Chapter Text
Izumi Midoriya learned at a very young age that life wasn't fair. That not all men are created equal. And that true pain comes from broken dreams and shattered hope.
All Might, the number 1 pro hero was her idol. He's saved thousands with his quirk and became the symbol of peace. A light in the darkness for all those crying out for help.
The small greenette wanted to be just like him one day. Strong, determined, and always saving people with a smile. Her dream was to grow up and follow in the hero's footsteps. To fight and save thousands more. Side by side with her best friend, Katsuki.
She had been friends with the temperamental blonde boy since the womb. And with them growing up across the street from one another, they got to play every day. Sleepovers, birthday parties, running through the sprinkler...you name it, they did it together.
Always together.
Izumi loved Katsuki and Katsuki loved Izumi. Their bond was so profound that it didn't surprise either of their parents when instead of Izumi's first word being 'mama' or 'dada', it was 'Ka'.
The first time she said it was in her Aunties living room while rolling on her playmat. Wiggling her chubby fingers at the heavy-footed toddler. And Katsuki adored Izumi just as much. Seeking her out during get togethers and throwing tantrums whenever he had to stop playing with his 'Zu'.
As the years past and they grew old enough to run and play, their favorite game became superhero's. Katsuki would almost always let Izumi be the hero while he played as the villain. Not because he wanted to. No, not at all. Katsuki hated playing the villain. Villains were supposed to lose to the hero, and he hated losing. But beaming jade eyes and playful giggles were enough to make him cave every time.
As their bond grew, they soon entered preschool. Their teachers finding it impossible to separate the two children.
Izumi was shy but sweet. Always trying to befriend her other classmates. She was excited to learn and had already excelled in her numbers and letters.
She'd draw pictures of pro hero's during free play. Writing a simple analysis of their quirks and fighting styles in sloppy writing. Adding it to a growing number of pages she kept in a folder she never parted with.
Her classmates found her to be weird. Snickering behind her back or avoiding her like the plague. But Katsuki was always by her side. Listening with a smirk as she rambled. Her green eyes wide and sparkling with every word.
Katsuki on the other hand was loud and aggressive. Physically, he was strong for a small child. And even with his bad temper and loud mouth, others were drawn to him. Every kid in their class wanted to play with him and be his friend. Constantly following him around, even if he paid them no attention.
He'd gotten in trouble a few times for yelling at or pushing classmates who picked on Izumi for being different. She always seemed to have girls crowding around her. Their goal only being to make the greenette's life miserable for no reason. But no matter what happened to her, Katsuki was right by her side to make it better.
On one beautiful fall day during recess, the two children went about their routines like any other. The air was crisp as their classmates played in their sweaters and cotton gloves. And as leaves fell from tree branches high above the playground, they danced in the light breeze that twirled around the yard.
Izumi sat under a bare cherry blossom reading the latest All Might comic. Waiting patiently for her friend to join her.
Lost in its pages, she didn't hear her classmates approaching. The three girls giggled and snickered amongst themselves. Waiting to see if Izumi would even notice their presence.
After whispering to one another, a skinny brown haired girl decided to act. Snatching the comic book out of Izumi's hands harshly with a dark grin.
It was so abrupt that Izumi jumped before looking up at the smiling group with sad, scared eyes. She held a trembling hand up to grab her book back, only for the other girl to lift it high above her head with a giggle.
"Aww...does the weirdo want her book?" The brunette taunted. Making her friends laugh.
Izumi gazed up at them as she gulped. She knew quite well that these girls were going to do something to her book. A lot of her bullies were scared away by Katsuki early in the year, but these three found a way to make her miserable every day.
"G-give it back Yuri. It's m-mine." She stuttered.
Yuri raised a brow. "Is it?" She asked mockingly.
Yuri then looked down at Izumi with a wicked smile. She hated Izumi. Hated how the teachers cooed over her. How Katsuki always played with her and ignored everyone else in class. She hated how Izumi's hair was always brushed and braided. How her nail polish always looked fresh and never chipped. She hated how Izumi had a mom who clearly loved her, while she didn't have anyone at home who cared at all.
