A/N: Yo! How's everyone holding up? Hope you're all staying safe out there. Day 4 of consecutive updates. :) So while hours at work have been cut, a bunch of my coworkers have suddenly gotten scared of Corona, so they're just not working. I may be able to pick up more hours because of this. ^^
So a Swan Dive update 2 days in a row~! Whooooo!! This chapter's extra long (over 6k words) to make up for the short chapter yesterday. Oof. Chapter 23 is not yet written, so expect Swan Dive updates to start slowing down. Viridian should be tomorrow's update.
I've decided to add in everyone's favorite Purple Boi!! Hope you like it~! This chapter sort of covers the 10 months before the entrance exam, so look forward to the exam on the next SD Update~! :D
We've also got a My Hero group chat on an app called Telegram, so if Quarantine has you bored enough, come join us. We chat all the time. just @SilvermistAnimeLover and I'll add you (make sure you let me know that you wanna join the mha chat, cause we've got a Hetalia one, too). Forewarning, the chat is now called 'The Cult of Eraserhead' at this time. idk why.
Also! I welcome fanart. If you've got some you wanna send in, email it to betweentwoworlds@italymail.com and if you don't want it to be put up on a chapter, then please say so in the e-mail. PLEASE put the subject of the e-mail as 'fanart' or something similar so I can find it in my 4k+ignored e-mails.
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Kayama Nemuri sighed as she stared at the ceiling of her bedroom. She had officially moved into the Yamazawa household, and as grateful as she was for Shouta and Izuku's safe return, she couldn't help the bitterness in her stomach. Why did Inko have to die? She knew it wasn't fair to hide away from Izuku, but every time she saw him, she say Inko.
They'd never even told the others that they'd started dating.
She felt the hot tears well up in her eyes and moved her arm to cover her eyes. Her heart constricted painfully as she remembered how the other woman's embrace had felt. She missed those warm, loving arms. That gentle smile. The sweet kisses that'd have her blushing like a schoolgirl.
She missed Inko.
They'd been planning on telling the others during the U.A. break. They were going to take a little vacation and... Even though it hadn't been long, Nemuri was going to look at rings.
Inko had been the one. Perhaps her only one. And now she was gone before she even had the chance to appreciate what they had... could have had.
She startled when she heard a small knock at her door. Quickly drying her tears, she tossed on a robe and opened it. "Izuku?" She questioned as the young boy shuffled his feet awkwardly.
"I..." He looked away, and flushed. "I wanted to know if you wanted to... to come visit mom with me?" Nemuri's voice caught in her throat as he looked up at her with Inko's eyes.
"Y-yeah." She cleared her throat. "Let me just toss something on, kay, kiddo?"
"Sure thing."
A few minutes and a quick note to Shouta and Hizashi later, and the two were out the door heading towards the graveyard where Inko rested.
The trip was quiet, the silence broken only by the early birds welcoming the rising sun. A layer of foggy mist surrounded them, adding to the serenity of the morning.
Nemuri must've zoned out, because next thing she knew, she was staring at the headstone. The name of her girlfriend carved into the cold, hard stone made her heart clench again.
"Why me?" She asked quietly.
"Hm?" Izuku looked over at her, a familiar pain in his eyes.
"Why not bring Shouta or Zashi here?"
"Because..." Izuku looked down. "I knew about you and mom." Nemuri's eyes widened. "I mean... mom actually told me before..." He clenched a fist and rapidly blinked away tears. "She wanted to know that it was okay... if I had two moms."
Nemuri's heart ached something terrible, and she covered her mouth to muffle the sob that she couldn't hold back. She wanted me... to be his second mom?
"I... I know it must be hard... I look a lot like mom." Izuku looked away. "But... Considering what date it is today, I thought... I should give you this, too." He smiled shyly as he held out a card to her.
She swiped away her tears—not that it did any good—and accepted the card. Date? What day is it? She wracked her brain, but couldn't figure it out. Instead, she opened the card.
Happy Mother's Day was written across the top, and Nemuri found herself sinking to her knees in shock.
Dear Mama Nem... is it okay if I call you that? If you'd rather, I can just keep calling you Auntie Nem... I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you. Losing mom... it's been hard on everyone. And... And I feel like it's a little easier with you. I'll never be able to replace her, nor would I want to. But I think she'd be okay knowing that I'm not without a mom—cause I've got you, too! You made mom so happy, and I can't thank you enough for that. I know that she was going to look at rings with you. Thank you for making her really truly happy, and... thank you for not leaving me all alone.
