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Chapter Text

Midoriya Izuku was born on July 15 to Inko and Hisashi. He had a patch of dark green hair, and bright emerald eyes, just like his mother. He was healthy and Inko couldn’t be more happy with her beautiful baby boy. He was a little small, the doctors told her though, so they wanted to keep him under observation in an incubator for a few days, just to give him the best shot he could have. Inko hadn’t wanted to be separated from her newborn, but she knew it was what was best for him, so she acquiesced.

In the middle of the first night that Izuku was in the hospital, a nurse shuffled into Inko’s room, apologizing for the interruption. Ink just gave an understanding smile and asked what the nurse needed.

“Well, you see…” the nurse started off nervously, wringing her hands, “it appears that little Izuku has a soul companion. They’ve just shown up in the ward, right next to his incubator.” she rushed through the sentence, as though scared she wouldn’t be able to get all the information out to the new mother fast enough.

Inko startled at the news. A soul companion? But those only happened when a child had a family soulmate bond and those were incredibly rare, almost unheard of even. Her brows furrowed. “Would it be okay if I went and met them?” she asked.

“Of course, Mrs. Midoriya! That would be perfectly acceptable. And most experts say it’s important to meet a soul companion as soon as possible so that they grow to trust you with their human.” A gentle smile graced her face as she helped Inko climb out of bed and slip a pair of slippers on before leading her to the incubation ward that Izuku and his new soul companion were in. “It would have been preferable to have both parents present, but I’m sure you can introduce the soul companion to your husband later when he’s back at the hospital.”

Inko inwardly grimaced. Hisashi wasn’t around often, and had barely made it to the hospital to see his son be born. The likelihood of him making it back to the hospital before her and Izuku were discharged was slim.

Inko gasped when they entered the room, her hand flying to cover her mouth. It was hard to miss the soul companion laying next to the incubator her baby was in. It was a large black jaguar, resting its head on its paws, its tail swishing back and forth behind it. Its ears had flicked up and swiveled in the direction of the ward door when they had entered. It lazily opened its eyes to glance at the two women as they approached.

Inko kept her nerve, resolved to meet her son’s protector head on. This large predator would be her son’s lifelong companion, and would not do him any harm, she didn’t need to worry, her son was safe. What she did need to worry about was how the large cat would react to her approaching its ward. She stopped a few feet away from them. Carefully easing herself to sit on her knees, hands clasped in her lap. She calmly looked at the imposing animal that had opened both of its eyes at her approach.

“Hello, I am Midoriya Inko,” she started calmly. The jaguar flicked its ears and she took that as acknowledgement and continued, “that baby is Midoriya Izuku, and he is my son.” She paused, waiting for some type of reaction from the predator.

It huffed and looked up at the incubator it was laying protectively next to, before turning its attention back to Inko. It stood slowly, before stretching languidly and yawning, exposing a terrifying set of teeth that could shred through anything effortless. Inko squeezed her hands together as she felt the anxiety well up, but she stayed where she was kneeling as the Jaguar approached her at a leisurely pace. She held her breath and sat perfectly still when it finally came into her personal space, sniffing at her face. Suddenly it leaned forward and bumped its head into her cheek affectionately. A wet giggle slipped from her as she wrapped her arms around the creature that would be her son’s protector and friend. “Thank you for being here for him. Please take care of him as best you can.” the mother whispered into the big cat’s ear, before placing a soft kiss to its temple.

A purr rumbled from the beast’s chest, and it bumped its head back into Inko’s. Message received loud and clear it seemed.

===Time Skip , 4yo Izuku===

Izuku sat next to his mother in the doctor’s waiting room, with his soul companion dutifully laying at their feet, leaning heavily into them. Hisashi hadn’t made time to come. The small boy was reading another book on the history of soul companions and absorbing all the information he could about them.

His mother had named his soul companion for him since he had been too young. She had named the jaguar Rin - a name for someone dignified. It was also easy for baby Izuku to try and say. Inko had figured that her son should be able to say his soul companion’s name sooner rather than later, she had a feeling that Rin would be happy when Izuku grew to be able to communicate with her.

Ink had been right. The day that Izuku had finally managed to say Rin - only a day or so after saying mama for the first time - that large cat had purred so loudly that Inko heard it from a different room and had come running in. The scene she came across was her tiny son, his indomitable soul companion curled around him, and he alternated between burbling, saying “mama”, and squeaking a tiny “Rin” while gently grabbing at his jaguar’s snout. The predator didn’t seem to mind, however, and continued to gaze at the child with charcoal eyes filled with soft adoration. Inko had cried from happiness at the sight.

However, now Inko was trying to keep the somber mood of this particular doctor’s appointment from reaching her son. She listened as he excitedly explained what he was reading about soul companions. “Mama, did you know that only me and my soulmate can understand what Rin says?” his hand moves to brace underneath his chin, “but you seem to understand Rin just fine, even though you can’t hear what she’s saying!”, Inko chuckles softly at how excited he still is - this is easily the fifth book on the subject he’s read. Her son gets back on track with his facts as his eyes catch the paragraph again, “and I’ll be able to understand their soul companion too!” he chirps to her, eyes wide.

Izuku is bouncing in his seat now, getting so excited over the idea of having something special connecting him and someone else. “This book talks about how soul companions reflect the person their human is connected to! So I guess my soulmate is really serious, huh?” He reached down to pat Rin on the head. Izuku is the only human she allows to touch her. Inko is sometimes allowed to give her a pat or two, but other than that, the young boy is the only person who can reliably pet her without risking his hand being ripped off.

Before Izuku could continue his excited ramblings on soul companions, a scrub-clad nurse enters the waiting room and calls them back. Inko stops herself from nervously wringing her hands, not wanting to tip her son off to how she really feels. To Izuku, this was a visit to the doctor to learn more about when he could expect his quirk to come in. Kachan already had his, and Izuku had been waiting such a long time to know what his own quirk would be like. He really wanted to be a hero like All Might, and he’d make sure he’d become one even if his quirk wasn’t super powerful.

Inko, however, knew that the doctor could possibly have some information that would shatter her son’s dreams, and she knew that there wouldn’t be much she could do to reverse the damage if that were to happen. She simply took Izuku’s tiny hand in her own and stood up to follow the nurse that had come to collect them. Izuku tugged on her hand gently and asked if she could hold his book for him, and she nodded with a smile and took the book from him. His free hand reached down and grabbed the yellow collar around Rin’s neck that carried the legal tags marking her as a soul companion. The tags and the large bell hanging from the collar jangled, letting a small tinkering sound out into the room.

Chapter Text

Aizawa Shouta was 14 years old and sitting on the edge of the school’s pool, safely in the shade of the building. He watched his friend Yamada Hizashi took a flying leap into the pool and he grimaced as the splash almost got to him. He’d really prefer to stay dry, and Hizashi’s eccentric personality was making it harder than it should be.

He reached over to where he had set his water bottle down next to his towel and grabbed it, taking a deep swallow. It was mid-July, and in Shouta’s opinion it was too damn hot to be sitting outside like this, but Hizashi had insisted he go to the pool with him while it was open, and Shouta didn’t want to deal with the whining that his friend would have subjected him to if he had said no. So he sat at the edge of the pool, trying hard to not get splashed by any stray water.

Hizashi had just come over to where Shouta was sitting, looking to steal some of the other’s water since he had forgotten to bring his own. Before he could though, there was the sound of a bubble popping followed by the short chime of a bell. Shouta looked up just in time to see a small green ball of fur float down a foot or so into his lap. Hizashi audibly gasped as the creature stretched in Shouta’s lap before curling up and going back to sleep. It was a baby rabbit, its fur green as moss, turning even lighter in the rays of the sun.

