[Midoriya Izuku ~ 04]

A/N: Canon Izuku had his love and wonderstruck in heroes to fall back upon when times were rough. But what happens when that worldview is shattered? When what little naivety he has melts away? Well, we'll be seeing the inklings of its effects this time around.

The smell of rain — petrichor, Izuku recalls from one of his father's odd comments — shifts in the air as the ornate coffin before the crowd begins its descent into the earth.

The rain had stopped a while ago, long before the procession had arrived at the cemetery. But its effects are visible nonetheless; mud-trodden grass rubbing against everyone's shoes and the slow, consistent dribble of water as it falls from soaked leaves — the signs of a past rain are present all around.

And truthfully, they're the only things that Izuku wants to pay any attention to.

He doesn't want to watch as what's left of his father is being buried, doesn't want to hear the dirt as it's being pressed over the grave, and doesn't want to watch the stream of tears falling from his mother's eyes as she yells and pleads for her deceased husband.

And Izuku definitely doesn't want to look at the enormous form of Endeavor standing off to the side, his normally raging flames ever so slightly subdued and his normal costumed attire having been replaced with a form-fitting black suit.

Izuku could understand if it was an accident. It was partially his fault, after all. He'd strayed away from the restaurant. He'd gotten caught up in the crowd. And he had stood there gawking like a fanboy when he should have been scrambling away in fear of his life.

Any other situation — any other hero — and Izuku would have labelled the incident as an accident. Just an unfortunate set of circumstances that came tumbling down like a line of dominoes intent on setting off their final spectacle.

But it wasn't an accident.

He had heard Endeavor call out to his sidekick. Izuku had heard the supposed hero say that he'd already scoured the scene for civilians. He had seen Endeavor stop for just a moment, his eyes centered on the fire that had engulfed a helpless bystander.

Izuku had expected Endeavor to help.

But instead, Izuku had seen Endeavor run off, eyes set on the retreating villain. No words of assurance. No call for help. No effort to cull the flames that had taken Hisashi Midoriya. Nothing.

It was pure negligence.

Endeavor had abandoned the most basic responsibilities of a hero, all in favor of the glory that would come with the capture of the villain. And even that was for naught. Endeavor's reckless attacks had blazed a good portion of the shopping mall, and in all the chaos the villain had escaped scot free.

With such an abundance of evidence, it wasn't a hard thing for Izuku to figure out that Endeavor didn't care for the life that he had taken that day.

And that wasn't the end of it. Not long ago that lawyer had shown up on their doorstep, who upon entering their apartment proceeded to wave around documents and ridiculous numbers in his mother's still grieving face. The man had offered 'compensation.' And then he threatened to sue us into the ground unless we accepted.

And Endeavor knew that it was happening.

As for that cold, calculating glare that Endeavor had given off? The same gaze he had on the day Izuku had last been with his father? I

It's the same look he's sporting now.

As the funeral ends, the slight sizzle that accompanies Endeavor's footsteps alerts Izuku to his nearing presence. He looks up, finding the pro hero only a few feet away.

"Kid."

Izuku instantly places his gaze back towards the sodden ground. He doesn't want to look at him. Not after what he had done.

And besides, he doesn't need to look at him. He could hear everything from him completely fine.

"That's fine," Endeavor grumbles. "I understand. I'll make this short — and I'll be frank with you kid. I'm sorry."

He isn't.

Despite the rain and the relative cold, there's a single bead of sweat steadily running down the back of his neck. His stance is tight and unmoving, his eyes centered at Izuku's bushel of hair. And the uneven heartbeat entrenched deep in his chest betrays his true motives.

Endeavor is lying.

It makes sense to Izuku. Endeavor can't be sorry after everything else he's already done. He's just there to maintain his image, to make a show for all of those around — his mother's friends, the people from her work, the relatives from his father's side of the family, the Bakugous…

Endeavor was only there to appease the family he'd irrevocably damaged. There was no doubt about that.

But it isn't going to work. Not when Izuku knows that the man is lying through his teeth. Not when Izuku knows that the man is so far removed from what it means to be a hero.

Izuku stands up, fists clenched. He opens his mouth, and…

He slowly opens his eyes to the darkened ceiling of his room. He stifles letting out a curse, closing his eyes in frustration instead. He hates when he dreams about… that.

Two years from that day, and Izuku still can't scrub the memory from his mind. No matter what he does he can't kick the image of Endeavor from his head no matter how he tries. And it frustrates him to no end.

It's an ongoing process. He breathes. I'll get past it eventually… I hope.

