Chapter Text
The thought is unimaginable
That I saw you for the last time and didn't know
You were the one that I wasn't supposed to lose
I thought I'd have you for my lifetime – Three Days Grace
“You have had heroes guarding me for weeks?”
Inko Midoriya sat primly in Nezu’s office. Hands folded, back straight, pleasant expression on her face. The picture of a perfectly concerned parent with absolute trust in the school and principal.
“Yes, we have.” Nezu mimicked her posture to instill a sense of comfort and familiarity. He hadn’t met Midoriya-san before but he was sure that he could convince her to move to UA for her safety.
“Because of a possible threat to UA from the League of Villains?” Inko blinked as the principal nodded in answer to her question.
She knew she appeared as a simple woman. A housewife, a mother, and a nurse. And in some ways, that was true. She lived a simple life and didn’t make waves. But that didn’t mean she was a doormat or stupid.
When she was younger, women were expected to be nurturers and homemakers. They were supposed to set aside their desires to tend to their families’ needs. Let the men take the reins and responsibility. And she did that.
Once.
But never again.
She was so happy when she met and married Hisashi. But as time went on, the rose-colored glasses slipped off, and reality took their place. She realized that Hisashi wasn’t who he claimed to be. There were too many inconsistencies in his story. Where was his family? Friends? She excused his evasions as probably stemming from a bad childhood. So, she let it go.
But when Izuku was born, he remained evasive even as he doted on their son. Then Hoshi disappeared without a trace. She was devastated, but Hisashi wasn’t there for her. He started to pull away until one day, he just didn’t come home.
That was when she decided that she could only depend on herself. No one was going to walk all over her again. She needed to figure out who she was and learn to stand on her own. She went back to school, got her nursing license, and spread her wings.
But somewhere during that process, she lost sight of something important. Her son. She still took care of him, fed him, read him stories, and helped with homework. But she wasn’t paying close enough attention. It took her far too long to realize that something was wrong.
After he was found to be quirkless, people started distancing themselves. It wasn’t noticeable at first. Friends were suddenly busy, and her baby started to withdraw. It didn’t happen overnight, but by the time she realized what was happening, it was too late. She had failed her son.
She tried to get him to talk to her about what was happening at school and with his friends. But her inattention had a cost. Izuku no longer trusted her to keep him safe, physically or emotionally. He wasn’t comfortable sharing his burdens with her.
Now he was at his dream school studying to be a hero. Still, things kept happening to him and his class, and she felt like she wasn’t getting the full story. She felt farther away from her son than ever.
Sitting in the principal’s office, she was reminded that Izuku still needed her, whether he admitted it or not. She knew Izuku loved her, but she needed to prove that that love was not misplaced. That meant looking below the surface of what was happening at this school.
Her eyes narrowed as she worked through the implications of the principal’s statements.
“But why me? Shouldn’t you be focused on your students and not their parents?”
“We take our students' well-being seriously, Midoriya-san. And that extends to their families as well.” While a perfectly acceptable response, it sounded rehearsed. Something you tell someone to placate them. Allow them to let the issue go and not dig below the surface.
She shifted in her chair, leaning forward and scrutinizing the principal. “Surely, you haven’t provided guards for all the students’ families. Even if they were just for Izuku’s class’s families, that would be a lot of heroes to take out of circulation. That wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. But I haven’t seen or heard anything about a decrease in heroes covering Musutafu. So, why have I been singled out for this extra protection?”
Nezu didn’t show his surprise at her question but it was evident that he had underestimated her. “You are a smart woman, Midoriya-san. I can see where your son gets his intelligence.”
Inko tilted her head as she studied the diminutive principal. “And I can tell when someone is using flattery to avoid my question.”
He should have anticipated that Midoriya-san was more perceptive than she seemed. Izuku was her son. He was always more than he seemed. His intelligence had to come from somewhere. He just wasn’t expecting it to be from Inko Midoriya. He realized the quick and easy answer wasn’t going to be enough.
“Alright, I’ll be straight with you. Your son has had several run-ins with the League of Villains and has caught the interest of their leader. We are concerned that with Midoriya-kun living on UA’s campus and out of the League’s reach, you might become a target instead.”