Shouta looks up at Hizashi, bewildered and his friend looks back at him with just as much confusion, until it looks as though a thought is dawning on his friend. Hizashi’s eyes light up, and a huge smile spreads across his face. “Shou… do you know what that is?” he asks, smile widening even more.

Shouta levels him with an unimpressed look, “Zashi, does it look like I know what the hell just happened?” his friend chuckles, looking entirely too pleased with the situation.

“Shou, I think you just had your soul companion literally fall into your lap.” he states it like it’s no big deal, like the information didn’t just upend Shouta’s entire way of life.

“But- but there’s no way! It’s just a baby! How the heck am I supposed to take care of a little kid right now? I’m still in high school.” Shouta grit out. He was exhibiting more anxiety than he normally did. Usually, he was as cool as a cucumber under pressure during hero lessons, but having a soul companion suddenly thrust onto you with the subsequent information of you having a familial soulmate was not hero training. It was the furthest thing from hero training. Shouta looked up at his friend desperately, as if Hizashi could make sense of the entire situation. His friend just shrugged, the absolute traitor.

Hizashi clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a wink before heading back to the pool. “Good luck with all that, future dad!” he called out over his shoulder. Shouta’s shoulders crept up next to his ears and he sighed. It was way too hot for this to be happening to him. He glances down at the small bundle of fur dozing away in his lap.

The young hero eventually attempted to shift positions so that his legs wouldn't fall asleep, but the movement roused the small rabbit from its nap and it blinked up at him with bleary eyes. Shouta couldn’t help but smile. The eyes that looked up at him were an even brighter shade of green than the fur, big and wide - innocent.

“Hey there,” Shouta whispered, gently stroking a hand down the soft fur, “my name is Aizawa Shouta. What am I supposed to call you?” The rabbit seemed excited about the conversation, and its feet began to pat Shouta’s leg enthusiastically. The young man watched, slightly stupefied, as a small childlike voice came from the rabbit. Its mouth didn't move. “I don’t have a name! That’s up to you to decide! You have lots of time to make up your mind, though, so don’t worry! I’m sure whatever name you pick will be really good!”

Shouta knew he would regret any name decided on before knowing his soul companion’s personality - he had plenty of experience with the cats he had fostered. He looked up for a minute, running through any ideas for what to do. He debated calling Hizashi over for help, but decided he didn’t want his friend making him overwhelmed about the naming process. Shouta glanced back down at the small green rabbit - nothing more than a fuzzball, “Usagi. I’ll call you Usagi until I can think of a better name for you.”

Hizashi had screamed when Shouta had told him what he had decided to call his soul companion. Shouta had simply glared at him, erasing his quirk before any nearby eardrums could be ruptured.

=== Time Skip, 19yo Shouta ===

It had been five years since Usagi had plopped down into Shouta’s lap, and he still hadn’t decided on a name for his companion. Usagi’s personality reflected the personality of Shouta’s soulmate, and he guessed that they were still coming into their own identity. Every once in a while he had an idea for a name he thought would fit the rabbit, but he was always too nervous about the fact that it would be a lifelong thing. He couldn’t name Usagi something that didn’t fit him and have it be for life. So he stuck with Usagi for nearly 5 whole years - through all of high school, and his first few years as a hero.

Most people by then knew that Shouta had a soul companion and, by extension, a soulchild to be met in the future. The hero always made sure to have Usagi with him, whether that be riding in the hood of his jacket, or perched on his shoulder, underneath his capture weapon. Shouta always felt a deep sense of dread when he was away from Usagi for too long, so he had made sure to help his soul companion get adjusted to riding along with him during patrols, and not falling out when he was in the middle of fighting someone. However, even with how the two of them were in tune with each other, a fight could become a little too much for the small soul companion to hold on, so he would hop down and Shouta would to track him down once the fight was over.

They had decided early on that if Usagi needed off during a fight, that he would get away from the scuffle and wait for Shouta to come find him. This is why the underground pro became nervous upon noticing that he couldn’t spot his soul companion anywhere nearby after taking down a thug.

The fight hadn’t been a particularly long one, but it had been rough enough that Usagi was no longer by his side, so he began to walk around the alleyway, seeing if perhaps the rabbit had gone to sit under some cover. After looking under some discarded boxes he continued to walk along, hoping to hear something that would tip him off to where the fluffball would be. He sighed to himself, hoping that his soulmate wouldn't be as much of a problem child as Usagi had proven to be. After a bit of wandering he heard the sound of a child sniffling.

He turned to follow the sound, eventually coming across a kid that was sitting against the back wall of a building and crying. Usagi was perched in their lap, making small chirping noises seeming to want to calm the child down. The rabbit looked up at Shouta when he heard him approaching. “I heard them getting roughed up. Some junior high students were bullying them. Hope they have fun with all the bite marks they’ll have to deal with now.” Usagi looked smug, but there was an underlying current of anger to his words.

“Usagi, you’re 3 pounds soaking wet, maybe don’t go running into fights by yourself.” Shouta commented exasperatedly. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed by the bravery his soul companion had exhibited though. He escorted the student home safely, and gave them his card, instructing them to call him if they needed any help with bullies in the future.

Maybe Shouta could finally settle on a good name for the rabbit.

A brave name for a brave soul companion. Isamu.

Chapter Text

=== 5 year old Izuku ===

Izuku sat on the edge of the tub as Inko applied burn cream to his arms and back. After Izuku had been diagnosed as quirkless, his father and best friend had been nearly synchronized in turning their backs on him. Kachan flipped between ignoring the other young boy and lighting him up with his quirk. Hisashi had taken to having screaming matched with Inko, blaming her and her weak quirk for the fact that their son was born useless.

Inko did her best to protect her son from her husband’s wrath. She made sure he was away in his room whenever Hisashi came home from the office or from a work trip abroad. Hisashi had muzzled Rin and forced her to stay out in the backyard so that she couldn’t interfere when he eventually escalated past just yelling and his wife and child.

Today had been worse than usual. Hisashi had come home earlier than Inko had been anticipating, coming into the scene of Izuku sitting in front of the TV and jotting down ideas in his notebook. The pages were covered in bright crayon drawings, and his handwriting was hardly legible - he was five, afterall. But Izuku was proud of it, and his mama always smiled when he told her all about the heroes he had watched on the news. Izuku had known about his quirklessness for just over a year, but his mother had never talked down to him about his dream to be a hero. She still played with him and let him “rescue” her and Rin from the imaginary villains, and she always listened carefully when he explained different ideas he had about quirks he saw. Inko Midoriya had left the doctor’s appointment with a new determination to stand by her son and his wishes no matter what.

To Hisashi, though, watching his quirkless, useless son, made him even angrier. He had no idea why Inko fed into the disillusion his son had. There was no way he could be a hero, and Hisashi made sure to remind Izuku whenever the opportunity presented itself. There was almost a sense of satisfaction he would get when his son would cry. He was an embarrassment to Hisashi, so he deserved any amount of pain that he felt. That being said, today Hisashi was in a stormy mood after work, and coming in to see his son energetically scribbling in his stupid little notebook tipped his temper over the edge, and smoke began to curl from his lips as he stalked over to the coffee table Izuku was sat at.

