The pokemon thing started as a joke…but I'm in for the long run now.
The rest of internships came and went once Izuku made a full recovery. He hadn't gotten a chance to 'talk' to Hitoshi about what he's been doing as Hitoshi fled the same day. 'We live together, Hichan. You can't hide from this forever.'
Izuku walked with Present Mic the two of them walking up to UA together. Izuku had to return his costume and Present Mic offered to walk him to his classroom. "Thank you again for having me." Izuku told his uncle. "And…sorry about…well…you know."
"Bah. Never a dull day." Hizashi gently ruffled Izuku's curls. "That being said, I hope you understand now that you can't go running off, at least not now. Not until you get your actual license. You nearly cost Shouta and I's job."
"Yes, Uncle Cockatoo. I absolutely understand." Izuku bowed to his uncle. "I'm just glad the suicide runs are over. My legs are sore…" Izuku sweated as he came back up.
"I cannot imagine how Todoroki is right now. Poor boy…" Hizashi rubbed at the back of his neck as did Izuku.
'Dad never goes light, especially when it comes to punishment.' Izuku did not envy Todoroki at this point and time. Still, he can't help but feel bad. The only reason Todoroki is getting punished was because of him. 'I never should have yelled at him. It made him feel like he had to come.' Izuku and Hizashi started to walk into UA. It was Friday, but the school day had ended only a few hours prior. So the school was dead.
Izuku was going to make it up to Todoroki. 'But how?'
While Hizashi opened the doors to UA with his security card; Izuku sent a quick text to Todoroki.
Eevee: Hey, what's your favorite food?
The doors beeped and Izuku started to walk with Hizashi towards the school. Izuku looked at Hizashi, Hizashi noticed this and looked down. He then smiled at Izuku. "You're getting big, little listener. Though, I still see a little five year old." Hizashi commented. His voice reverberated around them through the empty hallways.
Izuku blushed at the comment. "Thanks? What's it gonna take for you to see me as a teenager?"
"Mmm. I don't think I can. You'll always be the one of the little gremlins that stole Shouta's heart to me. I bet you're excited to go back home today? Have a nice weekend with your brother and Shou?"
"..." Izuku didn't answer as he looked away from Hizashi. "Yeah." He dully said.
"Oh, don't be too bummed. I'm sure Shouta has calmed down by now. He might not even yell!"
"It's…not that. It's something else." Izuku confessed. As they walked to the 1-A's classroom Izuku's phone buzzed. He looked at the text.
Glaceon: Cold Soba…why?
Eevee: Oh, I was just wondering.
Izuku thought it would end there but it didn't. Todoroki responded pretty swifted.
Glaceon: What's YOUR favorite food?
Eevee: Pork Katsudon! I'm just a sucker for that meal. Unfortunately it's very carb heavy so I can only have it sparingly.
Izuku smiled as he texted. This didn't go unnoticed.
"Oh? Who's got you smiling like that, Little Listener?" Hizashi inquired as he got close to Izuku.
"Eep!" Izuku squeaked and quickly scrambled as he felt his face heat up. "It's just Todoroki." He smiled a little as he tried to hide behind his phone. "We were just talking that's all…"
"Oh~"
"Please don't look at me like that..." Izuku requested as he saw the light spark behind Hizashi's eyes. "We-We're just friends…"
"I didn't ask if he was anything more."
Izuku blushed. He covered his face with his hands. "Wel-well I was just letting you know!"
Hizashi gave a little chuckle as he ruffled Izuku's hair. "C'mon. Let's return your costume so I can take you home."
"Kay…" Izuku squeaked with an awkward smile on his face.
It was pretty simple after that. Hizashi unlocked 1-A's door, Izuku put his costume in it's allotted slot and took note that he wasn't the first to return. There were several costumes already back in their cubbies. One of which was Denki's.
Izuku had his phone out as he started to walk away. He then sent a text to Denki.
Ditto: Hey, hey! I see you returned your costume. How was Ms. Joke?