Inko leaned back slightly, showing she was willing to listen. “I see. So, why haven’t I been informed of the danger?”
“We didn’t want to unnecessarily alarm you if we were wrong about the League’s intentions. But Midoriya-kun didn’t want to take any chances and insisted that we protect you. It was his idea, in fact.”
‘Of course, he would.’ A brief smile flashed across her face before she tamped it down. But something about that statement seemed off. “A student insisted that you guard his mother? I find that hard to believe.”
“If it were just that, you would be right. However, we received intel that the danger to you was greater than that of any of the other families. We felt that we had to do something since Midoriya-kun’s presence at UA seemed to be what caused the League’s interest in the first place. We felt it only right to extend protection to you until the League is neutralized.”
She didn’t quite believe him, like some critical details had been left out. She would take it at face value for the moment and see where this led. “I appreciate the protection. But why am I here now? You could have continued providing protection, and I probably wouldn’t have noticed. Something must have changed.”
Nezu placed his paws on the desk and leaned forward as if he was sharing a secret. “We are orchestrating a raid that may draw out the League. It may increase the risk to you. We didn’t feel like we could adequately protect you at your apartment. We would not be good heroes if we didn’t try to protect those who become targets as a result of our actions.
Inko nodded at his explanation. “What did you have in mind?”
“We would like you to move to UA, where there are built-in security and on-site heroes to keep you safer than your apartment. We have an empty apartment in the teachers’ dorm that I think you will find satisfactory.”
It was the suggestion that she move to UA that solidified in her mind that the danger was real. She couldn’t imagine the principal making such an offer unless there was truly a risk.
Then another thought occurred to her. “I assume you don’t want me to leave the grounds while there’s still a risk.”
“Yes, it would be best if you stayed on campus until the threat is resolved,” Nezu agreed.
The idea that her independence and freedom would be curtailed rankled her. She fought hard to stand on her own. But she needed to think of her son. The idea that he approached the principal and asked him to have his mother protected indicated how worried he was. She could sacrifice her freedom for his peace of mind. If that was what he wanted. She needed to talk to her son before she agreed to anything.
Assuming he agreed, what would she need to make this work? Mainly, she would need something to occupy herself. She would end up making a nuisance of herself if she had nothing to do. “What about my job? I would go crazy if I didn’t have something to keep me busy.”
“With your nursing skills, you would be a great fit to help out in the infirmary. I think you and Recovery Girl would get along well,” Nezu offered.
She tilted her head in thought. “I could probably take a leave of absence and make that work with the hospital.”
“And if things work out here, we could always take you on staff permanently.”
“Hmm. We’ll see. Let me talk to my boss and see what I can work out before I decide.”
They were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
“Ah, that must be Midoriya-kun. He is going to take you on a tour of the campus if you like. It will also give you time to discuss the situation with your son,” Nezu said cheerfully.
Nezu pressed a button on his desk, and the door opened, revealing Midoriya. He perked up when he saw her.
“Hi, Mom.”
She stood to give him a hug. “How are you, sweetie?”
Nezu interrupted, “Why don’t you two go catch up? I will be here if you have any questions.”
“Thank you, Principal Nezu,” Inko said with a short bow. Midoriya hooked his arm through hers and led her out of the office.
Midoriya first showed Inko his homeroom class while filling her ears with stories of his classmates. She had met several of his friends and was delighted that they were so close. She had been worried when he started at UA that things would be the same as they were in middle school. She was pleasantly surprised that they were infinitely better.
Her son smiled more, but not that fake smile that broke her heart. She knew that he plastered it on to keep her from worrying. No, it was the real smile, the one that was reflected in his eyes and the lightness of his step.
They continued their tour of the campus. He pointed out the gyms where they worked out and sparred and the grounds where they held practical lessons. They wandered past the cafeteria and the support building before Inko brought up the subject that brought her to UA.
They were slowly strolling down a sidewalk that bordered a large green space. It was dotted with benches and a handful of covered shelters with tables.
“What do you think about me moving to UA? Nezu mentioned that you were on board, but I would rather hear it from you.” She paid close attention to his reaction. If he seemed hesitant in any way, she would find another way to ensure her safety.