An hour later, Hisashi had stormed out of the house, claiming to be leaving early for a business trip. Inko quietly fished Izuku’s notebook from the kitchen trash, and brought Rin back inside from the backyard, before setting her son down in the bathroom, the first aid kit sitting in between them.

Rin stayed close to Izuku’s side, occasionally licking his hair in an attempt to calm the hiccuping sobs that were leaving her little one’s throat. She allowed him to cling tightly to her fur as his mother disinfected some of the deeper wounds before wrapping them in gauze. Inko took care to kiss each bandage better, even blowing a raspberry into Izuku’s neck to get him to laugh. Eventually she left to get Izuku a fresh long sleeved shirt (she had taken to buying him almost exclusively long sleeves in an attempt to keep people from seeing the burns that covered his arms from his bully of a friend and the others from his own father) before beginning to work on her own injuries.

Her son and his soul companion looked at her with concern in their eyes as she wiped away soot and applied bandages. She could feel herself losing her tight grip on her composure, and got up to leave the bathroom, quickly kissing Izuku’s forehead and smoothing his wild hair back down. Inko made her way to the couch in a bit of a haze, sitting down and staring blankly at the TV that displayed nothing but a black screen.

“Mommy?” the tiny voice of Izuku drew her attention, eyes slowly pulling away from the spot on the TV she’d been caught on, “are you okay? You have lots of tears…” her son trailed off before clumsily crawling into her lap and using his small hands to wipe away the tears Inko hadn’t even realized she had started crying. She looked down at her baby. Her sweet son who was still upset himself but wanted to check in on her. She felt a sob well up in the back of her throat, and she wrapped her arms around Izuku tightly, holding him as she let her emotions out. Sob after sob wracking through her body as she clung to her son like he was her lifeline.

“Izuku, baby, I love you. Please never forget that” she choked out, “no matter what your father says, no matter what those children at school say, you are not useless, you are not weak. I love you with all my heart, my little hero.”

Izuku sat in his mother’s arms, tears welling in his eyes at her words, and scrunched up the front of her shirt in his hands. He tried to be strong for her. She thought he could be a hero, and heroes helped those who cried. She was his hero (yes, even above All Might) she was always there for him, so he would be there for her. Gradually his small arms found their way around her chest and he rubbed circles into her back as best he can - his arms aren’t quite long enough yet for it to be as nice as when his mom does it, he notes with chagrin.

Rin nestled herself between Inko’s back and the couch behind her, curling around the mother and wrapping her tail around her two humans. She was put on this earth to take care of her little one, but he loved his mother with all his heart and it was obvious she loved him just as much, so Rin could take care of the both of them when they needed it.

=== Timeskip , 6 year old Izuku ===

Izuku sat outside with Rin underneath the small tree that inhabited the backyard. He had his back resting on his companion’s side. He had been home for a few hours, and had already taken care of the new burns from Kachan. He rolled over onto his side, face pressing into the soft fir of Rin’s side.

“Hey, Rin?” he asked softly, knowing she would be able to hear him. He liked that he didn’t have to be loud for her to understand what he said. He had learned that drawing any attention to himself led to being hurt.

Her ears flicked in his direction, “I am listening, little one” she responded calmly, voice seeming to rumble out of her muscular chest. Izuku giggled briefly at the nickname. Rin had been calling him that for as long as he could remember, even if he was wayyyyy bigger than he used to be, thank you very much!

“Do you think mama is okay? I think whatever the school told her last time she went in to talk about Kachan made her sad” the small boy pouted as he finished his sentence, looking towards his companion with watery eyes. He hated seeing his mother upset. She didn’t deserve it.

The large jaguar hummed as she thought about what her child had asked. She knew that Inko had tried her best to get the school to intervene between her son and the bullying brat that harassed him, but the school always seemed to find a way to blame Izuku for what happened. It made Rin’s blood boil. Inko would sometimes talk at Rin about problems she was having. She couldn’t tell Izuku or Hisashi, and she knew that Rin could at least understand her, so she confided in her son’s guardian. Rin would simply stay with the mother and place her head in the woman’s lap. Rin wasn’t one for words, even with her ward, so she was used to simply being there without using words. She had always been better with actions than words.

If she were honest, if it were not for the muzzle that man had put on her, and being chained in the backyard, she would have torn Bakugo Katsuki and Midoriya Hisashi to shreds. It infuriated her that she was held back from protecting her charge to the best of her ability. She also knew that Izuku hated to be away from her. The feeling was mutual.

“I believe she is becoming disheartened by your school being… stubborn about Katsuki,” she began, “they refuse to listen to her, and she doesn’t have much else she can do to protect you. But she is trying her best, Izuku.” She had turned to look him in the eye as she finished her sentence.

Izuku rubbed his arm over his eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay, “I know, Rin. She always tries her best for me, doesn’t she?”

“Yes. She does.”

Chapter Text

=== 20 year old Shouta ===

Shouta lay on the couch of his apartment, napping after an arduous patrol. The midmorning sun trickled in weakly through the cracks in the blinds, and he groaned before rolling so his face was pressed into the back of the couch, but out of the light - which was all Shouta really cared about. As he rolled over, he made sure that Isamu was secure in his arms so that he wouldn't be knocked off his position on Shouta’s chest and squashed under his companion’s body.

Isamu squeaked at the movement, but calmed down as Shouta settled him back against his chest. The rabbit was more prone to waking up in the morning, but had adjusted to the sleep schedule of the pro hero over the years. Waking up in the late afternoon for a patrol that would go on till the early hours of the morning. While Shouta had still been in high school, Isamu had been unofficially given the responsibility of making sure he was out of bed in time to get to class, but now he was a hero with nightly patrols and the companion just had to make sure no ill-timed impromptu naps were taken by his human.

This sort of daily nap was a common occurrence between the two of them. They would end up on the couch, both exhausted from staying up chasing after villains and helping civilians. Isamu was always urging his human to get more sleep, but the time for it was hard to come by, so he’d count his blessings and be thankful for the naps when they happened.

Today, however, Isamu was unable to relax completely like he wanted to. The connection he had to Shouta’s soulmate had steadily gotten stronger over the years. In the beginning, the soul companion was only able to tell if the emotions were strongly negative or positive, but now he could discern the feelings with some nuance. The hero had done research and asked around, and most people who were knowledgeable on the subject were surprised that Isamu reflected the emotions of his counterpart so reliably. Normally, that kind of tight-knit bond wouldn’t occur until the soulmates had met and were around each other regularly. Shouta speculated that his soulmate being a strongly emotional person had probably fed into the connection, helping it to become sturdier in a shorter amount of time than most expected.

Isamu was trying to relax and nap with his companion, but he couldn’t ignore the waves of anxiety he was feeling. The kid, and by extension Isamu, had been consistently anxious and sad for about 2 years, with some blips of pure joy. The two had discussed the patterns of anxiety before, coming to the conclusion that something had to be going on during the school day to cause such a reliable reaction from the child, and that worried Shouta more than he’d care to admit. Were they worried because school was difficult? Were they being bullied or hurt? Did their teachers scare them? There were so many different things that could be the reason behind his soulmate’s suffering, and Shouta loathed that he couldn’t do anything to help.

Isamu never needed to say when he was feeling overwhelmed though - Shouta always knew and would try his best to be there for his companion and hopefully, by extension, his soulmate. He didn’t know for sure if comforting his companion would also comfort the child, but it was worth a shot in his mind.

Isamu snuggled into the warmth of his companion’s large hand, attempting to settle down.