Izuku walked past Hizashi and out of 1-A's classroom. Hizashi was locking it back up when Kaminari texted him back.
Jolteon: Hey man! It was great! You were right about her! We meshed super well and she's wicked funny! But uh…she's got this…obsession with your dad, man…kinda creepy.
Ditto: Ah, yeah, sorry; forgot to warn you about that! Yeah, she's been trying to get him to marry her for YEARS now. She even tried getting Hichan and I to tell him to do so. It didn't end well.
Jolteon: Yeah, she sent me home with a note to give to Mr. Aizawa.
Ditto: Does it say 'Marry me?'
Jolteon:...yep.
Ditto: Get rid of it.
"Whoa, little listener!" Hizashi grabbed Izuku's shoulder stopping Izuku in his tracks. Which was good because Izuku was about to run right into a set of lockers. "Pay attention to where you're going, please."
"Sorry…"
"I mean I know Todoroki is cute and all but you should really watch where you're going."
A loud shriek so high-pitched that it would make dogs howl left Izuku's mouth as he quickly flailed his arms around. "It wasn't even Shoto!" He finally cried while his face heated up for the third time in the last ten minutes.
"Oh~ It's Shoto now!"
Izuku wanted to die.
He shouldn't talk to us like that! His voice is loud- I'm going to take it!
No!
Izuku felt the other him stir. It was just beneath the skin, scratching, begging to be let out. To punish those that needed it. It was so strange. He never felt this way before, then again, he didn't know he had another him. He always chalked it up to anxiety. So, Izuku tried to push the other him down. He didn't know if it was working, but he was trying.
"Hey…I was just teasing." Hizashi gave him an awkward little laugh when Izuku went quiet.
"Oh! It's not you. I'm just…thinking…" Izuku whispered the last part. He cupped his hands behind his back and silently scratched at his wrist. Hizashi gently patted Izuku's shoulder.
You're never going to get stronger if we don't take more quirks!
Fuck you. Once I learn how to return quirks it's over. I'm never taking another quirk again.
Izuku felt his hand stop against his will. It made him stop walking.
You think you have a say!? You think if I have no quirks that I'll just what?… go away?! It doesn't work like that! And you're going to let your guard down sooner rather than later. I'll keep taking quirks and you CAN'T STOP ME! The world almost seemed to twist on an axis as the other him screamed at the top of his lungs. Izuku's breath caught in his throat as he could feel the other him standing meer centimeters away from his own face. Izuku felt cold fear grip at the back of his neck like a vise.
"Listener?" Hizashi's wonderful, beautiful, voice cut through the air; Making the other Izuku vanish completely. Izuku sucked in a swift breath. For Izuku, it felt like that feeling before you fall sleep. When you wake up from your body sucking in a deep breath. He sucked in another breath and looked at Hizashi.
Hizashi's eyebrow was raised and he looked concerned. His mouth was formed into a frown. "Are you okay? You looked…" He trailed off, not able to finish his sentence.
"I…" Izuku swallowed and then smiled. "I'm fine. I'm sorry, I got lost in my thoughts there for a moment." He rubbed at the back of his head and he hopped a few steps in order to catch up to Hizashi.
"Oh, okay." Hizashi didn't sound too convinced as they both continued their walk down the desolate hallway.
Count your days, loud one.
Shut up.
Hitoshi didn't return home until much later when Shouta had dinner on the table. Donburi to be more specific. There was a loud thump from the outside making Both Izuku and Shouta turn to look towards the door. Then, in came Hitoshi.
His hair was absolutely wild. Sticking out every which way making him look like a protagonist from Yu-gi-oh with how it just seemed to defy gravity. His clothes were haggard like he had been through high powered winds. "Hawks…" Hitoshi breathed in and out heavily as he braced himself against the doorframe with one arm. "...flew me home. I was not prepared…"
"He flew you home? Like, you flew on his back?" Shouta inquired his interest (as well as concern) piqued.
"I…fucking…wish." Hitoshi then reached a shaky hand into his pocket. He pulled out a red feather. "He attached this to me and next thing I knew I was in the air…" He continued to pant. "I don't know if I love or hate this man!"
