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~
"Your mother can't visit," Aizawa said at the exact same time Toshinori beamed, exclaiming an exuberant, "She's very welcome here!"
Izuku glanced between the adults as they shared a look, both looking so hilariously disapproving of one another that the boy couldn't help but snort into a palm. They looked back at him with unexpectedly similar expressions of exasperation and amusement, one a little more obvious than the other.
"Fine. She can visit, but she needs to be with a Pro Hero at all times," Aizawa raised a hand to stop the kid from talking. "And no, you don't count."
The boy considered exaggerating his disappointment for the sake of their entertainment, but he was already late for movie night in the dorms and he wanted to watch The Little Mermaid. He merely nodded enthusiastically, darting forwards with open arms to scoop them both into a brief, spontaneous hug, before letting go and immediately sprinting out the room.
"My mum can visit!" He whooped the moment he was back in the common room of the dorms, gaining lots of excited gazes.
"That's wonderful, Izuku-kun!" Momo smiled at him, her dark eyes crinkling with glee.
"I can't wait to meet her!" Ochako added, her hands linked together in front of her chest. "She seems like such a lovely lady."
"How come she's visiting?" Kacchan spoke up, eyebrows gnarled in a perpetual glare.
"She was worried about me after all that happened." Izuku shrugged sheepishly, taking his rightful place on the sofa between Tenya and Shouto, who both shifted aside to make room. "And she was really excited to meet all of you, too!"
The other student blinked his crimson eyes, something akin to dark amusement flickering across his upturned lips. "This is gonna be fuckin' great."
*
Inko always worried about her son. She was also extraordinarily kind and sweet. So, of course, it made total sense that she'd taken to mothering literally the entire class, and Izuku suddenly realised why Kacchan had been so oddly enthusiastic about the woman visiting: he just wanted to revel in Izuku's mortification.
"Your mum is so awesome, bro! It's crazy how similar you two look – I guess you got the curly hair from your dad, though?" Eijirou enthused through a mouthful of homemade cookie, nudging his shoulder against the smaller boy. "These cookies are so delicious, Midoriya-san!"
"Oh, thank you!" His mother said with a blush already coating her cheeks, smiling brightly. "And please, call me Inko!"
She went right back to fussing over Ashido and Ojirou, the former of whom was engaging in a jubilant conversation about haircare routines, while the latter seemed to just be enjoying the good vibes with a gentle smile. Izuku loved his mum, he really did, but sometimes she was... a lot.
Still, observing his relaxed classmates made him begrudgingly admit to himself that it had been a good idea, as none of them had been entirely at ease after all the horrors they'd experienced: it seemed as if a motherly figure was enough to assuage their fears for the time being. Inko glanced around the room, letting out a delicate gasp as she noticed a certain boy trying to lurk in the background, and she was quick to rush over to him.
"Katsuki-kun, I haven't seen you in such a long time! Are you doing alright, dear?" She reached out, cupping one side of his face with a hand and turning his head, getting a good look at him with a fond expression. "Goodness, you've grown so much! It feels like it wasn't that long ago when I had you and Izu playing heroes together at home. And now, the two of you really are going to be heroes – oh, I'm so proud of you both!"
She leaned forwards, capturing him in a gentle hug. Kacchan tensed up and glared over her shoulder at the stunned class before reluctantly patting her on the back, dipping his head a little. The students made a collective noise of realisation if they ever wondered about the origin of Izuku's tendency to cry a lot as she pulled away with tears running down her cheeks, sniffling happily. Izuku crossed the room and looped an arm around her, placing his freckled cheek on the top of her head and chuckling to himself at how hopelessly emotional the two of them were.
"Izuku, your father's here," Shouto informed calmly, entering the room with a mug of tea in his grasp.
Oh no, consequences.
Inko froze, casting a bewildered glance up at her son, who merely grumbled and pressed his nose into her hair, trying his best to shrink into nothingness. He raised his head as Toshinori lumbered in, looking a little confused at the way everyone was staring at him like sharks, but he lifted a hand in greeting when he noticed the two Midoriyas.
