Archive of Our Own

Homeless wasn't too bad, his time was all his own anyway, and retail really was hell so he didn't miss his past life really.

None of his bullies, not even his cousin Kacchan, got a chance to hurt him anymore, not even with words, cause Izuku’d moved right out of his neighborhood as soon as he’d been kicked out.

He had tried though.

Tried UAs entrance exam, five other hero exams, nine high school exams as well.

Despite being in the top ten percent of his class in junior high, and despite scoring well on the written exams, he failed every single practical.

Robots, teachers, booby trapped mazes, you name it, he failed it.

The thing was, he couldn't figure out how.

He agreed the robots were a bitch but he’d killed loads of them, and helped people too which was fun, but the letter he’d gotten said failed.  He’d not even been offered general education, the letter said it was filled, no spaces available, and to try again next year.

All the other We Don’t Want YOU letters were the same, with or without robots, no one wanted him.

So he’d swallowed his heart break, and gotten a job, because even at fourteen he could at least help at home by bringing in some kind of income.

Then another one, and another one, and each time he was fired he did it all again.

Slowly he’d found ways to keep a job longer than six weeks but he’d eventually lost one too many and bam, out on the street, cause his mother couldn’t take it anymore and just up and left. 

It wasn't that bad, not really.

Yes, it was scary at first but he’d done a lot of research as his moms temper got shorter and shorter each time he disappointed her.

He’d never set out to break her but, just like with everything else, he’d managed to do the impossible, turning wonderful people into Izuku haters.

And never figured out how so he didn’t do it again!

Giving a watery sniffle he slowly ate his birthday kitkat, one tiny bite at a time.

Sixteen today.

Crouched in shelter as the rain hammered down, scanty as it was he was small for his age so it was enough to keep him dry. Not just him but his bag of sparse possessions, plus his sleeping bag, all of it covered with a bit of waterproof tarp tied firmly in place were out of the weather. He wished it wasn’t hammering down on his special day.

At least if it was dry he could write in his journal.

Wishing was pointless though, so he neatly nipped that line of thought off and watched the few people still out and about, pondering the quirks on view and smiled as he saw a properly interesting one and imagined all the ways an umbrella quirk could be used for heroics.

0000000000000000000000000000

Sitting in the same alley, looking back, Izuku smiled.  Sixteen then, eighteen now, life just didn’t get any easier really. After being kicked out he’d given up on jobs, simply living hand to mouth because as hard as that was, it was easier than dealing with people.  

But today’s birthday he had a mochi instead of a kitkat so maybe that was a step up?

He slept there, the same way he had two years ago, not even bothering to unpack his bag anymore, used enough now to sleeping sitting up, knees pulled tight to his chest, forehead pressed down onto them.

Egging he called it, but it didn't put you in a vulnerable position the way normal sleeping did, so it was safer.

He did have a few boltholes he used for sleeping in during spells of bad weather, one of them good enough even for winter, he hoped it’d still be there this year anyway. The demolition sign was a pretty good clue it was gonna go down in flames soon though.

Searching for winter quarters was in fact the reason he was even in this area again, the hunt proving harder than expected and yes, it was only early summer but the snows of winter taught harsh lessons, not least of which was to be prepared!

Sighing, Izuku stretched after his nap, standing and shaking the pins and needles out of his legs. Judging by the light levels the night markets would be worth hitting up, he was hungry again and they usually tossed out plenty.

*-*

Many hours later, breakfast and lunch of thrown away apples fading fast, wondering about finding food again, he heard screaming, and was suddenly caught up in a panicking crowd of pedestrians. Just trying to keep his feet under him as they jostled and pushed in a stampeding rush away from what he guessed was a villain attack.

Deeply afraid of being jostled or trampled even he shoved back, angling to get out of the worst of it when he saw a little boy go down.

Lunging he blocked trampling adult feet with his own body, snatching the kid out of immediate harm's way, ignoring the burning light surrounding them both and this time he kicked savagely in all directions, forcing people to make way and together they escaped to lean against the wall of a shop.

Shelter, and the pain was getting worse but he managed to talk, despite having to clench his teeth against the swelling agony, and finally the kid, tiny, maybe three or four at a guess, just went limp, burned out from quirk use.

Almost sobbing from how much he still hurt, Izuku finally spotted a screaming woman who lit up like all her dreams had come true when she caught sight of his armful. Pure relief as he handed the kid over, telling the woman how he’d found the toddler but not how the little one’d used a quirk on him.

Izuku needed no extra contact with authorities, and the pain was fading fast now, lingering only as a sharp ache behind his eyes, and if he told her about it, she’d call the cops for sure, or even worse, paramedics.

Only wobbling slightly on his feet he got away from the woman, aiming at the nearest tourist restaurant district; it was late enough for the pickings to be good.

He was suddenly a weird mix of starving and nauseous, but maybe having food might help?

*-*

Finding food was easy, eating it was something else though because, by the time he got into the dumpster behind the first restaurant, the pain behind his eyes was damned near overwhelming him. Legs giving out he crashed into a crouched huddle and wished with all his heart for Eraserhead to actually show up and erase this quirk.

He knew it didn't work like that, it was a quirk effect hurting him, not a quirk, but he was a bit brain scrambled at this point and imagined his favorite hero landing, eyes blazing, and the pain was gone….

The pain was gone?

Blinking in shock because holy shit the pain was gone!

Shaking with reaction at the cessation of pain he managed to stand despite the uncertain footing of thrown away food, blinking tears out of his eyes, wondering what fresh hell was going on when he instantly began getting a double image, eyes open one view, eyes closed in a blink, a flash of another.

Gripping the skips lip white knuckle tight he risked closing his eyes only to see, clear as clear, an EMT clicking on a pen light as it stabbed deep into his brain.

Yelping in shock Izuku opened his eyes onto a dusk filled back lot to a restaurant, then closed his eyes onto the flashing red lights of emergency vehicles and *Fucking hell, can I not get one damned break?*

Keeping himself breathing due to shear effort and raging curiosity, Izuku focused. The voice was male, very cross and frustrated, and the rest of what had to be a noisy active scene was weirdly muffled, almost soundless.

The EMTs voice was audible but like it was coming through a wall, muffled yet understandable if Izuku focused really hard, and someone was talking, replying to the questions, because,  *Yeah, bla bla bla head hurt, blacked out for a second, bla bla helpful soul called you pricks on me bla bla bla let me go, I’m fucking fine!* came through like cut crystal!

So whoever Izuku could hear was NOT impressed *oh fuck, no fucking way!* but it seemed way indeed because as soon as Izuku had that single focused thought the view shifted, as if someone was sitting upright suddenly, and the words *Who are you and how are you in my head?* rang out loud enough to actually hurt.

Yelping as he stumbled back in shock, falling to land on his back in amongst the garbage, Izuku managed, *Uh ummm, yeah, no, um sorry, I don’t, wow, damn, ummmm are you, no way, no way, there is no way please Kami of the running waters please let me be insane, just, in a coma somewhere cause - *

*Hey, HEY, focus, talk to me kid, name, age, current physical status, go!*

Usually clenching his eyes brought relief to his panic attacks but now it just brought a new view so Izuku kept his eyes open until they burned, trying not to cry, because *bad this is bad holy fuck this is bad worst case world ending bad ummmm yeah, not telling you my name cause reasons, not telling you my age cause of, yeah, and my head really hurt, but now it doesn’t.*

*geeee, thanks kid, so informative, good job there*

The drawling mental voice was filled with so much snark Izuku actually managed to smile, *cause, mental, how awesome it's got to be, that kids quirk, so, touch based activation or maybe proximity based because either fits, I was carrying him after all, and I remember thinking, but people like me don't get help from people as amazing as the one I thought of but the pain didn't go away, not properly, so two factor activation? I thought of, well, him, because it hurt oh gods, hurt so bad, but then it all went away except the headache when I thought….*

*thought?*

*It’s my fault, well, it is if you’re who I think you are anyway so I’m really REALLY sorry, like, gosh, you're gonna be so mad and I don't even know how long this lasts or if it needs to be deactivated or what*

Wanting to cry at having messed up so badly the words *How on earth is this your fault?* didn’t help!

Wiping the tears away with shaking hands Izuku whispered, both inside his head and with his voice, *If you’re Eraserhead, then I was wishing you were there when that kid hit me with their quirk, and then when the pain localized behind my eyes it hurt so bad I wished you were here to make it stop*

*I know that's not how quirks work, and it’s stupid, and selfish even to have WISHED it and now I’m inconveniencing you I’m so sorry….*

Sucking in a broken breath he tried to still his thoughts, to focus on his surroundings when a realization crashed into his brain *HOLY SHIT you can find me by what I’m seeing, shit shit shit I’m doomed, I’m gonna get caught, a pro hero knows I fucked up and wished for him to help and now we’re some kinda linked and he’s gonna kill me I’m such a deku, they were all right, can’t get into school, can’t keep a job, can’t do anything right, can’t can’t can’t*

*KID I NEED YOU TO FOCUS ON BREATHING*

The near roar hit Izuku’s brain like a deep bass drum and he rocked to a halt from where he’d scrambled out of the skip, poised to run, his eyes open and fixed on the blank ground, and used one of the breathing tricks that usually helped.

The almost certainly hero clearly got himself free of the EMT's in that time, and began walking despite the almost shouted warning that he needed to at least get a ride to his destination.

*he’s right you know, you should get a lift Eraserhead-san, this quirk is a total unknown, it might get worse and then you’ll be all alone and - *

*Yeah, cutting you off there, I’m headed to a safe-house, it’s close, and I have proper medical on the way*

*safe house?*

*Protocol*

*Oh cool, of course, you're compromised, oh…. My…. GODS, I compromised a hero, I’m dead!*

Hunger began to gnaw at him then, despite how sick he’d felt just a little while ago. It felt like days since he’d eaten anything, and apples were great but not much of a lasting meal, so with wobbly knees Izuku got moving and made it to the next skip in the row.  

A smaller one, clearly one of the tiny restaurants used this one. He pushed the lid fully out of his way, examining the contents and trying to ignore how he had someone in his head and every single time he blinked he saw their point of view.

