Chapter Text
Primrose:
Inconstancy
Children were interesting to work with, even on the best of days. Especially those in their teenage years.
For class 1A, that statement was only multiplied by all their eccentricities and their knack for getting into trouble.
Hero students tended to be just a bit more than anyone else, taking up the banner of eccentric individuals with pride. But that didn't mean all students fell under those categories.
That didn't mean all students wanted to.
Izuku was chief among those who wanted nothing more than to blend into the background. Of all his class he and only one other wished to go underground while the rest sought for the heights.
Which was why he really didn't enjoy his status in the limelight.
"Y-you're Izuku, right, the son of the analyst Lohr?"
Izuku held his pencil in a tight grip, avoiding looking at the person with the hopes they'd go away.
It was the fifth person today, and hardly the last this week. Far too many people had grown interested in him this past week after the aftermath of Stain's capture.
"I uhm...I wanted to ask if you maybe would like to-" the girl tried, looking discouraged by Izuku's refusal to acknowledge her. He had no interest in what she had to say, after all. Not when it was obvious what she wanted, just like all the others.
Much like those other times, Izuku didn't have to say a word. Not when another was quick to intercept.
"Hey, Zu, sorry I kept you waiting." The familiar voice dragged his attention away from his books. Izuku relaxed as he caught sight of Hitoshi wandering over. The boy had his book bag slung over his shoulder, filled to the brim with this week's homework. He'd just finished his meeting with Hound Dog, the required session all of them had actually. The boy glanced at the other person present before easily dismissing them in favor of reaching out to grab Izuku's cheek.
The green haired teen didn't pull away, his eyes softening.
"I hope the session went well." Izuku iterated while putting away his supplies.
Hitoshi grins and glances once more at the girl who has gone quiet, his smirk twitching firmly into place before he tugs and arm around Izuku's shoulders, hoisting the boy up from his seat. The look is almost mocking.
Neither of them have the patience to deal with her.
"Yeah, it was fine. Now then, shall we start our date? I take it you weren't in the middle of anything important?"
Izuku doesn't spare a glance back. He's seen many gaze after him with crestfallen expressions, or even ones of anger in the past few days.
"No. It wasn't important at all."
Hitoshi doesn't look back as he guides the boy away. Both of them could have been kinder, yes, but neither have the capacity or energy to do so.
Not when these onlookers and attention seekers only want Izuku for what he can give them. They don't care about him beyond his connections, beyond who his father is and the rising stardom that comes with being the son of the man who caught the hero killer.
At least, that's how it shows on paper.
For Izuku, who had been the one to drive the final nail in the coffin in the first place for Stain, it was almost laughable to think about.
His father got the credit, which while not the whole story the man deserved to be recognized for his efforts, while Izuku was left to handle the aftermath.
He supposed it was better than ending up under the HPSC's thumb, especially after all that had happened. Not that they could scrounge much support at all these days with their reputation in the constant teeter into nothingness and Lohr's sharp words against their cause bringing them even further into destruction.
It was Nedzu's idea to use Lohr and his reputation as the 'Straw that broke the camels back' as he so aptly out it. His plan outlined Lohr at the center, taking hold of the new stage while he worked in the background.
Izuku was pleasantly surprised by the outcome, even if it became more annoying when the Hero Commission decided to air Lohr's identity in retaliation. They likely hoped that he would lose face after it was revealed he wasn't even from Japan, only to lose even more ground when everyone started to realize that Izuku was his son.
The same kid who lost his mentor to Stain.
From there, everything spiraled.
Now, a week after they returned to school and with only one week left till their exams, Izuku found himself handling the dreaded admirers and glory hounds alike. Even his own class wasn't free from the awe that swept them when they realized. Well, besides Bakugou, but at least he boy hadn't called Izuku's dad a liar too.
Perhaps that has to do with Hitoshi's control. His quirk worked based on what the victim believed to be an infringement on the command, after all.
Hitoshi curled his arm tighter around Izuku, nestling him into his side to hide him from view. At this point, however, most people knew that if you wanted to find Izuku, you had a better chance finding his boyfriend first.
The thought gave him pause. A softer look crossed his features. Out of everything, that fact alone brought him comfort.
