A/N: Hope this Friday finds you well. :) Today's chapter features a somewhat redeemed Kacchan! Now, I'm not excusing the bs he put our dear Izuku through, but remember! Izuku is a little cinnamon roll who never stopped seeing Katsuki as a dear friend. So his being able to forgive him... it's something our Green Bean would totally have the heart to do. Aizawa, on the other hand... well, you'll see. :)

A couple of important things. 1! I don't want to hear any crap about my choosing to redeem Kacchan. I don't like bashing characters, that's just not who I am. I'm not excusing what he did, but I do believe he has a reason for what he did. Just as (almost) any character has reasons for why they do what they do. I like exploring those concepts. Nothing is black and white—the world is full of greys and colors.

2! If you look back, you'll realize that IZUKU NEVER actually named Bakugo as the one who told him to jump off the roof. So neither Hizashi nor Shouta know who told him to go off himself.

3. I am a self-indulgent writer. I write stories that I would like to read (and enjoy reading very much, thank you). While I will take suggestions into consideration, I do not appreciate people telling me that what I'm writing is 'wrong' or 'shit' because it 'just isn't realistic' or 'isn't how that character would act'. If it seems off or strange, then chock it up to an alternate universe. This is FANFICTION. It's for fun. I'm not getting any money for the literal YEARS of my life I've dedicated to writing these stories. I do it because it's a passion of mine. If you don't like it, don't read it, and certainly don't leave me a PM or comment explaining why my writing 'was just fine until you...'. So, yeah. Sorry to just drop that bombshell on you guys, but I wanted to make that clear, as I've gotten a surprising number of PMs/comments along those lines, and it's starting to irritate me.

RANDOM ANNOUNCEMENT~! I'm going to an anime convention on the 18/19 of Jan! It's called Anime Impulse, in Paloma, CA. I'll be either in a N. Italy (Hetalia) cosplay, or a cosplay of our dear Dadzawa. :) If you're attending, find me! I love meeting new people!

Chapter 14: Kacchan

Izuku did not want to get out of bed that morning. His room was cold, his bed was warm, and today was the day he went back to Aldera Junior High. With everything that's happened, Izuku could almost forget about the bullying he faced on a daily basis.

But this time, he was determined not to take their shit like a meek pushover. He was going to be a hero, and that meant standing up for others and for himself.

That didn't mean he still wanted to go, though. His teachers had been informed that his prolonged absence was due to a mixture of injuries (from a villain attack) and a grieving period (for his mother's death) as well as an adjustment period (for moving in with Shouta and Hizashi).

Nobody was informed of his kidnapping except for a trusted detective in the police force named Tsukauchi Naomasa—the same man that typically handled their criminal captures on Patrol. Tsukauchi had this amazing Lie Detector Quirk, and Izuku found himself fascinated, as he usually was with new Quirks.

He'd given a statement soon after being rescued (and they'd had to bring Shouta into the room when Izuku abruptly found himself unable to speak because he'd become too freaked out and his jaw locked on him). For the sake of their comfort, they both gave their statements from home, rather than going down to the station.

Apparently, Hizashi had called him not two hours after they'd been treated by Nana Chiyo. The only reason he hadn't called until after they had been rescued was because he hadn't wanted to risk their lives. Izuku was grateful, because he had no doubts that that monster would've killed Shouta in a very slow and painful manner if he'd learned that his warning hadn't been taken seriously. He probably would've sent Hizashi and Nemuri the pieces, too.

Their only true saving grace had been the fact that Hisashi had been cocky. He hadn't done his research, and assumed that Shouta was Inko's new husband, and that Hizashi was either someone that she was cheating with, or Shouta's brother. Nemuri was assumed to just be Inko's friend. He had never realized that the three were pro heroes. That had been what allowed the two to find them in the first place. That one oversight had been what eventually saved them.

Inko's body was found after a week of the police searching, and the funeral had been just last week. For once, Izuku hadn't cried. It had been a quiet funeral. He'd had no other biological family, and Auntie Mitsuki hadn't been informed of Inko's death. The two hadn't really been in contact much over the last year or so, and Izuku didn't see the need in causing her undue pain when it was so close to her husband's birthday. Perhaps he'd tell her later, but it just didn't seem right for the family to be grieving when they should be celebrating.

And if she was mad about missing the funeral, then Izuku would take the blame. It was closed-casket anyways. The body had been too mangled for anything else, having been left to wild animals for weeks. (Izuku wasn't informed, per se, but he was smart. He knew there wasn't much left of his mother after such a long period of time).

"Morning, Zuku." Nana Chiyo greeted, having picked up the family's little nickname for him. He found it always made him smile. It was so nice having such a big family. He was never really alone, anymore.

"Morning Nana!" He replied, already feeling better about today. And from the smell, she made waffles.

"Oh~ I smell Nana's Special!" Hizashi grinned as he skipped into the room, planting a kiss on Izuku's head as he passed him, causing said kid to giggle.

"Morning Papa."

"Goooood morning, Little Listener~! Are you ready for school today?" Izuku's smile faltered.

"Sure."

"No kid is excited for school, Zashi." Shouta corrected as he trudged into the room and snagged his coffee mug off the counter. "If anything happens, you call one of us. You've got my number, Zashi's number, Auntie Nem's number, Nana's number, and even Detective Tsukauchi's number."

"I know, dad." Izuku smiled softly at the familiar hair-ruffle. "Don't worry so much. I'll be fine." I hope.

"Well, just in case." Shouta continued. "Do check in with us at lunch and keep us updated, okay?"

"If we don't hear from you at lunch, we'll send someone over to check on you." Hizashi smiled. "And remember, if at any point you want us to pull you out of school, we will. I've got a full list of a ton of private schools you can transfer to."

"I'll set a reminder, then, so you don't freak out because I forgot." Izuku sighed. "And I'll be fine. Aldera may not be the best school, but it's fairly close. I don't want to transfer."

"Just remember that it's an option." Chiyo sent him a smile. "And don't forget to send me a message, too. You know how Nana worries."