“Hey, Shou?” he began, the hero simply grunted in response, “you know, I bet your counterpart is doing the best they can to take care of the kid. You don’t have to feel so guilty that you aren’t there to help just yet.” Isamu butted his head into the hero's hand to emphasize his point. Though Shouta would never say it out loud, his companion was uncannily good at telling when he felt guilty about the emotional health of his soulmate.

Shouta took a deep breath, and let out a long sigh before moving his hand to scratch under Isamu’s chin, the rabbit thumping his foot in appreciation.

“Yeah,” Shouta started, “I’ll be there, even if we haven’t met yet.” and he glanced away.

“Thanks, kid.” he continued softly, “now let’s get some sleep, yeah?”

The rabbit let out an amused huff at his human being so dismissive with his emotions, but said nothing more.

=== 6 year old Izuku ===

Izuku was in a great mood as he walked home from school. Kachan had been sick and hadn’t showed up to class, so Izuku had no more burns than he had when he left home that morning. Inko had also gotten him a pair of headphones that looked like Present Mic’s and although Izuku didn’t have anything music to listen to, he still liked wearing them to block out loud sounds. He was excited to go home and see mama and Rin - the weather was really nice and maybe they could eat dinner outside!

When the greenhead finally made it home, he went to unlock the door to find that it was already opened. That was certainly strange, Izuku didn’t think his mom had said anything about her having a day off. Normally she would request her days off to be on the weekends so she could spend them with her son. As he walks in he notices that his father’s biggest suitcase is open in the family room, along with the second largest. Both haphazardly filled with clothes and other belongings.

He lets the door fall shut behind him, too distracted to slow it with his hand like he normally would. He’d never seen his dad pack this much for an abroad trip, why would he need to pack so many things? Before he could dwell too much on the conundrum, his father came into view, a few more items gathered in his arms. He was so set on reaching his luggage on the floor that he didn’t realize right away that Izuku was standing on the edge of the room.

Izuku tried to slink past without catching his father’s attention, but Hisashi happened to look up from his packing in time to see his son at the entrance of the hallway to his bedroom. Izuku expected an outburst, and his shoulders hunched around his ears, instinctually trying to become smaller - to shrink away from the perceived danger. However, no explosive anger came - just cold indifference.

Hisashi kept his eyes on Izuku, “Brat,” he began and broke eye-contact in favor of snatching an envelope off of the coffee table, he straightened up from his position on the floor and approached Izuku, “give this to your mother whenever she gets home.” when Izuku didn’t immediately take the envelope - too caught up in keeping still - the man tossed it on the ground in front of him, “or don’t. I don’t really care.” He walked back to his task, no longer paying attention to his son who remained stock still.

Izuku stayed there until he thought that his father would not change his mind and come at him. When he was certain he was safe, he quickly snagged the envelope and scurried to his room, and locked the door behind him. He felt as though his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He wished he could go outside and sit with Rin, but his father would surely come after him then, so he was stuck in his room. He gingerly placed the envelope on his desk so that he wouldn’t lose it, before grabbing his All Might blanket and crawling into the back corner of his closet, the door closed so that he was safe inside.

The small boy pulled his headphones back over his ears and anxiously played with the chord, waiting for his mother to get home. He hoped simultaneously that she would get home as soon as possible (for his sake) and that she was home later and completely missed running into Hisashi (for her sake).

Izuku didn’t realize he had fallen asleep, but he eventually awoke to Inko gently brushing his hair out of his face and waking him up. His hair was smushed at odd angles due to him having fallen asleep at the bottom of his closet, the headphones also sitting crooked on his head, and his mother let out a soft giggle, sounding like distant windchimes.

She pulled his tiny body into her arms, resting him on her hip, and pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of his head. She walked them over to his desk, having spotted the envelope, and sat down, pulling Izuku into her lap. She opened the letter with shaky hands, and pulled the paper out, a breath held tightly in her chest.

Izuku tried reading, but it was a lot of Katakana, and he had only learned about half of that alphabet, so he trusted that his mother would explain to him what she needed to know. Eventually Inko finished reading and laid her head on top of her son’s. “Izuku, baby, it’s just gonna be us now. You, Rin, and me. How’s that sound, hmm?”

Her son turned to look up at her, stars in his eyes, “we don’t have to hide from daddy anymore? And Rin can stay inside with us all the time?” tears had started to form at the last part.

Inko nodded curtly, happy tears of her own welling up before they spilled down her cheeks. She hugged Izuku tightly to her chest as they both cried in relief at the fact that Midoriya Hisashi would no longer be there to torment them.

Chapter Text

=== 6yo Izuku ===

Izuku woke up with the sun, but decided to stay in bed and snuggle with Rin. Rin always hated when Izuku got rowdy too early, she never said as much, but she was grouchy when it happened, and he had a hunch that his soul parent wasn’t a morning person either. Since Hisashi had left a few months before, they had moved into a smaller apartment, but Izuku didn’t mind because he got to have Rin inside with him. His mom even let her sleep in his bed with him (sometimes all three would end up napping in Inko’s larger bed).

Izuku was happy - when he was at home, at least. He still dreaded school, however. The move hadn’t moved him out of the district of the school he had been going to with Kachan, so there was still the innate fear of dealing with him on a day-to-day basis. It didn’t help that the school didn’t allow him to bring Rin with him, even though she was officially recognized as a soul companion. Having a protective jaguar in a school filled with children wouldn’t fly.

The young boy snuggled further into the side of his faithful companion, giggling when he heard her sleepily begin to purr - not yet awake but aware of his presence nonetheless. Eventually he ended up dozing off once more.

Eventually Inko came in to wake him up for school, gently bopping him on the nose, “Little bunny,” she sing-songs, “it’s time to wake up,” Izuku scrunches his face up and smushes it into Rin’s side, wanting to sleep longer. Inko huffs out a laugh, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “Little bunny,” she repeats, reaching down posing her fingers just above Izuku’s stomach, and continues as she begins tickling him relentlessly, “wake up! up! up!” A high pitch squeal escapes Izuku’s mouth as he gasps for air between an uncontrollable fit of tickle-induced giggles.

“Momma!” he shrieks, “I’m awake! I’m awake!”

“Hmmm, I don’t think this little bunny is as awake as he thinks he is,” she places a finger to her chin, miming thought, “I should make doubly sure…” she trails off before diving in for a second round of tickling, Izuku with tears collecting in the corners of his eyes from all of the laughing. Once she’s decided that he’s had enough, Inko pulls away before scoping him into a large hug, swaying from side to side with him in her arms.

“I love you, little Zu.” she whispers into his unruly hair, before quickly leaning down and blowing a raspberry right into his little neck, shocking another peal of laughter out of him.

“I love you too, momma” Izuku quietly answers, before gently resting his head on her shoulder as she carries them out towards the kitchen, giving Rin a pat on the head before leaving.

Inko loved mornings with Izuku - she always had. But now that Hisashi was gone she was free to be as expressive with her love as she wanted, which was to say she smothered her son in affection. Hisashi had always frowned upon her fawning over the child, and now she was catching up on lost opportunities. She found that Izuku, while definitely good at being up early, was still noticeably sleepy and clingy in the morning. She had gotten particularly good at making breakfast with him balanced on her hip. When they made pancakes, she always let him drop the blueberries in (even if it resulted in him trying to sneakily stuff stray berries into his mouth when he thought Inko wasn’t looking).

Mornings before school and work had always been their time to be with each other and quietly enjoy the company.

