Chapter Text
--Aldera primary school –
There’s a new kid in class today. Izuku stretches his neck up as much as he dares over Yamato-chan’s afro (it wasn’t part of his quirk, his hair was just like that) so he could see the front of the class.
Okura-sensei steps forwards and puts a hand on the new kid’s shoulder.
“This is Shinsou Hitoshi, he’s just moved to the neighbourhood and will be joining us in class from now on.”
Shinsou keeps staring ahead. He has purple hair that sticks straight up in the air and pale skin. Izuku thinks he looks tired. He also has a weird mask on. Maybe it’s his quirk? He can feel his leg twitching already even though he’s trying his very best to stay still. In Izuku’s 8-year-old experience, moving too much meant a telling off by the teacher for disrupting his classmates.
“Shinsou-kun’s quirk, brainwashing, is very dangerous. His foster parents have informed us that he needs to wear this mask during school hours to help him control it.”
Izuku watches as Okura-sensei frowns when he mentions Shinsou’s quirk. It’s obvious to Izuku that his teacher is glad Shinsou has his mask. Izuku wonders if – if Kacchan could get gloves to control his quirk too. He always says it’s an accident when he burns Izuku (he’s lying).
“Unfortunately the mask stops Shinsou-kun from speaking, so he’ll be communicating through writing with you all.”
Okura-sensei doesn’t sound like he cares too much. Izuku frowns. That sounds horrible. He turns back to staring at Shinsou, who is looking towards the ground now, shoulders hunched a little. He looks lonely.
Maybe he’d like to be friends.
--
At lunch time, Izuku carefully avoids Kacchan and makes his way to Shinsou, still sitting at his desk.
“Ano… Shinsou-kun?” he says tentatively.
Shinsou looks up, startled, and stares at him. The silence is weird.
“Uh…”, Izuku trails off self-consciously. Stuuuupid, uuuselesss, Deku!
Shinsou keeps looking at him. He probably won’t want to be Izuku’s friend. But… Mom always says that if you never try you’ll never really know… Izuku’s pretty sure he knows (he’s tried a lot).
“D’you… I mean, uh, dyou wanna have lunch with me?” he rushes out.
Shinsou’s eyes widen a bit as he stares, but he nods slowly at Izuku (as if Izuku’s going to laugh at him, and not the other way around).
Izuku beams, and offers his hand for Shinsou to take. He knows just the perfect place for them to go (where the other kids won’t see him).
Shinsou takes it really slowly, and stumbles a bit when Izuku drags him excitedly out the door.
They quickly make it to Izuku’s secret spot and the 8-year old takes his bag off his back to reveal his bento. Shinsou looks slowly around himself and cautiously sits down.
The silence is weird, but Izuku’s far too ecstatic someone is willing to have lunch with him to care.
He opens his lunch and glances up.
“Sh-shinsou..?” he asks. The other boy looks up at him and tilts his head questioningly.
“Um… Where’s your lunch?”
The other boy just shrugs and shakes his head. Izuku frowns a little. He’s always hungry and tired when someone steals his lunch. Maybe…
“Do you… want to share m-mine?” he waits for the other boy to scoff at him but Shinsou just stares.
Izuku waits, and eventually Shinsou shrugs in a sort-of-yes, but one of his hands slowly reaches up to the mask and tugs carefully.
Izuku frowns in thought.
“You can’t take it off?” he asks, just to be sure. Shinsou nods, and looks away. Maybe he’s embarrassed?
Izuku leans forwards to have a look at it. There’s a clasp, but it’s really small and in a really awkward place. He can see why Shinsou can’t do it himself. He looks down at the other boy, almost head-butting him in his excitement (oops).
“Sorry! Do you want me to take it off?”
Shinsou stares for a really long time this time. But that’s okay, Izuku’s getting used to it. Maybe Shinsou just takes a long time to decide things, like Granny Obaka-san next door.
He nods. Izuku bounces up, startling the other boy accidentally, but he makes quick work of the mask.