Eating out of restaurant bio bins was a tricky thing, because yes it was all food but it was both kitchen waste and left over plate scrapings and could have things like broken glass or toothpicks and all sorts of accidental stuff in it like sneezed on germs so Izuku took it slow, he needed either a tight mass of something like fried noodles or solid chunks like grilled meat, and nothing too deep in the mass because food plus air plus time equaled food poisoning.

Luck as with him tonight though because right on top of the jumbled contents was half a part eaten chicken and the bone end of a garlic rib roast.

*fuck yes!* Snatching both up he slammed the lid carefully back in place and went to crouch by the wall, unaware that his happiness at eating something not apples was flooding the link between him and a pro hero.

00000000000000000000000

A simple run for snacks turned into a nightmare between one instant and the next.

Pain exploded with no warning as he reached for his favorite sweets, so intense he’d clearly blacked out for long enough that emergency people were called, and while he looked alright today, dressed in reasonably good condition joggers and a fresh t-shirt, he hadn’t managed to convince anyone to just fucking leave him alone!

Full body pain, reducing to localize behind his eyes, and then a voice in his head, timid, young feeling, and he’d snapped a firm question because it wasn't his first mental rodeo!

UA hero training had an entire half a year dealing with mental quirks and how to handle them.

Escaping the EMTs at last, knowing he’d gotten away with it only because, as he told the kid, the safe house he was heading for was close and he was being met by someone.

Firmly keeping their identity to himself Shouta was first amazed at anyone wishing for HIM to save them, and then horrified at how the kid was thinking about himself, and then sickened at the joy and relief a kid felt at eating actual honest to god's garbage.

But when the kid refused to tell him age and name, and was so fast to figure out how easy it would be to locate him through context clues and the snippets of what Shouta could see each time he closed his own eyes, the kid was bright.

And clearly either homeless or badly treated in what home he had.

*-*

Feet dragging he was only five minutes faster than Chiyo getting to the safe house which gave him just enough time to make sure it was secure, and with stiff backed resistance he sat and let her examine him.

It was harder though to hide how he felt about it from the kid, who had started snickering at his mental language and now seemed to be looking for something, but as he was keeping his eyes down, only glancing around in very careful bursts so as to not catch any street signs, Shouta did his best to focus on the room he was actually in rather than the pavement a random kid was skulking along on.

It was easier to give his report to Nezu when he casually came in from one of the bedrooms, despite not having been there when Shouta checked the apartment for any hostiles.

Remembering with a pang a long ago voice, “The ways of Nezu are mysterious, and best not trifled with!”

Banishing the specter Shouta was concise, because despite protocol, this was shit, and Shouta wanted to go home to his sagging couch, his three spoiled rotten fat-as-baby-seals cats, water his house plants, feed his fish, and then sleep for about eleventy-two hours.

*-*

A quirk, someone had hit his Shouta with a quirk.

Rage shivered in his mind, near killing in its intensity yet, soothing it down with the knowledge it was a child, two children in all actuality, although only one seemed to be currently in actual danger.

Not villains anyway!

Giving in to his unhappy boy he said, “Yes Shouta, I agree with you, no one is in any danger from this situation other than perhaps the homeless child.”

Because at some point in their discussion Shouta confirmed that the child had found what they were looking for, somewhere hidden to curl up and sleep, although they weren't yet asleep they felt close to it now.

The thought of a child sleeping rough, victim of more than just this quirk, hurt.

Hurt them all, yet how to find them?

No name, no description other than glimpses of their hands, freckled, with a scattering of scars like fine lines across the back of one and ragged dark sleeves trailing over too thin wrists.

Not enough.

Worse still, of the time period linked to his Shouta’s being affected, there had been eleven villain incidents, five of them involving large numbers of people, and if the child had found the toddler’s parent, and it was uninjured, then there would be no incident on file.

Nothing!

So, looking at Shouta, wilting with tiredness now he was safe, Nezu climbed onto his shoulder, settling down as they all set out to walk the remaining four blocks to Shouta’s apartment, because he knew his son well enough to know he wouldn’t be able to properly relax in a safe house so needed to be taken home.

It was near UA, in a safe enough neighborhood, and comfortable. Nezu’d made damned sure of it when he’d purchased the building, renovating it properly and then “letting” Shouta find a listing in his budget, enthusing as much as his laconic nature allowed at the large rooms, three bedrooms, balcony, nice view….

It’d taken him exactly three days to pin Nezu with a glare as he said, "You know, if you wanted to be my landlord you could have let me stay home!”

They were still laughing about it all this time later but as they went in, Nezu had to agree, it was comfortable indeed.

Fending off the cats they sent Shouta straight to the shower, reminding him to not make it too hot. Quirk effects could be exacerbated by conditions such as excessive heat and Shouta loved his showers almost hot enough to boil an egg!

Knowing he wouldn't be able for much in the way of solid food, Chiyo fixed a quick pot of miso soup and they watched with relief as he drank it down and almost fell onto the couch.

Leaning together on the love seat they watched him fall asleep, Chiyo muttering, "A perfectly good bed and he sleeps on the couch!” but they both knew why, and with matching smiles they fluffed a blanket over him and settled down again. Nezu with his wrist computer interface to keep searching for any clues and Chiyo with a good book.

Together they’d watch over him, eventually taking shifts so they could each get a nap, but until they were certain there was no danger he was not going to be alone for an instant.

*-*

*Don’t look up, don’t blink, don't look down because the service access-way hatch covers are distinctive to each borough, don’t look at shops for the same reason shit, I may as well get myself a shitting blindfold at this rate!*

A mental snicker met that thought but Izuku ignored it too, with a bit of effort anyway. Having eaten it was time to get under cover so he prowled the back alleys, not willing to risk any of his actual bolt holes being discovered.

Finding a tucked away corner behind an empty store he egged himself, grateful to the depths of his soul it was summer, and tried to sleep.

Instead, because of the new optical connection he’d been gifted with, he watched his new, hell, what to call them? Friend was NOT the word, he didn’t have any of those but maybe head-mate worked? Anyway, what ever he called them, Izuku was ringside seat viewing of what had to be his family, although having someone like Recovery Girl and Nezu the fucking thinking hero as family would have Izuku imploding so hard he’d turn into a black hole just at the thought of it.

Damn he was tired, he was getting not-slept-in-two-days thoughts but he’d actually slept pretty good, and napped fine too, *ah, of course, stupid, it’s getting hit by a quirk making me this tired, of course of course of course*

*Yes, quirk. Stupid, no.*

Even the thought down the connection between them oozed exhaustion, so instead of answering Izuku did a round of meditation, color based. Filling his mind with the color blue he slowly shifted it from near black through to almost white before shifting to green and then doing it again, dark to light.

No one he’d ever asked - a grand total of three people, he scoffed to himself with the risk of losing the calm he'd managed to achieve - could do it, fill their minds with color to the exclusion of all else, but it clearly wasn't enough of an ability to be labeled a quirk so he’d simply enjoyed the trick when he needed and ignored it the rest of the time.

Now though it was useful not just for him calming fully at last but he’d managed to put the hero almost to sleep too.

*A hero, I have a hero in my brain.*

Trying to think very quietly but then it got weirder again because, *I have a hero with a family in my brain, and bad as it was with Eraserhead hunting me, now I have, fuck!* blinking in shock at the very thought, *I have Nezu hunting me.*

Pressing his forehead hard against his knees he ruthlessly cut that thought off and shifted crimson into orange into yellow back into blue into sleep.

*-*

Waking with the sun, Izuku took the opportunity to make a basic plan - move out of his usual area and into a distant ward so his habits didn't get him caught while waiting the quirk out - and did a stretching routine.

His early morning habits were pretty set in stone by now because his intermittent income wouldn’t stretch to actual living quarters - unless he shifted from gray to black that is, he could get a job in villainy at the drop of a hat, he just wasn't willing to go there yet - but it did stretch to a morning pastry and coffee.

Most days anyway.

NOT at his favorite cafe today or for an unforeseeable number of days but he enjoyed a certain chain if he was on one of his walkabouts and they were EVERYWHERE, he couldn't get caught out if he used them for the next while because they all looked the same, inside and out.

Smiling, he hopped a bus, headed west. Away from UA was the only criteria needed now.

*-*

Izuku was people watching when the hero woke with a groan, and Izuku resolutely did not laugh at him but clearly failed to hide his amusement when he got a grumbled *bastard* in reply.

Already a bit better at blocking some of the double load of data streaming in, Izuku managed to not voyeur too badly during the shower, other than to wish briefly it was him under the hot water because it felt so nice, even second hand but by latching onto the crowd he could distract himself, one person at a time, as he speculated on their quirk, profession, age, sexual orientation, habits and hobbies.

It was a pastime he could well get into and he even wasted a bit of his cash on a second cup of coffee to stretch the time he could reasonably take up a table doing it.

And then, just as he’d managed to block out the hero almost totally, a fierce argument broke out from the other side.

Well, it sounded like an argument, because the hero was insisting he could do his job damn it, and was being calmly informed he would be giving one, and one only, lecture to the fourth year hero course.

Inside the hero was almost wilting with relief because *damn I’m tired, fuck* but out loud he was still, STILL trying to get his full day reinstated.

*what is wrong with you* Izuku asked in bafflement *shit, take the win man*

*you can shut the fuck up too, I can do it*

*yeah, but* Puzzling through the emotional information almost swamping him, Izuku finally got it *Oh you're like me, you feel guilty if you can't do it all, but* riding out a wave of loss/longing/envy to be cared for like the hero was being cared for, he finally managed *just be grateful you get the choice…. And the chance*

A long moment of almost white noise as thoughts and feelings too complex to even process on his end wound down with *yeah*

Relieved the clearly young man was going to rest most of the day cause if he felt half as bad as Izuku did he needed it. Izuku blinked startled tears out of his eyes when the total stranger now residing in his head took his advice and went onto his knees to hug his very short parentals, both telling and feeling how much he loved them.

Alone on a street corner, in a nameless cafe, Izuku wiped tears away as he wished it was him in that hug.

*-*

Shouta felt his heart actually breaking at how lonely the stranger in his head felt when he reminded Shouta how fucking lucky he was to have people in his life care enough to make sure he rested his quirk-effect-hit-ass until he was actually better!