After a while, Izuku rises from his bed like any other day. He takes one last look at his room, and then finally heads towards the kitchen.

"Morning, mom."

He takes a seat at his usual spot, just across from his mother. He eyes the food laid before him: Oyakodon, one of his favorites. Already, he can envision the taste of the egg melting in his mouth, the savory taste of the chicken and the rice greeting his taste buds, and the liquidy brew of the miso soup running down his throat. But…

It's quiet.

Again.

Izuku sighs, looking up to find his mother absently staring at her food. "Mom?"

Inko blinks, looking up from her plate and towards her son. "Oh. Izuku. Morning… Sorry, I was just…" She shakes her head. "Anyways, you have everything ready for today? Handkerchief? Pencils?"

"I still have an hour left before we need to check that, mom. We're still eating breakfast."

Inko looks down to Izuku's own plate, and then back to hers. "Right, right. Sorry." She starts prodding at her food. "My mind was wandering, is all. I got a bit disoriented. Don't mind me."

Not like it was the first time.

Izuku takes a bite of his food, only to find the taste of eggs much less appealing than it had been in his head. When the same goes for the chicken and the soup, Izuku lets out a mental sigh.

Just another school-bound Monday morning.

Izuku takes in another tasteless morsel.

Wonderful.

"Deku! The hell are you looking at, huh?!"

And that's what I get for letting my mind wander and allowing my gaze to rest wherever it did. But… At least it's already the end of the day.

Bakugou stalks up to Izuku's desk, his eyes narrowed and slight explosions crackling in his palms. He doesn't even wait for the teacher to be out of the room — not that it would matter. Despite the obvious hostility coming from one of her students, the teacher never bats an eye at the display; it's clear that she's content to merely pack up her materials and leave for the day.

Nothing new.

"Well?"

Izuku snaps out of his thoughts, his eyes meeting those of his… Of Bakugou.

"Sorry Kacchan," Izuku responds, averting his gaze from the piercing red eyes staring down at him. "I wasn't really paying attention. My eyes were wandering aimlessly, promise!"

"Oh yeah?" Bakugou raises his arm up, moving his hand next to Izuku's head.

It's a familiar gesture. And while he knows what's coming, Izuku can do nothing but tense in preparation.

The small explosion goes off in an instant. The blowback is minimal, with Izuku's head jerking to the side only slightly. And like always, he's left with a harsh ringing in his ear that, by honed experience, likely won't leave for another twenty minutes.

It's nothing new. The action is basically a habit of Bakugou by now, having originated on that very day that Izuku showcased his quirk for the first time. It's harsh, and it hurts, but Izuku's learned to cope with it.

He waits until Bakugou takes his hand back before Izuku raises his own to check on his ear. It's not bleeding, but nonetheless Izuku still worries about the prospect of lasting damage.

He knows by now that ringing in the ears is a telltale sign of tinnitus. And some light research has led to the knowledge that tinnitus is a product of experiencing loud noises either over a long period of time or in sudden, harsh bursts. Izuku isn't an idiot. He knows that Bakugou's explosions fit the bill perfectly.

It surprises Izuku that his ears have gone unharmed for the past two years. But he shoves the thought away — he isn't questioning his fortune. He doesn't want to tempt faith, after all.

"Know your place," Bakugo scowls. Again, the words drag Izuku from his headspace.

In turn, Izuku simply nods in deference. He doesn't have any reason to fight back. Izuku knows that things won't end well if he does. And it hurts him to admit that, especially after all the effort he's put through towards Bakugou.

Izuku had tried to amend things between himself and his friend for the past year. For one, he had tried telling Bakugou of all the possible uses of his quirk. Of all the utility it can have on rescue operations or scouting out villains. Izuku had even mentioned Eavesdrop — the grandfather that he now knew was part of his family tree.

The man was a successful support hero for over thirty years, with connections all across the board of Japan's heroes. His work was appreciated by many, his quirk the bane of the remnants of the Yakuza and similar organizations.

Izuku would try to go all over those things, trying to convince his friend of his uses. He'd do it one day. And he'd do the same the next day. And the next day. And the next…

That was months ago now. And by now Izuku knows that Bakugou would never see reason. Whatever it is that has created the wedge between friendship doesn't show any signs of disappearing anytime soon.

Salvaging what once was… Izuku isn't sure if he's capable of that. Not when the source of his problem also holds the secrets to the solution he so badly needs.

"Come on you two." Bakugou motions, and two individuals fall in line behind him. "We're going to the playground."

