can talk about whatever you want. I will listen, maybe I can offer you some activities to help, but these meetings don't have to be stressful. How does that sound?"

Izuku nodded. It actually sounded perfect. It helped ease his anxiety surrounding it because he thought he would have to discuss the base right away. But maybe, he could build up to it.

"I-I like that. Um… W-When w-will I s-see you?" Izuku asked him.

"Whenever you are free. Aizawa let me know that you are fine with seeing me during lunch. But, since lunch break is not too long, we can see each other twice a week if you are comfortable with that," Hound Dog offered.

Izuku glanced at Yamada, then Aizawa. "I-Is that okay?"

They both nodded. "Whatever you want, baby. If that's what you think is best, I think you should do it," Yamada encouraged.

Hound Dog wrote something down in another book, maybe a calendar. "How do Tuesdays and Thursdays sound? We can do thirty-minute sessions, 12:30 to 13:00, so it gives you time to eat after. Or, you can eat in here, I don't mind. In the future, we could extend it to an hour once a week if you want to move them to after-school hours."

"T-That's good."

"Perfect. That's all I have for today, unless any of you want to talk about something else?"

Neither his dads nor Izuku said anything, so Hound Dog shut his notebook. "Alright, thank you so much for coming in, Izuku. I'm looking forward to future sessions."

"M-Me too," Izuku agreed.

Aizawa and Yamada stood up, so Izuku followed. He was suddenly exhausted. If this got him tired, he couldn't imagine how emotionally weary he would be after future appointments.

"Aizawa, may I speak to you for a moment?" Hound Dog called, standing from his desk. Aizawa nodded and patted Izuku's head.

"Go down with 'Zashi, I'll be right there," he said, voice reassuring.

Izuku hesitated, but he followed Yamada out of the room. He leaned against him heavily, and Yamada picked him up. "C'mon," Yamada whispered, and Izuku lay his head on his shoulder.

"What is it?" Shouta asked.

"I just wanted to talk about my thoughts. Obviously, there is not much I can suggest at the moment because I don't know his specific situation. And I'm not asking you to tell me; I meant it when I said I wanted to build trust," Inui warned.

Shouta put a hand up. "I know. I wasn't going to say anything about it."

"Good. Anyway, I wanted to ask about the sign language thing. Does he have trouble speaking?"

"Sometimes. This is one of the things I meant about his nightmares affecting him. It was worse when we first met him, but it's gotten better. Some days, he will use sign language exclusively to communicate. I suspect it's because he finds speaking too hard or tiring those days."

"I see. His anxiety is also evident. I can't assess his trauma levels so far, but from what Izuku and you have told me, PTSD is definitely present. Aizawa, I appreciate you coming to me for this, but if it is severe, I may have to suggest someone else. This doesn't exactly mean Izuku would stop seeing me; that is his choice, it may just be someone else to see on top of that."

Shouta sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I understand, but will that lessen his stress? Seeing two… One is more than enough."

"We don't have to discuss it now. It's only a possibility. I just want what's best for him," Inui clarified.

Shouta relaxed slightly. "Okay, fine. We'll see how it goes then. Anything else?"

"I didn't mention this during the session, but you need to keep an eye on how he copes with the stress. I looked through his medical files, and I see he has some fractures in his arms and his leg. He was putting a lot of tension on his fists, which can cause pain. I don't know if he does this on purpose or if it's an unconscious habit, but it's worth looking into. It could be a form of self-harm."

Shouta tensed at the word "self-harm". It took him way back, and he didn't like it. If Izuku was doing that…

Maybe sensing Shouta's inner turmoil, Inui spoke again, "But maybe it isn't. It may be just something he does without thinking."

"Right. Possibly. I'll look out for it."

Inui nodded. "Good. Do you or Yamada plan to come in for more sessions?"

Shouta shrugged. "It's all up to Izuku, honestly. While I would like to be here, Izuku needs to have his own space to talk to someone. But of course I'll come if he needs me or 'Zashi."

"Okay, just let me know."

"I will. Bye, Inui, and thank you."

"Of course. See you around, Aizawa."

Shouta left and took his time before going down. He had to think about what Inui told him. Self-harm? He really hoped not. He honestly was not sure if he could handle that conversation. It was the one thing from his past — beside Oboro — that he tried to block out.

However, he could be overreacting, and it was nothing. Regardless, he would need Hizashi's help. It wasn't about him, but he didn't want to trigger anything for himself and potentially Izuku.

Chapter Text

"How are you feeling today, Izuku?"

It was Izuku's third or fourth session with Hound Dog, but his second one alone. While he felt more and more comfortable at each appointment, he still found it hard to discuss what was truly troubling him.

To distract from his problems, he asked Hound Dog about his quirk and any general questions he had about the hero. Hound Dog always indulged him, but there was only so much he could do to distract himself from his issues.

It was the beginning of October, and the air was getting chilly. That made him anxious. He was still working on his quirks with Nezu and his dads, and his control was getting better. But he was scared of winter.

The conversation he had with his dads after the first appointment with Hound Dog was also still ringing in his mind. Self-harm, they called it. Izuku didn't understand, and he didn't bring it up either.

He's been through so much hurt; why would he willingly do it to himself?

To sum it up, he had a lot on his mind. He wasn't sure how to talk about it with Hound Dog.

Izuku was currently fidgeting with one of the toys Hound Dog had in his office. It helped with his nerves a little.

"I-I'm feeling… a lot," he ended up saying, unsure how else to express it.

"Is that 'a lot' more negative or positive?"

"N-Negative. I—" Izuku broke off, squeezing the fidget toy tightly and looking down at his lap.

"Take your time, pup. No need to rush through your feelings," Hound Dog said, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Izuku took a deep, shaky breath, and he faced Hound Dog again. "W-What is 'self-harm'?" he asked.

Hound Dog leaned forward, arms resting on his knees. "It's the act of hurting yourself intentionally. It can be done in a number of ways."

"B-But why w-would…" Izuku trailed off. "W-Why would s-someone do that? H-Hurt themselves… on p-purpose?"

"There are a few reasons. Some people may do it to distract themselves from other, more prevalent things in their lives, as a coping mechanism. Some may do it because it feels good. Or, some may do it as a punishment to themselves, because they think they deserve it.

"A lot of the time, it's about control. Having control of your own pain can bring a sense of peace or satisfaction, even though it is harmful."

Izuku thought it over, and while it didn't make complete sense, it brought some clarification.

"H-How do I know if… I-If I'm s-self-harming?"

"Do you think you are?" Hound Dog asked instead.

Izuku shrugged. "I-I don't know. Maybe? I d-don't think I-I do it o-on purpose, though."

"How about this? If you ever catch yourself causing any pain, whether on purpose or not, write it down. Or, you can tell your dads about it. We can try to discern if it's something to take note of."

"O-Okay. I-I can try," Izuku promised.

"Was there anything else on your mind?"

Izuku shrugged and thought about what to say. "It-It's getting c-colder. I… I d-don't like the cold. W-Winter sucked l-last year."

"Before I ask you anything, is the temperature fine for you in here?"

"Y-Yes, i-it's fine," Izuku confirmed.

Hound Dog hummed. "Good. Is there anything you want to discuss with that? Why do you not like the cold?"

Izuku found that he actually did want to talk about it. "B-Before… Um, b-before I m-met my dads, I w-was constantly c-cold. I—" he paused, breath hitching. "I-It hurts, a-and, d-doesn't feel g-good." He shuddered just thinking about it.

"I can see how that affects you. Do you know why it hurts so much?"

Izuku shook his head. "M-My b-bones just… ache, I t-think."

"Colder temperatures tend to make pain worse, especially fractures. I'm not a medical doctor, so I would advise you to talk to Recovery Girl about it. But it can cause stiffness or joint pain, which is what you may be experiencing."

"O-Oh, that m-makes sense," Izuku said, wrapping his arms around himself.

"What about last winter? How was that?"

Izuku gripped his sleeves. "B-Bad. I w-was asleep, a-almost constantly. I-I was s-so tired, I c-couldn't eat, a-and I d-don't r-remember a l-lot of it," he muttered, voice breaking.

"Deep breaths, you're okay, Izuku," Hound Dog reassured, and Izuku followed his instruction. He calmed himself down and wiped away any tears that lined his eyes.

'Sorry,' he signed, going back to fidgeting with the toy in his lap.

"No need to apologize. Do you want to talk about something else?"

Izuku hesitated, but he shook his head. "I-I w-want to. I-I'm s-scared…" he took another breath before continuing, "I-I don't want it t-to happen again."

"Do you know why it occurred?" Hound Dog asked him.

"Um…" Izuku knew that Aizawa and Yamada were okay with him sharing his quirk status, but still, he was nervous.

"Y-You said w-whatever I say is… c-confidential… right?"

"Unless you pose a danger to yourself or others, yes," he reminded.

Izuku nodded. "I… I w-was born q-quirkless," he started, but he was looking down so he couldn't see Hound Dog's reaction. He continued, not wanting to dwell on it.

"B-But… I… d-developed two quirks…" his hands were shaking. Izuku wasn't sure if he could keep talking about this. He leaned forward, hands in his hair, elbows resting on his knees.

Hound Dog was speaking, probably trying to calm him down, but he couldn't hear him. His breathing was picking up, and his vision was going blurry.

Next thing he knew, he could hear Yamada's voice shushing and muttering to him. Izuku opened his eyes, and all he could see was his dad's shirt. He leaned back into Yamada, breath shuddering and slightly choked from his tears.

"Hey, baby, you with me?" Yamada asked, and Izuku nodded slowly.

"Good, good. You're alright now. Let's go down and rest, yeah?" Izuku squeezed his eyes shut and held on tighter to Yamada as a response. He drifted off while he brought him down to their dorm.

Shouta was frustrated.

He was stuck teaching first-years while his son needed him. Hizashi had texted him that he had taken Izuku down to rest, and Nemuri was taking over his class. Apparently, Izuku started to tell Inui about his quirks before he shut down.

While Shouta would be glad that Izuku was opening up, he hated that this was the fallout of that decision.

Shouta wasn't quite proud to say he took out some of his frustrations on training the kids in his homeroom.

Once the day was over, Shouta all but rushed down to the dorm, not stopping to say anything to his co-workers. Not like he conversed much with them, anyway.

When he got down, the first thing he saw was Hizashi holding a sleeping Izuku in his arms on the couch. His husband gave him a weary smile when he saw him. "Hey, Shou," he whispered.

Shouta relaxed slightly, taking his shoes off and walking towards them. He sat down on the edge of the cushion, running a gentle hand through Izuku's curls. "How is he?" he whispered back.

Hizashi sighed, shoulders slumped. "Not good. He fell asleep easily, but it took almost fifteen minutes for him to calm down enough for me to speak to him. Whatever he meant to tell Inui, it must've dredged up some horrible memories."

"He was talking about his quirks, right? It probably reminded him of what he went through for those quirks to manifest."

"I know therapy is supposed to help, but man, this sucks," Hizashi said, rubbing Izuku's back. Shouta agreed.

"Depending on how he feels, he should probably spend a couple of days at home. I could stay with him…" Hizashi suggested. "It's not hard for me to get a sub."

Shouta rubbed the back of his neck. "God, can I suspend my class? Is that still an option?"

Hizashi levelled him with a look. "You know you can't."

"I could. Though Nezu wouldn't like that. He never does."

"Because then he has to be the one to deal with the outraged families."

"Right…"

They must have forgotten to keep their voices quiet, because Izuku started to stir. Hizashi froze before he resumed rubbing his back in slow circles. "You awake, baby?"

"Mm," was the only sound he made. Izuku clung to Hizashi's front, arms shaking.

"It's okay, Shou and I are here," Hizashi reassured him, and Izuku's hold lessened slightly.

Hizashi held him as he sat up, keeping Izuku in his lap. "Do you need anything? Are you hungry?" Shouta asked, taking a more practical route.

As Shouta expected, Izuku declined. Not a good sign.

"Okay, just rest then. Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Izuku didn't respond for a little while, but he and Hizashi patiently waited.

"I-I was t-talking about… winter… a-and h-how bad it w-was last year. I-I was t-trying to explain a-about my q-quirks, and… I j-just… I d-don't know…"

"It's okay, honey. Talking about your quirks probably brought up some bad memories, hm?" Hizashi guessed.

Izuku nodded. "I-I think so. I d-don't remember w-what happened. I-I just saw y-you."

"Inui — Hound Dog — said you were unresponsive. It took a while to ground you back to the present," Hizashi supplied in place of Izuku's fuzzy memory.

"B-But why?" Izuku asked, his voice haggard.

"Talking about your past seems to trigger this kind of response from you. Your body shuts down to protect itself from reliving your traumas," Shouta said, though he was really only giving an educated guess. Inui would have better insight.

"I-I don't like it. I— W-What if i-it happens in public? I-I have no i-idea what's g-going on."

"I know it's scary. That's what Hound Dog is for: to try and help you cope healthily with these feelings and what you went through," Hizashi said.

That didn't seem to reassure Izuku, though. But he didn't bring it up anymore.

Instead, he perked up slightly. "O-Oh, um, c-can we t-talk to Recovery Girl? H-Hound Dog t-told me that… the r-reason the c-cold hurts so much is b-because of my f-fractures."

"Yes, of course we can," Hizashi answered and kissed his head. "With fall and winter coming up, we will probably need to."

Izuku stiffened and leaned into Hizashi again. "I-I'm scared…" he whimpered.

"I know, kid. But we're here for you, and we can get through it. You've been working really well on your control for your quirks," Shouta praised.

Izuku sniffled. "W-What if… i-if it d-doesn't work?"

"Then we get through it together. You'll be alright, I promise," Shouta said with such conviction in his tone.

"Every step of the way, we'll be here," Hizashi echoed.

Izuku rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, hiccupping. "T-Thank you," he whispered, and Hizashi hugged him tighter.

Over the next couple of days, Izuku stayed home with Yamada, looking after him while Aizawa taught his classes. He came down each lunch break and went back to his class late every time.

When Izuku was feeling better, he wanted to go back to Hound Dog. Primarily, to apologize and discuss what happened. He was actually willing to.

Hound Dog told him there was nothing to apologize for. He apologized for not stopping his questions when he was upset. Then Izuku told him he shouldn't say sorry either, so they both stopped apologizing.

Izuku tried to recount his feelings before he "shut down," as Hound Dog called it. It was abrupt, but he identified the subject matter as what triggered it. He just was not ready to talk about it.

Most of the reason Aizawa and Yamada even knew some of the things that happened at the base was because of his nightmares and memories. So this was new territory.

Their session was more lighthearted this time, which Izuku appreciated. Since Hound Dog was sort of aware of his quirks now, he talked about his progress with his control. He also rambled about the mechanics of his quirks and how he could expand their use.

Izuku had long held the theory that he could manipulate concrete and metal alongside earth. He hadn't tried because it seemed hard, and Nezu still wanted him to start small. But it was always in the back of his mind.

He also wondered if he could work with life forms connected to the earth, such as trees, plants, and flowers. Izuku would have to try that out.

As always, the biggest worry poking around in the back of his head was the colder weather. He wasn't feeling any more tired than usual yet, so that was good. His arms, however, were bothering him.

They were more irritated than normal. His leg was doing okay; he could walk on it just fine, but anytime he tried to hold or carry something, or write for an extensive period of time, his arms started to ache enough to be noticeable and painful.

When he voiced this to his dads, they made an appointment with Recovery Girl as soon as possible. She was available that day, so they went.

"What's the matter, deary?" Recovery Girl asked in a gentle voice. Izuku fidgeted on the medical bed before responding.

"U-Um, my a-arms really hurt. H-Hound Dog m-mentioned that— that t-the colder weather m-may… m-make the f-fractures hurt more," he mentioned.

Recovery Girl nodded. She wrote down on her notepad as she said, "That is common. I can give you some painkillers for that, and I'll recommend some exercises you can do to allow more blood flow and reduce stiffness. Keep as warm as possible, of course. If the joints here—" she pointed to his elbow, "or here—" then his wrist, "hurt, try putting a heating pad or warm water bottle over it to help.

"If you, or your dads, notice any swelling, come back as soon as you can. I'll give you something to help with compressing the joints."

She ripped off the piece of paper she was writing on and handed it to Aizawa. Then, she went into the back room and came out with a bottle of pills. "Take one when you feel the pain acting up. It should be enough, but if not, come back and I can increase your dosage."

Izuku took the bottle with a muttered, "Thanks." They didn't hurt too much right now, so he would take one later if needed.

Working on his quirk control still continued after classes, but it was limited because of his arms, even with the painkillers. It wasn't too cold out, but Aizawa and Yamada turned the heating on anyway.

October was steady and passed quickly. November was a chillier month, but it held Aizawa's birthday, so Izuku was excited. They spent it similarly to last year: a homemade breakfast, a card, and a gift.

This time, Yamada pulled some strings to get a custom print on a sweatshirt for Aizawa. Izuku drew a picture of the three of them the best he could (with Sushi and Bastard included, of course), and it was then printed onto the sweatshirt.

When Aizawa opened his present, Izuku felt a little embarrassed. Was this stupid?

"Y-You don't h-have to wear it…" he muttered, but Aizawa looked at him with a certain light in his eyes.

"Kid, I love it." As if to express just how much he loved it, he put it on over the shirt he had on at the moment.

Izuku blushed and ducked his head, a small smile on his lips. Yamada looked joyful and a little smug, a knowing look in his eyes. He had told him that Aizawa would love it, but Izuku still had doubts until then.

They spent the rest of the day together, and Izuku was trying hard to fight his fatigue. It was creeping up on him as of late, and while it was worrying, Izuku was honestly just too tired to care.

It was only the early evening, way before his usual bedtime. But he couldn't help but feel exhausted. After the fifth or sixth stifled yawn, Aizawa gently guided Izuku's head to lie on his shoulder.

"Just sleep, 'Zuku."

As if he were waiting for permission, Izuku slumped against Aizawa's side and closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep.

It was happening again.

Izuku had slept throughout the evening, night, and most of the day before he stirred. Hizashi said it wouldn't be a good idea to force him to wake up, so they let it be.

He was awake long enough to eat something, but Shouta could tell even that took a lot of energy from him. Bastard was being extra clingy, but Izuku didn't seem to mind.

It went on like that for a few days. Izuku would sleep most of the day, wake up briefly for food, then go back to sleep. Shouta and Hizashi informed Hound Dog of what was happening and why he was missing sessions.

The man was worried, but there wasn't much he could do to help. It was well into the first week of December when Izuku's sleep schedule evolved, and he was awake for longer in the day. His friends were worried, but Shouta and Hizashi were not sure how much Izuku wanted them to divulge.

Shouta was stressed. Having classes in the middle of this was not helping, either. Hizashi was able to get more days off than him; Nezu understood the circumstances, but Shouta was not able to have that much flexibility with his students.

More than once, they pointed out his worsened moods, but Shouta refused to indulge them in any gossip when it came to his family.

Shouta just wished the solution was simple, that having some sort of control over his quirks would help him recover quicker with the colder weather. Unfortunately, it seemed that they would need to practice a lot more than he initially thought.

Izuku was awake, leaning against Hizashi as they lounged on the couch. Suddenly, the kid started signing a question to them.

'Can I see my friends?' Is what he asked.

"Sure, hun. Do you want them to come here?" Hizashi replied, a hand in Izuku's hair.

Izuku nodded. 'And tell them what's going on.'

Shouta and Hizashi shared a surprised look. He wondered if Izuku would tell Neito and Denki the whole story, or just some of it. Probably some of it.

"That's fine, kid. It's your decision. I'll just have to let Nezu know they're coming," Shouta said.

Izuku smiled small and snuggled back into Hizashi's side, and he wrapped his arm around Izuku's shoulder.

Shouta took care of letting Nezu know of their guests, which he was fine with. Narihana was easy to convince; it was Neito's parents that would be hard to talk to…

Unsurprisingly, Neito's mother told him that she wasn't on board with taking her son to UA. He offered a ride, which gave her fewer excuses to refuse. Shouta called Narihana again to let her know the situation, and she readily agreed to pick him up.

Shouta relayed the information to Izuku, who looked to have more energy than he had in the last two or three weeks. It was a good idea, then.

Later on, Nezu informed Shouta that the three had arrived. Shouta let Hizashi know, then he went up to greet them. Narihana stood in the entrance hall to UA, Denki and Neito on her left. She smiled at him in greeting.

"Thank you for bringing them here, Narihana," Shouta said, a grateful smile tugging at his lips.

"It was no problem," she responded, and both boys ran up to him.

"Is Izuku okay?! We haven't heard from him! In a while!" Denki exclaimed, panicked. Neito seemed to share the feeling, but with less enthusiasm.

"He's fine. He'll explain to you, but you need to listen. Let him talk." Shouta realized that Denki and Neito may not know sign language, which had been Izuku's main form of communication recently. Oh well, Hizashi could probably translate for him.

Narihana told Denki to let her know when to come get her, and that she would drive Neito home, too. Neito looked slightly embarrassed, but said thank you nonetheless.

When she left, Shouta took them down to the dorm. As if just now noticing they were in UA, Denki and Neito looked around in wonder as they walked.

"I can't believe I'm in UA right now!" Denki whispered, albeit loudly. Neito nodded.

Shouta stayed quiet, letting them gaze about in awe. Once they reached the dorm, he said one last thing before they ran off.

"Don't overwhelm him right now. I know you have a lot of questions, but he'll most likely answer them all in time."

Denki frowned, but Neito understood. "We won't," Neito said, voice firm.

"Good. Now go on," Shouta told them, waving them in the direction of the living room.

They walked over, and Shouta stood behind the loveseat. Izuku was awake, though barely. When he saw his friends, though, he perked up a bit. He sat up from Hizashi's side, and his husband loosened his hold on his shoulder so that he could move more freely.

'Hi! So glad you guys are here!' Izuku signed enthusiastically, but he only received two quizzical frowns.

Izuku faltered, looking to Hizashi for help.

"He's using sign language; he feels more comfortable using it right now. Do you two know any?" Hizashi asked, but Shouta was sure he knew the answer already.

"No," Denki responded, his voice so sad and disappointed, as if not knowing JSL was some sort of moral failing.

"I don't. But you can translate, can't you?" Neito asked, voicing the same thought Shouta had earlier.

Hizashi nodded and nudged Izuku. "Is that alright with you? Don't force yourself to speak," Hizashi added when Izuku opened his mouth to probably say something. He promptly shut it.

'It's fine,' he amended.

Hizashi shifted so that he was facing Izuku and could see his signs more clearly. The kid hunched in his sweater, pulling the sleeves over his hands.

"You guys can sit here," Hizashi said to Denki and Neito, pointing to the spot next to Izuku. They did, each of them getting comfortable.

Izuku fidgeted with his hands for a few seconds before he started, Hizashi translating. 'I was diagnosed as quirkless when I turned four,' he started. Both Shouta and Hizashi were shocked, even as Hizashi spoke it.

Shouta didn't think he'd start out that way. Denki and Neito both looked surprised as well, but no traces of bigoted thoughts flitted through their eyes, which was good. They stayed silent as promised.

'I developed a quirk… by force.' Izuku paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, 'It was painful. Years after that, I developed another. By force. So I have…'

"Two?" Denki interrupted, then sheepishly apologized and ducked his shoulders down.

Izuku gave him a shaky smile before he kept signing. 'Yes. Two quirks. One allows me to bend and manipulate the earth, and with the second one I can control air, or air currents.'

After Hizashi finished his translation, the boys looked horrified at the revelation of how his quirks manifested, then in awe. Well, Denki mostly looked in awe, while Neito still had some leftover dread in his expression.

Izuku flexed his fingers a couple of times before he kept going. 'My quirks… I don't have a lot of… experience. When I'm outside, I feel so much lighter and relaxed. But in the winter… with the weather, and the snow, my body is tired. Exhausted, without even doing much.

'We think it's because my quirks are getting used to the change. I don't know. Something to do with nature, since my quirks are so connected to it. That's why I haven't seen you two lately. I can't… do much.'