By the time they got to school later he’d eaten a fantastic meal, had another nap, and was feeling fully alive again so stood up for the lecture with confidence and began.

He should be confident in the subject, he’d been teaching it for two years and been an assistant teacher for a further three while being a student himself!

However, he’d never done it while having someone else in his head….

*-*

Izuku was at a lecture in UA!

UA!!!

Well, he was in the head of the lecturer at UA but as he braced his back against a brick wall around a park so as to better keep his eyes closed and focus because, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh he was in UA!!!

*shut up and let me do my job* was enough to settle him down, and he watched from his place in a fetid little alley as a lecture on the ethics of the heroic industry progressed.

Focused on lethal force, Izuku was entranced, losing himself in the material and the teacher's offhand mental comments until it came to the question and answer portion when he forgot himself utterly.

*-*

The lecture went well, the entire class focusing properly, he’d gotten into the zone and totally forgotten anything was different about today so when one of the questions was *What about the Kanto Accords, how do they impact the Heroic Lethal-Force protections?* he’d simply said “Good question.” and gone from there.

It was only after he’d explained the ramifications of the question that one of his other students put their hand up and asked, "Sensei, who are you talking to?” that Shouta realized the question had come from inside his head rather than the auditorium.

**shit**

The mental word was said with the same tone, inflection, and volume from both of them and Shouta had to ruthlessly stamp on his urge to laugh, which the pest in his head was doing freely and uninhibitedly.

Revenge then.

*don't you dare* was yelped at him as he began, “Are you telling me you haven't spotted the new student yet?”

*You bastard, whyyyyyyyy*

Giving his best deranged grin he added, “The person who figures out where they are gets a pass on the test of their choice!” and swung back into the final half hour of the q and a session.

*fine, bastard, then explain to me how vigilante action impacts the laws on heroic protection after a lethal force incident on the job!*

*Now who’s the bastard? that takes most of an entire module to go over but fine, here we go* “Newest student just asked for a BRIEF overview of Vigilante versus hero in regards to the lethal-action impact on-the-job laws so, thank them in your own time and here we go!”

*-*

A brief moment to stretch and decompress after sending the students away, the walk to Nezu’s office a comfortingly familiar one and his hitch hiker was quiet, clearly still thinking about the lecture.

Smiling at the mug pushed over to him he sipped with pleasure, spicy tangy sweet, his favorite blend. Giving his dad a sudden suspicious glare he asked, "Why are you buttering me up?”

“Because, my ever so clever son, there is a meet and greet for my new hire in exactly fifty five minutes, after which your uncle will be escorting you home and yes, you will be cleared tomorrow for a half patrol as long as you pass MY assessment and then come Monday you should be good for a full teaching day.”

“However, I wanted to ask about your unexpected passenger. By the tells I see in you, they are still there, correct?”

“Yep.”

A flick of expressive ears at his flippancy had Shouta smothering a grin behind his mug.

“Are they available for me to speak to? And will they be able to hear me properly?”

“Yeah, it seems we can hear what someone is saying to either of us because we’re focusing on it, other sounds are really muffled though. Hold on." *HEY, Nezu wants to say something, you busy?*

*oh gosh, you got me, I’m absolutely swamped, please call back later beeeeeeeep*

*Are you meme-ing me*

*....... maybe*

*Then stop, my dad wants to say something so pay attention*

“Right, go ahead, he’s listening.”

Having his dad look him deeply in the eyes, and say with absolute certainty, “If you hurt my son in any way I will make it my life's work to hunt you down and make you suffer.” was a trip and a half yet the reaction from the other side wasn’t funny at all!

*-*

Happily contemplating the lecture he’d listened to, and how awesome it was to get to do it, usually he only got such things second hand at best!  He could use libraries but only when he looked - and smelled - good enough. Otherwise he’d be reported to the cops for loitering, despite clearly working on the free computers!

So he’d finished his water, ignored how hungry he was getting while cursing his stomach because what was fucking up with his appetite lately, and worked his way through a point Eraserhead had made that Izuku’d never thought of.

Interrupted to be asked if he was too busy for Nezu of all people to talk to him he’d resorted to snark to hide how excited he was to speak to the diminutive hero, even if it was at kind of second hand and then….

“If you hurt my son in any way I will make it my life's work to hunt you down and make you suffer.”

It was like a stab to the heart, Nezu thought he’d hurt someone, like, on purpose! Thought he’d hurt his son and how had Izuku made anyone think that but he was in their head, was in the head of Nezu’s son and they loved the person Izuku was inside of oh fuck….

He was inside someone's head!

Of course the thinking hero was afraid and angry, Izuku would be too if he loved anyone and they were in this position!

*I’m sorry, tell him I’m sorry, I don't know how to stop it, I’m so stupid, so worthless I can’t even save a kid right, just pick them up and get them safe and now I’m inconveniencing you and you're stuck with me and I’m doing it right now, interrupting and distracting you oh shit, oh gods, I even did it when you were working I was just having so much fun I forgot I’m such a waste of space, waste of time, I - I - I don't know how to stop it!*

Looking frantically around Izuku‘s eyes fixed on Big Bridge. Maybe that was it? He’d lived long enough. If it freed the hero from his grip then it'd be worth it, save one person before going, that'd be a fair exchange wouldn't it, his life for a hero's? *The bridge is just there, it’s easily tall enough - *

*SIT THE FUCK DOWN RIGHT NOW*

Slamming back onto his ass on the dirty pavement in shocked reaction to the bellow who’s echo was still reverberating through his skull the command seemed to take control of his legs.

Only now realizing he couldn't catch his breath, was gasping full body sobs, words filled his head, a lifeline because he’d had spells like this before but never this strong, he was so afraid!

*I know you are but listen to me, listen to my voice, it’s alright, you are alright, we are both safe Dad didn't mean to scare you or upset you he’s protective of me that’s all - *

*like a shovel talk?*

*Yeah* a mental laugh of relief the kid was beginning to respond *just like a shovel talk. Now I’m not asking you what you see, but how about you breathe in again, good, that's good, do you have a nickname I can call you?*

A word floated through a brain and the hero said with a flat dead calm, *No, I’m not calling you that, try again, you are not worthless, no one is worthless, no single person on the planet is a deku!*

*I don’t ummmm don’t know, no one ever wants…. I hardly ever…. I’m alone! No one talks to me, I don’t - *

*Yep, stopping you there, you may be unexpected but not unwelcome, I think we might even wind up friends by the end of this, so, I’m going to call you, call you, shit, I am so bad at this!*

*Wow, the great Eraserhead is bad at naming, who'd have guessed?*

*Snark now, oh, Snarky, how bout that!*

*No*

*Brat? Sassy? Serendipity? Oh no, that’s one of my cats, how about -*

*Honestly, wow, stop! You can call me Midori, okay?*

*Oh, that works, so, Midori….*

The heroes tone had changed, gotten deeper, more powerful, and Izuku instinctively drew his huddle even tighter, *Don’t think we’re done with the bridge thing cause we really are not but, I listened to you a bit when you were looking at the crowd, you’re bright, so, we are sharing brains right now, right?*

*Uhuh*

*Okay, so, what happens if one of us dies?*

Izuku’s head filled with fog, total brain death as he tried to process that, finally gaining enough cognitive functions to shakily form the word *shit*

*Shit indeed. Now, tell me why *

*because if one of us dies there’s a risk of them being trapped in the remaining living body*

*and that’s bad becauuuuuuse?*

Izuku couldn't even summon up any resentment at the tone because *Right now you’re only stuck with me for forty eight hours to a week at best, mental linkage quirks are usually midterm at most, but if I died you’d get stuck with me forever, fuck, I don’t, I’m sorry I wasn’t please - *

*STOP THINKING*

*I CAN’T, I can’t, I don’t know how to stop, how does anyone do that, like, can you do it, can you just turn your brain ooooooh wow, you can*

Sinking into the deep warm bath feeling of Eraserhead's mind, filled with quiet and calm, Izuku breathed at last, a sigh from the bottom of his soul.

Words began then, clearly not Eraserhead so it must be Nezu’s words filtering through the calm.

“Midori? I am sorry little one, I didn’t mean to upset you so thoroughly yet I did, and for that I do apologize. What you feel in Shouta’s mind is a learned technique, one I teach to all my students as well, because mental attacks are a thing, clearly as the two of you are joined because of one, despite it not being a villain that did it, it was an attack regardless.”

“Shouta is correct, we will be returning to what he relayed to me of what you were thinking and feeling, and together we will figure out a way to get you some help, because being homeless in summer is bad, yet winter is terrible.”

“No, don’t try to speak, holding that calm is difficult for Shouta and we don't want to break him from it. Now, if you have any money I want you to eat, something hot and filling would be best. Then get a hot beverage and by then we will be finished with the meet and greet which we simply can not get out of.”

“Later we will get you some money so you can get a safe place to sleep tonight, and no, until you are ready we will not try and get you to come to us.”

“Shouta dear, that's it, come back now ahhhh there you are good job, very good job indeed.”

*-*

Nezu’d meant every single word he’d said to the stranger currently hitchhiking his son's brain. Considering all he knew for sure was that Shouta got no feeling of malice from them, they seemed fairly intelligent, and were probably homeless.

Nothing in that list inspired confidence in a loved one's brain safety so he’d said what he said.

Watching a stranger go from being threatened by him to actually standing up in an attempt to remove his presence from the world and his perceived inconveniencing everyone around him - Shouta doing his best to provide a verbatim account of a means of communication that wasn't fully verbal gave him enough to go on - so he’d felt totally justified in asking Shouta to enter the trained mental state best used in dealing with mental quirk’s trying to take over one's mind.

Then he’d managed to help talk them down, made sure they had enough funds for at least a meal and then dragged Shouta to the meet and greet.

One they couldn't get out of as a new teacher at UA was a rare occurrence indeed and Nezu’d always had a soft spot in his memory for this one.

*-*

They were the last two there, and it took a few minutes for the happy welcoming crowd to part enough for Shouta to see the newest teacher, easily able to feel Midori’s excitement and seriously, anything to keep them on an even keel for now as a good thing.

Together they saw long blond hair, tall, lithe yet clearly strong, the clothes did nothing to hide the muscles that shifted and rippled down the person’s back, voice smooth as honey as they answered something Nemuri asked and then they turned around.

