It was early morning when Shouta woke up. The sun was just rising, and Shouta mourned the fact that even when he didn't have patrol, he couldn't get himself to sleep in.
He had taken a few days off from patrol so he could be here to help Izuku settle into their home. He hadn't told his agency that was the reason, but they were more than happy to give him the time off. Shouta didn't even remember the last time he asked for it.
Right now, Izuku was still lying against his chest, sleeping soundly. His husband was turned the other way, soft snores escaping his mouth. Usually, Hizashi was the early riser, so it was nice to see him sleep peacefully.
Shouta relished in the moment, running his fingers softly through Izuku's hair, careful not to wake him. He looked down at the end of the bed, and Bastard was already awake, staring at him. Shouta raised a brow, and Bastard stretched before hopping off the bed gracefully.
Shouta rolled his eyes and looked back down at Izuku. He was still fast asleep and probably would be for a while. That was good, since he had a rough night.
He took a few more minutes before deciding to get up. Shouta carefully unwound himself from the kid, handing him a pillow to cuddle instead. Luckily, it worked, and he didn't wake up. Shouta went to the other side of the bed and leaned down to kiss Hizashi's head.
Shouta made his way to the bathroom and freshened up. He kept his cat pyjamas on and quietly walked downstairs. Shouta started the coffee maker and went to grab his work bag that sat by the couch.
Sitting down, he took out Izuku's notebooks. He had gone through them every night he came home from the hospital, and still, he had no idea what was written in them. Shouta had done some heavy research into it, too, and still nothing.
On some pages, though, there were doodles. It vaguely looked like a person in different fighting stances, and Shouta wondered if they were supposed to resemble Izuku. He wondered, not for the first time, if just asking the kid about them was a good idea.
His coffee was done, so he put the notebooks away for now and went to grab it. He made a pot for Hizashi since he knew he'd probably wake up soon.
Shouta sat on the couch, just using the time to relax. Bastard eventually joined him and tolerated Shouta's pets for a bit until he wanted down. Shouta briefly wondered if the cat was going back to Izuku. He was still surprised at how quickly Bastard warmed up to him. He was also glad, though. He wouldn't know what to do if the cat hissed at or scratched the kid.
Sometime later, he heard soft footsteps padding down the stairs. Shouta turned, and Hizashi came into view. Hizashi immediately went over to him and leaned down to kiss him. Shouta smiled and stood up to face him properly.
"The kid still asleep?" Shouta asked. Hizashi nodded.
"Mhm. I'll make breakfast. Should probably check on him soon so he doesn't wake up alone."
Just as Hizashi was about to go to the kitchen, Shouta grabbed his arm.
"Do you think I should ask him about his notebooks?"
Hizashi's eyebrows raised. "Still can't crack 'em?"
Shouta sighed and shook his head. "Nope. I swear, it's complete gibberish."
"Hmm. Well, I don't know. If you think it's the best course of action, go ahead. Just be cognizant of his reactions."
Shouta nodded and let him go start breakfast. He finished his coffee, then went upstairs to check on the kid.
Izuku was stirring when Shouta entered the room, so he slowly sat on the bed. He was right, Bastard was lying next to the kid. Shouta shook his head in amusement.
"Morning, kid," he said quietly when Izuku's eyes opened. Izuku looked up at him, his eyes still thick with sleep.
"Morning…" the kid mumbled, and he rubbed his eyes. Izuku was struggling a bit to sit up, so Shouta helped him.
"'Zashi's making food for us. You can take your medication after, okay? It'll help." Izuku nodded.
"How's your pain level? Do you think you could walk to the bathroom?" Shouta let the kid decide what was best for him.
After a moment of the kid probably figuring out his limits, he nodded slowly. "I-I think so… it doesn't hurt too bad. W-Will you be there…?"
Shouta didn't hesitate. "Of course. I'll be with you the whole way, promise. If you need a break, don't hesitate to let me know."