After breakfast was finished, they brushed their teeth, Izuku humming some song he had heard from Present Mic’s radio show the other day, hopping from one foot to the other. Inko made a valiant effort to brush down her son’s hair, but her expectations were always realistically low - she had learned after years of trying in vain to tame the wild curls. She had to leave for work before Izuku would need to leave for school, so she made sure he had his backpack ready before kissing him goodbye, and heading out the door. She knew that Rin would keep him safe on his way to school and back home - even if the companion wasn’t allowed past the front gates.

Izuku decided to watch the news until he needed to head out, wanting to see if any hero fights or debuts would be broadcasted. Eventually Rin slunk out of his room and laid down at his feet, continuing to doze as her human happily scribbled in his journal.

“Little one,” Rin began as the time to leave grew close - knowing that Izuku would most likely be too absorbed in his notes to notice, “it’s almost time for us to walk to school.”

Izuku hummed in acknowledgement, finishing up one last note before turning the TV off and heading to grab his bookbag and shoes. He pauses once he’s done tying his laces, “hey, Rin, have you seen the k-” he looks around to see Rin patiently sitting by the door, the keys to the front door hanging from her mouth, “oh! Thank you!” he grabs the key by the Fat Gum bobble hanging off the end, patting the top of Rin’s head. She rolls her eyes with faked exasperation.

“You would misplace your own head if it were not attached to your shoulders, little one” she grumbles out fondly.

“I know!” Izuku chirps, “but that’s why I have you!” he bumps his head against hers, a large grin spreading across his face.

Rin grunts as she stands up, herding Izuku to the front door after checking he has everything he needs for school. The walk there was quiet, Izuku chatting away about some new ideas he had about the quirks his classmates had, sometimes getting distracted by one thing or another. Rin listened intently, and gently guided him back onto topic whenever his attention strayed. Most people along their route had gotten used to seeing the young boy and his large companion, and had stopped sparing them second glances.

Izuku’s pace noticeably slowed the closer they drew to the front gates of the school. It was, by now, a routine that Rin was familiar with. She would slow down as well and allow him to put off parting ways.

As they reached their destination Rin stopped. “Izuku, I will always be by your side unless forced to be otherwise. You can count on that.”

“I know, Rin,” her ward gives her a wobbly smile, “I trust you. I just really wish you could come in with me.”

Rin inwardly grumbled at the fact that she couldn't do anything for her child to help him through the school day. “If you would like, we can try and find a villain fight to observe on the way home.” she suggested. Izuku immediately lit up, quickly wrapping his arms around her neck and hugging her tightly.

He pulls back, placing his hands on either side of his companion’s face. “Yeah!”

Rin looks at her child, blinking slowly before pressing her forehead to his cheek. He giggles before stepping away, turning his back to walk through the gates, waving over his shoulder at his companion. Right before he walks through the doors, he quickly turns, cupping his hands around his mouth so that the jaguar would hear him (not that she would ever really struggle), “I’m holding you to that Rin! I love you!” with that, he walked inside and out of Rin’s line of sight.

"I love you too, little one" Rin said quietly - certainly not loud enough for the child to hear.

She chuckled softlyy to herself before turning and heading back to the house, excited to nap in the sun of the back yard.

When the end of the day finally came around, and Izuku exited the school with a few more bruises and burns than what he had going in, it was to see that Rin was right outside the front gates, waiting as she always was.

Chapter Text

=== 6yo Izuku ===

Commercials were playing on the TV - bright colors flash across the screen and loud noises burst from the speakers, attempting to grab the attention of their viewers. However, Izuku is too engrossed in attempting to grab Rin’s tail. The news had been slow since they had gotten home from school, and Izuku’s attention had quickly shifted to something far more interesting - bothering Rin.

Rin was trying very hard to take a nap underneath the coffee table when she became aware of the lack of noise from her ward. Her ears swiveled, endeavoring to pinpoint where he had gone - normally she could hear him humming or at least the scratch of his pencil across the paper he was writing on. But right now? She could hear neither of those things.

Suddenly she heard it - a giggle. She clocked it immediately and felt a small amount of tension leave her shoulders right before a weight pounced on top of her tail. She deftly removed it from the grasp of her child, elegantly laying it to rest by her side. Izuku would not be deterred, however and continued to throw his small body into trying to capture the elusive tail. While his attempt at hiding his giggles and being more stealthy were impressive, Rin had hearing that was too good to be fooled, and reflexes that were far faster than the greenhead’s would ever be.

Rin just hoped that Izuku would tire himself out eventually and let her sleep a little - she really just wanted a nap after being heckled by the dogs next door all day.

Izuku was mid-pounce when the front door clattered open. The noise startled him into scurrying behind Rin - using her as a hiding spot, however, as the door opened more it revealed the intruder to be Inko. She was a bit frazzled and holding a few more bags of groceries than she probably should have been - she gave the two on the floor an apologetic smile for spooking them.

Inko called out for Izuku as she placed the bags on the counter in the kitchen.

“Yes, Momma?” he responded, scrambling up from behind Rin to see what his mom needed.

“Can you please grab the last few bags that I left by the door, and then would you like to help me make dinner?” she asked. Izuku nodded and went to retrieve the bags by the door - double checking that the deadbolt had been locked after Inko came inside. He was little, but he knew that his dad didn’t have the key to the new apartment, and he didn’t want to risk him getting in somehow. Inko appreciated the thoughtfulness - even if she knew that Hisashi would have no reason to come to their little home.

Inko sliced the vegetables and the chicken while Izuku busied himself mixing together the necessary sauces - singing snippets of songs and repeating phrases he’d heard throughout the day.

As the cooking was finishing up and Izuku was setting plates down on the table he heard the light singing voice of his mother come from the kitchen, “I love dinner with my Izu” she began, pausing for Izuku’s response. He quickly put down the plates and bounded back to the kitchen, grabbing her skirt lightly and swaying side to side, “and I love dinner with my momma!” he sang back excitedly.

They turned to face each other, smiles on their faces as they sang the last part of their song together, “but we both love dinner with our Rin!” on the last word the spun to face her in unison.

The large jaguar had placed herself by the entrance to the kitchen so as to stay out from under the feet of Inko while she busied herself cooking, but she could clearly hear the song they were singing, and allowed an amused huff to escape as she felt warmth spread in her chest. She wasn’t surprised by it, however, because experiencing an immense level of love towards the two greenheads was common, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

=== 20yo Shouta ===

On the other side of the city from the small house with the Midoriyas, Aizawa Shouta had to fight off the inexplicable urge to smile as a bubbling feeling of affection welled up from his heart. As he headed towards the door of his apartment, he ducked his head lower so that his capture weapon would cover up any changes in his facial expression. Isamu giggled from the floor next to him as he approached his human, “I guess they’re really happy tonight, huh?”

Shouta just nodded, glad to know that his soul child was at least safe and happy at the moment.

Chapter Text

=== 7yo Izuku ===

The sun was high in the sky as Izuku and Inko walked home from the mall. Inko had decided to use her day off to take Izuku to pick out some hero merch as an early birthday present. He had picked out a Present Mic figurine that had just been released and an old Crimson Riot action figure. Izuku was bouncing on the balls of his feet as they continued on their way, Rin keeping tightly to his side listening to his ramblings about the two heroes.
As they had exited the mall, Inko had informed Izuku that they could take some time to walk around town and look for hero fights. She felt guilty that she couldn’t get off of work on the day of his birthday, but Izuku was understanding, and just as excited to be able to spend the day with her and Rin.

