Work Text:
It’s Been A While:
Midoriya, Uraraka, Bakugou, and Kirishima gawked at New York City's skyscrapers as they exited the Grand Central Station of Central Park. This was it. They were here. It was a long flight, coupled with a train ride. But they were here.
The group was greeted by a scenic view with lots of colorful trees and native plant life. Alluring smells of foreign foods filled the atmosphere, along with the smog from all of the air pollution.
Large groups of people walked passed them. Some of them were out with their dogs.
“ It's still a bad idea,” the explosive teen protested.
“ I just want to know how he’s doing,” the green-haired teen responded.
“ Izuku, the guy hasn’t seen you since you were nine,” Bakugou argued. “ And even then, he was barely around!”
“ He’s busy,” Midoriya tried to justify.
“ Bullshit,” the blonde’s voice cracked.
His redheaded partner gasped as his eyes lit-up.
“ Are those American hotdogs,” Kirishima pointed at a food cart, which was being managed by a vendor.
“ I want to try one,” Uraraka chimed.
The two raced over to the hotdog stand.
“ This trip is a waste of time,” Bakugou stubbornly folded his arms. “ If your sperm-donor actually gave two fucks, he would’ve kept in contact!”
“ Kacchan, please,” Midoriya turned to him defensively. “ Of course, he cares about me. It’s just…”
His friend shifted on his feet, hard-gaze fixated.
“ Just what, Nerd,” the explosive teen challenged.
“ I…,” the green-haired teen paused.
“ You can’t justify it, can you,” Bakugou snarled. “ That’s what I thought.”
“ I hate to say it, but,” Kirishima returned with a partially eaten hotdog. “ Katsuki is right. The guy's, like, a stranger.”
“ Well, obviously,” the blonde raised his eyebrows.
Uraraka came back with two hotdogs. One was half-way devoured and the other was left untouched. She handed the complete one to Midoriya.
“ You’ve gotta try this,” the zero-gravity teen said with a mouthful.
The gang browsed through the city until they came across a building with a sign that said ‘Stonks, Stonks, and Stonks’. They entered it. There was someone with a Squirrel Quirk sitting behind a large desk. She was typing on a computer.
Her eyes squinted at the screen as her finger tips rapidly hit the keys. The teens approached her, but the Squirrel woman did not hear nor see them. Uraraka cleared her throat.
The receptionist jumped and chattered. Her bushy tail puffed up. She turned her large brown eyes to the group.
“ Welcome to ‘Stonks, Stonks, and Stonks’,” the Squirrel woman greeted with pronounced buck teeth. “ I am Trisha. How may I help you?”
“ Yeah, we’re here to speak to the boss ,” Bakugou placed his hands on top of the desk.
Trisha stared at him with her mouth wide open. Her eyes narrowed. She got in his face.
“ Look,” the Squirrel woman spoke in a hushed tone. “ We had nothing to do with those window flyers! It was our competitor!”
“ Window flyers,” Kirishima raised an eyebrow.
“ I’m Izuku Midoriya,” Midoriya introduced. “ Hisashi Midoriya is my dad. Is he here?”
Trisha scanned the green-haired teen. Her eyes landed on his facial scar. They then moved over to the hospital’s haircut.
“ May I see some ID,” the receptionist requested.
“ Here’s my ID,” Bakugou flipped off the Squirrel woman.
“ Katsuki,” Kirishima chastised.
The group showed the receptionist their IDs. She proceeded to phone the main office.
“ He claims to be your son,” Trisha informed. “ Izuku Midoriya. He has green hair, green eyes, freckles…Kinda plain looking.”
Even with the battle scars, he still can’t win! The receptionist turned to them.
“ Mr. Midoriya says to meet him in his office in an hour,” Trisha relayed. “ He's in a conference call. But feel free to hang out in the upstairs lobby.”
Security escorted the teens to the designated area. There were a couple of couches, coffee tables, vending machines, potted plants, a fish tank, paintings, and a company poster.
Midoriya sat down on the couch. Uraraka followed him and picked up a gossip magazine. Bakugou walked over to the fishtank, which had a variety of marine life and decorations. Kirishima approached the vending machine.
“ Didn’t you just eat at every single hotdog stand before we came over here,” his blonde partner asked.
“ I’m not buying for me,” the redhead eyed the selection. “ I’m buying for you. And you haven’t had anything since the plane ride.”
“ What do they have,” Bakugou inquired.
“ I don’t know,” Kirishima replied. “ Everything is in English. I still don’t know English! I can barely do Japanese!”
