A/N Another soulmate au. Aizawa/Izuku.
Warnings: Soulmates, Aizawa/Izuku, Male/Male, PTSD, Abusive Hisashi Midoriya, Mafia Izuku, Hawks adopts Izuku, Suicidal Izuku
Izuku's POV
There was a cold mist laying over the docks. It was cold for it being April but it would soon warm up again.
The boy standing at the docks waiting for his contact knew this. All who traversed the docks at night knew this. They knew it would be colder until mid-April then it would suddenly warm up.
Some of the more superstitious folks swore it was people like the boy upsetting one god or another. The boy wasn't one of those people. He believed in only what he could see with his own two eyes.
God didnt exist in a world such as this. If he did then he wouldn't pay attention to people like the boy.
His name was Izuku Midoriya. At thirteen years old he was the best information gather in the mafia. A fact that was resented by many of the adults who served under him.
He stood just over five feet tall with green hair and piercing green eyes. There was lean but powerful muscles adorning his body.
It came from training with the Vanetti family. Young or old all members of the family knew how to fight. To kill if necessary. So they kept in shape to prevent the muscle from becoming fat.
Izuku wore a black button-down shirt and black slacks. Over his clothes was a black trench coat. On his hands were a pair of black fingerless gloves.
A silver chain could be seen connecting to his belt from the pocket. On the other side of the chain was a pocket watch. It bore a wolf howling at a full moon. This was the crest of the Vanetti family.
It was given to him when he was nine years old. Izuku was just beginning as a member of the information division. Due to his age, he was seen more as a street rat that got lucky.
A man had come to meet with Nero the head of the family. Supposedly he was there to negotiate a truce between the families.
Izuku was there to observe and be silent. Nao was his teacher and the one to bring him into the family. Izuku had tried to pick the man's pocket and had been caught.
Instead of lashing out at the child, Nao had taken him home. With a warm meal in the stomach, Izuku was given a choice. Return to the streets and likely die on the streets. Or join the mafia.
There wasnt a choice. Izuku joined the mafia. He would not have lived to see a new year if he didnt. When Nao took him in he was underweight and starving. If it meant he got to live he would do just about anything.
In his year within the mafia, he had only seen the head of the family once. Nao kept him away from the man. To be in the same room as the head was an honor.
The head of the family was Nero Vanetti. He had brown hair that fell into his face. Then strangely warm brown eyes would peer into their very souls.
Something in Izuku froze as the man moved to shake Nero's hand. There was something off about the man.
Heedless of Nao's shout for him for him to stop Izuku lunged forward. His right hand encircled around the man's wrist. Ice went through his veins when their skin made contact.
It was a quirk he realized. Why did it suddenly stop? Could it be?
The man growled angrily, "An erasing quirk?"
That had the others moving and taking him down. Izuku didnt release the wrist until he was successfully secured.
Nero welcomed him officially into the family that night. A few days later he received the pocket watch as proof. He still had to rise through the ranks and earn his keep. However, he was acknowledged by the head of the family. That was more than most could say.
Izuku was fourteen now. It was six years after being taken in and five since he was acknowledged. In that time he mastered the use of most sidearms though he preferred Glock 9mm and sniper rifles. He had also learned to throw knives with deadly accuracy.
Most of his work for Nero was intelligence gathering. Occasionally he would be called for back up in a fight. Or someone needed to be assassinated quietly. Those were the only times Nero truly used his skills as a killer.
On the other hand, when the man went out Izuku was something of a bodyguard. Most people wouldn't try anything but his quirk was useful if someone did. His quirk was No Longer Human with physical contact it erased another person's quirk.
His attention was drawn by shifting shadows. It seemed his contact had finally arrived.
The man had blond hair and piercing gold eyes. From what Izuku could tell the man was around five years older than himself. Maybe a little more or less but not much.
His name was Takami. For the last three years, he had been trying to get in with the family. Nero against the advice of the intelligence division he had finally agreed to meet the man. So he was here to meet the man and bring him to Nero.
If Izuku was honest with himself he thought the man a fool at times. Nero was far too trusting to allow this outsider close.
Something within him paused. If Nero wasnt so trusting then he would never have been accepted into the family.
Then he shook it off and said, "Follow me and do not stray from my side. Do not give anyone a reason to doubt your loyalty. Otherwise, you will not survive the night."
Takami gave him a short nod before falling into step beside him. Izuku led him through the back alleys avoiding the major roads. At this time of night, the heroes would be out. The last thing he needed was a run-in with a hero.
He led Takami to a little known bar where the barkeep gave Izuku a quick nod. The bar itself held two members of the intelligence division in the back corner. No doubt planning the next attack.