"Yes, Nana." Izuku couldn't help the smile that spread on his face. He'd never had a grandmother before, and he was loving being spoiled by her. He didn't feel too bad about it, either, because she spoiled him with food and gummies and attention. She didn't really spend any money on him (unlike Hizashi, but his Pa was starting to calm down), opting to spend time with him instead. Izuku appreciated that a lot more.

He happily dug into the waffles his Nana had made (with blueberries!) and finished off his third cup of coffee. Now he was starting to feel awake.

"I swear, you got your coffee thing from your dad." Hizashi chuckled, looking between the two.

"And he got his incredible grin from you." Shouta smirked as Hizashi and Izuku let out twin beams of sunlight.

"All right, kiddo! Let's get you to school!" Hizashi grinned as he grabbed his keys.

"You're driving me?" Izuku tilted his head. He was perfectly capable of taking the train to school.

"Yeah, I've gotta pick up a couple of things on that route anyhow, so it's not like I'm going out of my way."

"Shouta, we should get going, too." Chiyo spoke up, grabbing her own keys.

"Do most heroes have their own cars?" Izuku questioned.

"Yeah, so they can reach incidents faster." Shouta explained. "That's why you normally don't see popular heroes on public transportation."

"Okay. I guess that makes sense." Izuku wondered if this would be a normal thing from now on.

He smiled when he felt the familiar weight of Yuki on his shoulders, before apologetically picking up his friend. "Sorry, Yuki. But you can't come to school with me."

"Mrow?" Yuki tilted his head, confused, when Izuku set him down.

"I'll be home in a few hours, okay?" Yuki came up to Izuku and gently pawed at his leg. "I know, buddy. I'll miss you too." Yuki seemed to pout for a moment before sitting by the door.

Izuku was fairly sure that his cat had a Quirk. Animals with Quirks, while rare, were not unheard of. Usually, they were very weak Quirks, but whenever one had one, they were a lot smarter than the rest of their species. Usually, they were capable of understanding (and in some cases learning) human speech.

Like that one turtle that had some kind of color changing Quirk so he could change the designs on his shell. He was smart enough to learn to speak with scrabble tiles.

Or that pet snake that one guy in Australia had, whose Quirk allowed him to breathe fucking fire. Now that had been an internet sensation, and that snake was fucking smart. As in, could actually pick locks and speak a few select words and hiss in morse code kind of smart.

So Yuki having a Quirk may not be so far-fetched, though it was pretty damn unlikely. Izuku thought it'd be ironic if he, the Quirkless hero-in-training, owned a cat who had a Quirk. He smiled as he shook his head, dispelling his thoughts.

Izuku climbed into the small white car and put on his seatbelt. He watched as the world zoomed by, absently rubbing the scars on his wrist. All his other scars were, thankfully, on his torso, and able to be hidden by his uniform. He tugged at his sleeve. They were luckily long enough to hide them.

Before he knew it, they were at Aldera, and Izuku found himself grabbing his Eraserhead backpack with a Present Mic keychain and climbing out of the car.

"Have a good day, Izuku. I'll see you after school." Hizashi grinned. "I love you." Izuku felt his heart warm.

"Love you too, Pa. I'll see you after school. You try to have a good day, too. Keep dad from expelling too many students, would ya?" He smirked as Hizashi laughed.

"No promises on that last one. Don't forget to text us at lunch."

With that, Izuku watched as he drove off, and headed to his homeroom. Whispers followed him through the halls, a few people talking loudly enough that he could hear them.

"...thought he'd died or something. Shame..."

"...heard he'd been arrested..."

"...Quirkless thing should just be put down, and..."

He tightened his grip on his bag, keeping his head held high. He wouldn't let them win. He would stand strong, and take whatever they had to throw at him. He had family now, and he would be a hero. Whether they liked it or not.

He quietly slid into the room and took his seat, eyeing Bakugo's angered glare as he did so.

"So, thought you could just skip out for a couple of weeks, nerd?" He spat. There was a time when Izuku would've cowered and tried to explain through stutters that it wasn't like that. But the venom and anger in Bakugo's voice and glare had nothing on Hisashi's. It looked downright fake in comparison. In fact, now that Izuku had experienced actual hatred, he found that Bakugo's voice held quite a lot of warmth to it. Like he actually cared.

He still flinched, though. Old habits die hard, and he was still partially traumatized from a lifetime of bullying at this kid's hand. But he kept eye contact, and that, in Izuku's book, was a win.

He looked away when he realized something was in his desk, missing the brief look of contemplation on Bakugo's face. He raised an eyebrow to find a single red spider lily (Japanese symbol for death), with a handwritten note attached. 'Please stop wasting air and go kill yourself.'

"Lovely." He remarked dryly, taking a photo of the lily and note with his phone before looking for any other notes of ill wishes.

He found four. All of them told him to go kill himself, and one even threatened to do it for him. Looked like things were still normal, then. He tossed them all, knowing that, despite the threats, nobody would be able to make good on it—not with his training (and family), that is.

"Are you ignoring me, fucking Deku?!" Bakugo came up and slammed a hand on Izuku's desk, setting off an explosion, causing Izuku to flinch again.

He swallowed down the initial panic. "I'm just preparing myself for class, Kacchan. I'm not ignoring you. My absence was due to unforeseen circumstances, and was excused." He answered as calmly as he could, trying to quell the shaking of his hands in his lap.

"You lookin' down on me?! Think you can just walk back in like it's fucking nothing?!" Izuku saw it, now. There was a fierce shine of well-hidden worry in Bakugo's eyes. He was angry because he was actually concerned about Izuku. It made him want to laugh and shake his head. If he hadn't been so good at reading his dad, he never would've seen it. He realized that maybe he'd been misreading Bakugo this entire time. Had he had some other motive for bullying him?

"Kaachan... How is Auntie Mitsuki?" The blond blinked at the abrupt change in topic.

"The old Hag wants you and Auntie Inko to drop by some time." He muttered, crossing his arms. Izuku nodded. It was probably about time to inform her, anyhow. He'd have to text his parents and let them know he'd be dropping by Auntie Mitsuki's place after school.

"I'll swing by today, then." He smiled softly at Bakugo's startled expression. "And I'll be okay, Kacchan, thank you for worrying. It's just... been a difficult couple of weeks. A lot happened." He took a deep breath, tugging down his sleeves. Bakugo's eyes flickered to the movement, tracking it for a moment.