For the first time, Izuku sees Shinsou’s full face. It’s almost disappointingly normal (Izuku was sort of hoping he’d have a cool mouth with an extra tongue or red lasers or something from his quirk). Shinsou has red skin where the mask rested and he looks relieved to have it off. Izuku puffs his chest out – this friend thing was going ok so far.
Undaunted by the continued silence, he grins at the other boy and enthusiastically places his bento between them. He looks at his single pair of chopsticks and shrugs, going for the rice balls with his fingers.
“…thanks” he hears a soft voice.
Izuku could cry, he’s so pleased. “It’s ok!” he looks up at the other boy and points at the food.
“Come on, Mom’s cooking is the best.”
Shinsou gives a small smile and reaches cautiously for the food.
It doesn’t take long for the bento to be finished, but Izuku is too happy to still feel hungry.
“Hey, Shinsou? Wanna be my friend?” he asks, exuberantly. He’s a bit scared after he says it but he tells himself it’s fine even if Shinsou says no (it’s not).
Shinsou stares at him again, but quickly nods his head, smiling softly.
“Uh... yeah, ok….” He seems to hesitate for a long time, but Izuku waits patiently, “um… what’s your name…?”
Izuku squeaks, embarrassed.
“Aaaah, sorry! I’m Midoriya Izuku, but call me Izuku! I-If you w-want!”
Shinsou smiles again, “...Hitoshi”
Izuku blinks at him before the meaning sinks in and he impulsively reaches across and hugs the other boy. Hitoshi stiffens a little in his hold but Izuku is too excited to care.
--
They’ve only just finished lunch, and Hitoshi is still reeling over having an actual friend (maybe?). Izuku is a bit overexcited and eager, but he’s nice. It’s nice, just… having someone to spend time with.
And then Izuku leans in and starts asking about how his quirk worked.
Of course he does. It’s normal friend conversation, isn’t it... Probably. Hitoshi doesn’t actually know for sure. He’s sad, but it was nice… while it lasted.
“Uh…” he falters a bit, but caves at Izuku’s hopeful look, “I – when I ask a person a question, they have to do what I tell them to…” he pauses, “…only if I want them to, though.”
He looks at the ground, avoiding the other boy’s gaze, and waits for the inevitable.
There’s a muffled giggle, and he flinches. But then Izuku is poking him excitedly, and Hitoshi looks up to see the other boy practically vibrating in place, eyes shining.
“Nee, nee, Hitoshi! Your quirk’s so awesome! Hey, hey, d’you want to be a hero? You’d be such a cool hero! Aaaaah ..! You – D’you mind if I write about it in my notebook?!” the boy’s words devolve into mutterings and Hitoshi feels his chest squeeze.
“…you think I could be a hero?” he asks, shocked.
“Of course!!”, Izuku answers without hesitation. He doesn’t even look a little bit scared, still grinning ear to ear and rocking a little energetically.
“…I…” Hitoshi is at a loss for words. He blinks back tears.
“Thanks, I-Izuku…” he manages, his lips pulling back in a shy smile.
Suddenly they hear an angry shout, and both boys look up surprised to see Okura-sensei rushing towards them.
Hitoshi scrambles for his mask (muzzle) and holds it against his face (he can’t put it on by himself but he gets in trouble when it’s off).
Izuku looks at him confused before he seems to realise what the problem is and his eyes go wide.
Okura-sensei reaches them with a few huge steps and glares at them.
“Shinsou-kun! Put your mask back on! What were you thinking taking it off! Disobedient child!”
Hitoshi gulps but tries to explain, “I - I can’t p-“
The man glares at him so poisonously that Hitoshi’s words die in his throat.
“Don’t you dare try to use your quirk on me again.” the man speaks ominously, still glaring daggers at him. Hitoshi shivers and fumbles with the clasp a little desperately.
Izuku steps between them with his arms waving, stuttering up a storm.