Happy Mother's Day, Mama! I hope that we can live a life that'll make Mom proud! All my love, Izuku.
For a long while, Nemuri just kneeled there, before the grave of her would-be fiancé and cried.
"I... I'm sorry." Izuku apologized quietly. Nemuri abruptly realized that he thought he'd hurt her. Before he could say anything more, she swept him up into a hug.
"No... Don't apologize, Izuku." Nemuri held him close, burying her face in his hair. "You... You made me happy... I... I'm so sorry I've been distant, lately. I... You can call me Mama if you want." She sniffled and Izuku smiled softly.
"Happy Mother's Day, Mama." And Nemuri felt her heart clench at that, but this time it wasn't pain—it was pride. She was proud to be someone that Izuku could call mom.
"I love you, Izuku."
"I love you too."
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Shouta shared a conspiratorial grin with Hizashi. It wasn't often that the two were on the same page with something like this, but when it came to Izuku... He would allow his husband to do the planning this time.
Spring had flown by at a pace that honestly left Shouta floored. He supposed it might have something to do with not having a class this year, though. Right now, Izuku was out shopping with Katsuki—the blond was instructed to keep Izuku for as long as possible without raising suspicion.
Now, everything was ready. The boys were nearly home, and all that was left was for everyone to take their places. He was excited. Hizashi and Nemuri had the cameras ready, and Chiyo shut off the lights when they heard the boys' keys jingling.
They'd decided against a jump-scare (because, honestly, with the whole kidnapping thing, that was asking for injuries). So the moment Izuku opened the door, Chiyo flipped on the lights, revealing a colorfully decorated living room of the Yamazawa household.
Balloons were in every corner. Confetti littered the floor (Shouta somehow knew that the horrid task of cleaning it up would fall to him), and a large handmade banner stretched over the entryway, reading "Happy Birthday Izuku" in big bold letters.
It was loud and colorful and everything Hizashi had wanted it to be. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Everyone shouted.
Shouta would've just ordered the cake and had a nice dinner, but he supposed that their first actual birthday as a family should be a big celebration. For Izuku, he'd put up with Hizashi and Nemuri's craziness for a day.
"Y-you..." Izuku's eyes were wide as he took in the decorations.
"Happy Birthday, Cub." Shouta smiled softly as he ruffled Izuku's hair. He felt his son's arms wrap around him as he buried his head into his shirt. He felt a spike of panic run through him when Izuku started to cry.
"H-hey, Zuku... what's the matter?" Hizashi asked, sharing a startled look with the others.
"I... I'm just so grateful..." Izuku clung tighter to Shouta. "Thank you. Thank you."
At least they were happy tears. For a moment, he'd been afraid that they'd upset him.
After that, the party went smoothly. Shouta made sure that nobody got Izuku more than two gifts each. He also insisted that the price range was under $100 (enforced mostly for Hizashi).
He got notebooks from Mitsuki, a guitar from Hizashi ("I'll teach you how to play it later, alright?"), a new bicycle (he was really excited by that, and Shouta wasn't sure he'd ever seen Chiyo look so smug), painting supplies for his woodwork from Nemuri, and a pocketknife from Katsuki.
"It's so you don't have to keep relying on me to throw you mine when you get into trouble, nerd." He'd explained with a huff. Izuku smiled and hugged his porcupine-like friend.
"All right, Cub." Shouta smirked, holding out a small box. "Happy Birthday."
Izuku carefully opened it, revealing a very sharp pair of tanto swords. The blades had a beautiful sweeping design with a serration towards the middle. The edges of the blade were coated in a light green color, and Izuku breathed in shock at their beauty. "Dad?"
"I think it's time I started to train you to fight with more than just your sai. As a Hero, you'll need to know how to use a variety of weapons. Tanto can be very versatile, and their smaller design should fit better with your fighting style." He smiled. "And once you start at U.A., you can become my apprentice. Then you'll be able to fight alongside me on patrols and start earning actual combat experience."
Izuku's eyes lit up with awe as he carefully set the blades back down into their velvet box and tackled Shouta in a hug.
Hours later, after cake and dinner, Izuku retired to his room. Katsuki was about to follow him when he stopped.
"Thank you." He looked over at the adults. "Zukkun's been down all day. It's his first birthday without Auntie, and I think he's been dwelling on it. The party seems to have helped a lot."
