Chapter Text
Ah, the infamous Truck-san. She never saw him coming.
An accident, of course, while she was walking home from university. She's used to adapting, though. Who knows what adventure awaits her after death?
Surprisingly, she thought death would feel less... tight? Suffocating? It's as dark as she imagines it would be, but there's no explanation she can imagine for the overwhelming feeling of being squeezed.
Oh, it's brighter now. And cooler. She opened her eyes and tried to look around the room, but all she could see were blurry colours and shapes moving around. No, wait, she's the one being moved. They're passing her to someone else. Oh, she thinks, this must be my new mother. I'm guessing I was just born. It makes sense since she's pretty sure she just died in what was (would have been?) her previous life. And well, she's always been good at adapting. Wait, should she have been trying to cry or something? Newborns usually cry when they're born. God, she hopes no one slaps her butt so that she starts crying. Something huge moved in front of her face and seemed to be speaking to her. The skin-to-skin contact felt comforting and warm, and she was starting to get sleepy. Being born is apparently very exhausting.
She falls asleep in her new mother's arms and hopes she can become worthy of her new chance at another life.
Waking up, she comes face to face with a transparent barrier. She remains still and confused until the memories come back to her. The Truck, Her past life, her apparent reincarnation and rebirth. Her new mother. The different colours pertaining to what she suspects is a hospital confirm her assumption that she's in another room. There were two figures: one on the bed and one on the chair next to them. She still can't see anything besides globules of colour that remind her of her deteriorating eyesight without her glasses. It's brighter in this room, but mostly due to the brighter colours surrounding her rather than the lights. The walls, or what she assumes are walls, are whiter than the last room, and she's lying on something soft and white. Probably a blanket. She's swaddled and can't move but tried to fidget anyway. Eventually, she catches the attention of the colourful blob on the bed that moves to pick her up and-Oh. That's a nipple. Well, I am a baby, and this is what babies do. I should probably get used to things like this, I'm probably not going to have much autonomy over my body anytime soon. Ugh. Ignoring the inevitable diaper change and current issues about the lack of control over her own body, she decided to study her new mother's face instead.
Her new mother had a round, kind face. Surprisingly younger than expected until she saw the beginnings of laugh lines around her mouth and crow's feet around her eyes. Her skin was fair, and her hair a dark green, running down the back of her neck just below her shoulders. She had a small fringe running across her forehead, kept back by a bunny headband. Her father, on the other hand, had darker skin and blacker hair. There were the beginnings of a grin across his face that looked more like a smirk than a smile. Her mother was smiling down at her and talking in a language she didn't understand. Is this what it's like for babies? Do their brains get reset so that they forget everything and have to relearn it? No, that's stupid. She obviously remembers what walls are and parents and even the cot that she was just in when babies shouldn't know that. After a brief moment of crisis, she focused on the language, hoping she at least recognized it somehow. Her mother is still talking, only now to what she assumes is her father, and thankfully, neither had noticed her panic. She knows this language. Okay, at least it's a language I'm semi-familiar with. Thank you, Duolingo, for offering Japanese. She's not fluent (yet), but she'll get there if this is her parents' primary language.
Her mother's face turns away from her father as she speaks softly to another bundle in her other arm. Seems like she was a twin here. She only caught a few words, "...name...Izuku..." which sounded familiar but eluded her somehow. Adapting to all these changes left no time to think about familiarity. Her mother's face came back into view as she spoke directly to her other baby. Her voice was subdued and slow enough for her to make out the words.
"And you, my darling, will be named Ishi. Midoriya Ishi."
Oh, she thinks, I should've recognized the green hair.
It turns out being a baby means a lot more time spent sleeping than you'd think. Either that or her depression followed her into this life as well. She spent her time regularly napping, trying to learn more about the world via observation and watching baby Izuku. Being changed and bathed and fed wasn't as hard as she imagined, but she thought that was mostly due to her mother being a great mom. She even managed to look into a mirror at one point to see her baby body. Surprisingly, she didn't look much different from her past self. Still somewhat brown-skinned, with dark hair (though it had a green tint to it now), chubby cheeks and a round face. However, she also noticed that her face wasn't good at making expressions. It seemed more difficult for her to showcase her emotions, and her resting face looked like a blank mask. Oh well, it was something to practice. Plus, it would be nice not to be such an open book all the time.
Still, a sadness followed her throughout the days that she couldn't get rid of or find a solution to. It wasn't until after a month inside her newborn body that she knew she had to make room for her grief. She adapted well in the beginning, but the changes and unfamiliarity were taking a toll on her, and she suspected that her neurodivergence would follow her into this life as well and bring her meltdowns with it.