“ Let me see,” the explosive teen walked over to him.
He pulled out his phone and went straight to Google Translate.
“ Okay,” Bakugou uttered. “ They have cookies with chocolate rocks, spicy chips with farm clothes, fatboy buns, cucumbers in vinegar and salt, princess sugarcakes…”
Kirishima entered the American money. The blonde pressed the buttons for the spicy chips. They went to sit down on one of the couches. One of them placed his feet on the coffee table and began munching on his snack.
Midoriya gripped at his knees and tugged on his pants. His heart pounded in his chest. He stared at one of the posters. It was of the ocean. Behind the ocean was a sunset with purple and orange rays.
Uraraka glanced over at him. She placed a hand on his shoulder. The green-haired teen snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her.
Bakugou made his way to the bottom of the bag. He crumpled the aluminum packaging in his hand, before tossing it into a nearby waste bin. The redhead leaned against him, closing his eyes.
The minutes ticked by slowly. Uraraka decided to go through the art gallery. Some were of the forest, while others were of the desert or the arctic. Midoriya stood up and paced around the lobby. He walked passed the couple.
Kirishima drifted off to sleep. Bakugou had his arm wrapped snuggly around his shoulders. He was scrolling through his phone.
“ Will you stop doing that,” the blonde glanced up.
“ I can’t,” the greenette sighed. “ I’m nervous.”
“ Well, don’t be nervous,” Bakugou snapped then pointed with his phone. “ Besides, it was your idea!”
Uraraka strolled over to the vending machine. She purchased one of the princess sugarcakes, which came in packets of two. The zero-gravity teen offered one to the green-haired teen.
Midoriya graciously took it. They stared into each others eyes.
“ Izuku, this is your father,” Uraraka assured with a smile. “ You’ll be fine, and he’ll be happy to see you!”
“ The last time we spoke, he told me he was going on a trip and wouldn’t be back for a while,” the Quirkless teen shifted then wrapped his arms around his body. “ And before he left, he was arguing with my mom.”
Bakugou's pupils dilated. He glared.
“ You never told me that,” the blonde said.
An older man with black curly hair, yellow eyes, and glasses approached them. He was tall and lanky with freckles. His smile was purely business social.
“ Hello and welcome,” the man greeted. “ I am Hisashi Midoriya! It’s so nice to meet you all!”
Bakugou quickly moved his arm behind his head, pretending to scratch an itch. This startled Kirishima awake.
Mr. Midoriya turned to the greenette.
“ Izuku,” he leaned forward with his arms out.
The man wrapped them around his supposed son, who froze. He stepped back then turned to Uraraka. He grabbed her hand.
“ And who is this charming young cherry blossom,” Mr. Midoriya asked, before kissing it. “ Girlfriend?”
The younger Midoriya’s cheeks went red. So did Uraraka’s.
“ I’m Ochako Uraraka,” the zero-gravity teen introduced. “ And I’m…Umm…”
“ Okay,” Bakugou stormed over, clenching his fists. “ Cut the bullshit!”
“ Kacchan,” his childhood friend scolded, before turning to his father.
“ Where have you been,” the explosive teen continued. “ And we’re not accepting lame excuses, you lazy deadbeat bastard!”
Mr. Midoriya’s smile dropped. He looked over at his son. The son observed him. His eyes were pleading with questions. Bakugou sighed.
“ I knew this was a mistake,” the blonde placed a hand on his childhood friend’s shoulder. “ Come on, Izuku. Let’s go.”
“ Wait,” the man held up a hand. “ Why don’t we discuss this at dinner?”
Everyone eyed him, before turning to each other.
“ My treat,” he offered.
The group gathered at a local Italian restaurant. They were guided to a booth in the back by a host. It had a round table with a long, curved bench, which was made of red leather.
Mr. Midoriya sat on one side. Uraraka and the younger Midoriya sat in the middle. Bakugou and Kirishima sat on the opposite side.
A waitress placed a large tray of breadsticks on the table, along with some marinara sauce. She poured some water, took their orders, then disappeared into the kitchen.
The blonde quietly watched the older man. His partner began stuffing his face. He looked over at his childhood friend then back at the man.
“ Kevin, right,” Mr. Midoriya presumed.
“ Katsuki,” Bakugou corrected. “ I’ve known Izuku since we were in diapers.”
“ Ah, yes,” the older man nodded his head. “ You used to wear braces.”
“ Kacchan’s never worn braces,” the greenette piped up.