Shouta, Nemuri and Hizashi shared a look. That was exactly why they'd done this the way they had. They knew it would go one of two ways—either Izuku would enjoy the party and it would take his mind off of his mother's absence, or it'd just hammer home the fact that things were different and make everything ten times worse. They were immensely glad it was the former.
Shouta took a moment to really study the young boy before him. Bakugo Katsuki was doing much better. He'd come a long ways from the kid that yelled profanities at everyone and snapped at the tiniest things. Shouta wasn't a big believer in second chances. He didn't often give them—life wasn't like that, after all.
But he gave Katsuki one more chance because Izuku all but begged him to. He begged them all to give him a chance. And none of them could say no to those eyes. But Shouta was ready... the moment Katsuki slipped... if he even once hurt Izuku again—he didn't give a damn if the kid was thirty and drunk off his ass—he'd show him the wrath of an angered father.
He may have given him a second chance, but he was not forgiving him. He'd lost that chance before he'd ever met Shouta. Misunderstanding or not, no matter what Izuku called it... it was wrong.
But Katsuki had, admittedly, been getting that temper under control. Shouta found himself sometimes appreciating the kid's company. Rarely, mind you, but still. He at least appreciated the fact that he was protective of Izuku, so that was something.
That night, Shouta snuggled into the warmth of his husband. He wondered idly if Izuku would one day snuggle up to someone like this. He hoped so. The kid deserved all the love in the world.
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Hizashi was excited. He bounced like a child on a sugar rush. Today was Halloween, after all. They were going trick-or-treating, too! He'd managed to convince Izuku and Katsuki to go (and no it was not because Hizashi wanted free candy... though it was a great bonus).
It was their first Halloween as a family, and he really wanted to make the most of it. Hizashi was dressed as a werewolf, his fake ears sat atop his head with false fangs glued in on the top and bottom teeth. He glued fur to the sides of his face, and had on gloves with claws to match. He thought he looked pretty damn good.
Until he saw Shouta. Damn, the vampire look was hot. He had on a suit with a flowing high-collared black cape. He put fucking effort into this year's costume, and it showed. His hair was neatly pulled back into a low ponytail, and he put in red contacts. He knew Shouta hated contacts because they irritated his dry-eye. He also grew out his fangs, which poked over his bottom lip every time he smirked.
Fuck, that smirk was a goddamned weapon, too. Hizashi suddenly felt like he was the luckiest man in the world, having this hunk to himself. He closed the distance between them in two steps and literally swept Shouta off his feet, swinging him low into a dip as he kissed him, careful not to cut his tongue on the sharp fangs.
Shouta chuckled and kissed him back, one hand coming up to entangle in the loose blond hair.
"If you two are ready to go..." Izuku spoke from the doorway, and the two broke apart, flushing with embarrassment.
"You left the door open?" Shouta asked with a glare.
"You were so captivating, I must've forgotten." Hizashi flashed him a devious smile before tuning to look at his son's costume.
He nearly choked on his laughter, and heard Shouta cough in surprise. He was a Minizawa, all right. Dressed like Eraserhead, his own Capture Weapon was draped around his shoulders. He dyed his hair black, and gelled it up; red contacts made it look like he was using the Erasure Quirk. Yellow goggles hung around his neck, and they looked so close to the real thing that Hizashi thought he might've actually stolen Shouta's. He even drew on Shouta's stubble and accentuated the bags under his eyes, which Hizashi thought was unnecessary, but it was hilarious all the same.
He looked like someone shrunk Eraserhead down. It was adorable, and Hizashi couldn't wait to grab his camera. Nemuri was going to flip (she was out gathering candy for the trick-or-treaters tonight, as she was the door person for the night).
"Why on earth did you choose to go as me?" Shouta finally recovered enough to ask.
"Because I thought I'd go as the #1 Hero." Izuku answered innocently, and Hizashi thought that the smirk that he wore was frighteningly accurate to his costume.
"Last I checked, that title did not belong to me."
"It does in my book." Izuku grinned as Shouta turned red. "You're my #1 Hero, Dad." He chuckled under his breath, and Hizashi knew he was up to something. He didn't like the look he shot Hizashi's way.
Nemuri was dressed as Wonder Woman—an Old Hero from a few centuries ago. The Old Heroes of the Quirkless Era were something like gods among the heroes of today. They were their roots, and well-respected even all these centuries later.
Chiyo was a small dragon—much to Hizashi's surprise.
"Oh, you four have fun!" Nemuri pulled Izuku into a hug, kissing his forehead. Yuki meowed in protest from Izuku's shoulder.