Shouta knew those eyes, would know them anywhere, and his brain said *Hizashi?* while Midori said *Present MIC?* and the man himself smiled a blinding smile and said, "Heeey Sh-azawa, been ages my man, how you been?”

*-*

Izuku never thought he’d ever feel a heart break that wasn't his own but he felt it now, in real time as the man said a name, the lightning fast sh of Shouta before correcting it to the more proper, distant, Aizawa.

Even without words Izuku could feel the weight of past connections with this person, caught glimpses of them so much younger, all mixed with a blue haired kid, and sorrow and hurt and loneliness and an agony of the spirit Izuku understood so well. Loss in all its flavors was so familiar to him but like this it was brand new.

Yet all of that was hidden as his hero gave a confident bow, said, “A long time indeed, you went to America if I remember right? How was it?”

Getting a seven year synopsis in a five minute conversation as his mental partner hid a shattering heart had Izuku muffling his own sobs while he tried to pour support to the man but as he’d never yet managed to support anyone at all, he was sure he failed.

And then the beautiful figure smiled again, said something about catching up better over coffee or something and turned away.

Watching the clearly auto pilot and eventual escape of his head-mate, Izuku was in awe, not a single person spotted his mask, and Eraserhead - *Shouta*

*Huh*

*We’re sharing brains right now, you can call me Shouta. Now, I have grading to do, and if I don’t get proper sleep Dad’ll have words* ( a brief flash of what “words” sometimes looked like had Izuku wincing in sympathy) *So have you eaten?*

*Close your eyes*

Shouta did and could clearly see a table with empty plates, steaming coffee clearly freshly placed down.

*I don’t have a single yen to my name now but yeah, I ate. I feel better now too, thanks*

*Okay, go to the nearest cash point and put in Eraser#897 and in the prompts put in N5z00 in the first line and * - the flicker of an embarrassed pause - *hiZaShi on the second*

*take out however much you need for three days in a hotel or hostel PLUS meals! I have loads, Dad’s in charge of my finances and he’s really good at that, if I never worked again a single day in my life I’d be fine*

A long pause before *well, other than the endless lecture on idleness that is*

They burst into laughter together, more due to overwrought nerves than anything else and Izuku sipped as he formed his intent into mental words so no one would ask the crazy kid to get the fuck out.

*I’ll listen if you want to tell me*

*how about an exchange, I’ll tell you about Hizashi and you tell me about…… something, don’t care what*

*okay*

Blinking Izuku saw a flash of Shouta’s apartment, a place Izuku lusted to have something like in his own life, and then the feeling of soft fur and a headbutt when Shouta scooped one of his fat cats up before plopping down on the couch.

An image of a boy, faded into more emotion than detail fused into a picture picked up and studied.

*That's us, Oboro on the right, Hizashi on the left, me in the middle*

*Oboro died* a lightning fast flicker of memories of when and how it happened caused Izuku to wince.

*no ones fault really, just a shit storm of epic proportions which had twenty three toddlers saved and one hero student dead*

*we were so close, I thought we’d be friends forever but….*

*I thought if I trained hard enough I could keep Zashi safe….*

*grief breaks your head sometimes, sure broke mine, by the time I realized I was wrong, that I wasn't trying to keep him safe and was using training as a way to cope with the pain it was too late*

*his folks pulled him from UA, moved to the States…. I sent him a letter, when I realized, well, you know…. but he never answered*

*told him how much I loved him, cause I did, loved both of them, never knew it until it was too late of course but*

A letter, sent in the hopes it wasn't too late to save a friendship, never answered.

*I didn't realize how much it hurt, still hurts I mean, it’s seven fucking years behind me now. I go to his grave all the time and you know, it’s good, I can talk to Bo now, like we used to, and be glad I knew him, cause he still influences me even now*

*seeing Zashi, hearing him call me Aizawa, like he’s a stranger, gods*

Shared pain hit them both, and Izuku said *My mother hated me, all my life. She used as well, anything she could get her hands on, but I never knew it, she hid it really well, or I’m just that stupid*

*I quit junior high and yes, I do know you’re not allowed to quit that young but being quirkless and all, no one cared*

*jobs, you know, that thing everyone has? I got one*

*she used the money I made to buy more stuff, I know it now, back then I thought I was helping, turns out I was helping her kill herself even faster*

*lost so many jobs, she’d yell and I’d find another one, and we’d be good*

*came home three months away from my sixteenth birthday and the door was locked*

*kicked out, both of us, she’d been spending the money I thought was going for the rent on whatever shit she was using at the time and she was just*

*gone*

*I tried to find her but*

*yeah, that was me, on the streets at fifteen and three quarters*

*eighteen now. I could make bank if I went with a villain operation, they are ALwAYS hiring but I wanted to be a hero once*

*thanks for the money offer, I can sleep rough though, been doing it for years now - *

*Midori?*

*yeah Shouta?*

*if you don't take the money and get your ass into a hotel room in an hour or less I’ll track you down and give you a taste of what Dad’ll do if he catches you first*

A long pause and then a complex jumble of emotions that finally turned into laughter *alright, to save my ass from the ever so scary Eraserhead, come on, as long as you promise not to peek I’ll do it*

*-*

Knowing his brain-gain was safe in a hotel, even if it was a dive, was enough of a relief for Shouta to sleep, even with the sounds of a tv softly in his head as the kid watched some kind of docudrama.

Tomorrow was soon enough to get over whatever this weird heartbreak was!

*-*

Shouta avoided Yamada with ease all the next day, and hit his mandated half patrol - he was an avoidant idiot, not stupid - as soon as night fell, despite the clear concern, mental from Midori, in text form from Dad, Uncle, and Mum.

Text form because he was avoiding them too.

Even as he crouched on the roof watching a questionable conversation going on below him he knew it was stupid.

Even his brain-gain knew it!

*When did I become a brain-gain?*

*do you have a better name for it and hush, I’m working*

The purely mental sound Midori made was like an imploding tea kettle as he thought *I’m on patrol with a hero*

*I’m on patrol with ERASERHEAD!!!*

*Eraserhead’s going to hunt you for sport if you don't shut the fuck up* and he finally - other than the whispered *head-mate’s a better word* - got the quiet he needed to figure out it was just two men setting up a time to cheat on their contractual partners.

*well, what utter bastards*

Shouta agreed fully with Midori’s assessment as he got back into motion, having learned already to plan his next step before he blinked; roof running was much easier without sharing a field of view!

Falling badly enough to actually injure himself after ignoring his folks was a recipe for proper disaster - *Why are you avoiding them?*

*cause they’ll be… well…. all…. it’s like…. shut up!*

*oh, yeah, that’s a great reason, I’m sure they’ll really understand that one*

A feeling of eyes rolling along with the comfort of a bed and blankets and full belly and Shouta paused again, pushing it all away while watching a couple of cops talking to a small crowd of drunks but that too passed peacefully.

His entire patrol went like that. Despite his stomach twisting into knots when he let his mind wander across any of his frustrations, at least Midori was safe inside tonight which was a comfort. He thought briefly about how hard it was being homeless as a flurry of rain blew across the roof he was on, the far point of his route tonight, and he stood looking out over the city.

*Why didn't you become a hero?*

A puzzled feeling filled his mind and Shouta continued *I know you had to work and things but, you’re smart, and there are programs for kids without help to get a leg up*

*not quikless though, I tried*

*by the time I hit the streets I knew better but I tried a few times before that, but they just switch off at quirkless*

*I’m practicing to be a vigilante though so - *

*You know when I said hunt-you-for-sport?*

Amusement flooded from his new *I’m your friend?*

The question came with a fragile hope even as it blasted through what he was saying so Shouta replied *Fuck yes, now focus because I’m not kidding, you’ll be lucky to get three days into your new career before I catch you, and when I catch you first I’ll hug you for about an hour, then I’ll - *

A shattering noise split the night exactly fifteen minutes before his shift ended and then it was all a bit of a blur as he took down the three utterly incapable thieves trying to break into a jewelry store.

He was three hours dealing with it all, even though the actual capture took almost no time at all. Finally scraping himself into his apartment he passed on food in favor of sleep!

*-*

Friends.

Someone as amazing as Shouta called Izuku friend, like he actually was surprised Izuku was being so slow as to not know it already.

Friends!

Feeling a bit guilty at using money he’d not earned to be comfortable but, well, it was the first time he’d been inside in five months, and even then that time was a single night only spent in a free clinic for a stab wound.

Not his finest moment, even he agreed, and he was relieved not just that Shouta was still sleeping but that he’d been interrupted in his threat of bodily harm if Izuku became a vigilante.

A bit too late really but he’d not let that bit past his mental filters yet and the quirk was sure to be gone soon!

*-*

Riding along as Shouta ducked and dodged to avoid everyone while still doing his job was actually pretty amazing!

He hid in places Izuku never thought would hide anyone, once even in total plain sight!

And now he was out on patrol again, despite having checked his texts and feeling someone else's stomach drop in dread, feeling someone else wilt in shame yet power though and ignore it gave Izuku a better appreciation of how fucked up people his age could be.

*HEY, I’m twenty two thank you very much, not an embryo of eighteen!*

*OI who you calling an embryo you underdeveloped brain tweenie*

Descending into opprobrious insults they eventually broke into helpless laughter, Izuku finally saying *I’m glad I met you*

*yeah, me too*

*-*

Getting off patrol at a proper hour, despite the fierce tiredness weighing him down, Shouta was feeling pretty good as he opened his door.

Still riding the high of scooping an incoherent mother and child out of danger from a building on fire, and how Midori had helped so much when, once he’d handed them off to medics he'd almost yelled, *She had a cat mutation, cats have litters, go back go back inside, look under the bed!* and sure enough, there were two more kids under it.

She’d been almost unconscious, frantic jumble of words making no sense but now he knew what the mother’d been struggling to say, but Midori teased even more meaning out of it all when he said, *Oh FOUR she was trying to say FOUR four four four * came from Midori and back in they went.

Number four was under the kitchen sink, and again it was Midori who helped find it.

Tired and stinking of smoke he was laughing and about to pass another insult to his head-mate when without Shouta’s help, the light switched on.