Hizashi rubbed Izuku's shoulder when he finished, and Izuku leaned back into him, seemingly done signing. Denki and Neito were still silent, but more out of not knowing what to say than anything else.

Neito's eyebrows were furrowed, and he looked like he wanted to ask something, but wasn't sure if he should or not. Denki leaned forward.

"Can— Can I hug you?" he asked, which Shouta was honestly surprised by. Izuku was, too, by his expression, but he nodded earnestly.

Izuku moved forward a bit as Denki did and hugged him tightly. Izuku sagged into his hold, and Neito joined, wrapping his arms around both of them.

Shouta's heart warmed at the sight, and he was sure Hizashi's was, too. They let the kids have their moment.

Eventually, Neito and Denki pulled back, but Izuku stayed slumped against Denki's chest. Asleep.

Denki carefully adjusted himself so that his legs were on either side of Izuku, and his arm was wrapped around his back.

Hizashi broke the quiet in a hushed tone, "He really trusts you guys."

Denki and Neito looked at him, each looking like that sentiment was a high honour. Neito's eyes were rimmed red, Shouta noticed, with long-dried tears.

"Who did that to him?" Neito asked, his voice hoarse.

Shouta sighed. "It's not our story to tell right now. You'll have to hear it from him."

Neito clenched his jaw, but he understood from the resigned look on his face that he wouldn't get answers from Shouta.

While the three of them sat there, Shouta and Hizashi decided to give them privacy. "We'll be in our room, it's just down there," Hizashi pointed to their door. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to come in, okay?"

Denki responded with an affirmative, and Hizashi and he both went into their room.

It didn't take long for one of them to call out.

"Um, Yamada, Aizawa? You might wanna come out here!" It was Neito's voice.

They quickly emerged from their room, surveying the scene. Izuku was whimpering and shaking in his sleep, tear-tracks staining his cheeks. Denki still had a hold on him, but whatever he had tried to do to soothe Izuku wasn't working.

Shouta quickly made his way over and picked Izuku up and into his arms. "Thanks for getting us, kids. I'll take care of him."

They both looked like they wanted to, but ultimately let it go when Izuku started to relax in his arms. Shouta took him to his room, and he sat down with the kid in his lap.

He gently rocked him, rubbing his back and quietly shushing him. "You're okay, kid, I'm right here. You're not alone," he whispered in Izuku's ear.

After a little coaxing, he calmed down, his face smoothing out from its tense expression. He didn't wake up, but Shouta hoped his nightmares were chased away for now.

After a bit, Hizashi came in and leaned in the doorway. "The kids are asking if they can sleep over," he said.

Shouta thought about it. It was a weekend, but he was more worried about Neito's parents' response. He shrugged. "If their parents are fine with it," he replied.

Hizashi nodded and went to relay the message back to the boys, he assumed. A couple of minutes later, he came back with the boys in tow. "Narihana agreed to take them both tomorrow morning," was all Hizashi said for Shouta to understand.

Shouta glanced at Neito to see his reaction, but it was carefully neutral. He let it go for now.

"Well, come on," Shouta said and gently maneuvered Izuku into a lying position on his bed.

"Like we said earlier, come get us if you need anything. Especially for Izuku, please," Shouta stressed at the end. "He probably won't want to if he can help it."

Denki and Neito both agreed, so Shouta left them to it. He only hoped the night would go smoothly.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke up, and the first thing he felt was pain. The second was warmth and two bodies surrounding him.

At first, he thought it was his dads, and they put him in their bed for the night. But when he opened his eyes and looked up, Neito was in front of him instead.

His eyes were closed, so Izuku assumed he was still asleep. He was surprised that his friends slept over, that they would still want to be around him after what he revealed.

Izuku was tangled in Neito's arms, so he stayed. Even though his own arms were hurting, he could endure it for a while longer.

He could feel Denki at his back, but he wasn't sure what he was doing. Izuku assumed he was also asleep.

Izuku buried his face back into Neito's chest, eyes closed. He stayed like that for a while until he felt a weight shift at the end of his bed. Maneuvering his neck without waking Neito, he looked over to see Bastard standing there, glaring at the two boys beside him.

Fortunately, he wasn't hissing or bothering them to get to Izuku. Instead, he sat right where he was standing, affronted. Izuku smiled a little at him and settled back to his original position. It must've been early, because he couldn't hear Yamada in the kitchen, or walking around in general.

His pain was evolving to shooting pains, so he needed to get up. Izuku carefully lifted himself out of Neito's arms and somehow succeeded without waking him. Denki was sprawled out on his back, mouth slightly open.

When he got out of bed, Bastard followed him. Izuku walked to the bathroom and reached for his pain medication. He took it quickly and hoped the effects wouldn't take long to kick in.

Izuku leaned against the bathroom counter, suddenly exhausted. He hated this. He hadn't even done anything, and he was already tired.

It took him a moment to balance himself. Bastard was at his feet, brushing up against his leg. Izuku sighed and began the trek back to his room as if he were about to climb Mt. Everest.

When he was back inside, he lay back down in the middle just as carefully as he did when he got up. Bastard, still upset he couldn't get in beside Izuku, lay down at his feet instead.

Izuku pulled his hood over his head, shivering. He snuggled back into his blankets, and Neito wrapped his arms around him again. Denki rolled onto his side, one arm going over Neito's. Izuku went back to sleep easily.

Next time he woke up, there was movement above him. Izuku blinked his groggy eyes open, and he saw Neito looking at something above their heads, a mild look of panic on his face.

"Shit," he whispered, and Izuku frowned. Neito said that a lot, and so did Aizawa. Mostly when things went wrong. He wondered what it meant?

Filing that away for later, Izuku tipped his head up to see Bastard perched on their pillow. He looked ready to attack Neito, and Izuku shifted so that one of his arms came free.

"S-Stop," Izuku whispered, petting Bastard as consolation. Bastard calmed down, tail flicking back and forth, but his eyes were still on Neito.

"He's scary," Neito whispered, and Izuku smiled.

"I-I've n-never noticed," Izuku replied, which made Neito glare at him with no heat behind it.

"Yeah, because he loves you. If you didn't stop him, he would totally attack me until I left."

Izuku shrugged with a faux look of innocence. "I-I don't think so," he lied.

"He's possessive," Neito continued.

"He's c-cuddly," Izuku offered.

Neito kept a flat stare while Izuku smiled. His friend sighed and flopped back into the pillows, and Bastard fled to the other side. Izuku giggled quietly to himself and watched as Neito turned to face him again.

"How are you doing?" Neito asked him.

Izuku took a moment to take stock of how he was feeling. His arms weren't hurting anymore, which was good. He was still a little apprehensive about what he shared last night, but at the same time, his friends wanted to stay over with him.

"F-Fine. Better than… than I-I have in a w-while," he said truthfully.

"That's good," Neito said, though he looked like he wanted to say more. He ended up staying silent.

Izuku still felt tired, but not enough to fall back asleep. They just lounged on the bed for a while. Denki was still asleep.

Eventually, there was a knock on the door. After Izuku called for them to come in, the door was pushed open, and Yamada was in the doorway. He gave him and Neito a kind smile.

"I have breakfast for you guys," he informed them.

"T-Thank you. W-We'll be u-up in a minute," Izuku replied. Yamada nodded and went back to the kitchen.

Izuku sat up, his hood still on his head. Neito sat up as well, and they both glanced over at Denki. Still fast asleep.

"Y-You w-wake him," Izuku whispered.

Neito frowned at Izuku. "Really?"

Izuku shrugged but didn't respond. Neito rolled his eyes and leaned over him to shake Denki. "Hey, doofus, wake up," Neito exclaimed, but Denki didn't budge.

"Denki," Neito continued, shaking him harder. "Denki!" Neito must have pushed him too hard, because suddenly, Denki rolled off the bed.

He hit the ground with a thud, and Izuku winced. He remembered doing the same thing months ago.

Denki groaned from the floor. Izuku crawled over and peered over the side of the bed down at him. "D-Denki? Are y-you okay?"

The boy just put up a thumbs-up. Izuku turned to glare at Neito, though he seemed unapologetic. He shrugged. "What? He wasn't waking up," was his explanation. "And I know you're trying to be intimidating, but you kinda just look like a disgruntled puppy."

Izuku pouted. "Rude."

Neito shrugged with a sly smile. "Just the truth."

Izuku shook his head and turned his attention back to Denki on the floor. "B-Breakfast is r-ready," he told him. Denki immediately sprang up as if nothing had happened.

"Why didn't you say so?! Let's go!" Denki rushed out the door.

"Does he just have, like, espresso constantly shooting through his veins?" Neito said after they both looked at each other in disbelief.

Izuku didn't know what espresso was. "P-Probably," he replied anyway.

Neito sighed. "Well, let's go before Denki eats our portions along with his own."

He got off the bed, and Izuku shortly followed. He took a little longer to balance himself and muster the strength, but he got there. Neito faltered back and moved towards Izuku to hold his arm. Izuku smiled at him for his help, and Neito looked away, flushing.

"Let's go," Neito grumbled, helping him along.

Izuku and Neito made it to the dinner table. Aizawa and Yamada were sitting, along with Denki, who was already eating. His and Neito's plates were already set.

'You okay?' Yamada signed to him, and Izuku nodded.

'Only a little tired,' he replied.

Izuku sat down with Neito, and he ate as much as he could. It wasn't a lot, but it was more than he had eaten in a while. He could already feel himself falling asleep soon.

Just as he was about to tilt forward and probably faceplant into his food, Aizawa was already there, steadying him with a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon," he murmured, easily picking him up off the chair.

Izuku whined softly and wrapped his arms around Aizawa's neck and buried his face into his shoulder. He could vaguely hear voices as his dad carried him back to his room.

"He'll be okay. He has your support now…" That was all he heard from Yamada until he fell asleep completely.

The days went on. Izuku went in and out of sleep repeatedly, and sometimes Neito and Denki would visit him when he had the most energy. It was mostly spent lounging in his room or on the couch, but they hung out with him.

Izuku even saw Hound Dog once when he was feeling awake enough. Yamada went with him, just in case he fell asleep halfway through or had a panic attack.

He was sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest, one of Aizawa's hoodies covering him. Izuku loved stealing them because they offered the most warmth, and he loved the oversized feel. Plus, he just felt comfort when wearing his dads' clothes, much like he did when he wore the Eraserhead scarf or carried his Present Mic figure with him.

"How have you been, Izuku?" Hound Dog asked him, starting the conversation.

"I-I've been… better," Izuku responded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Izuku glanced over at Yamada, who nodded encouragingly. Izuku leaned forward to grab a fidget toy to play with as he deliberated on his answer.

"W-winter has been… hard… B-but I a-also told R-Recovery Girl about w-what you said. So I have p-pain medicine to h-help."

"That's wonderful, Izuku. I'm glad that has been helping you," Hound Dog responded kindly.

Izuku managed a small smile. "V-very helpful. M-my arms d-don't hurt as much," he explained.

"Has anything else been on your mind?" Hound Dog asked him.

"Mm. I— I t-told my friends about… my q-quirks… N-not everything, but… I t-told them some things."

"I'm so glad to hear that. That's amazing progress, Izuku," Hound Dog praised. Izuku flushed and ducked his head. He didn't think it was such an accomplishment; he didn't really even tell them much, but his words were nice.

"That's the goal, right? To be able to talk about it, to work through it. How did your friends react to the information?" Hound Dog inquired.

Izuku shrugged. "T-they w-were supportive. Um, t-they s-stayed the night. I-it was nice," he remarked.

Hound Dog wrote something down in the notebook in front of him before he addressed Izuku again, who was still fidgeting with the toy. "Do you think you made the right decision?"

He paused, his fingers twitching. "I-I think s-so. It… it was h-hard." Izuku looked up at him. "But I-I don't t-think I regret it. T-they mean a— a lot to me," he added.

"It's always good to have a couple of friends that you can trust. It can make handling things a lot easier."

Izuku agreed. After he got over the feeling of telling his friends some part of himself that he was terrified of indulging, he felt lighter. It felt good to have his friends know something like this so that he could talk about it.

Now, he just needed a lot more courage to talk about everything. That may not come for a while. Plus, he didn't want to dump all of his trauma onto them right off the bat.

After Hound Dog and he discussed some other things, Izuku asked him something that had been on his mind: "Um, H-Hound Dog? I-if… If s-someone is hurting, h-how do I h-help them?"

Yamada rubbed his shoulder, a comforting, grounding presence for him as Hound Dog considered his answer.

"This is someone close to you?" he asked instead of answering him first. Izuku nodded in confirmation.

"I think you should talk to them. Ask them if they're okay, and just be there for them. That is the best thing you could offer. I know it might seem hard, to feel like you're not doing anything while someone close to you is hurting, but it is a lot more helpful than you know," Hound Dog advised.

He was right, it was hard. It didn't feel like it was enough, but Izuku tried to understand it from his perspective. If his friends were there for him—which they were—it would make him feel a lot better. So, maybe it would be enough for now.

When winter break came around, Izuku was a little more lucid by then, to the joy of Neito and Denki. They spent as much time together before Christmas arrived. It was spent with his dads, and they got him a lot of presents like they did the year before. And just like last year, he didn't know how to react.

Neito was, unfortunately, not as available between Christmas, New Year's, and when school started back up. According to Neito, whenever he had enough time to call, his parents loved to throw extravagant parties during this time of year. Neito tried to avoid them as much as possible, but his parents pretty much forced him to be in attendance.

Izuku asked his dads about it, and Aizawa confirmed it. "They love the holidays. It's always an excuse to invite and network with 'important' people, and mostly the top heroes. Hizashi was actually invited some years ago. He declined, obviously," he said matter-of-factly.

"Ugh, I love parties, but I don't like them," Yamada commented. "Although, in retrospect, it would've been pretty funny if I brought Shou along with me without telling them and see what kind of chaos we could've stirred up," he added with a smile, nudging Aizawa.

Aizawa gave him a deadpan stare. "I don't want to think about just what kind of chaos you would've started."

Yamada grinned. "Guess we'll never know!"

Izuku smiled in amusement at their exchange, but he couldn't help the underlying worry that simmered inside him. He just couldn't wait to see Neito again.

School started in early January, so it was back to the usual schedule. Izuku was still tired throughout the day, but it was significantly less debilitating. He could see Hound Dog regularly again, and he had a lot more energy to talk about his feelings.

Izuku mostly talked about his fatigue and how it felt, how his quirks felt. Like last year, he could feel them getting restless under his skin. However, unlike last year, they weren't as potent. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. He would have to find out whenever he resumed quirk training.

The most pressing thing on his mind at the moment was registering for school. Aizawa told him that if he still chose to go, he would have to start the process by mid to late February.

Izuku did want to go. After he brought it up to Aizawa and Yamada the first time, he thought about it a lot. Additionally, from Denki and Neito's anecdotes, it honestly sounded… fun. The only thing holding him back was his apprehension about leaving Aizawa and Yamada for the day.

He was hoping that being around his friends would help him deal with that particular concern.

Izuku sat with Aizawa and Yamada as they filled in an online application. They entered his name as "Izuku Yamada" so that it would be easier to identify him as Yamada's son, as they planned. They told Izuku it was okay if he told anyone wondering that he was adopted, if that was what he wished. It would probably be the easiest explanation.

The only thing Izuku worried about was his birth certificate, which was needed for the application. He assumed it was burned with the rest of his things when Hisashi set fire to their house, but Yamada reassured him.

"Don't worry, Listener. When we adopted you officially, they sent us a new birth certificate! It has your new name and everything."

Izuku's mouth shaped into an 'o'. He had kept the paper they gave him in his room, but he didn't think that was the same thing as a birth certificate. It was good to know that they did have one.

However, he was still confused about how they would register him as "Izuku Yamada" when his official name was now "Izuku Aizawa-Yamada". He voiced this question to the heroes.

"The school's official records will have your full last name, but your teachers will only have your preferred name. Since the school is notorious for enrolling heroes' kids, they understand the notion of using a different name for identification safety's sake," Aizawa said.

Izuku blew out a breath of relief. So it seemed the application process would be more swift than he thought.

Once that was done, Aizawa told him that he would need to go to the school in person to verify all the documents and take care of things such as uniforms and the school lunch.

Later on, he was still up, so he decided to call Denki first from the home phone. After they greeted each other, Izuku said, "G-guess what?"

"What?" Denki responded, his interest piqued automatically.

"I— Or, m-my dads, a-applied to that s-school you and N-Neito go to."

Denki gasped. "Really?!" he exclaimed, which made Izuku smile.

"R-really," Izuku confirmed.

"Oh! I can't wait!" Denki said, his voice gradually growing louder. "It'll be so fun! I hope we're in the same class…"

He continued to ramble, and Izuku responded at the appropriate times.

"Have you told Neito yet about applying?" Denki suddenly asked him.

"N-not yet. I w-was planning to, a-after t-talking to you," Izuku said.

"Oh, okay." Denki paused, letting the line go silent for a moment. "He's seemed, uh, sad, lately. He already doesn't talk a lot, but he's been doing it even less. Plus, there have been some idiots bothering him. I tell them to screw off, but they don't listen."

Izuku frowned. He wondered if the "idiots" were the two boys who were bullying Neito when they first met. Anyway, he was concerned.

"O-oh no. I'll a-ask him about i-it."

"Good luck," Denki sighed. "I tried, but you know how he can be. But maybe he'll open up to you," he added, sounding sad.

Izuku didn't answer right away. Neito typically buried his problems; he was not usually the one to talk about anything that bothered him.

"H-he's not… g-great at t-talking about his f-feelings," Izuku offered.

Denki sighed again. "I— I know."

They talked about other things until Denki had to go. They said their goodbyes, and Izuku readied himself to call Neito next.

He dialled, pressing the phone to his ear. It took a few rings, but Neito eventually picked up.

"Izuku? Sorry, had to bring the phone to my room, lest my parents bother me about who's calling," Neito said in greeting.

"H-hey, Neito. I-it's okay," Izuku replied, then paused. "H-how are you?"

"Ah, fine. Just… school stuff. It's close to the end of the year," Neito said. Though he sounded convincing, Denki's earlier concerns echoed through his mind. However, he just didn't know how to bring it up.

"W-well, I was t-talking to Denki earlier. I… I e-enrolled for s-school in April," he told him instead.

Neito hummed, but there was a smile in his tone when he said, "Good. Finally, school will be worthwhile."

Izuku huffed. "D-don't say that. You h-have Denki," he chided.

"Yes, but he likes hanging with his loud friends," Neito said it casually, but Izuku could tell it somewhat troubled him. Maybe that was why Neito didn't feel comfortable talking to him about his problems?

"O-oh." Izuku bit his lip as he tried to think about how to broach the subject. "H-have you been… stressed, lately?"

Neito chuckled. "As subtle as ever," he said jokingly. Izuku didn't respond, letting him take his time to give him a real answer.

Eventually, he did. "I guess I have been. My parents have been on my ass about my grades, which are fine. It's not like I'm even in junior high yet, I don't get why they care so much. Do your dads give you such a hard time?"

He didn't actually have any classes to be graded on, and Nezu never gave him a grade, either. Just his own feedback. But even if he had been doing poorly, he knew Aizawa and Yamada wouldn't get upset.

"Um, n-no," Izuku said plainly. "I-I'm sorry about t-that, Neito. Th-they shouldn't be so s-strict."

"It's whatever. I'm used to it at this point." Then he added, more quietly, "It's not like anything I do is satisfactory to them."

Izuku frowned, feeling sad for Neito's situation. He thought about Hound Dog's advice.

"I-I'm always h-here for you t-to talk. Denki i-is, too," Izuku said softly.

Neito didn't answer right away. When he did, his words were equally quiet, "I know. Thanks."

They didn't converse for much longer; Neito was worried about his parents coming in and cutting their conversation short.

When he had time, Aizawa went to verify the documents in person with the school. Once he was back, he let Izuku know. Izuku was excited and nervous at the same time. The lingering fear of being away from his dads was still there, but he had until April to come to terms with it.

Chapter Text

Spring was on its way, and Izuku's energy was replenishing slowly but surely. Shouta could see it from the way he was taking fewer naps, eating a healthier amount of food, and waking up early enough to help Hizashi with breakfast again.

It was nice to wake up to the sight of the kid with a determined look on his face, his tongue poking out as he helped stir the ingredients together; his husband stood behind him with a fond expression, gently guiding his hands and whispering encouragements.

March was slightly warmer, but still cool enough to warrant the multiple layers Izuku wore inside and outside the dorm. When Shouta picked up his uniform, he was glad to see that it offered short-sleeve and long-sleeve options, along with some leniency on the dress code. Junior high would most likely provide stricter uniform standards.

Additionally, Shouta let the principal know about Izuku's fluctuating fatigue levels when he handed over the kid's medical forms that Recovery Girl provided. He told her to inform the teachers to keep an eye on him and to call him or Hizashi immediately if anything happened.

She kindly let him know that she would keep a vigilant eye on his health and would call either of them if anything happened.

They would also need to take Izuku back-to-school shopping. Shouta dreaded it because he knew that Hizashi would most likely make it into a huge event. Maybe he could suggest that Denki and Neito go along instead of him…

For the next few weeks, Izuku was improving in terms of his energy. He was a bit quieter than usual, but he and Hizashi were not too worried about it yet. The kid was still regularly going to therapy, and Shouta remembered that they would need to change his schedule with Inui.

At the moment, Shouta was sitting on the couch with Izuku and Hizashi. Izuku was lying perpendicular to him, his head resting on Shouta's leg. His legs were propped up, and his notebook was set against them so he could write comfortably.

Shouta wasn't paying attention to what exactly he was writing. He was sipping his coffee while answering emails on his laptop. A few minutes later, though, Izuku tipped his head back to face him.

"D-does your quirk w-work through m-mirrors or reflections? L-like, i-if you see s-someone t-through a mirror, y-you can erase it?" Izuku asked him.

Shouta looked at him, eyebrows raised in surprise. He hadn't thought of it, or really tried it, but Shouta didn't believe it would work.

"I'm not entirely sure. I haven't tried it. To erase someone's quirk, I need to be looking at them directly," he supplied unnecessarily, since the kid already knew this.

Izuku hummed. "I-if you looked a-at yourself in a mirror, w-would you erase y-your own quirk?"

Shouta paused, tilting his head. Hizashi quirked an eyebrow from the end of the couch. "You should try it, Shou," he remarked.

Izuku lifted his head and sat up against the back of the couch, giving Shouta the room to stand. He padded over to the bathroom, Izuku following close behind. Hizashi appeared behind him, too.

"Well, here goes," Shouta mumbled, before activating his quirk. Red eyes, hair levitating, but no reaction. He blinked. Guess he couldn't erase his own quirk.

Izuku pouted and scribbled some more things down in his notebook. "S-so no mirrors. Y-you don't have t-to make eye c-contact, though, r-right? F-for your q-quirk to work?"

Shouta nodded. "That's right. I just need to have them in my line of sight."

Izuku hummed and tapped the pen to his lips. "O-okay."

"Why the sudden interest, Listener?" Hizashi asked.

"I-I don't know. I… I w-was l-looking through a-and found my notes o-on it. I-is it weird?" His tone was filled with self-consciousness at his last question. One of the things the kid couldn't seem to shake was the embarrassment he felt surrounding his curiosity about others' quirks.

"Of course not. I like answering your questions. They're a lot more insightful than the questions from the brats I teach," Shouta grumbled.

Hizashi nudged him. "Oh, stop. And I agree with Shou completely. You can always ask us anything you want about our quirks. It's fun!"

Izuku relaxed his tense posture and nodded in relief. "O-okay," he said quietly. Shouta guided him back to the couch, and the three of them sat down again together.

"That reminds me, I should make arrangements with Hound Dog soon. Is there any particular day you would prefer having your therapy after school, kid?" Shouta asked.

Izuku shrugged. "W-whatever works f-for him," he replied.