"Mamma!" Izuku complained with a smile. The first time he'd called her that had shocked Hizashi and Shouta quite badly, until they were told of Nemuri and Inko's relationship.
Honestly, Hizashi and Shouta's hearts broke when they learned of that. Hizashi didn't know how she managed to smile... He knew he wouldn't be able to go on without Shouta... A world without Shou... just wasn't worth it.
He shook his head to dispel the darkening thoughts.
"We'll be home before midnight—no worries!" Hizashi grinned, showing off his werewolf fangs.
"You'd better!" Chiyo shook her cane threateningly. "Nem and I will watch the house while you're gone. You'd better bring back some candy for me, too!"
"Of course, mom." Shouta smiled, kissing her on the cheek. Hizashi grinned. Shouta had become a lot more comfortable with Chiyo's position as family grandmother—and thusly his mother—over the last few months, too. Though if anyone at U.A. ever heard him call her mom, they'd probably flip their shit.
They arrived at the Bakugo residence not too much longer later, only to see Katsuki dressed as Present Mic.
Hizashi knew how Shouta felt, now. His face heated up and he just knew the two had planned this. Unlike Shouta, though, he was used to kids dressing up as him for Halloween. He was a limelight hero, after all. You could buy Present Mic merch and costumes on Amazon or at the mall, after all. He just hadn't been expecting Katsuki to buy a wig, gel it up, and copy his look and outfit nearly flawlessly. He'd even put in green contacts to match Hizashi's eye color.
He wondered if he stole his sunglasses, but banished the thought. He'd seen them on his dresser earlier.
Either way, tonight was a night for fun and scares, and Halloween was honestly Hizashi's favorite holiday.
The night was going well. They loved seeing all the decorations on the houses and the creative costumes that the kids wore. Hizashi let several curious kids poke his furry ears (which moved with his emotions), and Shouta got the attention of many women (and a few men). He chuckled at his husband's obliviousness. He only had eyes for Hizashi, and it warmed his heart. So things had been going rather well.
That is, until a mother with her young son passed by. The young boy was dressed as All Might. "Don't worry, mom! When I get my Quirk, I'll be the best hero and save you, just like All Might!"
Izuku had been standing with Hizashi and Shouta as they waited for Katsuki to come back from the haunted house he'd wanted to try. As he watched the mother and son, he got a strange nostalgic look on his face, before his expression became hard.
"Little Listener?" Hizashi asked, drawing Shouta's attention.
"Zuzu?"
"I... I'm okay." He stared off after the mother and son for a moment, and it clicked for Hizashi, who pulled Izuku into a hug.
"I know... We miss her, too."
"When I was little... I used to pretend to be All Might and save her... But when it really mattered, I couldn't..." He choked on his tears as Hizashi moved them to a more private location and sat on a bench. Katsuki looked after them for a moment before muttering something to his parents. They went to wait elsewhere while Hizashi and Shouta handled the situation, much to their relief.
"I... I miss her." He sobbed, and Hizashi held him tighter. "I know, Zuku." He sent Shouta a helpless look, but he just shook his head. Izuku needed to cry, and there wasn't much of anything they could do right now but let him.
It was a good thirty minutes before he finally started to calm down.
"You feelin' any better?" Hizashi asked.
"Kind of... sorry for... you know."
"Hey, none of that, okay?" Hizashi gently wiped away the tears on his left cheek, as Shouta reached over and did the same with the right.
"We're here for you, Cub." Shouta said. "And if you need to cry, then cry. That's what families are for. We're with you every step of the way. No matter what."
Hizashi wasn't sure his husband had ever been eloquent, but maybe he was rubbing off on him a bit, because Hizashi couldn't have said that better himself.
He flashed Izuku a grin. "You don't have to take any of this pain alone."
"But she was your friend, too... Why should I add to your pain?"
"Problem Child..." Shouta sighed. "There's no 'your pain' and 'my pain'. It's our pain. We all share it, because we're all connected." He looked at Hizashi to pick up where he left off, unable to find the words to explain his point. The blond mentally grinned, knowing where he was trying to go.
"Whenever one of us hurts, the rest of us hurt, too. Because we care. Whether you like it or not, you'll never be alone again. None of us will be. And it does suck sometimes, but you know what? That's okay. Because it's love, Izuku. We all love each other, and we always will. And that means you, too." He poked Izuku's nose, causing him to give a small laugh. A smile that could barely be called that flitted across Izuku's lips, and Hizashi counted that as a win.
