Midoriya POV
Izuku watched the man, Shouta, in silence.
Shouta seemed different from most people. Not that Izuku knew what most people were like.
But if he did, he was sure Shouta was nothing like them.
The man looked as though he hadn't slept in days. His skin sunken in and dark outlines under both eyes.
But more than his appearance, Izuku could not understand why he was so adamant about helping him. He'd been nothing but a nuisance since the moment he'd woken up, and yet, Shouta still seemed to have patience yet.
He leaned back in the kitchen chair, swinging his legs idly as he watched Shouta cook. The smell of spices he couldn't identify floated in the air, accompanied by the occasional sound of something simmering.
"I hope you like Udon," Shouta said, breaking the silence.
After his many escape attempts, they had come to a sort of agreement. Izuku corporates and listens to Shouta. in return, Shouta won't send him off to the allegedly terrifying principal of U.A. It seemed like a less than fair deal but Izuku wasn't taking his chances.
From the people he'd meet in the span of one day, Shouta seemed to be the most trustworthy. Not that he was judging from a very large pool. So far they had weird nurses, boom boom boy, fire boy, crazy teeth, and demon bird.
Izuku answered his question with another question.
"What am I gonna do tomorrow while you teach? Will I stay here alone?" He looked about the small kitchen in question.
It was brightly colored, almost is paradox compared to the teacher cooking in it. The walls were painted yellow, not the kind of yellow that resembled overdone children's cartoons or spilled paint. The soft kind of yellow that made you think of morning light and warmth.
Shouta scoffed, yes scoffed, at his question.
Izuku crossed his arms.
"No- you will not be left alone here. You would somehow manage to get kidnapped or burn the house down in the first five minutes," Shouta chuckled.
Izuku scowled, trying to think of a way to defend himself. But it was true. In just one day he'd managed to lose all his memories, accidentally traumatize a nurse, and execute several failed escape plans. Honestly, he found himself agreeing with Shouta.
He wondered if his past self had been just as destructive, or if this was a recent development.
"I will be taking some time off. I'll help you get settled in and then when you feel ready, we will go to school together. Your classmates can be a little...enthusiastic. I don't want to overwhelm you right away."
Izuku couldn't argue with that. In truth, he didn't really want to meet them. The mere thought made his stomach twist in anxiety. Being in a room with one hero was daunting enough...he could hardly imagine a room full of them; or at least, heroes to be.
Shouta set down a plate in front of him. It had way too much food piled up for just one person, almost spilling over the bowl.
Izuku looked up to Shouta in question.
"I read somewhere teenagers need more food. I wasn't sure how much you usually eat so-"
Izuku smiled at that. It was nice of him to try and look out for Izuku. Perhaps an undeserved niceness, but he was still grateful.
Thank you," Izuku said. Truly meaning his words.
"No problem kid. Just tell me if you're still hungry after you finish that."
Izuku balked. He was supposed to eat all of it?!
Still, when he took a small bite, he was shocked by the taste. It was good, really good.
He found himself quickly taking another bite, then three.
A laugh made him stop. He looked up with a mouthful of food to see Shouta chuckling at him.
"Slow down kid. You're gonna give yourself a stomach ache if you eat that quickly."
Izuku reluctantly began to eat more slowly. He hadn't realized just how hungry he'd been until the food was there in front of him. Turns out losing your memories really raises your appetite.
By the end of the meal, Izuku was as tired as he was full.
"I'll show you to the guest room. Some of the cats might be in there. You never know when they'll turn up," Shouta directed. He stood, motioning down the hall with one hand.
Izuku opened his mouth to ask about these mysterious cats but quickly closed it. The fewer questions he asked the better.
It didn't seem like the chaos would be ending anytime soon. So he had decided to just embrace it.
He stood quickly, not waiting for Shouta as he wandered the direction he had pointed.
The halls were just as cluttered as the entrance. He took note of the array of photos tacked to the wall. All of Shouta standing next to a group of kids. He looked much younger in some of them, his black hair cut short and eyes less dead to the world.
Izuku stopped, examining what he believed to be the most recent one.
"Is this your class?" he asked. His hand unconsciously rose to trace over the picture. All the kids looked so happy. Even Shouta was smiling a little.
Shouta stopped behind him.
"Yes. One of the more rambunctious groups I've had."
"You must be a good teacher for them to all be smiling like that," Izuku speculated, more to himself than Shouta.
"Depends on who you ask."
Izuku moved to the side, allowing Shouta to step past and lead him the rest of the way. He couldn't help the way his eyes wandered back to the picture as they walked past.
The room was as small as the rest of the house. A little bed pushed against the wall furthest from them and a mahogany trunk pushed against that.