Saying and thinking and feeling it deep in his guts Shouta expressed *FUCK* emphatically enough to shut Midori up in an instant.

“Shouta.”

Poised to flee yet having no viable directions to do it in cause Nezu was fast, would catch him in an instant if Shouta dared run, he managed to say, “Ummmhey Dad.”

All false cheer evaporated when a single finger pointed to a now empty corner, where his very nice parlor palm usually lived.

*What does he - ?* whispered into his brain as he shuffled his feet in place before, with a near sob, Shouta went the long way round the room to park his nose where two walls met.

He’d put that plant right in this spot to avoid any thoughts of it being the perfect corner for standing in.

He was about to mentally say something when instead Nezu broke in, “Midori, I need you to be silent now. Shouta and I have things to discuss and while I know you are an unwitting observer, for now at least you will remain silent.”

Pressing his forehead to the corner, Shouta mouthed the words discuss and fuck and would have gone more but, “And Shouta, you are to think about your behavior the past three days rather than soundlessly swearing at where your actions have led you.”

Wanting to cry, knowing he was going to cry regardless of wanting to or not very soon indeed, Shouta took the time to actually think it all through.

*-*

Izuku’d never been spanked.

Not that he could remember anyway.

And it was, he paused to try and remember how long, ten years, twelve, fifteen? Since he’d last stood in a corner yet the feeling of it, he felt as small as Shouta did and he wasn't even in the corner, not really!

Oh, oh gods, this is what Shouta’d been threatening him with, this or worse?

Trying to be quiet, to be unobtrusive, he waited out the corner time and felt how Shouta was calming down from the near panic of earlier, yet how the dread was building.

Shame too, and regret.

Lots of emotions were there, things he’d felt before but only distant, as if Shouta was hiding them both from Izuku and from himself. He could feel them now though, nice and clear.

Loss, pain, longing, confusion, anger, resentment, hurt….

A jumbled tangle filling the usually logical hero and then it all froze as the words “Come here please Shouta.” touched both their ears.

Eyes closed despite his swearing to himself to not look at Shouta’s view, Izuku saw Nezu standing by the couch, a ruler in hand, and his entire body felt weightless with second hand dread, and his own feet were numb as Shouta shuffled over, trying valiantly to find some kind of coherent thoughts and words to avoid what was clearly headed his way.

“You know exactly why we’re here my lovely, now, you have ten minutes to shower and return to me, I’ve already set out your clothes to change into, off you go.”

Izuku was relieved, Shouta was too at the delay, but together they took the fastest shower possible and toweled off because the briefest of visions of what happened when one delayed returning to Nezu had Izuku whispering *faster, oh gods, faster* despite Shouta growling at him *You are NOT HELPING*

Feeling Shouta dressing, Izuku tried not to look at the hardly-fogged-at-all mirror but failed as utterly at that as he did most things, because the view was -

Was -

Shouta was beautiful!

*shut the fuck up right now, this is not the time*

*oh hells* Shouta whispered and thought, the way he'd been doing lately, *no undies, I’m fucked*

*?*

Not even realizing he’d switched to speech Shouta said, “You’ll see, oh gods, how could I be so stupid? All I had to do was - ”

“Shouta, now is not the time for earning extra is it?”

Fully dressed in a sinfully soft PJ set, one Izuku wished he had rather than the ragged t-shirt he was currently wearing, his mental host said, “No, sorry dad, it’s just…”

“You knew better.”

It was a statement yet the view shifted as Shouta nodded, and Izuku couldn't help doing it too, because Shouta’s eyes were flitting everywhere in the room other than what his dad was holding. Izuku opened his eyes wide, trying to give an illusion at least of privacy but the words, “Good boy, let's get this sorted. Yes, right there, now, pants down and bend over please.”

Shock had Izuku slamming his eyes shut yet blessedly Shouta clearly had his closed because only blackness met his mental eyes.

It didn't last long though because with a snapping sound, the echo of sharp pain blossomed across Izuku’s ass and a close up of the couch cushion appeared as Shouta clearly opened his eyes wide at the sting.

Izuku yelped, even though it really didn't hurt, much anyway, but if the fall Shouta’d had on patrol was a distant feeling of impact for Izuku, and scraped knuckles when a ledge caught him were just as faint, how bad did - the ruler landed again and Izuku jumped with a squeak and Shouta gasped again so it had to really hurt on his end cause he’d not made any noise at all when he’d fought, or when he’d fallen!

It wasn't just the ruler though, it was the emotions, they were so strong, but now the ruler’ed landed enough times for Shouta to be crying and Nezu paused.

“Shouta, do we run from our feelings?”

Choking out “No, Dad, sorry!” the ruler landed a few more times and now even second hand it did hurt, and Izuku got up, shifting as he rubbed his backside but that didn't help and the fierce tangle of emotions met the rising pain that was an active sting now for Izuku and clearly MUCH worse for poor Shouta crescendoed in a way and Izuku was sobbing along with his friend.

But the emotions were going away now even as the burn built.

The guilt and hurt and confusion and all of it gone as the ruler landed a few more times, Shouta’s entire focus now was on the moment he was in, and Izuku cried even harder because some friend he was, he could have tried harder, done more, been more….

A choked warbling thought of *really not helping* and Izuku shut up, trying to focus on counting or colors or quirks or anything at all and they both gasped in relief as the final ones of the “Last ten sweetheart.” landed.

With no memory of how he’d done it Izuku found himself curled in bed, covers over his head as he continued to cry, sobbing as he felt his own emotions easing, as Shouta’s had done.

Relaxing as Shouta too relaxed bit by bit.

Found himself listening as a proper Dad talked his friend through not just the mistakes he’d made but why he’d felt so upset that his emotions had driven him to make the mistakes in the first place.

A series of avoidance choices led to a spanking Izuku would never forget but then it led to Understanding! Led to relief, resolution, forgiveness and comfort.

Alone in his bed Izuku focused on the feeling of a hug given by loving arms, careful claws carded across a scalp not his, love given unconditionally by someone who'd never be more than a friends father, Izuku shut the entire world out and instead just let the feelings and emotions from Shouta fill him.

It was something he’d never had, had always wondered about even, what a fathers love would actually feel like.

Turns out it felt like a ruler applied firmly to his ass and a lecture and reassurances of total love and acceptance and cuddles until his friend fell asleep at last.

Alone in a tiny, dirty hotel room, Izuku cried himself to sleep.

*-*

*Like, can you get up or something?*

*why, is something wrong Midori?*

*Shouta, you fucker, you know exactly what’s wrong*

*don't see what’s up with YOU, you're not the one my Dad bent ov -*

*AAAAAAAAAAARGH NOT LISTENING LA LA LA LAAALAAAA*

A long moment of silence as Shouta got another pop quiz graded and then his focus was broken again by: *Seriously, get UP! *

*don’t know what you’re going on about, it’s not your ass on this chair* Pausing for a moment Shouta finally asked, *Actually, what’s the deal? You hardly reacted at all the few times I’ve hurt myself but you haven't shut up about this* 

He then shifted in sharp discomfort because Midori had a point, damn this was uncomfortable!

The thinking pause was one he was getting more and more familiar with, a jumble of thoughts and impressions and emotions so fast Shouta didn't even try to decipher any of it, knowing Midori would talk when he finally finished his thought storm.

And he did, eventually. *I don’t know. Maybe it’s because the fall and scrapes didn't hurt all that much? you shrugged them off really easily anyway, and I get hurt all the time so I’m pretty good with pain*

Resolving to come back to that, Shouta let him ramble on.

*But, or rather BUTT* a juvenile snicker had Shouta rolling his eyes at the idiot residing in his head *first, it’s a LOT mental, like, the emotional component of you getting, well, that, was big, like, huge*

*and I know you aren't like, damaged or anything but you’re sitting on a hard chair and your Dad was really, ummmmm, really…. well…. really….*

Taking pity on him Shouta added the right word *thorough?*

*shit yeah, thorough! And it doesn’t, like, hurt anywhere near for me what it's doing for you and you’re ignoring it seems to be pushing it my direction or something. Oh, hey, I wonder if I can pull your pain to me?*

A feeling of reckless excitement at doing something brand new had Shouta yelling aloud and mentally the word *DON’T* but it was too late. Suddenly, for a blessed moment at least, his ass didn't feel like he was sitting in a pool of acid.

The *HOLY FUCK!!!* as the pain returned along with sharp indignation while he laughed at the fool who’d just casually taken someones pain away and not realized it was going to hurt him when he did was priceless.

It didn't help that the pain in his ass returned twofold and he hissed, drew breath to swear at the absolute moron now filling his head with a veritable storm of conjectures on how and why and how much and Shouta wanted to bang his head down on the desk really really hard.

Of course, because Shouta couldn't have just one crisis at a time, his door opened and Hizashi leaned in, worried green eyes and an almost casual smile as he asked, "Is now a good time?”

*-*

Shouta’d been ignoring him.  Not just ignoring him either but avoiding him like the plague!

Actually, worse than the plague because you had a chance of catching the actual disease but not of catching the wraith his one time friend seemed to have become.

Hizashi knew what happened to Shouta when he ran from his troubles though so he’d been trying really hard to catch the now stranger before it happened and was thrilled to catch him in his office at last!

Now he had to be brave, one last final brave thing and Hizashi could settle back and just be a good teacher and hero, just focus on his jobs and that’s all.

Because he’d fucked this up so badly already nothing would fix it!

*-*

*damn, he is soooo pretty!*

“Midori, you are not helping!”

Not even realizing how in the habit he’d gotten into of speaking his thoughts aloud for clarity's sake Shouta tried to get his head-mate to shut the fuck up because.

*He looks really worried, doesn't he look worried to you Shouta?*

“Yes he does, now, if you’d give me a split second to actually ask him what he wants maybe we’d get to the bottom of what’s worrying him?”

Both of them studied the young hero *He’s so DIFFERENT to how you remember him isn't he*

“Fucks sake Midori, it’s been seven years, of course he’s changed.”

“Now, Yamada, or do you prefer Mic? What's wrong and how can I help?”

*daaaaamn, your professional voice would make armies turn tail and run the fuck away!*

“Shut up, just, keep it to yourself, my professional voice is not any of, you know what, fuck off!”  

