Chapter Text
The first thing Touya saw when they woke up was green.
Green curls bounced next to them as the boy realized they were no longer unconscious. “Mom, they’re awake! Hi! I’m Izuku, he/him! What’s your name?”
“Why should I tell you? How did I get here? What happened?”
“You were stabbed.” Izuku resettled himself so he was sitting cross legged in front of Touya. “I found you on my way home from school and called my mom to get you here. This is mine and my mom’s apartment by the way.”
They tried to sit up, immediately wincing in pain. Izuku gently pushed them back down.
“You need to be careful or you might open your stitches!” They put their hand on their side and could feel the stitches the kid mentioned, though had no recollection of getting them… or of being stabbed for that matter.
“Are you confused about where you got the stitches?” Izuku asked. Did this kid have a mind reading quirk? “My mom did them! She’s a nurse at the local hospital so you don’t have to worry about the quality or anything. They’re medical grade!”
“...Okay. You said you found me on your way home from school?”
“Yep!” He popped the ‘p’.
“So you don’t know how I got stabbed?”
“No? Do you not remember?” Izuku tilted his head which was way more adorable than it had any rights to be. The last thing they remembered was… training with Keigo at the Hero Commission…
“The last thing I remember is training with my friend.”
“Well… what was the date?”
“Um, March 13th? I think?” Izuku’s eyes widened and he shifted uncomfortably.
“Mister Stranger, that was almost two months ago.” What?! How did they just forget a whole two months?!
“Do you have a phone I could borrow?” Izuku nodded and handed them a phone with an All Might case.
They probably just reported me as missing. Touya quickly typed ‘Todoroki Touya’ into the search bar and stilled as they opened the top article.
‘Todoroki Touya, eldest child of Pro Hero Endeavor, died when Sekoto Peak caught fire on April 5th. His body was completely burnt to ash and the only thing alerting the family to his presence on the peak that night was the single jawbone fragment that survived the fire. It was a miracle that even that was recovered as officials say the fires reached temperatures so high that they were blue.’
Touya stared at the article numbly. Father thinks I’m dead… Shit! Fuyumi thinks I’m dead! Their breathing started to pick up. No no nononono…
“Hello dear,” Their head snapped to the door as a woman came into the room carrying a tray and cut off their spiraling panic. She had the same hair as Izuku minus the curls— probably his mother then. “You can call me Inko, she/her. How are you feeling?”
“Like I got stabbed.” Inko chuckled.
“Here, let me help you sit up. I made some udon if you’d like it. If not, we have other foods in the kitchen.”
“Udon is fine Inko-san.”
“You were out for over a day. Do you need to call anyone? I’m sure your family must be worried about you.”
“They think I’m dead.” They looked at their lap regretfully.
“Why do you say that?” Inko looked at them with concern.
“Googled it.”
She sighed. “Well, if you don’t have anywhere to stay, we have a guest room you can use until you are healed.”
“I don’t want to intrude. You’ve already been kind enough to help me but I can’t pay you back.”
“Nonsense, I’ll call my partners and let them know you’re staying until you’re healed. Do you have something you’d like us to call you?”
“What?”
“You said your family thinks you’re dead so we can’t call you by your real name. I just need a name to call you while you’re here.” After a moment, she continued, “Also your pronouns.”
“Dabi… they/them” Touya wasn’t used to people asking for their pronouns. Though, having only interacted with Endeavor and the Hero Commision this is not surprising.
She smiled at them warmly. “Okay Dabi-kun, eat up. You look like you haven’t had a decent meal in a while.”
“Thank you.”
Inko ushered Izuku out of the room to give them some space. They ate in silence, trying not to think of how their siblings are faring without them. Inko thankfully came back a half hour later to take their plate and show them to the guest room.
The room was simple. It was obvious that no one had used the room for a long time. The pale blue paint fits nicely with the dark wood of the furniture. There was a single poster of Present Mic hanging over the dresser. If Touya remembered correctly it was a limited edition.
