Sorry for the long wait, I've been super busy.

Shota was lazily trailing the school halls when he spotted Present Mic being followed by three worried looking students. Upon closer inspection, he realized the man was carrying a boy that appeared to be unconscious. He walked up to them, wanting to know what happened.

"Hizashi, did you bore one of our students to death with your English lecture?" He called out towards the group.

Present Mic turned his head around, his sunglasses were covering his eyes but he has known the man long enough to tell he was slightly panicking. The boy in his arms was revealed to be Midoriya, judging by the fluffy green hair.

Hizashi let out a nervous awkward chuckle "I wish that were the case, this little listener just took a nosedive to the ground."

"Did he hit his head?" Shota asked.

"No, one of the stu-"

"Is he going to be okay?" Uraraka butted in.

Shota turned towards the three pairs of his students worried looking eyes. There was Uraraka, Iida, and Kirishima. Interesting he hadn't realized Midoriya had befriended the excitable red-head.

Shota gave her a stern look and was about to answer honestly. They didn't know what was wrong, the girl must realize that. But Hizashi answered before he could open his mouth.

"I'm sure the little listener will be fine. We'll just bring him over to Recovery Girl and he'll be as good as new." Hizashi sounded convincing enough judging by the trio's faces.

They all started to walk towards the school infirmary. Shota inwardly sighed at what he was about to do.

"Here, give him to me. You still have classes to teach, I don't. And you three," He pointed towards Iida, Uraraka, and Kirishima "You still have class." It looked like Iida was about to argue when he added "You can visit him when class is over. Alright?"

He was met with three begrudging nods. Hizashi passed Midoriya over into his arms, he whispered a quiet thank you to Shota. The man turned around and gave a tiny wave and started to walk back the way he came, ushering the three students with him. Shota let out another long, long sigh. He glanced down at the unconscious child in his arms. This child was becoming a problem child.

Shota walked over the rest of the way to the infirmary and entered the room. "Recovery Girl?" He called out. He was met with silence, the infirmary was empty. Another sigh was let out, his day just kept getting better and better. If recovery girl wasn't here that meant she was probably called in somewhere else. That meant he would have to figure out what was wrong with the kid himself.

He gently laid Midoriya down onto one of the infirmary beds. He was relieved the boy didn't hit his head, he didn't want to deal with any head injuries without Recovery Girl there. He glanced over him checking for any visible injuries, there were none except for an odd long thin cut down his arm. It didn't look that harmful, but he would stash the information in his mind for later. He felt for a pulse, it seemed normal. Well, at least it seems he didn't collapse from something life-threatening.

Shota dropped the bag he was carrying on the ground, it contained his sleeping bag and random snacks. He had no more classes to teach for the day so he was planning to find a quiet place to nap for the rest of the day. Things just never worked out for him. He sat in a nearby chair and stared at Midoriya. The boy was a puzzle, almost as much as a puzzle as his quirk. The kid flinched a lot, so much so that it was extremely noticeable. At first, he thought he was just a nervous child but it appeared to be something deeper than that. He would have chalked up the kid's stutter also as nerves, but now Shota was wondering if there was a deeper meaning for that as well.

The real question was, what would have caused the kid to behave so nervously? He never talked about his parents, so maybe his home life wasn't that great. An abusive family would explain a lot of the kids' behaviour. He would have to look into it, it was his responsibility as a teacher. The problem would be getting the kid to talk, he can't force it out of him. He has to come to him on his own, he can't just act on a hunch. The more he thought about this kid, the more of a puzzle he became. What a problem child.

Shota's attention was brought to Midoriya due to a small groan. It sounded like the boy was waking up. He waited patiently to see if Midoriya was actually awake before he spoke.

"You are becoming a problem child." He said in a lecturing tone. He noticed that the boy flinched back from his voice. Maybe that was too harsh.

"W-what h-happened?" Midoriya stuttered out. He sounded confused, he let out a long sigh. He didn't know if dealing with this would be easier with Midoriya still asleep or awake.

"You fainted." He said bluntly. He watched as panic crept up on the kids' face, he seemed to get paler by the second.

"Kid, when was the last time you ate?" it came out sterner then he intended, but oh well it was too late to take it back now.

"U-uhm, l-last night for d-dinner I h-had a s-sandwich." Midoriya mumbled out. He stared at the kid a while. He only had a sandwich for dinner? That's it? He needs way more food than that. Why weren't his parents feeding him enough? Maybe his family really was abusive. This puzzle was creating more pieces before he could fit two together. He realized that the kid was staring at him waiting for an answer.