Looking at Izuku lying next to her, she's overwhelmingly reminded of her siblings Before. The hair on his head is thinner than the hair on her youngest sibling when they were born, but his body is bigger. Both their noses are the same, and she imagines that babies' noses just look like that. She wonders if her middle brother looked like that as a baby. She thinks of what her Ma's face would look like if she saw that Ishi was a baby reincarnated. She wonders if her dad will try harder to connect with her youngest sibling now that she's not around to help out any more. Hopefully, her body wasn't too mangled by Truck-san to have a closed-casket funeral. She desperately wants to believe that none of them blame themselves, but she knows everyone processes grief differently. She wishes she could be there to soothe their worries or send some message saying she's doing okay. It's a fruitless thought.
Contemplating these differences and similarities opens up something inside of Ishi her. She can't think of herself as that yet until she gets through this. She knows she needs to sort through her feelings, but the exhaustion that followed her from her birth has left a heavy strain on processing her thoughts. She supposed that as a baby, she wouldn't have the mental capacity to implement any of her old coping mechanisms, so she'd have to head for the meltdown instead. It's tiring and overwhelming but cathartic and worth it. She could already feel her eyes heating up and her nose stinging. Her cries started quietly, but her breathing was getting faster, and soon she was wailing. She spared a thought for Izuku next to her and mentally apologized for the noise but was grateful for being swaddled so that hitting others (or herself) wouldn't be an issue. Her meltdowns are dangerous as an adult but hopefully less harmful as a baby.
The door to the nursery opened, and two figures came in. By this time, Izuku had woken up as well and was crying just as loud. Her mother quickly picked her up and started bouncing her and walking around, trying to soothe her. Izuku was picked up by their father and taken out of the room since it was clear that he calmed down quicker without the noise. Her baby voice cried out in anguish and heartbreak as she let out all of the emotions she hadn't allowed herself to process until now. Her family, her friends, her life. She grieved as only a baby could, in the arms of her mother, desperately trying to calm her down.
Eventually, hours later, she calmed and closed her eyes. Her mother had taken to sitting in a rocking chair and singing a sweet lullaby. Music was one of her favourite things Before, singing even more so. Her emotions didn't seem so compressed anymore. Her face was sticky from tears, and her nose was congested from snot. Her breathing was laboured, and her mother was rubbing her back, quietly humming a tune. She knew she would still feel sad over this, but at least she got the hard part out of the way. She no longer felt like she was drowning in a rapid river with a current too strong to break out of. Her lake of emotions was a peaceful one. Calm and settled. She focused on the hand rubbing her back and the sound of sweet music in her ear.
Later, she registered a door opening and someone stepping inside. The singing stopped, and a couple of voices discussed in concerned tones. She couldn't recognize any words other than "hospital" and "tomorrow," but she didn't worry about it. She knew she would be fine in the morning. She felt her swaddle around her waist; her mother must have opened it to get more skin-to-skin contact. Her parents turned towards her, and her father spoke softly.
"Ishi-chan, look. Izuku was worried about you." As she squinted her eyes, her father brought Izuku closer to her. Closer to Ishi. Izuku was wide awake and reaching out a chubby, tiny hand. His eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Opening her eyes fully, she took in Izuku. A baby born to a twin who has too many memories and too many emotions. He didn't deserve to be stuck with her, but like hell, if she'll grieve about it. She's got more than enough to grieve about already. No, she'll be a great big sister from now on. The best big sister. Ishi and Izuku. They belong together.
Ishi reached out to clasp Izuku's hand, and her father brought him closer. Eventually, the parents put them back in their crib when they realised that Ishi kept pulling Izuku too close to comfortably hold either of them. Two sets of eyes watch as the eldest twin plasters herself to the younger twin's back. Ishi falls asleep and vows to make the most out of her new life. If not for herself, then for Izuku.
At four months, Ishi gets a clearer picture of the world she's living in. Clearly, she's been reincarnated to the universe of a popular anime franchise, but not one she knows well. No, the universe decided to transmigrate her into a franchise she only knew the bare bones of, and most of her updated information came from fanfics or TikTok summaries. Unfortunate. How could she stick to the timeline if she barely knew it? Oh well, fuck canon anyways. This is her universe now.