Izuku didn't speak as he grabbed a piece of nori, aded rice and tuna to the seaweed, rolled it, and started to eat.
'Odd, I figured Izuku would be brimming with questions right about now.' Shouta noted as he watched Izuku's absent minded face as he munched on his dinner. His face gave nothing away. He just stared blankly a head and took another bite of his nori and rice.
"Well, you're just in time for dinner. Go wash up and come and eat while it's still warm." Shouta told Hitoshi. Hitoshi sucked in another deep breath before turning and walking towards the bathroom.
Izuku grabbed his chopsticks, put the ends in his mouth for a moment before grabbing another sheet of Nori.
"Is everything okay?" Shouta asked once Hitoshi was out of earshot.
"Mm-hm." Izuku hummed his response as he added the rice and tuna to the nori.
Everything was, in fact, not okay. Hitoshi, now properly groomed, sat down and the air became tense. It was so heavy and tense that Shouta could taste it. Neither Izuku nor Hitoshi spoke as they ate. Which was weird. Shouta expected today to be the loudest day between the two of them. With them swapping stories of what they did, minus the touchy topic of Stain, of course. But there was nothing.
"I'm done." was the first and last thing Izuku said at the table as he grabbed his empty bowl and chop sticks. He got up and walked into the kitchen. Hitoshi and Shouta both heard the sound of running water, Izuku washing his dish, before it stopped. Then, Izuku walked out of the dinning room and into his own room. Shouta waited for the soft sound of the door shutting, when it did he looked at Hitoshi.
"Okay… did something happen between you two?"
"...Nothing a heart-to-heart can't fix." Hitoshi mumbled as he finished off his own food.
"What happened?" Hitoshi gave a weak shrug as he put the ends of his chopsticks into his mouth. Shouta watched as Hitoshi's brow creased as he gnawed on the end of the utensil; clearly, he was thinking. "Do I need to get involved?"
"We're not children, Dad. We can resolve our own fights."
"...Very well, if you insist." Shouta sighed and got out of his seat, now finished with his own food. "You're on dish duty tonight. Let me worry about the trash."
"Fair."
While Hitoshi started on dishes, Shouta collected the trashbag and tied it off. He then walked outside with the semi-heavy bag. "The trash is never ending with three people in the house." Shouta grumbled. He walked over towards his trashcans just at the end of his driveway-
A scuffling caught him off guard. He turned in alarm as the bushes next to him rustled.
Shouta looked at the trashcan, then at the bushes. 'A stray? Or a racoon…' He thought as he continued to stare at the bushes that were just a little ways away from him. Shouta opened his trashcan lid and just…
Couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.
Placing the bag down inside of the trashcan, Shouta started to approach the bushes. He was slow in his approach in case it was a stray cat. He took big and slow steps. He could feel the eyes staring at him-
"Hello!"
"Jesus!" Aizawa jolted as he turned on his heel to face his neighbor. Shirakawa was strolling up to his driveway.
"Forgive me, didn't mean to startle you!" The blind man joyfully chirpped as he approached; tapping his cane on the ground a few times as he did so. "I was just taking my evening walk when I heard you come out of your house!"
Shouta tucked some of his hair behind his ear and then gave a weak nod. "Yep, I'm on trash duty tonight. Thought I heard a stray over in the bushes. You know how it is."
"Hm. I do. I personally think there's a racoon going around as of late. Something keeps getting into my trashcans. I know it's not your boys. Which reminds me, did you find what you were looking for at the gas station?"
Shouta snorted. "No. The trash was taken before we got there. So, it came up as a deadend."
"Ah, shame." Shirakawa gave a weak smile at Shouta in return. "Oh well, there's always next time, right?"
"Hopefully, there won't be a next time."
Shouta returned inside shortly after that. He figured the cat or racoon was probably long gone at this point.
He walked towards the bathroom and paused at the yelling that could be heard. Neither of his boys were being quiet. 'Jesus. What did they fight about?' He was tempted to go in and break it up. Especially when he heard Izuku's scream of:
"I SAID NO!"