"Now come on, I think that's enough tears for tonight." Hizashi stood up from the bench they'd occupied, and dusted himself off. "The night is young, and there's plenty of free candy to obtain!"
Izuku's smile grew. Hizashi knew that they still had a lot of shit to work through, but tonight was a big step for Izuku. For now, he was content to steal all the candy he could get his paws on. And if he had to be the dad that went up to the house with his nearly teenaged son and literally beg alongside the six-year-olds, then he would.
It was candy, after all. Yuki still sent him a glare from his spot on Izuku's shoulders.
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Izuku smiled as he hung the final ornament on the tree. He was feeling bittersweet. This was his first Christmas without his mom and it hurt. This year, it was just the Yamazawa Family. Kacchan and his mom were spending Christmas with Masaru's (Kacchan's dad) family on the other side of Japan, so Kacchan and he had exchanged gifts early.
He'd gotten the blond the latest Call of Duty game (Kacchan loved the series), and in return he'd been gifted with the newest Zelda game. Izuku was pretty happy with that. He'd recently found a love of games because it helped take his mind off of everything. Especially ones like Zelda that made him think and problem solve.
Pa was thrilled, because it meant that they could play games together (apparently, he was a huge gaming nerd).
There were plenty of presents scattered beneath the tree this year, but he couldn't help but feel like it was... hollow, somehow. He didn't realize that he was crying, standing in front of the tree like an idiot, until his dad wrapped his arms around him.
"Dad?" Izuku looked up at him. They were alone in the room, and it was getting late. "Is it... is it my fault that mom's gone?" Logically, he knew that the answer was no. But he still felt so damn guilty.
"No, Zuzu. It's not your fault. It's his fault." He sat them both down on the couch. "Why would you think that?"
"I just feel so... guilty... and I-I miss her so much... It just doesn't feel like Christmas without... w-without m-mom." He was sobbing quietly, now, wrapped in his dad's protective embrace. "She's never g-gunna w-wake me up on C-Christmas morning with that s-stupid Santa hat... I'll n-never hear her humming Chr-ristmas songs as she cooks d-dinner... She'll never sit with me on the couch on Christmas Eve with hot cocoa and those special marshmallows that she only gets for that one night... I'll never s-see her again, and it hurts. I feel like my heart is going to implode... everything is so empty, dad, and I... I feel guilty because Mama Nem hurts, too, and so do you and pa and everyone else and I'm just reminding you of her, and I—" His words caught in his throat as he made himself choke out what he needed to say. "I should be grateful... but some days... even though I'm so blessed and so happy with you all... I still think about taking that stupid advice." He felt his dad's arms tighten, and a wet warm something drip into his hair. "Some days, it's easy... but some days, it's so fucking hard, and I just... I want to stop."
"Oh, Zuzu." Shouta finally spoke. "It's okay to feel the way you're feeling. It's normal. Survivor's guilt and depression and grief are all things that every hero experiences at some point."
Izuku tilted his head. "So it doesn't make me... ungrateful?"
"No, no it doesn't. But it does need some outside help." He gently ran his cool fingers through Izuku's hair, and he relaxed into the touch. He only just noticed Yuki laying across the back of the couch, watching Izuku with concerned eyes.
His dad must've caught his wince, because he chuckled fondly. "Don't read too much into it. Counseling and psychological help come with the profession of being a hero. We see nasty things, and you'd be hard pressed to find any pro who's been in the field longer than three years who doesn't have a psychologist saved in their phone."
"But I'm already going to counseling?" Izuku's brows furrowed.
"I think you need more than a civilian counselor. You need a Hero psychologist. Most of us have someone specific that we see for the entirety of our career. You can try mine, Zashi's, Nemuri's, even Chiyo's, if you want. Or, since going to someone who sees family can be strange, you can also get your own."
"Oh, er... I..." Izuku didn't know what to think. So this kind of thing was normal in the hero world?
"And about wanting to die." Izuku stiffened as his dad brought that up again.
"I'm sorry. It's stupid, and weak, and..."
"I don't think so." He spoke quietly. "I don't think it makes you weak, or that it's stupid or anything like that." He paused for a moment, as if he was contemplating something. "I told you once... when we first met on that rooftop, right? That I was once in the same situation as you?"
Izuku jolted. He'd forgotten, honestly. It seemed like a lifetime ago. "Y-you mean you...?" He stared at his dad with wide eyes.