He immediately lit up and grabbed one of her hands, swinging it between them. “I think it’s a great idea. With everything going on, I have been so worried that you may be in danger, and I wouldn’t be there to protect you. I really hope you accept his offer.”
He seemed sincere, but who wants their mom around all the time? Especially, a teenage boy. “Wouldn’t it be a little weird for your mom to live on campus? Aren’t you worried about your friends’ reactions?”
He came to a stop and turned to face her. “Not really. They all know how much I love you and worry about you. If they have a problem with you being here, then maybe they weren’t really friends in the first place,” he said firmly.
She didn’t notice any hesitation in his words. He was determined to keep her safe, and if that meant on UA campus, then he would be ok with that no matter what anyone thought about it.
“Wow, ok. I wasn’t expecting that. You seem a lot more confident since you started at UA.” The relief and surprise were evident in her voice.
“I just decided that I wasn’t going to let people steamroll me, because I am the ‘nice guy,’” Izuku said using air quotes. The conviction in his eyes and steel in his tone convinced her that he was sincere.
She could feel the tears welling up and cupped his cheeks between her hands as she studied him. “I am proud of you, you know. Knowing your worth and setting boundaries is really hard, especially for someone so young. There are many adults who haven’t figured that out.”
Izuku beamed at his mom, who gently squished his cheeks with a smile of her own. Her baby had grown so much in just a few months.
She shook her head. “I can’t believe that you got Nezu to guard me.”
He waved his hand wildly in denial. “No, I didn’t talk him into it, but I supported the idea once it was suggested.”
Her brows furrowed as she dropped her hands from his cheeks to clasp them in her lap. “But Nezu insisted that it was your idea.”
“Oh, well…,” Izuku trailed off as looked into the distance and chewed on his lip. She could tell something was weighing on his mind and he was trying to figure out how to tell her.
“Izuku, what is going on?” Inko prodded.
He rubbed his face with one hand while he sighed deeply, his attention still focused elsewhere. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath before he set his jaw and focused his attention back on her.
He eyed her awkwardly before looking down at his lap. “It’s just that we planned to explain it all today, but now that you’re here, I realized there’s really no good way to break it to you.”
“Break what to me? Now you’re scaring me.”
He startled a little as she nudged him to get his attention. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing bad. At least I don’t think so.”
Izuku guided his mom to a bench and turned sideways so that they were facing each other.
He reached out and took one of her hands. He kept his head down and began playing with her fingers. “Nezu wasn’t lying about whose idea it was. But it also wasn’t my idea.”
She thought back to what Nezu said. She distinctly remembered he mentioned her son. “That makes no sense.”
“I know.” Izuku took a deep breath and looked up. “A couple of months ago, something happened. Some people appeared on campus.”
Inko had been somewhat relaxed, but now she sat up straight and gripped his hand tightly. “What! Was this another villain attack? Why wasn’t I told about it?”
He squeezed her hand gently and spoke calmly. “No, no, it wasn’t a villain. It was actually someone from the future who traveled to the past.”
“But, that’s…,” Inko started.
Midoriya chuckled. “I know we have been told that such things were not possible, but it happened.”
Curiously, he didn’t seem afraid of the occurrence, only concerned about her reaction. “So, they came from the future? How far into the future did they come from? Living on other planets type future?”
“Um, no. They came from about two years in the future. They didn’t mention anything about living on other planets, though.” Izuku scrunched up his face like he was thinking hard.
“Wait, you’ve met these people?”
“Yes?” Midoriya looked up at her nervously.
“Why haven’t I heard about them, then?”
“Well, we were trying to keep it secret. If the wrong people found out…”
“Ok, it makes sense that the school wanted to keep it secret, but why do you know?”
“They sort of insisted that I know.”
“Then it is someone you know already?” Inko asked.
“I guess. Kind of.”
“What does that mean?”
“Mom, it’s me. I came back from the future.”
“You traveled back from the future?”
“Yes. Anyway, that’s how we knew that you were in danger. He insisted that you get protection. He explained what happened in his future, and we wanted to prevent that.”
“What happened?”
