Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Aizawa Shouta usually doesn’t think much about the other people around him, he has enough things on his plate between his friends, husband, patrols and all the tasks his sadist of a boss likes to give him since ‘he no longer has a class to teach this year’.

So Shouta doesn’t really tend to connect with people, most of his social interactions being with co-works at UA, and villains he’s apprehending in ally ways at night. He just doesn’t see the point of it, much to his husbands dismay and frustration.

So it doesn’t surprise Shouta that he didn’t notice right away the change to his nightly routine before patrols. He carries on as he usually would, saying goodnight to Zashi, feeding Bastard and Tillie and then slipping into their apartment’s kitchen for a much needed hot cup of his death coffee. Before grabbing his goggles and capture weapon and slipping out of their cozy apartment to start his patrol for the night.

It’s just like any other night, Zashi is already in bed sleeping after a late shift on his Hands Up Radio station. Bastard and Tillie curled up around him purring. Shouta had just finished pouring his cup of death wish coffee when he felt a tingling sensation in the back of his mind. Someone was watching him, a sense he had picked up years and years ago while working as an underground hero and even expanding on when he finally accepted Nedzu’s offer to teach at UA. Those hellions Zashi and Nemuri called students were more scheming and nosy than his friends gave them credit for.

Which was part of the reason he was happy to rid himself of a heroics class for the year, even if the usual looks he receives while walking around UA were now traded out for another type of look from students. Especially 1-B, who Vlad was probably telling scary rumours about Shouta to now that he thinks about it.

Looking around himself Shouta doesn’t see anything that would cause him to feel watched until he’s met with bright green eyes staring at him from behind two panes of glass and a two metre gap.

It’s a young teenager, not unlike his own expelled first year class this year in appearance. The teen is watching Shouta from the apartment directly beside Zashi and his own apartment building. Their kitchen windows happening to face each other almost exactly.

The green eyed teen doesn’t show any reaction to being caught watching, just pausing for a moment before taking another sip from his own mug. Making eye contact all the while.

Shouta honestly doesn’t know what to do, he’s not great with people, let alone young teens. On more than one occasion having accidentally scared kids in the past. Zashi and Nem are always telling him that he just needs practice but Shouta would rather not traumatize kids to achieve said ‘practice’.
But.. Shouta lifts his cat mug at the teen still making eye contact, before chugging the rest of it and padding out of the kitchen and starting his patrol for the night.

By time his patrol is over and he’s slipping back into bed with Zashi and the cats after a much needed hot shower, the strange green teen had completely faded from memory.

It isn’t until the next night that Shouta is suddenly reminded of the odd interaction, because it happens again. The teen is just standing in his own lit up kitchen sipping from a plain grey mug watching Shouta in his own kitchen. His piercing green eyes staring into his own once the teen sees that Shouta is looking his way.
This time though, the teen finishes his drink first and waves hesitantly before leaving to go further into a dark apartment.

Shouta just stares blankly at where the teen had been standing while he finishes the rest of his death wish coffee before once again slipping out of his apartment to start his patrol.

Shouta is kinda embarrassed to say that this goes on for another eight or so nights before he mentions it to Nemuri and Zashi during one of their get togethers at the couple’s apartment. A rare night off for all three pros. They were all watching a cheesy rom-com movie and eating cheap food when suddenly Shouta realized this is exactly the type of story his two friends love to hear about.

“Wait, Sho. You’ve been having staring contests with a teenager every night at midnight for over a week and you didn’t think to mention it???”

His husband sounds incredulous, Nemuri vigorously nodding along with his words while she chews on a dessert from her place on their carpet.

“I guess..? I didn’t really think about it. He just showed up and the first couple times I honestly forgot about it since I patrol right after.”

There’s a brief silence where the three friends just eat food and listen to the credit’s music of their movie play behind them.

He’s going to regret this, he can feel it. But….

“It’s actually almost the time he usually shows up at the window-“

Before Shouta can even finish his sentence his two friends are up and off the floor to race into their small kitchen, shoving and laughing all the way. Shouta pinches the bridge of his nose sighing, he’s definitely going to regret this.

He stands correct when a couple minutes later the green eyed teen, who Shouta eventually had realized also has green hair, walks into his kitchen and sees three sets of eyes all watching him instead of just Shouta’s like usual.

Green eyes widen before the teen sets down his grey mug and leaves the kitchen again. Not even flicking off the light as he all bit flees.

“Well that was odd, do you think we startled the little dude?”

“I mean probably, I would be pretty startled is I realized three people were watching me.”

The two continue to chat thinking about what went wrong while Shouta just listens passively and watches his neighbours empty lit up kitchen, wondering if the teen will eventually come back out, even if just to turn off the light.

It’s not until later when Nemuri is passed out on their living room couch and Zashi is getting ready for bed himself that Shouta notices the teen back in his kitchen.
Deciding to step into his own kitchen to at least greet the teen like normal; Shouta disregards his orginal task of bringing Zashi an extra blanket for the bed, since Nemuri stole a bunch for the couch from their room.

Green eyes instantly zero in on Shouta once he enters the kitchen. Before peering behind him to look for other people, probably wary after earlier.

Shouta keeps the kid company while the greenette makes and drinks some coffee, he had eventually found out what the teen was drinking after watching him make it a couple times.
Just before he goes to leave the kitchen the teen does something that catches Shouta off guard.

“What happened to the other two from earlier?”

The teen can sign.
Staring at him for a long moment Shouta sighs just thinking over what to say. Having learned JSL in high school for Zashi.

“They’re both getting ready for bed”

And after a second.

“Sorry if we startled you earlier, they wanted to meet you.”

This seems to really confuse the teen, as his eyebrows pinch together and his head tilts to one side. Reminding Shouta vaguely of a cute animal.

“Why would they want to meet me?”

At this Shouta pauses again, which apparently was a mistake because the teen quickly turns away from the window and makes an exit from his kitchen this time turning off the light.

Definitely an odd reaction.. something about it reminding Shouta of when he himself was a teen. But that could just be him projecting and being paranoid.
Deciding to put the weird interaction out of his mind Shouta picks up his arm load of blankets and heads to meet Zashi in their room.

It isn’t until a couple nights later that Shouta again sees the teen in his kicthen. This time Shouta signs a quick greeting before drinking his coffee, the teen looking tired and nervous before signing back his own greeting.

After the brief disappearance, every single night the two have run into each other at midnight in their adjacent kitchens to drink coffee. Sometimes trading signed conversations, oddly enough with Shouta doing majority of the talking.
The talking is one difference from before Zashi and Nem startled the kid, who eventually signed that Shouta could call him Midori which felt a bit in the nose to Shouta but all the same he startled to use green as his sign name. In return telling the teen to call him Eraser.
The other difference from before is Nem and Zashi now demand updates about the teen nearly every day, one time startling Vlad into choking on his water in the teachers lounge when asking how Shouta’s kid was doing. She had gotten glared at for a while after that, since now the other staff members ask about his ‘mystery kid’ every once and a while. Mainly as a tease, but all the same.

Zashi had taken to calling Midori ‘his little listener’ and ‘the green kit’ much to Shoutas dread.

Months passed like this, with only a couple incidents where the teen would disappear for a couple days. One time even going away for two weeks. It was a stressful time for the three friends, as they didn’t know what could have caused such a long absence.
But eventually Midori had returned to the kitchen and sheepishly waved at Shouta before chugging his mug of coffee and padding back out of the kitchen. After that they went back to nightly meetings.

It wasn’t until the teen went missing again for a couple weeks almost a year after they first ‘met’ that the trio became really concerned again. Sadly though, with the new school year starting they didn’t have much time they could dedicate to worrying or figuring out how to find their missing Midori.

The first day of classes came around and Shouta wasn’t looking forward to dealing with his own batch of hellions again. He really enjoyed all the free time last year, maybe he could just expel this class as well?

As usual Shouta slipped into his yellow sleeping bag before slithering into his classroom, just listening to the rowdy voices of the teens. Counting the seconds it would take for someone to notice him on the floor at the front of the class. Last years batch had taken twenty seconds before one teen accidentally tripped on him alerting the rest to his existence.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-

And there it is, there’s a little gasp from the left side of the classroom which Shouta takes as his que to get out of his sleeping back and address his new class 1-A.

“It took you eight seconds to notice me. My name is Aizawa Shouta, I will be your homeroom teacher for this year. Put these on and-“

Green eyes.

There are bright piercing green eyes staring at Shouta, the same green eyes that had been absent for the past couple weeks.

Midori was standing in front of him, Midori was one of his students. His brain buffered for a second, just staring at the teen he’s been interacting with for a year now from his kitchen window.

“- put these on and head to gym gamma. Midori stay here so I can talk with you.”

A couple of the teens cast the green haired one curious looks and a brown haired girl smiles at Midori, seemingly offering support before leaving with the rest of the class. One teen, a blonde smirks at Midori also seeminly saying something to him before grabbing his gym uniform and stomping out of the classroom.

Silence reigns in the now empty classroom, neither of the neighbours moving. Just as Shouta opens his mouth the teen speaks up.

“Hey Eraser… it’s nice to see you!”

Midori voice is exactly what his voice looks like it would be based on his exterior. Nemuri owes him money now for guessing their green teen’s voice correctly.

“Hey kid, want to tell me where you’ve been these past few weeks?”

Chapter Text

When Midoriya Izuku was thirteen Inko stopped coming home. He would like to say that it came as a surprise but most of his life after turning four and getting diagnosed as quirkless there was a great divide between the two person family.
Most of the developments were slow; less and less talking between them, Izuku walking to school by himself by the time he was six, Inko taking more and more hours at the hospital she worked at, and so on.

By time Izuku turned twelve he mainly was living by himself anyways, having to work under the table at a quirkless run, quirkless serving café just so he could buy groceries and school supplies. Inko would often forget to do both, as she rarely was even home. Thankfully though, she did pay for the apartment, and on the days she was home she would restock the kitchen and other parts of the house.

Izuku knew that Inko wasn’t the best mom, he overheard kids at his middle school taking about their mom’s or even their dad’s and they sounded nothing like Inko.
But, Izuku understood that he was the reason Inko wasn’t a good mom.
He heard the people at the quirk doctor’s office, and the store, and the parents at the school. They all spoke about what a saint his mom was to keep him after his diagnosis.
How if they birthed a quirkless runt they probably would have killed it, ‘for the better’ they said.

So Izuku wasn’t stupid, he remembers when he was younger. Before he got diagnosed, when his parents would spend hours on end playing hero with him in their apartment and taking him to the park nearby. Letting him swing between them by holding their hands.

After his diagnosis that all went away, first his dad and Inko got into an argument for weeks. Then suddenly no dad, just Inko crying in her room and not coming out for days. Even when Izuku himself cried for her at her locked door for hours.

After that things went back to semi normal, though Inko didn’t talk much to him after she eventually emerged from her room.

Young Izuku was determined to do the best he could! Because his mom was a saint just like everyone said and Izuku should have just been happy to still be alive after getting diagnosed.

But that’s all in the past now, because Inko isn’t the best mom and she left. She actually left weeks ago, but Izuku’s just thought she might be staying at a co-workers house again like she had in the past.

Then the power for the apartment shut off; and it got cold, because the heat went with it; and the water no longer ran.

A week after everything shut off, the apartment building owner chased him out of the apartment with a literal broom. Where she got the broom Izuku doesn’t know, though he kinda assumes she brought it specifically to threaten him with. She had always glared at Izuku when she would see him around the building, even sometimes she wouldn’t let Izuku into the building at all if she caught him trying to enter by himself on the rare occasion she was at the front desk.

Thankfully Izuku had already packed most of his important possessions in his bag, since the apartment wasn’t super livable anymore, and was able to grab the bag before being chased all the way out of the apartment building.

The time between that and moving into his new apartment is mostly a blur to Izuku. He doesn’t really want to think about it. It was cold.

But then he moved into his new one bedroom apartment!

It only had the bare necessities and looked a little worse for wear in…. Everywhere. But it worked, and it was warm.

He could have just about cried when he had a hot shower for the first time since getting chased out of Inko’s old apartment. The hot water felt so nice on his aching body.

Then it ran out and turned cold. He got out of it quickly after that.

It wasn’t until almost two weeks later that he was drinking a mug of coffee in his tiny kitchenette area that he looked up and noticed him.

A man, not super old maybe late twenties? Drinking something in a orange cat mug. The man had medium length black hair and looked extremely tired, hopefully his mug had chamomile tea. So he could get some rest.

… not that Izuku and his steaming coffee could talk.

Izuku honestly hadn’t even noticed that he was staring at the man, his neighbour apparently, until suddenly he was met with black eyes staring back at him.

His tired brain not even really processing the fact he just got caught staring at a complete stranger in the middle of the night Izuku just sips from his coffee again, not bothering to move his gaze.

The man leaves not long after, oddly enough seeming to leave the apartment instead of going to bed.

Kami, Izuku hopes the man wasn’t on his way to beat the shit out of him for staring. Though he hadn’t looked annoyed by Izuku staring, he has been beat up for a lot less. Izuku should have just stopped staring, doesn’t matter how tired he was. Hopefully the advertised break-in-proof doors of the apartment building weren’t a lie in case the man was actually angry.

Deciding to not stick around and see, Izuku sets his mug in the sink and goes back to his bare room. Just sitting on his bed for a while staring at the white walls before deciding to catch up on his missed school work from when everything was a blur.

Honestly Izuku was starting to think his neighbour was doing this on purpose. It’s been seven days, or nights rather, of the two running into each other at midnight drinking from mugs in their adjacent kitchens.

But that would be crazy, because who would interact with a quirkless Deku on purpose?

It was the next night, and Izuku decided to put down him middle school uniform for now. The sewing was almost completely done, and if you squinted you wouldn’t even notice that it used to be torn all apart along the shoulder and back!

Stupid Kacchan and his lackeys.

Time for coffee, because Izuku could feel that this wouldn’t be a great night for sleep. Though to be fair, most nights weren’t great nights for sleep with Izuku.

Padding down the short hallway connecting his bedroom to the living and kitchen space of his little apartment, Izuku wonders if his neighbour would already be in his kitchen or if Izuku would be first again to their nightly meetings.

What Izuku was not expecting is to walk into his kitchenette only to look through his window and be met with three pairs of eyes. Two wide with excitement, a dark haired woman and a blonde man, glancing behind them Izuku also spots his neighbour who looks tired, like always, watching Izuku as well.

Nope, nope nope. This is not what Izuku signed up for when he started having midnight coffees with his dark neighbour.

Quickly exiting his kitchenette Izuku mentally stresses about the two new comers to the midnight coffee meets.
Once he’s safely back in his room Izuku allows himself to freak out fully, breath coming slightly too quick and hands shaking. Though thankfully not a full on panic attack, it still kinda sucks.

And at the end of it all, he realizes that the two guests to midnight coffee were actually the pro heroes Midnight and Present Mic.

Holy Shit.

Back to panicking.

Eventually Izuku calms down again, though he’s sure it’s at least an hour later. He knows sleep will definitely avoid him tonight now that he’s run away from Midnight and Present Mic, as well as his own neighbour like some idiot. So Izuku NEEDS coffee, he just hopes he won’t run into anyone this time.

Creeping back down his short hallway and into his still lit up kitchenette Izuku decides it’s all clear. Quickly grabbing his grey mug again and making a hot mug of coffee to aid him in his insomnia quest.

Sadly, Izuku gets a little too focused on his coffee and doesn’t realize right away that he’s being watched.
His dark neighbour is back.

No sight of the two daylight pro heroes at least.

Deciding that staying where he is, is better than running away again Izuku vows to stay put for now. Allowing his neighbour to keep him company, though he notices the man’s orange cat mug and drink is absent for this later meeting.

Finishing the last few drops of his drink Izuku pauses before turning away to leave, he owes his neighbour some sort of apology for his behaviour earlier.

Hopefully his neighbour knows JSL, though Izuku is guessing he will since Present Mic was chilling at his apartment. Izuku has seen the daylight pro hero’s hearing aides before when watching a fight of his in person about a year ago.

“What happened to the other two from earlier?”

He decides to ask, worried that he may have ruined the three’s get together with his rude behaviour earlier. Hopefully he didn’t.

“They’re both getting ready for bed. Sorry if we startled you earlier, they wanted to meet you”

Huh, why is his neighbour the one apologizing? They did nothing wrong, it was Izuku’s fault for reacting badly to the three of them.

But another thing stood out to Izuku about his neighbours signed words.

“Why would they want to meet me?”

Maybe it was a joke? Sarcasm doesn’t translate the best when the person you’re signing with is in a totally different building and doesn’t seem too facially expressive anyways. Oh no, Izuku probably just missed the sarcasm or something.

Abort mission, abort!

Izuku decides that he’s never leaving the sanctity of his little bedroom. He will sooner starve than leave these four walls. Especially since he realized a few minutes later that Izuku had completely forgot to apologize! His neighbour probably thinks Izuku is so rude. He’s literally never leaving his bedroom again.

Of course that won’t work, and Izuku hasn’t patched himself, as well as his possessions back together after being stolen or beaten just to starve himself to death in his apartment.

So instead Izuku decides to avoid midnight coffees for a couple days after the accidental meeting with the two daylight heroes through the panes of his kitchen window on top of the awkward signed conversation with his dark neighbour.

Instead drinking his coffee while at work at the Quirky Café and dedicating all of his time to school, work and building up his stamina. Something he’d taken to after trying to run away from Kacchan’s lackeys not long after he moved into his new apartment and being out run by them which resulted in one of the worst beatings to date for Izuku.

So building stamina to run it was.

Every single day.

The staff at Quirky Café were more than happy to host the younger teen more often than usual for those days.
Putting Izuku right to work, which he would never complain about. The patrons and staff of Quirky Café were a god send for him, a purely quirkless community area. He learned so much about his own community while working under the table there. He even picked up a few rituals shared in the quirkless community.
Such as lying about his quirkless status at places that don’t require ID and instead claiming that his green hair and eyes are mutations instead of normal genetic traits.
As well as wearing a red star somewhere on him whenever going out, because Sasha a regular at the café explained that if the Q&C generic red sneakers weren’t enough of a que for other quirkless that they are with friends then the red star is the confirmation.
The next day Sasha came in and gifted Izuku a necklace chain with a bright red star pendant on it. It was apparently gifted to Sasha when he was even younger than Izuku by another quirkless adult in Russia.

Izuku wears his red star always.

But eventually Izuku forgot that he was avoiding midnight coffee like the heads in the cloud teen he was. Not even realizing his mistake until he was already drinking his coffee and was caught by his dark haired neighbour.

The man just signs hello at Izuku, who had paused mid slurp, before setting to making his own coffee.

After a second Izuku signs back, not wanting to be rude but kinda panicking since he hadn’t meant to attend a midnight coffee meeting.

Deciding to just go with it Izuku stays where he his until he finishes his hot coffee before waving goodbye to the man and leaving to go to work. It’s a late shift, but the Café technically never closes; its a quirkless business habit. Since quirkless people tend to avoid general society to the best of their ability plenty of us don’t shop until after the moon has risen high in the night sky.

All fifteen of the quirkless run and used shops and safe spaces around Musutafu are the same way. Running 24/7 every single day of the year to provide safe areas for quirkless people no matter what or when.

A couple more midnight coffee meetings pass without much fanfare, simple signed greetings and departures happen before Izuku gets a notification from the quirkless society forum for Musutafu.

They had lost another one of them… this time a young teenager. Younger than Izuku even. They had committed suicide early last night.

Gathering his backpack and grabbing a variety of supplies needed for staying away from home for a couple nights Izuku leaves his apartment. Making his way to the Quirky Café, swiftly greeted by a crowd of other quirkless patrons and staff all gathered in the dining area of the café forming a circle and standing in silence.

This was another ritual of the quirkless community that Izuku had grown used to since moving out of Inko’s abandoned apartment.

When one of their community died they were all to meet at one of the fifteen safe areas purely for their community. Once you got there you were to stand in silence for as long as you wanted, before breaking to offer support to each other and speak about the one lost if you knew them and listen about the one lost if you didn’t.

People all took their own schedule, but before you could return to your home or wherever you were previously staying everyone was to visit each of the fifteen safe spaces. Repeating the process of standing in silence and then sharing stories and offering support.

Izuku ended up taking three days, wanting to spend time with casual friends, who he sometimes only ever ran into at these community rituals, but also wanting to hear about the young teen who they had just lost.
There were so many interesting stories about the enby, they apparently were really into pre-quirked history, as well as dogs. Having told anyone who would chat with them about the amazing things dogs can do and how each breed was special for it’s traits and so on.

They sounded like a wonderful person.

But after three days away from his apartment Izuku was finally home again. At just around ten at night, so plenty of time to shower and do more missed school work. Thankfully at least, Izuku had managed to only miss school the first day of the vigil as the other two days were the weekend. Though he would have gladly missed school to attend the gatherings.

It wasn’t until a couple hours later that Izuku wondered if his neighbour had still been attending their midnight coffee meetings in his absence.

Deciding to put down his work for now, he was almost done anyways, Izuku sets off on his mission for coffee and companionship in the form of his eternally tired and scruffy looking neighbour.

And alas there he was, already sipping from his orange cat mug when Izuku flicked on his kitchenette’s light.

The two traded greetings as had become the normal, though apparently Izuku’s absence hadn’t been totally unnoticed as the man swiftly asks where he’s been.

Still feeling a bit fresh, and knowing much of quirkless communities culture isn’t supposed to be shared with people outside of it for safety reasons, Izuku decides to not answer the question but instead give the man something to call him.

A couple ideas come to mind before Izuku settles on one.

“Call me Midori.”

The man looks kinda skeptical for a second and Izuku almost laughs when his black eyes glance between Izuku’s green hair and eyes before seeming to huff.

“Okay, you can call me Eraser then kid.”

And wow, Izuku is slow.

Because his neighbour isn’t just friends with pro heroes. He IS a pro hero!

Shit! He’s neighbours with Eraserhead!

He’s been having midnight coffee meetings with a pro hero for weeks!

Trying to act normal despite the chaos in his head right now, Izuku settles for nodding at the man, Eraserhead!, and then sets his grey mug in the sink pours some water in it and signs a goodbye before retreating back into his room to externalize his internal panic.

What fun.

Days pass again, and between work, school and midnight meetings Izuku falls into a comfortable schedule of sorts.

He also learns a lot of new things about Eraserhead, the man rambles a lot. He’s even worse than Izuku used to be and that said something! Who knew an underground hero could ramble so much, you would think they were the quiet type not so chatty!

Izuku learned about the man’s two cats, Bastard and Tillie. Bastard sounds like a riot of a time and Izuku thinks that if someone tried to kidnap him using the cat for bait they would probably succeed. Same goes for Tillie in all fairness, she sounds so soft and sweet from Eraserhead’s descriptions.

Izuku also learned that Present Mic wasn’t just visiting his neighbours apartment that one night weeks ago. He’s actually Izuku’s neighbour as well! And wasn’t that a turn of events. Though it explained the silver wedding band on Eraserhead’s ring finger.

He learned some other things, but they were smaller like that his neighbour has actually been drinking death wish coffee every night. Which is concerning even to a pro insomniac like Izuku. Or that Eraserhead is actually going on nightly patrols after their meetings.

Sadly, Izuku may have gotten too comfortable in his schedule because that’s when he ends up cornered at school by Kacchan and three of his lackeys after taking the same path home for the third day in a row by accident. Izuku honestly just wanted to get back home to his apartment so he could change and head to work, he had bills to pay and regulars to chat with!

Izuku ended up with a few new scars that day.

Dragging himself home from behind his middle school, hours after the last bell rung Izuku is consumed by his own thoughts.
He’s bleeding as he walks, actually leaving a spotty trail most of the trip. With the flow finally stopping just before he reaches his street, thanks to the wounds tentatively clotting over.

He spends at least two hours in his tiny bathroom trying to clean and dress the slashes along his back from the young teen who’s quirk allows him to lengthen and reinforce his nails.

Izuku would honestly rather be whipped than deal with his classmate’s quirk.

Easier to reach than those wounds, are some burns across his ankles, arms and shoulder. Thankfully only second degree burns, he can easily treat those after years of practice.

Finally he re-emerges and makes a b-line for his bedroom honestly wanting to just pass out and sleep away the healing process. That’s what he’s done in the past, much easier than trying to do things while injured.

So he does exactly that, only waking up to clean and re-dress his wounds as well as make simple meals and text Hinto that he won’t be able to come into work for a weak at least. He eventually wakes again to a text telling him to take as much time as needed, another perk of working at one of the safe spaces, everyone understands.

A while later Izuku wakes again and realizes that most of his wounds have reached the point where they no longer sear with pain when he moves and that the scabs are hard or flaking away already. Showing the soft tender pink scars left underneath.

Time to rejoin the world of the living.

Showering Izuku texts Hinto again to let her know that he’ll probably pop down to the café for a couple hours today. He has bills to pay after all.

All he gets back is a smiley face. He guesses that’s good.

Getting dressed the green haired teen slips on his red sneakers and a black jacket. Within the hour arriving at the hidden café and being greeted with relief by the regular patrons. Including Sasha who simply similes from his seat in the furthest booth from the front entrance.

Laughing for the first time in a while Izuku chats with the crowd before slipping away to grab an apron and hair net. Hinto doesn’t say much, just hugs him before he can get to work and tells Izuku that she’s glad he’s okay.

Hours later Izuku is sent packing by Fuwashi, the younger cousin of Hinto. Claiming that young teens like Izuku need better sleep schedules, completely ignoring the fact Fuwashi is only three years older than Izuku.
But he doesn’t mind, he feels tired and achy. Plus! If he leaves now he may make it to his midnight coffee meeting with Eraserhead; assuming that the man had continued them again in his absence.

He had, Eraserhead was there sipping death wish coffee when Izuku got home from the café. It’s such a small thing, such a stupid thing. But suddenly Izuku feels like crying, because this random neighbour he accidentally got to know waited for him to return to their meetings for nearly two weeks. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t know Izuku is quirkless or maybe it’s purely accidental but it’s more than a non-quirkless individual has done for him since he was four.

Deciding to get away quickly before he gave away his rising tide of depressing emotions, Izuku quickly makes his mug of coffee. Waves at Eraserhead and chugs the whole thing before setting it in the sink and leaving to go have his emotional breakdown in his bed.

Because it’s much better to be comfortable and depressed than standing in your kitchen being depressed into front of your favourite underground hero in the middle of the night.

Time moves quickly, especially when you’re as busy as Izuku is. Though he learned his lesson and doesn’t allow himself or let his guard down anymore and be lulled into a fake sense of security caused by having people and a consistent schedule. He does not want a repeat of last time.

He has enough scars thank you.

They loose another two community members part way through the year, this time murder by a hate group known for hunting the quirkless population of Japan.
Hopefully they move their hunting grounds soon.

There was a good thing though! Yei a middle aged lady Izuku knew from the café as well as their vigil rituals got married! Her husband has a minor quirk, the ability to sense the general emotions of those within five metres of him.

They invited the quirkless community to the wedding. Even including some of their rituals into the ceremony!
Such as using red flowers for everything, representing all the quirkless who didn’t make it to the wedding. Allowing them to be there in symbolism and in our hearts.
As well as the groom carrying the biggest rock he can find from the entrance to the altar. This was a practice created a couple years ago when we realized we needed a way to include non-community closed weddings in our rituals. Sasha was actually the one to suggest the rock, saying it was to represent the non-quirkless partner’s dedication and understanding of the weight that the community always had to carry with them. Basically they were proving that they were ready to join the community through marriage if not through genetics.

It was a beautiful wedding, and the couple looked so happy the whole time.

The cake was also delicious so that’s a plus.

But now the school year is just about done, Izuku is graduating from Aldera middle school. Which while exciting also means that he’s been dealing with more and more minor wounds and meaner and meaner insults from his classmates and other kids at the school.

He’s going to apply for UA. It’s his dream, and nothing will stop him.

Izuku wants to get in for all of the quirkless kids and even now adults from the community that couldn’t get in. He wants to prove that quirkless doesn’t mean useless. Not really.

Sadly, his teachers are never on his side.

“It says here that Bakugou you’re applying just for UA! We know you’ll do it! And…. Deku. It says you’re also trying to get into UA. I asked that everyone take this seriously Deku. This is not a joke.”

And there it is.. even his teachers call him Deku. Useless..

“Haaaah? DEKU?! I thought I told you to fuck off and not apply for UA! That’s my school!”

And like clock work, there’s Kacchan. Always super supportive.

Not.

“I know Kacchan! But I mean, it doesn’t hurt anyone if I apply. I thought I could at least try!”

“Like they would let some quirkless runt apply to their school! Aren’t there regulations against that?”

A girl in his class who’s quirk allows her to see in the dark chimes in.

“N-n-n-not any more! T-they changed that a couple years ago!”

