["It's been pretty quiet since you went missing."]

Izuku was laid comfortably on a patch of grass in the fake forest with White lounged on his shoulders.

["I mean, I guess it usually was, before,"] the cat continued, ["but I never realized how boring it was without you there. Not to mention, every cat has been downright insufferable. Everyone wants to argue over the silliest things! Like—a young cat slept in this nice looking spot of soft flowers. Turns out, one of the elders liked to look at them for whatever reason and was cross when he saw they had been trampled and smooshed.

So, he comes tromping back to camp demanding who ruined his oh-so-precious flowers and sparked a whole debate over it that lasted for days! "] White gave an irritable huff. ["After the third day, I ran out of camp and roamed the forest for a while to—well. To look for you."]

["For me?"] Izuku echoed. White rearranges himself from his spot on Izuku's beastal shoulders.

["Well, yeah. I thought you might have moved to another part of the forest,"] he paused. ["Izuku, you… you worried me, y'know? One day I couldn't find you, and when I tried to track your scent, I found this clearing that was matted in blood and reeked of your scent. I… I thought you had died."]

White's voice sounded thick and Izuku couldn't help the clump of guilt that ledged itself in his stomach.

["But then I realized that, with how big your body is, you wouldn't just disappear . So, I figured you must have dragged yourself to a safe place."]

["I was attacked by some bad two-legs,"] Izuku admitted with a wince. ["But Shouta found me and got me help."]

["He saved you,"] White uttered softly after a pause. ["That's good. He's a good two-leg, then."]

Izuku was proud to say he thought so, as well.

The next few minutes were spent in a companionable silence as they simply relaxed in the other's company. The rabbit hybrid had almost dozed off, when a small paw pressed firmly down between his shoulder blades.

["Are you planning on living with that two-leg for good?"] The cat questioned.

Izuku didn't need to even pause to think about his decision. The boy loved the forest- he really did!

But. He knew he could not survive being that lonely ever again. Not when a taste of belonging was finally offered before him.

["I am."]

And White hummed, not surprised with his friend's choice.

["Then I guess I am, as well. You've been my friend since I was a small kit, and I don't want to lose you again."]

White gasped suddenly then and leapt from Izuku's shoulders and landed neatly in front of the boy.

["Izuku! You need to go grab your stuff then!"]

And, oh.

As Izuku grew up in the forest, he had collected small things that interested him and proudly called it his hoard.

After living with Shouta however, he realized those things weren't… all that great? At least compared to everyday items he can easily come across whenever.

But, still. They had a sentimental value, you know? And, Izuku figured, he may as well decorate his room with the items, for old times sake.

So, as soon as the day was over and Shouta had returned to come pick him up from the fake forest—the first thing the boy did was inform his dad about his little request.

Seeing nothing wrong with this, Shouta agreed. Saying that they could pay a visit to his old home during the weekend. And when Hitoshi later hears of their planned trip, the purple haired child pesters the hero and his parents into letting him go, as well.

Cue the weekend rolling around, and Izuku, Shinsou, and Shouta showing up at the forest's doorstep.

And of course, White was here as well. The cat threaded itself between Izuku's legs before jumping onto its favorite spot on the boy's shoulders. Izuku gave the cat a pat with one hand and then turned to his companions.

"This way!"

He turned and followed a trail well known to the green-haired boy.

"It's been a while since I've been in here," Shinsou commented as he ducked under a branch. Shouta glanced at the kid from the corner of his eye.

"You've been in here before?"

Shinsou nodded. "Well, more like I got lost? Some classmates of mine thought it would be a funny joke to dump me in here a few years ago. It was pretty scary, and I was terrified when it started to get dark out."

What is with children being abandoned in this forest?

"Did a search party come looking for you?"

"Oh no," Shinsou laughed. "Only my jerk classmates knew I was in there, and they were too busy being smug at home to bother telling anyone where I was. No, actually, uh," he scratched the back of his neck, "Izuku was the one who helped me."

Shouta's head snapped to his left.

"Izuku?"

Izuku's ears twitched backwards as he listened in on the conversation but still focused on his surroundings as he guided them through the trees.

"He kinda came out of nowhere. I thought it was weird, but at the time I was so relieved to see another human, that I didn't even question it. He just grabbed my hand and led me out in nearly no time at all."

He paused, hesitating.

"And then he vanished."

