Curate, connect, and discover
Midoriya had always been a mutterer. It was a habit developed through isolation and his parents. Since he had no one to talk to, he spoke to himself. The sound of talking was comforting even if the voice speaking was his own.
Another thing Midoriya got through his lifelong isolation was this “magical” ability to disassociate. His rejection from society “evolved” over the countless years of bullying, but that was beside the point. He was still pretty lonely even with the fan behavior from a select group of losers.
Midoriya would wake up and go to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Within seconds of brushing his teeth, Midoriya would be disassociating. Midoriya would be eating breakfast in the middle of spicy gossip. He’d be responding to his mother, but nope, his brain flipped a switch, and just like that he was blanking out. Of course, it didn't happen at the same time every day, but it wasn't uncommon.
Midoriya would go to school and the moment Bakugo opened his mouth Midoriya was out of it. Fortunately for him, it seemed that his body was on autopilot in school. He’d look down at his notebook to see notes he didn’t recall taking. One time he even highlighted specific lines in his textbook.
Midoriya knew it was a problem, but it never really happened when he was doing important tasks that he needed to focus on, so he didn't tell anyone. Unfortunately, he nearly fell down countless flights of stairs in front of his mother, so he was set up with a psychiatrist.
It never took long for Bakugo to notice changes in Midoriya’s behavior. Whenever he made fun of Midoriya or even shoved him occasionally, it was as if Midoriya was looking right through him.
Bakugo couldn’t tell if Midoriya was terrified of him or if he was trying to act tough and one-up Bakugo by pretending to be unfazed. The first time he noticed it was over four months ago.
In certain classes where their seating arrangement changed due to carefree teachers, Bakugo sat near his three lackeys. Hifumi was at the desk to his right and Tejio was in front of him.
Midoriya had already taken a seat on his left before the trio entered the classroom. Midoriya’s seat was by the window, allowing him to gaze out whenever he wanted to.
Bakugo was able to notice the strange behavior, but he never truly figured out what was going on with Midoriya. Midoriya would be writing his notes normally and, out of the blue, his expression would fall as that blank look washed over his face. He couldn’t understand what was happening since Midoriya was still writing away, gaze flicking to the board and then down to the paper to write.
Midoriya spent all of his time alone. He had no friends at school, and he always had everything with him, including his lunch. Midoriya would often stay in his seat for the duration of the break.
Bakugo and his lackeys would sometimes poke fun at him for it before they left for the cafeteria. Other times they’d come back early to study or get away from the crowd of people who were nothing more than nuisances to the three.
Midoriya usually wouldn’t react to them coming in. He would often be spotted with his head against the glass, looking at nothing in particular. Bakugo would never admit it, not even to himself, but he couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the sight.
The golden sunlight would shine on Midoriya and illuminate him. His black freckles seemed to glow a golden hue, and his pigmented skin seemed to relish the warm sunlight. Midoriya’s pale, chapped lips seemed to turn a bright red with the exposure to the sun.
Midoriya’s dark and dazed eyes would light up into a striking electric emerald green, matching the beautiful shade of green his eyelashes would turn as they occasionally fluttered. Bakugo could even see the line where the black patch of his hair turned green when it was usually hidden in his dark hair.
Every once in a while, Bakugo would see Midoriya snap back into whatever he was doing whether that be him writing notes, doing schoolwork, scrolling on his phone, writing his hero analysis, or him looking for something interesting going on outside the window. It seemed unreal the way life seemed to flash back into Midoriya's eyes.
Midoriya may not be exactly conscious of the world around him, but his subconscious was working to keep him afloat. It was a sight to see when he became responsive to things he was hearing or seeing.
Bakugo found it strange, but he’d never pass up a moment to peer at Midoriya without the worry of being caught. He'd convince himself he did it for a good reason after he'd catch himself staring.
On good days, Bakugo would go in early and open the window. He knew deep down why he did it, but how could he ever bring himself to say he wanted to watch the breeze gently blow against Midoriya’s face to watch the way the curls in his hair would sway.
One day, Midoriya had a boba milk tea. The drink was still sealed and the straw sitting next to the cup on the desk. Midoriya had his notes pulled out as he was planning to do schoolwork before homeroom started.
Bakugo had been watching Midoriya and saw the exact moment Midoriya's brain clocked out. It was normally pretty clear as his face fell as he was writing notes.
After a couple of minutes, Midoriya's gaze rose to the drink. He grabbed it and brought it away from the edge where it was sitting. Midoriya snatched the straw and raised it to stab through the lid.
Bakugo felt himself focus on the sight, never having seen Midoriya eat or drink while in a trance.
Thump.
There was a pause.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Now Tejio and Hifumi were looking.
Thump.
It didn’t go through, and Hifumi couldn’t help but snicker. For Bakugo, he was fully invested in seeing how this was going to go. Midoriya’s mind was obviously not functioning, but his body was.
Midoriya's body, not being able to accomplish his subconscious mind's goal, raised questions. After all, it was a new situation where Midoriya couldn’t do anything while being unresponsive.
Thump.
Midoriya suddenly threw the straw at the desk and flopped back in his seat. In a way, it seemed as if his body was visibly trying to pout. Tejio could not help but let out muffled laughter, trying not to lose it.
Midoriya leaned forward, taking the straw and even holding it up to his eyes. Midoriya seemed as if he was observing the straw. Bakugo knew very well not one thought was going through Midoriya’s head as messed with the sharp end of the straw. Fixing his grip on it, Midoriya sent it down one more time.
Thump.
Midoriya once again readjusted his grip on the straw and shifted in his seat before sending the straw down again.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Thump.
Midoriya suddenly picked up the drink, sat it back at the corner of the desk, and brushed the straw off his papers before grabbing his pencil and writing as if nothing had happened.
Hifumi and Tejio lost it, laughing. Bakugo was baffled at the sight, wondering how Midoriya did all of that. He didn’t understand what was happening or why it happened. He’d ask about it, but that would reveal he paid attention and cared enough to ask. He’d rather die than let anyone, especially Deku, know either of those things.
Midoriya seemed to snap out of it a minute later as he took the drink and straw before piercing it easily. He rewarded himself with a drink as he continued the notes. Hifumi and Tejio never suspected a thing while Bakugo was left staring in confusion.
Bakugo knew something was up but decided to never ask. Eventually, he forced himself to stop opening the window and stopped himself from staring too much.
It seemed as if Bakugo wasn’t the only admirer as occasionally the window would be left open in the mornings before Midoriya would enter the classroom.
Midoriya was studying in the school's ginormous library. Midoriya always placed himself at a booth alongside the window, enjoying the sunlight while he studied.
Bakugo and his bullies had snuck in, planning on teasing Midoriya in the quiet area. They spotted him and sat down nearby to figure out how to proceed as the librarian would easily spot them. She was a passionate and stern woman who wouldn’t hesitate to put them all into detention.
Someone suddenly walked past the trio. They looked over to see it was their class president. He was tall, undeniably charming, always received the highest grades, had the best reputation, and was involved in everything going on in the school. His name was Noya Seika, preferring to be called Seika. His book bag was over his shoulder and his arms were holding a stack of papers.
Bakugo and his two followers watched as Seika approached the booth Midoriya was at. Midoriya was casually writing his notes, at peace with the silence.
Seika marched right up to the booth with his charming smile. Everything about his approach was sincere, not an ounce of pity visible in his determined eyes.
Midoriya seemed to notice someone standing by his booth and jumped, covering his mouth. “I am so sorry! Was I mumbling? I’ll be quiet!” panicked Midoriya, whispering only to be met with the sight of his class president.
“No need to apologize, you weren’t mumbling. I was wondering if I may sit with you?” asked Seika with a chuckle, shaking his head.
Midoriya looked at Seika suspiciously before deciding to just let him sit down. It would be extremely rude of him to reject Seika even if he was doing it for a dare or had ulterior motives.
“Oh! Yes, you can sit with me,” approved Midoriya, motioning for Seika to sit down.
Seika smiled, appreciating Midoriya letting him join him. Setting down the stack of papers, he rolled his shoulders in relief. Midoriya peered at him curiously, not used to ever being with good company. Seika sat his bag down and slid into the booth.
“Thanks again for letting me sit with you. I love the student council, but they make it hard to get the paperwork done for the upcoming festival,” ranted Seika, situating the stack of papers before him.
Midoriya, feeling accepted enough to be able to ask questions, decided to ask one of his own. “All of those are just for the festival? Why’d you choose the library out of all places to get stuff done?”
Seika looked at Midoriya, seemingly surprised. The bullies couldn’t understand what Seika was doing. They were already pissed they had gotten their chance taken away from them. It didn't help that Seika was now acting strange after seeking out Midoriya. Bakugo looked ready to break his book bag strap.
Seika tilted his head to the side, happy to answer. “Yep! I'm in charge of approving and disapproving every single class’ activity. Usually, every student in every class has an idea. So, we have about four classes per year and each class has about 20-24 students. I have to get through all of them a week prior. Oh, and about your second question, I figured you’d be here.”
Midoriya was nodding, listening to Seika until the random and strange words escaped his mouth.
I figured you’d be here.
Midoriya stared at Seika in disbelief, worried he hit his head or got struck with a quirk. “Seika-san? Are you okay?”
“Of course, I’m alright Midoriya. Why wouldn’t I be?” questioned Seika innocently.
Midoriya shook his head, fixing his notebook. “No reason. Well, I’ll let you get to your work.”
Seika slightly pouted, watching as Midoriya seemed to put all his focus back on his work. Seika stared for another moment before going to his work, flying through the papers.
The bullies had been snickering at the expressions of Midoriya. They had never seen him look so confused and worried for someone. What made it even better was how Midoriya’s concern was because someone wanted to be around him. Bakugo couldn’t help but be completely invested in the scene similar to a grandma watching a soap opera.
When the three saw the way Seika gazed at Midoriya lovingly, they all felt their faces drop.
The gray-haired bully, Hifumi, started, “No.”
Bakugo interjected his lackey’s moment with a helpful, “Fucking.”
“Way,” the brown-haired bully, Tejio, cut Bakugo off, finishing their little epiphany.
“Seika likes Deku.” The three said in unison.
They all watched like stalkers as the two worked together in comfortable silence. Bakugo saw a mindless haze coat Midoriya’s eyes as his head raised from the page he was staring at and looked out the window. Seika noticed the lack of Midoriya’s scribbling and looked up. Noticing he was in a trance, Seika glanced out the window to see nothing particularly interesting going on.
Looking back at Midoriya, Seika shamelessly took a moment to admire Midoriya. Bakugo couldn’t help but struggle to swallow the lump in his throat. He knew he had looked at Midoriya the exact same way, infatuated by the stunning view. He could see the way Seika’s grip on his pen just oh-so-slightly tightened as he stopped writing.
Eventually, Seika waved a hand in front of Midoriya’s face. Absolutely no response from Midoriya. Bakugo, Hifumi, and Tejio all freeze at the sight of Midoriya being completely out of it. Seika decided not to shout and tried to wave again. With no response again, he gently poked Midoriya’s hand. Midoriya instantly snapped out of it. Midoriya was quick to shoot his gaze over to be met with Seika’s kind expression.
“You were staring off Midoriya. You didn’t even respond to me waving,” explained Seika, looking at Midoriya in wonder.
Midoriya grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I have a dissociative disorder. It only ever really happens in school. I promise I wasn’t ignoring you.”
Seika smiled, waving his hand dismissively. “Nonsense. I assumed you were daydreaming so no hard feelings. Also—a dissociative disorder?”
It seemed to finally click for Bakugo. The feeling of dread slowly creeped into his chest. The Hifumi and Tejio look flabbergasted, not knowing what a dissociative disorder is.
Midoriya nodded, looking at Seika uneasily. “Yeah, I was diagnosed with it after my mother took me to a doctor after an incident. It’s really frustrating.”
“Oh really? I’ve heard about it before, but I don’t know the details of how it works. Is it hard to focus?” pondered Seika.
Happy to explain his personal experience with the disorder, Midoriya twirled his pencil. “Well, mine is mild in terms of my mental state. Whenever I get triggered or induce it, my mind will lock me out of my body. My body just runs on its own. It causes disconnection and lack of continuity between my thoughts, memories, surroundings, and actions. I basically escape reality.”
Hifumi and Tejio let their eyes widen as their gazes full of shock met. They figured Midoriya was an antisocial loser. Now it was brought to their attention that this was because of a mental disorder that they probably caused. Bakugo seethed from where he was sitting. He couldn’t understand how he had been so blind. It was obvious it was disordered behavior. It was obvious Midoriya had been dissociating. He had been admiring Midoriya and observing that he never actually reflected or saw it as something that was burdening Midoriya.
“Woah, so like depersonalization disorder?”
“I mean… kind of. I’m not exactly observing myself from outside my body and I never feel like I’m in a dream, but I do feel a disconnection or detachment from my body and thoughts,” elaborated Midoriya, not sure if he was making any sense.
Seika bowed his head, taking one of Midoriya’s hands in his two. “Thank you so much for sharing such personal information with me. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable in any way. If I did, I humbly apologize for not realizing this may be something you are sensitive about.”
Midoriya felt his eyes widen, placing his free hand over Seika’s. “Oh no, please don’t apologize! You asked me about it kindly and respectfully. I wouldn’t have talked about it if I didn’t want to.”
Seika looked up at Midoriya relieved. “I’m glad. Still, I’m sorry you have to deal with that. Is it affecting your studies?”
“Not too much. I still get everything written down. All I have to do is just review the notes I wrote while dissociating. It’s a pain, but there's nothing else I can do,” sighed Midoriya, removing his hand to flip the page of his textbook.
Seika smiled, removing his two hands from Midoriya’s hand. “You are very studious.”
Midoriya smiled at his notes bitterly. “Well, that's all I can do.”
Seika shook his head, looking at Midoriya adoringly. “I doubt that. I feel like you could do anything you put your mind to.”
Midoriya looked ready to argue but bit his cheek and nodded instead. “Thanks.”
Seika frowned, he had said the wrong thing and Midoriya settled for silence. That was the barrier he was determined to break. He didn’t want their dynamic to be the weak quirkless student who believed he’d be disciplined if he attempted to defend himself and the powerful authoritative student with a quirk who barely had to lift a finger to get Midoriya expelled. Although technically that’s what it already was.
Seika looked at Midoriya who buried himself in his book. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but why do you wear such a face? Do you not think you can achieve anything you put your mind to?”
Midoriya felt his eyes widen, looking up to meet Seika looking at him with such a strange look. Midoriya could sense anger, but none of it was directed at him. Midoriya could see a glint of desire and swallowed hard.
“Oh, it’s not that Seika-san. I’m just not used to uhh…,” trailed off Midoriya, fumbling to come up with an excuse or any kind of response.
“No, don’t feel pressured to answer. I was just worried I had upset you,” confessed Seika, once again stunning Midoriya.
Midoriya looked at Seika and smiled kindly at him, tilting his head gently. “Don’t worry, you haven’t upset me.”
Seika felt his posture straighten, looking at Midoriya lovingly.
Bakugo was quick to move, he wasn’t planning on letting this random extra waltz his way into Midoriya’s life. The end of the school year was rapidly approaching, and he was not going to have Seika be an irritating memory.
“Deku.”
Midoriya jumped but looked up to where Bakugo was standing. “Kacchan?”
Bakugo swallowed his pride and decided to use his only excuse to hang out with Midoriya without it sounding like it was his idea. “The old hag has been bugging me and wants you and Inko to visit soon.”
Midoriya perked up, all the attention that had once been Seika’s was gone. “Oh, of course! I’ll let Mom know.”
“Whatever. Now get the hell out of here, all the clubs left already,” demanded Bakugo, pulling out one toxic tactic to separate Midoriya from a potential friend or lover.
Midoriya smiled, rising from his seat. “Oh, you’re right. Thanks for letting me know Kacchan. Seika, I’ll be taking my leave.”
Seika waved Midoriya off with a disappointed expression. “See you around Midoriya.”
Bakugo walked back over to where his lackeys were with a wide smile. Hifumi had watched the entire encounter with a dropped jaw. Tejio was holding back laughter, enjoying the look on Seika’s face.
“No way you just did that,” snickered Tejio.
Hifumi nodded his head in approval. “While I’m impressed Midoriya listened to you, I’m even more shocked you didn’t bother looking at Seika.”
Bakugo shrugged. “I didn’t have to look. I sent him the message that I had Midoriya wrapped around my finger.”
“You’re evil dude,” sighed Hifumi.
Bruh I wrote this back in 2022 and found this deep in the google docs sorry if it's trash, but I honestly kinda like it even two years later
Being quirkless sucked ass.
Izuku was simply doing his best to survive in a world where people hated his existence. He honestly didn’t understand their obsession with his quirkless status. It wasn’t like he was a threat to them nor did his existence have any direct effect on them.
Maybe they were jealous that he got to avoid the entire hierarchy by naturally being at the bottom.
Having random people hate him wasn’t Izuku’s problem. He could easily say the unwanted hate was a reflection of the person insulting him rather than it being about him.
The problem Izuku had was how the people he knew and loved dumped him the instant he was quirkless. No matter how much time had passed or the knowledge he gained, he couldn’t understand why people gave quirks so much power.
After all, quirks were useless outside of mundane use and self-defense. If you wanted to use your quirk for a purpose, you needed a license.
Nobody in his life who used their quirk on him owned a license. All the people who gave up on him also didn’t own a license.
They were as worthless as he was.
Inko Midoriya left a trail of scars some of Izuku's worst bullies couldn't compete with.
Despite Inko being a stay-at-home mother and having a husband pay all the bills, she was the farthest thing from a mother. She was neglectful, emotionally abusive, and extremely narcissistic. It didn't help that nothing Izuku did was ever good enough.
No one at school knew that Aldera Junior High wasn't the only hell hole Izuku had to deal with.
It was a cold, but bright winter day. Izuku had just gotten situated in his seat when his three tormentors approached him. Most people would believe Izuku dreaded whenever they appeared, but he found them to be more of a comfort than anything else.
They were a constant in his life even if they called him names or purposefully tried to put him down. They always approached him first thing in the morning and during the school day's last moments.
They never physically attacked him or made him feel unsafe. If anything, their constant presence protected him.
During their first year at Aldera Junior High, some upperclassmen were a threat. No one got a chance to mess with Izuku because Katsuki, Hifumi, and Tejio were already "bullying" him.
"Hey, Deku! You look more sickly than usual," greeted Katsuki, the person Izuku had a hidden admiration for.
"Not a surprise a quirkless loser like you can't handle a little snow," teased Tejio, the guy with spiky teeth for a quirk. It became a habit for him to stick up his nose when it came to Izuku.
Hifumi, the bully with a long-finger quirk, didn't bother speaking. He was too busy typing on his phone. He recently hit it off with a girl and is busy trying to find out where she was in the school.
Izuku looked up at the three with a deep frown, not really having any motivation to give his usual sporadic response of rambles. Katsuki, as observant as ever, took note of the extreme change of attitude. While he was originally irritated, a part of him grew worried that Izuku wasn't just pale because he was cold, but rather because he had a cold.
Before Katsuki could make another remark, Izuku spoke up in a broken voice. "I... uh... I'm."
Katsuki froze, caught off guard by how weird Izuku was being. Hifumi was now paying attention, concerned about what was going on. Sure, he was an asshole and made an effort to ruin Izuku's day, but he knew something was wrong and they weren't the source of his distress.
"Well? I don't have all day," barked Katsuki, crossing his arms as he kicked the leg of Izuku's desk.
"I'm moving... today is my last day here," revealed Izuku in a quiet voice, shifting his gaze to the surface of his desk.
The news of the annoying, nerdy, quirkless kid should have made Katsuki, Hifumi, and Tejio jump in the air and celebrate. Yet, the three were stuck in place, staring at Izuku as they waited for him to say it was a joke.
In one instant, the three teens realized just how important Izuku was to them. It was a disgusting feeling, knowing they formed a strong bond with the person they claimed to hate. Suddenly, the person they'd had around since elementary was now leaving in less than twelve hours.
"Huh? Aunty Inko is really dragging you away?" questioned Katsuki, his sharp tone vanishing into something tamer.
Tejio nodded at Katsuki's question before he backed the blond up. "Not that I care, but this seems very last-minute."
Izuku rolled his top lip in and bit it for a moment, before popping his lips. Flicking his eyes up to the three, he let his fingers brush the soft edge of his notebook. "Yeah, it is pretty last minute, but family problems don't wait for anyone."
"Is someone dying?" asked Hifumi out of the blue. Tejio was quick to jab him in the ribs for asking a question like that so suddenly.
"No! No one is dying... it's just personal things," admitted Izuku, not planning on telling his peers that he was planning on running away.
Hifumi scoffed, rolling his eyes. "There is no way you're leaving because of us."
Izuku shook his head with a weak smile. "No, I'm not. If I was going to leave because of the school, I would have done it in between year change. Besides, I like how close this school is to home."
"So, what fucked up shit has you booking it out of here?" pressed Katsuki, knowing that digging for information was the last thing he should be doing. He didn't want to give off the impression that he was worried. Although, that concern wouldn't matter with Izuku moving away.
"I can't tell anyone about it. My mom doesn't want me talking about it," mumbled Izuku, trying to keep this conversation from reaching the ears of his other classmates. The fewer people that knew the better.
"Damn, it sounds serious," huffed Tejio, rubbing the back of his neck.
Izuku flashed a strained smile in response. "Let's just say it is."
As the school day continued, the harder it was for Katsuki to comprehend that Izuku was leaving. He's never known life without Izuku. Now he was expected to show up to school the following morning and stare at Izuku's empty desk.
The end of the day arrived and Izuku walked out the front doors without looking back. Katsuki watched Izuku walk away, letting the new wave of emotions fester inside him.
He wasn't going to chase Izuku or apologize at the last minute, but a part of him knew he'd regret it.
Hifumi let out a loud sigh before turning to look at Katsuki. "Damn. It's gross that I feel happy for him."
"No, I get where you're coming from. This place is kinda a shithole if you think about it," agreed Tejio, turning to Hifumi.
"I bet Deku snitched on us and his mom decided to just leave," scoffed Katsuki. At this point, he'd say anything to deflect and make himself feel better.
Izuku walked home, up the steps to the apartment, and sucked in a deep breath. This was it. This was going to be the last time he ever walked into his home.
It took weeks of sneaking around to find all his documentation and anything that truly belonged to him. Everything he was taking with him had to fit in his school bag and a small-sized duffle bag. He couldn't raise any suspicion considering he never knew which version of his mom he was going to be speaking to.
Best case scenario she was going to be neglectful and not even say goodbye to him on the way out.
Making his way to the door, Izuku called out to Inko. "Hey Mom, I'll be leaving now."
The sound of rushed footsteps caught his attention. Inko appeared at the end of the hall with a small smile. Tensing up out of fear his mother was in a good mood and was going to ask a bunch of questions, Izuku swallowed hard.
"Don't go for too long," chuckled Inko softly, extending out an arm as she approached. "Come back home right after school tomorrow."
Izuku pulled open the door, refusing to look Inko in the eye out of fear she'd sense something was wrong. "I will, I promise." It was quiet for a moment before Izuku felt a strong urge to say, "I love you."
Not expecting a response, Izuku gasped when Inko happily echoed, "I love you too. Take care."
Suddenly running away felt incredibly hard. He loved his mother and saw how she was struggling with being abandoned by her husband while being expected to raise a child alone.
Despite the part of him screaming to turn around, run into her arms, and sob… he knew he couldn’t. Within the next hour, she could be angry or detached. He was tired of always fearing his mother’s wrath.
Izuku made his way to the nearest train station and started his journey. He took train after train till he was at least 10 prefectures away from the city of Musutafu. Running on nothing but limited luck and hope for a better future, he made his way to a cafe.
He had looked up jobs in the region and found an incredible opportunity. As long as he worked full-time at the cafe, he would be able to stay in the apartment on the third floor. Of course, rent would automatically be taken out of his paycheck, but that wasn’t an issue.
Izuku wore a snow hat and a bushy scarf during his interview. That way his hair was completely covered as well as his freckles.
The owner was kind and gentle. It was clear she loved her job and simply needed an extra hand. Izuku was willing to be that person.
Thankfully, the woman was desperate so Izuku was given the green light to move in immediately and would start working the next morning. Without a single worry, he agreed.