“Where did you get the poster? Aren’t there only, like, four hundred in Japan?” They asked, sitting on the bed with a wince.
Inko chuckled. “Izuku won a contest on Present Mic’s radio show and wanted to give the poster to their older sibling.”
“Older sibling?”
“They live in Musutafu. Present Mic is one of their favorite heroes. Anyways, I do hope that you’ll be comfortable here. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you Inko.” She smiled at them.
“Have a good night Dabi.” Inko closed the door behind herself and they laid down to the first peaceful night’s sleep since before their quirk came in.
— — —
Touya woke up and pushed themself out of bed, ignoring the pain in their side, and walked into the living room of the apartment. Inko was humming to herself in the kitchen as she flipped bacon around in its pan.
“Good morning!” They jumped at the sudden voice and looked down to see Izuku beaming up at them.
“Morning.”
Inko turned around. “Dabi, you should sit down. I’ve almost got breakfast ready.” She gestured at the table. They did as they were told, shifting around to find a position where they wouldn’t aggravate the stitches on their side. “My partners are going to be here around lunchtime. I didn’t want you to be caught off guard when more people come, Dabi.”
“Mama and Daddy are coming?” Izuku sat next to them at the table, cheering when Inko nodded. “Is Oniichan gonna be here too?”
“Not this time Izuku. They’re taking care of things at the cafe so Mama and Daddy can both be here!”
Izuku pouted. Instead of moping however, Izuku directed all of his excessive energy (seriously who the hell has this much energy at this early in the morning??) towards Touya.
“Dabi-kun! I wanna know you better since you’ll be here for a bit. Can I ask you some questions?” Izuku asked, practically vibrating in his seat with excitement.
“Sure, I guess.” They responded, not entirely sure of how to handle his level of enthusiasm directed at them.
“How old are you?”
“14.” They could see Inko look at him sadly out of the corner of their eye and chose to ignore it. They didn’t need her pity.
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Wine red.” The color of Kei’s wings…
“Who’s your favorite hero?”
“I don’t have one. I don’t like them very much so I only really kept up with the top ten.”
“Hm… who’s your least favorite hero?”
“Endeavor.” Touya spat the name immediately. That man will always be at the bottom of their list no matter who else is on it. Izuku nodded, obviously pleased with their answer.
“What’s your favorite type of bird?”
“I like… hawks.” His wings curled protectively around Touya after their last training. They were talking about… something. They cried into his chest. It grounded them. The calming stroke of his hands in their hair. His soft feathers brushed against Touya’s bandaged skin, still too hot to the touch. His arms were firmly wrapped around their shoulders, shielding them from the rest of the world. They made a promise... a promise. Promise what? Something… It was important. They have to know! They promised! What was it?! What did they promise?! They have to–
“Dabi!” Touya released their white-knuckled grip on their pants and took in a shuddering breath. When did they stop breathing in the first place? “Are you okay?!”
Both Inko and Izuku looked at them with concern. “I’m fine…”
“You just had a panic attack over seemingly nothing. What happened?”
“I- I don’t remember what I promised!” Touya gripped the edge of their shirt. “I made a promise before I left. I don’t want to let him down but I don’t remember!”
“Dabi-kun,” Inko grabbed their hands. “You have amnesia. There are going to be several things you don’t remember but that’s okay. Alright? I’ll help you as best I can, understand?”
They nodded, their breaths evening out. “Good. Now, what do you remember?”
“I was crying. Kei was comforting me. It was something to do with our training but I don’t know what specifically it was. I made a promise to him. I don’t want to disappoint him.”
“Dabi, you said yesterday that your family thinks you are dead. Do you think that maybe… this person also thinks that?” Izuku asked quietly. Touya stilled and their breathing picked up again.
Does Keigo think I’m dead? How did he take the news? Is he okay? Should I find him?
“Izuku, that's not helping.” Inko reprimanded her son.