Izuku nodded. He took a deep breath before getting off the bed. Shouta held his hands under the kid's arms to steady him, and when Izuku said so, he let go. The kid was standing fine for now, and he started walking towards the door.
Shouta followed closely behind him, ready to be there if needed. Izuku was taking it slow, but that was to be expected. He made his way to the bathroom door, and Shouta waited outside for him.
It took a while, and Shouta was considering knocking on the door to check on him before the door opened. He was relieved, but he could tell the kid was struggling a lot more now.
"I'm proud of you, kid. You did a lot." Izuku blushed under the praise but didn't say anything. Shouta knew he'd have to help the kid with accepting compliments. It felt hypocritical, since Hizashi always told him to accept compliments, but whatever.
Shouta carried the kid down the stairs. Hizashi turned to look at them and smiled widely when he saw Izuku.
"Morning, Listener! Did you sleep well?" Izuku nodded and smiled back at Hizashi. His moods were always infectious.
"Right on! Breakfast will be ready soon!"
Shouta brought Izuku to the couch and sat down next to him. "Kid, do you remember any, uh… notebooks, that were in your cell?" Well, one way to bring up the subject was just to be blunt about it.
He could feel Hizashi's stare on the back of his head, but he ignored it in favour of watching Izuku's expression. He looked shocked.
"U-Um… yeah I… I thought they were left behind…" Iuzku tilted his head in confusion, probably wondering why he brought this up and how he knew about them.
"Oh, well… I actually have them with me. Here. Do you want to see them?" Now Izuku looked disbelieving but also excited.
"Y-You have them? Really?" Shouta nodded before taking them out of his bag. He set them on the kid's lap, and he just lit up.
"Wow! I-I can't believe you had these!" He started flipping through the pages, eyes roaming over them.
Shouta let him examine the notebooks some more before asking him, "Do you mind telling me what's in them? You don't have to if you don't want to. They are yours, anyway."
If the kid decided to keep it from him, he wouldn't be mad, but he would be a little upset. He has been so curious as to what they were, but Shouta valued the kid's privacy above his own needs. If he guessed correctly, this was probably one of – if not the only – thing that Izuku was able to keep to himself at the base.
Izuku hesitated, hands hovering over the notebooks before he looked up at Shouta.
"Some of them… are my analyses on d-different villains at the base. M-Most though… are about me. My q-quirks. Before I was… um, taken, my favourite thing to do was analyze heroes and their quirks. Kurogiri had old ones at the base and gave them to me. At first I didn't… want to write in them. I was in too much p-pain to really use them. But… they became my refuge in that place."
Shouta didn't interrupt him, but he was a little surprised. Don't get him wrong, he was glad the kid had something for himself while he was there, but he didn't expect it to be something like this.
"I wrote them in code because… well, I was scared Kurogiri would take them away and show Sensei. I c-couldn't let him do that. I wrote many, um, theories about my abilities. If… if Sensei knew my full potential… he would've done so much w-worse…" he ended in a whisper, and Shouta grabbed his hand to ground him.
Izuku shook himself out of it and continued. "They probably just thought it was nothing important. So I continued doing it. Kurogiri didn't care when I kept asking for more notebooks… he was weirdly happy about it."
Shouta hummed, wondering what Kurogiri's motives were.
"How'd you come up with that code? It's impressive."
Izuku blushed and ducked his head. "Ah… thank you. A-Along with notebooks, Kurogiri would sometimes give me books to read. He- he told me it was because I had to get some form of education. Most of the books were about different languages. I put them together… along with some other symbols I created."
Shouta just breathed out in astonishment. This kid…
"That's… wow, I mean…" Shouta was at a loss for words.
He could tell Izuku took it the wrong way when he curled up a little and apologized. "It-it's weird… I know… I'm sorry."
Shouta shook his head, "No, no. Not at all, kid. Like I said, it's impressive. I'm just so… amazed that you could do that in your situation. Don't apologize."
Izuku glanced up at him, shocked. Shouta felt angry at everyone who told this kid otherwise, who made him think his passions were "weird". Shouta wrapped an arm around him, and Izuku relaxed against his side.