Stupid stutter, Izuku no matter how hard he tried can’t kill the stupid thing. Not at school at least.

Thankfully before Kaccan can yell at Izuku some more the teacher calls the class back to quiet. Looking pleased at how Kaccan is seething in his seat glaring at Izuku.

Fuck you too teacher.

The second the last bell rings Izuku tries to pack up all of his things and flee the classroom before Kacchan. Sadly Kacchan’s lackey, the one with the nails quirk grabs him by the shoulder to stop him from leaving. Nails extending down to pierce his school jacket and draw a little bit of blood.

“And where do you think you’re going Deku?”

“Yeah! A useless runt like you needs to be put in their place. Right Bakugo?”

Wow they’re pathetic… like well trained dogs if anything, always looking to Kacchan like he’s their master.

The only warning Izuku gets is the sweet smell of nitroglycerin, which honestly makes his skin crawl now, before he’s on the floor clutching the side of his face.

Fuck that hurt. Always with that right hook Kacchan.

Things fade into pain and mean sounding words for a while after that. Izuku isn’t even sure the teacher had left yet before Kacchan and his lackeys started their attack. Probably wanted to watch for a bit to make sure her work came to fruition.

Next thing Izuku knows is being hauled up by his uniform and shoved back into his desk and the sight of his thirteenth analysis notebook in Kacchan’s hand fills his blurry vision .

“I wonder if this will get it through your stupid, underdeveloped head Deku. You. Will. Not. Apply. To. UA.. Got it?”

His notebook starts to smoke and a whimper leaves his throat against his will.

“I SAID! Got it?”

“Why does it even matter Kacchan! You obviously don’t think I can do it. So what’s the threat of me applying?!”

BOOM.

“There’s no threat Deku! You’re nothing but a pebble on my road to becoming the number one hero! So act like it and take a swan dive off the roof of the building and hope for a quirk in your next life.”

Numb. He feels numb as he watches his once childhood friend turned tormentor throw the ruined smoking remains of his thirteenth analysis notebook out the classroom window while surrounded by his laughing lackeys.

Numb is how Izuku feels when he eventually leaves the class room to go look for the remains of said notebook.

Numb is how he feels walking back to his apartment from the school.

Numb is how he feels when the manhole cover goes flying and he gets consumed by a slime villain.

Surprisingly he even feels numb when All Might shows him his skinny form and leaves him alone on a roof after telling him no.

Everything is just numb. Even as he leans over the ledge of the roof, watching the traffic and people below.

Sadly, it doesn’t stay numb for long enough and next thing he knows he’s gasping for air alone on the top of a very tall building. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t do that to his community! How could he even think of doing such a thing?! He’s seen how much each death hurts the community!

Hours later Izuku is sitting back at his apartment trying to copy all the information from his thirteenth analysis notebook into a new notebook that wasn’t burned, eaten by fish and then coated in slime.
It’s a long and painful process in which he has to take many breaks to cry and resist the urge to scream. He has neighbours after all.

He clutches his red star every time he starts to regret not jumping off the roof instead of using the stairs. He won’t do that to his community. He won’t.

It’s just after midnight when Izuku realizes that he could really use a midnight coffee meeting. Though maybe he’ll have chamomile tea instead, just this once. He would really like to sleep for a while.

Eraserhead is already there when Izuku walks into his kitchenette, flicking in the light as he enters, catching the trained eye of his neighbour immediately.

He makes his tea in silence not looking at Eraserhead until his tea is poured and he’s sipping at it.

“No coffee for you tonight Midori?”

“No, not tonight. I want to sleep.”

He tries to keep his response neutral but his neighbour looks slight concerned regardless. Maybe it’s the eye bags?

“How was your day?”

He decides to ask, maybe a bit of small talk will soothe his neighbour’s concerns.

“Boring, did a bunch of office tasks for my sadist of a boss and lost a bet with my friend. I owe her a dinner now.”

Izuku snorts, he’s only known his neighbour for a couple months or so now but this is the third time he’s lost a bet to who he assumed is Midnight.

“You should really see stop betting with that friend. You never win.”

His neighbour just glowers.

Welp, tea is all gone. Time to hope it works it’s magic.
Signing goodnight to the pro Izuku goes back to his room to curl up and hopefully forget all about today.
Though maybe he would keep the memory of his midnight coffee meeting.

He likes them.

It takes a week for the idea to form. But when it does Izuku feels stupid.

He should be training. He should have been training for years now but Izuku tends to miss the obvious at times.
Too focused on details to notice the bigger picture, that’s what Fuwashi says anyways.

So Izuku joins a gym, lying about his quirkless status and instead saying that he has minor mutation quirk; which gives him his green hair and eyes. They buy it.

So Izuku starts working out, he works hard, he now realizes that while smarts is very important and his ability to analyze will get him far. He needs muscle and some sort of fighting ability to stand anywhere a chance of getting into UA’s hero course.

The months fly by like seconds, meetings at the Quirky Café, midnight conversations with Eraserhead, almost getting kidnapped for a quirkless human trafficking ring, shopping for workout gear, going to the gym, joining a dojo, walking away from the ledge on a couple of occasions always clutching his red star as he does so. Sadly attending another vigil that took four days this time.

And now the entrance exam for UA’s hero course is in just over two weeks away.

Izuku is walking home from the café, it’s around three in the morning and Goji has just shown up to take over. Goji was another teen working at the café under the table like Izuku.

He was really looking forward to going to sleep soon. Sadly life had other plans, which happen to follow its general theme of Fuck Izuku that it usually does.

This time it’s in the form of being yanked into the alleyway beside where he was walking. Squawking around the hand over his mouth Izuku tries to get away from the person who grabbed him. Only to see two more guys blocking his path to freedom anyways.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Why can’t he catch a break!?

“Lookie who we found boys! A little quirkless dog!”

“Think he’ll be any fun boss? We’ve been hunting him down for the past week! I want something in return for all our hard work!”

“Don’t worry Hido, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of fun skinning this particular prey.”

Oh fuck. Looks like that quirkless hunting cult is back in Musutafu. He would have to put out the alert to the community forum once he gets home. Assuming he survives.

“Look guys, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not fucking quirkless! It’s fucking rude to assume I am just because my mutation is minor.”

Sometimes pretending you have a quirk will get them to back off or pause long enough to make a break for it.
Sadly that is not the case here as they do neither.

Time for plan B.

Going into the offensive Izuku lashes out trying to at least incapacitate one of them. Thankfully all it takes to take out one of the two blocking his escape is a throat jab and bashing their head into the wall of the alleyway.

The remaining two curse, taking more serious fighting stances which sucks for Izuku.

Go for broke he guesses.

He lunges for the one further in the alleyway, he’s the leader of this group. Maybe if he’s down the last one will back the fuck off.
Only one way to find out.

Izuku gets a good three attacks on the guy before he gets one returned in the form of being kneed in the stomach.

He can hear the two of them laugh as Izuku throws up and gags on the ground of the alleyway. Fucking pricks.

Taking the opportunity of them thinking he’s down Izuku lashes out with the small knife he had on his leg and manages to cut in deep near the not-leaders ankle. The guy curses loudly before stumbling and then being tackled by Izuku himself. Getting minorly stabbed in the shoulder all the while.

This is a matter of life or death for Izuku after all, even if he would rather not kill anyone.

Sadly taking out two of them is apparently as far as he will get as the next moment he’s being dragged off the not-leader by his hair and shoved into the filthy ground of the alleyway.

Time fades away as pain blossoms across most of his body. His fucking ribs is probably broken from the way the guy is kicking him.

Oh shit, the guy has his own knife, significantly bigger than Izuku’s own discarded one. He means like, karma for him since he did JUST stab a guy but it still seems a bit unfair and cruel.

Time fades away even further as the man seemingly carves into his skin with the hunter knife. Before spitting on Izuku’s prone form and dragging his two buddies away with him. Probably had a strength quirk judging by the way he hauled them with ease.

Not the time brain. Not the time, he doesn’t really care what quirk the guy had.

It’s not important, what he is focused on is his continued breathing.

So after a couple more minutes prone on the ground dreading what he’s about to do Izuku slowly stumbles to his feet. Everything is unsteady and he’s bleeding everywhere and there’s vomit from earlier on his clothes.

He’s a fucking mess is what he is.

But there’s no time like the present and so he starts the ten minute walk from the alleyway to his apartment. Gaining a couple looks on his way up to his home. Though he notices no one offerers to help him.

Dressing his wounds after a thorough and painful shower to wash the grime off and then soaking his wounds in disinfectant Izuku spends literal hours in his bathroom. Before passing out right there on the floor.

Not exactly the most comfortable, actually it fucking sucks, but he’s exhausted and lost a lot of blood. So he understands why he gave out.

He comes to again what is probably only five or so hours later hating everything because literally everything hurts.
He checks all his bandages and is happy he only has to replace the gauze on a couple of them. Before he crawls, yes crawls, his way to his bed and falls back asleep. Hopefully when he wakes up again some of the aching will have faded.

His wish is not granted when he wakes again almost a full twenty four hours later. Fuck. This is probably the worst he’s ever gotten hurt. The guy really beat him black and blue before deciding he really wanted to be be a sculptor instead.

Fuck him. Fuck his cult.

He needs food, and water. His mouth feels like cardboard and sand. Not a fun combo.

He settles for a quick meal of plain bread before chugging a couple mug fulls of water and then crawling back in bed to sleep away the healing process.

This continues for days and days. Eventually he remembers to contact Hinto as well as put out the alert on the community forum to watch out.

A week or so into the healing Izuku developed a fever. One of the cuts must have gotten a small infection. Which he did eventually treat and tend to, but he still had to deal with the general shittyness that came with a light infection. Which slowed down the rest of his healing for a couple days at least.

Finally, finally after what is probably close to just over two weeks after his run in with the quirkless killer cult guys he can move around semi freely without feeling like he’s about to start bleeding again.

Though he is reminded viciously how much he hates the general itchiness that comes with scabs.

Holy shit! The entrance exam is almost here!! And Izuku has been slacking off laying around all day in bed! Doesn’t matter that he almost died he CANNOT fail the entrance exam!

He throws himself back into his training, though he does have to take some breaks and set some restrictions so he doesn’t fuck up his healing.

Sadly, with all of this as well as reassuring the quirkless community that he’s fine and doing okay and will be back at work after the exam date he has completely flaked on midnight coffee meetings with Eraserhead!

He didn’t even notice until it was the night of the exam! But he really didn’t have time that night so it would have to be okay for a bit longer.

Izuku swore to himself that he would make sure to attend one of the meetings soon.

The exam sucked, it was beyond biased but… Izuku passed.

HE PASSED!!

Sure a bunch of his points were rescue points. But he did it!!

Fuck everyone who said he couldn’t!

Anndddd in the whirlwind of paper work for UA, actual work at the café as well as continued training for actual hero course classes Izuku continued to flake on his neighbour.

He really didn’t mean to! It just slipped his mind amongst his excitement.

So imagine Izuku’s surprise when his neighbour introduces himself the first day of classes at UA as Aizawa Shouta and their homeroom teacher. His neighbour, his neighbour who he’s been drinking coffee with at midnight for a year is his teacher at UA.

The same teacher slash neighbour that Izuku has been accidentally avoiding for just over half a month… oh shit.

And he’s looking right at him.

“-Midori stay here so I can talk with you.”

Wow, what a way to make his anxiety spike through the roof.
Izuku almost doesn’t even notice the reassuring, he thinks it’s supposed to be reassuring at least, look from Uraraka and he even almost doesn’t hear Kacchan gloat about how Izuku is about to be expelled from the school as he passes by Izuku.

Fuckkkkk. How did Izuku even manage to get himself in these types of situations?!

whelp, better to get it over with since apparently Eraserhead, or should he call him Aizawa Sensei now? isn’t going to start the conversation.

“Hey Eraser…. It’s nice to see you!”

Chapter Text

Izuku doesn’t really know what to do, Eraserhead wanted to know where he’s been but how do you explain to an quirked adult that you were almost murdered by a group of guys in an alleyway simply because you don’t have some magical ability?
That while he did survive the majority of his skin had become an angry black and blue canvas only broken up by red flowing cuts that soon became angry looking scabs for weeks on end.

You don’t.

You just don’t, that’s the answer. It’s been the answer ever since Izuku turned four and left the quirk doctor’s office with his hand clutched too tightly in Inko’s.

Thankfully deflecting and lying to the quirked population is a skill Izuku is adept at. Like all quirkless; he actually even attended a mini seminar at the Papillon Theatre, which is another quirkless safe space not too far from Aldera middle school, that was focused on teaching the younger generation of the quirkless community how to lie to survive.

So with an innocent chipper head tilt that would make Sasha laugh his ass off, Izuku deflects.

“I haven’t been anywhere Aizawa Sensei? I mean, I’ve been a bit busy with preparing for UA entrance exams but that’s about it.”

His teacher looks like he wants to cry, which is an interesting reaction to be honest. Also interesting to witness on his usually apathetic looking neighbour. That’s the other thing that’s odd, Izuku is doing majority of the talking; the exact opposite from their nightly signed conversations.

“Kid, Midori-“

“Actually it’s Midoriya Izuku.”

All he receives is an exasperated look from Eraserhead.

“I-I just thought you should know… since you’re my teacher? And now that I have confirmed you’re not some creepy pedo who drinks coffee with teenagers at midnight for a year.”

Oop, Fuwashi and Sasha are rubbing off on Izuku a bit too much he thinks as he feels his face heat up a bit. Maybe he should spend more time with Hihada and Hinto after school today. They’re two of the sweetest people Izuku knows, though Hinto has the whole scheming older sister vibe going for her. So maybe just Hihada?

“Midoriya then, that’s not the point. I get that UA entrance exams are really big but you couldn’t have been busy with them for over three weeks.”

The two neighbours just look at each other in silence, green eyes peering cautiously into black ones before averting to look at his red shoes. Resisting the urge to reach for his star, since it’s hidden under his school uniform right now.

“Fine, I’m not going to pressure you kid. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Now run along, I’ll give you a five minute start to catch up with the rest of your class.”

Seeing the gift for what it is Izuku wastes no time in grabbing his backpack and making a break for gym gamma, almost forgetting to grab his gym uniform in his rush.

Izuku wonders if this is cosmic karma for lying to Eraserhead. Because of course his teacher is having 1-A do a quirk apprehension test, because the universe hates him.
Though it kinda hurts to learn that his midnight coffee buddy would care so much about quirks. Izuku was kinda hoping maybe this teacher wouldn’t be like every other teacher he’d ever had.

Maybe Kacchan was right?

No, stupid brain fuck off. He’s not doing that to his community, to his friends and family in the community. Kacchan can fuck off with his stupid advice.

And Aizawa sensei can also fuck off with his biased, quirkest quirk apprehension test. Izuku doesn't want to acknowledge the part of him that feels slightly betrayed at this new side of his neighbour.

Carefully keeping his expression neutral, he listens to Aizawa sensei threaten to expel the person who comes in last, Izuku just wants to go to the café and be surrounded by people who don’t even mention quirks.

“Bakugo, you scored the most points on the entrance exam. So you go first, throw the ball as far as you can using your quirk.”

The class watches as the angry blonde scoffs before grabbing the ball and walking to the throwing circle.

BOOM

“DIE!!”

Izuku takes pleasure in the way the class takes a couple steps back from Kacchan and whispers break out asking what his problem was. At least Kacchan wasn’t being worshipped like a god like how everyone did at Aldera. Maybe this time not everyone will take his side.
A tall wall of a teenager wearing glasses looks about one second from having an aneurysm or passing out at Kacchan’s display.

A lot of the assessments are straight forward, being the same as the gym assessments they’ve been doing since elementary. Especially for Izuku, since the only real difference is the free use of quirks and he doesn’t have one.

But none the less Izuku gives each test his all, he cannot be last. He has things to prove. He has a community to represent. He won’t let one more quirkest assessment and potentially teacher get in the way of that.

He hasn’t survived this long just to fail.

As Izuku completes each test he makes sure to keep track of his standing for each of them against the rest of the class. He’s not doing too bad, keeping middle of the pack for most of them.

Lastly is the ball throw.

Taking a deep steadying breathe Izuku walks forward to claim the ball from Aizawa sensei and stand in the circle.

How does he want to do this.

Eh, he’ll throw and hope for the best. Not like standing here for longer will magically give him a better score.
Besides no matter what he should do fine based on his standing in every other test and he knows he won’t get anywhere near Uraraka’s infinity score for the ball throw. At least Kacchan won’t be first.

71.4 metres.

Honestly he’s not even mad. That’s a damned good score compared to his middle school gym tests.

“Alright class, your overall scores will be posted in a second.”

Everyone shifts with nerves as they frantically search for their name on the list.

Fourteenth place… That’s actually pretty fucking good if you ask Izuku!

Actually he’s surprised that the score wasn’t tampered with, that’s why he was making sure to keep track of his standing in each individual test. It’s happened enough times in the past, not that knowing the score was tampered with changed anything officially but it helped Izuku to know he wasn’t actually a weak underdeveloped dog.

Maybe UA would be slightly better than his past schools after all.

“Oh, and no one’s being expelled. Now run off, get changed and head home.”

With that Aizawa sensei walks away from the crowd of teenagers; probably to get coffee if Izuku knows anything about his neighbour. Izuku huffs making his way back into the boys locker room to change in the bathroom stall. No reason to change out in the open and get badgered with questions about his still healing wounds and scars from the past.

He’s on his way out when the tall wall of a classmate who looked scandalized by Kacchans language before steps in his way.

“Midoriya, I just ask! Why is it you didn’t use your quirk on any of the assessments! UA students should never give less than their all! I worry that if you do not try more in the future that you will be expelled!”

Wow, this guy is… something. He probably means well but he’s also right in Izuku’s face and keeps chopping his arms. It’s not exactly nice to a kid whose been beaten by everyone since he was little, but you do you he guesses.

“Hello…?”

“Iida Tenya! From Somei private academy! It’s nice to meet you! Though back to what’s important! You need to take this more seriously Midoriya!”

“Iida, I don’t have a quirk. So I won’t be using a quirk for any of the assessments today nor in the future. Not that it’s really your business.”

The tall teen freezes, finally stopping with the arms before bending almost a full 90 degrees into a bow and picking the movement back up. Kami his elbows are going to give out eventually from the constant chopping, it just looks exhausting.

“I’m so sorry Midoriya! Excuse my assumptions and previous words! You’ve done great for being quirkless today!”

Well isn’t that a backhanded compliment if Izuku’s ever heard one. Like seriously, he can’t decide if the teen is just really bad at communicating or if he’s just a really polite quirkest asshole. Maybe a mixture of the two?

Either way Izuku wants to just finish getting changed and head home. He has work in a couple hours, which if he leaves now gives him enough time to do a quick workout as well before he goes.

“It’s fine Iida, but I’ve got to go. See you tomorrow in class.”

Without letting the other boy get any more words in, Izuku makes his not so daring escape. Hopefully Kacchan is still distracted by the blonde and red head from earlier.

With that Izuku leaves the walls of UA and his first day of class in the hero course is over. He can’t wait to tell the ones at the café all about it! Even if some parts weren’t so great…
Maybe they could help him come up with covers for when Izuku won’t be able to attend classes due to community activities. He’s been brain storming ideas but all of them require outside help. Which isn’t so hard to find in the community, we’re all there to help each other. Hinto is already listed as Izuku’s emergency contact, and there’s some fake documents which the community’s resident forger made for him after getting accepted, which claim one Sei Hinto is his aunt who he lives with since his family is apparently from far away.

So maybe she can just claim he’s needed at home during those absences?

Shouta doesn’t know what to do.

His little green neighbour is a lot more slippery than Shouta first thought he would be. He literally lied to his face, and was amazing at it. It was almost concerningly good lying when he thinks about it. If Shouta hadn’t been working with Tsukachi Naomasa for the majority of his hero career and seen every type of liar out there he probably wouldn’t have even noticed.

Then, during the entire quirk apprehension test the kid wouldn’t even look at Shouta. Though he did notice the kid would sneak glances once and a while, his face twisted in some sort of hidden displeasure or maybe confusion? Shouta knows he needs social communication practice but he never thought it would bite him in the ass like this.

Maybe the kids file would hold some answers?

Decision made Shouta leaves his class to change back into their normal school uniforms and head home by themselves, making the trek to his office space by the teachers lounge instead. Nedzu always sends homeroom teachers their student’s files before the school year starts, but Shouta has never seen the benefit of reading things about his students before he even meets them so he never reads them.

But he’ll make an exception this once. He knows the kid either way, so it’s not like what’s written will mess up his image of the kid much.

Swiftly entering his office space he rifles through the other papers on his desk before finding one Midoriya Izuku’s file. Grabbing it and making his way to the teachers lounge so he can at least have some coffee to soothe his oncoming headache.

“Sho! You still have a class this year?”

“Last year was scary. You just came in and declared you had no class this year..”

Shouta rolls his eyes at his husband and co-workers antics. Vlad just doesn’t understand how much trouble UA’s class 1-A always is. He’s honestly lucky that Nedzu has him teach 1-B instead, he probably gets a lot more free time than Shouta.

“They’re fine, show at least a bit of promise. Though there are some I need to keep an eye on.” Because even though he was worried about his neighbour he was still a teacher and had a whole group of kids to watch over. Mineta for one is troublesome and will need to be closely monitored if his previous school record is anything to go by. “They’ll have plenty of other opportunities to be expelled in the coming week.”

He finishes, watching as his co-workers deflate at his smile when he thinks about emptying out a couple spaces in his class. At UA all expulsions are put through immediately during the first week of classes, after the first week all of them must be carefully reviewed and are more likely to be denied.

Shouta loves the first week.

“Wow, did you hear that Zashi! Shouta said they’re ‘fine’ they must have impressed him in order to get such praise! So what did they do??”

Kami his friends have too much energy, though seeing Nemuri Shouta is reminded.

“Nothing, though you owe me dinner.”

Everyone goes quiet, just looking at Shouta like he grew a second head suddenly.

“….why do I owe you dinner Shouta? I don’t remember you winning any bets recently…. Though I’ve been eating like a Queen, thank you very much.”

“The kids voice is exactly what I bet, so pay up.”

“The kid….?”

Her brows tick downwards in slight confusion before realization takes over her expression.

“YOU MET YOUR KIT??!”

And there goes Vlad’s drink, all over his own papers. He should really stop drinking things in the staff lounge.

“You met your little listener Sho!? That’s great!! And you finally won a bet with Nemnem!”

“I THOUGHT AIZAWAS KID EXISTING WAS A JOKE??!”

Everyone ignores Vlad.

“ I’ve won bets with Nem before Zashi!! But yeah, I met the kid. He’s in my class actually, imagine my surprise this morning.”

“You mean when you were avoiding Nedzu’s orientation speech?” Vlad grumbles still being ignored by the trio.

“I’m sensing a but here.”

“The kid just, acted odd. You know how he disappeared the last three or so weeks?” His two friends nod, how could they not they’d all been worried about the kid’s disappearance when Shouta told them about it. Sometimes keeping Shouta company as he camped out in his and Zashi’s kitchen for hours before midnight and taking over for him when he had to leave for his patrol. “He claimed it was just because he was busy getting ready for UA. But he was lying.”

With a huff Shouta settles in on the couch with his legs across Zashi’s lap and his feet in Nem’s, who is giving him a skeptical look.

“You sure he wasn’t just telling the truth..? UA is a big deal, maybe he really was super busy?” At that Shouta glares at his friend, she doesn’t back down though, gaining a scheming look in her eyes instead. “Shouldn’t you be happy your kit was sleeping instead of drinking coffee with you in the middle of the night? Just because you don’t need sleep to live doesn’t mean Midori doesn’t.”

And he is, he is. Midori shouldn’t have been up every single night at midnight drinking coffee in his kitchen. It was concerning behaviour, especially for a fourteen to fifteen year old. But after the first couple months Shouta just assumed the kid had really bad insomnia or something.

“I am glad if he was getting sleep Nem, but he was also lying. He was really good at it too, which is a whole different problem..”

Shouta pinches the bridge of his nose trying to stave off his headache, a warm hand grabs his other hand, which currently was just sitting in his lap, and intertwines their fingers offering support.

“If you say the little listener was lying we believe you Sho; but maybe he just didn’t want to talk to his teacher about whatever he was getting up to? He is a teenager after all.”

Yeah, maybe he was just overreacting. Just because Shouta’s childhood and teenage years were less than great doesn’t mean every kid that acts even vaguely like him is having the same experience.

Nodding at his husband he gives a squeeze before taking his hand back to page through Midori’s, Midoriya’s he mentally corrects as he needs to get in the habit even if his sign name will be staying green, file.

Something immediately stands out.
…. He’s quirkless.

That explains his participation in the quirk apprehension test at least. Though makes worry pool in Shouta gut, unlike many other people in their super human society, he has to deal with cases of quirkless murder, suicide and hate crimes often. Not that they’re more common than some of the other crimes he stops on patrols but for such a small community he sees a lot of attacks and death in their percent of japans population each year.

He knows some of the discrimination they face, the rates of abandonment, abuse, murder, sexual assault. It’s not pretty in any form and the kid is potentially included in those statistics.

Maybe he should offer Midori, Midoriya, his number for emergencies? Maybe..

Checking over the rest of the kid’s file he notes that there are three emergency contacts listed. Two with the last name Sei and one with the last name Volkov. Odd but not overly concerning, it would be more alarming if the kid had no emergency contacts.
Though Shouta makes a note to call each of the numbers later, just in case.

Kami, maybe he should look through the rest of the class files and make sure everything looks okay. It should be fine now that he’s met his students in person already, right?

Izuku has just gotten done reciting his day at UA for the hundredth time to a group of younger kids at the café. They’re not siblings if Izuku is remembering correctly, but they are related in some way.

The three of them cheer at Izuku’s story, screaming and running around him as some of the adults and teens watch on with fondness. Especially when the three young ones start talking about how they want to become hero’s like Izuku and will go to UA as well. This is why he always walks down the stairs instead of taking the fast way down off tall buildings. For them, for their innocent joy.

Patting each of them on the head Izuku makes his way to the staff area of the café, deciding it’s time to get to work. His throat is even a bit sore from talking so much during the last hour or so.

“You’re doing good.”

“Do you think so? I’m really trying.”

There is Hinto, acting like a big sister again. She pulls him into a tight hug making Izuku squawk in protest after a couple seconds as it only gets tighter.
But… it’s also nice. He doesn’t get many hugs and Hinto gives great hugs in Izuku’s limited experience.

“You’re doing great Izuku. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” She encourages after finally letting him go to breathe.

“She right you know, you’ll do fine squirt.”

“Sasha! You’re not supposed to be back here and you know it! Now out! Out!”

And with that Hinto is off to shoo the man back out of the staff area and to his booth area in the dining space of the café.

Izuku feels warm inside, It’s a nice feeling.

Suddenly Hinto pauses in her herding and pulls out her phone. Glancing at Izuku a second later, nodding a couple times as she speaks and then putting her phone away and saying something to Sasha before making her way back to where Izuku is watching.

“That was your homeroom teacher, he was apparently just calling to confirm your emergency contacts. I already warned Sasha to be ready for his call. Did something happen today to cause him to be checking these things?”

She looks concerned, which is fair since for the quirkless most attention is bad attention and it’s better to stay unnoticed.

“Not really? Maybe he was going through my files? Or maybe it’s routine at UA?”

She doesn’t look so sure but nodding she wipes invisible dust off her apron and tells Izuku to get to work, which he happily does.

He loves the Quirky Café.

Getting off the phone with the last emergency contact on Midori’s, dammit Midoriya’s how hard is it to add two more letters brain? list Shouta doesn’t feel satisfied, everything seems correct, perfectly fine.

He shouldn’t be hoping for lies or a bad situation for his student but it’s highly rare for a quirkless teen to be in a safe situation in their society.

He’ll leave it be for tonight; he has some last touches to make to his class plans before he and Zashi plan to watch some re-runs of old movies.

Hopefully he’ll see the kid tonight in his kitchen for coffee.

Chapter Text

Izuku had a lot to think about as he walked home from the Quirky Café, he made sure to take a different route than when he nearly got killed in an alleyway don’t worry, it was after midnight already but not by much.
Which is where in lies his problem, midnight cofffee meetings.

Does he attend it tonight for the first time in a long time? Would Aizawa sensei even be there waiting for him after so long?

He probably knows Izuku is quirkless by now, since he was seemingly checking Izuku’s file.

He probably won’t be by the window anyways, so what’s the harm in some midnight coffee?

The harm is Izuku actually really liked midnight coffees with his dark, tired, cat loving neighbour. He used to drink coffee at midnight just to function and his thoughts would get really dark while standing in silence by himself in a mostly bare apartment drinking from a cheap and chipped grey mug he had gained at some point between the old apartment and this one.
But then Izuku had accidentally stared at his neighbour when their coffee habits happened to bring them together at midnight that first night.