"I don't see your name on it. Maybe it's somewhere in here." Yuri said as she opened to the first page. Ripping it out. "Nope, not here...maybe over here?" She ripped out another page. Then another.
Izumi shot up with tears filling her eyes and lunged at the brunette. "No! Stop!"
Just as fast as she sprang to her feet, she was pushed back to the ground by Yuri's two laughing friends.
"Aww, poor baby. Here, I'll give it back." Yuri cackled as she ripped the entire comic apart page by page as the pieces fell in front of Izumi.
Tears streamed from her green eyes as she tried to catch the small scraps of paper fluttering to the ground. Her bullies laughed and squealed as they continued to destroy the book. Only stopping when there was nothing left to shred.
The greenette's heart broke as the last scraps of her comic laid in ruins. Her mother rarely bought things like a comic for her. It was a rare treat that took weeks of begging and doing chores to finally convince her mother to buy it.
"Oi! Get away from her!"
At that moment, Katsuki stormed at the bullies with a scowl and fists clenching at his side. His eye's burning with hatred as he closed in on the group.
The girls ran away towards the swings and closer to the teachers before the blonde could reach them. Each fearful of what Katsuki would do if they were caught.
"Tch...yea you better run." He scoffed.
When he ran up the hill to meet Izumi, he saw the girls laughing at her as she kneeled in front of them. He knew they had to be doing something to her. Those girls in particular had been the worst of the greenette's bullies. And somehow, the teachers never caught or disciplined any of them.
Izumi whimpered quietly as Katsuki kneeled down beside her. Gripping her into a tight hug. There was nothing he hated more than the sound of her crying. He'd always hated it. Something about it made him want to protect her and chase all the bad things away.
"Deku, are you ok? Did they hurt you again?" He asked gently.
She shook her head and leaned into him. Her tiny body trembling with sobs as she smelled his caramel scent. It was new. Her friend had never smelled like that before. But even if it was strange, it was somehow comforting.
"N-no. But m-my book..." She held up the torn comic in front of the blonde. "T-they b-broke it! Mama just b-bought it!"
He sighed through his nose and leaned back, pulling Izumi to his chest. One hand held her close while the other twisted into one of her curly pigtails.
The sound of her sobs echoed in his ears as his heart caught fire. He'd get back at those bullies somehow. And soon.
Crimson eyes looked down at the ripped pages and guilt slammed into his chest. This was all his fault. If he hadn't gotten in trouble for talking back to a teacher, he wouldn't have had to stay inside for ten minutes. And he would have been outside with Izumi. He could have protected her if he just knew how to bite his tongue.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here Deku." He murmured as he buried his face into the crook of Izumi's neck.
The greenette sniffled. Katsuki always said he was sorry if he wasn't around when she got hurt or bullied. Even if she got hurt at home or bullied on a day that he was home sick, he told her he was sorry. And every time it made her heart ache.
"It's ok, Kacchan." She rasped. "It's not your fault."
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The rest of preschool continued much the same way. Katsuki and Izumi keeping each other company. Laughing and playing every day.
That was, until Katsuki came to his first day of kindergarten with a quirk. Suddenly the brash blonde turned into a cocky, and attention seeking menace. He was praised daily by their classmates and teachers for his strong quirk. But Izumi sang her praises the loudest.
She was the first person he showed his new ability to, and she was beyond excited for him. He even ended up with his own analysis page that was added to Izumi's growing collection. His chest swelled with pride when he watched her add his page right behind All Might's in her folder.
Soon though, the approval of his classmates and teachers was everything to Katsuki. Izumi still followed her friend around, cheering him on. But as days turned into weeks, more and more of the class manifested their quirks. And with so many of them showing off what they could do, Katsuki seemed to not care as much about her opinion.
Then suddenly, after what felt like no time at all, the entire class had new quirks. Everyone except Izumi herself.