At six months, Inko takes her and Izuku out for their first stroll through the neighbourhood. She's fascinated by the amount of diversity in her town. Inko does her grocery shopping while she wears a baby sling for Ishi and pushes a stroller with Izuku sleeping inside. Ishi spends all of her time outside admiring her new world and going over all the possibilities, plans, and changes she could make to this world. Ishi knows she should start small, but what was her end goal? She was going to college as a psychologist in her past life. Hmm, how advanced would therapy be in this world? Probably not that advanced , she thinks, at least not in UA. There weren't even mandatory therapy sessions after the attack on USJ. There was absolutely no mention of therapy either for Katsuki after he got attacked by the Sludge Villain. Sure, she couldn't discount that this world might not truly be like the one Horikoshi depicted, but the fact was that everyone in the story became traumatized somehow, so at least she could help them in this way.
At twelve months old, Ishi knew she wanted to aspire to help people in life. Inko was a lawyer, but Ishi could never sit down and memorize laws like her Mama could. She considered becoming a nurse or a doctor, but with how advanced healing quirks were and how quirk factors existed, she wouldn't know how different human biology was from Before. Plus, her knowledge of biology was more of a prerequisite for psychology in university. She's not sure if she would have the same passion for it without that aspect. Izuku was already becoming more and more obsessed with heroes, especially All Might. He had a onesie that Mama bought him that he absolutely adored and always babbled and fussed when he saw any kind of poster with All Might. Ishi did consider that her passion for helping people could grant the possibility of entering a heroics course, but to actually become a hero? That was a big commitment. Recovery for her Before had cemented her core values in self-preservation without sacrifice, and she was loathe to give that up in a society where encouraging the development of child soldiers is normal. No, she knew she was never going to be a Hero. But she could help in other ways.
At two years, Ishi grew closer with Izuku and Inko. Ishi was a quiet child and loved watching Izuku reach his first milestones, as well as Inko's reaction to Izuku's milestones. Ishi often practised speaking, standing, and walking at night when the rest of her family was asleep. Well, her parents mostly. Izuku always stayed up a bit later to watch what she was doing and tried it himself the next day. Speaking of Izuku, Ishi thought that he had been quite subdued lately. Didn't her father calm Izuku down when Ishi was having a meltdown before? Ishi realized she hadn't seen her father around often but assumed his job was keeping him busy. A month after the twins' 2nd birthday, Ishi realized that her father came home drunk more often than not, and she didn't have any memories of him besides her birth. He wasn't around enough for her to even have memories. How could she have missed that?
Ishi started paying attention to the sounds of her father coming home late at night. Now, she heard her mama and father arguing when she previously dismissed the noises since she thought they belonged to the neighbours. She swore to be more observant in the future and paid closer attention to her mama.
Unfortunately, this meant Ishi started noticing the bags under her mama's eyes and the bruises on her wrists. She started noticing the hickeys on her neck and, even more worryingly, hand prints around it as well. Ishi tried her best to cheer Mama up and even used sly tactics of making Izuku laugh around Mama so she would feel better. She knew this wasn't a sustainable household, and it would come to a head someday. Despite this, Ishi vowed to protect her mama until that day came.
Inko suspected her daughter was unique.
She believed from the moment she gave birth to a still, wide-eyed baby that her daughter was different in some way. The intelligence behind her daughter's eyes as she looked around the world was unbelievable for a baby. A recognition that went further than just a mother-daughter bond could be seen. And Inko observed. Inko observed the way Ishi would often keep her eyes trained on Izuku when he was hungry and crying and would often start whining for food as well. She observed Ishi feeling around Izuku's diaper and then crying about her own as if she wanted to check that Izuku needed to be changed too, before calling her mom. She observed Ishi watching Izuku try to take his first steps only to do so herself a minute later. Inko even observed Ishi babbling to Izuku late at night in their shared crib. But no, it wasn't babbling; she was speaking sentences that were very mispronounced but coherent. Inko suspected she had a daughter who was smarter than a baby should be. However, it was only confirmed after three years.
Inko was making breakfast in the kitchen with Izuku and Ishi sitting and playing in the living room nearby. Her husband came back drunk for the umpteenth time the night before and forced her into bed again. She tried to take her mind off of the events of last night when suddenly, the door to their bedroom slammed open, and Hisashi walked out. Inko froze with fear and anticipation. In the corner of her vision, she saw Izuku was about to cry and closed her eyes to brace herself for Hisashi's yelling. He never liked when the twins cried. Inko braced herself while silence wrapped around the household, only to open her eyes in surprise when a hand squeezed around her forearm too tightly not to leave bruises. She was pulled to face Hisashi. His face was hollow and menacing, his teeth yellowed, and his breath still smelled like last night's alcohol. Hisashi yanked her arm forward to his face and breathed fire onto her arm. Tears escaped her eyes as she fought through the pain of the burns he gave her. This was the first time he was doing this in front of the kids. She couldn't let them see her broken down like that. Eventually, Hisashi stopped, gave Inko a mean smirk and blew a smokey kiss towards her. He ignored the kids completely as he put on his shoes and walked out the door.