He blinked at his father with knitted eyebrows. Uraraka crumpled the cloth napkin that was laying across her lap. She kept her eyes glued to the table.
“ Then he’s the one with the Song Quirk that hypnotizes people,” Mr. Midoriya tried to correct.
“ I WISH,” Bakugou spat.
“ He does have a lovely voice,” Kirishima backed, while hogging the marinara sauce.
“ So, how’s the science academy,” Mr. Midoriya changed topics. “ I heard you graduated.”
“ Hero academy,” the four teens spoke in unison.
He looked at his son’s face.
“ Is that a tattoo,” the older man gestured.
“ It’s a scar,” the greenette covered it with his hand. “ I got it from fighting a guy with a Decay Quirk. He almost killed me.”
Uraraka bit her lip. Tears were forming in her eyes.
“ I wasn’t even aware there was a war,” Mr. Midoriya uttered.
The waitress came back with their drinks. Bakugou slammed his hands on the table and stood up. A dark thundercloud appeared on his face.
“ OF COURSE THERE WAS A FUCKING WAR, YOU WORTHLESS INSECT,” the explosive teen yelled then gestured to his own facial scar. “ YOU SEE THIS?! THIS ISN’T FOR SHOW! AND NEITHER IS THIS!”
He lifted up his skull t-shirt, revealing the large scar in the middle of his chest. The older man gawked. His face turned pale and his body swayed.
Bakugou lowered his shirt. He sat back down and folded his arms. The waitress brought everyone their food.
They all ate in awkward silence. Mr. Midoriya excused himself to the restroom. Uraraka poked at her plate.
“ Hey,” the greenette spoke softly to the zero-gravity teen. “ Are you okay?”
“ Yeah,” the brunette replied. “ It’s just that…”
A cake with rose petals appeared in-front of them.
“ Ummm, we didn’t order this,” the younger Midoriya said.
“ A lady from over there told me to bring it to you,” the waitress gestured to a red-haired woman with brown eyes. “ Her name is Rose. She’s a regular here. And I must agree, you two are the cutest couple I’ve ever seen! Well, enjoy!”
She walked off.
“ Why does everyone keep saying that,” the green-eyed teen raised an eyebrow.
“ We should thank the lady,” Uraraka suggested.
They made their way over to Rose’s table. She was seated with an elderly couple and a little girl. The little girl had curly red hair, yellow eyes, and freckles.
“ Hi,” Uraraka greeted. “ Are you Rose?”
The lady turned to them, smiling.
“ I am,” she replied.
“ Thank-you for the cake,” the zero-gravity teen then blushed. “ Though, we’re not a couple.”
“ I’m sorry,” Rose blushed, too. “ I thought you were! That’s what I get for jumping head first into conclusions.”
“ That’s alright,” Midoriya fidgeted and waved his arms. “ People say that all the time!”
“ Oh, I’m Ochako and this is Izuku,” Uraraka introduced.
“ Hisashi,” the redheaded woman waved in the air. “ There you are! Come over here and say hello!”
The older man, who was tip-toeing away, stopped then pivoted on his feet. Uraraka and the greenette gawked at him.
“ My husband can be so reclusive,” Rose beamed.
Mr. Midoriya walked over. His eyes were stressed and his jaw was tightened.
“ Honey, this is…,” the redhead kindly gestured.
“ I believe we’ve already met,” the younger Midoriya rushed outside.
He pushed passed Bakugou and Kirishima, who arrived at the scene. The redhead had frosting all over his face and a slice of cake in his hands. Mr. Midoriya followed him. The host reached out.
“ HEY,” she hollered.
The green-haired teen wiped his eyes as he walked down the street.
“ Izuku,” his father caught up to him.
The older man placed a hand on the younger’s shoulder. It was brushed off. His son stopped and turned around.
“ Who is she,” the greenette’s eyes burned.
“ She's…my American wife,” Mr. Midoriya explained. “ We met shortly after I started working here…No, she didn’t know I was already married! And no, I didn’t tell her about you! She found out on her own! Please, don’t tell your mother!”
“ Is that why you didn’t come back,” the younger Midoriya's voice broke. “ We weren’t enough for you?!”
Bakugou and the others caught up.
“ Izuku, I love you and your mother,” the elder man paused. “ I still do…”
He went to embrace his son, only for him to pull away.
“ Then why didn’t you call,” the greenette hiccuped. “ Do you have any idea how worried sick we both were?!”
“ Izuku,” Mr. Midoriya stepped forward.
“ Get away from me,” the younger Midoriya lashed out as he stepped back.