So the thought of it all being gone now and having to go back to how it was before is making his chest feel like someone is making his heart pump glass fragments instead of blood.

So what’s the harm in confirming the fact Izuku has lost that part of his life now?

That’s how Izuku finds himself covering his eyes as he walks into his apartment building, he doesn’t want to see his kitchen window. Not yet.

Izuku walks closer to the kitchen, his eyes still covered. He pictures his dark haired neighbour watching him from the left side of the window leaning against his counter sipping from that orange cat mug, one eyebrow raised at Izuku in silent judgement like he did when Izuku told him he one time mixed coffee with two five hour energies and sugar.
He takes the time to savour the image, his eyes still covered as he faces his window.
If he never looks, he’ll never have to be abandoned by another person.

The Eraserhead in Izuku’s imagination lifts his brow up even higher, a look of challenging judgment taking over his neighbours face instead. Wow, even imaginary Aizawa sensei is judging his abandonment issues.

Fine, fine! …fine.

Taking a deep breathe, when had he stopped breathing?, Izuku takes his hands away from his face. Though he keeps his eyes closed.

Just one more second.

He opens his eyes.

There’s his neighbour, the man is standing as close to his own kitchen window as he can, his features twisted in some emotion Izuku doesn’t have the energy to figure out. The man looks like he was talking before Izuku opened his eyes, but once green eyes met black his neighbour seemed to pause; his shoulders sag and he appears to let out a long breathe and backs away from the window.

He didn’t leave.

…He.. he didn’t leave.

Why didn’t he leave?

Everyone else has left! His dad, his mom, his friends, the only people who have ever not left are other quirkless people. Though even they sometimes leave, though it’s different. They die.

But here is his neighbour, now signing something at Izuku, standing in a lit up kitchen with his orange cat mug set on the counter in front of him.

“What?”

The sign is loose and his hands are shaky, but can you blame him? Oh Kami, maybe his neighbour doesn’t know…?

“You know I’m quirkless right?”

Izuku knows he’s being rude right now, seeing as he accidentally cut off Aizawa sensei’s signing twice now, but the man doesn’t look annoyed at the interruptions, if anything he just looks sad or resigned.

“I was saying, that I’m glad you finally made it tonight and yes, I know you’re quirkless, but it doesn’t matter quirks are just tools.”

The man huffs in amusement before continuing as though he wasn’t flipping Izuku’s entire world on its head.

“Did you make any friends at school today kid?”

It’s an abrupt conversation change, but honestly exactly what Izuku needs. He doesn’t know how to deal with the warm feelings that were blooming in his chest at his neighbours words, at his a casual acceptance. So he’ll talk about his day instead, just like it’s a normal midnight coffee meeting.

“I don’t know? U-R-A-R-A-K-A was nice, I actually met her at the entrance exam. She was pinned under some rubble when the zero pointer was set free. So we had chatted then, and this morning before you came in, but..”

“But I don’t know if we’re friends. She doesn’t know that I’m quirkless so…”

He lets the sentence trail off, before he perks back up abruptly.

“Did YOU make any friends today Eraser?”

The man’s face which was before slightly fond or sad looking screws up like a cat who just bit into a lemon making Izuku bark with laughter.
He doesn’t often mess with his neighbour but every once and a while should be okay, right? Izuku needs his entertainment after all, there’s no tv in his apartment so his kitchen window will have to do.

“You don’t make friends as an adult teacher whose been working with the same people for the past five years Midori.”

The man looks exasperated, but Izuku can also see the amusement as Eraserhead shakes his head at Izuku.

“Which reminds me, kid, you can change your sign name for me or for you if you ever want. Now that we’ve met in person and actually know each others names.”

Before his neighbour even finishes signing Izuku is shaking his head.

“I like your sign name, it’s funny to me. Especially since it’s just a piece of your hero name but sounds like I’m just calling you an office supply.”

“You know my hero name??”

Izuku wants to laugh again at the look on his face. Damn twice in one night? Though in all fairness this face is more shock and bewilderment than cat eating a lemon.

“Duh, it wasn’t that hard to figure out when you told me to call you Eraser; and Midnight and Present Mic were both in your house before that.”

The shocked look doesn’t go away but he can also see acceptance of the explanation.

“Wait. So you knew they were Midnight and Present Mic that night?”

Izuku shakes his head.

“Not quite, I knew after I left that they were Present Mic and Midnight. Not during.”

“Damn kid, you’re smart to have figured it out at all. Most people can’t recognize them out of their hero gear.”

At that Izuku doesn’t know what to sign. He’s not smart, he’s average at best. Yes he’s good at analysis and math but he’s never been called smart. Never. Not even Inko would call him smart before she stopped talking to him altogether.

“If you say so.”

With that Izuku chugs the last mouthful of his coffee waves goodbye and leaves Eraser.

He’s tired as fuck. So even with coffee fresh in his veins the second his head hits his pillow Izuku is out.

Shouta watches the kid flick off his kitchen light and leave, hopefully to sleep if the kid’s eye bags and sagging shoulders are any indication of his exhaustion.

Maybe Shouta should tell the kid to ask Recovery Girl for something to help him sleep? Maybe…

Though he would probably get called a dad again by Nemuri if she ever heard about it, which she’s definitely would considering Shouta KNOWS her and Recovery Girl go to dinners together to chat nearly every Wednesday.

The kid seemed a lot friendlier now than when Shouta was near him at school after their first real conversation, but why? What’s the difference? Also where was he before he came home, it’s after midnight.

Maybe he was at a friends place?

Also, what was happening with the kid covering his face when he first came in. Midoriya had stood in his lit up kitchen for a good ten minutes before taking his hands from his face. Only to literally keep his eyes closed.
It honestly scared the shit out of Shouta, especially before when he couldn’t see his face. He was scared the kid had been hurt or something.
Thank Kami that nothing like that was the case from what he could tell.

“Did the little listener come by yet?”

He turns to look at his husband, smiling cautiously at Shouta before glancing at the empty kitchen window.

“Yeah, he just left a minute ago. Gave me a heart attack at first, I thought he was hurt. Wouldn’t take his hands away from his face for a good ten minutes or so.”

“Was he okay? I mean, I’m assuming he’s okay since you’re still standing here and not over in the other apartment building demanding a key to the little listeners place, but..?”

“Yeah, he seemed fine. Though out of it at first.”

“Well that’s good at least. Hopefully some sleep will help with whatever else was going on with the listener.”

“Yeah”

There’s a pause where the couple just look at each other before Hizashi takes a deep breath and walks towards him. Pulling Shouta into a hug.

They stay like that for a while, just soaking up each others heat and presence. It had been a long day.

“Now come on Sho, it’s late and you don’t have a patrol tonight. Let’s get some sleep.”

“Okay Zashi.”

Chapter Text

Waking up Izuku still feels tired, so he knows the day already isn’t going to be a good day. His scars feel achy and he keeps having to side step dark thoughts; which is what leads to him clutching his star as he gets ready for school as well as during his walk to UA.

His fears are only confirmed that today isn’t a good day when the entrance to the school comes into view and all he can see is swarms of adults with cameras and other gear. Great, reporters.

Thankfully before Izuku can get mobbed by the entirety of the crowd, because his mood really wouldn’t be able to cope, he happens to spot a news person wearing a blue star on the pocket of their dress shirt. A man beside him is also wearing a red star as an earring upon Izuku’s closer inspection.
Pulling his necklace out from under his clothes Izuku approaches the couple who seem to be chatting quietly while glancing around them at the rest of the crowd.

“Umm I like your stars!”

They both turn to stare at Izuku, which for once doesn’t make his skin crawl with the need to get away or attack. He just feels seen, these two are safe after all for Izuku.

He sees the exact second they take in his exposed red star and then his Q&C red sneakers. Two fond smiles taking over their features.

“Thank you! I like your shoes, I have a pair just like them at home.”

The blonde man with an American accent replies, he’s the one wearing the red star earrings. He’s the reason the other man is wearing a blue star; people only get a blue star if given by someone in the quirkless community after all.

“Is there any way you could help me get through the crowd?”

Izuku’s looks down at the ground.

“I-I don’t like being touched by strangers and all the questions would be a lot for me.”

The other two seem to understand exactly what Izuku is leaving unsaid. The blonde wearing a face of empathy, likely having experienced similar things as Izuku and relating. The dark haired partner resting a hand on the quirkless man’s shoulder in support before speaking up.

“Well we can’t promise it will be smooth sailing but Tyler and I could disguise you as one of our crew?”

And with that the blue starred man passes over his company jacket for Izuku to slip on over his school uniform. He takes off his tie and shoves it into his pants pocket before being lead through the crowd flanked by the couple.

When Izuku gets to the entrance he turns to look at the two before glancing down at the company jacket in worry.

“Keep it kid, I can easily get another one.”

“If you ever want a free coffee come find me at Quirky Café. I can’t just not thank you both for the help.”

“Okay kid. Have fun at school now, and stay safe”

Tyler, the quirkless blonde, ruffles Izuku’s green hair before grabbing the other’s hand and walking back into the crowd of reporters.

Izuku had honestly forgot that today was foretold to be a bad day after meeting the nice couple, so he was rudely reminded when he entered his homeroom class only for everyone to fall silent and stare at him. What the fuck…?

The jacket was already stuffed into Izuku’s backpack and his tie was back on; his star hidden once again under his uniform. So what..?
And then he sees Iida’s uncomfortable expression and Kacchan’s pleased one. Obviously everyone else has been informed of Izuku’s quirkless status. Because right. Today is a bad day.

He walks to his seat behind Kacchan while everyone watches in complete silence, though he doesn’t notice any outright hostile expressions from the few people he glances at on his way to his chair.

“Are you actually a quirkless? I thought the quirkless were mostly dead or old.”

The lisping voice of one of his classmates echos through the class as people glance away from him to, presumably, look at the speaker.
Turning Izuku sees the tiny fucker from yesterday who wouldn’t stop leering at all of their female classmates.

“What’s it to you perv.”

Izuku has no patience for potential rapists, he’s had enough brushes with them while interacting with quirked people. Besides, the short dude didn’t really seem all that hero like yesterday and showed little creativity with his quirk. A real shame.

“What do you mean what’s it to me!! The quirkless are dogs and should have never been let into a school like this! UA is for the best of the best! Not some underdeveloped casualty in the waiting. I’m surprised you even lived this long if you really are a quirkless!”

The situation is almost funny to Izuku, he’s heard this same type of speech plenty of times while at school or other activities or even just when trying to attend the local fair one time. But still ouch, Izuku really had been hoping UA would be different from past schools.

“I’m here because I passed the exam just like you perv. Though you probably hid like a coward when the zero pointer appeared. So again, what’s it to you? It’s none of your business and doesn’t matter anyways.”

“You shouldn’t be here you quirkless freak that’s why it matters!! You should go die in a ditch instead of wasting a space in a school like UA! Some of us actually will accomplish things, unlike your filth.”

Wow, just wow. Izuku almost wants to clap though the urge is swiftly shoved down into the ‘that’s not how you cope with assholes telling you to die box’ along side asking them to marry you and pretending to die on the spot.

“Mineta.”

Oh shit! Eraserhead apparently had entered the classroom at some point during the whole exchange and his expression while calm at first glance could kill a person by the venom in it alone.

“You’re expelled for quirk discrimination, suicide baiting and sexual harassment. You were already on thin ice after yesterday. So get out, Nedzu will be waiting for you in his office.”

The whole class just stares at their teacher, because holy shit! He actually just expelled someone. For Izuku no less, like what the fuckkkk.
No teacher has ever stood up for a deku like Izuku.

Though he’s starting to get the vague feeling that maybe his neighbour won’t be like every other teacher Izuku has had.

Mineta stands still for a couple seconds just staring at Eraserhead before huffing in indignation and yanking his backpack off his seat and walking out of the class.

“Just wait until my mother hears about this!”

And then he’s gone.

No one moves, not daring to disrupt the volatile environment.

“If I hear any of you being hateful, or discriminatory to Midoriya or any other classmate for the matter for anything including their quirk or lack of, you will be expelled on the spot.”

The dark pro hero looks out at the slack jawed students, no one responding.

“Got it?”

At the barked confirmation everyone starts nodding though Izuku just sits at his desk contemplating if maybe he actually did jump off a roof at one point and this is some delusion before he passes on? Because what the hell?? Not even Kacchan is daring to speak up against Aizawa Sensei.

“Good, now I expect you all to behave for your other teachers today. If I hear of any bad behaviour from you bunch you’ll have detention for a week.”

And with that Aizawa Sensei walks out the door, only glancing back inside to call for him to come step outside with him for a second.

Why would he want to see Izuku right now?

Under the watchful eyes of his once again silent classmates Izuku slips out of the classroom and walks over to his neighbour.

“Are you okay kid?”

What.

Is he…okay?

“Uhhhh, I mean. Yeah I’m fine Aizawa Sensei! Nothing I haven’t heard before!”

At the furious face of his teacher Izuku is once again reminded that this is a slightly different experience than his past school experiences. He can’t get away with as much concerning behaviour as at his old schools where no one cared about Izuku beyond hurting him.

“We will be talking about that later Midori. But for now if you’re sure you’re okay?”

Izuku nods quickly wanting to leave as soon as he can before he turns into a strawberry.

“Then you can head back to class.”

The man was probably reaching over to ruffle Izuku’s hair, much like the quirkless reporter from earlier, but all Izuku can see is an attack and flinches away violently from his teacher.

Well shit. Stupid instincts, though he can’t really complain as these instincts had actually saved Izuku’s ass multiple times over similar things.

Bowing quickly at his teacher Izuku scurries back into classroom 1-A and waits with his face turned to the classroom windows for their math teacher to get there.

Shouta feels like he going to throw up with the way dread is twisting in his gut as he watches Midori almost run away back to class.

Shouta had arrived at the class in the middle of his young neighbour replying to Mineta Minoru’s presumed orginal statement. He should have been there earlier and stopped all of it before Midori had to hear it.
Though from the green teen’s words, the hateful language wasn’t anything new to him.

Shouta wants to go curl up with his husband and their cats and forget about the train wreck that was homeroom today. So he settles for reassuring himself the kid will be okay and heading towards the teachers lounge where hopefully he can drink some coffee. Hizashi was teaching the first year Gen-Ed class English right now, so no cuddles sadly.

It isn’t until hours and hours later near the end of the day that Shouta is interrupted in his office beside the teachers lounge.

“Umm, Im looking for an Eraser. The name not the office supply.”

A tall purple haired teen is standing in his doorway, it’s definitely not one of Shouta’s class; and he’s looking for him but calling him Eraser…

“That’s me, what do you need?”

“The green haired dude told me to find you…”

It’s not quite a question but it’s kind of implied in the way the tired looking teen phrases it, but that’s not Shouta’s focus right now, because green haired dude could really only be Midori. Why is this other teen being sent in his stead? Actually why did the kid need him in general right this second? He should be in class. Mostly concerning explanations flood his mind.

“Where is he?” He demands though the teen doesn’t look bothered by Shouta’s impatience.

“I’ll just bring you to him, it’s only my second day here so I could not give you directions to save my life.”

Shouta nods, standing to follow the purple teen before pausing and grabbing his supply belt as well. Just in case..

They swiftly make their way towards battle grounds Beta, but before they actually arrive there the teen starts to lead him sightly away from it; walking down the long twisting hallways of UA.

Eventually the teen stops and Shouta peers around his guide to see his neighbour curled up in the corner of the hallway perfectly still.

“Thanks kid, you can head back to class now.”

He walks towards the green teen cautiously trying to gauge if he’s hurt anywhere, but can’t see much beyond his hero outfit which vaguely reminds him of tactical gear mixed with a ninja and his hair which has little horn like antenna sticking out from the curls. He notices that the kid isn’t actually still, his shoulders and body shaking and the sound of silenced sobs reaches Shouta’s ears as he gets closer.

All observations which are very concerning considering the kid was supposed to be in a class, not bawling in the hallway alone.

Izuku was having an okay time for most of the day. Math with Ectoplasm went well and the teacher was really nice as far as teachers go. Even accepting Izuku’s finished assignment at the end of class without any complaints. English with Present Mic was kinda weird considering Izuku knows that the man is terrified of bugs and likes to sing Disney songs while in the shower from the stories Eraserhead has told him during their signed conversations; but Yamada Sensei’s class was also nice, and pretty easy considering Izuku had learned English when he was little so when his dad called he would be able to speak with him. He never called though.

The man had seemed surprised by Izuku’s proficiency at the language, but the teen had gone quiet when the class again started to stare at him. Which is stupid considering they weren’t staring at Iida or Yaoyorozu who could both also speak the foreign language fairly well.

Midnight’s art history class was interesting if nothing else, just because everything the woman did was very theatrical. Though he didn’t appreciate whenever she would throw her whip around, making him flinch where he sat. Thankfully she started to tone it down by the end of class.

So Izuku’s day had been going okay. That is, until All Might had came charging into their classroom yelling his catch phrase and posing like an idiot.

The rest of the class had been cheering and gushing about the man’s hero uniform but Izuku could barely breathe. The last time he had seen All Might the man told him his ‘dreams of being a hero were idealistic at best’ and that ‘he should be more realistic and look at other jobs more suited to the quirkless.’ Then left Izuku on the top of a very tall building after being told to take a swan dive by Kacchan only hours prior.

So Izuku thinks his body is right for its panic but any attention is also bad attention and everyone here would obviously take All Might’s side if the man decided he didn’t like having to teach a quirkless kid. So Izuku forces himself to breathe, forces himself to walk to ground Beta with the rest of his class and change into his hero suit in one of the bathroom stalls. Stopping for a second to admire his vision for his hero suit come to life before him, in the mirror of the bathroom. A skin tight flexible reinforced black body suit that goes up to his chin for maximum protection as well as camouflage. Emerald green stitching sewn into the fabric where needed as an accent detail. An altered ultra flexible tactical vest goes over the body suit and holds much of the weapons he’s trained in. His arms have dark green bracers on the forearms so he can deflect attacks without risking injury. He has black and dark green tactical boots. Though each have a red star on the outside of his ankles because he couldn’t just not include the red star in his suit. He has a mask which resembles the Wasps full helmet head gear with black metal and two short prongs on either side of his head. Loosely resembling laid back ears or even horns. Which help increase his hearing ability as well as has a couple other systems built in.

All in all Izuku loves his suit, especially since the helmet can retract almost completely into just the horn type protrusions which connect behind his ears.

The whole thing distracts him from the whole All Might situation for a couple seconds before Iida calls for him to hurry up so he won’t be late.

All Might explains the activity he has planned, a heros versus villains all out battle simulation with random parings and teams of two. Honestly Izuku wonders if the hero even has his teaching license because this is a mess. They’ve had zero safety training or battle training! Someone is definitely going to get hurt, but the man doesn’t seem to care because ‘Recovery Girl will be on stand by to heal those hurt.’ He’s an idiot.

Then the pairings are drawn and Izuku doesn’t have a partner after Mineta was expelled earlier that day. So All Might claims he’ll just have to sit the exercise out for today.

“It’s for the better my boy! The rest of your classmates have quirks so you would only slow them down or get hurt anyways! Best to sit it out with me for today! I’ll speak with Nedzu later about your participation in this course!”

Which translates to vaguely you’re weak and fragile sit here for today and I’ll get you moved out of the hero course after school today so I don’t have to teach you.

Fuck you All Might.

“All Might Sensei, no offence but I will be participating in this activity. You could put me with another group and have a pairing of three. It wouldn’t cause many problems.”

“But that would be unfair to all groups in that simulation if you were to join one of the pairs.”

Wow, chill the fuck out. Your quirkism is showing.

“What about the pair I was supposed to be fighting? Are you going to have them sit out as well?”

“Of course not my boy! They will be split between two other pairings so we have a round with even groups of three! This training is important after all!”

Frustration wells up in Izuku and he resists the urge to scream at All Might’s contradicting words. The rest of the class just shifts uncomfortably behind the two as they talk.

“Fine, I’ll just fight my opposing pair by my self. That way everyone gets to participate and our timing isn’t off for the school schedule by cutting down the amount of rounds to prevent from ending too early.”

He’s really trying to not freak out at All Might, but the man is really pushing his buttons on top of already stressing him out just by reminding him of that day constantly with his presence.

The man finally pauses before seeming to realize that Izuku won’t be backing down about this and sighing.

“Fine, Young Midoriya you will be a group of one.”

Then the man turns his attention to the rest of the class who still look deeply uncomfortable.

“Now everyone these will be the teams fighting each other! Team A and team J please make your ways to the battle grounds.”

Of course, of fucking course Izuku is fighting Kacchan and Iida by himself. Not like he can back down now though, he would never be allowed to participate ever again if he did. He’ll just have to avoid Kacchan and get to the bomb as quickly as possible.

The round starts and everything is okay. His helmet display is showing Kacchan and Iida on the third floor near the back wall of the building. So padding forward Izuku makes his way around the outside of the building towards where now just Iida is standing. Thank Kami he had a heat detector installed into his helmet.

He scales the wall once he reaches a place where the external window should be beside the room Iida is waiting in, seemingly pacing around in circles.

Kacchan is slowly checking all the lower floors of the building. Probably looking for Izuku.

He slips inside the window with ease only having to slide the lock out of place with one of his knifes from his tactical vest.
He creeps along as silently as possible trying to figure out how exactly he’s going to get to the bomb and win the round, when a vent catches his eye on the wall beside him.

Perfect.

“The Hero Wins!”

All Mights voice announces over the comms just as Iida spins around to see Izuku crouched beside the bomb with his hand resting against it.

“Good job Midoriya! I commend your win! Though how did you get in here??”

Izuku just glances upwards at the open vent grate not far from where the bomb is resting.

Honestly he’s starting to think maybe Iida isn’t too bad, just a teachers pet and bad at communication. He also probably had never interacted with the quirkless population based on the fact he’s from a big daylight pro hero family.

Sadly just as Izuku goes to compliment Iida for his acting, as it truly had been a pleasure to watch Iida play the part of the villain while crawling through the vent above him, Kacchan burst into the room and immediately launches himself at Izuku while yelling.

“Bakugo!! Bakugo! Stop this at once!!! Let Midoriya go!”

Iida is yelling at Bakugo as he proceeds to release multiple explosions of different sizes towards Izuku who has next to no time to dodge. Thankfully his helmet is back on and his gear is fire and heat resistant as well as all reinforced to take force. Sadly Kacchans attacks do still hurt a lot. The blond teen is furious from the sounds of his insults and attacks.

“Young Bakugo! You will stop right now and all of you will return to the observation room. Such actions are unhero like!”

At All Mights words Kacchan finally slows down and spits at Izuku before stalking out of the room, likely making his way to the observation room.

Iida rushes over to Izuku and helps him back up from the ground and they slowly make their way to the observation room as well.
When they get there All Might asks Iida if he is hurt completely ignoring Izuku who is being supported by Iida.

“No sir, I’m okay. Though Midoriya should go to Recovery Girl for a check over!”

“Nonsense Young Iida, Midoriya is fine.”

With that the man starts to ask the once again uncomfortably shifting silent class what was wrong with their round. When no one answers, he starts to talk about how Izuku’s tactic of going around and avoiding conflict was cowardly. Not in so many words but the same idea.

No one speaks.

Izuku gestures silently for Iida to let Izuku go and heads towards the door to find his way to Recovery Girl himself since All Might seems to be ignoring his obviously hunched and singed form and probably school protocol as well.

“Where do you think you’re going my boy! Criticism is important to listen to! If you can’t even handle this much in a learning environment maybe you should have listened to me earlier instead of insisting you participate.”

Izuku sees red, a double vision of this All Might and past All Might blurring together to form a soundtrack telling him to give up and be more realistic. To sit down shut up and give up. Izuku quickly leaves the observation room and runs, he’s not even sure where he’s going as tears start to blur his vision but he can’t handle being near All Might or Bakugou for another second.

He just wants to be alone, alone is safe. No one can hurt him when he’s alone. Everything’s blurring together and Izuku could swear he hears the leader from the alleyway chuckling while telling ‘Hido’ that they’ll have plenty of fun hunting Izuku in amongst the insults form his past peers and teachers, neighbours and passers by.

Suddenly Izuku is on the ground and groaning his injuries stinging even more, what the fuck did he just hit?

Looking up, Izuku sees a purple haired teen also knocked to the ground across from him holding a bathroom pass. The teen is cute Izuku’s muddled brain decides before going back to his panic attack.

Eraser would probably be able to help Izuku. Izuku can barley breathe. He can’t see, is he drowning? His heart feels like it’s failing , maybe he’s having a heart attack. Oh Kami. Oh Kami. Oh Kami.

Where’s Eraser. He needs Eraser. Eraser.

Time fades in every sense of the word and the next thing Izuku feels is a gentle tapping on his upper arm, just above his bracers.

What is that? It’s rhythmic and Izuku knows it from somewhere.

What is it?

Oh! That’s it, it’s a breathing pattern. But who? Why?

Suddenly Izuku can hear again beyond the thunder and crashing of his head.

“There you are kid, just breathe, follow my breaths. Just like this, in one, two, three, four. Hold one, two, three, now out one, two, three, four. Just like that. Come on Midori. You’re safe, you’re safe.”

Is that?

“Eraser..?”

His voice cracks and sounds like shit from the crying and gasping but looking up at the man in question you would have thought he had just said the man had won a cat.

“Yeah, it’s me kid. How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?”

Feeling exhausted and now calmer having someone Izuku vaguely knows will protect him, he just nods slowly. Making his teacher frown which has Izuku tensing up because even with the tentative building trust he has with Eraserhead; he’s still a teacher and teachers frowning at Izuku has never ended well in the past. Though smiles were sometimes worse.

“Okay kid, I’m going to pick you up and take you to Recovery Girl. Hang on, tell me if I’m hurting you.”

And with that Izuku finds himself being carried by his neighbour slash teacher past the cute purple haired teen from earlier and towards the school’s infirmary.

He’s warm, this is nice. Within one second and the next Izuku slips into unconsciousness curled into his teachers capture weapon.

Shouta sighs as Recovery Girl looks over the bruised and slightly crispy form of his sleeping student. The woman keeps shaking her head in displeasure and then eventually, finally gives the kid a quick kiss to the forehead and walks over to where Shouta and the purple teen are standing.

That’s another thing, the teen had yet to leave. Shouta doesn’t think that he knows his teen neighbour, but Shouta would rather not scare off a potential friend for his student. Kami knows Midori probably doesn’t have many friends growing up quirkless.

“He’s mostly fine Shouta, though some of the bruises will be staying because he didn’t have much energy for me to work with. I’m planning on keeping him until he wakes up which likely won’t be until late tonight. I’ll keep him until tomorrow, so make sure to call his primary emergency contact and let them know where he is.”

Shouta just nods.

“Thank you Chiyo. I’ll probably stay with him for a bit.”

“Okay dear. Now Shinsou, is there something you needed? You should be in class should you not?”

The purple teen in question, Shinsou apparently, stiffens before shaking his head at Recovery Girl.

“Then you best be getting back there dearie. Off you go.”

Shouta watches as Shinsou is herded gently from the infirmary and back to class by Chiyo before she heads over to her desk again to leave Shouta and his student alone.

Might as well text Hizashi to let him know where he is currently and then call one Sei Hinto to inform her where her apparent nephew is.

He also needs to track down All Might, the idiot, to find out what happened during his heroics class with 1-A at some point.

Shouta sighs heavily, pinching teh bridge of his nose to stave off an on coming headache. His neighbour is such a problem child.

But so far he’s been worth all the effort.

Chapter Text

It’s been two hours since Shouta carried Midori to Recovery Girl’s infirmary, one and a half hours since he called Sei Hinto, one hour since she barged into said infirmary and half an hour since he set off to find All Might. The kid should be safe now that his supposed Aunt is there with him, and if it turns out the Aunt isn’t safe, Chiyo can handle it.

As he stalks around the school trying to find the tall blonde idiot of a number one hero, Shouta can’t help but reflect on when Midori’s Aunt ran into the room he and the kid were in. The woman was average height, with pale orange hair and dark brown red eyes. She claimed that she was at work when Shouta called and would take at most thirty minutes to get to UA, she showed up exactly thirty minutes later.

When she saw Shouta’s neighbour still asleep and slightly bruised on one of the infirmary beds Sei had immediately walked over to the boy reaching out to run her hands through his green curls and check over his obvious bruises.

“What happened? Also who are you.”

Her voice was clipped and her eyes hard as she made eye contact with Shouta from where he was standing. Having been startled by her sudden entry.

“I’m Aizawa Shouta, pro hero and teacher of your nephew’s homeroom this year.”

She just keeps eye contact, honestly reminding Shouta of the kid when they first met that night. Just piercing eye contact, no emotions just watching, waiting.