"Whatever, shitty Deku." He finally spat out, venom missing from his voice. "Don't stay too long, or I'll fucking kill you."

"Whatever you say, Kacchan." Izuku chuckled, ignoring the puzzled expression that the blond shot his way.

The teacher then came in, sparing Izuku a sympathetic look before starting class.

About halfway through Homeroom, Kacchan passed Izuku a note. He took it, curiously. 'I swear, if you're being a stupid ass and hurting yourself, I'll drag you to a goddamned hospital myself.' Izuku stared at the note for a moment in shock. Kacchan had noticed the way he'd pulled down his sleeves. Sure, he had the completely wrong idea, but he cared enough to act on it.

Holy shit. I think he really fucking cares. Izuku scribbled something down and carefully passed it back. 'I'm not, but I'm surprised that you bothered to care enough to ask. Aren't I just the 'Quirkless Deku'? Why should you care?'

Kacchan sent back a quick glare when the teacher wasn't looking. He stared at Izuku like he was stupid. He then passed back another note. 'Because you're my fucking friend, duh. What the hell, Deku?! Don't tell me you really believe that crap!?' Okay, now Izuku was lost. What the heck did Kacchan mean?!

'Uh... what? You literally told me to jump off the roof a year ago. Now you're telling me we're still friends? I thought you hated my guts?' He passed the note to Kacchan, whose expression changed from irritated to shocked and a little green as he read it. He was about to write something else when homeroom ended, and they were forced to end their impromptu conversation.

Kacchan's worried expression didn't fade between classes, though their other teachers were much more observant and strict, so no more passing notes.

Between classes, things were rather tame. A few people tried to get him to talk about why he was gone for so long, but in the end nobody so much as shoved him down the stairs—a nice change. The whispers continued to follow him, and glares still landed on his back, but he refused to cower. He stood strong, keeping his back straight and his shoulders back. Whenever someone sent him a glare, he'd meet it with calm calculating eyes. It usually made them uncomfortable enough to look away.

The sudden apparent confidence boost that Izuku was exhibiting seemed to throw his would-be bullies off their game. He got a few jeers, and a couple of kids tried to trip him up here and there, but he used his well-honed reflexes and skills from a year's worth of training to dodge their attempts with a graceful ease that had several people staring.

Normally, he'd avoid the attention, especially when his Second Year of middle school was nearly at an end, and he still had another full year of this bullshit left. But he was not in the mood to play victim anymore. He was done being their punching bag and doormat.

So when an upperclassman caught him at lunch, shoving him hard enough to knock his food out of his grasp, he sent him a fierce glare. The kid flinched, startled at the look and aura he'd let out.

Then Izuku blinked, and it was gone. He calmly picked up his tray and what he could and threw it away before going to the classroom to grab his packed lunch (it was, unfortunately, a normal occurrence, and Izuku typically took a packed lunch as a precaution). He'd managed to avoid Kacchan thus far, too. He wasn't sure what to think of their note-passing conversation, and didn't want to open that can of worms until after school.

"Where do you think you're going, Quirkless?!" The kid grabbed his wrist to stop him, and Izuku freaked. He hardly even noticed the kid's harsh punch to his shoulder.

Because that hand on his wrist suddenly felt too hot, like Hisashi's. It felt like the ice-cold shackles chaining him to the wall. It felt like the chair and the Serum and the pain.

"Let me go!" He growled with a fierce snarl as he tore his wrist from the grasp of the older kid, who didn't get the fucking hint, and went to punch Izuku again. But Izuku didn't see a third-year middle school student aiming a punch at him in a school lunchroom. He saw a fully-grown man aiming a punch at him, syringe in hand, ready to administer more Serum. Izuku couldn't see anything else. So he acted in self-defense, snagging his arm and performing a very well executed shoulder throw. The kid hit the ground with a loud thud, which echoed in the now silent lunchroom.

He blinked, coming back to himself as he tugged down his sleeves. "Don't touch me." He warned in a no-nonsense tone that he'd heard his dad use on more than one occasion.

How he wished he could wear his Capture Weapon at school.

He turned and walked out of the room, people parting in shock to clear him a path. It was just as Izuku sat down at his desk in the abandoned classroom, about to eat his papa's amazing home cooked meal and text his family to let them know he was still alive, when his homeroom teacher came in. "Midoriya. You need to go to the principal's office right away."

Izuku let out a long suffering sigh as he reluctantly lidded his bento box and pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off an oncoming headache. He didn't see it, but in that moment, he mirrored his dad almost perfectly.

He grabbed his bag and followed the teacher to the office, noticing the upperclassman that attacked him sitting there, as well as what he assumed to be the boy's mother.

"Now, from what I understand, Midoriya, you attacked Unagi unprovoked. This is a serious offense, and I'm afraid that I'll have to make this a mark on your record." The principal was a small man, with beady brown eyes and a thinning hairline of heavily dyed brown. He was greedy, and his suit was cheap.

Izuku wanted to growl, but he didn't. "With all due respect, sir, Unagi-senpai had punched me before I threw him. That, by school rules, makes it self-defense. Beyond that, he had grabbed my wrist, triggering a flashback. I wasn't myself, and was acting in what I believed to be a life-threatening situation."

"We have a lunch room full of witnesses, and every one of them said that you threw him first. And don't try to pull the trauma card, brat. Your mother died. Boohoo. We let you take three weeks off school, which is far too much if you ask me." He grumbled.

"Listen. I know you saw Nana Chiyo's very specific note about my mental health. 'Unwanted and unexpected physical contact may trigger episodes of regression or flashback. In such an occurrence, a staff member should remove him from the situation and prevent any further physical contact wherever possible, specifically around wrists and head. Immediately, one of the listed emergency contacts should be called, starting with Aizawa Shouta.'" Izuku quoted. "So why has my dad not been contacted?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I only have your word to go off of. Eyewitness reports said you stomped up to Unagi-kun in an angered rage, and 'glared death' at him before shoving him harshly. When he attempted to retaliate in self-defense, you attacked him further, throwing him over your shoulder and to the floor, injuring him."

"Of course everybody takes his side. Because he has a goddamned Quirk." Izuku muttered in disbelief.

