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As a young child, before the manifestation of his quirk, Hitoshi Shinsou was like everyone else. Overexcited, happy and beaming with a large grin plastered onto his face, he wished for a quirk like any other human beings in the entire planet, he knew that it was a large deal and he wanted in on this hype trail to heroism.Soon enough, his peers developed quirks of their own one by one, each with its own uniqueness, such as creating fireballs, or turning invisible every time they held their breath. Some even went as far as flexible body structure or being able to shoot lasers out of their pupils.Finally, after months of painfully watching others gain their quirks, Hitoshi Shinsou got a quirk he desired since his birth.At first, he had activated accidentally. Nothing but a simple order. At the time, the other boys took his toys, he didn't give them permission nor were they willing to give it back right away."Hey! That's mine!" Hitoshi whined, his arm extended outwards and signalled for the other boy to return it to him, Hitoshi's face had been plastered in sadness and anxiety as he looked eye to eye with the young child. "That toy is mine!""No it's not! Liar!" Said the other child sticking out his tongue and bringing the toy closer to his chest.Hitoshi felt a frown on his face, "give it back and go away!" He cried once more. The boy in front of him froze, eyes turning hollow and unresponsive but his body went to young Hitoshi, handed the toy back and then walking away once he was done. Afterwards, he snapped out of it and shook his head side to side confused before seeing the toy he once had in the hands of Hitoshi."What?" The other boy asked confused. He looked down at the palm of his hand, he squeezed it and feeling the emptiness it held. Hitoshi wondered what had happened until two loud claps from the teacher erupted into the classroom, her eyes were directed at Hitoshi and a smile was on her face."Hitoshi! You got a quirk!" She applauded, the class came to Hitoshi in wonder, he was bombarded with all sort of questions about what it was or how it works from the kids who didn't witness the spectacle before their eyes. Hitoshi looked at the teacher and tilted his head to the side. "It looked a lot like mind control! What a great quirk indeed!" She beamed.Hitoshi didn't have a problem with his quirk then, he did have his fair share of using his quirk, purposely and accidentally, but as a child he was never shunned for it.After a few months of receiving a quirk that others in general started to see him as a threat, it was simple avoidance at first, barely noticeable and unrecognisable, then from there it escalated, he had gotten scolded by other parents in the playground --when they came to collect their children-- for things he didn't make them do, then the other children began yelling, pushing and laughing at him. Some went as far as using their quirks on him and harmed him in ways which cannot be healed.Finally, the last straw was dropped."Your quirk is like a villain! My mama said it herself to stay away from you or else I'll become a villain too." Said one, the others looked at Hitoshi with more fear and hatred in the pupils of their eyes as they walked away from him with silent whispers. They didn't exactly keep silent of these words either, they loudly proclaimed his villainous attitude to other unknowing children.Villain. Villain. Villain. That's all he ever hears around him, that quirk is like a villain, that quirk is so evil, that quirk goes against society, that quirk, that quirk, that quirk.That quirk is evil.The statement was hammered into his head with enough force to leave scars and wounds he knows will never heal.When the torturous days of Kindergarten finished, he went from school to his house, he had cried on the way which had led him to bump into several people in the duration of his long tread. The last person he managed to collide into was a teenager, she had gloves on one hand but not the other, the bare hand faintly skimmed the surface of his skin but from there he only got up and proceeded to go home from there.Hitoshi watched the height of his house increase in size, it loomed scarily and frighteningly and he wondered if this was the house he had always lived in?"Ah! Hitoshi! How was school?" Asked his mother with the brightest smile she could muster on her face, he could see through her facade easily and spot her tiredness, many sleepless night from overworking and trying to help her child too. Hitoshi didn't want to keep her awake any longer than usual, she needed the best even if it did mean his own internal turmoil."Good, Akira stopped taking my toys from me!" He yelled with as much happiness he could muster, which wasn't a lot, his mother noticed and frowned at Hitoshi."You sure? We could always talk--"Hitoshi vigorously shook his head side to side, his hair turning into a giant fluff ball of mess from the violent shaking. "It's alright! Im good." He smiled before running upstairs, once entering his room, he slid his back down at the side and hid his head down in the depths of his knees in sadness."I'd rather be quirkless then have a quirk like a villain." Was the last words which came out of Hitoshi's mouth.-Izuku Midoriya also wished to be a hero. If a wish was not enough then he begged on his hands and knees desperately to be on a similar pathway to heroism, mustering any kind of hope in the pit of his chest and oozing it out to his surroundings.Such a shame that hope is a small, insignificant and unreliable. By the time it was Izuku's fifth birthday, he was declared quirkless by the doctor at the hospital. An extra, unnecessary joint decided the fate for the little child who hadn't had a chance-- since birth -- of developing a quirk at all, due to one of his faulty genetics.However, he didn't want to give up his dream.Izuku didn't wish to have this dream of his crumble down into gritty, thin grains of sand. But the substance puffed into his eyes and deluded and tricked him into thinking he could ever have a chance of becoming a hero.He didn't have a chance.Genetics are facts and nothing could change that in a superhuman society.This led to Izuku being bullied by his peers, going as far as being tormented and ridiculed for many mounts of differentiating things, even for things which didn't rely on quirks were somehow looked down upon and seen as unnatural traits for a person with no quirk.How absurd.He even developed a nickname just before the declaration of his quirklessness: 'Deku' or a 'good for nothing.' Even a world filled with science and logic had fate come along and predict the outcome of what Izuku is to be, a Deku.Izuku is Deku and vice versa, it was never two separate entities of one being acknowledged for quirklessness and the other for his mind, they were an amalgamation, a combination and they-- rather he can never be nothing more."I can be a hero. Right?" Izuku asked, he clutched onto the toy with sweaty and tear filled right hands whilst pointing to the screen with his left, his head jerked around to face his mother. Her own eyelids carried the weight of a salty liquid which deposited the load down the mount of her cheek and dripped from her chin. For every drip the load never did lighten, it only somehow put more pressure on her shoulders and squeezed down painfully almost crushing the poor woman's soul."I'm sorry, Izuku." She apologised, tightly pressed against Izuku's small build and held him close to her fast beating heart.Izuku's heart faltered.'Oh.' He thought in a sudden realisation, he felt the inside of his body shrink and tighten until it all came down to a single atom of his body.The second thought through Izuku's mind was: 'Why?' Not meant in a hateful or spiteful way, not even angered or depressed, it was more of wonder and curiosity.Of all the people who had good intentions, he was one of many and of all the people who could've used his quirk for greatness, he was again one of many. But why again?Why was a villain using their quirk for petty things? Izuku would've used it for the greater good, to help people and yet fate saw a villain as more worthy then him?Was Izuku that pathetic that even fate and genetics would double team to stop him and by that they would give a quirk to a villain and not himself.The teenage who he had bumped into on the way back from the doctor's appointment clutched onto a --probably stolen-- bag and yet for the bad they were doing, fate still didn't want Izuku to have a quirk? Even if it was one of uselessness?Izuku was a Deku after all-- or is still a Deku."I want a quirk. Any quirk. Good, bad, dangerous, petty and even if this quirk makes me look like a villain. I just wanted a quirk." Thought Izuku, he turned his head back to the All Might video and lowered his head shamefully in submission.-Izuku opened his eyes, he had fell asleep after watching the All Might video from over crying and found himself on a bed, which he assumed was his own, when he opened his eyes it wasn't as swollen or as puffy as expected, in fact it had healed somehow which was a new experience for Izuku.He sat up on the bed and reached for his eyelids, touching them as they were closed and feeling something a bit off. Izuku looked around and saw the majority of his All Might posters gone, with only a small one at the corner of his room. Instead of the yellow and red colour coordination it was more of a purple-black mixture in it's place and a strange hero toy of a man wearing all black and a white scarf around his neck-- who he hasn't seen before surprisingly enough.Izuku jumped off his bed and went for the door, he grasped the handle and pulled the yellow knob towards him before exiting the room, the layout of the house before him differed from his house. His eyes wondered to the clock on the wall which read: 5:45am. No wonder he felt so tired and groggy, no wonder he was in a different house too, he was dreaming -- Izuku assumed.He went to the nearest door after the one he had left and pushed it open halfway, he found a bathroom instead, small but still filled with all sorts of things, there was a sink at the centre with a mirror above and underneath was a stepping stool, the light were off but it was a little visible. He reached for the string beside him and gave it a tug before mounting the stools by the sink.In his reflection, he didn't see himself surprisingly, it was another child his age, purple deflated hair which got in the way of his eyes and purple irides with heavy bags underneath it, it was a lot more squinty and was also swollen and red but Izuku assumed that it wasn't natural and the boy had also been crying too."Oh, Hitoshi?" Yawned Hitoshi's mother at the corridor, approaching Izuku and where he stood, "good morning."Izuku felt overwhelmed and bowed politely, "good morning..." Izuku awaited for the lady to introduce herself but was caught off once named by something alternatively."Oh? Are you hiding something? You're never so polite." She laughed and simultaneously ruffled his hair until it was a mess, "you feeling up for school? We can miss a day, have some ice cream and talk if you want?" Said the mother solemnly."I'd rather not." Izuku said politely once more, "if I miss school then my mum said I can't be a hero." Answered Izuku looking at the baffled lady."Little rascal, I am your mother," she said lightly chopping his head, "but that is a good enough reason I guess." She smiled a little sadly."B-but we can a-after school? If I have permission that-t is." Stuttered Izuku looking down, Hitoshi's mother looked down at Izuku, the sides of her mouth twitched a little in glee but she didn't express it as much."Of course you have permission!" She smiled and hugged Izuku tightly in an embrace. She then paused and frowned, "why are you up so early anyways?""C-couldn't sleep." Izuku said feebly."Same," she grunted, "maybe your quirk can--" she was about to make a joke but quickly flinched and retracted her statement, "oh never mind you never like talking about your quirk.""Q-Quirk?" Izuku brightened but he still held his ridged form and his head looked down to the ground but his eyes did wonder to the lady."You must be really tired," she laughed getting up, "your brainwashing quirk." She sighed and waited for a depressing response back. Surprisingly, Izuku had brightened up instead and leapt upwards in glee."B-Brainwashing, I heard that before, it's like t-taking over a person's mind! So c-cool." Izuku muttered underneath his breath to himself.Hitoshi's mother leaned in to try and listen to the rest but can only hear murmurs of what sounds like a race car on standby. She giggled and messed up the purple hair once more with a closed-mouth smile.Izuku leapt down the steps of the stool and went back into the purple room in which he originated from, he tried looking around for a pen and his notebooks full of drawings before it dawned on him, 'this isn't my room.' He frowned disappointed