"You didn't think to tell anyone that there was a little kid living on his own in this place?" Shouta question incredulously.

Shinsou looked embarrassed. "I thought he lived nearby and went home after he dragged me out. It was dark and I was tired, if it were me, I wouldn't want to hang around in a creepy place for longer than I had to either."

Shouta sighed.

It made sense, of course. But it was frustrating nonetheless that someone knew of Izuku's existence sooner and he still had to spend a few extra years on his own.

"How long ago was this?"

"About… three or four years ago, I think? I was seven at the time." Jumping over a fallen tree, he added, "funnily enough, I think Izuku hasn't grown an inch since then."

Izuku finally turned to his friend with a pout. "I have!"

"Your human form hasn't," Shinsou smirked, "you're still as much of a runt you were years ago."

Green eyes whip in Shouta's direction. "What is runt?"

"It means you're tiny."

Izuku whipped back to Shinsou with a glare. "I am not runt! I'm big!"

"Dude you like, come up to my chest and I'm not even considered tall. You are like the height of a doll you buy at the supermarket."

Izuku glares hotly. Then in retaliation, he surges forward and shifts rapidly. His body expands just a little over Shouta's own six feet of height and snaps his jaws around the back of Shinsou's shirt, who shrills in surprise.

"Izuku! This is cheating— put me down!"

Shinsou's cries fall on deaf ears as the rabbit hybrid happily trounces his friend deeper into the forest like a mother cat carrying her naughty kitten.

"Aizawa! Help me!"

Shouta laughs. "You're on your own, kiddo."

Shinsou screams at the injustice of it all, but Shouta's mind is already wandering.

While Shinsou had met Izuku sooner, Shouta realized just how many chances he had to see the kid.

He had fallen out of practice since he took Izuku in, but he would often leave cream and food for stray cats at the forest's edge. For nearly a decade, he had developed this habit ever since as a young teenager he had come across a stray female cat, starving and heavily pregnant with its unborn offspring.

Shouta seen this, and promptly took out his own lunch and offered it to the cat. (He remembered Oboro finding this out later and laughed at him before taking pity and sharing his own lunch with Shouta so he would not starve) Then after school, he went straight to a convenience store and purchased a small bag of cat food and tracked his way back to where he had found the cat that morning.

He found her, huddled under a bush and once again he offered her some food and kind whispered words.

After that, he had made it a habit to visit that spot daily, leaving just a little bit early in the mornings before school. Sometimes, Hizashi or Oboro would join in and leave bits of smuggled food for the cat as her trust in them grew enough to allow the boys to stroke her fur, but most of the time it was only Shouta who showed.

He remembered the day he had shown up and the cat had proudly shown him her newborn kits, and he remembered when a few months later the cat had shown up at his doorstep and marched along inside his house as if she had lived there for years. And he remembered looking at his coffee, then the cat, and naming her on the spot.

He continued to leave food in that same area after taht, for Mocha's children and kin who took up living in that forest.

Would he have found Izuku sooner if he went farther than that small forest edge?

How had no one noticed a child living on his own?

How didn't he ?

Izuku's situation could have been solved before Shouta had even left high school, and the boy would have grown up to a completely normal, non-feral childhood.

But, a voice whispered into his ear, you would have handed him away without a second thought.

A teenager shouldn't raise a child. Especially not one about to enter the dangerous field of heroics.

…it was probably a selfish thought.

After a while, Izuku had placed Hitoshi back on the ground and shifted back to normal, a smug smile stretched on his lips.

Hitoshi oh wisely kept his mouth shut.

The insomniac didn't want to admit it, but his legs were starting to ache. How long have they been walking?

"Izuku how much further?" Hitoshi asks, jogging up to the shorter boy.

"Almost at the river," Izuku cheerfully replied.

"Is that where you lived?"

"No, silly! Hunted there and bathed. Can't live in water," he laughed, and Hitoshi guessed that was true.

From his shoulders, that white cat Izuku had brought meowed pointedly.

Izuku replied back, and the cat leapt from his shoulder, ran ahead, and soon disappeared into the bushes.

His friend looked over his shoulders, making sure his dad was still trudging along behind the two. Then he gave a little bounce and ran over to the adult and tugged at his hand.

Quickly letting go, Izuku hopped several paces backwards and froze in place, his ears and tail held high expectantly.