“Sensei, it’s f-fine, I – I t-t-took his m-mask off s-so he c-c-ould eat l-lunch with me b-b-but I think he can’t p-put it on b-by himself a-a-and I d-didn’t kn-know we’re sorry he d-d-didn’t use his q-quirk d-don’t punish him I’m s-sorry I-“
“Midoriya, shut up”, Okura-sensei snaps, barely looking at Hitoshi’s friend. Izuku closes his mouth but stays right there, between Hitoshi and the angry adult. Hitoshi steps a bit closer to the boy’s back, still trying to tie the muzzle back onto his face.
Sensei huffs, rolls his eyes, and pushes Izuku aside. Izuku trips and falls a bit clumsily and the man grabs Hitoshi and roughly re-attaches the muzzle. He steps back and frowns at them both. Hitoshi stares at him blankly. He hates the muzzle. It makes his jaw ache and he can’t speak to anyone. The other kids always call him weird when he can’t talk (they call him weird when he can too). …Except Izuku.
Izuku is holding a scratch on his arm, it’s bleeding just a little, and he’s sniffing a bit.
The teacher just glares at them.
“Don’t you dare do that again, understand me?”
He takes Hitoshi’s arm and pulls him back to the classroom. Izuku follows quietly behind them. Sensei doesn’t even look at the other boy.
Hitoshi doesn’t like Okura-sensei much.
--
The next day, Okura-sensei doesn’t let Hitoshi leave the classroom at lunch time. Izuku tries to tell him Hitoshi can’t eat with the mask on, but the man pretends not to hear him. Hitoshi can’t do anything to help his friend, even when sensei gives Izuku cleaning duty for being ‘loud and annoying’.
Izuku angrily refuses to eat his bento in protest and the green haired boy’s stomach rumbles noisily through the afternoon class. Hitoshi can’t help but feel happy. It’s villainous to be happy that someone is hungry, but Hitoshi can’t help it. He thinks maybe this is what it’s like to have a friend.
--
Izuku eats his bento the day after, with an apologetic glance at Hitoshi. Okura-sensei still wants him to stay in the classroom over lunch so Izuku stays too.
Izuku doesn’t understand why it’s such a big deal for Hitoshi to eat. Mom used to say lunch is important so that he can become a strong hero. Maybe sensei doesn’t want Hitoshi to be a hero. He heard Ishiya-sensei say that Hitoshi was like a villain because he has a bad quirk. Izuku knows that’s not true, ‘cause all the quirks are different and cool and Hitoshi is his friend. When Izuku told her that she ignored him, like always.
Izuku wonders if Hitoshi can drink through his mask.
Izuku hates being thirsty. He hates being hungry too. He thinks it’s unfair that Okura-sensei makes Hitoshi not eat, but no-one listens to him at school. …Except Hitoshi.
Izuku knows he can’t ask Okura-sensei to let Hitoshi leave with him. Sensei never listens to Izuku. Izuku feels like a ghost when he talks to Okura-sensei. Maybe… Izuku thinks he has an idea to make Okura-sensei forget about Hitoshi needing to stay in the classroom.
Last week Kacchan got into a fight with a big kid and they broke the door. The next day the school shooed them out of the classroom at break and lunchtime for the repair men.
--
Izuku walks up to Kacchan after class and tells him (voice wobbling) that he’s weak. He times it carefully for when Okura-sensei is away from the classroom. And just like Izuku thought, Kacchan gets angry (very angry), and he uses his quirk to explode things. Izuku runs, making sure to carefully duck around Okura-sensei’s desk and stand in from of the door as much as possible. Luckily, Kacchan is angry enough that when Izuku ducks one of the explosions catch the door handle, and another the door frame. And another right in the drawers with Okura-sensei’s pens in it. Unfortunately, Izuku hadn’t thought too hard about what happens after.
He yelps when Kacchan catches him and pushes him into a desk with a pop of his hands. His back smarts and his shoulder hurts. Kacchan looms above him. Izuku gulps.
That’s exactly when Okura-sensei gets back.