but it still wasn't enough to make him completely falter.Izuku ran back to Hitoshi's mother, who was currently brushing her teeth, and tugged down on the rims of her skirt. "Yes, Hitoshi?" She mumbled, specks of spit catapulted out of her mouth slightly but was blocked my her hand."I-Is it ok if I have a notebook?" Izuku asked."Sure? What for?" She asked with a comically large mouthful of foam in her mouth and around it too."Hero drawing!" Izuku jumped hut then quickly went ridged again looking at the lady.The lady pressed onto the purple hair and instead of ruffling it like she had done once before, she smoothed it back neatly and it tidied itself up."Of course. But not now! Go to bed ok, Hitoshi?" She said kissing his forehead with a mouth full of foam playfully.Izuku noticed this and felt a twitch in the corners of his mouth, "burgh, gross."The little boy went back to sleep and was awoken at a different time by another new person who looked like him but the colours of his hair and eyes were different whilst the mother's face differed, the colours matched with his own.Izuku was brought to a new school altogether which was a lot more bigger than his last school, there were more kids as well which were waving goodbyes to their respective mothers and Izuku couldn't help but feel a little sad his mother wasn't here at the moment.When he came into the view of the other parents with his father, they began to whisper which intimidating him as the other parents always whispered, even at his old school there were the occasional whispers about him, but now it felt more spiteful then he thought."That boy controlled my kid the other day, 'self-defence' he told the teacher! My child is nothing but an angel before his quirk manifested and all of a sudden he was a 'bully'!" Said one woman silently to the next, though her discreetness didn't go unheard."The teacher's witness my daughter hit him, my daughter doesn't even hit the tiniest bug," another sighed, "don't you think it's weird the teacher always takes his side? I'd say she's being controlled too." She mumbled once more."Agreed." Replied the first lady.Izuku felt attacked, already having a quirk and people still feel the need to give him a hard time, however this time Izuku didn't feel it get to him unlike last time, he held a determined look on his face and grasped his red backpack before heading into school grounds after saying polite goodbyes to the man who accompanied him.The only reason why Izuku didn't let it get to him was because he finally got the quirk he desired and wasn't going to let fate kick sand in his eyes.Not again at least.He entered and looked around, kids his age were socialising and heading into the double doors of the school. It was filled with cute smiley faces and some heroes as well. Izuku looked around confused, not knowing who or where he should go."Oi! Hitoshi!" Someone yelled behind but Izuku ignored still looking around anxiously, the boy behind him felt angered and called once again, "oi! HITOSHI!" Izuku turned to the loud noise and saw an angry boy glaring at him and approaching him."O-Oh, me?" Izuku asked dumbly pointing to himself and looking around."Who else would be named after a villain?" Sneered the boy disgustingly.Izuku felt his lips twitch downwards, "I ain't a villain. I'm going to be a hero!" He glistened with glee.The boy snorted, "no, you cant.""Why?" Asked Izuku, his head tilted to the side and looked at the boy genuinely confused, "I have a quirk now.""Yeah, but my mama said that your quirk is a villain's quirk and that's bad." He sneered."Y-Yeah, but it can be u-used for good too! L-Like making people smile and stopping other villains from hurting people!" Izuku justified. "You can also k-keep someone calm and m-make them stop panicking!" Izuku smiled looking up determined. The other boy looked amazed but didn't keep it up for long as he and Izuku heard a ring of the bell."Oh! I need to hurry!" He ran quickly, Izuku frighteningly followed in pursuit of the other boy, hoping he would end up in the right class, which it conveniently did so.After using process of elimination, Izuku found an empty chair around a table of different students who had varying features, from producing bubbles out of their hair to having abnormally large feet. He scuffled over and took a seat anxiously, gripping tightly the edge of the red back.In walked another lady, who Izuku assumed to be the teacher. "Good morning class!""Good morning, Ms. Kurosaki!" They replied with happy grins."Look at all your lovely faces and quirks!" She beamed, Izuku almost felt downhearted until he realised he didn't have to feel like this anymore. He finally had a quirk.She started her teaching and brought out something Izuku remembered learning in his other school, it was writing the letters in different forms and creating words."So, let's start," the class groaned in response, "who knows how to spell 'words' she chose a word at random, Izuku mouthed the word over and over, annunciating every single vowel over and over before putting his hands up."Hitoshi?" She extended her index finger to Izuku."W-o-r-d-s!" Izuku said aloud, his teacher nodded in response to every letter and applauded at the end."Good! Very good! I'll put a gold star on your work!" She beamed, Izuku reached for the back of his head to itch it in embarrassment, he didn't usually do so. When Izuku was shy, he would intertwine his hands underneath the desk and shyly begin to mutter.'We never had gold stars in my old school!" He thought childishly. The lesson continued onwards as normal with the teachers having to give breaks every now and again when the children became restless until it was break time, the teacher sat at her desk watching the children in the class whilst drinking a cup of coffee as the kids conversed to one another.Izuku shyly stood around, the boy who had yelled at him in the morning, who he had learnt his name was Akira, approached him and had a frown on his face."If you wanna be a hero, then why did my mum say you have a villain's quirk?" He questioned. It wasn't harshly but curious and understand a little."W-well, it cause p-people do b-bad things with their quirk and o-others get scared. My mum said 'it's n-not the quirk that's bad, but the p-person.'." Izuku answered with honesty.Akira itched his arms, "t-then I guess you can play with me. Only if you don't use your quirk on me."Izuku eyes glowed happily."Of course!" He yelled. Izuku was led to a box filled with blocks, action figures and many animal toys. Izuku felt blood rush through his body in excitement, it had been ages since he had played with the other children and he even had a quirk on top of all this-- despite being in another person's body.Once break had ended, lessons continued as onwards and the school day was surprisingly normal apart from the new quirks he saw here and there, the other children were still wary of him but after his speech, they tried to be nice and play nice with him though they still believed their mother's words about it.Izuku felt ecstatic, he didn't use his quirk but already he felt so liberated and free, it made him feel warmth in the pit of his stomach.School soon ended for the child and he went to leave home, it was the nice lady from the morning who came to pick him up, he felt a little upset about it but still went along with her, he didn't like the new identity he received either. Was it the work of a quirk? Genetics? He'd never truly know unless he asked."Umm, w-where's my mum?" Asked Izuku nervously, looking down at his shoes and twisting it in the gravel below.The lady laughed, "oh Hitoshi, that isn't a funny joke you know." She wiped an invisible tear to find Izuku below her with a serious expression plastered onto his face. "I-I am your mother." She answered with a faltering smile."No. My mum has green hair and green eyes." Izuku said solemnly. "Can't I-I call her at least?""Hitoshi." She knelt down on one knee, "please don't say things like that, I am your mother, for seven years and until you become a hero, alright?" She said with severity laced in her voice. She got back up and reached for Izuku's hand, he flinched away slightly."I-I want m-my mummy. M-my name isn't even Hitoshi, it's Izuku." Izuku sniffled, he brought a hand to his eyes and wiped away his tears.Hitoshi's mother faltered in her stance, she then quickly recovered, smiled and quickly lifted Izuku up off the ground and hugged him close as she began to walk away from the school grounds. Izuku worriedly froze up for a second before violently thrashing around in fear."Let go of me!" He yelled panicked, the area had a few people watching though these people could only see a child and his mother, not a victim and his captor.She froze and placed Izuku down on the ground without any hesitation and stood still, her eyes looked hazy and she had a straight face, it was like she became a zombie.Izuku ran a far distance watched the lady who didn't follow him, he slowed down and stopped altogether when he saw she didn't chase him. He was confused and stared at her."I-is this my quirk?" Izuku asked himself looking down at his hands, he heard a set of footsteps coming towards him and looked up to find the lady with an angered look on her face."Hitoshi! What did I say about using your quirk on me!" She yelled, her eyes were still hollow and empty, was his quirk still in use? He looked down and sniffled sadly."I just want my m-mummy." Izuku cried. Hitoshi's mother eyes were still hollow and unresponsive, she knelt down and ruffled the purple hair of the boy with a scary smile on her face."Haha, I am your mother," she tilted her head to the side and gripped Izuku's shoulders tightly, "alright?"Izuku whimpered whimsically. He didn't deny nor did he accept it. Was this his punishment for wanting a quirk?-When Hitoshi's woke up that same day, he knew something was weird when he didn't feel the pressure of something. He had kicked off his duvet and looked around to see All Might posters plastered on every space on the wall. He did like All Might though not to this extend, worriedly he jumped off his bed and ran downstairs to the kitchen where he saw a lady with green straight hair cooking something."Who?" He murmured."Morning, Izuku," she smiled brightly, almost blinding to Hitoshi, he saw her eyes were a tad bit red and had heavy bags underneath them, "are you feeling better?"Hitoshi nodded shyly, squinting out of his swollen eyes. "Where am I?" He asked tiredly."Home," giggled Inko, "where else would you be. Are you tired? You can sleep because I don't want you to go to school sleepy? Or do you want to eat? Did you brush your teeth now and--""I'm alright, miss." Said Hitoshi tiredly, interrupting the lady's mumbling."Miss?" Mumbled Izuku's mother confused, "oh dear, are you really ok, Izuku?" Asked Inko worriedly, she dropped the spatula down onto the side and approached Hitoshi."Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Replied Hitoshi, ignoring the other name she had given him."After yesterday." She awkwardly mentioned clearing her throat, Hitoshi brought a brow up, "you know, you're quirkless now."Hitoshi's eyes widen in surprise, he hadn't expected to lose his quirk so easily, his mouth twitched upwards which scared Inko a bit."Izuku?""I'm quirkless! I don't have a villain's quirk! I'm quirkless!" He yelled happily, Inko looked towards the child a bit shocked-- which was quite the understatement of the year -- she was flabbergasted by the happy reaction of Hitoshi."D-Didn't you want a quirk?" She asked but immediately held it back."I don't like quirks, people suffer and it isn't good." Replied Hitoshi. Inko didn't know what to do, whilst she didn't want to encourage her son's hatred for quirks but neither did she want him to be in a slump because of it."A-Alright then, do you wanna eat, sweetie?" She asked still baffled by the current predicament."Yes please.." he waited for her introduction and she smiled with her eyebrows furrowed."Your mum." She introduced stifling a giggle. Hitoshi paused, biting the bottom of his lip, he knew this wasn't his mum but he was worried.'What if I don't accept and I go back to my villain quirk?' He thought stupidly but he couldn't help himself. He felt worry, scared even and would go to many lengths to avoid that scenario again."Yes, mum." He said awkwardly.