"Do you need anything else kid?" Shouta asked, watching as Izuku surveyed the room.
Izuku shook his head wordlessly. He looked back at Shouta.
A strange feeling had come over him.
He felt overwhelmed, even in the cozy room. It was too much. As if the excitement of the day had been holding back any feelings of anxiousness about what lay ahead. Too much for his brain to handle at one time.
He felt homesick for a home he couldn't remember.
He blinked the haze away from his eyes. "No. I'm okay."
Shouta's eyes narrowed. Apparently seeing through him. "It's okay if you're not okay. This would be stressful for anyone. You can tell me if you're feeling upset."
The words didn't seem patronizing. He looked truly concerned. But Izuku still felt embarrassed all the same, like a little kid that had been caught in a lie.
Izuku shook his head again. "No. Really, I'm just tired."
Shouta stood a moment longer. He looked as though he were considering Izuku. Maybe deciding if he would pretend to believe Izuku or not.
In the end, he just nodded, closing the door softly behind him as he left.
Izuku inhaled sharply.
He walked around the room, becoming nosy and peeking into the trunk. There was nothing except for a few old books and pictures.
History of Coffee And Its Production
What the Hell?
Izuku moved on, examining the pictures buried beneath the old book. The photos were worn around the edges, clearly older than anything else in the room. There was a tall blond boy in a school uniform. He was smiling widely, an arm draped over a slightly shorter boy's shoulder. This boy's uniform was crumpled, short hair messy, looking like he didn't want to be there. Shouta- Izuku realized. This must be from when he was a kid.
He shouldn't be snooping. It was obvious the picture had been left there by accident. He set it down in the exact place he'd found it, carefully setting the book on top of it.
His attention moved from the trunk to the closet across from him. It was one of those two-door closest, the wood painted a dark brown.
He shuffled over, pulling the door open with only a slight struggle. They finally moved with a squeak loud enough he was sure Shouta had heard. He cringed, closing his eyes momentarily as he listened to see if Shouta would come to investigate.
Thankfully the only sound in the room was the whir of the air conditioner and his own breathing.
He opened his eyes and was met with a surprising sight.
There on the inside of the door was a mirror almost as tall as he was. He used his sleeve to brush away some of the dust that had gathered.
He blinked. Emerald eyes blinked back at him.
Eyes flickered over his own features. He didn't look anything like Shouta. He guessed it had been kind of ridiculous to assume the man was his father.
His face was much rounder. His cheeks dotted with oddly spaced freckles. Even his hair was different, falling in loose green curls over his forehead.
The stranger seemed guarded as it watched him through the glass.
He closed the door quickly, putting space between himself and the reflection.
It was too unsettling to watch himself for any longer. He was more sure of the reflection than himself, something that couldn't be good. All he wanted to do was go to sleep and hope when he woke up everything would make more sense.
Izuku switched off the lights, carefully throwing some of the pillows aside before settling into the small bed. He forced himself to close his eyes and take even breaths in and out.
He wasn't sure who this kid Midoriya was. The kind of life he led. How he'd been okay with all this. He must have been very brave.
How was it that they were the same person? It didn't make any sense.
If it had been up to him, he never would have chosen to become a hero.
He let himself drift away as the thought turned slower.
---
Coldness engulfed him in hurried waves. The chill was potent enough he could feel it seeping down beneath his skin, melting into his bones as he stood on shaky legs. His gaze was on the ground...no not ground....ice? Parts of the ground were covered in large chunks of sharp ice, jutting forward as if marching off to battle.
His eyes couldn't focus enough to clearly see where the ice stopped and the ground began. His feet remained planted beneath him- the only thing grounding him.
Little flakes of snow drifted through the air. He reached out a hand to cup one.
A sudden jolt of pain made his movement cease.
He looked down to find the source of the pain.
There was a hand...his hand? It was fuzzy in his gaze. But he could make out the purplish bruises that surrounded it.
The fingers were bent at odd angles, dangling unnaturally and crooked.
He thought he might be sick.
Had the ice caused his hand to break apart?
Any numbness from before melted away. All he could focus on was the damaged fingers in front of him.
"Midoriya," A deep voice said. They weren't yelling, but it could still be heard quite clearly; as if the owner of the voice was speaking directly into his ear.
Without any power to stop its accession, he watched his arm move so that it was being held right in front of him. Was he warding the voice off?
A shock jolted through his veins, burning in its path down his arm. He was bending his already broken finger at another excruciating angle. There was nothing he could do but endure it, powerless to stop his own body from moving.
"Midoriya," The voice called out again.