Inko closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
As she opened them, she saw her daughter watching her from her position on the floor with a hardened gaze. Inko noticed Ishi had given her plush to Izuku and held him close. Izuku's eyes were teary, but he adoringly looked at his older sister as he waited for...something. Ishi then beamed at Inko and turned to Izuku with a bright smile.
"Mama okay!"
Izuku finally wailed and cried as Ishi hugged him and rubbed his back. Inko, transfixed by the sight of her youngest crying, sat down on the floor and pulled both of her children into her arms. She cooed and shushed Izuku while Ishi hugged both of them tightly. Small fingers found their way onto her face, and only then did Inko realize the tears on her daughter's hands as well as the tears on her daughter's cheeks. It seems like the twins both inherited her habit of crying.
Ishi whispered, as if she was hiding from a monster. "Tou-chan."
Inko pulled back. That was the first time she'd heard Ishi even speak of her father. She was normally a very quiet child and, besides, at night in privacy, Inko only ever heard Ishi say "Mama".
"What about Tou-chan, sweetie?"
"Tou-chan... hurt Mama." Ishi was now holding her arm. The arm with the burn on it. The arm that Hisashi marked. Inko couldn't believe it. She was sure that Hisashi's frame was blocking the twins' view of everything. She had specifically tried to keep quiet through the pain so that her children wouldn't suspect anything. Inko tried to smile.
"No, baby. Tou-chan was just-"
"Tou-chan hurt Mama. Tou-chan hurt Ishi and Zuku too."
Inko was horrified when Ishi pulled her shirt up to reveal a large bruise in the shape of a hand on her hip and hot, red skin just above it. Inko paled even more when Ishi reached out to pull down the collar of Izuku's shirt over his shoulder, and she saw an old, yellowing bruise much bigger than any of her children could make, even accidentally. Inko's eyes started filling with tears once again. She couldn't find any words to say to her children. How would they accept comfort from a mother that failed them?
Ishi stared at her with her wide, knowing eyes. "It's okay, mama. Tou-chan bad tou-chan. Mama good Kaa-san. Ishi protect mama and Zuku."
No, Inko thought. From now on, Mama promises to do everything to protect you.
Ishi loved her mama when she was soft and kind. And she only loved her more when she saw the determination in her mama's eyes. This is where Izuku gets it from, his conviction. This is what he could be if he had the right support. A dedicated protector. Ishi didn't question where Hisashi went after that. Mama said he was overseas doing work, and even though she knew better, Ishi knew no one would question her mama.
The eldest twin witnessed a change in Inko soon after Hisashi's disappearance. Her mom started noticing Ishi's interest in books and literature. She even caught her daughter looking at her office papers curiously at one point and decided to sit her on her lap and read case files out loud. Ishi steadily followed Inko's finger along the page as her mom smiled adoringly down at her child. Most parents would probably think that she wasn't digesting anything of note, but Inko knew better; her daughter was smart, after all. Afterwards, Inko decided to go to the bookstore and purchase all the books her daughter seemed interested in. The books ranged from Biology and Quirk Factors: The History of Quirk Science to Understanding Yourself First: Psychology101 . Inko didn't question her daughter's choices. Ishi believed her mom knew more than she let on but was deeply moved by the love and assurance she received in return. She would tell her mom one day.
In the meantime, Ishi let herself relax around her mom. She spoke more fluently and even talked with her about some of her cases (or at least the ones Inko deemed appropriate for a 3.5-year-old).
The Midoriya family moved soon after to a smaller apartment in Musutafu. Inko reconnected with her old college friend Mitsuki (not a surprise), and Ishi found herself watching the infamous Deku vs. Kacchan meeting first-hand. It didn't go how she expected it to.
Izuku Midoriya had changed after Hisashi vanished. Gone was the reserved crybaby who clung to his mama too much. Oh, don't get her wrong, the Midoriya genes were strong in all three of them, as evidenced by all of their tears coming into play way too easily. But Izuku flourished and thrived under the encouragement of his older sister and his doting mother. He was more outspoken, picked up words and sentences only second to Ishi and even asked Ishi to read some of her "grown-up books" at bedtime. Ishi thought this was what likely led to the interactions between him and Katsuki at their first meeting. It certainly didn't go the way she expected.
