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Summer vacation was relaxing. It was supposed to be relaxing. Izuku was left to his own devices, allowed to do whatever normal teenagers were supposed to do on vacation.
Having exhausted all his usual hobbies, consisting of things they were explicitly taught in class not to do (he had his dad to thank for that), Izuku turned to the internet to find some activities that people normally did.
After perusing a few websites that pretty much reiterated the same ideas, Izuku picked a couple things that seemed easy enough to do. Which led him to where he now stood in his kitchen, an apron tied around his waist, surrounded by a variety of fruits and cups that had definitely seen better days. He pushed a lemon into an old fruit juicer, an appliance he was certain was from the pre-quirk era, and watched as it did exactly the opposite of what it was supposed to do.
It was honestly a mess. Lemon juice covered the expanse of the marble counter top, his arms, and had probably puddled on the floor. No matter how hard he tried, how many different methods he attempted to execute, the juice went everywhere beside the container meant to collect it, including his eyes. He knew he was bad at pretty much everything that had to do with a kitchen, but this really took it to a new level.
Izuku sighed and tossed the most recently gutted lemon into the pile of other massacred fruits, frowning as he looked at the amount of juice he'd managed to make. It was enough for half a glass, maybe a little more if he added ice.
All he'd wanted was a fresh glass of lemonade on the blisteringly hot summer day, just like the stupid website had suggested. He would've asked his mom to help him, but she was out having a 'ladies day' with her friends. And his dad… well, he didn't know how to make toast. After the first fire he caused, he was swiftly banned from the kitchen.
Izuku was pretty sure he wasn't too far behind him.
The loud chime of the doorbell made him perk up from where he was slouching against the counter, in despair at the disaster in front of him. He gave a fleeting glance at the mess he'd made and turned to wash his hands, toweling them dry and removing his apron.
"Dad!" Izuku shouted. "Someone's at the door!"
Of course, there was no response.
Izuku huffed. Their stupidly big house made it practically impossible to hear anything. Not that it mattered to his dad—he could hear just fine whether it was twenty feet or twenty miles away.
He had no idea who could be at the door. Who let them past the gate, anyway?
Izuku sent a final glare at the staircase that led to the second story of the house, and turned to walk to the front door.
"Hel—" Izuku cut himself off when he saw who was on his doorstep. "Mr. Aizawa? All Might?"
Mr. Aizawa's normally stoic expression was gone, replaced with a mild look of shock, which was saying a lot from him. All Might gaped at him, and both their eyes flicked behind him to see into his house.
Seeming to have finally found his words, Mr. Aizawa cleared his throat and managed to tear his gaze away to look at Izuku. "…Midoriya?"
A considerable amount of effort went into keeping a smile on Izuku's face, and his tone was apprehensive at best. "Yes?"
All Might coughed loudly, wiping the blood on his sleeve. "You—You live here?"
Confused, Izuku raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. "Yes… my address is listed on my paperwork, isn't it?"
He didn't understand why they were so shocked. His family was undeniably… comfortable, but it wasn't that unbelievable was it? Well, he supposed when someone looked past the front door and into the entryway, the first thing they saw would be the vaulted ceiling and double staircase. The driveway might also be half a mile long, but still.
Mr. Aizawa gave him an unreadable look. "I thought it was a mistake."
"Oh," Izuku said, not knowing how else to respond. He played with the hem of his shirt and shifted uncomfortably as the silence between them stretched on. "So, did you need something, or…?"
"Dorms," All Might said suddenly, though it came out more like a wheeze.
Mr. Aizawa gave him a weird look, then turned back toward Izuku with much more composure than he had a few minutes ago. "UA is implementing dorms, so we need to talk to your parents to get their consent."
"Oh, okay," Izuku said. He inwardly frowned at the prospect of moving into what was sure to be the most uncivilized building he'd ever step foot in. Instead of making his disdain known, he stepped to the side and ushered his teachers inside. "You guys can come in. It might take a minute to grab my dad."
They looked around his house like it was a zoo, darting from the centuries old paintings on the walls to the vases that were much too ornate for his taste. His mom was a fan of that kind of stuff though, and his dad was all too happy to indulge her.
He offered them some slippers out of the several pairs they had and led them to the sitting room. A few couches and chairs surrounded a low table in the middle of the room, the curtains of the tall windows pulled to the side so they could look out to the manicured backyard.
Fresh muffins and ice-cold drinks sat on the table, likely set there by one of the members of staff his family employed. They seemed to move in the shadows, always quick and efficient in their work without alerting anyone to their presence. Izuku thanked them whenever he got a chance.