Inko had always hated how demanding her job was, wanting to spend far more time with her son than she was able to, but considering the fact that Hisashi had completely stopped paying child support, everything was placed on her shoulders - she bore the responsibility with a grim kind of optimism. All of the long hours and loss of sleep was well worth it as long as she got to see izuku smile at the end of the day. She had saved up for months in order to get him a nice present and was intending to get him a cake to surprise him with on the actual day.

As they took a turn down a less used alleyway, an explosion could be heard, and much to Inko’s distress, it could be felt as well. Izuku looked up at her with wide eyes, quickly grasping her hand in a tight hold, his other hand tightening around the handles to the bag with his figurines. Shouting started to crescendo in the distance and Inko began to pull Izuku along as she desperately tried to get out into a more open area - needing to see what was going on, as well as make sure that they wouldn’t be lost in the narrow alley. More explosions occurred, a thick cloud of dust started to settle around them causing Izuku. Inko paused briefly to scoop him into her arms and carry them both to safety. She shared a look with Rin, a silent conversation occurring between them. The soul companion nodded curtly before running ahead, taking the lead - Inko followed, trusting that the jaguar would be better at discerning a suitable path than she would be.

No matter how much they continued to run, the tremors continued to rip through the ground around them, the concrete lifting up and shifting beneath their feet. Inko had been able to keep balance for a good amount of time, but a particularly strong impact caused her to stumble, barely keeping Izuku from hitting his head on the concrete. She hissed as she felt a sharp stab of pain from her ankle - trying valiantly to keep tears from welling up in her eyes. For the amount of fear she knew she should be feeling, the only thing on her mind was keeping Izuku safe, keeping him from being hurt.

Inko grimaced, pulling herself up onto her feet as Izuku sat up - disoriented. He rubbed at his eyes - the dust having started to irritate them. She hunched over, wiping some dirt from his face with her thumb gently, “Izu, baby, can you stand?” she began, “we have to keep go-”

A massive explosion erupted from the building they were huddled in front of. Inko felt the impact of debris and rubble hit her body as she curled herself around Izuku’s small frame. She floundered as her lungs refused to take in any air - a rattling wheeze escaping her throat as she continued to try breathing in vain. She ignored the state that her body was in, looking down to check on her baby. His eyes were squeezed shut and his hands had a vice-like grip on the handles of the bag.

Slowly, he opened one eye, peeking up at Inko, “M-Mommy?” he questioned, voice little more than a rasp. Her shoulders dropped in relief at knowing he was okay enough to talk and she shifted to stand up, only her body wouldn’t listen to her. She struggled, putting everything she had into moving, into just getting Izuku to safety. She reached down to place a hand on her thigh, hoping to leverage herself up, only to feel a warm dampness. Her shallow breathing stopped all together as she slowly turned her face to look at her hand, eyes wide with fear.

*There was blood. Her blood. Dripping down from her side and soaking her skirt.* She pulled her hand away - slowly, as if in a daze, and looked at it before turning her attention to where the blood was coming from. Her hair slowly slipped from her shoulders and fell into her face, curtaining her expression off from her son.

*A piece of rebar sat, sticking out of her ribcage, coated in thick, dark blood. She gasped back a sob as the entire world seemed to go completely silent. Inko could no longer hear the distant sounds of explosion or wail of sirens. She couldn’t even hear her own broken sobs as the pain began to beat past the adrenaline. It was agonizing - as if someone had placed a red hot brand atop her ribs and had slowly pushed it deeper and deeper into her body - cracking bone and ripping muscle along the way. She couldn’t look away, seemingly hypnotized by the metal protruding from herself, steadily dripping blood like a faucet that hadn’t been turned all the way off.*

A hiccuping cry broke her from her reverie and she quickly moved to brush her hair from her face - some strands stuck to the blood that was slowly growing tacky on her hand. She tried to give Izuku a smile, but knew that it came off as a pained grimace. The sounds of the world slowly came into focus again, and she almost cried with relief when she heard the jingling of Rin’s tags getting closer, followed by the shouts of heroes.

“Izu, my little hero, mommy needs you to be really brave, can you do that?”

Izuku quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before shakily nodding his head, chest heaving with body-wracking sobs.

She reached out her hand as her vision slowly tunneled, and she heard a wet sounding cough, distantly realizing it was her own. She gently places her hand on Izuku’s cheek and leans down, gingerly laying her lips on his forehead.

“Wait for Rin, little bunny. She’s gonna bring lots of heroes that you’ll get to meet, okay?” she mumbles against his skin, too tired to move away for her words to come out clearly, “they’ll make sure you’re safe.”

Izuku’s eyes have zeroed in on the rebar in Inko’s ribs and he watches as blood pools beneath her, as she slowly continues.

“Izuku, mommy loves you more than anything,” her words start to become garbled, eyes slowly falling shut - she just needs him to know she loves him, she just needs a bit more time.

Her thoughts drift to the night Izuku was born. The polite nurse, the large predator keeping vigil over her sleeping baby. At least she could trust that one more person would be there for Izuku. The sound of Rin’s tags grew close, but also oddly distant as her senses faded “Mommy will never stop loving you, my little hero” and the world faded to black, her body slowly crumpling in on itself and her hand slipping from Izuku’s freckled cheek, leaving behind a streak of grime and blood.

He scrambles to her, he grabs her face between his small hands and tries to wake her up, “mommy?” he whispers, unsure of what to do, “mommy you gotta wake up! You have to be awake for when the heroes get to us!” when Inko doesn’t respond, he feels the fear bubbling up in his chest again - just like when the first explosion had occurred.

====

The sight that the heroes came across after following the jaguar soul companion was one none of them would soon forget.

Amidst the debris of an exploded building was a young boy, green hair faded under a layer of dust, quietly sitting next to the still body of his mother. He was unmoving, dull eyes staring absently at the hand he had clasped in his lap. Tears ran silently down his face, clearing tracks through the blood that was smeared there.

The only sound that could be heard in that moment was the crunch of gravel beneath Rin’s paws as she cautiously approached her child, brows furrowed in anguish.

Chapter Text

Hello! Sorry it’s been so long!
To answer your questions:
Yes, I am okay! My life has been hectic and not great mental health wise, but my meds are helping a great deal now :3 and so because of that I can answer the most asked questions I’ve seen
I do plan to continue this! I love both these boys so much and their soul companions mean a lot to me as well. I want to give them the ending they deserve.
I have something planned between where I’ve left it off and when Zuzu finally meets Shouta. Also I have a question for you guys
WHERE THE HELL DID ALL THESE NEW PEOPLE COME FROM???? MY WORK HASNT BEEN UPDATED IN MONTHS AND IT ISNT COMPLETE SO HOW DID SO MANY OF YOU FIND IT WITHIN THE PAST FEW DAYS????
I love the support and it definitely hardened my determination to finish this fic sooner rather than later.
Thank you all so much
See you on the flip side :3

Chapter Text

=== 7yo Izuku ===

The funeral was a somber affair a few days after the accident. Midoriya Inko did not have a large number of friends or much left of her family. Izuku attended, accompanied by Rin and the social worker that had been assigned to his case. She was a straight-laced kind of woman, known only as Mrs. Suzuki, but she treated the young boy softly. She gave him gentle smiles and spoke in an even and calm voice - Izuku appreciated it, even if it didn’t fix the fact that his momma was gone.