It was more than enough to make Shouta jump. Not just Shouta either. The cats, Sora and Miso took off running at the shout. However, it was as Hitoshi said. They were grown, they can solve their own fights now-
'But my god…' Never has he ever heard Izuku raise his voice like that. 'If they keep it up by the time I leave the bathroom then I'll step in.' He decided firmly. Usually, Shouta would use his own bathroom. The one attached to his bedroom, but for this case he decided to stick close. Just on the off chance a physical fight would break out between the two. It wasn't likely, but he wasn't taking risks.
Into the bathroom Shouta went-
"Jesus!" Shouta gasped when he slid on the rug on the floor. He fell on to his back and groaned as he rubbed at his lower back. He looked at the cursed rug- "Wait a damn minute…" He grabbed the rug. "Didn't I put you up int he closet a while ago?" He asked the rug, like it would answer him back.
"So…why are you back in here? And who put you here?" Shouta looked down at the floor under him. At first, nothing seemed a missed-
Then he moved his right leg a hair.
Shouta saw black under his thigh. He scooted back swiftly. There on his bathroom linoleum was a burn. A burn in the perfect shape of a handprint.
While Shouta and Shirakawa spoke to one another, Hitoshi finished up on the dishes. He sucked in a slow and shaky breath as he found himself standing in front of Izuku's door. 'It's do or die, Hitoshi. He knows… the question is how'd he find out?... I have to be smart about this.' His hand was trembling as he grabbed on to Izuku's doorknob. 'Please be locked.'
It wasn't. Izuku wanted him to come in.
Hitoshi gulped and slowly turned the doorknob. He then pushed the door open. It opened with a very slow, yet loud, crrrreeaak. Hitoshi poked his head into Izuku's room.
"Zuchan? Can we talk?" He took a slow step inside of the room-
With a war cry, Izuku threw himself off of his bed and tackled Hitoshi to the ground. "GAH!" Hitoshi cried out in shock as he struck the ground. Then, next thing he knew his arm was being bent behind his back, with Izuku putting almost all of his weight on Hitoshi to keep him pinned.
With a growl, Izuku kicked his door shut. It shut with a snap.
"What are you doing?!" Hitoshi demanded.
Izuku didn't respond.
"I'm not going to brainwash you!" Hitoshi practically cried. The pressure on his arm was getting to be almost too much. 'Is this even Zuchan?!' That horrifying thought struck him hard. Was the person pinning him down the other Izuku? The white haired devil.
"..." No response.
"Fine. Fine…just…hear me out. Can you at least do that?"
No response. Hitoshi was taking that as a 'yes.'
"Look… I know you at least know about the other you. The white haired you. Yes, I've known about them for a long long time now-" Hitoshi grimaced in pain. He breathed in and out heavily. "-Please. I can make them go away! You just need to trust me and the process I do!"
There was a long moment of silence before Izuku suddenly got off of Hitoshi.
Hitoshi groaned as his arm was released from the hold Izuku had on it. He pushed himself off of the ground and turned around to face his brother. Izuku, thank fuck it was Izuku and not his otherself, stood there with his hands on his hips. They stared at one another before Izuku rose his hands up.
W-H-Y? was the question Izuku fingerspelled out for Hitoshi to read. Hitoshi bit his lip as he tried to wrack his brain.
"Because…It's the only way I know how to get rid of the monster."
Izuku's eyes narrowed. No. Why should I trust you? All you've done is lie!
Hitoshi pulled a face at the question posed. "Why should you trust me?! What kind of question is that Zuchan!?-"
You don't trust me! Was what Izuku spelled next in his fervent anger. Hitoshi opened his mouth to protest.
You don't! You don't! Don't give me that look of disbelief! You know you don't! You've been erasing my memories! You won't let me solve this on my own! That proves you don't trust me! Izuku's fingerspelling became sloppy as his hands started to tremble. Tears sprung in his eyes and started to fall.