"Make yourselves at home," Izuku said awkwardly. As his teachers sat down, he turned around and walked just outside of the room. He pulled his phone out to call his dad. "Dad, can you come to the sitting room? My teachers are here and need to talk to you about something."
His dad started saying something about not hearing it, which was a complete and utter lie, but Izuku wasn't having any of it.
"Yeah, you 'can't hear anything from across the house'—don't try to lie to me, it doesn't work!" Izuku said, exasperated. His dad was the one who taught him to lie, after all. "Just hurry up."
Izuku hung up without waiting for a response and walked back into the sitting room like nothing had happened. He plopped down on the couch directly across from the one his teachers occupied. They were just staring at him.
Izuku blinked. "What?"
All Might opened his mouth and then closed it. "…Nothing."
Izuku raised an eyebrow at them, skeptical. He leaned forward and snatched a muffin off the table, humming at the flavor and texture. He gestured for his teachers to grab some food off the table, which Mr. Aizawa did with obvious reluctance. He was pretty sure he'd never seen him eat something other than his jelly pouches and coffee.
After a few very awkward moments, his dad walked into the room.
"Finally," Izuku sighed, finishing the last of his muffin.
He sat down next to Izuku, looking entirely satisfied with himself. He smiled at his teachers, the perfect facade of friendliness.
"Midoriya Hisashi," he introduced himself. His tone and demeanor dripped with authority. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
His homeroom teacher sat up straighter and cleared his throat. The mere presence of his dad demanded respect, an ability honed over the long length of his… career. He tended to tower over people in every aspect of the word.
"Well, we wanted to discuss…" Mr. Aizawa trailed off as he caught sight of All Might.
He was as pale as a sheet of paper and trembled like he'd been doused in ice water. He managed to look more gaunt than Izuku had ever thought possible, as if he was on the brink of death, which wasn't too far from the truth, honestly. His pallid complexion and frailness only seemed to get worse after the fight at Kamino Ward, where his dad managed to get away with what equated to only a few scratches. Pretending to be severely injured when fighting All Might was one of his greatest enjoyments.
"My, you don't look well, All Might," his dad said with a smirk. "Do you need a glass of water?"
All Might didn't respond.
Mr. Aizawa frowned and bowed his head in apology. "…Sorry about him."
Izuku had to hold in his laughter, and his dad looked like he was doing the same.
"It's no worry," his dad said smoothly. "But back to what you were saying, was there something you wanted to ask?"
"Yes," Mr. Aizawa said, nodding his head. "UA is implementing dorms in light of the recent events, and we'd like to ask your permission for Izuku to live on campus."
Behind his controlled expression, Izuku saw how amused his dad was. He loved witnessing the effects of his actions.
Even so, Izuku really didn't want to move into the dorms. He liked living at home with his parents, where he didn't have to put up a front of innocence and pretend to be someone he wasn't. Just the thought of living with nineteen other teenagers that didn't have a sense of personal space made him shudder.
His dad instantly picked up on his thoughts and seemed to share his apprehension. Izuku knew his dad loved his family and held their well-being at the top of his priorities, so if Izuku didn't want to do something, he made sure he wouldn't have to, at least when it came to something outside of familial obligations. They both shared a look of understanding.
His dad frowned. "Is it a requirement in order for him to continue his schooling?"
"Well, principle Nedzu is highly reccom—"
"Then my answer is no," his dad said with finality.
Mr. Aizawa looked taken aback at how quickly his proposition was rejected. "May I ask why?"
His dad hummed, a picture of serene composure. The expression on his face was one that usually sent people running or begging for forgiveness, an eerie calm that tended to mean a merciless end for whoever was standing before him.
Mr. Aizawa didn't exactly shrink back, but it was a close thing.
"I am not impressed with UA's ability to keep its students safe. In the span of only a few months, they were put in several situations that were entirely avoidable," his dad said, like he wasn't referring to the attacks he sent on the school. "I could not in good faith put my precious Izuku in your care."
Izuku glanced at his dad at the performance he was putting on. The concerned-father guise was rather convincing, despite the fact he was playing it up quite a bit. He really did seem like a typical overprotective parent, though the weight of his words were much heavier than a normal person's.
All Might suddenly leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. The expression on his face, laced with a faint sense of horror, screamed that he wanted to say something. Despite that, he honestly looked as if he might keel over with the slightest blow of the breeze. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead and his hands were clasped together so tightly, they went pale with lack of blood flow.
He did not open his mouth or utter a single word. It was amusing to watch his struggle, his inability to do anything but sit helplessly in front of his greatest enemy, who clearly enjoyed the turmoil that kept him silent.
Mr. Aizawa, once again, glanced at All Might in confusion, but looked back at the two of them with a small frown. "I'm assuming you're not going to change your mind."