"Inko-san, it's good to see you again," he said amicably in a deep, rumbling voice, smile emanating warmth while his posture indicated uncertainty.
"All Might..." The woman trailed off, her face gradually steeling as she looked at her son expectantly.
"I apologise for the intrusion, but young Todoroki seemed pretty adamant that I spend..." Toshinori's pale cheeks suddenly bloomed pink as he coughed nervously into a fist, seemingly understanding something. "...some time with my... family... oh."
"You should invite your brother too, Izuku-kun," Tenya added, getting up from the sofa and looking ready to walk at a brisk pace down to the bedrooms, because running in the corridors was strictly prohibited. "I could go fetch him, if you'd like?"
Oh no, more consequences.
Izuku made a strangled noise of panic, feeling utterly mortified. He rapidly backed up, pressing himself against the large windows that spanned one wall and tried to hide his raging blush behind his arms, uncomfortably aware of everyone staring at him with varying emotions. Toshinori gave a strained laugh, raising a hand to his own face before running it back through his golden hair.
"My boy, you really need to think before you speak more often," he said with embarrassed mirth in his tone.
"I do think! I think a lot! Too much!" Izuku spluttered out frantically, peeking between his fingers. "But I also thought that it was a good idea at the time... I didn't think they'd actually believe me! Oh my god, this is so embarrassing..." He straightened up, letting out a breath as he tried to calm himself. "Toshi-sensei isn't my father, and Aizawa-sensei isn't my brother."
"Could've fooled me," Sero commented with a shrug, getting nods of agreement from various other class members.
"Aizawa-sensei should still be here, though!" Ashido insisted, a slight frown on her pink face. "This is sort of like a family gathering, and he's sort of family, right?"
Izuku gained the courage to return to the main group, standing next to his lost mother and leaning against the back of the sofa. He mulled over his classmate's words for a second before humming softly, slipping his phone from his pocket.
"And he's not your father?" Kaminari said in disbelief, kneeling on the sofa cushions and peering over the other student's shoulder at the phone wallpaper of Toshinori and Izuku.
"No," he denied absently, resolutely ignoring the burning heat in his cheeks as he scrolled for his teacher's number.
"...and he's not your brother...?" Hagakure asked from his other side, making him flinch and squeak in surprise, before staring down at the contact name he had, indeed, saved under 'Onii-chan.'
"...he's not my brother." Izuku shook his head, awkwardly typing out a text under the scrutinising gazes of his classmates.
"How do you text him so casually?" Ashido muttered, squeezing in between her friends on the sofa and looping her arms around him to look at his phone. "He's so scary!"
"He's really not that scary," the boy giggled, tilting his head away as her fluffy pink hair tickled his face.
"Yes, he is! Are we even talking about the same Aizawa-sensei?!" She practically shrieked, crushing him tighter in her grip and shaking him from side to side as if to knock some sense into him.
"What's that about a patrol?" Hagakure's gloved finger pointed at the screen at some previous messages.
Izuku immediately tensed up, getting a confused look from Ashido, who clearly felt it from where she was half-pressed up against him from behind. He stuttered uselessly for an excuse, glancing up at Toshinori for help, but the man just shrugged subtly. His desperate green gaze slipped to Shouto and Tenya, both of whom looked at one another nervously as they tried to think of a convincing excuse as to why their teacher would talk about patrolling with a kid.
"Oh, does he tell you when he goes out on patrol so you don't worry?" Eijirou leaned on the back of the sofa next to his friend, grinning easily and raising a hand to ruffle Ashido's hair playfully. "That's so nice of him. Even if you aren't related by blood, he's totally family, dude."
"Y-yeah, that's it!" Izuku relaxed, shooting a thankful look at his friend who just finger-gunned in response.
"Izuku..." Inko was crying softly over the casual close contact between the students, but her tone held a faint warning note in it which made Izuku freeze nervously. "I'm still lost. Why does everyone think Yagi-san and Aizawa-san are related to you?"