"Zuchan-"
When I got the quirk from All Might you freaked out! You said I 'doomed us all!' because you thought I stole a quirk!
"No, that wasn't what I was thinking-"
You knew that this object attraction wasn't mine and your response was to erase my memories so I'd just forget about it!
"Okay, yes-"
You erased all of my memories. You're the reason I'm missing my first four years, and what makes me sick is that Bakugo was right- Izuku was shaking so badly that he clearly just said 'fuck it.'
"He was right! You're behind my missing memories! And you lied! You lied every damn day about it! You lied to me! You lied to dad! That's all you've been doing!" Izuku cried while he shoved Hitoshi's shoulders. A sob left his mouth as he did this. "You lied about me burning my self with oil!-" Another shove. "You lied about everything!" This shove was harder than the others. Hitoshi fell to his back. Even though he was shoved he felt like he had been slapped across the face. A slap he deserved.
"-And I trusted you everytime because you're my brother! I never questioned it!-" Izuku's voice turned high pitch as he was starting to lose against his growing waterfall of tears. "-Never! I defended you every step of the way! I slapped Bakugo for you!" Tears fell down Izuku's face as he continued to sob loudly. These sobs were ones Hitoshi never heard before. Ones of heart-break. Izuku grabbed on to himself and ducked his head down as he continued to cry, childish wails leaving his mouth.
Hitoshi felt his own tears build up. "Zuchan…I- I was just protecting you! It has nothing to do with not trusting you- I- You have to understand-"
"Well, I don't!" Izuku screamed in anger. "I don't understand!"
"Zu-...Izuku." Hitoshi stood up slowly. "The other you is a dangerous being. You can't control them-"
Izuku snarled. He looked at Hitoshi, Izuku's eyes red ring and swollen from crying. "And you can! It's not even your quirk-urg!" Izuku grabbed on to his head as he doubled over. It was almost like he was cruelly proving Hitoshi's point by doing this. Hitoshi was too scared to reach out. "... They don't like being called an 'it.'..." Izuku whispered as he straightened himself up after a few seconds.
"Izuku. You can't keep them at bay forever. They're going to get out and when they do it's going to be havok. This quirk of yours feeds on stuff like that. That's why at the Sports Festival it felt-"
"You can tell when the other me is close to coming out?!" Izuku spat at Hitoshi.
"Yes!" Hitoshi barked right back at his brother. "Because it feeds on chaos, I have no proof but I swear it does-"
Izuku doubled over again. "Stop! Stop calling them an 'it!'" Izuku practically pleaded with his brother. Izuku clutched his head and dug his fingers into his curls.
"This! This is why you need me to step in! Izuku, the other you is something that you alone can't control-"
"So the only solution is to erase my memories like they mean nothing to me!?" Izuku snapped at Hitoshi as he looked at his brother. "These are my memories, Hitoshi!"
"Izuku, if you forget about the other you, he'll be sedated-"
Izuku let out a panicked gasp. Then another, and another, before crying. "No! No more memory erasing!" He smacked his head with the sides of his hands-
Hitoshi watched as white hair creeped up the base of Izuku's hair. But not all of his hairs turned white. No, it was an intermesh of green and white locks that stayed curly. It almost reminded Hitoshi of a carpet. A carpet with multiple colored fibers interlocked together creating a beautiful collage of hair that Hitoshi hasn't seen before.
Still, the other Izuku was coming out.
"Izuku, please, I can help-" Hitoshi reached out-
"I SAID NO!" The roar was loud. It was more than enough to make Hitoshi fall on to his back and try to scramble away for dear life.
Hitoshi whimpered as backed away on his hands. Hitoshi heard it their voices were intertwined together for that one moment the two Izuku's merged. The main evidence in Izuku's eyes. Both eye colors were cut in half horizontally. Red on the top, green on the bottom. But it was only for a moment. When Izuku saw the terrified look on Hitoshi's face the white almost immediately started to recede.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Hitoshi could only repeat in fearful whispers. The memories of being dragged kicking and screaming into a room. The man who had him in his arms a henchman going to teach Hitoshi a 'lesson' for crossing a line-
"I-I didn't mean to- I'm sorry! I'm sorry-!" Izuku sobbed almost violently.
