Chapter Text
Chapter One Meeting Izuki
”Hi what's your name?”
A very high-pitched voice piped up from in front of him. Tenko looked up from where he had been staring into the ground, with his head resting in both of his hands in front of him. A small girl with dark green hair falling in wavy curls behind her, and impossibly big eyes, the color of emeralds, stood before him, a tiny smile on her face.
“Uhh.. ” He was caught completely unaware, not even noticing the little girl coming up in front of him, so lost in thought had he been, over the unfairness that was shaping up to be his life. “Tenko... Shimura Tenko” he answered the little girl, almost mechanically.
Her smile became wider, seeming to brighten everything around her in a 5 foot radius. Tenko actually squinted a little bit in order not to be blinded by her radiance.
“It's so nice to meet you Tenko-chan! I'm Midoriya Izuki! Can I sit beside you?”
She pointed at the seat beside him on the bench, fidgeting a little bit, swinging her body in a small sideways motion, her shyness apparent. One of her hands was behind her back, as if she was hiding something from view.
“Sure... Do whatever” he answered her
“Yay!” the little girl, Izuki, made a little squeal, and hopped up, before plopping down on the seat beside him, fishing out what looked like a bento from behind her. Why she had been hiding it in the first place, he had absolutely no clue, but now sitting down beside him, with her short feet happily swinging in the air in front of her, she had no reservations about unpacking it, and carefully started to examine it's contents.
He looked at the girl, studying her. She kind of looked familiar. As if he'd seen her somewhere before. He brushed it off the next second, and at that moment, his stomach made a hungry growl, reminding him, that the last time he'd had something to eat, had been breakfast, because his father had locked him out just before lunch, and now again here in the afternoon, probably going to make him lose his dinner as well.
Izuki looked up, at the sound of his stomach growling, and blinked two times, before she looked down and then up again. Her eyes suddenly seemed to get some kind of glint, moving every which way at an impossible speed. To an outsider it would seem as if she was seeing, assessing and drawing conclusions at lightning speed! It was over almost as soon as it had started. Finally she held out her hand with the bento.
“Here... you can have this if you want.”
Tenko just stared at her, with disbelief written all over his face.
“No, it's yours... I'll be okay,” his stomach growled once more, almost as if it wanted to contradict his own words. Damnit. Why did his body have to betray him like this?
Izuki just smiled, extending her hand a bit further
“It's okay. I want to help you. I want to be a hero when I grow up, because I want to help people! That's what heroes do. So. Right now, I can be your hero, because I can do something to help you. Please let me help you!”
Her smile was so bright. Tenko had to swallow the lump that formed in his throat, before he gave her a tiny smile back, finally accepting the bento she held out. Impossibly, it almost seemed as if it made the little girl beside him even happier, and she held onto the sides of the bench, swinging her legs with even more enthusiasm than before.
“Thank you. That's very kind of you. I'm sure you'll become a great hero one day,” he told her honestly, beginning to eat the bento he'd just been presented with. He was ravenous, and this food was just so good! He tried keeping his good manners, but it was very hard to do. Meanwhile, Izuki drove away the silence, with a lot of mindless chatter. Tenko found he didn't mind it. In fact he almost found it endearing.
“... and then we moved here not too long ago, my mom and I. I can't really remember much of my dad, mom says he's away on some kind of business trip... “ Tenko's eyebrows rose up on his forehead. That was a pretty advanced word for a... what.. 3 year old? “... she says that his work is very demanding, and that he can't come home all the time, and I know that I should be good, and not ask all the time, but I'd just like to see him again soon you know. We don't even have any pictures at home of him, and all I can really remember about him is his face, mostly, even though he only left two years ago?” Izuki looked... haunted almost, but immediately after she perked up again.
Tenko paused for a second with his food. She could still remember his face, even though it was two years ago he left? She couldn't have been more than. One at the time, if his estimate was correct.
“Oh, and I come here at this time of day EVERY day, at least I will, because that would fit my mom's schedule, so if you also come here, we could maybe meet each other again, and maybe we could play together. I don't really have any friends yet, so you'd be my first one after moving here. Actually you would be my first one ever, because I didn't have any friends back where we lived before. I didn't get to come out much, and when I did the other kids would just call me bad names”
she pouted a bit at that, and Tenko chuckled a bit, with his face stuffed full of rice. She was simply too adorable, and she also seemed to be very intelligent, knowing such advanced words for her age. He swallowed the rice
“I'd like that.” he said, putting down the bento box, having already finished its contents.
