Day 6's story for VD9week18! VD9week18 is basically a countdown week for the opening of pre-orders of the VD9 Villain!Deku zine that has been open since July 15!

You can get them here:

(https): (/)(vd9zine18).(bigcartel) (products) just remember to take the parenthesis between the words and dots! They're open til September 9!

I'm so excited to share this with you guys and hope you enjoy it!

Anju

P.S. There is no Day 7. This is the last of this collection!

Day 6 Prompt: Freeday

"Izuku." Eri said, grasping Izuku's attention from what he was currently doing.

Being his day off, and making sure it was a day off, Izuku decided to take Eri to the park. Since it was Eri's first time, Izuku made sure to make her enjoy as much as possible without her getting uncomfortable. After playing a few games of Marco Polo and a bit of catch, the two decided to have lunch. Sitting under the biggest shade, Izuku prepared a picnic, braiding Eri's long hair as she ate.

"What is it?" Izuku said, tying a small elastic band at the end of the fish braid he had made for Eri. Now he was deciding on which accessory to finish it off with: the green cat or the black one?

"Why do I still have to wear the pin you gave me? It's been a whole month since we played hide-n-seek with Chisaki and you said he called the other day to say we won. Now that we won, why do I still have to wear it?" Eri said, Izuku blinking his eyes at the question. PIcking up the green cat, he clipped it onto her white hair.

"Well, it's just that," Izuku patted her head. "Cats suit you. And don't you just love cats?" Eri nodded her head, throwing her arms into the air.

"I love them!" Eri said with a smile, making Izuku smile as well.

"And not only that. If you do get lost, I have a way to find you. After all, you're still trying to get familiar with the neighborhood." Izuku said, reaching over her shoulder for a slice of apple pie.

"I guess that makes sense." Eri said, looking down at the apple pie in front of her. "Izuku."

"Yeah?" Izuku wondered why she was asking some many questions, not that he mind. It's been a hectic month after all.

"Something Chisaki told me before has been bothering me." Now that's interesting. Eri turned around to face Izuku, a frown on her face. "Is it true that you are no different from him? I don't really know what Chisaki did, but-" Eri grasped the edges of her skirt. "Chisaki did mean things to hurt others. Do you hurt others Izuku? Are you going to hurt me?" Eri asked, shocking Izuku.

"I would never hurt you! Never!" Izuku said, wrapping his arms around the tiny girl, hugging her tightly. "I would never hurt you. Not after all that you've been through." Izuku pulled himself away, noticing tears running down Eri's face. He wiped them away with a handkerchief, putting on his best smile. " You need a hero, everyone does- or at least, my mom used to say." Izuku said, smiling at the memory from years ago. "And I want to be that hero for you."

"And you are!" Eri said, hugging Izuku. "When I grow up, I want to be a hero too!" Eri said, smiling widely at Izuku, her eyes shining bright with hope. "What's wrong Izuku?" Eri asked, looking at Izuku worriedly.

"Why do you ask?" Izuku said, looking at Eri curiously.

"You're...crying." Eri said, handing him a napkin. Taking it, Izuku wiped what seemed to be tears that fell from his eyes. He looked at the napkin, wondering why he was crying. "Are you okay Izuku?" Eri asked him again, waiting for an answer. Izuku shook his head.

"I'm good Eri. Sorry for making you worry." Izuku said, finding out mid-sentence why he was crying. "I just remembered about something that happened like this before, when I was little." Izuku said, patting Eri's head. This is what probably his mom felt when Izuku had told her that he wanted to be a hero.

He wanted to be a hero, just like his mom. He wanted to save people, he wanted to stop their tears, he wanted a better life for his mom, and yet-

Izuku looked at Eri who had somehow got comfortable on the picnic blanket and started to doze off. "Eri, why don't we go visit someone?" That got Eri to sit up.

"Who are we going to visit?" Eri said, rubbing her eyes.

"Someone very important to me." Izuku said, packing the picnic things way and picking Eri up. "My hero."

"So your hero lives here?" Eri said, walking alongside Izuku, holding onto his hand. Izuku nodded. They stood in front of an apartment door, one that Izuku let his feet walk him to.

"Yup! And I have to tell you something before we enter." Izuku said, kneeling in front of her. "This person is very important to me. She is someone I trust and you can trust her too. She'll protect you if something tries to harm you. So if the day ever comes where you feel like you're in danger and I can't make it in time, some here." Izuku said, standing up.

"But that day would never come, will it?" Eri asked, not getting a response from Izuku, only a sad smile. Izuku walked up to the doorbell and rang it, holding onto Eri's hand tightly. He really hopes she's still lives here.

"Coming!" A voice said after Izuku rung the doorbell, his legs shaking as he waited for the person to open the door. He looked to the left and to his right- nothing has changed. But he certainly has.

He was no longer the boy who had left this building two years ago. His hair wasn't unruly, it was now kept back with the help of a headband a few bobby pins. He longer wore baggy clothing but now, a fitted suit. He no longer walked with a hunch, but now with confidence, lean and tall. Lastly, he wasn't the boy who aspired to be a hero. He was-

"Izuku?" The person who opened the door said, making Izuku snap from his thoughts. "Is that really you?" The person said, tears building up in her eyes, the ones he inherited. The scent of laundry, the warmness radiating like that of bread and the gentleness in her voice. It really was her.

"Hey mom." Izuku said, tears running down his face. "I'm home!"

Note: Although this is part of a collection, this oneshot is in no way connected to the previous day's timeline. Although they include similar elements, or seem to fit to another day's timeline, this oneshot is in a timeline of its own.