Aizawa took that moment to appear, striding in and instantly approaching his students with an air of purpose. Izuku hastily extricated himself from Ashido's death-grip and hopped over to a nearby table, picking up the plate of cat-shaped cookies and raising them to his teacher like an offering to the gods, his smile blinding and heartwarming. The man briefly cast a glare over the bystanders before picking one and taking a bite. His lips twitched into a hint of a smile and he raised his other hand to swiftly pat Izuku on the head, only to turn and make as if to leave.
"We're going to watch Pocahontas, if you want to join us," Izuku offered, tilting his head with a hopeful little grin.
"I've got a lot of work to do," he said bluntly, raising his eyebrows when he noticed Toshinori getting hassled by small children. "So does he."
The green-haired boy stepped forward, lightly touching his teacher's arm to get his attention. "You've been overworking yourself again, haven't you?" He inquired in a chiding tone, face set sternly.
"There's a lot of paperwork involved with taking care of you brats; you know this already," Aizawa responded tiredly, taking another bite of the cookie.
"Paperwork you won't be able to do if you've passed out from exhaustion," Izuku said with heavy exasperation, curling his fingers around the man's wrist and tugging him back towards the rest of the class. "Come on, sensei! You deserve to take a break."
"It'll be fun!" Kaminari piped up, briefly pausing in his pestering of All Might.
"Oui, trés bon!" Aoyama added, sitting elegantly, sprawled over the armchair like it was a throne, somehow seeming to sparkle despite the light not changing.
Tsu blinked her large eyes thoughtfully. "Kouda-chan chose the film. I think he'd be disappointed if you didn't watch it with us."
Eyes turned to the boy sitting on a beanbag. He nervously hid behind his hands, a faint blush on his cheeks as he nodded energetically. Jirou patted his shoulder to soothe his anxiety and turned to look across the room at the teacher, a slight smirk on her lips. Most of the other kids did their best to put on pleading faces, although Kacchan merely glowered a little more deeply.
"That's manipulation," Aizawa grumbled poisonously, but he gave in and let himself be swept away and pushed onto the sofa.
Aoyama was shoved off the armchair to let Inko sit down, immediately offered blankets and snacks like she was a queen, and she flushed at all the attention. Toshinori settled on one side of the sofa, Shouto next to him, while Aizawa claimed the other side and Izuku comfortably settled in between his hot-n-cold friend and his teacher. Kacchan hoarded an unnecessary amount of cushions, making himself at home in a pile of softness and intending to keep it that way until Eijirou snuck up and snatched a few away to hand out to the others. Shouji and Tokoyami were sitting next to one another in a content silence, half-swallowed by the immensely squishy beanbags that Momo had insisted on making. Ochako and Tenya grabbed some cushions and blankets, snuggling up with their backs against the sofa, settled between Izuku's and Shouto's legs.
Once everyone was settled down, Satou dimmed the lights and started the film. It was a shame that different classes weren't generally allowed to spend time in one another's dorms, because Izuku was sure that Shinsou would've enjoyed it. He pushed the thought back, wiggling in his seat to get more comfortable, allowing himself a moment of total contentment amongst his friends and family.
By the time the movie ended, most of the class were asleep. Izuku found himself being heavily leant on from both sides since Aizawa and Shouto had relaxed during the film. His mother and Toshinori both glanced at him with matching smiles, all soft with affection, and the boy couldn't help but beam back, his chest feeling ready to burst from the warmth in his heart. They all relished in the calm for a few moments longer before the adults and Izuku got up and silently left the room, walking the woman across campus towards the front gate. He kept their arms loosely locked together, engaging in a hushed conversation with Toshinori while Aizawa slunk along on the other side like a silent sentinel.
There was a car waiting outside the gate, with the window rolled down to show Tsukauchi sitting in the driver's seat, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the tune of a song that played quietly on the radio. He glanced over at their approach and offered a smile and wave. Izuku hesitated for a moment before drawing his mum into a tight hug, tucking his chin over her shoulder and letting himself loosen up despite the guilt he felt over all the stress he'd caused her. He reluctantly drew back, keeping his hands draped over her shoulders as he frowned slightly.
"If you ever feel afraid or unsafe at that house, call me, okay?" He said softly. "I'll be there, no matter the time, or how insignificant you think the issue is: I'll be there."
