Chapter Text
Izuku stared up at the sky, watching the clouds float around like ducks on water. He was successful in trying to drown out Kaachan’s voice until the boy in question started tugging on his hair.
“Oi, are you even listening to me you shitty Deku?!” Kaachan yelled, and god, Izuku’s ears were going to go deaf at this rate. Why couldn’t he just talk like a normal person? “I’m going to be Number 1,” Izuku wanted to roll his eyes. It was like a broken record, just repeating itself over and over again. “And you better not get in my way!”
“But Kaachan, I don’t want to be a hero!” Izuku whines. “You told me not to be a hero, so why would I get in your way?”
Kaachan didn’t even hesitate before yelling the same words to his face, small explosions popping near his hair as if to emphasize his point. Izuku wondered if this was how all 6 year olds acted. Izuku glanced at Kaachan, making an innocent expression before shushing him, which seemed to enrage the blonde even more.
“I don’t know why you keep yelling about this hero stuff, Kaachan,” Izuku smiled before reminding the blonde once again. “I’m quirkless, remember?”
***
Midoriya Izuku wanted to be a hero. He wanted to protect everyone and keep them safe with a smile, just like All Might. That was, until he went to visit the doctor with Mama. That was when everything started going down the drain.
Once he was diagnosed quirkless, Kaachan stopped being nice. He started yelling and hitting him, calling him a useless ‘Deku’, and not before long, everyone started following suit. It sucked, but that was okay. Kaachan would make a great hero, and he would too. That was what he kept repeating to himself before he went to sleep, clutching his All Might plushie even tighter.
No matter how bad the bullying got, Izuku’s determination never faltered. A hero would protect everyone, so Izuku couldn’t hate them. One day Izuku would have to save them from a villain, so he just learned to forgive and forget. Just like a hero.
Always like a hero.
That is, until the day he came home. He shifted his hair to cover the bruise on his forehead and pulled down his trousers a bit to cover the burns on his knees. He put on a smile as he entered the house.
“Mama!” Izuku yelled. “I’m home!” He looked around before finding Mama on the couch, the television broadcasting a villain attack on the news. This was weird, because the attack was from America, which meant that the attack had to be really bad to go global.
“I-Izuku, honey,” Mama’s eyes were red and puffy again. That happened to Izuku too when he felt sad and cried a lot. He frowned. “Come here, honey. I have some news to tell you.”
Izuku climbed beside Mama on the couch and leaned against her side. “What’s wrong, Mama? Why are you sad?” Izuku patted her tear-stained cheek. “Don’t cry. Mama looks prettier when you smile.”
That made Mama cry even harder and Izuku scrambled to take the tissues from his pocket. “Izuku, your Papa is dead.” Izuku blanked out. “He- he got caught up in a villain attack and the heroes couldn’t save him.”
“The heroes couldn’t save him?” Izuku was confused. How could the heroes not save Papa? They were supposed to save everyone!
Mama nodded. “Mama’s very sad right now, so forgive me if you see me crying a lot, Izuku.” He shook his head furiously. “Mama doesn’t have to say sorry! Mama loves Papa, so Mama can cry a lot…”
Mama gave him a sad smile. “Papa won’t be sending money to us anymore, honey. So Mama has to get a job, okay?” Mama started drying her eyes with tissues as she continued speaking. “I’m sorry I can’t be there for you as much anymore!” Ah, this is bad. Mama started crying again. Izuku hugged her tightly.
“Mama,” he whispered. “I’ll get a job too, then.” Mama started shaking. “But Izuku, you want to be a hero!” She started stroking his green curls, clutching her boy tightly. “You don’t have to do that for me.”
Izuku entangled himself from her arms, determination shining in the eyes of the 5 year old. “ No, Mama. I don’t have to be a hero. I want to make Mama happy!” Izuku grabbed his mom’s hands, his fingers so small against hers. “You’re already my hero, so I need to save you too! How can I save you when I’m too busy fighting villains?” Izuku gave her a sad smile, repeating the words spat his way everyday. “And I’m quirkless anyway… I can’t be a hero without a quirk.”
Mama threw herself against Izuku and wailed, a series of “I’m sorry”s filling the house.
That fateful day, something in Midoriya Izuku cracked.
***
Kaachan sneered at him. “Hah?! What about all that crap about being a hero? Not like you could be one anyway, you quirkless nerd!”
Izuku gave him a disinterested look. “I’m going to get a job!” he declared. “And I’m going to earn lots of money for Mama!”
The blonde narrowed his eyes. “So you’re not going to be a hero?”
Izuku gave a huff, “Not everyone wants to be a hero, Kaachan.”
Kaachan just glared at him. “You’re lying! Who wouldn’t want to be a hero?! Stop lying and get out of my way, Deku!” Kaachan started to go on a rampage, exploding random leaves and being a general menace to Mother Nature.
Izuku wanted to slam his head into the sandpit.