Izuku hummed while washing the empty cups, feeling pleased with working as behind him, through the windows, one could see the sun barely visible, but rising in the air ever so slightly.
Izuku was a morning person. In fact, he woke up so early that it couldn't be healthy, and adding the fact that his patrol ended at around 2 a.m, he slept a pitifully low amount of time everyday.
Well, at least he used to, because now that Katsuki had moved in with him, he was forced to nap at least 3 times a day, and a total amount of 6 hours of sleep.
Izuku never voiced it out loud, but he was extremely grateful that Katsuki had made him do so.
Now, his eye bags were gone, his body a naturally energetic one, and he had less headaches and mood shifts.
Izuku turned around as he heard the familiar chiming of the door, and seeing Naomi, grinned at her, the woman squinting her eyes at the dazzling smile, muttering that it was 'too bright'.
Izuku snickered at the obviously sleepy woman, and handed her a mug of cappuccino that he'd just made, no milk or sugar as always.
The woman grabbed it and chugged it like it was her lifeline, downing the extremely hot coffee without so much a flinch.
Izuku shook his head in amusement, lips curled slightly upwards, and gestured for her to take a seat at a table, the woman complying without a word, still haggard.
The greenette went back behind the counter, and minutes later, a slight sizzling sound echoed throughout the shop, and the pleasant smell of pancakes.
Naomi was still laying down on the table, face on the table, when Izuku came back, a plate of pancakes with caramel sauce on one hands and another mug of coffee on the other.
He placed them silently on the table, and Naomi lifted her head, eyes immediately being filled with life as she suddenly lunged forward, scarfing down the food.
Already used to it, Izuku went back to washing the dishes, placing them into according cabinets.
When Naomi was finished, she took the her dirtied tableware to the sink, and started to scrub them, turning to the boy as she did so.
"You know, nya," she drawled as she analyzed the boy, eyes sweeping across his face. "I really don't know how I survived before you came here, nya. You're my saviour in these godforsaken mornings, nya."
Izuku faced her and smiled.
"It's nothing, I quite like working here. And it's extremely amusing to see your zombie form in the morning." Naomi fake pouted at that.
"Aw, I'm not that bad, am I, nya?" Izuku pointedly didn't answer, turning back to the dishes. "Hey, Izuku-chan, nya! Answer me, nya!" She lunged at him, making him snicker and run away, the woman rushing after him, ready to pounce on him.
As they continued their game of cat-and-mouse (fitting, although Izuku though himself as more of a tiger), the regulars poured in, chuckling to themselves as they saw the two's antics, already used to them.
After the chase was over with Izuku mock surrendering and getting a tail to the head, Naomi went behind the counter, and Izuku started taking orders.
The day went by without much happening, and on the afternoon, Izuku was sent to the supermarket to buy some sugar.
As he was doing so, he heard shouts from the side of the street, some people crowding, and changed his direction, curious.
As he slipped through the crowd nimbly, coming up front, he saw two boys around his age beating up another boy. Upon a closer look, he realized that it was the boy from the other night, who had questioned his bunny ears, and sighed.
What a trouble magnet.
"This is what you get for being a damn villain, you bastard!" This caught Izuku's attention, and he stepped forward, tapping the yelling boy on the shoulder, and making him turn around. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?"
Izuku blinked innocently, and the boys scowl melted, seeing his elegant features.
"A-ah, I apologize. I just wanted to ask what this boy did to become a, using your words, 'villain'." The boy was snapped out of his trance at that, and his scowl came back full force, his finger immediately pointing over to the boy on the ground.
"This bastard has a villain's Quirk, and he's actually aiming to become a hero!" He accused, and the boy on the ground clenched his first, unnoticed by anyone but Izuku, who raised his hand to his mouth, making a surprised face.
"Is that so? Oh my!" Internally, he snorted. What an idiot.
The boy seemed proud of his declaration, and nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah! He doesn't even have a chance, he should just fuck off! Villains can't become heroes!"
And with that, Izuku's eyebrow twitched, although he still continued his innocent face.
That was the last straw. He remembered all the times his mother had said that he was useless, that he would never be able to become a hero.
His smile turned cold, and a smirk stretched his lips, the corners turning up in distaste.
"I~diot." he said, the boy turning at him in shock, while the crowd stared at him in surprise. The boy on the ground snapped his neck towards him, shock written on his face, angering the boy further. It was like he hadn't ever been defended before, which was most likely true.
Izuku felt disgust welling up inside him as the offending boy took a step towards him angrily.
"What did you just say, you bastard? Just because you have a pretty face doesn't mean you can talk to me like that! Wanna die?"
Izuku's smirk only widened.
