"Mommy!" Izuku came running in, tears streaming down his face as he held onto his shoulder. Inko couldn't see anything wrong at first, but she knew that didn't mean nothing had happened. She let the sad boy curl up into her arms, his small form shaking as he hiccupped and cried. "Hisaki pinched me!" He wailed, still holding that same spot.
"I did not!" Said boy came rushing in after his brother, a mean glare on his features. "He's just trying to get me in trouble again!" The boy was huffing out smoke, a habit he had picked up after his quirk showed up.
Inko let out a sigh, too tired to deal with fighting at this late hour, but she addressed it anyway. "Alright, then what happened?" She asked, looking between the two of them. Both boys began talking at once, their claims the same yet very conflicting. Both of them couldn't be lying. "Okay, Okay." She shushed them, waiting until they were finally willing to listen. "Izuku, you tell me what happened first."
"What?!" Hisaki protested. "But that's no fair! He's the one that's lying-"
"You'll get your turn too, Hisaki. Just let your brother talk first." She gave him a serious look before turning back to Izuku. The small boy in her arms sat up as he wiped at his tears, his lower lip still quivering. Sure, Izuku cried fairly easily, but it usually wasn't over nothing either.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Izuku started talking. "Hisaki was playing on the computer and I wanted to play too, but he kept saying that it was only for big kids, but that's not fair because they're the same age." Inko nodded, believing it so far. "When I tried to ask again, he pinched me and called me a cry baby." Izuku finished with another rub at his arm.
"No!" Hisaki shouted out, stomping his little legs as he spoke. "He's lying! He tried to shove me off of the chair and I got a scratch! See!" The darker haired boy rushed over, showing the red cut on his arm as he did. It didn't look bad enough to need a band-aid, but it probably still stung.
"But he did pinch me!' Izuku began pulling up his sleeve until Inko could see the angry red color of his arm. It was almost in a perfect circle, just large enough to be the shape of Hisaki's finger tips. Inko gasped softly, feeling her chest will with a deep set disappointment and frustration.
She turned to the boy standing in front of her and pointed to the corner. "Hisaki, you're in time out."
Immediately, the boy's angry glare turned into one of desperation as he fell on his knees, tears beginning to pool in his eyes as well. "NO!" He cried, protesting and shouting all he could. "It's not fair!" He yelled. "Izuku hurt me too!" He was sobbing now, probably more out of the fact that he hasn't been sent to time out for a good few weeks now. This was going to ruin his record.
"And I'll punish Izuku for that too, but you can't just be pinching your brother like that. Do you see this?" She asked, her frustration sounding in her voice as she showed the red mark to the older twin. "This is really hurt, Hisaki. You need to apologize."
This time, Hisaki stood up and began stomping as he threw a full tantrum. "No!" He glared angrily at Izuku again, his anger clear in those dark green eyes of his. "I hate you! I hate having a brother!"
Inko set Izuku down on her bed in favor of picking Hisaki up by his arms and manually putting him in time out. He obviously needed some time to himself, otherwise the situation would only continue to get more and more heated. Once Hisaki was seated in the corner, his head facing the wall, she grabbed his arms and wrapped them around his torso to keep him from hitting anyone. He continued to puff out smoke like an angry little dragon, but she could live with that. They had long replaced their fire detectors for special ones when his quirk first showed. He could huff and puff all he wanted, just so long as he stayed in the corner.
Returning to Izuku, who was still crying, Inko let out another long sigh before gently holding his bruised arm and looking at it again. It would probably be sensitive for a little while, but it wouldn't last too long. She'd give it a couple days before it completely disappeared. Letting the sleeve of Izuku's shirt fall back over his shoulder, she turned his wet face upward to look her in the eyes.
"Izuku, that wasn't very nice." She spoke gently, glad that at least one of her children weren't throwing a tantrum. "You need to apologize as well."
The boy looked down again, his little lip sticking out in a sad pout as he nodded. Turning towards his brother, Izuku sniffled a few times before speaking up. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Hisaki." His voice was soft and quiet, a big contrast to his twin's and Inko appreciated it.
What she didn't apricate was how Hisaki turned his head around and stuck his tongue out at his brother. Inko felt the frustration return as she scooped Izuku into her arms and walked out of the room, only stopping to tell her son, "You won't come out of that corner until you're ready to be nice."
She carried Izuku into the living room, turning on the tv to distract him for a moment. She needed time to calm herself down and Izuku had already apologized for what he did, so she saw no issue with letting him get some tv time as well. She flipped through a few channels until she found the kid's one, little cartoon characters dancing across the screen as they tried to help each other solve some kind of mystery. It was something about a lost shoe, she thought.
Just as Inko was about to get up to get herself a slice of the cake they ate yesterday -she had gotten a work promotion and thought the boys deserved to celebrate too, even if they had no idea what that meant- she heard Izuku mutter something to her, almost too soft to hear.
"Does he really hate me?" He asked, tears still sitting on the edge of his eyelashes, but they didn't fall this time.