Everyone freezes. Okura-sensei looks at the door, at his desk, at the school chairs and books in disarray all over the floor, back at his desk, at Hitoshi who’d been pushed to the floor when he got in Kacchan’s way, at Kacchan and Izuku.
He takes a deep breath.
Kacchan points at Izuku, sneering, “Deku started it.”
A chorus of Izuku’s classmates start agreeing nastily. At least this time they’re sort of right, Izuku thinks.
Izuku feels his hands go a little clammy. Okura-sensei’s face was slowly turning white then red with anger, glaring at Izuku. Mom was going to be upset.
“Midoriya. With me.”
Izuku nods and shuffles slowly out the door, following his seething teacher.
They only walk a little bit when Okura-sensei turns to him and slaps him in the face. Izuku gasps, holding his hand to his stinging cheek.
“You are more trouble than you are worth, do you understand?” the man snarls, eyes cold and hard as flint. Izuku nods shakily when he realises Okura-sensei is waiting for a response. He turns forwards again without another word and Izuku follows him all the way to the Headmaster’s office.
--
The next day, Hitoshi finds Izuku at his desk like usual. Izuku has a red cheek (he didn’t have that yesterday), but he grins up at Hitoshi anyway.
The classroom wasn’t damaged enough to be unusable, but they had workmen come in over lunch to help fix it. Hitoshi sneaks out with Izuku and they find a place behind the building to sit and hide.
Izuku checks the coast is clear, and finally takes Hitoshi’s muzzle off. He can’t help but rub his jaw briefly before trying to speak. His voice is hoarse.
“…What was that about yesterday, Izuku?”
Izuku smiles at him and answers (no hesitation).
“It worked Hicchan!” the boy exclaims.
Hitoshi swallows the warm feeling bubbling in his gut, still confused.
“… it worked? …”
“Yeah! I wasn’t sure they would close the classroom again but they did!”, (no hesitation again, and no fear), “Man, sensei was so angry!... the headmaster too. And Mom…”
Izuku’ excitement seems to drain a little out of him at the reminder.
Hitoshi is still trying to understand what Izuku was saying.
“You mean… you got into a fight on purpose…?”, (‘for me?’, he thinks but doesn’t dare say).
Izuku nods, and takes his bento out, offering a spare pair of chopsticks to Hitoshi.
“Mom says eating lunch means you can be a strong hero!” he explains, “So you need to eat lunch!”
Hitoshi slowly takes the chopsticks, and takes a piece of food from the bento.
“…thanks” he whispers.
“We’re gonna be the best heroes one day! Like – like – All Might and – uh – Nighteye?”
Hitoshi smiles as Izuku almost throws a mouthful of rice away while waving his arms above his head.
“No-one thinks I can be a hero, though.”, Hitoshi muses sorrowfully, “they-they say I’m a villain, ‘cause of my quirk...”
Izuku nods his head understandingly and leans forwards, like he’s going to share a secret.
“Nee, Hicchan, they tell me that too – well, n-not the villain part – b-but it’s not true!”, Izuku grins and Hitoshi marvels at his confidence.
“…How do you know that?”
Izuku hums a little, but answers readily enough, “Kacchan lies all the time! He says I’m deku, that I can’t do anything – but I can, Mom said so, so he’s wrong!”
He looks a bit uncomfortable and lowers his voice, “Also Sensei lies too, you know?”
Hitoshi leans in as well and listens carefully.
“He told Mom I hit my head on the desk, and that’s why I had a red cheek, but that’s not true! And I know he knows ‘cause he’s the one who…”, Izuku shakes his head, “Anyway, I know you’re not a villain. You’re my friend!”
Hitoshi smiles, a funny kind of warmth spreading through his body. Maybe it’s villainous to be happy when someone got in trouble. But maybe that’s not why Hitoshi is happy. Hitoshi has a friend.
“… you’re my friend too.”, he whispers back.
They finish the bento, smiling shyly at each other whenever their eyes meet.
This time, Izuku carefully reattaches Hitoshi’s mask when they’re finished.