Chapter Text
Our story begins with Izuku waking up in a hospital room, his body battered and wrapped in bandages. The doctors were somewhat shocked, as they figured his injuries would be way worse, considering the villain that everyone saw him fighting. He quickly learns that Eri is safe but deeply traumatized, barely speaking and avoiding anyone’s touch. At first, she flinches even when a nurse enters the room, now she was somewhat used to it. Izuku, despite his injuries, asks to see her.
Each day he was at the hospital for treatment, he visits her—never pushing her to talk. He was just there. He brings small things: paper cranes, silly doodles of All Might, and once, a single apple carved into a rabbit. Slowly, Eri started to respond to him—not with words, but with her eyes, then a faint smile. It was no big smile, but he was happy to see something other than sadness or pain on her face.
There was a powerful moment when she first takes his hand—small, hesitant fingers wrapping around one of his bandaged ones. That touch became a turning point for both of them. For Izuku, it was a reminder of why he wanted to become a hero. For Eri, it’s the first step toward trusting again.
As days pass, she begins to speak in soft whispers, asking him questions about the world outside—what snow feels like, what candy tastes like, what a festival looks like. Izuku promises her they’ll go to one together someday.
Then Eri gave him a drawing, a picture of the two of them—her first drawing ever. It’s clumsy, but bright. Izuku cries when he sees it. The colors were vibrant. She’s healing.
He looks at her, misty-eyed, and asks, “Is this me and you?”
She nods shyly. Then, barely above a whisper, she says, “Papa,” while pointing to him in the picture.
Izuku freezes.
The word hangs in the air—fragile, uncertain, and earth-shattering. Tears well in his eyes, and he gathers her gently into his arms, careful not to disturb her healing body or his own injuries.
“You can call me whatever you want,” he says, voice breaking. “I’ll always be here.”
That night, when the nurses come in to check on them, they find Eri asleep curled up beside him, her head on his chest, the rabbit clutched in one hand—and Izuku’s hand held tightly in the other.
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The hospital room is dim, bathed in soft morning light. Machines hum quietly. Eri sleeps curled up beside Izuku on his hospital bed, her head resting lightly against his side, the stuffed rabbit clutched protectively in her arms.
Izuku’s other hand gently strokes her snowy white hair, his eyes tired but content. He’s careful not to move too much, afraid to wake her—or break the fragile peace they’ve built.
There’s a gentle knock at the door.
It opens slowly, and Momo Yaoyorozu peeks in, her expression caught between relief and worry. She’s dressed in her school uniform, her usually polished look slightly frayed at the edges from too many sleepless nights.
“Izuku,” she whispers.
He offers a small, warm, tired, smile. “Hey.”
She steps in quietly, her eyes falling immediately on Eri. Her voice softens. “Is that…?”
“Yeah,” Izuku replies, brushing a strand of hair from Eri’s forehead. “She’s been sleeping a lot better lately. I think… I think she feels safe now.”
Momo walks closer, her eyes misting as she sees the peaceful way Eri clings to him. She places a hand gently on his shoulder.
“You’re incredible, you know that?” she says softly. “You didn’t just save her life—you’re giving her something she hasn’t had in a while.”
Izuku’s smile falters just slightly, his voice a whisper. “She called me ‘Papa’ today.”
Momo inhales, her hand going to her mouth. “Oh… Izuku…”
“I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to cry in front of her, but…” He trails off, his throat tightening.
Momo leans down and rests her forehead against his. “Then you just keep being that for her. However she needs. We’ll figure it out.”
Izuku blinks surprised. “We?”
She smiles then, a little shy, a little fierce. “Of course. She’s part of your life now, isn’t she? That makes her part of mine too.”
Eri stirs then, her eyes fluttering open. She sees Momo and tenses slightly.
But Momo lowers herself to Eri’s eye level and gives her the gentlest smile she can.
“Hi, Eri. I’m Momo. I’m a friend of Izuku’s. Can I sit with you two for a little while?”
Eri looks up at Izuku, and he nods. Slowly, Eri nods too.
Momo sits beside the bed, carefully reaching into her bag and pulling out a tiny, neatly wrapped box.