"I was abused and bullied as a child. My Quirk was seen as a villain's Quirk, and I was looked at as either Quirkless or evil, because I could take away other peoples' gifts. My parents hated it, and the only reason why they didn't kick me out was because of how it would affect their image. It wasn't uncommon for people to leave notes and mess with my stuff at school. Nobody outright attacked me, because of my parents' social standing, but they still bullied me."
"Finally, when I was in middle school, I'd had enough. I went to an old deserted bridge and I was going to jump. But this kid... he was taking a walk nearby, and saw me. 'Hey, don't do it, please.' That's what he told me." Shouta closed his eyes and Izuku felt like he was intruding on a very private moment. But his dad was willingly telling him this.
"He told me that if I could live... even for just one person, that it would be enough. Even if that person was myself. The words themselves didn't hold much meaning to me. In fact, I was angry. How dare this spoiled brat who probably had a perfect hero's Quirk try to take away my only shot at peace? He had no idea what I'd been through, and had no right to pass judgment."
"In a fit of fury, I told him to leave me alone. Something about my voice must've well and truly scared him, because he took off running and sobbing, apologizing all the way. But in the end, his words kept cycling through my mind, along with the look of horror he'd had on his face... I couldn't jump that day. I went back home to the abuse and the bullying, but I never returned to that bridge. Not because I suddenly didn't want to die, but because I just couldn't really be bothered with it. Because every time I went to do it, his words echoed in my brain, and I just couldn't."
"Eventually, I made it to the end of my Third Year, and decided to try U.A.'s exams. I failed the Hero Exam spectacularly—my Quirk was unsuited for it, and while I was fit, I had no technique. But I made it into the General Education course, and eventually used the Sports Festival to move into the Hero Course."
It was silent for a long moment. Both had tears in their eyes, and Izuku felt like his burden was suddenly lighter... like hearing that his pain and loneliness was shared by someone he actually knew had made things easier to bear.
"What ever happened to that kid?" Izuku asked, leaning into his dad's chest.
"Well, I actually met him again when I transferred into the Hero Course. He was annoying, but he was so relieved to see me—he thought I'd jumped all those years ago, and blamed himself for it. Funnily enough, I was his motivation for becoming a hero just like he was mine. We grew on each other, and eventually became good friends." His dad chuckled and gave Izuku a secretive smile.
"And now he's my husband."
"You mean Papa Zashi is the one that saved you?" Izuku hadn't seen that coming. He probably should have, but he didn't.
"Yeah. Things will get better, Cub. Believe me. There will still be those bad days, but you'll eventually find someone to help you on those bad days. You'll find your cockatoo one day."
Izuku cracked a smile. "Thanks, dad." He meant it. "I feel better, now."
"I'm glad. So do I."
Neither noticed Hizashi standing around the corner, tears in his eyes as he watched the two fall asleep to the sound of the merrily crackling fireplace as snow gently fell outside.
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Christmas morning dawned bright and cold. But Izuku was snuggled up to something very warm. He cracked open an eye to a sea of black hair.
"Morning, Cub." His dad greeted, a sleepy eye cracked open to meet Izuku's gaze.
They must've fallen asleep last night on the couch. There was a soft warm blanket draped over the two of them (maybe Nemuri? Or pa?). "Morning dad... Can we go back to sleep?"
Shouta chuckled. "No, Zuku. It's Christmas. We need to open presents." He pointed lazily to the other couch where Mama Nem, Nana Chiyo and Papa Zashi sat with wide grins. "They've been waiting for a little bit for you to wake up."
Izuku felt his face go red. "W-why didn't you wake me sooner?!" He was certainly awake now, at least. "I'm so sorry!"
"Haha! Relax, Little Listener!" Hizashi laughed. "We didn't mind. The two of you were quite content to snuggle, and we were content to let you." He held up his phone with a victorious grin, and Izuku knew they were going to have several new photos up on the wall by the end of the week.
Luckily, gifts this year weren't as expensive as last year. As the youngest person there, Izuku opened his gifts first—as was the new Yamazawa tradition (apparently it was a Yamada tradition, as he had a big family, but they were overseas for the holidays this year).
Izuku had actually met Hizashi's parents a few months beforehand, and the two were very nice. Izuku was quite happy to be spoiled by his new grandparents, though he had yet to meet his two uncles and aunt. Hizashi was the oldest of the four, apparently.
He opened the box from his pa, first, knowing that it'd be the most expensive. "No way... PA!" He half complained. It was a new iPhone. His old one worked, but it was getting low on space and storage. Plus the screen was still badly cracked from the second Slime Villain Incident, and he was lucky it still worked at all.