Shouta ruffled his hair and Izuku sagged into his side, his notebook tucked against his chest. "I'll talk to him about it then."

It was quiet, and Izuku eventually began writing in his notebook again. Hizashi was reading, and Shouta got back on his laptop. "Oh, also—and I'll probably regret this—but we should go back-to-school shopping for you soon. What do you think?" Shouta spoke up.

Hizashi immediately perked up, but Shouta shot him a look. He wanted the kid to respond with his own interest.

Izuku's eyebrows scrunched in thought. "W-what i-is that? G-getting s-supplies f-for school?" he guessed.

"Yeah! You can get school supplies and anything you'll need for the year!" Hizashi cut in.

"O-oh. Okay. I-I'd like that," Izuku said.

"And, if you'd like, we can bring your friends along," Shouta added.

Izuku perked up. "C-can we?"

"Yup." Shouta smiled small and ruffled his hair again.

Over the next couple of days, Izuku asked Denki and Neito if they would come with him to do some school shopping. Narihana said yes easily, but Neito's parents were more of a problem, as usual. Neito wasn't able to give a solid answer until the day of the shopping trip.

He was dropped off in the UA parking lot and promptly left alone. Luckily, they were already outside, so Shouta and Hizashi could properly collect him for the ride. Neito had nothing with him, and his posture was rigid. Shouta hoped this outing would get him to relax.

"Hey, Little Listener! Ready for some shoppin'?" Hizashi asked with some enthusiasm.

Neito only offered a tight-lipped smile and a nod. "Sure," he replied.

Undeterred by Neito's demeanour, Hizashi continued, "Izuku and Denki are already in the car," he pointed to their vehicle, "so just head on over there!"

The kid thanked them and headed over. Shouta could vaguely make out Izuku and Denki—mostly Denki's—excitement at seeing Neito. Hizashi's smile dimmed slightly when he addressed Shouta.

"At least he's here. But I'm worried."

"Mm. We'll keep an eye on him," Shouta assured. Hizashi sighed but said nothing else. The two of them made their way over to the car, Hizashi in the driver's seat and Shouta in the passenger's.

Denki was making the most chatter, Izuku occasionally butting in, and Neito sitting in stony silence. Shouta interrupted them. "Ready to go? All seatbelts on?"

A chorus of "Yes" filled the car, so Hizashi turned the car on and drove them to their first stop. The store was filled with school and office supplies, making it perfect for Izuku to pick out what he needed.

Hizashi parked, and everyone got out of the car. Shouta stayed behind everyone so he could keep an eye on the kids and his surroundings.

Hizashi happily took the lead on the shopping, showing Izuku everything he thought was essential.

"Oh! And, Denki, Neito, if you guys need anything, don't hesitate to let me or Shou know! It's not a problem at all, we'll get it for you," Hizashi said.

Denki nodded. Neito looked doubtful, but stayed silent. Shouta was sure he would have more of an issue speaking up about anything he wanted or needed.

As the shopping went on, there were no issues so far. Izuku had to be mostly encouraged to pick up anything, but eventually, he started to grab things he liked.

He had picked up a few pencils, some pens, and All Might-themed notebooks. Of course. Denki had asked for a singular pen, to which Neito argued he needed twenty more because of the frequency with which he lost them.

That started a mini argument, but nothing too heated. Neito still hadn't asked for anything.

Izuku also got a pack of markers and coloured pencils. Hizashi snuck in some more composition notebooks, probably for the kid's hero and quirk analyses. It was a successful first trip.

In the second store, however, the tension coiling Neito's frame snapped.

"I said I'm fine," Neito said, his voice raised.

Shouta looked over, and he could see Izuku's expression: shocked and hurt. Denki looked surprised as well, but then his brows furrowed and he stepped forward.

"Dude, relax. We're just trying to help," he said.

Neito clenched his fists, and Hizashi quickly placed a hand on his shoulder. Instead of calming down, though, he flinched away and turned on his heels, leaving the store.

Izuku seemed sad, while Denki was confused. Shouta inwardly sighed. "I'll go check on him, stay here," he instructed Hizashi, who nodded.

Shouta swiftly walked to the exit, and once outside, it only took him a few seconds to spot Neito sitting on a bench a little ways down in front of the building. He had his head hunched down, his knee bouncing.

Shouta walked over quietly, and he sat down with some space between the two of them. Neito tensed and whipped his head to stare at Shouta. The kid looked back towards the ground when he didn't speak.

After a few more moments of silence, Neito spoke up. "Well? Are you gonna yell at me? Tell me to walk home or something?"

Shouta leaned back against the bench. "No to both. You live way too far away to walk there safely on your own, and do I really seem like the type to yell at a kid in public?"

"Yeah, kinda."

Shouta huffed. "Fair enough." He didn't mention that he was quite stern with his students. But yelling? Very rare.

"No one's mad at you," Shouta added after another moment of quiet.

"I snapped at Izuku and Denki. I treated them like sh- uh, horribly, when I shouldn't have," Neito said, tone full of self-loathing.

"I think you should know that Izuku isn't upset that you snapped at him. He's concerned. As is Denki."

Neito just shook his head and placed his head in his hands. Shouta let him collect himself before saying anything else. When the silence stretched too long, Shouta started the conversation.

"Did you have a fight with your parents today?"

Neito just scoffed. "When do I not?" he answered sarcastically. So yes. But he didn't immediately respond.

"I asked my mom if I could come today when Izuku first mentioned it, and she said yes. My dad, though, got upset. Said I was being ungrateful, and that I had everything I needed for school," Neito continued. "He only let me come because I promised I was just going to hang out with my friends."

Shouta sighed softly to himself. It explained some of his behaviour today. "Does this happen often? Your dad yelling at you?"

Neito lifted his head from his hands, his arms crossed on his lap. He shrugged. "I guess. I thought it was normal… But… Seeing how you and Yamada act with Izuku, and even Denki with his mother, I know it's not. I don't…" he sighed deeply. "In their eyes, I can't do anything correctly," he said quietly.

Damn. Hizashi was probably a better candidate for this conversation. Shouta glanced at him. "It's not normal," he said gently. "And you're not ungrateful for wanting to get more things. Hizashi's offer from earlier still stands; if you want anything, let one of us know."

Neito still seemed unsure about the offer, but no outright objection, which was a start. Shouta asked, "Do they hurt you in other ways? Physically?"

He hesitated, but shook his head. "No."

Shouta didn't feel confident in his answer, but he couldn't force it out of him. "You have a place in our home, Neito. Whenever you need to, call Izuku, and no questions asked, we will get you."

Neito looked at him, shock covering his features, along with some glimpses of hope. He looked back down at his lap, tears glistening in his eyes. "Even after I snapped at your son?"

Shouta's lips quirked up. "Trust me, he understands that you didn't mean to yell at him."

Neito huffed but didn't say anything. He wiped his tears away, sniffling. Shouta stood as Neito recovered. "Come on, let's go back inside," Shouta coaxed, and the kid nodded.

They both walked back into the store, and Shouta easily spotted Hizashi. He led them back, and Neito stayed semi-hidden behind Shouta.

Hizashi noticed them, and he smiled in relief. "Welcome back. We, uh… got a cart!" he exclaimed, and moved aside to show the cart filled with school supplies and other things.

Shouta just sighed. "We were gone, like, ten minutes," he grumbled.

Hizashi shrugged. Neito finally stepped forward towards Izuku and Denki, who looked at him with worry.

He fidgeted before speaking. "I'm sorry for yelling. You… were right. You were trying to help, and I took my frustrations out on you. Which wasn't fair."

"I-I'm s-sorry too. I p-pushed t-too hard," Izuku replied.

Neito scoffed, but he was smiling. "Only you would apologize when you were the one yelled at," he said.

Izuku smiled sheepishly, and Denki pulled them both into a group hug. Neito rolled his eyes, but he hugged them back. Hizashi turned to Shouta with a look of adoration, taken by the heartwarming scene.

The three disbanded their hug, and Neito seemed a lot less tense than he was at the beginning of the trip. Near the end, he even asked them—very reluctantly, he was most likely convinced by Izuku and Denki—for some new pencils and a notebook.

After that, Izuku chose his school backpack. Instead of opting for an All Might one, or another hero, he picked out a black bag with a variety of different cat faces. Shouta approved.

Izuku's friends stayed over for a while longer. They helped him set up his things for school. When it got late, Shouta offered to drive the kids home. Once Izuku said his goodbyes, they got into the car.

Once at Neito's house, Shouta turned to face him in the backseat. "I meant what I said earlier. Anything you need, just call."

Neito held his bag containing his new things close to his chest, a look of gratitude flickering in his eyes. "Thank you," he muttered before getting out of the car.

Shouta waited until he was safely inside the house, and then he returned home.

Shouta woke to the sound of his and Hizashi's bedroom door opening. He peeked over to see Izuku in the doorway, his Eraserhead blanket bunched up around his shoulders, and Bastard at his feet.

From the dimly lit hallway, he could vaguely make out the kid's trembling shoulders and his red-rimmed eyes. Shouta lifted himself onto his elbow, raising a hand to wave him over to the bed.

After he closed the door, Izuku walked over and climbed onto the bed. Shouta helped him up, gently moving him into the middle of him and Hizashi. "Bad dream?" he whispered.

Izuku nodded and curled up under the blankets. Bastard joined Sushi at the end of the bed, where she was sleeping. Shouta ran his fingers through Izuku's hair, and his eyes were already drooping closed.

"We're right here, kid. Go back to sleep," Shouta said quietly. Izuku did pretty quickly, thankfully. He had been having bad dreams more frequently leading up to the first day of school. Shouta was worried; he was really tempted to take him out of classes and wait another year, but he knew he shouldn't do that.

Izuku never mentioned waiting until next year, so he wouldn't make that decision for him. And he could tell Hizashi was feeling anxious about school starting for Izuku, too. They were nervous bringing him to Nezu, but now, he'd be in an actual school environment, with tons of other kids and teachers.

After stewing on it for a while, he finally fell back asleep.

In the morning, Hizashi was already awake. During the night, Izuku had curled up against his husband, and he had an arm around his back. His eyes found Shouta's when he rolled over to face them both.

"Morning," Hizashi mouthed. Shouta hummed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "He had a rough night?"

Shouta nodded. "Another nightmare," he replied.

Hizashi sighed softly and rubbed Izuku's back slowly. "Poor baby," he whispered.

They lay there for a while until Izuku finally stirred awake. He whimpered softly as he moved, and his eyes opened. He looked up at Hizashi, who smiled. "Morning, kiddo."

"M-Morning," Izuku replied, his voice a raspy whisper.

"Do you want to talk about your nightmares?" Shouta approached cautiously.

Izuku traced the outline of the capture weapon on his blanket before replying, "I-I'm just s-scared of going t-to school." He shifted so that he could face Shouta as well. "M-My nightmare w-was y-you guys l-leaving me," he whispered, tears filling his eyes.

"We'll never leave you, hun," Hizashi said, bringing Izuku into a hug. Izuku quickly latched onto him, his frame slightly shaking.

Shouta shifted closer. "He's right. I know it'll be hard, but you'll adjust quickly. I know it. You're strong," he added.

Izuku sniffled but nodded. They stayed there, Hizashi reassuring Izuku as they lounged. The kid calmed down soon enough, which was good. Usually, nightmares like this had him in a bad mood all day.

He just hoped all would go well when the day came.

The school building felt like it was looming over Izuku when they drove up to the parking lot. He was in the backseat, his new backpack in his lap. He felt jittery, and he knew that feeling wouldn't go away for most likely the whole day.

After talking to Hound Dog about his nightmares, they were less frequent, thankfully. The constant reassurance from his dads also helped.

He was mostly excited to see Denki and Neito, and he hoped they were in the same class. Meeting new people would be nice, but he wasn't sure if he could do that on his own.

Yamada parked, and he turned to face Izuku in the backseat. "Are you ready, kiddo?" he asked, voice cheery.

Izuku nodded hesitantly. "M-Mostly n-nervous."

Aizawa looked at him, too. "That's normal. Once you get into a routine, you'll feel a lot more comfortable."

He felt a little better, but still, the thought of being in a classroom filled with other kids, when he hadn't been in an environment like that since he could remember, was a bit overwhelming.

"I can walk you to the office, sweetie, and from there, a teacher will guide you to your classroom," Yamada said.

Izuku took a deep breath. "O-okay," he responded, then he got out of the car. Aizawa got out, too.

"I'll see you in a few hours, alright, 'Zuku?" he said, and Izuku nodded. Then, he stepped forward and hugged him tightly. Aizawa returned it, a hand in his hair.

"You'll do great, I know it," his dad whispered, and Izuku forced himself not to tear up.

"T-thank you."

Izuku held the hug for a little longer, but he let go. "B-bye," he said, and Aizawa waved until he and Yamada were out of sight.

Yamada led him to the front office and walked inside with Izuku in tow. A woman at the desk inside looked at both of them with a kind smile. "Welcome. New student?" she asked.

"Yes, my son, Yamada Izuku," Yamada replied, and Izuku still felt weird at being called Yamada Izuku instead of Aizawa-Yamada.

The woman nodded and typed a few things on the computer in front of her. A few seconds later, the printer sounded off. She stood, grabbed the paper, and came back around. She handed it to Izuku.

"Here is your schedule. I can show you to your classroom," she offered.

Izuku took it and glanced over it, trying to memorize the schedule. "T-thank you," he muttered, and the lady smiled at him. Izuku turned to face Yamada again.

Yamada kneeled down. "Okay, hun, this is where I drop you off. Have a great day," Yamada said, and he opened his arms for a hug.

Izuku immediately hugged him tight, and they stayed like that for a few moments. Reluctantly, Yamada pulled away, his eyes slightly shiny. "I'll see you later, okay? We'll pick you up."

"O-okay. S-see you l-later," Izuku replied quietly. Yamada ruffled his hair fondly before leaving, looking back once before completely exiting the building and waving. Izuku waved until he was gone.

Izuku took a deep breath before turning to the woman. "Come, I'll lead you to your class," she said, and started walking with the expectation that he was following.

He scrambled to follow. The hallways were relatively empty, since it was still pretty early. After a couple of turns that Izuku remembered for next time, they arrived in front of a classroom.

"Here you go, sweetie. It looks like your teacher already put up a seating chart on the wall, so go take a look!" she suggested.

"O-okay," Izuku mumbled. The woman didn't have anything else to say, so she turned on her heel and left.

Taking another deep breath, he stepped into the classroom. The first thing he noticed was that it was pretty empty, with only three students sitting in the back. One of them, to Izuku's delight, was Neito.

Izuku perked up. Neito was looking down, so he didn't notice him yet. Someone else did, though.

He had half-red, half-white hair split almost perfectly down the middle. He also had one brown and one blue eye. The most startling, though, was the burn scar that covered his left eye.

The kid had a deadpan stare that could rival Aizawa's. Izuku faltered slightly, but he gave a small wave in greeting. The boy didn't wave back, but he did look away.

Izuku sighed softly. He turned to the whiteboard at the front of the class with the seating arrangement. After searching for his name, he saw that he was sitting next to Neito. On his other side is a boy named Shinsou Hitoshi.

When searching for his name, he couldn't see Denki's on the board.

He turned and walked over to his seat. Neito finally looked up at him. His face resembled an almost-smile.

"Hey," he greeted.

Izuku smiled and sat in his seat. The boy next to him, presumably Shinsou, had his head resting on his arms that lay on his desk.

Izuku placed his backpack next to his seat. "D-Denki's not h-here?"

Neito shook his head. "Guess not. He's probably in the other fourth-grade class."

He frowned. Izuku would miss having Denki in his class, but at least he could see him during recess after lunch break.

The room remained quiet until more people started trickling in. He didn't recognize anyone. Well, until a boy with black, flat hair and green eyes walked in and sat two rows ahead of him. The bully from the park. Luckily, he didn't notice him.

Izuku turned to Neito with a wide, concerned glance. "H-he's in this c-class?" he whispered to him.

Neito shrugged. "He and his friend were in mine last year. At least it's just him."

At least. But it didn't really settle Izuku's nerves. He would notice him sooner or later.

Once the class was pretty much full and filled with chatter, the teacher walked in, effectively silencing the conversations. The bell rang moments later, and she wrote something on the whiteboard.

When she stepped aside, the words "Katou-sensei" were written. "Good morning, class! Here is what you can call me, or Ms. Katou is fine. I'm excited to start the new school year with you all."

Izuku fiddled with his fingers underneath his desk. The boy next to him, Shinsou, had finally lifted his head. He noticed how fluffy his purple hair looked, and he seemed tired.

He focused on the teacher's voice again. "As a nice little first-day icebreaker, and a nice greeting for our newer students, why don't we go around and introduce ourselves? And name one fun fact! I'll go first…"

"Man, I hate when teachers do this shit," Neito whispered. Izuku felt his heart rate increase, the nerves going haywire in his body.

Neito glanced at him. "You'll be fine. Just, like, say you got a cat with a quirk or something."

Izuku nodded. That should be fine…

As the introductions went on, most of the students shared their quirk as their "fun fact". If Izuku weren't so nervous, he'd be mentally cataloguing each one to nerd out about later. Izuku didn't even pay attention to the bully's name or quirk.

Izuku noticed how tense Shinsou was next to him. He had been like that ever since the first few kids mentioned their quirks.

Once it got to Neito, he spoke. "My name's Monoma Neito. Fun fact about me… I am left-handed."

The class reaction was underwhelming, but Neito didn't seem to care. Izuku gripped his sleeve, knowing he was next.

"M-my—" he broke off, biting the inside of his cheek before trying again. "I'm Y-Yamada Izuku. Um, I h-have two cats."

It was slightly different from Neito's suggestion, but it was done all the same. The teacher welcomed him, just as she did for everyone else. The bully narrowed his eyes at him, but otherwise, no one said anything else.

Once the attention was off him, he felt a lot better. It continued down the line until the last student in the back corner. "It's so nice to meet all of you! Now, let's start the day."

Chapter Text

For the past couple of years, this had been the only way Dabi could see his little brother.

Standing within a big grove, Dabi stayed hidden as he watched Shoto sit on his own in the school courtyard. Out of context, this definitely seemed a little creepy, he knew. But he just wanted to make sure his brother was okay.

It also helped that this supposed legacy school had embarrassingly little security.

Ever since Dabi saw that damned burn scar on Shoto's face, he had to hold himself back from walking back into that house and turning Endeavour to ash. But he couldn't. Not yet.

Dabi was good at staying hidden in the shadows. No one had ever noticed him, but he kept his visits erratic, just in case. He would never try to talk or interact with Shoto, either. That wouldn't go well, he knew.

It was disheartening to see his brother rarely talk to anyone or make an effort to befriend the other kids. He understood Shoto's aversion to people, of course, and Dabi blamed himself for not getting him and his family away from that bastard.

Shoto wasn't doing anything particularly interesting, so Dabi's eyes wandered with disinterest.

Until his eyes caught on someone else. Underneath a big cherry tree sat three kids, and the green-haired child in the middle caught his attention. There was something… familiar, about him.

When his face came into full view, it hit Dabi like a truck. The kid from the bar. His eyes widened. No way.

Ever since the raid on that place, Dabi hadn't seen the kid since. He assumed that he was relocated to wherever Sensei moved to, but apparently not.

Dabi had to wrestle with some serious guilt whenever he came across the green kid. All he would see was his own brother, and his inaction still haunted him. Back in that place, the kid was terribly malnourished and abused. Dabi never witnessed what he went through exactly, but he could only imagine.

The one distinct memory he had was when he passed by the kid's cell for the first time to get the Doctor for Sensei. It was left open; he wasn't sure if Kurogiri opened it then left to get something, or if the Doctor did, but he stopped. The kid was curled up in a ball in the very far corner, shivering, but not making a sound.

Dabi just stared. He knew they were keeping someone down here, but someone this young? He had assumed it was a hero, or maybe even a person with a powerful quirk that Sensei wanted, but this?

The kid was mostly—if not the—reason why Dabi dipped from that place to begin with. He hated heroes, and he wanted to be a part of something, but torturing kids was not something he could get behind.

Just as Dabi was about to leave, the kid's eyes found his. They both froze, though the kid looked a lot more terrified.

Shit. How the hell did he see him? He got distracted.

Dabi quickly hid behind the tree completely. He waited a few moments, surveying his escape route. He didn't hear any distant yelling, so he had a chance.

Taking a peek, he saw that the green-haired kid wasn't looking in his direction anymore, and now he had his head buried in his hands, tucked into his knees. However, the kid who was sitting on his left was gone. Probably to get a teacher.

Dabi took his leave.

Back home—a very loose term for an abandoned building in the red-light district—he collapsed onto his couch. "Kuro!" he called out. Seconds later, the misty man came out from the back room.

"How was your outing?" the man asked him.

Dabi leaned forward, his arms resting on his thighs. "Do you remember that green-haired kid Sensei kept?" he responded instead of answering his questions.

Kurogiri didn't answer right away, but it was hard to discern his expression when he didn't really have one. "I remember."

"I saw him. At school. The one Shoto goes to. Did you know about this?"

Another pause. Dabi learned to be patient, but damn, did he need to keep him on his toes constantly?

"I didn't know he was specifically in school, no. But I know he's safe," Kurogiri eventually replied.

Dabi did feel relieved for him. Even when Dabi got a glimpse of the kid, he could tell he was a lot healthier.

"He saw me," Dabi spoke up.

"He saw you?" Kurogiri snapped. It was probably the most emotion he had seen come from the guy.

"Yes, but he probably didn't recognize me. I barely had chances to see him back then. He was most likely more freaked out about a random dude spying on the school."

Kurogiri shook his head. "You can't go back there."

Immediately, anger welled up inside of him. Dabi clenched his fists, but he forced himself to calm down. "What do you mean?" he said, voice clipped.

"You cannot risk being found out. It is possible that the school has already increased their security, or they're even looking for you," Kurogiri said, his voice significantly more neutral than before.

Dabi stood up, his jaw tense and his stitches straining against the force. He ignored the shooting pains, his gaze focused on Kurogiri. "That is the only way I can see Shoto. I am not risking Endeavour seeing me near that house. I can't."

"Then you should have thought of that before getting caught," was all Kurogiri said, tone infuriatingly steady.

Taking a few deep breaths, Dabi stepped away from Kurogiri, resting his fists on either side of his head. He shut his eyes tightly. Fuck. Kurogiri was right, but his brain was not seeing the logical end of this argument.

"Lay low for a few weeks. Don't go near that area. I mean it, Dabi," Kurogiri stressed.

Dabi sighed, rubbing his hands down his face carefully. "Yeah. Yeah, understood," he responded.

He hated this, but it was the consequence of his own hubris. Dabi should've known better, especially with Kurogiri sort of being on the run from All for One. Who, according to him, was still in a deep coma.

Not keeping an occasional eye on Shoto would suck, but it wasn't like he was making his situation any better or worse, anyway. As long as he was in Endeavour's hands, he would be in danger. He couldn't honour his promise to Natsuo and Fuyumi, but he would try his best for his youngest.

Chapter Text

So far, Izuku had been enjoying his first day of school. It wasn't hard to follow along with the subjects the teacher taught. In fact, he found them reasonably easy to do.

Katou-Sensei was adamant about engaging with the students. Luckily, though, she didn't pick on anyone unwilling to speak, which would undoubtedly cause him a lot more unnecessary anxiety.

During their snack break, Izuku mostly conversed with Neito. When his friend left to use the bathroom, Izuku closed his lunch pail, stowing it away in his bag. He felt eyes on him, so he looked up.

The bully was staring at him intensely. Izuku flinched slightly, ducking his head immediately. He didn't even glance up to check if the boy was still staring at him.

After a moment, and he was sure the black-haired kid would come over, the purple-haired boy next to him—Shinsou, he remembered—spoke quietly.

"I like your backpack."

Startled, Izuku turned his head to gaze at him instead. "O-oh, th-thanks," he replied, nerves abated for now.

Shinsou shrugged. "I like cats. What're yours named?" he asked.