“I brought you something,” she says, unwrapping it to reveal a little hand mirror shaped like a flower. “I made it myself. I thought you might like it.”
Eri takes it, shyly. She looks into the mirror, then tilts her head. “It’s pretty.”
Momo’s smile turns radiant. “So are you.”
And for the first time since they saved her, Eri giggles.
Izuku watches them, overwhelmed by the quiet beauty of the moment—of two worlds beginning to intertwine, gently, one small smile at a time.
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The sun is warm and golden, casting a soft glow over the quiet park. It’s not crowded—just a few families, the sound of children laughing, and the occasional bark of a dog in the distance.
Eri was given clearance to leave the hospital for a few hours, so they took her out to the park.
Eri walks between Izuku and Momo, her small hand in Izuku’s, her other holding tightly to the flower-shaped mirror Momo gave her. Her red eyes scan everything—the kites, the blossoms, the families—and even though she’s quiet, her steps are lighter than usual. Curious.
“Want to sit under that tree?” Izuku asks, pointing to a cherry blossom that still carries a few late blooms.
Eri nods.
They settle onto the grass, and Momo pulls out a small blanket and a bento box from her bag—neatly prepared and labeled, of course. Eri leans her head against Izuku’s side while nibbling on a triangle of onigiri.
Then, from the path behind them: “Oi, nerds!”
Izuku stiffens, already recognizing the voice. He turns, and sure enough, Bakugo Katsuki stalks into view, hands in his pockets, his expression as sharp and annoyed as always—but something in his eyes is calmer today.
Momo offers a graceful smile. “Bakugo. What brings you here?”
“I was in the area, saw you guys sitting here. Figured I’d see how Deku’s arms were healing before he trips over a butterfly and shatters ‘em again.” His voice is gruff, teasing, but then he notices Eri.
She hides behind Izuku immediately, clutching his shirt.
Bakugo frowns, pauses—and then, in a surprisingly gentle tone, says, “Hey.”
Izuku blinks.
Momo blinks.
Eri peeks out cautiously.
Bakugo squats down to her level, his hands still in his pockets. “You’re the kid, huh? The one he nearly got himself killed for.”
She nods, silent.
He jerks his thumb at Izuku. “You know, he’s dumb, but he’s strong. He wouldn’t stop talking about you after the mission. Said you were the bravest person he ever met.”
Izuku flushes. “Kacchan—!”
But Eri steps a little closer to him, her eyes wide. “You’re… loud,” she says.
Bakugo raises an eyebrow. “You’re not the first to say that.”
Then he pulls something from his jacket pocket—a lollipop. “Here. I don’t like sweets, but someone gave it to me, and I figured the kid might want it.”
Izuku’s brain stalls. ‘What the-‘
Eri steps forward and takes it like it’s a sacred treasure. “Thank you.”
Bakugo shrugs, as if it’s no big deal. “Whatever.”
Then Eri surprises everyone by walking up to him, tugging gently at his sleeve. When he looks down, she stands on her tiptoes and whispers, “Are you a hero too?”
Bakugo’s expression softens—not visibly, but deeply. “Yeah,” he says. “The best one, actually.”
Eri smiles challengingly. “I’m not too sure about that…”
“You got spunk kid, I’ll give you that.”
Momo nudges Izuku and whispers, “Did we just witness Bakugo being… gentle?”
“I think so,” Izuku murmurs, still stunned. “I guess I’ve always said he had it in him somewhere.”
As they sit together under the tree, Eri offers the lollipop to Bakugo again, like she wants to share.
He hesitates, then scoffs. “Fine. But only one lick.”
She giggles.
And in that moment, Izuku knows—Eri isn’t just healing.
She’s beginning to live.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
U.A. College’s dorm lounge is buzzing with energy. The students of Class 1-A have gathered in excited clusters, peeking toward the entrance with curious anticipation.
Izuku, freshly recovered, stands beside Momo and Eri, who is clinging tightly to his hand and half-hiding behind his leg.
“Everyone, this is Eri,” Momo says gently. “Please be kind to her—it’s her first time meeting so many people at once.”
