Tsukauchi's POV

Time passed quickly for the two. Trust was slow in coming even with the revelation that they were soulmates. When Naomasa moved too fast he would get a flinch and a hard look.

One of the biggest changes had to be getting Izuku out of Aldera Middle School. The first day that the kid returned it wasn't even lunch time before Naomasa got a call. They tried to claim that Izuku was bullying a set of students. Even without his quirk it had been obvious that the principal was lying.

Immediately he called in a favor with Aizawa Shouta also known as the Pro Hero Eraserhead. With help from Nezu they were able to sue the school. It was still awaiting trial but until then they were closed.

From that meeting Izuku had his first meeting with Nezu. Wolf and rat had watched each other in curiosity in Nezu's case; and in Izuku's case suspicion. He had barely stopped himself from grabbing Izuku when the young boy had stepped closer to the rat.

In the time he had known Izuku he never really attacked anyone out of malice. The incident with Yagi was only meant to be a warning. That also had shown Naomasa that he didn't like surprises.

Still he kept an eye on them. Instincts could make someone do strange things. He didn't want Izuku to accidentally hurt the rat.

Instead of attacking Nezu, he placed his nose against the white fur. To his absolute surprise Nezu raised a paw to gently rub at the wolf's muzzle. With that day came a promise to allow Izuku to take the recommendation exams.

It didn't guarantee Izuku a spot but it was as close as. The tears of happiness had been worth the worry he knew it would put him through. Also with their help came Izuku being transfered into Somei Private Middle School.

Izuku didn't care much for school to begin with. His muteness has been an issue in his previous home and school. This made him extremely wary about going to a new school. Especially given he didn't know how the other students would react.

It was only after they met the principal and a promise of a zero tolerance towards bullying that he gave it a chance. Naomasa also told him that if he felt overwhelmed all he had to do was text him. If that happened then Naomasa would come get him.

If he was honest with himself it had been a pleasant surprise when Izuku had not messaged. Then he had been a little terrified to learn that the kid was in the support lab. To date Izuku hadn't shown any interest in support items but there was no telling what went through his mind at times.

When Naomasa reached the support lab he barely had time to move before the door was blown off its hinges. Inside he could hear mad cackling from a girl and a boy telling her off. It almost made him want to turn back around and leave. However he couldn't just leave Izuku alone. That would not help the trust that he had been slowly building.

Looking inside he found Izuku swiftly signing to a pink haired girl a wild grin on his face. Nearby was Ingeniu's younger brother Tenya Iida. The blue haired boy was covered head to toe in soot. In fact all three children were covered in soot.

Naomasa watched them with an amused twitch of his lips. Despite what appeared to be an argument between them they were still coming up with ideas. It was the start of the first real friendship Izuku had since he was four.

To Naomasa's growing horror it turned out Izuku had a natural talent with support. One that the pink haired girl was happy to exploit. Only Tenya seemed to have a sound mind.

When Izuku saw him there was a flicker of uncertainty but it was gone as soon as he saw it. Then he bounded over to Naomasa and signed all about his day. That was when he was officially introduced to Tenya and Hatsume.

When they returned home he was happy to read the sign about Izuku's day. It seemed that he had been nervous at first but Tenya ended up reaching out a hand to the mute boy. They seemed to balance each other out fairly well. How in the world Hatsume fit in he doubted he would ever know. He was glad that Izuku had real friends that he could count on.

As the custody trial date approached they fell into a routine. With it came Izuku coming more out of his shell. He learned completely by accident that Izuku liked to draw. Tenya had brought Izuku a sketching notebook. A notebook which he had found Izuku sketching Sansa in.

Naomasa bought him more pencils and charcoal to aid in his hobby. That had been met with happy tears. This brought a small smile to his face and he tousled his hair.

The night before the trial Naomasa was caught off guard when he couldn't find Izuku. The kid had been there for lunch but when it was time for dinner he was nowhere to be found. Panic tried to set in but he forcefully pushed it away.

There were many things Izuku would do if he felt unsafe. Running away from this apartment was not one of them. So Naomasa had begun to search the usual hiding spots the first being under his desk. It was empty much. That wasn't much of a surprise considering Izuku changed hiding spots frequently.

From there he checked under the beds, chairs, and in the bathtub. Where in the world? There was a scratching sound at the door of the TV stand. He didn't. Naomasa opened the door and found green eyes staring up at him. He did.

Naomasa said breathing a sigh of relief, "You about gave me a heart attack kid. Why did you get in there?"

Izuku simply looked at him before climbing out. Without shifting into his human form the climbed up onto the couch where he curled back up. It seemed he was uninterested in the food that was made. He had a pretty good idea as to why.

Grabbing the bowls Naomasa sat next to Izuku. He said gently, "You're worried about tomorrow. Do you want to talk about it?"

Green eyes gave him a glare? No apparently Izuku did not want to talk about it. Honestly Naomasa didn't blame him. It was scary to think about Izuku possibly returning to the home where he was bullied.

Holding out a piece of chicken for Izuku he waited to see if the younger would answer. Or react to his question in any way. Almost reluctantly Izuku took the piece of chicken but made no move to answer his question. Or to communicate at all. That was fine he didn't have to say anything. Naomasa was perfectly capable of saying what needed to be said himself.

Naomasa said, "I know you're worried about being forced to return to the Bakugo's. That you won't be able to stay here because of your precieved quirkless status. Don't be. We have enough evidence to show at the very least they were neglectful in their son's abusive behavior. If by some chance they do gain custody I will fight tooth and nail to get you back. Even if I have to reveal that you are my soulmate which would give me preview in the case."

That had Izuku looking at him in curiosity as he took another piece of chicken. There was a wide range of emotions that ran through the green eyes. It made his heart hurt to think that someone could hurt this child so throughly. He would not allow it to happen again. Not as long as he had something to say about it.

"I won't let them take you from me, Izuku," he promised, "No matter what happens you can believe in that."

He was more than a little surprised when he got a lapful of the child. Izuku had shifted from wolf to human faster than he thought was possible. In doing so he hugged Naomasa tightly not willing to let him go. The feeling was mutual.