"This will be a mark of bullying on your record. Now, we need to discuss the terms of your suspension— Midoriya, what are you doing?"

The principal cut himself off as Izuku held the phone to his ear. He, Unagi and the teacher all stared at Izuku in shock as he waited for someone to pick up.

"I'm not going to ruin my chances at U.A. because some brat decided to lie. I know a guy with a Quirk that'll help in this situation." Izuku smirked as the man picked up. "Hey Tsukauchi-san! It's Izuku. I'm sorry to call during the middle of your shift."

"It's okay, I was stuck on paperwork duty anyways. Are you okay?" The concern in the man's voice made him smile. Tsukauchi was slowly being dragged into their little family. Izuku figured he'd start calling him uncle soon. Maybe by his birthday?

"Actually, I was hoping you could come down to my school to clear up a little issue. You see, another student and I got into a confrontation, and they're having trouble deciding whose record to mark with bullying and suspension. I don't want my chances at U.A. dashed, so I figured an impartial party with your credentials would be useful."

The teachers stared at him, open-mouthed. Izuku supposed they'd never heard him speak so much before.

"Of course. I'll be right over. Thanks for getting me out of the paperwork, too." There was a pause. "You did call your dad, right?"

Izuku winced. "That's next on my list."

"Right. Do that, I'm on my way."

"Thank you." He hung up. "Also." Izuku smiled, looking at Unagi's mother. "Seeing as Unagi-senpai has a parent here, I am going to call mine." The principal stiffened, fully aware of his parents' positions as Pro Heroes.

"There's no need for that, Midoriya." He recovered smoothly. "I've already called them. They're too busy at work to come in right now." If Izuku didn't know for a fact that his parents would come even if it meant facing Nezu's wrath, he might've believed him. The man was a good liar.

"Right, because you weren't just saying you didn't call them five minutes ago." He replied dryly. "But since you already called them, you won't mind if I call them, too, right?" He smiled innocently, phone already ringing for his dad. He knew his dad was on lunch right now, anyways.

It only rung once before he picked up. Shouta's worried voice helped soothe some of Izuku's frayed nerves. "Izuku? What's wrong?"

"Ah, dad... there was an... incident at school, and I was wondering if you could come down to the office? Tsukauchi's already on his way to help sort everything out, but since the other student has his parent here, I thought it was only right if one of mine was here, too." He tapped out a specific pattern on the back of his phone, quietly letting his dad know that he was reaching the end of his rope for the day.

"I'll be there in five."

"Doesn't it take longer to reach my school than that?" Izuku puzzled. Even by car, it should take at least fifteen minutes.

"I had a feeling that you'd need me, so I started heading to your school the moment lunch started." Ah, that made sense.

"Thanks, dad. I'll see you soon." He hung up the phone and looked at the principal, who was starting to look a little pale at this point. "Well, what do you know? He was already on his way here, and will arrive in less than ten minutes."

"This is ridiculous!" The woman shouted, a hand lay gently on her son's shoulder. "This little Quirkless criminal should be locked up! It's feral! It attacked my son without any reason!"

Izuku flinched a little. He'd never get used to being called 'it'.

"He has a name." A deep voice washed over the room, and Izuku glanced behind him relieved to see the detective standing there. He flashed his badge. "Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa of the Musutafu PD." He introduced himself.

Izuku took a small amount of pleasure in watching the boy and principal pale. "A-ah. W-welcome. May I inquire as to your purpose here today, detective?"

"Midoriya Izuku gave me a call, asking me to help sort out an issue." He explained.

"Izuku?" Izuku's head whipped up so fast his neck hurt. He instantly stepped back into his dad's waiting one-armed embrace. The moment he had contact with him, the tension dropped from his shoulders. He felt safe.

"Hey dad." He greeted, a small smile on his face. "Thank you for coming. Both of you." He nodded to the detective.

"So what seems to be the issue, here?" Shouta asked, ignoring the disgusted look the woman shot him.

"That thing attacked my son unprovoked! It's feral! It needs to be locked up or put down!" She shrieked, making everyone else in the room stiffen.

Shouta turned and glared death at the woman. "My son has a name. He is not a thing." He growled. "He is a person."

"It's Quirkless." She argued. "It isn't even human. I don't understand how you can even touch that revolting abomination."

Shouta's arm tightened protectively around Izuku. He knew Shouta was going to argue the point, but he caught his eye and silently told him to drop it. They were here for a different reason, and getting angry and distracted would not help.

"Just so you know." Tsukauchi spoke up, barely keeping the anger from his own voice. "My Quirk is called Human Lie Detector. I can tell when someone is lying." He waited a moment to let that sink in. "So please explain the situation to me." He looked at the principal, getting things back on track.

"Surely, a schoolyard scuffle has no reason to involve the police?"

"Normally, this is true. But Midoriya is part of an ongoing open investigation. His safety is our top priority, and thus any incidents that call that safety into question must be investigated thoroughly. So please." He took out his notebook and a pen. "Give me your statement."

"I was informed that Midoriya attacked another student unprovoked at lunch, throwing him bodily to the floor, causing injury to said student." The principal stated. Izuku saw the slight twitch of Tsukauchi's left eye—something Izuku had learned he couldn't control when he heard a lie.

"Right. And you?" He turned to Unagi.

"I was minding my own business, getting my lunch when Midoriya just comes stomping over like a madman. He screamed something at me as he just shoved me to the ground before grabbing my arm and throwing me over his shoulder." He obviously hadn't been listening when Tsukauchi stated his Quirk. Izuku wondered if twitching that much hurt after a while.

"Midoriya?"

"I'd just gotten my lunch from the school when Unagi-senpai knocked it out of my hands. I cleaned up my mess and went to eat my packed lunch in the classroom—I'm fairly used to this sort of thing. I didn't want a confrontation or anything. But then he grabbed my wrist..." Izuku rubbed his left wrist a bit, and Shouta stiffened. "I... It sent me into an episode, and I just reacted. I do remember him throwing a punch and hitting my shoulder before I threw him, though."

"Well. I have one honest statement, now." Tsukauchi announced. "Principal. Unagi-san. Would you like to try again?"