Izuki's eyes became impossibly wide, getting a suspiciously wet shine to them, as she gaped up at him
“Really?! You really want to be my friend?? Thank you so much!!” She wrapped both of her little arms around him, in an awkward but very tight sideways hug. The strength of the hug surprised him, as Izuki was just so tiny! Tenko stiffened up at first, he wasn't really used to such exuberant reactions, but gradually relaxed more and more, until Izuki finally let go, and beamed up at him
“Say... do you wanna meet here again tomorrow? I have to go find my mom, as today was only for me to get to know the neighborhood, so I can't stay too long”
“Yes. Let's meet up again here on this bench tomorrow afternoon.” he said with a little wonder in his voice. He found that he actually did want to meet this little sunshine child once more. She wasn't the only one who had made her first friend.
“Great! I'll be here. Oh... and I'll bring another bento for you! Bye Tenko-chan” She ran off with all the energy only a 3 year old could muster. He thought she'd forgotten the bento box, but when he looked down, it wasn't beside him.
Damn, that was some pretty serious sleight of hand for a 3-year old. Or maybe he just didn't pay enough attention to it. That was probably it. . Oh well... he really hoped she would be let out again tomorrow, as it would be nice with a little company. Mulling over this thought he finally began to trudge his way home to apologize to his sorry excuse for a father, for daring to have a dream.
~
She did come back the next day. And the day after. And the day after that. She would always bring a bento with her, for him to eat. Soon, they fell into a sort of routine. Most of the time Tenko would be the first one there, as his father often locked him out of the house for daring to breath the wrong way, or being in the wrong mood in front of him, or some other unforgivable transgression, imagined or otherwise, until he would apologize for whatever his father had imagined to be wrong.
Every time this happened he would come over here first, to blow off some steam, and spend time with his newest (and only) friend, before being forced to go home and face his apparent sins.
It wasn't that Tenko actively avoided making friends in particular, he just didn't really feel like he needed any, and thus never made a move to try and be friends with anyone. That and the fact that there had always been an air about him, that made other children hesitant to get near him much. These two facts combined was a solid recipe for not having any friends, at 8 years old.
Izuki was actually the first child that had ever approached him without any kind of reservations at all, and had already, in a way, forced herself into his life, determined to stay there!
Her exuberant personality seemed to be an ingrained part of her, and she chatted happily about any and all things. She would often ask him questions as well, and he was happy to answer any and all questions she had. She learned about his family, where he lived, where he went to school, and what kind of man his father was.
Whenever his father was mentioned she would get sort of quiet, and just take his hand in hers. It felt nice. Comforting!
They also touched upon a variety of other subjects that most would probably think was too advanced for two children of their age, but no one had ever told them it was wrong to discuss society, heroes, politics, self-defense, quirks, science and many many other subjects, at their age, so they continued to unconsciously stimulate each other's already impressive intellect this way.
~
“Look here, Izuki-chan, I've found something really cool!” Tenko led the little girl a little ways away from the bench they usually sat at, and into a little copse of trees and bushes. Not very far in, there was a sort of small clearing, with a tree with large branches full of leaves sort of hanging down over it. It was the perfect secluded spot, just big enough for the two children to be situated comfortably beside each other, almost completely hidden from view, because of the bushes that lined the clearing.
“Wow.. this is so neat Tenko-chan. It's like our very own little sanctuary!” Izuki marveled at the tiny space, and sat down beside her friend. Tenko smiled down at her. Something he'd begun doing more often lately, though always only with her.
“Then let's make this spot ours. I won't tell anyone about it, if you don't either” he confided in her. Izuki vigorously nodded her head, and they spent the next half an hour basking in each other's company, talking about all sorts of carefree things, until Izuki had to go back to find her mother once more.
~
“Hey Tenko-chan, what's that?” Tsuki no hoseki-chan or just Tsuki-chan, a pet name he'd come up with for her, because she was the single brightest light, with eyes that shone like emeralds, in a steadily darker and darker every day life of his, had snuck up on him, when he was engrossed in a video game. She was good at sneaking up on people!