"Come on, now. You need a new one."
"Okay, I suppose that's fair." Izuku conceded. "Thank you." He grinned as his pa ruffled his hair.
From his grandparents, he got several new books. Nemuri gave him several gift cards so he could go get whatever he wanted without feeling guilty, and Nana had gifted him with the signed posters for several top pros. He immediately fanboyed and ran those to his room for safekeeping while thanking her profusely the entire time.
He grinned as he grabbed a small package from his dad. The grin only widened when he saw what it was—a dark green sleeping bag that matched his dad's. Izuku had the bad habit of stealing Shouta's and taking naps in it—it was really comfy—and he supposed that his dad finally got the hint and bought him his own.
"The other part of your gift is not physical." He added, handing over a card. Curious, Izuku opened it. It was a new Patrol Schedule. He'd now be able to go out on patrol three times a week! Saturdays for a full shift, Wednesdays for a half, and now Fridays were full shifts, too! He bounced in his seat with excitement. "THANKS DAD!"
Yuki pawed at his leg, stopping him from tackling his dad. He had a small box in his mouth that he gently set down and pushed towards Izuku. "Even you got me something, Yuki?"
"Mrow!" He looked half offended half satisfied. Izuku scratched him behind the ear.
"Thanks, partner." He grinned as he opened the gift from his cat. It was a small All Might figure, and at first, Izuku couldn't figure out why his cat would've given it to him. But then he noticed how the tip of the left hair spike was chipped off. The way that the right shoe was scratched, and the little bit of old crayon that had melted in the joint of the left wrist.
His eyes watered. "This was... mine." He breathed. "I thought I'd lost it. It was..." It was a birthday gift from his mother when he turned four. She'd told him that it was to commemorate the occasion that he'd soon get his Quirk and start his journey to be a Hero like All Might. The chip was from dropping it at the Doctor's office when he found out he was Quirkless. The crayon from a careless day of leaving the action figure laying outside on top of a box of crayons in the sun.
It wasn't special to him because it was All Might. It was special because it held memories and love and was the symbol of his mother believing in his dreams.
"Thank you, Yuki."
That night, the All Might figure was carefully placed on his shelf, beside the limited edition Eraserhead figurine. All Might may not be his hero anymore, but that figure didn't remind him of All Might. It reminded him of his dream. And he was going to achieve it, or die trying.
"Merry Christmas, Mom."
Well,Linechanhereagain.We'reallovertheplace,today.oof.YouguysgivetheAuthorsomanyideas.Thankyousoverymuch. =^.^=
Yuki didn't understand what the big deal was. Humans had the strangest customs. His boy was dressed in something called a Yukata? Maybe he had that wrong. But it was late, and Yuki's entire furless family was still up (not that that was strange for his boy, or for Shouta). The sun would rise soon, shouldn't they go to bed? It wasn't a patrol night, after all.
He pawed at Izuku, trying to convey his confusion. Luckily, his boy always seemed to know exactly what he wanted to say.
"It's New Year's Eve, Yuki. The start of a new year is cause for celebration. It's a symbol of new beginnings and fresh starts." He smiled and scratched Yuki right under the chin, causing him to purr. Oh, that feels good.
"So you stare at the sky? You humans are so silly." He scoffed, tail twitching in amusement. He really did love his family, even if they couldn't understand him—yet. He'd figure that out eventually, though. Maybe he could ask that principal guy? He was a Quirked animal like Yuki and he'd figured out how to speak Japanese.
"Don't worry, Yuki." Izuku smiled down at him. Yuki jumped up on his shoulders, making a comfortable spot in his scarf. "I'm sure we'll figure out a better way to communicate eventually."
"Are you sure you can't understand me already? You're very good at understanding what I want to say." Yuki chuckled.
"Sometimes, I swear I just know what you're saying." Izuku chuckled, too.
"My thoughts exactly, silly human." He wrapped his tail around Izuku's neck as they headed up to the rooftop with everyone else. Yuki loved being up high, it made him feel like he could protect his humans better.
Izuku leaned into Shouta with a content smile, and Yuki happily sat where their shoulders met, nesting in both their scarves. His tail wrapped around Shouta's neck while he rested his paws under Izuku's chin, making the two chuckle fondly.
Chiyo sat beside Shouta while Hizashi brought out the snacks with Nemuri. "Does everyone have their wish ready?" Nemuri asked, a bright grin on her face.
