When Trust Becomes a Cage

by comically_tall_hospital

Summary:

In which a thirteen year old Midoriya Izuku is groomed into a romantic and sexual relationship with an adult woman.

Notes:

Please read all the tags and the summary. I am aware this fic has very dark themes, so I ask you to follow the "don't like, don't read" rule.

If you're still reading, hello! I hope you enjoy, this is the first multichapter fic I've ever attempted, so we'll see how it goes :p

Cw for this chapter: blood and injury, bullying, implied pedophilia (nothing explicit yet)

Chapter 1: Meeting

Izuku was never much of a complainer.

When he was four, he’d been diagnosed quirkless. The other kids didn’t want to play with him anymore. He understood, the teachers had told them he was fragile. He didn’t blame them. He didn’t complain.

When he was eight, he came to an empty house, dried tear tracks on his cheeks and bright pink burns on his skin. He learned how to take care of them himself. He didn’t complain.

When he was twelve, he’d found a note from his mother, saying she couldn’t raise him anymore. She still sent enough money for rent. He didn’t complain.

But today, at age thirteen, he feels like screaming his frustrations from the rooftops.

Kacchan and his friends had been especially harsh today, each taking turns at getting a hit in on his right leg.

“What, you think you can run away?” Kacchan had asked with a sneer, before being the first to lunge for the smaller boy’s limb, palms popping with the small explosions.

The bullies had seemed to get bored after about an hour, leaving Izuku in the classroom and telling him to “clean up his mess.” It wouldn’t be anywhere near the first time the boy has wiped his own blood up from the floors of this god-forsaken school, so he was able to finish it rather quickly.

So that led him to where he is now, limping towards the train station with a small trail of blood behind him, because of course it was today of all days that he forgot to bring extra bandages to school.

 

-

 

He had almost gotten to his destination when he saw a woman, probably in her late twenties, running towards him. Instinctually, he froze up.

“Hey there,” she said, wearing a look of concern. “Are you alright? I couldn’t help but notice your… uh…” she stopped, gesturing vaguely at his lower body.

Izuku looked down. Sure enough, the blood must’ve started coming out faster since he’d started his walk, his entire right pant leg soaked and dripping. No wonder he’d been feeling a bit light-headed.

“Oh, no, I’m fine!” He gave her a shaky smile, continuing, “I’ll patch myself up as soon as I get home, no need to worry about me!”

She glanced down again, eyes seeming to drag over his whole body before responding with a chipper “Nope!”

After a few seconds of confused silence, the boy asked “…what?”

“Nope!” She repeated, turning on her heel and walking back towards the apartment she’d come out of. “You’re coming with me and I’m going to fix you up myself.”

Izuku stood there, stunned. I mean sure , he thought, she doesn’t know I’m quirkless, but still, she wants to help… me?

He was pulled from his stupor when the woman had reached her door, turning around to give him a look.

Squealing out an apology, the green-haired boy scurried after her.

 

-

 

She has a nice apartment , Izuku thought, being ushered to a cozy bathroom off the entry hallway.

“Alright,” the woman said, “I’m going to need you to take those pants off.”

Izuku froze, his brain pausing for a moment.

Wait, of course I’d need to take them off , his mind supplied him, kicking back into gear. She doesn’t even know where the bleeding is coming from, let alone where to start cleaning .

After another second of hesitation, he began unbuttoning his pants until he could comfortably slip them off, grunting a bit as the fabric brushed one of the more serious burns.

“Good,” she said, a small smile on her face. “Now sit on the edge of the tub and I’ll start wiping some of that blood off.”

The boy did as he was told, perching on the side and stretching his leg out to make things easier for the woman so gracious as to help him.

Her eyes trailed up and down him again. Checking for other injuries , his brain filled in quickly.

It was then that she sat down on the floor, beginning to run a towel over his leg.

He shuddered as it hit several sensitive spots, but he could admit it was nice to not have it covered in blood anymore.

“I’m Imai Haruka,” the woman said, “but you can just call me Haruka.”

“Midoriya I-Izuku” the boy responded, biting down a whimper as the towel found the bleeding wound.