"That's not nearly enough food. Especially for a hero in training." He lightly scolded. He shuffled around in his bag looking for a light snack for the boy to eat, since he was definitely not letting the kid leave without something in his stomach. He fished out a juice box and an apple hopefully that would be light enough for him to eat. "Drink and eat these. If you're still hungry after I'll grab you some more food." He said while handing over the two food products.

He watched Midoriya accept the given food and unwrap the straw wrapper. He stabbed the juice box and brought it up to his face. As he took a sip, his face went so pale that Shota thought he was going to puke right then and there. He reached over for a wastebasket in case his student decided to hurl.

"I-I'm s-sorry Mr. Aizawa. I d-don't th-think I can e-eat these." Midoriya stuttered out. He sounded disappointed in himself.

"Why? Is something wrong with them?" He asked curiously. He really hoped he didn't just give his student spoiled food.

"N-no it's m-me. I-I'm too nauseous to e-eat. It's w-why I h-haven't eaten t-today."

Oh. So he was sick. That would explain a lot of things. He let out a sigh, his students always insisted on coming to class when they were sick. They just don't seem to realize that not letting your body rest prolongs the sickness.

"So you're sick? You shouldn't come to class if you're si-" He was cut off by the boy's hurried response.

"N-no I'm n-not sick. I'm just h-having a really b-bad d-d-day. It h-happens sometimes." Midoriya sounded embarrassed at the admission.

He was having a bad day? He's had plenty of bad day's himself, but he doesn't remember any of them making him sick to his stomach like this. This boy just kept becoming more and more confusing.

"And why was it bad?" He asked curiously. He was hoping the boy would actually confide in him, it might help him figure out what's really wrong.

"I-I-I-" Midoriya started to stutter out, but he quickly stopped himself. The boy was clearly having an internal debate with himself. Shota internally sighed. Maybe he just needs some encouragement?

"It might help to talk about it. I'll listen." He said, hoping it would encourage him enough to talk. Lucky for him it worked. What he didn't expect was all the waterworks. Midoriya had big fat tears running down his face. Shota vowed that whatever was bothering the kid he would do his best to help.

"I-I thought I l-lost Mr. Gooey. I was s-so scared th-that he l-left me a-all alone. I w-was s-s-so s-scared." He said through more tears.

Mr. Gooey? Who the heck has a name like that? Maybe it was a toy? Did kids his age still even have toys?

"Who is Mr. Gooey?" He asked hesitantly.

Midoriya made a strange grabbing motion on his chest and held his hand out towards Shota. He noticed that there was a small piece of paper with a smiley face drawn on floating in the middle of Midoriya's hand.

"Y-you can't s-see him. He's a b-blob, a p-part of my q-quirk. H-he's m-my o-only fami-" the boy hesitated at his mistake. "My o-only f-friend." He corrected himself.

Shota caught the mistake. The blob was his only family? What did he mean by that? The thought that he considered a blob as his only family made his heart pulse with concern. He tried to maintain a calm demeanour when he asked his next question.

"Why is he your only family?" He could hear some of his concern leaking out in his voice. He tried to reign it back in, he didn't want to freak the kid out. Midoriya went on to explain about his sick mom and his father that worked overseas. He noticed that he said the word 'dad' with a bit of spite. Did he not get along with his dad then? Things did make sense if his mom was ill, it would explain a lot. Like how the boy didn't get enough food. But it just didn't add up. Midoriya said the blob was his only family, and now he's talking about his mom and dad. So either he doesn't consider his parents as family, or the boy is lying to him. He isn't sure which one he wants to be the truth.

Midoriya had just finished talking about his dad when he started to cry again. "Mr. Gooey h-has k-kept me c-company s-since I was a little k-kid. A-and and a-and-" Midoriya's voice broke again "I th-thought I lost h-him. I thought he w-was gone forever." He was starting to cry again.

"I can understand why that's upsetting, but you found him so try to take comfort in that." He was hoping that would have been comforting enough. Unfortunately for Shota, he was wrong. The boy's tears kept trickling down his face. He stood up and walked the few steps to Midoriya and lightly placed his hand on his shoulder. He brought his other hand and gently pat his fluffy green hair. He felt immensely awkward. He was not the best and comforting people, Hizashi was better at that than him. But he could tell the kid needed it so he would try regardless.

It must have worked, much to Shota's relief. The tears were slowly stopping and Midoriya let out a small shy smile. "Th-thank y-you." He mumbled quietly.