"Thank you…," he whispered, and Shouta smiled. Just then, Hizashi called them over for breakfast.
They were eating, soft conversations going on between Hizashi and Izuku, when Shouta spoke up.
"Hey, kid. Do you think you could tell Hizashi and me about your quirks? No pressure, but it may help you feel better about not losing control. Plus, it can help us help you strengthen your control over your quirks."
The kid didn't outright object, so that was good. He looked to be contemplating it.
"O-Okay… but, can we go outside? It'll be easier… to show you."
Shouta and Hizashi both confirmed that it was fine. Besides the aerokinetic one he knew about from the lab notes, he wondered if his first quirk also had something to do with nature.
"Of course, Listener! Whatever you're comfortable with," Hizashi said kindly. Izuku relaxed at that and continued eating his breakfast.
Like always, Izuku didn't eat much. Hizashi and he wouldn't push it, though. They didn't want the kid to get sick. They would just have to be patient and hope Izuku recovered enough to eat more.
After the two of them finished eating, Aizawa gathered their plates. Izuku was adamant on putting his own plate away, too, wanting to help out since Hizashi made food.
Shouta huffed. "Fine, kid. If you're gonna do it, at least let me help," he said and put the plates he had down on the table. He then picked Izuku up and held him on his hip like Hizashi did yesterday. Izuku used on arm to hook around Shouta's neck to hold onto him, his free one holding his plate and utensils.
Shouta brought them into the kitchen with the plates he managed to grab. He put them in the sink and leaned down slightly so Izuku could put his in, too.
Just when Shouta was about to bring them both back to the dining room to get the remaining dishes, Izuku's eyes caught onto something on the wall beside the sink. It was their calendar. Shouta wondered for the first time if Izuku even knew what the date was.
As if to confirm his thoughts, Izuku asked, "Um… A-Aizawa? What's the date today?"
"It's September 20th."
"A-And… what's the, um, year?" This question was asked with a little more hesitation. Shouta froze. He didn't jump to conclusions, but if this is what he thought it was, Shouta was suddenly realizing just how much he didn't ask Izuku about how long he thought he'd been with All for One.
Shouta kept his voice neutral when he responded, "2090."
Now, Izuku was frozen in his arms, and his eyes were losing focus. Shit.
"Kid, hey," Shouta called out, trying to make eye contact with him. He wasn't responsive.
"'Zashi!" he yelled as he left the kitchen. Hizashi immediately came over, noticing Izuku's state.
"What happened?" Hizashi asked frantically, holding his arms out to hold Izuku.
Shouta ran a hand through his hair. "I messed up, I think. He asked about the date, and then the year. When I told him, he… checked out like this. Shit, 'Zashi. I don't think he even knew how long he's been in there."
Hizashi looked distressed, and he brought Izuku to the couch. He sat with the kid in his lap, and Shouta sat beside them.
"It's not your fault, Shou. We never even thought of asking him if he knew. I can't imagine what he's feeling right now… How long did he think he was in there?" Hizashi started whispering.
Shouta didn't have an answer for that. They sat with Izuku, trying to ground him back to the present. In the process, Bastard and Sushi had appeared. Sushi was curious, but kept his distance from Izuku, sitting with Shouta since Hizashi's lap was taken. Bastard was the complete opposite; he immediately made his way onto Izuku's lap, staring up at him like he knew what was going on.
Bastard meowed and curled up on Izuku, and to both the heroes' astonishment, started purring loudly. This cat just keeps surprising them.
Izuku was struggling. He kept falling into flashback after flashback, and he hated it. He wasn't sure what was real or not anymore.
He was back in his cell, it was cold and dark. Abruptly, his cell door slammed open, making Izuku jump. In the doorway was the Doctor. Izuku tensed, immediately curling into the corner to get as far away from the man as possible.
"Midoriyaaa~" the Doctor said in a sing-song voice, and Izuku felt himself starting to panic. Why was he here? He never came into his cell…
Suddenly, Aizawa's voice filled his mind.