To Hitoshi, Izuku no longer looked fifteen. Instead, now there was a scared four year old sobbing his eyes out. "I didn't mean to scare you, Hichan! I have no control when my quirk takes over! I'm sorry!"
"-I'm sorry!" Now fifteen year old Izuku wiped at his tears pitifully. "I didn't mean to scare you! I just-" The cries leaving Izuku's mouth were ones of distress. "Please!" Izuku dropped to his hands and knees and just sobbed. Loud fast sobs. Drool, snot, and tears fell from Izuku's face and splattered on the floor below.
Hitoshi watched this for several passing seconds. 'Izuku is absolutely having a mental break over this whole situation and not being able to control his quirk isn't helping.'
Hitoshi wiggle a little closer to Izuku.
A little closer more.
Just a little more.
Izuku's sobs quieted down when Hitoshi wrapped his brother in a hug. Hitoshi pulled Izuku in. Letting Izuku's head rest on his chest. He then gently patted Izuku's, now fully green, curls. "I'm sorry." Hitoshi whispered weakly. "I am sorry. Please try and understand; you asked for me to erase your memories the first time. I did. But I fucked up and I said the wrong thing. I told you to forget everything. I can't take back what's been forgotten. I tried." Hitoshi gently patted Izuku's hair.
Izuku sniffled and clutched on to Hitoshi. "Why would I ask that of you?"
"Because you were scared, because we were so close to being free, and your quirk was coming out."
Izuku hiccuped again as he put the puzzle together. "You had no choice… because the other me would have stopped you."
"Yes." Hitoshi hissed. "Which is why wherever it- he comes out, I make it my duty to squash him down so he can't hurt anyone else or worse…"
"...No more lies." Izuku whispered as he looked at his brother. Izuku's eyes were back to green. No red to be seen. "Please. I'm begging you. No more lies, Hitoshi." Hitoshi looked down at his brother. "Please. No more. Lies and no more brainwashing me to forget my memories. Please." Izuku pleaded as he grabbed on to Hitoshi's hand. "I need to control this quirk and I want your help, but no more brainwashing."
"...But, Izuku… you know this quirk is dangerous."
"And so is One for all and I can control that."
"... It's different. This is a sentient quirk. This is a quirk that not even dad can erase if push comes to shove."
"I know, but you have to let me try! Hitoshi, this doesn't have to be on your shoulders anymore! I'm not a little four-year-old anymore! I'm stronger now… please, Hitoshi…"
"..." Hitoshi looked away from Izuku. "I…I've never put this on your shoulders before. It'll be hard. but if you think you can tame the other you… then…I'll leave the reins to you."
"No more brainwashing. You promise me here and now."
"..."
"You promise me, Hichan, and if I find out you brainwashed me then I'll never speak to you again. You'll get JSL until the day they lower you into your grave! That's a promise."
Hitoshi sighed. "Fine… I promise. No more brainwashing. But…how do you plan on keeping the other you at bay? That's what I need to know."
"I'll figure it out as I go-"
Izuku's door opened. No knocking to be had as Shouta just stared at the two of them. "Okay. Enough." Shouta snarled as he braced his arm on Izuku's doorframe. "Get in living room, both of you. We're going to have a talk."
"Dad-" Hitoshi rose to his feet. Shouta narrowed his eyes.
"Hitoshi. Since I have you here do you want to explain the rug in the bathroom? The one that I slid, and nearly broke my ass, on?"
Hitoshi must have looked like a fish out of water as he stared at his father. "Oh that, well that can be perfectly explained-"
"Great. While you're at it how about you, either of you, explain the handprint burnt into the floor? Livingroom. Both of you. Now."
Me: *writing a dramatic scene between Izuku and Hitoshi. One that will basically change their entire relationship*
Me: *while writing this.* Yes, the causing chaos in Inazuma city with Itto playlist will be perfect!