"Oh, don't listen to that." She comforted, sitting by his side once again as she began to run her fingers through his hair. "He's just upset right now. Once he calms down a bit, he'll understand that he didn't mean to say all of that stuff." In fact, the twins seemed to get alone fairly well for being brothers. She had heard horror stories from other parents -especially Mistuki's family- that always made her worry for her sons. But some miracle must've happened, because fights like this were rare in their house.
Izuku nodded, seeming to accept that answer. He didn't say anything else as he curled into her side, his little arms wrapping around himself as he looked at the screen. "Can Hisaki have more computer time when he apologizes?" He asked, his voice still fragile and soft.
"I don't think so, Sweetie." She didn't want to punish the older boy too much, but he couldn't just throw tantrums like that. They was going to be turning seven in a few months and she wanted to avoid any bad behaviors carrying on into his older years. "But maybe, if he's nice, you can get him a piece of cake."
Izuku smiled at that, going quiet as he watched the show. Inko watched him for a moment, not wanting to get up anymore. They were both so kind hearted deep inside. It was just a same that Izuku's genetics didn't seem to give him the quirk Hisaki had. It was a blessing to not have two fire breathing boys running around the house, but the worry made her wish he had at least something. How could he grow up watching his brother become a hero while he stayed behind?
...
Inko woke to her dark and cold room. It was just turning winter and she knew that she should have turned up the heated last night, but Izuku and his friends were all wrapped up in blankets and she didn't want to cook them out there. Besides, she had always been more on the cold side, no matter what temperature it was. Sitting up, Inko checked the time on her alarm clock and sighed at the early hour. She could sleep in for a little longer, but her mind was active and she doubted sleep would come easily.
So, she stepped onto the hard wood floors and grabbed a loose jacket to wrap around her shoulders before leaving her bedroom. The fuzzy socks on her feet did wonders against the ice cold floors that she knew would turn her toes numb if she didn't have them on. She navigated her way through the dark halls until she came to the living room. The sight that met her eyes made her smile.
All nine teenagers were sleeping in different positions on the floor. A few were spread out like starfish across their classmates while others curled into themselves. Izuku and that Todoroki boy were leaning against each other, a video game controller in both of their hands. The two girls were also among the mess, although, they were the only two on the couch. Inko had told Izuku to clear out his bedroom for them to sleep in there, just in case they wanted to, but it seemed like that wasn't needed. Oh well. It was the thought that counted, right?
Inko scooted past the group, making her way into the kitchen, but she stopped when she saw that someone was already there. Standing in front of the stove was Hisaki's tense form. He was looking away, but she couldn't see his face to tell exactly where. He didn't look very put together, with his day clothes wrinkle from sleep and his hair going in every which way.
"Hisaki?" Inko whispered as she drew closer. She didn't miss how he flinched at first before relaxing again as he looked at her.
"Mom?" He asked. His voice sounded rough and as she looked closer, she could just barely see that his eyes were all puffy and red. "I thought you worked at six." He sniffed softly, confirming her suspicion.
Inko drew closer, her heart aching to know why on earth her poor boy was crying so early in the morning. "I couldn't get back to sleep." She answered, her concern already sounding in her voice. "Why are you awake, Sweetie?"
He looked away for a moment, his hair hiding most of his face. "I can handle it, Mom." He sounded like he was talking on autopilot. His words were sure but they didn't hold much truth. "I just got kind of stressed. It's nothing too important."
Was this something he said to his adoptive parents often? Whenever he woke up in tears or felt whatever it was he was feeling now, did he tell them that he could handle it alone? And did they believe him? Inko couldn't possibly imagine a good parent just letting their child suffer like this, even if it wasn't so important. She had woken up many nights to comfort Izuku out of his nightmares and even as he grew older and went into middle school, she still offered whatever she could to him. If Hisaki felt he couldn't reach out for help, or didn't even know it was an option, then she would make sure to personally show him.
"It's okay, Mom." He added after a long stretch of silence. "I just needed something to eat. I'll get back to bed soon."
No, she wasn't going to stand for that. "Hisaki," She started. "This doesn't seem like it's just nothing."
He wrapped his arms around himself, sinking further. "It's really nothing. I don't want to keep you awake when you should still be sleeping." He sounded so shameful, as if asking for help wasn't even on his mind.
Inko pressed forward and wrapped her short arms around her son, feeling his natural warmth radiating off of him. He practically sank into her arms, his body seeking that comfort that he was refusing himself. "What's wrong, Baby? I promise this is more important than my sleep right now."
Finally, he relented. "I just get really anxious sometimes. I don't know why, but I suddenly feel like people are looking for me. Dangerous people. I thought it would go away when the whole trial thing happened and I admitted to my crimes but...it's worse." He sucked in a breath, more tears falling onto her head as he cried. She wished she could've watched him grow so tall.
"Is it like a paranoia?" She asked, not completely familiar with this situation herself, but she tried her best to sympathize. "You feel like someone's going to come in and hurt you?"