Simultaneously surprised Shinsou carried the conversation, as he seemed a bit anti-social, and confused as to how he knew Izuku had cats, he suddenly remembered that he divulged this information during the ice breaker.

"S-Sushi and—" he paused, flushing slightly. In a quieter voice, he said, "Bastard."

Shinsou's eyebrows raised in shock and thinly veiled amusement. "Bastard?"

Izuku smiled sheepishly. "I-I know, right? M-my dads are s-sure creative."

"Dads?" Shinsou blurted, then shut his mouth, contrite. Izuku was confused. Was that a bad thing?

"Um, y-yes," Izuku responded cautiously. He knew that kids typically had a mom and a dad, but were two dads that weird? Or uncommon?

"I'm sorry, that was… I have two moms," Shinsou said instead as an explanation.

"O-oh, cool!" Izuku answered, and the two fell into an awkward silence. Their conversation was nice, and he had momentarily forgotten about the bully.

Neito walked back into the classroom just as their break ended. Izuku took a peek towards the bully, but he was already facing the front of the class again once the teacher walked in. He should really learn his name; although, the bully sufficed just nicely.

Class went on without trouble. When doing worksheets the teacher handed out, he would take occasional breaks to rest his aching wrist. Even though Izuku wrote in his notebooks pretty often, it was done at his own pace. He could take breaks when he wanted.

For these exercises, they were usually time-limited. Just short answers, and they were fun. Izuku was mostly excited to start history after lunch and recess break. He hoped they would go into quirk history, too, as he had been discussing it more with Nezu before the last school year ended.

Time seemed to drag by, but finally, the bell rang to signal lunch. It got rowdy quickly, but the teacher didn't seem to mind it. Izuku was glad his corner of the classroom was quieter.

Taking out his bento, packed by Yamada, Neito turned to face him as he got his food out as well. "How's your first day so far?" he asked him, starting to eat.

Izuku hummed. "G-good, I think. I…" he paused and lowered his voice as he said, "L-less s-stressful than I th-thought. I m-miss my d-dads, though…"

Neito nodded. "Understandable. It's the first day, so it's a big change."

Izuku agreed. And it did help that at least one of his friends was in here with him. Of course, he'd rather have both of them in the same class (he could think of someone in particular whom Denki could replace), but he will see him during recess. Which was right after this!

They ate in companionable silence. Shinsou didn't try to spark a conversation again, which didn't really surprise Izuku, but he wanted to try making friends with him anyway.

As usual, Izuku got full fast, and the lingering anxiety made him feel vaguely nauseous. So he put his chopsticks down and closed his bento box.

Neito watched him put his food away, and he suddenly pushed forward one half of a chocolate brownie. "Try this. My mom and I baked it together."

Izuku's eyebrows rose, and he picked up the piece that was pushed towards him. He wasn't hungry, but he didn't want to refuse something Neito made, either.

He took a small bite, and the chocolate flavour burst across his taste buds. It was delicious. His eyes widened, and his eyes darted to Neito, who looked expectant. "Well?" Neito asked.

"I-it's so good," Izuku responded, and he took a few more bites. Izuku nibbled on the rest, not wanting to upset his stomach.

"I'll be sure to tell her. I can bring more for tomorrow."

That sounded good for him. Izuku ended up finishing the brownie, and he wasn't sure if that was a mistake or not. But it was good, so in the moment, it was worth it.

Neito finished his lunch minutes before the bell for recess sounded. Izuku watched as his classmates pretty much rushed out of the room. Well, except for Shinsou and the red-and-white-haired boy a couple of seats down.

Izuku faced Neito nervously. "W-where…?"

"C'mon, I'll lead you. We'll probably find Denki easily, too," Neito reassured him. He stood up and held a hand out for Izuku to grab. Izuku did, and Neito led him out to where everyone else was going.

They were outside. The courtyard was huge; there was a playground, some swings, a sandpit—each of these reminded him of the park he would go to to see Denki—there was a small track, and a big clearing of trees that surrounded the backside of the school.

Lots of places to play and hang out. Kids mostly flocked to the playground, but a few were walking around the track, too. Izuku was mostly concerned with finding Denki.

Neito walked towards a small group of boys. One had striking blond hair, and he was talking very animatedly. Denki.

Izuku perked up, but he was too nervous to actually say anything in front of the rest of the other boys. Thankfully, Neito did it for him. "Hey," he called out.

Denki turned towards them, instantly recognizing Neito's voice. He waved enthusiastically and stepped forward. "Hey!"

Then, he turned to see Izuku standing slightly behind him. His eyes brightened. "Izukuuuu!" he cried, rushing over to hug him tightly. Luckily, Izuku was used to this, so he didn't shy away from his touch. Instead, he hugged him back.

"You're here! I mean, I knew you were going to school here, but! Exciting!" Denki exclaimed. Izuku giggled softly.

"Y-yes. S-sucks you're n-not in o-our class, though."

"Ugh, I know! I'm so mad. But we have this time," Denki said as consolation. He pulled away, ignoring the confused chatter from his group.

"D-do you w-want to sit s-somewhere?" Izuku asked. "O-or… Y-you can s-stay with y-your friends…" He didn't even think that Denki would want to hang out with his school friends.

But Denki shook his head. "Nah, I'll see them in class all day."

It felt a little selfish, but Izuku was relieved. He looked around to see where he, Neito, and Denki could sit. Off to the side sat a large cherry tree. It bloomed beautifully, leaving petals in its wake. It was perfect.

"Can we s-sit there?" Izuku asked, pointing to it. Both of his friends agreed, so they walked over to it. They sat down at the base of the trunk, facing away from the school and towards the clearing. It was peaceful. Well, as peaceful as it could be with the exclamations from the other kids behind them.

They caught up, which involved mostly Izuku telling Denki about his first day. Now that they were away from the rest of his classmates, he looked at Neito.

"W-who is the, u-um, kid in o-our class w-with red and w-white hair?" Izuku asked him.

"Ah, that'd be Todoroki Shouto. Endeavour's son."

Izuku's eyes widened. Endeavour's son? He knew heroes commonly had their children go here, as Aizawa and Yamada informed him, but the number two hero? Izuku was surprised.

"O-oh. Wow," was all he could say to that. Izuku reevaluated what he thought of Todoroki. He was very quiet, his expression hard to read. Izuku would've expected a lot more from a child of Endeavour; more brash, quicker to anger, maybe egotistical. But he was none of those things. It was interesting, but also kind of sad. It must not be easy being the son of someone like Endeavour.

Before he could ask him something else, he could feel eyes on him. Izuku frowned, and he looked around discreetly, hoping that maybe it was just another student. When he couldn't see anyone outwardly looking at him near the playground, he looked towards the trees.

It took a second, but he could see something poking out from around a couple of trees. An older man—maybe a teenager, he couldn't really tell—with black hair sticking out, and some noticeable burns on his face. When he realized the guy was already staring at him, he froze, fear striking him so viciously.

Izuku recognized him. Instantly, flashes of the base flitted through his mind: a man with burns and stitches covering his skin, not exactly hostile but not quite kind, either. He never hurt him, but he saw him around. Dabi. That was his name. What is he doing here?

More thoughts raced through his head: Is he here for me? Is he taking me away? Back to… Back to him?

The more this particular thought echoed throughout his brain, the more panicked he got. "Izuku? Hey, what's wrong?" he heard from his left. Neito. Denki was saying something, too, but he couldn't hear him. Izuku had a hard time breathing, and he buried his head into his knees, his hands covering his eyes.

It felt like forever until he was finally aware of his surroundings again. It was because he was being pulled up from his spot on the grass and towards the school. Confused, he saw Neito taking his arm, a teacher on his right, shielding him from the prying eyes of the other kids. Denki was on his left now, frantically trying to make him feel better.

Izuku ignored them, turning his head back towards the grove. Nothing. Dabi was gone. Was he even there in the first place? Was he going crazy? None of this was helping his panicked state.

Once he was inside, his mind cleared a little. Neito led him to a white room with curtains and a medical bed. Nurse's office? Probably.

Neito brought him to the bed, gently pushing his shoulder so that he was sitting on it. Izuku easily complied, bringing his knees up to his chest again to bury his face into them. He tried to calm his breathing again, but it was hard.

More voices were speaking over him, but he didn't pay attention. A few moments later, he could feel two presences on each side, who he knew were Denki and Neito. He leaned against one of them while the other wrapped his arms around him. He felt a lot safer now.

It was the first damn day. How could something go wrong on the first day?

Shouta was in the car with Hizashi, driving to Izuku's school. Hizashi had gotten a call from the school, informing him that Izuku "had an incident." Whatever that meant. They were infuriatingly vague, but they needed him there. Shouta was too worried to stay in class, so he told Vlad King to take over for the day.

Honestly, Shouta sort of expected something to happen. He didn't want it to, but he was worried that Izuku would have a hard time being in school all day. Shouta just hoped it wasn't worse than what he and Hizashi thought.

Once they arrived, they both swiftly entered the school. The halls were empty, so he assumed class had resumed after lunch. They made their way to the front office. The door was open, so they both walked in. A woman at the front desk looked up from her computer.

"Oh! Yamada's parents?" she asked, to which they both nodded.

"He's in the nurse's office. The principal is also there. I can take you," she offered and stood, coming around the desk.

"What happened? Is he okay?" Hizashi asked as they walked behind her.

The woman shrugged. "I really don't know, I'm sorry. I was told to call you immediately."

Shouta grumbled about how inefficient that was. They turned a corner, and the woman led them to an open door. "He's in here," she said quietly, as if the situation called for it.

"Thank you," Hizashi said, his voice strained. She bowed slightly and walked off.

Shouta entered the room, eyes zeroed in on Izuku, who was sitting on the bed, his head buried into his knees. He was leaning heavily on Neito, and Denki had his arms around him, rubbing his hand up and down on Izuku's back, mirroring the way he and Hizashi usually calmed him down.

"Izuku," Hizashi breathed, walking towards the bed. The kid popped his head up, his eyes teary and red-rimmed. Neito and Denki moved over to give them space. Hizashi wrapped his arms around Izuku, crouching slightly. It looked like an awkward position, but he knew his husband didn't care, as long as he could hold Izuku.

Shouta walked over, too, placing his hand on Izuku's head. He looked at Denki and Neito, nodding to them. "Thanks, kids. We can take care of him now," he told them. They seemed reluctant to leave, but another voice chimed in.

"He's right. We'll need the room, please. Thank you for taking care of your friend."

Shouta turned to see the principal—Ms. Suneya, if he remembered correctly—sitting on one of the plastic chairs on the other side of the room. She was smiling, but she seemed tense. Neito and Denki left, closing the door to the office.

Hizashi turned his head to glance at her as well. He sat down next to Izuku, his arm around his shoulder. Shouta sat on his other side, a hand on his back. He hadn't yet addressed Suneya; instead, he focused his attention on Izuku.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Izuku wiped his tears with his sleeve, sniffling. 'Scared,' he signed with one hand. Shouta furrowed his brows, and Hizashi looked concerned.

Suneya cleared her throat, and Shouta resisted the strong urge to roll his eyes. He and Hizashi turned to face her. "What happened?" Shouta asked before she could say anything.

She sighed, crossing one leg over the other. "During recess, Yamada started to have a panic attack. His friends couldn't guess the reason, as it was apparently abrupt. We were hoping he would calm down and be fine to return to class, but he conveyed to his friends that the reason for his panic attack was that he saw someone lurking outside the school grounds."

Izuku tensed when she mentioned this, his breath hitching. Hizashi and Shouta shared a quick, concerned glance. "Lurking? What exactly does that mean?" Shouta said when he looked at Suneya again.

"I wasn't exactly privy to all the details. His friend, Monoma, said that he only mentioned seeing a man behind some trees. Monoma inferred that he may know who the man was based on his reaction," she responded.

That didn't make him feel better at all. It could be anyone who meant Izuku harm if he recognized the person. Before Shouta could ask him about it, he realized how distressed his son was now that the topic had been brought up.

Hizashi and Shouta shared another glance, a silent conversation taking place. Shouta stood from the bed, keeping his hand on Izuku's back. "My husband will continue the conversation. Izuku needs some comfort right now," he announced.

Suneya didn't look pleased. "I was hoping to get more information about the person he saw."

"With all due respect, Ms. Suneya, our son's well-being is more important. If he shares any more information, I will let you know."

She pursed her lips, but he knew she wouldn't be able to argue against that. "Very well. Mr. Yamada and I will finish the discussion, then."

Shouta bowed his head in thanks. He picked Izuku up gently, walking out of the room with him.

Hizashi turned to Suneya, hands clasped on his lap. "Ms. Suneya, something has been weighing on my mind ever since you let us know about this person who showed up near the school."

"And what would that be, Mr. Yamada?"

"Why was this allowed in the first place? How come someone, a stranger, a potentially dangerous one, got close to the school property with no one else to see him except my son? Is there no outer security?"

"We have some teachers who stand outside on duty. Mostly to make sure no one wanders off into the woods. There were two out today, so I don't know why they would not have seen him," she responded, her tone stiff.

Hizashi hummed. "And no cameras?"

She sighed. "I have not yet looked at the footage, but our cameras are quite old, Mr. Yamada. It's hard to say they would pick up anything too far away."

His eyes narrowed. "So why not check at the very least? Just to make sure."

Suneya leaned back in her chair. "Mr. Yamada, may I offer my own explanation as to what happened?"

Hizashi's eyebrows rose. "Other than the fact that a stranger was able to wander so close to school grounds? Be my guest."

"I've briefly viewed your son's medical records—" she held a hand up as Hizashi opened his mouth to retort, "—not for any malicious reason. Your partner explained to me that he often experiences fatigue, so I checked over to see if there was anything else I should be aware of."

Hizashi didn't say anything, but he still didn't like where this was going.

"And I noticed that he has… suffered a lot, to say the least. Look, kids at this age still imagine things that aren't there. Or they make stuff up for attention, but I doubt this is the case here. With whatever Yamada has experienced, it is possible that he had just… imagined someone. Maybe hallucinated.

"No teacher on duty saw anyone, nor did any other student. I'm not saying it's impossible, but at the moment, with no other information, it seems most plausible."

Hizashi shook his head immediately. No. Izuku didn't hallucinate. It was honestly a great mercy, considering what he had gone through. The only time that would come close was when he woke up from a nightmare, and he was still stuck in the past. But this was completely different. Hizashi one hundred percent believed Izuku saw someone.

"So you aren't going to do anything? You would rather put your students in more danger than look into this incident?" Hizashi asked, keeping his quirk suppressed with great difficulty.

Suneya tapped her finger against her thigh. "There's really not much I can do with so little information, Mr. Yamada. Please understand. To be quite frank, this stranger didn't hurt anyone. He wasn't seen by anyone else. It's the first day of the school year, and I would rather not send our students into a frenzy so soon with little to no evidence."

Hizashi took a deep breath, calculating his next response. He stared at her intently, but she did not budge. Suneya is an apt name.

Hizashi stood. "Then I am sorry we wasted our time here, Ms. Suneya. It seems that we will have to bring our investigation elsewhere. You may have seen his medical records and come to some conclusion yourself, but I know my son. Whatever he saw terrified him, and while I understand you do not have the full context, this could bring him great danger if it is not correctly dealt with.

"I'll be sure to inform my friends—the heroes who bring their children here and trust to be kept safely in your school—of the disappointing experience my husband and I had with your lack of security. Have a great rest of your day," he said, then bowed his head slightly.

Suneya's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly at his response, but otherwise, nothing. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Please visit the office if you intend to sign Yamada out for the rest of the day."

Hizashi nodded and went to do that. He walked outside, seeing his husband and Izuku sitting on a bench outside. Taking a deep breath, he approached them. "Hey, Shou," he said, his tone weary.

Shouta glanced up at him. "Hey. How'd it go?"

He shook his head. "Not good. I'll explain at home."

Shouta frowned but didn't ask about it. "Kid fell asleep. Figured we were taking him home?"

Hizashi nodded. "Yup, I signed him out. Let's go before I make any rash decisions," he said with fake cheer.

Shouta drove them home. Hizashi didn't trust himself not to break some traffic rules with the anger he felt. Once they arrived, Shouta put Izuku to bed in his room. He didn't wake up, so Hizashi thought it was safe to have the conversation in the main area.

They sat on the couch, and Shouta let him take his time to gather his thoughts. Once Hizashi thought he was calm enough, he recounted the conversation he had with the principal.

Shouta wasn't so quick to anger as Hizashi was, but he had other tells. His clenched jaw, twitching eye, and rigid posture. "Then we go to Tsukauchi," Shouta said.

"I was hoping you'd say that. It just depends on whether Izuku is willing to talk about it. If he is, then she would have to take it seriously."

Shouta nodded. "And Tsukauchi can get a warrant to search the tapes."

"Exactly."

Hizashi always felt better when he shared his problems with Shouta. It was rare that his husband didn't have a logical solution; if that were ever the case, they would sow chaos together until they found a way to deal with the issue. Hizashi kind of missed those times…

His most prominent worry was that Izuku would not want to go back to school after this. Having something like this happen on his first day was less than ideal, but his kid was strong. However, he wouldn't know how that would've been handled without Neito or Denki there. Hizashi was eternally grateful that Izuku found such caring friends.

Izuku was staring at his ceiling, absentmindedly petting Bastard. His purrs filled the room, but his own thoughts were louder. He was running the image of Dabi behind the trees through his mind, his surprise when Izuku saw him. He wasn't sure how exactly to interpret that.

Was he genuinely shocked? Was he not there for him? Maybe for someone else? Dabi was at the base, yes, but he never actually hurt him. Whenever Izuku happened to see him, he looked at him with some conflicted expression, sometimes with sorrow.

But Izuku didn't know Dabi's motives. He was a villain, yes, but was he forced into it? Dabi was definitely older than him, maybe late teens, but still young. It was no small thing to be involved with someone like Sensei.

He turned it over in his head about a thousand times when he heard a soft knock at his door. Izuku turned, and Yamada was standing in the doorway. His expression softened into a small smile.

"Hey, Listener. Feeling alright?"

Izuku curled tighter around Bastard, but he nodded.

Hizashi came over to sit on the edge of his bed. Aizawa wasn't far behind, entering the room, but stayed standing just in front of the two.

"We wanted to see if you were up to talking about what happened," Aizawa broached cautiously, his eyes surveying Izuku's face.

Honestly, Izuku was more embarrassed by how strongly he reacted. He knew his panic was mostly shielded from the rest of the school, but going into the nurse's office and being taken home early on the first day was sure to spark curiosity from his classmates.

"I… I s-saw someone I r-recognized from… the b-base. But, he n-never hurt me. I-I saw him s-sometimes. I just… s-seeing someone f-from there brought up b-bad memories, m-mostly," Izuku said.

They didn't seem shocked that it was someone Izuku recognized. They probably assumed so from his initial reaction.

Aizawa shifted from foot to foot. "The school isn't convinced. They think you were seeing something that wasn't there."

"Shou…" Yamada admonished. Izuku frowned, thinking. At first, he did think it was a hallucination with how quickly Dabi was gone. But he knew what he saw. It wasn't fake.

"I s-saw him. I did." His tone took on a slightly desperate tone. Did they not believe him either?

Yamada quickly waved those concerns away. "We believe you, baby. The school, however, is harder to reason with. We were thinking of talking to Tsukauchi about it. With his quirk, they would know for sure, and he could spur the school to take this more seriously."

Izuku did think that was a good idea. Even if he didn't think Dabi was there for him specifically, he was there for a reason. He didn't want any kid in danger.

"O-okay… I c-can tell him."

Aizawa took his phone out immediately. "It's still early in the day, so he shouldn't be too busy."

They took care of contacting Tsukauchi. Izuku was still tired, but he felt slightly more determined to get this over with.

About an hour later, Izuku was sitting in the station, Tsukauchi in front of him, his dads on either side of him. It was a less formal space; they were doing this in Tsukauchi's office. A stark contrast to the last time he talked to the detective.

As always, he greeted Izuku with a kind smile. "Hello, Izuku. I'm sorry we have to keep meeting this way," he said amiably.

"I-it's okay," he responded. The third time talking to Tsukauchi gave him a little more confidence. He was feeling more comfortable in his presence than if he were to talk to any other officer.

Tsukauchi flipped his small notepad open, pen ready. "So, walk me through what happened. You were in the school courtyard?"

Izuku fidgeted slightly. "Y-yes. I f-felt eyes on me, a-and when I looked towards the t-trees I s-saw him there."

"Can you give me a description of what this person looked like, Izuku? As best you can."

"H-he had b-black hair, kind of tall, a-and he had b-burn scars on h-his face. S-stitches a-across them, t-too."

Tsukauchi's brows were pinched when he wrote down the details. He paused, looking up at Izuku. "Do you know them? It feels like you've described this person to me before."

Izuku rubbed his arm nervously. "Um, y-yes. Th-the first t-time y-you came… I t-told you about D-Dabi. I-I'm p-positive it was h-him."

Tsukauchi wrote some more things down. "Thank you for telling me, Izuku. He does seem familiar, now that you say his name. A petty criminal, mostly. He has some charges, but we've never been able to catch or arrest him. He's been quieter lately, though. Do you have any idea why he would be near an elementary school?"

Izuku shook his head. "I… I th-thought he'd be there f-for me, but… he l-looked s-surprised to s-see me there. So I d-don't know w-what his motive c-could be."

"Okay. I'll look into this right away. The school will have to respond to this threat, whether they like it or not."

Yamada and Aizawa seemed relieved. Izuku was, too. He was scared that maybe it wouldn't have gone anywhere, but he was glad something would happen. Who knows what Dabi really wanted from going there?

Chapter Text

Denki called him right when he arrived home after school. Neito called later on, but they both had the same concerns. Izuku told them that he would explain eventually why the stranger freaked him out so much, and that his dads had taken care of it.

They were more worried about him than about a potential threat to the whole school, which was sweet but somewhat baffling, considering they didn't really care about the person.

The next day of school went a lot smoother. Yamada suggested that he take a day or two off, but Izuku told him that he was fine and taking this much time off right at the beginning would probably be a bad idea. Aizawa was more inclined to agree with Izuku, but not because he wasn't concerned; he simply believed that Izuku was more than capable of handling school, especially considering how much calmer he had acted after the fact.

Yamada relented, but he still seemed worried.

Izuku was early, so he had time to discuss with Neito before class started. He mostly reiterated what he told him last night: he was fine, and the shock of seeing someone he recognized faded away by the time he told Tsukauchi about it.

Neito let it go, but he still seemed tense. Izuku wondered if he would be in the right state of mind to tell Neito and Denki who exactly it was he saw and why he recognized him in the first place.

As it came closer to the beginning of class, more and more students started filing in. Some looked at him with questioning glances, but he was left alone. Good. He wasn't sure how he would answer anyone if they asked why he left early.

Last night, Neito informed him that there was no homework assigned, but they had done a couple of practice worksheets. He was glad that he wasn't already behind on homework, and he would only care about the worksheets if the teacher thought it was necessary.

Overall, it was like yesterday never happened. He wondered how much of a change there would be once Tsukauchi informed the school about taking action.

Class started, and Izuku paid attention diligently. It was about halfway through the second subject when his nerves spiked again.

The teacher clapped her hands together. "Okay! So, for this exercise, I want you to get into groups of two. We may have a couple of groups of three, which is fine, but not everyone can be in a group of three. While I would love for you to choose your own partners, I know you would most likely work with a friend. So, turn to your desk neighbour!"

Izuku would've turned to Neito, but he remembered Shinsou had no one else next to him except Izuku. So he faced him instead. Shinsou looked tired, but not opposed to working with him, which was a good start.

Izuku offered a small, shy smile, and Shinsou just nodded.

"Once you've got your groups, I'll hand you guys the sheet, and you can solve the equations together. But remember: no calculators," Katou-Sensei instructed. The sheets eventually got passed back to them, so Izuku situated the page in the middle for both him and Shinsou to properly view it.