At least something good came from their strife. Though he supposed it wasn't the only good thing.
Waiting for them at the entrance to UA, past their lockers where they grabbed their shoes, was the familiar figure of Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa.
And, as of a day ago, Hitoshi's new foster parent.
The man was waiting for them near his car, dressed in casual wear much like when they'd go to visit Haru's grave. He glanced up and waved then down, a smile working over his features.
"Hey! You boys ready?" He calls even as he pulls away to get the door open for them. Hitoshi slides into the front, while Izuku takes the back. At this point the passenger seat is Hitoshi's by default, so neither of them argue for it.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going before we miss out." Hitoshi chides, though his eyes sparkle with amusement as the three start out toward their preferred cafe. It's the same one they often run into Aizawa and Yamada outside of school hours, and the same one Izuku initially showed Hitoshi all those months ago. It's become their spot in all but name at this point.
"Today looks to be a good day. I heard you started practice exams for your courses." Tsukauchi starts, bringing up a conversation immediately as he pulls out of UA.
Hitoshi groans next to him even as he starts to hook up his phone to the system to get some music going. "Don't remind me. I swear, the only ones not losing it over the exams are Zu and fu- freaking Snow Spark." Hitoshi catches the curse when Tsukauchi side eyes him in light warning.
Izuku snickers at the interaction. It's been hilarious to watch Tsukauchi take a minor shift in his role. He wasn't too bad, just adjusting a few behaviors and what he allowed from Hitoshi. For the most part he was the same as always.
It was nice. Especially compared to others.
Izuku tried not to compare it to his current relationship with his father, but well...it was hard. Especially when most of the time Hisashi looked at him with guilt.
Shaking his head, he focused on the topic at hand.
"You just need to realize that panicking doesn't help. I doubt you'll have trouble with the written exam considering your normal scores. As for the practical..." He shakes his head again.
"If you fail that I'm dumping you." He jests, because Izuku knows that Hitoshi is capable.
He'd held his own against Stain, after all. And he'd managed to not only avoid Aizawa, but many other pros along side Izuku while also fighting at his side. Izuku would sooner renounce his chances at becoming a hero than accept Hitoshi failing the exam.
Because his boyfriend was a dramatic bastard on the best of days, Hitoshi turned to Tsukauchi with a mock hurt look.
"Do you see this abuse?! He's gonna dump me at my worst!"
Tsukauchi, rather used to the antics, only gives him a deadpanned stare.
"Then you'd deserve it."
Izuku grins. He catches Tsukauchi's eyes in the rearview mirror and nods his head in agreement.
This, this right here was exactly why Izuku hadn't lost his mind yet. Moments like these where he could just be himself and forget about the mounting dread that filled him in a daily basis.
While he has been going to therapy, one week of it was hardly going to help when he'd spent the past semester practically burying his feelings and all that was going on. Still, the three sessions he'd had, one to get caught up, the second to really try it out, and the third because he didn't have time for his session next week, had proven to at least be useful.
It helped that his therapist was someone who has little to no relationship with. While most of the students went to Hound Dog, Inko had specifically requested a man who Izuku only ever met in passing.
Sarumi Hinata was a quiet man, known mostly for his talents in healing others by taking their pain and their wounds. He had a wealth of knowledge, most of which he was eager to share. He had too many degrees for Izuku to not be in awe about either, even if it shocked him to learn the man didn't use most of them to their full capacity. He was a doctor, after all, but he only ever took specialized cases. He mostly aided kids as a child psychologist.
Izuku found it quite interesting regardless, and he enjoyed the sessions he had with the man. They met off campus normally once or twice a week.
They'd started immediately after Hisashi and Inko had been informed of the Nightshade mess, leaving Izuku shocked when Inko had quickly pushed him to try the session out.
It seemed Hinata too, enjoyed their sessions, given that the man had actually dropped a lot of his work in favor of focusing more on helping his patients, and from what Izuku overheard, possibly shifting to aid UA more.
His brother was much the same. As Izuku's general physician, Dr. Hatori was busy dealing with Izuku's quirk. Especially after both Izuku and Hitoshi had met with the man in the early hours the morning after Stian was dealt with. He'd run a full diagnostic, garnering what he could about Izuku for the moment before taking the rest to look over and debate on later. They had another appointment tomorrow to go over the specifics, but Izuku would be having that appointment at UA.