Uraraka ran toward him, grabbing his arm with both hands. She looked at the greenette with sympathy then looked at the older man with confusion.
“ Izuku,” the man spoke.
“ Is that all you can say, right now,” the greenette squeaked.
Mr. Midoriya went to approach his son, once more. Bakugou stepped between them, glaring daggers.
“ HEY,” the blonde barked. “ He told you to get away!”
“ I believe I know my son best, Keith,” the elder man stated firmly. “ Now, step aside, please.”
“ Oh, you know him best,” Bakugou scoffed. “ Try this! What’s his favorite color?”
“ Red,” Mr. Midoriya answered.
“ Green,” the younger Midoriya corrected.
“ What’s his favorite food,” the blonde continued.
“ Mac and cheese,” the elder man guessed.
“ It’s Katsudon, you idiot,” Bakugou stated with a deadpan expression.
“ Yeah, everyone in Class 1-A knows that,” Kirishima uttered, while licking his fingers. “ The cake was delicious, by the way.”
“ What did I tell you I wanted to be when I grew up,” the greenette asked.
“ A policeman,” Mr. Midoriya shrugged.
Bakugou snapped and jabbed the man in the chest with his finger.
“ WHO WAS THERE WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED AS QUIRKLESS,” the blonde’s voice raged. “ WHO WAS THERE WHEN HE WAS BEING BULLIED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL?! WHO WAS THERE WHEN HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL?! NOT YOU!!! YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO HIS FRIENDS ARE, LET ALONE WHO HIS CHILDHOOD FRIEND IS! WHAT HIS INTERESTS ARE! HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF A FATHER WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT IZUKU?! YOUR OWN SON!”
The younger Midoriya widened eyes, gasping. His father bowed his head and closed his eyes.
“ I’m ashamed,” Mr. Midoriya admitted. “ It’s true. I don’t know anything about my Izuku…But I should…And I’m sorry.”
His son wrapped his arms around himself, trying to self-sooth. He looked at his feet.
“ My mom said I should always forgive and forget,” the younger Midoriya softly spoke. “ This is an exception.”
He glanced up, hurt and anger in his eyes.
“ I can’t forgive you,” the greenette said sternly. “ But I can forgive myself for coming here and thinking that you still cared. I was…a fool.”
He walked away, biting his lip. Uraraka followed. Kirishima approached Bakugou, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
“ Come on,” the redhead ushered. “ Let’s go.”
He guided his partner toward their friends. The blonde broke loose and punched the older man in the face, breaking his nose and leaving a black eye.
“ THAT WAS FOR HURTING MY FRIEND,” Bakugou shouted, before being pulled away.
“ Katsuki, that’s enough,” the redhead raised his voice. “ Let’s go!”
It was a quiet plane ride back home, except for Midoriya’s sniffling.
“ I can’t believe it,” he wiped his nose on the back of his hand. “ How could I be so stupid?”
“ You’re not stupid,” Bakugou scolded from the seat in-front of him. “ He is!”
“ At least the trip wasn’t a total waste,” Uraraka, who was next to the greenette, chimed. “ We got to stay for a few more days and see all of the local sites, including Ellis Island.”
“ I got to eat my first American Big Mac,” Kirishima beamed from the front.
“ And get stuck on the toilet for six hours after,” Bakugou added. “ I warned you not to go overboard!”
Midoriya chose to stay silent, still clearing his face.
“ Your old man is a piece of work,” the blonde glanced over the headrest, eyes softened. “ It’s probably best he’s not involved. Who knows what other trouble he would bring.”
The greenette sniffled once more and choked on a sob.
“ Oh, Izuku,” Uraraka softly held him in her arms and rested her head on his shoulder. “ I wish…I wish I could take the pain away.”
She teared up.
“ I was raised by two moms,” Kirishima piped from over the other headrest. “ And I turned out great!”
“ Thanks, Guys,” Midoriya's voice quivered.
“ If you want, we can share my old man,” Bakugou offered. “ He doesn’t cheat on his wife nor neglect his kids…He’s home every day…What do you say?”
The greenette looked over at him, smiling and giggling. He wiped his face on his sleeve.
“ Well, we are practically family,” Midoriya commented. “ Mind if my future kids call you Uncle Kacchan?”
“ And me Uncle Ei,” Kirishima gestured to himself, grinning like an idiot.
“ Don’t push it,” the blonde teased with a light chuckle, before facing forward.
Uraraka poked her head up at the conversation. Her mouth was agape. Midoriya decided to gaze out the window. Today was really hard, but tomorrow would be easier.