Of the duo, Tsubasa is the same as — enormous red wings and all. The other is a much newer face — a stocky boy by the name of Garou Yugoro. His quirk is nothing spectacular, with him being able to stretch his fingers to double their length.

"We're going to be having some fun today!" Bakugou exclaims. "Who's up for a couple games of Heroes versus Villains?!"

"Yeah!"

"Heck yeah!"

It's not long after that the three begin to make their way towards the door. It's a sight that Izuku can't ignore. And so, he begins to pack his things up, all in preparation to follow.

It's better than being alone.

He ends up playing the role of the hostage for the umpteenth time since he and Bakugou had first started playing this game. Not that Izuku expected anything different, of course.

But at the same time, he wishes that for once there would be a mix-up between the roles played. That way he wouldn't be left as he is now, huffing from the excess of activity he endured and with his clothes rumpled from all his extraneous action as the 'hostage.'

And yet, all things considered, Izuku's happy. His friends weren't too rough with him, playing at around the mildest of settings. He's relatively unharmed, and he won't have to walk home with any lingering pains.

With nothing amiss, he goes along with his usual ritual after these games. He walks over to a secluded spot — in this case the playground sandbox — and takes a moment to decompress. He collapses onto the sand, laying on his back to allow his breathing to even out as he looks up to the clouds overhead.

Serenity. Well… the closest to it, anyways.

The sense of relief that encompasses his form is so resolute that he doesn't notice the approaching figure.

He's oblivious until the moment he's wrapped in some sort of green appendages — Vines. They're vines, based on their appearance — and lifted up into the air. Even before he's able to voice his complaints, he finds himself placed upright onto his own two feet, completely unharmed.

"Those are the types of brutes that you call your friends?"

Izuku blinks once, twice. Three times. It takes him an embarrassingly long time for him to soak up the sight before him.

The vines coiled around his torso retreat, Izuku's eyes following them as they move up to the girl's hair — Is that her quirk? Vine hair? So cool!

His eyes then move downwards. He instantly notices the expression on her face, and there's only one way he can describe it.

Serene. Actual… serenity.

Nevermind the plain white sundress of hers that billows in the wind, the innocent way she holds her hands behind her back, or the way her head tilts ever so slightly as she herself examines him.

She looks to be around his age given her height. Her lips are moving and — Shoot! She's talking!

"—saw the four of you playing that game."

Her words are soft and reserved. Fitting for such a graceful looking girl.

"It's not really my place to interfere," the girl continues. "I am not knowledgeable of your relationship dynamics, after all. But nonetheless I find myself… unhappy with the way they were treating you. Especially the brash one."

That one catches Izuku's attention.

He lets out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his head all the while. "That's just how Kacchan is," Izuku says. "He's been like that for a while now. I'm used to it."

"Truly?" The girl purses her lips. "Hmm. Quite despicable."

The comment soars over to the back of his mind. Fervently, his mind finds some other things more pressing at the moment.

Girl! A girl! I'm talking to a girl! What should I say!?

"Ah." The girl covers her mouth with one of her hands. "How rude of me."

Izuku lets out a mental sigh of relief. She's going to lead.

The girl holds her hand out in front of her. "My name is Shiozaki Ibara. My apologies for using my quirk on you, but I simply wished to see if you were okay after that display from earlier. You seemed quite winded after those boys left you here all alone."

Izuku gulps before he takes the offered hand and shakes it. He says the first thing that comes to mind.

"Midoriya Izuku!" He tenses as he realizes he's basically yelling in her face. But his mouth is moving faster than his own thoughts, and he can't stop himself from continuing.

"And it's nothing to worry about, Shiozaki-san! I wasn't bothered at all by your vines! They're actually really cool! And I appreciate your concern, too! You're really nice!"

Shiozaki smiles after a brief moment. "That's a relief. I'm glad to see that your well-being isn't endangered." She pauses. "Though… I don't mean to pry where I'm unwelcome, but may I ask you a question?"

"I… ummm…" Izuku clears his throat. I can do this. "Of course! What is it?!"

Shiozaki nods. "Why defend the actions of this 'Kacchan?' Don't you feel that the way he treats you is wrong?"

The question halts all of Izuku's thoughts. No longer is his mind overwhelmed with the fact that he's actually talking to a girl.

"I…" What can I say to that? That he's the last sense of normality I can clutch too? That the way he treats me is the only thing that hasn't changed since my father's death? That he's the closest thing that I can consider to be a friend? That I—

"You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Huh?" Izuku snaps out of his thoughts, his gaze focusing on the girl in front of him.