It was a beautiful day at the park. Mitsuki and Inko decided to have their kids meet organically instead of an introduction. As the Midoriya family approached the green clearing, a woman with spiky blonde hair sat down on a nearby bench. As Inko said her greetings and introduced her children to Mitsuki, Ishi took one look at Mitsuki and said, "You're my Auntie now." She then sat down on some grass in front of the bench and pulled out a book from her backpack to read. Izuku looked at Ishi, then at Mitsuki, and shrugged and went to play on the swings, yelling out, "Nice to meet you, Auntie!" as he lost himself in playtime.
A little blonde boy was sitting in the sand pit at a park. Stuck in his own world involving moving handfuls of sand, he didn't notice Izuku walking towards him until they were right in front of each other.
"What the hell d'ya want?" The small blonde eyed the green kid cautiously.
Izuku grabbed him by the hand and started running back to his Mama and Nee-chan, dragging Katsuki along. Katsuki never got the opportunity to refuse, though his screams sure were an attempt. Once reunited with his family, Izuku let go of Katsuki as he neared the bench and presented him to his mom and his sister.
"Look, mama! Nee-san! New friend!"
"Hah? You can't just- I didn't say- HAH?" Katsuki, bewildered, stared at Izuku uncomprehendingly.
Ishi sighed. "Zuku, did you ask him if he wanted to be your friend before you dragged him over here?"
Izuku shyly looked down at his feet and scuffed his shoe on the grass. "But he's pwetty. Wike dandiwion."
Oh Spirits, Ishi had to hold back her laugh at that. She closed her book and stood up from the grass, brushing down her overalls before bowing slightly to a still-sputtering Katsuki.
"I'm sorry about my otouto. Sometimes, he gets excited and forgets to ask for consent." Ishi sighed and turned disapprovingly towards her darling younger brother, immune to his kicked-puppy look. "Now, I know he's pretty, and you like the colour of his hair, Zuku, but you remember how to make friends, right?" Ishi crossed her arms to get her point across. This was a big moment to see if Izuku implemented the knowledge she taught him.
Izuku, reinvigorated by a reminder of lessons from his sister, stood straighter and recited dutifully, "Intwoduce your name and ask if they wanna be fwiends!"
Ishi gestured to Katsuki, waiting.
"Sowwy! My name is Izuku, nice to meet you." He clumsily bowed and grabbed one of Katsuki's hands with two of his own. "What's youw name? Can we be fwiends?"
"...Katsuki. And only if you promise not to do that again!" The little blond huffed angrily... or was he embarrassed? Katsuki yanked his hand away but brought Izuku's wrist to the hem of his shirt instead. Did he have trouble with physical touch? Probably something Ishi will have to explore later.
"Hmm, I don't fink I can pro-pronouns-...say that yet. Can I call you Kacchan?" Izuku asked gently, keeping his hands on the hem of Katsuki's shirt. Good, her lessons about boundaries are sticking somewhere in Izuku's toddler brain.
"Fine," Katsuki sighed, much less agitated now that Izuku wasn't touching him directly. "But only if I call you something, too. And only we can use them!"
"What a brat! Just be thankful that you have a friend now!" Mitsuki reached over and ruffled his hair none too roughly. "All the other kids were too scared of 'ya to even approach 'ya!"
Katsuki tensed as he was essentially noogie'd by his mother. His fists clenched by his sides, and his whole body went rigid. Recognizing an impending explosion of anger, Ishi stepped in.
"Auntie," Ishi grabbed Mitsuki's wrist and jerked it away from Katsuki, glaring hard at her face. "Do you like it when people touch you without your permission?"
Inko had seen her daughter like this before. She often wandered away from her mother on their outings and could be found giving advice or lecturing people about their actions, especially disgruntled customers in their local Konbini. She decided to wait and see what would happen but kept her body angled towards Mitsuki in case she needed to step in. Old friends or not, her children came first.
Mitsuki was taken aback by the serious look on the young Midoriya's face. Her cheeks coloured, and a vein popped on her forehead. "What are you implying, brat?"
Ishi released her wrist but didn't ease off the pressure. "I don't think Katsuki likes touch."
"Of course he likes it! As his mother-"
"And if his mom doesn't respect his boundaries," Ishi continued, "what else is he uncomfortable with that he doesn't tell you?"