Weeks upon weeks she sat and delt with the snickers and comments. And through it all, she felt alone.
She would watch from under the cherry blossom day after day as Katsuki marched his new friends around and show off. She listened to their distant laughs. Wishing upon all of the stars hidden behind the sun to have her friend back. Wishing that he still cared about her.
Three months after Katsuki manifested his quirk, Izumi was finally taken to a quirk doctor. The appointment was long. A full day of taking x-rays, giving blood, physicals, and waiting.
They were in a small exam room for hours before the doctor finally returned with devastating news. Izumi was quirkless. Not just now, but forever. She will never develop a quirk.
The news broke both her and her mother's hearts. Izumi because it was her dream to become the strongest and bravest hero. To fight for hope and peace with a smile on her face.
Her mother, Inko, was devastated for a different reason entirely.
She knew her time left on this planet was limited. And there was nothing she wanted more than to see her daughter be able to live a happy and full life. For her daughter to chase her dreams and succeed. And even if she knew she'd never see it. She just hoped she could ensure it.
Sadly though, dreams don't always get to come true. Some things in life are ripped away without warning. Without ever being able to experience them. Izumi was dealt her hand. Now she had to play the game with what she had.
Later that night, Inko and Izumi made their way to the Bakugo's for dinner. And when they were told the news, Katsuki and his parents were floored. The small blonde staring at his friend through the whole meal with teary eyed disbelief.
Inko, Mitsuki and Masaru ended the meal by shooing the emotional kids away after dessert. Allowing the adult's a chance to talk.
Finally, when the kids were up the stairs and in Katsuki's room, Mitzuki was the one to break the heavy silence. "Ink...how are you dealing?"
Inko gazed at her longtime friend with glassy green eyes. "I don't know." She whispered.
She then gripped her tea with trembling hands. There was so much on her mind, and too much weighing on her heart. She was breaking at the seams and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
"Zumi's devastated. I mean...you know how much she wants to be a hero. I just....I wish I could help her. I mean, I'm so proud of her for holding herself together the way she is but...Suki, I haven't even told her about me yet. How's she going to handle that?"
Mitsuki's red eyes went wide. "What?! But...but you said you were going to tell her like a month ago! What happened?"
Inko swallowed hard and looked down in shame. "I couldn't. I mean, how do you tell your child that you're dying? She's so little...so pure. I couldn't do it."
Mitsuki's jaw clenched. She could understand that. The thought of not only having an expiration date looming over your head, but knowing it'll devastate the most precious person in your life...Inko would always be a far stronger woman in her eyes.
A blanket of heavy silence fell over the table after that. There was so much to talk about. So much to discuss. But there never seemed to be a right time. Never a right place.
"I hate to ask but...has anything changed? We renovated the spare room and I made sure to paint it the same way her room is now...but is the time frame still...a year?" Masaru asked gently.
His sad brown eyes looked into Inko's. And as she met them, she gave him a wobbly smile. Masaru was such a sweet man. He easily won a place in her heart back in high school when Mitsuki started dating him. He never shied away from helping Inko when she needed it. And for that, she'd always be thankful.
"Yes. The cancer hasn't gotten worse but...it's still eight months to a year."
There was a long, suffocating silence. No one knew what to say or how to say it. She was given the news not long after Izumi started kindergarten. Since that day, she's been dreading her daughter ever finding out.
As the adults quietly sipped on their tea, two teary eyed children suddenly ran down the stairs. Izumi's crying and Katsuki's shouting made the adults jump as they barged into the room.
"I'm sorry! Deku, stop!" Katsuki yelled as he chased after a blur of green hair.
Izumi leapt into her mother's arms and latched on like a koala. Her tiny, freckled hands playing with her mother's hair as she sobbed and hiccupped.
"Zumi? What's wrong baby?" Inko cooed.
Mitsuki quickly turned to her own child. She knew Katsuki could be harsh with his words. But on a day like today when emotions and tensions were already running high, it could easily be worse.