"What I do is think of anything that seemed off about the nightmare. It could be a person who's not supposed to be there, or sometimes the place you're in is not fully developed, so only one part of it is completely visible. If you happen to look into a mirror or something where you can see your reflection, it may look off, maybe blurry. Did you notice anything like that?"
Izuku analyzed the dream with a little more clarity. He wasn't here, it wasn't real. Nevertheless, the Doctor still instilled such a deep, debilitating fear in him, it was hard to relax with him here.
He took some deep breaths, telling himself over and over, This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real.
Izuku didn't move from his spot, and he didn't listen to the Doctor's voice. It seemed like forever before he felt like opening his eyes. When he did, he was somewhere else. No, he was… in Yamada and Aizawa's home.
He could feel arms around him and a weight in his lap. Izuku blinked, trying to remember what brought him to this point. He was in the kitchen with Aizawa putting his dishes away, then… the calendar. Right. Izuku asked about the date. He was curious, but… he realized he had no idea what year he was in.
Back at the base, he had no way to tell time. There was no window in his cell to tell when the sun rose and set, and he was always inside, besides the off-chance he was allowed out. He figured that a significant amount of time had passed, yes, but he never had an accurate sense.
Food was never consistent, so it wasn't like the first meal he always had was breakfast. Training and experiments were erratic; most of the time, it depended on Sensei's moods. And those were never regulated.
By the way his body grew, Izuku estimated two, or at most three, years had passed. But four years? It wasn't horribly longer than his guess, but knowing for sure was different.
The two heroes must have noticed he had come back to the present because Yamada's arms tightened around him slightly, and Aizawa leaned forward from his spot.
"Kid, you back with us?" Aizawa asked him, and Izuku nodded. At the same time, he realized it was Bastard that was in his lap, and he started petting him. Ah, that noise was Bastard purring.
Yamada rubbed Izuku's arm. "Do you want to tell us what happened?"
Izuku took a moment to collect himself and his thoughts. "Back… there, I never had any sense of time. I h-had guessed, but… I was off. And I just…" Izuku sighed, his body slumping against Yamada.
"It's hard to… to understand completely how long I was there for…" Izuku trailed off, still petting Bastard absentmindedly.
"That's understandable. Four years is a long time. And I'm so sorry that you had to endure that for so long," Aizawa said, placing his hand over Izuku's free one.
Izuku sniffled and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He just wanted to move on, but something as small as the date was setting him off. He was frustrated.
Aizawa squeezed his hand. "I know that look on your face, kid. Don't be mad at yourself for this. You went through horrific things, and healing won't be linear. But Hizashi and I will be here for you to get you through it."
That did make Izuku feel better, but he still felt lingering bitterness at himself.
Aizawa took his hand away and stood up. "I'll go get your pain meds for you," he said and ruffled Izuku's hair gently before leaving.
Yamada kept his hold on Izuku, which he felt was very comforting. Izuku would think that after four years of non-consensual and harsh touches that always brought pain, he would have more of an aversion to it. However, Yamada and Aizawa have only been kind to him, and at this point, Izuku craved it.
Aizawa came back with the medication, and Izuku took it with the glass of water he also brought over. He found that he did genuinely want to show Yamada and Aizawa his quirks, but he wanted to just relax for now.
He was sure the heroes also picked up on that, so they stayed in the living room for a while.
"Do you want to watch something, Little Listener?" Yamada asked him, and Izuku thought about it.
"Can we p-put on an All Might documentary?" he asked hesitantly. Izuku did tell Aizawa that All Might was his favourite, and there was no negative reaction. Back at the base, though, there was such hatred for heroes and especially All Might that any mention of him from Izuku got him in trouble. He learned very quickly to never bring up the number one hero.
"Of course! I'm sure I could find one easily," Yamada reassured, and Izuku relaxed. Okay, he wasn't a taboo topic.