He was wondering just how restricting the man would be about his quirk, given how he'd previously learned that it damaged Izuku to a small extent.
"Earth to Zu." A hand on his leg settled him. Izuku turned to look at Hitoshi from where the boy was watching him carefully. His assessing eyes trailed over him, cataloging and making sure he was okay.
Izuku cast him a small smile. He was fine, just thinking. Though he supposed that too was dangerous at times. Still, so long as he just keeps thinking about the future, he was sure he'd be fine.
Hitoshi nods, turning away but not removing his hand. It's quite the uncomfortable angle, but that only serves to fill Izuku with more warmth as he encircles the larger hand with his fingers. Hitoshi's fingers are quite long, while Izuku's are shorter. He can wrap Hitoshi's around his own with minimal effort. The green haired teen played with Hitoshi's hand for awhile, listening to the conversation Hitoshi struck up with his guardian about one of their assignments. It was an extra credit art assignment from Midnight to create a hero merch piece for a limelight hero. Specifically one that hadn't already been created for them, but might suit their image.
Hitoshi was only going for it due to his fears about the exam. Izuku hadn't bothered, despite enjoying art. He'd prefer to focus on his physical strength in the moment instead. Even so, he was interested in what his boyfriend would come up with given the topic of choice.
"So, what hero did you choose?" Tsukauchi asked. Amusement and genuine interest filtered through his tone.
From the passenger seat the teen chuckled and grinned. "Clip-Sensei, actually. They have been bothering me lately that I never make any of my assignments about them, so I figured it'd work. Want to know what I chose?"
Izuku perks up at the notion. Clip was more a twilight hero than anything else. They'd initially debuted as an underground hero, however, following an incident with a nearby electric plant, they'd become more active in the limelight scene. With the Stain incident their notoriety had only grown. Not many were happy about such a thing, but Clip hardly cared since they had become a hero for other reasons outside of being popular.
When Tsukauchi nodded at his ward, Hitoshi gleefully shared his idea. "Hair dye."
Tsukauchi couldn't hold in the laugh that broke free, shaking his head as he pulled to a stop. They'd arrived at the Cafe and he had pulled into a parking area nearby.
He cast an incredulous look at Hitoshi, but Izuku could see that he was mulling it over. "That's...stupidly ingenious kid. Damn, I'm surprised they don't have a line of any yet. I would have thought you'd go for something like knives."
Hitoshi shrugs. "That's too easy, besides I'm certain they'll have something out with that theme soon enough. I wanted mine to be a little more original. Oh, and Ochako gave me the idea of a metallic finish-"
The three leave the car after it's parked, continuing their talk on the way to the cafe. Izuku found himself on Hitoshi's right side with the boy's arm around his shoulders. He let him, smiling softly while he flipped through articles on his phone. Tsukauchi stands on their left, eagerly prodding Hitoshi for more details.
They were all distracted enough that they almost didn't notice the commotion that met them at the door. Almost.
Izuku was the first to catch on to the noise ahead. He lifted his gaze from his screen, green eyes flickering briefly as he caught sight of a rather familiar head of blonde hair settled at the entrance of the cafe.
Hawks wasn't dressed in his hero attire, but only those who were from out of the country wouldn't recognize him instantly. He never made an effort to blend in, after all. Which meant that no matter where he went, the hero would be recognized and all but swarmed by the surrounding populace. Eager fans were asking him for autographs or just trying to say hello, blocking the entrance to the cafe.
Izuku went still, his gaze darkening further as his brow furrowed. Next to him, Hitoshi and Tsukauchi had come to a halt from his sudden stop. They dragged their attention to the commotion as their conversation died down, spotting the object of Izuku's ire.
Hawk's raised his gaze, his sharp eyes peering over the crowd and taking everyone in until the golden hues suddenly lit up as he spied them.
A tremor ran over Izuku's skin. Flashbacks to a night he had tried to forget worked through his mind, all while he felt the distinct urge to run. He could feel the edge of his quirk as it poked and prodded at him, urging him to utilize it.