That looked like it shocked the blonde woman. Her eyes quickly darted to Katsuki, who looked to the ground swiftly but ashamedly looked back up with hardened eyes. "I'm not weak! I'm strong, and I can just fight off people who touch me! I don't need your stupid help!"
Mitsuki reeled from the belated realization that her son had agreed with this child in his own roundabout way. Had she been forcing her son to endure something painful? How could she not have noticed what a simple 3-year-old had seen within minutes of meeting her son? What else was he hiding from her? What else didn't he share with her? She loved him from the bottom of her heart and filled his head with thoughts of strength so he would grow up to be strong, but she never could have imagined just how deeply ingrained his aversion to being perceived as weak ran. What else was he willing to put up with to seem strong?
Ishi turned towards Katsuki. She didn't expect to address this issue too early, but it seems like a consequence of her actions. Oh well, she wouldn't expect his inferiority complex to go away overnight. This was clearly going to be an ongoing conversation, and she might as well start now. Ishi straightened her posture and instilled as much confidence as a 3-year-old could.
"It's okay to be angry. I also get angry when people touch me when I don't want them to. I tell Mama and Zuku when it's a no-touch day, and they respect it. Zuku knows boundaries, see?" She gestured to where Izuku was still holding onto the bottom of Katsuki's shirt, tear tracks already down his face. He glanced between his Kacchan and Nee-san worriedly. "He's scared because there were loud voices, and he likes physical comfort. But he won't touch you without asking, even if he really wants to."
Katsuki looked back at Izuku, took in his crying face and seemed to contemplate something. Eventually, he lifted his arm and murmured, "...C'mere," while looking away with rosy cheeks. Izuku sniffled and barrelled into Katsuki's side, where Katsuki just squeezed the kid back, seemingly not knowing how to give him comfort but trying his best all the same.
"Okay, okay. Stop crying now." Katsuki awkwardly patted Izuku too hard to be comfortable, but the green-haired boy didn't seem to mind and babbled incoherently.
Ishi spoke up. "I call him Zuku if you want a nickname. But if you want a special nickname, I think Zukie sounds close enough but also different from mine." Like hell, she was letting Deku come out of anyone's mouth. Not if she could help it.
Izuku sniffed and wiped his eyes. "I wike Zukie. Zukie and Kacchan sounds nice. But what about Nee-chan?"
Ishi lifted her eyebrows. "Zuku, Katsuki might not want to be friends with me."
Izuku lifted his head to hit Katsuki with the full force of his puppy-round eyes. Bonus points were probably added since he was still dripping with tears. Katsuki looked towards Ishi with only a glance at Izuku; he probably knew he wouldn't stand a chance against those eyes.
"Nee-chan is a pretty shitty nickname."
Ishi wondered if this would be another argument. "My name is Midoriya Ishi. I'll call you Tsuki. And you can call me Oneesan." Screw it, she wanted to bring some semblance of familiarity from Before into her life now. Having two younger brothers might not be so bad again.
"Hah? But that's so boring!" Katsuki scowled, but to Ishi, it looked more like a pout. It was adorable.
"I will be your only Oneesan. Everyone else can be called some other version of Nee-san or Nii-chan, but I will be both of your Oneesan." Was Ishi being pushy? Probably. Did she care? Absolutely not. She needed this. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
"...Fine. Now let's play!" Katsuki, scowl still in place, transferred Izuku's hands to the back of his shirt and grabbed Ishi's sleeve. He then stomped back towards the playground with the two Midoriyas in tow. Ishi took one last backward glance towards her Mama and Auntie. Hopefully, she wouldn't leave her Mama floundering for explanations. The two women were talking amicably, and her Mama was smiling. Ishi turned back towards the playground and prepared to play with the boys.
"...You sure have a unique child, Inko-chan."
"You got that right, Mitchan."
Ishi had settled into a comfortable routine. Her mom dropped her and Izuku off at the Bakugou residence before heading to her lawyer office to do her job. The Bakugous and Midoriyas lived only a floor away from each other within the same apartment complex. Ishi thought it was very plot-convenient that Katsuki and Izuku would've met sooner or later, but she didn't question it. It wasn't her place to wonder about what-ifs anyway.
Mitsuki and Masaru would host them throughout the day, and both families would dine together for dinner when Inko came home from work. She was used to big families Before. Ishi felt a warm fire in her heart when she looked around the table each evening meal. She could imagine family Before would love to hear that she's doing well.