A rush filled him, all at once, the adrenaline keeping him standing flowed past him. channeled into one of his fingers. As he moved, the power moved with him. A blast of air shot out, shaking the very ground he was standing on as it flew past.
And then the terrible coldness was falling away. A new burning rushing forward.
"Midoriya."
---
Izuku gasped.
He lunged forward to escape the heat. His hands fell down, but instead of ice, he was met with a soft blanket.
He blinked, looking as best he could in the darkness. There was only a small sliver of light funneling from the curtains. Izuku titled his hand from side to side, trying to find all the broken bones. But there were only a few thin scars running down from his palm across his knuckles.
Relief hit him. He wiped his face away from the sweat that had gathered and threw the bed covers off of him. It had grown too hot while he slept, that must have been the cause of such a horrifying dream.
He slipped out of bed. The carpet drowned out his footsteps as he crept forward.
There was no way he was going to sleep after that.
Instead, he decided to go to the kitchen for a glass of water and hopefully some peace of mind.
The hum of the refrigerator soothed his fears as he walked into the kitchen. It had been so realistic, down to the very feeling in his fingertips. But here in the darkness, he knew he was still safe. There was no ice to break him. Shouta wouldn't let it.
The thought startled him.
When had he started to think of the teacher as someone safe? Less than twenty-four hours ago he'd been running in fear.
Izuku fumbled around, awkwardly searching through the cabinets for cups. It was an utter mess. Plates shoved in with cleaning products and bowls where there should be silverware. How could someone live like this?
He shook his head, pulling over the kitchen chair so he could see the tops of the cabinets. It was more of the same, only this time, there were dust bunnies in addition to the clutter.
Well....it wasn't exactly like he had anything else to do.
---
The sun had long since risen by the time Izuku finally put the last of the cleaning products away. Izuku was almost tempted to make another escape attempt since it seemed like the hero wasn't a morning person but he decided against it. Not just because he was ninety-nine percent sure he would be unsuccessful. But the hero had already done so much for him, he should at least give him a chance.
Izuku knelt down to check the bottom cabinets under the sink. He wanted to make sure everything was perfect before it could get all messed up again.
"Midoriya?"
Izuku jumped from the sudden voice, hitting his head on the top of the cabinet.
He heard Shouta swear from behind him, followed by the sound of footsteps rushing toward him.
"You okay?"
Izuku did his best to keep his face from going red. He rubbed his head carefully.
"N-no! I mean yes, yes I am okay. You just startled me," Izuku explained. Standing before Shouta could kneel beside him. The pain in his head was next to nothing.
"What were you doing?" Shouta asked. "I heard you moving around in here but-" he stopped speaking suddenly. Shouta looked about the kitchen that was probably cleaner than when he'd first gotten it.
"I was cleaning. I couldn't even find the cups when I first came in here.
Shouta just stared blankly at him.
Izuku shifted his weight awkwardly. "You know...like when you make things a 'not mess'?"
A hand suddenly landed on his head, ruffling his hair.
"It's too early for you to be this sassy problem child."
"I'm not trying to be. It just happens naturally," Izuku smiled, relieved Shouta didn't seem mad.
While the twitch in Shouta's eye did bring Izuku joy, he was trying to be at least a little considerate. Emphasis on little.
Shouta rolled his eyes. He stepped around Izuku, opening up the drawer closest to them.
"Wow. I've never seen anything this organized before. Did you sort the bowls by color?"
Izuku's chin lifted a little as he looked over his work. "Yep!"
"Why are you trying to get on my good side? Yesterday you asked to fight me to the death," Shouta asked wearily.
"Well if I want to achieve world domination by the time I get my memories back, I might as well make some allies," Izuku said with a completely straight face. He kept his voice even.
The look on Shouta's face was worth it. His bloodshot eyes widened slightly, mouth tightening into a thin line as he considered Izuku's words.
"You're the height of a middle schooler and somehow managed to hurt yourself less than a day after you got back from the hospital," Shouta pointed out. He gestured up to where Izuku had hit his head. "How exactly are you going to take over the world?"
The smile fell from Izuku's face. "I haven't thought that far ahead yet."
"Let me know when you do," Shouta chuckled, turning from Izuku to start getting things out from the cupboards for breakfast.
---
Just as Izuku was putting away the last of his dishes, Shouta reappeared from whatever call he'd been making.
"I've invited a couple of your friends over," Shouta said, his voice the same monotone it usually was.
Friends?! As in the people he'd been trying to run away from?
Izuku hadn't even noticed he'd let go of it until he suddenly saw Shouta catch the plate before it could hit the ground. Izuku wanted to say something snarky. Or maybe even swallow his pride and beg Shouta to not make him talk to those people. But all that came out was a small, "Why?"