“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t there when he was hurt. Though I was the one to bring him to the Infirmary, I was waiting for you to arrive before I went to find out exactly what happened.”

Finally the women nods breaking the hard eye contact and Shouta relaxes a bit.

“Thank you. For getting him healed up that is, he hasn’t always had good experiences with school from what he’s told me so if this is some ploy you’ll stop it, I don’t want Izuku any more hurt than he has been.”

“I promise Sei-san Im not planning on hurting Midoriya in any way, I want to help him.”

“Good.”

And with that she sits down in the chair directly beside his students bed. Shouta takes the clear dismissal for what it is and makes his way out of the room to track down All Might.

Which brings him to now, standing in front of Nedzu’s office, the only place he hasn’t checked for All Might yet.

He pushes the large doors open with little effort and immediately tenses when he spots the man of the hour sitting across from his boss drinking tea.

“Aizawa, is there something you needed from All Might or myself? You usually don’t venture into my office unless you need something.”

“I need to speak with All Might about something that happened during his class last period with my homeroom students.”

At this the blond man looks puzzled. Shouta feels his blood start to heat up; did he not realize he was missing a student most of the class period??

“The class went perfectly well Young Aizawa! What could you need to speak with me about!”

“Midoriya Izuku, I found hi-“

“Oh. Him. Yes he did run off part way through the class, so emotional and fragile his kind. Actually Nedzu as much as I’ve been enjoying our time together this brings me back to why I came here today!”

This blond idiot interrupted him and Shouta did NOT like how he talked about his teen neighbour. So dismissive and a bit loathing. Don’t tell him the number one hero is quirkest and he left the kid in a class with him..

“I don’t believe Young Midoriya is suited for the hero course, it must have been pure luck he got into the school let alone 1-A. He’s not suited for this life, I’d like you to move him out of the course.”

Is he fucking serious? IS HE FUCKING SERIOUS??

“During the exercise I planned for todays heroics class Young Midoriya insisted he participate even while quirkless and without a partner due to uneven numbers. Even going so far as to make his classmates uncomfortable with his language while doing so. Then used completely underhanded tactics to cheat his way into winning his round and completely missing the point of the exercise. He then provoked Young Bakugo who I’m sure you’ve both noticed has so much potential to become an amazing hero! Finally he walked right out of the class while we were going over the good and the bad of the round.”

An almost disappointed look appears on All Mights face, shaking his head from where he sits sipping his tea.

“I decided to leave it be, no use in him being there anyways since I wanted to talk with you about moving him out of the hero course.”

“Are you fucking serious Yagi?!”

He doesn’t deserve to be called by his hero name. Because the man sitting in front of Shouta resembles more a villain than a hero right now. He can’t believe he left Midori with this man, let alone the rest of his class.

“I found the kid having a severe panic attack in a hallway covered in burns and bruises and Recovery Girl said he had bruised bones! Bruised bones Yagi!! He has to stay at the infirmary over night!”

Shouta doesn’t know how to feel, his kid got hurt and so obviously discriminated against while Shouta had been relaxing in his office. He shouldn’t have let the man teach without supervision, he doesn’t have a teachers license or any teaching experience and Shouta knew that, but he still trusted the man to not fuck over his class.

And now his little green haired neighbour is hurt, and probably has so many more trust issues than what he already gathered and from what his Aunt implied….

The kid had been hurt by teachers in the past… and now not only had his heroics teacher hurt him and said awful things to the kids face in front of his entire class from the sounds of it; but the number one hero has said and done all these things.

Fuck.

He wants to beat All Might over the head with the chair he’s currently sitting on. It’s the least that quirkest asshole deserved.

“Well the quirkless are more fragile Young Aizawa! It’s no surprise he has panic attacks and got hurt while trying to keep up with his quirked classmates!”

Shouta is about to attack this man he swears, he’ll never see daylight again after Shouta is done with him. Just as he starts to move towards his target the commanding voice of his boss cuts in.

“Please Aizawa, leave this to me.”

And he does, even if every fibre in him is screaming to hurt the blond ten times worse than he hurt his kid… Wait. since when was he calling Midori his kid? Shit had he been doing this for long?? Nemuri and Zashi were getting to him. Midori is not his kid. He has a family and an Aunt, he is in no way is Shouta’s.

“Toshinori, when I accepted you into UA’s staff I was under the impression that you thought everyone can be a hero. That is what you say all the time isn’t it?”

“Well yes Nedzu, everyone can be a hero, but I don’t see the relevance this has to my request to have Young Midoriya removed from the hero course?”

Is this man stupid? Like he knew the man was stupid, all buff no brains even before he was officially introduced to him. But this was a whole new level of dumb.

“I think it has every relevance All Might. Is Midoriya not a part of everyone that you believe can become heroes?”

“Well of course not Nedzu, he’s hardly even human-“

The man falls silent seeming to have caught himself from saying more and from the look of horror on his features seemed to realize who he was talking to.

“I’m not even human All Might, and yet I’m a hero. I’m also your boss, and I believe it’s time I reevaluate your stay within my school. We have a zero tolerance policy for harassment, and discrimination for both students and staff at UA. And you All Might have shown habits in both those subjects.”

“Nedzu! Are you implying you’re going to fire the number one hero! This is a hero school and I think you shou-“

“I think you should shut up and leave now Toshinori. Your ranking won’t get you anywhere here, and you are being fired. It was only a trial period anyways. Good bye now, I would like to speak with Aizawa alone.”

Kami, Shouta might groan about his sadistic boss a lot but he could just about kiss the rodent right now.
Yagi stands up from his seat, face stony and sets his tea cup down harshly on the table before stomping out of the office.

A moment of silence fills the office before Nedzu sighs.

“Please sit down Shouta. I’m sure we would both like to see what actually went down during All Might’s class with 1-A.”

And so they watched the footage. Midori standing up for himself against his teacher, the number one hero no less, winning his round with an amazing tactic, then being attacked unprovoked by Bakugo after the round had finished.
Iida helping his neighbour back to the observation room, only for All Might to completely ignore the teen’s injuries to call his win of the round technical at best, as well as a variety of other barley veiled insults. Part way through Iida let’s go of Midori and the kid walks out of the room all together. All Might yelling after his student’s shaking form.

They follow his quick run down the empty halls of UA, honestly Shouta is surprised the kid can move so well while injured and in the middle of a panic attack. It’s concerning, like so many things seem to be with his neighbour.

They watch the purple and green teens crash into each other; then Shinso trying to help the curled up form of his neighbour, before seeming to hear something from the shaking teen, nodding and running off to find Shouta himself he assumes.

“Well that is worrying… I’m assuming Midoriya is okay now physically?”

“Yes, he’s in the infirmary for overnight watch. Chiyo and his Aunt are there with him now.”

“An Aunt you say? What do you think of her so far?”

“She seems fine, was very worried about the kid when I called and got to UA as soon as possible. She also mentioned some concerning school experiences the kid has had; he apparently hasn’t had good experiences in the past with teachers, which isn’t a surprise considering the statistics.”

At this Shouta sees anger flash in the rodents eyes, more calm then with All Might, but there all the same, burning. He knows his boss hasn’t had great experiences with humans in general, so Midori’s story probably sounds familiar to him.

“I’ll have to look into his past schools, though a statement from Midoriya himself would be more beneficial. I’ll also look into this Aunt, you can never be too careful.”

“Thank you Nedzu.”

“Nonsense Shouta, your student intrigues me. Did you know his written exam to enter UA was one of the highest we’ve ever had? He tied for highest score with a past student of ours who had a mental enhancer quirk similar to a weak version of my own quirk.”

At this Shouta is honestly shocked, he knew from interactions with Midori while drinking midnight coffee that the kid was smart, but for Nedzu to be impressed…. He almost shivers at the concept.

“That’s quite the feat.”

“Yes it is. Now, I believe your student is about to wake up and I have paperwork to get rid of our dead weight to get started on, so off you go.”

With that Shouta makes his way out of Nedzu’s office and starts back to the infirmary.

His kid will need all the support he can get.

Izuku wakes up in stages, at first he can just feel the stiff bed underneath him and a warm hand gripping his own.

Slowly sound filters in, though there’s not much going on in the room he’s currently in. The only sounds being some beeping, shuffling likely from whoever is holding Izuku’s hand and the sound of a pen scribbling off to the side.

He takes a deep breath, before opening his eyes to see where exactly he had ended up and how much shit he might be in.

Oh. Hinto is here. Oh.. she doesn’t look overly impressed.

“Izuku! I was so worried when I got a call from your sensei telling me you got hurt and had a severe panic attack. Are you okay??”

Oh maybe she as just worried, she always was like this when he returned to work after having to call out due to injuries. She really is like a big sister.

“I’m fine Hinto, really. I’ve healed worse, and the panic attack wasn’t that bad. Besides… Aizawa helped me with it, you remember him right? He’s Eraser from my stories!”

At this the woman’s worried expression breaks with a snort, soon followed by cackling usually reserved for when she’s pulled a prank on Sasha or another patron.

“You! You mean! You mean to tell me that! That Aizawa, your teacher is the man with the cat coffee mug??!”

Izuku watches her shaking form with exasperation, waiting for her to stop.

“You said he was so kind! He looks like he’d spit on his grandma’s grave Izu!! His badass reputation just went out the door!”

Izuku will admit it was kinda funny now that Hinto had pointed it out.

“I’m glad I could be so entertaining Sei-san.”

Izuku whips his head around to look at the form of his neighbour standing in the doorway of what he’s assuming is the school’s infirmary. The man looks more tired than usual and his expression is as apathetic as ever but his eyes glint with satisfaction. Satisfaction from what Izuku doesn’t know, and he probably doesn’t want to know.

“Eraser! I’m so sorry that you had to carry me all the way here, I could have walked!”

“Kid, I wouldn’t have made you walk.. you were hurt and you had just calmed down from a bad panic attack. The least I could have done was get you safely to Recovery Girl.”

The least he could have done? That’s more than anyone does, he’s always been ignored when he had panic attacks at school, or worse beaten while having one. Izuku doesn’t understand. So he looks over at Hinto, because while she’s quirkless as well and had bad experiences with those outside of the community her parents were also both quirkless and homeschooled her. Izuku knows she had a more normal childhood than he did, so maybe she can help him make heads or tails of his neighbours words?

“He’s right Izu, you should have never been in that situation so his help was the minimum you deserved.”

Her brown eyes looking into Izuku’s green trying to convey her honestly. Before she seems to remember something and turns to his teacher.

“Which reminds me, can you tell me what happened now to result in my nephews injuries?”

Oh.. Right.

All Might.

Guess his opinions hadn’t changed much since last time Izuku saw him, without thinking about it Izuku starts to curl into himself. His instincts are screaming to hide or at least protect his weak points such as his stomach, throat and neck.

He can’t breathe, why can’t he breathe?

Is that All Might he’s hearing? Why is he here?

Where is here? Oh right, the roof, they’re on the roof. All Might just showed him his skinny form a second ago and was answering his stupid question.

Why did he ever think All Might’s answer would be anything but no? No is what everyone says to Izuku.

He still can’t breathe, is he dying? About time his body gave up on living, everyone thinks he should have died when he was diagnosed.

All Might said no, he left him on a roof. Izuku remembers peering over the ledge, his shoes sat on the ground beside him in a neat pile. He remembers jumping, wait no. He didn’t jump, that’s not what happened!

Izuku didn’t jump he knows that! He would never jump!

With that Izuku hears a voice, not All Might like he thought, speaking at him.

“Hey, Midori. I need you to breathe, just follow my breathing”

There’s a sound of his teacher taking deep even breaths from his right side, counting along with his demonstration. He wants Izuku to follow his breathing.

Izuku takes a gasping breath in, almost choking on the air. He lets it out slowly and gasps in another breath. This goes on for a long minute, just Izuku following the sound of his neighbour’s breaths and trying to calm down. All Might isn’t here right now, Izuku is alright. Eraser will protect him. Hinto will protect him.

He’s fine. He’s safe.

“Feeling better kid?”

He goes to speak but his throat is sore from two panic attacks with only a couple hours between them. So he signs instead, his hands thankfully steady enough to do so.

“Yeah, thanks Eraser.”

His teachers face pinches with worry from what Izuku doesn’t know but the expression smooths out quickly enough. Being replaced by a cautious and reassuring look.

“No problem Midoriya. Are you okay if I ask you a few questions? Me and Nedzu have already looked over the footage from the heroics class with All-“

Izuku can’t help but tense up at the use of the number one hero’s name, which his neighbour seems to notice.

“-at Ground Beta. The teacher who was there no longer works here.”

Wait what.

“W-what?”

His voice cracks painfully at the use.

“The teacher, he no longer works at UA. He showed obvious quirk discrimination as well as harassment while teaching today. I want to apologize for not being there to supervise kid, that never should have happened.”

“It’s not your fault”

Izuku decides to switch back to signing, no use killing his throat any more than he already has. It also gives him something to focus on other than his neighbour blowing his mind again like it’s nothing, first saying quirks are just tools and it doesn’t matter, and now saying All Might will no longer be teaching his class..

Before he knows what’s happening Izuku has tears trailing down his face and he’s trying to wipe them away before Hinto or Aizawa can notice.

Tears are just asking to get hurt. Even if he doesn’t think Aizawa would do that and he knows Hinto would never do that. No one in the community would ever hurt him.

It’s hard to kick instincts. Especially ones that were beat into you for years.

“Hey you’re okay Izu, you’re okay”

He lets himself get pulled into a hug from Hinto, Aizawa just watching from his other side looking tired.

Finally after a couple minutes Hinto let’s him go and he starts to feel really drowsy. Hopefully he can head home soon and go to bed. He feels like he could sleep for a week right now.

“When can I go home?”

The signed question is directed at his neighbour, who shakes his head.

“Not until tomorrow. Recovery Girl wants to keep you overnight for observation, she couldn’t heal everything the first go because you didn’t have enough energy for her quirk.”

The drowsiness gets shoved to the side, Izuku’s posture becoming alert as he looks over at Hinto.

“I dont want to stay here overnight, I might trust my neighbour but I do NOT trust everyone else. Please, I want to go home. Tell him you want to take me home and that I’ll be okay. Please Boss!”

All of this is signed in a variation of ASL and JSL which has been adapted and changed into a non-verbal language used solely by the quirkless community and blue stars. It’s usually called Shorthand or Alter-tongue (AT) when referencing the language. It was actually one of the first things he learned after being introduced to his community. Boss is Hintos AT sign name.

It’s perfect for situations like this where they don’t want non-community members knowing what they’re saying.

“Okay Little.”

Little is his AT sign name, much to his displeasure. A gift from Hinto’s cousin Fuwashi.

“Sorry Aizawa, I don’t feel comfortable leaving Izuku here overnight. I’ve never met any of the staff here except for you, and one is the reason my nephew is in the infirmary in the first place. So you’ll understand my hesitance to let him stay here by himself with only the staff to watch over him. I’d much prefer to take him home with me, my cousin who lives with us part time is trained in the medical field, so Izuku would be perfectly cared for at home with us.”

Izuku aspires to be as smooth as Hinto one day at coming up with an excuse, especially the ease of which she blends truth and lies.

“Ummm, I understand your sentiment Sei-San, but-“

“That should be fine Sei-San, as long as he gets lots of sleep and comes to see me first thing tomorrow morning before classes.”

Izuku notices the angry look his neighbour shoots Recovery Girl for interrupting as well as contradicting him, but Izuku honestly can’t bring himself to care, he’s just glad he gets to go home.

“Perfect, thank you Recovery Girl! I’ll be sure he gets plenty of sleep and comes to see you first thing.”

With that the red headed woman stands up and collects her purse, Izuku quickly follows her lead slipping off of the infirmary bed and scooting past the frozen form of his homeroom teacher who was still glaring at Recovery Girl.

“Thank you so much for the care Recovery Girl-San.”

With both him and Hinto bowing to the doctor, they swiftly make there way out of the room and then the building itself.

“Why did you do that?”

Shouta is mad, he didn’t want the kid going home. Shouta had been planning on staying to watch over him and keep him company during his overnight stay, but he also needed to ask him a few questions while his Aunt wasn’t there. Both about All Might’s discriminatory behaviour as well as to try and check in and see if they can trust his Aunt.

But then the two had a conversation in a language Shouta couldn’t place and couldn’t understand, the kids facial expression was bordering on desperate and Sei-san’s expression had smoothed out while watching the kid sign in the unknown language.

More questions. But first.

“That child did not want to be here, it would have done more damage to force him to stay here where he obviously didn’t feel safe or comfortable. I know you’re worried for the kid but it would have done more damage to the budding trust between you two, to force him to stay here overnight.”

At that Shouta can’t argue… He just wants the kid safe.

“You’re right, sorry Chiyo.”

“It’s fine dear, I know you’re just worried about your kid.”

“He’s not my kid!! You need to stop hanging out with Nemuri!”

The woman just laughs at Shouta’s words and he decides he’s not going to take such treatment. He’d rather head home too and cuddle his husband before patrol. Good thing he hadn’t cancelled it yet he guesses.

Shouta can’t help but hope to spot the kid later, even though he wants the kid to get enough sleep. He just wants to see the kid safe and sound.

He leaves UA for the day. Time for cuddles and to vent to his wonderful husband while petting the cats.

Chapter Text

“Alright Izu, are you sure you’re okay by yourself? I can stay over for the night or we can go to the café for the night if you need?”

His boss asks him as they stand in front of the entrance to Izuku’s apartment building. The sun has finally started to go down and the world around them is cast in shades of blues and greys.

“No I’m fine by myself Boss, honestly just looking forward to passing out on my bed.”

Izuku is back to using AT for right now, his throat is grating and raw feeling still. Hinto reaches over and ruffles his hair before nodding firmly.

“Okay, but make sure you text me if you do need something. Seriously Izuku, we all want you to be safe and healthy. So don’t let us down, and make sure to take care of yourself.”

“Okay! Okay! I will, I promise boss. I’ll be fine, and I’ll text you or another person from the community if I need something.”

“Okay, see ya at work then greenie”

And with that Hinto is walking away from him, probably on her way back to the Quirky Café since it’s busier hours are coming up. Poor Fuwashi probably made Sasha and some other patrons help out in the back since he’s the only one there currently if Izuku is remembering the schedule correctly.

A wave of bone deep fatigue washes over Izuku reminding him that he was so beyond ready to reacquaint himself with the threads of his bed sheets and pass out. He slowly makes his way into the building and then up the stairs, since you’re more likely to get trapped in his apartment buildings elevator than reach your floor.

He steps into his apartment and locks the door about to make a b line for his room when his body suddenly decides to give up, the last thing Izuku sees is the floor rushing up to greet him then darkness. Waking up suddenly he finds himself a couple hours later waking up in the entry of his apartment on the floor.

Well that’s just great, nothing like passing out on the floor to really start the healing process. He slowly peels himself off the floor and stumbles his way into the kitchen, he needs water and pain killers. He was probably dehydrated before going to school and then also hadn’t had any water or liquids since. Which was probably causing the headache that had formed sometime after he passed out the second time today.
Actually is it even today? Or is it tomorrow? What time is it? He glances at his phone screen as he pours himself some water into his grey mug.

Oh.. it’s just after midnight. He wonders if his neighbour had waited for him at midnight for coffee, even though they had just seen each other a couple hours prior. He probably didn’t…. But Izuku WAS wrong last time. Either way he’s not there now, which he confirms with a quick glance at the dark kitchen window of his neighbour.

After taking his painkillers, only minor ones since he’s dealt with much worse pain than this, and his heavier painkillers were expensive and reserved for very rare occasions, and chugging a couple more mug fulls of water Izuku finally makes his way towards his room and promptly falls asleep fully clothed on top of his bed sheets.

Shouta had accidentally ended up following his teen neighbour and said teen’s Aunt back to their apartment. In his defensive he was on the way to his apartment building, and they were neighbors so it wasn’t all that surprising and was honestly an accident. Though a good one in Shouta’s opinion.

Especially when he watched the kids aunt and him trade some words while standing outside of his neighbour’s apartment building, the kid responding again in a sign language Shouta couldn’t understand and didn’t recognize. Though the red head was thankfully responding aloud in Japanese.
He’s not thankful for long, because based off of Sei-san’s spoken words she was leaving the kid alone in their apartment. Shouta’s blood started to feel hot, how dare she! She promised that the kid would be watched over and taken care of if they let them leave UA!

The kid himself didn’t seem too upset by his aunt leaving and had actually seemed to be reassuring her she didn’t need to stay ‘the night’. Did she not stay at the apartment usually? Why would she call it staying the night if she lived there? The two interact for a couple more seconds before the woman is walking away and the kid is heading inside.

Shouta follows the kid at a slight distance, though Midori seemed tired enough to not be paying much attention to his surroundings anyways, as he walked into the apartment building then up a couple flights of stairs. Finally he watches as the kid unlocks his apartment door and slips inside.

He walks down the hall to stand in front of the apartment’s door, after a second giving in and pressing his ear to the surface to listen. He almost wishes he didn’t when all he hears is the sound of a body hitting the floor.

Did the kid just pass out???? Holy shit. Shouta starts knocking on the apartment door. Maybe that cousin Sei-San mentioned was home and would notice the sound???

“Kid! Are you okay?? Please respond so I know you’re okay!”

He knows he’s being loud and disruptive but his kid just passed out alone in a locked apartment. His injured kid. So Shouta thinks it’s fair that he started to freak out especially since he wasn’t actually able to break into these apartments due to the type of door and lock. If he had been thinking rationally he would have run over to his own apartment to grab his lock picking kit, but rationality was the last thing on Shouta’s mind.

What does he do? The kid could have bashed his head on anything when he fainted!

So he calls Chiyo, hopefully she’ll know what to do.

“What is it Shouta, I just saw you.”

“The kid! Chiyo his aunt left him to head into his apartment by himself and hasn’t come back yet, the kid locked his apartment door then fainted just on the other side! I can’t get inside and I don’t know if he’s okay!”

“Okay, calm down Shouta. Could you do that for me? Just deep breaths, you know how.”

The line goes quite for a couple seconds as Recovery Girl listens to his breathing over the phone.

“There you go dearie, now have you tried to rouse Midoriya?”

“Yes, I knocked on the door loudly and called his name. No response and I didn’t hear any movement.”

“Then he likely fainted from exhaustion, it’s been quite the day for him. New school, new classmates, new teachers, multiple panic attacks, running, getting hurt and then healed by my quirk. Let alone the mental energy he’s likely expended today alone. It doesn’t surprise me he fainted.”

There’s a long sigh from the other side of the phone call, and Shouta can already tell he’s not about to like what she has to say.

“There’s not much you can do right now for the dear Shouta. Rest is the only way he’ll be regaining consciousness so you’ll have to let him sleep for a bit, even if the floor isn’t the most comfortable option, but he’ll be fine.”

He was right, he didn’t like what she had to say. He can’t just leave the kid like this, he can’t. Even if his aunt is fine to leave the kid alone after a day like today Shouta can’t.
So he sits there for a good couple hours just listening for any sign of Midori waking up. Any sign he’s okay on the other side of this fucking door.
It’s not until just after midnight that he hears the kid start to move and Shouta wakes from his light doze. He listens as the kid gets up off the floor, groaning before seemingly shuffling down the hallways and towards where Aizawa is assuming the kicthenette is.

Thank fuck the kid seems fine at least. No stumbling steps or throwing up sounds which could indicate something was hurt when he fell. Finally breathing a lot easier Shouta decides it’s time to head home, there not much else he can do for the kid short of knocking on the door and being let inside. Though he doubts that doing so would make anything better, so he doesn’t, even though he really wants to see the kid safe with his own eyes. He’ll meet with Nedzu first thing tomorrow to see if the rodent had dug anything concrete up on the aunt as well as inform him of all that just happened. A young teenager shouldn’t be left alone when exhausted and hurt, and Shouta doesn’t plan on letting this continue if it was common place.

He was beat. Who knew problem children were so much work and energy? Certainly not last year him who had gotten out of having class altogether. He sends out a quick text to his husband who should have just left his studio and be heading home as well, letting him know the kid woke up and seems fine for the most part so he’s heading to their apartment now.

He could really use his husbands cuddles after the emotional roller coaster today was. Shouta doesn’t do emotions much, so today was a lot especially for him. It would have been a lot even for a person more like his husband, Zashi was always socializing and laughing and emoting. If Shota even tried to do similarly to the blonde he would have to go into a coma for at least a year to regain the social and emotional energy back.

‘Okay, I’m going to grab some takeout on my way home. I doubt either of us feels much like cookin tonight <3’

Kami Shouta loves his husband.

Chapter Text

Izuku woke up on top of his still made bed way too early for his liking. Sadly, he has to actually get up and head to UA, they had promised Recovery Girl that he would come in for a check up before classes today after all.

Getting dressed and grabbing a granola bar, he really needs to go grocery shopping soon, he grabs his backpack and heads out. Making sure to check for any obvious bruises from his little face plant nap in his entry way last night, thankfully there’s nothing overly obvious.

He’s walking down one of the many hallways of UA when he finds himself on the ground unexpectedly for the third time in twenty four hours. Like what is wrong with him recently??

Izuku looks up and wants to laugh.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”

It’s the cute purple haired teenager from yesterday…. And he literally ran into them again, what is wrong with him! This persons going to think he’s doing this on purpose if this trend continues.

“You’re telling me, I’m really sorry..”

“Shinso Hitoshi, and what’s your name Greenie?”

Izuku can’t help but feel his face heat up at the small, tired smirk the purple haired teenager, Shinso, has when calling him Greenie.

“Ummmm”

Come on brain, come on. It’s a basic question, you should know this.

“I-I’m Midoriya Izuku, but you can just call me Midori, or Izu if you want!”

Great, he’s going to think Izuku is weird. Eh nothing new, just sad since Shinso seems interesting enough and he’s really pretty..

Speaking of the purple haired teenager, he looks slightly taken aback by Izuku’s offer before he smirks again. Why are they both still just sitting on the floor? But damn… that smirk.

“Okay Izu, you can call me Hito if you want then.”

“Can I call you Toshi instead? My Aunt’a name is Hinto so I think I’d get the names mixed up if I called you Hito.”

Izuku’s face is officially on fire, he’s going to pass away now. Though he notices the purple teen isn’t fairing much better, face painted with red. At least he doesn’t look like an off brand strawberry though like Izuku knows he does.

“Sure. Toshi works.”

It almost feels like a spell was broken because suddenly they’re both looking around at the empty hall they’re both sitting in and Izuku finally notices that when he ran into Toshi he somehow managed to spill a bunch of the contents of his backpack. Great.

“How about we get off this floor, I’m sure they clean it very well but still. I’ve been spending enough time on floors the past couple days, might as well not spend any extra time there when I don’t have to be.”

Toshi just laughs as he stands up and then offers Izuku his hand to get up as well.

“Why have you been spending time on floors recently??”

“It’s a long story, actually you were there for one of the occasions!”

The other teen doesn’t look nearly as pumped as Izuku was trying to act at the mention of their first meeting yesterday during his panic attack.

“Oh. Are you okay by the way? You looked pretty banged up yesterday.”

“Yep! I’m all good, though I do have to head to the infirmary right now so Recovery Girl can do a quick check up.”

Izuku doesn’t want Toshi to leave yet.

“Want to come with me? I’m sure it will be really quick!”

The other boy just smiles and nods and they’re off to the races…. Well not exactly but they start the journey to the school infirmary together; just chatting about classes so far and their classmates as they go.

“Actually speaking of classmates, next to none of mine are talking to me at all, want to sit with me at lunch? We could go eat somewhere other than the cafeteria?”

“Sure Izu, I know just the place we could go eat. I’ll meet you at your homeroom at lunch.”

“Perfect! Oh we’re here.”

They walk in, both trying to spot the healing pro hero, only to see Present Mic instead.

“Heyyy little listeners! Are you both looking for Recovery Girl? She just stepped out a minute ago to go grab something.”

“Oh, okay, I just have a check up with her before classes…”

Izuku trails off honestly not sure where to go from there. He still finds it kind of weird to talk with his English teacher since he knows so many random personal facts about the pro hero.

“So Midori, how has classes been?”

Huh, so Present Mic also calls him Midori. It’s kind of nice, though he notices the look of confusion crossing Toshi’s face at the endearing name.

“They’ve been okay, I really enjoyed math class yesterday. The assignment he gave us was super fun!”

Both Toshi and Present Mic look at him oddly for that, but it’s the truth! He had been teaching himself math and other course material for years. His teachers at Aldera liked to put questions on his tests that were a couple levels up just so they could bring his grade down. So he started learning the material for those levels as well, then found out higher level math is more interesting than middle school math and accidentally learned more than just a couple levels above his grades math level.