His feet shifted before he could stop himself. There was an alley to his right. He could scale the fire escape and-
A hand settled over his shoulder. He almost flinched, reacting on instinct to grab it. Hitoshi stopped him by grabbing his hand firmly. He cast a look at Izuku even as the Midoriya gazed past him at Tsukauchi.
The detective was observing him with calm eyes. The soft color did help settle him some more, but it did little to quell the urge to flee. Even as the man gently gripped his shoulder before letting go again. It was a mild warning, but a reminder none the less that Izuku couldn't run.
Not when he was treading the thin line between jail and house arrest as it was.
He often forgot, given how easy it was to fall back into old patterns, that he was no longer the only one aware of everything he'd done to get back at Stain. He forgot, because other than his father and two of his classmates, everyone else still acted like before.
Like Stain had never happened.
Like Nightshade and Hyacinth never happened.
But they had, and the proof stared him down as Hawk's waved at them and sauntered over. He called his goodbyes to his fans, expertly dodging any who tried to keep him at bay. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his white jacket. When the hero got closer, Izuku recognized the piece as one of Miruko's merch lines. With a spare look at the hood, he caught the bunny ears hanging off the back.
"You are a hard kid to track down, Midoriya." Hawks calls out with a chuckle, his eyes still glinting with unspoken interest. He's too close for comfort, especially given the last couple of times they'd met. He also has an unhealthy amount of intrigue about either of the students following the revelation.
Though, Izuku supposed such a thing was only natural given what they had done to his oppressors.
Hitoshi, ever the protector and all too willing to step between them, shifted until Izuku was on his other side as he spared Hawks a sharp look.
"What could the Number Two Hero want with two first year students? I didn't take you for the type to show interest in those who stuck to the shadows, but perhaps I'm wrong." He voices idly, but the edge to his tone is hard to miss.
Hawks raises a brow at him, but he doesn't take offense even as a lighthearted smile creeps across his lips. Something feels wrong from it, prodding at every sense Izuku has.
It's the same type of smile he wore in the mirror everyday leading up to the fight with Stain. It's the same goddamn look that Izuku forced over his lips just to convince everyone he was fine.
He hates that he shares something so intricate with the hero.
Tsukauchi stepped forward, blocking Hawks from getting closer as his lips twisted into a similar countenance. Though the detective didn't bother trying to hide the malice in his tone, not when he'd had plenty of practice telling others to back off from either of the kids.
Izuku had watched the Detective that last time Harmony came around to check on Hitoshi. He overheard their argument and the way Tsukauchi rebutted every suggestion the woman made about Hitoshi's future.
She recommended Hitoshi leave UA, so Izuku saw no problem with Tsukauchi telling her off. In fact, he would have done the same had the detective not beat him to it.
Hawks' smile shifts a little at the obvious wall standing between him and his target. He raises his arms in a placating gesture, however, and shakes his head. "No need to for the hostility Detective, I just want to talk. Why don't we take this inside? I'll even treat you, since you're going through the hassle of hearing me out on your day off."
Izuku knows this is a trap.
He knows that he should encourage the others to not listen and postpone their time at the cafe.
But something tells him that if he tries, if he leaves here and now...Hawks will only get more persistent. He has enough on his plate in terms of people seeking him out.
Izuku sighs and steps past both his companions, shoving around Hawks and casting the man a dark look. His eyes flicker red, causing the hero to stiffen for just a moment. Izuku maintains his calm facade as the red hue seems to glow. The next, it's gone as he turns back to the cafe.
"Whatever. Just make it quick, or I'll have to cause a scene and get you tossed out."
It's telling that none of the party comments on his quirk usage. No, rather they all are only mildly surprised by it.
After all, some days...
Some days Izuku can't turn it off.
It's activation is second nature now, for all that no one ever wished it to be that way.
It scared Aizawa the first time it happened, but he and Izuku's parents quickly settled in with the fact. His classmates were confused and concerned but one look from Aizawa halted the words in their mouth. Fewer students could event approach him in the first place, and those that could didn't bother to mention it.
Izuku still saw the worry on their faces. He still felt their gazes whenever red bled into green during an exercise without his full promoting. The mornings he woke with it on were often the worst, though he'd had a few times when it wasn't as bad.