“The League of Villains found you and …” Midoriya trailed off. It felt like bad luck to let the words to pass his lips.
“And?” Inko asked. The silence stretched until she understood. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” Midoriya started twisting his fingers and looked down. “He is still pretty broken up about the whole thing. I mean, I can understand why.”
Inko was having a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact that her son traveled back from the future. Then, her son’s actual words made it through her twisting thoughts.
“Is still broken up? Is he still here?”
“Oh, yeah. It was a one-way trip. He can’t go back.” She could see the question in his eyes.
“I want to see him.”
“Really?” Hope sparkled in Midoriya’s eyes. He knew she would react like this, but someone was a doubter. Maybe now he would believe that mom would be glad he was here.
“Yes. Is he here? Take me to him.” Inko clasped her hands to keep them from shaking. There was another Izuku here and he was hurting. Of course, she wanted to see him.
Midoriya lunged forward and hugged her tightly before pulling out his phone. “Let me just tell him we’re on the way.”
Midoriya led Inko to the teachers’ dorm. At her questioning glance, he explained, “They’re staying with Aizawa-sensei right now.”
“They?”
“His partner and… Well, I’ll let him explain.”
Midoriya knocked on the door to Aizawa-sensei’s apartment. His homeroom teacher opened the door with Eri hovering behind him.
“Izu-nii!” Eri squealed when she saw him. “Are you coming with us to get ice cream?”
Midoriya squatted down so he was eye level with her. “Not this time. I need to talk to Izuku for a bit. I’m sure you will have a great time with sensei.”
Aizawa huffed before addressing Inko, “Hello, Midoriya-san. We’ll get out of your hair, so you talk.”
Inko nodded, too nervous to speak but Midoriya answered for the both of them. “Thanks, sensei.”
“Where is he?” Midoriya asked ash they headed out into the hallway.
“He’s hiding in his bedroom,” Eri giggled. Aizawa rolled his eyes.
“He’s panicking. Good luck.” He followed as Eri skipped down the hall.
“Who was that?” Curiosity won out over nerves.
“Oh, that was Eri. She was rescued from a bad situation not too long ago. Aizawa is her temporary guardian.”
“Poor thing. I hope she is doing better.”
“She is. She has a lot of support here.”
He led her to the living room. “Why don’t you take a seat while I get him?”
She settled down on the sofa as Izuku disappeared through a doorway into what looked like a second living room. She could hear knocking and whispered voices. She was curious, but she would wait for them to come to her.
Her son came through the door first. He had an arm gripped in his hand and appeared to be tugging. Her son rolled his eyes as he tugged harder, and Inko giggled at his antics.
Then, slowly, grudgingly, a shoulder and leg were pulled through the doorway. A growl and sharp yank had the other person fully in the room.
And, oh my. She knew what her son had told her. That this other man was her son from the future, but she didn’t truly understand until he was right in front of her. She stood up and slowly approached him.
His eyes were wide, and he was shaking slightly. Most people wouldn’t notice the slight tremor, but she knew him. She knew him.
Her hand rose without her volition. She cupped his cheek and rubbed her thumb over the diamond-shaped freckles she knew like the back of her hand. He was real.
“Mom?” His lips quivered, and his voice cracked. She could practically hear the tears in his voice.
“Oh, my baby.” He gasped when she spoke. He hadn’t heard her voice in so, so long. He closed his eyes and pressed against her hand. When he opened them again, he seemed surprised that she was still there. Then, the dam broke and nothing could stop the river of tears.
Midoriyas were sympathetic criers and soon enough all three were crying. Inko swept both boys into a hug. It took a while for the tears to run dry, but they finally did. All three were wrung out but settled onto the sofa, the newest addition in the middle.
Inko looked back and forth between the two. Her boys. One was older, taller, and with long intricately braided hair. The other was shorter with more scars. But they had the same eyes, the same presence.
“This feels like a dream.” Inko said, shaking her head and staring at them both. She couldn’t stop beaming at them both.
“I told you she would be thrilled,” Midoriya nudged Izuku.
Inko giggled, “Why wouldn’t I be thrilled? I went from one amazing son to two without the morning sickness, heartburn, and weight gain. I am truly blessed.”