“Mic, just, come in, close the door, and talk.”

Hizashi moved like he was trying to decide if running was a better option but Shouta knew how brave he was, how strong, and true to form the now *smoking hot, he is so, damn, I am in love and I’ve never even met the man, but his stats are awesome, did you know - * 

Hissing “Not now you loudmouthed fucker, talking about his stats now is just rude! It doesn’t fucking matter how hot he is, shut UP!”

*-*

Hizashi’d had several ways he knew this might go, up to and including Shouta tossing him out on his ear and never speaking to him again but in all his imaginings never ever did he imagine his one time friend having an argument with someone clearly not in the room with them, while not even realizing he was doing it.

And not only did the mystery person think he was hot, so did Shouta?

Maybe?

Reaching into his pocket he was about to actually fess up when with a sudden surge Shouta slammed to his feet, growling “Fine, fine, I’m up, happy now? And of course I know how to act with company, you still drink coffee right Mic, great, I’ll get TWO of us a cup, Midori can fuck right the way off and get his own!”

Storming over to the coffee maker he shoved an already prepped cartridge into place and said, “Hang about, where the hell are you?”

Shouta then stood with his eyes closed, mid reach for two mugs, before “You checked out of the hotel? What do you mean you….”

“.....oh, yeah, okay, I get that. I hate to stay in one place for long when I’m on the street too, but you need to go to a better neighborhood, not worse, so get your ass out of that ward, yes, I can see where you are, look over there it’s a dead give away clue…”

Eyes still closed, Shouta poured both mugs as soon as the machine beeped, faultlessly reaching for the sugar “You still take three sugars and double cream, yeah?”

“Umm yes?”

“Now, back to you Midori, you are still walking in the wrong direction, that store on your left…. I know it, broke up a fight right outside of it, so, turn around and what do you mean no?”

“Shit stain, the state of my ass and company does not mean you need to wander around the worst places in the city to distract yourself from my shitting personal drama!”

“HERE, take your damned coffee and YES, I’m sitting on the couch! Feel that?” Bouncing a few times, Shouta winced and added, "Now, look, see, hot drinks all round!” eyes wide open and unblinking Shouta stared down at the mug he was holding and Hizashi almost wet himself from not laughing, if this one sided conversation got any funnier he really might die!

Dark eyes suddenly bore right into his soul and the one regret in his life damned near barked, “RIGHT, out with it!”

Clutching his mug like a lifeline, Hizashi managed to say, “My parents died, both of them, about eighteen months ago.”

Seeing Shouta opening his mouth to say something he rolled right over him, “That’s not what this is about, but kinda, anyway, for a long time I couldn't face sorting out their house, I inherited it, never wanted it but I got it anyway.”

“Fucks sake, I never wanted to go to the States either but when, well, I only learned later they used that as an excuse to move us, only figured it out when I started packing up their stuff and getting the house ready to sell.”

“I always planned to come back to Japan, but you know American heroes start working at sixteen, and I loved the job, but fuck I missed it here!”

“That’s not, well…. I found some things in their office, hidden in a drawer, pointless shit really but, I found this too.”

Pulling out a time faded envelope, still carefully taped shut, Hizashi saw Shouta freeze, staring at it with a fixed kind of horror.

“I never got it, they hid it from me all these years.”

“Why they did it, I can't…. I just don’t…. It makes no sense but they did, they were like that really, controlling and….”

“When I found it I wanted to open it but then I just wanted to see you and all these years we could have been pen palls at least, fuckers, they took so much of my life and I hate them, hate them so much and they’re dead and I can’t even yell at them now, not that I ever did but I would, I would now…..”

Breaking down at last, Hizashi’d not cried in years, not even when they went out one day and came back dead, a villain attack in a holiday crowd, hundreds died, he wasn't special to have lost someone.

But looking at the pain on a once beloved face Hizashi broke at last, and unlike before, now he was carefully pulled into a hug and let cry.

No one yelled at him to “Man UP, to Get Over It!” no one threw water on him or screamed for him to “Get OUT!”

Instead he was held, and soothed, and a gentle hummmmmm filled his mind with care and concern and love.

Pulling back at last, wiping his nose on his sleeve until a tissue was pushed into his hand, Hizashi looked deep into dark worried eyes and said the first thing his mouth came up with, "I think you're hot too but who's the weirdo in my head?”

*-*

Watching Present Mic (so cool, Izuku didn't know many American heroes anymore but he’d followed this one for years now) fumble his way through trying to say sorry for something that really wasn't his fault Izuku thought his heart would break.

And it was even worse with how Shouta was feeling, guilt and shame at having been angry at his friend for never writing back only to find his friend's life had been worse then he’d ever imagined AND he’d never even gotten his letter!

Filled with his own empathetic pain, admiration for not just a hero but a hurt young man and Shouta’s own anguish over it all, Izuku crouched unnoticed at the side of a broken down warehouse and quietly sobbed at it all, loving them both so much!

Whimpering at the stab of pain behind his eyes he tried sending all the comfort he was possible of, filled with how much he wanted to hug them, how much he admired them, how much he was amazed by them both, so strong, so awesome, so beautiful!

And then Yamada Hizashi said “I think you're hot too but who’s the weirdo in my head?”

*-*

“Are you okay? Can I help?”

The words were from outside his head so Izuku managed to crack open an eye and recoiled slightly from the elderly looking helpful soul bending over him in clear concern.

Managing to grunt out “It’s okay, I’m good!” he wasn't expecting the apple doll face to split into an unimpressed scoff as she said, “You are collapsed on the dirty path crying sweetheart, you look about as far from Okay as it’s possible to get, with the exception of if you were bleeding out.”

“Now, I’m going to ask you one more time, what’s wrong?”

The silence in his head was utterly unhelpful, and she was a bit scary in a very helpful kind of way, so he tried a touch of honesty, “Hit with a quirk, got mind linked to someone, now they touched someone else and I have two people in my head? It’s all a bit much to be honest!”

An aged head cocked and white fluffy eyebrows frowned down at him, “How long have you been under the effect of the quirk?”

“No, wait,” she interrupted herself, “get up and come with me, we'll have tea while you tell me all about it.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Two reasons, one, if you don’t I’ll drag you to that coffee shop by your ear and two, while you may not know my name I used to be a quirk expert so I might have some insight to give you on your problem.”

“Now come on, I’m not getting any younger!”

Letting himself be led by the hand, ignoring the bastards in his head, Shouta loud and clear, Yamada *No way! Hey, that’s HIZASHI to you dude* slightly muffled, like a radio station only mostly tuned in. Both of them though were mocking him mercilessly about being rescued by an octogenarian! 

*-*

Sitting down with hot tea he finally managed to ask, “I know you said I wouldn't know it but, what's your name?”

“Mmmmmm, are you going to give me yours in exchange?”

“Why wouldn't I?” Izuku asked, momentarily baffled as to why she’d ask something like that and then covered his face in mortified embarrassment when both she and Shouta laughed at him.

“You look homeless little one, and if you're under the effect of a quirk then perhaps you wouldn't want them to know your name?”

Having it spelled out as if he was a child did NOT help Izuku feel his age, and he knew his blush wasn't helping him look it either but he gave it some serious thought.

While he was thinking it over, each time he blinked he got a fragmented image of Shouta’s office, and as he opened his mouth to answer the door opened and Nezu strolled in.

*Fuck, can I catch a bloody break any time soon?* 

Finally reaching his utter limit, he said in a breathless rush, “Right, everyone stop, I can’t do this any more, my name is Midoriya Izuku, I’m eighteen and homeless and no,” he waved one hand in a kind of wait motion, “I’m talking to the people in my head right now, I’m not going to be freeloading on Shouta anymore, or on any of you! This quirk effect will fade soon, we’re on day what, four now? Seven days is the longest I’ve ever read about anything like this lasting and even that’s almost unheard of.”

Blinking his eyes open, “Talking to the lovely helpful lady at the table now: What is your name please?”

He almost died on the spot when she said, “It’s lovely to meet you Midoriya san, I’m Noda Keiko.”

She said it with the air of expecting him to have no idea who she was but he repeated with shocked delight, “Noda Keiko?”

“Yes dear.”

“The Noda Keiko?”

“The only one I know, sweetheart.”

“THE Noda Keiko who wrote Breaking Down Mental Quirk Effects? And The Inner Workings Of Mind Control Quirks? AND Mutations and Their Impacts Upon Human Behavior? And - ”

His voice had gotten higher and higher with each title and she broke in to say, “Yep, all me I’m afraid. You’re a bit young to have read any of my works?”

“Read them? I LOVE THEM!!! Oh My GODS, I can’t believe it, here, here here here I have one with me, I read it all the time!”

Pulling out a desperately battered copy of Understanding Human Behavior As Seen Through The Lense Of Quirks and Quirk Effects he brushed a gentle hand across it and said, “It’s had a bit of a hard life but, please, please will you sign it?”

*-*

Having Shouta translating his hitchhiker's words while Nezu watched real time footage of the child in a cafe - the security system was ridiculously easy to hack - enthusing over someone who admittedly deserved it, Nezu signed both the boys to come with him.

He had the address and Snipe ready to drive them to the cafe because what came next was best done in person.

Of course, he’d been planning to get Shouta’s new friend to come to them, and was certain his sweetheart son would manage to win Midori over easily, yet all he’d needed to find them was Shouta’s cash withdrawal codes used.

Pinpoint the location, time it to the nearest three hotels at walking speed, time that to the guests that checked in and process of elimination, it got him the distinctive figure of a young masc with green hair.

Midori was the name given for the hitchhiker.

Link the face to a name to all the clues and he got Midoriya Izuku.

An unexpected bonus was getting to launch an investigation into an entire school district that was beginning to reap unexpected rewards indeed -

Not to mention a truly vindictive and spiteful villain hiding in the form of a teacher, Izuku’s former home room teacher, who had a powerful techno quirk and a grudge against the boy for some unfathomable reason!

- and NOW one of Nezu’s all time favorite authors, so reclusive Nezu himself had never managed to track her down despite playing cat and mouse for literal years was in a cafe with his new child of interest, drinking tea and discussing quirks?

He HAD TO get in on this conversation!!!