"Wish?"
"On New Years, as the sun rises, you're supposed to make a wish for the coming year." Izuku explained. "If you do it as the first rays of sunlight fall, then it'll come true."
"Are you sure you can't understand Yuki?" Shouta raised an eyebrow, mimicking Yuki's expression.
"I just know how to read people who act like cats." Izuku sent his dad a pointed look, and Yuki couldn't help but laugh at the affronted expression on the older human's face.
"Are you laughing at me?" Shouta pouted, absently petting Yuki.
"Yes. Yes I am." He nodded his head, an expression of confirmation among the humans. Izuku laughed alongside him, as the cat-like human sighed.
"I blame my father's Quirk." He muttered, and Yuki only caught it because of his excellent hearing. Even Izuku didn't hear it.
Yuki ended up disregarding the statement as he started thinking about what he was going to wish for. That's silly. I know what to wish for. He smiled as he looked at his human. He turned his head towards the horizon as the sun started to rise.
"I make not a wish, but a declaration." Yuki cried out to the rising sun. The image of Shouta and Izuku being attacked by Hisashi flashed in his mind. He'd been a young kitten at that time, and had been helpless in the situation. He'd awoken to blood and was scared and nobody was there. Never again would he be that scared kit. Never again would he let his humans be hurt like that. "I am going to become a Hero, alongside Izuku. Together we will save! Never again will we be helpless as others die. We will prove the world that shunned us wrong. We Will Become Heroes."
Hi!Silver-chanhere.SowefinallygetalookatYuki'spov.He'sverypopularrightnow.Let'shopehedoesn'tenduplikeSilverfromH:IS.*EvilGrin*Everyonestaysafe.Please.Also!!IalwaysfeellikeI'mforgettingstuffinmyA/Ns.oof.
Today was not a good day. He sighed as he ran his fingers through his fluffy purple hair, wincing when he accidentally brushed against the cut he'd gotten earlier that morning from a classmate. Yeah, Shinso Hitoshi was definitely not having a good day.
He sat on the bench at the park alone. Nobody was out—it would start raining any minute, now. But honestly Hitoshi was much happier sitting alone and cold in the rain than at 'home' where his parents would proceed to ignore his very existence. Just because of his stupid Quirk.
The rain started to fall, but he made no move to leave, even as he watched several people run by, futilely trying to shelter themselves from the rain. Idiots. You can't outrun mother nature.
Abruptly, the rain ceased, and it took Hitoshi a moment to realize that someone was holding an umbrella over his head. He blinked in surprise as he stared at a boy around his age, with green hair and bright green eyes.
"You okay? You look a little lonely out here." He said, taking a seat beside him. The guy must not have been from around here, then, if he was actually talking to him.
"You don't want to talk to a villain like me." He spat out under his breath. The boy blinked in surprise.
"I know that look." He said, and there was something genuine in his voice. "You're worth more than you know."
"Just go away." Hitoshi was careful to not use his Quirk.
The green-haired boy looked him in the eye for a long moment, as if he was looking for something. He nodded and turned to leave. He took a few steps, and paused. "Quirks aren't everything. If you have a dream that seems unobtainable... that everyone laughs at you for, and nobody believes in—sometimes not even yourself... Then do everything in your power to prove them wrong. There's more than one type of Hero, after all." He gave Hitoshi a knowing smile, and rested his umbrella next to him, so Hitoshi was covered from the rain.
"Sorry to have bothered you! I should get going before my family gets worried." He gave Hitoshi the brightest grin he'd ever seen before running off. "And keep the umbrella!"
He stared dumbly after the greenette even long after he was gone. What... just happened?
But somehow, he felt a little lighter. Do everything in your power to prove them wrong, huh? He glared at the ground. Isn't that what I've been doing?! 'there's more than one type of Hero'...
What did that mean? Of course there was! There were rescue heroes, and... oh. Oh.
Underground Heroes. Hitoshi's eyes widened. There was an opportunity for him, there. His odds of becoming a hero were slim to none, especially with his lack of an offensive Quirk. And like that kid said, Quirks aren't everything.
Maybe it was time for him to look up some self-defense classes...
A/N 2: So I totally spaced this after uploading the chapter, but I've got a picture of Izuku's Tanto.
I'd also like to credit someone for the idea of Shouta's backstory. It was inspired by the story, "Hey Don't do it, Please" by EmberXMystery on Fanfiction.net. :) Go check it out, it's amazing!!