"I can see in your eyes," Shiozaki says. "You're uncomfortable with my questioning. I shouldn't have pried; I've only hurt you more than you already were."

"Ah! No, no!" Izuku starts waving his hands in front of him. "It's not that! It's just…" He sighs. "It's just something I would rather not talk about. But I'm not insulted or hurt or anything! Promise!"

Shiozaki tilts her head once more, her inquisitively probing eyes making Izuku squirm. "That is the truth?" she asks.

Izuku furiously nods his head. "Yeah!"

"Hmm." She folds her hands together. "You're very strange, Midoriya Izuku."

Izuku can't help but blanch at the statement.

"However," Shiozaki continues, snapping Izuku out from his initial shock, "I will say this: I think that it would be in your best interests that you find your own sense of self."

Izuku blinks. "Huh?"

Shiozaki lets out another small smile. "You should find your own path, not let others dictate what you do with your life. I overheard those boys calling you weak—"

Izuku internally winces at the words.

"—but from what I can see you embody the complete opposite."

Izuku's eyes widen. "Wha— Really?"

Shiozaki nods. "You're excitable and skittish, but in truth those aspects of yourself merely hide your true being. As before, the truth lies in your eyes. And from what I've gathered from them, you contain a fiery resolve deep within. And resolve can carry one far in this world. That is a given."

Izuku can feel the onset of tears forming in his eyes. And yet, despite how much he desperately wants to allow his eyes to burst, he vigorously holds them back.

He can't make a bad impression. He won't scare away someone who's been this nice. He wouldn't be able to stand it if he did.

"I…" It takes a few moments for Izuku to be able to push the words out from his mouth. "Thank you… That… means a lot to me."

Shiozaki nods once more. "Think nothing of it. I'm simply speaking the truth, and doing what I believe is right. Now, if you don't mind, I must be going. My parents are expecting me soon."

"I— I… Of course!" Izuku peeps. "It was nice talking to you!"

"Likewise." She nods, turns, intent on leaving. But the moment she does, Izuku realizes only what's happening before him.

She's leaving. The one person who noticed me as more than just some trash on the side of the road…!

His mouth moves before he can think. "W— Wait! I—!"

Shiozaki stops, turning her body once more to look at Izuku. "Yes?"

Shoot! I just remembered — girl! Am I really going to ask—!

"I… Can I see you again?"

Shiizaki hums. "That may be a problem. Do you happen to live in the area?"

"Yeah…" Izuku says slowly, afraid of her response. "Why?"

"I live in Yokohama. My parents and I are only in Musutafu for business this weekend, I'm afraid."

"Oh…" Too good to be true. I can't even stay in contact with the one person who's been so nice—

"I suppose that you can come visit, though."

Izuku's head shoots up in hope. "I can?"

"Perhaps not all the time. The train rides from here to Yokohama can get quite expensive, after all. But if you happen to be in the area, go to Mitsuike Park. I spend most of my time there, so you're unlikely to catch me ever absent."

Izuku's smile is stretching from ear to ear. "Yeah, okay! I'll keep that in mind, Shiozaki-san!"

Shiozaki smiles one last time before she turns and begins her way off, her graceful figure leaving Izuku in awe. As she grows further in distance, she imparts one last message to the green haired boy.

"May the Lord's light guide you on your way, Midoriya."

"Yeah…" Izuku mutters, not really paying too much attention to what he's saying, too distracted with the fact that he had talked to a girl — and one that liked him, even. "You too."

Time passes, and eventually — despite it being quite antithetical to Shiozaki's previous efforts — Izuku ends up lying down in the sandbox once more. He's simply too overwhelmed with the encounter, and with all the things it entails.

He's quite possibly made a friend, one detached from his current situation and willing to see the bad in Bakugou. She appeared out of nowhere, almost like an angel with her sound advice and graceful appearance, and had injected some much needed optimism back into his life.

Izuku almost doesn't want to admit, lest something go wrong and he be proven wrong. But...

After all this time, things might finally be looking up. I mean, nobody my age has ever been so nice to me. She barely knew me, and yet she saw value in me. And she didn't even know my—!

Izuku shoots up in a frenzied awareness, sand rifling down his form as he recalls the one vital thing that he had neglected to do.

"I forgot to ask her about her quirk!"

A/N: The buildup is about to reach its second half… next time. And what do I mean by that, exactly? Well, just know that things are going to be picking up a bit more speed at this point. It'll still take a bit until canon, but as for more non-canon events that will shape up this AU? Yeah. They're coming.