Shota smiled at the kid's shyness, not that the kid could see. The view of his mouth was covered by his capture scarf. "You can spend the rest of the day here if you need to. Or you can attend the rest of your classes if you want, but only after you eat something." The boy seemed to be contemplating what he said, then he added, "Just in case you decide to leave regardless, I'll be staying here with you. I don't have any more classes to teach for the day."

The kid's eyes widened, he must have not expected him to stay with him. It was a fair assumption, normally he didn't stay with his students. But he wouldn't be sure if the kid ate if he left, he would not have any more students fainting for the day. Besides the kid looked like he needed some company and if he was the one to provide it, then so be it. Shota stared at Midoriya and waited for an answer.

"I th-think I j-just want to sl-sleep. I'm r-really t-tired." The kid timidly requested.

Shota would much rather he eat something, but considering his earlier reaction he supposes that's a no go. If the kid wanted to sleep then he would let him sleep, he looked like he needed it judging by the dark bags under his eyes. They almost matched his own. "Alright." Was all he said and then zipped himself up in his sleeping bag. If the kid was going to sleep then there was no real reason why he couldn't also sleep. God, he needed it.

He was surprised how fast Midoriya fell asleep, he must have been really tired. Before Shota even attempted to sleep he started to organize his thoughts. As much as he didn't want it to be true, the kid was obviously lying about his family. The kid was not a good liar and he had several tells. His eyes would wander around the room, he would start fidgeting, and his stuttering increased. Maybe when he figured out what was wrong with the boy he would show him how to lie properly. It's a good skill to have in the hero business.

So the kid was lying about his family. But why? He wanted to press the kid for more answers but he was afraid he would shred what little trust he gained from him. He would have to take it slow otherwise he would scare him away. Shota let out a quiet sigh. Why did he have to be such a problem child? Shota irritably shut his eyes, fully intended on at least getting a small nap.

Shota awoke to small sobs and sniffles coming from the small boy across the room. He sat up and unzipped himself from his sleeping bag. If Midoriya was having a nightmare then he would definitely wake him up. He noticed the room had an orange glow due to the sunset. They must have slept longer then they intended too. He walked over towards the bed with the intent on shaking the boy awake, but he stopped himself when he saw tear-filled green eyes. Midoriya was already awake.

"Did you have a nightmare?" He asked with a bored tone. He was surprised when the kid shook his head no. "Then what's wrong?"

"I-I h-had a good dream. O-one of the b-best." The kid didn't elaborate any further. He attempted to dry his tears but the tears just kept coming. He didn't look like he was going to stop crying anytime soon.

Shota sat down back in the chair that was beside the bed. He watched Midoriya futility try to stop crying before he asked, "Then why are you crying?"

Midoriya appeared to not actually know why he was crying. "I d-don't know. I th-think it's b-because it was a g-good dream." He sounded just as confused as Shota felt.

"Then what did you dream about?" He asked curiously. This boy was becoming an increasingly more difficult puzzle.

"I d-dreamt of my m-mom. I d-dreamt of her h-homemade meals and h-her warm hugs. I d-dreamt of her laugh, her v-voice, the w-way she w-would welcome me h-home from school. She would a-always a-ask me how my d-day was. I a-always took it for g-granted and n-never answered. I w-wish I did, I w-wish I answered h-honestly every time. E-even if the day was bad, e-even i-if it was the w-w-worst day e-ever, I w-wish I an-answered." More tears fell from the boys' eyes. "I don't g-get those a-anymore. Not s-since she g-got… sick." Small sobs started to erupt from his chest. "I m-miss them. I m-m-miss th-them s-so much. I w-would give anything t-to g-get her b-back. Anything." The boy wrapped his arms around himself like he was trying to give himself a hug. He slightly rocked himself back and forth in a comforting manner.

Shota watched the kid attempt to comfort himself. It broke his heart, he wondered how many times he had done this for himself in the past. He leant forward in his chair and hesitantly wrapped the boy in his arms. He was ready to let go in case the boy felt uncomfortable. He was relieved when Midoriya accepted the hug and leant into it. More sobs escaped his small form. Shota let out silent hushes. "It's okay. Your mom will get better. I promise." He said in an attempt to comfort the child. He was surprised when Midoriya let out a wet disbelieving laugh.

"S-somehow, I r-really doubt that." He said with a cynical undertone.

Shota didn't respond.

Izuku was surprised when his teacher wrapped his arms around him into a hug. His brain had short-circuited for a second. He thought about telling Aizawa to let go, to leave him alone, to stop digging. But he somehow found himself unable to. So he let the man hug him, he would be lying if he said it didn't feel nice. He hadn't received a hug in six years, he forgot how nice it felt. How comforting it was.