“Oh, hey Tsuki-chan, come here, and I'll show you. It's called a video game, and I'm just about to beat a boss” She went behind him, leaning over his shoulder to peer down at what he was holding in his hands, before sitting down beside him on the grass, clutching his arm tightly in her little hands, as she watched his fingers maneuver expertly on the small device he was playing on, completely mesmerised by the skill and familiarity he was displaying with the game.
“Oohhhh!! that's so neat! Watch out Tenko, he's about to smash you down! You're so good!”
She ooohed and aaahed and gasped at all the right places, and Tenko felt something warm fill his insides.
A strong urge rose within him, and before he could stop himself, he held out the console to her
“Do you wanna try it Tsuki-chan?” She looked up at him, with those impossibly big sparkling eyes, and hesitantly took the offered console
“Really? I can try your game? Thank you so much Tenko-chan!” she sat down, and he scooted behind her, so as to comfortably situate her in his lap, so he could help her with the controls should she need it, and started explaining the basic mechanics. She had this fiercely determined gleam in her eyes, nodding from time to time, as he first explained to her, how to work the console, and afterwards cheered her on.
It was wobbly of course, compared to his style, but for a beginner she was making decent progress. He didn't know what compelled him to offer her his game, as normally he would never let another human even touch his console, but sitting here now with her, he was glad he did. When she had a better handle on it, he picked up the bento she'd brought him, and started eating it, giving out advice from time to time, and praising her, when she overcame an obstacle.
~
Shoot shoot shoot, he was so late! She would have probably had to have gone home by now, and an uncomfortable feeling clenched in his chest, at the thought of not seeing her. She wasn't at the bench, or anywhere on some of the playthings scattered around the park, and quickly he hurried over to their secret sanctuary. He was crestfallen to not find her there, and almost turned around to leave, when he found the little bento box sitting over by the tree with a little note attached. He walked over to it, and curiously opened the note:
“Hi Tenko-chan! You weren't here today, but I still wanted you to have my homemade bento. I made it myself! Don't worry. I'll be here again tomorrow! Love Izuki <3 “, it was scribbled in a wobbly handwriting, but still, it was kind of impressive for a 4 year old to write so clearly. There were little hearts drawn all over, most of them in conjunction with his own name, and the clenching in Tenko's chest turned almost painful. Still he welcomed this feeling. Whatever it meant.
~
“Tsuki-chan... can I ask you something?”
Tenko started out their conversation quietly. At this point, he always went straight to the clearing, when he arrived, and she would come over, when she arrived at the park. She smiled up at him
“Uh huh! Sure Tenko-chan, I'll do my best to answer you!”
She didn't seem perturbed in the slightest that he'd been the one to open their talk with a question this time, even though it almost never happened.
“Umm... I want you to know that I'm grateful, but I was just wondering, why you always have a bento for me, when we meet here in the park. You even left one yesterday, when I came too late for us to meet” he looked at her, with an honest and open curiosity shining in his dark almost black eyes.
He didn't expect her to look like a deer caught in the headlights, and for her to suddenly look unsure, and seemingly shuffling in on herself, nibbling her lower lip a bit, the picture of nervousness and unease.
“Well... I hope you don't freak out or anything, but. I can sort of... See that you need it. What I mean is. I've known ever since I first met you. It's because I can't seem to forget any details on people I meet, and my brain sort of... just.. let's me form explanations. I know that you don't always get the food you need at home, and I just want to help you. I'll understand if you don't want me to be your friend anymore.”
By the end of her explanation, tears had formed in her eyes, and her voice was so small that he had to strain to hear the last of her words.
Tenko was astonished and horrified, that she could even think about him not wanting to befriend her anymore
“Tsuki-chan! I would never stop wanting to be your friend! You are my Tsuki no hoseki and never forget that! Why would I want to not be your friend anymore, because of something like this?!” Tenko exclaimed with a fervour that surprised even himself. Izuki looked up with a surprised expression, a few tears still pooling in her eyes.
“W...well... Everyone else, who has ever found out about me knowing all sorts of things about them, thinks it's gross and calls me a stalker, and bullies me.” she sniffled a bit.