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hitoshi didn't hate his previous mother.In fact, he actually cared for the woman, he avoided her just so she could have a nights' --or sometimes days' rest. He didn't speak to her in fear of causing distress. He didn't even talk at times because he thought it what was best for his mother.From the outside, it seems like there is a distance-- a wall between the two-- but it was mainly a misunderstanding between miscommunication and assumptions.Hitoshi tried to avoid Inko in a similar manner but found that being less effective then what he thought. The woman would hover over him, worried that even a small inhalation of oxygen could cause Hitoshi to collapse.He tried to seem normal.Currently, Hitoshi was ten years old, it had been five year since the swapping fiasco happened.He remembered part of his childhood as if it were a hazy dream and at times he thought it was real, but from his current memories he had always been Izuku Midoriya.Hitoshi never responded to that name unless called multiple times. When others were called Hitoshi, (as it was a common name) he would snapped his head around and look for the source before he --disappointingly-- reaised that it wasn't him, it upset him a few times but he forced himself to grow with it.Hitoshi had tried to find his old house where the fuzzy memories led him to, but when he finally convince Inko (saying he wished to go to a friend's house) he found that the people who lived there previously were the Shinsou but moved due to their son's behaviour.Despite this, the evidence wasn't sufficient enough to truly aid him with the mixed memories.Currently, Hitoshi fiddled with the stick of his straw of his carbonated soda with the tip of his finger playfully, his, now green, eyes wondered aside in boredom and he was slouched onto his back. The darker green of his curly hair sloppily bobbed to the side with his head. The bags underneath his eyes grew over the years, even developing some hints of purple due to his insomniac behaviour."Mum?" Hitoshi spoke, eyes wondered up to look at Inko in her matching green eyes, she had gained a tad bit of weight though it was only noticeable if stared at long enough.Inko watched her son, with a straw in her mouth. Mid-slurp, she hummed a 'yes' before finishing her last sip with speed."A-Am I weird?" He asked, his short legs swung on the high stool and didn't reach the ground due to his age."Izuku? Is it about your quirklessness? I thought you didn't care about that? Or are you sick-- do you need a doctor or a--?" She replied but was interrupted by Hitoshi mid-ramble who snorted."Mum! You're mumbling again!" He giggled softly, snorting a little and feeling the coke in his nostrils brought slight pain and annoyance. Inko pursed her lip into a fine line, she took a sip of her drink and then moved the drink away from her to look at Hitoshi.She reached her right hand over to Hitoshi's in comfort. "Then, what do you need? I'll always be here for you alright? I'm your mum, Izuku.""Well. I'm happy I don't have a quirk." Hitoshi grinned lightly, "but everyone says I act weird, they said diffu-difer-diffe--" Hitoshi stumbled in his speech unable to pronounce the next words."Different?" Inko smiled with a soft chuckle, she reminisced about the memories of her child, a warm shiver enveloped her body as the past embraced her mind, "it might be from how you acted before, four? Five years was it? You were always shy, kind and willing to help anyone, even if you got hurt. Y-You wanted to be like All Might and wanted a quirk soooo much, then after you were told of your... quirklessness you suddenly changed, a lot more r-reclusive? You didn't want a quirk either." She slowed her sentences, hesitating to say certain words and she frowned solemnly."I remember asking about it at one point, and at first I was sad." Inko started to mimic Hitoshi by playing with her straw with the tip of her index fingers, "b-but we're in a world with quirks so that's weird enough." She snorted."But as a mother, I'll always love you regardless." Inko beamed, her motherly aura radiating over the child in acceptance of his newly found behaviour.Inko didn't want to assume the worst for her child, she wanted to know the circumstances but Hitoshi didn't seem to tell her practically anything, maybe school but nothing to do with him personally. She eyed him like a hawk watching it's prey, in which any sudden move would cause it to flinch and run, but by the time she realised it the barrier between the two had suddenly grown in size and her son changed.She doesn't even know what had caused it to happen. At times she thought he was putting up a front, trying to seem ok about not having a quirk, but his face seemed disgusted by the thought.Hitoshi stopped his childish play with the straw. He moved his arms down to his side and looked at the others around in the fast-food restaurant. All around him were happy mothers with their child.He didn't want to watch anymore."Oh, I see." Said Hitoshi. He shook the empty remnants of the cup to hear the clattering of the ice cubes as they chipped one another from the collision."Don't feel bad, whatever makes you happy make me happy, Izuku." Said Inko.Hitoshi bit his lip."Yeah, heroes can't be sad." Hitoshi replied.His hand reached for the back of his neck like a habit he had developed but then quickly retracted it to intertwine his finger on his lap.He wasn't Hitoshi.He was Izuku."Why do you want to be a hero, Izuku?" She asked sadly. "You don't particularly have an interest in heroes from what I know.""It's not whether I'm interested or not mum," said Hitoshi as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe, "it's doing the good things."Inko frowned and clutched Hitoshi's hand tighter, but not hard enough to cause potential damage to him, "you can be a doctor, a policeman, a detective, a firefighter, a volunteer for community services or anything like that! Why a hero?" She half yelled getting a few heads to turn at her direction."I-I'm not sure, but it feels like a path I want to pave on my own." The corner of Hitoshi's mouth tugged at the edges in remembrance of one false memory, the memory of his other mother telling him he can be a hero after everyone else said no.He frowned.That wasn't his mother anymore.Inko was.-Izuku sat straight up on his chair and ate the macaron placed on the table in front of him. They were given to him by Hitoshi's mother who practically coddled him after the incident five years ago.Izuku clearly remembered his mother and knew that Inko was still out there, possibly with another person pretending to be him. He did wonder who the true Hitoshi was and had asked his mother to take him to his house a year ago.Hitoshi's mother was observant.She saw everything and nothing truly went unnoticed by her. She had assume the 'true mother' Izuku spoke about lived at this address and when she found it was shockingly close, she moved away faster than the blink of an eye.Izuku isolated himself for a week after the sudden move away, he didn't hate Hitoshi's mother for it though, it wasn't really her fault that her son wasn't really her son anymore."You're thinking about it again." She sighed. Izuku swore this woman had a mind reading quirk or something and glanced away in worry, "you're mumbling again as well." She said again, in a tiredly, comical way where she almost fell out of her chair."I'm mumbling again, I was told to stop but I really couldn't especially since if I tried I'd get distracted and ramble about things that aren't as interesting as I thought it would be and then I--""Analysing yourself? You've analysed so many people that you really have no one but yourself to analyse left." She laughed watching Izuku's pale face flush a shade of pink."Probably," Izuku smiled, "w-want a macaron?" Izuku offered distracting the lady-- who he learnt her name was Yukina-- from his embarrassing situation."I bought it for you though, do you not like it?" Yukina asked panicked."O-oh! No I do! I-I definitely do! It's just too much, yes! Too much, plus eating together is better then eating alone!" Izuku grinned at the woman."That's another way of seeing it, who told you that?" Yukina asked curiously. Izuku frowned and looked away from the lady, almost frightened and scared, he didn't want to bring up Inko and get in trouble again but she'd figure out if he lied or not. Izuku gulped. "Oh, it's your 'true mum' isn't it?"Yukina looked at her lap downhearted and Izuku jumped from his seat."No! It's j-just common sense you know!" Izuku half lied to the saddened mother, "you k-know, how doing things together makes it twice as better!"Hitoshi's mother sadly smiled, "right." She said silently. An awful, awkward silence proceeded to seep into the kitchen, the macaron Izuku shoved into his mouth doesn't taste as good as it once had, the flavour dissipated with every bite until it tasted full out bland."Sorry." Izuku apologised."I-It's fine," she sniffled wiping her tears away, "just g-go to your room.""B-But what about you?""To your room." She repeated sadly not raising her voice for a moment.He went up-- unwillingly that is-- into the room he lived in and sat on his bed, he had heard many things in this room as the walls were thin.Hitoshi's father wasn't as distance to Izuku as he wasn't really replacing anyone, his 'true dad' was always working abroad to actually be there for him. Hitoshi's dad however grew distance to his own wife which made Izuku's heart clench a little.Had it been his fault, cause he wished for the unfathomable- or what was supposed to be unfathomable and defied his place of quirklessness? Was Hitoshi suffering because of his stupid wish to have a quirk?Izuku felt his body tremble. He wanted the holidays to end so he can go back to school, even if his classmates were distant from him it was better than being with Hitoshi's mother.Izuku couldn't cry either. He remembered as a child he'd cry his soul out for the tiniest little things but now he always holds in his sadness, bottling up his feelings inside the ten year old form of himself.Sometimes he'd forget about his past self: how he cried. How he had green eyes. Green hair. Curly hair. Large eyes. Trembling stature.And once he woke up completely forgetting about Inko. During that day he had cried in fear of forgetting once more of who he use to be.Did he even act the same as when he was a child? If he ever switched back would he love Inko the same?"Would my mother even think of me as the same?" He thought curling up into a ball. He felt a panic attack seeping through, an identity crisis.What if he was always Hitoshi? If he had always been the child of the Shinsou and due to an unforeseen circumstance he had gotten the mindset of another boy."Where is Hitoshi?" Asked a gruff voice from downstairs, Izuku ears perked up curiously to listen into the conversation. It was Hitoshi's dad."Upstairs." Replied Yukina thought it was almost a whisper. "In his room. Why?""I want to speak about something." He said quite formally, almost hesitantly to his wife. "It's nothing of importance."The pitter-patter of footsteps hit the floors of the staircase until it reached his door. There were several thuds before a silent screech of the hinges echoed through his room. Izuku looked up to his dad."Hitoshi!" The man said, he smiled and around his mouth had smile lines of happiness which were indented into the skin, scarring it. "How are you?!"Izuku mimicked the man's face, "g-good. I upsetted mom again though." He admitted solemnly."Anyways," he changed the subject, "I got a promotion!" He yelled ecstatically, Izuku couldn't help but smile in response to the man's happy behaviour, it calmed him as he droned on about work, "and I was going to ask you if you wanted to move with me?""Huh?" Izuku hadn't expected this."Yeah, I wanted to ask you first, not wanting a bias. You can stay if you want or come with me!""But what about mum?" Izuku stuttered."We've... spoken. She doesn't want to move back." Hitoshi's father sighed."Oh." Izuku murmured. "Where to?""Near the Shizuoka Prefecture hopefully, but there are some difficulties and we might move a bit further, like about that place.. what was it?" The man thought bringing a hand to his chin as he pondered, "ah! That's it! Toyko! How could I even forget our capital!" He playfully smacked his forehead in realisation.Izuku smiled widely, he chuckled at the man's joke-- or at least he had hoped it was a joke."So what will it be?" Asked the man, one eyebrow raised higher than the other."I- I think I need to think about it." Said Izuku, "I-I don't want to leave mum alone. I-I'm scared." Izuku told the man. He quickly went towards Izuku and wrapped his arms around him, shaking his arm and tapping his feet against the ground."Don't be scared. Remember, the mind is a dark place! Never give it anything to feed off of." Said Hitoshi's dad, he tapped against the side of his forehead repetitively. "Instead try to feed it positivity, maybe a good diet is what the mind needs?" He joked, he retracted his arm back and looked at Izuku eye-to-eye, Izuku scoffed and nodded at the older man."A-Alright?" He laughed."What was that, young man?" Yelled Hitoshi's dad with a purposely, overdramatised frown on his face."Sir, yes sir!" Izuku yelled back.Izuku felt the words resonate with him."Alright then, Hitoshi." He said. Patting Izuku harshly on the back with two loud thuds making Izuku double over.All of a sudden the words didn't feel like it resonated with him anymore. He frowned and leaned into the dad for more warmth and comfort."Hey