Chapter Text
It was a sunny day in the neighbourhood. Shouta was walking with Hizashi after getting yanked out of bed to go on their weekend walk at the park. It had become a routine after they moved here a few months ago since it was closer to UA and had a lower crime rate compared to the old, cramped apartment they once lived in. Yet every time they are supposed to go on these walks, Hizashi has to force him to get out of the house while ranting about the importance of sun exposure. Shouta honestly doesn't really mind it though, so long as he got to spend time with his husband, he was content.
They were sitting at a bench near the playground where Hizashi liked to interact with the neighbours. He usually just chit-chats with the parents about day-to-day stuff. Sometimes he even gets roped into a game of tag by the kids. Meanwhile Shouta preferred to watch them from the bench since the last time he had joined in the game he accidentally scared the kids with his serious expression. Resting his head on Hizashi’s shoulder, he can’t help but notice the kid with the disheveled clothes, messy green forest hair and beautiful emerald eyes looking at them from afar. Nervousness rolling off him in waves. “Huh, never seen that kid around here before.” Hizashi mumbled, seemingly noticing the same thing. The kid was fiddling with something, a piece of paper. He looked like he was trying to gather all the courage he could muster, but for what? Shouta was getting worried just by looking at him. As expected the little boy started taking small, deliberate steps towards them. The closer he got, the closer he looked to tears. Now that he was in Shouta’s line of sight, he could make out the tiny freckles adorning his cheekbones.
Finally, he came to a stop and opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, he handed them the paper, hands trembling ever so slightly. Hizashi readily took the paper, plastering a bright smile on his face. “Whatcha got here, kiddo?” he asked, trying to calm him down. Shouta scooted closer to his husband, trying to make out the contents of the paper. In colourful hand-writing it read:
Please Adopt Me!
Name: Midoriya Izuku
Age: Six
What I need:
New parents
Home
Food
Strengths:
I can take care of my clothes
I can learn quickly
I can be quiet
I can clean
I’m good at drawings and hero stuff
Weakness:
Mommy and Kacchan say I talk too much but I won’t do that anymore
I don’t have a quirk, I’m sorry
To say that Shouta was shocked is an understatement. Oh and he definitely was furious.
- - -
Izuku’s life wasn’t perfect, but it was enough for him. He would go to preschool and play with Kacchan, hero figurines in hand. They would dream of a future together, one where they would fight side by side and become the greatest heroes. His mom would pick him up from school and cook katsudon for him. He used to get hugs everyday and go to sleep tucked in a warm bed with goodnight kisses being the last thing he felt. Although his father wasn’t always there, he never forgot about Izuku. In some ways, he knew that his father still remembered him. Sometimes his father would return home bringing gifts for him, like the Endeavor figurine that he still kept until now. All Might was his favourite though, but that’s alright! Izuku would appreciate anything related to hero stuff.
Things took a turn after his quirk diagnosis when he was 4 years old. By that time, Kacchan and all of their friends at preschool had already gotten their quirk. Izuku felt his stomach drop when the doctor first told his mom that he was quirkless. It was proven by the extra toe joint on his X-ray. He saw the way his mom’s expression changed for a moment, he couldn’t understand it but he knew it didn’t mean well. Then, the doctor said that he should just forget about being a hero. It broke his heart to have his dream thrown away just because he lost the genetic lottery. He didn’t believe it. No, he refused to believe it. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, he could still be a hero even if he was quirkless. They both came back home and Izuku fell into mom’s arms. He needed her to comfort him, to tell him that everything would be alright, but his mom seemed distant. It made Izuku feel even worse. Is mama disappointed in me? Is she angry? That night, Izuku fell asleep to an All Might video playing on repeat.
The morning wasn’t any better. His mom had informed his teacher about his quirk status and the news had spread like wildfire. The other kids had begun distancing themselves from him in fear of being ‘infected’ with quirklessness. They looked at him like he was trash, less than human. Kacchan had run to him that day, demanding a confirmation and all he could do was nod. He watched the way Kacchan’s face crumpled, his scowl deepened. Izuku felt even more desperate, “B- but we could still be heroes together, r-right? I will train even harder to keep up with you!” he said. “No, Deku! It’s not the same. You are useless now,” he replied and Izuku’s heart broke. He pushed him away yelling “Stay away from me! I won’t let you hold me back”. Izuku could only watch as Kacchan walked away, ignoring him for the rest of the day. Since then, Izuku started to hate going to preschool because he always came back with cuts and bruises. The kids at preschool had started pushing and tripping him whenever they could after they realised how defenseless he was. Kacchan even invited some of his friends to laugh at him. He wanted to ask the teachers for help but they all turned a blind eye to him. One time they even called his mother to come pick him up after a kid falsely lied and said that Izuku had tried to push her. His mother was deeply ashamed and apologised multiple times to the girl’s parents. He didn’t get to eat anything that day.
Soon, the situation at home began to get worse. His mom talked to him less, only making small talk here and there. She always seemed worried about something. Making it feel like she was somewhere far away even though she was still in the room with him. This whole thing made Izuku restless, he felt as if something bad was going to happen, and it sure did. The day his father got home, all hell broke loose. He found out about the news and started throwing things around, banging against the doors and using his quirk. Izuku had to lock the door to his room as his father beat his mom up. He yelled, blaming his mom for birthing a useless son like him, and at him for ruining everyone's life. He kept rambling on and on about how much goddamn money he wasted on a stupid, quirkless kid and how ruined his reputation was. Izuku, poor little Izuku could only hide underneath his bed, desperately trying to not make a sound and praying to whatever God was out there to protect his mom. He felt useless as he listened to his mom’s cries and pleadings. How could I dream of becoming a hero when I couldn’t even protect mama?
Izuku felt brave enough to come out once he was sure that his dad had left. His dad said that he was getting rid of them for good. He did not want to be tied to them in any way. “That boy is not my son,” he declared before quickly leaving the house. Izuku’s heart hurt like never before. He couldn’t breathe, chest constricting painfully as he registered the words. His dad had left him, abandoned him. Is he really that worthless to keep? Thousands of thoughts flashing through his mind. But before he could start panicking, he remembered his mom. Mama, where’s mama? Is mama okay? His breath stilled when he finally found his mama in the living room. She had a black eye and bruises on her left cheek. Her arms were covered in burn marks that looked as if she had used her arms to shield herself from his father’s fiery breath. He wanted to run to his mom. “M-mama! Mama are you-” his words were cut off as his mom shot him a furious look. “You. This was all because of you” She started. His heart stopped. “How am I going to support us? I am a housewife for God’s sake! Why can’t you just be normal Izuku? Don’t you feel sorry for me? Look at me! Look at what you have done to me.”. Izuku felt scared, his mom was looking at him like she wanted to do the same thing to Izuku. But before he could do anything she grabbed Izuku by the arm and shoved him into the attic, ignoring his pitiful cries and apologies. “You are staying in there and don’t you dare come out. I can’t let you bother anyone anymore”.