A thunderous expression crossed Tenko's face, but a protective glint also appeared in his eyes. Izuki had never seen such a scary expression on Tenko's face before, yet she didn't feel afraid. Instead she just felt safe with him
“Those worthless NPC's are not fit to even be near you Tsuki-chan!” Tenko exclaimed vehemently. He set the bento aside for the time being and opened his arms for Izuki to come over to him, getting wrapped up in his embrace. He rested his chin on her head, and she could still feel the strong emotions radiating out from him. Cocooning her, and comforting her, even as she could still feel the quiet animosity leaking out from him.
“No one speaks to my little sister that way. I'll teach anyone who bothers you like that a lesson they won't ever forget!” He heard her make a little gasp beneath him, but it just made him hold her tighter to him. With a trembling voice, full of tears he heard her whisper
“Tenko-nii... “. He couldn't remember how long he just held her trembling form like this. It felt like an eternity, and yet not long enough.
~
“Hey, hey Tenko-nii! I don't know why, but I kind of forgot to ask. Do you have a quirk?”
Tsuki-chan's excited little voice gushed out. He looked at her, with a smile, that quickly changed into a contemplative expression at her question.
“Hmm.. it's a bit complicated actually. I don't actually have a quirk yet, but the doctor my mom took me to, believes that I will get it at some point, and that it's sort of... waiting? For my body to be able to handle it I guess, or some sort of trigger? He said that it will probably come at some point, as I don't have the extra toe joint, and the tests he ran are leaning toward some kind of physical quirk I think?” he explained to her, with a furrowed brow.
She listened intently and “Ahhhed” at the end of his explanation. Immediately she started theorising
“Say... what do you think it's going to be? I think it'll probably be something powerful and awesome. And... touchbased I think” there it was again. This sort of a bit faraway look in her eyes, as her pupils seemed to quickly skim over him, assessing, making conclusions. Huh.
“Well.. I don't know really. Certainly nothing as awesome as your quirk! You'll be able to break down any kind of information on your foe and their weaknesses in a matter of seconds, and reason out the best possible way to take them down, with minimal damage to yourself, the people around you, and them as well”
As he said this, he lunged out in the face of an invisible enemy before her, and displayed more karate moves against said foe, as he spoke his honest opinion to her. She giggled, clapped and leaned forward towards him, when he stopped, and looked down at her with a grin on his face
Suddenly she looked down though, still with a smile on her face, but with a resigned expression also.
“Thanks Tenko-nii. But.. I don't have a quirk. The doctor said I was quirkless. That it would probably never manifest.” she said this a bit shyly, as if she suddenly expected him to think less of her or something.
Tenko was shocked! He'd been so sure that she had some kind of unbelievable intelligence kind of quirk, what with her high intellect, and her near-perfect recall. And her ability to deduce and analyse in a matter of seconds of course. He gaped a bit, before he found his voice again
“Yo.. Wha... you don't have a quirk?! Holy shit, I was so sure you had some kind of intelligence quirk or something” he finally managed to stutter out. Izuki just looked down, with a tiny embarrassed smile on her face.
“Yeah, I know it probably sounds dumb, but that's the way it is. The doctor seemed pretty sure. I'll understand if you think I'm useless now,” she spoke bashfully, and with a brave smile on her face, but he could see that her lower lip was trembling, as if she was about to burst into tears.
Tenko gave her a deadpan stare, leaned down so he was almost at her level, and flicked her forehead with two of his fingers. She looked up with a surprised expression once more (he wouldn't admit it, but he would treasure that look of surprise on her face, anytime!), and instantly he pulled her up into a headlock, his knuckles rubbing against her head. She squealed
“Ahh... Stop it Tenko-nii! That kind of hurts! Ha ha, please please stop, I can't take anymore!” she yelled, but her hysterical laughter sort of ruined any kind of malicious intent any bystander may have been worried about, had there been anyone to watch the display. Tenko smirked down at her, being sure to not hurt her for real, and only stopping after she had begged five times.
He pulled her into a fierce hug
“Stupid Tsuki-chan. I'd never think you were useless. If anything it's just even more impressive, that you're just this smart all on your own, and not because of some quirk” He whispered fiercely down in her hair. She hugged him tight, and he could hear her sniffle quietly. They stood there for a little while, until he pulled away to look down at her. She had been crying slightly, but she was smiling brightly up at him once more.