Sometimes he can prompt it off, as simple as willing it to go away.
Others, like right now, his vision bleeds red at the edges without any sign of stopping.
Hitoshi catches up, reaching to grab Izuku's hand once more. The boy lets him, clutching tightly to the grasp as the only betrayal of how shaken he is. They enter the establishment without waiting for the two adults to join them.
The girl at the counter calls a greeting to them, laughing softly. Izuku spares her a half smile even as she asks if they want their usuals delivered to the table.
"Add a cinnamon roll to the order. If you could heat it up, that'd be great." Hitoshi tells her before he and Izuku head to a table in the corner.
The cafe looks much the same as it always does, though parts of it have been renovated post Dabi. It was quickly fixed up after several donations, and some parts were even improved further due to an excess of funds. New cat trees and toys littered the area designated for the fur balls.
Which, considering everything, it was no surprise that the two were accosted by meows from their favorite fuzzy friends before they even sat down. Loudest among them was the three legged cat Izuku had taken fire to the back for, it's purrs rumbling loud enough any could hear them. Izuku scooped the cat up with an amused laugh. Immediately his face was pressed into soft fur, purrs rumbling against his throat as the cat lovingly scented him.
He sat down, sliding in next to Hitoshi in the booth. His boyfriend was already welcoming three cats along his person, one taking residence on his shoulders while two battled for the warmth of his lap with playful swipes. He eagerly murmured at them, fondness clear in his gaze.
The mood was only curbed by Hawks and Tsukauchi sliding in across from them, the two adults watching briefly as the kids loved on the cats. The cats, while normally fairly receptive to Tsukauchi, steered far away from Hawks.
Izuku waited just long enough that the two adults looked mildly uncomfortable before he bothered to address the hawk in the room.
"So, what did you want?" Izuku asked. His tone showed mild disinterest and he didn't bother looking at the Hero as he focused instead on the cat in his grasp. Even when the cat settled down on his lap instead of pushing into his face, he turned his sights on the food that was brought over to their table.
He was grateful that the girl from the counter only paused briefly to greet Hawks instead of lingering. She had a flustered look on her face when she asked if he wanted anything, but when he only asked for coffee she was quick to go get the order.
Hawk's paused and leaned back, his fingers picking at the edges of one of the napkins on the table. His pupils were centered on Izuku, cataloging everything carefully.
"I came to ask if you had an agency in mind for the second round of internships after the provisional license exam."
Izuku went still, midway through digging out a bite from the cinnamon roll plated in front of him. His eyes cut through the fork as his thoughts went wild at the question.
He took a second to ponder the words before he carefully set the fork down on his plate. His eyes slid from the pastry up to the hero who had all but dropped a bomb on his head.
"What?"
He didn't notice, but the hue of his eyes dipped further into red at the edges. His cadence was calm but underneath he surface everything was a twisting storm. His pulse fluttered under his skin as Izuku thought over the words over and over.
They had several months until the Provisional License Exam, or at least the one that most schools would present their Second Years to. There were two during the year, with one occurring closer to the beginning of the semester while the other occurred toward the end. There was also one in the summer, though that one was only open to returning heroes, international heroes, and those who were taking it to move in from the outdated vigilante rehabilitation program.
Hawks hummed softly as the girl from the counter arrived, sliding his drink down in front of him. She quickly bowed and left them to their conversation.
The hero grabbed the cup, lifting it to take a sip before setting it back down. He relaxed a bit more at the warm drink before leaning forward to meet Izuku's gaze more soundly.
"Exactly as I said kid. I want to offer you the opportunity to work with my agency after you get your provisional license. In fact...I'd like to offer you the chance to obtain it sooner."
Izuku's mouth felt dry the more he heard. It wasn't just his imagination then. Hawks had brought such a thing up, and so soon, because of the first licensing exam.
The very same exam that Izuku knew was going to be taking place in less than a month.
Originally the test would have taken place some weeks before then. However, following the Hero Killer Incident and the need for the HPSC to restructure in order to placate public outcry, it had been postponed. The test was only happening now due to Nedzu and many other influential powers setting the stage to get those they wanted in power, utilizing the public response and their outcries to inch closer to the ideal system.