After a box of black hair dye and some full-coverage foundation, Izuku happily made his way down into the closed cafe to sign documents.
Twenty-four hours passed and as the weight was lifted off Izuku’s shoulders, hell broke loose in a small region in Musutafu.
While Katsuki, Hifumi, and Tejio weren’t surprised to see Izuku was absent, the adults were. Before lunch arrived, news broke out that Izuku was missing. Inko was called regarding her son's absence. She tried calling him, but no response.
Inko called her best friend Mitsuki, the mother of Katsuki. Izuku had claimed he was spending the night only to never have shown up. According to Mitsuki, she was never alerted that Izuku was supposed to come over.
Katsuki felt like a bucket of ice water was poured over him at the news. He lied to Katsuki, Hifumi, and Tejio about moving. Izuku most definitely ran away. He couldn’t be sure he wasn’t the cause of it, but he figured Inko was part of the reason.
Last-minute. Family issues. Serious. Inko doesn’t want him talking about it.
Something was fishy about the situation.
It wouldn’t be until five long years later that Katsuki would meet Izuku again. Katsuki was supposed to go on a business trip despite being the number one hero. He was going to be a representative for the Hero Agency as some of the people working on support gear really wanted to work with this Hero Support Department.
All he knew was that was underground, but ridiculously good.
Much to Katsuki’s surprise, the Hero Support building was huge. If his coworkers said that this business was underground, then they were still beyond successful.
Marching into the elevator where he was to be taken to the top floor. He enjoyed not being hounded by the people rushing around. It was clear they prioritized their work over getting an autograph from a famous hero.
When the doors slid open, Katsuki was met with a pretty basic floor plan. On one side of the floor was the office while on the other was the workroom for Support gear.
Assuming the largest office belonged to the owner, Katsuki entered calmly. The last thing Katsuki expected to see was Izuku standing by the windows lining the room.
“Holy shit. Izuku?”
Izuku’s head whipped around, staring at Katsuki. “Kacchan?
Katsuki, in his hero suit and all, raced over to Izuku. Izuku already felt the tears of relief form in his eyes as his chest was filled with uncontrollable emotions. Katsuki pulled Izuku close, crushing him in a hug.
With close to no hesitation, Izuku wrapped his arms around Katsuki and cried. He spent so many years alone trying to navigate the hero world alone. Just being reminded that there was someone who missed him and was happy to see him brought Izuku such joy.
“What the hell Nerd?” croaked Katsuki, pulling back to look at Midoriya’s face.
“I’m sorry, Kacchan,” sighed Izuku softly, looking up at Bakugo with a guilty frown.
Katsuki shook his head, raising a hand to rest against his forehead. “One day you say you're leaving because of family problems and the next you’re reported missing. Do you have any idea how fucking insane that is?”
Izuku nodded stiffly. Katsuki noted that the nodding was less meant for him and more toward Izuku himself. Izuku stepped back to lean on his desk. “It was insane. I was the one who lived it. I couldn’t risk anyone finding out about my plans to run away. I had no intention of ever returning if you couldn’t tell.”
“I got the memo. But still, your mother was devastated… I can’t imagine why you’d leave her without even a note,” stated Katsuki gently despite the rasp in his voice.
Shaking his head, Izuku let it fall forward as a pain-filled smile spread across his face. “Kacchan. She’s the reason I ran away.”
Within a matter of seconds, Katsuki’s world was flipped upside down. Despite his initial suspicion of Inko being involved in the disappearance of Izuku, she had flawlessly manipulated him into a false sense of security. She claimed that Izuku hadn’t been acting any different, that she was happy he was getting out more, and a plethora of sappy mom crap he truly couldn’t have cared less about.
In the end, Inko was the reason. All those days she cried and begged for someone to find her son; she was the reason he was gone. The countless times she was over at their place for dinner, rambling on about Izuku and how incredible he was, she drove him away. Inko played the victim so well and that said everything Katsuki needed to know.
As Katsuki processed the information and the past years without Izuku and his interactions with Inko, Izuku watched. Fierce green eyes lasered in on Katsuki’s expression as the truth sunk in. It was relieving to see that Katsuki instantly trusted him.
“Damn.”
“Yeah…”
Katsuki kicked an imaginary stone before meeting Izuku’s gaze. “So… what did she do? Where did you go? How’d you end up here?”
Izuku smiled, walking to the glass windows lining the room. “She was sometimes good, but she was an extreme narcissist at heart. She was neglectful in all ways you could think of and without fail… every day, she was emotionally abusive.”
“Why didn’t you tell anyone? You know Aunty would have helped,” pointed out Bakugo. While he wasn’t necessarily trying to victim-blame Midoriya, he wanted to know why Midoriya hadn’t reached out to outlets he had before making such a serious choice.
Stepping back to turn around and face Katsuki again, Izuku scowled. “I’m sorry, but do you have no idea how dumb you sound right now?”
Gawking in disbelief, Katsuki crossed his arms in defense. “Fucking excuse me? That’s a very good question to ask considering you chose to run away without letting anyone know instead of trying to get help if you were in a bad situation.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Izuku shook his head. “I don’t think you are listening to me. I just told you Inko was a narcissist. If I were to reach out to Mitsuki for help, she would confront my mom, and the entire problem would somehow be my fault in the end. If Mitsuki somehow wasn’t fooled, I’d still be forced to come back home and that was the last thing I wanted to happen.”
“Shit… sorry. It’s just I don’t understand how you just decided to leave everything behind,” clarified Katsuki slowly, raising his shameful head to meet Izuku’s disappointed gaze.
There was a heavy atmosphere in the room, but Izuku and Katsuki weren’t about to walk away from the conversation without figuring things out.
Deflating after letting thirty long seconds of silence pass, Izuku stressed, “It was for the best. Being at home was a nightmare and I needed to get out. Trying to survive in the world as a quirkless teen was far less scary than the idea of being under the same roof as Inko for another moment.”
Katsuki nodded slowly, stepping toward Izuku to reach for his hand. As soon as his large soft fingers linked with Izuku's small rough ones, he tightened his grip. “I’m sorry. You deserved better. I bet it wasn’t an easy decision to make and I know you had to work your ass off to get to this point. Fuck Inko and the shit she did to you, it’s clear you didn’t need to stick around to achieve greatness.”
Lip wobbling and glassy-eyed, Izuku sniffled as he squeezed Katsuki’s hand back. “Thank you, Kacchan. It was hard… leaving you behind. I wanted to tell you—I really did, I just couldn’t risk it.”
“You don’t have to apologize for keeping yourself safe idiot,” chastised Katsuki fondly, lowering his head to focus on the small changes in Izuku’s mature features.
“Right,” croaked Izuku, doing his best to not flood his office with tears. “I worked at a coffee shop full time and lived in an apartment on top of the cafe. I had a good paycheck, a place to live, and I was able to use all my free time to finish my schooling online. Once I graduated, I just started climbing the social ladder while doing countless programs in the hero support gear field.”
Katsuki grinned, letting go of Izuku’s hand to rest both hands on his hips. “Not surprised a nerd like you was able to pull all of this off. Still, I’m not planning on letting you disappear on me again.”
Izuku quickly wiped his face before running his fingers through his hair. “Likewise. We will be business partners after all.”
“Huh? You mean you’re accepting my agency's request to have our hero gear produced solely by your department?” quizzed Katsuki, eagerly. While he was more than thrilled to see Izuku again and know that the missing piece of him was no longer missing, he really did want the best for his hero agency and all the heroes working with him.
“Of course! While I do have favorites and you are one of them, I’d never turn down work proposals!” cheered Izuku quickly as he made his way to his desk where stacks of papers were sitting.
“Hell yeah!”
“But just know I’m still expecting compensation for a decade of your bullying,” teased Izuku, raising a contract with a devilish smile.
Shivering with a manic smirk on his face, Katsuki enthusiastically snatched the paper from Izuku. “Sign me up.”
Izuku was minding his business, scrolling through his phone as he tried to blend into the background. After all, he was the laughingstock of Aldera Junior High. There wasn’t a day when insults weren’t thrown at his face.
The school day hadn’t yet started so Izuku got to relax before the wrath of his peers was unleashed upon him. Katsuki came in and didn’t immediately come to ruin Izuku’s day, signaling that Izuku would be attacked later in the day when something mildly inconvenienced him.
“Everyone, take your seats,” instructed the teacher, entering the room with a stack of papers.
Izuku sighed, putting his phone away. The hero news blogs were dry this week anyway.
The teacher began calling attendance as usual. When the adult reached Izuku, he perked up a bit. “Midoriya, someone is waiting for you outside.”
The entire room faced Izuku with a stunned expression. Katsuki scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah right! No one would waste their time to visit this quirkless loser.”
Hifumi never took his eyes off Izuku as he laughed, “Totally! It’s probably the nurse coming by to tell him to stop bothering her.”
The classroom was filled with sickening and ignorant laughing. Izuku was more than happy to get out of the room, heading to the door without much thought of who could be waiting for him.
Sliding open the door, Izuku’s jaw dropped as instantly saw a tall man with white fluffy hair and freckles.
“Darling! Guess whose back from jail!” cheered the man with open arms and a bright smile.
Izuku blinked slowly, feeling the burning gaze of all his classmates. The teacher was frozen in shock, beyond uneasy about leaving this ex-inmate with his student in the hallway.
Izuku shook his head, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the classroom. Izuku slid the door shut behind him and moved closer to his father. The teacher held up a finger to the class and approached the door. While they couldn’t care less about what happens between Izuku and his classmates, they did care about Izuku possibly being left alone with someone who could be a potential threat.
“Dude, what the fuck?” questioned Hifumi.
“Hell if I know!” seethed Katsuki, unaware Hisashi was in jail. From what Mitsuki told him, Hisashi was overseas for business.
Meanwhile, in the hallway, Izuku had to deal with his fresh-out-of-jail father.
“Dad, did you really have to shout like that,” groaned Izuku, crossing his arms.
“Of course, I heard what those little shits said about you in there. Had to send them a message,” huffed Hisashi, unremorseful as ever.
Izuku smiled, finally reaching out to his father. “I missed you.”
Hisashi smiled, pulling Midoriya into a tight embrace. “Not as much as I missed you!”
Izuku couldn’t help but laugh, missing moments like these. “So why did you come to my school?”
“Well, Inko went to pick me up from the prison early and left you a note telling you to stay home,” commented Hisashi, not sure about what the note said considering he only found out about it when they returned to the apartment and Izuku wasn’t there.
“Oh! Mom’s barely home so I usually skim the letters she leaves. I read “don’t leave” and figured she meant for me to not leave my notes at home. It’s happened before,” chuckled Izuku sheepishly.
Hisashi grinned brushing Izuku’s bangs out of his face and caressing his freckles. “You’ve bulked up since I’ve last seen you.”
Izuku smirked, flexing his arm. “Yeah, I’m trying to be as strong as you.”
“Can’t wait to have arm wrestles with you,” remarked Hisashi fondly, ruffling Izuku’s hair. “Now go on and grab your belongings. I’m taking you home.”
“Oh thank god. I was not in the mood to waste away here today,” celebrated Izuku, letting his entire body hunch over dramatically.
Entering the room again Midoriya soon realized that the entire class had been eavesdropping considering all the teens who sat in the back of the classroom weren’t in their seats. Katsuki and his lackeys stared at Midoriya in disbelief.
Izuku sheepishly announced. “Sorry for my Dad’s shouting. He’s just excited to be back.”
The entire school was filled with rumors that Izuku had a super dangerous father associated with the mafia. The only part of the rumors that was true was that Hisashi had been in jail and that he would happily destroy the lives of anyone who dared to lay a hand on his son.
It was safe to say the worst Katsuki did for a while was call Izuku “Deku”.
Aldera - Izuku /// U.A. - Midoriya Aldera - Katsuki /// U.A - Bakugo
Midoriya was signing a little kid's pair of red sneakers when they accidentally hit him with their quirk. Midoriya squeaked as he was suddenly standing in a classroom with no shoes or marker in his hand.
His head immediately shot up, looking at his surroundings. Almost instantly he realized he was in the past. More specifically he was in the classroom that used to haunt his dreams. He was surrounded by the faces of his bullies. Instead of feeling fearful or panicked, his head snapped over to where his desk was.
There sat his past self, bewildered at the sudden appearance of a person in the middle of the classroom. Instead of freaking out, Midoriya clapped happily.
“Mini-me!”
The students were all petrified. The future version of their quirkless classmate looked nothing like they expected. He was still rather short even though he had grown a couple of inches. The crazy part was the clear muscles he possessed along with scars that decorated his body.
There was one thing that captivated everyone in the room. It was the way Midoriya's presence lit up the room with how he was practically glowing.
Their Izuku stared up at Midoriya with a flabbergasted expression. “You’re me?”
Midoriya nodded, chuckling to himself. “Sure am! Although I guess I'm not too far into the future or anything crazy. I’m a third year in high school!”
The teacher suddenly interrupted the two, clueless about what to do in the situation. “How are you here?”
Midoriya turned to the adult and shrugged. “Not too sure. I think I was hit by a quirk. I was giving a kid an autograph when I suddenly was brought here. I guess I either got attacked by a villain or accidentally hit by a civilian.”
“Autograph? Who would want your stupid autograph?” shouted Katsuki, not happy with what was happening.
Midoriya's head snapped over, eyes wide with wonder. “Little Kacchan!”
The class of students was undeniably flabbergasted. There was no way in the future, Midoriya would be happy to see Katsuki. Izuku dreaded Katsuki’s presence. After all, Katsuki was Izuku's bully. It seemed that Katsuki was even taken aback by the sunshiny, happy-go-lucky smile on Midoriya's face.
Midoriya knew his phone probably wouldn’t work considering the service he was using and the account he had didn’t exist in the past. Turning to his past self, he looked a bit sheepish. “May I use your phone to make a call?” asked Midoriya politely.
His younger self squeaked a bit, clearly unprepared for that request. “Sure!” After pulling out his phone, he extended it out to his future self. Midoriya thanked his past self before excusing himself to the hallway.
The class looked at the door where Midoriya disappeared behind before turning their heads to their Izuku. His gaze remained fixed on the door, amazed with his future self. He had so many questions.
Midoriya was currently in a hero costume so Izuku was buzzing. If his future self is wearing what he thinks it is, it didn’t look like the hero costume he had drawn out in his notebook. He had plenty of questions and hoped he’d have the chance to ask them.
Midoriya came in a couple of minutes later, handing the phone back to his younger self. “If you get a random call from the Pro Hero Nezu, just know that was me.”
The silence in the room was heavy. Midoriya looked away from Izuku to see everyone's eyes bulging out of their heads at the mention of Nezu. After all, he was the Principal of U.A. High. How Midoriya knew him was the newest and most important question the group of students had.
Izuku nodded, still in disbelief at the sight of his future self. It wasn’t until lunchtime that the two had a chance to talk. They made their way to the back of the school to talk.
Not too far behind the duo were Katsuki, Tejio, and Hifumi. They were Izuku's notorious bullies. Alongside the bullies were a couple of Izuku's classmates. They weren't going to pass up the chance to hear about the future.
Midoriya knew there was a group of kids snooping. Invading their privacy was nothing the bullies would be concerned about. Besides, Midoirya could care less about their wandering eyes and their eavesdropping. What he cared about was his younger self.
Midoriya stared at Izuku momentarily before being unable to contain his joy. He scooped up his younger self with a breathless laugh. This was honestly the best thing he's ever experienced.
Izuku yelped as he was lifted into his older self's arms. He couldn’t help but cry, clinging to the future version of himself that proved he could be a hero.
“I was— I’m so cute!”
Izuku gasped, looking up at Midoriya in wonder. “And I’m very-very wow!”
“Thank you! Glad to know you approve of the future look,” chuckled Midoriya, looking down at his hero suit.
“So, I’m training to become a hero?” questioned Izuku, picking at his cuticles nervously.
Midoriya nodded with a blinding smile. "Of course we are! Although I can't really disclose much more information. Can't risk throwing off the timeline."
Izuku clapped his hands together, failing to stop himself from crying. "I'm so glad."
Midoriya rested his hands on Izuku's shoulders, looking himself in the eyes. "You got this. Things will get much better, but your journey will be far from easy, but we must work hard for the future we want."
Izuku nodded, taking a deep breath. “That’s the life we live. Nothing I’m not used to.”
Midoriya sighed, pinching those chubby cheeks before him. “Even if things may be rough, we will finally have support systems.”
“That sounds really amazing,” sighed Izuku, wondering what it’s like to have someone or something he can depend on when he falls into the deep end.
“It is… god I wish I could tell you everything! Life has been insane,” groaned Midoriya, running his fingers through his fluffy hair.
“I mean clearly. If you can’t tell me anything about the future because of the possibility of something changing tells me a lot," chuckled Izuku, messing with his hands.
It was quiet for a moment before Izuku gasped and grabbed Midoriya's hand. "Wait! I already met... you know who. You don't have to worry about hiding that."
Midoriya seemed to sink in relief. "Okay, so you know a pretty good amount already. I still can't spoil the juicy details, unfortunately. But I can tell you that training goes well."
Izuku grinned, clapping his hands together. "Well, that's great to hear. All our hard work pays off. What is it like having a, umm."
"It was very strange at first. I think we both know it's a big adjustment. Still, it's more cool than anything else. Still learning more and more about it every day," rambled Midoriya, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
Izuku suddenly whispered, leaning up to Midoriya’s ears. “What about our relationship with All Might?”
“Oh! It’s wonderful! He’s like a father to me at this point,” chirped Izuku happily, clearly happy to talk about the hero.
“Do we make a lot of friends?” questioned Izuku hopefully.
Midoriya couldn’t help but let out a beautiful laugh. “Yes, we make many friends. I’d argue that I’m the most popular person in the school.”
Tejio rolled his eyes, scoffing. “Bullshit.”
“Yeah right. No way that stalker nerd is popular. He probably pays people to be his friend,” snickered Hifumi, elbowing Tejio.
Katsuki was doing everything in his power to not storm up to the two and blow them up. Their conversation was seriously pissing him off. Izuku’s training to become a hero and successfully does it. Izuku apparently has a father in the future. All of that was a stretch, but the one thing he was not buying was that the quirkless loser was popular.
Izuku’s face lit up and he let out a loud gasp. “Really? That’s amazing!”
Suddenly they heard a shout from the rooftop.
"I am a turtle!"
Both Midoriya and Izuku pause, their smiles immediately fading. Slowly they turned toward each other with highly judgemental looks. Midoriya shook his head, not removing his eyes from Izuku. "I forgot just how much I hated this school."
"Yeah," drawled out Izuku as he cringed.
"Wanna skip the rest of the day? I can just tell the teacher I need to take you with me to UA or something like that," yawned Midoriya, looking toward the entrance of the school.
Katsuki stepped out glaring at the duo. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
Izuku immediately used Midoriya as a shield. Unlike him, Midoriya looked disinterested in whatever angsty mumbo-jumbo Katsuki has going on. "I thought you were there when I was magically transported into the middle of your classroom."
"Shut it Deku! You know what I meant," shouted Katsuki, not happy to be messed with.
"Duh, I knew what you meant. It's just I don't appreciate how you speak to me," remarked Midoriya, not tolerating Katsuki's past behavior. "I miss your future self already."
Katsuki seemed to forget about what Midoriya originally said because of the second part. "I already know I'm the best!"
Midoriya couldn't help but smile, nodding his head. "Of course, Kacchan."
Their conversation was cut off by a portal opening and an older Katsuki popping his head through. Spotting Midoriya, he sighed and stepped the whole way through.
"Thank god that worked. The kid hasn’t stopped crying. He thought he killed you," huffed Bakugo, approaching Midoriya.
"Oh, it was the kid? I guess he got too excited then," chuckled Midoriya stepping closer to Bakugo.
"No kidding, he developed his fucking quirk because of you. Now get your ass through that portal Izuku," ordered Bakugo.
Midoriya flushed a bit, rushing to Bakugo's side. "Don't rush me Kacchan!" freezing, Midoriya turned to his past self and winked. "I wasn't kidding when I said things get better! You got this!"
Bakugo nodded and flashed a charming smirk. "You're still a stupid nerd."
Midoriya swatted at Bakugo, attempting to shove him through the portal. Bakugo had grabbed ahold of Midoriya's wrist and chucked him through the portal instead.
Their fighting was amusing for the young teens watching them. Izuku and Katsuki slowly turned toward each other with stunned expressions.
"What the hell?"
"What just happened?"
When they both made it to their rooms that night, they finally had the chance to smile. They were glad to see they figured things out in the future.
Izuku is a badass and Katsuki develops a crush
Izuku always had long hair. It was never longer nor shorter than an inch past his shoulders. His hair was fluffy and curly. The longer his hair grew out, the more the black and green mixed.
Izuku sported bans along with a half-up, half-down look. The chunk in the back would be pinned back. The pin Izuku used never changed as days, weeks, months, and years passed.
It wasn’t until Izuku entered Aldera Junior High that the pin caught people’s attention. Many of the people with long hair thought the hairstyle was very pretty. It suited Izuku very well making him stand out amongst the crowd.
Tejio, one of Izuku’s main bullies had the “great” idea of ripping it from Izuku’s hair. He ran over to his buddies, Katsuki and Hifumi, with a wicked smile. He explained his plan and even though the two had a bad feeling about it, they encouraged the act.
The bell rang, dismissing the students for their lunch break. Tejio waited still Izuku was getting up to rip it out. Katsuki and Hifumi stood near him while wearing shit-eating grins. Tazawa reached out and tugged.
The clip came out along with some of Izuku’s hair. Izuku yelped, hand instantly raising to touch the place where the pin had been. Tejio, Katsuki, and Hifumi laughed. They truly thought what they did was funny. The commotion caught the attention of the remaining students in the room. Some stood around to be entertained while others felt horrible for Izuku.
In a flash, Izuku spun around and tightly gripped Tejio's hand. More specifically, Izuku grabbed the hand that contained his hairpin. Tejio struggled against the grip and let out a nervous chuckle as he attempted to break free of Izuku’s grasp.
“What the hell? Let go you freak,” spat Tejio, shocked that Izuku’s hold was hurting him.
Izuku’s eyes were filled with pure wrath. In a flash, Izuku cracked Tejio in the face. Izuku’s punch was vicious and unforgiving. It struck Tejio right in the nose and a loud crunch was heard upon contact. Tejio's hand suddenly fell limp and Izuku snatched the hairpin.
Aonuma fell to the ground, unconscious. Izuku sneered at him as he swiftly put the pin back in his head.
“Piece of shit.”
Izuku rubbed his knuckles before looking at his shell-shocked classmates. The main reaction was fear. Then there were a couple of looks of surprise. Upon registering what happened, some looked impressed while some trembled at the violence. The sight of blood made them realize their stomachs were, in fact, not made out of steel.
Katsuki had his hands stuffed in his pockets. His focus was on holding back laughter as he stared down at his unconscious "friend". He knew how Izuku got about some of his belongings. It was clear the hairpin was held to the same importance as his hero merchandise.
Katsuki knew that when he threw Izuku's notebook out the window, he was pushing it. While he wanted to laugh, he also was quite unnerved. Izuku knocked out Tejio with a single punch and has the grip of a god. Izuku was strong.
Izuku dusted off his uniform before bending down and scooping Tejio up. Carrying the unconscious boy in his arms bridal style, Izuku sent a bone-chilling glare at the group.
“Do not touch my hairpin. Next time, I won’t give you the pleasure of knocking you out,” threatened Izuku, giving Katsuki and Hifumi a clear warning.
Izuku walked out with Tejio in his arms and took him to the nurse. This resulted in most people doing double-takes. Izuku picked his bully up as if he was a couple of grapes. That was an unnerving thought. They couldn’t understand where this strength came from. In gym class, he never seemed to stand out. Suddenly he was this strong, quiet, nerdy, badass out of nowhere.
Katsuki watched, not too shocked Izuku picked up Tejio. If Izuku wanted to get into U.A. he clearly needed some strength. Yet he couldn’t help but be surprised by Midoriya picking Tejio up so easily.
It wasn't until a week later that Katsuki cornered Izuku alone. "Deku."
"Kacchan?" uttered Izuku quietly.
"Punch me," demanded Katsuki bluntly, his face just as serious as usual.
Izuku's eyes widened as his jaw went slack. He dramatically gasped, "What? No! I'd never hit you!"