Ishi was surprised that Mitsuki didn't treat her with hostility despite their first encounter. Apparently, she enjoyed "a blunt brat that puts adults in their places". Mitsuki even started teaching her how to cook (with supervision, of course). Unfortunately, Mitsuki was not a master chef, so Masaru would often be the one to save their disastrous attempts at cooking and teach Ishi instead, with Mitsuki interjecting here and there.
The Bakugou parents must have also talked with her mom because they didn't interrupt her reading or question her choice of books. Masaru and Ishi could often be found on the couch with their respective literature in hand, silently sitting in each other's presence. Ishi pretended not to notice the obvious pictures her auntie took in the background.
They even indulged her in questions about what she was reading. It was refreshing to get a different perspective on the current culture and the views about society and the hero system in general. Mitsuki was blunt and straightforward with her opinions, which Ishi appreciated. Masaru, used to Mitsuki's attitude, also replied thoughtfully without sugarcoating his words. While Ishi loved her mama, she wasn't afraid to admit that she shied away from topics that she thought were too much for Ishi. The candour that her auntie and uncle offered her was like fresh air.
During one discussion, Izuku and Katsuki's yells rang loudly throughout the house. Mitsuki yelled back at them to quiet down, and Masaru sighed exasperatedly. When they turned around, Ishi had gone rigid, her tiny hands clenched into fists hovering beside her ears. Masaru waved in front of her face, and she quickly put her hands back down, open and palm-side up on her lap. There were fingernail prints left over in the centre of her palms. Masaru quietly asked if she was okay.
"It's a no-touch day for me. Sometimes, I also can't stand loud noises or bright lights. It's called sensory overload. I'm going to go to the bathroom for a while."
Masaru reassured her to take all the time she needed and offered her a soft blanket and pillow when she returned to the couch.
Mitsuki later asked Inko about Ishi's earlier episode and if she had any issues before this. Inko confided in her that Ishi had been reacting that way ever since she was born, and Inko was very familiar with the term sensory overload. Inko explained that Ishi avoided crowded places and malls because sometimes, even the music was too loud there. The Midoriya matriarch guiltily explained that she couldn't afford the noise-cancelling headphones that Ishi asked for, nor the tinted contacts for light sensitivity. Mitsuki smiled at Inko and told her not to worry about it.
Later that week, Inko presented Ishi with a pair of wireless earphones with three modes and adjustable noise-cancelling settings. She also said that Mitsuki would take her out to buy some contacts that transitioned to tint in bright light. Both Midoriyas had smiles on their faces and tears flowing by the time Inko persuaded Ishi to try them on.
Mitsuki got a surprise hug from Ishi afterwards, and small words muffled by her skirt. "You're the best Auntie ever." Mitsuki wasn't ashamed to admit that she indulged in a few tears that evening.
On Katsuki's 4th birthday, the Bakugou and Midoriya hosted a small party of 3 adults and 3 children in the evening. Katsuki had woken up to explosions throughout the night, and his parents took him to the quirk doctor to register his quirk in the morning. He was over the moon and showed off his tiny sparkles of explosion whenever possible and to anyone who would listen. Mitsuki and Masaru explained to Inko (and 3 eavesdropping children) how Katsuki's explosions worked, from nitroglycerin to the ignition in his palms.
"Look! Look Ma! I got my quirk! An explosion quirk!"
The adults smiled at the kids happily. Izuku was gushing over the possibilities of an explosion quirk interspersed with different variations of how cool Katsuki was. Ishi was thankfully wearing her headphones and shoved her present towards Katsuki.
"Mine first, Tsuki. Congratulations and happy birthday."
Katsuki opened the present and stared at the pair of earplugs confusingly until Ishi explained that explosions are loud and could cause hearing damage, so wearing the earplugs while using his quirk should mitigate that. Izuku chimed in with how his Nee-chan was agonizing over the gift because she guessed what his quirk would be, but she was worried she would be wrong. Ishi told him to shut up, or else she would spoil his gift for Katsuki. Katsuki, meanwhile, was clutching the box tightly.
"...'m not weak, though. I can handle explosions to be the best hero." Katsuki whispered quietly.
Ishi looked at Katsuki and sat down on the couch next to him. She laid her hand palm up in between their thighs, a request for permission. Katsuki continued staring at the box but placed his hand in hers and gripped it tightly.
"It's support gear, Tsuki. Even the best heroes have support. Do you think I believe you're weak? Have I ever said so?"
Katsuki was silent until Izuku also sat on his opposite side with his palm up. Katsuki looked at Izuku's worried face as the green-haired boy gave him his quiet support. Mitsuki discreetly took a photo of the three holding hands. Ishi ignored it and waited for Katsuki's reply. Katsuki turned back to stare at the box on his lap before answering the question.