“Okay Izuku,” god, he hadn’t heard his first name in so long . “I’m going to start using disinfectant. This is going to sting.”

He bit his lip and nodded. Disinfectant was always his least favorite part, but he knew it had to be done.

Getting everything ready to clean the wound, Haruka started talking again. “How old are you, Izuku?”

“I’m thirteen,” he answered, before worrying that it was too short of a response. “I’ll be fourteen in a few months,” he added quickly.

“Only thirteen?” The woman had a smile on her face. “With how mature you’ve been acting, I would’ve thought you were older.”

An embarrassed blush tinted Izuku’s skin, making him shrink in on himself a bit. “Thank you, H-Haruka.”

The woman’s smile grew, before she turned back to the boy’s leg, finishing with the disinfectant. Lifting Izuku’s limb, the bleeding now subdued, she spun him around to lay it down inside the tub walls. “You’ll want to sit there for a bit so you don’t drip on the floor.”

“O-oh, thank you!”

Haruka hummed, then turned around to exit the bathroom. “I’m going to make us some tea, any specific kind you’d like?”

Izuku was quick to respond. “You r-really don’t need to host me, I can leave as soon as this dries.”

“Nonsense,” she said. “I’d like to talk with you for a bit anyway. Now, if you don’t have a preference, I’ll just fix the same as mine.” With that, she disappeared to the kitchen to start the kettle.

 

-

 

Sitting across from each other, the two sipped from their mugs in a somewhat comfortable silence.

“So,” Haruka said, breaking the quiet atmosphere, “why were you planning to catch a train home instead of getting actual medical help?”

Izuku gulped at the blunt question. “I, um, don’t go to hospitals.” He answered eventually.

“Bad experiences with doctors?” She asked, setting her drink down to prop her head in her hands.

“No, nothing like that! They just, uh…” the boy tried to think of the best way to say what followed. “…won’t treat me?” He cringed internally at how bad that sounded.

“Why won’t they treat you, Izuku?” The woman was wearing a small frown now, though her eyes hadn’t changed.

“They don’t…” Izuku brought his mug up to his mouth, staring into it instead of at the woman who’d treated him so kindly until now.

“Most hospitals don’t treat quirkless people.” He muttered the last few words into his tea, but it was clear Haruka had heard them.

Taking her face out of her hands and sitting up straight, she looked him dead in the eyes. “You’re quirkless?”

Confusion settled over Izuku. People always, regardless of whether they tried to hide it or not, had a hint of disgust in their voice when they asked him that question. But the woman across from him had none. In fact, her eyes looked like they’d gotten a shade brighter, like it was something to be excited about.

“Y-yes?” He said, pulling into himself as she stood up and made her way around the table.

But instead of hitting him or yelling at him for wasting her time, like he’d been expecting, she leaned down and pulled him into a tight hug.

Letting out a squawk of surprise, Izuku almost dropped his mug, barely being able to get a grip on it in time to shove it back on the table.

“You’re n-not…” he said, voice almost a whisper. “You’re not mad? Or disgusted? Or-“

“No darling, I’m not.” She pulled him in further, burying his head in her chest. At any other time, Izuku would have been a red blabbering mess, but right now he was too focused on her words.

He tried to remember the last hug he’d gotten.

He couldn’t.

He clutched her shirt as he began sobbing, hoping he’d never have to let go.

Chapter 2: It used to be a good day

Summary:

Izuku was having a good day, until Haruka told him she couldn't just be friends with him anymore. What she meant by that, Izuku doesn't realize.

TWs for this chapter: pedophilia, panic attack, light/unintentional self harm (Izuku scratching himself, only for a couple sentences)

I think that's it, please let me know if I missed anything and I hope you enjoy ^w^

Izuku smiled, quickly making his way to the house that’d become so much like a home in such a short amount of time. It’d been less than three weeks since he’d met Haruka, but they’d been growing closer every day since.

He couldn’t believe it.

He had a friend again.

Sure, he hadn’t expected his first friend in ten years to be over twice his age, but he didn’t mind. She didn’t treat him like a child after all, she treated him like an adult, an equal.

She let him rant when he’d had a long day, and ramble on and on about All Might.