Hitoshi, you know how you always talk about your 'true mom' ? Dont you like have a 'true dad' as well?" He asked sadly."W-Well, kinda? He wasn't really around for long. Didn't get to know him." Said Izuku."Well, whatever you choose, you're always my son. We still raised you after all. So when your mum gets upset when you mention another mum, she just doesn't want the child she raised thinking otherwise. Let her spoil you! Don't think 'why?' But rather, 'why not?' Not saying she's a replacement but someone you care for. Alright?"Izuku felt his lips dry up and his throat felt parched."I-I'll try.""Plus, a mum doesn't have to be someone's who's related biologically to you." The man said getting up from his spot on the bed and smiling down at Izuku. He ruffled his hair and reachrd for the knob of the door, pulling it towards him and exiting.Izuku thought about it.Inko was a nice mum to Izuku during the four years she had raised him up but Yukina was the one who raised him from when he was four till ten, about six more years then what Inko had done, she went the extra mile for her child which she birthed.Izuku felt guilt rise from the pit if his stomach. When he had heard the front door close, he got up from the bed and went to the kitchen seeing Yukina sat with her head between her knees on the kitchen stool.Izuku felt the tears of his eyes grow in size and leak from his eyelids. "I-I'm sorry." He bawled.Yukina shot her head up in shock, her face also had a distressed look upon it."I-I kept talking about things t-that were stupid ah-and useless and y-you alw-always stick w-with me." Cried the ten year old boy. "I-I don't hate you, y-you're the coolest, e-even before All Might a-and I--" Izuku choked mid speech on the build up of saliva on his throat, "I-I love you, Mum."Yukina felt her face reflected Izuku, like a mirror copy her tears too began to drip down her face. Izuku dropped to the ground and lowered his head, unable to see due to the glistening tears which hung around his pupil and distorted his surroundings. Yukina got up and walked towards her son, she gripped him with all the strength she could muster and used it to spread her warmth to Izuku."Don't b-be sorry," she started,"it was my f-fault you were distancing yourself. I k-kept working even when I-I knew something was wrong. I ignored you a-as well." She hiccuped with drool spilling from the edge of her lip. She didn't bother to wipe away her bodily fluids from her face."M-Mum." Izuku repeated under his breath over and over again, like a mantra it pounded with the throbbing of his head and the palpitating of his heart. "I-I love you.""I love you too, Hi-" she stopped mid whisper.Izuku never did wonder why.But he felt a lot more closer than he had originally thought.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hitoshi was at Orudera Middle School. His hands gripped the loose ends of his black backpack and confidently treaded through the crowd of students to reach is classroom. He felt himself purposely being nudged and elbowed from all directions, even almost tripping from the heartlessness of the others around him, he sighed softly and walked to his classroom with tiredness. Once again, he had failed in getting any nights sleep, his hands reached for the back of his head to rub it but instead he moved it to tangle with his other hand. He entered the room and went to his appointed seat.In front of him was a white vase, with lovely spiral designs and vines which trailed down all over even to the base. Inside the vase was a beautiful flower which he was melancholically mesmerised by the creation. The petals at the top seemed to have been purposely crumpled and destroyed by someone but it still stood despite this.White Chrysanthemum.The flower was mainly white, a green stem protruded from the vase and attached itself to the back, slightly hidden from the view. The white petals met at the centre and seemed shattered, the centre was tainted yellow in colour, the individual pointed ovals of the petals slowly fell onto his table, purposefully scattered around to cover all the distance. Hitoshi turned around to see the class who quickly snapped their heads back to whatever they were doing whenever he stared at their direction for even a second."Who did this?" Hitoshi asked. The class giggled but still kept silent about the situation, they kept glancing, kept looking, kept staring but they didn't answer him which was new. Usually, Hitoshi would get a response even if it were one that was degrading to himself, the class wouldn't even hold back their laughs and so the silent giggles ticked him off slightly.In entered a spiky blonde haired, red eyed boy with a harsh glare on his features and a casual frown. "Oi, Deku. I'm surprised you even came today." Growled Katsuki with a grimacing grin. "Even after your fuck up yesterday." He announced.Everyone snickered."At least I don't bully people who are weaker than me for attention." Hitoshi tiredly replied. Katsuki didn't fall however, he sneered but wasn't affected by the comment. Katsuki gripped the back of Hitoshi's curly green hair and slammed his face into the table painfully, Hitoshi closed his eyelids tightly and felt his nose smash against the wood of his desk, probably shattering something."Well, there are the weak quirked ones, and the weak quirkless one. One having something whilst the other being nothing. Useless." Katsuki told Hitoshi who held his head down to the ground and held his nose. He brought his hand back momentarily to see tinges of a red substance covering the prints of his finger."So you admit you're bullying the weak." Said Hitoshi smugly, he was happy when he saw Katsuki tighten his fist from his peripheral view, this feeling that he had liberated him and made him feel like he was winning."Admitting to being weak, Deku?" Said Katsuki with a confident smirk. "I'm putting you in your place, but Deku's don't belong anywhere."The teacher entered timely and looked at Hitoshi's direction, "Bakugou, don't hurt Midoriya like that." He said dismissively, "Midoriya, go to the nurse office or something." He dug into his ears with a pinky finger and flicked the residue of earwax to an oncoming student."S'not my fault Deku's getting in my way." Replied Katsuki to the teacher's first response.The teacher turned his head to Hitoshi and sighed, "Midoriya, you should know better than anyone in this class to challenge Bakugou like that." The teacher scolded. Others began to giggle a little bit louder at Hitoshi's public embarrassment.Hitoshi frowned at the teacher, for the umpteenth time he had a broken nose, whilst Katsuki had gotten away with nothing but a slap on the wrist. Hitoshi was the one who had gotten told off in the end. He had gotten up, not bothering to excuse himself politely and left with one hand holding the backpack whilst the other stopped the blood from dripping to the ground."Shit." Hitoshi grumbled woozily.He went to the nurse-- who wasn't happy to see him again in the infirmary-- and sat on the bed near the window."What is it this time?" She groaned tiredly.Hitoshi spoke, "broken nose." He removed his hand from his face to reveal the slightly battered nose of his own, the nurse winced and looked at the wound reluctantly."Bakugou?" She asked, her arm reached to the side of the drawer and got out a note, she placed it on the wooden desk near the centre of the room and began scribbling notes onto it."Who else?" Hitoshi said sarcastically. The nurse knitted her eyebrows together in annoyance."You should really tell the principle, I have told him of this, but it's stupid how he doesn't listen." She whined in a somewhat scolding way, she handed over the note to Hitoshi. She then got up to the upper cabinet and reached for an assortment of chemicals."Tried, worsened the situation." Shrugged Hitoshi haphazardly. He didn't read the note but began to play with it, folding it and making new creases on the green piece of paper."Well, the blood looked like it stopped but it seems like it's broken." She sighed, going over to Hitoshi and gently touching his nose with her gloved hands. Hitoshi winced at the sudden touch."Why aren't you using your quirk?" Asked Hitoshi, "I won't need the hospital after that.""My quirk heals but if used on the same person more times than what's needed it'll slowly lose any effect before it completely stops working on you." She sighed, "and this is the seventh time and you've only came back to school about one week ago? Two even?" She babbled."Oh." Stated Hitoshi disappointedly."I'll call your mom and see if she can drop you at the nearest hospital for a check up." Informed the school nurse getting up from the swivel chair."Y-you're going to inform my mom?" Asked Hitoshi worriedly. The nurse looked at him with slight pity shown in her eyes."It's nothing against you kiddo, just following instructions." She told him, Hitoshi seemed to freeze up a tad bit."This is trivial. Can't you send me to he hospital?""If something happens to you whilst I was in your care, then I'll be the one in trouble.""Honda-sensei doesn't seem to care," he thought bitterly to himself, "can't you just let me off?""Midoriya. I can't.""The beginning of the day and already things seem to be tumbling downhill." He sighed. "It's not even one of the first."-Izuku itched the back of his neck awkwardly, his mother tightly hugged him and kissed the side of Izuku's cheek with enough force to knock over the boy."Hitoshi, do you really need to leave? You can go school tomorrow!" Yukina insisted with a pout on her face."I missed a week of school already, mom!" Izuku pouted, "I have to learn new things since the system is different, there's also the fact that I didn't revise for the U.A exams either. I haven't even gotten to update my notebooks as planned too and there's the--""Hitoshi, Hitoshi! You're mumbling again." Yukina laughed smacking her son on the back. "It must've been from your grandmother." She reminisced.Izuku playfully laughed and extended his hands to reach his mother. "I gotta go though, they said I can come in the afternoon! Then start my full day tomorrow." Izuku beamed happily.He had come back to Musutafu with his father and his--newly accepted-- mother. The area was still similar to when he was a child, though the park has gotten quite the tremendous update and the old kiddy stores were now arcades and candy shops but no new roads were opened or closed."Fine, but you better tell me how your day was when you're done, ok?" Sighed Yukina happily, Izuku nodded in response and went to his father who sat inside the vehicle. "Bye bye!" She sung in broken English with a little wave that went up and down twice."Bye bye!" Izuku replied with a more fluent tone to his English after all his practices with All Might shows. He shut the door of the car and slid his seatbelt diagonally and clicked it with the buckle."Ah, my son's gonna be in a new school! You've grown to be quite the man!" Said the father in a jokily manner but a hint of pride was laced in his voice as he spoke. His fingers wrapped around the key of the car and with a bit of force, it turned clockwise at an exact 90° angle. The engine rumbled."Yeah," Izuku said, "I'm excited!" Izuku started to wobble in anticipation."Hey Excited, I'm dad!" Said the man who belted out laughter from his diaphragm, Izuku could only feel himself about to sigh."Dad, no." He cried."Dad, yes." The father choked. "It's not like I asked for this punishment!" He laughed once more and Izuku felt himself wanting to shrink.The dad pressed his feet against the pedal of the car and began to drive off to the school.Izuku shook his head at his father's response, "not today, I don't want dad jokes stuck in my head.""Shouldn't have glued it there then." The father laughed once more, Izuku shook his head but still smiled at the joke."You're going to make a pun out of everything I say.""Yup, cause I don't trust atoms to do such a job." His dad sighed almost seriously, Izuku curiously tilted his head."Why?""T-They--" snickers were heard, Izuku felt a growing smile on his face, "they make up everything!"Izuku whined childishly, almost regretting answering the older man but let out a funny snort from under his breath, "dad, why?"Izuku's dad shook his head side to side and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, he began whistling but the silence between the two wasn't uncomfortable.The silence was lulling weirdly enough, like no words could ever make a person feel as great as what sound can do, even with the radio turned to the lowest of volumes it still kept peace for Izuku."Worried?." Asked the father, his eyes wondered to the front mirror and one hand fiddled with it to get a glimpse of Izuku as well as the road behind."Y-Yeah." Izuku reached for the back of his head and itched it, a habit he had had since the swap between himself and the other boy. "I'm worried they'll call my quirk villain, like, most people ignored me before but I-I made a few