Freedom Earned
This was fucking pointless.
A couple of the officers that showed up late as per the norm had tried to take the girl out of his arms.
That didn't go very well for them.
Now that the boys, not men because men don't hide behind their cars from teenagers, in blue were dealt with, all that was left were the medics and skeletor.
Fuck.
After nearly ten minutes of them trying to push his big ass into the ambulance with no success whatsoever, Zombie Might finally came around and made himself useful.
"I ASSURE YOU, THESE TWO SHALL RECEIVE TREATMENT AT U.A. THEY SHALL BE FINE!!"
It took another three minutes for the number one hero to verbally wrangle the still growing crowd of fans enough to escape.
Once they were far enough away, the pro hero slumped against the wall and deflated in a wall of steam.
"It's always something with you, kid."
The number one skeleton was right, tonight was just ridiculous.
The small girl in his arms seemed to have finally lost the battle against her exhaustion, still desperately clinging onto him. The older man's exasperated eyes softened marginally when she stirred just a bit.
"What's her name, young Bakugo?"
"Eri."
They stood in silence for a few minutes, allowing his adrenaline to fade. His hand finally unclenched, his own blood finally allowed to drip from where his fingers left bloody crescents in his palm yet again.
It was over, it was time to let go of the fight.
The hand that held Eri was perfectly still against her back, but the free hand was visibly shaking. His jaw was still clenched and his blood was racing through his usually slowed heart rate, reduced because of the nitroglycerin his body naturally produced.
So why was he still so keyed up?!
He thought he was finally over this?!?!?!?
XXXXXXXXX
All Might was concerned.
The young man's eyes still held all of the violence he'd unleashed in order to save the little girl in his arms. All of the rage he had brought to bear. He couldn't let it go.
He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder allowing him to ride out the waves of adrenaline. He made his breathing obviously loud, hoping to give the hero hopeful something new to focus on.
There was no fear in his eyes.
No hesitation in his posture.
Just the will and desire to unleash violence in any form.
The boy had a great temper, he forgot. His control over it so honed he'd looked past it entirely. With time, it would fade away like ash in the wind, but for now, he would continue acting as a pillar of support for the next generation.
That was how they were for a time; a young man wrestling his desire and propensity for violence, and the broken symbol offering a shoulder if only for a moment.
XXXXXX
"BRAT!!!!!!"
The blonde woman rushing into the infirmary signaled the end of his peace and quiet, so he settled Eri back into the bed beside him and prepared for the wave of aggressive concern and affection that would follow…
… Fuck…
Contrary to expectations though, his mother stopped the moment she laid her eyes on the young girl and him tucked into a cot and covered in fresh bandages, she went stiff as a board, covered her mouth with a hand, and walked right back out…
…
…huh…
Atleast his dad just walked in and made a beeline to sit next to him. He atleast managed to keep his head, regrettably. He was usually alone there when it came to his family though.
"Katsuki!" Oh god damnit.
"Will you idiots keep it down, the brats trying to sleep."
His usual monotone managed to stop Kyo at the door.
Oh god…
Kyo was wearing that skull nightgown he got her for christmas last year, and her hair was just as messy as her father's mane for once. He was never gonna let that kind of chance silde.
"Hey ears, you rocking a mullet now, and forget to tell me?" She'd always hated the hairstyle for some reason, something about her cousin with scissor fingers?
Her eyes snapped over to the nearest window in a panic, only to see she did infact sport a fake mullet. Her hands were faster than anything he'd seen in their spars as she fixed it up, he'd have to push her a bit more next time.
His snickers refused to stop until she stomped over to take a seat on his unnocupied side, jab an ear jack into his wrist, numbing it enough for him to stop hiding it from her, and pry his fingers from his palm. Revealing the crecent scar covered palm to her eyes, as well as the fresh new row of indents.
…
…
…
Huh, that scowl… she been taking lessons, cus that was almost a Bakugo approved sneer? Oh wait here comes the tears. Shiiiit.
"You lost yourself again, didn't you?" It wasn't a question as much a statement, but he nodded anyway as the jack came out of his wrist.
Her teeth lightly gnawed on her other jack, running her fingers up and down his mostly numb palm. He felt his body relax against his will for the nth time, Izu and her always knew how to cheat against him.
Years of fighting against the sheer wrongness of living in his body had left countless reminders across his skin, but none more so than his palms.
"You hurt yourself again."
…
"You promised, damn it!"
…
"Say something?!"
Her words had died down to a hiss, and her own hands were now shaking.
Katsuki sighed.
He was tired, he'd deal with it in the morning.
So he grabbed her, pulled her next to him, threw the blanket over all three of them, and laid back to go to bed.
The midget doctor had said he wasn't leaving until she said so, may as well get some rest.
He managed to get out something that sounded like an apology before his body crashed, so he'd make it up to her in the morning.
XXXXXXXX
She moved to take a seat next to her husband, her eyes still locked onto her child and the little ducklings he collected. The older punk rock girl and the little white haired unicorn were firmly on the very short list of people her son would let touch him.
They were stuck with each other forever now.