In turn, he’d listen intently to whatever she talked about. Usually her day at the office, though sometimes she’d tell him stories from when she was around his age, making him giggle over some of the things she and her friends had done.

Kami , he was so glad to have someone to talk to .

 

-

 

That’s how Izuku found himself sitting on the steps of Haruka’s apartment building, waiting for her to get home from work.

They’d settled into a routine. By the time he was usually able to get away from school, it would only be about an hour until Haruka got home from work. So the young boy had taken to sitting on the ground outside her door, content to write in his analysis notebook until she got there.

“Hey, Izuku.” He felt a grin spread across his face at the voice.

“Hi Haruka!” He responded giddily.

The woman seemed to be happier than usual, taking Izuku in with a large smile of her own. “How was school today?”

“Better than most days!” The boy had gotten up from his spot on the ground, standing to the side so Haruka could unlock the door. “I didn’t get in trouble with any of the teachers, and Kacchan and his friends only stuck around for a few minutes after class today.”

“That’s great, sweetheart!”

Izuku felt his cheeks heat up at the last word. Haruka seemed to have a habit of calling him pet names, which he didn’t mind at all. It made him feel special.

Noticing the flush on the child’s face, she let out a small chuckle and let them both inside the apartment.

“Izuku, what do you want for dinner today?” She asked, making her way toward the kitchen.

The greenette’s walk stuttered for just a second, before he caught himself. “I can eat whatever you want! R-really, you don’t have to make meals for me at all.”

Sometime during his sentence he’d started scratching at his arm, a nervous habit he’d picked up at the beginning of junior high.

Noticing this, the woman slowly walked over to him and gently tugged his hand away from the red patch that had appeared.

“I know I don’t have to,” she said softly, “but I want to. I want to take care of you, Izuku.”

And the blushing was back. He buried his face in his uniform, but he knew Haruka had seen, if the sound of her suppressed giggles was anything to go off.

“Go get changed silly, I’ll make katsudon tonight.”

“Okay!!” He smiled to himself and rushed off to get into his spare clothes, giddy at the thought of her remembering his favorite meal.

 

-

 

Dinner was delicious, it had been years since Izuku had homemade katsudon (not prepared by himself, at least,) and he ate every last bite.

Haruka had finished eating a while before him, content with a smaller serving.

It seemed like she was waiting for something, though Izuku didn’t know what.

Later that evening, he got his answer.

 

-

 

They’d settled down on Haruka’s couch, snuggled together under a blanket with an old prequirk movie playing quietly on the tv.

They were about a half hour in when she shifted, clearing her throat to get his full attention. Then, she started the conversation she’d been thinking about all week.

“Izuku, you know how much I care about you, right?” Izuku noticed her small - nervous? - smile.

“O-of course!” He answered honestly. “You’re so kind, and you help me even though you don’t have to!” Cheeks reddening again, he finished in a whisper. “You’re my best friend, I love you.”

Haruka seemed to relax at that, making the boy proud of helping his friend. “I love you too darling,” she said, before looking away from Izuku. “That’s why I wanted to have this conversation, actually.”

“Oh? W-why’s that?” He asked, his mind reveling in the knowledge that she loved him back.

“Well… sometimes darling, people love each other too much to be friends.”

 

-

 

Hold up.

He had to have heard that wrong, right?

Haruka didn’t just tell him they couldn’t be friends anymore.

Had he done something wrong?

He thought she loved him back, but what does love mean anyway?

His mother had told him she loved him, and that obviously didn’t mean much to her.

Izuku could feel his breathing speeding up, registering too late that he was having a panic attack.

He couldn’t breathe.

He needed to calm down.

He couldn’t breathe.

He reached out in front of him, grasping for something, anything to pull him out of his current state.

He couldn’t breathe .

Izuku felt himself being moved, unable to force his limbs to work with him and keep him in place.

He was pressed firmly against something, something moving, and he felt hands on his back.

Kacchan?

Were those Kacchan’s hands?

No, if they were his, his back would be burning.

Besides, they were gentler than his hands have ever been, and they were lightly rubbing circles through his shirt.

“-z—u?”

He heard something, but he didn’t know what. He still couldn’t breathe.