Inko blinked up at him, giving a slow nod. "A-are you sure? I don't think your teachers will-"
"As long as he tells us before he leaves," Aizawa cut in, giving a sharp sideways look at the boy. "I won't have a problem with it."
"It's my fault that you're in this situation, so I want to do all I can to fix it," Izuku explained, leaning into her and pressing his face in her hair. "That's what a hero does, right?"
A wet chuckle spilled over her lips as she hugged him back once more. "R-right. I love you, Izu."
"Love you too, mum," he responded, squeezing her before letting go.
Aizawa calmly stepped forward and opened the car door, and her cheeks flared up as she thanked him and settled herself inside. He lazily swept a glare over the duo who stared at him with similar grins, and shut the door without breaking eye contact.
"I hope you're not expecting me to tell you that, too," he commented flatly.
Izuku choked out a surprised laugh, struggling to keep his tone smooth even as he shook with suppressed giggles. "Love you, sensei."
"Brat," Aizawa muttered, stalking around the other side of the car to get in the back seat.
The boy turned his innocent gaze onto his mentor, feigning a hurt expression. "He's so mean."
Toshinori turned his face away as he tried to stop his chuckles, a wide grin tugging at his lips. "My boy, you amaze me more and more every day."
*
"Mum?" Shouto slid open the hospital room door a little, poking his head in uncertainly. "I brought a friend with me. Do you want to meet him?"
Izuku shifted his feet nervously on the sleek flooring as he heard the woman respond softly. He'd met her in the previous timeline, when they were a few years older, and she was an undoubtedly wonderful woman, but it was in his blood to be socially awkward half the time. Shouto pushed the door open fully, stepping inside and glancing back to check his classmate was following. They stood in a contemplative silence as the two strangers stared at each other warmly.
Todoroki Rei was undeniably beautiful. She had gentle grey eyes framed with snowy lashes, and long white hair cut messily around her face, with a fringe across her forehead. The pale blue hospital clothing she wore matched her light colour scheme, comfortably settled over her slim frame. Since he'd last seen her in the other timeline, she seemed to have fewer wrinkles, and the light of joyful laughter in her gaze was only just returning.
"It's nice to meet you, Rei-san. I'm Midoriya Izuku," he introduced himself with a polite bow and a pretty smile.
The corners of her eyes crinkled fondly. "Oh, Shouto speaks very highly of you. Thank you for helping him."
"It's what any hero should do," he dismissed with a bashful huff of laughter, taking a seat on one of the plastic chairs by the bed next to his friend.
"You're right, Shouto. He is very kind." She looked over both the boys, lingering a little longer on her son, as if he would disappear the moment she blinked.
"He's great," Shouto agreed, an amused smile quirking up his lips as his classmate flushed under the praise.
"Ah, um... You know who else is great? All Might-san! The other day, Lunch Rush made noodles for the teachers and All Might-san brought the leftovers up to the dorms for us. None of us were really talking because Aizawa-sensei had just set us a tricky assignment, and I think Kaminari-kun and Ashido-san were crying and begging Kacchan to help them, but anyway – All Might-san walked in and we greeted him absentmindedly, and do you know what the first thing he said was? He said: what do you call a fake noodle? An im-pasta!" Izuku snorted to himself with a disappointed shake of the head at the memory. "Kacchan accidentally exploded his notes and Sero-kun and Eijirou-kun fell out of their chairs and started laughing hysterically. I've honestly never seen All Might-san look so proud of himself before."
The boy suddenly seemed to realise how random his rambling outburst had been, and his freckled cheeks flared with warmth, but he relaxed a little at the soft giggles. Rei looked utterly delighted by the tale, a hand raised to her mouth to try and muffle her amusement, but her sparkling eyes held more joy than the noise could ever hope to display. Shouto was chuckling faintly, his lips pulled back in a rare grin that was a genuine blessing for anyone who witnessed it. Izuku brushed a hand back through his green curls, beaming widely, a tinge of sheepishness in his expression.
Well, at least he'd made a good impression.