“I don’t have any way to tell him I’m still alive…” Inko refocuses her attention on them. “He doesn’t have access to a phone and the commission officers know he doesn’t know anyone outside of the training facility so a letter would be too suspicious.”
“Commission officers? Training facility? What are you referring to?”
“We were in the HPSC Youth Hero Program.” Inko frowned.
“Why would you be with the Hero Commission?”
“Kei’s been there since he was six. He doesn’t know anything else. He didn’t even realize he was being trained as a child soldier until I brought it up, but he doesn’t have anywhere else to go. I was sent there by my… dad.”
“Izuku, can you go in the other room for a moment? This is a bit of a serious discussion. I’ll call you back when the food is ready.” Izuku nodded and ran off to his bedroom. When her son was safely out of earshot she continued. “Tell me everything you know about this program.”
Touya contemplated for a second. They’ve already given Inko more information than they meant to but it would be nice to have someone else know about what happened there.
So they told her everything.
Inko’s hands were balled into fists by the end of the story and she took a deep breath.
Inko smiled sadly. “I’m so so sorry that you had to go through that Dabi-kun. My family and I have never been huge fans of the commission but hearing this… that should never have happened to you.”
“It’s not your fault, Inko-san; it’s in the past. There was no way for you to have known. Though, if you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you like the commission?”
She sighed and pushed her long green hair behind her ear. “Well, I’m not sure if I should say in detail just yet. Just know that the commission allowed, no, encouraged some very bad things to happen to my girlfriend and her family. It certainly doesn’t help that some of my husband’s work falls on… less than legal grounds. They aren’t a villain by any means but in the eyes of the commission…”
“Anyone who breaks the law is a target.” Inko nodded sadly.
“Dabi-kun, if you ever need to talk about something like this again, I’m always open to lend an ear.” Inko smiled, “You’re safe here.”
Touya’s chest warmed, finally feeling the parental affection they were denied for most of their life. Inko and Izuku both seemed so genuinely nice and Touya hasn't seen that kind of kindness since their mom disappeared.
Keeping their guard up is the only way they know to keep themself safe, but Inko’s unconditional generosity paired with Izuku’s bright smile and rambunctious energy might just bring a battering ram to the walls that have fortified their heart for as long as they can remember. Izuku reminded them so much of Natsuo before everything went to shit.
The timer went off next to the oven.
Inko got something out of the oven and plated the bacon she’d been flipping earlier. The pleasant aromas of the breakfast, now drifting through the apartment, brought Izuku’s head peeking around the corner.
“Am I allowed back in yet Mom?”
“You are, Izuku. Thank you for asking.” Inko smiled warmly when Izuku lit up and excitedly ran back to his seat next to Touya.
“Dabi-kun, I’m sorry I made you freak out before. Can I keep asking you questions? You’re free to say no! I don’t wanna make you upset again!” Izuku hurriedly assured them.
“It’s fine. My issues are my issues; you can ask me whatever you want, Izuku.” Izuku pumped his fist in the air like this was an achievement. Inko put both of their plates in front of them. They smiled appreciatively and started eating.
“Do you have any hobbies?”
“I wasn’t allowed to do very much growing up. I like listening to music though.”
“What’s your favorite genre of music?”
“I like rock, or just anything loud.” It blocked out the noise in their mind.
Izuku put his fingers on his chin in a thinking position as he figured out his next question.
“Do you eat the crust on your sandwiches or do you cut them off?”
“Um, crust on but it always has to be cut diagonally.”
Izuku nodded in approval. “What’s your favorite season?”
“Winter.”
“If you could have any exotic animal as a pet what would it be?”
“Probably a python of some kind.”
“What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received?”
“My little brother once tried to give me my twin sister’s pillow for my birthday.”
“Hm, what’s your favorite ice cream topping?”
“What’s ice cream?” Izuku looked scandalized.
“You don’t know what ice cream is?!”
“No?”
He looked incredulously between Touya and Inko. “Mom! We have to get ice cream for Dabi-kun!”
