By the time Izuku and his mom arrived home and Izuku started changing out of his school uniform into a pair of pajamas, he noticed that the blood had been cleaned from his torso, leaving the skin pink and raw.

He could still see a gaping wound on his left side, rendered in two dimensions with gruesome detail, and he pulled his shirt quickly over his head so he wouldn't have to see anymore.

He considered going back downstairs for a moment, letting his mother comfort him, but he didn't think he could deal with that right now. So instead, he just wrapped his blanket around him like a massive cocoon, and flopped into his bed in an exhausted heap.

Izuku hadn't intended to sleep, but the next time he opened his eyes, he found a pink-tinged sky outside his bedroom window, and his mother standing at his bedroom door with light from the hallway spilling around her and into his darkened bedroom.

"Mom?" he asked, lifting a hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes, only to drop it a second later at the sight of the deep purple bruising. He pulled the sleeves of his shirt down, hiding his hands in the soft fabric.

His mother smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry to wake you, honey, but there's someone here who needs to talk to you," she said, holding out a hand to him.

Izuku must have made a face, because she sighed. "I know, you've had a long day, but this is important, Izuku."

Sighing, Izuku picked his weary body up out of bed and followed his mother downstairs.

And there, sitting on the sofa in their living room was a man in a police uniform. He had straight black hair, cut short and neat, and a strong jawline. When he turned his gaze on Izuku, his eyes were kind, set in a gentle face.

Still, Izuku fought the urge to hide behind his mother. What did a police officer want with him?

The man smiled immediately when their eyes met, though it did little to put Izuku to ease. There was something intense about the man's gaze, as if he were drinking in every detail about Izuku, memorizing them and storing them safely away for later.

As Izuku and his mother took seats next to each other on the sofa across from the man, he introduced himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Izuku-kun. My name is Naomasa Tsukauchi, and I'm with the Musutafu Police Department."

Izuku bowed his head slightly, murmuring a polite greeting.

"You seem nervous, Izuku," said Tsukauchi. "Don't worry, you're not in any trouble. Your school called us because of the incident this afternoon. They were worried about your safety, as well as your soulmate's."

"Oh," murmured Izuku as realization dawned on him. He pressed into his mother's side, seeking comfort, and Tsukauchi's eyes traveled over his features searchingly.

"Normally in this situation, it would be my job to question you, and find out whatever I can about your soulmate, to make sure that they're okay after whatever happened to them earlier today," he explained, and Izuku felt his shoulders stiffen with discomfort.

Both Toshi and his mother had, time and time again, stressed to him how important it was to keep their soulbond a secret, and Izuku didn't feel comfortable spilling everything he knew to this complete stranger.

Izuku began to argue, despite his mother squeezing his shoulder lightly in warning.

"But," interrupted Tsukauchi, holding up a hand and stopping Izuku's protests in their tracks, "I don't think that's necessary here. You're Toshinori's boy, aren't you?"

Izuku gaped disbelievingly, and the hopeless feeling that had been churning uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach since earlier that afternoon all but vanished.

"You know Toshi?" he gasped, leaning forward eagerly and flapping his hands in excitement. For just a second, the current situation sank to the back of his mind at the thrill of being so close to someone who actually knew his soulmate. In real life!

Tsukauchi's smile became somehow softer, and he nodded. "He's a very good friend of mine," he explained. "I was already aware of his fight earlier today with a certain villain, and of the outcomes of it. So when the call came in from your school, I thought the timing was too good for it to be a coincidence. It's why I volunteered to be the one to come question you. I know how important it is to Toshinori for your relationship to remain under wraps."

"Is Toshi-san alright?" asked Izuku's mother worriedly.

Tsukauchi sighed heavily. "I'll be honest with you," he said, running a hand through his hair. "It's been pretty touch and go all afternoon. He was in a pretty bad state when they found him."

"Oh," sighed Inko, her voice all pinched and worried.

"But he has the best medical care available in Japan, and Recovery Girl herself is in charge of him. If anyone can save him, it's her."

Izuku smiled tentatively upon hearing this, and felt a little of his anxiety loosen.

"Thank you for letting us know, Tsukauchi-san," he said.

Tsukauchi waved the thanks away, leaning forward to ruffle Izuku's hair affectionately.

"You're a good kid," he said. "I can see why Toshinori's so taken with you…"

He trailed off then, quiet for a moment, his expression contemplative.

Then, he squared his shoulders, as if coming to a decision, and asked, "Do you want to come see him?"

Izuku froze, his face drawn into a bewildered expression.

"What?" he asked.

"Would you like to come see Toshinori?" Tsukauchi repeated. "You are, technically, his next of kin after all. I'm sure you want to see him for yourself, to make sure he's alright. And in the worst case scenario…"

Izuku clenched his fingers tight, and didn't allow himself to even consider the worst case scenario.

Tsukauchi seemed to notice his unease, and moved on.

"Recovery Girl can be trusted to keep things discreet. You can be in to see him tonight, and no one needs to know you're there."

Izuku thought for a moment.

The temptation was almost over-powering.

He wanted to make sure that Toshi was okay, to see his chest rise and fall with his own eyes, and feel the heat of his body under his hands. He clutched at his mother's sleeve, fighting with himself.

But in the end, he said, "no," and met Tsukauchi's surprised gaze head-on.

"Toshi is going to be okay," he said. "The worst case scenario isn't going to happen. He's going to get better, and when he says it's okay, then I'll see him. I trust him."

Tsukauchi stared at him, his expression showing something like respect, before finally breaking into a wide grin.

"Yeah," he said. "I can definitely see how you two are soulmates. I guess if you say he's going to be okay, then I'll have to trust you on this."