Katsuki smirked, getting in Izuku's face. "How about I steal that pretty hairpin of yours then?"
Izuku's eyes narrowed in seconds as he prepared to fight. "Do not touch it," seethed Izuku. As soon as anger crossed his face, it disappeared as a rosiness appeared in his cheeks. "Wait? You think it's pretty?"
"Shut the hell up nerd!" sneered Katsuki, his hand reaching out to snatch the pin out of reflex.
Izuku suddenly reached his hand behind Katsuki's head, grabbed a handful of his hair from the roots, and pulled. Katsuki's head flew back from the tug and he felt a foot pressed against his stomach with another foot behind his feet.
Knocked onto his ass, Katsuki stared up at a beautiful mess.
Izuku's hair was a hot mess, but it was really attractive. His hair gained so much more volume and it really suited Izuku's head shape. It didn't help that Izuku looked ready to attack Katsuki.
Katsuki happily held the hairpin in his hand, looking up at this new version of his quirkless loser. Izuku's eyes widened at the sight of Katsuki and suddenly the nerd was on his knees beside him.
"Kacchan! Your nose is bleeding!" yelped Izuku as he quickly snatched the pin back and slipped it into his hair.
"Do that again."
Izuku wiped his face, having cleaned off the filth that covered it. Having your face dunked in the toilet was common when you were quirkless. People wanted you to die so they’d make you feel like you were. Having face wash was a necessity, he’d always wash off when the bullies left. They never stuck around because deep down they were cowards.
Izuku huffed, walking out of the bathroom feeling fatigued. Even if the day had dragged on and crushed his spirit he wasn’t going to let his bullies win. He was going to push forward and achieve the great things that he wants. Spite was a leading factor, but Izuku also wanted to do it for his mom. Inko tried so hard every day and he wanted her to no longer worry.
The school was empty, most people headed off to their extracurriculars. Izuku sighed, pushing open the entrance door. Midoriya took a deep breath and relished in the sun. He could smell the grass and feel the breeze. There were no fluorescent lights or body odor to ruin his mood.
Izuku remembered Inko needed a couple of groceries so he headed off to run a quick errand. Inko had forgotten to go to a second store to grab the things she needed, but Izuku offered to get them.
Izuku reached his destination quickly and found what he needed. Izuku happily chatted with the cashier. Casual conversations were easy to get through with young adults.
Izuku left the store with his tote bag of groceries. His backpack always carried a tote bag in case he saw hero merchandise on his way home. The streets were busy, but not overwhelming. The flow of traffic was relaxing, with no villains to be seen.
When Izuku was waiting by the crosswalk, he was approached by two teens around his age, probably first-years in high school.
“Hey, would you be interested in having a deep talk with us really quick for a video?” asked the boy, seeming to already be recording.
Izuku saw no harm in it, he didn’t have anything on him that needed to be refrigerated. Besides, he still had an hour or two until Inko would start dinner. Flashing a shy smile, Izuku nodded. “Yes, I have a couple of minutes to spare.”
“Sweet, come over to the benches and we will talk,” instructed the one boy. He had crazy blue and white hair, pink eyes, and wore a nice outfit. It consisted of some nice dress pants and a loose-fitting, white button-up. He stood a foot taller than Izuku had had a charming smile.
The other person was holding the camera. They remained silent, which Midoriya assumed was because of a quirk judging by the symbols near their mouth. They had long black hair clipped back and grey eyes. They were around Izuku’s height.
They sat in front of a fountain, people could be seen walking past in the background. The scene was serene. The boy bowed quickly and introduced himself. “Thank you for agreeing to this, my name is Tobei Nishioka.”
Izuku quickly bowed back, a smile still on his face. “The pleasure is all mine. It's lovely meeting you Nishioka, I’m Izuku Midoriya.”
Nishioka felt his cheeks heat up, enamored by the powerfully kind boy before him. “Lovely meeting you too. Now let’s jump right into the good stuff.”
Pulling out his phone, there was a microphone attached to the end. Nishioka held it up to his mouth. “Are you an above-average person?”
Midoriya tilted his head, the gears in his head already turning. “In what sense?”
“Overall.”
“I don’t think anyone’s above average. I think everyone’s just different,” answered Midoriya honestly, clearly sure of his opinion. Excited about the deep questions, Midoriya complimented Nishioka chirping, “That’s an interesting question though.”
Smiling back, Nishioka realized this was going to be a good video with a good-hearted individual. Nishioka began asking questions he personally wanted to know the answers to. “You don’t think some people are better than others?”
Izuku bit his lip, raising his head to the sky in thought. “Hmm. Better… depends. I think there are maybe more good—there are people that generally tend to do more good. I would probably define that as a better person if you were to ask me. But uhm, better in any other sense; No, I think everyone’s very different.”
Nishioka looked at Izuku with a bright grin, loving the well-explained answers and the meticulous efforts put into giving an honest answer. There was something about Izuku’s energy that was refreshing. He was happy to do this interview. “What about how they contribute to the world?”
Izuku’s smile faded momentarily, reminded of his quirklessness. He was always told he couldn’t contribute to anything because of his lack of a quirk. Despite the question subtly striking a nerve, he knew his answer.
Nishioka noticed the wave of insecurity that captured Izuku for a split second. Nishioka instantly grew worried he said something insensitive or hurt Izuku’s feelings. He held his tongue when he saw Izuku nod like he was giving a shameful confession.
“Then yeah I would say there are better people than others,” replied Izuku, looking up at Nishioka with a kind look despite the doubt he definitely had felt inside.
Nishioka couldn’t help but smile, strangely moved by Izuku. “Are you one of them?”
Izuku face lit up, practically glowing upon taking a breath to answer. “Uh, not yet. I’m trying to be. I’m getting there. That’s my goal. So, we’ll see,” chuckled Izuku at the end, his voice and laughter so sweet even the boy holding the camera stilled for a moment.
Nishioka laughed himself, never having reacted this way to an interviewee before. “I hope you reach that goal, whatever it may be. Now… what is your favorite color?”
Izuku covered his mouth as he held in a laugh at the sudden shift in the questions. “Well, it use to be red because of my shoes. But recently, my heart rushes to a vibrant fulvous orange.”
“I love it! Green on the outside, orange on the inside,” teased Nishioka, causing Izuku’s eyes to go wide.
Izuku looked down bashfully, never having a conversation with some around his age go so smoothly. Even if they didn’t know he was quirkless, the kindness he received with it hidden was enough.
Nishioka moved on to the next question. “What gives you the motivation to keep going?”
Izuku pondered for a moment, huffing in frustration. “I have more than one answer.”
“Go for it! This is deep talk after all,” reassured Nishioka, shifting himself to face Izuku better.
“Fear of failure. I’ve grown up being told I am a failure so I keep pushing forwards in the hopes that I’m not actually,” confessed Izuku, his smile stiffening as the recalls the dozens upon dozens of people who told him he was worthless.
Nishioka’s eyes widened, stunned anyone could say something remotely mean to the gentle and comforting presence of Izuku. He remained silent, letting Izuku continue.
“Spite as well. Every time anyone has ever said, I can’t do that or I shouldn’t do x,y,z. I think of that every time I wanna do something,” explained Izuku proudly, an accomplished smile on his face as he spoke up about it.
Nishioka could tell that wasn’t it and wanted to push Izuku to speak about it and get out of his head. “It seems like you have another form of motivation.”
“Yes… it’s my mom actually,” revealed Izuku with a reserved smile plastered on his face. The mere thought of Inko gave Izuku strength.
“That’s sweet. Is there any specific reason why?” inquired Nishioka, curious about the deeper meaning.
Izuku smiled, happy to talk about why his mother was amazing and how she brought him motivation. “She’s a beautiful person, and I just want to, like—be like her. I don’t come from a fortunate family. My fathers across the world working with the government so we can’t talk to him. So it’s just me and my mother. So when I think about, y’know… living I just think of my mom. She worries for me a lot, and I just want to support her and make her not worry. I love her.”
“That’s a wonderful answer. It sounds like you are extremely close with her,” complimented Nishioka earnestly, feeling a strong urge to protect Izuku.
“I am really close with her. We are all each other has. She’s a stay-at-home mom, and I am an outcast of society,” joked Izuku, the seemingly self-destructive joke being a habit of Izuku.
Nishioka fired the next question, a flame in his eye. “When was your happiest moment?”
Izuku’s cheeks turned red, seemingly embarrassed. “Last summer, when I went to a beach resort for the first time with my mom. I never felt more at peace than in that moment of solitude alone with my mom.”
“Wow, that’s oddly adorable. Have you never been to the beach before then?” questioned Nishioka, curious as to how he had never been when beaches were all around.
“No, I refused to! I would never to a beach around here,” gasped Izuku, half dying from the fact the beach next to his house was a garbage can for the public.
Nishioka laughed at the dramatic reaching, rocking back as he fixed his grip on the microphone. “That’s interesting, I can understand wanting to travel to do something special like that. When was the last time you cried?”
Without missing a beat, Izuku answered, “Yesterday.”
Getting whiplash from the immediate answer, Nishioka choked on the air, coughing quickly. “Why?”
Izuku shifted on the bench, resting his hands on his lap. “I tend to get overwhelmed easily. School is a nightmare and when I get home is usually the first time I feel safe during the day.”
“Why’s that? Do you feel safe now?” questioned Nishioka, extremely worried for Izuku’s safety.
Izuku shook his head, offering a weak smile that didn’t meet his eyes. “Not really, but you get used to feeling that way. It becomes normal.”
Izuku’s phone started ringing. Izuku froze checking the contact to see that it was his mom. “Oh, it’s my mother.”
Izuku answered the call, shamelessly putting it on speaker. “Hello, Mom!”
“Hi, Sweetheart. I know you got off school not too long ago, but you’re at the shops now right?” The sweet motherly voice came out from the other end of the call.
“I actually was heading back from picking up the groceries. Why? Is everything alright?” asked Izuku, fondness in his eyes and amusement in his tone.
“Yep! I was just checking in, thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver,” cried Inko, so grateful for Izuku.
Izuku beamed at the praise, glad to be helpful and recognized for it. “Please, you’re the lifesaver. Anyways I should be home soon.”
“Okay Sweetie, see you soon. I love you.”
“I love you too Mom, bye.”
The call ended and Izuku sat down his phone. “That short phone call made my day one hundred percent better.”
Nishioka smiled, loving the healthy relationship between Izuku and Inko. There was a strong foundation of love that was clearly unbreakable. “It’s admirable how strong your bond is with her.”
“Thank you. I’m sure she’d appreciate hearing that as well. I’m very sorry, but I must be going,” apologized Izuku, grabbing his tote bag.
Nishioka rose to his feet, preparing to wrap up for the day. “It was an honor to have a deep conversation with you. Do you have any social media we can use to identify you?”
“Oh, I apologize, but my social media is a secret.”
Nishioka nodded, backing off. “That’s perfectly fine! I am curious about why it’s a secret though.”
Izuku stands up as well, fiddling with the straps of the tote bag. “Well, I used to be cyberbullied severely and people tried to doxx me and hack my account.”
Nishioka’s eyes widened, his heart breaking for someone as wonderful as Izuku. “That’s horrible! Why would anyone bully someone as kind and pretty as you?”
“Oh, I’m quirkless. My school is built on a quirk-based hierarchy. Word spreads fast,” laughed Midoriya uncomfortably, clearly knowing he ruined whatever interaction he just had.
“That’s horrible. Well, I’ll keep your social media safe. Is there any way I can get your number? I’d love to have someone as down to earth as you in my life,” admitted Nishioka, blushing as he pulled out his phone.
Izuku’s cheeks turned bright red, resembling strawberries. “Oh! Of course!”
“Sweet, okay! Here,” said Nishioka breathlessly, handing his phone to Izuku with a bright smile.
Izuku held the phone with both hands securely, typing in his number, and name before quickly sending a message to himself. “There.”
Checking his phone, Izuku held it up with a smile. “I got the text. Care to put your name in my phone?”
Nishioka excitedly took the phone, typing in his name. He handed the phone back with sweaty palms. “I’m glad I approached you today. I’ll let you get back to your mother.”
“I’m happy you approached me as well. It was lovely meeting you and your friend, see yah,” bowed Midoriya before walking away.
Nishioka turned to his friend who was still recording and melted to the floor. “He’s so perfect it hurts.”
His friend who recorded all of his videos, a person who never spoke, agreed, “He looks too nice to be bullied. How could anyone be mean to him.”
“Right? Like all because he’s quirkless. Whatever, he has us now right dude?”
“Totally.”
1 day later
The video was uploaded and views were wracking in. Suddenly the video blew up and took the world by storm. Izuku had gained millions of supporters in seconds.
Izuku's sweet personality and soothing voice had charmed many. It was only a matter of time till Aldera Junior High got their hands on the video.
The events were cropped a bit of Izuku being approached and Nishioka and him introducing themselves. Many were surprised to see his open body language and willingness to answer any question asked to him.
When Midoriya answered the first question, many were pleasantly surprised by his answer. He viewed everyone under the same lens and recognized no one could really be put on a scale when no one was the same.
In a way, it was validating to hear that when they were all so obsessed with their quirks. They did laugh when he stated a person's contributions to the world did make one person better than another. They enjoyed seeing him “know his place”.
Their laughter disappeared immediately after they laughed when he claimed he was working to become something more than what he currently is.
When Izuku answered the simple question of what his favorite color was, many were surprised. No one knew anything about him so hearing his favorite color being a vibrant fulvous orange was a big thing for them.
There was something about his answer that was very sophisticated. The very specific type of orange was something that caught their attention. They all looked up what his favorite color looked like. They were curious.
When the following question approached, many’s jaws dropped. There was something about hearing him open up about how he was still going that haunted them. Fear of failure, spite, and his mom. Knowing he was deeply affected by their words managed to surprise them even though they were aware they bullied him all the time every day. To know he wanted to avoid being a failure by the odd chance he wasn’t despite believing he was, stung.
Izuku was running forward blindly, going off of the hope that life was worth living. While they were caught off guard by his first reason, spite shocked them just as hard. All their attempts to get him to give him only encouraged and empowered him to accomplish his goals.
When it came to his last reason, the sadness kicked in. Many had their usual teen vs. parent relationship going on. Even if that was happening at home, they still loved their parents. Hearing Izuku talk so fondly about his loving mother sent guilt kicking their gut. They could only imagine a hard-working woman that looked similar to Izuku being this golden light to him. It was painfully adorable.
Some students could understand Izuku in terms of an absent parent. Divorced parents, dead parent(s), absent parent(s), or neglectful parent(s). Those who could relate understood the pain of feeling unwanted. It was nice to hear him push forward for the sake of his mom.
There was something in Izuku’s voice that made him sound lethargic. They could hear how he was exhausted but he ignored it for the sake of promising his mother a brighter future.
Bakugo understood why. Inko and Izuku were all each other had.
When Izuku was asked about his happiest moment, a grand majority were interested in hearing his response. From what they knew, it definitely wasn’t going to be anything about school.
They didn’t know much about Izuku outside of school so it would be a surprise whatever his answer was. So when Izuku revealed his happiest moment was going to the beach for the first time, it stuck with many. Maybe it was the fact it was such a simple moment that Izuku chose to cherish.
Everyone groaned at the following question. Izuku cried all the time so they all mentally noted it would be “an hour ago” or “today”. So it was obvious that no one was surprised by his answer. What did surprise them was his reason for crying. No one expected him to openly express his issues with school. No one expected him to say something so powerful that it would haunt them for the rest of the day.
It finally clicked that Izuku felt unsafe in school. They knew why, but it was still a slap to the face to hear him admit it. If that wasn’t enough, he cried because he finally relaxed for the first time that day. That statement tore Bakugo up inside.
The phone call was a wholesome moment. Inko’s voice was more sweet than anyone had thought. Bakugo had actually relaxed upon hearing the soothing voice again after so long.
When Izuku was asked for his social media, many were surprised to hear him shut that request down. No one at Aldera knew he had social media. Hell, when they tried to find it they came up with nothing. It made sense though. They had driven him off social media once. They never thought he got back on.
What they also weren’t aware of, was that he had been attacked by people who didn’t even know him because he was quirkless. His safety was at risk and he had to shut it down to keep him and his mother protected.
Bakugo and his lackeys had watched the video in horror. They were unaware this had been happening. None of the three were active on social media enough. They didn’t care about Izuku enough to find his account and bully him outside of school. This was all new news to them.
The thing that caught everyone off guard was that Izuku openly admitted he was quirkless. Izuku not only exposed himself but Aldera as well. The way he phrased it really put things into perspective. He made everyone realize they were contributing to the toxic environment based on a “quirk-based hierarchy”.
When their hearts were already beating hard enough, they nearly went into cardiac arrest when Nishioka asked Izuku for his number. No one could believe what they were watching. Izuku got hit on. Someone genuinely took interest in Izuku, well aware he was quirkless. Many were embarrassed by how shocked they were. Part of their shock was from how Izuku was getting advances while they were still hopelessly single.
When Izuku gave his number to Nishioka, the less uppity of his peers were actually happy. There was something exciting about seeing Izuku have an intimate moment with someone. They were able to see Izuku in a new light and learn some facts about him.
The video had blown up and Izuku was trending. This started an uproar about quirkless/quirk discrimination. The conversation started and it was all because this video was the final push. It was clear Aldera Junior High would be in some hot water soon.
When the next day rolled around and Izuku came to school, he was flipping through his notebook. Many watched him through the day, beyond curious about him. After seeing a side to him no one knew about, they wondered what else they didn’t know. Information they didn’t care about before was suddenly craved.
When lunch rolled around, Izuku finally got on his phone. He scrolled through the popular social media apps to stay in the loop before texting his mom and some other people. Nishioka was clearly one of them.
Students all gossiped with one another, jumping to conclusions and making crazy assumptions about Izuku’s life.
Izuku sat alone, carefree as he scribbled in his notebook. Izuku would pick at his food as he worked, savoring each bite. When lunch was over, Izuku quickly slipped his notebook away and brought out his textbook. People’s eyes were trained on him, but he never paid any mind. He was used to the stares so why would he suddenly meet their gaze?
Throughout classes, people paid close attention to Izuku’s expressions and mannerisms. It was easy to notice that he didn’t hide his emotions well. His face would scrunch up at the teacher numerous times throughout the lesson.
When one of his classmates said something stupid to answer the question, he would thin his lips in an attempt not to laugh. Izuku had been judging everyone all along, but everyone was too self-absorbed to notice.
Izuku rose from his seat, slipping his book bag over his shoulder. Katsuki approached Izuku. Izuku had been anticipating an attack all day and assumed it was finally coming. Unfortunately, Izuku was hit with a:
“We need to talk.”
Izuku was led to a discreet restaurant hidden in the street alley. Katsuki guided him inside and the duo sat down at a table, the dining area was close to empty. Katsuki told Izuku to order anything he wanted and Izuku ordered cold soba and warm dumplings.
Izuku took a sip of his water before starting the conversation. “What did you need to talk to me about Kacchan?”
“I saw the video,” answered Katsuki bluntly, getting straight to the point.
Izuku went ghostly pale, beginning to wave his hands in panic. “I swear none of it was directed at you!”
Katsuki pinched Izuku’s cheek. “Shut it. Let me speak.”
Izuku turned a bright red, nodding shyly.
"Look, I couldn't give less of a shit about what you think of me," lied Katsuki. "I just hope you know those random extras bullying you online are nothing but cowards. They aren't worth your time."
"Oh," whispered Izuku, surprised that was what Katsuki wanted to talk about. "Thank you, Kacchan. It happened our first year at Aldera."
Katsuki raised a brow, leaning back in his seat. "Does Aunty know about any of this?"
Izuku frowned, shaking his head. "No. She doesn't know anything. I cover up my injuries to make sure there is nothing for her to be suspicious of."
"Why?"
"I don't want her to worry. I don't want her to worry about me being stuck at Aldera if she can't afford to transfer me to another school. I don't want her only friendship to be ruined if she finds out you are a part of it. It's easier to just suck it up for another year."
"Makes sense... is that loser treating you well?"
"Huh? Oh—Nishioka! Yes, he's very funny and kind," replied Izuku in a happy tone. It's been so long since someone took an interest in him. That he couldn't help but feel like a little kid thinking about it.
"Good. It seems like he's not the only one in love with you. There are a whole bunch of people in love with you judging by the comments of the video," scoffed Katsuki. The blond pretended to be disinterested, but he was still surprised at the support sent Izuku's way.
"Yeah, I'm really flattered... but I doubt it. No one would willingly risk ruining their future by quirk discrimination. People follow the herd and no one likes to be an outcast," huffed Izuku, grabbing his glass of water.
Katsuki nodded, his scowl deepening. "Yeah, just like everyone at our school follows me like losers."
Izuku couldn't help but laugh, his head bobbing up and down. "No kidding. It's kind of creepy how even the adults have these incredibly high expectations of you."
Katsuki paused, feeling his shoulders tense up. "Well of course they would. I'm a future U.A. student Deku."
"Of course, Kacchan," agreed Izuku, not a single doubt in his mind Katsuki would get in.
"I hope you meant what you said in that video Deku. If you show up at the U.A. entrance exam and fail, I'll kill you nerd!" yelled Katsuki, surprising Izuku.
"I won't fail. Just watch me-."
The server cut them off, placing two plates on the table "Soba, dumplings, and extra spicy curry."
The two decided to just end their conversation there and eat. It was a bit awkward, but Izuku would much rather prefer feeling awkward than uncomfortable. Who would've thought he'd be having dinner with his childhood friend turned bully?
Izuku is more than familiar with being in an abusive relationship. Growing up quirkless and being a big target for people to prey on was all Izuku knew. He saw the best in people, but when someone gave him a reason not to trust him, Izuku automatically shut down. Why fight for someone that wouldn’t fight for him?
Izuku saw a message from his current girlfriend. They had been dating for nearly six months. This was Izuku’s first girlfriend, so most of this relationship was Izuku learning. He was trying to figure out what it was like to be with a girl.
Izuku was familiar with guys and what to look for, considering he had three ex-boyfriends. There was one common thing between boys and girls that Izuku now knew. There was one thing you never want to hear from your partner.
We need to talk.
Izuku had a good feeling he was going to be dumped. He didn’t change recently and hasn’t seen any noticeable change in his girlfriend. If he hadn’t noticed anything, then he either deserved to be dumped or the girl was playing with his feelings. If he ended up not getting dumped, he’d enjoy spending time with his girlfriend who he truly cared for.
Pushing open the door to the school, Izuku was expecting to meet his girlfriend and a second location, but instead, she was waiting for him outside his school.
Izuku was beyond confused about how she already was at his school but chose to ignore the strange fact. Instead, he approached her with a soft smile.
“Kiko, what did you need to talk to me about?” inquired Izuku, clearly concerned about what was happening. It was clearly big enough of a deal for her to show up at his school.
Kiko frowned despite her attempts to keep a neutral expression. Izuku and Kiko had made their way past the main gate and headed over to get some privacy.
While Izuku’s back was facing everyone exiting Aldera, Kiko had a clear view of the people that were eavesdropping. Kiko immediately recognized them as her boyfriend's bullies.
“We should break up,” stated Kiko plainly, getting straight to the point.
Izuku’s eyes widened slightly. He had anticipated being dumped, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. While he wanted to ask her why, cry, and beg for her love, he knew better. People loved a show and it was clear Kiko wanted a performance. She purposefully went to his school rather than meeting him somewhere more private where he wouldn’t be surrounded by people who knew him.
In his past relationships, getting emotional did nothing good. His ex-boyfriends always had something they were expecting when they dumped him. His first boyfriend, Masutaro, dated him simply to mess with Izuku. When Masutaro broke up with Izuku, he wanted Izuku to cry and beg for him. Izuku gave him exactly what he wanted.
Izuku’s second ex, Kichibei, had been the most abusive. Kichibei wanted full control of Izuku and he had succeeded.
Izuku spent more time with Kichibei than he did with his own mother. Kichibei made Izuku delete all social media and, as a result, Izuku lost all his online friends.
When Kichibei had enough and broke up with Izuku, Izuku was fully dependent on the boy. Kichibei didn’t tolerate Izuku’s pleas and it resulted in Izuku coming home black and blue.