Rin had not left the greenette’s side since the moment Inko had been pronounced dead at the scene. She had pressed against his legs in a constant reminder of her presence. While she had left the two humans in order to get help, there was still a gut-wrenching knot of guilt in her stomach for having allowed her boy to go through that loss on his own. She wasn’t there when he needed her most, so she tried to make up for it now. Izuku responded in kind, his small hands firmly curled into the fur at the base of her neck.

The small boy had nervously approached the open casket after Mrs. Suzuki had urged him forward. There was a small step stool placed in front of the coffin, allowing him to see over the edge and he peered in at Inko’s pale face. She looked like she was sleeping, even if Izuku knew she always slept on her side. The grime and blood had been cleaned from her face, and she was wearing one of the few nice dresses she had owned. He couldn’t find it in himself to look away - it was nice to be able to see his mommy looking peaceful again. The last time he’d seen her she looked scared and her skin had been clammy and cold. The tears he had managed to hold back swelled up in his eyes before bubbling over and down his freckled cheeks - he wished he could stop seeing her covered in blood, that he could be happy that she wasn’t in pain anymore (at least, Mrs. Suzuki told him that was the case).

His small hands gripped the wooden edge and he stood up on his tiptoes so he could reach forward and gently bop Inko’s nose with a tiny finger, “Mommy?” he whispered, “everyone says you won’t wake up,” he sniffled quietly and wiped his nose with the back of his hand, “but can you wake up for me? I know you told me to be brave but,” he glanced down at Rin who simply pressed herself more firmly against his leg, “I don’t wanna be brave anymore without you.” his tears had slowed by the time he finished - he had cried himself dry it seemed.

He waited a few moments but Inko’s eyes stayed closed, her face remained pale, and Izuku felt the last bit of hope flicker out from his chest.
He gently kissed his palm, before pressing it to a cold cheek, “Little bunny loves Big bunny. Forever and always.”

He turned away from Inko and stepped off the stool. Rin tried not to be worried about the dull look in her kid’s eyes. He was just tired. He would be okay. He had to be.

=== 21yo Shouta ===

Isamu hadn’t been able to stop crying for weeks.

The sobs had started in the middle of the day when Shouta had been napping and the rabbit had started to feel an acute sort of panic. The hero had woken up to an alert on his phone requesting back up for a massive villain attack. There was little he could do for his companion, the extreme emotions belonging to his kid, and therefore out of his hands. Isamu had insisted on joining Shouta, a watered down but ever-present look of determination in his eyes.

The villain attack had been quick and devastating - vast swaths of damaged city blocks left behind for heroes to comb through for anyone that had been caught in the destruction. All the while, a small green rabbit hiccuped quietly as he nosed his way through the rubble beside his human.

The only time the tears stopped coming was when the bunny slept - which was happening more and more by the day. Shouta couldn’t tamp down the tense worry over both his soulmate and companion.

The crying was always silent - damp tracks down Isamu’s face and the occasional sniffle being the only signs of emotional distress. Shouta just wished he could meet his kid and save them from whatever messed up life the world had tossed them into.

He felt frustration and guilt blooming in his chest. He was a hero for christ’s sake, but here he was, unable to save a child he knew full-well was in grave emotional duress. Unable to do anything at all to help.

Some hero he made.

Chapter Text

=== 21yo Shouta ===

Shouta had been checking soulmate websites for years looking for any profiles that could possibly have been created for his kid. There were several different sites that catered to specific kinds of soulmates, but with such a rare type Shouta was forced to cast a wider net and create accounts for several websites. His hopes had never been high, most parents kept their kids from using the websites until they were older. It would be easy for an unsuspecting child to be targeted online if they didn’t know any better.

He checked the sites at lunch time every day like his own version of the daily newspaper.

He sighed as he pocketed his phone and closed his eyes, leaning back in the uncomfortable chair he was sitting in. There were no updates on any of the websites, as per usual.

Hizashi plopped down in the chair next to him, having seen the man checking his phone, “No luck?” he prodded.

“When have I ever had any luck?”

“Well, I might have some information for you, if you’re interested. No promises it’ll be helpful, though.” the blonde teased.

Shouta cracked open an eye, grey irises studying his friend for any hints of a lie. Hizashi had never been a liar when it came to important things, even if a wide and mischievous smile curled onto the radio host’s face. Shouta groaned, “Just spit it out already.”

He could practically feel his friend vibrating next to him, “Turns out one of the civilians rescued during the big attack last week was a little kid,” he paused for dramatic effect, “a little kid with green hair and a soul companion.”

It felt like all the air had been yanked out of Shouta’s lungs as he sat up rigidly, thinking back to how Isamu had been behaving during the search and rescue. And green hair?

“What other information do you have?”

“Not much, it’s really just been a random tidbit floating around, y’know how rare soul companions are.” Shouta glared and Hizashi put his hands up placatingly, “I can tell you that Smog was one of the heroes that found the kid, apparently, but that’s really all I’ve got. You’ll have to talk to them if you want more info.”

Shouta could do that. He was glad it was a hero he got along with as he pulled out his phone to make some calls with a murmured thanks to his friend.

Maybe things were finally going to turn around for him and his kid.

=== Timeskip, 8yo Izuku ===

Izuku was tired. If he was honest with himself he had felt pretty run down since his mom had passed. The list of foster homes he had stumbled through the past year gave no amount of solace from the sudden loss. The weight he felt resting in his sternum only seemed to grow heavier each day he was left by himself.

He understood that the adults could realistically only take care of so many kids at once, that they were spread thin already, let alone with the addition of a young quirkless boy. That didn’t change the fact that it hurt each time they handed him back over to Mrs. Suzuki for her to find another home that was willing to take on the responsibility for another paycheck.

Most of the homes only took a matter of weeks before the adults grew exasperated with having to provide for Izuku and Rin, having misjudged the amount of work it would be to care for the two of them. He learned to stop hoping that the next home would be different, or the next couple would see how much he was hurting and glue him together like a cracked teapot.

But each place failed to step up for him. The other children avoided him out of fear of Rin while whispering harshly about his quirk status behind his back. When he went off to school it was worse without Rin acting as a buffer. It seemed that every school knew about him being quirkless before he even stepped through the front gates - that every student came ready with venomous words and harsh shoves.

The foster parents never looked twice at the blotches of bruised skin that were scattered across his arms and face. They never asked what had happened. They never seemed surprised.

Secretly, in the far corner of his mind that was stubbornly ignored, he wished that the next home would lead to him finally meeting his soul parent. That there would be that warm light at the end of the tunnel - someone that honestly cared for him. With each home that came and passed, Izuku was further convinced that no one would ever love him out of the kindness of their heart. That no person would ever willingly reach out their hand to him.

Rin could only watch on silently as the light in her boy’s eyes grew dimmer and dimmer with the months passing by. She protected him when she could - keeping any perceived threat at bay with raised hackles and barred teeth. As long as she was by his side then nothing could hurt him. The days he went off to school, however, she was stuck - completely useless to help him even when she knew he needed it.

They both knew they needed to wait it out - that there was nothing they could do to fix the situation. They were left to be reliant on one another for over a year. Until foster home number eleven. Where they met Hitoshi.

Izuku hiked his duffle bag up higher on his shoulder as Mr. Yamagata led him and a muzzled Rin down the hallway to their new room.The house around them was cluttered, but not in a cozy way - more in a messy and claustrophobic way. The house was loud with other children running throughout and Izuku hoped they would pay him no mind - that was preferable to being harassed.