“Come here. I wanted to show you this new game I just got”
~
Time went by, and summer soon melted into autumn. Being the perceptive one she is, Izuki had noticed how Tenko always wore the same type of clothes, and never any outdoors clothing, despite the weather getting chillier. When she asked him about it, he just shrugged her off, and said that he'd survive a little cold weather, if it meant spending time with her. His father would find out about their meetings, if he went to the park outside of his punishments, and he would almost for sure interfere with their relationship.
Izuki didn't want to lose her best friend and big brother, but she also didn't want Tenko to be cold. Thus. She began smuggling clothes from home that her mother had deemed too old, or too worn to wear, and was headed for the garbage truck. The first time she did this, it was with a black adult hoodie with a pouch in the front, where you could stuff your hands in, that was old, but in a reasonably good condition that looked way too big on Tenko! Izuki couldn't help giggling a little, but offered her help in rolling up the sleeves, so he could at least move his hands. She also managed to salvage a soft blanket, that had a few holes in it, some matches, and a small dagger after she'd rummaged around in some dusty old cupboards at home. They made a hole in the ground in their sanctuary, big enough to contain all of these items, and put it all in a plastic bag, so as to not get the items too damp. Finally they covered the bag in a thin layer of dirt, more to camouflage it, than to actually fill it up, and scrounged up several rocks to put atop it. This was just in case, someone should stumble upon it.
Izuki felt way better, now that Tenko had something to keep him warm outside, now that the weather was becoming colder. When they were finished, Tenko turned to her, and enveloped her in a big fierce hug.
“Thank you my Tsuki no hoseki! You are my hero!” She hugged him back, just as fiercely. Tenko was thinking that this feeling was the best in the world!
~
Tenko was a little late, but not so late, that he would probably be missing his favourite green bundle of joy today. Still, she would probably already be there, and they would have less time together. He grumbled a little at this thought, and sped up his pace, until he was flat-out sprinting towards the park. He only stopped when he reached the park, leaning forward and panting a little, but proud that he'd made it in less than 5 minutes, where he'd usually take at least 10.
When he got to the edge of the playground, he could see that just over there at the edge of the park, barely outside the foliage you would have to go through, to get to their sanctuary Izuki was standing with a tearful expression on her face. Three boys larger and older than her by approximately two years, they were probably kids who'd just started elementary school, circling her.They were clearly bothering her, making leering voices at her, and holding something out of her reach. Every time she tried to make a jab to get it back, they would just push her away.
Tenko felt something shift inside him, and a violent emotion ripped through him.
To anyone watching, they would have been able to almost physically feel the quiet dangerous aura that suddenly permeated every particle surrounding him, in a 10-foot radius. His face morphed from an out-of-breath somewhat expectant expression, to an almost blank look, save for the slightly narrowed eyes. Combined with the almost deadly aura, radiating off of him, the expression looked truly frightening.
He stalked over to the trio bothering his, his, Tsuki no hoseki, stopping just behind them and planting a firm hand on one of the boys shoulders. The boys stopped what they were doing, turning around with a smart-ass reply on the very tip of their tongues, but instantly their expressions went from haughty to fearful at the sight of the older boy, in front of them, with the dangerous aura spilling out, almost suffocating them.
They reflexively took a step back. Tenko leered down at them, with a grin that was bordering on unhinged
“What do you think you're doing to my little sister? Huh?” He squeezed hard the shoulder of the boy he'd managed to grab, preventing him from taking another step back.
Izuki darted out and ran over to Tenko, the arm and hand that wasn't occupied tugging her slightly into his side. The boy stood there gaping like a fish out of water, his eyes huge and scared
“Uh... Uhhh... nothing! We were just playing around. It was all fun and games! We didn't mean anything by it!” he managed to stutter out, the other two boys nodding fervently, and fearfully behind him.
Tenko's mouth formed into a deep frown, the stare becoming, if anything even more intense, and with lightning fast reflexes he shifted the hand holding the shoulder, so that he was now holding the other boy by the scruff of his neck, pulling him slightly more towards him. Izuki clung to him even tighter, and he could feel her slight trembling form against him, clutching his shirt as if for dear life.
The violent emotion inside him became even more pronounced, and a sudden red haze descended over Tenko's eyes. With it came an itch, on his collarbone, that he just barely managed to suppress, both of his hands busy with something far more important.