It was a math practice sheet focused on multiplication tables. When Izuku first started lessons with Nezu, he gave him multiple math sheets from different grade levels to see where he was at. Before he was taken, he only remembered doing basic math skills like counting and easy addition and subtraction. He struggled a bit with catching up, but he liked numbers. He learned quickly.

After mentally thanking Nezu for his help, he turned to Shinsou. "D-do you w-want to alternate q-questions? A-and help when w-we need it?" he asked him.

Shinsou shrugged. "I don't mind which way we do it."

Izuku nodded. "O-okay," he said, and he picked up his pencil. He did the first one quickly, then shifted the paper towards his partner. They continued this rhythm in mostly silence. Shinsou got stuck on a few, which Izuku was happy to help him with.

"You're really good at this," Shinsou commented.

Izuku blushed. "I— th-thank y-you."

Shinsou didn't respond. They continued until they got to the end of the worksheet. Izuku was about to raise his hand to signal they were finished, but Shinsou quickly shot his hand out. Flinching back in surprise, Izuku glanced at him in confusion.

"Ah, sorry. Um, just wait. It looks like we're the first ones done. Maybe we can get a small break before she gives us anything else," Shinsou clarified.

Izuku's mouth shaped in an 'o'. "O-okay."

They sat there in silence again, the atmosphere slightly awkward. Izuku wasn't sure what to talk about.

Shinsou fidgeted with his hands. He looked like he wanted to say something, so Izuku waited patiently. However, Shinsou never ended up speaking. Once a group or two had handed in their sheet, they decided it was an acceptable time to follow along.

Katou-Sensei gave them another, and they followed the same rhythm as before. It really just seemed like something to do rather than actually learning—at least to Izuku—as most of it was review anyway. It was a precursor to more complicated math sequences.

Once the majority of the class had finished the second sheet, their teacher reviewed the answers so they could see if they had gotten it right or not. As Izuku expected, they got all of them correct, which boosted his confidence. It really felt like he belonged in the classroom.

Now, Katou-Sensei wanted to teach new material, so Izuku turned back to his seat. Only a few more subjects until lunch.

When lunch finally came around, Izuku was feeling a lot more nauseous than the day before. He didn't think it was due to what happened with Dabi—he didn't think the villain was stupid enough to come back after being caught—but more so, it was about being away from his dads for so long.

He knew he couldn't be around them 24/7, and he was getting used to it when he had lessons with Nezu, but those days were shorter. Plus, he could see his dads during lunch or any other breaks they had. It was hard, and it didn't help that he thought he was probably the only one feeling this way. All of these kids, well, most of them, seemed at ease and happy to be away from home.

Of course, he couldn't actually determine that. He was sure some kids would rather be home right now instead of at school, but Izuku felt that he was probably the only one getting physically sick over it.

Neito seemed to notice his lack of appetite. He tried offering another brownie, but the sight of it made him feel worse. Izuku shook his head apologetically. "S-sorry…" he whispered.

His friend shrugged, unbothered by the rejection but still concerned. There wasn't really anything he could do, though, so he didn't bring it up anymore. Izuku just tried to focus on the fact that he would see them soon. It wasn't like he would never see them again.

"Hey, did you see that villain All Might took down last night? He hasn't been in the spotlight for a while," Neito commented. Izuku glanced at him and couldn't help but smile. He sure knew how to cheer him up.

"I-I know. It's b-been s-so long since I-I've seen him f-fight. A-Aizawa e-even let me s-stay up to w-watch it."

"Psh, I doubt you have to try so hard to get him to do whatever you want."

"H-he's s-stricter than Y-Yamada," Izuku said.

"Yeah, obviously. But I mean, have you seen your puppy dog eyes? They can convince even the most heartless villain," Neito countered.

Izuku tilted his head. "W-what? P-puppy dog eyes?"

Neito looked at him incredulously. "You mean you don't— Actually, never mind. It's better for humanity if you don't understand."

Izuku pouted. Neito shielded his eyes. "Nope! You're not fooling me!" he exclaimed.

He giggled softly. "I s-still don't k-know what it is."

Neito scoffed playfully and lowered his arm. "Right. Anyway, Aizawa is wrapped around your finger. He looks tough, but he's truly a softy inside."

"I-I'm t-telling him y-you s-said that," Izuku joked.

Neito's eyes widened. "You better not, Izuku. Seriously! He'll kill me!"

Izuku dissolved into quiet laughter. He almost forgot about what he was so anxious about. Almost, because the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch, cutting off his laughter abruptly.

He quickly packed his lunch away. Even with his efforts, he and Neito were still the last to leave the classroom. Even Shinsou was gone.

"Um, y-you go a-ahead. I n-need to go t-to the bathroom," Izuku told him.

Neito frowned. "I can wait."

Izuku shook his head. "J-just sit w-where we were l-last time. I'll b-be quick," he promised.

It was obvious that Neito didn't want to leave him alone, but he also didn't want to push it.

"Fine. But if you take long, I'm coming back in," Neito warned.

"I-I'll count on it."

After one more look, Neito left to go outside. Izuku let out a quiet breath and hurried to the bathroom. At first glance, no one else was inside, which was good.

Izuku opened the stall door, locked it, then leaned over the toilet, retching. He threw up what little he ate, and mostly bile after that. Tears gathered in his eyes, and he flushed the toilet. He stayed standing, his hand up against the wall to support himself.

This sucked. But at least no one was around to witness it.

After he was sure he wouldn't throw up anymore, he exited the stall and quickly washed his hands and face. He cupped the water with his hands to rinse his mouth as well. It took a couple of times before the gross taste left his mouth.

Not wanting to take any longer lest Neito come barging in to find him, he started towards the bathroom door. However, before he could grab the handle, it swung open, revealing the bully in his class.

He looked surprised to see Izuku, then he grinned. "Well, look who it is!" He pushed his way inside, making Izuku back up.

"We haven't had the time to properly chat, you know, with you going home early yesterday and all. Seriously, you couldn't handle one whole day?" The boy said, condescension dripping from his words.

Izuku didn't say anything. It wouldn't matter what explanation he gave; the boy had already made up his mind about him.

When Izuku didn't respond, his cheery facade was quick to fade. He looked annoyed. "No one's here to save you now. Should we make it another short day, huh? Get you crying to mommy and daddy?"

As he spoke, he stepped forward more, and Izuku had fully backed into the opposite wall. The bully was in his face, and Izuku's short height made it seem like he was being towered over. He felt significantly more scared now.

Really, compared to Sensei, this kid was nothing. But Izuku was essentially powerless here; short, still nauseous from throwing up, weak arms, and trying to run away would most likely make his leg worse. He just hoped Neito was serious about coming in if he took too long.

Suddenly, the door to the bathroom opened again. The bully immediately backed off, and Izuku breathed out in relief. He looked over to see Shinsou in the doorway. His eyes were narrowed on the bully.

"Go pick on someone your own size," Shinsou grumbled, arms crossed.

The black-haired boy scoffed. "Yeah, or what? You're gonna brainwash me, freak?"

Shinsou's eyes widened, but they quickly narrowed back into a glare. Izuku wasn't sure what that meant.

"I heard about why you transferred here. Weirdo. I'll make sure everyone's aware to steer clear from you," he continued, then he stormed out, bumping Shinsou's shoulder along the way.

Shinsou sighed, the apprehension leaving his body. "You alright?"

Izuku nodded. "F-fine. Y-you came a-at the p-perfect time," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

The air was still tense. Izuku was curious about the brainwash comment, but he thought it would be best to leave it alone for now. It was clearly a sore subject.

Shinsou didn't say anything, maybe anticipating a question about what was said. When Izuku stayed quiet, he uncrossed his arms. "Let's go outside, then. Before a teacher thinks we're trying to skip recess or something."

Izuku followed him out of the bathroom and outside. He could see his friends under the same tree as yesterday. He turned to Shinsou.

"Th-thank you, f-for stepping in," he said, since he realized he hadn't thanked Shinsou yet.

"Yeah, well, I hate bullies. And Kurosawa's an asshole." So that was his name. Izuku could agree.

Shinsou rubbed the back of his neck, awkward. Izuku was about to invite him to sit with his friends, but Shinsou asked, "I'll see you in class?"

"Y-yeah, s-see you," he replied, and they both walked off in opposite directions. He made his way to Denki and Neito, who noticed him as he sat down.

"Took you long enough. I was about to come back in there," Neito said, turning to face him. Izuku smiled sheepishly and leaned against the tree.

"S-sorry. S-Shinsou was i-in there. We w-were talking," he said, half-lying. Technically, they were talking. They didn't need to worry.

Neito looked a little suspicious, but Denki took it for what it was. "Shinsou? Who's that?"

"H-he's n-new. He s-sits n-next to me," Izuku clarified.

Denki wrapped his arms around Izuku protectively. "He better not be stealing you from us."

Izuku rolled his eyes playfully, expecting Neito to tell Denki off, but he had a thoughtful expression. "You're right. He was Izu's partner during our group work time. He's totally stealing him," he added.

Denki gasped in exaggerated outrage, and Izuku sputtered. "Y-you two are r-ridiculous!"

Neito smirked while Denki kept clinging to him. In their laughter, Izuku's nerves almost completely fell away.

"Hello, Izuku. It's good to see you again. How have you been?"

Izuku sat in Hound Dog's office, fidgeting with one of the toys the hero always had out. He thought about his answer.

"I-I've been… Um, I-I don't know," he answered honestly.

"That's fine. Let me be more specific: How's school?"

Izuku shrugged. "T-there was an i-incident. But i-it's being d-dealt with."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hound Dog asked, his full attention on him.

"I…" he paused, hands tightening on the toy. "I s-saw someone. O-outside the s-school."

"Someone hostile?"

"Um, y-yes? I-it's complicated. I d-don't know i-if he w-wanted to hurt a-anyone, but i-it's possible."

"So the school is taking care of it?"

Izuku shook his head. "N-no. T-they didn't b-believe me. S-so my dads t-took me to Ts- um, Tsukauchi."

"That must be frustrating. I'm sorry that happened to you," Hound Dog said sincerely.

Izuku shrugged again. "I-it's a-annoying, but, Tsukauchi i-is w-working fast."

Hound Dog hummed, and he stared at him silently for a few moments. Izuku shifted so that his knees were pressed against his chest, waiting for the hero to ask what he wanted.

"Usually, people would feel a bit disconcerted to see a figure like that lurking near the school, but you seem… a little unbothered. How are you processing it?" he ended up asking.

"Well, I… I r-recognized w-who it was."

Hound Dog didn't say anything, but Izuku couldn't tell how he reacted to that statement. "You knew who it was? Were they there for you, then?"

Izuku shook his head. "H-he was s-surprised to s-see me. I-I think he was t-there for s-someone else."

"Alright. And how do you know this person?"

This would be hard to explain without the full context, but Izuku wasn't sure he was ready to tell the full story.

"H-he… um… B-before my d-dads, I was… with s-some people. H-he was th-there, but he d-didn't hurt me."

It was so vague that Izuku honestly thought Hound Dog would ask him to elaborate. Surprisingly, he didn't. He only wrote a few things down on his notepad, and nothing else. Then, he said, "I'm glad you're with your dads now, and that this person supposedly wasn't there to harm you. I hope today went a lot better?"

Izuku didn't answer for a little bit, still shocked that Hound Dog didn't ask about what he said. He guessed he shouldn't be; in the beginning, he always reiterated that Izuku never had to talk about something that upset him if he didn't want to.

"It— Um, I-I guess, in r-relation to y-yesterday." Izuku wasn't sure if he should mention throwing up or the bully.

"You had a good day today?"

Izuku laughed inwardly. Not really. "I j-just miss m-my dads. I-it's h-hard… to n-not be a-around them."

Hound Dog nodded. "That's understandable. Can I assume, from your previous statement, that your dads saved you from something?"

Izuku jolted slightly at his words. It was scarily accurate. "Y-yes."

"They offered you a safe space. It will be hard to be separated from them for a long period of time, especially if you're used to being with them throughout the day. It will take some time to get used to."

Izuku knew that, logically. But it was hard. They didn't just offer a safe space; they were kind to him, they took him in when they didn't need to, they offered complete patience whenever Izuku freaked out over stupid things, they were comforting, even when it was three in the morning and clearly tired from patrol.

He hadn't had anything like that for years.

Izuku teared up, his lips trembling unwillingly. He sniffled and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He felt cold.

Hound Dog let him be for a few minutes, offering a tissue when his tears wouldn't stop. Izuku thanked him in a shaky voice, using it to wipe his nose.

When Izuku calmed down, he said, "I t-think I m-made a friend, th-though."

"That's great, Izuku. What's their name?"

"Um, Sh-Shinsou. He s-sits next to me. W-we talked a l-little, but I th-think we c-can be f-friends." Not to mention saving him from a bully, but he didn't feel like talking about that right now.

They chatted a little more about school, what he liked and how he was enjoying it. Time seemed to fly by, and his hour was already up.

When Aizawa came to get him, Izuku rushed over and hugged him tightly.

"Whoa, kiddo, you okay?" his dad asked.

Izuku nodded but didn't offer any further explanation. He could hear Aizawa and Hound Dog briefly discussing something, but he didn't pay attention.

Suddenly, Aizawa lifted Izuku into his arms, and he gladly let him. He adjusted so that he had his arms wrapped around Aizawa's neck, and his legs around his waist.

Maybe he was too old for this, but Izuku would always savour being held like this by his dads.

Aizawa brought him down to their home, and the smell of delicious food wafted from the kitchen. His stomach hurt, reminding him of how what little he had eaten was thrown up.

Yamada was plating dinner for them just as Aizawa walked into the dining room with Izuku. "Perfect timing!" Yamada cheered.

Aizawa sat Izuku in his seat, and he had to stop himself from whining. He wanted to sit with him.

Izuku dealt with it and immediately started eating. He tried to go slow to not upset his stomach even more, but he barely just managed it.

"How was your therapy session?" Yamada asked.

"G-good. We t-talked about y-yesterday. I… Um, I e-even told h-him about how I k-knew Dabi. But n-not all the d-details."

Yamada smiled widely. "That's amazing, baby! That's great progress."

Izuku couldn't help but return his smile. His joy was infectious.

They continued eating in mostly silence, only interrupted by Yamada rambling about what his students did that day. He and Aizawa both had some grading to do. Izuku still didn't have any homework, which was nice, so maybe he could spend more time with them. Even if they were busy, they would be in the same room.

Izuku ate most of his dinner, which was more than usual. His stomachache was gone, and he was relieved. He didn't want to throw up again.

When he brought his dishes to the sink, he could feel Bastard circling his feet. Once he finished, he crouched down to pick him up into his arms. The cat purred, rubbing his face against Izuku's chin.

He sighed softly, some of the tension he carried from the day leaving his shoulders. He suddenly felt very tired.

Izuku pulled the hood of his sweater over his head, and he walked to the living room with Bastard still lounging comfortably in his arms. When he sat down, Bastard moved onto his lap, curling up and resting his head on Izuku's leg.

There was some rustling going on in the kitchen, and Izuku imagined it was Aizawa washing the rest of the dishes. Yamada plopped down onto the couch next to him, his laptop already open on his lap.

"Hey, Listener," he said, his voice quiet. Izuku shifted so that he was closer, laying his head on Yamada's arm. He got comfortable, closing his eyes but not falling asleep.

Izuku felt the cushion dip next to him, so he glanced over to see Aizawa sitting on his other side. Sushi was on the back of the couch, sleeping. He relaxed and lay his head back on Yamada's arm.

He drifted in and out, never truly falling asleep. One of them must have turned the TV on, because he could vaguely hear some noise coming from it. Sometimes, his dads would talk quietly about something relating to work.

It was just what he needed after the stress of that day. The comfort of the cats and his dads.

The next couple of days of school went fine. It wasn't until the end of the first week, when the school called for an assembly, that Izuku realized Tsukauchi had gotten through to the school.

All of the grades were squeezed into the gymnasium. Izuku was sitting next to Neito, Shinsou on his other side. He noticed that Todoroki was sitting just ahead of him, too.

Looking around, he noticed that Denki's class was sitting across from theirs, and he could see him conversing animatedly with a girl with pink hair and goggles on her head. Izuku couldn't tell what they were talking about, but they seemed passionate.

"Looks like he found someone just as energetic as him," Neito said to him, exasperated. Izuku sighed softly.

"Mm. A c-chaotic duo."

The gym was filled with chatter from all around him, and it was bordering on giving Izuku a headache. Soon, though, the principal stepped onto the stage at the front, and the room fell into a hushed silence almost immediately.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm sorry to start our morning like this, but it is an important matter that I must discuss with you all," she started.

Izuku sat there, nervous. No one should connect this event with him—except for Neito, Denki, and the principal, of course—but he still felt like people would somehow know.

"Earlier this week, there was a small incident. Nothing happened, but just to be safe, there will be increased security outside during recess. You won't even notice they're there, don't worry. We have also installed new cameras. If you feel unsafe at any moment, please don't hesitate to come to me or a teacher."

Murmers erupted throughout the gym. How ironic, Izuku thought. When he felt unsafe, he went to the principal and wasn't believed until a formal police investigation forced this assembly.

Izuku turned to face Neito, his face scrunched in worry. "I-is this t-too much?" he whispered.

Neito shook his head. "Not at all."

"O-okay." Izuku wrung his hands together, still unsure. He did want the school to be safe, but all this ruckus was making him second-guess.

"Please settle down," the principal called out, her voice amplified across the gym. Quickly, the students stopped talking, and Izuku could only hear a couple of hushed whispers.

"There's no need to panic. Everything is under control. This was to ensure no one is confused or unnecessarily worried about the added security. That is all for today, please enjoy the rest of your day."

People resumed their conversations, but at a louder volume now that the principal ended the assembly. Izuku's head hurt.

Their teacher guided them out of the gym and back to their classroom. Izuku rubbed his temple, willing it to go away.

"Hey," whispered a voice to his right, and Izuku turned his head to look at Shinsou.

"Do you want some pain reliever?" Shinsou asked him.

Izuku put his hand down, but he nodded. "H-how did you k-know?"

"I get a lot of headaches," he explained. He dug around in his bag before handing him a small pill.

"If you need another, just let me know."

Izuku's smile was small but genuine. "T-thank you," he whispered sincerely.

Shinsou lifted his shoulder in a half-shrug, looking away, embarrassed.

Izuku drank from his water bottle to swallow the pill down easier and hoped the effects would kick in soon.

During recess, it was pretty obvious that the school had increased their security. Not just teachers, but actual undercover officers, were standing out near the trees. Kids played as usual, but some wary students stayed away completely.

Izuku lay his head on Denki's shoulder, his headache a lot less intense than it was earlier. It was manageable now, and although Shinsou said he could ask for another pill, he didn't want to bother him.

His friends spoke in quiet voices, most likely noticing that Izuku wasn't feeling well.

The first week of school was definitely not how he expected it to go, but he wasn't deterred. There was still so much potential for the year to be enjoyable, and Izuku wanted to keep a positive attitude.

Chapter Text

Shouta flopped onto the couch, exhausted. It was probably close to four a.m., and he had just gotten back from patrol. There was more activity out on the streets at night, and he had his own suspicions that it had to do with All Might coming back to the hero scene.

He was out for almost a year now. Shouta wasn't privy to All Might's health ever since he first got taken out, but he was sure he wasn't performing at one hundred percent. The idiot was most likely ignoring his own limits and overdoing it on the fighting. He's had at least ten public appearances since he came back.

Because of this, more and more villains decided to become reckless at night. Shouta and other underground heroes had to take the brunt of this surge.

Sighing, he forced himself up. He tore off his capture weapon and carried it to his room. On the way over, he glanced over to see Izuku's door partially open. Shouta stepped over quietly, peeking in to make sure he was fine.

Izuku was fast asleep, Bastard curled in his arms. The cat lifted his head slightly to stare at Shouta, but he didn't move otherwise. Shouta left for his room, content that the kid was sleeping fine.

Trying not to make much noise, he took a quick shower and changed into PJs. He got into bed, and, as if waiting for him, Hizashi turned over and brought Shouta close to him.

Shouta relaxed in his hold, trying to fall asleep. He would only get a couple of hours, but he would take anything.

In the morning, Shouta stayed in bed for as long as he could, which wasn't long at all. The weight of the last few patrols was heavy. Hizashi was already up and probably cooking breakfast. Coming from the faint voices he could hear, he assumed Izuku was also up.

Taking one more deep breath, Shouta got out of bed and ready for the day. He could already tell this day was going to irritate him.

As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, his husband shoved a mug into his hands. "So you can't complain that you have none," he said, winking.

Shouta grunted and immediately sipped his coffee, not minding how hot it was on his tongue. Hizashi tsked and went back to finishing breakfast. Izuku was next to him, and Shouta placed a hand on his head.

"Sleep well?" Shouta asked.

Izuku nodded and leaned against his side. Shouta rubbed his kid's back, and he already felt better. Maybe he would spare his class today.

They sat down together to eat. Shouta still had concerns about the way Izuku was eating; he seemed to be eating less lately, which worried him. When he came back from school, he was putting away a lot of leftovers.

Shouta would have to remember to talk to Hizashi and potentially Recovery Girl about it.

Once they finished eating, Shouta gathered the dishes to clean them. Hizashi followed him, preparing Izuku's lunch for the day. Izuku had gone off to his room, probably to get ready. Shouta hoped that this week would go a lot better than the first one; he didn't want the kid to suffer more than he did.

The kid emerged from his room, dressed in his uniform and backpack ready. Hizashi put his lunch pail into his bag and kissed his head. "Ready to go?"

Izuku nodded and went to hug Shouta. He returned it, then crouched down to be on eye level. "Have a good day, alright?" Shouta said, ruffling his hair.

"I-I will. You too," Izuku responded with a smile, leaning into his touch.

Shouta's lips quirked up, and he stood. He gave him one more pat on the head before he left with Hizashi. Since Shouta usually prepared earlier for his class, Hizashi mostly drove Izuku to school.

He finished his coffee, fed the cats, grabbed his stuff, and left to go teach.

Later that night, Shouta was scanning the streets from the rooftop. He stayed hidden, eyes narrowed through his goggles. Nothing yet, but he always had to stay alert.

The night went on, Shouta only catching petty criminals. Nothing too bad, compared to the last few nights. It was slowing down.

Then, Shouta saw a burst of roaring blue flames only a few blocks down. Shouta left the criminal in zip ties, sending a message to Tsukauchi before running off.

Shouta pulled himself up to the roof; it was always faster this way. As he made it closer to where he saw the fire, he could hear some scuffling and cursing.

Blue flames. Dabi? Shouta thought as he got to the edge, watching below. The person he thought was Dabi was fighting someone else. Not a hero, but Shouta didn't know if they were a civilian or not, either.

Shouta swiftly dropped down, knocking Dabi off whoever he was fighting.

"Hey, what the fuck!" he shouted, and the person took this opportunity to run off.

"Aw, man," Dabi groaned, but he didn't stop struggling to get out of Shouta's hold.

Having had enough of this, Shouta wrapped him tightly in his capture weapon, and he preemptively erased his quirk so he couldn't try to burn through it.

Dabi's eyes widened. "Oh, shit. It's you."

Shouta decided not to dwell on that. "There's a warrant out for your arrest. Why would you be out here, especially so unabashedly?"

"I had to deal with something. And that's all a big misunderstanding anyway," he answered.

"Right, showing up threateningly at an elementary school just fosters misunderstanding," Shouta deadpanned.

"Okay, threateningly is a stretch. I stood behind some trees. It's not my fault that brat decided to see me," Dabi huffed.

Shouta glared at him, tightening his capture weapon's hold on Dabi, but not saying anything lest he reveal too much about himself.

"Police should be here in a few minutes," Shouta said, about to get his phone out, before Dabi interrupted him.

"Wait! Shit. Okay. Stop. I seriously wasn't there to, like, hurt any kids or whatever. I won't go back there because I value my life. But I promise, I didn't go there for any nefarious reasons."