Ochaco steps forward first, a bright smile on her face. “Hi, Eri! I’m Uraraka. It’s really nice to meet you.”
Eri peeks out. “…Hi.”
Then the rest follow, one by one, introducing themselves. Kirishima kneels to her level and offers a fist bump (she tries, shyly, with her pinky). Tsuyu gives a small, calming wave. Kaminari nearly electrocutes himself trying to make a funny light show, which actually gets a small giggle out of her.
Even Aoyama sparkles for her. “You shine, mademoiselle!”
Everyone laughs gently, keeping the mood light, warm, and not too overwhelming. Eri relaxes, bit by bit, especially with Izuku beside her.
Then a small beep sounds—Momo checks her phone and frowns. “Aizawa and All Might needs to speak with us for a moment. Something about making a schedule to make it easier while we’re looking after Eri.”
Izuku crouches beside Eri. “Hey, we’ll be right back, okay? Just for a few minutes. Kacchan’s here. You’ll be safe.”
Eri looked very uncertain about this… until Bakugo walks up and crosses his arms. “Tch. I’m not gonna let anything happen to the pipsqueak.”
Eri gives a little nod. Izuku squeezes her hand reassuringly and heads off with Momo.
As the door shuts behind them, everyone turns to look at Eri. There’s a pause.
Bakugo glares. “Alright. Back off. She is not a freaking zoo animal.”
The class backs off a bit, startled by his bark—but Eri just looks up at him, not afraid at all. She’d heard worse anger from Overhaul, so that was no big deal to her. She walks over and tugs lightly on his pant leg. “Uncle Kacchan?”
The room goes dead silent.
Bakugo freezes, face twitching. “…What did you just call me?”
She blinks innocently. “Uncle Kacchan?”
There’s a beat.
Then he exhales through his nose, crouches down, and grumbles, “You’re lucky you’re cute, squirt.”
Mina leans over to Jirou, whispering, “That’s adorable. He’s totally soft for her.”
“Say it louder and I’ll make you explode,” Bakugo calls over his shoulder.
He takes a seat on the couch, arms crossed, and Eri climbs up beside him. He pulls a candy out of his pocket, hands it to her without looking.
“Don’t tell your dad,” he mutters. “He’ll kill me if he finds out I gave you this before dinner.”
Eri smiles. “Okay.”
They sit like that—quiet, peaceful—while the class watches in awe as the Bakugo Katsuki lets a little girl lean against him while she hums softly with her candy.
Izuku and Momo return ten minutes later to find Eri napping against Bakugo’s arm… and him not even complaining.
Momo whispers, “Should we take a picture?”
“No,” Izuku grins. “He’d kill us. But I’ll remember it forever.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s a peaceful Saturday afternoon at the U.A. dorms. The common lounge is quiet—most of Class 1-A is out on errands or training. Izuku sits cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by crayons, construction paper, and an extremely focused Eri.
She’s drawing—tongue poking out in concentration, small brows furrowed. Beside her is a half-assembled paper crown, covered in glittery stickers and very off-center stars.
“What’s this one for?” Izuku asks, smiling as he holds up a drawing.
Eri glances at it. “That’s you. You’re punching a monster, but your hand is okay this time.”
He chuckles. “Nice. Much appreciated.”
Then the door opens quietly. Momo walks in, her hair tied in a loose ponytail, still in her training gear.
‘She looks so pretty like that.’ Izuku thought to himself in awe. Sure, she always looked good, but something about the more ‘lazy’ look really suited her.
“I’m back,” she says, setting a small bag down. “I brought snacks!”
Eri’s eyes light up. She scrambles to her feet and runs over, hugging Momo around the waist with that surprising intensity kids sometimes have. “Oof!” She grunted and stabilized herself.
“Welcome back!”
Momo smiles, brushing Eri’s hair back from her eyes. “Thank you, sweetheart. I missed you.”
Eri nods against her stomach. “I missed you too…”
Then, in a quiet voice, muffled by Momo’s shirt, she says:
“Mama.”
Everything stops.
