Chapter Text
Eraser was tired. It had been a long night, and he had already extended his patrol several hours beyond when it normally ended, so the last thing he expected to be doing was tailing some third grader roof jumping.
Initially what flooded me was concern. Why was a kid climbing out of their bedroom window on the fifth floor of a building? All sorts of warning bells went off in my head, but then, instead of jumping, he stood on the ledge facing the building and moved towards the fire escape. Holding in a snort when he almost fell face-first on the landing, I watch as he makes his way up the stairs to the roof. Moving close enough that I could catch him if he did something stupid, he simply looked around for a minute.
Suddenly he was walking towards one of the corners and looking across the roof. On instinct, my hand was in my capture scarf and I was leaning forward, prepared for action. And, yep, great, he’s running to the other side. However, right as I am moving to catch him, when I expect him to fall, he braces his feet and jumps across to the other roof. While an amateur form at best, he manages to land in a crouch a few feet in from the ledge, giving plenty of leeway had he fallen backwards. Interesting.
The next second he’s laughing at seemingly nothing, and then he’s off again. This seems to be a new thing for him (as well it should be, did I mention he looks like he’s in third grade?) as he stumbles sometimes and looks a bit unsure, not know exactly how to do it. For being a novice, he is undeniably talented, and picking up on his errors all but instantly before he quickly corrects them. It’s shockingly serene, running alongside this kid, internally correcting him and watching as he picks up on his own mistakes. I wouldn’t say it’s calm, exactly, but I haven’t ran across roofs just for fun in a longer time than I would like to remember, and I forgot how freeing it was.
After nearly thirty minutes of weaving across rooftops in a seemingly random, roundabout pattern he lands on a building and walks to the far-left ledge. Looking in the direction he was facing, I can make out the local primary school. So, I was right, he is a -young- student, however, again he doesn’t follow my expectations, and sits off to the side. Somehow, he manages to get himself in a place where he is nearly out of view from all sides and only my years of underground heroics allow me to find him. Quickly making up my mind, I decide to wait and see what he does, and make sure this wasn’t all a buildup for something bad. I maneuver myself to crouch in the shadows on the roof to the right of his position, and see his head quickly look to where I just was. Almost no body has ever managed to catch sight of me while using my scarf, so I will give the kid credit for being able to detect some kind of movement. Strong instincts and innate talent. This kid is good.
For the next hour or so he simply sits on the ledge and watches as the students start filling into the building, merely tapping his foot in an unknow rhythm. As the first warning bell sounds, he jumps up and runs to the fire escape. After he gets to the bottom and is on ground level again, I feel some of the tension leave my body. Good. He wasn’t planning on doing any of my worst-case-scenarios. I’m unconsciously tracking him as he makes his way across the small campus and into the building. Interesting kid, if not concerning. While he has undeniable talent, he is also still so young. No kid should be jumping across rooftops or be so chill with the risks and danger. I guess I’ll just have to keep an eye on him. Oh, and I need to get Zashi in on this, they’ve always had a soft spot for kids.
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-Start of July-
“C’mon Trix, you wouldn’t wanna fall behind, now, would you?” Izuku’s (Izuku! First name basis: Achieved!) voice calls from in front of me. We’ve been using an old beach that’s littered with tons of stuff as our main training ground. It has plenty of areas for parkour, hiding, chase scenarios, all of it! I still can’t believe we’re actually doing this. Two kids, barley nine years old, one of them all but homeless, working to become vigilante’s and, eventually, heroes. Two weeks ago I met my best friend. Now I’m working towards something I thought was only a fantasy.
“In your dreams, cottontail!” In the time we’ve known each other, we have met up everyday, and his mom lets me have sleepovers at their apartment of the weekends. She’s sweet, but she’s also a bit overbearing towards Izu. It’s a bit unnerving to see someone I know to be so sharp and witty be treated like an oblivious fawn. But it’s also nice, in a way, to be apart of some sense of normalcy. I can easily say that this is the happiest I’ve ever been. And Mia has been giving me free rain of her small (newly purchased with her first paycheck) unit, allowing me to lounge there whenever, and letting me bring Izu by. It almost feels like I actually have a family for once. Huh.
As the lights dim and we start back towards the beach entrance, I can’t help but feel like something is off. Today is Friday, so I’m going back with Izu to his place after stopping by Mia’s to grab my overnight bag. He’s been quite since we finished our laps, which is unusual for him. Normally he’s quick to strike up a conversation and we have a constant back and forth of banter while we train, but not today. It feels weird to see my normally chatty friend so quite, but I suppose that if it’s important he’ll bring it up.