friends." Izuku smiled softly."Then why don't you speak about your quirk in a lighthearted way?" Said his father stopping at the red light and turning for a brief moment. "Make it seem harmless then it really is?""W-Wouldn't that make me seem... nonchalant about it?" Muttered Izuku, "some might take it more seriously then intended and that might cause a ruckus and that would bring more people to hate me and if I'm hated I'll be isolated more and that could cause a conundrum of having the whole school against me and that would be quite--"His dad laughed, interrupting the mini muttering of Izuku's monologue, he pressed his foot onto the pedal and drove as the lights turned green, still amused by his overwhelmed son."W-what?" Izuku said, a tad bit offended but not particularly mad."You remind me of my dad's friend's child." He started, "the girl would go off about everything small.""Dad! I-It's not small." Izuku whined. His dad ignored and continued to speak."She was determined though, just like you. When she wanted to do something she can go from a kitten to a lion," the older man shivered internally, "she was frightening to say the least."Izuku looked up, bemused by the fear shown in the man's eyes, it was rare to see him afraid of something, with his height and all he could pretty much scare anyone if he tried to put on a scary facial expressions-- which he rarely does-- and he'd usually wouldn't get on anyone's badside to begin with so Izuku was quite curious."What did you do?" Asked Izuku tilting his head to the side."I- Its not important. The message was don't underestimate the nicest person.. t-they can easily beat you." He muttered with a frown on his face.Izuku felt a bit more calmer and at peace with the joke, but he couldn't help but wonder."What was the point of that?" Izuku asked, deflating in his position in the car. The car slowly came into a halt and the breaks were pulled, the man turned around once more with one arm resting upon his seat and the other hanging loosely from where he sat."Point is, don't do it." He winked and smiled, "and be nice, one day you might be a fine... lady?" He put his hand underneath his chin, "that doesn't sound right."Izuku almost felt like he wanted to drop off his seat in a comical manner. "Don't you mean don't underestimate anyone?"His dad smiled and reached his free hand to Izuku's hair, "you got it! Don't need your old man to help you anymore.""Y-you're not old though." Izuku chuckled nervously.His hand went for the handle of the door and pulled it and watched as the door popped off the main frame, he then remembered to unbuckle his belt and took steps out before stretching for his backpack which read 'Might Man™️' and started to walk towards the pavement where his school stood."Orudera? It looks so familiar." Izuku sighed placing a hand underneath his chin and babbling on."Hurry in now, weren't you mumbling about missing lessons earlier?" His dad scolded and Izuku yelped, Izuku stumbled near the reception in which there was a person who stood in front of him. Politely he bowed and conversed with the elder man who led him inside."At least you aren't as nervous as before." Muttered the dad with a more softer smirk on his face, his hand went to the breaks pushing it down and slowly driving back onto the main road. He was about to pick up the speed-- to the required amount-- before hitting the breaks once more as a lady stood shocked in front of him."Shit." He yelled, he pulled over to the side and pressed the blinkers before helping the lady up-- who had fallen from stress-- her eyes were red and filled with a salty liquid and her eyebrows scrunched in confusion."Are you alright? I'm sorry I almost didn't see you there." The man apologised."Oh my goodness I'm so sorry I didn't see you there, I should've waited but Izuku was hurt and I felt threatened but I acted impulsively since as a mother I wanted to protect izuku, it still doesnt excuse me for my actions however and I'll take full responsibility for any damage caused to you mentally or physically and I--" the man watched bemused as the woman continued to ramble onwards whilst he was leading her off the road."I haven't even introduced myself. Midoriya, Midoriya Inko." Said the green haired woman-- now known as Inko-- politely."Shinsou!" The man blurted out before collecting himerlf and starting again, "Shinsou Kemuri.""Shinsou?" Inko muttered before having a sudden realisation, "you! Shinsou? You've changed so much, I-I'm surprised, b-but what are you doing here?""Wait, y-you're the Midoriya!" Said Kemuri surprised, it was an amusing 'speak of the devil' moment which made him pale slightly. "Nice seeing you again. Wow, you've changed, I remember you were a little taller." He moved his hands around to gesticulate the change."Don't patronise me." She whined but wasn't particularly angry, "what brings you here?""Used to live here ages ago after college, moved after marriage, came back cause of child, left again due to things and moved back a week ago." Kemuri rambled. Inko watched in rapt of his every word, "I'm here to drop my son off." Said Kemuri."R-Right! My own son, I'm sorry, I need to head in." Inko stammered with a polite bow."Your son?" Said Kemuri slightly worried.Inko pushed her hand to her chubby cheek, "injured." She sighed, "I need to drop him off at the hospital." Said Inko about to leave."How about I help? I don't start work officially till tomorrow." Offered Kemuri, "I mean, if you don't have a car.""N-No, no I'm grateful. I'll accept your offer." Said Inko.Both the adults began to walk into the reception and were led to the medical room -- which was in close proximity to the area they entered-- with a there was a boy sitting on one of the beds, he gently grasped his nose and looked up."Oh, mom! You didn't have to come, I could've walked to the hospital with your permission." The boy frowned and reached for the back of his neck rather than intertwining his fingers."Come on, let's go now." Said Inko with a worried grin-- completely ignoring Hitoshi's sad pleas. Hitoshi got up from his seat and left the infirmary to find a man standing to the side of the door.His heart almost stopped at the sight of the older man-- not in fear but rather anxiousness-- he almost backed away from his towering stature. The pores in his skin opened from the chilly winds and our poured out all the sweat he could get to leave his body."No need to be afraid, you must be Midoriya's child, Shinsou Kemuri, pleased to meet you!" Kemuri said with a smirk and a wink at Hitoshi's direction.Hitoshi doubled over and took another frightened step back, bumping into his mother who tried to exit simultaneously. Confusedly, she turned to Kemuri outside and aw the same baffling expression which match her own."Izuku. Come on, Shinsou isn't going to harm you," Inko coaxed, "he's here to help us.""I-I'm never going back." Hitoshi whispered underneath his breath, his hand were clutched into a fist and held either side of his body."G-going back? What does that mean?" Asked Kemuri.Hitoshi's green eyes shook violently from left to right in a loop, it was unfocused and looked down rather then Kemuri's face. His nails dug into the palm of his hands painfully and left a curved crimson mark on his hands."I-Izuku." Inko said but he was unresponsive. "Izuku?" She asked with her stomach feeling queasy. "H-Hitoshi?" She called and finally got a response from Hitoshi who looked up and saw the man's baffled expression.'He doesn't know.' He thought, he trembles soon subsided and Hitoshi gave a lopsided smile."Ah, sorry. Y-you remind me of someone." Dismissed Hitoshi, "I'm Midoriya Izuku, it's nice to meet you.""Didn't she call you Hitoshi?" Kemuri wondered aloud."She called me Izuku too." Snapped Izuku.The back of his head received a light smack from Inko who was profoundly shocked at Izuku's rude behaviour. He was a little sarcastic but never rude."Izuku! Apologies." Inko frowned. Hitoshi rubbed the back of his head and tilted his head back to look at the man."S-sorry." He forced out, "problems." Hitoshi answered and grabbed his mother's hand."Right. Don't worry, kids these days just wanna annoy us elders now, don't ya?" Said Kemuri nudging an unresponsive Hitoshi."Yeah. Let us leave now." He frowned.Despite trying to avoid eye contact with the older man, he kept looking over curiously ever so often. He was sad but he felt a tiny bit happy in a way-- if it weren't for his paranoia of gaining a villain quirk once switching he would've embraced his old man instead.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hitoshi sat at the edge of the hospital bed, legs swinging and his face bandaged with tightness, it pressed against his nose and made it seem flatter than usual, bringing a more nasal noise to his voice."Midoriya!" Said Kemuri, the word got the attention of Hitoshi and Inko who simultaneously looked up, "I'll be going now, so here I'll give you my number and we can set up play dates for our boys! They can get to know each other and we can hang around ourselves!"Inko smiled, "yeah, that would be nice, Shinsou."She reached for the pockets of her black miniskirt and held out a cellular device, holding it towards Kemuri who mimicked her action with a sly grin. He looked to Hitoshi and gave a faltered and awkward smile but his eyes still shone genuinely with hopes of getting along with Hitoshi."I'll be seeing you, sonny.""I'm Izuku, not sonny." Replied Hitoshi. He saw a disapproving look from Inko and continued, "I don't want to be called sonny... please." He asked and the man gave a large grin with two giant thumbs out."Alrighty then! I'll try to! Why? For I am a hero!" Kemuri bellowed with his face resembling All Might in a comical way. Inko laughed and wiped away a fake tear from her eye. "My son just loves All Might, wanted to see if yours does too.""Oh, he used to." Teased Inko with a hand pressed against his cheek, "every single poster would be on his room, all of them obtained by... various methods," she coughed, "he still likes him, just not a mega fan like once before.""Oh my son is the opposite, went from barely knowing the guy to knowing much more than what should be known about the man," Kemuri laughed a little, "he can do the face waaaayyyy better than everyone else."Inko snorted at the thought of a little Kemuri making All Might faces."Should be going, so I'll talk you later, Inko!" Yelled Kemuri hurriedly running out of the room.Inko left out a small huff of air and closed her eyes momentarily, her right hand laid against her chest and her cheeks turned rosy and puffed out a little. She opened her eyes and gave Hitoshi a sharp glare, not one of anger but disappointment of his reaction. Hitoshi reached for the back of his neck before he could even stop himself, Inko had done so and gave a sad frown to him."Izuku." She stated and a shiver travelled down Hitoshi's spine.Hitoshi's mouth parted as if to say something but no words wanted to come out, his mouth was left agape for flys to travel inside and his eyes looked down to the ground in worry. Inko tapped his shoulder and pressed her other hand on his cheek to raise his stare to her own. He saw it there, not anger or disappointment like he thought, but worry."Why did you react like that?" There it was, the question he didn't wish to hear. He didn't mean to react as such, it was just so unexpected that he couldn't help it and let his emotions take over his logical side."I-I just felt scared." Said Hitoshi, it wasn't a lie.Inko's eyes furrowed further, "do you know him?""N-No." He replied. His eyes not breaking the powerful gaze of Inko. "But he looks like someone I know.""Who?""I-I dunno, he l-left the school or something and I don't care anymore.""Izuku." She said, "in the 13 years of my entire life I have never seen you react so... so worried. Honestly, it was worrying at first but I realise that my boy was just more tougher and so I never did feel the need to coax you into telling me. I know that you can handle yourself since your independent." She said, "but if he had done something to you for you to act like this then please tell me. You're still my little boy after all."Hitoshi turned to his right and looked out the window, "h-he didn't do anything." The truth. "Not mentally or physically." Truth. "He reminded me of someone." Technically not a lie. "And I reacted inappropriately." Truth.Inko relaxed a little and gave a tiny, tired smile. "Ok then." she kissed his forehead. "If you don't want to go to his house, I won't force you. But there are times that I might invite him to ours. I'll warn you, ok?" She said worriedly and began to act like her normal self, babbling on about unimportant issues.He grasped her hand and she calmed, giving a small nod over to his direction.The doctor entered, holding his hand up to the boy's face and apologising for his lateness, his hands glowed a hypnotic blue colour and he tapped the crook of Hitoshi's nose. "Don't try to touch or irritate