“If I ever see you so much as look, the wrong way at the dirt my little sister walks on. I'll make you wish you had never been born. Consider this your first and only warning. In exchange for my goodwill at not making your sorry excuse of an existence even more wretched, I want you to spread the word. No one is to touch or bother my Izuki-chan in any way! Got it?”
Tenko spoke softly, but with a sinister undercurrent, lacing his every word, making it impossible for the boys in front of him to not hear everything he said with crystal clarity, despite the low volume. The murderous aura was practically dripping from him at this point.
The boy in his grip made a strangled sort of sound, and promptly wet himself right then and there, nodding so much that the skin on his chin wobbled with each bob of his head.
“Now scram, before I have a change of heart!” He threw the disgusting boy away from him, down on the ground, and never before had he seen anyone scramble to his feet with such haste, before all three of them bolted out of there, as if the devil himself was chasing them.
They stood there a little while longer, Tenko fighting to get himself under control again, and Izuki just hugging him so tight, she might actually have left a bruise where her hands were gripping him. After some time, Tenko looked down and saw that the three menaces had dropped whatever they had been keeping from Izuki.
It was his bento.
The roaring feeling in his chest became, impossibly, even louder. Instantly he knew that if it had been anything else they'd taken from her, she would most likely just have evaded them, not wanting to get into trouble, but this was something she made for him. To help him. And therefore she hadn't run away, but had tried to fight back even though they were larger and she was hopelessly outnumbered.
He stooped down to pick up the bento, and started pulling Izuki with him towards their sanctuary, making sure that no one was watching them enter their secret meeting spot.
“Come Tsuki. Let's go to our spot. It's okay now, Tenko-nii is here, and I'll protect you”. He was still trembling with rage, but his words were soft and comforting, for her ears only, as he led them both towards the clearing. It felt like something was awakening inside him. Something just barely out of his reach yet.
She followed him, never loosening her ironclad grip on him as she stumbled through the underbrush, and emerged in the clearing. They sat down, with her in his lap, and drew comfort from each other. She was crying, the tears making silent tracks down her cheeks, as Tenko rubbed her back, her arms, anywhere he could reach her, comfortingly.
Finally after what seemed an eternity, but was in reality only a few minutes, she leaned back, and smiled a wobbly smile up at him
“Thank you for protecting me Tenko-nii. You are my hero!” He managed a sincere smile back down at her. Only his Tsuki-chan could make this feeling lessen so dramatically and suddenly, with only a single expression.
“You are very welcome. I'd do anything to keep you safe. Always! Never forget that.” he spoke down softly, to her but with feeling.
“Can I.. borrow your game, Tenko-nii?” she looked so vulnerable when she asked him that, her voice still shaking slightly, and he nodded down at her, and fished his console out, from the back of his pants, and gave it to her. They sat like that for a while, him cheering her on, and Izuki trying to beat the next level, with an intensely concentrated expression on her face. Her tongue was even sticking out of the corner of her mouth. When the time came for Izuki to go back to her mother, they both had a far lighter feeling in their chests, than when they entered their sacred little clearing. Something had changed, within the both of them, even though they had yet to find out what.
~
“Hey Tsuki-chan, do you want to practice close combat against each other, for when we grow up to be heroes? I've seen some of these cool moves, that I bet I could teach you” Tenko said with a glow in his eyes, and a smile lighting up his face.
Izuki squealed “I'd love to Tenko-nii! We'll be the best heroes ever! Even if I never get a quirk of my own!” Izuki pumped her little fist up in the air, and Tenko scoffed beside her.
“Who needs a flashy quirk anyway. I bet you're going to be the smartest hero in the entire world! No one will be able to go up against you and your superbrain!” He ruffled her hair as he said this, and she laughed, while jumping up and down, unable to contain her excitement.
Thus they started practicing moves, Tenko mostly showing Izuki moves he'd looked up, and practiced a bit at home, and after some time, they started practicing against each other. It was a little slow and stiff at first, but gradually they began to improve, and their movements became a bit more fluid. It was fun, and they both relished in the physical exercise. Almost always they ended up sprawled out on the ground, panting beside each other, like there was no tomorrow, because they had given it their all, but that was okay. As long as they were together, they could endure anything.