They spent the next hour or so watching a documentary, and Izuku will never get over his excitement and fanboying of the hero. He was just so cool! This was the perfect thing to put on; he felt a lot better already.
Even Aizawa was paying attention to the documentary. Izuku wasn't sure if the hero was a fan of All Might. He would say probably not, just because of how much Aizawa values the underground scene.
So this was interesting to him. Yamada seemed to notice, too, and teased the hero about being "soft", whatever that was supposed to mean.
When it was over, Izuku felt a little more energized. All Might was just so inspiring! He sat up in Yamada's hold, startling Bastard and making him jump off.
"Can I still… show you my q-quirks?"
"Of course, baby! If you're up to it, we can go outside," Yamada said and lifted Izuku from the underarms into a standing position. Aizawa stood up next to him, holding his hand. Yamada stood on the other side, also holding his hand.
"Will you be okay to walk? How's your leg?" Aizawa asked him.
Izuku cautiously tested his leg by putting slight pressure on it. He didn't feel overwhelming pain, so he thought it was probably fine.
"Yeah! Let's go!" Izuku didn't think he'd be so excited to do this. The only time he's used his quirks was for training strictly controlled by Sensei. Ever since the suppression cuff had come off, he felt weird. He couldn't remember the last time he had it off for so long.
His quirks were very loud inside of him, but after a few days, they had subsided and just… existed. It was a strange sensation. Even when he developed his first quirk, he had to get used to it. In the first few days of getting his second one, he felt constantly exhausted, like both of the quirks were fighting for his energy.
It wasn't quite like that now, though he did find himself getting bouts of exhaustion sometimes.
The three of them made it outside in their backyard without an issue. Izuku wasn't sure if it was because of his quirks, but every time he was outside, in nature, he just felt rejuvenated.
"How would you like to show us, kid?" Aizawa asked him. Izuku hummed and looked around their backyard. It wasn't too big, so he wouldn't do much.
"Uh, just stand here," Izuku said and let go of both of their hands. He steadied himself and took a few steps back. He could stand by himself for now, so this would be fine.
When Izuku reached out to his quirks, it was like a rush of adrenaline hit him. He tried not to get them mixed up; he didn't have much practice using one separate from the other yet.
Izuku focused on the ground around them. He pulled up with his hands, and parts of the earth jutted up around him. Looking at Yamada and Aizawa's shocked expressions, he pushed them back down, and the earth went back to how it was.
Izuku was a bit nervous, he had never shown anyone else what he could do. That was just part of it, but he wasn't sure what else he'd be allowed to show.
"Um… the o-other one is new, so… I-I'm not sure how well I'll be able to control it," Izuku warned, and Aizawa nodded at him. He'd be ready to erase his quirk if it was needed.
Izuku took a deep breath and let his eyes flutter closed as he felt the wind around him. He had to admit, this was somewhat easier to handle back at the base because of the lack of wind currents in the training room.
He took hold of the current, opening his eyes and creating a mini-tornado. He then shaped it into a sphere that hovered in his hands. So far, so good.
Yamada and Aizawa watched him in awe, and Izuku couldn't lie, it felt nice. The villains always had malicious interest in his quirks, especially Sensei, who exploited them with every chance he got.
Izuku tried to make the air sphere go away, but it only got bigger. His eyes widened, and he quickly looked to Aizawa, who didn't hesitate to erase his quirk. The man's quirk would never not amaze him, and to have it used on himself was jarring but cool.
Izuku released a breath when his quirk was cut off. "Thanks," Izuku mumbled, and the heroes steadied him when they noticed how much he was slumping over.
"Those are some quirks you got there, kid. Have you ever had the chance to use them outside?" Aizawa asked him, simultaneously picking him up so he didn't have to stand uncomfortably.
Izuku shook his head and latched onto him. "No… only inside. Sensei would sometimes turn the training room into different environments, but… it was artificial. Being out here… It's more power than I've ever felt."
Yamada placed a hand on his back. "Well, looks like we have to go outside more often, then! It helps you feel better beyond just your quirks, yeah?"