You don't deserve it. You don't deserve comfort.

His thoughts were right, he didn't deserve it. He pulled away from Aizawa, the man shot him an understanding look that filled Izuku with inner hate. Why was everyone so understanding towards him? Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Everything would be so much easier if he was just left alone.

I know how you can be left alone forever.

He hushed himself, his thoughts were relentless today. Aizawa let out a cough. "It's getting late, your nap went on longer than intended." Izuku noticed that the man left out the part where he obviously fell asleep too.

"O-oh, sorry. I g-guess I should g-go home then." He started to stand up when Aizawa stopped him.

"Sorry kid, but you aren't going anywhere until you eat something. It won't do anyone any good if you pass out on the way home." Aizawa said sternly.

Izuku didn't feel that nauseas anymore, so he would probably be able to stomach the food he was given earlier. "O-okay. I'm f-feeling a b-bit better than earlier, so I sh-should be able to e-eat some." Izuku reached for the apple that was offered to him earlier and bit into it. He was happy he didn't gag. Aizawa watched him eat the food, satisfied.

He hurriedly finished the apple and went to stand up, it was almost dark and he really, really, hated walking home in the dark. "Wait," Aizawa sifted through the bag he had with him and pulled out a pack of crackers. "eat some of these as well. It's been a few hours since you fainted, so you need a bit more than before."

Izuku went to protest but he was met with the man's glare that clearly said 'there's no room for arguments.' So he begrudgingly sat back in his bed and started munching on the pack of crackers. By the time he finished the crackers the sun had set and it was now dark. He started to gather his things together when he noticed a note on the table by his bed. It was from Uraraka, Kirishima, and Iida. It said that they came to visit him after class but he was asleep, they also wished that he would get better soon. He let out a small smile, that was nice of them. He glanced back out the window, his smile diminished at the night sky.

You have to walk home alone in the dark. The dark is scary. It's scary, scary, scaryscaryscary.

His anxious thoughts rattled throughout his brain. So many bad things can happen in the dark. People get kidnapped, robbed, murdered, and hurt in the dark. So many bad things. Images of the horror in his dark room from that night flashed in his mind.

A hero scared of the dark? How pathetic.

He tried to argue with himself that he wasn't trained yet, he was still weak. He would get better, then the dark wouldn't be scary anymore.

Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic. You are a sad excuse of a hero. You're nothing but trash. A murd-

"Is something wrong?" Aizawa's question interrupted his thoughts.

"N-nothing really… I w-was just h-hoping t-to get home b-before it g-g-got dark." He admitted shyly.

"If you want I can escort you home, if walking in the dark really bothers you." Izuku's eyes widened at the offer.

"I c-couldn't ask y-you to do th-that!" He was surprised that his teacher would even make such an offer. Why would he care?

He's just messing with you. He doesn't actually care.

"It's my fault that you didn't get home on time. I'll take responsibility of getting you home safe. If you are really concerned about going home alone in the dark, then I insist that you let me help you." He sounded sincere.

"A-alright." Izuku responded shyly. This was going to be weird.

The trip back to his apartment was silent and slightly awkward. He would admit that he did feel loads better knowing Aizawa was there. They arrived at his apartment complex, he turned towards his teacher.

"W-well, here w-we are," Izuku bowed low, "Th-thank you for m-making sure I got back h-home safe." He said sincerely.

Aizawa nodded towards him. "Is it alright if I speak to your mother? I would like to apologize for your late arrival."

Izuku faltered. Does he want to speak to his mom? That's not good. "I'm s-s-sorry y-you can't. She's n-not home r-right now, she's b-b-being kept o-overnight at the h-h-hospital for the n-next f-few days."

Aizawa's eyes narrowed at the lie. Izuku felt his heart rate increase.

He knows, he knows. You've been caught. He's going to call you out. What now? What now?

Aizawa opened his mouth ready to call him out on his lie. To his surprise, the man's mouth snapped shut and he dropped the subject. His teacher turned his body away from him and waved. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, have a goodnight Midoriya."

"G-goodnight Mr. A-Aizawa." He mumbled out but the man was already far enough he couldn't hear him.

Well, at least that was over with. He walked to his apartment door and unlocked it. Once he was inside he sat on the couch. He stared at the wall across from him. A lot happened in one day. He let out an exhausted sigh.

"Do you think I said too much Mr. Gooey?" He was answered with silence.

"Yea, me too."