Shouta raised a skeptical brow. He seemed sincere, but he could be saying anything to avoid an arrest.

"How about we let the detective decide that?"

"Come on. You're Eraserhead, right?" Dabi asked.

Shouta sighed. "Yes."

"You know someone named Kurogiri?"

That made Shouta pause. He did remember him, months ago. How much he seemed to care about Izuku. He knew Dabi and Kurogiri were in the base together, but why would he think Shouta knew him?

Seeing him pause and deliberate his own answer, Dabi leaned forward in the capture weapon. "He can vouch for me. If that means anything."

It didn't really mean anything to him. But also, he most likely knew Kurogiri wouldn't want Izuku in danger. So maybe?

"Why were you there?" Shouta asked instead.

Dabi sagged, which made Shouta tighten his grip again. "I can't tell you that."

Shouta clicked his tongue. "Guess you can talk it out with the station—"

"Ugh, okay! But—not here. I can bring you to where Kurogiri is. We are… kind of living together right now."

Shouta took a moment to think it over. How else would Dabi know that he knew Kurogiri? It could be a trap, but he also heavily doubted it.

"Alright. But if you try anything…" Shouta didn't have to finish his sentence for Dabi to understand the threat.

"I'll show you where it is," Dabi said, so Shouta loosened his capture weapon enough to let him move, but not enough for it to be completely off.

As Shouta followed Dabi, he had to wonder if he was doing the right thing. Patrol was quiet, but still, should he be leaving like this?

He didn't have much time to think about it, because Dabi had brought him to an abandoned building. Shouta was still skeptical, keeping aware of their surroundings.

Dabi led him down some stairs and into an open area. There was a beat-up couch in the middle, a run-down kitchen in the corner, and other old furniture scattered about.

"Dabi. What did I tell you about going out—" a voice came from the hallway on the right, and Kurogiri appeared. He cut himself off abruptly when he saw Shouta.

He stood there, his posture tense. The mist around Kurogiri's head was still unnerving to look at. After what felt like hours, Kurogiri's yellow eyes shifted and narrowed on Dabi in a glare.

"What did you do?"

"Why do you automatically assume it was something I did?" Dabi countered. Kurogiri didn't bother responding, and eventually, Dabi relented.

"Okay, yes, I was out when I shouldn't have been. I meant to be in and out, but that dumbass—uh, not you, Eraserhead—came at me! Very aggressively! I had to use my quirk—"

"You used your quirk?" Shouta swore Kurogiri was going to suffer an aneurysm.

"Yeah, that's how I found him," Shouta cut in.

Dabi sighed. Kurogiri ignored his interruption and walked towards the other villain, checking the boy's hands.

Shouta frowned. Some dots were connecting in his head. "Your own quirk gave you those burns?"

Dabi stiffened, not answering. Kurogiri dropped his hands.

"He told me you could vouch for him," Shouta said, changing the subject. "I should've had him arrested, but apparently there's been some misunderstanding."

Kurogiri stepped back, the mist around his head warping and… changing colours? There were some hints of blue before the mist resumed its hovering.

"Is this about the school?" Kurogiri eventually asked. Shouta nodded in confirmation. "Ah. I suppose it was a misunderstanding, in a way. He wasn't there to hurt anyone, that I can confidently say."

Dabi looked smug. Shouta wiped that look off his face when he asked, "So why was he there?"

Kurogiri glanced at Dabi, maybe asking permission to say anything. But Dabi waved his hand and explained it himself.

"My younger brother goes to school there, okay? I can't have any contact with him, let alone my entire family. So it was the only place I could look after him."

Shouta could accept that as a plausible excuse. Something pushed him to become a villain, especially to be working with All for One in the past, so it was reasonable to assume he was either ostracized by or ran away from his family.

"Who's your brother?"

Dabi shook his head. "I don't have to tell you any more than that."

Shouta would've responded if Kurogiri hadn't held up a hand to stop him. Shouta didn't know why he obeyed him, but the entire interaction seemed too casual.

"Dabi, think about it for a second. He could help you," the man said.

Before Shouta could ask just what he was being volunteered to do, Dabi's face twisted into anger. "No way you are telling me to ask a hero for help! A hero, Kuro!" he exclaimed.

"Not every hero is like En—like your dad, Dabi. We've been over this."

So a hero's kid? That didn't really narrow down who his brother could be, though.

The two bickered until Dabi stormed off over to the couch. "Can we not do this right now? Hey, Eraserhead, am I free to go or what? I told you the real reason."

Shouta crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't promise I won't pursue you if I see you out there again. Listen to Kurogiri, and don't use your quirk. It's like a bright, blue flare at this time of night."

Dabi relaxed and sagged into the couch. But Shouta wasn't done: "Now, I have some questions of my own."

Kurogiri didn't react, probably expecting as much. Dabi groaned, "It was too good to be true."

Shouta directed his question at Kurogiri: "Why does Dabi know who I am? I'm assuming you told him."

"I didn't say much, honestly. I mostly told him to stay away from you," Kurogiri answered. "I just described your appearance and what your quirk can do. Nothing else."

He guessed that he could believe that. "Fine. I'm not really worried about him—" They both ignored Dabi's indignant Hey! "—I'm more curious as to why you're here. Away from…" Shouta didn't finish his sentence, but Kurogiri knew who he was talking about.

Kurogiri didn't respond for a few moments. Just when he thought the man wouldn't respond at all, he started speaking.

"I was bound to serve All for One against my will. Even when he was taken down by All Might, some part of me couldn't leave. After I met with you those months ago, I started getting my memories back. I think… I think remembering who I was severed that connection.

"All for One is still incapacitated. I was able to make my escape a while ago. I don't intend to ever go back."

Shouta almost wanted to ask about his memories. The words, "But I had this feeling like I knew you from before, when I wasn’t like this," echoed through his mind. Did Kurogiri know him? Was it weird if he asked? Maybe if it were important, Kurogiri would mention it.

"And… Dabi?"

"I ran into him almost immediately after I left All for One. He was in bad shape, so I took him with me," Kurogiri explained.

Surprisingly, Dabi didn't comment. Shouta again assumed it had to do with his family.

"Why do you think I can help him?" Shouta brought it up again.

Dabi shot a warning glare at Kurogiri, but he didn't seem affected. "Dabi, you know I wouldn't suggest this to hurt you."

Shouta waited patiently for Dabi to decide what he wanted to do.

Abruptly, Dabi flopped onto his back, an arm covering his eyes. "My little brother is Todoroki Shouto."

Shouta's eyes widened slightly. He quickly did the math in his head. "You're Touya?"

Dabi's lips turned down distastefully at the sound of his name. "Yeah."

News stories flashed in his mind. He remembered the reports of Endeavour's eldest son dying due to a quirk mishap on Sekoto Peak.

From what Shouta knew about Endeavour, he always thought the case was suspicious. He wasn't sure if he should ask about it, since it most likely was a sensitive topic. But if he was going to help, he would need the full picture.

"What happened?" Shouta eventually asked into the silence.

Dabi hesitated, but then he started speaking, "As you probably know, Endeavour is obsessed with becoming the number one hero. He entered into a quirk marriage so he could produce the perfect heir to surpass All Might. It's all he wanted. So when my quirk came in, something so akin to Hellflame, but more powerful, he was ecstatic.

"Until we found out that my quirk is just too hot for my skin to handle, thanks to inheriting my mother's quirk physically, meaning I had more resistance to freezing temperatures instead of heat. Endeavour discarded me completely, worried I would completely burn myself to ash the more I used it. But I was unsatisfied."

Dabi rubbed a hand down his face, and he looked exhausted. It seemed to take all his energy for him to continue.

"I trained myself to use my quirk on Sekoto Peak. It was the only place I could freely use it with no one else to see, especially him. Without proper training, though, I burned myself a lot. But I was getting stronger. I wanted his praise, his attention, to just look at me without disgust or disappointment.

"My mother caught me leaving the house to train my quirk, and she told me to stop, because she could see how much it was hurting me. I—" Dabi paused, getting choked up. He cleared his throat and said, "I yelled at her, blaming her for my existence and the reason Endeavour neglected me. It's… It's one of my biggest regrets. It was the last time I would speak to her."

Dabi tilted his head away, collecting himself. Shouta let him, feeling a bit awkward. Before he could dwell on it, Dabi resumed.

"Because of my irritated state, I realized that I could summon hotter, blue flames based on how angry I was. It was the first time I achieved such blazing fire, and it burned me a lot easier than regular flames. But I didn't care. I needed to show him right away, to prove that I was getting stronger, that I could be useful.

"So I told him to come to Sekoto Peak so I could show him my progress. He was… He got so angry. Endeavour beat me so badly that I was out for a few days. My siblings—not Shouto, he was too young—helped me recover. When I eventually remembered what led to me being in that state, I ran to Sekoto Peak. I needed to take out my anger, but I didn't want to risk hurting them.

"I was in so much pain, and I had so much anger inside of me that my blue flames completely engulfed my skin and the foliage around me. I couldn't put it out; I hadn't learned how. I was in… such a bad state…" Dabi trailed off, his eyes going distant.

Shouta thought that was the end of it; however, Dabi shook himself out of his daze. His throat sounded hoarse from talking for so long.

"I found a nearby stream to douse myself, but the damage was horrible. I was just barely alive, and I don't really remember what happened right after, but apparently, Endeavour found some fragment of my bone and therefore pronounced me dead. Meanwhile, All for One found my body and some charred remains. He took me to his base—different than the bar—and used his quirks and the Doctor to keep me alive.

"I don't know everything that went on, but All for One transformed my body to keep it from deteriorating. He also performed some experiments to stabilize my flames. They're still hot as fuck, but I would have to use them for a lot longer for it to do any damage. He promised me revenge, and that's the only reason I stuck around for so long.

"But then he turned his attention to his newest experiment and forgot about me. It reminded me too much about how Endeavour treated me, so that, mixed with the boy he was torturing, was the reason I left."

Izuku, Shouta's mind supplied. So that's why he was around.

Fuck. Why did he have to sympathize with another kid? How did he get himself into these things?

"Not that I don't believe you, but I have to ask. Did you ever go to someone about Endeavour's abuse?" Shouta broke the silence.

Dabi nodded. "Yup," he said, popping the 'p'. "Multiple times. I tried the police, but they didn't care. I would try to get his sidekicks or any other hero in his agency to see the abuse, but they would conveniently turn a blind eye to it. That or Endeavour threatened them for their silence."

Shouta sighed. The heroes and people who were supposed to protect him failed him. He could see why he turned to villainy so easily, especially with All for One's influence.

"Do you believe your little brother is in danger?" Shouta asked.

"I know he is. Shouto was born with the perfect split of their quirks. He has a burn scar over his eye. Before I left, the bastard was training him at four years old. Way too young."

The parallels between these boys and Izuku were harrowing. This was bigger than him.

"I'll be honest. There's not much I can do just by myself. Endeavour is very powerful and influential in the hero scene; the HPSC will be protecting him heavily," Shouta started.

Dabi scoffed. "Figures."

"But, I do know someone who also harbours some power and influence himself. He may not be able to take Endeavour down immediately, but he could do it."

"… Seriously?" Dabi's tone was a lot more hopeful.

"I can't promise anything. However, I would have to tell them what you told me. Are you fine with that?"

Dabi's face scrunched up. "If you really need to."

"Maybe not every detail. But enough."

"Fine."

Shouta was surprised by how easily he agreed to it. Though he supposed it would be exhausting to have no one believe you or offer serious help.

He checked the time, noting how late it was. He'd spent too much time here.

"I have to go. I can't exactly tell the station to lay off you, so you need to seriously stay off the streets until this investigation dies down," Shouta warned.

"Don't worry, I'll keep a closer eye on him," Kurogiri promised.

"Alright, alright. I'm not a child, I get it," Dabi scoffed.

No, but you were forced to grow up too young.

Just as Shouta was about to leave, Kurogiri stopped him.

"Wait. Is there any way we can contact you? You know, instead of almost being arrested," Kurogiri asked him.

"Mm. Do you have a burner phone?"

Kurogiri nodded, so Shouta gave him the number. "Emergencies only." The emphasis was really for Dabi, because he seemed like the type of person to text him whenever he felt like it.

Once that was situated, Shouta left and continued his patrol. It was late, so he wouldn't be out for much longer. He only took down a couple more criminals before he went back to UA.

Shouta wasn't thinking about his conversation with Dabi until he got back home. He had a lot to think about.

After he was showered and dressed, he got into bed. Hizashi rolled over to face him, but he was awake.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Shouta asked in a quiet voice.

Hizashi shook his head. "I was up anyway. Was waiting for you to come in. How was patrol?"

Shouta sighed, sinking into the bed. Was now a good time to go over everything? Probably not, but he thought it would be best to go over everything now while it was fresh in his mind.

He recapped his night, giving Hizashi a summary of what Dabi told him. He listened silently, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Shou, you really got yourself into something crazy. Taking down the number two hero?"

"I know, I know. But don't tell me you haven't suspected something is off with Endeavour."

"Well, yes—" Shouta placed his hand on Hizashi's shoulder to stop him from speaking.

"Look," Shouta whispered, gesturing to the shadow beneath their door. Izuku was just outside. He didn't want them to say anything incriminating in front of the kid.

Instead of him coming inside, though, his footsteps retreated quickly. They shared a concerned glance before getting out of bed to see what had happened. Izuku's door was completely shut, which had never happened—except for his first night with them.

"Izuku?" Hizashi called, knocking on his door softly. "Can we come in, hun?"

Shouta could hear some rustling noises and sniffling. Did he have a nightmare?

"C-come in," his small voice came from the other side of the door.

Hizashi opened his door, and the dim light from the hallway illuminated the kid's room. Shouta could see Izuku curled up in his bed, trembling. Bastard was standing protectively in front of him.

They both stepped towards his bed, and Izuku flinched back, squeezing his eyes shut. Before Shouta could ask what was wrong, Izuku let out a choked sob.

"I'm s-sorry! I-I d-didn't mean t-to…" he cried, scrunching the blankets up to cover his face. At this point, both he and Hizashi seemed to be at a loss as to what was wrong.

"Kid, I promise, whatever happened, we won't be mad or upset. We just want to help you," Shouta said, and he took some more steps towards his bed.

Izuku sniffled and took the blanket away from his face, his eyes red and cheeks tear-stained. "I-I d-didn't mean to e-eavesdrop o-on you," he whispered, voice shaking.

Shit. He was so upset over that? While Shouta would prefer him not to hear anything, since it was pretty intense stuff, he had no issue with it, and he definitely was not angry.

"Oh, baby, that's okay. Shou and I aren't mad. Can we sit with you?" Hizashi asked softly.

Izuku wiped his tears away, looking confused, but not scared anymore, which was good. He nodded. "Y-yes."

He and Hizashi both sat on the edge of his bed. Bastard moved once he realized the "threat" was gone. Izuku watched them, his eyes darting back and forth.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Shouta whispered.

Izuku nodded. "I-I c-couldn't sleep after."

That explained some of it. "What did you hear?"

Izuku hesitated this time, probably thinking it was some sort of trap. "We're not mad, kid, I promise. I'm just curious," Shouta reassured.

This time, Izuku was quicker to respond. "Um, I-I heard s-something about En-Endeavour. I s-stayed b-because… there's s-someone in m-my class who's the s-son of him. I w-was curious but, I sh-shouldn't h-have…"

Hizashi placed a hand on Izuku's head, and the kid leaned into it. "It's alright. You're not in trouble or anything. Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"

Izuku shrugged. "I-I was in th-the base. Training," his breath hitched on the word, "S-Sensei yelling. T-that's all I remember."

"Mm. We're here for you now, 'Zuku. Go back to sleep, we'll stay here," Shouta offered, reaching out to rub his back slowly.

Izuku relaxed under his touch, his eyes fluttering closed. It didn't take long for him to fall back asleep. He and Hizashi stayed for a little while, just to be sure he wouldn't wake back up from another nightmare.

After a while, Hizashi pressed a kiss to Izuku's head, and they both left the room quietly. Exhausted from patrol, he got into bed right away. Hizashi kissed him softly. "Goodnight, Shou," he whispered.

"Goodnight," Shouta replied, and they fell asleep together.

Izuku was exhausted, and he had a headache. He couldn't sleep well last night, and his nightmare didn't help. Neither did the momentary fear he felt when he thought his dads would be mad for eavesdropping on their conversation. He heard some things about Endeavour and how he had hurt one of his children.

He wondered if that was about Todoroki in his class, but he couldn't be completely sure. Endeavour could have multiple children. Izuku also heard about Aizawa's plan to "take him down"—whatever that meant. He was a little worried. Endeavour was… well, he was really aggressive. Izuku just wanted him to be safe.

Izuku was early, as usual, but Neito wasn't here yet. It was just him and Todoroki. Izuku hadn't been paying that much attention to the boy, but he did notice that Todoroki rarely interacted with anyone unless it was necessary. The girls were mostly interested in trying to converse, but he would never entertain them.

It was pretty much a silent rule to leave Todoroki alone. Izuku thought that was incredibly lonely and sad. He was lucky to have known his friends before school started, otherwise, he probably would've ended up like that, too.

Izuku couldn't lie; he was drawn to Todoroki. He saw a lot of himself in him, especially with the information he heard last night. It wouldn't be easy, but Izuku wanted to try to be his friend.

Although he probably couldn't do it right at this moment. He wasn't really sure what he would say to him, especially with them being alone. It would probably feel like an ambush to the boy, and he didn't want to make him uncomfortable. He would just have to wait for his chance.

Soon enough, Neito came into the classroom, Shinsou following shortly after. When Neito sat in his seat, he looked Izuku up and down. "You look like shit," he surmised bluntly.

Izuku let out a quiet laugh. "Thanks," he muttered sarcastically.

Neito shrugged. "Did you sleep at all?"

"S-somewhat. Had a n-nightmare."

"Are you okay?" Neito whispered, lowering his voice so the other two couldn't hear him. Shinsou was right next to Izuku, so he wasn't sure how successful that was, but he appreciated the effort.

"I-I'll be fine," he reassured. And Izuku believed it; he had a rough night, but he was hoping the day would be better.

Class eventually started, and Izuku did feel better as the day went on. His headache was gone, and he ate more at lunch than he thought he would. He knew Neito was happy about that. They met up with Denki as usual, and instead of sitting at the tree, the three of them ventured over to the playground.

Izuku had a lot of fun. The only thing he worried about was the gym class they had after recess. They didn't have it every day, only on Mondays and Wednesdays. Izuku was worried because he didn't want to hurt himself, but he also didn't want to bring attention to his medical issues.

Aizawa told him that the principal would let his teacher be aware of this so that he could sit out most of the gym classes and complete other assignments to satisfy the gym "credit", but it seemed that either didn't happen or Katou-Sensei had forgotten. If it really bothered him, he would say something, but so far it was fine.

Izuku's enemy here was the change room. They had gym uniforms, but Izuku kept his long-sleeve shirt on underneath, which didn't seem to be a problem. But he never changed in front of the other kids. It still gave him anxiety, though, when he changed in a stall.

It also forced him to be quick. He was usually the first one out. Todoroki usually was, too, and he suspected that he also didn't like changing in front of everyone.

Still not really the time to have a conversation, though. What could they really talk about? Their shared quickness in changing?

Izuku stuck close to Neito, and Katou-Sensei let them do their own thing with the equipment they had for the first half of the class. It was pretty much a second recess, and it got rowdy quickly. He and Neito got away with sitting in the corner, rolling a ball back and forth on the ground.

They talked idly as they "passed" the ball, no one really bothering them. The teacher, though, had told them all to put everything away and come to the centre of the gym.

Izuku and Neito easily put their ball away, and the class met in the middle. "Alright, everyone! I think we should play some dodgeball. How does that sound?" Katou-Sensei exclaimed.

Almost everyone cheered. Izuku was confused. He'd never heard of the game before.

"Okay, let's go over the rules as a refresher. You need to hit the other person anywhere below the neck. A head shot does not count, and if I see that you did it on purpose, you will sit out for the rest of the game. If you throw the ball and a player from the other side catches it, you—the one who threw it—are out. And, of course, if you are hit, you will sit out.

"I'll see how the game goes and if revivals will be added into the game. For now, the last one standing wins."

It seemed easy enough, but was throwing balls at each other really that fun? He couldn't really see the appeal.

Katou-Sensei went around, giving everyone either a "one" or a "two" to determine the teams. Izuku got a one while Neito got a two, so they would unfortunately be on opposite teams, it seemed like.

"Alright. Ones over here," she gestured to the right side of the centre line, "and twos over here," and then gestured to the left side. Neito and he split up, and Izuku walked to his side. Shinsou was on Neito's team, while Todoroki was on his.

Izuku stayed near the back corner, even when the game started. Dodgeballs started flying everywhere, and he just kept a lookout to make sure he wouldn't get hit. Todoroki seemed to have made his way near Izuku, so both of them were trying to avoid the game.

As minutes passed, more and more people on their side started to dwindle. Izuku couldn't believe he was one of the few left. That was short-lived, though, as he realized that Kurosawa was aiming for him directly.

Before he could even react, the ball hit him square in the face. The speed of the impact made him fall on his butt, his hand clutching his nose. It was bleeding.

The gym fell silent for a split second before he could hear Neito yelling at Kurosawa. Izuku was still in shock; he didn't know what to do. His nose and head were throbbing. Katou-Sensei quickly ran over, kneeling down to inspect his nose. Whenever her hands got close, though, he would flinch back. He knew she was trying to help, but he didn't want to be touched.

"It doesn't look broken, but you should go to the nurse. Todoroki, would you mind helping Yamada to the nurse's office, please?" his teacher said.

Izuku was surprised that Todoroki was still nearby. That must have been why she asked him to take him.

He didn't hear his response, but it must have been an affirmative, because Todoroki's hand was being held out for Izuku to help him up. Izuku hesitated, but he ended up taking the boy's hand. Todoroki pulled him up, and the strain made him wince.

His sleeve got pushed up, and Izuku hurriedly pulled it back to cover his scars. It was too late, though, Todoroki had seen them. He could tell by the way his eyes widened before looking away.

Great, Izuku thought.

Izuku kept one hand on his nose, trying to stop the blood, but it was dripping pretty steadily. It got on his shirt, though luckily it was his gym shirt and not his normal one.

On the way out, he could hear Katou-Sensei reprimanding Kurosawa and making him sit out the rest of the class. At least he was somewhat being punished.

It was silent and slightly awkward on the way to the nurse's office. If it weren't for the fact that Todoroki was always quiet, he would've assumed it was his scars that deterred him from speaking.

They finally made it, and by that time, his nose had already stopped bleeding. It was still throbbing, though. The nurse checked his nose, and she noted that it wasn't broken, just sprained. It would still bruise.

She cleaned the blood around his nose and wherever it stained his skin. She was a bit rough, and Izuku hated the proximity, but he managed.

"Here, ice it for about twenty minutes to minimize swelling or bruising. I can give you some pain relievers too, if you want," the nurse offered, to which Izuku nodded. His head still hurt, and he knew his nose would bother him.

The nurse told him to sit in one of the chairs. She gave him a cup of water and one pill, which Izuku took. She instructed him to hold the ice to his nose, and he did. The nurse left the room.

Todoroki was still awkwardly standing in the middle of the room since the nurse didn't tell him to leave or stay. Izuku bit his lip and patted the seat next to him. "Um, w-want to sit h-here?"

He looked startled that Izuku spoke to him, but he didn't respond. Todoroki, surprisingly, sat down in the seat next to him. Izuku was genuine with his offer, but he didn't think he would actually sit there.

More awkward silence, but Todoroki hadn't completely left him alone, so, progress?

The ice was a very jarring sensation on his skin, but the longer he held it, the more he got used to it. Izuku still had the shivers, but it wasn't too uncomfortable.

"I have them too."

Izuku looked over, almost missing what Todoroki said. He was so quiet. "Wh-what?"