Izuku's third boyfriend, Ryoko, had been a genuinely perfect boy. Unfortunately, Ryoko started to get bullied when he got caught being with Izuku. Being gay and dating a quirkless boy was a double kill.
Ryoko couldn’t handle it and dumped Izuku. Ryoko was desperate to gain back some of his friends and status so he spread a bunch of rumors about Izuku and mocked how Izuku reacted to being dumped.
“Okay,” replied Izuku, putting up no fight.
Izuku soon realized that the best thing he could do is remain calm and accept reality. He wasn’t wanted anymore and there was no reason for him to force someone to love him.
Kiko didn’t like the reaction she got, her cheeks heating up at his nonchalant response. She was even more embarrassed to see Izuku’s bullies’ reactions.
Katsuki was front and center, a smirk on his face upon hearing the girl dump Izuku. Hifumi, the boy with a long-finger quirk, covered his mouth to suppress his laughter when he realized that they were going to watch Izuku and this strange girl break up.
Teijo, the guy with super spikey teeth for a quirk, was more intrigued than entertained. He had no clue Izuku had an active dating life so to see Izuku getting dumped was shocking.
The three teens stood nearby, now stunned to hear Izuku’s response to being dumped. While they couldn’t see his expression, his tone told them everything they needed to know. Izuku’s okay was oddly cold and accepting. He clearly wasn’t too hung up on being dumped from the sounds of it. They wanted to laugh at the girl's embarrassed expression.
“Okay?” remarked the girl, attitude clear in the single word.
“Okay,” repeated Izuku, having nothing else to really say to the girl. If he had it his way, he’d be walking away. Yet here Izuku stood, waiting for the girl to speak up and say what she clearly wanted to say.
“Just like that?’ whispered the girl, debating whether to whip up some crocodile tears or yell. She walked into this expecting to come out on top, but now she desperately wanted Izuku to pretend he cared about her.
Izuku crossed his arms, shifting his weight from his left foot to his right. He didn’t want to play her game. If she was expecting a reaction from him, he wanted to hear it come from her mouth. “What do you want me to do?”
Hifumi’s eyes went wide, lightly smacking Teijo’s arm in disbelief. “Holy shit dude.”
“What the hell is Deku doing,” grumbled Katsuki, unable to comprehend the actions of Izuku. This wasn’t the Izuku he knew.
Kiko went red in the face, choosing to yell as her hands balled into fists at her sides. “I don’t know! I just wasn’t expecting okay.” She snobbishly mocked Izuku and used air quotes to further exaggerate the situation.
Katsuki, Teijo, and Hifumi choked back laughter at Kiko’s immature attitude. Seeing her throw a mini-tantrum was hilarious. What made things even funnier was how little Izuku cared.
Izuku called Kiko out, tilting his head to the side. “What, you want me to plead and beg you to stay?” It was hard to vocalize without gagging at his words. He couldn’t help but recall how badly all of his relationships ended and everything he’d been put through. Izuku just wanted to love and be loved.
Kiko scoffed, looking away from Izuku, finding the passing cars far more interesting. “Of course not. It just seems like you’re throwing us all away.”
Izuku took a step back, finding anger replacing the sorrow in his chest. “I’m throwing it all away?”
Katusuki couldn’t believe the girl's audacity. For once, Katsuki was completely on Izuku’s side. The girl literally walked up to Izuku and dumped him with no explanation. It wasn’t like she was obligated to nor did she owe Izuku one, but she couldn’t suddenly act like she was the victim. Judging his friends' expressions, they felt the same as him.
Kiko quickly switched from angry to sad, throwing herself a pity party the bystanders were worried would fool Izuku. “Yes. You don’t even care!”
Izuku finally turned his face away from her, holding his forehead in disbelief. The bullies saw how Izuku was irritated, his angry frown was clear as day. “You are the one breaking up with me. How am I responsible?”
“You’re not fighting for us!” shouted Kiko, desperate to redeem herself. She was being watched and she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself by losing to Izuku in front of his bullies.
Izuku shook his head walking over to a wall to rest upon. The bullies hoped he wouldn’t notice them and keep talking.
“Fight for what exactly?” asked Izuku raising a brow. Uncrossing his arms, Izuku sent an accusing finger at Kiko. “There is no us in this. What you really mean is that you want me to fight with you.”
Katsuki smirked, watching Kiko’s face drop. Izuku was right and Kiko could no longer get out of this without looking like a complete fool. Izuku wasn’t a confrontational kind of person so it said a lot about Kiko if he was going out of his way to confront her. Katsuki knew that if push came to shove, he’d scare her off.
“Come on Izuku! Change my mind! Make me want to stay!” cried Kiko, stepping closer to Izuku, and putting on the waterworks.
Izuku rolled his eyes, sneering at her. “None of this is my fault. So how am I supposed to do that? What do you expect me to do?”
“You decide if we should stay together,” declared Kiko as she put her hands on her hips. She was trying her best to make Izuku look like a bad person by setting him up to be the one to end the relationship.
Kiko was a fool because Izuku wasn’t stupid and he’d never fall for her trap. “You already decided. I’m respecting your decision.”
“I’ll take you back if you say so. You just have to prove you’re willing to fight for us,” whined Kiko, doubling down.
Izuku realized there was no winning this. If she wanted him to be the bad guy, then he’d be the bad guy. He wasn’t going to spare her feelings if she had no consideration for his. “Why would I want to stay with someone who wanted to break up?”
“I’ll forget about all of this, I promise. Please, but tell me you care about me,” whispered the girl, taking Izuku’s hands, believing she was winning this despite how Izuku's previous words were filled with hate.
Izuku tore his hands away from Kiko’s, staring at her in disgust. “Have—have you always been this desperate?”
Kiko watched Izuku put distance between them again. “Desperate?”
“You know what? Let me ask you something then… why do you want to break up with me?” questioned Izuku, sounding exhausted as he asked. Izuku knew he was setting the stage for her to guilt trip him. He was curious to hear what the excuse was or the reason behind her even dating him in the first place.
Katuski, Hifumi, and Teijo were beyond curious to hear what caused all of this to happen. With the way things were going, they knew it would be nothing but a load of horseshit. It would be Izuku’s fault and his fault only.
The closer they looked at Izuku’s body language, expression, and tone, they realized he knew the exact same. Kiko was walking into Izuku’s trap. That made the guys smile.
“I feel like you don’t care about me?” answered the girl, watching Izuku closely for a reaction.
Izuku wore the poker face of a god and fired another question. “And why’s that? What makes you think that?”
“You always push me away. It’s like you keep building a brick wall between us,” huffed the girl, clearly irritated her advances had been rejected.
Izuku’s eyes widened, looking at her in disbelief. “Kiko… we’ve talked about this. You’re moving really quickly and I’ve explained on multiple occasions that I’m not ready.”
Kiko rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively. “There you go again, pushing me away. We’ve been dating for almost six months!”
“So you think six months of us being together exempted you from the effects of my trauma? You think you’re entitled to my autonomy and have no remorse for ignoring my boundaries. You know what’s happened to me in past relationships so it's rich hearing you say all of this.”
“Stop putting words in my mouth,” yelped Kiko defensively, not enjoying the fact her excuses were backfiring on her.
Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose, trying his best to see this out and not run away. “So you don’t like hearing the truth? I thought that’s what you wanted. You’ve never cared to understand why I need to take things slow. You’re the one who assumed things about me and jumped to the conclusion I didn’t care about you at all.”
Katsuki honestly wanted to cheer Izuku on. Izuku was eating her up and spitting her out. Watching Izuku call her out and destroy her good-girl persona was so refreshing.
Hifumi was glad Izuku was chewing her ear out. From the sounds of it, Izuku was putting up with her bullshit for too long. She deserved this.
Teijo was beyond frustrated at the fact that Kiko was not giving up. She’s so delusional it physically hurts.
“You expect me to not jump to these conclusions?” argued Kiko, proving she had no good justification for what she did. She had no good rebuttal to shoot at Izuku because Izuku was right.
It seemed as if something clicked for Izuku and he froze, staring at Kiko in a mix of horror and embarrassment. “I already know you’re doing this to get a rise out of me. People like you love a juicy reaction… but did you dump me to see if I would care?”
Kiko was silent, the sweat on her forehead reflecting in the sunlight. She lost. Izuku read her like a book and there was nothing she could do to redeem herself. She was an asshole and now people knew.
Izuku had no sympathy for her. He had no sympathy for any of his exes. They used him for their own benefit and they wanted a final performance when they shattered her bruised heart. “Why would you do that? Why would you test me? You could’ve asked.”
Izuku knew why already. Kiko knew he cared. Kiko knew Izuku cared a lot. That was why she broke up with him in a highly public space. She wanted to embarrass him and shame him. Kiko was an insufferable bitch.
Kiko had some fight left in her, looking at Izuku as she spat, “What would I ask you? You’re too sensitive so talking to you is impossible.”
Izuku ignored her insults. Lowering his self-esteem or attacking his person to try and get him to apologize wasn’t going to work. Instead, Izuku decided to end things with Kiko. Even if she technically already dumped him, he wanted her to know he wanted nothing to do with her either.
“If you testing me was a better option than communicating when you think I’m too sensitive to even have a conversation, this won’t work out.”
Kiko went pale, regret written all over her face. “So we are actually breaking up?”
“Yes,” confirmed Izuku, no longer interested in giving her his time.
Kiko grabbed Izuku’s wrist tightly, tugging him a bit. “Don’t do this to me Izuku. I wasn’t being serious.”
Izuku aggressively tore his writing from her grip and snapped. “I am. Have fun with your next test subject because I’m done with you.”
Kiko may have been trying to fake cry before, but the tears falling from her eyes now were real ones. Her hands hung in the air after Izuku ripped himself from her grasp. Izuku stared at her, rubbing his wrist to try and ease the burning.
Katsuki looked at Kiko before breaking his silence. “Pathetic.”
Izuku head snapped over, dread creeping into his veins upon realizing Katsuki had seen something so personal. When he finally looked at Katsuki, it dawned on him that Katsuki was speaking to Kiko. Kiko's tear-filled eyes met Katsuki’s judgemental ones and wilted.
Hifumi walked past her and in front of Izuku. “I don’t know what you were expecting to happen. When you dump someone, you shouldn’t expect to be dating them when you walk away.”
Teijo nudged Izuku’s arms and nodded. “Shocked a dweeb like you could hold your own. Hell, how’d you get a girlfriend?”
Izuku let out a shakey breath, looking away from them and then to Kiko. “I don’t know. It seems like I attract the worst people.”
Katsuki looked at Kiko before turning to Izuku. “Shitty people are desperate for attention. You’re nerdy enough to know when to leave.”
Izuku nods with a weak smile. He was fed up with love and dating considering after four relationships, everyone he dated has been insufferable.
Izuku learned he needed to throw away his rose-tinted glasses and focus on the future he wanted. Izuku wanted to become a hero and he was training to become a hero, he didn’t have time to worry about dating.
Katsuki and his lackeys never brought up what they had seen to anyone. It wasn’t like people would suddenly stop isolating him or praise him for being a badass that knows his worth. It was a personal situation and clearly was something that affected Izuku.
When they thought back to everything they heard, it was clear Izuku did have a good history when it came to dating so they’d rather put his love life to rest.
For kids, turning four was the year that would make or break them. In a hero-based society, quirks dictated worth.
Izuku’s life was considered over the moment he was confirmed to be quirkless. After losing everyone who cared for him and being bullied by those he was close with for everything he said or did, Izuku shut down.
Izuku developed symptoms of a severe social phobia at the ripe age of six. Inko was shattered, watching as her brilliant and bright child faded away. Not only did she start getting reports from the school that Izuku wasn’t speaking at all, he no longer talked with her.
Midoriya pointed and shook his head to speak. With the silence, Izuku started to cry a lot more. Despite all of that, Izuku did technically speak every day. It was only one phrase. Inko could barely hear it with Izuku's face buried in her shoulder.
“I love you, Mom.”
Izuku never left the house and strayed far away from the playground after he returned home with bruises one eventful day. Inko didn’t want him to leave anyways. Inko felt better knowing he was safe at home. Even after Izuku went completely mute at six, he still had aspirations to become a hero. He continued his hobby of writing in his notebooks and buying All Might merchandise.
Izuku's shut-in habits carried on for the rest of elementary all the way through middle school. Izuku had no friends and he didn’t bother trying to pursue having a social life. Having no distractions allowed him to focus on school. He had the highest score in his class for a reason. He often tied with Katsuki for first place in terms of intelligence. Katsuki didn’t like that.
Even if Izuku admired Katsuki from afar, he never let his biggest bully notice. Izuku avoided Katsuki to the best of his ability. Even if Izuku made effort to stay away, Katsuki chased. He'd never admit it, but he stalked Izuku.
Katsuki hadn't planned on spying on Izuku in the beginning. He assumed Izuku was ignoring him to act higher than him. Then it turned into spying. It was a shock to Katsuki after following Izuku, to find seeing that he refused to speak to anyone. If necessary, he’d use sign language to convey a message or write it down.
Once it became clear to Katsuki that Izuku was mute and not ignoring him, the situation shifted a bit. Suddenly he waited for the moment when he'd hear Midoriya's voice again. He wanted to know if it deepened or if it was still high-pitched and girly. Soon it sank in that he'd most likely never hear Midoriya's voice again.
In most of their classes, when you were called on, you answered the question on the board. You didn’t have to really say it out loud unless it was necessary for the subject matter. Izuku was able to get through school with close to no problems. He endured the bullying and pushed forward.
Inko had done her best to help. She tried everything in the book: speech therapy and child psychologists, and she sought out a pediatrician. Not much could be done. She tried all the tricks they offered her: shaping, self-modeling, and the list goes on.
It became clear the trigger of it was bullying and the traumatizing experience he endured at the ripe age of four. His dreams were shattered and everyone turned their back on him at a time when he needed support the most.
Izuku did see a therapist to open up about his bullying, but still only ever used sign language. When Izuku was being confronted by his bullies (classmates and teachers) he never once spoke. He had no desire to be a part of the world that surrounded him. He enjoyed submerging himself in the quiet.
Despite the odds, Izuku managed to save Katsuki from the sludge villain and impress Toshinori. Izuku had spoken to Toshinori, feeling safe and excited enough to use his words. Just like that, Izuku was on his way to obtaining the most power quirk to currently exist.
Izuku built a really strong bond with Toshinori, discussing his life and how he was selectively mute. Toshinori was grateful Izuku opened up about his life. While Izuku dedicated ten months to training from U.A. Toshinori dedicated ten months to learning sign language. While he didn’t have to use it to speak to Izuku, he wanted to make it easy for Izuku to talk to him.
Izuku probably had no one in his life that he could easily talk to by using sign. Izuku most likely had to write everything out for people to understand. It wasn’t ideal when he was Izuku’s mentor.
Izuku makes it into U.A. High and kept to himself. On the first day Uraraka thanked Midoriya for saving her. Iida greeted Izuku, beyond impressed with Izuku’s bravery. Izuku made it known he was mute, but he could hear. While it didn’t make them hate him, it kinda created a barrier in terms of communication. Everyone was beyond nice, but Izuku didn’t really click with anyone.
Being the current wielder of One for All, Izuku took control of how to handle his quirk development. As a result, Izuku was more open with Aizawa. He explained that he didn’t have a lot of experience with his quirk. His body had to become strong enough to withstand the tole his quirk would have on him. Aizawa recognized that Izuku had spent his time preparing for his quirk since he couldn’t train something he legitimately couldn’t use.
Aizawa was the second person to earn Izuku’s trust. Izuku still didn’t say more than a few words and he didn't speak to Aizawa if others were present. No other teachers or students had heard Midoriya’s voice.
Kirishima and Todoroki were the first two to hear Midoriya’s voice out of the class. Katsuki was also there, but it was the first time he’d heard Izuku speak since he was six.
It was during the USJ attack. Izuku leaped into action to save Toshinori.
“You stupid villain!”
If it hadn’t been in the heat of the moment, the three would’ve been more surprised by him speaking rather than the fact Izuku was about to die. Katsuki was undeniably unnerved. He was so used to the idea of Izuku’s voice still being exactly how it was nine years ago. It really got to him when Izuku’s voice was significantly deeper and he sounded so angry you could hear the words ripping through his vocal cords.
Then the sports festival came around, it went smoothly at the start. Izuku won the first event, had a great group during the second event, and was now in the final event. Izuku was against Shinso first. Ojiro was very aware Izuku was mute, but he was now aware Izuku could speak if he chose to. After filling in Izuku about Shinso’s ability to brainwash a person once they speak, Izuku thanked Ojiro. It meant a lot to him for Ojiro to seek Midoriya out to help him.
When the round started, Shinso went on a tangent. Izuku listened but ignored the anger that brewed in his gut. Shinso may have been saying those things simply to provoke Izuku, but it was extremely disrespectful for his life story to be assumed by someone he never met before.
Izuku had to fight quirkless considering he could really hurt Shinso if he used his quirk. He couldn't control his output so there was a slim chance he could kill Shinso. So they duked it out. It didn’t take too long for Izuku to knock Shinso out of bounds.
When going against Todoroki, Izuku knew what he was dealing with. Todoroki had told Izuku about his reasons for not using his second quirk: fire.
Midoriya understood what Todoroki was feeling. The effects of how he was treated by being quirkless resulted in a long list of problems. Izuku couldn’t begin to imagine the effects abuse had on him, not to mention the dysfunctional family not providing any help.
Izuku saw past all of that and knew Todoroki needed help. While he wasn’t going to throw away the competition, he wasn’t going to let Todoroki struggle either.
Izuku found himself yelling at Todoroki. Izuku wanted to test the waters, but ultimately just had to push Todoroki’s buttons. Despite the pain both Todoroki and Izuku were enduring from their battle. This match was a lot more than just winning the sports festival.
Then came workplace internships to gain experience. Hosu was under attack and the Stain incident occurred. Izuku managed to become a “true hero” alongside All Might. It was impressive considering Izuku is the second person Stain has claimed to be a true hero. The situation brought Izuku, Todoroki, and Iida closer together.
When final exams rolled around, working with Katsuki to go against Toshinori was a strange situation. Katsuki was still beyond temperamental. Everyone knew the two didn’t along and Katsuki was still hostile towards Izuku. The fight was brutal and the two teens had their air knocked out of their lungs more times than they could count.
Izuku still had yet to speak directly to Katsuki. Katsuki overheard Izuku talking, but Izuku still hadn’t spoken to Katsuki. Imagine his surprise when he is punched in his puke-covered face by Izuku to hear his yelling.
“Don’t you dare say you’d rather lose!”
The final exams ended and summer arrived. Summer would've gone great yet their "summer vacation: went horribly wrong. The league of villains decided to ambush the teens.
Izuku hadn't spoken the entire trip until he was alone with Kota. He hated seeing Kota give up on the world just like he did. After all the child was only five. In hopes to change Kota’s fate, he spoke up.
“If you reject it that harshly, the only person getting hurt is yourself,” explained Izuku, patient with the kid who had an explosive personality like Katsuki.
While Kota didn’t react well to Izuku’s advice, he was enraptured by Izuku’s voice. When he kicked Midoriya in the balls, Mandalay shunned him but also revealed Midoriya was mute.
Muscular appears and he is out for blood. Muscular tried to kill Kota and Izuku was not going to let it happen. In a fit of panic and rage, Izuku screamed out. Seeing Kota use his quirk in desperation ignited a fire in him.
“As if… I’d let you kill him!”
Not even moments later, Katsuki was kidnapped and in the midst of despair, Izuku couldn’t stop the scream that echoed through the forest. That also didn’t stop his scream that conjoined with the crowds in the final battle between All Might and All for One. It seemed as if the world was coming back together just to fall apart again.
During the provisional hero license exam, Izuku once again had to scream. It was targeted at Todoroki and Yoarashi for almost getting Shindo killed.
“Dammit! What are you two doing!”
Izuku’s blunt choice of words helped the two get their asses back into order and focus on the mission at hand. Soon enough the provisional hero license exam ended and the results were in.
While Todoroki and Katsuki were away for their required remedial course, Izuku would face his biggest battle yet. Alongside the big three, a handful of his classmates, and some pro heroes, Izuku was to rescue a wonderful girl name Eri and help defeat the villain Overhaul.
Izuku was a lot more vocal in this fight for Eri’s sake. Despite his mind holding him back at the thought of others hearing, he shut it down and kept his focus on Eri. Nothing matter except saving Eri. Calling out to Eri was the most freeing and horribly exhilarating thing.
After recovery and returning back to school, it was time to prepare for the school festival. For a bit, things were perfect. Izuku could fall back into the shadows and relax. He didn’t have to speak and could enjoy time with Mirio and Eri.
Eri was amazed that Izuku was selectively mute. That meant she was super special for Izuku to have spoken to her. Izuku was fond of her reaction, flashing her a bright smile.
One weekend class 1-A wanted to go to the mall. Aizawa decided it was also the perfect time to show Eri the outside world. Eri stuck with Izuku, missing him from not seeing him much after the school festival.
Todoroki and Katsuki for some odd reason were the two that wandered around Izuku. You could blame their curiosity on Eri. She was stuck on his hip yet they had no idea how she knew Izuku. The mission Izuku was a part of was confidential.
Things never went smoothly with class 1-A. Aizawa had taken Eri for a bit while Izuku went to the bathroom. Despite his keen eye, Aizawa lost Eri. Izuku knew something fishy was happening. The last time he was in the mall, he was attacked by Shigaraki.
Half of the class stayed inside the mall while the other half was to observe the outside in case she wandered off far. Izuku, Todoroki, and Katsuki are stationed outside. Izuku was on the top floor of the mall, running around on the catwalk.
Izuku has no clue where to look or what to do. The panic settled in and people were everywhere. While everything in his head is screaming at him to return to the quiet and retreat, Izuku talked a deep breath and calls out into the world.
“Eri-chan!”
Izuku was turning around in circles, his mind reeling at the fact she could be anywhere. Todoroki and Katsuki heard Izuku call out and started head over. While they were trying to get to Izuku, Izuku spotted something out of the ordinary.
A car was approaching. Whoever was at the wheel drove sporadically. Taking a look at the diver, he immediately recognized the man as a villain. Seeing no one was in the car, Izuku went to work.
Stepping onto the railing, Izuku jumped off and down a level. Izuku ran forward, launching himself down the building. Once reaching the ground, Izuku landed right before the speeding car. Katsuki was blasting his way over, screaming for Izuku to get out of the way. From his view, the driver was now trying to swerve out of the way, but they weren’t going to make it.
Todoroki was sending out ice, trying to build an ice barrier between Izuku and the car. Despite their worries, Izuku had it under control. Izuku turned away from the car, drew back his leg, and t-boned the car with a single kick.
Katsuki and Todoroki stilled, seeing Izuku demolish the car with ease. When the two caught up to Izuku, they soon realized this was going to be the getaway driver. Moments later Aizawa alerts everyone Eri was found and the villain was arrested. Todoroki informs Aizawa about what happened and another police officer was sent their way.
Izuku and Eri were reunited. Eri jumped into Izuku’s arms and Izuku rested her on his hip. When the police came for a statement, Izuku grabbed a pen and wrote it down. He was not in the mood to talk.
Todoroki had no problem with Izuku’s silence and sighed to himself. “I thought you were going to die back there.”
“Yeah! What the hell was that nerd! Trying to get yourself killed?” shouted Katsuki.
Izuku smirked at the two before shrugging and walking away with Eri. While Katsuki was left standing there with a pissed frown, Todoroki mindlessly followed after his friend with a smile.
Silence was a bitch.
The end!
“Oh, you’re still so pretty.”
Midoriya knew the saying all too well. After all, it was said to him whenever his haircut came out too short or didn’t look right. He knew it didn’t make anything better, yet people constantly said it.
“Oh, you’re still so pretty.”
In junior high, his bullies decided it would be hilarious to drench Midoriya head to toe during lunch. They carelessly picked up a bucket of what they assumed was water and threw it on Midoriya. The whole lunchroom was laughing or ignoring the show when things went south.
Midoriya started screaming, wiping his eyes, and struggling to stand.
“It burns! It burns!”
Soon everyone realized that what Midoriya was been splashed with was not water. While the dumb bullies that pulled the prank were freaking out, others jumped into action. Bakugo had been in the lunch line and getting his food when Midoriya started screaming. Despite everyone assuming he couldn’t care less, he was the one to scoop Midoriya up.