But it really wasn’t anything special, it’s just math. Everything is already predetermined with math, you just have to know the correct formula. Plus Izuku had heard often enough from everyone that he was bad at school so obviously he wasn’t all that great; even if he did manage to understand some higher level math.

“If it’s the same assignment he gave my class, it wasn’t fun. That was like college level math.”

Izuku honestly doesn’t know how to respond to his friend, are they friends now?? He hopes they are.
Thankfully he’s saved by Recovery Girl walking in at just the right time so Izuku can avoid that entire conversation, no need for his friend and neighbour to know how stupid he is.

“Good morning Dearies, here’s your package Hizashi.”

She hands their English teacher a bag and he says a quick, but enthusiastic, goodbye before leaving.

“Now, Midoriya I’m glad to see you back here as you were told to. Please go sit on that bed there so I can check over everything then decide if another dose of my quirk is necessary. Shinso shouldn’t you be getting to class? The bell is going to ring in five minutes.”

Izuku watches as his purple haired friend glances down at the time on his phone before saying a rushed goodbye to him and Recovery Girl and walking out the door yelling back that he’ll meet Izuku at 1-A’s classroom for lunch.

“That boy needs to sleep more, and so do you Midoriya. I will be using my quirk a little bit on you today, but you still don’t have much energy at all. I suggest you take a nap during lunch and go to bed early tonight.”

With that she leans forward and kisses Izuku on the forehead, quite the feat for such a short lady, but she manages. Izuku feels a soothing wave pass over his body and all the new aches and pains he’s been ignoring from yesterday’s incident fade away.

Thank fuck, though now he’s tired again, Izuku resists the urge to groan in annoyance while in front of the nurse.

“Thank you Recovery Girl”

Izuku makes sure to bow deeply, most nurses and doctors won’t heal him outside of safe space doctors and nurses so her doing this without complaint deserves many thanks.

“Oh no need for that dear, just doing my duty. Now you better be off to class, wouldn’t want to be late.”

Morning classes are pretty mundane, his neighbour does a lesson on training safety, as well as quirk safety with the class. Bakugou is oddly absent but Aizawa doesn’t seem concerned.
Then it’s math class! Ectoplasm hands back the classes graded assignments then starts a lesson about the most basic math formula in the assignment. Claiming by the end of this semester they’re going to know all the formulas in that assignment problem and be able to solve the question.

Which is confusing, Izuku already knows how to solve it? He looks done at his page which just has 100% marked at the top and a scrawl of neat writing asking him to stay after class for a minute.

Izuku feels bugs crawling under his skin at the request, why does he want Izuku to stay after class? He doesn’t like staying after class to talk with teachers, it doesn’t end well.

Though if he has to stay, he’s hoping Ectoplasm is upset with him rather than happy; when teachers are happy with him things are worse. Never again.

Most of the rest of math class passes in a blur, between anxiety and already knowing the material there’s not much for his brain to do other than stress.

Soon enough, for better or worse, everyone in his class is clearing the room and heading to lunch. Izuku stays where he’s seated, muscles tense.

“Midoriya, thank you for staying after class. I wanted to speak with you about your math going forward this semester.”

Izuku looks up to stare at his pro hero math teacher. He’s not sure what kind of expression he has on his face but Ectoplasm chuckles.

“You aced the entire semester material by getting a hundred percent on the first assignment. It may take me a couple days but I want you to take a test for me, it will help me gauge what level math you’re at and decide what your semester material will be based off of that.”

He pauses seemingly waiting for Izuku to say something. He doesn’t, it’s better not to speak with teachers.

“Does that sound good to you Midoriya?”

He just nods, because what else can he do.

“Okay, I’ll email you with more of the details sometime either tonight or tomorrow.”

Sensing the end of the conversation is coming near Izuku grabs his packed bag and stands up to leave.

“Off you go to lunch now, have a nice rest of you day.”

“T-T-thank you Ectoplasm Sensei.”

Stupid stutter, but he’s finally free and nothing bad happened, yet.

Oh shit, Izuku is suddenly reminded of his purple friend’s promise to meet him for lunch when he sees Toshi leaning against the wall across from 1-A’s classroom on his phone. He looks up at the sound of the huge door closing behind Izuku.

“There you are, was starting to wonder if you ditched me”

He says it like it’s a joke but Izuku notices the awkward way he rubs the back of his neck while saying it and how his muscles still seem a bit tense. Honestly he kind of reminds himself of Izuku, if he was more apathetic and tired presenting.

“No sorry Toshi, Ectoplasm Sensei had to talk to me about class work. I wouldn’t ditch you, more surprised you haven’t ditched me.”

“Why would I ditch you?”

Oh shit, dug that hole himself he did. Well time to face the music, hopefully he’s not about to loose his only friend before even a day of friendship.

“Umm, because I’m quirkless..?”

The other boy just looks shocked, his whole body going still.

“I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you earlier! It’s fine if you don’t want to eat lunch with me anymore, I also won’t call you Toshi if you want!”

Stupid, stupid, stupid. What was Izuku expecting?

“Whoa, Izu. Izuku, it’s fine, I don’t care that you’re quirkless. So long as you’re fine being friends with someone with a villains quirk..”

And now Izuku is the one relaxing and Toshi is tense and waiting for backlash. He would never do that.

“No quirk is a villainous quirk.. are you sure you’re okay with me being quirkless?”

Because Izuku doesn’t want this to be a trick or for Toshi to realize in a couple hours or minutes that he doesn’t actually want a quirkless friend and ditches Izuku. Better to get the pain over with and done than be given false hope. He learned that the hard way, like everything in his life.

“My quirk is brainwashing, still sure it’s not a villainous quirk?”

There’s a hard tone to his friend’s voice, but Izuku is stuck thinking about all the applications of a quirk called brainwashing.

Is it a long term type of quirk? Like make physical contact and say something, then continue to do it over time like dosages and it changes the affected person to believe or behave as suggested by the user? Or is it more like the short term brainwashing? Like the magic trick known as hypnotizing from before the quirked era. Is it activated by touch? Or maybe it’s voice? Since Toshi has a very alluring voice which is common in people with voice based quirks, such as Present Mic.

“Whoa, okay. I can’t follow all of that.”

Oh.

“Sorry! Was I mumbling again?….”

“Yes, but it’s okay. Just..”

An expectant expression fills his face, purple eyes slightly shadowed still but Izuku thinks he sees a spark of hope. His new friend is reminding him more and more of himself, which isn’t a good thing.

“Like I said, your quirk isn’t villainous. No quirk is a villains quirk.”

A soft look takes over Toshi’s face.

“Thanks, sorry we got so side tracked. Want to go to that spot I mentioned so we can eat lunch?”

“Sure!”

They start off into the maze of UA with Toshi leading the way. They chat as they walk, a lot more relaxed now that they’ve both gotten past the conversation around quirks for now.

The whole walk Izuku feels a warmth in his chest.

Sadly before they reach their destination a loud alarm starts going off and the sound of chaos emanates from a distance. The two students look at each other and start running towards the sound.

“Aizawa, your kid is too smart.”

Shouta looks up to stare at Ectoplasm weirdly as he flops down onto the space beside Shouta on the couch in the staff room.

“He already knows the entirety of the material for this semester. I’m having him take an evaluation test sometime soon so I can know where he’s currently at in levels”

Shouta thinks back to his conversation with Nedzu the other day, the kid tied for the highest written exam score with a kid who had a quirk similar to Nedzu….

“Nedzu mentioned that he scored high on his written entrance exam.”

Ectoplasm just pales.

“Nedzu has noticed his smarts?? Shit, maybe I should talk to him about creating this evaluative test.”

“Probably”

Midnight chips in from her place by the coffee table sipping tea.

Ectoplasm just groans.

Suddenly the intruder alarm is going off, all the pros jumping to their feet and rushing out of the lounge. Hopefully it’s nothing major, but it’s hard to get into UA, so his wish probably won’t be granted.

It was just the press, though no one knows how they managed to break down part of the wall and gate around UA. They had ended up calling the police and fines for trespassing and property damage were handed out to all of the reporters who crossed into UA’s property.

Sadly between all of this he hasn’t had a chance to speak with Nedzu about his search on Midori’s Aunt or inform him of everything that happened last night or even to pull his elusive little neighbour to the side to check in on him. Shouta had been trying to find the right time all day but every time he got close the kid would slip away or Shouta didn’t have the time, it was getting frustrating.

Though his husband had told him that Midori was at Recovery Girl’s this morning as promised so at least the kid was fine physically if nothing else. Last night was still weighing heavily on Shouta, and if he saw Sei-san right now he’d probably get in trouble for attacking a civilian, but seeing the kid in person helped a bit.

It’s now after school hours when Shouta finally knocks on the large wooden doors of Nedzu’s office. Though sadly he never got to talk with Midori privately to check in on him, hopefully he will be at the kitchen window tonight.

“Come in.”

He pushes inside and is greeted by his boss sipping tea, a pile of papers to the side of his desk and his computer turned to be viewable for both of them and a steaming cup of coffee waiting for him.

Damn genius of a rat.

“What did you find?”

He all but demands, he’s concerned bite him.

“At first not much at all, which was to be expected. All the paperwork and online files suggest that Midoriya has been living with his Aunt Sei Hinto for the past 10 months, after moving closer to UA to apply and hopefully attend our school. Likely since it’s one of the few highschools open to the quirkless, though that doesn’t make sense, since after a bit more digging another file suggests that Midoriya moved into the apartment across from you and Hizashi 14 months ago and the apartment itself is registered under his name, but a fake age and a fake quirk file.”

“What.”

Shouta almost doesn’t hear everything his boss just said from shock. Was he implying that Midori had been living by himself? Where does the aunt fit into all of this?
Suddenly he’s reminded of her words from the other night saying she could stay the night at the apartment if his student wanted. It had sounded weird then, but now Shouta felt sick.

Did Midori live completely alone? No he couldn’t be, he’s just a kid. Maybe the Aunt is just super busy so it’s mainly just Midori at the apartment?? But then the apartment is registered under the teens name… so maybe she had some reason she couldn’t have put the apartment under her name? Something, something because no way has his little green neighbour been all by himself for the past year, especially not when him and Zashi had literally been right there. The thoughts swirl violently around Shouta’s mind, images of an abusive Sei-san, a hurt Midori and a lonely Midori all playing on the insides of his eyelids. When did he even close his eyes? He can barley breathe or think over the sound of blood rushing by his ears.

He needs to calm down, the kid is okay last he saw. He’s okay, he’s okay. Warm hands hold his own. Who..?

“Hey Shou, could you just breathe with me for a second? I know you’re worried about our little listener but we need you to calm down.”

Suddenly his green eyed husband is in front of him, the one holding his hands. A practiced grounding technique they both knew worked best for Shouta.

“There you are, just take a minute. We’re both fine waiting Kitten.”

If Shouta wasn’t just calming down from what seemed to be a panic attack of some sort he would have swatted his husband for using such an affectionate name in front of their boss, but as it is it just makes him feel loved and safe. If Shouta hadn’t had a panic attack he also would have seen the evaluative gaze of Nedzu waiting to see how he would react to his quirkless student needing help, but Shouta didn’t see any of that.

Damn his amazing husband.

They all sit in silence for a couple minutes, allowing him to calm down fully and collect his thoughts.

“Okay, sorry we can continue.”

His boss just nods.

“Sadly even with all this paperwork available it doesn’t tell us much as to what is really happening in our students life at home. Everything suggests the ‘Aunt’ is very kind and other good qualities, but the whole situation seems questionable at best and abusive at worst with Midoriya and her.

“…Why do you say aunt like that?”

Hizashi asks, leaning forward a look of worry and slight frustration painted across his features. Shouta could have sworn Nedzu’s eyes lit up with joy at his husband’s question.

“Well there’s actually no connection between the two. There is a few pieces of official looking public files which claim she is the younger sister of Midoriya’s father, but there are no other records to support that, there is however a birth certificate for one Sei Hinto which claims she is the only child of a Sei Yoarshi and Sei Hana. Only cousin being a Sei Fuwashi born to her dads brother. In short, her and Midoriya have no relation at all officially. Outside of a few easily edited public files, which apparently were only updated with this new information within the last ten months or so. Nor do they likely live together, or as her residence is stated to be at a different apartment building about a twenty minute walk from your apartment.”

Neither Shouta nor Hizashi move for a couple seconds after Nedzu finishes speaking. Their minds whirling with all the new and very concerning information.

“Well that’s a problem.”

Yeah Zashi, that about sums it up.

Chapter Text

With the start of classes at UA as well as being injured so badly just before them Izuku hadn’t been working a lot. Which means he didn’t get to go shopping for food like he knew he needed to. It was groceries or rent and he needed his apartment much more than he needed food this week.

Though it was going to be really hard to hide this from his neighbours since Izuku knows they’ve been watching him extra close ever since meeting Hinto.

Just how hard this was going to be, became extremely apparent when midnight came around and Izuku found himself in his kitchenette with an empty grey mug. He had run out of instant coffee at some point and since he had no grocery money that also meant no coffee for the week…

When Aizawa walked into his own kitchen across from him just a couple minutes after midnight he signed a greeting to Izuku and then set to work making his mug of coffee.
Only looking back up at Izuku through the window once he was done and starting to sip from his cat mug.

Izuku sees the way his dark haired neighbour seems to freeze briefly when noticing his empty mug. Which was obvious since Izuku had accidentally started fiddling with it while waiting to chat with the man and was literally turning the worn mug upside down.

“Where’s your coffee?”

“Ran out, I have-“

He cuts himself off.

“-My aunt is getting some more tomorrow morning. So no coffee for me tonight sadly.”

The man’s eyes narrow slightly after him, then down at the mug in Izuku’s hands; seemingly trying to decide if he was telling the truth.

Finally he nods and takes a sip from his own mug. Thank Kami. Izuku couldn’t deal with more questioning about it.

“How was school today? I didn’t get to talk with you earlier to check in.”

Check in…? Why would he check in with Izuku?

“School was fine, though I had to stay back and talk with Ectoplasm sensei about my course work….”

“That’s good kiddo.”

“Is it though…?”

He can’t help the question, Izuku’s knows he has trust issues and even more so with teachers, but knowing you have trust issues and fixing them, especially when it’s actually more harmful to fix them than not, are two very different things. Eraser probably knows if it is truly good or not much better than Izuku would.

“It is. He will make sure you’re learning everything you should be learning. You can trust him to teach you well, he’s a good teacher.”

Izuku doesn’t know how his neighbour knew exactly what to say; but hearing that Eraser trusted Ectoplasm Sensei helped settle that part of him which was still vibrating with nerves from earlier today.

“Okay, good night.”

With that Izuku leaves, no reason to stay when he had other things he needed to do and it’s not like any coffee would magically appear for him if he stayed.

Izuku sends off a quick text to Hinto about picking up more shifts for the coming days to hopefully get back on top of things. He’s usually a lot better at keeping up with shifts at the café.

Stupid murdering quirkiest cult, making him miss shifts.

Curling up in his blankets with the lights off is like finally being able to fully breathe after a day of something sitting on your lungs slightly. Not enough to suffocate you, but you’re uncomfortably aware of it.

He naturally didn’t like being around people, well.. maybe less naturally and more like he knew he was a lot safer alone than near another human being. Everyone had taught him that. So sitting by himself in his own apartment was always like paradise to him, right now included, so he lets himself relax and drift.

Just before he fully gives in to sleep his phone dings loudly from beside him, startling him fully awake.

‘Hey, of course you can pick up some shifts! I have a free spot tomorrow if you want then? I have another two later in the week as well. Let me know shortie ;) ‘

Izuku rolls his eyes at his boss’s antics.

‘Thx, I’ll take all three of those shifts. Just send me times and I’ll be there. Have a fun shift and tell Fuwashi I say hi!’

After that he receives a couple other quick messages just telling him the times of the shifts as well as a couple relayed messages from Fuwashi sent through Hinto.

Izuku had just sat his phone down again and turned over in his bed to go to sleep when his phone dings again.

Who is it now..?

‘Hey Izu, it’s Hitoshi. Wanna see a picture of my cat?’

What the hell, why not? Not like he wouldn’t love to sleep or anything, buuuttt Izuku does love cute cat photos so he gives in easily.

‘Of course!!’

What follows are some adorable pictures of the fluffiest flame point kitty that Izuku has ever seen.

‘Her name is Princess, tho I call her crown.’

No regrets.

Finally, finally! Izuku says goodnight and is left fully alone, free to finally go to sleep a warm feeling stuck in his chest. It’s nice feeling thought of…

Shouta didn’t know how everything went to hell so quickly. His day started off with an adorable Millie gently batting him awake as his husband laughs at him from their bedroom doorway.

He had a wonderful cup of death wish coffee from his favourite mug, a gift from Shirakumo in second year, and made it to work without having his ear drums broken while listening to Zashi sing along to the radio.

Sadly from there his day seemed to only go down. Shouta noticed Midori didn’t eat anything at lunch, the only reason he knew this was because he may or may not have been keeping an eye on his little neighbour and his purple haired friend as they made their way to a tree outside to eat, but it wasn’t creepy or anything, he just wanted to make sure the kid was staying safe. He didn’t want to admit he was still on edge from the kid scaring him by passing out yesterday and Shouta not being able to do anything to keep him safe.

The little teen not eating wasn’t helping, 1-A knows they are having an important heroics lesson last period, so fuelling up before hand is important. Thankfully before Shouta decides on how he could casually slip the kid food from Lunch Rush or his own bento box, he notices that Shinso forced some of the food from his own bento box into Izuku’s hands to eat.

After that, he leaves the two to chat and goes to find his husband in the teachers lounge, only getting teased about hovering over ‘his little listener’ a couple times while trying to eat.

From there he thought things were getting better again but then they finally arrived at the USJ. He was teaching this lesson with the help of Thirteen, Ragdoll and Mandalay; so plenty of supervision for his class. Bakugo was still out on suspension while Nedzu worked on getting evidence of other assaults and bullying from Aldera’s school cameras and populace. So one less kid to worry about keeping in line. Though he notices how his class seems to shift uncomfortably every time they notice the continued absence of their classmate. Ragdoll and Mandalay, from the famous rescue hero group, happened to be in town to pick up a nephew who had recently lost his parents, so they decided to join in on the rescue lesson he had planned for 1-A.

Everything had been going great. Until Kirishima pointed to a swirling purple vortex that had appeared suddenly in the middle of the plaza.

“EVERYONE GET BACK! THOSE ARE REAL VILLAINS!”

With that Shouta found himself surrounded on all sides by mediocre villains who were all trying to kill him; a few calls of distress emanating form his students as he did so. He trusted the other heroes to protect them though while he was busy.

A couple screams from behind him distracts Shouta from his adversary just in time for him to see multiple swirling vortexes swallow his students up along with the two cat themed pro heroes.

“NO!”

He gets stabbed for being distracted, stupid low level villains, that fucking hurts. It wasn’t his first time getting stabbed, and it probably wouldn’t be his last, but it still bothers him a lot.

“Wow, you’ve got quite the quirk there Eraserhead.”

A chill runs down his spine but he doesn’t have time to acknowledge it.

“ I know someone who would like it, but alas. You’re in my way, where is All Might?”

Of course that absolute failure of a hero was to blame for this.

“All Might doesn’t work here!”

The pale blue haired adult scratches at his neck, face twisting into anger.

“LIAR! I know he works here…” The man pauses, seemingly thinking hard before a cruel grin overtakes his face. “Maybe, if I kill a few kids he’ll show up?”

Shouta feels like throwing up, where are his students?? Where are they?? Where is Midori?

“NOMU! Incapacitate Eraserhead!”

The last thing Shouta sees is a blur of darkness and then blinding, sparking pain blooms violently across his vision and doesn’t fade. Thankfully sleep eases the colourful art pallet and he falls into a semi-restful state. His last thoughts are of a young green teenager drinking coffee at night and his loving husband.

Izuku gets thrown out of the warp gate and directly into open air before smacking water with all the grace of a headless chicken. Which is to say, none at all.

What the hell? What the hell was happening?! One second his class was standing and listening to Thirteen speak and now they’ve been separated and last he saw Eraser was facing off a small horde of villains as well as a man who Izuku assumes is running this impromptu visit and the hulking figure of a monster.

Sadly Izuku doesn’t have time to spare worrying about Eraser as he notices a man with a shark quirk, rocketing towards him in the murky water.

Shit.

Shit.

SHIT.

He tries to dodge, but it’s nearly impossible when underwater and starting to suffocate. Thankfully something wraps around his waist and he’s drug out of the way and up towards air.

He finds himself gasping lungs full of air on the wet deck of a boat with a nervous looking classmate.

“Are you okay…?”

“Call me Tsu, Kero.”

“Okay, call me Mido or Izu then.”

“Okay Mido, and yes I’m fine, I should be asking if you’re okay, kero. Do you have a plan of how to get out of here?”

“Me??”

“Yes, kero. I know you’re good at strategy from our hero versus villain simulations with All Might Sensei.”

Ahhhhhhh, right. Well this is weird both because of the praise and the fact she had seemed worried over his well-being.. or that she saved him in general.

“Ahh, i-it was n-nothing really! Just c-common sense really!”

He gets a rather pointed blank look for that. Tsu and Toshi would get along great Izuku suddenly thinks.

“O-okay, I have an idea… I-if you’re willing?”

Shouta slowly faded back into existence in a hospital room. He hates hospitals, always reminding him of Shirakumo’s death as well as when Zashi had gotten really hurt a couple years back and had to be put under a medically induced coma for a week.

So waking up on one of the hero-ward’s thin ass chemical smelling mattresses, with every inch of his body aching like a day old bruise was not how he wanted to be spending his time.

Not that he had much of a choice.

Zashi was right there holding his hand when Shouta opened his eyes, though he quickly realized he wouldn’t be truly seeing anything for a bit. Since it feels like there’s currently a wrap or bandage over them.

“Shou, Shou you scared the ever loving shit out of me!! Little Iida suddenly burst into my classroom yelling about a villain attack at the USJ…. Kami, everything looked horrible when we got there Shou..”

He can hear what he assumes is his worried husband clicking the call nurse button now that he’s awake, then getting a paper cup of water handed to him to help clear his throat. Which honestly was good, he probably wouldn’t have been able to respond otherwise.

“It’s okay Zash, I’m okay. How are the kids? Thirteen? Mandalay? Ragdoll?”

“They’re okay, though Todoroki suffered from hypothermia as did Hagakure, Yaoyosuru needed to be given a different dietary plan for a couple days to replenish her lipids, and Thirteen got pretty banged up. Pretty sure they’re getting out of their surgery in a hour or so. Mandalay and Ragdoll are okay, decided to speed up their trip and headed back home with their nephew last night after getting checked over by Chiyo….”

Shouta notices right away there’s something else his husband needs to say, but doesn’t want to say. Sadly an older nurse walks in right that moment and they have to wait to continue. The nurse, one Yamada ironically enough, checks all of his charts, stats and asks him a extensive list of questions about his memory, and senses as well as pain levels. Finally she takes off the wrap across his eyes and face changing out the larger bandages for smaller patches or leaving them uncovered.

They both watch as she excuses herself soon after. Silence reigning in the room.

“What is it Zashi?”

“Well… our little listener also got hurt.”

What. His eyes snap to the blondes face, giving him his sole focus.

“He’s fine! He’s fine!… Though….”

And with a trailing sound Shouta watches as his husband walks over to the curtain beside Shouta’s bed, which he hadn’t noticed before this, and pulls it back to reveal an asleep Midori.

His eyes are immediately focused on the bandages wrapped around the teen’s left arm and chest, as well as his cheek.

“He apparently also fought the leader, name apparently is Shigiraki when you were down. Doctor says he’ll be awake sometime today and can be released tomorrow afternoon if there’s zero complications before then and assuming a guardian can sign him out by then.”

Shouta let’s out the breath he hadn’t even noticed that he was holding.

“They’re all okay?”

He just, needs to be sure.

“Yes. Your students are all okay. They’re all safe and cared for.”

“Okay Zashi, okay.”

Shouta allows himself to lean on the form of his husband when he comes closer and just feel protected and safe for a minute. They stay like that for a while, Zashi just playing with Shouta’s hair and making loose braids only to quickly undo them.

“Why did you specify about his guardian signing him out? You said ‘by then’ why?” It had honestly been bothering him since Zashi said it but he had been basking in the relief and guilt of his student’s state.

From his position leaned against the blonde he immediately feels him stiffen at his question.

Oh no.

“We haven’t been able to get into contact with the little listener’s aunt as of yet, though we are trying every couple hours to reach her. If she doesn’t answer by tonight we’re going to try one of the other contacts.”

Sei-San should count her blessings that Shouta is stuck in this hospital bed. Why wasn’t she already here with Midori? The kid obviously loved her even if Shouta was mad at the woman for leaving the kid alone that night and potentially all the time.. Nedzu’s theories still weighing heavily on his mind.

“It will be okay Shouta.”

Will it though?

He just sighs, his husband seeming to relate as they both watch the sleeping form of their little neighbour.

Problem child indeed.

Chapter Text

They don’t get through to Sei-san by time afternoon rolls around the day after the attack on the USJ. The kid is still asleep as well, though their nurse reassures them that the healing quirks being used on their little neighbour use a lot of energy to work and that the kid just needs rest. Doesn’t make Shouta feel any less uneasy at the slack form of Midori beside him.

Finally they try another of the kid’s emergency contacts, first trying Sei Fuwashi since he is supposed to be the kids cousin. If the confirmed fake files are to be believed, but all they get is an answering machine.

They call two more times with the same results.

Finally Zashi calls the last of Midori’s contacts, one Volkov Sasha. They both listen to the phone ring, and ring, and ring in the silence of the shared hospital room.

“Hey. You’ve reached the voice mail of Sasha Volkov, I’m busy. Beeeeeeeep!”

Without a word they exchange looks and Zashi dials again.

“Hey. You’ve reached th-“

And once more.

“Hey. You’v-“

“You said you checked all of the little listener’s emergency contacts right?”

Shouta just grunts in confirmation, too busy worrying and planning what to do with his seemingly abandoned student.

At his answer his husband’s face sours with confusion and sadness staring over at the still prone form of their neighbour.

“Maybe you should contact Nedzu and Tsukachi? They will probably know best what to do with this situation..”

His face sours further.

“Fuck Shouta, did they really just abandon the little listener? Why aren’t they picking up their phones? The entire attack has been broadcasted EVERYWHERE for the past day. Why haven’t they gone looking for the little one if NOTHING ELSE???”

Shouta watches as his wonderful, amazing, empathetic husband gets more and more worked up over the situation. Seemingly feeling the same righteous anger for their little neighbour that he feels burning in his chest.

“Come’re”

Pulling the vibrating form of his taller husband into his waiting arms Shouta closes his eyes trying to center the both of them. They need some sort of plan.

A thought occurs to Shouta like a slap across the face.

What do they tell the kid if he wakes up before they can track down one of his contacts… the kid will probably think he was abandoned… he’ll be crushed…

Kami he doesn’t want to see that.

Though he will, if he has to.

He wouldn’t leave the kid to deal with that alone. Never.

After a couple more minutes, or maybe hours of just soaking in each others support the couple finally pulls apart, sharing a quick kiss before they fully separate.

“I’ll contact Tsukachi.”

“I’ll contact Nedzu then.”

With that Shouta sends off a quick text to his favourite detective giving him a quick run down of the situation and asking him to look into it.

He gets a text back a minute later.

‘You really know how to find problem cases Eraser. But yeah, I’ll check it out. Will probably know more by tonight at the earliest.’

He sends back a quick thanks then goes back to watching the kid himself. Just in time to see the kid take a deeper shuddering breath and his eye lids start to flutter. Snapping open a couple seconds later only to snap shut immediately with a hiss from the teen; probably because of how bright it is in here.

“Stay still kid, Zashi will get you a drink of water in a sec and turn down the lights.”

Regardless of Shouta’s words and his husband rushing to turn down the lights then grab the teen some water Midori sits up in his bed mumbling under his breathe and opens his eyes again looking around the room.

“Fuccccckkk. This is a hospital.”

Shouta had expected a lot of different reactions and words from his student whenever he eventually woke up, a curse word and seemingly being confused about being at a hospital was not any of them.

Even Zashi pauses for a second on his path to the kids side to offer water.

“Here little listener, drink up. Will help with the dry mouth and throat.”

The green head just nods and gulps down the enter cup slowly in the silence of the room.

“Does anyone have my phone? I need it.”

Again, not what the couple was expecting at all. A hysterical or crying teenager, asking where his aunt was and freaking out was expected and they could at least sort of deal with that.
But his student looks perfectly calm, almost appearing bored if anything. Though Shouta does notice he doesn’t seem happy to be in the hospital if the uncomfortable glares at the different medical equipment are anything to go by..

“Umm, Im not sure where your phone ended up Midori. I can ask someone to find it for you if you want? Or you could just use mine or Shouta’s phones?”