*-*

“Well, look what the rat dragged in!” were the words that met Nezu and the two he’d brought in with him.

Snipe was always willing to drive but preferred to wait in the car rather than, as he said it himself, “I doan wanna get my ass involved with whacher stirrin up, boss man!”

Letting all his teeth show in a grin he replied, “Indeed, and what a sight to meet my eyes as it did!”

Laughing because the two of them had been playing a game for decades, one now reaching its close, Nezu said in his best villain voice as he rubbed his hands together, “And now, now at last I have you!”

Cackling she’d replied, “But can you keep me?”

Not even bothering to look out the window at the grimy street he said, tone now smooth as honey, “I bet a luxury apartment on UA grounds, unlimited budget for ten students maximum per year in a brand new quirk analytics course headed by yourself, a three pet policy for you and a class fish tank of a minimum thousand gallons that I’ll keep you now I’ve found you.”

The pause was long, and her eyes shrewd when she said “Done. IF you up the pet allowance to nine. I have cats, you know, and give me this one as my first of ten!”

Ignoring utterly how Izuku gaped at becoming a sudden bargaining chip, Nezu barked, “Sold! I’ll set a time to have you moved, you may accompany us to UA right now though because this discussion needs privacy.”

“All of you, to the car.”

*-*

For an instant Izuku’d almost bolted, but, fast as he was, he knew Shouta was faster.

That plus what both of them’d sworn to do to Izuku, complete with vivid mental images of said retribution if he did run kept his feet nailed firmly to the floor, his ass parked in the chair, only daring to get up with Nezu said to come with him.

And the awesome amazing wonderful fantastic mind opening author went with them!

What she was doing in that neighborhood was a mystery indeed but he silently got in the car and sat, eyes down, trying not to absolutely freak out over the entire situation.

Shouta helped though when he calmly reached over and took one of his hands, and Hizashi took his other one, both of them filling his head with support and calmness and just enough of threatening bloody violence to keep him calm and breathing and not leaping from the moving vehicle.

*-*

Smugness could be seen in the tilt of his ears, Nezu was sure of it, but to have gotten not just Shouta’s new friend as a student, Hizashi and Shouta once again back together as friends at last, and Midoriya Izuku off the streets as well as his incomparable new hire of a world famous authority on quirks?

A little bit of smugness was only to be expected!

Easily settling everyone in with tea, keeping a careful eye on Izuku, he eventually said, “Please, Noda san, I have concerns about the quirk Midoriya and Aizawa have been experiencing, especially as it has spread to Yamada as well.

“Yeah, no,” she rolled her eyes, “not a quirk effect. Unless you came into contact with the original quirk again?”

Izuku shook his head no, confusion and dawning wonder in his eyes.

Considering Shouta and Hizashi were staring at him in puzzlement, his inner monologue must be going either too fast for them or have paused entirely.

Keiko shook her silver helmet of hair and said again, “This is not a quirk effect.”   Pausing for a moment, clearly waiting, Izuku filled the silence with the words, "It's a quirk.”

“Indeed,” she replied, "It is a quirk.”

“But I’m quirkless.”

“No, you simply were misdiagnosed and never reached your activation requirements.”

“Oh.”

The tiny sound of understanding was more a punched out noise of pain than an actual word, and Nezu stepped in, having a few ideas himself of getting through this as painlessly as possible.

“Midoriya, little one, we can’t change the past, it is done and beyond our grasp. However, we can reevaluate the past to find understanding within it. Looking back at what I already know of your past I can see very few areas where your quirk wouldn’t have great difficulty activating, especially if it works as I suspect it does.”

“Would you assess it please Noda-san?”

“Will you allow me to use my quirk on you Midoriya?”

A mute nod and she moved close enough to touch him, a bare brush of fingertips, and for a moment silence held sway.

“Oh my dear, how sorry I am for you. Yes, yes indeed, now, ah, activation here, how sweet, if I wrote this into a story no one would believe a coincidence so improbable could ever happen in real life yet here we are.”

Opening her eyes she smiled, albeit sadly, “The child that used its quirk on you activated your own. Your quirk forms lasting, perhaps permanent, connections between your mind and heart and someone you love, respect, and trust.”

“So while it took that child to link you to the first person you thought of, which was Aizawa here, once that link was created you came to know him, and formed a connection once your conditions were fully met.”

“Through him you connected with Yamada, and I am certain you will be forming more connections in the near future. You’re halfway there with one at least already. Once you settle into a situation where your loving heart can feel free to trust the people around you the connections will happen.”

“So, I had it all along but…”

“You lacked the three point activation, love, trust, respect.  In childhood that would normally mean your parentals and your close friends, but….” she paused, allowing Izuku to finally mutter, “Yeah, I see.”

*-*

The sorrow filling Izuku hurt, and Hizashi moved without thought and gathered the (not crying but only with an effort so strong it was actively painful) young man into his arms.

Once in his arms, with Shouta there as well, Izuku broke, the pain of a short life lived in such poverty of spirit that his quirk, which should have been so easy, had remained hidden until now.

Knowing it was possible now, Hizashi poured loving support back through the link, along with his deep and lasting respect for how strong Izuku was, and his own trust that this link was right, was good, not just for Izuku but for Hizashi as well.

And Shouta matched him, pouring his own reassurances into the sobbing bundle in their arms, their support finally beginning to warm the cold shudders wracking the too thin form.

*-*

“I’m just going for a walk, back in a bit!”

A cheerful tone and confident demeanor had gotten Izuku into and out of many places he wasn't supposed to be or go and it worked now as well.

Even though he wasn't locked in at UA, or forbidden to go off campus. He still had full autonomy on where and when he wanted to go, it was just….

They wanted him to become a student.

They being Nezu, Shouta and Hizashi and Noda-sensei and that was four people more than his entire past worth of people that believed in him.

He knew Shouta and Hizashi meant it because he could feel it, hear it, knew it was true because in the mind it was damned near impossible to lie.

Even now he knew they knew he wasn't just going for a walk and instead was headed out to just move! Move and move and try to fill his brain with the moving rather than the storm that was currently raging inside him.

Doing it at UA was a waste of time, it was all so amazing he just spent the time looking at things and getting even more stressed!

Suddenly having a quirk, having a place to stay (temporary, life was temporary, but Nezu said it was for as long as he wanted) and people who seemed to care, who did care?

Almost tripping on a curb because as he blinked, the image flash of Shouta’s point of view gave him a stunning vision of a mirror, a reflection, and a naked damned near god studying a spot on his shoulder.

Bracing a palm on the nearest building Izuku studied the brick, whispering "Do not perve on your friend!”

*why not Zuku, no secrets here in our mind*

*shut up, Shouta I swear to gods* blinking at last it was even worse, Shouta had now struck a pose, hips jutted forward, unmistakable interest in the half mast sporting between his *FFFFFFFFFUUUUUCK!* Once again closely staring at the brick wall Izuku tried to breathe, only managing to gasp like a landed fish as his bastard of a friend laughed at him IN HIS OWN HEAD!!!

And why did humans have to blink so often, cause now when he looked Shouta wasn't alone, Hizashi was there, thankfully sporting a towel so it must be the onsen UA provided for its staff and now, *Fuck, not you too!* cause Hizashi, waiting for the perfect moment, whipped his towel out of the way right as Izuku blinked the fastest blink in the world and failed utterly to ignore the after image.

Both of them, both of them were naked, and perfect, and laughing at him.

*I hate you both*

Which clearly he didn't because his rather personal and growing problem was beginning to stretch the fabric of his crotch in uncomfortable ways, and he made the ultimate mistake of looking down to see if he could shift something for relief and they both saw, and could feel and….

*Izzzzzuku,* Hizashi crooooned, *sweet baby-faced child of mine, I can feel how much you want us, tell me again why you said no to soaking in hot sulfur water and instead are….*

*Actually….* Shouta broke in, *Where are you?*

Looking around to spot a landmark Hizashi thought at them both, *Oh, I know where that is aaaaand....*

Shouta and Izuku both had learned across the past week to be wary of that tone, yet also kind of excited because Hizashi might be chaos incarnate but he sometimes had really good ideas.

*how about we both* he gestured to the mirror where Izuku was again peeking at the two naked gods reflected in it, *get dressed, come get you and we have coffee and a desert in a little cafe just around the corner from you, and we all confess our feelings*

Blank shock filled the link and mental eyes were rolled loudly!

*Come on, we have the perfect speed run through the awkward fumbling phase, Izuku’s quirk lets me feel how you both feel, ya dig? And I know you both can feel how I* he reached down to his revealed swelling interest and gripped, giving a few experimental strokes which lit Izuku up like fire, and clearly had the same effect on Shouta because he gasped and thought eloquently *FUCK!*

*Yeah, now, that’s what I’m talking about! So, we come get you, have something sweet, then come back and* He gave a mental image, crystal clear, of the three of them in hot steaming waters so pornographic that Izuku felt his knees actually go wobbly, *have something even sweeter*

Managing a shaky *yep, okay* he sucked air through his nose, whooshing it out in a huff and tried to get it together enough to make it to the cafe.

*-*

He never got to the cafe.

Between the point he was at, and the one he was aiming for, was an office building under construction.

The site shut down for the day, everything packed away and neat.

Izuku may be out of touch with most of the world but living as he did he had his ear to the ground, knew what villains were most active at any given time, word moved on the street faster than quirks could fly, after all.

So between hearing the scream of a child, pinpointing it to level three of the under construction building, and the latest street-fire gossip, he was off and running.

Because coming at him, too far to hear yet, was a hero.

A good hero!

Older, verging on retirement, their steady pace and calm eye a constant in this neighborhood for years.

A force for good!

A child crying out again and Izuku was speeding up the bare stairs, shutting out the yelling in his head as he skidded into the vast open space to find….

The killing aura was unmistakable, even though no one knew what they looked like.

A serial killer, targeting anyone who responded to the cries of a child.

Their widening smile made Izuku’s skin crawl but he near yelled, “Hey, did’ja hear it?”

Beginning to rush round the edges of the room, pushing at the covered piles of materials, being as loud as possible all the while, “I heard it, a kid, crying! I know it was from here, did you hear it too come on man, help me look, I know we can find them!”