While one of the students called 119 out of fear, a couple others had been trying to get handkerchiefs and napkins to help. Bakugo forced them away and rushed Midoriya to the nurse, freaking out that Midoriya was still wailing and struggling to keep his breathing calm. The nurse explained if the chemicals were harmful enough, Midoriya needed to be stripped down and thoroughly rinsed.
The curtain was drawn and Bakugo had to help Midoriya undress and get under the shower. Midoriya tilted his head upwards, more concerned with flushing his eyes. Bakugo was huffing and puffing. He was a bully, but this kind of physical violence was horrible. Whatever chemical that was been poured on Midoriya was already showing clear effects. His skin was enflamed and bright red.
Midoriya could barely stand, getting a bit wobbly. Bakugo was doing everything in his power to support Midoriya’s body weight and keep him stable. Bakugo also tried to help Midoriya control his breathing.
Once the ambulance arrived, Midoriya was taken off to the hospital as well as Bakugo. Bakugo only had mild pain in his arms and hands from where he’d been touching Midoriya and his clothes. He was still treated considering how bad Midoirya’s condition was.
Midoriya left Aldrea Junior High after the incident. Aldera Junior High in return got a bad reputation after the event occurred. Many students uploaded the video causing news stations to report the crime. The Midoriya family refused to respond to the reporters trying to get details on what went down or Midoriya’s current status.
The Bakugo family had visited Izuku many times. Inko was devastated, but beyond happy her pride and joy was alive and safe. Katsuki was still beyond pissed that his peers were so stupid and reckless. Mitsuki and Masaru kept bringing him really amazing meals in secret since the hospital food didn’t really have much he liked.
Izuku had permanent scarring from the intense 2nd-degree chemical burns. While most of his body had the bucket of strong chemicals splashed on him, there were some miracle spots where there was close to no damage. Of course, there still was a lot. The majority of his body was affected due to the chemicals seeping into his clothes.
Izuku was grateful for Katsuki. If he hadn’t stepped in, who knows what would’ve happened. Everyone in that school was a coward so they probably would’ve ran away out of the fear of being burned. Mitsuki and Inko both transferred their sons to a new school, giving them a fresh start.
Everyone left Izuku alone at the new school when people found out he was quirkless. That meant no bullies. He even made a could of “friends” but he saw them more as acquaintances. Bakugo of course rose to the top for his powerful quirk and being a new kid. Midoriya hid in the crowd, doing what he had to do.
Through the rest of Junior High and into his first year at U.A. High, the phrase that once didn’t hold any weight now felt like a punch to the gut.
“Don’t worry, I think you're handsome.”
“Your scars look so cool!”
“They are your battle scars!”
“They show you survived!”
“Oh, you’re still so pretty.”
Izuku hated people bringing up his scars just to tell him that it wasn’t too bad. It didn’t change anything. It didn't make his scars magically disappear. It didn’t change how he felt about his scars or what happened to him. It didn’t make him feel any better. If anything it made him feel worse.
The constant reminder of what Midoriya now had to deal with and that he was considered "flawed" to a certain extent was counterproductive. Why would a person point out what makes Midoriya different only to try and explain how he wasn't different? It was unnecessary and cruel to a degree. Constantly bringing up a topic and memory he didn’t want to always think about soon made Midoriya turn cold the moment people even started talking about appearance or whenever someone started their usual ramble.
Midoriya's arms were now littered with scars from using his quirk and he found some comfort in them. He may not have wanted them, but they stemmed from a place he could look back at fondly. His fingers were bent and scared from the sports festival when he helped Todoroki. His large and bright purple scar from fighting Muscular and saving Koota. Still, someone always found a way to bring up his chemical burns.
Whenever the dorms were built and the interviewer came to write a report, he took an interest in Midoriya. Not only because of his close relationship with All Might, but because of his past. After talking to the boy about it, Midoriya agreed to do a really small interview.
Soon after the man left and the article came to life, many were surprised to find out about Midoriya getting a personal interview. When the class all read through his experience and recovery journey, they stilled at one small section.
“I get so frustrated because rather than having a normal conversation with me, everyone brings up my scars. They point them out or make a comment only to immediately tell me something to try and make me feel better about a topic they brought up.”
“Oh? So it’s bugging you that people only see you for your scars. I understand how that may be frustrating, especially if they are one bringing up something you’d prefer to keep in the past,” agreed the reporter.
“Yes. It doesn’t do anything for me. It doesn’t make me feel better. It doesn’t erase what happened to me. It doesn’t change the fact I’d rather not have these burns all over my body. People don’t understand that “oh you're still so pretty” is a meaningless consolation. Just don’t mention my scars and I’ll be satisfied. They don't realize their "validation" is just them letting me know that all they see when they look at me is my scars.”
“Preach kid. I hope that your message will help remind people to be conscious of what they say to others who are experiencing something similar to you. Also, I’m sure everyone will be happy to hear you’re safe and healthy; Even though I’m sure everyone already knows you are doing well after seeing your performance at the sports festival.”
“I’m honestly doubtful. The sports festival is such a thrilling event! Everyone that participated was so hardworking to show their worth and had such amazing quirks! Something that happened years in the past wasn’t the focus,” rambled Midoriya, trying to deny his importance.
“You got me there kid. You and your classmates sure have gone through a lot since then,” noted the reporter.
“We sure have. I’m very proud of them and I’m so grateful for the friends I’ve made. They’re incredible and I hope that the world can see that,” declared Midoriya, clearly passionate about lifting up his classmates.
U.A. staff and students found themselves reading the article and being surprised. They didn't know Midoriya’s injury had been a big topic in the past. While they didn’t recall hearing about it, they probably had seen something about it before. It was easy to find. All you had to do was search up Midoriya’s name and it was all you saw.
News article after news article. News reports after news reports. Gossip channels posted video after video. The clip of Midoriya being assaulted was easy to find as well. So almost everyone watched as their close friend, student, or peer was drenched in chemicals. His screams would haunt them. Fortunately, some of the videos showed Bakugo running over revealing he had been the one to help.
Nonetheless, Midoriya made it very clear he did want people to form an opinion of him based on his appearance. He didn’t want pity. He made it very clear he didn’t want it brought up at all. They had all been meaninglessly consoling him on something he didn’t need to be consoled for. If anything it was a backhanded compliment at best.
They had been bringing up a topic that made Midoriya feel uncomfortable. They did all of that just to try and make him feel better about something he didn’t need to feel better about. Not once had they thought of how it would affect Midoriya. They had good intentions, but they should’ve minded their business unless he brought it up. They overstepped his boundaries and they felt beyond guilty about it.
Uraraka, Kirishima, Iida, Mina, Sato, Kaminari, Sero, and Ojiro were most guilty. Shoji, Tokoyami, and Kota knew better than to bring it up. Their situations were completely different considering their body alterations were from their quirk, but they still were very aware of how they felt when their mutations were brought up. They knew how painful hearing that mindless consolation was.
Aoyama, Tsuyu, Jiro, Hagakure, and Mineta had only ever consoled Midoriya when someone else around them had brought attention to it. They didn’t see where it was their business to bring it up, but then they felt obligated to say something when it was brought up. Momo on the other hand never once discussed it. She had noticed the scars, but just like how she was with Todoroki, she just kinda ignored them afterward. It was just how Midoriya looked. It didn’t warrant her input.
Todoroki and Midoriya had actually talked about their scars in private. Todoroki’s came from abuse. Midoriya’s came from bullying. They found a lot of peace from talking to someone else who'd gotten their scar in a similar situation. While the situation wasn’t able to be compared, not like it should be, they were still violent in nature. Todoroki’s mom gave him a freeze burn in an attempt to fix her pouring boiling water on his face. Midoriya’s bullies were stupid and didn’t think to make sure the bucket they grabbed was filled with water. No matter what lead to them being hurt, they still came out with scars.
Bakugo came to Midoriya’s dorm later to discuss what he said in the newspaper. He was irritated to find out that no one saw an issue in pointing out something that could possibly trigger Midoriya. After all, the scars clearly came from a traumatic experience and even the mention of the scars could make him relieve it.
Midoriya ranted a bit, getting worked up once thinking about it critically. The way Bakugo phrased things really put everyone’s behavior at face value. Bakugo enjoyed watching Midoriya get angry. Midoriya finally was doing something for himself; which was getting angry on his own behalf.
Midoriya received a lot of apologies. He wasn’t petty like Bakugo, so he accepted everyone’s apologies. All that mattered to him was that they learned their lesson and he wouldn’t have to hear them bring up his scars again.
Besides, he didn't need their pity or words of affirmation to know he was still beautiful. His scars had him look badass.
Spoilers ahead so this is your warning here and now.
It was a bland day. The hustle and bustle of the classroom was no different than any other day. Midoriya stared out the window, letting the warm sun illuminate his freckles. Sighing, he turned back to his notebook, flipping through the pages he’s already flooded with analysis.
Their teacher, Mr.Sakuma, entered the room with an excited smile on his face. “Okay class, today we have a visitor today.”
Midoriya perked up, looking at the doorway where the mystery person was soon to enter. Whispers could be heard around him and everyone was equally excited. Well, everyone but Bakugo and his lackeys. They looked just as miserable as usual.
“You may come in now.”
A young adult walked into the room. The first thing Midoriya noticed was the individual was tall. He wore a nice outfit consisting of black slacks, a white button-up, a tan cardigan, and a black tie tucked underneath. He had no color where his pupils or iris were, leaving many to assume he was blind. His hair was black and well-maintained. He had on jewelry that stood out, jingling and sparkling in the sunlight.
“Hello everyone. My name is Furutani Yoringa. My quirk is future visions. It’s not too interesting of a name, but it is my quirk. I can see a person's future through their aura. And no, I am not blind,” revealed Furutani, getting straight to the point. His demeanor reminded Midoriya of himself: shy but straightforward.
Sakuma nodded, grinning at the introduction going well. “Yes, and today Mr.Furutani is kind enough to let us see our futures through his quirk. He will also be telling you about your auras. Would you like to explain how this all works?”
Midoriya was already scribbling everything down in his notebook. It may not be analysis of a hero, but this quirk was too good not to write down. No one seemed to notice or care, too busy wondering about their future.
“Thank you, sir. As you've heard, I have the ability to see people’s auras on command. A person's aura provides the energy for me to see into their future. Through hand contact, I will be able to see their future. This comes to me in a vision. Depending on the strength of a person's aura, not only will they be able to see their future, but multiple others as well,” elaborated Furutani, letting his eyes trail over the class before him. His eyes landed on Midoriya's and he couldn't help but smile upon seeing Midoriya writing notes on his quirk.
Furutani’s quirk was often overlooked. People wanted him to use it for their own benefit without wanting to actually understand it. He couldn't blame people. It was an exciting opportunity, but people were self-centered and greedy. In this single classroom, selfishness was seen in many. He understood those who were excited, but he could see the gleam in people’s eyes. Midoriya looked up at him in child-like wonder. His hand was flying, trying to write down everything Furutani said.
Furutani tore his eyes away from Midoriya to look at others in the classroom. “Now, while my quirk allows some to see their own future, the memories you'll have are not permanent. Within 24 hours, sometimes 48, if lucky, all memories of the visions will disappear. They disappear for me too. It is to prevent major shifts in the future. I only have so much power in what I can do to alter the future in the case of something bad happening.”
Furutani finished explaining and watched Midoriya finish up his notes with an accomplished grin. Furutani nodded to himself, glad to see Midoriya gathered everything. Sakuma then started the process, letting the eager students get their futures read.
Midoriya never once raised his hand. He remained patient and oddly hesitant to engage with Furutani. Furutani didn’t understand why. Midoriya had seemed so interested in the quirk, he couldn’t process the idea Midoriya didn’t want to take it out for a test run.
No one’s aura was strong enough to let the entire class see their future all at once. People had gone to the front of the classroom and whenever other people saw their future, it was only their close friends. Even then, it only happened to two students. Many were excited about their future, seemingly seeing something optimistic.
About half of the class had gone when Furutani had enough. He made his way towards the students rather than calling on them to approach him. Everyone was surprised, wondering what was going on. Furutani approached Midoriya and knelt down before his desk.
“I was trying so hard to be patient, but I can’t wait anymore. I’m dying to see your future. Your aura is practically blinding me,” chuckled Furutani, looking at Midoriya fondly.
Bakugo interjected, quick to shut that down. “Deku’s fucking quirkless, his future isn’t going to be anything worth dying over.”
The two other bullies snickered, making their own irrelevant remarks. Students in the room laughed, giggled, and teased Midoriya. Sakuma, the adult in charge, made no effort to stop the harassment. Furutani shot a targeted glare at Bakugo.
“My little sister is quirkless. Watch your mouth,” spat Furutani, his fists clenched.
The room went deathly silent, people shifting in their seats because of the uncomfortable atmosphere. Midoriya’s eyes widened upon hearing he wasn’t the only quirkless person. Sometimes he forgets he’s only one quirkless person in 20% of the global population. He was also surprised by how angry Furutani got. Midoriya couldn’t blame him. Everyone was practically insulting his younger sister. Besides, it was about time they got called out for their horrible behavior. It was a wonderful feeling to have someone on his side.
Furutani gave everyone a look of disgust before turning to Midoriya. “I’m deeply sorry on behalf of your quirkist peers. Ignoring them and back to what I was saying. May I see your future? If you’re uncomfortable with it, do not feel pressured to. I can just tell you about your aura.”
Midoriya shook his head, keeping all his focus on Furutani. “No need to apologize… it’s not your doing. You can look at my future, although I don’t think you’ll see much,” chuckled Midoriya sheepishly, keeping his head down and eyes up.
The two made their way to the front of the classroom and Furutani grinned. “You have a very impressive aura. You have some yellow, signaling your sunny and charismatic. You have a very magnetic personality.”
Many grew bored, yellow wasn’t anything special. Besides, those who had already seen their future that had a yellow aura had been told the same thing.
“Your aura also posses green. It shows self love, compassion, and forgiveness. You have an open heart. You also tend to be easily influenced by your environment.”
A couple of students perked up, surprised by the appearance of green considering how poorly he was treated. He was relatively forgiving and compassionate so there was no surprise there. They didn’t expect Midoriya to love himself enough for green to show up in his aura. A couple of students were also impressed he had two auras. While many in the class had more than one color, they expected Midoriya to be boring.
“You have a bit of pink. This means you live from the heart. You love hard. You are caring and kind, similar to green. Also, similar to green, you are receptive to love.”
Midoriya’s cheeks heated up. As Furutani stared at him and started listing off good qualities he had. It was a bit overwhelming to be indirectly complimented. The fact all of this was being said in front of people who didn’t like him made it even more overwhelming. Still, Midoriya did what he did best and listened.
People whispered, now understanding why Midoriya had stood out. He had three colors in his aura and they made him look like a saint. They assumed that was the reason why Midoriya's aura practically blinded Furutani.
Furutani’s smile grew, tilting his head to the side as he was excited to talk more about Midoriya. “You have a significant amount of purple, signaling you get a lot of attention. You have strong intuition and you are sensitive. With the amount of purple in your aura, you may have some natural psychic, empathic, or intuitive abilities. And I wasn’t exactly sure at first, but you have a bit of indigo in your aura which means you are very sensitive to other people’s well beings as you absorb their thoughts, feelings, and traumas of others. Your shade of indigo is dark and blends into your aura, but the darker the shade, the more sensitive you are.”
Midoriya nodded, understanding what Furutani was saying. Everything he’s been told is true to a degree. That was just the kind of person he was. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t hold the emotional baggage of others. People needed help and he’d do anything to help them feel okay again. He was very familiar with the feelings of loneliness.
People were gawking at Midoriya, unable to comprehend how he had so many colors. The moment Furutani mentioned Midoriya could have some abilities when it came to reading people. They wondered if that was why he still thought Bakugo was amazing. Now they would forever wonder what was going through his head.
“With that, it brings us to our last color. White. I didn’t need your aura to see this, but you have a quick mind. Although white signals you have a tendency for perfectionism and you contain nervous energy. To see it in your aura would mean you have a strong sense of connection to something larger than yourself.”
Midoriya nodded, knowing there were a couple of things that the last part could imply. He was connected to something much larger than himself. Either way, he needed something to lift him up, and hopefully, his future would do just that. People were now eager to see what Midoriya’s future held. His aura was already much more complex than theirs. From what Furutani said, Midoriya naturally stood out more to him because of how strong his aura was.
"Now, let's see that future," chuckled Furutani.
Midoriya let his mind go blank. He felt eyes on him and not once did he meet anyone's gaze. Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, he let his arms do the work. There was a pair of eyes he couldn't shake off. They burned, smoldering hot. Ruby red eyes held the observant focus of a chess player.
Bakugo shifted in his seat, leaning forward to get a good look. His eyes focused on the entirety of Midoriya. His hand was in his pocket, fumbling with the thin piece of cardstock, laminated with plastic. The colorful display of All Might was on the card tucked away in the past of his heart. Midoriya would forever be his weakness and Bakugo was really feeling it.
Furutani held out his hands, palms facing the ceiling. "Now or never. I'm sure many will be able to see your future."
Midoriya bit his lip, looking at the hands with unease. Even as his hands hovered over Furutani's, he was hesitating. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and connected his hands with Furutani's.
Everyone in the room gasped upon being transported to a blank plane. There they were taken through the shocking events that occurred in Midoriya's future.
Midoriya meets All Might and talks to him on numerous occasions
Midoriya gets a quirk from All Might
Midoriya gets into UA's hero course
Midoriya has many friends
Midoriya gets scarily strong
Midoriya gets into tons of battles (Midoriya and Uraraka against Iida and Bakugo, USJ attack, Midoriya against Shinso, Midoriya against Todoroki, Midoriya and Iida and Todoroki against Stain the hero killer, Midoriya against Muscular)
Bakugo gets kidnapped
Midoriya helps rescue Bakugo with his classmates
All Might and All for One fight
All Might retires
Midoriya is involved in a big hero mission against Overhaul and later fights Gentle and La Brava
Midoriya awakens his second quirk
Endeavor is the number-one hero and Midoriya trains under him with Todoroki and Bakugo.
A war breaks out (everyone almost dies, but many survive) and Midoriya unlocks his third quirk
Midoriya leaves UA and gets into more battles (Midoriya against Muscular, Midoriya against Overhaul and Nagant, Midoriya against class 1-A)
Bakugo apologizes
U.A. is in an uproar with his return
A second war breaks out (Bakugo dies but is brought back to life later) Midoriya is on his own for the most part during the battle after losing his shit and seeing everyone pretty much dead
The war is over and everyone is in recovery
Everything flies by super fast, but everyone can recall the majority of Midoriya's future. Suddenly everything comes to a stop with a calm moment. It gives them whiplash from the rush of horrific events they had just seen. Music reaches everyone's ears. It's soft and peaceful. The sun is out and peeking out between the branches of the trees. They swore they were going crazy when they felt the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze on their skin.
Future Izuku is smiling brightly, in the arms of Katsuki as they dance to the music. Their bodies are covered in scars that made many teens wince. The grass is fluffy and light. They are holding one another close as the music guides their bodies. Katsuki dips Izuku slightly, supporting Izuku by his waist. Izuku lets out a breathless laugh before sighing softly. Izuku's cheeks flush as he meets Katsuki halfway for a kiss. It was short and sweet, a tender kiss that held burning passion. Being pulled up to his feet, Izuku rested his head on Katsuki's chest to listen to his heartbeat. Katsuki rests his head on top of Izuku's, rocking them back and forth.
"I love you, Izuku," mumbled Katsuki, his cheeks bright red.
"I love you too, Katsuki," whispered Izuku, squeezing Katsuki ever so slightly tighter.
Just like that, everyone was kicked out of the vision. The room was silent, no one able to comprehend what they had just seen. Midoriya stood in the front, tears dripping from his eyes. Clearly, in a state of disbelief, Izuku raises a hand to his cheek. The saltwater tears stuck to his fingers as his hand moved to his heart.
Midoriya stepped backward and for a moment, his eyes locked with Bakugo. Bakugo was flushed, looking at Midoriya with wide, dumbfounded eyes. Midoriya shook his head and cleared his throat. "Excuse me."
Midoriya quickly left the classroom, closing the sliding door behind him. He reached the school stairwell when his legs gave out. Crouching on the steps, Midoriya gripped the railing till his knuckles turned white. Midoriya felt the meltdown take over as he sobbed. With a hand covering his mouth to hush his cries, Midoriya let his heart hurt.
Midoriya's belongings remained out on the surface of the now vacant desk. People stared at the door that Midoriya vanished behind. Furutani's jaw hung low. He had never experienced anything similar to what Midoriya had just put him through. Well, it wasn't like he remembered anything he had seen before, but nonetheless. A quirk that could be passed on? A war between heroes and villains? The symbol of peace retiring in less than a year?
Bakugo threw himself out of his desk and stormed over to Midoriya's. In a split second, he snatched Midoriya's bookbag and then his notebook. The sliding door slammed shut when Bakugo disappeared as well. The class remained silent, looking at one another with dazed or startled expressions.
The one student who never spoke before was the one to break the silence. She fixed her glasses and rubbed her forehead. "What the fuck?"
Bakugo went on a search for Midoriya, wanting to keep him from doing anything stupid. He found Midoriya crying on the stairwell and moved before Midoriya. Crouching to be at Midoriya's height, Bakugo shoved Midoriya's knee.
"Deku."
Midoriya yelped, falling back on his butt. Thankfully the step above caught his fall. Much to Bakugo's expectations, tears littered Midoriya's face. Sighing, he extended out Midoriya's belongings. "Figured you would be coming back."
Midoriya sniffed, embarrassed Bakugo saw him mid-breakdown. His face was probably bright red, his eyes were most likely puffy, and he had snot dripping past his chin. Midoriya rummaged through his bag to pull out some tissues and clean his face. "Thank you Kacchan."
"Shut up," grunted Bakugo, watching Midoriya try and fix himself.
Midoriya sat in silence for a moment, seemingly contemplating something. Bakugo noticed and called him out on it. "You're thinking too loud. Say what you want to say-?"
"How?" murmured Midoriya, cutting Bakugo off. Midoriya's grip on the bundle of tissues in his hand tightened. Midoriya looked up, locking his eyes with Bakugo. "How could you ever look at me in that way? How could you ever not hate me?"
Bakugo felt his breathing hitch, staring at Midoriya like an idiot. His mouth opened and closed in attempts to give a response, but words never came out. His fists clenched in his lap, knowing there was no answer he could give.
"It's the future. We won't know until it happens," sighed Bakugo, his voice unnaturally soft and calm.
Midoriya shook his head, tearing his eyes away from Bakugo's. "Part of me refuses to believe that's my future. Seems more like a sick joke to get my hopes up."
Bakugo watched Midoriya's lip tremble as that sadness mixed with anger. He couldn't tell if Midoriya's anger was directed at him, Furutani, or at himself. Part of himself couldn't believe it either. The future sounded like hell, but he never envisioned himself looking so carefree. He never would've believed that there was the possibility he'd dance and kiss Midoriya under the sun, listening to tooth-rottenly sweet music. But Bakugo had no choice but to believe it. It was the future.
"Maybe it is... but in one to two days it won't matter," reminded Bakugo, never once looking away from Midoriya.
"You're right," noted Midoriya before chuckling to himself. "You're always right, aren't you?"
Bakugo swallowed the lump in his throat, having to swallow his pride. For some reason, it didn't bug him considering he was doing this before Midoriya in private. "No, I'm not. It's clear we figure some shit out in the future. I was the one apologizing after all."
Midoriya's eyes trailed up to Bakugo and let his shoulders sag. Letting himself relax, Midoriya felt his eyes burn as tears formed again. "How are we going to do this? Sure everything works out in the end, but I don't think I can handle seeing you die."
"I'm not weak, Deku. Don't look down on me. Common, let's go," huffed Bakugo, rising to his feet and holding out a hand for Midoriya.
Midoriya looked up, his heart pounding in his chest. This was the first time the two had actually had some sort of conversation since they were still little kids. Taking Bakugo's hand, he let himself get pulled back onto his feet. Bakugo's grip never changed. It was just as secure and tight as always. Something about that made Midoriya smile.
"Where are we going?" questioned Midoriya, preferring to know where he was being dragged off to.