“Sure, I just need my phone.”

After that’s dealt with and a quick text back from Nedzu confirms he has the kids phone and will bring it with him to the hospital. The room falls into silence, the two pro heroes trying to not stare at the awake and calmly sitting kid who then proceeded to press the call nurse button.

A minute later in walks the same nurse from when Shouta first woke up. She and the kid exchange a few words and she leaves without checking any of the kids vitals or bandages.

Midori completely ignores their questioning looks.

A good ten or so minutes later a woman comes in that Shouta hasn’t seen before. She looks like she’s a full on doctor, not a nurse like the woman before. Immediately she starts talking with Midori and the kid seems much more relaxed than before, even signing a couple things Shouta doesn’t recognize, meaning it just be that same sign language the kid was using with his aunt.
Shouta is immediately on edge. What’s the connection?…

Swiftly the doctor begins checking the teens vitals, and redressed all of his wounds. Not that they got to observe and make sure she did what she was supposed to; as after a sign from an uncomfortable looking Midori she pulled the curtain closed between their halves of the room.

He grits his teeth while they wait.

The curtain is opened again and the doctor leaves without any words to them. He looks over at his student only to see him on a phone.

What the fuck.

“Kid-“

The teen startled so badly at the sound of Shouta’s voice the mystery phone nearly gets chucked, though thankfully Midori is able to keep a hold of it.

“Sorry. Kid, where did you get the phone? Yours is on the way?”

He gets a calculating look from the teen, reminding Shouta of when they had first met in their kitchens; the teen’s piercing gaze picking him apart while drinking coffee.

“It’s nothing, Doctor Maezi gave it to me to borrow until mine got here.”

With that the teen goes back to typing and scrolling with focus on the borrowed phone.

The whole thing feels very odd to Shouta and a shared look with his observing husband confirms it’s not just him.

“What’cha doing little listener?”

The carefully casual voice of his husband breaks the near silence after a moment.

Shouta is honestly expecting the kid to tell them to fuck off at this point but the kid doesn’t even look up. Instead staring down at the phone with a stricken expression.

“Kid?”

“Little Listener?”

Nothing, Kami are those tears???

“Midori?? Izuku?”

At his given name the kid finally looks up from the phone and those were definitely tears.

What was happening? Was the kid just now freaking out about the attack on the USJ?? Shouta feels completely out of his depth, he’s better with helping his students fix problems he knows about. So random tears are not something he’s good with.

“Umm… could. Could you go get Doctor Maezi for me?”

The kids voice sounds as fragile as glass.

Quickly realizing the request is directed at him Zashi leaves the room to presumably find the requested doctor. Even if neither of them overly trust her.

Leaving Shouta in a silent room with a distressed and crying teenager.

Shit.

Izuku felt like shit, and he didn’t just mean physically. When doctor Maezi gave him her phone to use, since she’s the quirkless liaison for this hospital and would have the Musutafu Quirkless forum and any updates Izuku actually needs, he immediately started looking into the things he’s missed. Because if he’s still in the hospital and most of his wounds are healed, even with healing quirks existing, then something must have been going on in the community that was keeping anyone who could come pick him up from being here.

He quickly scrolls to find the correct forum and signs in to his account.

It doesn’t take long to find.

Hinto’s parents had been attacked just after Izuku had left for school. The post didn’t say anything about their current condition just that visitors were welcome and where to find them.

Kami, he needs to leave this hospital. Hinto and Fuwa need support, though he’s sure they’ve had plenty with the rest of the community there for them but Izuku still aches with the need to find them.

He had met Hinto’s parents a couple times over the last year or so. They were very nice, and were very big on quirkless pride. Which was one of the reasons they had decided to homeschool Hinto and raise her mainly around other quirkless people.

The post mentioned for everyone to be careful as no one was certain yet on who had attacked the couple that morning.

Thankfully before Izuku felt the need to just leave his hospital room instead of waiting; Present Mic and Doctor Maezi walk through the door again. Her immediately making her way over to him.

‘Where is this?’

Better to use AT since his neighbours are in the room and would likely try and interrupt.

The dark haired lady leans forward and reads the location stated for the elder Sei’s hospital room. They likely hadn’t been able to take them to the safe space medical room since it can only do so much for them. It just puts Izuku more on edge.

She glances over at the watching forms of his teachers. Checking them over for markers such as the delicate red star necklace she’s wearing, Izuku’s own necklace apparently with his other possessions the hospital has in a locker.

‘That’s actually here, though in a different ward….. I could get you there? Follow my lead?’

Izuku could swear he hears Eraser suck in a sharp breath when doctor Maezi also uses AT, maybe Izuku should start being more careful about how often the underground sees him using it.

But for now he just nods.

“Okay, well then I need to take you to a different room to check on that for you. Would you like a wheel chair or to walk? I’ll be there with you either way!”

“I’ll walk”

“Whoa, where are you going? You just woke up Midori.”

“Sorry, he just needs a quick scan before he’s released to head home with his guardian. She called the hospital a couple minutes ago to confirm this was the right hospital.”

Izuku didn’t think his neighbours could get any tenser, but he was apparently wrong.

Both looking like someone was threatening their friend at knife point or something, now eyeing up doctor Maezi like she was a threat.

They aren’t Izuku’s focus right now though, so he slips off of his uncomfortable hospital bed with the support of doctor Maezi and they quickly leave. Both ignoring the further questioning of Eraser and Present Mic. Her simply stating she wasn’t allowed to share any further medical information with them, without expressed permission from his guardian. Even if it’s a lie, at least for Eraser since he is Izuku’s homeroom teacher.

It takes longer than Izuku would like to reach the room the elder Sei’s are staying in. When they finally get there he’s met with the two older Sei’s asleep in two beds pushed closer together, and hooked up to a bunch of different machines. A passed out Hinto in one of the uncomfortable looking hospital chairs and lastly he sees an exhausted looking Fuwashi who turns sharply from gazing out the room’s window to see who had entered the room his stern expression immediately brightening.

“Oh Kami, Izuku.”

At first the older teen just seems happy to see him, probably worried about why he hadn’t appeared earlier. Then quickly his expression morphs into even more stressed and this time also a bit panicked. He probably noticed the bruises and white bandages covering him.

“Whoa. What happened kid?? Did you get attacked as well??? Have you been holed up at your apartment and that wounded this whole time? Kami, come here let me check you over.”

Usually Izuku doesn’t get to see the mother hen side of Fuwashi but the stress of his aunt and uncle getting violently attacked as well as probably dealing with a distressed Hinto had left his nerves raw and the teen had no problem pulling Izuku closer to check him over and ask further questions.

“Did you try calling us? I’m so sorry, our phones have been turned off since we got here. Hinto… Hinto hasn’t been taking it the best so I haven’t even had a minute to think, but kid how did you get so hurt!”

“It’s fine Fuwa. Umm my class at UA got attacked by villains the other day? I just woke up a little bit ago here at the hospital.”

He was trying for reassuring but if anything Fuwashi just looks more upset. Sadly it seems they had also woken up Hinto at some point while talking.

“Izuku? Where have you been??”

Kami, he knows they’re going through it but he forgot that Sei’s were notorious for acting very sarcastic and nonchalant until they weren’t and then they were some of the most emotional and mother hen like family you could find.

“Uh, I wasn’t far. Sorry if took me so long to visit. I just woke up in the hero ward a little but ago..”

He tries for casual but just like her cousin Hinto looks deeply upset by the news. Immediately standing to squish the three of them together, with him in the middle.

“Oh Kami, your cover! Your school probably called all of us. But we’ve been here and Sasha has been dealing with the café and probably hasn’t picked up his phone once since we left.”

“Hey it’s okay. It’s okay.”

“No it’s not! UA is your dream Izuku! I wouldn’t forgive myself if I ruined that for you!”

“Hinto, I would rather you be here with your parents than trying to cover for me with my school. UA comes second to the community, just like with my last school.”

The cousins seem a bit surprised at his words but seem to finally accept it.

“Okay Izu.”

“Hey, sorry, not to interrupt, but I should probably get Midoriya back to his room before the other two we left behind get any more suspicious of me, they already looked like they wanted to pin me down and interrogate me before we left. I would rather not push it.”

“Yeah okay, I’ll be back again soon to visit, stay safe.”

With that Izuku and doctor Maezi make their silent trek back to his shared hospital room in the hero ward.

He’s greeted by a pacing Present Mic and a silent Eraser, wow they both look extremely on edge. He wonders what could have happened when he left to make them so worked up.

“Ah! You’re back Midori!”

Present Mic brightens once he spots him entering the room again, Izuku just nods at the daylight hero as he slips back into his bed.

“How was your test kid?”

There’s a weird edge to Erasers voice when he asks, but Izuku doesn’t think much of it. Too consumed trying to think of a normal sounding response.

Oh shit. Right.. ummm test. Test. Test. What tests would make sense???

“I-i-it.. wassss testy…?”

“Wanna try again Midoriya?”

Nearly jumping Izuku turns and sees the principal of UA at the entry of the split hospital room. The feeling of stepping into some sort of trap suddenly makes itself very known to Izuku.

“Here’s your phone, now would you like to try again? Because I saw you and Doctor Maezi on your way out of a different hospital room and not a testing room on my way here.”

Well fuck. He hates hospitals.

Chapter Text

He didn’t know what to do, UA’s principal appearing suddenly in his hospital room and calling him and Doctor Maezi out on their lie didn’t fit into any scenario he had thought over.

So he freezes up, just staring at the short form of his school’s principal.

“Midoriya? Sorry, allow me to introduce myself. Am I a mouse? A bear? A dog? I’m the principal! And before we continue with our prior topic allow me to thank you as well as apologize for everything that happened at the USJ. The other students all talked about how you helped them and worked to keep everyone safe.”

With that the rodent of a pro hero bowed deeply toward Izuku, he honestly felt so lost. What was happening? He kind of feels like his head has been plunged underwater or like there was a glass bubble separating him from everyone else. He’s observing but nothings clicking. It almost reminds him of when he would get cornered at school, pinned down and beaten. The blows had felt muffled, the pain not registering, their hateful and painfully true words falling on deaf ears, leaving only vague recollections of the tones used. But that’s not what’s happening here, he’s not being hurt and he can hear, even if everything feels out of focus. How can he hear again? How can he think. Everything feels muffled, like cotton stuffed in his ears and mind. Who can help before he misses something important. Because even while muffled Izuku knows in the back of his mind what the appearance of his principal here in his hospital room asking dangerous questions means. It means the doors are getting locked and the walls are closing in. Who can help him?

He slowly glances over at his neighbours but they both are already watching him with expressions Izuku couldn’t accurately describe. Maybe he could have understood the caring and concerned gazes another time but Izuku didn’t think he would recognize emotions on a face if they slapped him upside the head right now. What were they doing? He turns to look at the waiting bowed form of his principal. Right, he was being asked questions… What was the question again? Shoot, it was… it was….. oh! It wasn’t a question, not anymore. His brain finally takes back in the image of his still bowed principal. Kami he hopes they didn’t notice how out of it Izuku was feeling. He already hears how slow and stupid he is due to being underdeveloped as all quirkless people supposedly are from bully’s, he doesn’t want to hear the same from his new school. Especially while in a hospital with little to no clear exit path incase things turn ugly. Pull it together Izuku. Respond to Nedzu. He’s been bowing for forever. Speak!

“I-I-it’s no problem Principal, really… ummmm, though could I ask… is everyone okay?”

The words feel like trying to speak around a full mouth but they slowly become easier as he speaks, even if he was suddenly distracted by a speck of dust reflecting the sunlight form the window beside Eraser part way through speaking and had to drag his attention back again to finish his sentence.

No one else in the room acknowledges the stumbling words and prolonged pause part way through so Izuku assumes it wasn’t too obvious.

Finally, Nedzu straightens from his bow and his face brightens in a way that seems friendly but also doesn’t look right on the rodents face. Izuku notices that even when smiling widely, the principal never once shows the fanged teeth Izuku assumes he has.

He can’t help but wonder what caused that.

Who caused that.

Did his face scar ache some mornings like Izuku’s did?

Did he fear showing his fangs in case others used things outside of his control to belittle and hurt him?

But Nedzu isn’t his to pry into so he leaves it, shoving the theories into a corner of his mind where he doesn’t have to see them. Izuku knows that is what he would want others to do if they wanted to pry about his trauma.

“Ah yes! Your classmates and the pro hero’s who were there are all okay now. Do you have any other questions before I ask my own?”

He really would prefer he didn’t get asked any questions by Nedzu, he knows how smart his school’s principal is and Izuku is still trying to fight off the haze he feels looming behind his eyes; though it’s not as bad as it was.

He can think mostly clearly now, which is why a thought occurs to him.

“Uh, not really….. t-though, how can you ask me questions without my Aunt present? I would rather wait for her to be here.”

He notices a light spark in Nedzu’s black eyes. Great, and please note with how much Izuku means that with sarcasm. Just what he needs, an over sized rodent with trauma and one of the smartest beings in the world interested in him.

“Well, when accepting your offer of studying at UA you and your guardian agreed that all matters dealing with the school or emergencies and or lack of the presence of another guardian your homeroom teacher has the legal authority and obligation to act as your guardian.”

Well fuck.

That’s what he gets for not reading through all of the paper work like he usually would. Especially after almost signing a form which was one hundred percent not in his favour when he was younger.

You would think Izuku would have learned his lesson after one close call.

But no, apparently not.

“Which means, he will be acting as your guardian for now as all attempts to contact your other guardian have not been successful.”

The rodent pauses seeming to be observing his neighbour now more than Izuku himself. When Izuku himself turns to look at his neighbours they haven’t changed much from the last time he glanced at them to help center himself, though he notices they seem to have slightly different facial expressions. Maybe something akin to hope? Or maybe worry?

“Is that okay with you Midoriya?”

Not like he has much choice. He could see the corner he had been easily backed into. It wasn’t hard to see.

“…yes..”

Shouta knows that Midori is uncomfortable and doesn’t want to be forced to answer his boss’s questions but he also knows that these questions need answered and their theories proven or disproven as soon as possible and this is the ideal situation.

He had been one second away from telling them to call it all off when the kid completely shut down at the appearance of Nedzu but thankfully it hadn’t come to that and the kid had managed to pull himself together enough to respond, even if the words had been mumbled and there was a lot of stuttering and some odd pauses part way through.

Shouta hates that they need to go to such measures in order to finally get the answers they need in order to take any legal action and make sure his kid was safe.

This is for the better..

Even if using the kids missing guardians against him makes Shouta feel immensely guilty and slightly nauseous, it needs to be done.
A sentiment he knows Hizashi shares if the silent glance between them were anything to by as well as the squeezing of Shouta’s hand.

Nedzu clears his throat, drawing Shouta’s attention again.

“Where did Doctor Maezi take you?”

Flashes of his little neighbour’s retreating back come back to Shouta, letting Midori walk out of their shared hospital room with the unknown and suspicious doctor was something he would have never allowed if he wasn’t injured. The two had managed to slip away from him and Zashi before they could even think to physically halt the doctor from taking Midori anywhere or for any test without their consent and supervision.

The thought of everything that could have gone horribly wrong and the ways his teen could have been hurt is still leaving Shouta on edge even with the kid sitting not even five feet from him.

He shakes the haunting images from his mind and instead focuses on the teen here and now. Safe with him and hopefully this song and dance of not knowing will be over soon. Hopefully they won’t have to see him through panes of glass every night anymore. They never actually talked it out officially, but Zashi had mentioned on multiple occasions that their office was never used and could easily be made into a spare bedroom.

Shouta hopes this goes well.

“I was walked to a room for a follow up test. It wasn’t anything major and doctor Maezi was great while doing it.”

His boss’s ear twitches towards the closed door before Nedzu just gives his neighbour a pointed look and sighing.

“We all know that’s not true Midoriya, please just tell us where you were and why.”

The silence stretches the seconds counting by like watching paint dry and Shouta worries that the kid has fallen back into a full dissociation like before. Thankfully after a couple seconds Shouta can see the kid mumbling silently under his breathe and dark green eyes flicking around the room.

“Please Midoriya, we just want to help and we can’t do that if we’re left completely in the dark. I’m sure you can understand?”

The kid continues to deliberate for a couple more seconds before seeming to set his jaw and huff out a frustrated breath.

“Fine. Fine! I was visiting some family who I didn’t know were here until I woke up earlier today. Happy?”

They had only answered one question so far and already the kid was agitated and looked ready to bite and claw anyone who got close enough to reach.

Thankfully his boss isn’t stupid enough to try and get closer. If anything Shouta thinks Nedzu takes a step back from his little green neighbour.

“Thank you, would you like to ask me a question? Or me ask you another one?”

Give and take, allowing Midori some control over the conversation as well as the situation in general.

“You ask me.”

The teen eventually decides on. Again subjecting them to long moments of pure silence and tension; though seemingly no more major dissociation like before. Shouta counts it as small blessings in a situation literally born from hell in his humble opinion.

“Thank you, who exactly were you visiting?”

The answer seemingly comes easier to his student than before.

“My aunt, cousin, and her parents. Her parents were the only ones who got hurt, Hinto and Fuwa were just busy watching over them.”

So that explains why Sei-San and Midori’s cousin weren’t answering their phones. Though not why all of his emergency contacts hadn’t responded. It’s also concerning that the couple had seemingly been attacked together badly enough to be in the hospital; Shouta will have to remember to look into that and make sure it’s nothing that could end with Midori being targeted as well.

Maybe, and this is a long shot maybe, but maybe Sei-San wasn’t absolutely terrible and would abandon Midori hurt and alone in a hospital for days after a huge villain attack.

It’s both a relief and pain.

Again Nedzu gives Midori the opportunity to ask them questions; though again the kid just gestures for his boss to carry on.

For a second Nedzu hesitates and Shouta braces himself.

“Are you safe at home Midoriya?”

It’s like all the warmth and oxygen got sucked out of the room all at once. The neutral but uncomfortable expression on Midori’s face twists into a deep glare and his back straightens, almost making it look like Midori is looming over Nedzu similarly to how a vulture looms over dead or dying prey.

“Of course I am.”

Shouta has never heard the teen use such a voice, it’s icy and chipped promising violence if someone keeps pressing. Thankfully his boss seems to understand and backs off stating that it’s just standard questioning when a minor’s emergency contacts cannot be contacted and the kid calms down a bit. The threatening aura fading away again.

“Who all lives with you? I heard about a cousin but I never found out if he lives with you or just near by.”

The kid stays silent seemingly trying to find a double meaning in Nedzu’s question but after a second states that his cousin recently moved out so it’s just him and his aunt. Odd how they only ever saw Midori from their kitchen window.

Nedzu’s ear twitches towards the rooms closed door; his face twitching downwards into a slight frown. A person probably wouldn’t even notice if they weren’t like Shouta and had had a multitude of years of experience reading Nedzu's expressions.

“So you live with just your aunt then?”

“…yes”

Again Shouta watches Nedzu’s ear twitch towards the door.

The rat lets out a weary sigh.

“Midoriya you’re not telling the truth-“

A creeping theory begins to form in Shouta’s mind and he resists the urge to pull out his phone right then to confirm.

“-could you please tell me who you actually live with?”

His kid looks pale, Shouta can’t help but want to snarl at his boss for making the kid look so distressed, but this has to happen. They need to know. At least the kid still seemed aware; albeit pissed off and defensive but definitely not a lifeless doll like before. Hizashi squeezes Shouta’s hand seemingly sensing Shouta’s protective mood.

“Why the fuck do you even care Nedzu.”

Oh, the kid do NOT like all the prying. Not that Shouta can exactly blame him, he would probably react similarly or would have already left if Nedzu started asking these questions. Let alone if he fit into the statistics and reality of the quirkless experience in their society today.

“Im quirkless, you know that. I know you do, so why do you care about how safe I am or who and where I live.”

Suddenly his hand is let free from the vice grip Shouta had started to ignore; Zashi taking a couple steps towards Midori a small calming smile and calming hand gestures all that he is equipped with.

“Little listener. We don’t care that you’re quirkless, that doesn’t make you any less deserving of our care, concern and support. We want to help you, please trust us.”

There goes Shouta’s amazing husband, he loves watching the blonde interact with kids. How gentle and caring he is, has always made him melt. It kind of reminds him of how they first met, how that same care and love helped him in highschool.

Thankfully it seems not even Midori, who has obvious trust issues, can resist his husbands soothing tones. Though it doesn’t seem to actually calm the kid down, more so confuse him if the furrowed brows and rapidly moving but silent lips are anything to go by. They all wait for the kid to respond.

“I don’t understand why you guys care… you shouldn’t care.”

It’s like playful punch that accidentally connects for real and knocks all of the air out of your lungs. The kid, his brilliant and genius kid doesn’t understand why anyone would care about him.

Izuku didn’t understand, why were they all acting like it was normal for them to care about him. He’s quirkless A deku Useless. Something that should have died the day he was diagnosed. Whose mom didn’t even see a reason to stick around or love him.

His dad left without a backwards glance.

Why were these strangers, who haven’t even known him for a year in some of their cases, trying to protect him?

He hates the part of them that wants to let them. He wants to crush it.

He didn’t need them. He didn’t want them to leave him after they realize how much of a useless dead weight he is on every life he enters.

He suddenly remembers Yei, who got married months ago now. She had a life similar to Izuku’s, her dad was abusive; her mom left and she had tried to drown herself when she was thirteen after being sexually assaulted by a friend of her dad. But even after being tortured by the quirked part of their society for years, she still had met Her husband. A quirked individual and learned to trust… learned to love and care for someone from a group who had caused her so much pain.

Yei is happy. Her and her husband come to the Quirky Café every couple weeks. They’re always smiling and offering support to each other.

Yei trusted a quirked person.

Yei was okay, she is safe and cared for.

Maybe… maybe Izuku could be too?

He takes a deep breath, there’s no going back.

He closes his eyes and takes a leap of faith. Hopefully his neighbours will catch him.

“I-I umm, I live by myself… Hinto is my boss, though she’s like an older sister to me…”

Silence.

He’s about to get up and leave, good exit plans be damned, when suddenly there’s arms wrapped around him. Two pairs.

He looks up and all he can see are the tangled mess of Present Mic and Eraser holding him close.

They were there. They were hugging him, they knew he was quirkless and they were still hugging him.

Maybe things will be okay.

Though he can already feel the smack he’s going to get from one of the Sei cousins for taking such a risk and completely blowing his cover and risking his dream.

He forgot how nice hugs were.

Chapter Text

Finally after being rocked back and forth in their arms Midori cried himself to sleep. Neither of them were ready to let their kid go, so they pulled the two hospital beds together. It had been a long couple days for all three of them, but especially their little neighbour.

So they stayed there with a sleeping Midori curled between them and clutching onto Shouta’s shirt like it’s his anchor.

Shouta smiles seeing Zashi run his fingers gently through the teens green curls. Both the pro heroes just basking in the reassurance that the teen is there and safe with them. Sadly there’s a lot that needs to happen to keep their stray. Or “kit” as Nemuri had been calling the green teen.

“I assume you want to take him in?”

“Like that’s even a question.”

And Zashi is right, there’s no other answer they would ever give. Midori is theirs, he trusted them even if only a little bit. Shouta knows how scary it is to admit something is wrong and ask for help. The first help he had ever accepted was Zashi’s and that was after years of the blonde building their trust. He was proud of his kid.

Shouta’s heart clenches again painfully, as it had been so much recently, just thinking about how much the young teen must have gone through. Just how hard the kid had been tried by the world, his chest had been a mix of rage and pride since Midori had opened up to them.

To think he had been so alone and likely hurt but they hadn’t done anything… They were right there…

But that’s over now, they know now and they won’t let it go on any further. They’ll make sure the green teen is safe and cared for.

Nedzu just laughs at Hizashi’s plain answer.

“Perfect, now. You can come in Tsukachi.”

Shouta watches as the closed door opens to reveal a sheepish looking Tsukachi. For a second all the noirette can do is stare blankly before grinning in a way he knows freaks Nemuri out. Chiyo told him about the rated eighteen plus hero bemoaning how scary his grin can be at their get togethers, when Nemuri had left the elder hero with the drink tab one time as pay back. And if Shouta had grinned more around Nemuri for a month or so after that, well then that was between him and his husband who definitely didn’t find it hilarious. So that’s why Nedzu’s ears kept flicking to the door, the detective must have been speaking at a volume Shouta’s boss could hear but that the rest of them wouldn't hear.

Sneaky little rat.

Shouta almost grins wider when Tsukachi hesitates while walking closer to them, seeing his grin. But he does have some restraint and empathy for others so he doesn’t.

This time.

“I assume then that you recorded this interview? He can’t stay living by himself, so you better have enough proof to get our foster papers accepted.”

“Of course Aizawa, what do you take me for?”

The detective jokes seemingly much calmer now that Shouta isn’t grinning at him. Though he notices that Tsukachi quickly becomes more serious and settles into the last empty chair in the room.

“I’ll head back down to the station in a minute to start getting the charges filed and a case opened. I’m sure Nedzu will be able to get your foster papers fast tracked?”

“With pleasure, no way am I letting such a student slip through my paws.”

Shouta shivers at the gleeful look on Nedzu’s face, black eyes glinting as he stares off into his own warped imagination he’s sure. All of the employees at UA are painfully aware of their bosses mainly academic degrees and masters including his main focus of law. The courts and hero commission were grateful the day Nedzu announced he would be retiring from the court room to oversee UA. Though that didn’t stop the rat from dusting off his expertise whenever he saw necessary.

Soon after the detective leaves, taking both his and Nedzu’s recorders with him. Leaving just Shouta, Zashi and Nedzu to watch over Midori as he sleeps.

Sadly the quiet doesn’t last long and a knock sounds at the once again closed door.

Shut in an effort to keep the room quiet enough for the kiddo to sleep even with the hospital being very busy.

Shouta shares a glance with his husband, high questioning who could be possibly visiting. Nemuri is currently doing a task for Nedzu and Tensei is watching over his little brother. They don’t really know anyone else. At least, no anyone else who would visit.

“Come in.”

The door swings open and in walks Doctor Maezi, soon followed by Hinto Sei.

Well this will be interesting.

Shouta isn’t really sure how he feels about either of the women. Sei-san had allowed a kid to live alone for who knows how long. She had helped Midori hide the fact that he had been abandoned from people who could have helped him. …But she also obviously cared about the teen and risked a lot to help the kid keep his secret.

Reluctantly Shouta knows that all of the lying was likely Midori’s idea, as the woman had hinted multiple times during their encounters that she wanted Midori to open up to Shouta. It wasn’t her fault the teen was stubborn and ignored her.

Doctor Maezi on the other hand, hadn’t necessarily done anything wrong. She simply complied with reasonable requests from a patient under her care. Though there’s still no explanation on why she had become the teens doctor so suddenly or why Midori knew of her, it’s obvious that they hadn’t met until earlier considering they had to introduce themselves.

Even with all of these new answers Shouta still has a growing list of questions. Sadly the only people who could currently answer, were people he didn’t trust much and who likely wouldn’t tell him anything without the permission of his little neighbour. Who was sleeping, and Shouta would like to keep it that way.

“Is Izuku okay? He didn’t have another panic attack did he?”

Sei-san steps forward towards the sleeping teen before seeming to think better catching Zashi’s piercing gaze and decides to fret from a distance.

“No, he’s fine. No panic attacks though he did dissociate for a while and did break down.”

The woman’s shoulders seem to both slump with relief and tense up at his words. Causing Shouta to finally actually look at the new guest to their shared hospital room. The younger women looks ragged, her beige hair looking unwashed and messy. Bags under her eyes which speak of exhaustion and stress as well as the way her clothes look rumpled.

Thinking about it the kid did say that her parents had been attacked and were here in the hospital. He can’t help but feel for her, it’s stressful when a loved one gets hurt. Let alone two at once.

“Thank Kami. Can I- I mean… I just want to. Can I come closer?”

She blinks hard, shaking her head slightly; seemingly trying to clear her thoughts up and help ease her anxieties. Zashi must have noticed her state as well because he stops glaring at the woman, yellow green eyes warming.

“Of course Sei-san, the little listener is just asleep so be careful to not wake him.”

Upon hearing permission from Hizashi the beigette rushes forward pausing just before she reaches Midori to glance once more up at him and Zashi. Shout just nods slightly.

He may not trust her, and he may not understand all of her actions up to this point. But Midori said that she was like an older sister to him and seeing her now Shouta knows she feels the same about the teen. Without needing any more prompting Sei-Dan starts checking over the teen and running her hands gently through his curled like Zashi had been. The sound of someone clearing their throat makes Shouta look back up from the pair.

“I apologize for any distress or upset my actions have caused you.”

Doctor Maezi bows, though it’s not nearly as deep as one would bow for a full apology which makes Shouta snort internally.