“You’ll be sharing a room with Shinsou - he’s in your grade and I think you’ll get along well enough.” Mr. Yamagata explained as they came to a stop in front of a nondescript door. Izuku wasn’t sure what the man meant with the second part of his statement and bit back a grimace. He didn’t have the best track record with past roommates. He knew it wouldn’t matter enough to bring it up with the man, however. He wordlessly nodded as Mr. Yamagata knocked sharply on the door - no sound from the inside of the room could be heard, but he opened the door regardless.

Izuku briefly noted the lack of privacy and stepped through the doorway behind Rin. His green eyes tracked around the room, quickly taking in the simple layout - one window, a dresser, two twin beds pressed against opposing walls, and a small closet in the corner. Not much excess wiggle room.

It would look completely unused if it weren’t for the young boy sitting on the bed farthest away from the door. His purple hair was wild and long, the ends hanging over a pair of tired lilac eyes. He was small, almost as small as Izuku, with scrawny arms hugging his knees to his chest. He didn’t say a word.

“Well, I’ll leave you boys to get to know each other,” Mr. Yamagata said with a clap of his hands. Both boys flinched at the sudden sound filling the tiny room, “Midoriya, make sure to keep your animal in check.”

Izuku mumbled a hasty, “Yes, sir.” as the man walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. The silence felt suffocating.

Rin eventually nudged her ward in the direction of the unoccupied bed, cautiously eyeing the other boy. Her trust needed to be earned before it was given to a new person. Shinsou steadfastly avoided her eyes.

Izuku was quiet in unpacking his bag, carefully sliding his journals and figurines away under the bed as well as placing his small framed picture of Inko on the windowsill before tucking his clothes into the empty drawers of the dresser. When he was finished he sat down on the bed with Rin curled around his back as he pulled anxiously at his fingers, unsure what to do with himself anymore. He didn’t dare look at Shinsou’s side of the room.

A quiet cough caught his attention, however, and he glanced over at the other boy who looked sheepish at the attention.

“My name is Shinsou,” he said in a near whisper, eyes sliding around the room instead of staying locked onto Izuku’s face, “it’s been a bit since Mr. Yamagata put someone in here with me.”

The greenette swallowed thickly, “Are y-you mean to the other kids?”

Shinsou pursed his lips briefly, “No, people don’t trust my quirk.”

Izuku’s curiosity got the better of him, “Do you mind tell-telling me what your quirk is?”

Shinsou hesitated, before heaving a resigned sigh, “I can brainwash people if they respond to a question I ask.” his shoulders hunched as he seemingly braced for Izuku’s reaction.

The reaction that came was not one he had been expecting. The newer boy scurried to grab one of his notebooks from under his bed and was sitting on the floor in front of Shinsou in an instant, pen posed above a blank page.

Excited green eyes met wide and surprised purple as Izuku ran through a quick list of general questions, Shinsou answering back in bewilderment. The back and forth between the two boys lasted for a while as Shinsou slowly relaxed into giving quiet but enthusiastic answers to be recorded. Eventually the flow of questions slowed down along with Izuku’s pen no longer marking coherent words down in his journal.

Shinsou watched as the younger boy’s head drooped forward and rested against the edge of his bed, he must have been more tired than he let on. He shifted on the bed until he was able to pull one of his blankets free and haphazardly draped it over Midoriya’s shoulders. Shinsou understood being tired at all times of the day and the naps that would hit at random moments.

He tried not to pay much mind to the predator that watched him from atop the second bed in the room. He didn’t know what the deal was but he decided he could figure it out later, if Midoriya was willing to explain.

Rin’s ear twitched curiously at the sight before her. Perhaps she could afford to give this new child a chance, even if she still felt her hackles rise at the proximity of a possible threat.

Chapter Text

=== 21yo Shouta ===

The coffee mug was scalding between Shouta’s hands but he didn’t mind - he needed something to ground him and keep the jitters at bay, even with Isamu lethargically snacking on apple slices beside him. The hero prided himself on his stoic and level-headed approach to his work - but he wasn’t meeting up with Smog for work. He was meeting up with them for the sake of the first real lead he’d had in years of looking for his kid.

Shouta hated putting his heart on the line like this. While he’d had years to build up his emotional walls, he had never been able to separate himself from the existence of a soulmate. It had become an Achilles heel of his so he kept the topic of his soulchild tightly against his chest - only talking about it with a severely short list of trusted people. He knew he needed to make the sacrifice of vulnerability if he was going to get any sort of useful information but he was hoping Smog wouldn’t pry.

He didn’t glance up when he heard the bell above the door ring, deciding to wait for the other hero to sit across from him before looking away from his coffee. Smog was a younger and lesser known hero that specialized in rescues, staying out of the limelight but not quite being an underground hero like Shouta. The man took in Smog’s face - their features normally completely covered by a heavy duty gas mask. The rescue hero had a wobbly and nervous smile and they fiddled with their cup of coffee - clearly uncomfortable with being so visible.

“Eraser, always nice to catch up, what can I do for you?”

“Aizawa is fine in here, kid.” Shouta gently corrected and the other hero jerked a nod, “I was hoping you could tell me about the kid you found during the big upset last week.”

Smog took a sip of their coffee, gaze catching on the small rabbit for a beat, “Yeah, I guess I can do that for you. What all do you wanna know?”

“Just give me a rundown of what happened, what all you saw.”

There was a pause before Smog cleared their throat, hands loosely clasped together and a thumb running back and forth in a self-soothing gesture.

“I’d been working on clearing rubble so that emergency vehicles could get through to civilians, couldn’t see much past the range of my quirk - the dust in the air was so thick. I heard this jingling sound - like dog tags or something, and when I looked up there was this huge black cat. I don’t know what - like a jaguar or a leopard or something - just massive. Huge.”

Shouta nodded, trying not to rush the other hero.

“At first I was a little freaked, you know? What the hell is this giant predator doing wandering around this mess? But then I saw the yellow collar and it all clicked, right?”

“You’re familiar with soul companions, then?”

A faint blush bloomed across Smog’s cheeks, “Well, I guess you could say I’m a bit of a romantic in that regard. I like reading about soulmates and all that.” they awkwardly scratched at their cheek, “Anyways, this thing looked upset - tail swishing back and forth and all that, you know? One big unhappy kitty cat.” they snorted out a short laugh before sobering up quickly, “So I ended up following it, right? I was done in that area and there had to be a person nearby that was connected to this cat - a companion.”

They glanced back down at Isamu with a melancholy smile, “Jesus, Aizawa, you should have seen the kid. He was sitting next to his dead mom in an alleyway, holding her hand in his lap. It was so quiet - you know the kind where you can hear the dust settling on the ground? Kid wasn’t even making a single sound, just covered in blood and keeping her company. Silently crying.” They took a shaky swallow of coffee, “He was practically a baby, maybe 5 or 6 based on appearances, just drowning in the debris around him, so very small, his green hair was covered in so much dust it looked white.” a breath, “When he saw me he kept asking for me to help his mom - that’s all he could get out. But, you know, she was already gone, too much blood on the asphalt.”

“Did you get a name?” Shouta prodded.

“Nah, he wouldn’t respond to any questions, just wanted someone to save his momma. You’d have to ask around Musutafu General for that information, I guess.”

Shouta inwardly frowned - being an underground hero afforded him very little weight to throw around to get that info from a hospital. But at least it was a start.

“Thanks, kid, I appreciate it more than you could know.”

Smog stood up, “I think I got it,” another glance at Isamu, “I hope you find him.” With that the younger hero made their way out of the coffee shop, leaving a heavy-hearted Shouta behind.