"What did you do brat?!" She hissed.
"I didn't mean to make her cry!" He shouted.
Tears ran down his pale cheeks as he scowled. He didn't understand why his mother was yelling at him. He didn't do anything wrong. He was only protecting and taking care of his friend. And he couldn't help that Izumi cried because he cared about her.
"She just...she doesn't have a quirk! She can't be a hero! But she said she'll be a hero anyway and she can't! She won't be strong enough and she'll get hurt!"
Katsuki glared between his mother and Izumi. The conversation from his room replayed in his head and filled his mind with anxiety and dread.
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"I'm sorry you don't have a quirk Deku. But don't worry! I'll protect you!"
Izumi giggled sadly. "That's ok. I'll get strong and become a quirkless hero. I'll be able to protect myself and still save people. Just like All Might!"
"No, you can't! You'll just get hurt. Quirkless people can't fight or be heroes. They aren't strong enough."
"I'll be the first! You'll see Kacchan!"
"NO! No, you can't!"
"But..."
"No Deku! You'll only get hurt or get in the way. It's too dangerous to try to be a hero without a quirk."
"No Kacchan! I will!"
"NO YOU WON'T! I WON'T LET YOU!"
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Mitsuki sighed as she scooped up her son. She held him in a bear hug and kissed his wet cheek as he tried to squirm out of her arms.
"Listen to me brat" She cooed. "I know you're scared of Zumi getting hurt, but you don't get to decide what she does or doesn't do."
"But..." Crimson met crimson and all Mitsuki could see was devastation and fear."...What if she gets hurt? What if she gets taken by a villain? I'm supposed to protect her." His little lip wabbled as he looked up at his mother.
Inko smiled fondly at the tiny blonde. Understanding that he didn't mean to hurt her daughter. Her nephew could be as explosive as his quirk at times. But she was greatful for the love and protectiveness he showed Izumi. Even if sometimes he didn't make the right choices.
Masaru ruffled his son's hair with a loving smile as a proud smirk settled on Mitsuki's lips. "You really are a good little brat, Katsuki." She cooed as she bumped his nose with hers. "Yes, you should protect her if she needs it. But that doesn't mean you decide what she can and can't do. It just means that if she needs help, you help her. If she needs you, you're there. That's what being a friend is. It's being there when things are hard and laughing together when things are good. Do you understand?"
The small blonde nodded with a sniffle as he wiped away tears. His gaze then moved across the table to a set of jade eyes that were already studying him.
Sheepishly, he jumped down from his mother's lap and walked to Izumi's side. Reaching for one of her pigtails and playing with the unbraided curls. "I'm sorry Zu. I didn't mean to make you cry."
She gave her best friend a teary eyed smile as she ruffled his blonde hair gently. "S'ok Kacchan."
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"Mama? Why are you packing up your room?"
Six months had passed since that dinner with the Bakugo's and Inko's time was running out. She could feel it a little more every day. Her muscles were getting weaker. She had a persistent cough that would sometimes leave her breathless. Her days were numbered, and they were counting down quickly.
She had been slowly selling what valuables she owned and packed away keepsakes and heirlooms to bring to the Bakugo's basement for safe keeping. Her room was mostly barren other than the few boxes she was still packing and the few things she needed to live the rest of her life comfortably.
"Oh! Um...I'm just moving some things around. I wanted to do some deep cleaning, and I can't have everything in the way."
Izumi nodded in understanding as she peaked into one of the boxes near the door. Inside were a few brown suits and colorfully themed ties. Her little nose scrunched at the ugly clothes.
"Mama? Why do you have these?" She asked while lifting an ugly yellow tie with teddy bear faces on it.
"Hmm?" Inko peered over as a small, sad smile settled on her lips.
Hisashi loved that tie. It made all of her husband's patient's giggle. If a child was too scared to talk during their therapy sessions, he'd remove his tie and let them play with it. Sometimes he'd even come home with a tie so knotted up, Inko had to help him undo it.