"...No."
"Do you think I'm weak?"
Katsuki gripped her hand painfully tight. "No!" he exclaimed, looking at her now.
Ishi gave no reaction to the pain except for a gentle smile. "I'm strong, but I need support sometimes too. Everyone has different strengths. Sometimes, strong people cry. Sometimes, strong people rely on their families to support them. We're family, right?"
Katsuki relaxed his grip, "Yeah, of course."
Izuku spoke up, "And family support each other!"
And so, the discussion turned towards how Katsuki's explosion quirk could be used to save people and destroy villains. Izuku and Ishi carefully wiped their hands before presenting Katsuki with Izuku's present: a pair of special gloves that soaked up and evaporated sweat so that Katsuki didn't accidentally ignite everything he touched. That then devolved into another discussion about potentially leaving some of Katsuki's sweat on things and igniting it later. Izuku then asked what would happen if someone thought it was candy and licked it because it smelled sweet. Katsuki and Izuku then argued about the pros and cons of licking sweat.
Inko and Masaru cooed over the photo that Mitsuki had taken while Mitsuki tried to shush them. Looking at the adults not-so-secret viewing of pictures and her boys arguing, Ishi smiled and laughed brightly. Her heart was so full that she was sure her emotions were transparent tonight. The smile on her face left her cheeks sore by bedtime, but she didn't regret it one bit.
She could only hope that her and Izuku's birthday ended in the same manner.
Izuku and Ishi's birthday started with little fanfare. Izuku woke up excited to get a quirk and raved over the possibilities of being a fire-breathing telekinetic hero. Ishi kept an eye on her brother as Inko told them today's plans. Inko would come home from work earlier and help them get ready to celebrate their birthday at the Bakugou residence. As the day passed, Izuku grew impatient and worried about his quirk appearing. He turned restless, and his guesses about their potential quirks faded as he voiced more worries and asked for more reassurances. Eventually, Ishi suggested they ask Mama to bring them to a quirk doctor to see if they could find out their quirks earlier.
It was a blatant progression of the plot on her part, Ishi will admit, but she'd rather rip the bandaid off sooner than later.
It was easy to convince their mama. Inko had caved after coming back home to Izuku's puppy eyes and drove both the twins to a quirk doctor to see if they could find out their quirks early.
X-ray scans. Two double-jointed pinkie toes. Recommendations for new shoes.
And thus, the news of being quirkless finally reached the ears of Ishi and Izuku Midoriya.
Izuku sat in the back of the car, arms tangled around Ishi's torso and head hidden against her shoulder. He didn't say a word the entire trip home. Ishi stayed silent and attentive to him. She told her mama that Izuku needed space right now as soon as they stepped through the door of their apartment. Inko slowly dropped to her knees and gathered her kids in her arms, kissing their heads in turn. She reminded her kids that she loved them and would always be here for them, then stood up and informed them they would have the Bakugous over instead, to which Ishi requested that she and Izuku tell Katsuki when they were ready. Inko smiled, nodded and made her way into the kitchen to call Mitsuki and Masaru. Ishi guided Izuku to the living room and brought him snacks and water. She then declared she was going to build a pillow fort for Izuku.
Ishi made her way back and forth from the bedrooms, bringing plushies, pillows, and blankets. Using the back of the couch and a nearby shelf, she draped a blanket on top to create a hanging roof and spread more blankets and pillows on the floor underneath. Izuku silently brought more of his toys and pillows to help finish the inside of the fort, while Ishi even set up a lava lamp connected to a nearby outlet for light inside. Once the fort was complete, Ishi guided Izuku inside to sit against the foot of the couch and arranged a soft blanket to share between them. She put Izuku's favourite toy, a green stuffed bunny, between his arms and pushed his head against her shoulder. The twins stared at the lava lamp, waiting for the Bakugous to arrive.
As soon as the doorbell rang, Ishi shot up and answered it. She pulled Katsuki by the hem of his shirt, gesturing him to remain quiet with a finger against her lips. Ishi dragged him to the entrance of the pillow fort and sat him on the opposite side of Izuku as she retook her earlier position.
"We got some news today that Izuku isn't taking well," Ishi spoke quietly in their private cove.
"My parents told me that Zukie was having a bad day. What the hell happened?" Katsuki kept his voice low.
"Zuku will tell you when we're ready to talk about it."
Katsuki held one of Izuku's hands in his gloved one and watched the lava lamp with the twins in silence.
Waiting for Izuku to speak.