When Aizawa did nothing but slowly blink, Izuku shot forward again, slammed his feet down mere inches in front of the man, then jumped backwards in a single, powerful hop.

Aizawa narrowed his eyes slightly and took a deliberate step forward.

Izuku tensed eagerly.

And Hitoshi realized that Izuku wanted to play.

Aizawa taking another step forward caused Izuku to leap back into action. He nimbly bounced around his adopted dad like a—well, like a bunny— while fluidly avoiding reaching hands.

Leaves scatter underfoot as the small boy performs an excellently high jump when it looked as if he was cornered. His body rolls in the air, his feet slamming down on broad shoulders, and then uses them to springboard himself forward, sending Aizawa stumbling a few steps until he regains balance.

Izuku laughs openly, hopping on one foot, before turning on his heel and running off into the leafy landscape.

Hitoshi and Aizawa exchange a glance.

There was exasperation and fondness in the hero's eyes that nearly made Hitoshi laugh as well. Grinning, the younger boy ran forward in pursuit of his friend. The soft crunch of leaves from behind telling him that Aizawa was following right behind.

Izuku reached the river first.

Well, technically, White reached the river first, but he didn't participate in the game so the cat didn't count.

Angling his ears behind himself, the boy can hear the tall-tale sounds of his pursuers. Feeling a bit mischievous still, Izuku wastes no time in jumping into the cool river water. Then, he holds his breath and waits.

Izuku had mastered his breath holding skills seasons ago, so he has no issue in waiting until a shadow soon falls over the water.

His legs crouch and bend on the riverbed. Then, with a powerful kick, he surges out of the water and grabs the back of Hitoshi's shirt—and yanks.

The purple haired boy shrieks in surprise as he gets dragged into the water, soaking his clothes and flattening his usually unruly hair.

Izuku lifts himself out of the water and laughs. It felt great to be back in his old territory among his new family.

With how amused he was at his antics, Izuku's other companion had slipped from his mind and he found himself letting out a small shriek of his own as a pair of hands lifted him by the armpits.

Tilting his head backwards, Izuku grins up at Shouta, who raises an eyebrow at his currently dripping appearance. From the river, Hitoshi drags himself out of the stream, trying and failing to expel the water that soaked him. And, well, it wasn't fair if Shouta was the only one who remained dry—was it?

Izuku shook his head rapidly, sending water droplets flying in all directions. A hissed intake of air could be heard from behind the boy as he wiggled in the held grip.

Finishing, he looks back and lets out a giggle at Shouta's stern expression, which wasn't as effective when water was streaming down his face and hair.

Success! Everyone was wet now.

Twisting out of his guardian's hands, Izuku landed neatly onto cold mud that felt soothing between his toes.

"This is where I hunt!" He introduces with a little spin. "Hunt lots of fish!"

By proving this statement, he turns and crouches down. Keeping his body low to the ground, it wasn't long before his hand shot out and hooked a small silver fish out of the water and above his head. With a twitch of his tail, the sharp spikes puff outwards and slam down on the fish, impaling and killing it with a swift blow.

He smooths over the spikes back to their harmless state, and scoops the fish up with his hands, offering it to his companions with a grin.

Surprisingly, they didn't look too pleased with his gift.

"Er, no thanks," Hitoshi declines.

Izuku looks at Shouta imploringly.

The man sighs. "We can cook it up for dinner when we get home."

Great!

The fish was wrapped up and placed in the bag they had brought with them for this trip. Izuku could have carried it himself, but he most likely would have just eaten it then and there if he had.

"So where now?" Shouta asks as he adjusts the bag back onto his shoulders.

Izuku grins.

And points forward.

"I just crawled out of there though!" Shinsou complains loudly, and really, Shouta has to agree he was not too keen in sloshing through dirty river water.

Izuku seems undeterred, however.

"I'll carry across?" He offers, shifting into his rabbit form on the spot. The water only came up to his neck as he dipped into it, but his back remained over the surface. He shifts his weight around, testing the rocks underfoot, before looking back at the two, waiting.

Hitoshi takes the hint and defly climbs on, but Shouta hesitates, unsure if he should put that kind of strain on the kid's back or just suck it up and wade through the water himself.

Under Izuku's eager gaze however, he deflated and sat just behind Shinsou. Something light falls on his lap and he looks down to see White's blue and green gaze staring at him. Shouta's added weight did not seem to affect Izuku in the slightest as he started to walk the three of them over to the other side of the stream.