"Under the light of day or whatever sappy shit you'd like to hear," grumbled Bakugo, guiding them to the roof.
Midoriya smiled, feeling confident enough to mess around with Bakugo. "I'd prefer, out in the sun, something basic."
Bakugo shot a glare at Midoriya only to see a smug look on Midoriya's face. Scoffing he looked away, struggling to suppress his smile. "Well aren't you just a little shit?"
Midoriya looked up at the sky, finding no bit in Bakugo's insult. "Well, in the future I'll be your little shit, so stop complaining."
Bakugo stiffened momentarily, before giving Midoriya's hand a light squeeze. He had nothing to say to that, leaving silence to be the unspoken words. Midoriya knew what Bakugo meant in that small gesture with the silence.
~
Izuku held Katsuki tightly in the peace the end of the war brought. Katsuki held Izuku just as tight. They came out on top, even if no one walked away from the war a winner. They were surrounded by each other and their friends. They could never be more grateful for that. It didn't matter where they'd be as long as they were living life together.
I may be fourteen, but shit happens.
Hisashi Midoriya died. Inko Midoriya was unfit to work. Izuku Midoriya couldn’t get a job. Inko had many health problems which resulted in her being unable to get a job for her own safety. Izuku was not only too young to get a well-paying, full-time job, but he was also quirkless. No one would hire a young quirkless teenager, it just wouldn’t happen.
Izuku wasn’t doing well. Aldera Junior High was a nightmare that he couldn’t escape even when he got home. Cyberbullying chased him in his home and terrors flooded his dreams. To top off his horrible life, Izuku’s secret boyfriend disappeared randomly. No letter, no text, no nothing.
In a state of despair, Izuku gave himself up. Izuku applied for a bunch of rich men looking for a husband. Izuku matches with a twenty-three-year-old being pressured by his family to marry. He was kind and well-spoken. Inko refused to allow the marriage to happen at first, not wanting her son to take the bullet for her. Unfortunately, she had to give in when she realized this would be the only outcome. The only difference would be her existence.
Inko says no, gets a job, and dies. Izuku would be left alone and would get married to survive anyways. Inko says yes, doesn’t get a job, and lives. Izuku would have her support and would be in a smartly planned arranged marriage. This was the better outcome.
Inko surprisingly got along well with her son’s fiancé’s family. Izuku and his fiancé had similar interests and easily got along. The pairing wasn’t the end of the world even if it felt horribly wrong deep down. Izuku had been promised they wouldn’t have to do anything sexual. The marriage was to keep the money rolling in and the family's company in good standing.
Izuku got married within a month of the agreement being finalized. The wedding was glamorized. High-profile idols and celebrities were present at the wedding. Izuku was adored by all, considering his innocent and harmless personality. Izuku was energetic yet kind, making him a magnet for people. He was also headstrong yet easy to compromise with so differences could be put aside and deals could be made with ease.
Izuku and Inko moved into his fiancé’s mansion. The entire family lived there considering it was a ginormous home. The family's name was Tominaga. Yuji was the first name of Izuku's husband. As much as Inko and Izuku hated to admit it, the marriage made them happier. They were no longer alone, brought into the high-status lifestyle by the Tominaga family's new and old money.
Inko now had friends and a good support system. While Mitsuki and Masaru were still good friends, neither bothered to keep in touch. Izuku had a person that would be by his side through thick and thin. Izuku was also introduced to popular celebrities and made his way into the hero world through connections. Soon his ex left his mind as he focused on his husband and helping him with his work.
Aldera became more manageable. Izuku's last name changed so it was now Midoriya-Tominaga. They agreed to combine last names. The principal had a meeting about the situation and found Izuku's situation heartbreaking. Teachers also found out about the name change and didn’t know what to think about it. Some teachers were the same age as Izuku’s husband. The thought of Izuku marrying someone as old as them made them uncomfortable on Izuku's behalf. How could Izuku be married to someone their age?
The school year continued, Izuku met All Might, and Izuku continued climbing upwards. Everything came to a standstill when Izuku spotted Gima Iori, his ex. School had just ended and people flooded outside the campus. Gima was standing a bit before the gates, seeming to look around for someone.
Gima's head turned in Izuku's direction and their eyes locked. Izuku felt a wave of emotions wash over him and soon all he saw was red. The world around him disappeared as he stormed forward. His breathing picked up as betrayal struck his gut.
“Izuku.”
Izuku's fist flew out before he even had a chance to think about it. The one word he wanted to say more than anything beautiful slipped from his lips. “Motherfucker!”
Gima’s head snapped from the hard punch, yelping in pain. “Jesus!”
Everyone standing around outside the Aldera building stopped and watched Izuku punch the shit out of this random guy. Katsuki and his two lackeys Aikawa and Ugumori were stunned into silence. They had been following after Izuku to bully him on his way home. They watched as his pace picked up. They watched him approach someone they didn’t know. They watched him punch the guy into oblivion, sounding beyond pissed.
Izuku pushed a hand against Gima’s face and shoulder before shoving him harshly. Izuku's mouth was turned into a deep frown as he yelled, “Where the fuck have you been?”
The group of students took a moment to look at the guy. He was drop-dead gorgeous. He had stylish black hair that fit the fashion trends. His uniform was red and grey, consisting of a blazer, undershirt, tie, and some slacks. Izuku's punch did some damage as the guy's hair was roughed up. The guy's nose was broken and his lips were busted so some blood decorated his face.
No one knew who he was, but they wanted to.
“I’m bleeding!” complained Gima, touching his face in slight disbelief.
“You disappear! You don’t return my calls!” screamed Izuku as he smacks Gima’s head. Without missing a beat Izuku continues. “My texts—!”
“I had something come up,” grunted Gima in defense, remaining vague about what the problem was.
Izuku visibly didn’t like that answer and wore a pissed smile on his lips as he back-hand-slapped Gima. Gima stumbled, nearly falling from the force of the blow. “Oh! Fuck!”
Katsuki stiffened, watching Izuku attack this stranger with the anger of a thousand gods. He exchanged a look with his two pals and they all looked equally as bewildered. Izuku was cursing, fighting, and making a scene. He never once did these things and avoided them at all costs. To see him doing it so mindlessly made them weary. Whoever this was really crossed Izuku. From the sounds of it, it seems like they’re a backstabber of some sort.
Izuku cried in anguish at Gima. “Fuck!”
Gima ducks away, shouting at Izuku. “Stop hitting me!” Gima rubs his face, trying to soothe the pain in his nose and to check if it was broken.
Izuku took his chance and kicked Gima from behind in his ass.
“Ah! God damn it, enough!”
Izuku kicked him again, resulting in Gima backing away more. “Enough! With the hitting.”
Izuku's fists were clenched, staring at Gima like he was scum. Gima was nothing more than gum on the bottom of Izuku's shoe. Gima swallowed hard and stared at Izuku as he anticipated another attack. Students stood around, whispering and murmuring about what was happening. Some recorded the fight to send it to their friends.
The guy held up a finger, signaling Izuku to wait. “Are you done?”
“Where Gima? Where?” shouted Izuku, anger still visible, but a mix of hurt and confusion is just as present as he searched for an answer.
Gima nodded his head, coming up with a stream of lies. Their conversation died down and wasn’t very easy to hear so some people left, not interested anymore. Many remained, wanting to see what would happen.
Izuku raised his hands to emphasize his point. “For weeks for months?”
Gima nodded, stepping forward. “About a year. On a boat, on a cruise actually.”
“And not a call? Not a text?” accused Izuku, his voice raising again at the bullshit explanation he was being handed.
Gima grew angry upon seeing Izuku wasn't buying his lies. He started yelling nonsense, something about being handcuffed and having a bucket or something to piss in. No one present was buying his elaborate story as well.
Katsuki scoffed, pointing at Gima. “This extra is a fucking idiot. Who would buy that pathetic story?"
“Yeah man. Seems like this Gima dude ghosted Midoriya and is trying to come back like nothing happened,” agreed Ugumori, enjoying the sight of Izuku holding his own.
Aikawa sighed, looking at Izuku. “You’re onto something… but it’s not adding up. Why would Midoriya be so angry about something like that? There has to be more to it. Midoriya never gets angry like this.”
Midoriya lip trembled in anger, getting in Gima’s face. “For a year?”
“For a while, yeah,” spat back Gima, trying to sound convincing as he continued to ramble.
Gima walked around Izuku, causing Izuku to face Katsuki and the others at an angle. Gima was rambling about nonsense and Izuku clearly wasn’t relenting. He looked in a state of disbelief, unable to comprehend Gima’s stupidity. Gima’s performance showed Izuku he thought Izuku was nothing more than a forgiving idiot who had no self-worth. Gima thought Izuku was stupid and that enraged Izuku. Izuku rolled his eyes and scoffed, “That’s bullshit.”
Gima continued talking which was a bad choice as his story got more and more unbelievable. Everything that happened was a stretch and impossible. All it sounded like was an excuse. And that’s all it was: an excuse.
“Then who the hell was that bitch I saw on your account? Yeah, in that post you magically were able to take a picture in the middle of your traumatizing experience?” questioned Izuku, crossing his arms to close himself off. Izuku glared, as he leaned forward in a dominant manner.
“My partner!” yelped Gima. His cheeks heated up as he was caught in a lie.
“Your partner? As in your new play-toy?” remarked Izuku condescendingly, glaring at Gima.
“No, my partner as in crime! And shit, you’re one to talk. You got married!” shouted Gima, spilling the secret Izuku kept in front of everyone.
Conversations halted, cameras stilled, jaws dropped, and breathing stopped. No one believed what had just come out of Gima’s mouth. There was no way Izuku was married, let alone in a relationship. Izuku was a quirkless loser who wasn’t even close to being a legal adult. Gima had been spewing nonsense the entire time so Izuku being married was hard to believe when it came out of Gima's mouth.
Izuku shot back immediately, all his emotions out for the world to see as he bled. He leaned forward, his frown deep as the wrinkles on his forehead appeared from his scowl. His eyes were full of hate, pain, and shame.
“What was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to sit on my porch knitting, hoping one day for you to show back up?” yelled Izuku, the resentment in his words sending chills down everyones spines.
Just like that, Izuku had revealed to everyone that what Gima had said was true. Izuku was married. Izuku also revealed Gima was Izuku's ex-boyfriend and that Gima had ghosted him. Gima was an asshole and Izuku somehow got caught up in a marriage in under a year from the sound of it.
Tears were falling down Izuku's face as he yelled, jabbing his hands at Gima. “You disappeared! Gone! Nothing!”
Katsuki watched Izuku lose his shit. Katsuki stood there, seeing the dam of pent-up emotions flooding Izuku's senses. Katsuki saw the destruction that Gima had caused Midoriya. Katsuki stepped forward a bit, finding the power to move again under the tension of the situation.
Gima pinched his nose. Looking at the sky before letting his eyes trail back to Izuku. “I think you deviated my septum.”
Izuku smiled at him in disgust, crossing his arms. “Good. You’re lucky I didn’t have a knife.”
The comment Izuku made caught everyone's attention. Izuku was never one for violence. Izuku was always talking about wanting to save people and become a hero. Mentioning he would’ve stabbed Gima if he had a knife was the very opposite of the Izuku everyone knew.
Izuku raised a hand to his face, wiping the tears that rested on his cheeks before shaking his head. “Oh, Jesus fuck.”
“I know, I know,” sighed Gima, the guilt and disappointment twisted in his sullen expression.
Izuku stepped back, looking away from Gima. “I can’t even look at you right now.”
“Trust me, I didn’t want to see you either. Finding out your boyfriend is married is the last thing you want to hear,” recalled Gima, making Izuku the bad guy.
Katsuki glared at the asshole, feeling blood boil. “No way this bastard is about to pin this all on Deku.”
“Sorry dude but it seems like that is what’s happening,” sighed Aikawa.
Izuku glared at Gima, pointing. “You don’t get to act like a poor little victim. I know you were happily fucking around on the cruise your disgusting job bought you.”
Most people at Aldera got excited, happy Izuku wasn’t going to let Gima step all over him. Even Katsuki found himself smirking.
“I didn’t even want to get married!” revealed Izuku, throwing his hands out.
“Oh really? Then why did you?” sneered Gima, demanding an explanation he didn’t deserve.
“You proved to me that my survival can’t depend on you. You fucking left without a word. While you were gone my father died and we had no money. My mom couldn’t get a job because I’d rather have her live. So I married a rich guy. Yuji can actually take care of me and my mom financially! I can help him with whatever he needs and I get food on the table, a house over my head, and my mother by my side!”
Katsuki let out a defeated sigh. The truth finally hit him. Izuku was married to some random man and was stuck in a loveless marriage. He never heard about the wedding which meant Inko didn’t even tell his mother about it. This meant Izuku and Inko were going through all of this absolutely alone. Izuku had to sacrifice his love for a random marriage. Izuku didn’t even know what dating felt like and suddenly he was dressed in white and told to walk down the aisle for hundreds to see.
While dread overcame Katsuki, he enjoyed Midoriya insulting Gima indirectly. He also was proud of Izuku for saying everything he did for himself and Inko. Izuku made a big sacrifice for him and his mother's safety and health. Izuku made a selfless choice which as result made Gima look like a huge asshole.
Gima stilled, eyes widening at the information dropped on him. Trying to deflect his guilt, Gima scoffed. “So what? Instead of working an actual job, you turned into a whore?”
It was clear Gima and Izuku were still in their own world because many gasps could be heard. People’s phone’s all shook in rage at how big of an asshole Gima was. Katsuki and his lackeys felt themselves get pissed.
“Gima, are you fucking stupid? I’m quirkless.”
Izuku's hostility surprised Katsuki. For Izuku to call Gima stupid for telling him to get a job was shocking. He and the rest of the class had always mocked Izuku for wanting to be a hero. What no one had thought about was his inability being unable to get a job, let alone a position as a police officer.
Gima rolled his eyes. “All I’m hearing is an excuse. Marriage is meant to be out of love, not convince.”
Izuku rolled his eyes back, letting out an exasperated sigh. “I’ve always known I would marry rich. If I marry, might as well be a rich person. Why would I be ashamed of that?”
“Because you’re sleeping around with a grown man for money.”
“There is no “sleeping around” and there isn’t really any love right now. It’s a business exchange.”
Breathes of relief could be heard when Izuku revealed nothing sexual occurred. The marriage was strictly business. Izuku got money for being married to Yuji and Yuji got money because his status as a married man helped the business. Katsuki felt his fists fall and his breathing even.
“Yeah and that business exchange could also be you working a normal job,” argued Gima, showing he was really bitter about Izuku moving on.
“That’s not possible. I’m quirkless… and as a quirkless person, there’s no way for me to make my own money. Not enough to earn a living or to support my family. And if I had my own money—which I don’t, that money would belong to my husband the moment we got married. And if we had children, they would be his, not mine. They would be his property. So don’t stand there and tell me that marriage isn’t an economic proposition because it is. May not be for you, but it most certainly is for me.
Gima stood there, failing to come up with anything to say. He had been grasping for straws, but he finally ran out. Gima was fumbling out a bunch of grunts and embarrassed huffs. He had embarrassed himself in front of everyone.
Katsuki immediately found guilt nagging him in the back of his head. He had thought he was the worst of it, but discrimination goes deeper than bullying. Izuku clearly had been thinking about his future for a long time, weighing his options. It was being a hero or nothing at all for Izuku. Suddenly everything made a lot more sense. Marriage was the only other way he could make a living since no one would hire a quirkless person for a well-paying full-time job.
Many of Izuku's peers didn’t realize the marriage situation for a quirkless person was significantly different than anyone with a quirk. While quirk marriages were illegal to protect people with quirks, quirkless people were brushed under the rug. Quirkless people could be sold off, owned, or thrown away and the government wouldn’t blink an eye. Being protected by the rich was the only way to survive. Izuku wanted to live for himself by being a hero.
Izuku cleared his throat, wiping his face to erase any hint of care he had for Gima’s existence. “You treated me like shit. I’m happy you ran away because I want nothing to do with you. If wanting to keep my mom healthy and alive makes me a whore, so be it. You’re nothing more than a douchebag who thinks with his dick more than he does with his brain. Get the hell away from my school and stay the hell away for me. Next time I’ll have a knife.”
Gima swallowed hard, frozen under Izuku's glare. Izuku stepped up and sighed, staring at Gima before sending a final blow. The crack managed to echo outside when Izuku's fist made contact with Gima's face. Gima collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Izuku stood over him, looking down at his body with disgust.
“That’s what you get for calling me a whore,” murmured Izuku, rubbing his knuckles.
Stepping on his body before walking, Izuku fixed his hair before disappearing. Katsuki clapped his hands before laughing. “That’s what I like to see.”
Months passed and Izuku got into U.A. flawlessly. Izuku took the recommendation exam. Yuji’s work friend was married to a pro-hero that had attended U.A. and happily recommended Izuku. Izuku remained married to Yuji upon finding the stable relationship comforting. That meant he could easily reject people, avoid worrying about love, and focus on his training.
Katsuki and Izuku had gotten along well after Izuku's stunt at school. People respected Izuku after seeing what he was capable of. Inko reconnected with Mitsuki and Masaru after Katsuki told them about Izuku. That resulted in the duo hanging out whenever Mitsuki and Masaru would visit or Inko would visit.
Katsuki met Yuji and deemed him a respectable figure. He was protective, understanding, and compassionate. They were traits that matched Izuku's needs and the two worked well together. Neither was sexually attracted to the other for many reasons so their marriage seemed more like a dumb marriage pact two friends would have.
Things would work out in the end. Izuku would become a pro-hero. Yuji would find another suitable husband he fell in love with. Izuku and Yuji would divorce. Izuku would buy a place for him and Inko to live that was close to Mitsuki and Masaru’s.
Izuku would finally let himself fall in love. Katsuki would happily let Izuku love him. They’d get together and take things slow. Izuku would finally experience something he’s deprived himself of and grow addicted.
The End.
Inspired by Fiona and Jimmy's fight in Shameless and the conversation between Amy and Laurie in Little Women. They matched up perfectly with the plot I came up with two days ago in the shower.
Midoriya was never one to miss school. Even if everyone made his life at Aldera Junior High hell, he still managed to show up. Midoriya’s presence was expected to say the least. When Midoriya didn’t show up for school, everyone knew something was wrong.
The teacher announced Midoriya was missing and there would be an investigation held. Any information about who was the last person to see him would be vital. They were hoping students would come forward to help.
Before that could happen the projectors in every class turned on and all other devices were shut down. Teachers were freaking out. They knew it wasn’t a power outage as the screen was on, but they didn’t want to accept the other possibility; That they were in the middle of a villain attack.
A slightly blurred video started playing. It was fuzzy, but everything could still be clearly made out. On the screen were two teens seeming to be in the middle of something serious. One looked around their age while the other looked like they were in high school. The younger had short brown hair and mysterious markings on his body. The older person had long, dark blue hair twisted into a braid. She had very flashy jewelry as well as stunning piercings.
The teacher was trying to take control of the laptop, even stepping out to ask other teachers if they were having the same issues. The school speakers also didn't seem to be working as they weren't getting any messages from the Dean of the school.
"This is taking too long," announced the girl, running her fingers through her bangs.
The guy sighed in defeat, looking at some object in his hands. "Shit, you're right. We need-."
The two looked at each other, seeming to both come to the same conclusion. Either they forgot something or realized what they needed to do to accomplish their goal.
The adults and the students didn't understand what was going on. For all they know, they were being pranked. They didn't know the people they were watching and whatever the duo was doing wasn't clear. Bakugo was unamused, his arms crossed as he glared at the screen. A couple of students were talking amongst themselves with hushed voices.
The two rush out of the room and the camera switches to the next room they enter. They are in the hallway now and the area they are in is humongous but low quality. The halls look like they never got past the spackling faze. The drywall was exposed along with spackling paste covering cracks and screws. The corridor was long and tall, showing it was a big hallway. They rush to a cracked door and the camera switches.
Aldera Junior High turns into a trainwreck when they see Midoriya appear on the screen.
The two look nervous upon entering, staying wary.
That got the teachers and Midoriya's classmates to freeze. There was no way the push-over crybaby Midoriya made people uneasy. Soon the school was just as nervous as the duo on the screen was.
"Midoriya?" called out the girl bravely, her voice very soft.
"Hey, Midoriya. We uh-," stammered the boy, looking at the girl for encouragement.
The girl opened her mouth to speak, only for no words to come out. She had to retry, finally managing to speak for the boy. "We need your help."
Midoriya on the other hand was crying, seemingly in pain as he was clutching his clothes. He was covering his face as well so no one could see what his expression was.
The guy nodded even though Midoriya wasn't looking at him. "Yeah, you're the only one that can... you know. Uh- is there anything we can do to make you feel better? So we can get you to help-."
Midoriya snapped his head upwards, his eyes red from crying as tears stained his skin. His lips trembled as he screamed at them. "Somebody sedate me!"
The two leaped back, terrified by Midoriya. Meanwhile, back at Aldera, everyone was wide-eyed with dropped jaws. There was no way Midoriya actually scared them. There was something about the unhinged screaming that sent shivers down their spines.
Midoriya never raised his voice, let alone glared at the people who bullied him relentlessly. There was no way Midoriya was absolutely losing his shit on people who wanted to actually help him. There was also something about the look in his eyes that freaked them out. Midoriya was currently held hostage, and two that were with him were also hostages. Midoriya was probably breaking under pressure. That was the scary part, Midoriya was pushed past his limits every day and he finally hit his breaking point. Midoriya was losing his shit.
"Woah, woah, woah! Izuku, I know you probably want to stab someone right now... but we gotta get out of here," sympathized the guy, stepping over.
Midoriya glared at the guy, jabbing a finger at him. "Don't patronize me! Unlike you, I feel like I'm dying. You got a quirk, use it."
People back at Aldera swallowed hard. The way Midoriya spat the word 'quirk' at the duo gave everyone chills. There was a lot of hatred dripping from Midoriya's tongue as he spoke. As much as Bakugo and his two lackeys hated to admit it, they were slightly bewildered.
While Bakugo was more stunned by Midoriya being bitter and attacking them for having a quirk, Fujii and Yasui were two other things to deal with. Fujii was shocked Midoriya could hold so much anger despite his claim he felt like he was dying. Yasui was taken aback by the fact Midoriya was being bitchy. He was clearly lashing out, defending himself while knocking the two off their high egos.
The two deflated a bit, looking at each other with a shameful look. The girl stepped forwards, bowing her head. "Look, Midoriya. We are sorry for what we said before. We were wrong."
Midoriya struggled to his feet, breathing heavily as he grabbed his gut. "Oh please, do tell. What were you wrong about?"
The girl raised her gaze to look Midoriya in the eyes. "Everything. We should have listened to you. We wouldn't have gotten into this problem if we had listened to you. Clearly, we are useless even with quirks. We shouldn't have said those things about you because you are quirkless. You're smarter and stronger than me and Ogami combined."
Back at Aldrea, you could hear a pin drop from the silence that washed over the group. The occasional noise of disbelief escaped someone's throat. There was no way that someone was bowing before Midoriya and sucking up to him. They were taking the blame and complimenting Midoriya. They were apologizing for treating him poorly because he is quirkless.
Midoriya stepped towards them, glaring at them. "Well, thank you for growing a brain Maeda, and stating the obvious. Also Ogami... I'd like to hear it from you too."
Ogami swallowed hard, bowing as well. "I apologize. What I said before was out of line. Clearly, we can’t do anything right. Besides… our quirks don’t offer us any advantage. We need you.”
Midoriya smiled, letting out a refreshed sigh. “Yes. You do.”
Bakugo stared at the screen, amused. Midoriya wasn’t playing nice and he liked that. The resistance and the lack of empathy coming from Midoriya was unmatched. Midoriya wasn’t going to tell them it was okay and forgive them. Midoriya wasn’t going to pat their shoulders and dismiss their previous fuck-up's with forgiveness. Midoriya wanted to rub it in their faces and make them wallow in their own self-incompetence. Bakugo loved it.
Midoriya made his way to the door, still clutching his abdomen. Maeda went to help him, but Midoriya shoved her off. “Don’t act like you care now. You had no problem leaving me to die back there before.”
Maeda raised her hands in defense. That was the final message before Midoriya started throwing hands with the two. No one at Aldera would’ve gotten to that point. Hell, they’d probably never gone back to him in the first place. At Aldera, the majority would rather die than admit they'd been wrong for the past two years.