“-z-ku?”

Straining to hear the rest, he managed to move his head closer to… wherever the sound was coming from.

“Izuku!”

Oh.

That was his name, wasn’t it?

It was. It was, but who would be calling him?

Where was he?

Had he zoned out at school again? Was he in trouble?

“Izuku, you’re safe. I’m here, you’re okay.”

Was that… Haruka?

Was he with Haruka?

He must be, if he can hear her voice. Does that mean he’s at Haruka’s house?

“Izuku, baby, I want you to breathe with me, okay?”

He did his best to nod.

He was pressed closer into whatever he’d been leaning on, able to feel it moving (breathing?).

It must be a person then.

Haruka, probably. She’s the only one who doesn’t hurt him when she touches him after all.

He does his best to match the rise and fall of her chest, sucking in shuddering gulps of air.

He could hear her continue talking to him, helping him.

“It’s okay baby, I’ve got you. Keep breathing, alright Izuku? You can do this, you’re fine.”

Eventually, when his breath had mostly evened out, and he had control of his muscles again, he leaned back to look at the woman who’d held him.

“...‘m sorry,” he said in a small voice.

“Oh honey,” she gave him a soft, sad smile. “It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have scared you like that.”

He was quick to respond with “no, it’s- it’s okay, I- I understand if you don’t want to be friends anymore.” He smiled, but could feel the tears pricking at his eyes.

“No baby, no!” The woman pulled him into another tight embrace, holding him like he was something precious. “That’s not what I was saying, Izuku.”

Confusion spread across his features.

Then what did she mean if she still wanted to be around him?

“What I meant,” she said, pausing to take a long breath, “is that I love you more than friends love each other.”

“O-okay?” He still didn’t really understand, but he was willing to wait until she was done to ask.

“Izuku.” A serious tone had taken over her voice, more serious than Izuku had ever heard it.

“What I’m telling you… is that I love you like a boyfriend.”

Izuku’s mind went blank.

Huh?

Notes:

Me: Who would have the audacity to bring this rotten character into existence?? I'm going to scream at them

The creator: also me

•.•

So I've given my reflection quite a few dirty looks this week-

 

Sorry not sorry for the cliffhanger, maybe it'll motivate me to get the next chapter our sooner lol

Chapter 3: Tonight you belong to me

Summary:

Izuku gets a girlfriend. He's sure any bad feelings about it are just nerves.

Cw for this chapter: pedophilia, csa

Huh?

Izuku stared at the woman in front of him, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open.

“Izuku…” she seemed to struggle with what to say next before suddenly leaning forward.

A startled squeak left the boy’s mouth as his best friend’s lips met his, his face turning a bright red.

What’s she doing?! Isn’t this… this isn’t right! His mind was racing, telling him to pull away.

Being friends with an adult was okay, but this… he wasn’t supposed to do this.

Haruka had always been too nice to him anyway. She should want to hurt him, not kiss him. Why didn’t she hate him? She should hate him, she should-

But her lips were so soft, and the hand she’d placed on his cheek was so warm, and he felt safe.

Maybe… maybe it’s not what we’re supposed to do, but maybe that’s okay. He wasn’t even supposed to be alive, right? That’s what his classmates told him. So maybe it didn’t matter if he did what he was supposed to.

If there was only one person who loved him, maybe he should get to love her too.

And just like that, he was kissing her back. He’d never kissed anyone before, so he hoped he was doing it right.

Though from the smile he could feel was spreading on her face, he figured he must not be doing too badly.

Haruka had brought her other hand up, tangling it in his curls and pulling his head further against hers.

He felt the urge to pull back again, but ignored it. I’m just nervous, he thought. I’ll like it once I get used to it.

So he instead pressed into her even more, trying to replicate her movements. Their lips tangled and left Izuku breathless.

After what felt like hours, Haruka pulled back, a wide smile on her face. “I just knew you’d feel the same,” she said, hands still carding through green curls. “I’ve always known you were mature, Izuku.” He let out a small giggle at that, leaning his head further into her touch.

They sat like that for a while, before the younger eventually spoke. “…Haruka?” He asked in a quiet voice.