The bar itself was warm and welcoming compared to the weather outside. It was a place that any member of the family could come and relax. They just couldn't go into the backroom without an invite from Nero or his Lieutenants.
Over the years they had gotten used to the child's presence. Always in and out of the bar. With the strange requests.
Nero ordered the barkeep to stop Izuku's more suicidal tendencies in check. They weren't allowed in the bar.
Somehow Nero had become protective of the boy. In turn, ensured the loyalty of him and Nao.
Izuku walked to the back door and knocked lightly. A cool-toned tenor called from inside, "Enter."
Nero wasnt playing around tonight it seemed. He entered the backroom swiftly making his way down the steps towards a table.
Four men sat at the table. Nero was at the head papers strewed him in front of him. Nao sat closest to the staircase the bulge of his Glock clear at his side in warning to anyone who might try to harm Nero.
Henri sat to Nero's right. They were as close as brothers having grown up together. Henri had black hair and grey eyes that never showed any emotion. Unlike Nao, his weapon of choice was more hidden. Knives rather than sidearms.
Daniel was the final man. He had ginger hair and grassy green eyes. Like Izuku he didnt wear a suit that the other executives wore. He wore a button-down shirt and slacks with a vest. There wasnt a trench coat like that he favored. His favored weapon was a sniper rifle that was influenced by his quirk. The quirk was that of sure aim. Daniel never missed a single shot.
Izuku greeted as he bowed to Nero, "Sir, as you ordered I have brought Takami to you."
Nero looked up from his papers a gentle smile crossing his face. He said in return, "Thank you for bringing him."
Izuku bowed again then moved to head back up the stairs. Only to be stopped by Nao's order, "Hold on a moment. When we are done with Takami we need to speak to you about your next assignment."
Izuku turned back around and went to stand off to the side. He was curious about what division they would put Takami in. Normally wouldn't allow anyone in on these meetings. Not even him.
Nero began his voice holding a frozen tinge to it, "For the last three years you have done everything that you can to earn our trust and join the family. You have skills both in combat and intelligence divisions."
Daniel was the executive over the combat division. On the same hand, Nao was the executive over the intelligence. Both had trained Izuku in their divisions.
Nao continued for Nero, "You will be taking Izuku's spot in the intelligence division. If you prove yourself with the same as you have done to get to this point. You will have to work harder than anyone. Are you sure that this is what would want?"
Takami bowed as he answered calmly, "You honor me with your words. I will bring honor to the family."
Nao nodded his acceptance of the words before ordering, "Go back upstairs. We still have business to attend to. Drink but don't get drunk. I'll follow shortly. Izuku."
The calling of his name brought the teenager back from the shadows. No one said anything until Takami was back up the stairs and the door securely shut behind him.
"Sit with us, Izuku," invited Nero his voice becoming warmer with each passing word.
Izuku removing his trenchcoat did as he was bid. A smile began to play across his lips. It was worn and showed how he was fraying at the edges but only Nao caught it. All the other three saw was a happy teenager.
Nao had found about his more suicidal tendencies after his first kill. Izuku had tried to take his own life by jumping in a river. Nao not wanting to see his work go to waste saved him.
As time passed his tendencies grew wilder. Nao did not try to save him after the first time, however. Instead, he reported each attempt to Nero.
Nero took more of an interest watching him far more closely than any other. There were times when he would be drinking in the bar and Nero would abruptly join him. Despite his age as long as it wasn't bleach he could drink anything he wanted. Though the bar keeps wouldn't let him get drunk.
Nero began softly, "As you know the Mafia and Heroes have been at odds for years. Rumors have been circulated that someone will try to go after Nero. We don't know for sure that it will be a Hero but we aren't taking any chances."
That made sense. What does this have to do with him though? He was just a member of the intelligence division. He wasnt very high ranking either despite his closeness with the boss and two executives.
Nero pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered him one. Izuku took it and allowed the man to light it before returning the courtesy. In the last year, he picked up smoking from one of the other intelligence members. It seemed to put some of his more edgy contacts at ease. To see despite his youth he would do what was necessary.
The smoke burned in his lungs as he pulled it in. Then he released it. A sense of calm went through him.
Nero said after a moment, "The executives want me to have someone by my side at all times. There are very few people within the combat division that I would trust with some of my secrets. Most of them have their own jobs to do. You, however, have saved my life and have trained under both the combat and the intelligence divisions. So I want you to be my guard. As you saw we already have someone training to replace you in intelligence so you can stay by my side. What do you say, Izuku?"
"If you need me to be your guard then that's what I'll be," declared Izuku honesty clear in his eyes, "You took me off the streets and gave me a home. My place is wherever you need me to be."