A couple of Midoriya's classmates all exchanged a knowing glance. Midoriya was pissed and wasn't trying to hide it. Midoriya probably tolerated everyone that bullied him because no matter what happened, they never switched up. The group was stubborn, but they weren't fake. They weren't going to act like they magically care or go behind his back. Maeda and Ogami had proven they weren't trustworthy to Midoriya.
Midoriya reached the area they had been in and he looked at what they were doing. Midoriya squinted at the machine before turning to them.
"You both are idiots," remarked Midoriya as he crouched.
The two turned light pink as their eyes were torn away from Midoriya. When they heard him messing around with the small machine, they ignored their embarrassment and tapped into their curiosity. Midoriya was messing with wires and cords like it was common knowledge. Suddenly the door flew open.
Midoriya rose to his feet, tossing the machine aside as he had deactivated the security scanners. "Let's go."
Midoriya cracked his back before letting out a shakey breath. He looked through the door to see another endless hallway. Stepping through, Midoriya leads the way. The two follow closely behind, almost cowardly from the foreign area. Midoriya looked unbothered, making his way through without a care.
The trio's heads all snapped to a room where a crash could be heard. Midoriya is the first to move, grabbing the door handle and throwing open the door. An altercation between a doctor and a kidnapped child could be seen. The kid was kicking, crying, and attempting to scream. Unfortunately, the ducktape seemed to silence the child. Midoriya's blood boiled as he shouted out.
"Hey! Get the fuck off of them!"
The person jumped, staring at Midoriya. Maeda and Ogami hid like the cowards they were, staring at each other with wide eyes. The duo couldn't believe Midoriya had the balls to do such a thing.
Back at Aldera, the entire school was in a fit of despair. The teachers all watched in horror as Midoriya just pulled a suicidal move. Midoriya was not in good health judging by his prior cries of pain, he was in no condition to fight nor protect himself. The students were on the same page, but also equally as worried for the child who had been attacked. It seemed that whatever was going on in the mysterious place was a traumatizing nightmare.
Bakugo was undeniably stunned. Midoriya had guts and he wasn't surprised. He had always been that way since they were little kids. He always threw himself in the middle of a fight to stop it. What had caught him off guard was the anger on his face and the fact he dropped the f-bomb. Midoriya rarely cursed and when he did it wasn't anything serious. Midoriya was beyond serious and Bakugo doubted Midoriya had thought past the confrontation.
The villain threw the kid to the ground and turned to Midoriya. "What are you doing out of your cell?"
"You call what I was in a cell? Consider it a cardboard box," taunted Midoriya, staring at the person with a bored expression.
"Why you-," grunted the man, pulling out a gun and aiming right at Midoriya's face.
Midoriya didn't waver, blinking slowly as he crossed his arms.
Teachers covered their faces, feeling dread pool in their stomachs. Students followed suit, looking away in fear of the villain pulling the trigger. Bakugo refused to look away, knowing this interaction wouldn't be cut and dry. Besides, the blank look on Midoriya's face was hard to look away from despite it being so haunting.
A couple of Midoriya's other bullies watched, curious about how this would go down. Midoriya wasn't known well for defending himself so how was going going to get himself out of a gun being aimed at his face.
"Wow, merchandise like you shouldn't go to waste... but if you're planning on being difficult I can easily find someone else to replace you," sighed the villain, cocking their gun.
Midoriya tilted his head to the side. "I think that's the nicest thing I've ever been told. Being quirkless and all... I wouldn't consider myself merchandise that shouldn't be wasted."
The villain cursed themself, their gun seeming to shake a bit. "Dammit. How in the hell did a quirkless fuck like you manage to get out?"
"It's no hard task really. Even with all the shitty injections you gave me, your attempts of trapping your cattle here aren't too complex," sneered Midoriya, swallowing hard.
"If you keep running your mouth like that, I might just send a bullet between your eyes," threatened the villain steadying the gun again.
Midoriya shrugged, staring him in the eyes. "I wouldn't mind. It would probably be the first scary thing you'd do."
"Oh? Do you fear death? Is it because you're quirkless? With how you talk to me I bet you think you can make a difference in the world," ridiculed the villain, smirking as they thought they hit a nerve.
Midoriya remained quiet, his eyes twitching a bit. The villain stepped forward, the gun clearly aimed at the spot between Midoriya's eyes. "Is that what you fear? That you'll amount to nothing? Or frightened you'll disappear from the minds of others before you make something of yourself?"
Midoriya shook his head, letting out a quick chuckle as he let his face fall, void of emotion. "No. I'm not. I am happy because I want to die. I want to return to nothing."
Silence followed. The villain felt their eyes widen, their hand trembling a bit. The child on the ground stared up at Midoriya in shock, everything they just experienced being too much to process. Midoriya's teachers covered their mouths. They were horrified by what they just heard even though they should've been aware they were part of the reason why. Midoriya's classmates paled, listening to the undeniable truth. They should've taken their words, taunts, and bullying at face value. Their actions hurt people and actions have consequences. They actively hurt him, excluded him, and offered no sense of safety his entire time at this school.
Bakugo listened in horror. At this point, even if he hadn't suicide-bated Midoriya, he had been the main tormentor. His lackeys felt just as guilty. They had sided with Bakugo and have been arguably worse in certain cases. They were the ones to announce his quirklessness at Aldera when they all got accepted into the school. They would the ones to laugh and encourage others to be just as guilty by being bystanders.
The villain lowered the gun, his excitement at being in power vanishing. How could they be in power when they were doing exactly what their victim wanted them to do?
Midoriya suddenly lashed out, sending his fist into the villain's nose. The villain flew back, crashing to the floor. The villain was knocked out, unconscious.
Bakugo's jaw dropped. Midoriya's other bullies' jaws dropped. Midoriya's classmates' jaws dropped. Midoriya's peers' jaws dropped. Midoriya's teachers' jaws dropped. Everyone's jaws at Aldera Junior High were dropped.
People exclaimed their disbelief that Midoriya did a one-shot on the villain. People were hyped up, freaking out. People were crapping their pants at the information Midoriya packed a deadly punch. The school was in chaos mode with this information.
Midoriya stuck up his nose in disgust as he rubbed his knuckles. After making sure the villain was out, Midoriya rushed to the child's side.
Midoriya easily took off the ducktape, caressing the child's face like a worried parent. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
The kid didn't bother responding, rushing into Midoriya's arms to hug him. Midoriya yelped at the weight suddenly put onto his injury, but quickly hugged the child back. The child was trembling and Midoriya simply supported the kid's legs around his waist and picked the kid up. Midoriya bent down and snatched the villain's belongings before locking him in the room.
Midoriya turned his head to look at where Maeda and Ogami were hiding and pouted out his lip. "Aw, were you so scared you had to hide?" Midoriya suddenly shot them an angry glare. "Fucking cowards."
No one could disagree with Midoriya. When you compare the two both possessing a quirk and Midoriya alone without a quirk, they did seem cowardly. Midoriya got the out of the area they were originally contained in, took the lead, saved a child, and did all of that while being in immense pain.
Midoriya tossed them the key. "I'm assuming you are capable of opening locks right?"
Maeda caught the keys, nodding. She wasn't about to talk back, Midoriya knocked out a villain with one punch. For a while, the live stream wasn't anything interesting. The four made their way through the halls, freeing more and more people.
Even if the stream wasn't as interesting, the suspense was still at an all-time high. The school full of teachers and students was still anticipating an attack or another villain. There was no way this whole situation would be this easy.
Eventually, their group was up to fifteen people and was making their way through the halls. Eventually, Midoriya reaches a room and unlocks the door with a keycard he stole. The person who kidnapped him and the leader were seated in that room. Midoriya walked in a closed the door behind him.
It seemed as if time slowed down for the group back at Aldera. There was this new kind of fear that consumed them. The unknown ending of the finale. While none of the knew if these were the remaining people, the decor of the room Midoriya was in gave them the impression whoever was in there was of high authority. Midoriya was once again alone, purposely closing himself off from the group because of the kids present. Midoriya was clearly slowing down a bit as time progressed because of his injuries and pushing down his own issues for the sake of everyone else.
"I should've known you'd be a firecracker," scoffed the kidnapper, crossing his arms. "You put up a nasty fight."
Midoriya smiled innocently. "I really hope you enjoyed the broken arm and concussion."
Bakugo raised a brow, slightly surprised Midoriya fought back. Maybe Midoriya wasn't taken by surprise. If he was taken by surprise, his kidnappers clearly sucked at kidnapping. He didn't believe Midoriya could fight in an intense situation like an active kidnapping despite he had watched Midoriya win after being in a standoff with someone armed with a gun.
The leader laughed, tilting his head back for dramatics. "Aren't you entertaining! Never would have thought a quirkless teen in this day and age would have this charisma."
Midoriya's face scrunched up in disgust. "You really are a freak... Tanji Susumu. I know you've been watching, you do realize this is the end for you right?"
The leader revealed as Tanji Susumu, chuckled, "Well... I may just let you all leave without a fight if you care to sit on my lap for an hour or two."
Students were appalled by what they just heard. While it was no surprise this sicko was a pedophile, his bluntness about it was revolting. It was equally as disgusting to say that to Midoriya like it was an offer. He knew the option was to fight or to sexually please a pedophile.
Midoriya stepped forward, a faked looked of surprise on his face. "Oh, so we are negotiating now?"
Tanji smirked, seeming to believe Midoriya was considering it, and got excited. "Yes, we are."
The adults in the room grew nervous. They were blind as a bat and failed to notice the clear strain in Midoriya's smile and the hatred in his eyes. They were terrified at the thought Midoriya would give in. Bakugo knew better, Midoriya threw around emotions and words to mislead his opponent only to strike them down when they were distracted.
"Let's just make something clear," began Midoriya mysteriously. Midoriya walked forwards slowly, his smile dropping into a scowl as he spat, "I wouldn't fuck you if your dick were made out of gold."
Midoriya's tone sent shivers down everyone's spine. Bakugo smiled, genuinely fond of Midoriya's expanded vocabulary and harshness. He wanted to watch Midoriya kill this bastard. All the teachers grew excited, seeing that Midoriya never once considered taking up the offer. Midoirya's classmates were all shaking in anticipation, uneasy about what was to come.
Tanji seemed far too excited about Midoriya's abrasiveness and patted his lap in excitement. "Woohoo! You're one mouthy cunt aren't you?"
The kidnapper grinned, nodding at Tanji in agreeance. Midoriya's frown deepened as he stepped forward. Tanji continued to laugh as if Midoriya's words were the most amusing thing he's ever heard. Midoriya grunted as he sent his foot out, kicking Tanji in the throat. Tanji flew back in his seat, the air knocked out of him. His frantic breathing could be heard.
"Cunt likes to kick!" shouted Midoriya spitefully.
People jumped, yelped, cheered, and froze upon Midoriya's attack on Tanji. The bastard of a man had really gotten on everyone's nerves so no one was complaining. In all honesty, many were more impressed with how powerful Midoriya's leg was. His kick was high and fast. Many also were too busy wrapping their heads around what Midoirya had just said.
The kidnapper approached ready for round two. Midoriya narrowed his eyes and faced his body to the man. Midoriya moved forward and sent another kick to a lovely spot in between his legs.
"Get some!"
The kidnapper fell to the ground, reaching for his manhood. Midoriya stood over him mercilessly.
"Ugly bitch!"
Jaws hit the floor with Midoriya's aggressiveness. There was something so hypnotizing about it. The kick to the balls and the shouting gave them heart palpitations. They were all super excited about the fighting. After all, Midoriya was clearly winning. Some of the teachers were still trying to get over the fact Midoriya cursed like there was no tomorrow.
While many of the teenagers were excited about the fighting, they were extremely curious about where it all came from. He never showed an ounce of aggressiveness and his physical abilities in the gym never seemed to change. Midoriya never showed this side to himself so many questions they had would end up going unanswered.
Midoriya stepped on the two villains on his way to the back wall where he grabbed two knives. "You underestimated the wrong quirkless person. I hope you die a painful death."
The two groaned, struggling to get up. Tanji looked up, clutching his throat. "If you were my son, I’d beat the shit out of you."
Midoriya turned around to look at where Tanji pathetically struggled while gripping the knife. "And if I was your son, I’d slit my throat first." Midoriya flicked his wrist, sending the knife to rest right beside Tanji's hand. "Try harder."
Warry glances were exchanged. Bakugo swallowed upon seeing Midoriya's precision. Midoriya had always been seen as competition in Bakugou's eyes, but now he was serious competition. Where Midoriya's desires never wavered before, he now had the physical strength to support his goal.
Some people were freaking out that Midoriya was dangerous. Some people were amazed by his knife skills. Some were cheering for him for telling off the guy. Everyone would rather die than be that pedophile's child.
Midoriya walked out, closed the door, and punched the security panel, sealing the door shut. Letting out a deep breath, Midoriya turned to the group that had been anxiously waiting.
"Okay, let's find where they kept our things and get out of here."
The group found the storage room. Midoriya called the cops and the group all made their way out of the building. The live stream continued, but they could no longer see what was happening. Eventually, the live stream ended when the cops arrived.
When Midoriya arrived the following week after leaving the hospital and taking a mental recovery, he could immediately tell the difference.
There were a lot fewer insults as he went through his day. The underclassmen no longer whispered to one another as he passed them in the hall. His teachers treated him with respect and took him seriously. If he had a question, they actually answered it. If he had a concern, they listened.
It wasn't until Midoriya was in his second year of UA that he found out about the sudden change in behavior. He always believed it was because they knew he had been kidnapped.
Bakugo and Midoriya were munching on some spicy curry when the conversation came up. Midoriya swallowed his bite before speaking. "What did the teachers tell you when I disappeared for a week?"
"Well, they announced you were missing and there would be an investigation held. Before that even happened, the dumbass villain broadcasted you all escaping like an idiot," revealed Bakugo, scoffing before stuffing his face again.
"What! Oh god. So that's why everyone was acting weird," groaned Midoriya, covering his face in embarrassment.
Bakugo made direct eye contact with Midoriya and bluntly commented, "Half the fuckers were scared of you. The other half was all shy and guilty. Besides, you beating up the idiots and shit-talking everyone was funny."
"You think so?" inquired Midoriya, a timid smile on his face at the hidden compliment.
"Shut the hell up you damn nerd!" roared Bakugo, throwing a spoon at Midoriya.
"Wha-chan!" yelped Midoriya as he swiftly dodged the fork.
(The end! Did anyone notice my two references? One from Neon Genesis Evangelion and one from Ozark)
Bakugo and his two lackeys, Yukimura and Sada, decided it would be a great idea to use Midoriya’s kindness against him. One day, Bakugo slipped a note into Midoriya’s locker asking for him to meet someone behind the school. Even if Midoriya knew it was a trap, he didn’t want to be rude in case it wasn’t.
Bakugo was waiting for him while Yukimura and Sada were hiding around the corner. Midoriya turned the corner, holding the note with a blank expression. He wasn’t nervous and he seemed far from interested that someone wanted to see him. The moment Midoriya spotted Bakugo, he apprehensively continued walking over.
Midoriya was interested, considering it appeared that Bakugo was alone. Bakugo apologized to Midoriya for everything, bowing to further convince Midoriya. Midoriya stared at him in shock, pleasantly surprised Bakugo was apologizing.
Midoriya wiped his tears. “I accept your apology, but it’ll take a while for me to forgive you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Bakugo was genuinely baffled to hear Midoriya didn’t forgive him. Something about that drove his hunger. He wanted to play Midoriya until Midoriya said he forgave him. When Bakugo parted ways with Midoriya, he gathered with the other two and laughed. They got Midoriya good.
Time passed and Midoriya was like putty in Bakugo’s hand. Midoriya was easy to mold and manipulate. Midoriya genuinely gave Bakugo the benefit of the doubt once Yukimura and Sada backed off. Midoriya still wasn’t convinced, but he wanted to believe Bakugo was being sincere. Midoriya didn’t want to think Bakugo could stoop that low.
Midoriya was proven right. That in the pit of his stomach, something was wrong. It was a Thursday afternoon. Bakugo invited Midoriya to the back of the school again. Midoriya naturally agreed, seeing nothing strange about it considering Bakugo had been nice. Bakugo confessed to Midoriya, taking his small hands in his bigger ones.
Midoriya’s eyes went wide in bewilderment. His cheeks burned under the hot gaze of his childhood friend. Midoriya never really felt romantic attraction to Bakugo, Bakugo was a bully after all. Midoriya did admire him though, finding him to be a true symbol of victory. His determination and stubbornness never wavered in the face of an obstacle. If he wanted something, he’d get it by any means necessary.
Midoriya still couldn’t help but feel his heart beat pick up, the rapid thumping loud in his ears. It felt like a dream. Maybe he really could fall in love with Bakugo. The blonde did have a charm. Before he could do anything else, Bakugo tugged him in for a kiss. Midoriya squeaked, not appreciating being forced into a kiss he wasn’t prepared for. He didn’t even want to have his first kiss so early on in his life.
Before Midoriya could push him off himself, Katsuki threw him back. Midoriya was having whiplash from all the tugging and pushing, not surprised Bakugo was a bad kisser. When Midoriya’s dizziness subsided and he looked up to Bakugo’s face, the sincerity was gone. The soft expression as he confessed his love was gone. The haunting smile he wore a mere month ago was back.
“Wow Deku. You really thought I actually liked you? Pathetic!”
Yukimura and Sada came out from hiding, cackling like Midoriya’s humiliation was the funniest thing on the planet. Midoriya left dread hit him like a truck. The world stopped. His heart shattered as the last speck of respect he had for Bakugo disappeared.
Midoriya refused to cry, sucking back in his tears. He looked at Bakugo with pure, venomous hatred. “How dare you.”
“Huh? Can’t hear you if you keep mumbling fucking loser,” sneered Bakugo, leaning close condescendingly.
Midoriya hissed at Bakugo, enraged. “How. Dare. You. I knew you’d use whatever you could against me… but my own unpreparedness? I haven’t even forgiven you… and you thought springing that on me was funny?”
Bakugo swallowed hard. He had never heard Midoriya use that tone before. Midoriya’s face had never shown that much disgust before. Midoriya’s eyes never revealed that much rage before. Yukimura and Sada looked just as stunned, not expecting their “prank” to get that reaction. They expected him to cry like a baby and then run away like a heartbroken school girl.
Midoriya couldn’t hold back the tears as the betrayal chewed up his heart. “You stole my first kiss from me without permission—without any indication I reciprocated your feelings. Whether or not the feeling you showed were fake. I wanted to believe there was still some good in you… but Katsuki, you’re a horrible person.”
Midoriya left, holding his head high despite his shaking hands. His knuckles were white from how hard he tightened his hands. Midoriya’s jaw was clenched painfully hard, to the point it made his teeth ache. He was feeling too many negative feelings all at once. He left the campus of hell knowing he would erase his bullies’ existence from his memories.
The next day turned up and Bakugo, Yukimura, and Sada were pulling their usual douchebag stunts like they had before. Midoriya ignored them completely, controlling his overwhelming emotions. It wasn’t until they were dismissed for lunch that the inevitable confrontation occurred.
Midoriya rose from his seat, going to grab his bento when three very familiar chuckles met his ears.
“Deku.”
“Quite rude to ignore people talking to you.”
Midoriya looked up to meet the three with a scowl. He had no time to encourage their fragile masculinity and oppressive mindsets.
“Wow, that’s rich coming from you,” mocked Midoriya, his tone sarcastic.
“Woah. Seems like someone is actually upset,” teased Sada, pushing out his bottom lip to pout.
Midoriya tilted his head to the side and flashed a pissed smile. “Hardly. I’m more impressed you guys have reached a new level of ignorance.”
Bakugo stepped closer, a smug smirk on a his face. “Oo, you really got us with that one Deku.”
Midoriya’s eyes narrowed, his smile dropping in a deep frown. “It’s just an astute observation. Your response is irrelevant.”
“Someone sounds butthurt,” laughed Yukimura, crossing his arms. He was painfully proud of what he had just said.
Bakugo glanced at Yukimura, having a thought triggered by his comment. Smiling, Bakugo towered over Midoriya, failing at intimidating the somewhat shorter male.
“Oh, is this sudden attitude all because I stole your first kiss? Really, you’re throwing a tantrum because I kissed you?”
Midoriya saw red. What Bakugo had done was a form of sexual assault. Midoriya was rightfully pissed about being violated. Throwing a tantrum was the furthest thing from what he was doing. Midoriya drew a fist back and swung.
Bakugo flew back from the insanely strong punch to the nose. He could deep blood drip down, the throbbing overcoming the waves of pain from the punch. Midoriya stood over him, his stare unforgiving.
“Do not act like what you did to me was a childish prank. You live in this make-believe world that I’m obsessed with you. If you opened your eyes, you’d see I stopped looking up to you the moment you put down others to raise yourself on this stupid pedestal of “I was born with the most privilege”. Grow up. You’re not that special,” seethed Midoriya, rubbing his knuckles as he spoke.
Grabbing his lunch, Midoriya snapped his gaze to Sada and Yukimura. “If you ugly, pathetic, weak-quirk losers even try and mess with me after encouraging Katsuki to do what he did… I’ll castrate you.”
The two urgently backed away, covering their small manhoods in fear. Midoriya looked down at Bakugo to see his expression. All Midoriya could do was smile, relishing the sight of a mortified Bakugo. Midoriya stepped over him and walked out the classroom with a pep in his step.
When the two made it into U.A. Bakugo made sure to stay in his place when it came to Midoriya. While he still was aggressive and arrogant to some degree, he significantly toned it down. After all, Midoriya had cracked his high ego and defeated him solely with his tongue. Behind that happy-go-lucky persona, Midoriya was a grudge-holding menace.
Izuku was best friends with his guidance counselor. Inko knew about Izuku’s mental health and Izuku had no problem speaking his mind. Izuku had been hospitalized on a number of occasions because he told Inko. The guidance counselor was aware of Izuku being open with his mom which lowered the stress of betraying Izuku’s trust.
Izuku was incredibly depressed and struggled to cope with the bullying. Being able to wear a facade all day was exhausting as well. It was nice to walk into the counselor’s office and vent. While Izuku was open, he did hide it around his mother. He didn’t want her to worry more than she already was. Seeing the school counselor was the only option considering therapy was far too expensive.
Izuku had Major Depressive Disorder, Social Phobia, Attention Deficit Disorder, and was showing signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder more and more with every encounter of bullying he endured. It was clear the physical and mental abuse he received day in and day out didn’t help. There was no escape when he came home. Cyberbullying was just as severe.
During lunch, milk had been pored all over Izuku. Much to everyones shock, Izuku slammed his book shut and stormed out of the cafeteria. Katsuki scowled, irritated by Izuku’s dramatic reaction. The brown haired bully jumped, not expecting the retaliation. The other bully watched him leave, bewhildered before smirking.
“Let’s get him while he’s in the locker room!”
Katsuki didn’t have a problem with it, wanting to put Izuku back in his place. The other bully tagged along, lauging about how he was going to mock Izuku. They chased after him.
When Izuku’s three bullies spotted him down the hall, his shoulders were tensed, a milk trail following him. His book bag was in one hand and his notebook in the other. There was something about the aura he was radiating that made them uneasy. Midoriya stormed right up to the guidance counselor’s office, threw open the door and let it out.
“Do you know how much I want to fucking pick up a fucking chair and smash it across their fucking face?”
Katsuki stopped in his tracks, eyes wide in surprise. That went straight to his dick.
“Shit. Izuku’s told on us?” whispered the long-finger bully.
“That’s what you’re worried about? He sounds like he wants to kill us,” exasperated the brown haired bully.
Katsuki had more concerns than that. In that split second, he came to the realization he knew nothing about Izuku. He didn’t know Izuku cursed. He never would’ve guessed Izuku got angry. Katsuki wondered if Izuku already was telling the adults at school, was he telling Inko? In a matter of seconds, he realized his entire future lies in Izuku’s hands. Something about that made him oddly hot, feeling flustered by the information.
The guidance counselor didn’t even sound surprised by his outburst. “Oh I know you do. Thankfully you didn’t do it.”
Izuku took a sharp breath before slamming the door behind him. The building shook from the force of the slam, causing the three to share a stunned look. They all crept to the door to listen, needing to know more.