“Though I do not regret it. Izuku was my patient and he made a request of me which was perfectly reasonable. I was unaware that you were his home room teacher so I’m sorry for ignoring any requests or demands on his health before hand.”

That was probably one of the most back handed, stubborn apologies that Shouta has even gotten. Though for all her stipulations, she seems sincere. He also notices how she used Midori’s given name with ease.

Another puzzle piece without a place.

But for now.

“Why is it that you became his doctor? It’s been bothering me.”

The woman straightens looking slightly confused before snapping her fingers which seems to grab Sei-san’s attention, making her look up at the other woman.

The two sign quickly between one another. Both using the same sign language that his student has been. What’s the connection?..

The doctor looks surprised for a second from whatever Sei-san signs and quickly signs back before huffing and turning to look at Shouta once more.

“Don’t tell anyone. But I’m quirkless. That’s why Izuku requested me as his doctor. I thought you would have known given you seem to know about some other cues I thought you would have recognized my markers.”

Wow. For every answer Shouta receives he gains another bucket full of questions. The urge to nap right now and just ignore all of these needless puzzles pulls at him. Why does everything have to be to complicated with his teen?

What cues? Did this have to do with the sign language? Or maybe….. there was something.. his brain must have noticed something of she thought he had been reacting to these supposed cues; but what was it?

He looks at Sei-san. Scanning her from head to toe, looking over details and anything that could be classed as a cue or marker like Doctor Maezi was implying.

He didn’t notice anything jarring so he quickly does the same to the bemused looking doctor.

What is it.

What is he missing?

He looks down at Midori, there’s an itch in the back of Shouta’s mind. His eyes drift towards the teens bare neck.

Something……

Something…..

He looks up at Sei-san who looks encouraging even if completely exhausted. Having settled into the chair Detective Tsukachi had abandoned not twenty minutes prior.

She’s not wearing a necklace. So what is it?

Zashi gasps quietly beside him and Shouta looks over only to see his husband looking at doctor Maezi. Obviously his husband had noticed the marker before him.

So he looks at her again. This time he finds it. A necklace. It’s a dainty metal chain with a small red four pointed star.

He’s seen that star before.

He looks swiftly back at Midori’s fake Aunt.

Scanning for a four pointed star.

There!

The woman is wearing earrings as well as a bracelet both with the same red stars.

He looks back down at his sleeping kid.

Thinking back Shouta tries to remember what the kids necklace looked like. He’d never gotten the chance to see it up close, as the kid seemingly covered it with his uniform while at school. Only seeing it through panes of glass during the night.

“The red stars. They mark you as… quirkless…?”

But… sei-san was supposed to have a minor temperature regulation quirk.. which Shouta is just now realizing would be really easy to fake….

Just like how some of Midori’s documents stated that he had a minor mutation quirk which gave him his green colouring.

The doctor also told them to keep the fact that she was quirkless quiet. Does that mean… that she too was also lying about her quirk status?

Suddenly things are making more sense. Especially when he thinks about all of the damning statistics surrounding Musutafu’s quirkless population.

“And the signing. Is that another cue?”

His husband asks, looking as shocked as Shouta is feeling. All of these clues hidden in plain sight for them to see for days now but they missed them all.

The two women basically had to spoon feed them the clues.

“Yes, those are both identifiers for the quirkless. Does this help you understand? You were seemingly reacting to them so I assumed you were in the know on some level. Even if just enough to understand that I was quirkless and there fore asked for by Izuku.”

“Quirkless protect quirkless”

The beigette chimes in after the doctor. Both nodding at the sentiment.

Shouta is starting to get the feeling that there is a lot more to the quirkless than he had ever been led to believe. A private language, secret markers so they can find each other. Wide spread forgery of documents and papers.

It’s all pointing towards an organized community of some sort.

Shouta honestly doesn’t know what to think. He’s a bit in awe if he’s correct.

Thankfully he feels the kid start stirring a second later, saving him from a full out existential crisis. Probably got woken up from all of the speaking and movement in the room.

Though Shouta wishes the kid could have slept a bit more.

Izuku wakes up suddenly, there’s no gasping for air or springing upwards. But there’s also no slow wading into being aware like when he sometimes is waking up.

One moment he’s asleep and the next he’s staring up at Present Mic and Eraser from seemingly their laps.

A second later Eraser is looking down at him, dark eyes stressed but warm as they meet Izuku’s. Honestly Izuku thinks his dark haired neighbour looks a bit shell shocked if anything.

“Hey there Midori, did you have a nice nap?”

He just makes an agreeing sound, his joints creak and click as he pulls himself up into a sitting position. Still situated between his two neighbours.

“Hinto?”

His boss is here, when did she get here? Where’s Fuwashi?

“Hey Izu, me and Lillian were just talking with your teachers. They know that we’re all quirkless now.”

Lillian must be Doctor Maezi’s given name. She had mentioned that her mom is American and her dad is second generation Japanese the couple having met in America and moving back to Japan a year before she was born, during their walk back to his hospital room. Likely her trying to distract Izuku from the Sei’s situation. So the more American given name makes sense.

Wait… they know?

“Wait, what?? But what about your documents?? They can’t know! What about Doctor Maezi’s job!”

He whips around to look at the blonde and black haired adults who both look varying degrees of surprised at Izuku’s sudden movement and intense gaze.

Izuku doesn’t worry about the observing Nedzu, he knows that the rodent will understand the need to keep this quiet. They didn’t have just any connections in the quirkless community, there were plenty of hidden helpers. Such as a certain rodent who studies and sometimes practices law. There’s a reason UA is one of the few high schools that accept quirkless. But that’s a story for another time.

“You can’t tell anyone, this needs to stay between us.”

The two adults merely nod.

“Thank Kami..”

Izuku sighs, shoulders slumping and he finds himself leaned up against his dark haired neighbour.

“You okay there little listener?”

“Do you need some pain killers? It’s been a while since your last dosage and you’re not completely healed yet.”

He just nods into Erasers shoulder, let them interpret what he means. Today has been a lot. His whole body is aching, and his brain feels like someone pummelled it for a while. He’s completely drained.

He can’t believe this is all happening. He told his neighbours the truth. Even if they don’t know everything.

His brain pauses.

They know all of this and yet they still stayed. They even stayed with Izuku while he slept.

He feels his cheeks warm slightly from embarrassment. He can’t believe that he cried himself to sleep on top of his neighbours, even worse, his teachers.

Thankfully no one mentions his red tinted face while Doctor Maezi collects his painkillers and hands them to him along side a glass of water.

Soon enough Izuku is dozing leaned fully against Aizawa. Languidly basking in the attention of Present Mic’s fingers once again in his hair and Eraser tapping a silent beat against his leg.

Hinto leaves at some point along with Doctor Maezi both heading to the Sei’s hospital room.

Izuku simply listens passively as his principal, and neighbours chat. Not paying any attention to what they’re actually talking about.

Between one moment and the next Izuku slips away into dreams once more, this time thankfully filled with pleasant images of a family playing with a cute little tabby cat and a large white cat as music plays in the background.

Stars gleaming on each of the family members.

For once Izuku enjoys sleep.

“Has the little listener gone back to sleep Shou?”

Shouta looks downwards having not noticed the change in the teen’s breathing, too distracted talking with Nedzu about their foster paperwork and how to best handle the situation.

But surely enough, Midori is asleep once more. Fully curled up against Shouta’s side, tucked under his right arm, hands once more clutching his shirt.

Shouta feels something warm well up in his chest taking in the relax and happy expression on his kid’s face.

It’s nice to see him relaxed for once.

“Yeah, the kid is out.”

Nedzu clears his throat quietly, drawing their attention again.

“If the paperwork gets submitted by tonight I can have it put through swiftly. Meaning you could have Midoriya here home by tomorrow evening.”

That grabs Shouta’s attention. He hates hospitals, and would love to get out of this one. He normally would have tried to escape already if it weren’t for wanting to keep Midori close to him and Hizashi.

“Can we do the paper work now?”

Hizashi cackles joyously at Shouta’s eager response. Though Shouta knows that Zashi feels the same, even if not for the same hospital hating reasons.

They want to get their kid home.

To a real home.

“Certainly Shouta. I already have it on me.”

Shouta and Nedzu share matching dark grins, and Zashi shivers. If Nemuri were here she would probably cry at their expressions. The thought only makes him grin wider.

Chapter Text

It’s early the next day when Shouta gets the text from Tsukachi saying that all of the charges have been filed and an investigation opened up.

Shouta slides his phone over to Zashi, who is currently chatting with an enthusiastic Midori, so that his husband can also read the news.

Midori hardly even notices the interaction, too busy explaining to Mic why Endeavour is using his quirk all wrong, an expression of disgruntlement flinting across the green teens face as he laments about all of the number two hero’s property damage, civilian casualties and villain casualties compared to other fire quirked pro heroes.

For all that his husband is expressive and open, he manages to simply smile a bit brighter and shake his hands out happily when reading the text.

Because this means that Nedzu can now start on their papers.
They needed to wait until a case had been opened in order to file for custody of their neighbour.

Shouta sends out a text to Nedzu informing him and all he gets back is a seen notification. His boss literally left him on read..

After giving his phone a pinched look, Shouta goes back to watching the two sunshines in the room chat. The topic now being on Muriko and her debut as well as how she has such high ratings while being a fighting and verbally abrasive hero.

Eventually though the kid stops talking as animatedly and his shoulders start to hunch inwards second by second. His green eyes becoming a light with nervous energy and avoiding Hizashi and his eyes. Hands fiddling in his lap, rather than flying through the air as he tries to describe with vague motions the concepts he’s talking about.

Eventually the kid falls silent completely, just staring at his hands in his lap.

They wait. He’ll speak up when he’s done thinking, and Shouta will intervene if he notices anything concerning.
For right now the kid just seems stuck in his head.

It takes a couple more minutes where Shouta and Hizashi quietly chat but the kid finally speaks up.

“Where am I going when I’m released later today?”

It’s mumbled and the kid’s shoulders come up towards his ears even more after asking. The kid honestly looks like he’s expecting to get hit for asking, and Shouta can feel his heart clench painfully at the notion.

“Well…”

Zashi pauses, meeting his eyes and Shouta nods encouragingly at the blonde.

“Well, we were hoping you would like to come home with us little listener.”

At this the kid completely uncurls, seemingly too shocked by Zashi’s response to remember to be on the defensive. His green eyes staring up at the blond hero, like a person seeing the sun for the first time.

It honestly hurts to see the teen look so surprised that they want him.

“You…. Y-you want m-m-me to…?”

“Yes, Midori yes. We want you to come home with us little listener.”

“If you want to, don’t feel pressured kiddo…But like Zashi said, we would love if you’d come home with us.”

“W-why?”

The kids voice cracks and wobbles, like he’s trying to not cry.

“W-why would you want m-me? I-I-I’m quirkless a-and no one else wanted m-me.”

“Oh listener, kiddo we want you. I promise. We want you. We would love for you to come home with us.”

Home, Izuku hadn’t really had a home since he was three. Before he was diagnosed, before his dad left him and Inko, before Inko’s apartment became a shell of what it used to be, before Inko herself left Izuku.

Izuku had his new apartment, and he loves it. But it’s not a home, it’s his apartment and that’s it. The closest thing to having a home Izuku had had since he was three was the Quirky Café with Sasha, and Hinto, and Fuwashi, and Hihada, and Goji and Yei and so many others. The café was his home, and wasn’t that sad, he’s a teenager who’s only home has been a café where he works under the table.

Not that he would ever trade the café for anything and isn’t grateful for having it to call his home. But Izuku is aware it’s not normal either. He knows most teens around him have parents or at least guardians, they have food in the kitchen and don’t have to forge papers upon papers for anything and everything just to keep a roof over his head.

They don’t have blurred memories of living on the cold streets and getting beaten by business owners who caught him trying to take food from their garbage bins.

They didn’t dread their birthday because their mom would always scream at them that day about wishing they were never born or had died before they turned four.

Most kids had a home and a family of some sort and Izuku had always envied them for it. Even if he would never want his parents to return and try to create a home with him. They had done too much damage for Izuku to ever want to see either of them ever again.

So Izuku had his apartment with just him, and the café where he had a whole community of people to call family. So he had contented himself with that, it was more than four year old Izuku had ever dreamed they would have growing up when reading the statistics on the quirkless population by himself after his diagnosis for the first time.

But now Eraser and Present Mic were offering him a home.

They were saying that he was wanted. That THEY wanted him.

Maybe it’s because of all of the ups and downs of the past handful of days or because Izuku has always been an easy crier when it comes to emotions but the tears are welling up and he can’t stop them. Soon bawling into Eraser’s chest as he babbles about wanting a home and the cats at their apartment and how tired he is. Really Izuku had no idea what he’s saying, but everything is too much. Plus the check up with his healer’s quirk that was used on him a little while ago was supposed to cause a small loss of self restraint as a side effect. Sort of like taking a shot or being given painkillers. So Izuku feels justified in blaming the healer’s quirk for his inability to speak and bawling all over his neighbours. But really, Izuku probably would have been like this quirk side effects or no. Because…

He wants a home.

He has to tell them that. He wants to go home with them. Even if part of him wants to claw out his hair for being so vulnerable. For wanting to be vulnerable.

Izuku ignores the feeling, he trusts them.

They’ve stayed. They want to stay.

Izuku wants to stay.

Taking a deep breath, or a few, Izuku try’s to calm down enough to tell them that.

Because they deserve to know. Izuku can feel how tense the two are and when he glances up he sees them exchanging worried looks over Izuku’s head.

He needs to breathe normally so they can all be as happy as Izuku is feeling.

So he counts. Taking practiced manual breaths and clicking his fingers together along side the numbers.

Slowly, his tears slow and Izuku is trying to sit up and wipe his face of the tears. Still slightly raw emotionally, though he chalks it up to being emotionally strung out and the side effects of being healed recently.

He sits, face to face with the two heroes, his two neighbours. The first two people who aren’t quirkless or blue stars who he trusts.

“I-I want to live with you. I-If you’ll have me of course.”

Then Izuku is being pulled into another hug, this time with a crying Present Mic and grinning Eraser.

Izuku starts crying again too, fuck off it’s all a lot to take in.

During their crying and hugging none of the trio notice Shouta’s phone lighting up with a text from Nedzu. It’s a simple photo attachment of their foster papers being approved.

But they haven’t seen it yet. Too busy basking in their shared joy at Izuku accepting the idea of living with them.

Chapter Text

“Are you guys sure you want to come up? I just need to grab a few things, you don’t have to come with me. Really.”

The green teen is currently trying to talk Shouta and Zashi out of helping him gather his things form his apartment.

Like Shouta would ever agree, they had both just gotten out of the hospital. He wasn’t allowing the kid to carry anything heavier than a blanket today.

Andddd Zashi wasn’t going to let Shouta carry anything heavier than a blanket either; so really they were all needed in order to get Midori moved out of this apartment and into their apartment.

“Come on listener, you can’t carry anything right now let us help. If we finish this quick enough we can order anything you want for dinner. How’s that sound?”

Thankfully the notion of food, or maybe just not wanting be an inconvenience, knowing how the kid thinks, has Midori giving in quickly to his husband’s puppy eyes and they all head up to Midori’s floor.
The same floor where Shouta had spent hours napping in the hall waiting for the teen to wake up and show him he’s okay not long ago.

Thankfully Midori is staying within their grasp this time and hopefully Shouta won’t have to cause more noise complaints trying to get the kid to wake up this time.
He also won’t have to try and kick the door down this time which will be nice.

Holding Zashi’s hand, they wait for the kid to unlock the worn looking door. If Shouta glares at the offending thing, then that’s between him and himself alone.

Walking into the apartment there’s not much to see, there’s no lights on and the entry hall is bare of everything except one pair of red sneakers which look exactly the same as the teen’s other red sneakers and a zip up sweater hanging from a hook.

No welcome mat, no photos, nothing. Shouta feels the blonde grip his hand tighter, probably feeling the same as Shouta.

Further into the apartment isn’t any better. The first space they enter is the kitchenette which faces their kitchen. It looks a lot worse up close than it ever did through their windows. The fooor is uneven and the counters cheap and falling apart in places. Worse even is when Zashi asks if there’s anything they need to pack up in there the kid just shrugs and grabs a familiar chipped grey mug from the sink and walks down another hall.

“You don’t have anything else you want to take with you Midori? We have space in our fridge if there’s any food or things like that you want to bring.”

The kid pauses for a second in his stride before shaking his head and continuing through a door on the right of the hall; Shouta and Zashi following while exchanging looks of worry.

“Nothing to bring… ran out of food a day or so before the USJ attack. Was planning on buying food next week sometime.”

“WAIt what?!”

Shouta glares over at his husband cancelling his quirk before it would cause more noise complaints. Though he quickly refocuses on the kid, hair falling back down onto Shouta’s shoulders.

Midori is looking down at his bed side table collecting what looks like a phone charger and wallet before looking back up to meet their gazes.

“Yeah, with school and everything that happened before school started I hadn’t been working much and didn’t have any money for food right now since rent needed paid.”

The fact that their kid had to choose between food and keeping his apartment breaks his heart. No teen should have to choose between those things, no teen should have to pay for rent in a shitty apartment all by himself for years. No teen should be so grateful to be wanted like Midori acted when they said they wanted him this morning in the hospital.

The whole situation left a sour taste in Shouta’s mouth and his chest felt tight.

“I’m sorry listener, you should never had have to choose between those things. You did amazing with what little you were given and we would never try to belittle any of your sacrifices or hard work, but we’re also here now for you. You don’t have to pay rent or buy anything you don’t want to.”

Shouta notices the star struck but cautious look on the green teen’s face and crouches down in front of him. Grasping nervous hands in his own worn ones and looking up to meet his piercing green eyes.

“Zashi is right, we’re here for you. You’re our responsibility now, and there’s no take backs. If you ever need something just ask us and we’ll figure something out. I promise. But you’ll never have to choose between food and a roof over your head again.”

Thankfully their message seems to get across, sadly the teen looks close to crying again… So emotional their kid, Shouta thinks fondly.

“Is there anything you want us to pack up little Midori?”

There’s Shouta’s husband always knowing what to say to make things less awkward.

Thankfully Midori accepts their help and points Zashi towards his closet and Shouta towards his shelves.
The shelves Shouta decides, which are the thing with the most personality out of everything in the apartment. Every inch being filled with note books which are all labeled as well as other reading materials and dictionaries for JSL, ASL and English.

Shouta also notices a couple math textbooks lain on top of the shelves. Pulling all of them out slowly, cautious of his still sore injuries, Shouta packs them into one of the boxes Nedzu had dropped off at the hospital just before they got Midori released. Along with their official documents for fostering Midori.

No wonder Ectoplasm was having Midori take a test to gauge his math level, most of these textbooks were second year university level from what Shouta can read.

Not for the first time he wonders just how smart their teen is.

They make quick work if the room, considering they only had to pack up a couple outfits, a collection of books, a couple small things like chargers and electronics, and one singular poster of Present Mic.
Much to Zashi’s approval, the dork.

They also pack up the bed sheets and pillow, Zashi citing that it might help the kid settle into their apartment to have familiar things.

Shouta notices some concerning stains on the mattress itself, large brown spots which look like someone tried to wash them out but couldn’t or waited too long before trying.

He doesn’t point them out; through Shouta notices Midori has them leave the room swiftly after catching him looking at them.

Next stop is the bathroom, which seems to be the most stocked room of the apartment. The kid pulling out multiple stocked medical kits from under the sink to pack away and take with them.

This time Shouta notices what looks like stains in the shape of fingers along the kits. The kid had mentioned something else had happened before school started at UA…
An uneasy feeling starts to take over Shouta as he watches the kid swiftly check inside each medical kit and look through the contents of both. Which allows Shouta to notice that They both seem to need to be restocked, missing gauze and bandages of other sorts, along side certain creams and other medical supplies often included in these kits.

The feeling of unease increases.

Next the kid goes to grab some cheap looking body wash and hair products, though Zashi quickly stops him saying they’ll just get him better products and to leave them.
Thankfully the kid just listens and moves onto the cabinet.

Shouta’s thankfulness fades quickly when he sees the kid pull out multiple bottles of pills, recognizing at least one bottle as strong hospital grade painkillers. Like the ones he’s had to take for injuries in the past when he was just starting out hero work.

Why would his kid have those… he also notices how that bottle is missing at least a couple of the pills.

Flashes of the brown stains on the bare mattress, as well as medical kits come to Shouta and his gut twists violently.

“Hey kiddo… you said earlier you couldn’t work before classes at UA started…. Why was that?..”

Sometimes Shouta wished he wasn’t so aware of others body language, watching as the kid goes rigid and appearing apprehensive and guarded once he meets Shouta’s gaze.
He wishes for once that his bad feelings could be wrong.

“Umm…. W-Well I was sort of attacked walking home one night..?”

There’s obviously more.

“Who attacked you little listener?”

The kid only shrinks further, even glancing at the open bathroom door behind Shouta and Zashi as though looking for an escape exit.

“Kid, we won’t be angry with you for being attacked. We just think it’s best that we know so we can better protect you.”

There’s a long silence before the kid speaks up quietly. Too quietly for them to hear.

“You’re going to have to speak up kid.”

Looking extremely apprehensive the kid does as asked.

“… it’s just this group that likes to hunt quirkless people for sport. It’s fine, I got away and no one else was hurt that time.”

The statement is extremely concerning on many levels all of which are making Shouta feel worried and protective.

The way the teen talked about being hunted for sport by other people, the way he seems glad that no other quirkless individuals were hurt by the same people ‘that time’ and the way he completely glossed over any injuries he would have gotten all rub Shouta the wrong way. It reminds him of himself when he was still a teenager. Before he got free of his parents.

“Did you get hurt?”

The silence is deafening.

To think the kid was likely hurt so bad he couldn’t do anything for the entire time he disappeared from coffee meetings makes Shouta feel sick. To think that the kid was hunted by a group of people on purpose just because he didn’t have a quirk and then was hurt so badly that he went MIA for weeks makes Shouta want to beat someone’s face in. Preferably whoever hunted his kid for sport.

A thought occurs to him then.

They were so close. They knew that the kid went missing, even if they had just hoped he was busy or sleeping correctly and couldn’t make it to midnight coffee meetings, they had been right there and hadn’t helped him…

How badly had his kid been hurt. Could this bright, nervous but sassy teen have been snuffed out just a couple metres away from where Shouta and Zashi had been sleeping during that time? Hell the kid could have died when he got attacked and they likely would have never known.They would have forever wondered what happened to their friendly little green neighbour.

They had been right there….

Why hadn’t they been there for the kid.

All of that blood on the bare mattress…. On the med kits… that was their kid’s blood..

Their kid had bled alone in his apartment just out of Shouta’s reach for who knows how long, on how many different occasions.

He wants to take a minute alone to get his reaction under control but Shouta also recognizes that the kid might take that in the wrong way if he did.
So Shouta tries to calm his shaking hands and settle the ball of fury and despair swirling in his chest.

The kid needs him to be calm, he needs him to be a support for him. Not angry papa bear.

Stepping forward with telegraphed intent, Shouta pulls the nervous teen into a hug.

Shouta used to never be a hugger, and he probably still wasn’t. But for his family he wants to give them all the hugs they deserve and Midori deserves all the hugs in Shouta’s opinion.

After a couple seconds the kid hugs back, shaking and probably crying again. Burying his face into Shouta’s shirt in what is becoming a familiar gesture the past couple days.

“We’ve got you kiddo, you’re safe. We’re here. You’re safe.”

Kami emotions are hard.

Walking into his neighbour’s apartment after his blonde Sensei is an experience. The space is lit up tastefully and there are mementos all over the room. With the living space being furnished with simple colours and topped with bright colourful blankets which fit the couple perfectly.

The walls are covered in medals and pictures and there’s plants placed randomly around the room. Which Mic whispers are all Shouta’s plant babies when he catches Izuku staring at them.

The image of his coffee addicted, eternally tired neighbour taking the time to tend to the many plants spread around the apartment doesn’t compute for Izuku, but he guesses to each their own and all of that never judge a book by it’s cover.

Though the thought of Eraser showing such care for the plants and dedication also makes Izuku feel safe oddly enough.
Tending to plants is hard. Izuku would know having killed many plants during his life despite his best efforts. Though he does blame being nearly kidnapped on his last attempt failing.

A little paw tapping Izuku’s foot makes him look down. There stands an excited Tillie which Izuku recognizes immediately from all of Eraser’s stories. The little angel is playing with his sneaker laces, big green eyes staring up at him with interest.

“That’s Tillie, she’s a sweetie though don’t let her fool you, she can be a little demon at times. Especially when there’s chicken around.”

Present Mic winks along with his words scooping up the little cat and offering her to Izuku.

She’s so soft.

Tillie immediately starts purring, reminding Izuku of a washing machine. The sound immediately calming his left over nerves from the fact he’s moving in with his neighbours.

“What do you want for dinner Midori?”

Eraser asks, poking his head in from the kitchen where he must have been ordering their food as promised earlier.

“I’m fine with anything.”

Is Izuku’s automatic response even after just over a year of not living with Inko.

“Listener, we won’t be mad if you want something specific. Do you have a favourite meal? Shou is ordering from Nini’s and they can make most dishes.”

It’s just a meal… Izuku can choose a meal. It’s not whatever is cheapest and easiest to get anymore, he won’t get yelled at or smacked for making requests. They promised and Izuku promised to try.

The memory of eating Katsudon with Inko and his dad on his third birthday comes to him unbidden.

“..could.. c-could I have Katsudon?”

“Sure Listener!”

Eraser just nods and walks back into the kitchen talking into the phone.

It’s the next day and Izuku, Eraser and Present Mic are all sitting around the living room.

“Hinto mentioned that they explained some things about the community. Sasha also said I should explain more since I’m going to be living with you and since Nedzu gave his seal of approval...”

“What do you mean Nedzu gave his seal of approval?” Present Mic asks setting down his book.

“Umm, so to explain Nedzu I kind of have to explain some other things. You guys know about the red stars right?”

“You mean the markers?” Aizawa asks.

“Yeah, like those. Only there’s more markers than just the red stars. There’s also blue stars which are worn by people who are gifted entrance to the quirkless community by a red star so a quirkless person. Sometimes there is a whole ceremony to gift blue stars and sometimes they’re just given privately. There’s another star known as a grey star which is what Nedzu is. Grey stars are people who are like quirkless adjacent or have helped the community as a whole so they’re brought into the community by the whole community. We only have a few grey stars in our community here in Japan and only two in Musutafu. Nedzu is both quirkless adjacent and was and is a huge helper of the community.”

Izuku stops talking briefly allowing the other two to take in his small info dump as well as to catch his breath from talking is quickly.

“What do you mean by quirkless adjacent listener?”

“Umm, well he has a quirk which you obviously know. But he’s not human, and before he became a pro hero or later on the principle of UA he wasn’t treated well by the quirked community. He let stayed with Hista Tadashi who was one of the founders of our more current and global quirkless community. So he kind of was a part of that? And he’s like our community’s bigger guns? Due to his legal and pro hero backgrounds which has helped the community a lot. Leading him to have a grey star.”

“…Does that mean that Nedzu definitely knew what was happening with you and didn’t tell us, and could have translated the feed from the infirmary of you and Sei-san.”

Eraser looks so done at the belated revelation. Shaking his head and looking vaguely exhausted from dealing with the rodent.

“Sounds like Nedzu.”

Present Mic adds on looking slightly more amused than his husband, but still copious amounts of exasperation.

“Yeah.”

Izuku responds rubbing the back of his neck. Nedzu obviously got on Eraser’s nerves a lot which he knew from both their stay in the hospital and their midnight coffee conversations where the dark haired man would complain about all of the tasks Nedzu would have him do since he didn’t have a class last year.

“Ummm what else..? Oh, I work at a café which the Sei’s are currently the caretakers of. Which is why I call Hinto my boss. Her and Fuwashi run it primarily.”

“Yeah, you mentioned her being your boss”

“Yeah! Um well the café is one of the multiple locations across Musutafu which are solely quirkless community patroned and staffed. So only stars can go there and know where they are. My café is one of the closest locations, though there is a theatre location, not far from my last school, which hosts a lot of work shops and lectures for the community.”

“That’s really cool Listener! How did you find out about the community? Were you invited to it? Or?”

“I found one of the locations when I was homeless after Inko left. A woman named Yei brought me to the location after finding me behind a restaurant near the location… It honestly feels a lot like fate that she found me and realized I was quirkless from my shoes… Pretty sure she saved my life……”

A warm hand on his hand pulls Izuku out of his thoughts, looking up to see it’s attached to his dark haired neighbour… actually can he even call them his neighbours anymore? Since they literally live together now? What is he supposed to call them if not his neighbours?… crouched in front of Izuku and seemingly waiting for him to come out of his thoughts.