“Izuku–”
“They don’t know what ice cream is Mom! This is an emergency!”
Inko chuckled, “Okay. We’ll get ice cream when Mama and Daddy get here. Is that okay?” Izuku nodded. “Now eat your food, Izuku. It’s gonna get cold!”
Touya was thankful for the break in questioning even though they were still confused about ice cream. After a few minutes of comfortable silence they felt brave enough to ask a question of their own.
“Hey, what are your quirks?”
It was an innocuous enough question and it’s common when you first meet someone to ask. For some reason though, the question made them both stiffen up.
“Well, I just have a minor telekinesis quirk. I can draw small objects toward myself.” Inko demonstrated on the utensils she’d been using earlier to cook with.
She sent an encouraging nod towards Izuku and he took a deep breath. “I’m quirkless.”
There was a tense silence as Izuku and Inko nervously awaited their response but Touya was too caught up in their own head to realize. Izuku was even more like Natsuo than they thought.
“That's cool kid.” They ruffled Izuku’s hair but quickly backed away when they saw the young boy’s eyes start to water. “Wait! Why are you crying?! Why is he crying? I don’t know what I said wrong!”
They were caught off guard once again when Izuku latched onto Touya. “Not very many people are nice to me when they find out I’m quirkless!”
“Oh these are happy tears. Okay I can deal with that.” Touya hugged him back as Inko chuckled and handed her son a small pack of tissues.
“We’re all big criers. I think it’s genetic or something.” Inko said, her own eyes becoming misty.
“That’s gonna take a bit of getting used to.” Touya said honestly.
“What about you, Dabi-kun? What’s your quirk?”
“I have a fire quirk.” Technically true, but Touya wasn’t about to tell Inko about their and Fuyumi’s ability to swap quirks. Besides, Touya has had their fire since they left for the commission and they aren’t likely to see their sister again, so they’ll probably have their fire forever.
“That’s so cool! Daddy has a fire quirk too! They can breathe fire out of their mouth like a dragon!” Izuku rambled excitedly, using his hands to mimic the quirk.
Touya laughed. It would take some getting used to, but they think they’ll enjoy staying here for a while.
— — —
Touya looked at the pictures hanging on the hallway walls. They could tell Izuku was well loved. He was in plenty of pictures, smiling with his parents. There were also quite a few photos of Izuku and a little blonde girl that looked around the same age if not a bit older. Touya assumed she was one of Izuku’s friends, or at the very least someone he saw a lot. So maybe one of Inko’s friends’ kids?
But there was one photo that stood out to them more than the rest. It wasn’t hung on the wall, instead propped up on a decorative table at the end of the hall next to a few other trinkets. Objectively, it was a nice picture. It had nice lighting, everyone looked happy. Izuku stood front and center, beaming at the camera without a care in the world. His parents crouched behind him holding up peace signs. Although none of that was what drew Touya’s attention.
No. What caught their eye was the woman next to Inko. Her arm was slung around Inko's shoulders, holding bunny ears over the green haired woman’s head. Her silky white hair, previously cascading midway down her back, was cropped just below her ears. She wore a thousand watt smile the likes of which they had never seen on her before, so carefree and joyous. Her calm grayish brown eyes now held a spark of life so foreign within the walls of Endeavor’s mansion.
Mom looked happier than Touya had ever seen her.
The front door opened and a masculine voice called out. “Inko we’re here!”
Touya turned their head to get a better look at the newcomers, Inko’s partners, if they remembered the woman’s words from that morning correctly. All of Touya’s thoughts halted, however, as they laid their eyes on the woman who entered the apartment. She had frozen when Touya turned around and she dropped her bag to the floor in shock.
“Oh, you’re the kid Inko mentioned. Dabi, correct?” The man tried being polite. Their eyebrows furrowed when Touya didn’t respond. They followed Touya’s gaze to their partner, brows furrowing in concern. “Rei? Is everything alright?”
“T-Touya?”