Post Vitam

Chapter 41

Izuku woke up in complete darkness with only the moon giving some form of light. Sitting on his chest were two pair of floating eyes he knew pretty well by now. Shadow was perched on his chest almost protectively and went in to rub his face in Izuku's once he saw him awake. He heard another cat above his head purring and rightly assumed it was Jinx. He had grown used to sleeping with at least a few of the cats in the house.

The main three usually were definitely always there but it seems like Midnight was missing tonight. Nonetheless they lay like that for a while as it is naturally against the law to move when a cat has chosen to rest on you. 

As such Izuku was about to drift off back to sleep when his heart almost jumped out his throat from the sudden screaming. The cats all scattered to hide and Shadow leaving scratch marks on Izuku's chest when he jumped. He might heal instantly but pain is still well - painful. 

Izuku sat up rubbing where the scratch marks were and made for the living room where the screaming came from. When he opened his door he barely had time to dodge a flying vase. Feeling in danger he turned the mechanism on his ring turning the inhibitor off.

Izuku heard his father call to him "Izuku stay back Shinso is having an episode"

"Who the heck is Shinso?!" He asked back just as the memory of a purple headed boy from earlier today came back to him. He also remembered how he acted in front of him and felt super embarrassed. That left him as soon as it came over him however when he saw him. He looked like he came out of a press that drained him of all colour. Confusion and fear all over his face, he was clearly not in his right mind and Izuku was sure he didn't know what he was doing.

Izuku wanted to help but he knew to trust his father, he cant control his own quirk like he wants to yet so trying to use it here might just hurt Shinso or even Aizawa. Midnight came trotting over to Izuku and sat in the doorway to his room.

Shinso was backed himself into the wall and kept yelling "Don't come closer! It's not my fault please!" Aizawa hadn't moved just stayed still trying to bring him back to reality "Shinso it's okay now, nobody can hurt you. You aren't there anymore. Come back to me, I'm right here Shinso" Aizawa had his capture scarf ready incase Shinso in his confusion made a run for the balcony.

Eventually Shinso calmed down and only kept muttering to someone only he sees to stay away, he slumped down the wall and started to sob when he came to. Aizawa approached him slowly and got his second dose of surprise hugs of the day. Much like with Izuku earlier he sat with Shinso this time and let him cry it out.

Seeing that everything was stable for now Izuku turned his inhibitor back on. Glad to be back on the ground and no actual danger present his stomach growled and he made for the kitchen. As he walked past his father and Shinso in his lap something came over him and he ruffled the other boy's hair. It was remarkably fluffy he thought to himself. 

Shinso didn't object to this action, in fact his crying slowed so Izuku stayed like that for a while stroking his hair. Soon enough Midnight had come to insert herself into what she viewed as a cuddle session. She crawled onto Shinso's lap and made herself comfortable. This calmed Shinso down enough that just like Izuku earlier he was asleep after a short while.

Izuku lifted Midnight off and Aizawa placed Shinso back on the couch. Midnight clearly wanted nobody but Shinso so Izuku put her back down near him. He could hear her purring as he and his father made their way to the kitchen.

"Please tell me there's still something to eat?" Izuku whined at his father.

"Just your portion of the take-away in the microwave" Aizawa motioned in its general direction taking a seat at the counter and letting out a heavy sigh.

Izuku bounced to the microwave and turned it on. "I was almost scared you had made something for a second!"

Aizawa glared at him. "I'm not that bad a cook you know!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

Izuku giggled having succeeded in tricking his father into behaving like a kid himself.

The microwave beeped and Izuku leapt at it like he hasn't eaten in days. "I'm starving!"

Aizawa scoffed "You make it sound like I never feed you..."

"Barely" Izuku teased.

"I'm a growing boy whatever you think is enough double that and then be prepared for me to still be hungry!" Izuku laughed at his own joke though he was kind of serious about it too.

"I take it Shinso is going to be staying here now too?" Izuku side eyed his father in curiosity.

"That okay with you kitten? His troubles aren't mine to share but he does need my help, but so do you and if you aren't ready for this-" Aizawa was cut off by Izuku shoving a piece of food in his father's mouth.

"You talk too much hobo-dad. Yes would've been fine. I know you're looking out for me but I like Shinso. He seems cool and if you end up adopting him too I'll have sibling. I've always wanted one. Well before..." Izuku's eyes grew distant. 

Aizawa ruffled Izuku's hair "You have a good soul Izuku. Even with all your own stuff you can care about others." Izuku felt himself blush and this floaty feeling in his chest. Is this what other kids feel when they make their parents proud he wondered. He finished eating and cleaned up the containers. His father brought him back from his thoughts.

"Right, well I'll be in a sleeping bag in the living room, you don't have to go to bed as you already slept like almost nine hours but do try and keep it quiet for Shinso's sake please. If you do need me though you can wake me up. Night kitten" He made his way to the living room.

Izuku made his way back to his room as quietly as he could and didn't close the door completely so the cats could come and go as they pleased. He sat down at his desk and went back to his side project he's been working on when he finds spare time. 

Aizawa had managed to get some of his stuff from time he lived in his parents house out of the evidence locker at the police station. Amongst it was all his old notebooks about quirk analysis, back when he was obsessed with forcing a quirk to awaken in him. Ironic how wrong and correct he was now that he thinks about it.

The doctor warned him to not activate more than two quirks at the same time but he never said he couldn't learn about a bunch. Besides in Izuku's eyes it's a one of kind quirk and they were basically guessing. Educated guesses but just guesses nonetheless. He wasn't planning on defying the doctor, but he wasn't going to sit there and waste his quirk now that he finally has the opportunity to help people with it.

If he was honest with himself he just wanted a quirk that he didn't view as his mothers. Logically he knew it was nothing like hers and she was never as powerful, but since when has logic played a role in an emotional response.

Izuku opened the notebook he was busy with two days ago. It was about primary classmates and all their various quirks. Izuku threw it to the pile to be looked at closer for another time, he didn't want to deal with memories of Bakugo right now.

He rested his head in arms on the desk trying to push thoughts of Bakugo away but failing miserably. The Entrance exam was in three days so he knew the chances of seeing him there were going to be high but he still dreaded it. He hadn't seen him since the day he had told Izuku to jump and then he did. 

A small part of Izuku wondered if Bakugo regretted saying that at all. He had no clue what the school told anyone about him not being there anymore. If they even bothered that is. Maybe Bakugo thinks he really is dead... An even smaller part of him enjoyed the thought of Bakugo feeling some sort emotion other than anger or hate towards Izuku.