“Yes, darling?” The pet name sent shivers down Izuku’s spine. Sure, she’d called him that before, but it felt… different now. Instead of the casual way he’d heard it before, it seemed to hold a heavy sentiment to it now.

“Are we… dating now?” He felt his cheeks warming up again, deciding to look anywhere but at the woman across from him.

She gave a content sigh, before placing a hand on his chin and turning his eyes back to her.

“Yes, Izuku, we are.” With that, she leaned forward again to peck him on the nose, causing him to get even redder and start babbling. She couldn’t help but start laughing at that.

The boy snapped out of it when he heard her. For a moment, he just looked at her, taking her in. He watched the way her silver earrings sparkled from the light of the television, the way dark hair fell over her shoulders as they rolled in time with her laughter, the way her smile could illuminate the whole room.

In that moment, Izuku knew he’d do anything for that smile. And so, he started smiling too.

The soft smile on his face turned into a grin, before he was erupting with laughter as well.

And so they stayed there, laughing together until tears were rolling down their face and their stomaches couldn’t take anymore.

After such an eventful evening, the greenette was exhausted. He found himself drifting away on the couch, still laying with his friend-his girlfriend-. He hadn’t felt this safe in years.

 

-

 

Once she was sure she was the only one awake, Haruka allowed her smile to drop, twisting into a small smirk.

She stared down at the teen, who’d curled the majority of his body into her lap. “Honestly expected him to put up at least a little bit of a struggle,” she whispered to herself.

“Well… at least this won’t complicate things later,” she continued, ghosting her fingers across the boy’s small frame.

“You know you’re mine.”

Notes:

I'm sorry this took so long to come out, I struggled to write this chapter so bad... I swear I rewrote it all at least five times TwT

Chapter title is from the Patience & Prudence song because I'm terrible at naming things <3

I'm really not sure what the next chapter should be, so please feel free to give me suggestions in the comments!

Thank you for reading ^^

Chapter 4: A box and a letter

Summary:

Izuku forgets something. Katsuki remembers.

About a month has gone by between the last chapter and this one! Nothing particularly important happened during that time, so I decided to do a time skip instead of writing boring stuff that's unimportant to the plot.

Tags have been updated a bit :)

Cw for this chapter: child abandonment

Notes:

No Haruka in this chapter :D

Edit: I edited this chapter to change what name I refer to Katsuki with, nothing aside from this has been changed.

“I AM HERE! I AM HERE! I AM-“

Izuku hit his alarm clock, groaning as he smashed his face further into his pillow.

He’d stayed up late the night before, helping a woman in his neighborhood clear out her attic for a little cash, so he’d barely gotten a few hours of sleep. And unfortunately for him, it was a school day, which meant he had to get going.

 

-

 

I wonder what Haruka is making for dinner today, Izuku thought as he doodled in his notebook.

It was still about 5 minutes until homeroom would start. Since starting junior high, he’d learned to get there early if he didn’t want teachers berating him for “not showing interest in keeping his grades up.” Never mind that they never said that to the kids who came in later than Izuku.

Katsuki slammed a small box on his desk, shaking him out of his thoughts and drawing the attention of their classmates.

“K-Kacchan?” He asked nervously, “what is this?”

The blonde huffed, his lips contorting into a snarl. “The old hag said I had to give it to you. You better thank her for it, stupid Deku.”

Izuku felt his arms fly up before shaking them in a placating motion. “I will, I p-promise!” The taller boy just rolled his eyes. “But, uh, Kacchan…”

He dared to make eye contact, being met with the fiery red of Katsuki’s irises. He gulped.

“W-why is auntie sending me a gift?”

The two stared into each other’s eyes a while longer, the blonde seeming to be searching for something. Izuku figures he must eventually give up on finding it, because Katsuki just huffed again and broke eye contact, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Are you a complete idiot?” He asked. The green-haired boy knew better than to respond to questions like that, so he just kept looking at Katsuki, a confused expression on his face.

“It’s the 15th, dumbass.”

Izuku only tilted his head, more confused than before.

Katsuki threw his head back in frustration, groaning as he did so. “Didn’t auntie Inko wish you a happy birthday or something?”