Izuku was surprised that he noticed. He guessed it wasn't that hard, seeing how much more tranquil he felt when he was out here.
"Mhm. I feel… more, when I'm out here. With my first quirk… It's like I can feel the earth moving and the vibrations underneath the surface. It's a weird sensation…"
"Hmm, I bet, Little Listener. If you're up to it, Shou and I can look into getting you proper training–" Izuku flinched at the word choice. He knew that was not what Yamada meant, but… he couldn't help but feel his body lock up at the suggestion.
Yamada noticed and immediately looked regretful. "Ah, sorry, kiddo. I should've chosen a better way to say it. It's nothing like that. At this stage, we'd probably only work on your control. See how much you can do without experiencing quirk exhaustion. Only if you want to, though. We most likely can't do too much right now, anyway, with your physical therapy."
Izuku laid his head on Aizawa's shoulder, thinking about it. It did feel… good to use them just now. To not have to be pushed until he passed out. To just freely use his quirks with no reprimand or punishment. With professional heroes like Aizawa and Yamada helping him, he may just want to do it.
"O-Okay… I want to," Izuku said, feeling more determined. Aizawa ruffled his hair with a small smile.
"You're very brave, kid. For now, we'll work on strengthening your arm and hand muscles. You probably have to use your hands a lot for your quirks, right?" Aizawa asked him, and Izuku nodded in confirmation.
"So we'll need to work on that. That'll be the first step in mastering control."
Izuku could feel tears building up. Gah, why did he cry so much?! He didn't think he'd ever get used to their kindness. He was never given these choices, so he thoroughly appreciated it.
"T-Thank you," he said in a shaky voice.
"Aww, no problem, Listener! We are here to help you!" Yamada said kindly, rubbing his back. Aizawa just tightened his hold on him, whispering reassuring words in his ear.
Izuku cried it out, and they brought him inside again.
Throughout the day, they took it slow. His physical therapy still left him sore, but he could feel a stark difference. He didn't feel as nauseous when eating, so that was good, but he could still only eat small portions.
Aizawa suggested that he have healthy snacks as the day went on in between meals. This would make up for the small amount he would eat, and he wouldn't feel overly hungry by the time lunch and dinner were made. Izuku liked the idea, but it would be a lot to adjust to.
When night approached, Izuku felt nervous. He didn't want last night to happen again.
Aizawa carried him to his room, Yamada and Bastard close behind. Izuku guessed that Bastard sleeping in his room would become a normal occurrence. When he was set down on his bed, Aizawa patted him on the head.
"Do you want to leave the lamp on? It may help. Hizashi and I can get you a nightlight for future nights," Aizawa suggested. It did sound better than sleeping in a completely dark room, so he nodded.
Bastard hopped onto the bed and made himself comfortable in the space next to Izuku. Maybe Bastard would help with his lonely feelings at night.
"Shou and I will also just be right across the hall, okay? We know the past few weeks have been a big change, so don't hesitate to come get us," Yamada encouraged. Regardless of being told this, Izuku still felt bad for interrupting their sleep if he were to do that.
Izuku compromised with himself: he would try to sleep alone, but if he undoubtedly couldn't handle it to the point of panic, he would get the heroes.
"Okay," Izuku confirmed, and both of them said goodnight to him before leaving. Aizawa was about to shut the door, but Izuku called out.
"W-Wait!" Aizawa stopped and turned to face Izuku.
"Can you… um, leave the door open a little? Please?" It reminded him too much of the cell when the door would constantly be closed. This door wouldn't be locked, but it would make him feel a lot better.
Aizawa nodded and left the door slightly open. "Of course. Goodnight, kid. Sleep well." Iuzku said goodnight and got comfortable in his bed.
Izuku was lying on his side so that he was facing Bastard, who already seemed to be sleeping. Izuku pet him softly so that he wouldn't be disturbed.
After a bit, he could feel his limbs relax and sag into the mattress. He kept his hand on Bastard and slipped into sleep.