They all chuckled at her silliness and that seemed to break some of the tension that had built up.
“Izuku…” They both looked up at her.
She smiled at their identical expressions. “What should I call you? I can’t keep calling you both Izuku.”
The two Izukus locked eyes as a silent tug-of-war ensued. Jaws tightened and shoulders pushed back. There was only one possible response.
“I’m not changing my name.” They said simultaneously, still eyeing each other warily.
The elder spoke first. “I have been using only Izuku for years now. That name has too much pain, joy, and life behind it to change it now. I stopped using Midoriya because of painful memories, but I won’t give it up. That would be like abandoning my family. So no, I’m not changing my name.”
The younger followed. “While my name doesn’t carry the same weight of experience to me as yours does, it is still the name my mom gave me. I don’t care if it is confusing to everyone else. It’s mine and I’m keeping it.”
Inko’s eyes widened at their resolve. “Ok, that’s fair. We’ll make it work. How about nicknames?”
Izuku checked with Midoriya, but he was deep in thought. Izuku shook his head and volunteered, “My vigilante name is ‘Smoke’.”
“Vigilante?” Inko’s eyebrows rose.
Izuku covered his face with his hands as he realized what he admitted to his mom. “It’s a long story,” his said with his voice muffled by his hands.
“I have time.” She ran an appraising eye over him wondering just what he had been up to. “But before we get into that, names. I am not calling you ‘Smoke’. I’m your mother not one of your sparring partners.”
The two boys looked at each other again, their faces scrunched as they tried to come up with something. They were so alike in how they reacted that she almost laughed out loud.
Pulling herself together, she offered, “How about I call you Izu?” she pointed to her newest son. “And you, Zuku?” she nodded toward the younger one.
They grimaced and shook their heads. “He’s Zuku,” her youngest son said. “I can be Izu.” The eldest nodded.
They seemed so certain about it that she wondered if there was something more to it.
Shaking herself out of her musings, she addressed the older son, “Zuku, why don’t you tell me how you came to be here?”
She could see the shadows in her new son’s eyes. How he arrived to be here in this time left deep scars. Not as many visible scars as her other son, which was odd. But there were definitely some emotional scars.
Izuku sighed and then took a deep breath as he dove into the story and laid out how the war began, with the League of Villains joining forces with a group from Deika City.
“Do you remember that villain that All Might fought in Kamino?”
“Of course, that was terrifying. I was so worried about Katsuki, since he was in the middle of it. And then you were somehow there, and I thought I was going to pass out with how scared I was,” Inko clutched at her neck like she could feel it happening again.
“Um, sorry about that?” He looked down at his hands. He felt terrible for always worrying his mom.
Inko patted his leg. “It’s ok. I know that it is something I will have to get used to since you are going to be heroes, but I would have liked to ease into it. Pick pocketers, muggers, and shoplifters, I can handle. Supervillains should not be on a teenager’s agenda.”
Midoriya snorted. When his mom side-eyed him, he muttered, “Sorry.”
Izuku continued his tale, “Well, that villain, All for One, had a successor, Tomura Shigaraki, the leader of the League of Villains. Their goal was to dismantle hero society. I’m not sure what their plan was to replace it, but it couldn’t have been good. Anyway, All for One has been battling All Might for years, and his successor took up his master’s mantle. And since I was All Might’s successor, they targeted me.”
“What do you mean, All Might’s successor?” Inko saw both boys visibly flinch.
“Oops,” Izuku said. How was he so bad at keeping secrets? He kept [One for All] a secret for years. Well mostly. ‘Shit, I really am bad at keeping secrets.’
Inko’s eyes narrowed at them both, “Explain.”
…
After Midoriya explained how he got his quirk and how it was tied to All for One, Inko had a whole new set of grievances only this time they were with All Might. Maybe it would be a good thing to live on campus and keep an eye on things.
Inko crossed her arms and said with steel in her voice, “I see I am going to have to have a long talk with All Might.”
“What?”
Her pinched look spoke volumes. “He gave you a quirk with a built-in nemesis that he didn’t bother to tell you about.”
“But everything’s fine now,” Midoriya protested.