Perhaps sensing his discomfort, Shouta set the plate down. He put a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "This is going to help you. The more your life returns to normal, the easier it will be for you to remember it. You and your friends are attached at the hip, seeing them might help trigger something in your memory," Shouta explained patiently.
"Can't we wait a couple of days?.... Or weeks?" Izuku asked. He could hear the fear, even in his own voice. As much as he was trying to put up a brave front, he doubted that would last when confronted by them again.
Shouta sighed in exasperation, though it did not seem directed towards him.
"I asked principal Nezu that too, but he feels it would be best for you to get your memories back as soon as possible. The longer you stay like this, the more at risk you are," Shouta said. He patted Izuku's head comfortingly. "But I'll make sure they are all on their best behavior. And if becomes too much for me all you have to do is give me the word and they're gone. Okay?"
If Shouta was there it shouldn't be too bad. He could just take away their quirks. And Izuku believed Shouta would make good on his promise, he imagined Shouta was the type to tell teenagers to get off their lawn and then laugh as they ran away.
Izuku nodded reluctantly.
As if on cue, the doorbell rang.
Izuku slinked back behind Shouta as he went to answer the door. He could hear loud voices shushing each other on the other side.
When the door opened the voices died down.
"Hi Mr.Aizawa!" An overly bubbly voice greeted. "You said you wanted us to come to meet you here?"
"Yes. I thought it would be good for Midoriya to meet you all before the others."
Izuku did not like the sound of that one bit. The Others...how many of them were there?
The sound of shuffling drew Izuku back from his thoughts.
"Great! Is he here?"
Izuku tried to stop Shouta from stepped outside. He latched onto the back of his shirt in a death grip, but that only resulted in him being dragged along with him.
"Yes. He's just feeling a little nervous," Aizawa explained. He turned as much as he could while Izuku still held onto his shirt. "Midoriya?"
Izuku stepped out partially to see who Shouta was talking to.
There was a brown-haired girl standing the closest to him, he vaguely remembered her from when he'd first woken up. She was smiling softly at him, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. If Izuku had been less scared he might have noticed how pretty she was.
His attention shifted to a boy that stood beside her. His hair was jet-blue and cut short. The boy stood rigidly, kind of like if a filing cabinet had come to life.
"Hello, Midoriya. It is very good to see you well. The whole class was worried about you," The boy greeted way too loudly. his hands waved through the air like he was directing traffic.
Izuku shrunk back. He tried to inch back behind Shouta but the teacher wouldn't let him. He placed a hand on each shoulder, keeping Izuku in place but also providing a bit of comfort.
"Lower your voice. Your classmate is still adjusting to all of us, there's no need to be so loud," Shouta reprimanded.
The boy lowered his head solemnly. "My apologies. I let my excitement get the best of me." His head raised as he offered a much more gentle smile. "My name is Iida, this is Uraraka, and he's-"
"Todoroki."
Izuku eye's widened as the third student introduced himself. His hair...the way it fell into two different colors. He remembered this boy.
"Fire boy?" The words slipped out, much to Izuku's embarrassment.
This was the one he'd seen fighting that villain and the one that tried to stop him when Shouta was leading him to the car.
"Well, usually you just refer to me as your best friend. But fire boy works," The boy said, his voice almost void of all inflection. The only indicator Izuku had that he was in fact, not a robot, was the small flicker of emotion hidden behind his eyes.
He looked sad. Sad in the way you look when looking back at a happy moment, knowing you can never return to it.
The look stung. Izuku averted his eyes.
"So you really don't remember us?" the girl asked.
Izuku shook his head apologetically.
It grew painfully silent. Even the slight rustling of the grass beneath them could be heard as they all stood together.
Izuku didn't know what to say to make this okay. To ease the tension between them. All three looked hurt that he had said no.
Suddenly the loud one, Iida, spoke up. "Let's talk about socks."
"Why socks?" Izuku asked. His curiosity becoming greater than his shyness.
"Because you blew my socks off!"
It was silent. Izuku thought for sure it was about to get even more awkward, but then a slow chuckle sounded from above his head. He titled his neck to see Shouta of all people laughing.
Slowly, the others joined in the laughter. Uraraka giggled, covering her mouth with one hand. Iida seemed to find his own joke particularly funny. Even Todoroki cracked a small smile.
"Iida that wasn't even a real pun. Just a very poorly delivered dad-joke," Uraraka said in between giggles.
And somehow, despite the lingering fear, Izuku found himself laughing too.
---
Thank you for reading! I would say I'm sorry for the puns but I'm not. Regardless- I hope you're all enjoying the story!