Sometimes Shouta forgets this kid is in fact very, very strong.

Reaching solid ground again, Shouta carefully steps off Izuku's monster ferry service and helps Shinsou to his feet. Once clear, Izuku lifts himself out and rushes several yards ahead and stops to shake out his drenched fur.

He shifts back to his human form in a crouch and bounces lightly on his feet.

"This way!"

About thirty more minutes of trudging through undergrowth and getting bitten by bugs with no personal boundaries, Izuku finally stopped in front of a large bush.

Shinsou looks at it with a critical eye. "You didn't live under a bush, did you?"

"Yes!" The other boy cheered. His tail blocked Shinsou's path when the purple-haired boy tried to step closer.

"Wait here," Izuku warns.

His small body easily slips under the low branches, disappearing from view behind the full leaves.

A moment trickles slowly until—"Safe, come in."

Shouta's eyebrows scrunch. The voice that came out sounded muffled and a bit… distorted? Almost as if it had—

A hole, he realizes. He lived in a hole.

Hitoshi took a step forward, but Shouta held out a hand, gesturing to let him go first. Last thing he needed was getting someone else's child stuck or hurt.

Pushing aside the branches, it was not hard to make out the open lip of a small tunnel. Biting the inside of his cheeks, Shouta wonders if he is even going to be able to squeeze down it.

There is a shuffling noise and a moment later he catches sight of glowing green eyes peering up at him from below.

"Come!" Izuku edges, easily turning around and slides down with a fluidly Shouta wish he had.

Well, he won't get anywhere just looking .

Awkwardly turning his body around, he entered the tunnel feet-first and just kind of… slowly… shifted himself downwards.

It was uncomfortably tight and a little embarrassing, but he was making progress. He figures by going down like this, if he could no longer advance, he could drag himself belly-up out of the tunnel.

Fortunately, it didn't come to that and soon the tunnel opened up, dipped slightly, and met open space.

Shouta backs away from the tunnel, finally allowed to move freely as he dusts himself off and takes in the small 'den', as Izuku shouts up the tunnel once more to let Shinsou know it was fine to come down.

About the size of his bedroom back home, the underground den had a variety of small items scattered about its floor.

For the most part, it looked like a bunch of useless junk that people carelessly tossed away.

But Izuku had said he liked his stuff back in his 'den' and would like to retrieve and bring them home. And if Izuku wanted it, then…

He slings the bag off his shoulders and went about unzipping it as Shinsou slides down the tunnel (a lot faster than Shouta did) and marvel about the underground room, chatting fervently at the green-haired boy, who walks to one corner of the makeshift room where most of the stuff were gathered.

Shouta sweeps his gaze around once again, taking a second look at the den.

Along with the tossed items, there were also some shiny or strangely shaped rocks that would definitely catch the attention of a child. There were small rubber balls, broken toys, shattered dishes and malformed silverware. Dirty clothing that looked though it's been dragged from the bottom of the river and strong sticks and branches, some looked as though they were in the process of being wilted down and bore obvious claw markings that dug deep into its bark, either for fun or out of boredom.

There were small bones scattered about, but mostly resided in a far corner, out of the way. Shouta could spot a few larger looking skulls that he thinks belong to deer. It seemed as though they had been used as a source of entertainment in one way or another, if their strange and decorative placings had anything to say. Some of the larger ones bore gash marks as large teeth nibbled, dug, and cracked for its marrow.

The thing that took up the most space in the den, was a large pallet of dried leaves, grass, and feathers, all brown and long dead. Almost like… a nest of sorts.

Where he slept, most likely.

"Shouta!"

Izuku bounces up to him, and plops something small into his hands.

Shouta examines it. It was a tiny little wooden figure, crudely shaped. It looked handmade.

"Did you make this?" He asks kindly, already knowing the answer by the spark of pride in his son's eyes.

"Yes! Like it?"

"I love it."

The boy let out a happy chirp. "Shouta keeps it."

Well, who is he to deny a statement like that?

"Thank you, Izuku." Giving his curls a quick ruffle, Shouta carefully tucks the carving into his suit. Looking slightly embarrassed, Izuku hopped back over to Shinsou who was tinkering with dried out flowers woven between one another.

Something in the shabby nest catches Shouta's eye. It was different from the dried, dead plants.