“I’m leaving my stuff here. I’m going to the showers and I’ll be back. I’m skipping next period,” informed Izuku. His tone was sharp, unsteady, and clearly still holding a lot of rage.
The counselor shook her head, fixing her notebook’s position on the desk. “Very well. I’ll try and dry off your things while you clean up.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem kid.”
The bullies booked it to a janitors closet down the hall to avoid getting caught. Izuku came out a couple seconds later, fingers flying on the keypads on his phone. When he disappeared down the hall, the group chose to part their separate ways and head to class.
Katsuki sat at his desk with a scowl. He was frustrated by his feelings. As much as he wanted to hate Midoriya and unleash his rage to make up for extreme weakness he was feeling, he truly didn’t want to. There was some deep fondness resonating within him. He was terrified and that excited him.
Izuku reappeared a period later with a drained expression. His hair was dry, his clothes were completely changed, and his bag and notebook looked perfectly fine. While the trio were mad their stunt didn’t leave any long lasting damage, they were glad their actions didn’t cause him to be so pissed off that he’d kill them.
None of the idiots wanted to be hit in the fucking face by a fucking chair.
Izuku Has An Older Brother
Hisashi Midoriya dead
Mild Manga Spoiler @ end
The Midoriya family was small. It was Izuku, Inko, Hisashi, and his older brother Haru. Haru had stopped going to school halfway through high school, needing to help pay the bills. Hisashi had gotten sick during his business trip in Germany and could no longer work. Inko went from being a stay at home mom, to working 40 hour weeks with paid overtime. Haru would be out working as well, helping to fill in the other expenses of the apartment and everyday necessities.
Izuku grew up taking care of Hisashi. Izuku would give him his baths, make him take his pills, put on his chapstick, and make sure his IV was working properly. When Izuku was in his first year of Junior High, Hisashi passed away. Inko never told anyone, but many people from Hisashi’s work came, both from Japan and from Germany. He had been highly respected and had been an incredible man. Izuku sobbed, missing school for a week. Inko had kept up with work, having to pay off debt. Haru continued working, but lowered the amount of time he was working to keep an eye on Izuku. Izuku spent most of his time wrapped up in Hisashi’s clothing, laying in the bed he spent almost every hour of every day in.
Izuku still cleaned the house, made them dinner for after work, and would even spend his free time teaching Haru the stuff he learned. Izuku would give Inko back massages, fix her tea, and cuddle her to let them mourn and push past their grief and loss. Haru would always watch Midoriya with sad eyes, seeing him wear the same shirts everyday. The shirts were basic and they were all bought from the clearance section in a random clothing store. He watched Midoriya buy the same red shoes every time he needed a new pair. They were the cheapest pair of shoes manufactured for quirkless people.
Izuku would sit there, all alone in the kitchen, finding online coupons for Haru to use since he cut back on work hours. Izuku would do every single free give away for All Might merchandise and would only ask for one poster or figure for his birthday. Inko and Haru would often cry, knowing how this was a lot for Izuku to deal with when he was only 12 years old. Nothing really got better when Izuku started experiencing severe bullying in school. He never told Haru or Inko, but they knew.
Izuku was in his second year of Junior High when Haru decided to surprise him. Haru planned to pick Izuku up from school and take him out to grab something to eat. It would just be Haru and Izuku since Inko switched shifts with someone and was working the night shift instead. Izuku had gotten out of school, phone held in his hand as he read an article about a villain attack. Bakugo and his lackeys weren’t too far behind Midoriya, stalking him like wild predators.
Haru waved at Izuku calling out. “Izuku!”
Izuku’s head snapped up from his phone. Spotting Haru, Izuku beamed at the sight of his brother. “Haru!”
The bullies immediately backed off. They were stunned to see Midoriya with an older guy who was definitely nearing the end of his teen years. Bakugo felt his blood boil, frustrated and confused at the presence of the unknown person. The other bullies were just shocked to see someone greet Midoriya happily.
Haru smiled, looking down at Midoriya fondly. “Mom switched shifts, we going out to eat tonight. I know it’s long overdue, but consider it your birthday dinner.”
Bakugo stilled a bit, confused on how Haru spoke to Izuku. He wasn’t sure if Haru was acting like he was Midoriya’s older brother or if they were actually brothers. Bakugo stalked closer casually, trying not to bring attention to him or his lackeys.
Izuku smiled, head tilting to the side. “Nonsense. I can cook us something a home. I just won a raffle the other day and got us two fresh briskets!” Izuku started rambling, getting excited. “We can have one tonight. I was planning on having some beef stock soup and enoki mushrooms with a garlic and scallion sauce! I could even save some for mom and we can drop it off at her work!”
Bakugo’s eyebrows narrowed with his eyes, growing irritated. Since when did Inko work? There was nothing wrong with her working, but since him and Izuku were in diapers, Inko always took care of Izuku and was a stay at home mom. On top of that, Midoriya was winning food raffles and talking about making a fancy meal? Since when did Izuku want to be a chef or focus on anything other than being a hero. The bullies were shocked by that part as well.
Haru frowned, looking at Midoriya with guilty eyes, ashamed of how Midoriya was so prone to saving money for the others sake. “No I was hoping we could go out and grab something together. I love your cooking and that sound amazing, but mom already took some leftovers yesterday to work and I saved up some money to treat you.”
Bakugo felt his eye twitch, hands growing sweaty.
“Money?”
He couldn’t understand why money was such an issue suddenly? It seemed that everything was perfect for Izuku financially. He always had All Might merchandise and his uniform was always in perfect condition despite the amount of them he personally had ruined. He didn’t know who this mystery guy was or why he wanted to take Izuku out on a late birthday dinner.
Izuku smiled, taking Haru’s hands gently. Most of the students had disappeared at this point, many already in their clubs or heading home or to hang out with friends. Bakugo and his lackeys pretended that they were not paying attention. Midoriya wasn’t facing them so as long as Haru didn’t grow suspicious then everything would’ve been fine.
Izuku had taken Haru’s hands gently and smiled. “Are you sure? I don’t need a birthday dinner… all I needed was to spend the day with you and mom. I don’t need you to go out of your way to do this for me.”
The group of bullies felt guilt creep in, uneasy with how Midoriya spoke.
Haru frowned, eyes whelming up slightly with tears at how gentle his younger brother was. “I’m sorry Izuku. I’m so sorry.”
Midoriya raised a hand to wipe Haru’s tears.
“Don’t apologize brother.”
The group instantly froze, finally noticing the faint freckles Haru must’ve also inherited from his father. They noticed the black hair that matched the black patches in Midoriya’s. Bakugo noticed his hair was similar to Inko’s, thick and straight. The boy was wearing a black dress shirt and some slacks, revealing his probably worked as a server at a restaurant. His eyes were tried, but he looked at Midoriya so adoringly that they would’ve mistaken the exhaustion for relief.
They all watched the older boy, now known as Midoriya’s brother, shiver under the kind touch of the boy they bullied.
“Brother… why are you always apologizing?” inquired Izuku.
“I… I don’t,” denied Haru sheepishly.
“Yes. You do. You and mother stare at me with apologetic eyes all the time. You use actions, not words, to say you are sorry,” stated Izuku firmly.
The brother felt his eyes widen, cheek heating up at the fact he had been caught. He found himself embarrassed, thinking he had tried to appear strong when Izuku saw through it all along.
Bakugo saw the expression of Haru and knew instantly that Izuku saw deeper into Haru than what Haru assumed he was capable of seeing. The other bullies watched, crouching to rest their legs, but listening at the same time. Bakugo wanted to know everything, he didn’t know why he didn’t know. Inko told Mitsuki everything and Mitsuki told everything she talked about to him and his father at dinner. Why did he not know about Haru? Why did he not know about the money? What else didn’t he know?
“Does being poor make us unhappy? If I can’t wear popular clothing or buy a new uniform, should people pity us?” questioned Midoriya, gently rubbing Haru’s cheek with concern.
Haru looked at Midoriya with widened eyes. Desperately wanting to tell Midoriya that yes, he was happy even though he was poor. Nobody had to pity them because of their circumstances. He wanted to let Midoriya know he deserved those things. Not that because of them being poor, they had to be miserable and appear miserable.
Bakugo on the other hand felt his heart stop. Not only was Midoriya struggling with money, but they were classified as poor. Not only that but he and the other bullies were astonished how well kept the uniform was. It looked perfect despite the amount of times they pushed him and made him scratch up the uniform or how they made him get stains on it, or the times where they’ve burnt it or spilled things on him. They couldn’t fathom the work he put in to not get a new one. They felt guilty, not only were the hurting Midoriya, but the entire family when they were financially distressed. They felt like the shit people they truly were.
They couldn’t do anything but look at Midoriya love and console his older brother, finally deciding to talk about the issues they most likely danced around.
“Are you so determined to blame someone that… that you blame our father from dying of illness?” softly persisted Izuku, asking gently in the worry of Haru being so torn up over what happened that his grief turned to anger.
Bakugo and the bullies felt as if their world shattered in the moment. The distraught look on Haru’s face matched the bullies as they felt like they had just recieved the biggest slap in the face.
Bakugo stood there is disbelief. Hisashi was dead, that’s why Inko was working and they were struggling for money. He didn’t know when Hisashi got sick, when he died, how Hisashi died. He didn’t even know if there was a funeral. This side of Midoriya’s life had been hidden so well it never once occurred to him something changed. The other bullies all unanimously agreed they would back off with Midoriya’s uniform.
“While I was taking care of him, bathing him, feeding him… he worked so hard… but it wasn’t enough. Nothing he could’ve done was enough. Even though the medicine was keeping the illness from developing, it weakened his kidneys and liver,” explained Midoriya, taking Haru’s hand again, squeezing them tightly.
Bakugo felt himself join the others crouching down as he was overwhelmed with even more information. They all exchanged a look, realizing how bad this was. Izuku was bullied during the day, taking care of his dying father at night. None of them could even begin to imagine how mentally challenging it must’ve been for him.
“We just have to accept it,” cooed Midoriya, looking down at Haru’s hands.
Haru felt his eyes water, amazed with his little brother’s beautiful maturity and innocence. I made the cold bitterness in his heart turn into a warm and sugary lightness. With Izuku’s words alone, he felt ready to accept how things were.
Midoriya looked up at his brother with tears falling from his eyes, his heart racing. “We’re only humans. We can’t just expect things to go the way we want.”
The group of bullies felt their eyes widen, listening to Midoriya in awe. His ability to push forward with pride and passion to take life head and heart first stunned them. They all knew if they had been put in his shoes, none of them would be handling it how he was. Hell, they weren’t even sure if they’d still be alive. Bakugo’s whole existence was based off of his quirk, without it, he’d have nothing. He never would admit it, but it was true. To hear Midoriya explain that he accepted life for what it is despite the odds being against him, was powerful.
Haru was frowning, beyond upset. It wasn’t toward Izuku, Inko, or Hisashi. It was toward himself. He had wallowed in self-pity and self-deprecating thoughts when he should’ve been pushing forward to smile and laugh. He should’ve been working harder, towards a brighter future that Hisashi would want them to go chase after. Izuku tended to his family because he wanted them to smile again, live comfortably in the comfort of being alive with one another.
“Whether or not you are happy… all of this is up to you. What matters in now. That your alive, you’re healthy, and that I’m here and mom’s here,” rationalized Izuku, trying to speak his heart, his voice, his thoughts and feelings.
One of the bullies nodded to himself, agreeing. Izuku was completely right. Haru had every right to focus on the past and reflect, but the past shouldn’t be controlling everything he does in the future. Haru and Inko were trying to live through the past and it wasn’t helping them or Izuku. From what they heard, Midoriya heart was pure despite the scars is bore. Bakugo felt the protectiveness he once felt as a young child. He felt that longing need to be the stronger one that would protect the meek kid Izuku was. The bullies didn’t feel the need to protect, but rather they felt respect. They all felt the strong vitality Midoriya possessed, and they respected it.
“Let’s push forward together, focus on what’s going to come! Yes, we must work hard and do things that we’d rather not worry or stress over… but we must fight for it!” Midoriya raised his voice as he spoke, finding himself growing emotional.
The life in Midoriya’s voice, the overwhelming emotions that couldn’t be easily defined, shook them to their core. They hadn’t ever heard Midoriya’s raise his voice, let alone sound defensive.
“So please, stop apologizing. You out of everyone I know should understand… I want someone to understand how I feel!” cried Midoriya.
The bullies felt their eyes widen. Out of all of the times they’ve seen Midoriya cry. They’ve never heard it. They’ve never listened to his voice break as he tried to finish his sentence despite his soul howling in despair. Bakugo knew things were going to change, he wouldn’t make it too obvious, but he was going to lay off. The bullies were more than willing to comply, using him being quirkless didn’t seem like justification for their actions after what they heard.
Haru felt his eyes widen, panicking. “Hey, hey, hey. I want to understand how you feel Izu. I can’t imagine what you had to go through taking care of dad alone. I can’t imagine what it felt like watching him die as you waited for someone to come help. I don’t understand your emotional connection… but I want you to have everything and more Izuku.”
Haru pulled Izuku into a tight hug, rubbing his cheek in Izuku’s wild curls and breathing in the wonderful scent of their 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner. He clung to Izuku like a lifeline, rocking back and fourth. Midoriya hugged back, his whole body sinking into Haru.
“You deserve everything you want in life Izuku. I’m apologizing because I can’t offer you what you deserve. You don’t deserve anything you’ve been through.”
Izuku grumbled, smacking the back of Haru’s head. “Don’t worry about what I deserve. Focus on what I need. I need you and mom to smile and stop wallowing around. Let me do what I’ve been doing to help without having you two stare at me with sad eyes.”
The bullies all watched the two interact with grins. The sight of Haru being serious and wanting the best for Midoriya, only for him to get disciplined by his younger brother. It was laughable, but they remained quiet, pretending to just be worried about something else. Haru had acknowledged their presence, but didn’t think anything of it because they did appear to be on their phones and casually “talking”.
Midoriya pulled away and quickly dabbed away his tears. “Let’s grab some bubble tea and go home and grill some brisket? I don’t want to eat out… it gives me anxiety.”
Haru looked at Midoriya and his mood immediately lightens up. “Okay, let’s go. Wanna talk about your day at school?”
“School was stupid as always. How about you tell me how work went. I’m sure some crazy person made an interesting story,” deflected Izuku, quickly putting the focus off of him.
The bullies as sank with relief, glad Midoriya didn’t bring them up. They couldn’t help but be surprised nonetheless as he didn’t even show any sign his day was bad, giving a generic response like any teen would normally say. They couldn’t help but wonder if Midoriya never brought them up period.
Midoriya patted his brother on the cheek before Haru turned around to walk with Midoriya to the cheapest place to buy bubble tea.
The following day, Midoriya comes to school and rather being greeted by a punch, he only met with insults. Not once had Bakugo and his lackeys lay a finger on him since the beginning of the day to the moment Midoriya stepped into the comfort of his home. Midoriya noticed the way their words seemed to get caught on their tongue as they made snide comments and their usual stale remarks and insults. He noticed and wondered if they had a change of heart and a change of attitude. Maybe someone said something to them that made them think about their actions. Whatever it was, it made Midoriya smile to himself. All days after that, it was the same. His bullying became strictly verbal and he could live with that.
Time passed and nothing really changed until the fateful day the teacher purposefully told the class Midoriya wanted to go to UA. Bakugo lost his temper and proceeded to be just as awful of a person as he had been the previous yesr. The bullies even called him out for it, pointing out how he was far harsher than usual. Bakugo had burned Midoriya’s shoulder while death gripping it. He chased his physical attack with one of the worst things he could’ve ever said and proceeded to leave as if nothing had happened.
Midoriya got into UA anyways and made Bakugo eat his words. Bakugo didn’t understand how Midoriya magically got a quirk, but that was a confrontation for another time. It wouldn’t be until after the Paranormal Liberation War when Midoriya was in recovery that Bakugo finally met Haru one to one.
The first thing Bakugo did was bow down before Haru and Inko.
“I’m sorry.”
A/N: anyone notice the scene from Demon Slayer I used 😉
ALSO HOW DO YOU UNLIKE YOUR OWN POST???
nvm my shit was glitched
Midoriya was sitting on couch, wrapped up in a blanket as he read his online All Might comic. This was his usual routine as he waited for his mom to return home. Suddenly there was the knock on the door. Midoriya jumped up, assuming his mother got groceries on her way home and needed him to open the door.
Without bothering to look through the peephole, Midoriya threw open the door with a wide smile. “You’re back! Need me to help with-?”
Upon opening his eyes, he was met with a kind looking man standing beside what appeared to be his teenage son. Midoriya turned bright red, visibly embarrassed as he bowed.
“I apologize! What may I help you two with?”
The father brightly smiled as he introduced himself. “Don’t worry about it kid. We are your new neighbours. We moved into the apartment next door.”
“Oh! It is lovely meeting you! My name is Izuku Midoriya, I apologize but my mother is currently at work!”
The father smiled, happy with such a kind boy as his neighbour. “It’s alright! The names Takada, Takada Shirogane. This is my son Takada Ray.”
“Would you like to come in? I can get you water, tea, coffee, whatever you like. I can only imagine how tired you are from the whole moving process,” asked Midoriya kindly.
One thing led to another and the Midoriya’s and the Takada family became friends. They tended to have meals together and both of the single parents got along and their only children got along as well.
Takada and Midoriya soon became best friends despite their quirk status and the two were quick to generate a plan. Takada somehow became friends with Bakugo. Just like that, Midoriya and Takada slowly ruined Bakugo’s life piece by piece. They were happy; But all good things come to an end.
Midoriya was walking home with Takada, they casually talked like usual and joked about how stupid the bullies were. Midoriya suddenly got a call from Inko.
“Sorry Ray! My mom needs me for the night. I’ll see you tomorrow,” apologized Midoriya.
Takada seemed unnaturally relieved, looking at Midoriya with a smile. “Alright! See you tomorrow Izuku!”
Within fifteen minutes, Midoriya had gotten ready and left. One hour later, guests arrived at Takada’s hourse. Four hours later, Midoriya comes back home alongside someone interning at Inko’s work. The two were exhausted. Midoriya is met with the awful stench of alcohol, cigarettes, and the commotion inside Takada’s apartment.
The guy looked at Midoriya confused. “Are your neighbour’s hosting a party?”
“Yes, Ryu. They are,” hissed Midoriya angrily.
Ryu looked at Midoriya worriedly. “Hey, hey. What’s wrong?”
Midoriya wiped the tears of anger off his face. “What’s wrong is that my supposed friend is a backstabbing piece of shit.”
“Oh. Yeah no. No. You’re confronting this asshole. Do it in front of everybody. I’ll be with you,” reassured Ryu confidently.
Midoriya, feeling empowered by his newly made friends presence, stormed up to the door. Pounding on the door, Midoriya quickly crossed his arms and tapped his foot.
The door swung open to reveal a laughing Takada. “Hey, you got the drinks?”
“Are you drunk?” asked Midoriya disbelievingly.
Takada finally took the time to notice who was before him. As if all the alcohol he had drank suddenly disappeared, Takada’s face droped.
“Deku— Izuku— I... it’s not what it looks like,” backtracked Takada immediately, or tried to.
The party inside immediately stopped. The moment Deku’s name reached their ears, all attention was on the scene at the door.
“Oh god,” sighed Takada absentmindedly.
Midoriya smiled, the anger apparent in his eyes. “You dirty little liar.”
“I’m sorry! I can explain!” Takada urgently started.
“Oh, explain how you didn’t tell me you were having a party?” retorted Midoriya sassily.
Ryu nodded, backing up Midoriya. “You tell him Izuku!”
Takada, seeming to forget the entire group in his home behind him, tried explaining himself. “You know I couldn’t invite you! I had to pretend to hate you!”
Midoriya laughed, tears slowly forming in his eyes. “I didn’t say invite me! I said you never even told me! Pfff— buddy. You’re not pretending anymore. You’re two faced. A cold, and heartless, two faced bitch.”
Ryu noticed all the people inside watching in surprise. Ryu scoffed, turning his attention back to Midoriya.
Midoriya narrowed his eyes, deciding on mocking Takada. “Are you having an awesome time? Are you drinking awesome shooters and listening to awesome music, and sitting around and soaking up each others awesomeness?”
“You know what? You’re the one who made me like this! Just so you could use me for your childhood revenge,” argued Takada, drunk and panicking, desperate to defend himself.
Midoriya, amazed with Takada’s bullshit, raised his voice. “God! See, at least me and Bakugo know we’re mean. You try to act like you’re so innocent like— oh I used to live in America with all the money and the lavish lifestyle!”
Takada snapped, yelling at Midoriya. “You know it’s not my fault a useless, quirkless, shit like you is in love with me or something!”
There were multiple gasps heard from inside Takada’s apartment. Midoriya shouted in anger, royally pissed off.
“What?”
Ryu looked ready to murder, his eye twitching. “Oh no he did not!”
Midoriya stormed over to Takada and sent a hard punch into his nose. “Fuck you!”
Takada flew back from the force. He knew his nose was definitely broken. Midoriya wiped off his hand in disgust.
“See! That’s the thing with you bullies! You act like you’re the best but everyone fucking hates you! Like, Bakugo’s right hand. He dumped his girlfriend and guess what! He still doesn’t want you! So why are you still messing with them Takada?”
Looking at Midoriya in horror, Takada shook his head lost and mortified. Midoriya snapped, shouting out the thing dying to come out.
“I’ll tell you why! Because you are a bad person! You’re a bitch!”
The rest of the party all felt themselves gasp, genuinely surprised to see Midoriya so angry. Ryu still was glaring at Takada, beyond pissed with the performance the asshole made.
“I can’t believe I actually thought I had finally made a friend for the first time in my life,” breathed out Midoriya in defeat.
Takada looked up at Midoriya in horror. The weight of what just happened finally hit him. “Shit... shit, shit, shit. Izuku! Wait!”
Ryu suddenly stepped between the two, his glare harsh as he pushed Takada into the apartment and stepped in himself.
“Everyone in here! And I mean everyone. Fuck you. Izuku is the most hardworking and incredible person I’ve ever met! Not once had he needed a quirk to prove he was worth my time. You all are just assholes. Good luck having a future with the mindset you have you quirkist fucks.”
Walking over to Midoriya, Ryu gently ruffled his hair. “Let’s go. You’ll be staying the night at mine tonight. I don’t want you home alone right now.”
Midoriya nodded, wiping his snot and tears with his shirt sleeve. “Okay.”
Grabbing his things, Midoriya left his house to see Bakugo had been waiting for him, along with the two other bullies.
“Hey! Deku! The hell was that all about?” shouted Bakugo.
Midoriya turned around, wearing a wide smile. “Oh, so everything that’s suddenly been happening to you. I’m the cause of it.”
Bakugo felt his frown turn into a taunting smile. “What?”
Midoriya walked right up to Bakugo, wearing a matching smirk. “Katsuki, my love. There’s a new sherif in town.”
Suddenly planting a passionate kiss on Katsuki’s lips, Midoriya felt everyone watch him in fear. Midoriya walked away with a bored expression, heading over to Ryu who wore a shit-eating grin.
“Shit Izuku, you’re hella dope. Inko wasn’t joking when she said she raised a wild one,” commented Ryu casually.
Midoriya looked up at Ryu with innocent eyes. “Of course she did. I learned everything from her. Why do you think I hate almost every guy I meet?”
“I just thought you were always hungry.”
“Yeah... about that... no.”
“Right. Um, ready to go?”
“Oh. Yeah, I am.”
“Okay, let’s go then. I guess.”
“Mhmm.”
Midoriya awkwardly left with Ryu, leaving the now conflicted party behind. Takada was busy trying to figure out how to kick everyone out. The bullies were all staring with dropped jaws. Bakugo felt his face burn as the taste of Midoriya’s strawberry chapstick taunted him.
“Fucking Deku.”
Hero commission: Deku, are you aware that you're mother is in a mental hospital?
Izuku: *laughing* really? It worked? *Giggling still*
Hero commission: uh.. what?
Izuku: oh! I've been trying to make her go insane since I was 10! *More intense laughing*
Hero commission: ..that's, that's not good...
Izuku: I guess you could say me 'haunting' her really pushed her over the edge!
*very manic laughing*