At dinner that night the tension expands, now it’s not just him, but his mom, who are acting strange. While Inko has never been particularly talkative, she at least always asks how our day was and keeps up some small talk, instead today she calls us into the kitchen when we get there and directs us to setting the table. Huh. Is it a big day or something? These are the fancy plates, and I could swear I saw her cooking pork dumplings and rice (which I may have let slip are one of my favorite meals). And last time I checked, she doesn’t normally keep bean paste buns in the fridge. It is definitely a special occasion of some kind. What’s the protocol in this kind of situation? How does one deal with important events? I’ve never had to deal with these things before, and unknowingly have been zoning out the entire time preparing for dinner. I only snap back when Izu taps my shoulder.
“Huh?” He has a concerned look, but it is also dripping with anticipation.
“Nothing, just letting you know that the food is done.” He smiles and then turns toward his mother, and I could swear they just winked at each other. Whatever is going on has something to do with me, but I have zero indication as to how or what. The next half hour is spent silently eating, with the two Midoriya’s looking at each other eagerly. When Izu gets up to grab the dessert buns from the fridge, Inko gives me a soft look. A look dripping with affection and gratitude. I feel odd under her stare, but not uncomfortable. It’s strange, it almost feels good. When Izu returns, Inko insists we each eat one of the buns before talking. That puts me on edge, but Izu simply winks at me and starts eating. After that they exchange a final look before Inko turns to me.
“Kai, I know we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but since my Izuku started spending time with you he has been so much happier, I wanted to thank you for that.” I flush at the positive comments and simply nod my head, turning my gaze towards my lap where I am petting one of my tails. A nervous tic I have yet to break. “I would like to extend an offer to you. I’m aware of your current… Lack, of a legal guardian, and was hoping you would accept my offer to foster you. Working as a nurse and running into many pro heroes during emergencies, I figured early on that I would get my foster license in case an accident left someone with no where to go. I thought that, since you’re so close with Izuku, you might want to move in here. We would be more than happy to welcome you to the family, and I just know that Izuku would be happy having you around. What do you think?”
What do I think? Did she seriously just ask me that? I think that I’ve just been handed my dream on a silver platter. This can’t be it. It can’t be that easy for me. It can’t, not after everything. “What’s the catch?” I ask cautiously. There has to be some kind of caveat to this. It can’t possibly be as straight forward as her offering me a home. Her face goes shocked then hurt before she speaks again.
“There is not ‘catch’. All it requires is that you and I sign some papers, and then I can put them through one of my hero friends, and voila, you’ll legally be under my care. You obviously don’t need to accept, and you can take some time to think about it, but the offer is there, if you want it.” I almost accept right then and there, but a thought occurs to me.
“Will I still be able to stay with Mia some of the time?” As much as I want to leap at this opportunity, I’m not sure I could accept it if it meant losing Mia.
“Of course! I’ve only met her once, but it’s obvious that you two are very close. I wouldn’t take that away from you. All I ask is that she come to dinner once or twice a week so I can make sure she’s doing okay. I would hate for you to lose someone you care about because of me.” And with that, the deal is done. I get to live with Izu, be taken care of by Inko, AND I’ll still get to see Mia. It’s so perfect that it feels unreal. I can tell that tears start to leak from my eyes while I stare at my lap. I just have one more question though before I can fully accept this.
“Why? Why would you take in some kid off the streets? A kid you barley know? Why would you do that?” I finally meet her eyes again (slow tears still sliding across my cheeks), and they’re heavy. Full of love and compassion, warmth and sadness.
“Do I need a reason? Even without Izuku in the equation, you’re a hurt child trying to survive all alone. I’m a mother. Of course I would care to help you. That’s what moms do.” Her own eyes start to glisten with moisture, and I almost feel bad. Right. The Midoriya’s are sympathetic criers.
I glance at Izu and the past two weeks flood through my mind. Roof jumping, laughing, crying, food fights and cat cafes, movies and games, all of it. In his eyes I can see it. The same dare I shot him that first day. “Do it,” his eyes say, “prove them wrong”.
“… Okay. I’ll live with you.”
More tears follow, and lots of hugs, but for once they’re happy tears. The next day we head over to Mia’s to explain the situation and collect my things. More tears and hugs, and she agrees to “sharing custody” as she puts it. The next few days have Inko helping Izu and I rearrange his room to accommodate two residents (The apartment only has two bedrooms) and shopping for a few decorations for my side. It’s exhausting work, but well rewarding, as I fall onto my new bed and curl up in more blankets than I thought one person could own. In the next week the paperwork would go through and in the week after that we were signing the final forms. In two weeks, I officially became Inko Midoriya’s foster daughter, joined an online school (I haven’t been in a school since being moved to Japan), and Izu became my brother. Huh. Isn’t life funny that way? I go from no family to three people who care about me and that I care about. Huh.