"Oh, those were your fathers." She answered. "I kept them for memories, but I think I'm just going to donate them."
The small greenette looked down at the box, then back at her mother. Dad...father. They weren't words she'd ever gotten to say. Whenever the topic of her dad came up, her mother would cry. So, she stopped asking about him.
"You don't talk about dad." She whispered.
Inko closed her eyes. "I know..." She sighed.
She then took a deep breath and put down the comforter she was folding. Guilt washed over her. She spent years ignoring her daughter's questions. There were pictures in the house, but it was so hard to talk about Hisashi. And soon she'd never be able to tell Izumi about him.
"I'm sorry baby. I know I have trouble talking about him but, your father did love you." She said through a knot forming in her throat. "He was a sweet, kind, caring man and when he died...it was a really sad day. I just want you to always know that mommy and daddy love you more than anything. You're the best little girl we could have ever asked for. My strong little juniper."
The words slammed into Izumi's tiny heart.
She allowed her mother to pick her up and quietly laid in her arms. There had been something on her mind for a while. Something she wasn't sure how to tell her mother. A secret she's kept since a little after the day they visited the quirk doctor.
"...W-what if I don't want to be...a girl?" She asked in a whisper.
Inko furrowed her brows and sat up straighter on the bed. She wasn't sure if she heard her daughter correctly. And if she did...she didn't know what to think.
"What do you mean sweety?" She asked. Kissing just above her daughter's ear.
Izumi played with her fingers as she stared at her All Might socks. "What if I want to be a boy? W-will you still l-love me?" She asked with a sniffle.
The question was not only shocking, but heart breaking. Inko didn't understand how her child could think she wouldn't love them.
"Oh, baby." She said, giving Izumi a squeeze. "I will always love you no matter what. Where is this coming from? Are you alright?"
Curly pigtails whipped back and forth as Izumi shook her head. Her eyes were glassy and it was hard to hold in her tears.
"Mama...I don't feel like a girl." She said shakily. "I don't like being a girl. I feel icky. I don't like my name or the skirt I have to wear to school. I don't like the kids at school telling me to play with makeup and dolls. My hair is too long, and I look like a girl and I don't like it."
Inko blinked a few times processing the information. She knew she'd have to do some research and talk to Mitsuki and Masaru soon. There was a lot to figure out if she wanted to help her child. But there was something she could do right now. Small changes to maybe put a smile on her little one's face again.
"So...I have a son is what you're saying?" She asked softly.
Izumi perked up. His head nodding sheepishly.
Inko chuckled and kissed her son's cheek. "Ok. Well, since my daughter's name was Izumi, what's your name? What do you want me to call you? At least until we figure everything out."
The small greenette gazed at his mother with wide teary eyes. He expected to have to explain himself more. Possibly even be told no. That he had to be a girl and that his feelings were wrong.
"I was thinking Iz-Izuku." He said shyly
Inko nodded and brushed a flyaway curl behind her son's ear. There were a lot of emotions swirling inside her. Loss, fear, confusion. She loved her child. But, if trying to figure this out made him happy, she'd do whatever she needed to.
"Izuku? That's a very handsome name." She reassured. "It's nice to meet you Izuku. I love you very much."
She then grabbed her sons long curly hair that she loved so much and played with it one last time. Her eyes burning with tears as the strands fell between her fingers.
Doing her child's hair was the best part of her mornings. If she'd known this morning what she knew now, she would've savored it more.
"After lunch why don't we go down to the salon and get you a proper haircut? Would you like that Izuku?" She asked.
Tears fell down chubby cheeks as he nodded.
The overwhelming happiness he felt at that moment was too much. His mind and body were light in a way that it had never been before.
He always felt like there was something wrong with him. Like he was broken. But he was always too scared to tell anyone. Now he wished he had said something sooner.
"Y-yes! I want to go!" He cried. Wrapping his arms around his mother's neck in a tight hug.