His dad smiled, not bothering to hide his condescension. "That would be correct."
Not letting it phase him, Mr. Aizawa stood and bowed. "I apologize for UA's shortcomings, but I hope the measures we're taking will strengthen your confidence in us."
Following suit, his dad stood up. "Perhaps."
The not a chance was evident in his response, and Mr. Aizawa seemed to understand that.
After a few parting words, his dad walked off into the house in a near regal manner, and Izuku could see how he gloated. He loved the power he held over people, the superiority that never failed to bring him entertainment.
Izuku led his teachers to the door, comfortable in the heavy silence between them. All Might stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, trembling as he gripped him. Izuku turned around to look at him and gave him a questioning look.
All Might swallowed, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and apprehension. "M-My boy…"
He trailed off as he failed to come up with something else to say, so Izuku smiled at him calmly. He watched the confliction form on his face, the reality of his mistakes truly sinking in.
Izuku knew that All Might was horrified at the situation, that his willingly chosen successor was the son of the man who was undeniably the greatest villain in the world. All Might knew that he knew. He understood that he couldn't do anything about it.
The sheer power of the two quirks Izuku held simmered under his skin. He reveled in the way they intertwined, fit together like they belonged. Whether one was good and the other evil, by definition of the narrow-minded view of the world, didn't matter to him.
Grasping the handle of the front door, Izuku opened it for them to leave. His teachers crossed the threshold, movements filled with an eagerness to get away, but stopped at the sight of Katsuki, who stood on the doorstep.
A bright smile found its way onto Izuku's face. "Kacchan!"
Katsuki looked entirely unimpressed at the sight of them, and raised an eyebrow. "Your dad said no to the dorms, huh?"
"He did," Izuku laughed, disregarding the way his homeroom teacher studied his reaction.
"Bakugou, you're not supposed to go outside by yourself," Mr. Aizawa said sternly.
Katsuki huffed and rolled his eyes, ever the delinquent that Izuku adored. He didn't miss the way his eyes narrowed when he glanced at him. "What, do you think I'll get kidnapped again?"
"You never know, Kacchan," Izuku said teasingly, almost like he was recounting a scary story to a child. "The League of Villains might still be out to get you."
Katsuki visibly bristled. "I hate you."
"It was a joke!" Izuku laughed, unable to hide his amusement.
Kidnapping Katsuki was all in good fun.
"A shitty one!" Katsuki yelled. He shuddered, clearly remembering the short time he spent in the clutches of the League. "They made me eat microwaved meals. Microwaved meals, Izuku!"
Izuku thought he was being dramatic.
"Okay, I'll admit it was a little far," Izuku said, laughing lightly. "But you bought the last All Might figure you knew I wanted! I'd been talking about it for weeks!"
Katsuki opened his mouth to retort, but Mr. Aizawa cut in before he could get a word out.
"Boys," he said, looking between them. He seemed sorely confused. "You two are friends?"
Izuku blushed and looked away, while Katsuki scoffed at him. His cheeks held the slightest dusting of pink.
"Mind your own fucking business," Katsuki said, trying to feign indifference.
Clearly done with their conversation, Katsuki pushed past their teachers. He stepped into the house where Izuku stood and gave him a pointed look.
At that, Izuku smiled at his teachers and waved goodbye. "We'll see you in class! I'll make sure Kacchan gets home safely."
Mr. Aizawa gave him another one of those unreadable looks and nodded. He had to lead All Might down the driveway by his arm, holding him up so he didn't fall over. The sight brought Izuku great joy.
Savoring one last glance at them, Izuku closed the door and turned to Katsuki. He smiled warmly and sidled up to him as they walked further inside.
Katsuki huffed as Izuku leaned into him, but allowed it and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "I'm gonna get you back, you little shit."
"I'm looking forward to it, Kacchan," Izuku said fondly.
He led them into the kitchen, where Izuku noticed that his disaster attempt at lemonade had been cleaned up. A steaming platter of food laid in its place, freshly prepared and beautifully presented.
Izuku looked up at Katsuki and smiled. "We're having mapo tofu."
Katsuki groaned. "You make it pretty fucking hard to stay mad at you."
Izuku laughed and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I know."
Katsuki got a chance to enact his revenge a few weeks later.
Izuku stared at his room, every single one of his figures meticulously misplaced and rearranged, and smiled. A brand new, still in the box All Might figure sat on his highest shelf with a little red bow on top.
Warmth bloomed in his chest at the sight, even knowing how long it would take to put everything back in its place. As he found a spot for his newest figure, Izuku supposed he might've overreacted a bit.
Just a little.