They were closer now, and faint violet light had begun bleeding into the dusk-like air of the room, giving a clue to what he was facing, because gossip said the victims burned.

Five heroes, seven random citizens, mostly women, eleven first responder's and three EMT’s had died to this man.

The light getting stronger now, the focused gaze of a big cat before they sprung, the way they got when the prey got close enough to almost touch….

Vowing no more dead today, knowing a team was on the way, still ignoring the two frantic people in his brain, Izuku looked them in the eye, and asked “Why?”

That gave them pause, “What?”

“Why did you kill them?”

Two trained heroes in his brain fell utterly silent at that, both stopped yelling threats and promises and hold on's and don’t!

“You’re going to kill me too, right?”

The satisfied nod had Izuku mimicking the move, “So go on, tell me why.”

“Why do I have to die today?”

“I mean, I get life sucking, I’ve been quirkless all my life but it turns out I’m not? Isn't that messed up!"

“Plus just today I think I got myself two boyfriends and now you’re gonna kill me and I just wanna know why!”

“Why them, why me, why anyone?”

The light now glowing from the man's hands was causing Izuku’s eyes to tear up, and a bare toothed rictus grin accompanied the words, "Because no one came for me, and if they didn’t come for me, I’ll come for them!”

Throwing himself violently to the side the first bolt of sizzling energy missed Izuku by a hair.

Rolling frantically when the second one brushed across his back, setting his shirt alight, Izuku screamed as he leapt to his feet only to scramble up and over a bulk of timber, his erratic movements and non stop screaming seeming to disorientate his attacker but villainy thrived in silence so Izuku redoubled his noise and the man actually put his hands over his ears before lining up for his next shot.

And then it was over, the shot never fired, a red quirked glare, a near sonic scream, a well placed punch and the man was down.

Feeling reaction rolling in, his and theirs, Izuku knew he’d survived the serial killer he’d rushed in to confront but perhaps he was gonna die now, at his boyfriends’ hands.

*-*

Sitting glumly as his wounds were tended, bracketed by a fuming Shouta and a tooth grindingly upset Hizashi, Izuku tried a few times to justify what he’d done and then gave up.

They were listening when he tried but Shouta’d just read a text aloud that finished the job of utterly destroying any ability he had of holding onto any kind of calmness.

“Nezu says he’s on his way, Snipe's driving, to stay here, he’s collecting all of us and taking us back to UA.”

“Oh, says he can’t wait to hear all your reasons, and to discuss with you how many different ways you could have handled this without risking your life!”

The shaft of pure fear that hit did get Izuku some comfort though as Shouta said *It’s okay, unlike that fucker* (he imagined their last view of the murder, still down, being cuffed by cops) *Dad isn't gonna actually kill you*

*no* agreed Hizashi, *but from memory of being his student, I’m betting he kills something of yours, like sitting down*

Whining in mixed reaction to the thoughts and to the cleaning of his burns, Izuku damned near begged for rescue.

*Save your ass? Fuuuuck, if Dad wasn't on the way you’d be over my knee as soon as the EMT’s done with you!* Shouta growled, and Hizashi added, *And you’d be over mine before bed tomorrow night!*

*Don’t think we didn't get the entirety of your thought process before you jumped in, up to and including how you knew help was on the way and all you had to do was wait.*

“Is that true?”

The words were softly spoken steel, and Izuku froze like a frightened rabbit.

“Yep, true as we’re sitting here.”  As Izuku was now being held from both sides by his, *are we still….*

“Boyfriends? Yes” both of them answered aloud at the same time, “but that’s not gonna save your ass for the stunt you just pulled!”

“Indeed, now,” Nezu nodded his thanks to the medic and pointed to the car, “in you all get. Izuku, Recovery Girl is already waiting on us, she’ll make sure you’re healed properly before we do anything else.”

Already knowing the boy well enough, he didn't bother asking him the question, instead asking Shouta who's smoldering mix of anger/fear/shock/hurt insured a truthful answer, “Shouta, if our boy is healed as soon as we get in, will he be able to wait for today's reward for foolishly risking his life or should we do it before he sleeps?”

If possible Izuku curled even smaller with a whimper, and Nezu gestured to Hizashi for a lift onto his shoulder to speed them along.  Once there he softly said, “Hizashi, Shouta, hold his hands please, comfort too is important.”

As all three relaxed at the contact, Nezu smiled gently. 

“He can’t wait, Dad.  He’s already damned near screaming, no matter how much we tell him he’s gonna survive.”

“And,” Hizashi added firmly, “that he’s earned every single thing coming to him.”

A fretful mutter, “I’m right here!” had the two older of Nezu’s kids giving matching snickers, which in turn relaxed Izuku even more.

Nezu too might be ready to beat Izuku to DEATH for frightening them all so badly, for risking his LIFE for no reason at all, but once the kid got into trouble in that situation, he’d kept himself alive long enough for help to arrive.

He was justifiably proud of him, and suspected he’d be proving it to him very soon.

After the epic spanking the kid’d earned, cause that came first!

*-*

Nezu was gonna kill him.

*no he isn't*

*I’m gonna die!*

*no you’re not*

*Kill me now!*

*What, so Nezu doesn't get the chance?*

*you are both NOT HELPING*

*got you to Dad’s door though, so, result to us!*

*you know you’re gonna feel it too, right?*

Izuku’s fear making him snapish now had Hizashi leaning into him even more, draping an arm over and damned near crushing him in his new glomped on position as he whisper yelled in his ear….

“Worth it!”

Nezu dropped easily to the floor as the three briefly engaged in a bout to chase wrestling up and down the hall which he allowed simply to help bleed out some of the tension and stress of their youngest.

Izuku might be new to his family, and Hizashi newly returned, but they both belonged to him now, and reluctantly calling a halt to the game he held the door for Izuku to slink through.

Resisting the urge to give a hefty smack to speed him inside, Nezu let him set his own pace as he gave a moment's thought to the thing now yelling for his attention.

Putting that aside after a brief assessing moment, he watched as Izuku muttered sulky replies to Chiyo as she gave him a full check up, simply reminding him halfway through that he needed no extra debt added to what he owed, such as bad manners would give him.

The stunned look and hasty apology proved fully that their Izuku was as smart as he was foolish, just like most teens.

The child's aborted attempt to keep Chiyo in the room had Nezu giving a chuckle, “Izuku sweetheart, observers will not get you out of this, they will simply learn from your mistakes as well as you.”

That got the kid to let go of his long time friend, and she gave the panicking kitten a forehead kiss, telling him to “Learn your lesson little one.” and left.

Knowing what he knew of Izuku’s temperament, as well as the information Hizashi and Shouta had given him, corner time would not help.

And the huge yawn spelled time running out.

"Izuku, you have three minutes to use the loo and return to me, every second after that you delay adds penalties so off you pop."

The flicker of pupils bespeaking of mental communication and the kid fled.

Good, he was still being supported by the other two.

With ten seconds to spare Izuku skidded back into the room, and warily knelt where Nezu pointed, a pillow softening the floor a bit for him.

“Now, tell me everything.”

Again the minute flicker, which repeated itself time and again as Izuku stumbled through it all, backtracking and rewording and a few times actually saying, “No, sorry, that was a lie, sorry.” before rushing onwards.

Not a single thing surprised Nezu, not even the revelation the foolish kitten had been engaging in vigilante action.

That he was so sure of getting through the serial killer's trap alive because he’d been training for years in survival in the harsh school of life itself.

How the urge to impress them all played a hand in it as well, the need to prove himself good enough for them to let stay.

To earn his place, rather than just be given it.

Point by point the four of them, only two actually in the room, went through it all, finally ending with Izuku crying too hard to speak after being told, “From your being with Shouta when he last met my ruler, you know how this works.  Up now, it’s time we got this behind us.”

“No, petal, trousers and underwear down, good, just like that. Now, bend over the arm, yes, good, now, spankings are supposed to hurt, you are allowed to cry, and if you ever frighten us like that again you’ll be meeting my belt rather than my ruler!”

Placing a comforting hand across the small of Izuku’s back, he rested the ruler across the pale tail end positioned and ready, even if not willing, and said the first line in his, sadly, terribly familiar lecture.

“We do not risk our lives for no good reason!”

The sharp snap of the ruler landing had the first of many hollers and yells and pleas and sobs and wails and cries loudly springing forth, and Izuku was now officially a dramatic bean!

Only three spanks in Nezu sighed to himself because, four five six landing on the steadily pinkening backside gave Nezu the echo of the bright red strips across his own ass and while the attachment to his newest was welcome, spankings now were going to be an exercise in self discipline, as well as teaching his kids better.

Fortunately he had tools he’d use when next his newest son was in this position, mental tricks that would spare him the sting of a lesson given but for now he welcomed the burn, a sure and certain sign their Izuku had finally met his quirks requirements to link to Nezu as well as Shouta and Hizashi.

Love, trust, and respect.

Line by line of the lecture, stripe after stripe of fire across the now properly sorry bottom, Nezu laid the final five blistering spanks and it was all over.

Wincing he too shifted as he got Izuku situated on the couch, holding them as they gripped his fur tight, wailing his sorry's, sobbing his never doing it again's, and Nezu told him mind to mind, showed him heart to heart, how special he was, how loved he now was, and how much they all needed him in their lives.

Letting the others know when to come in, the new linkage between them all might be an adjustment, but would certainly be useful for much of life, and this way they could all help Izuku understand and believe he was loved, and needed.

*-*

Checking on them not much later, Chiyo felt a tiny niggling in the back of her mind, a mental quirk not yet attached but reaching for connection. She smiled and gently placed soft blankets across the tangle of limbs of the cuddle pile on the couch.

A flicker of beady black eyes and she smiled even more when Nezu sighed and went back to sleep.

Letting her love wash over the tiny connection within her own mind, she watched Izuku snuggle deeper into the warmth of the ones holding him.

‘Yes,’ she thought, ‘yes indeed, this is good.’

Silently letting herself out, she wondered where that amazing new teacher Nezu’d brought them all was, because not only was Izuku guaranteed to link to her once he began lessons in her class but the woman’s mind was smokin hot, and her body was pretty nice too, and it’d been much too long since Chiyo’d had any proper fun!

They may be old, but they certainly weren’t dead yet.