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-End of August-
A month and a half into my stay with the Midoriya’s and I was done.
“C’mon Izuku! You have to tell her about Bakugou! This is getting unreasonable!” Everyday when he gets home from school, I can spot some new injury that he didn’t have when he left. On the ‘good days’ he only has a few bruises or a burn. On the bad, he gets home limping, tendering one (or sometimes multiple) of his limbs that are littered with burns and the like. He always brushes it off like it’s nothing, but I can always see past his façade to the hurt and anguish in his eyes.
He doesn’t meet my gaze, but I know that he won’t listen to me. He’s too stubborn and doesn’t like asking for help. “It’s fine, Trix, really! I have it under control, and I promise that it won’t interfere with training. Besides, I would much rather Kacchan get out his anger on me than on someone else.”
Nope, enough is enough. “’It’s fine’? Really? Did you honestly think I would buy that?” His ears fold down and his shoulders hunch, but I won’t back down on this. “It’s not fine, Izu, and he shouldn’t be hurting anyone to begin with! If he was doing this to anyone else, if he was doing this to ME? You would be the first one to call him out! If he’s so keen on being a hero, then he should start by treating people with basic human decency! This isn’t right bun! Just like I didn’t deserve the treatment I got, you don’t deserve the way he treats you! You need to get it through your thick skull! YOU’RE. WORTH. SAVING.”
He finally glances up at me, and I can see the tears in his eyes. When he speaks, his voice is softer than I have possibly ever heard it. “But… But what if she doesn’t believe me? What if she just brushes it off since we’re young boys? What if… “ He seems to have a thought, and his ear begin to twitch. “What if she doesn’t care?”
There it is, his biggest worry. “She will. And if she doesn’t than I’ll beat it into her. C’mon, Rabbit, you know better than that. She loves you more than anything else in this world, so I highly doubt that she would just ignore this. And regardless of any of that, I will ALWAYS have your back. Always.” Without another word, I step forward to hug him, allowing him to shake as he cries. I vow that, no matter what, I will take care of him. I just hope Inko will do the same…
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Okay Izuku. You can do this. You just need to tell mom about Kac- Bakugou. It’s fine. No big deal. Just letting your helicopter mother know that you aren’t just clumsy and have been getting attacked unprovoked by her best friend’s son. Right. NO. BIG DEAL.
Yesterday, after her intervention, Trix and I cuddled on my bed all night, and this morning I decided to finally tell mom. Our plan is simple. Sit mom down in the living room and tell her we need to talk. Trix will be right beside me the entire time and has already agreed to be my backup if mom doesn’t believe me.
In all honesty, I was expecting mom to have more questions when I asked her to meet us in the living room, but she just said she would be there in a minute. Now, sitting on the couch across from her (she took the chair), I’m having doubts. What if she thinks I’m lying? Or that Trix put me up to this? What if-
My internal break down is interrupted by Kai tapping my shoulder. ‘You can do this’, she mouths to me before giving a gentle smile. That’s right, I have her right beside me, so even if I crash and burn, she’ll be right there to help me pick up the pieces. Okay. Let’s do this.
“M-mom. I asked you in here because I have something I need to tell you.” In my peripheral vision I can see her head tilt and her look turn questioning. “It’s something that I’ve been trying to deal with on my own, but I know now that I shouldn’t have to deal with it at all. Please, don’t get mad at me. I wanted to tell you but I was afraid to.” I take a deep breath and look at Trix, who is squeezing my hand in her own. I can do this.
The next hour is long and full of crying, as well as showing mom some of the scars that Ka- Bakugou has left on me. The entire time she remains very quiet, with the occasional gasp or sob. Once I have finished recounting the events of the last several years, she rushes over and hugs me. A real, deep hug. One that is full of anguish as she whispers apologize in my ears. I hug her back and within seconds she has pulled Kai into the hug as well. We stay like that for several long minutes, letting it hang in the air as it sinks in.
The next day I would wake up to the news that I was now going to the same online school as kai, and that I would never be forced into the same place as Bakugou again. (a.n/edit 3/18/23 when I initially wrote this I had Bakugou transfer and all that, but that was before this fic got as big and so now that plot point doesn"t align with where this story is going, so no more shall it exist.) I hope that this change will put us both on paths to brighter futures.
Katsuki Bakugou, Kacchan, I wish you all the best.