All four teens (and BitchBoy, but Izuku doesn't really care about him and plus he splits off from them pretty quickly) are finally allowed to leave the infirmary for the thirty minute break between the Semi-Finals and the Finals. Goldie scampers off to his group of friends, face red, and Toshi, MeiMei, and Izuku all decide to just go walking around the halls aimlessly. It's not like they really have anything to plan. MeiMei knows she's not going to win her next match and Izuku just wants to get his mind off his next match. CandyCane is angry, that much Izuku can see, and the bi-colored teen thinks that the other will only continue to get angrier.
Maybe he can use that anger against the teen though.
Either way, whether he can use the anger against CandyCane or not isn't important right now. Because seeing as how it's just him, MeiMei, and Toshi, MeiMei apparently decides now is a good time to ask Izuku a question that's been on her mind since the boy had told her that he was living with Mr. I-know-what-I'm-doing-here and his husband.
"Hey ZuZu? When you finally get out of her custody and legally taken in by your adults, will you update your quirk registry?"
Izuku's steps stutter, but he keeps walking. He's...never actually thought about it. He never really thought that he'd get out of Inko's grip other than staying over at MeiMei's, but now that she's going on trial and will most likely end up in jail for a lot of crimes, he can think about it.
Doesn't mean he wants to though.
"I dunno. Maybe." Izuku says, humming in thought. "What would I even call it officially? I've been calling it Yeet since it manifested. I don't think I can call it Yeet on official government papers though."
"Talk to your adults about it. They might have some ideas." Toshi offers.
"Yeah. I'll bring it up." Maybe . Is unsaid but is heard loudest by the other two.
"Wait, what do you mean 'legally taken in' by them? I'm already living with them. What more could they do?" Izuku asks, genuine confusion in his voice.
MeiMei and Toshi share a look over his head that he can't discern and Izuku suddenly feels a pit grow in his stomach.
"What do you mean MeiMei?" Izuku asks again.
"When the adoption becomes official, obviously." Toshi answers for her.
"That's if they don't change their mind." The pit grows with his words and Izuku hates it. "I don't have high hopes for the possibility that they won't."
"Zuku…" He knows that voice. It's the voice MeiMei uses when she wants to get more answers out of him, but doesn't want to push.
Izuku smiles to himself because the MeiMei of almost a year ago would have continued to push and she's come so far in social cues. That's not important right now though. What's important (in Izuku's eyes at least) is that he should get away before he has to go through some sentimental talk.
Feelings are to be bottled and then released upon villains. Not talked about with other people.
"I'm gonna go tinker some. See you later!" Izuku says, forcefully bringing cheer into his voice. Running off with a final wave to his friends, Izuku looked for an empty room. He has a lot to think about and he'd rather do it alone.
"Waitー" The words cut off as Izuku got further, and he didn't look back.
His search for an empty room turns into a search for his class' prep room because the rest of his inventions are there, and well, he did say that he would work on them.
His mind wanders as he works. Shouta had said they were wanting to adopt him and Izuku had already accepted, hell he even made his last name a combination of their last names. But...that wasn't official. In the eyes of the law, he was still Izuku Midoriya. And they could easily change their minds. They could decide that he's too much to handle and give him to some foster home. They could burn his adoption papers. They could make him change his name back to Midoriya.
A voice that sounds like Shouta, strangely enough, tells him that they would never do that. That they do want him and they'd never leave him. But Inko used to say that she loved him and then he was misdiagnosed and she hated him. They'll get bored, he's sure.
He's not going to get his hopes up that they wouldn't. It'll just hurt more when they do.
Izuku looks down when something wet hits his hand and he pauses. Is he crying? When was the last time he cried? Izuku can't really remember. He knows he used to cry a lot as a kid, but since he's been growing up more he forced himself to stop crying at every little thing. It's unhealthy, he knows, he did his research, but crying gives others a reason to pick on you so if you stop crying and start giving back the same energy, people tend to leave you alone.
Izuku calls upon Kizu and sets what he was working on down. She looks at him sadly but curls up on the floor anyway. It's an inviting position and Izuku curls up with her. He buries his face in her fur and breathes in her scent.
She smells like a forest on an early Autumn morning and Hydrangeas. But he wants more. He loves Kizu, she's like a mom to him, but...but it's not enough.
He wants Shouta. He wants his dad.
Shouta shares a look with his husband after they hear what Hatsume and Shinsou have to say.
Izuku ran off, and his friends are worried about him.
Shouta curses under his breath. Of course his kid would have thoughts unsaid that would make him believe Shouta and Hizashi wouldn't actually want him. Shouta should have known. Of course after years of being abandoned by those closest to him, he's going to have some deep rooted issues.
"Go, Shou. I'll stall in between Hatsume's and Todoroki's round if I need to. But you have to go make sure our son is okay." Hizashi says. And so Shouta leaves the announcer's booth, three pairs of worried eyes on his back.
Shouta walked towards the support course prep rooms first. It was most likely where Izuku was going to be. And if he wasn't there, then Shouta would just continue to look. He wouldn't stop until he found his kid.
He hears quiet yipping the further down the hallway he goes. It's a yipping he recognizes as Kizu's and he follows the sound.
He's glad he does because what he sees hurts his heart even more. His kid, his son , is crying curled up with Kizu and the dire wolf looks at him with a knowing look before she's nudging Izuku's cheek with her nose and the kid looks up at him, tear stained cheeks and all.
" Dad ." Is choked out from Izuku's throat and Shouta kneels down not too far from the dire wolf and teenager and the latter looks at him like he wants a hug.
Shouta opens his arms in what he hopes is a welcoming gesture, and Izuku lunges at him.
"I'm here, Izuku." Shouta whispers into bi-colored hair.
"I'm here, I promise."
Izuku sniffled into Shouta's chest in response, the kid's hands gripping the back of Shouta's jumper.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Shouta asks after a while of sitting on the floor.
Izuku shakes his head and presses further into Shouta.
"Alright, that's okay. We'll talk about it when you're ready. You don't have to be ready now, but Hizashi and I will always be here for you when you are." Izuku makes a high pitched keening sound and Shouta rubs soothing circles into the small of his kid's back.
Out of the corner of his eye he sees Kizu disappear and figures that she had decided that Shouta and Izuku needed some privacy. He'll find something to give her as thanks next time she appears.
"Shouta?" Izuku's voice draws him out of his thoughts of just what exactly he should get the dire wolf.
He forces himself to not react to Izuku going back to calling him Shouta. If Izuku's not ready, then it's as simple as that.
"Yeah?" Shouta asks.
"Do...When can I...nevermind." Izuku sighs.
"Are you sure Kiddo?" Shouta asks.
"Yeah. I don't...I'm not entirely ready to talk about it, sorry." Izuku says, looking off to the side.
"That's okay Izuku. Like I said, whenever you're ready. Don't force yourself." Maybe they should look into getting Izuku therapy. If Izuku says he doesn't want it, then that's fine, but Hizashi and Shouta should at least discuss it with him.
He'll discuss it with Hizashi first though.
"Can we go now? I wanna watch MeiMei's match." Izuku says.
"Of course Kiddo. Let's go." Shouta says, helping Izuku to his feet and leading them both out of the prep room. They don't talk as they walk towards the announcer's booth, both just basking in the knowledge that the other is there next to them.
It's enough right now, for both of them.
And if Hizashi greets them both with warm smiles and a hug for both of them, then that's only for the three of them to know. Afterall, MeiMei's match is starting soon and none of them want to miss it.
Made by truen o'steen