"I have no proof that your Quirk is even what you say it is! You could be lying just to cover the brat!" The principal snarled.

"Very well, then. You won't mind taking a look at the surveillance tapes together, then?" Tsukauchi smiled, and the principal shook.

"OUT! EVERYBODY OUT OF MY OFFICE!" He shouted, angered.

"Izuku, could you wait for me outside?" Shouta asked, refusing to remove his gaze from the angered man.

"Hai." He didn't hesitate. He didn't want to be in that room any longer. The secretary—a nice older woman who was as situationally blind as a mole—smiled sweetly at him.

"Would you like a cookie?" She smiled as she held out a chocolate chip cookie. "You look like you're having a bit of a bad day."

"Thank you, Namina-san!" He took the cookie gratefully. She may not notice anything, but she was always kind and always had treats for anyone who lingered in the office just a little too long.

Izuku listened to the sound of his dad's angered voice through the door. He couldn't make out what was said, but damn he was laying into that principal like nobody's business. The mother and the other student were still in there, though Izuku's homeroom teacher booked it the moment he got the chance. Lunch was almost over, anyhow, not that Izuku was going to get the chance to eat, apparently.

He pulled out his phone, seeing a few missed messages on the Family Group Chat.

Papa Bird: Izuku? Are you okay? Shouta left in a bit of a hurry. [Sent 12:01]

Nana: It's lunch and I haven't heard from you. Is everything all right? Do I need to send some Heroes? [Sent 12:08]

Papa Bird: No worries, Shou's already on the way. [Sent 12:08]

Auntie: Good. I was getting ready to head over there myself, but Power Loader needed a few things. :( [Sent 12:09]

Nana: I'm serious. I'm about ready to ask Ectoplasm to send a few clones to you. [Sent 12:12]

Papa Bird: Izu? [Sent 12:15]

Papa Bird: Kiddo? [Sent 12:16]

Papa Bird: Zuku? [Sent 12:17]

Papa Bird: Shouta, is he okay? [Sent 12:18]

Nana: I'll go find Ectoplasm... or maybe Cementoss or Thirteen. I think Vlad's busy with one of his students, at the moment. [Sent 12:19]

Papa Bird: Screw that! I'm going to go! My little hatchling could be in trouble. :T [Sent 12:19]

Little Hero: I'm fine, guys. Sorry about worrying you all. Dad's here, laying into the principal something fierce. I've never heard him so angry before. It's almost scary. [Sent 12:20]

Izuku pressed the record button and held his phone close to the door. He played it back before sending it. It picked up the yelling, but no words (not that he could make them out anyways). Shouta's voice was very distinctive. Izuku actually winced a bit when he heard his dad's voice drop into a very menacing and intimidating growl (figuratively, not literally, this time).

Little Hero: *Audio Recording: 0:20* [Sent 12:21]

Papa Bird: Wait, what happened?! [Sent 12:21]

Nana: Are you hurt? [Sent 12:21]

Little Hero: No, Nana. I'm not hurt. [Sent 12:21]

Auntie: Whose body do I need to hide? [Sent 12:22]

Little Hero: AUNTIE!! [Sent 12:22]

Nana: Don't worry, Izuku. I've been in the medical field long enough—I can make it look like an accident. [Sent 12:22]

Little Hero: NANA!! [Sent 12:22]

Izuku stared at his phone in horror.

Papa Bird: Guys, that's enough! We aren't killing anybody! [Sent 12:23]

Little Hero: THANK YOU Pa. [Sent 12:23]

Nana: Oh, don't be like that, Izu. I have plenty of gummies waiting for you when you get home from school. [Sent 12:23]

Auntie: You still didn't explain what's going on. Why's Shouta so mad? [Sent 12:23]

Little Hero: Because some kid shoved me, grabbed my wrist at lunch and triggered a flashback. When I threw him over my shoulder, he cried bullying and the principal was ready to strike it on my record with suspension. Oh, and he may also be angry because the kid's mother was calling me a 'feral Quirkless thing that should be locked up or put down' or something like that. Idk. *shrugs* [Sent 12:24]

Papa Bird: Give me a name and address and they'll never find the bodies. [Sent 12:24]

Little Hero: I thought you were better than this, Pa. [Sent 12:24]

Papa Bird: I've gotta protect my hatchling. [Sent 12:24]

Little Hero: Guys, I can protect myself. I'm USED to this sort of thing. It would've been fine if he hadn't grabbed my wrist and been a big baby about it. [Sent 12:24]

Nana: It is not fine, and we will discuss this further at home. Now, who else has bullied you today? [Sent 12:25]

Little Hero: Eh. No one else directly. Just a few notes and some tripping attempts. It's actually been fairly mild. Also, I was going to stop by Kacchan's house after school today. His mother and my mother were good friends when they were younger... I need to tell her. [Sent 12:25]

Auntie: Do you want one of us to come with you? [Sent 12:25]

Papa Bird: Wait. Isn't 'Kacchan' that Bakugo kid that bullies you sometimes? [Sent 12:25]

Izuku thanked his past self for never telling them that Bakugo had been one of his main bullies. Even Shouta didn't know that Bakugo had been the one who told him to jump off the roof.

Nana: Notes? Tripping? Young man, we will talk about this when you get home. [Sent 12:26]

Little Hero: He's different! He only bullies me up to what I can handle. It's more of a protection thing. If he's seen 'putting the Quirkless kid in his place', then other bullies don't bother me as much. He's a good kid, really. He's just misguided. [Sent 12:26]

Nana: A lot of villains start off as misguided, too. [Sent 12:26]

Little Hero: He's not a villain! He'll be an amazing hero one day! Yeah, he's a dick, sometimes, but... I know he has it in him. He just needs structure. Teachers have encouraged his behavior for years, it isn't his fault! [Sent 12:26]

Papa Bird: ... [Sent 12:27]

Little Hero: Trust me, Pa. I know Kacchan. I know him better than anyone else. He's a good person. He'll be a great Hero one day. [Sent 12:27]

Papa Bird: Fine. We'll leave it be for now. But you will let us know if he hurts you. [Sent 12:28]

Little Hero: Deal. [Sent 12:28]

Hello,I'maline,andIwonderhowmanyofyousawthisandthoughtitwasatextconvofirst,andHizashijustforgottoputaspacebetweenallhiswords,lol.Anyhow,I'mgoingtoaconinacoupleofweeksandcannotwait,butI'mdebatingonifIshouldgotoaStarbucksinfullAizawacosplay...

