Puppet Master

Taking Hold Of One's Own Strings

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"See you at home, man!"

Izuku waved as his brother left down the sidewalk but he waited outside of Sho's car as Yamamoto and Ito walked by, making sure that they knew of his presence. Neither of them made eye contact.

Well, Yamamoto accidentally did. *Cra- ck* Izuku cracked his knuckles threateningly, efficiently reminding the taller boy of how he handed him his butt on Monday. Again. Yamamoto looked away quickly and urged Ito to walk faster.

"Do you have something against them, 'Zuku?" He slid in the car beside his purple-haired friend. He shrugged. "A b- bit." No one commented on it. "Recovery Girl wants you the whole time, kid," Sho said from the driver's seat as they drove. "W- wh- why?" He shrugged. "I don't know. Just go up to her office." Izuku nodded.

Izuku furrowed his eyebrows. He wanted to ask but he shouldn't.

"What is it, 'Zuku?" Shinsou asked. "You look worried." Izuku glanced at him. He took a deep breath.

"'F- familea,'" Izuku stated.

"Huh?"

"T- they said t- that I am f- familea."

"Oh?" Sho spoke up.

"B- b- but we don' sh- share blood?"

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Shouta was about to speak up but Hitoshi beat him to it.

"Me and Dad don't share blood 'Zuku," he said. "We are still family. I don't think that family means blood bonds more than emotional bonds or a sort of connection with them."

Shouta's heart felt warm. He was so proud of Hitoshi. "Hitoshi is right," Shouta said. "It doesn't matter if you necessarily share genes. Family bonds go deeper."

"D- deeper?"

He nodded. How do I explain this to someone who doesn't understand human connections on a normal standard? Shouta internally grinned.

"I would probably cry if Hitoshi were to die." He could see Hitoshi's eyes widen in the mirror. "I love him a lot. I think of him as my son. Would you cry if any of the Kirishima's died?" Izuku lowered his head. He seemed to be contemplating it.

"P- probablea."

"Do you love them?"

Izuku furrowed his eyebrows.

"P- p- probablea..."

Probably, huh? That's pretty amazing. I should have been recording this conversation for them cause that is a pretty large feat of them to be able to get that sort of answer to that sort of question.

"B- bu' I would c- cry if you d- died too." Shouta's eyes widened. Hitoshi's head snapped back to Izuku in shock. He swallowed thickly.

"I would cry if you did too," he agreed.

"S- so are w- we familea?"

He took a deep breath. "What do you think, Izuku?" Izuku looked at him.

Every once in a while, Izuku's gaze turned back to that cold, calculating stare that made Shouta shiver. He could feel it now on the back of his head.

Izuku nodded. "Yer."

He let out a silent breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"B- but-" Izuku continued, "a- are you a- also 'Dad' t- too then?"

Ah. That would be a problem. Shouta had come to think of Izuku as a son, definitely, but he could not say that too the kid. Izuku has come to see the Kirishima's as 'family' and at this stage in whatever the heck was Izuku's mind, he could not risk that sort of connection split. Izuku needs to only associate Mr. Kirishima with the title 'Father' or 'Dad.'