"Bastard, bastard, don't you know any other insult? You're only proving my point, stu~pid. What you don't fucking understand is that you aren't your Quirk. Looking at you, it's fairly obvious it isn't a mutation Quirk. But even after aggreviating you, you haven't activated it, which suggests that it isn't a physical Quirk. Seeing your confidence in your words, and surprise that I haven't agreed, suggests that it is a suggestion Quirk, or an intelligence Quirk, though the latter seems highly improbable as your stupidity is almost contagious. So, I will assume that as your lackey has not opposed you yet even when you have absolutely no leadership skills, it's a Quirk that boosts charm or makes people agree with you."
Every person within hearing distance gaped at the boy as he ripped apart the boy's qualities, the boy himself paling at the analytical skills.
Izuku smirked.
"Am I wrong? You only depend on your Quirk to do things, so without your Quirk, you're useless. And because it is but a minor Quirk, seeing a powerful Quirk you feel inferior, and the easily misunderstood Quirk I'm assuming this boy has makes him the perfect target to went out your frustrations on, as even if his Quirk is more powerful, if he uses it, he will be shunned."
The boy shook himself out of the shock, growling at the boy picking him apart as if it was nothing, and lunged at him. The people around them gasped as the muscular looking boy lunged at the skinny one, but their jaws dropped as the boy was thrown over his shoulder and onto the ground.
Izuku sighed, rolling his shoulder slightly.
"You are still proving my point of your idiocy. Just because I haven't shown my Quirk get doesn't mean it's a mental one. And although I haven't used my Quirk yet, you didn't realize that I could have had professional training. You judged me by my looks and underestimated me, which seems hypocritical as you yourself don't have a physical Quirk. But you believed that by getting into fights often, you have more experience than me, and could overpower me easily." He stepped forward at the groaning boy, and crouched down, taking hold of his head, and bashed him face first into the ground. "I hate bastards like you who think that they're superior to anyone because of their disgusting ideals. After today, think again before beating people up just because they choose not to oppose you. They aren't inferior to you because they choose not to fight, in fact they're superior to your rash personality. Now get your fucking dumbass home and think back to all your wrongdoings."
He then heard his name being called, and turned around to see Naomi running towards him. Seeing the boy on the ground, Naomi gaped, but the innocent smile morphing on the greenette's face made her sigh.
"I should've expected this, nya. Come on, we're going back to the shop, nya." Izuku rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Sorry, I didn't buy the sugar yet. I made you wait, didn't I." Naomi sighed frustratedly.
"The sugar doesn't matter, nya. What's more important is if you're hurt, nya." She twisted him around, searching for injuries, and Izuku laughed, pushing her away softly.
"I'm fine, unharmed. I didn't even need to do anything, he was so weak that a shoulder throw was enough." He heard a cough from behind him, seeing the boy called 'villain', trying to stand up, and rushed to help him.
He then turned to Naomi, pointing at the boy.
"Worry about him, he's the one who got beat up." The boy stared at him incredulously.
"W-why are you helping me?" Izuku copied his look.
"Why shouldn't I?" Seeing the boy lowering his head, he sighed. "Look, just because you have a Quirk society doesn't like doesn't automatically mean you're a villain. A Quirk is but a mere tool, what you do with it is up to you. If you want to be a hero, you can be a hero." He tapped him on the chest. "What matters is not you Quirk, but your heart. Remember that."
The purple-haired boy stared at him silently, then started crying, his body twitching with sobs, and Izuku sighed, hugging him, careful not to touch his injuries, and patted his back softly.
Turning to Naomi, they nodded at each other, and Izuku lifted the boy, said boy letting out a gasp of surprise, and walking away, the crowd opening up and letting them leave after a heated glare from the greenette.
{}
After they arrived to the café, Izuku carefully out the boy down on a chair. The boy looked at him in confusion as he received a pointed look.
"W-what is it?" he asked, eyes puffy from crying.
"Strip." Both Naomi and the purplette choked at that. Naomi was the first to stop coughing.
"I-izuku-chan, nya, what-" Izuku glared at both of them.
"Not that way, you pervert. I need to check him for wounds. He was being kicked on the ground, so I need to see if anything's broken."
The purple-haired boy complied, slowly taking of his t-shirt, wincing as he did so, and Izuku scowled at the sight before him.
There were scars, and not just a few.
The greenette looked at the boy's face, noticing the discomfort, and sighed, rubbing his face in annoyance.
"I'm not going to judge you," he started, noticing the relief on the boy's face as he slumped down slightly. "-but tell me one thing: are you being abused?"
The boy flinched, eyes wide with fear, and Izuku felt rage take over his body.
"Motherfucker-" Naomi gasped.
"Izuku-chan!" Izuku close his eyes, and tried to calm himself, his 'mother' flashing before his eyes as he took deep breaths.
When he opened them, he noticed the fear on the boy's face, and morphed his face to a calmer expression, and sighed.
"You don't have to be afraid of me." He said, and noticing that the boy didn't relax, exhaled deeply.
Suddenly, he started to take of his shirt, ignoring the shriek of surprise, and let it fall on the ground as he closed his eyes.
His entire torso was full of scars that he normally kept hidden, morphed away. Be it burn scars, cuts, or carvings (Quirkless, Useless, Worthless...), there was seemingly no place unharmed.