He brushes aside old leaves and hooks out tiny—clothes?

That wouldn't be so strange if they weren't so, so tiny .

These are toddler overalls , he recognizes. And they were extremely filthy.

But surprisingly, still in good shape.

The stitching looks a bit sloppy, are they handmade?

He steals a glance in Izuku's direction.

Did they use to belong to him? Or were they just something he found and placed in his nest for comfort?

His eyes trail back down to the clothing in his hands. They were black in color, with specks of red flaking here and there, but whether that was its original color or not, Shouta wasn't sure. The material was stiff and slightly flakey under his touch, but held firm, Shouta doubted it was any normal fabric.

Custom made, perhaps?

Humming, the dark-haired man made to put it in the bag but pauses as something else catches his eye.

There, just below the right opening where an arm would slide through was something carefully hand stitched. To his slight annoyance, he could see the string was apparently not compatible with the rough fabric and was severely frayed and nearly ineligible.

Squinting, he could make out what he thinks used to be some kind of… symbol or logo? Just above that were the letters; K_A_I

… or so he thinks.

There were obviously some missing or misshaped.

Shouta stares at it for a long while.

Then with careful hands, places it inside the bag.

It didn't take long to gather everything into the bag, especially since Izuku decided not to bring everything.

Broken bits of toys and plastic and glass were left behind as the boy realized it was pretty much garbage after living among the same world with the two-legs.

Though, he was adamant about bringing at least one deer skull. (It looked so cool!) He kind of wishes he managed to snag a buck for his antlers, but oh well.

…huh, antlers would have been pretty cool to have. A perfect headbutting weapon.

Oh! But then he wouldn't be able to comfortably lay on his back! He takes it back! No antlers, please!

"Are you ready Izuku?"

Oh, that was Shouta.

Is he ready? His eyes sweep over the den. This could quite possibly be the last time he will step foot in it.

The place had been home for years, and he was madly proud of how it turned out. Izuku had slaved over digging it out and molding it so he wouldn't be eating dirt for breakfast due to poor structure.

He was safe here.

But it was also, where he was so very lonely.

Turning back to Shouta, his new kin, his family, his dad , Izuku smiles up at him and gives the man a definitive nod.

Izuku has a new home now.

And it was a place he no longer felt alone.

Then

There was a picture on the wall.

No, that wasn't correct. There wasn't a picture on the wall.

There were several and they had always been there.

And in every single one, the same person resided.

But who? Who was the lady in green?

Something could be heard dragging from behind him and the boy could feel the muscles around his ears try to twitch in vain, but he did not look back, too captured in his viewing of the lady in green for what must be the hundredth time.

"Little one," the voice was raspy and rough. It has been a few days since the owner of it had spoken to the boy. "What are you doing?"

"Papa," he points directly at the photo of the lady in green, "who is that?"

The air instantly turned thick with sadness, a smell the boy grew up and was the most familiar with. Ever since he figured out exactly what the scent was, the boy wanted nothing more than to bright it up to the warm taste of happiness, but always failed to get a reaction when those moments struck.

So honestly, the boy wasn't expecting an answer.

He was curious though, yes, but he desperately hoped the subject would get Papa to talk to him again.

A lull falls between the duo, the boy picking at his clothes as he waits.

Then, finally—

"That is… someone who I used to care for very much," the voice said slowly.

The boy's spine tingled, and finally, he turned his head and looked behind him.

But Papa wasn't looking at him. His red eyes, so similar to the boy's own, was staring forlornly at the picture he was just studying himself. Misery and sadness flooding his gaze.

If this was a week ago, the boy would have lifted himself off the ground and latched his tiny little body onto his Papa's leg.

But right now…

He takes note of Papa's hands, carefully angled away and curling inwards and knew his Papa was still feeling guilty.

His newly forked tongue flitted quickly over his lips, feeling the two lines of raised skin.

Papa caught the movement and blinked down at him, and the child tensed, thinking he was finally going to talk to him again.

But instead, Papa's shoulders hunched, and he looked away, his son's eyes watching as he dragged himself to the couch and flopped onto the cushions as silence fell around the house once again.

And the boy knew, just like yesterday, and the day before, that silence will continue on for the rest of the day, only to be later disturbed by the trickling of the coffee maker that will go ultimately untouched.

Lately, its scent has been overwhelming.