Instead of clarifying, Todoroki rolled up his sleeve to show the few scars and burn scars he had. Izuku's eyes widened, concern washing over him.

"T-Todoroki… that's—"

He quickly rolled his sleeve back up and shrugged. "Hero parents," he said, as if that was a justification.

Izuku shifted the ice in his hand, trying to think of how to respond. "M-mine a-aren't from m-my parents, but, i-if I had t-to be honest, I n-never liked Endeavour."

The silence lasted so long that Izuku thought that maybe that wasn't the right thing to say. As he was about to apologize, Todoroki covered his mouth with his hand and laughed. Laughed.

"You're probably the only one to say that to me."

Izuku didn't doubt it. He was sure that a lot of people only talked to him because of who his dad was.

Before he could respond, the nurse came back with a phone in her hand. "Here, sweetie. Your dad is on the line."

"O-oh. Thanks," Izuku said, reaching out with his free hand to take it. He pressed it to his ear.

"H-hello?"

"Izuku! Baby, are you alright?" Yamada's voice sounded through the speaker.

"Y-yes. I'm okay."

"Are you sure? Because I can come get you if you need me to."

"I-I'm sure! It o-only hurts a l-little. The ice i-is helping."

After a few more reassurances, Yamada relented. Izuku knew he would tell Aizawa about it later, and he wondered how he would react. They were both protective, but Aizawa could be more intense about it. He knew Kurosawa did it on purpose, but he would have to convince his dads the opposite.

Izuku was reminded of how Kacchan and his other classmates treated him when he was quirkless. He shuddered. He didn't want to think about that, but he could draw parallels. Izuku didn't have a chance or a support system that time, but now, he does. He could handle it.

Chapter Text

Walking back to class with Todoroki wasn't as awkward as before, now that they had sort of broken the ice. Izuku wouldn't think this made them best friends, but at least companionable. Comfortable. Izuku hoped they could interact more often.

Especially with what Todoroki told him, which he was debating on telling Aizawa for his mission to bring Endeavour down. He didn't want to break Todoroki's trust or confidence, but it was important for the investigation.

He would have to think about it. Would he want someone telling his business to others? Probably not. But Aizawa would use the information to help, not harm. And he knew that his dad wouldn't go around gossiping about it.

It was hard to decide. It wasn't his life, so he wasn't sure.

The whole class decided to stare at Izuku as he walked back in. Thankfully, Katou-Sensei didn't bring too much attention to him. She just said she was glad he was okay and continued her lesson.

They both went to their seats. Neito turned to him. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

Izuku nodded, about to sign his answer, then stopped. "I-I'm okay," he responded quietly back.

Neito sighed, aggravated. "I'm gonna kill him," he ground out, eyes shifting towards where Kurosawa was sitting.

"P-please don't," Izuku whispered. "It's not w-worth it."

"It is. He torments other people, too, not just you, Izuku. He can't get away with doing this shit," Neito argued, his voice rising slightly.

Izuku was taken aback. He knew that Kurosawa also went after Neito, so it was fair that he wanted something done about it.

Before Izuku could say anything, the teacher cleared her throat. "Is there something you want to share with the class, Monoma?"

Neito leaned back in his seat, still upset. "No, Katou-Sensei," he grumbled.

Katou-Sensei continued, letting it go for now. Izuku focused on his notes, stewing over their conversation. He knew that Kurosawa should be disciplined, but he just didn't want Neito to do something irrational and get in trouble instead, which would have the opposite effect.

He had a lot to think about.

Later on, when the school day was over, Neito was one of the first to leave. It hurt, but he knew that his friend needed some time to himself.

"For what it's worth," Shinsou said from beside him, "my arm 'slipped' during one of my throws and I hit him in the chest."

Izuku laughed, covering his mouth with his hand. "W-weren't you on h-his team?"

Shinsou shrugged. "He was sitting out at that point. And directly in my line of sight."

He smiled, slinging his backpack onto his shoulder. They walked out together, and Shinsou went towards the buses. "Bye," Izuku called out timidly, waving when Shinsou turned to him.

"See ya," he replied. Izuku walked off to the parking lot, immediately seeing Yamada waiting outside his car.

Izuku speed-walked, and Yamada kneeled down when he noticed him coming over. He held his arms out, and Izuku hugged him tightly.

"Hey, baby," Yamada whispered, squeezing him.

He heard the car door open, and Izuku looked over Yamada's shoulder to see Aizawa getting out. Izuku was surprised. Normally, he wasn't able to come for pick-up.

He leaned out of Yamada's hold when Aizawa knelt down next to him. Izuku held still when Aizawa placed his hands on either side of his face, gently, and examined his nose.

Aizawa tsked and let go. "We should ice it again when we get home. How's it feel?"

"H-hurts a bit, but, n-not as much as e-earlier."

"Good." Aizawa stood back up and went back into the car. Yamada rolled his eyes playfully at Izuku.

"He's such a worrywart," he whispered conspiratorially, making Izuku giggle. They got in the car and drove home.

As promised, Aizawa presented Izuku with a baggie full of ice and a towel wrapped around it. "Twenty minutes. Make sure your head is elevated," he instructed.

Izuku took the ice and sat on the couch. He held it against his nose, leaning his head back against the cushion. Closing his eyes, he thought back to his argument with Neito. Was it an argument? He wasn't sure. Izuku knew Neito lashed out when he was upset, and it reminded him of the time he snapped at Denki and him at the store.

He just hoped he could talk to him tomorrow and clear it up. Not resolving it was making him anxious.

He felt a weight on his lap, and Izuku looked down to see Bastard curled up. He smiled a bit, petting him, and he already felt better.

Aizawa padded over to the couch, sitting next to him. He ran his fingers through Izuku's hair, and he leaned against Aizawa's side. Izuku was getting used to the heroes' constant attention and affection, but these moments were still so special to him.

Izuku could feel the tension in Aizawa's shoulders. He was really worried. He didn't know why; it was just a hit to the nose. Deliberate, but… They didn't know that.

"How was the rest of your day?" Aizawa asked.

"G-good. Me a-and Todoroki t-talked today. A-and I think I-I'm becoming f-friends with someone in m-my class. His name's Sh-Shinsou."

Aizawa hummed. "That's great, kiddo. What did you talk to Todoroki about?"

"W-well, he was the o-one who helped me t-to the nurse's office. He saw my, um, s-scars, on my arm," Izuku paused, gripping his sleeve in his free hand. "He s-showed me his. H-he has b-burn scars… a-and others."

His breath hitched, eyes stinging. Izuku squeezed them shut, ignoring the slight pain in his nose.

He didn't react this way when he saw them, so why now? Memories of how he got his own scars filtered through his mind.

"Hey, hey," Aizawa muttered, wiping his tears away, careful to avoid his nose. "Look at me."

Izuku did, blinking through his tears. "You're safe. You're not back there, you're here, with me, and Hizashi's right over there," Aizawa gestured vaguely to the kitchen, "Bastard's on your lap, about to attack me probably by the way he's looking at me."

Izuku huffed and brought his hand down to pet Bastard, placating him. "H-he wouldn't."

He calmed down, his tears drying. The images were pushed to the back of his mind. Izuku put the ice down.

"Ah, few more minutes," Aizawa admonished, and Izuku pouted. He vaguely recalled the conversation he had with Neito about his "puppy-dog eyes", and he looked at Aizawa pleadingly.

"But it d-doesn't h-hurt."

Aizawa raised a brow. "Doesn't matter. It will stop the swelling."

Izuku sighed, but he complied. He put the ice back on his nose. The eyes were a failure. He'd have to report back to Neito…

Aizawa didn't mention Todoroki again, and Izuku was grateful. He didn't know if he could have a conversation about that right now, considering how he just reacted. Instead, they just sat in silence until Yamada was done making dinner.

The next day, Izuku was anxious—as usual—to go to class. He hoped he could talk and apologize to Neito. He was usually early to class, like Izuku was, so it should be relatively easy.

Today, Neito was actually in his seat already. Izuku fidgeted with his sleeve, walking over to his chair. He sat down, but Neito hadn't looked at him at all yet. Izuku couldn't really gauge if he was still mad or not.

"N-Neito? Um, I'm s-sorry… Y-you w-were right to be u-upset. I just d-don't w-want you to get i-in trouble," Izuku started.

Neito turned to face him, and he seemed remorseful. "I wasn't really mad at you. You're right, it wouldn't be worth it to retaliate. He's just an asshole, and no one does anything about it. Sorry for storming out yesterday."

Izuku let out a relieved breath. "It's f-fine. S-something should be done."

His friend sighed. "Tell me about it."

Easily forgetting the day before, Neito and Izuku talked to each other until the first bell rang. Kurosawa backed off for a few days, but he noticed that his attention was focused somewhere else. Rather, on someone else.

Izuku would see other students whispering and directing their stares to Shinsou. He never heard what exactly they were talking about, but he could tell it bothered the purple-haired boy. Usually, during recess, he was by himself, but Izuku noticed a couple of times that Kurosawa or some other kids would be talking to him.

Nothing physical ever happened, but their words didn't seem friendly, either.

He wasn't quite sure how to bring it up. Not until some girls in their class came up to Shinsou during their lunch break.

"Is it true that you were kicked out of your last school because you used your quirk on someone? That's messed up," one of them said, tone filled with condescension.

Shinsou didn't look bothered. His eyes were stuck on them with a deadpan stare, and it seemed to be unnerving the girls.

When the silence stretched on to awkwardness, Izuku spoke up before he could stop himself: "Y-you really shouldn't l-listen to rumours."

They glanced at Izuku, shocked, probably not even realizing he was there or listening. The girl from before piped up again, "But it's true. Kurosawa has friends from that district! Why would he lie about it?"

Izuku frowned. Of course. "Because he's r-rude?"

"Pft," Shinsou laughed, covering his mouth and looking away. The girls didn't find it amusing, but they did go back to their seats, leaving them alone.

He turned to face Shinsou with a small smile. Neito was absent today, and Izuku felt a little lonely in class. He wasn't sure how to break the ice with Shinsou, but this situation has given him an opportunity.

"I-is that what they keep b-bothering you about?" Izuku asked.

Shinsou ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "Yeah."

Izuku wasn't sure if he should keep asking about it; he didn't want to put him off. But Shinsou continued. "I was kicked out of my last school, but the reason is not as it seems. To them, technically, I did use my quirk on someone. The kids at my school hated me because of my quirk and got me in trouble with the teachers. So they lied about me using it to get me expelled."

It reminded him of before, when his school knew he was quirkless. Students would always get him in trouble with the teachers, Kacchan and his group of friends doing the most damage, and his classmates never stood up for him. So he could sympathize.

"I'm s-sorry, Shinsou. That's a-awful. No one d-deserves that, no m-matter what your q-quirk is."

Shinsou looked at him, bemused. "You really think so? Even someone with a villainous quirk?"

Izuku was shocked. Villainous quirk? Did Shinsou really think he had a villainous quirk?

"N-no quirk is… villainous. It d-depends on what you d-do with it that makes you v-villainous," he replied. Izuku would know a thing or two about that.

Shinsou scoffed. "That's kind of naive, isn't it? If society thinks you've got a dangerous quirk, it doesn't matter how you act."

Izuku shrugged, uncertain. "W-well… m-maybe it is. But it's just t-true. I've seen h-how people have used 'good' q-quirks to hurt o-others. It's all about your i-intention."

Mentioning the Doctor—even if only he knew who he was talking about—made him a bit nauseous. He gripped his sleeve tightly in his hand as Shinsou thought about how to respond.

"Well, you'd probably be one of the very few to think that way. I appreciate it, of course… It's refreshing to at least be friends with someone who doesn't think I'm a monster," Shinsou said, the last part in a more joking tone. But Izuku was stuck on the "friends" part. They were friends? That was great!

Izuku smiled. "I c-could never think that. It's h-horrible how people will d-deem you dangerous over s-something like that. M-meanwhile, they're the ones h-hurting you."

"Right. I've had to deal with a lot of bullshit."

"M-me too," Izuku replied.

Shinsou tilted his head. "Are you like me, then? Do you have a 'villainous quirk'?" He air quoted the last words, and Izuku stiffened.

In his mind, his quirks wouldn't be seen as villainous to others. However, he was mostly basing his shared experience on when he was quirkless. He wasn't sure if he could share that. Not that Shinsou would make fun of him—although, being quirkless is another thing entirely—but he didn't want to be overheard, either. Not to mention potentially explaining how he went from quirkless to what he has now.

"N-not… exactly… It's h-hard to explain," Izuku ended up saying.

Shinsou was obviously curious, but before he could ask anything else, Izuku abruptly got out of his seat. "S-sorry… I have to… b-bathroom," Izuku stumbled over his words, quickly walking out of the room, leaving a confused Shinsou behind.

Izuku was taking deep, stuttering breaths, and he could tell he was on the verge of a panic attack. He didn't feel like he would throw up, which was good, but this wasn't any better. God, if anyone walked in right now…

As if on cue, the bathroom door opened. Izuku sucked in a breath, his hands trembling as he looked over to see who came in. It was Denki.

"Hey, Izuku! What're you— Are you okay?" his tone changed when he realized Izuku wasn't in a good state.

Izuku shook his head, slightly hyperventilating, body shaking. Denki hurriedly rushed over, his arms hovering, unsure of what to do.

"Can I touch you?" Denki asked.

'Yes,' Izuku signed out of habit, but he nodded at the same time, so his friend understood. Denki pulled him into a tight hug, and Izuku returned it. His hands gripped the back of the blonde's shirt, and his eyes squeezed shut.

"Deep, slow breaths, that's it," Denki whispered reassuringly. It took a little while, but Izuku eventually calmed down. He sagged slightly in his hold, and Denki supported him.

"What happened?"

Izuku thought it was probably spurred by the quirk talk. Why did this always happen? He hated feeling this way whenever his quirk came up.

He relayed the reason to Denki, who frowned.

"Was someone bothering you about your quirk?" he asked, a protective edge to his voice.

Izuku shook his head. "N-no. We w-were talking about t-them, and he asked, but I s-said it was c-complicated. I r-ran here after."

Denki relaxed. "I'm sorry that happened… Are you feeling better?"

"Yes," Izuku whispered, but he didn't let go, and neither did Denki. They stayed like that for a little longer, until the bathroom door swung open.

Denki pulled away, but only to stand protectively in front of him, which gave Izuku time to wipe his tears from his face and collect himself.

"Um, Yamada?" a voice tentatively called out, and Izuku recognized Shinsou's voice.

Surprised, he stepped out from behind Denki to face him. He looked guilty.

"You were in here for a while… and I thought I'd come to apologize. I, of all people, should know not to push on what someone's quirk is. You don't have to tell me anything, really," Shinsou continued.

Izuku was still shocked. He didn't expect Shinsou to apologize at all, and he really didn't need to. It's not like he knew Izuku would freak out like this.

"N-no need at all to a-apologize, Shinsou… I-it's not your f-fault, really. I h-have my own i-issues," Izuku tried to reassure.

It didn't seem to work, but Shinsou did seem a little less guilty. "If you say so…"

Denki crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't seem convinced. "You didn't harass him about it, did you?"

Izuku sighed softly, bringing a hand to his forehead. He was about to clear it up, but Shinsou beat him to it. "We were talking about quirks, and I only asked what his was. He didn't tell me, and I didn't push it."

"I-it's true, Denki. I t-told you it w-was mostly m-my own p-problem," Izuku added.

Denki hummed. "Alright, fine. But I'm keeping my eyes on you," he said, pointing two fingers towards his eyes, then at Shinsou. The purple-haired boy didn't react, only gave him a blank stare.

Eventually, Denki broke and looked away towards Izuku. "Man, his stare is just like Aizawa's," he whispered. Izuku stifled a giggle. He didn't completely agree; Aizawa's stare definitely held more intensity.

"We should probably go, it's well into recess by now," Shinsou informed them, and Izuku was shocked. He was panicking for that long?

Denki nodded. "Alright, let's go out," he said, and walked towards the door. Izuku and Shinsou followed him.

They went outside, and luckily, none of the on-duty teachers noticed or cared about their absence. Just when Denki was going to lead him to their usual spot, someone jumped out towards him.

"Kami!" the girl exclaimed, and Izuku recognized her. She was the pink-haired girl he saw talking to Denki at the assembly.

She was just full of energy. She was bouncing on her toes, her eyes practically sparkling. "I couldn't find you anywhere! Where were you?!"

Denki smiled. "Mei! I was with my friend here," he answered, gesturing to Izuku. The girl's eyes darted to him, and wow, were her eyes cool! Yellowish-green irises and a cross in the middle.

Izuku couldn't help himself. "A-are your eyes l-like that because of your q-quirk? Are they l-like scopes? D-do they zoom in?" he rattled off questions, and when the girl stayed silent, shocked, Izuku blushed.

Right… People didn't like talking about their quirks. He just had this conversation with Shinsou.

An apology on his tongue, the girl—Mei—sprang up. "Wow! How did you know that?!" As she said this, she leaned towards him, her face closer to his. On instinct, he took a step back with a nervous smile.

"U-um, a guess," Izuku muttered, but Denki tsked.

"He's a quirk genius. Analyzes heroes all the time," Denki said, which made Izuku flush.

"I-it's really n-nothing. J-just a guess."

"Well, your guess was spot on!" Mei shouted, excitement clear in her voice.

Shinsou piped up—startling Izuku, because he thought the boy had left—saying, "Dude always gets his quirk history homework perfect."

"I-it's interesting!" he defended, his face growing hotter. When did this become all about him?!

Denki laughed and patted Izuku on the shoulder, albeit gently. "Alright, stop teasing before he combusts."

Mentally thanking Denki for the distraction when he continued speaking, he slowly relaxed. Izuku still felt a little uneasy from the earlier conversation with Shinsou, but he knew he'd feel better soon enough.

Maybe he would feel comfortable enough to talk about his quirk and its history with Shinsou, but he just couldn't right now.

During his next therapy session with Hound Dog, he mentioned his panic attack and what caused it.

"I recall when you talked about your quirks with me, and you shut down completely. I know it's a sensitive topic, but do you think you would be up to deconstructing why you have this reaction with me?" Hound Dog asked, keeping his voice light.

Izuku took a shaky breath, thinking. He didn't want what happened that time with Hound Dog to happen again. As if reading his mind, the hero said, "As soon as I notice a panic attack starting, we'll stop. You're safe here, pup. If it is absolutely necessary, I will call one of your dads up here, okay?"

That did help to reassure him. Taking another deep breath, he nodded. "O-okay. I think I-I can d-do it."

"Would you prefer that I ask you questions and guide the conversation? Or would you like to lead it?"

Izuku thought it would probably be a lot better if Hound Dog did this. "Y-you, please."

Hound Dog nodded and wrote something down before starting. "Okay, let's start at the beginning. You had told me you were quirkless, but then gained your quirks later. Do you know how long you were quirkless for?"

Izuku fiddled with his sweatshirt's sleeves, thinking. He didn't get his first quirk until a year after he was in the base, so… "A l-little over a y-year."

"Alright. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I know that quirkless people are usually not treated equally by their peers. Would you say this is correct?"

He didn't hesitate to nod. "Y-yes. A-at school, w-when they found out, m-my friend s-started h-hurting me and… s-so did my classmates."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Izuku. What did your parents do?" Hound Dog asked.

Izuku tensed slightly. "M-my mom was s-supportive… S-she d-didn't think I w-was useless."

Hound Dog shifted forward a little. "You weren't, Izuku. Regardless of what society thinks nowadays, a quirk doesn't and shouldn't define your worthiness."

He had a harder time believing that, but his conversation with Shinsou echoed in his head. Okay… his own words came back to haunt him.

"I-I know. It— It's h-hard when e-everyone around you seems to t-think that way," he muttered.

Hound Dog hummed. "That's understandable. People would always call me a freak, say I wasn't actually human because of my quirk. It naturally didn't help my case whenever I would erupt into growls when I got angry," he shared.

Izuku frowned. "B-but your q-quirk is so cool!"

The hero huffed. "I'm glad you think so, pup. Sadly, not everyone thought so, and it greatly affected my confidence. Being a hero wasn't my first choice."

Before Izuku could ask more, Hound Dog spoke up again, "Enough about me. I just want you to know that quirk or not, you're a great kid, Izuku."

Izuku blushed and ducked his head. "T-thank you," he whispered, but he was sure the hero heard him with his enhanced hearing.

"So your mom was supportive. What about your father?" Hound Dog continued.

This was what he was scared of talking about. Izuku wrapped his arms around his stomach, keeping his gaze on the floor. "H-he w-was mad…" he started. "He left. F-for a few days. When he c-came back, he said he had um, a 's-solution' for my p-problem."

Izuku paused, taking shaky breaths. He only took a couple of minutes for himself before continuing.

"M-my mom didn't think I n-needed a solution… M-my father got mad and… t-took me anyway." He didn't feel like talking about his mother's death right now.

Hound Dog had been quiet, letting him talk, until then. "Take you where?"

This was the part Izuku was least excited to talk about. "T-to a v-villain's base."

It was silent, and Izuku was too scared to look up to see Hound Dog's reaction. The fact that he wasn't saying anything was telling enough.

The silence went on for a bit too long, and Izuku was anxious. He could feel himself shaking, and his fists were clenched painfully. Finally, the hero said, "Izuku, please be gentle to yourself."

Izuku blinked, shocked, but he forced his hands to unclench, stretching them out painfully. He risked a glance, and Hound Dog looked upset, but not at him.

When Izuku didn't speak, the man sighed, the end turning into a slight growl. "I apologize, Izuku. I didn't want to scare you with my quirk, so I forced myself to stay quiet."

That helped explain it, and it eased his anxiety a little bit. "I-it's okay… I-I know it's not… n-normal," Izuku said.

"No, but I'm still sorry for my reaction. I should know better." Before Izuku could say it was fine, Hound Dog continued. "Do you want to continue? I'm sure it was a very traumatic experience for you."

Izuku pulled his knees up to his chest, his arms resting on his knees. "I-I think I can k-keep going."

Hound Dog nodded. "Only if you want to."

It took him a few moments, but he was able to keep talking about it. "I… I w-was… e-experimented on… w-which forced my quirks to m-manifest."

Izuku was still shaking, but he wasn't panicking exactly, which was progress? Maybe? He really wanted Bastard here.

He could only hear the sounds of Hound Dog's pen on his paper before he spoke. "So whenever the topic of your quirk comes up, you remember these… experiments?"

"Y-yes."

"I think it's safe to say that you may need to work through the traumatic experiences to be able to tackle this consequential effect. Have you told anyone else about this? Besides your dads, I assume?"

Izuku shook his head. "O-only they k-know everything. I t-told my friends s-some things."

"How did you feel when you talked about it?"

"Relieved," he immediately answered. "I-I told m-my dads something else that h-happened with my q-quirks, a-and it h-helped me use them."

Hound Dog nodded. "Talking about it can be very helpful. It's not the only way to recover from severe trauma, but it is a good first step. We're almost out of time, but if you think you would be up to it, we can start next week by talking about what happened."

"M-maybe," Izuku said. He would have to think about it.

On the dot, Yamada was already waiting for him outside of Hound Dog's office. "Hey, sweetie," he said, coming over to Izuku and crouching. Izuku hugged him, and his dad easily picked him up. As always, he found himself extremely tired after his session.

Yamada said goodbye to Hound Dog, and then they went down to their dorm. Aizawa was sitting at the dinner table, hunched over some papers. He didn't look up when he greeted him.

Izuku buried his face in Yamada's shoulder, and they sat down on the couch, Izuku in his lap. He closed his eyes.

"Dinner will be soon, hun. I'll wake you up, okay?" Yamada whispered, and Izuku was already drifting off by the end of his sentence.

Next time he woke up, it was to someone shaking his shoulder. Izuku opened his eyes, blinking away the sleep. It was Aizawa.

"Hey, kid. Dinner's ready," he said, voice soft.

Izuku rubbed his eyes and sat up, the blanket that covered him pooling on his lap. Bastard jumped from the couch with a meow, stretching on the carpet. He padded off towards the kitchen.