it, it should be healed by tomorrow. You'll feel a large pain in that area for the first minute but it's nothing life threatening."As he said that Hitoshi winced and reached for his nose instinctually, the doctor grabbed his hand with speed and shook his head, by Hitoshi couldn't see as his eyes were blurred with involuntary tears."Breath in to 8, breath out to 8 Midoriya." Said the doctor, still holding the boy's right hand, he nodded and followed through with his instruction for a minute until the blackness of his vision cleared and the pain subsided. "There we go! All healed up! I'd advise you go home and rest on your back, but you can still go to school as long as no further injuries will be brought up."Injuries will be brought up if he went back to school and Hitoshi knew it as a fact.Inko stood and bowed to the man politely, "thank you for your service." She said with a smile, he returned it and waved off as casually as he could."Yeah, I just need you to fill a form and then we're done here." Said the doctor with a closed-eyed grunt. "So, how did you get such a grotesque injury. Your quirk?""Don't have one." Said Hitoshi casually. "Don't need one."The doctor looked to him curiously, "no quirk huh? That's kinda cool I guess."Hitoshi shrugged. "Don't have to sugarcoat it, I don't really care.""Who said I'm one to sugarcoat, there are a lot of heroes who are basically quirkless with slight advantage." Replied the doctor.Hitoshi paused and listened."Like Eraserhead, he can fight mutant types but his quirk isn't advantageous against it," he said, "still managed to win.""Heard of him, I know.""Rare for kids to know him, most are all after All Might or Endeavour." The doctor tugged on his ears boredly. "So, you going to be a hero?""Yeah." Said Hitoshi almost immediately. The doctor frowned."Cool.""Do you think I can?""Well, lets just say that if you, a quirkless boy, manage to pass the exams of a really high class hero school, like UA, then I'll personally shave my eyebrows and hair." He flicked his silver smooth hair back.Hitoshi smirked."Deal." He replied to the doctor, not caring about the deal but wanting to see the smugness of the man's face being wiped away as he passed the UA exam._"I'm S-Shinsou Hitoshi, born July 1st. Um, I like All Might and..." he thought about Kemuri's jokes inside the car, "a-and I'll be willing to play pranks with you with my quirk!" He rambled the last part quickly but people seemed to have heard him."Shinsou, don't use quirks. It's against the laws. Do you want a detention?" Said the teacher seriously.Izuku almost paled completely until the class laughed at the teacher."Sensei, you're scaring him. Plus it's not like he'll get caught or whatever! Not while I help him!" Yelled another kid in class 3-D, it was a kid who sat on the seat like a clown riding a tricycle, the size being abnormally large but Izuku knew it was due to his quirk.Laughter ensued from the teacher, "least let me have a little fun," whined the teacher childishly, "don't worry Shinsou, you're not in trouble. Just try not to prank me." Said the teacher wiping a fake tear. "So that's it from Shinsou, now go to your seat and let's begin this hell." He slapped a book onto the table.Izuku walked down and got kind smiles from the other teens around him, each looking at him curiously and wanting to befriend him, especially after his speech or declaring pranks.He sat next to the tall boy and said small greetings before sitting down next to him."I'm Ken. Don't really wanna reveal my last name cause," he posed dramatically, "it shows my tragic life and backstory." He fake sniffled and looked dramatically out the window, the other kids giggled and the one who sat in front of Izuku turned round, rolling her eyes at Ken."His last name is Ken, he's literally Ken Ken." She said, "I'm Akira, I, on the other hand, actually have a reason for not revealing my last name.""Surree.." said Ken rolling his eyes and mimicking her dramatically.Izuku smiled and listened to their rambles intensively, enjoying their company greatly."--o what's your quirk?" Asked Ken raising a brow, "must be a damn good one if you can prank people and declare it.""Oh." Izuku took a deep breath and kept his father's words in his mind, "brainwashing."They froze for a split second, not knowing what to do or say until Ken's eyes glistened with pure amusement."Really?!" He yelled getting the teacher's attention immediately, "so you're like: zoom. And they're like: oh no bwah. And it's like: amazing." He had said the last word in English oddly enough. "I think we're gonna be besties."Izuku felt himself de-stress at the boy's words and let out a sigh."Hey! You wanna prank someone with me? I got an awesome target practice." Ken asked jumping around in his seat and getting a loud hush from his teacher who didn't even try.Izuku stuttered, "I don't really want to.." Izuku mumbled but then got a reassuring look from Ken."Don't worry, nothing bad," he said, "besides, that kid deserves it. No wonder everyone avoids him.""Oh, as long as it isn't bad," Izuku paused, "but who?""Some kid name Midoriya Izuku, sassy little shit who doesn't know when to stop acting all brave," Izuku froze in his spot. "Oh don't worry, it'll just be a quick mind control and then voila! He'll never talk back.""Oh." Said Izuku feeling the bile crawl up his stomach, it has been a long time since he has heard that name, it really didn't make him feel comfortable knowing he was attending the same school as himself.''What do I do? Approach him? Does he even remember me? Will he be mean to me? Avoid me? Will he try to come and take this life back from.." he was stopped mid mumble by Ken's voice."We can go to him after school, if Katsuki didn't send him to the hospital again." Snorted Ken, "probably did. He's going to get expelled by the end of this week, I bet you."Izuku froze hearing another familiar name, the memory of his friend blurred and for some reason he can only remember one word that Katsuki would call him, "Deku.""Oh! You've heard of Izuku-- I mean Deku then? Then I won't use his name, a shame to all other Izuku's. Idiotic Deku."Izuku frowned slightly.
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“Izuku, do you need to go to school today? I mean, you can have a break if you need to, I-I can talk to the school board and we can deal with Katsuki, we can even get his mother to deal with him.” Inko suggested but Hitoshi flinches in response to her and allows the positivity of her words turn negative as it entered through his eardrum.“It’s fine, Katsuki will stop, just have to threaten him with UA.” Hitoshi smirked at his mother who huffed with a hand pressed against her cheek. “Trust me, that’s his weak spot, he won’t take me lightly. Plus the school is too darn useless, ten months— and finally— we’ll be done with him.”Itching the scalp of her head, Inko nodded reluctantly though the thought never truly leaves her head, she was willing to go against her son’s words for his sake but she’d never voice it. Instead, Inko gave her son a tight hug, nuzzling into his neck curve and closing her eyes tighter than any valve in her vein.She doesn’t say anything when she pulls away from him, she sends a knowing smile and and rubs her cold hands against his black blazer with blazed with uncomfortable warmth. Hitoshi leant in forward and kissed her forehead, the feeling was tender like her touch and brought more comfort to his skin along with the blazer that pressed up against his arm.With extreme resistance, he left Inko on the doorstep of their home. The heat dissipated when her hand is removed from his arm and the cold nipped playfully in all sorts of varying places on his body. Hitoshi braided his hands together, each finger delicately laced into one another until his fingers ran out of room for more braids to be made. He held his hand close to his chest and breathed onto with little warm air in his lungs, after a long exhale he greedily gulped in the crispy, cold air and regretted letting it go. He closed his mouth shut and looked at his red and ruddy hands.Allowing the bitterness of the atmosphere to enter through his nose rather than his hands, he sighed and frowned at his still cold hands. He gave up trying to find a way to give them warmth, somethings were really worth protecting in the end.Endothermically, heat travels in and the cold surrounded him to penetrate his pores and bring more discomfort as he walked to school, negativity building like plaque at his thought.Izuku stood at the school gates, looking back and forth at Ken. “I-I understand you wanted to prank Deku,” he said the nickname bitterly, “but nothing serious, or p-permanent right?” Izuku questioned and Ken stared off to the side haphazardly.“Look, I hate Deku for reasons which don’t even involve his quirklessness,” he lied to Izuku easily, “I’ve told you, he’s sassy, confident and doesn’t know how society functions apparently, which is a surprise for the smartest student in the school.” Ken kissed his teeth and kicked at the gravel below his soles.Izuku tried to tie his fingers into one another but instead he ended up going to the back of his neck and giving the purple strands of hair which pricked his skin a good tug to focus.‘I-I don’t have the heart to prank anyone. Regardless of how mean they are—‘ Izuku gulped saliva and lets the moisture trail down his throat.“I-I need the toilet.” He yelled, Ken didn’t stop him and even nodded.“Right, we can always do it at lunch,” he thought aloud to himself sinisterly— though Izuku heard everything much to his displeasure, “he won’t even know what hit him.”Izuku nodded and ran off before Ken could continue his sentence, he knew that Ken was lying, it was a gut feeling that rumbled in his intestines vigorously and violently and it was a feeling he couldn’t quite define either, not anger, sadness, fright, anxiousness, joy, just a mixture of all with a light dollop of confusion in his serum.Timely, Hitoshi arrived at the school gates with long strides and a hunched back. People all around him turn to stare at him like a foreign creature from a completely different multiverse, though he doesn’t need to watch their eyes to know they’re watching him, he can feel it, it pierced the pores along with the oncoming chill wind and made him clench his fist.Still, he doesn’t let his anger show and creates a blank facade to cover his face, the bags on his eyes heavy and pulling his eyes open. “You shouldn’t stare long, it’s not like I can’t notice.”In glee, he watched as their faces turn from anger to pure boiling rage, filtering any emotions of pity and woebegone and leak out of the beakers of their body from the hole of their heart.“Move out the fucking way, Deku.” Katsuki grimaced as he barged passed Izuku with immense pressure and speed. “I’ll fucking kill you, bastard.”Hitoshi smiled at Katsuki, knowing how much it irked him at it not being genuine and lazy.“Oh, you’ll kill me huh? Failed for the past few years, what makes you think you can do it now?” He asked and Katsuki stopped in his tracks along with his surroundings, everyone was watching with trepidation and anticipation. “Woah, you actually stopped to listen, that’s a first. I never thought your ears would hear me with the amount of times you’ve used your quirk before using your ears.”“Fuck off! I’m not in the mood, to die in a ditch for all I care, attention seeker.” Katsuki sneered at the green haired boy. Hitoshi clasped his hands together and watched as Katsuki walked away slowly.“Why? Is it because of UA? Scared I’ll be a little snitch and spill?” Hitoshi asked and that seemed to hit a nerve as Katsuki stopped faster and turned around to the freckled boy. “Ooh! Did I hit a nail in my coffin?”Katsuki walked to Hitoshi and grabbed him by his collar as tightly as possible, his eyes trailed to his broken nose and he kissed his teeth, “no, but I fucking will if you ever try and threaten me, fucking ass-wipe.”He dropped Hitoshi surprisingly and walked off into the building, Hitoshi was confused but the adrenaline rush gave him mixed signals, mainly joy and anxiousness. Hitoshi looked around at the crowd that broke the silence with whispers loud enough for the world to hear. Obviously about the situation but not really picking up on much as it merged with the wind.Izuku looked from the second floor toilets and felt the tendinous cord in his heart snap from stress and turn his heart inside out. That was intense, even from the distance between the second floor to the ground. Katsuki didn’t even hit him, or at least Izuku thinks so— the nose covered with a bandage says otherwise— but Hitoshi seemed to be in control.Izuku wants to meet him.At first, he did because of his mother, then he didn’t because he doesn’t need another mom— his real one is at home— and now he just wants the fear to stop building up and deteriorating the thick walls of his heart.