The rest of the school day was quiet. After reassuring his dad that he would be fine to finish the day, Shouta reluctantly left. Tsukauchi left with a not-so-subtle warning to the principal, and Izuku's record stayed clean.

Unagi was suspended for two days, and his mother would receive a restraining order within the week—just in case she tried to 'put the Quirkless menace down' herself.

Bakugo was waiting for Izuku at the gates to the school. Everyone else was already gone, so it was just them. He quelled his initial panic as he greeted him with a smile. "Hey, Kacchan!"

"Hey." He seemed subdued. Maybe he was still mulling over those notes from earlier? "Listen... about last year, the whole roof thing..." He bit his lip—something so unlike the normally explosive blond. Izuku gaped in shock as Kacchan got down on his knees and touched his forehead to the ground. "I'm sorry! It was way out of line... I hadn't meant to say it, and I regretted it the moment it left my mouth. No matter how bad of a day I'd been having, you didn't deserve that at all. In all honesty, I didn't apologize sooner because I'd convinced myself that it'd been a nightmare. Then the next day, you looked fine, happy, even, so I really thought... I should've apologized sooner, no matter what I thought. So... I'm sorry."

Did... did Bakugo Katsuki just apologize?! Holy shit. Izuku was sure he was losing his mind. And Kacchan was still on the fucking ground. "I..." He shook himself. "I'm not going to say it's okay, because it isn't." Bakugo flinched at Izuku's words. "That hurt me; a lot. You have no idea how close I actually came to following that advice." The blond paled alarmingly fast, but Izuku had decided that he needed to hear this. "I'd been having a pretty bad day, too... But at the end of the day, no matter what you've said... you're still Kacchan to me." Izuku walked a few steps away. "Come on, Kacchan. Get up, or we'll never reach your house."

The blond stared at Izuku in bewilderment for a long moment. "You're too fucking nice." He huffed as he took Izuku's proffered hand and got to his feet. "You should've hit me or something."

"I won't lie—I still kinda wanna nail you in the sack." Izuku may have enjoyed the way Kacchan flinched. "But violence begets violence, or something along those lines. Either way, it won't solve anything. Besides... I miss being friends with you."

"I've missed you, too, ya damn nerd."

The two slowly started walking towards Auntie Mitsuki's house in a contemplative silence. Izuku thought it was nice, if strange. They hadn't been so at ease around each other in years. "So you finally stood up for yourself." Kacchan spoke up suddenly, making Izuku blink in surprise.

"You mean that fiasco at lunch?" Izuku watched the clouds as his feet followed the familiar path. "It was more of an instinctual thing, but... I'm done taking people's crap. Even yours, Kacchan."

"It's about damn time. I was starting to think you'd be a useless Deku forever."

Izuku stopped and stared. He remembered Kacchan's note before homeroom ended. 'Because you're my fucking friend, duh. What the hell, Deku?! Don't tell me you really believe that crap!?' Suddenly, everything clicked into place. Everything Bakugo Katsuki had done in the last ten years made fucking sense. His anger, frustration, why he thought that Izuku was looking down on him. "You're shitting me." He blinked. Izuku gave a half-laugh of disbelief.

"Huh?" Bakugo stopped walking when he realized Izuku had stopped. He looked back, one eyebrow raised.

"You're fucking shitting me."

"What?" Bakugo snapped, getting annoyed.

"You were waiting for me to fight back?"

"Well, yeah. You wanna be a fucking Quirkless hero so goddamned badly? You gotta back it up. You let people walk all fucking over you like you did before, and you'll just die. If you're gonna fucking die, then don't even try to be a fucking hero. I don't want to find you dead in some back alleyway one day, damnit."

"Wait... You bullied me for a fucking decade because you were trying to protect me from dying?" Izuku stared, and Bakugo flinched at the curse that fell from his lips.

"Well, yeah. Wasn't it obvious?"

"NO! It was not obvious! I thought you actually hated my guts!" Izuku cried out in disbelief.

"Zukkun, we've known each other since we were born." He deadpanned, and Izuku let out a breathy laugh at the old childhood nickname. "We're practically brothers."

"Yeah. And that's why it hurt so much." Bakugo flinched.

"I didn't realize..." He looked down, and Izuku was surprised to see a shine in his eyes—he was crying. Izuku bumped his shoulder with his own, making the blond look up.

"Kacchan, you've become a real ass over the last decade." The blond scowled, swiping away his tears. "So it looks like I've got a lot of work to do to fix that before we apply to U.A." He grinned, and the red-eyed boy blinked in shock.

"You mean..."

"What? Bully or not, you've always been my best friend. You're my brother, Kacchan. I could never hate you. Even if my parents really don't like you right now."

"So what, your shitty father finally came home?" Izuku flinched.

"I'll... erm... explain that to you and Auntie Mitsuki at the same time. I don't want to say it twice."

"Does this have anything to do with why you were dropped off at school this morning and why you missed two weeks?"

"Yeah." He looked up as they approached the Bakugo house. He couldn't help the smile that twitched across his lips. It'd been a long time since he'd come here.

"Old Hag! We're home! Zukkun's here, too." Bakugo called out as he kicked off his shoes, leaving one lying upside-down.

Izuku found himself smiling. Suddenly, it was like the last decade was gone. He and Kacchan were brothers again. Sure, they had a lot of shit to work through, and while Izuku was ready to accept his apologies, he wasn't quite ready to forgive him. But still... There was this air of calmness around them again. That one puzzle piece was all that was missing, and Izuku couldn't help but want to punch his brother in the fucking nuts for being such a dick about it all. Couldn't he have just told Izuku when they were like five, and prevent all that pain?! (He seriously considered actually punching him in the sack. It would certainly make his parents happy).

"Izuku?" Mitsuki called out, blinking in surprise. "It's so good to see you! Oh, it's been so long! HEY BRAT, make yourself useful and make some fucking tea for our guest!" She yelled the last part at Kacchan, making Izuku chuckle.