Aizawa helped him stand, and they both walked over to the dining room. When they started eating, Izuku mustered up the courage to tell them about his therapy session.

"I t-told H-Hound Dog more about the b-base… and w-what happened."

Yamada and Aizawa looked at him, shocked. Yamada broke into a wide grin and got up, going over to hug Izuku. "Baby, that's amazing! You're making such good progress!" he exclaimed, and Izuku smiled when hugging him back.

Aizawa stayed in his seat, but his eyes softened, and he wore a small smile. "That's great, 'Zuku. I'm glad you've felt safe enough to tell him."

Izuku nodded. "H-he said we can t-talk more about it n-next time… S-said it may help w-with my panic a-attacks."

Yamada let go, ruffling Izuku's hair before walking back to his chair. "You're doing great, sweetheart."

They went back to eating, but Yamada and Aizawa's words stuck with him. He felt lighter than he had in a long time.

Chapter Text

"Hi, Mom," Izuku whispered, fiddling with the picture of her in his hand. He was kneeling before her grave, Aizawa and Yamada standing a few paces away. "I-I've been thinking a-a lot about you."

Ever since his last session with Hound Dog, in fact. She's been on his mind ever since the topic of his father taking him away came up. He didn't tell the hero what happened, but the memory lingered anyway.

"I'm m-making so m-many friends. You would l-love them. N-nothing like Kacchan, p-promise." Izuku sniffled and wiped away the tears gathering in his eyes. Just thinking of how his mom would treat his friends was enough to make him cry.

"S-school is great! M-much better t-than Aldera. I-I actually want to go. Katou-Sensei is n-nice."

This felt surreal. Why was he sitting here, talking about such mundane things to his mother's grave? Was this grieving? Closure? Moving on?

Izuku witnessed his mom dying. Burning alive in the house fire that Hisashi caused while he was being dragged away, screaming and crying out for her. The memories flashed in his mind, but they didn't feel real.

He had five—almost six—years to process this, but he didn't. Couldn't. Remembering her was hard, and he felt ashamed to admit that. He couldn't remember the sound of her voice, the way she would laugh whenever Izuku came out in his All Might onesie, pretending to be him. He couldn't remember her touch, her fingers ruffling his hair whenever it was in reach, now replaced by the sensation of his dads doing it.

Even now, looking at her face in the picture Aizawa kindly gave him, he could just faintly recall her intonation, but that was it. His grip tightened on the photo, though he was careful not to bend or rip it. Would she be proud?

He was silent for the rest of his visit.

Shouta noticed that Izuku was in a more sombre mood than usual. Granted, they had just visited his mother's grave, but he stayed kneeling there for a while, quiet.

Even on the ride home, when Hizashi filled the silence, Izuku didn't respond, his mind clearly elsewhere. Shouta and Hizashi shared a concerned glance, but didn't say anything for now.

Shouta had an idea, but he'd wait until they were back at UA.

Once inside, Shouta dropped his capture scarf onto the back of the couch and said, casually, "Oh, Hizashi, I have a meeting with Nezu tomorrow. You'll have to look after the kid."

It was the weekend, and Izuku was sitting at the dinner table with his schoolwork. He was curious, but didn't say anything. Shouta, though, predicted Hizashi's response: "Shou, I have to record for my radio show tomorrow."

Shouta shrugged. "Why don't you take him with you? I'm sure he would love to be shown around."

This made Izuku perk up, excitement lighting up his eyes. "R-really? Can I?" he asked, his tone hopeful.

Hizashi glared light-heartedly at Shouta, but his expression morphed into something more enthusiastic when he faced Izuku. "Of course, Listener! You can watch the super exclusive behind-the-scenes action!"

Shouta rolled his eyes playfully, but he hid a smile when Izuku started to speak with Hizashi about his radio show more openly. They often listened to it when Hizashi recorded on the weekends. Izuku had shared with him that he remembered listening to his show with his mother when he was younger.

When Hizashi found this out, he sobbed happy tears for about ten minutes straight.

Anyway, the meeting Shouta had to go to was about Endeavour. Unfortunately, he had to involve Nezu to get any sort of investigation going. If he needed to, he would also go to Tsukauchi.

He was not looking forward to it.

Izuku looked around in wonder at Yamada's studio. He had some staff roaming around, greeting the hero as he walked past. Most also waved to Izuku, and he would shyly wave back, but stayed quiet.

His dad was in his hero costume, which Izuku sometimes saw before he would leave for his patrol, but he never got tired of seeing it. Present Mic was so cool!

Yamada led him gently, holding his hand as they walked through. He pointed out some things as they walked by, until they got into the actual recording room.

"Here, hun, you can sit here," the hero said, bringing him over to the chair next to the one he assumed was Yamada's. The setup looked complicated to him: two monitors, maybe, some keyboard-like contraption in front of it, speakers, microphones, and a headset.

Izuku assumed the headphones Yamada wore around his neck were the same ones he used for his show, but it didn't seem so.

Once he sat down in the chair, legs swinging back and forth, Yamada told him he would be right back. He left through the door, and true to his word, he was back within seconds. His dad held something behind his back mischievously.

Before he could ask him about it, Yamada excitedly held out what looked like a sweatshirt. "Look what I got for you!" he exclaimed, holding it towards him.

Izuku's eyes widened when it registered what he was holding. It was a "Put Your Hands Up! Radio" sweater, one he hadn't seen before. "F-for me? Really?" he asked in a whisper, almost as if he were to take it, Yamada would snatch it back from him.

"Of course, baby. All yours," Yamada confirmed, and Izuku took it with careful hands. Since he was only wearing a thin long-sleeved shirt, he tugged it on over top. It was getting warmer out, but it was pretty cool inside.

It was an oversized fit, which he preferred. The sleeves hung about a few centimetres over his fingers. "I l-love it. Thank you!"

Yamada beamed and ruffled his hair. "I'm so glad you do! Okay, I'm on air in a few minutes. I'm gonna get set up," he said, sitting in the chair next to Izuku. He put on one of the headsets and worked on something on the monitors in front of him.

Izuku pulled his knees to his chest, his arms wrapped around them. Yamada hummed a tune he didn't recognize as he worked, but it sounded nice.

Suddenly, his dad turned to face him. "I was going to surprise you with this, but I don't think it would've been a good idea to spring it on you at the last minute," he started, confusing Izuku at first. "Would you want to do a segment with me? It would be quick! If you want, I could do most of the talking. If you don't want to, that's also not a problem."

Izuku was shocked. To talk on the show would be heavily anxiety-inducing, but it was his dad… and also, being on Present Mic's radio show? That's a dream come true!

Despite his nerves, he nodded yes. "Th-that would be f-fun! P-please?"

Yamada smiled. "Of course! Oh, it'll be so fun! Don't worry too much if you don't want to speak. I can take over whenever."

Izuku felt his anxiety ease a little. He was excited! He hoped Aizawa would also be listening in.

Yamada let him know that it would be a little while before he would come in, and that they would do a music break so he could prepare Izuku.

It was so fun watching his dad get into his hero persona—which really wasn't much different than his usual demeanour—and talk to his audience. He knew that Present Mic referred to the people who tuned in as "Listeners", but hearing him call someone other than him that was weird.

Before he knew it, the music break came, and Yamada turned to him again. "Okay, I'll show you here," he started, giving Izuku a pair of headphones that were very big on his head. Even on the tightest adjustment.

Yamada chuckled and took out his phone. "You look adorable. Say cheese!"

Izuku blushed but smiled, saying Cheese!

"Shou is gonna love this."

After that was done, Yamada lowered a mic stand in front of him, adjusted so that Izuku could easily speak into it without having to lean off his chair too much.

"I'll speak a little bit, then I will cue you in when I ask you to introduce yourself. Sound good?" Yamada asked him.

Izuku nodded. "O-okay!"

Once the music break had finished, Yamada welcomed his viewers back enthusiastically, talking about the particular music he chose and why. Izuku perked up when Yamada said, "I've got a very special guest with me today! A long-time Listener of my show," he winked at Izuku, making him giggle quietly, "and my favourite person in the world, though I am biased, my wonderful son!"

Yamada gestured to him to speak with an encouraging smile. Izuku took a deep breath before saying, "H-Hello! I'm Izuku."

Yamada gave him a thumbs-up before taking his turn to speak as well. "I brought him along for a little father-son bonding day, and I thought it would be perfect to show him around the studio."

After that, Izuku and Yamada talked about a lot of things, mostly heroes. Yamada even opened the conversation to Izuku's analysis and asked leading questions. He had a very fun time, and he didn't even realize how much time had passed.

Izuku took off the headphones when Yamada ended their segment, still feeling giddy from talking on the radio. He listened to his dad end the show.

When finished, Yamada clapped his hands together and spun to face Izuku with a smile. "That was great!" he exclaimed, leaning a hand forward, palm out.

Izuku reached up to tap his palm against Yamada's in a high five. His dad's smile was even wider, if that were possible.

"I just know everyone loved that. Ready to go home now?" he stood up, holding his hand out for Izuku's.

Izuku nodded and got up as well, holding Yamada's hand. He led them out of the studio, the same people from before waving and saying goodbye to them.

When they got back to UA, Aizawa was already back from his meeting with Nezu. Still feeling some adrenaline from earlier, he ran over to the couch where Aizawa was sitting and jumped to sit next to him.

"D-did you hear?" Izuku asked, bouncing on the cushion in anticipation.

Aizawa huffed a chuckle and placed his hand on Izuku's head. "I did. You definitely stole the show."

Yamada dramatically flopped onto the couch on the other side of Aizawa. "I'm not even insulted because I agree! The Little Listener did amazing!"

Izuku beamed at the praise and leaned against Aizawa's side. He easily adjusted to wrap an arm around Izuku's shoulders. Bastard and Sushi jumped up to join them, Bastard curling up on Izuku's lap and Sushi perched on the back of the couch.

"H-how was your m-meeting with Nezu?" Izuku questioned while petting Bastard, wondering if it had to do with Endeavour.

"Nothing exciting. Nezu was terrifying with how much information he somehow had. Speaking of, you should visit Nezu soon. He misses you."

Izuku was surprised. "He does?"

Aizawa shrugged. "He didn't say that exactly, but he asked about you. That pretty much confirms it."

Yamada hummed in agreement. Izuku did miss his lessons with Nezu, and the chimera was always fun to converse with.

"I-I'll visit him then."

The rest of the day went on as normal. Later in the evening, he called with his friends. Aizawa had shown him how to call them both at the same time, and he was super grateful for that.

"Dude! Izuku! You're, like, a radio star now!" Denki started the conversation. So he listened to Yamada's show! Cool!

"I-I know! I didn't even think I-I would talk on it, b-but my dad w-wanted me to."

"Don't forget us when you're famous," Neito chimed in, and Izuku scoffed.

"Y-Yeah, right. I am n-not famous and I would n-never forget you two," Izuku responded indignantly.

"We're just teasing! Anyway, I know you're in a different class, but have you guys learned…" Denki carried on, asking about homework and other things. They talked for a while until Aizawa told him it was time to get ready for bed.

Izuku pouted, but he didn't argue. It wouldn't go anywhere. "I g-gotta go, guys. Goodnight," he told them, and his friends said goodnight to him as well.

He handed the phone to Aizawa so he could put it in the right place, and he padded into his room, Bastard on his heels. He kept the radio merch sweater on because it was comfortable and changed into PJ bottoms.

Once he was ready, he got into bed and immediately snuggled under the covers. Bastard went to his usual spot under Izuku's chin, purring softly.

His dads came in to say goodnight, Yamada leaning down to kiss his head, and Aizawa ruffling his hair.

"Goodnight, kiddo," Aizawa whispered. Yamada told him goodnight, and they left the room, leaving the door slightly open as he always liked it.

Izuku fell into a restful sleep.

Earlier, after Shouta told Nezu about Dabi.

Shouta sat in his chair uncomfortably as Nezu took in the information. His hands were folded in front of him, expression neutral, as if he didn't say anything at all.

Then, Nezu leaned forward, his eyes slightly narrowed. "This is a pretty serious accusation, Shouta. You want to pursue this?"

In turn, Shouta leaned forward as well, his arms on his knees. "You know I wouldn't bring this up if I didn't think it was plausible. He has a son Izuku's age that he is most likely abusing. And, c'mon, he is heavily destructive as a hero in the public already. How do you think he acts in private?"

Again, Nezu didn't answer for the longest time. So long that Shouta actually doubted that the principal thought there was any merit to this.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of silence, Nezu put on a terrifying smile. "It's not going to be easy, going after the number two hero. The HPSC has already shown how much they do not care about Endeavour's destructive attitude. They won't take kindly to this kind of take-down."

Shouta let out a quiet, relieved breath. "I understand. And I am willing to take on that risk."

"But are you willing to put your loved ones at risk?"

The question made him pause. He knew it would be risky, going after the hero like this. However, with Nezu's protections and his underground status, he thought they would be out of the picture. Although he knew that wasn't an absolute.

He relayed this to Nezu and added, "I think my husband and I would be prepared for what would come. And we would do anything to protect Izuku."

Nezu nodded, taking another sip of his tea. "This will be hard. The HPSC are practically experts at burying information. But I think it will be a severe advantage to have access to his presumably dead son and his youngest. That could definitely change things."

"I agree. I also think we should involve Tsukauchi."

Nezu hummed. "You trust him with such an intricate situation?"

"I do," he responded confidently.

"Then by all means. I have my own avenues. Stay sharp."

Shouta nodded, taking that as the dismissal it was. He stood and turned to leave the room, but Nezu's voice stopped him.

"By the way, how has Izuku been? Now that he is enrolled in public school."

He turned back to face the rat. "Good. A rocky start, as I'm sure you've seen the news regarding that school. But good."

Nezu dipped his head in a nod. "That's great to hear. Let him know he should come around soon for a chess match."

"I'll be sure to let him know."

After that, Shouta made his way back to the dorm. Just as he entered and took his shoes off, he got a text from Hizashi. It was Izuku in a pair of huge headphones, a smile on his face.

Shouta smiled fondly at the picture and promptly saved it to his phone. Cute he replied.

Sitting on the couch, he switched to Hizashi's radio show and listened as he relaxed, trying not to think too hard about his conversation with Nezu.

The next few days at school for Izuku were hard. It was getting warmer outside as May faded into June. Usually, Izuku would be fine in just his long-sleeved uniform; however, because it was so hot outside, the A/C was blasting in the school.

It really messed with his concentration because of how much he was shivering. His joints were hurting, too, which made it hard for him to write for long periods of time. He could tell Neito wanted to help him, but for assignments in class, it would just look like they were cheating.

Since the dress code was not too strict, he was able to wear a sweatshirt over his uniform. That, paired with his pain medication for his joints, helped. He would just take his sweater off when outside, and that routine worked.

His medication would wear off by the end of the day, but when he got home, it usually made him feel better.

Another development that had him a bit distracted at school was Aizawa. Ever since his meeting with Nezu, he had been really busy. He was already busy teaching future heroes and patrolling late at night, but it was like his workload had suddenly doubled.

It was a subtle shift: Aizawa would leave earlier than usual for patrols and come home later; he would sit at the dinner table with files that seemed to accumulate every time Izuku came home from school; then, with the time he would spend on the files, it took away from their evening routine that usually involved the three of them relaxing in the livingroom.

Alongside that were Yamada's subtle attitude shifts as well. Izuku could see the frustration lining his forehead whenever Aizawa didn't join them for a family movie night; the tense smiles when he reassured Izuku that he would come around soon, only to not; the weariness that settled on his frame.

What did not change, though, was Aizawa asking about his day after school and coming in to say goodnight to him. Izuku thought as long as that didn't change, it would be fine.

But it was hard to settle for that when he was so used to the man always comforting him and being around. Was he being selfish? He didn't want Aizawa to abandon his work for him…

Izuku was shaken out of his thoughts when the bell for lunch sounded. He put his work away and pulled the sleeves over his hands, not hungry.

"You alright?" Neito asked from his left. "You seemed… Out of it. You didn't even finish the worksheet."

"Um, I-I don't know. A-Aizawa has been… he's been v-very busy recently. I'm w-worried."

Neito shrugged. "I won't lie to you 'Zuku, I don't think my advice would be of any help. My parents have always been too busy to make time for me."

Izuku's heart dropped. He felt like a horrible person. "Oh— I-I'm so sorry, Neito. I-I didn't even th-think—"

Neito cut him off, "Whoa, it's fine. I didn't say that to, like, make you feel bad or anything. That's just what I'm used to. I know your dads are different. How is Pre— Yamada handling it?"

He calmed down slightly and thought about it before answering. "H-he mostly tells me i-it'll be okay. He doesn't r-really talk to A-Aizawa, but, I-I don't know if they s-speak about it i-in their room."

Neito hummed, taking a bite of his food. "Maybe they'll hash it out. They probably just don't wanna do it in front of you."

Izuku wondered if that was true. Probably. They usually didn't want him privy to their negative behaviours. He just hoped they would be okay. The thought of them fighting was… Okay, he didn't want to think about that.

"M-maybe."

They didn't talk much about it after that. Izuku worked up a small appetite and ended up eating a little.

His friend group has definitely expanded, and it made him really happy. He didn't usually hang out with them all at once; Shinsou and Todoroki mostly did their own thing during recess. While Mei's energy seemed to be too much for Neito at times, he didn't seem to mind her overall.

It made going to school a lot more fun. Kurosawa even stopped bothering him as much, and he wondered if that had to do with his friends always being around him. So, while it was hard to adjust initially, he was glad that he agreed to come here.

Izuku still hadn't really had a chance to talk to Todoroki, though. He really wasn't a social person, so it was hard to talk to him. He also still felt a little guilty for telling Aizawa about his scars, but if it helped him in the long run, it would be worth it.

Hizashi liked to think of himself as an emotionally intelligent person.

He knew that on the outside, people generally thought he was a loud, joyous person. Someone who couldn't control their excitement or the volume on their quirk. And while some of that was true, there was much more to him than a loudmouth passionate person.

Shouta was the same, in a sense. A lot of people—especially students—thought of him as a grumpy, strict man who barely showed any other emotion. But Hizashi had the privilege to see other sides to Shouta.

And this, well, this wasn't exactly his favourite side.

Hizashi rarely got mad, but when he did, it was hard for him to control himself. It was even more rare for Shouta to ever act in such a way to get him this mad.

Shouta hadn't had a project to keep him this busy in a long time. Especially one that got him so obsessed. He might have counted rescuing Izuku, but at least that time, Shouta directed his focus and energy toward the kid.

Now, Izuku wasn't a priority for Shouta. To be fair, Izuku was past the point of needing constant attention and comfort, though Hizashi could tell that this was getting to him.

Izuku was too observant for his own good. He needed that to survive those years ago, and it made his heart clench to see how cautious the boy was acting around them. Hizashi was planning on telling Shouta to take more breaks, but he knew how that conversation would go. He had a hard time bringing it up.

However, it was affecting more than just the two of them; they had a kid to take care of.

Hizashi planned to talk to him that night, especially because of what happened beforehand.

Izuku, in his excitement regarding whatever it was in his notebook, ran to where Shouta was sitting in his usual spot. He showed him his notebook, bouncing eagerly on his toes.

"L-look! I m-made a quirk, um, n-name for B-Bastard and, I expanded on h-his ability!"

Oh, it absolutely shattered Hizashi's heart when Shouta didn't respond, and the disappointment settled into Izuku's shoulders. His smile faded, and the excitement dimmed from his eyes.

"D-dad? C-can I…"

"Not right now, kid," Shouta's gruff voice interrupted.

"Oh… L-later?" Izuku asked instead, his voice still tinged with hope.

Shouta grunted as a response, and that was the end of the conversation.

Izuku walked back to the couch, completely dejected. Hizashi was seething, but he couldn't say anything, not right now. Izuku didn't need to see them fight; that's not what he needed.

"Hey, baby," Hizashi whispered, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Why don't you tell me what you got in there?"

The question made him perk up, but his original excitement wasn't all there. It was still worth it when Izuku rambled about his new page for Bastard, who sat on Izuku's lap, staring up at him as if he understood what was being said.

"I-I named his quirk 'E-Empathetic Absorption'! A-and, I was th-thinking, since he responds to e-empathy so s-strongly, it had to make him s-smarter than the a-average animal, at least th-those without a quirk…"

Hizashi listened emphatically, nodding and asking questions when appropriate. Izuku went on for a while, his stutter noticeably less present the more he spoke.

Izuku eventually trailed off, his head drooping the later it got. Hizashi gently nudged him.

"Let's get ready for bed, hm?" he suggested, to which Izuku nodded. Hizashi guided him to the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth, then went into his room.

"Shou will be in here soon, okay?" Hizashi said, and he could tell Izuku was masking his disappointment again.

"O-okay," he whispered.

Hizashi kissed his head before leaving him to get dressed in PJs. He left the door almost closed behind him, and he stood in front of Shouta at the dinner table.

Hizashi tried to keep his voice quiet, and it was hard with Izuku's room being mere feet away.

"Shouta," Hizashi called, voice firm. His husband barely flinched, not even looking up from his work.

Frustrated, Hizashi placed his hand on the table near the file Shouta was reading. That finally got his attention, though he seemed irritated.

"I'm almost done with this," was all he said. Hizashi took a deep, calming breath, though it did little to accomplish that.

"Shou, our son wanted to show you something he was proud of, and you brushed him off like he was some bothersome co-worker, not your kid. He's been patient, more than any other kid should be, but he's noticing your absence. Is that really the kind of father you want to be?" Like yours? It was unsaid, and definitely a low blow, but Shouta understood it all the same.

Hizashi continued. "I understand you've been busy with this, but you are prioritizing it more than Izuku. You need to find a balance. Don't let him get used to this treatment."

He could tell the moment it hit Shouta just what he had done. With a shaky breath, Shouta placed his pen down and pushed the file away from him. He placed his head in his hands, his elbows propped up on the table.

Hizashi softened, and he sighed softly as he walked over to where he was sitting. He placed a hand on Shouta's back in a comforting gesture. His husband was stressed, and Hizashi should have stopped this earlier.

"You don't have to do this alone, Shouta. Not anymore," Hizashi whispered. Shouta's shoulders slumped.

"I know. I don't know why I get like this."

"You're passionate. You care. You just need to learn how to do this in moderation. Is Nezu pressuring some sort of deadline, or…?"

Shouta shook his head. "No. In fact, the rat told me to slow down," he scoffed.

Hizashi huffed a quiet laugh and leaned down to kiss Shouta's temple. They stayed silent until Shouta asked, "Is the kid asleep?"

"I told him you'd be coming in soon. You should check."

Shouta nodded, determined. He stood, and Hizashi let him go to Izuku's room alone. He stood outside to listen.

As he thought, Izuku wasn't asleep yet, but he also didn't show any indication of hearing their conversation. The boy sat up, making room for Shouta to sit next to him on the bed.

"Hey, kiddo," Shouta started. "The last couple of weeks have been busy, and I've prioritized my work instead of spending my time with you. That isn't my intention. I got too absorbed in it. I'm sorry, Izuku. You deserve better."

Izuku's eyes widened, and he didn't seem to know what to say. "I— It's okay. I-I know you've b-been busy…"

Shouta shook his head. "I have, but that's not an excuse to brush you off or make you feel like you don't have my support. I'll do better from now on, I promise."

Izuku's lip wobbled, and he threw his arms around Shouta in a hug. He hugged him back, bringing him in close. Hizashi's heart warmed at the scene.

After a few minutes of silence, Shouta spoke up and said, "Why don't you show me what you wanted to earlier?"

Izuku pulled back, the excitement lighting up his eyes. "R-really?"

Shouta nodded, a smile curling at his lips. "Of course."

He smiled and leaned over the side of his bed to grab his notebook from his nightstand. "O-okay, look…"

Izuku's rambling went on just as long as it did when he told Hizashi, but neither of them interrupted once, not even when it was way past his bedtime.