Izuku looks up slowly from the floor, stunned. Momo freezes, hands hovering just over Eri’s back, as if afraid to break the moment.
Eri pulls back, her eyes unsure now. “Is… is that okay?”
Momo kneels down, eyes glistening. “Sweetheart,” she whispers, “that’s more than okay.”
She wraps Eri in a gentle hug, pulling her close. Izuku stands up and joins them, placing a hand on both of their shoulders.
Eri’s voice is smaller now. “I just… I feel like you are. You both take care of me… and I feel safe here.”
Momo presses her forehead to Eri’s. “I will always take care of you. You don’t have to call me anything. But if you want to call me ‘Mama’… then I would be honored.”
Eri’s arms tighten around her.
Izuku leans in and kisses the top of Eri’s head. “We’re your family now. However you want to say it.”
Later that night, Eri falls asleep between the two of them on the couch—Momo’s arm draped over her protectively, and Izuku gently brushing her hair out of her face.
On the table, the glittery crown sits finished. In the center is a messy, crayon-scribbled word:
“Family.”
Eri liked that word. It was comforting, warm. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dorms are silent in the deep hours of the night. Moonlight spills through the windows, casting soft shapes on the walls. Izuku, still half-awake, lies beside Momo on the couch. Eri is curled between them, tucked under a thick blanket, the remnants of the earlier drawing session still scattered on the nearby table.
Then—a scream.
It’s short, sharp, and raw.
Eri bolts upright, gasping, clutching the blanket to her chest like it’s a lifeline. Her eyes are wild, unseeing, tears already spilling as she looked around the room.
Izuku is upright in a flash, arms around her. “Eri! It’s okay—it’s okay! You’re safe.”
Momo wakes just behind him, already pulling her close. “Shh, it was a dream, just a dream, you’re here with us.”
But Eri sobs harder, gripping Izuku’s shirt with shaking fingers. “He was there—he was there again—he grabbed me—Papa, I couldn’t get away—he kept saying I’d break everything— Just like—”
Izuku squeezes her tightly. “You’re safe. He’s gone. I promise you, he’ll never hurt you again.”
They rock gently, Momo running her fingers through Eri’s hair, whispering soft reassurances over and over.
Eventually, the sobs fade into hiccups, and Eri slumps, exhausted and trembling, against them. But her eyes stay open, watching shadows move across the ceiling like they might lunge at her.
Momo exchanges a glance with Izuku. It’s one of those moments where no words are needed.
*The next day*
The dorm is unusually quiet. The rest of Class 1-A knows something is heavy in the air. Eri clings to Momo a little more, and even Bakugo, watching from the common room, doesn’t say a word—just gives Izuku a subtle nod as he leaves. A silent promise to keep an eye on them.
Later that afternoon, Izuku returns—with someone new. And a large bag of dog food.
A large, black Great Dane puppy, sleek and quiet, trots in beside him. His movements are calm, his deep brown eyes intelligent, almost gentle.
Eri peeks out from behind Momo, unsure.
Izuku crouches next to the dog and smiles. “Hey, Eri? This is Shadow. He’s a special dog. A service dog. He can help when you’re scared or when it’s hard to breathe. He’s trained to stay with you… always.”
Shadow sits calmly, waiting.
Eri hesitates, then slowly walks over. The dog doesn’t move—just watches her with that steady, solid gaze.
She holds out her hand.
Shadow leans forward, nuzzling it gently.
Eri blinks, then crouches and wraps her arms around his massive neck. He doesn’t flinch—he just stays still, like a pillar made of warm safety. Like her parents.
Momo kneels beside her. “He’ll protect you, sweetheart. And he’ll help us understand when you need more than hugs or bedtime stories. Those only help you so much.”
Izuku smiles softly. “He’s your shadow now. Just like we are.”
Eri leans into Shadow’s fur. “He’s really soft.”
Then, quieter: “Thank you… Mama. Papa.”
Both Izuku and Momo kneel on either side of her, arms around her, with Shadow nestled close.
There’s no big music, no grand moment—just a girl, her new guardian, and the two people who have decided to be her home.
And in that quiet, peaceful space, healing finally begins to take root.