"Yeah." He whispered it, sounding so much like a the broken child from her dream. "Dad said it would pass eventually but it's been happening for almost a year a-and..." He sobbed softly, his arms holding her even tighter. "I'm so scared."
Inko wished she could say that everything was fine, but she knew that was a lie. He had worked for a dangerous group of villains for all of his life, making weapons and selling them in the black market. There was no doubt in her mind that some of those people have heard about his trial and would like to hurt her son. Heck, most of them probably did, including his father. He had every right to be afraid, but she knew one thing. "Hisaki, I promise that I'll protect you in any way I can. I may not be very big and strong like you or Izuku, but I won't let anyone into this house that plans to take you away. I'll call All Might if I have to."
The boy laughed softly, seeming to gather that she wasn't entirely joking about that last bit. "I don't think I need All Might, but thanks. I just...I wish it never started. I wish I could take back all of those years I spent helping the wrong people. I wish I could've grown up here, with you and Izuku."
"I wish that too, Hisaki." She admitted through her own tears. She didn't try to fight them, having learned that it only made them worse. "I wish I could've watched you get your quirk and learn how to use it. I wish I was the one to teach your how to speak Japanese or how to count. I wish I could've been your mother for more than just a month, but at least we have this time together right now." No matter how badly it pained her that her scrape books were only filled with pictures of her and Izuku, she had to move on and apricate Hisaki now.
"Thanks, Mom." The boy pulled away just enough to whip at his eyes, a sad smile on his face. "I love you a lot."
Inko had to fight not to start sobbing then and there. Oh, how much she had missed in this wonderful boy's life. "I love you too, Hisaki. I'm sorry I can't do much about the paranoia, but if ever you need to talk about it again, just ask me. I promise I won't be upset." She could only hope that he would accept that offer and actually use it.
"It's okay. Talking helps enough for me to forget about it for a little while." Hisaki fully drew away from her this time, his posture loose and exhausted. They both needed some more sleep. "Besides, Izuku's friends would probably be able to handle anyone that came in. Especially together."
Inko returned her gaze to the teens in the living room. "Yeah, they're good kids. I'm so happy Izuku managed to find friends at UA." Watching Izuku come home alone every day was one of the hardest parts about raising him. He never seemed to have any friends and once he hit middle school, his ambitions died out. He almost completely stopped talking about heroes, preferring to build up his notebooks in the privacy of his own bedroom. But ever since he went to UA, he changed. No, she thought it was before that. At some point, Izuku started returning home with aches in his muscles, but he had the brightest smile. He started talking about his interests again and even ate dinner with her at the table. So much had changed since then and she was still unsure of who to thank for it.
"Oh, by the way." Inko spoke up before Hisaki could leave the kitchen completely. "I don't know if you watched the Sports Festival this year, but there's this class for young inventors, kind of like you. Maybe Izuku could introduce you to some of them. I remember him teaming up with one. What was her name again..." She was the one with the goggles and pink hair, right? Or was it the one with pink skin? She couldn't remember.
"You mean Mei Hatsume?!" Hisaki was suddenly smiling. "I saw her in the Sports Festival too! She was the one who made that jetpack and used her battle in the finals as an advertisement for her work! Her designs are a bit styled but they work really well! Those boosters were super powerful too! I wonder what kinds of scrap they have at UA. They can't just be reusing old materials all the time, especially with how sharp those gadgets looked. Perhaps-"
"You should get some sleep, Hisaki." Inko cut in, already knowing where this could go. Although the boy wasn't usually one to fall into muttering fits, he still tended to talk on and on about a certain subject, especially when it game to machines. "I don't want you falling asleep over breakfast." Just the image of him asleep at the table, his mouth half filled with rice and eggs was enough to make her feel both disgusted and amused. These boys were too smart for their own good. It was something they definitely didn't get from her, that was for sure.
Hisaki gave her a lazy smile before heading back to the pile of teenagers in the living room. "Good night, Mom." He muttered, already starting to yawn as he made his way into the small pillow fort they had created and fell asleep beside that Dark Shadow creature. How a quirk could sleep was beyond Inko, but she still thought it was adorable. All of these students were so driven to work as heroes and save people, just like Izuku.
If she had learned anything from getting to know her son's friends, it was that she felt confident that All Might's position wouldn't be left open for too long. There were too many young, bright kids at UA for the world to fall too far without their Symbol of Peace. This next generation was really a wonder to see.
Author's Notes: I know I like to pick on Hisaki, but just know that he isn't always at fault. I'm sure Izuku has done plenty of mean things in return as well. At least, he would've had the two grown up together. I also want to add that I was, indeed, the sibling that pinched people and got in trouble for it. I've since grown out of it and prefer to pester my sibling in other ways. Also, I really apricate everyone that's following along with this. I really love exploring Hisaki's personality and experiences. He's so unique and has some interesting views on the world as an ex-villain.