…It was his birthday?

Oh.

Izuku bit the inside of his lip to keep himself from speaking.

If Kacchan doesn’t know mom is gone, then auntie probably doesn’t know either.

So he lied. “S-she had already left for work when I g-got up this morning…” he let himself trail off. He knew what a terrible liar he was, and speaking for any longer than necessary would cause his own downfall.

Katsuki either didn’t notice, or didn’t care. Izuku hoped it was the first one. The explosive boy turned away, stalking toward his seat and letting off a string of curses under his breath, as well as sentence he couldn’t make out.

This time, Izuku risked asking. “W-what was that, Kacchan?”

Katsuki turned around, looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face, before sitting down and facing away again.

“…I said happy fucking birthday, you damn nerd.”

Izuku’s head snapped up, mouth hanging open as he stared at the back of the blonde’s head, before a smile broke across his features.

“Thank you, Kacchan.”

 

-

 

Izuku walked home happily, smile still on his face. Besides the usual teasing, nothing else had happened the whole school day. Considering last year he’d gone home with a bloody nose and a burn mark on his cheek, he figured it was the best birthday he’d had in a while.

Once he reached his building, he checked the mailbox, just like he did every day.

Since his mom had moved out, there was rarely anything in there besides coupons and junk mail. But it was a habit, and he figured he might as well keep an eye on it, even if most of the contents ended up in the trash.

Today though, there was something… interesting.

A small white envelope -addressed to him, not his mother. The handwriting on the front was neat, and there was no return address.

That handwriting looks kind of familiar.

He stared at it for a moment, before putting it in his backpack with the rest of the mail. That way, after he got inside, he could open everything at once, making it easier to sort what stays and what gets thrown away.

 

-

 

After changing out of his uniform and finishing his homework, Izuku spread the mail out on the table.

He started off with the stuff that he already knew where it would go. Coupons for grocery stores and pharmacies went in a folder, while advertisements for new shops and gym memberships went in the trash can.

There were no bills today, which he was glad for. They were always a pain to go through.

Once he’d sorted through everything else, his eyes fell on the envelope in the middle of the table. He didn’t know why, but something about it made him feel uneasy.

Slowly ripping it open, Izuku slid out the card inside. Like the envelope it came in, the card was a stark white. No design, no writing. Just a blank piece of paper.

He flipped it open.

 

Izuku,

You’re fourteen now. I’m sure you’ve learned to be self-sufficient.

His stomach dropped.

It was his mom’s handwriting. That’s why it was familiar.

He was disappointed, but not surprised that he didn’t recognize it at first. It had been a while since he’d seen it, after all.

As you know, I’ve continued paying your bills even after I moved out. I hope you’ve enjoyed your free stay.

He swallowed hard, feeling tears prick the corners of his eyes.

Well what else was I supposed to do, he thought bitterly, move out too? Get an office job and find my own apartment?

You’re going into your last year of junior high now, and soon you’ll be eligible for hire at plenty of places.

Like any place would hire a quirkless kid.

So, I believe you can find a way to provide for yourself from now on.

The letter fell onto the table. Izuku’s hands were shaking too much to keep hold of it.

The small tears had grown and begun spilling, streaming down his face and wetting his shirt.

I payed for this last month,

He brought his knees up to his chest, clutching them tight and burying his face in them.

You need to leave by the first of August. After that, the landlord will take any belongings still in the building.

And he cried. He cried out of anger, he cried out of sadness, he cried out of fear. He cried through the sunset and as the moon went up. He cried until there were no tears left in his body.

He cried until he couldn’t feel it anymore.

Good luck

-Inko

Notes:

FINALLY GOT THIS CHAPTER DONE, LET'S GOOOOO

The whole time I was writing the school scene, I felt like that one dub blooper scene- "kacchan kacchan kacchan kacchan, kacchan kacchan kacchan kacchan kacchan"

The school year and all my other stuff (music lessons, dance classes, etc) have started back up, aaaaaaaaaaa (;´□｀)/

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know I certainly enjoyed writing it (˶ˆᗜˆ˵) I feel like I'm getting a little better at writing dialogue too, so yay!!

As always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated <3