Tomura swallowed hard. He had never heard those words before but it struck fear into his soul.

"Y-yea. I figured this was going to happen."

Inko smiled and sat down in front of him.

"It's not all bad. There's some things I would like to say... I um..."

She folded her hands into her lap and looked at Tomura with an odd expression on her face. He wasn't really good with people to begin with so this was making him more uncomfortable by the second when she didn't say anything. He couldn't read her face.

"Say what?"

"I'm rather disappointed in who you really are. I mean, someone like you turned into the evil man on Tv and the newspapers. That is not the same person I met days ago."

Tomura blinked. The disappointment in her voice stung.

Oh. That almost hurts more than being yelled at.

"I have no idea what to say to that," he admitted.

Inko frowned more.

"Why though?"

"It's how I was brought up."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"So with that answer, you no longer think you have a choice with your life."

"Are you asking me or stating it?" Tomura asked softly.

"Stating it because it's true."

He stayed quiet as he pressed his lips together in a thin line. Her words stung more than any slap his father delivered across his face.

Inko got up and headed for one of the drawers. She pulled it open and searched through it.

"How short do you want it?" she asked as she pulled out a pair of red handed scissors.

"Um... what length do you think?"

"Shoulder length but slightly layered."

He only shrugged because he had no idea what it meant. She only smiled.

"Stare at the wall and don't move."

"Ok."

Inko cut about two feet of his hair off first before she managed to get to cutting his hair to a shoulder length. She started thinning out the ends. She hummed while she did it and it felt soothing almost. Tomura stayed totally still while she worked her magic on his hair. His mind flickered over to his mom. How she would cut his hair too.

A small smile appeared on his lips. He missed so much growing up.

"You can change how things go for you."

"I have no choice in my life anymore."

"You do."

"I would die."

She pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Is that true?"

"The man that rescued me... can take down cities but he doesn't. He's smart. He would if he had too. He would kill me or use you against me."

The woman paused for a moment.

"You don't think I could fight back?" she asked with amusement in her voice.

Tomura smiled.

"You probably could."

She sighed.

"I'll be back."

Inko disappeared into the hallway. He looked down at his hair laying all over the floor. It was hard to believe he grew all of that out at once.

"He's doing ok."

He looked up to see Inko's bright smile.

"That's good- I'm glad."

Tomura was unable to move as Inko cleaned up his hair from the floor. How did this happen to him? He knew how but why? He was so sure of his whole life once he was able to get over some of the horrible shit he had done and now... How could one single person make him question everything he had followed and believed in until now?

"Did you want to leave now?" she asked softly breaking up his thoughts some.

Her voice disappeared as he opened his mouth. Inko looked sad. She looked tore up and yet she wore that smile like it would soothe him in some way. He never wanted to be babied by anyone. He didn't want anyone to feel pity for him. He didn't want anything from anyone else.

Nothing.

"I have something I want to tell you," Inko said with a stern look on her face.

He glanced her but he was almost shamed to look at her with the tone in her voice. He felt like he was being scolded.

"Y-yea?"

"My son likes you. He's really attached to you. He doesn't really have many friends. No one has come over since Katsuki when he was little. He really sees you as a friend. I don't want this to hurt him more."

Tomura would've mocked her and the young soon to be hero weeks ago but now he felt terrible about everything.

"Tomura? Are you ok?"

"Y-yea. I just don't know what to think about it all."

"No one would expect you to make a decision right now. There is a lot for you to think about. It's not like picking out a meal when you go out to eat or picking something to drink."

"Oh."

"You're still young. You have plenty of time."

Tomura made a face.

"He would save you with everything he has. He would do it a million times over and still believe you could be a better person the million and one time and every single time after that."

The villain stared at her for the longest time without words. What would he say?

"You ok?"

"I have to leave but I don't want too right now."

She smiled.

"Alright, sounds good. Are you hungry?"

He nodded quickly making her giggle.

"Sit tight."

Over the course of a few days and even into the next semester of the school year, Recovery Girl came every day and checked on Izuku Midoriya. He had moments were he got up and went to the restroom but he still seemed out of it. She guessed it more psychological than anything physical. Tomura was too ashamed to talk to the teenage boy and only checked on him when he was sleeping.

She checked over Tomura too who was still afraid to say a single word thinking it would lead to his capture. The old woman only shook her head every single time she left. The normal sized villain just watched TV and even helped clean up around the apartment when Inko was out getting things she needed and taking a few shifts so she could still make money and care for her son.

By day nine, Izuku managed to make it to the living room with more color on his face than he had. He slept on and off throughtout the day but Tomura was too afraid to say anything to him. They fucked up so bad without meaning too. Neither one of them would've thought Overhaul would be out and he would be the villain they ran into.

X

Izuku hadn't felt this terrible in all his life. He had broken his bones so many times but what Overhaul did to him was about one hundred times worse... He never wanted to feel that again. EVER. He wouldn't even wish that on anyone no matter what they did. It felt like his body was severed in places and everything was on fire.

He shuddered. Maybe his brain had tried to comprehend what happened and it couldn't leading to a full system melt down. He had no idea how he got home. How he managed to be in one piece again... How Tomura managed to be a full grown adult once more. He didn't even want to know how. It just hurt him more.

He remembered Recovery Girl talking to him some... He couldn't even remember that much of what she said. The whole week had been a blur to him until he came out of his room seeing Tomura sweeping the kitchen with his mother yellow and pink apron on. It made him think something big had happened until the villain looked at him like he was ashamed.

Why did he look so ashamed?

Izuku rubbed his temples trying to understand everything that had happened. Why things had happened. How did they manage to run into Overhaul of all people? Why the hell was he out running around? He groaned and grabbed his head. He remembered his mom saying he had another two weeks off.

I wonder how much time had really passed? I just feel blah.

Izuku walked into the living room seeing it was empty. His heart started race and he began to fill with panic.

Where's Tomura at?!

He saw the deadbolt was locked so no one had left. He made his way through the rooms when he heard the shower running and it calmed his nerves down some.

He sat down on the couch and waited. His head hurt slightly and he wasn't sure if he should take a nap or take a shower after the villain. Everything had been so difficult lately. He wished he could talk to All Might but he wasn't going to risk it any. He begged Recovery Girl not to say anything to anyone and she had been good on that promise that he knew of.

The bathroom door opened up and he listened as the footsteps got closer. His heart skipped a beat. All he could think was maybe he would feel a little better with Tomura in his presence. They didn't need to talk- just hang out like they had before Overhaul fucked him up. He just wanted someone to sit there with him.

"Honey, you ok?"

Izuku stared at his mother. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

This day was coming.

He knew that.

He really just wished it was later than sooner.

"Izuku?"

"Is he-

She dropped her gaze and nodded. His eyes stared to sting some as the same numbness that over took his for the last week came back.

He knew it was going to happen and it didn't make it hurt any less.

"Izuku-

"I need to lay down Mom."

Izuku rushed past her and slammed his door shut.

This was really hard to write. I wasn't sure how I would want it to play out. I didn't even plan for Inko to be a big part of the story but she did anyways and I'm glad for it.

Still one more chapter left...