"He's not a fucking guest!" Kacchan argued, but went off to make tea anyways.

"Actually, Kacchan, I'll take coffee!" He called after his brother, who nodded.

"You've grown so much!" Mitsuki pulled him into a hug.

It was warm and familiar. It reminded him of his mother's hugs. Before he really realized it, he clung to her like a lifeline. Tears flowed down his face and a quiet sob bubbled up in his throat.

He'd never allowed himself the opportunity to grieve for his mother. He thought he was fine. That he'd come to terms with it. But feeling those arms around him... It smashed the wall he'd carefully and hastily built around the pain.

Mitsuki shared a shocked look with her son across Izuku's head, as she tightened her grasp on him. "I-Izuku?" She questioned, a little frightened.

"Zukkun? What's wrong?" Kacchan asked, setting down the cups.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" He sobbed, inconsolable.

"Sorry for what?" Mitsuki was baffled. Izuku tried to force out the words, but he only succeeded in sobbing louder. "Do you want me to call Inko?" The question only made another terrible sob bubble up from his chest. He shook his head.

It took thirty minutes for Izuku to stop crying enough to compose himself. He took the now cool cup of coffee in his hands. "I'm sorry." His voice was scratchy, and he knew his eyes were puffy.

He felt a little lighter, now that he'd finally cried, but the terrible pain was almost overwhelming. Grief, apparently, came in waves. It was starting to recede, now, leaving a sort of cold numbness behind. Like he just didn't care anymore.

"It's okay. Can you tell me what's wrong?" Mitsuki sat on Izuku's left side, and Kacchan sat on his right. He leaned into his brother, taking comfort in his familiar warmth.

"A month ago, I was kidnapped." He started, and the two stiffened. "It was that first week of break. I was kidnapped by Midoriya Hisashi. My biological father."

The two stared at him in horror.

"He took me and mom and another man who I've come to see as my dad. Aizawa Shouta is a hero who's been training me for the last year... He and his husband are really nice." He smiled softly.

"Which hero is he?" Kacchan asked, and Mitsuki sent him a glare. Izuku didn't mind, though. He welcomed the brief change in topic to sort out his emotions and thoughts. Maybe that's why Kacchan diverted his attention.

"Eraserhead. He's an Underground Hero, and I wanna go into that field too." Izuku smiled softly. "You'll know his husband, though. Present Mic."

"THE Present Mic?! Like the one with the radio show who teaches at U.A.?!"

"Yeah!" Izuku grinned.

"Are they okay?" Mitsuki asked gently, bringing the conversation back on track.

"Dad's fine... but... Mom..." Izuku felt the wave of grief returning, and he choked back a sob. "Mom's dead, Auntie. He killed her."

The two froze. Mitsuki brought her hand up to her mouth as tears rolled down her face. "Inko? No... Not Inko."

"Auntie Inko is... dead?" Kacchan echoed, earlier excitement about heroes gone.

"I didn't want to tell you so close to Masaru's birthday. The f-funeral... it's already passed... it took them a bit to find her..." Izuku's mind flashed to his mother's body laying in a crumpled heap down in that horrible basement, her eyes open and lifeless.

He absently rubbed his wrists to remind himself that they weren't shackled. Kacchan gently held one hand under his wrist, eyes uncharacteristically soft as he silently asked for permission.

Izuku hesitated, and nodded. Unlike earlier, when Unagi grabbed his wrist, Kacchan's gentle hold felt more like Shouta's. He found himself relaxing a little at the touch even as the two Bakugo's gasped in horror at the terrible scars.

"We were only held captive for six days." His voice was quiet, now. "That's why I freaked out at lunch earlier today. Unagi-senpai grabbed my wrist, and... it triggered a flashback. I just reacted."

"You were chained." Kacchan stared at the scars in horror. Izuku hesitated for a moment.

"Wanna know something ironic? He didn't know I was Quirkless." He gave a small, bitter smile as he pulled up his sleeve a little more, showing the small bracelet-like scar. "He gave all of us Quirk Suppression Cuffs."

Mitsuki stared in horror, but Kacchan snorted. "What an idiot. Didn't he look at your medical file?"

"Yeah, but he didn't believe it. He was convinced that I was just hiding my Quirk or something. He also didn't realize that one of the people he'd kidnapped was a pro hero, and that the note he left for Pa and Auntie Nemuri warning them from contacting anyone was addressed to two pro heroes." Izuku laughed a little, and Kacchan joined in.

Mitsuki seemed horrified at how the two joked about this, but for Izuku, it was exactly what he needed.

Everyone had been treating this entire situation like it was a giant bomb about to blow, and the only person who didn't treat him like glass was Shouta. It was honestly pissing both of them off, being watched over like they were on the edge of an impending breakdown (and so what if they were?!). It was equally annoying that everyone acted like mentioning the kidnapping or circumstances thereof would somehow turn them into a sniveling mess or an angry dragon. Like they were delicate.

Izuku hated it. It was done. It happened. They lived. The only thing that still hurt was his mother's death, and he was dealing with it. Maybe not in the best way, but it was sort of working.

And, as usual, Kacchan knew him better than anyone else, even after all these years. So of course Kacchan wasn't afraid to breach the topic. And Izuku was so fucking grateful.

"So how'd you get out of there? That pro—Eraserhead, right? He was with you? Did he pull some epic hero stuff?" Kacchan's eyes shone with excitement, even as his mother went to reprimand him.

"No, actually!" Izuku grinned back, eyes just as excited, and that made her pause. "So Bastard brought me into the usual bedroom for my daily torture, right? And while he was distracted with something—I don't really remember much, because I was in too much pain to really process sound at that time—I realized that he'd left a small knife embedded in my arm. Somehow, I'm not really sure how, anymore, I managed to swipe it, and kept it hidden until he tossed me back into the basement with Shou—my real dad. The hero. He'd gotten a concussion when we first got kidnapped, and he was still kind of bad off—Bastard ended up making it worse, big surprise. Anyways, dad's Quirk, Erasure, lets him erase the Quirks of others, which is super amazing!"

Kacchan hung off Izuku's every word, and Izuku found his grin widening. It felt so good to be able to gush about things with Kacchan again.

