Izuku sat on the couch with Nezu looking through his notebook, it contained a bunch of pages of his favorite heroes' quirks, fighting styles, costumes, notes on costume updates and notes of new fighting techniques that could help against villains. Izuku couldn't read Nezu's face as he flipped through the pages silently and he could feel anxiety building in his stomach the longer Nezu stayed quiet. 

"These are very detailed," Nezu noted reading through a page on a hero's sidekick that Izuku thought did more work than the actual hero. Izuku's anxiety didn't subside at that, in fact it made it a little worse because he couldn't tell if it was praise or not, Nezu must have sensed his unease and turned to Izuku with a smile, "you've done a great job, you have quite the mind, I'd love to read the rest of them."

Izuku smiled and nodded, "of course."

"We should schedule a meeting, I'd love to probe your brain if you'd allow me, maybe we can make it into a mentoring situation." Nezu offered and watched Izuku's face light up in excitement. 

"Oh god," Toshi murmured with a laugh, that sounded like a nightmare, with Nezu as a mentor Izuku and him would terrorize everyone with their combined intelligence. 

"We won't terrorize you Toshinori," Nezu promised looking over at Toshi, who just looked back wide eyed. Could Nezu read minds? 

"That would be amazing Nezu! I'd really enjoy that!" Izuku responded.

"Wonderful! I'm glad, are you free next week?" 

=

The first day back at school Izuku got more weird stares than usual, he couldn't blame them for staring though, last week he was fine, nothing looking too odd and now he had a bandage wrapped up his neck and a couple gauze pads taped to his cheek. And he was also out of uniform, technically he was supposed to be home on bed rest, doctor's orders, but he didn't have any of his needed assignments for the week. He had made a deal with Toshinori, who hadn't let him go home since he took him to the hospital Friday night, that Toshi would drive him to school to pick up the needed assignments but he had to follow the doctor's order and stay home for the rest of the week. 

When he returned to the car, packets of homework in hand, Katsuki Bakugou was arriving at the gates. Izuku tried to duck into the car as fast as he could but he wasn't fast enough, Katsuki spotted him. 

"Where you going nerd?" Katsuki called and Izuku sighed, he opened the door and set the packets on his seat before telling Toshinori he would only be a minute. Izuku closed the door and looked over at Katsuki, Katsuki's eyes fell on Izuku's bandages and faltered.

"Could we not do this right now?" Izuku grumbled walking up to Katsuki. They've had their differences since they were little, but it only got worse and way more physical since Izuku came out. 

"What happened to you?" Katsuki asked, his voice falling from it's usual sneering tone to a slightly worried one.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Izuku brushed off his concern before glancing over his shoulder at Toshinori's car, Toshi was watching him with a curious look on his face. "look I gotta go, you can continue your usual dick head behavior when I come back next week." Katsuki bit his lip, a variety of emotions flashing across his face as he stared at Izuku silently.

Izuku took his unreadable expression as a goodbye and turned away, "hey!" Katsuki called when he started walking, Izuku turned back to him with an aggravated sigh, when he met Katsuki's gaze Katsuki looked like he was surprised he even called out, "I, uhm, I hope you get better, Izuku." 

Izuku's eyes widened as Katsuki looked down at his shoes, he abruptly turned away and rushed towards the school. Katsuki had never called him Izuku in a sincere way, he had only ever sneered it when picking on Izuku. After staring in shock for a few moments Katsuki disappeared behind the doors of the school snapping Izuku out of it. Izuku quickly made his way to the car and climbed in, resting the stack of packets on his lap, it was quiet as Toshinori pulled away from the curb, both of them itching to ask their own questions. Izuku was the first to break.

"When are you taking me home?" He asked looking out the window, Toshinori was slightly caught off guard by the question. Did Izuku really want to go back to his mother's house? Toshinori pulled into a parking lot and parked before turning to Izuku.

"Do you really want to go back there?" He asked seriously, Izuku turned to him with furrowed brows.

"Yeah, it's my house." Izuku had a look on his face as if he was trying to figure out if Toshinori really just asked if he wanted to go back to his own house. "Why wouldn't I want to go home?"

"Well your mom," Toshinori started but Izuku cut him off quickly.

"Don't." Izuku glared, Toshinori could feel an unexplainable anger slowly bubbling inside him.

"Izuku, it isn't safe." He tried to reason, Izuku shrugged clearly getting more agitated by the second.

"So?"

"You're going to get hurt again!" Toshinori blurted out, Izuku's eye widened for a moment before gaining an icy glare.

"I can protect myself Yagi! She won't hurt me again!" Izuku growled, almost shouting. Toshinori exhaled deeply through his nose before sitting back in his seat, staring ahead of him as Izuku took a few deep breaths trying to calm himself. Izuku didn't know why he was so angry, Toshi was right, his mother would hurt him again and he wouldn't do anything about it, he'd just sit and take it. He didn't like the way Toshinori pointed it out, using it as a way to keep Izuku with him, his mom needed him, to him it didn't matter what she did to him as long as she needed him.

"Fine. I just don't want to see you hurt again Izuku," Toshinori sighed putting the car into drive, Izuku didn't respond he just stared out the window.