When he opened them, he noticed the look of pity, and shrugged them off.
"I didn't do this for your pity." he said, picking up his shirt and once again putting it on, raising his head afterwards. "I only wanted to show you that I understand what it feels like."
The other boy choked.
"W-why?" he stuttered out, and Izuku let out a sad chuckle.
"When I was four, the Quirk doctor told me that I have two pinky toe joints." Both their eyes widened at the information, and Naomi gasped, as tears fell down her cheeks.
She rubbed them away, looking at him in sadness.
"I-izuku-chan, why? Why did you never tell me?" she cried out, forgoing her usual 'nya'. Izuku just shrugged, taking a few steps towards her, and hugging her, squeezing her tightly.
"You don't need need to feel guilty, you weren't the one who did this. I got these before I started working here, and I've already moved out of that wretched place. I'm fine now."
And with that, she broke down, and Izuku hugged her even tighter, whispering soothingly in her ear.
"It's okay, I'm fine now, I'm here with you, she can't hurt me anymore..."
The half-naked purplette awkwardly watched it, clearing his throat after a while, and Izuku grinned at him, slowly pulling away.
"Now that that's done, let's treat your bruises!"
{}
After practically covering the boy in ointment, Izuku leaned back, standing up and stretching.
"-And, done! You're all good to go!" Then he noticed that he didn't know his name. "Oh, I forgot to ask your name with all that emotional shit! Can you tell me?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
The purplette couldn't help it, he snorted.
"It's Shinsou. Shinsou Hitoshi." Izuku beamed, and the boy squinted his eyes at the brightness, Naomi snickering from behind.
"Nice t' meet ya, Hitoshi-kun! I'm Midoriya Izuku, call me Izuku. We went through all the sentimentality, after all." Naomi smacked him on the back.
"Hey, you forgot to introduce me, nya!" She then turned to the now-named boy with a cat-like grin. "I'm Nyakamura Nyaomi, but call me Nyaomi, nya!" Then he waved her arms around her. "And this is my cat café! You're welcome here any time, Hitoshi-chan, nya!"
Hitoshi sputtered at the suffix.
"H-hitoshi-chan?" he cried out, and the other two laughed at the incredulous look on his face.
After a while, their laughter died down, and Izuku hummed, tapping a finger to his chin as he thought.
"Now that I think about it, what is your Quirk? It must be powerful if they feared you like that."
The happiness on Hiroshi's face disappeared, a cold look on his face.
"It's called Brainwashing." He said in monotone, tone daring them to comment on it.
To his surprise, Izuku became starstruck, a notebook seemingly materialising out of nowhere and a pen appearing in his hand, leaning forward in excitement.
"Really, how does it work?" Hitoshi's face showed surprise, which he hastily morphed into indifference, continuing in monotone.
"I can command anyone who responds to me to do simple tasks that don't require thinking, but with an impact powerful enough, they can be stripped of its effect."
Izuku grinned, taking notes down his notebook.
"Fascinating. That's such a powerful Quirk! If you become a Pro, you can easily take villains into custody while avoiding collateral damage! It can also hypothetically be used to calm down panic attacks, and a whole lot more! Although," he turned his head, a single eyebrow raising. "why did you name it Brainwashing? Brainwashing effects the way people think, morphing their thought process and having long term effects, while yours is more like Mind Control. But wait, does your Quirk affect the mind as well?"
Hitoshi's eyes widened at the muttering, but managing to decipher the question, he stuttered out an answer.
"I-i don't know. I never asked any questions about it before." Izuku grinned.
"Test it on me, then! I need more data if I want to help train your usage!"
Hitoshi's eyes widened.
"W-why? Why would you do that?" Izuku looked at him oddly.
"Huh? You're my friend, why wouldn't I?"
Hitoshi gaped.
"We just met! You don't even know me!" Izuku shrugged.
"I don't need to know you to know that you're not a bad person. Now, use your Quirk on me." And with that, he felt his control over his body fade, his mind clouding slightly.
He felt a suggestion in the back of his mind, and immediately felt compelled to obey it. Take a step forward. But before he did so, he managed to stop himself, his sheer willpower overpowering the command, and he snapped out of the Quirk, regaining control over his body.
When he came to, he realized that Hitoshi was gaping at him, and smiled charmingly.
"Hmm, it seems that with enough willpower, one can overpower your Quirk. And your Quirk is Mind Control, not Brainwashing. Brainwashing is known as more 'villainous' than Mind Control, so bad naming choice. I advise you to change its name on the Quirk Registry as soon as you can." He then started muttering about the Quirk even more, his hand a blur on his notebook as he filled page after page, unaware of reality as his mind was filled with information he was deciphering.
Hitoshi turned to the chuckling Naomi with a mix of horror and awe.
"Is he always like this?" Naomi nodded, laughter bubbling through her throat.
"It might be a bit overwhelming, but this is what makes Izuku-chan, Izuku-chan.