“You back with us kiddo?”

He just hums in response shaking his head a bit to help clear his mind.

“Yeah sorry. Didn’t mean to get so side tracked.”

“It’s fine kid, you don’t have to explain everything right now you know. We have all the time in the world so take it at your own pace.”

And isn’t that nice. Having a choice. Not being forced to do anything. It’s a stark difference from living with Inko, where he either was completely ignored or micromanaged until he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and not wake up just to have some peace. Even when he was being ignored he had no choices, he didn’t have food or money or attention. He had no choices either way when living with Inko.

Then when he got his apartment he still had no choices, he only had survival and dreams. Everything was based on how cheap it was, his survival and protecting his community.

That’s the biggest difference Izuku is noticing since moving in yesterday. They always gave him choices. What he wants to eat, when he can go to bed, how he wants to decorate his room, the clothing he ordered online with the help of Present Mic earlier today, even when he wants to head back to school due to his injuries.

Izuku missed choices.

He wants to tell them everything, but maybe… maybe he’s not ready. There’s a lot to tell and he knows it’s a lot for people to take in, especially those who weren’t quirkless and didn’t live through similar things in their own lives.

So maybe this is enough for today.

“Okay, thank you Eraser. I think I’m done for today.”

“Okay kiddo.”

And that’s how the day continues, them hanging out until Present Mic, who told Izuku to call him Yamada or Zashi, leaves for a short visit at put your hands up radio recording space. Then Aizawa introducing Izuku to Bastard and Tillie officially. With them all sitting on the floor drinking coffee from their orange cat mug and chipped grey mug each respectively.

“Bastard was found during Zashi’s patrol, believe it or not we thought he was a black cat when Zashi brought him home, he was that dirty. He got his name from when we tried to wash him and he gave us both scars.”

Aizawa chuckles while petting the significantly nicer seeming, pure white cat than the one in the story, a far away look in his eyes.

Izuku holds his hand out for Bastard to sniff.

“And Tillie I know you met, but she’s the baby of the family along side you now. I found her at the end of a patrol two years ago when she was just a tiny kit. Her mom had abandoned her since she was the runt of her litter.”

Tillie meows, as though recognizing her name, from her perch in Izuku’s lap purring away and batting at his fingers when he wiggles them for her to play with.

Izuku had never had a pet, and as he mentioned, he had had no luck with plants. But he had always loved cats and had spent time in the company of a host of different cats while he was homeless.

He still can’t get over how soft their fur is.

He had actually fallen asleep in his new bedroom just petting Tillie who was loafed on his chest last night.

It’s four days after moving in with Zashi and Eraser when Izuku gets the notification about an adult from their community committing suicide on the forum.

Izuku starts packing his backpack without thinking, grabbing some snacks from the kitchen along with a small travel med kit, a water bottle and a blanket.

Eraser is currently at UA teaching, Izuku had decided to take the week off instead of the two days the high school was closed after the USJ not wanting to face his classmates; who he still wasn’t sure about. Texting Toshi to pass his time when bored and sending videos of the cats being goofy or especially adorable to the purple teen.

Zashi was currently out too, having to go shopping for groceries and having stayed home from work to keep Izuku company.

So no one was there when he walks out of the apartment and immediately heads to the café to start his vigil for Jade who Izuku had actually met often while working and at a couple different work shops at the papillon theatre.

She had been a really nice lady, though he remembers her having a hard time with drugs. Having been used by a group of quirked individuals as entertainment and a sex toy when she was a teen, after getting kicked out by her parents. She had been clean for a year when he last saw her at the café. They had made her a cake and had a celebration on her one year clean date.

Izuku also knows that she had attempted to kill herself when she was younger and again not long after finding the community.

She really was wonderful. Staying strong through all she endured and was subjected to.

Izuku is sad to see her go…

Finally reaching the café he enters and immediately drops his bag with the others along the walls of the dinning space and walking to join the silent circle.

They stand for a long time no one speaking, simply soaking in each others presence and letting the loss sink in.

Izuku cries standing in the circle along side many others. An older man Izuku has met a couple times resting a comforting hand on his shoulder as his body shakes.

After a while they break from their circle and settle in to tell stories and listen to others tell stories.
Unlike last time Izuku takes part in telling stories having known Jade fairly well, spinning stories of serving the woman straight up shots of espresso as well as helping her learn how to cook in the kitchen of the café so she could make a meals in her apartment that she had finally gotten when she turned twenty-three.

The stories go on and on, Jade having been very social and staying with many different people before she could buy her apartment.

Its not until Izuku is listening to stories after telling his own again at the papillon theatre that he remembers Zashi and Eraser.

He’s not supposed to use his phone during a vigil circuit. So they’ll have to wait. Hopefully Nedzu will tell them not to worry if they ask him, Izuku knows the rodent doesn’t often attend these rituals after attending the ritual commemorating hista Tadashi’s death from being murdered almost eight years ago. But he’s definitely aware of when they happen.

So his new guardians should be able to ask him for help and be reassured that Izuku is fine.

It’s the second day of the vigil when Izuku is walking out of the library safe space about an hour away from the apartment that he feels a capture weapon wrapping around his body and pulling him backwards.

What the fuck??

Arms wrap around him and his backpack.

What the fuck.

Turning his head upwards he sees a more than usual exhausted looking Aizawa. Why is Eraser here? Why was he hugging Izuku?

“Ummmm.. Eraser..?”

“Shut up kid, where the hell have you been. We couldn’t find you! Why are you here?? Are you okay?? Was it something we did??”

Okay they obviously hadn’t talked to Nedzu since Izuku had to leave for Jade’s vigil.

“What? No! No! It’s nothing you did! I was going to be coming back, I wasn’t trying to like run away! I promise! I just. I had to do something. Why are you here??”

The arms wrapped around him loosen and suddenly he is being stared at intently by Aizawa, held at arms length and still wrapped up in his guardian’s capture scarf.

“What am I doing here? Are you serious Izuku! You disappeared randomly in the middle of the day with some food, a blanket a medical kit and your backpack. What were we supposed to think! You thought we wouldn’t come looking for you??”

Wow, okay this must be very serious if he was calling him Izuku and not Midori like he usually does.

And when put like that it does sound bad…

“Oh… I’m sorry Eraser, really it wasn’t anything like that. I never got to explain to you guys that we have other rituals and one of them is a vigil of sorts when one of us dies. That’s why I’m here. I would have been back at the apartment in a couple days. I promise.”

At his words Eraser is pulling Izuku back into a bone breaking hug, shoulders seeming to slump and some tension leaving his dark haired guardian’s body. Kami, when had he last slept? He seemed exhausted and strung out.

“We thought you had run away or were going to… going to…”

Oh.

OH.

Well shit. He hadn’t meant to scare them so much. To make then think he had run away so he could off himself..

Kami Izuku had messed up. But, it had been habit. He hadn’t even thought about how different this time would be to past vigils. He had people outside of the community who cared about him.

“I’m sorry Zawa… I’m sorry. I really wasn’t I promise, I’m just attending a vigil for a friend from the community.”

Izuku clutches his guardian back crying for the hundredth time since waking up at the hospital.

“I should have texted or called to explain, but we’re not supposed to be on our technology during our vigil circuit unless we’re one of the news keepers. But I should have taken the time to call between safe spaces. I’m sorry zawa.”

“It’s okay kid, it’s okay. I’m just happy that you’re alive and okay. Do you realize how scared we were when we couldn’t find you. Zashi called me during class saying you were gone and he couldn’t find you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No I’m sorry, it’s okay kid. Just please never do this again. I have to text Zashi that I found you.”

His guardian lets Izuku go but keeps his scarf wrapped around him which Izuku can’t even begrudge the man.

A rushed phone call later and they’re waiting for Zashi to get to where they are.

It should have taken at least twenty minutes for the blonde pro hero to get where they were. It should have, but he was there and crashing into Izuku within ten.

The man was crying and checking Izuku over for injuries babbling on about worrying so much and about how they would change if they had done something to upset him and make him run away.

“Zashi, Zashi! I didn’t run away. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m sorry I made you think that. I’m sorry for leaving like that. Kami I’m so sorry.”

They’re all crying stressed messes the three of them.

But as they stand there longer and longer and they finally all start to calm down Izuku starts feeling the itch to continue to the next safe space so he can finish his vigil circuit. He only had three more spaces to visit before he was done…

He had to finish his vigil… but… He looks at his two guardians who haven’t let him out of their lines of sight not out of their grasp since finding him. He really doubts they’re going to just let him leave to complete it.

Maybe… maybe they could come?

He quickly pulls out his phone, no point avoiding technology anymore considering how badly that has turned out for him earlier, and texts Sasha who was one of the news keepers of the community.

Twenty minutes later Izuku is leading a stressed looking Zashi and Zawa to the next safe space trying to give them a crash course of etiquette for vigils. Having gotten permission to bring them as guests after providing a recommendation and request for them to be allowed and Sasha conferring with the other news keepers of Musutafu.

“When we get there don’t speak, new arrivals stand in a circle in silence for an undetermined period of time. Usually between five minutes to a half hour. Once we leave the circle we join the story telling, if you knew the person lost you tell stories about them and if you don’t know them you listen to stories told by others. You usually stay at each safe space for anywhere between three hours to a day and a half, sometimes more depending on who you are and other factors. The vigil circuit is where you visit every safe space in your city and do this silence and then story telling at each space. There’s also food and drinks provided at each safe space and places to sleep since it takes multiple days to complete a vigil circuit.”

Izuku pauses outside of the hidden entrance way to their next safe space.

“Did you get all of that?”

The other two look a bit wide eyed and shell shocked which is exactly how Izuku had been when Yei first explained this to Izuku as well so obviously he’s doing great at explaining.

“Umm, sure little listener.”

“Oh! And don’t use your phone or any other technology while we’re in the safe spaces. It’s considered rude during a vigil unless you’re a news keeper.”

“Okay kiddo.”

“Okay… then, right this way. Remember silence.”

Izuku leads the two adults into the restaurant safe space also known as PyPy’s Plates safe space. Izuku silently dumps his bag with the others and gestures for the other two to drop their random supplies as well. Then guides them over to the silent circle of about ten or twelve community members.

The quiet murmur of the stories being told fill the space from across the room where they are set up in a grouping of tables and booths with food and drinks.

Izuku gets lost in thoughts and routine not moving from his spot in the circle for a while. He wants to pay respects to Jade. He doesn’t want her to be forgotten and that’s part of what this circle is. What this whole vigil ritual is. Not forgetting who they’ve lost, taking the time to accept the loss but also to remember them and make sure everyone else remembers them as well; so that no one is forgotten.

So he stands there for as long as he feels he would want her to stand there if their roles were reversed. He stands there not wanting to forget her and wanting to show others that he won’t forget her.

But eventually he feels that it’s time and he steps out of the circle, gathering his bag once more and walking over to the chatting collection of people, followed closely by his two guardians.

They had been doing is well so far. Standing respectfully and following Izuku’s instructions. Not fiddling or shifting while they waited for him to be done but instead seeming to try and pay respects as well, even if they hadn’t known Jade and had only the brief run down of who the community had lost that Izuku gave them on their journey to PyPy’s.

He has them settle in a booth listening to a younger kid who Izuku knows as Narishima tells a story of playing hide and seek with Jade at the day care safe space which is the next location Izuku has to visit on his circuit.

Eventually the story telling comes to Izuku and he starts regaling his many interactions with Jade. Others who were there for some piping up to add their own memories from that story.

The whole time he speaks Izuku can feel Zawa’s and Zashi’s eyes on him.

After one more day of the vigil, being closely followed by his guardians, Izuku is done and they’re on the train back across town to their apartment.

He had tried to convince the two to go during the day after they found him by the library safe space. He knows they had work and patrols to be doing, but they had both resoundingly refused and continued to stick by his side as he went to the last couple safe spaces.

The loss of Jade still felt heavy to Izuku but knowing his guardians wanted to be there for him even if they probably had felt so out of their depth and he had caused them so much distress by disappearing, helped with the loss.

He also got to introduce them to a couple people from the community he was close to which as interesting.

It’s the evening by time they walk into the apartment and Izuku can’t help but cringe at the mess, which had surely came about in their panic to find Izuku.

Tillie and Bastard come running at the sound of them entering the apartment meowing loudly as though they hadn’t been fed which Izuku knows is a lie. Zashi had explained that they had Midnight, or Auntie Nem as she apparently wanted Izuku to call her, come over to feed the cats while they were all gone.

“Hey kitties.”

Izuku stoops down to cuddle the two fur balls and soak in Tillie’s purring rumbles.

“Okay listeners, Imma order some food for us and then we’re going to sit down to talk. Since obviously we missed some important information the first time round.”

At Izuku’s guilty expression.

“We’re not mad Zuku, we just were very scared when you disappeared like that. But enough of that for now! What would you like for food?”

“Maybe some onigiri?”

“Sure thing Zuku!”

With that the blonde leaves the room to order food. Leaving Zawa and Izuku to play with the kitties and suffer in the silence.

“Are these vigils part of the reason you disappeared randomly last year?”

The noirette suddenly asks while petting a still complaining Bastard.

“I mean, yeah probably? I hadn’t really thought that you would notice me being gone for a couple of nights back then, but yeah. There was a couple different rituals last year and a couple were for vigils.”

The other just nods, seemingly stuck in his thoughts. During the lapse in conversation Izuku pulls out his phone and texts Toshi for the first time in days seeing a couple missed texts from the purple teen.

‘Hey! Super sorry I wasn’t responding. Got busy with some family stuff and wasn’t allowed my phone. How are you??’

The teen texts back immediately despite it evening late.

‘Izu! You live! That’s good, was thinking I would have to call the cops soon if you kept quiet much longer. I’m good! Stressed about sports festival coming up tbh.

What kind of family stuff? If you don’t mind me asking.’

As Izuku texts back Zashi enters the room and flops down onto the couch and shoves his feet under Zawa.

“So, obviously there was a lot of miscommunication recently. We’re not angry but you really should have told us where you were going Zuku instead of just disappearing like that. You scared us shitless. I understand how important community and traditions can be but you still have to trust us to understand and work with you to accommodate any needs you have.”

“I really am sorry.. I just, wasn’t thinking…”

“It’s okay Kiddo really, how about you explain any other ‘rituals’ so this doesn’t happen again. I would really rather not have to spend multiple days scouring the entire city trying to find my kid and hope he’s alive and okay again.”

And so Izuku explains. He talks about different ceremonies they have and the vigils and even shows them the Musutafu quirkless forum on his phone and explains each ceremony along side past community alerts.

It takes well into the night and they have to pause a couple times for drinks and food or simply to calm down, but they get there.

It’s at midnight when they finish and Zashi has to head to bed after squishing Izuku in another hug, because he has an early radio shift tomorrow.

Somehow Izuku and Zawa make their way to the apartments’s kitchen, staring out the window facing the dark kitchenette of Izuku’s old apartment.

Just like old times they fill their mugs with coffee, Izuku normal coffee and Zawa with death wish coffee. Sitting down on the floor and leaned up against the counter to chat in JSL, with Izuku sometimes showing the dark haired man an AT sign for a word along side their conversation.

Eventually though it nears one in the morning and their mugs are both long empty. Izuku makes his way to his room and Zawa tucks him in like he’s a small child, even setting a tired looking Tillie and annoyed looking Bastard beside Izuku on his bed.

The man gets up to head out, having a patrol from one to five today.

“Good night problem child, sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning kiddo.”

Izuku falls asleep warm and happy. He’ll see his dads in the morning, eat breakfast together and listening to Zashi hum music while cooking; watch Zawa pretend to be annoyed by his husbands affections, before they all sit down together and eat.

Izuku is so glad he took the stairs down that day and all of the other days he found himself on top of a building or looking over the edge of a bridge.

He’s so glad that he lived to find his dads.

Tillie’s purring accompanies Izuku into sleep and it’s like all of his problems fade away for a while.

Izuku could definitely get used to this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No Lies Except The One’s We Tell Ourselves

Izuku could always tell when someone was lying, he wasn’t sure what gave them away but he could always feel when he was being lied to. Whether in writing, over the phone or face to face. This skill came in handy when dealing with attempted kidnappers and snooping pro hero’s such as the ones Izuku is currently dealing with.

Even weirder they all seem to think he’s lying to them about being quirkless. He wouldn’t be living where he is if he wasn’t quirkless so shows what they know.

Or.

Quirkless Izuku has a run in with the eight precepts of death and nearly gets kidnapped but manages to get away with a small child instead.

What’s a teen to do when pro hero’s and cops start sticking their noses in his business and trying to arrest him. Other than lie like his life depend on it.

Chapter Text

Izuku had been living with Zawa and Zashi for a month now. There were more rough patches, like the first couple days where Jade passed away. After that incident the couple had implemented a rule that they have to at least be texted before Izuku disappears for a ritual. Though more often at least one of them would just come with Izuku to the ritual. Which meant Izuku had to text Sasha a lot to see if it was okay for him to bring guests.

After the first two or three rituals Izuku had to start ignoring a bunch of knowing looks from his friends.

The last time guests had started coming around was just as Izuku got a job at the Quirky Café, when an older teen, who he thinks name might have been like Zarshu or Sashu, started bringing his foster mom to the safe spaces for lunch as well as a couple rituals.

When younger Izuku had asked why the teen was getting so many looks from everyone Fuwashi had said they’re just teasing him because he was about to convert the foster mom. Which hadn’t made much sense to him at the time because he didn’t really know about blue stars or any rituals regarding them.

Now Izuku relates to the teen, having to elbow a multitude of the community who try to make jokes about being starred at his guardians or would ask when the ritual was.

Thankfully the two pro heroes hadn’t seemed to notice all of the comments and looks yet. Or at least they hadn’t mentioned it to him or asked him, and that’s good enough for Izuku.

It had taken Izuku two more weeks of fending off the community before Hinto, Sasha and Hihada pulled him aside during one of his visits to the café for an ‘intervention’.

By time Izuku was let free his face was burning and he was handed an invitation to his own guardians ritual; which Hihada had made, the little traitor!

It took him another three days of trying to avoid his guardian’s questions about why he was acting weird for him to slide the invitation over to Zawa and Zashi during a breakfast at the apartment.

His ears were still ringing from the shriek Zashi had made after reading through the invitation twice.

Zawa was so shocked he didn’t even use his quirk to spare their ears, opting to stare at the little blue invitation on the table instead.

After a couple more minutes of excited sounds from his blonde guardian and a wide eyed stare from his hero, Zawa had stood up from his chair and strode over to Izuku, who was ready to bolt at this point, scooping him up into a bone crushing hug which Zashi soon joined. Quirk finally silent.

It’s safe to say his guardians had called in sick at their work, instead staying with Izuku to celebrate being asked.

And if they received an ominous congratulations from Nedzu and Recovery Girl well then that was ignored for their own sanity. Or more like his guardians sanities.

Now it’s early June and Izuku is shifting nervously beside the Sei’s, Hinto’s parents thankfully recovered and healthy after their stay in the hospital for a couple weeks, as they all wait for the ritual to start.

They’re at the Papillon theatre since it’s the only place big enough for everyone to be there at once. Red flowers are strewn along the walls, the steps up to the stage and all across the stage itself. An impressive display of many different red flowers all blending together to create an exotic look in honour of all their lost community.
There are vibrant blue ribbons along the stage as well as all the accent pieces.

Izuku has only ever attended one other blue star ritual, years ago now. He never thought he would ever attend his own.

He is standing on the stage dressed in black, to represent being blank of a quirk, with only his red star necklace standing in stark contrast in the middle of his chest.

He even is wearing black sneakers, a custom made pair gifted to kids who underwent their guardians becoming blue stars.

The Sei’s are standing with him on the stage all dressed in black as well, with only red stars as their accessories as well as the traditional red Q&C sneakers. They had taken care of him and accepted him into their family even if they hadn’t adopted him or fostered him. They were his community guardians and so they stand here with Izuku on the stage to give his care to his guardians.

They’re all standing as a group. Waiting.

Waiting for his heroes to come in.

And screw you, he’s nervous as hell. Multiple times Hinto has had to grab his hands from causing permanent damage by wringing them together.

What if they didn’t show up? What if they rejected him? Was this all a lie? Oh Kami no one would want a Deku like him, why did he ever think this was a good idea?

He trusted them, he did. But it’s also hard to be calm when this was such an important step. Not only were they getting their blue stars today, but they were also signing the adoption papers.

After today, if everything went well, Izuku would become Yamazawa Izuku the son of Yamazawa Hizashi and Yamazawa Shouta.

He was scared.

But he trusted them to make all of his fears disappear.

“They’ll be here in a minute. Just got the text from Sasha.”

Hinto whispers in Izuku’s ear, making him jump at the suddenness. His nerves spike along side his pulse at being startled.

One more minute.

Sasha was out with his two guardians as they look for the biggest rocks they can find. As well as to make sure they’re dressed correctly and if Sei’s dad is to be believed, to give them a threatening speech about not letting Izuku down. Sasha had shown up at the apartment at the crack of dawn to collect the pro heroes and Ozuku hadn’t seen them since. Being collected himself by the Sei’s around nine this morning. Usually it doesn’t take so many hours to find a rock but Sasha must have deemed it acceptable if he hadn’t warned Hinto things were going south.

The rest of the community were already here and standing in the floor space of the theatre. All of the red stars are dressed in black; all of the blue stars are dressed in white, to represent their quirks like how white light actually has all colours in it; and lastly there’s the two grey stars of Musutafu, dressed in gold.

Nedzu is one, the other, well the other one Izuku can’t wait for his guardians to see, she had been a surprise even to Izuku. He had heard about the second grey star of Musutafu multiple times through rumours and stories but he had never actually met or seen her. Or at least he hadn’t thought he had…

Nedzu, as a lawyer and grey star was the only other person on the stage with Izuku and the Sei’s. The rodent was there to over see the adoption process as he could do all the legal parts necessary.

The doors of the Papillon open with a creek and Izuku’s nerves shoot back up to manic at the sight of Sasha dressed in black, soon followed by Zawa and Zashi.

Both are dressed in royal blue suits, red flowers in the pockets.

What shocks Izuku more than anything else are the rocks they’re carrying. No wonder it too them hours to get to the papillon.

Sometimes Izuku forgets that his hero’s are also traditionally strong, not just smart and quick. The rocks are two times the size of them, and Izuku is speechless watching the rocks, boulders really, being carried over their heads dirt still clinging to parts of them.

Where the fuck did they even find rocks that big in Musutafu!

There are gasps and clapping from the crowd when they see the two pro heroes carrying such big rocks. The rocks which represent their readiness to care for and love Izuku. Their willingness to protect and stand with him through everything that society will throw at them.

They found rocks bigger than anyone had ever brought, and each of the rocks were supposed to represent their love for him.

Izuku doesn’t realize he’s crying until Fuwashi chuckles and hands him a Kleenex which he gratefully takes.

They love him.

They really love and want him.

Sooner than Izuku expects, Sasha is standing across from Izuku holding a small black box tied with blue ribbon out for him to take. Twin thunks of the rocks being sat down side by side on the stage shaking the floor under Izuku’s feet as he takes the offered box.

They’re panting as they go to stand across from Izuku as well, Sasha having moved to stand beside Nedzu whose stationed between them but further back from the crowd.

“Hey Midori.”

Zawa and Zashi have taken to calling Izuku Zuku after the day when Zawa found him outside of the library safe space scared out of his mind.

But during especially tender or important moments, Izuku has noticed that they revert to calling him Midori. The name making Izuku feel warm and loved in a way that is becoming increasingly familiar.

Hearing Erasers gruff voice in the silence of the Papillon calling him Midori makes everything feel real. This is really happening.

He’s being adopted. He has people now.

He has a family now.

He has a family.

The start of the ritual passes by like a whirlwind, and suddenly the Sei’s are passing him over to Zawa and Zashi after making them each promise to care for and love him. A few threats thrown in as well much to the crowds amusement if the chuckles are any indication.

Standing close to his heroes, Izuku holds the black box. All of their eyes trained on his hands as he un-does the blue ribbon, the fabric falling to the floor.

Taking a deep breath Izuku opens the lid. Inside lay two necklaces, identical to Izuku’s only in blue.

Sasha had provided the necklaces, though Izuku isnt sure where he got them. Since Izuku’s was also from Sasha but his necklace used to actually be Sasha’s and was from the man’s home country.

Collecting the two necklaces into his hands Izuku holds them close to his chest, staring up at his heroes. Anxiety spiking.

“You promise to never leave me? To stay with me and protect me?”

The emotional expressions on their faces smooth out into something more serious, exchanging looks before reaching forward to pull him into a hug. Smushed between the two as they reassure him.

“Oh Little Listener, Midori, we would never leave you. You’re ours for life now and we’re yours.”

“We want you Kiddo, and we would NEVER allow something to happen to you or hurt you. We’re yours for as long as you want us.”

After another second of embracing and making sure Izuku is calm they step back. Though not far.

“I trust you.”

Izuku says, meeting both black eyes and lime green ones.

Deep breaths. You got this Izuku, you didn’t practice in the mirror for hours just to fuck up.

“Please take these blue stars, become one of the community. Take on the burdens and love of our whole, so that you may protect and preserve us.”

These are official words, coached to him a week prior by Hinto. Created years ago to be said at this type of ritual, meant to formally ask them to be blue stars as well as explain vaguely what a blue star is.
They are meant to protect the community, our secrets and people, as well as keep us alive in the memories of the quirked society.

“I will take this blue star and promise to always protect and preserve this community and love and protect you.”

More formal words, spoken in sync by the two quirked adults. He can’t help but wonder if they too practiced their lines for hours, listening to the perfect sync.

With a nod Izuku steps even closer and slides the necklace onto a leaning down Eraser’s neck. Then onto Zashi’s.

Both immediately reaching down to look at the blue four pointed stars now hanging from their necks.

“Now! To sign the adoption papers Shouta and Hizashi!”

Nedzu grabs their attention and Izuku walks up to the table in front of Sasha and Nedzu which holds the adoption papers.

His adoption papers.

Without hesitation Zawa asks for the pen and signs the documents, then handing it over to Zashi who signs after grinning at Izuku over his shoulder.

All too soon the blonde is handing Izuku himself the pen and his heroes both step to the side so he can see the document.

Stepping forward Izuku meets Sasha’s gaze who just smiles before pointing him towards the one spot he has to sign.

With shaking hands and a swelling heart Izuku glides the pen in arcs across the line.

Stepping back he’s immediately scooped up into a grasp.

“Izuku, Izuku.”

His parents are saying his name like a blessing crying, clapping and hoots of joy filling the space. Soon the hug is joined by the Sei’s then Sasha and soon everyone has joined. Forming a huge circle of people all embracing.

But Izuku doesn’t even care, all he’s focused on is his parents. His Dads. His family.

He has a family.

Never has Izuku ever felt so loved as he did in that moment. Surrounded by his community and his dads whispering how much they love him as tears track a path down all of their faces.

After years of suffering and beatings and insults Izuku has finally found his home.

It’s later on, everyone helping to clean up the theatre, when the other grey star at the ritual comes forward to congratulate the Yamazawa family.

The dumbfounded looks on his Dads’s faces are worth the wait in Izuku’s opinion, because at the sight of Recovery Girl standing in front of them, a grey star hanging from her neck and dressed solely in gold, Izuku gets to watch as they both go completely frozen.

Zashi recovered first, face morphing into disbelief then quickly through all the stages of grief along side shock and eventually realization.

Zawa is not far behind, finally settling in a state of realization. No doubt thinking of all the times Recovery Girl had been there while Izuku used AT, and didn’t help Zawa with uncovering Izuku’s secrets.

He assumes this because it’s exactly what Izuku himself went through upon seeing her this morning.

“Oh don’t look so surprised Shouta! I told you the kid would be fine, and he is.”

“She’s got you there Shou!”

Zashi pipes up, seemingly coming to his own senses and regaining speech quicker than Eraser.

“W-wha-what??? You’re the other grey star!!???”

Everyone just laughs at His Dad’s confused and incredulous words.

Not long after Recovery Girls appearance and subsequent blowing of his dads minds, Izuku and his dads head home. Intent on having a family dinner and cuddling the kitties after such a busy day as today.

Izuku can’t wait to cuddle Tillie and Bastard as he tells them about the ritual. He had become used to telling the two cats about his day before going to sleep each night since starting to live here. Tillie just loafing on his chest as he speaks, green eyes watching him and Bastard curled up beside him in his bed pretending to be asleep as Izuku speaks.

Today was a lot and Izuku is exhausted. But he also has never wanted to pause time and live in a moment of time forever like he wanted to today while hugging his dads.

That night after eating Katsudon with his Dads and being tucked into bed by both his dads, he drifts off to sleep whispering to the cats about his day.

Izuku can’t wait to see his dads in the morning.