“Hitoshi come on!” Yelled Ken by his side and he yelped in shock and ran after the boy in a hurry. He could use the prank as an excuse to meet up with himself.But then again— Izuku isn’t Izuku anymore and Hitoshi isn’t Hitoshi.Izuku is Hitoshi. Vice versa. ~ He stood in front of class 1-C and swiped the door to the left. It opened and everyone is staring at Izuku. He wanted to shy away but he doesn’t and steps forth into the classroom.“I-Is Midoriya in here?” He called for himself and all head turned towards the sleeping figure at the centre of the room. He nodded politely and walked towards Hitoshi with his fingers trembling. “Um, M-Midoriya, could I speak with you for a moment?”“Why don’t wanna say it aloud?” Hitoshi said and Izuku immediately flinched.A nearby classmate with long fingers came to him, placing a hand to his shoulder, “don’t bother about him, he’s just some quirkless dude who can’t keep his jealousy to himself and let’s others get in the way of it.”“My, you can read my hearts like they’re on my sleeves.” Said Hitoshi sarcastically, he removed his head from his desk, closing his eyes tightly and rubbing it with the base of his clenched hand. “I’m surprised.”Hitoshi opened his eyes and saw Izuku standing in front of him. He froze as his eyes made contact with Izuku’s own. He got up startled and walked away without saying a word, Izuku follows behind in close pursuit.“H-Midoriya please, wa—!” Izuku called out to himself, cutting out the last piece of instruction but Hitoshi continues to speed pass the onlooking crowd, by any method including barging and pushing. “I-I just wanna talk! I don’t want to change!” He yelled and Hitoshi stopped to look back at the boy.Hitoshi looked over at Izuku and saw his face, completely serious and determined.“Screw off then, you don’t need to see me then if we both feel the same.” Hitoshi snapped back at Izuku and hauled himself through the crowd tiredly.Izuku itched the wrist and the palm of his hand. He couldn’t allow it, he needed to talk with him or else everything else around him will suffer— and despite repressing a memory of his past mother he still felt subconsciously worried for her.He took one step forward before being stopped by one of the classmates in 1-C.“Dude, how did you scare Deku?” He asked and Izuku tilted his head to the side. Scared him, he didn’t do anything of the sort— not purposely at least. “He gives sarcastic comments and prissy greetings to everyone, including Katsuki, and yet you managed to make him walk away by calling him out?! Man, your quirk must be OP or something.”“M-My quirk isn’t OP.” Izuku replied to the stranger by his side, “m-my quirk is b-brainwashing.” He informed the kid who seemed to let go of him immediately.“T-That’s cool I guess.” He informed Izuku with fake bravery and shivering knobbly knees. “Not gonna use i-it on me, right?”Izuku shook his head and the long-fingered teen relaxed in his presence and continuously reacts obnoxiously rude.“That’s cool! Heard you were gonna get Deku after school? Ken invited us to go with you. Shinsou right?”“A-And you are?” Izuku asked, ignoring the first half of the sentence purposely. Until he was stopped by the nervous look on the boy’s face, he turned around to see who it could have been that was standing behind him and there he saw and his eyes widen.“Get outta my way.” the teen yelled, kissing his teeth. Izuku’s old childhood friend.“Kacchan.” He whispered, he moves aside and allowed the elder teen with explosive blonde hair and raging red eyes to come past him.“What you doing here, fucking long fingers.” He snapped at the boy.“Wanted to meet the dude that scared Deku. Shinsou Hitoshi.” He introduced Izuku who wanted nothing more than to scrunch up into a tiny ball and slowly dissipate into the passing wind. His fingers stretched around Izuku’s body and trembled in glee and awe. “Literally, this dude walks in and Deku just ran for it.”Katsuki looked over to Izuku who gulped. “He looks like a scrawny piece of shit.” It was true, his back hunched forward and no muscles were on his body, his eyelids carried more weight than his backpack and a small awkward smile that didn’t seem to suit him— making Izuku look more of a sociopath than a student.“S-Shinsou, I’m Shinsou Hitoshi.” Izuku introduced to Katsuki, “And you must be Kacc— Katsuki.”Katsuki stared at him curiously but doesn’t say anything more, just tugging his head back at an angle and staring at his friend behind Izuku. The long fingered boy looked as if he got the memo and nodded.Izuku felt the need to collapse on his knees tiredly and go home to his mother or whatnot. He resisted the urge and closed his eyes tightly. Once the noise of people bustling through the halls came to a halt and slowed, Izuku can hear their footsteps but they are quiet and echo in his eardrums, he inhaled and exhaled at a fast pace, his heart drumming on his ribs childishly and he lets out a sigh. Counting in his head, one, two, three and exhale. He repeated and paid no attentions to those who stared at him rudely.This was going to be a long week for him. ~ The next day, break time he knocked on the homeroom door of 1-C and enter. “Midoriya could I talk to you?” Izuku asked and Hitoshi got up from his seat and walked off from the other exit. Izuku chased after him and seemed to have lost the boy in the crowd, he frowned disappointedly and kicked the floor haphazard.Katsuki watched from the classroom exit curiously. ~Izuku came back the next day, knocking politely and entering, the class glared curiously at the two. “Midoriya—“Hitoshi gets up and stormed away, not even giving Izuku a chance to finish his sentence. Izuku is close in pursuit and yet he still loses himself in the crowd. He doesn’t understand why Hitoshi is so against meeting with him.Tearing up, he clenched his fist and stared down at the ground upset, he’s not angry— no — he’s just very frustrated and it assembled itself with his sadness. He wiped his tears from his face and looked up determined. ~Izuku opened the door without knocking the day after, lunch time rather than break so he had more time to find Hitoshi, “Midoriya, c-could we speak?”“Urgh, I thought you finally left me.” He packed away his lunch and walked away, “go away.”“I don’t want to! I-I’ve got something to say.” Izuku admitted and Hitoshi rolled his eyes far back into his sockets and groaned in response.“Why don’t you just leave me, even Explosive Hair managed.” Hitoshi told Izuku who shook his head side to side and he sighed once more. “Hey, sorry yeah.” Hitoshi told Izuku who scrunched up his eyebrows.“S-Sorry?” Izuku is kicked right in the shin and he fell forward in a kneeling position, Hitoshi walked away satisfied at Izuku’s pain and held his lunch close.Izuku is tired but he cannot stop now. Katsuki came over to Izuku and grabbed him by his shoulders, hauling the boy to his feet and baring his teeth at Izuku— he wasn’t sure if it was a smile or a grimace, it was really hard to tell.“That ain’t gonna fucking work with him, mind freak.” He told Izuku who’s eyes widen in amazement, Katsuki was always the leader of the group before and after gaining his quirk, he knew everything— just how much did he change?“Then w-what do I do?” Izuku asked the blonde who kissed his teeth in frustration and itched his neck.Katsuki flinched and brushes off Izuku immediately, “I ain’t no fucking helper, watching you is pathetic. Just stop this bullshit.”“I-I can’t stop though.” Izuku told Katsuki, eyes glimmering with a faint purple colour and hope— though Katsuki swore he could see a tad bit of green merge into the purple of his irises. “T-that’s something I-I can’t do.”Katsuki’s mouth gaped open and eyes expanded and Izuku brushes himself from the invisible dust on the shoulder blades of his blazer. Katsuki kissed his teeth and strolled away uncaring— at least he convinces himself so. ~ “Midoriya!” Izuku threw wide the door and scanned the room, lunch time next day. Hitoshi is missing from his seat and Izuku furrowed his eyebrows, pouting.“He’s probably in the boys toilet.” Someone suggested to Izuku and he thanked them before running off into the school toilets.No sign of Hitoshi from any of the toilets or outside the school building. He itched the back of his neck and felt his body trembling.“Oh! Izuku! I couldn’t find Deku,” Izuku watched him confused— how did he know? Ken seemed to realise and spoke, “the whole schools talking about it, who wouldn’t be curious, someone ran away after being confronted by a seemingly innocent boy! Come on! That’s drama I smell!”Izuku smiled awkwardly, “I— listen it’s nothing really, I-I just really-y gotta talk to h-him.” He annunciated every word despite a few mutters and mumbles.“Wanna tell me! I keep secrets real good.” Ken grinned widely and surprisingly, Izuku can hear the honesty in his words— not that he would ever tell— Ken could be nice, and he was a nice dude overall, it was just his prejudice against quirkless people.“T-thanks Ken, I-It’s just that I’d rather n-not.” Izuku uttered and Ken shrugged his shoulders and smiled at Izuku.“That’s cool, I can help you find Deku whenever. It’s easier with two than one.” He insisted and Izuku is completely smitten by the offer.“I’d appreciate it.” ~ It was Saturday. Izuku couldn’t actively hunt Hitoshi down sadly enough, he laid back on his bed with a pile of homework and All Might merchandise on his desk.“I don’t even remember the address.” He mumbled to himself tiredly and closed his eyes.“Hitoshi! I’m gonna go visit an old friend, do you want to come?” He Yelled and Izuku huffed, he would need to do his homework.“Can’t! Sorry!” Izuku yelled back and his dad shrugged his shoulders and exited the house. “I-I’ll see you later though.”“Alrighty then! Farewell! Young Civilians.” Izuku snorted at his father’s words.Mr. Shinsou left the house and brushed up on his plain tee and jeans.“Now, what was Inko’s address again?” He mumbled to himself whilst itching the scalp of his head.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Izuku strolled down the pathway back to his house carrying an array of different items in his hands. He lifted them and used any strength he had left to carry it back home. There was a variety of items, gifts for his mother which were macarons and for his father was a portable charger since he was always using his phone outside and food that he had planned to cook for tonight.Today, Inko was coming over for dinner with his parents. It was a confusing concept since Inko use to be his mother but he doesn’t need to be with her to feel happiness— he wished that he had realised that earlier than later— but there are times were there’s a pang in his chest filled with pains and aching for her.He yearned for his true mother, but selfishly wanted to keep his other mother and father too, so everyone was happy but he knew that it wouldn’t work like that and things such as balance would never help as they’d all be arguing— at least that what he believes since that’s what he did with his new mother since the age of four until now.“Oi, you. Zombie Freak.”Izuku froze in his spot in the crisp and frigid atmosphere that was blown and heated up by none other than his childhood friend, Katsuki Bakugou.“Ah, Ka— Bakugou! It’s nice to cross pathways w-with you. What brings you out on a Sunday morning?” Izuku asked curiously and Katsuki gritted his teeth.“Listen, I don’t give a shit about formalities so you can stop kissing my ass and start answering my questions,” Katsuki snarled suspiciously and Izuku is quick to nod his head even though it did give him minor whiplash from its speed, “how the hell do you know Deku?”Ah, there it was, the one question he dreaded the most.“D-Deku.” He uttered out but Katsuki wasn’t satisfied with his sudden quietness, it irked him that he knew something was wrong but doesn’t know exactly what it was and now Izuku wouldn’t give him a clear answer.“Green haired, freckled face ass. He never flinches at anyone, especially with your weak ass quirk. So spill, and don’t give me we were childhood friend bullshit because I’ve been with that fucker since kindergarten.” He swore, profanity after profanity and Izuku is trapped in a tight spot.“It’s not s-something I can just tell you. I-I’m sorry.” Izuku stuttered our quietly in his spot which seemed to piss off Katsuki more.The Explosive blonde grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up in the air, “It’s not your fucking choice, now tell me. What are you to Izuku.”Izuku bit his lip and remembered the way everyone treated him in kindergarten after finding out his quirklessness and it is mirrored well in Hitoshi as he is being bullied like this since the swap till now. He has once been quirkless but hasn’t experience the feeling for a long period of time so it really wasn’t his story to tell about the problem.“Hey Kacchan.” He said with his eyes dulled out.“WHAT?!” Katsuki swore he could see a glint of green but before Katsuki could even recall the words that came out Izuku mouth, his mind went completely blank and everything in his vision was blocked out.