"And then what?!"

"I took the knife and cut off my toe!" Izuku poked the empty spot in his sock as Kacchan stared in horrified awe.

"But... why?"

"To whittle it down into a lock pick, duh." Izuku wanted to laugh at Kacchan's baffled expression. "And it worked! I got my shackles off and then freed Shouta! Then we unlocked the basement door, but heard these footsteps before we could open it. We thought that he'd come back early, and quickly went down the stairs again. Cause, you know, fighting on stairs is stupid."

"Unless you've got the higher ground."

"No, even then if your opponent is skilled enough, they could just throw and pull you down the stairs, giving you more damage." Izuku argued.

"Unless you can fly." Kacchan argued back. "So what happened next?"

"So we can't fully see who comes in at first and Shouta almost didn't recognize him, but it was Hizashi!! It was Present Mic, Shouta's husband! And man was Pa glad to find us!" Izuku grinned.

"After that, we went back to the house and had Recovery Girl come and treat us! A house call! From RECOVERY GIRL!"

"That's badass!"

"Right?! And she stuck around to help us and stuff, and now she's part of our family, too! I call her Nana."

"You call Recovery Girl, Nana?"

"Yep! Oh, and Shouta and Papa Zashi have officially adopted me. Mom put it in her Will and everything, so I'm living with them, now. Pa's the one who dropped me off at school today."

"You're in a family of pro-heroes." Kacchan stared in disbelief. "I'm so fucking jealous."

"What was that, you brat?! We not good enough for you, now?!" Mitsuki glared, holding up a fist threateningly. Izuku bit back a laugh. The Bakugo family was always loud and rambunctious, but he knew that nobody would ever seriously hurt someone on purpose.

"You heard me, old hag!"

"Hey, Kacchan! You should come over some time!" Izuku grinned.

"Would that be allowed?" He tilted his head.

"Of course! I think Pa and Dad are still a little miffed at how much of an ass you've been over the last decade, no matter how watered down I've made it, but once they get to know you, it'll be fine."

"Go talk in your room, brat. I need to do some shit." Mitsuki huffed as she headed off to the kitchen. Izuku knew that she needed some time to process everything he'd told her—she had just learned that her best friend since childhood was gone.

Izuku smiled as he and Kacchan headed up to the blond's bedroom. It hadn't changed much since they were kids. Hero posters littered the walls, and clothes littered the floor. The only tidy thing about his room was the desk, because heaven forbid Kacchan ever lose one single piece of homework, even if he lost everything else.

Izuku didn't hide his smile. "It's just as I remember."

"Like yours has changed any."

"It's actually changed a lot, lately." Izuku smirked. "For one, all my All Might stuff is gone."

"Really? What, he's not your favorite anymore?"

"Nah. He's still an amazing hero, but he wasn't as... Quirkless-friendly as I thought he'd be."

"What, you met the guy?" Kacchan had meant it as a joke. But when Izuku didn't answer, he swiftly turned to his friend. "No fucking way. I don't believe that."

"Funny story, actually, it's actually how I met dad." Izuku smiled.

"Oh? You mean that Shouta, right?"

"Yep! Aizawa Shouta, Hero Name: Eraserhead!" Izuku grinned, but then his smile faltered. "So I was heading home when this slime villain attacked me and I almost died. All Might saved me, and... I had to ask him... I asked him if a Quirkless kid could ever hope to be a hero." He didn't tell Kacchan about All Might's weakened form. Regardless of his personal feelings on the hero, it wasn't his secret to tell.

"He said no, didn't he?" He could see Kacchan's respect for All Might plummet.

"He said that dreams were good to have, but I should keep my goals realistic. And then he left me alone on a rooftop." Kacchan stiffened.

"Don't tell me... Slime Villain... I was attacked by one, too. The same day I told you..." His expression softened into one of grief.

"Yeah. It was that same day. I... after what he'd told me, I just... couldn't anymore. I jumped, Kacchan. There was a commotion across town, and I didn't think anyone would come. I jumped off the roof of that office building."

"You..." The blond looked paler than Izuku could ever remember seeing him, and he was shaking. "I never meant..." Izuku put a hand gently on Kacchan's shoulder as they leaned against one another.

"Eraserhead had been running some errands nearby, and saw me on the roof. He got concerned and came to investigate... He caught me, and stayed there for three hours just talking to me. Told me All Might was stupid, and of course a Quirkless kid could be a hero... with enough work. So I asked him to train me, and he said yes."

"I..." Kacchan was not there. Izuku realized that he was having some kind of break down. "All these years... I really hurt you, didn't I?" His eyes were a buzz of emotions, clashing and conflicting like a great storm within his soul.

"Yeah. I really thought I was all alone for the last ten years. I honestly thought you'd be happier if I was dead." Kacchan flinched, hard.

"God... Zukkun... I'm so sorry." He slowly reached out and pulled Izuku into a hug, giving him plenty of time to pull away if he wanted to. But Izuku didn't want to. Yes, Kacchan had hurt him badly over the last ten years, but... He never knew. He didn't know that he'd inadvertently left Izuku flailing alone in the dark. All these years, he thought that Izuku was aware of what he was trying to do, and fighting him along the way.

It didn't make it right. But it made it understandable. And Izuku had always had a soft heart. He wrapped his arms around his brother.

We really need to work on Kacchan's social skills.

"I know you are, Kacchan. I won't say it's okay, because it's not. And I can't say I fully forgive you, because I don't. But I... as illogical as it is, I still trust you, Nii-chan."

Katsuki wrapped his arms around Izuku tightly, and the two just embraced each other. Tears fell silently from Izuku's eyes, as Katsuki sobbed quietly, the weight of his actions finally crushing his heart as the delicate walls around it crumbled.

After a little bit, Izuku started sobbing too. He'd always been a crier, after all.

Neither of them knew how long they sat there, sobbing with one another. They shared their pain and guilt and frustration through raw tears and quiet sobs. They shared their care and love and concern for one another through hugs and the gentle presence of the other.

And eventually, the two fell asleep in one another's arms, faces stained and eyes puffy, but a gentle smile on the face of each child.

Bakugo Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku, once more, were brothers. And that was all that mattered.