Chapter Text
Izuku always stood out. His mama said it was because he was so cute—and green—but now, he’s not very inclined to believe her. He doesn’t think those are the reasons why he stands out.
Laying sprawled out on the sand, he wondered why he even tried to help the other kid. After he got knocked over and the other boy knew he was quirkless, the traitor turned on him as if he wasn’t the victim in the first place!
Well, that doesn’t matter. Izuku sat up from the sand, brushing himself off and shaking his head to rid his green curls of the sand, only stopping when he got dizzy. If anyone knows how to be a hero, it’s him! He’ll prove them all wrong!
———
Over the years, Izuku continues to get shoved in the hallways, on the playground, off the slide, on the ice, you name it, he’s probably tasted it.
Sadly, all the teasing and shoving could never have prepared him for middle school. Aldera Junior High. The bullying here was so much worse. He constantly had to patch something up after or during school, whether it be his uniform or his own skin. Sometimes, the bullying wasn’t too bad and he could just pop a few tablets and continue on with his day.
Izuku liked those days, he felt somewhat like a proper, “normal” human being like everyone else. He felt like the shoes didn’t matter, pretended the scars were invisible and he felt brand new. Like an old plate mended with gold. Again, Izuku liked those days.
Today was not one of those days.
He dragged his feet against the snow-covered asphalt, bringing up an arm to rub the flaked, dry blood from under his nose with his sleeve. He paused at the metallic taste in the back of his mouth, clearing his throat.
Sniffling, he dragged in an inhale before breathing out shakily, watching his breath condense in the air before lazily drifting away. Coughing into his fist, Izuku continued walking.
“Kacchan and his friends went hard today,” He rubbed at his temple with his right hand, trying to soothe the pulsating sensation that had settled in his skull a few moments prior. They cornered him at his locker and Kacchan’s friends held him down while Kacchan knocked his head against the metal lockers before getting a few punches in. Maybe he should get the headache checked out. He doesn’t want to bother his mother though; She’s always very busy.
Izuku blinks when he realizes he’s at his house’s front door. He must’ve zoned out. Pulling the key from his pocket, he fumbles the key into the keyhole with cold-numbed fingers.
When he swings himself into the genkan, he closes the door with a sigh, a shiver running up his spine as the warmth slams into him and he feels his nerves waking up with a fizzy feeling. He shakes himself off a bit before toeing off his shoes and putting them neatly on the rack before sliding on his house slippers.
“I’m home,” Izuku called out to the house as he walked inside. He walks up the stairs two at a time because he wants to feel a spring in his step.
“So much warmer…,” Izuku thinks with a smile as he swings his room door open and closed, plopping onto the floor in the middle of the room to give his legs a rest. He just walked through 20cm (~7.8”) of snow with the wind blowing against him; if there was one thing he deserved at this very moment, it was rest. Not too much rest though, he still had blood in his hair from the aforementioned… “incident”.
———
“Ow,” Izuku’s hand brushed against the injury. He had just showered and he guesses the warm water just kickstarted the bleeding all anew as now, his normally green hair was beginning to turn brown! That meant cleaning the wound. Which meant… rubbing alcohol. AaaaAAAAA!
“Oww, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow,” Izuku repeated the exclamation each time something hurt like some kind of wellness ritual, swearing it at least made the hurt he felt more bearable.
The injury zinged with fresh pain every time he brought the rag against it. It was doused with hydrogen peroxide and that just made it hurt more. Soon enough, after lots of washing and many more tears, Izuku had the injury clean and bandaged! He still had a headache—especially after all that rubbing alcohol—but it was nothing his saviour Aleve couldn’t fix!
He pops a few pills before drinking enough water to drown a man and then he turns to his bed. Home. Sweet. Home. Snuggling under the fluffy, All Might-themed blanket, he sighs contentedly and welcomes sleep with a smile. At least he doesn’t have to pretend he’s different in his dreams.
Izuku’s eyes snapped open, bright, green, and wide as he took in his surroundings. He was breathing heavily.
“What time is it?”
Sitting up slowly, Izuku observed the compression lines left by the blanket on his skin. He blinked slowly as he looked around his room. He probably looks a mess. Hell, he felt like a mess. Is this why he stopped taking naps after ten years old?
“That was so disorienting,” He buried his head in his hands, collecting his bearings. “But, that was one of the best naps of my life,” Izuku laughed, lifting his head a little too quickly.
His excitement cost him a particularly violent ache in the middle of his skull. Clutching his head tighter with a whimper, he screwed his eyes shut and breathed deeply in an attempt to negate the pain. He groaned, the distressed sound coming through his clenched teeth as he began to feel all the effects of his head injury. Pain, nausea, dizziness, and he felt like his head was floating above his neck.
After a good few minutes, he flipped his legs over the edge of his bed before standing, holding his left hand against the wall so he wouldn’t get too dizzy and fall. He should find his mom; She always knows what to do when he doesn’t feel well!
He finds his mom downstairs where she notices the bandages on his head, gets into a tizzy, and the next thing he knows, he’s in the passenger seat of the car while they drive to the hospital. Inko fusses over him and every stoplight and constantly has him in her peripherals.
“Izuku, you must’ve gotten home hours ago! Why didn’t you come find me earlier?” She had a little frown on her face as she questioned him, keeping her eyes ahead of her and on the road.
“I, uhm, fell asleep?” Izuku winced at his tone of voice. He sounded like such a liar even though he was telling the truth.
Inko looks at him worriedly again before sighing.
“If you say so, sweetie.”
Now, all Izuku has to do is relax in his seat and watch the buildings and other vehicles pass by his window in a blur. He’s about to drift off right before a quick pinch is delivered to the side of his face.
“Ow! Mom…,” He whined, turning towards her with an indignant pout on his face, “What was that for?”
“Sorry honey,” She said, not sounding sorry at all, “But you have to stay awake. Head injuries are finicky and I’d rather you awake when we get to the hospital. Okay?”
Izuku hummed an agreement and settled in for what might be one of the hardest car rides to sit through.
“By the way, did you turn off the stove?”
“Awh, crap! Izuku, hold on sweetie, we’ve gotta go back!”
Her grip tightened on the steering wheel and it takes Izuku a second too long to understand what’s about to go down before it actually happens.
“Wha- AAH! MOM, THAT U-TURN WAS ILLEGAL!”
“I’ll pay the fine later, okay? We have more pressing matters right now.”
“I think ‘m gonna throw up…”
“If you do, just know your father left a small plastic bag in here somewhere!”