“G-Go back home, s-safely of course.” Izuku ordered and Katsuki followed without a single moment of hesitation. Izuku let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as the boy disappeared from his peripheral vision and into the distance.He brushed off the creases Katsuki created back down and lifted his bags up to make his way home. He knew Katsuki was not going to be happy at school tomorrow. He tried not to think about it and busied his mind with other thoughts like what kind of food does Inko like and if he should make it for tonight’s dinner.He also wondered if Hitoshi was coming.Probably not, but a boy could still dream.-“Fine. I’ll come. Because I need to talk to the purple hair boy.” Hitoshi sneered but it wasn’t exactly directed at Inko. It was towards Izuku and his damn determination. Everything he’s built in is school to create a safer place for himself and all the barriers he pulled up came crashing down because Izuku refused to leave him alone.Now, he wanted reparations for the damage of his ‘haven’ and Izuku would have no choice but to pay.“Ah, you mean Hitoshi, he’s such a sweet boy from what I’ve heard.” Inko softly smiled glancing out into the distance, Hitoshi gritted his teeth at her reaction, she hadn’t even met the boy and she reacting like it’s some sort of family reunion.It was technically, but Hitoshi doesn’t seem to want them to reunite. He doesn’t want to be a villain, he doesn’t want to make his mother and father cry and he definitely doesn’t want to leave Inko’s side, things were working out so well with them all now so why do they need to change it.“Persistent I’d say.” He growled loudly and got a surprised look from Inko.“Why? Is he trying to bully you like the others?” She said solemnly.“Not really, he’s just really set on being my friend,” goodness he wished he hadn’t admitted to that and bit his tongue, “he’s too determined, and I can’t trust him.”He glowered and Inko swore she saw a glow of purple in the midst of the green.“Y-Your eyes,” She said and he watched her confusedly, “they turned purple for a second. But there a slight purple colour there in your irises.” She approached Hitoshi and pulled his chin up so he was facing her and like she had said, there was a purple colour in his normally green eyes.Hitoshi moves himself gently from Inko’s careful grasp and made his way to the mirror in the bathroom. He saw it and froze, for something so tiny and barely recognizable it’s meant a lot to him. He gritted his teeth and his nose crinkled from scrunching up tightly near the ridge of his nose.Hopefully, it would go away sooner or later, it reminded him too much of the faded memories of his past life. He needed to get rid of the threat so that this sudden cascade of event doesn’t take a turn for the worst.In the back of his mind, he felt as though it was Izuku’s fault. Maybe if the boy hadn’t appeared back than things could go on as always and back to the flow it was meant to be.Glancing out the window, he caught eye of Katsuki walking home. Not with a confidence air like before, it’s very slouched and zombie like, one leg slowly going after the next and his legs dragged against the floor as he made his way home. His eyes that were once a burning, raging red was nothing more than a solid block of colour and he recognised that quirk from anywhere.Still, Hitoshi ignored the boy and went to his closet to get dressed.-“Ah, hey there!” Izuku beamed with an outstretched hand. It faltered straight after and his mood deflated. “No, that’s too overfamiliar. How about, hello madam? No, it’s now just formal.”“What’s wrong kiddo?” Asked his father from the hallway, head peaking out from one of the rooms and hair brushed down over his face.Izuku hesitated momentarily, thinking about how the phrase the question before asking. “How would you greet someone, dad?”“Like a normal human being?” He retorted and Izuku lets out a chuckle of amusement. Still, he didn’t feel satisfied with it, Izuku hoped that it goes perfectly well for him and Inko.Izuku sighed straight after and leant against the wall, back slouched and body aching with tiredness. “It’s not my first time having a classmate over but to have a parent over too is kind of intimidating.”“I’m sure you’d be a delight and there is no reason for you to feel nervous. Inko is a kind woman, she doesn’t attack for no reason.” He shivered comedically and Izuku smiled solemnly. “Hey, has your eyes always had green in them?”The man curiously approached Izuku and lifted his head up by grabbing either sides of his temple, he glanced over them and there was a small, yet noticeable speck of green.“I’ll get that checked up later, it’s fine.” Izuku said, brushing it off without a single thought, he was more worried about meeting his mother— old Mother— and this odd reunion.His breath hitched when he heard a knock on the door, he’s visibly trembling and having an internal crisis. He faces has paled dramatically from before and had even gone lighter in shade, his eyes are squinted and his lips are stuck out in a pout.Regardless of his anxiety, he opened the door and blurted out the first thing he could think off. “Hello M-Ms. Midoriya, it’s meet to nice you.”There is a pregnant pause. Both parties watched one another before a small laugh left her mouth and she bent over covering her hand. Her straightened hair drooped over her face as she levelled herself onto the wall calmly and held her stomach.She laughed.Fair enough for first impression.“A-Ah I mean it’s nice to meet you,” Izuku waved his hands around frantically and Inko wipes away the tear trailing down the left side of her eyes, “D-Dad is always telling me about y-you and I really wanted to meet you but I got anxious.”Inko gave Izuku a small and warm smile, “that’s fine, it had just caught me off guard. It’s nice to meet you Hitoshi. If you want you can call me auntie.” She offered politely and Izuku is happy that things went of without a hitch. Mentally, he applauded whilst cupping his hands together victoriously. “This is my son, Izuku. Izuku come greet yourself.”“Midoriya Izuku, meet to nice you too.” Hitoshi teased amusedly and Izuku flushed further.Inko beamed and patted Hitoshi on his back. “Now, play fair alright. Do you know where Kemuri is?”“Second door on the left.” Izuku replied and Inko respectfully thanked him before entering the premises. “I’d never thought y-you’d come H-Hitoshi.”“Don’t call me that, I’m Izuku now and you can’t convince me otherwise.” Hitoshi grumbled underneath his breath with a sneer on his face. “I came to tell you, stop bothering me. It’s throwing me off track.”“I o-only wanted to be your friend. I didn’t want to switch back either.” Izuku isn’t sure if that was a lie or something he truly believed but for now he decided to stick with the idea as it’s the only way Hitoshi would speak to him.“I don’t need your pity. I’m fine.” He growled in an animalistic manner, not even bothering to hold back the snarky tone.“I-it’s not pity, it’s just that you’re the only person who ‘knows’ people I-I’ve told don’t believe me o-or they’re just don’t trust me.” Izuku whispered quietly.Hitoshi seemed to be the opposite entering the house, nonchalantly he took a step in without respect and looked around the house.“There’s a difference between trust and belief?”“I-I guess so, I could trust your judgement but don’t believe in your ideals for example.” Izuku gave his answer.Hitoshi shrugged uncaringly, his eyes rolled back into his skull and a grim, gruff grunt exited his throat. Izuku fumbled with his hand below his waist and interlocked his fingers tightly whilst sweat trailed down the temple of his head.“So, where’s your room?”“U-Upstairs, third door on the right.” Izuku replied quietly and Hitoshi stormed passed to look for the room, Izuku trailed not so far behind him.Hitoshi slammed the door open and entered without truly getting any permission from Izuku, he looked around and scoffed at the sight of bright colours and All Might merchandise covering the whole room.“Yeesh, you’re still a huge All Might fan. When I first saw your room I thought that it was the light at the end of the tunnel. It blinded me.” Hitoshi teased, Izuku couldn’t help but awkwardly laugh in response knowing that Hitoshi meant no harm to him. “But Eraserhead’s way better.”“Haha, Hitoshi” Izuku laughed at Hitoshi but realised that he wasn’t actually joking about it, “it’s impossible, All Might is he Symbol of peace for a reason, I-I won’t lie and say Eraserhead head sucks, h-he’s cool too it’s just that he can’t rival All Might.” Izuku said in an all knowing manner which seemed to irk Hitoshi.Still, Hitoshi shrugged and pushed away his green long hair away from his face, he glanced over at Izuku was twirling his purple hair in his fingers.“First of all, I ain’t Hitoshi so cut it out, but Eraserhead doesn’t need that title as an underground hero, he’s done so much good and appeared so little on TV whilst All Might flaunts of his work, doing ads to get a greater sum of money and laughing as civilians tremble in fear.” Hitoshi said in a condescending manner and Izuku scoffed at him, almost offended that Hitoshi dared to slander his favourite hero in front of him.“For your information, he’s brought crime rate down from 23% to 7% in under a year of his first revelation, he laughs only because it calms people, I’m sure people would be much more panicked if All Might had been yelling curses every time he saved someone rather than smile, hero work counts for a small pay check of the entire thing and so that’s why big time heroes are much rarer than sidekicks and so it is understandable that he’d do advertising as a side thing. Additionally, he is never one to oversell himself, flaunting actually calms people down, if people believe you’re confident in defeating someone than they’ll be in less of a frenzy.” Izuku rambled aloud, his hands thrown into the air and gesticulated overwhelmingly, a bright glow of green in his eyes as he continued which Hitoshi never failed to notice.“Oi, your eyes. They’re green.” Hitoshi said with a frown, the green curls of his hair sticking up as well as the smaller ones on the nape of his neck and Izuku nervously chucked, itching the back of his neck anxiously.“Yeah, my dad pointed that out. I’m not sure what it is.” Izuku added on. “I-I was gonna get a check up later or something.”“My eyes are purple, or there’s a thin flicker of purple there.” He widened his eyes and brought his face closer to Izuku. There Izuku saw the colour purple, taking up only part of the irises but very small, it would be hard to notice from a single glance.“W-What would that mean?” Izuku itched the scalp of his head. “A-Are we changing back?” It was the most logical conclusion that Hitoshi couldn’t— wouldn’t— accept.He bared his teeth viscously and flared at Izuku. “No. This wasn’t happening earlier.”“Well, if I-I think about it, my eyes only recently turned green from what I remembered. Maybe it’s cause we’re in such close proximity now?” Izuku thought about it, not seeing the anger fuming out of Hitoshi.His face wasn’t scrunched up anymore, instead he turned a moment of realisation hit him as he dryly stared Izuku in his purple eyes. “It’s your fault, it’s your— DAMN— fault that this is happening, for years we barely meet and nothing appears and the moment you show it comes.”“Hitoshi, it may be a f-factor but it is illogical to assume that I-I’m the full cause of it.” Izuku tried to calm him and finally Hitoshi twitched manically. “How about we see w-what could cause it, okay Hitoshi—.”“I’m NOT HITOSHI!” Screeched Hitoshi, he pounced onto Izuku and held him down.He sat on Izuku’s torso, legs on either side of his body holding down his arms as his hands made its way around his neck. He pressed down as hard as he could and gritted his teeth.Izuku is restrained, his neck closing up and the air refused to enter his lungs. He patted Hitoshi arm, indicating a time out but the boy continued to press down, thumb on the front of Izuku’s neck and the other four fingers laced around Izuku’s neck to the nape. Izuku drooled, his mouth dried and his breath was raspy whenever he was able to take in a gulp of air. His eyes turned green for whenever his vision blurred and every time Hitoshi pushed down on his throat it’d turn purple.“Why don’t you just stop breathing.” He ordered, eyes glowed green for a brief moment until it fully turned purple, his snarl grew wider and he bared his teeth.Inko is quick to push her son off the other child, this was as soon as she entered the room and saw her son— she thought it was her son but his eyes no longer bore the same colour as her own— she yelled for Kemuri to come and assist her.They’re shouting, at each other and at Hitoshi, they can’t stop panicking and Hitoshi is unable to hear anything. The sounds of irrelevant screams clouded his mind and he felt himself heavily breathing.He was a villain no matter what if he had a quirk or was quirkless.