It was still corrupt, that Izuku could not deny. Especially when Nedzu had used every trick in the book to set things in place the way he wanted. But it was better than before, and this way they didn't have to start over from scratch.
His mind wandered as he plotted the timeline and the chances. He could easily see his next few weeks laid out. He had room for such a thing, even with his midterms close at hand. In fact, it would put almost no extra stress on him given that the midterms were meant to be a practice for the Provisional Exam anyway.
Izuku found that the longer he thought on the topic, the more drawn to the idea he was. He'd initially believed that he would have to wait just as long as the rest of his class to get his license. After his bout as Nightshade was discovered he was even less sure that the adults in the know would even want him to have that right. But really, having the license vs not having it was only a matter of tape for Izuku and Hitoshi at this point.
They could strike out at any time if they wanted to. They merely chose not to.
He eyed the hero closely, wondering what the bird had planned.
"You sound as though you already have my entrance guaranteed."
Hawks smirked at him, taking another drink as the edges of his smile peeked over the rim of the cup. "That's because I do. There's a little known clause when it comes to the official licensing exam. It's called the Rule of Signatures. It was added as a way of the HPSC shoving whoever they deemed ready into the exams without having to put them under the care of any schools. They merely needed enough signatures stating the student was not only capable, but worth the extra effort and red tape to put in the exam without the backing of one of the Hero Institutions."
Izuku went still. His gaze narrowed further and he couldn't help the way his mind spun at the thought.
He was almost certain that Hawks had gotten his license in a similar manner, given the familiarity the man had with the subject. It was hardly surprising given how the Number Two's career had been completely facilitated and initiated by the HPSC, to the point where the general public hardly ever associated one without the other.
Or they had.
Until Nightshade and Hyacinth firmly severed that link.
Funny how disorder brought about order.
To Izuku's knowledge the exam was now overseen by volunteer heroes who would judge and evaluate the future heroes based on their performances. Each participating School was required to have the teacher of the class participate.
While many would see this as a way to introduce bias, Nedzu saw it as an opportunity to cut that culture apart. Simply by making the ratings of each hero known to the other heroes, allowing all others to view and interact with the choices made by the judges. So if someone was unfairly biased, they be taken apart by the community.
Izuku found it interesting. Especially since he and Hitoshi had utilized that system to their advantage too.
His thoughts were spiraling though. He needed to focus.
Tsukauchi, who had remained silent up until that point, finally spoke up as he eyed Hawk's closely. "Your acting as though Izuku already has those signatures."
Pointedly, the hero reaches for the inside of his coat, grabbing from a pocket Izuku hadn't noticed up until that point. It was a small piece of paper, folded up several times to keep it contained.
He tossed it over and Izuku snatched it from the air before unfolding it on the table. What he sees on the paper almost makes him gasp.
Fifty signatures rested on the page. Fifty signatures sat under a single clause statement with the official stamp of the licensing committee at the bottom right. The paper was a copy, that much Izuku could garner, but it did little to curb the sudden rush of shock through him.
He recognized several of the signatures, but chief among them was the one at the very bottom.
Takami Keigo. He'd signed the paper with his real name. A name that Izuku only knew due to his digging, and a name that he never would have expected to back him.
The rest of the heroes were a fair assortment of the friends he'd made alongside Haru, as well as some teachers he'd impressed, community figures, and heroes who he knew had offered to have him as their intern.
Fifty signatures, all pressed flat before him with the metaphorical ink long since dried.
He felt almost sick staring down at the page. Both the queasy sense of disbelief and the knowing haze of others acting without his influence pressed at him from all sides. He could taste bile in his throat at the same time that a giddy feeling rushed down his fingertips. His grip trembled against the surface.
Hot air brushed past his neck as Hitoshi leaned over his side to read the page. A sharp whistle left his lips, only for the boy to stall when he caught sight of something else.
"Izuku's name isn't the only one on here." Hitoshi voiced in shock.
True enough, the moment Izuku heard the response he raised his gaze back to the top of the document where the statement was issued. It had two names clearly printed on the surface with the request for early admittance under the Rule of Signatures.
Both his and Hitoshi's names were on the paper.