A ghost of a smile flashed across her face, until it died silently as thoughts plagued her.
Her son had never been normal.
He'd always been quiet when she knew he was bursting with a temper to match her own.
Reserved. Dedicated. Determined.
That was her son down to a T. He'd never let himself he anything else.
Sometimes she'd catch his nails digging into his arm or leg out of the corner of her eyes, and he refused to tell her anything when she knew something was wrong.
Frustration continued to gnaw at her nerves until eventually everything came to a head when he was four.
After showing her what was happening to Inko's girl, telling her everything thst he'd seen in just one day of being back at school after going to an Institution that helped people with powerful quirks learn to control them so no accidents occured, and seeing his hands drip with blood as he paced about the kitchen and lost himself, he'd finally broken down.
She'd grabbed him and asked him what was wrong over and over until he finally let himself break agaisnt her. He'd finally hugged her back and told her the truth.
It broke her heart.
"Everything is wrong! I'm not supposed to be here!!!!"
"This isn't me. It's not me! I'm not me?!"
"I'm not supposed to be here, I'm not your son!!!!!"
"Ithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts…"
Her son thought he was an imposter. He told her about how his body felt like it was rebelling against him. How the world itself felt like it was trying to crush him. How it felt like his bones were always trying to scrape themselves out of his body. About the emptiness he felt inside of him and the endless void he fell down every time he closed his eyes.
She never could get the way he'd screamed out of her head as he told her exactly how much it hurt to be alive.
He had eventually broken down and mumbled into her neck again and again with her husband cradling them both to his chest…
"imnotyoursonimnotyourson.."
It had taken until just before Inko had gotten off of work and came over for the night to get him calm enough to listen to her.
"Yes, you are."
?
"You have always been my son. You will always be my son. Nothing you or anyone else can do will ever change that."
!
"If the world doesn't want you here, it can go fuck itself. I do. I want you here everyday for the rest of my life. I want to watch you grow up and be strong. I want you to be happy."
?!
"If the world wants you gone, then fight back! Don't take shit from anyone, you hear me?!?! Don't ever let anyone else win. Find something you want to do, find people you want to do it for. This is your home, I don't care what you feel. No one will ever take that from you, do you hear me Katsuki."
"I'm your son?" His eyes had been so lost and helpless staring up at her through his own tears.
"Yes."
He looked up at his father and mumbled out the same exact question.
"Yes."
He repeated his actions again and again, asking them both the same question over and over. Until his hoarse throat finally the best of him and all he could do was let loose a whine like a dying animal.
That noise still haunted her dreams to this day.
Inko's girl helped him more than anything in those early days. Even before he'd fallen apart in her arms, he'd always done his best to be the best he could be and show her everything he was learning.
Then came the other girl, the little musician. The one her son told the truth to. The one who yelled at him when he was in one of his moods, started petty fake arguments so he could forget about himself for a small time. And the one who stayed with her son when he needed to stop existing in the relative safety of his room.
Like now.
And now, there was yet another. A little girl covered in bandages, safe and secure in the world of her son's arm.
Both girls cradled a hand to their chests, both refused to let go, and both were utterly fixated on Katsuki. And he wasn't going to let either go. Not without a fight, he was possessive like that, it was in his blood.
Her son knew how to pick them, atleast. Nothing but the best for her kid.
Masaru reached out to hold her hand, silently offering support as he had been since the day they met.
God her family was a mess.
She reached up and laced her hand through her husband's and allowed herself to fall against him.
But it was her family and she wouldn't trade it for anything.
XXXXXXXX
Izumi was not a happy girl at the moment.
Oh sure she was getting ready to move into the dormitory for her dream hero school. And her mother had been offered a job at said dormitory alongside Kachan's parents so that was all going great.
There was just one problem…
WHERE THE HELL WAS HER BEST FRIENDS?!?!!?
She hadn't been able to follow them when Auntie and Uncle stormed out of the house to go and find their son, and she had barely heard from any of them since then!
They didn't answer her calls. Her texts were read but ignored and she filled up their voicemails. Even Kyochan wasn't picking up. She'd managed to get the fact that they were both already in the dorms from her surprisingly tight lipped mother.
But now, with the dorm now open, she would not be denied.
She left her bags at the entrance, ignoring the chopping and lecturing of a dark haired teenager, ignored the stare of a midget with purple balls on top of his head, a bored looking girl with beautiful skin and two toned hair, and jumped over the coach to fall on top of the familiar spiky mess of blonde hair.
One ruby peeked from behind her own curtain of green hair as she draped herself over his back in the biggest hug she could manage.
"Kachan!!!"
"Nerd."
Everything was right in the world.
All she had to do was yell at the both of them for ignoring her since the… exam…
…
…
Who was this small white haired angel sitting in her spot on Kachan's lap, and where did she sign the adoption papers.
And why did Kyochan get to know her first?! That skull armband she was playing with was the same one Kachan got forber birthday three years ago?!?!??
Her head snapped down to where Kyochan was laying down with her head in the small girl's lap, allowing her to play with her jacks.
Vibrant green met impassive black.
Ruby eyes drooped in disappointment.
Oh great.