“Really? I think there is a supervillain and his successor still out there planning to hurt you.”
Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck and couldn’t meet her eyes, “Well, when you put it that way.”
…
“So, the school and All Might knew you were a target of a group of villains and didn’t bother to inform me of the danger.” She was definitely moving to UA now. Someone needed to keep an eye on the children. The adults here clearly weren’t doing their job to keep the children safe and their parents informed. She was going to fix that.
“But they couldn’t catch me, so they targeted someone else.”
“Who?”
Inko could see him struggling for control. The heartbreak in his eyes almost broke her when he looked up. “You. He attacked you instead. He took you away from me. I will never forgive myself for not doing more to protect you.”
“Oh, baby. No. The only one responsible for my death was the villain how caused it. Not you. Never you.”
She pulled him into her arms again.
…
“After that, I was on the run for a long time. The commission set up resistance bases throughout Japan to protect the people. Since I was still being chased by Shigaraki, I had to keep moving until we came up with a plan to take Shigaraki down. It took almost a year and a half to set up a plan to eliminate him,” Izuku said.
“What happened after that?” Inko asked.
“I don’t know. I got sent here as soon as Shigaraki was killed.” Izuku started chewing on his lip and twisting his fingers. He couldn’t meet her eyes as he stared at the wall behind her.
She gently pulled his hands apart and took them in hers. She could feel the anxiety coming off him in waves. “What wrong, sweetie?”
His eyes flicked to hers and then back to the wall. She shot a questioning look at her other son. He shrugged his shoulders and glanced hesitantly at the other.
She cupped Izuku’s cheek and drew his attention to her. She could see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes. What could have caused such a reaction?
“You can tell me anything, you know?” she pled. She couldn’t stand to see him suffer like this. His eyes darted over her face searching for something. Disapproval? Reassurance? Whatever it was, it scared him.
“I don’t want you to hate me,” he said quietly.
“Oh, sweetheart. I could never hate you. You are my child. I raised you. I know you. Have you been a perfect child? Of course not. No child is. But I know your heart. Even when you caused trouble, it was usually because of your big heart and your desire to help.”
He opened and closed his mouth a few times before the words would come. “I did something horrible.” He faltered momentarily. “I don’t know how to tell you.”
“You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want.” She could feel his hand trembling in hers. “But I think this will just weigh on you until you get it off your chest.”
“Why don’t you think about it while I make us some tea?” She squeezed his hands one more time before rising up and heading for the kitchen. She hoped that Aizawa-san wouldn’t mind if she helped herself.
While Inko was occupied in the kitchen, the two boys sat quietly. One mulling over the conversation, trying to figure out what the problem was. The other dreading telling his mother that he was a killer.
“Can you tell me what is wrong? Maybe I can help,” Midoriya prodded gently.
“It’s nothing.” Izuku was back to twisting his fingers. His eyes were darting everywhere like he was looking for a way out or a place to hide.
“I thought you weren’t going to lie to me,” Midoriya pressed harder. If he could just get him to talk, maybe he could help.
Izuku glared at him and said through gritted teeth, “Just let it go.”
“No. This is tearing you up.”
“Of course, it’s tearing me up. How do you tell your mother that you’re a killer?” Izuku whispered frantically.
Apparently, his whisper was overheard, as a gasp filled the silence that followed. The boys turned to see Inko holding onto a tea tray with a death grip. She was shaking so hard the tea cups were rattling in their saucers.
Midoriya jumped up to take the tray from her and set it on the coffee table. A soft thanks followed as she joined her sons on the sofa.
Izuku ducked his head and stared at his knees. “I guess you heard that.”
“Yes. Do you want to tell me about it?”
“Not really.” He knew he had to tell her, but right now she still loved him. Once he told her, would she see him differently? Would she leave him?
She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gave him a side hug. It was not as good as a regular hug, but it was enough to give him courage.
He relented with a sigh but refused to look at her. “During the final battle with Shigaraki, he was about to force my friend off the top of a ten-story building. I only had seconds to react.” He paused and choked out, “I killed him to stop him.”
“I see. This Shigaraki was trying to kill someone, but you got to him first.” Inko’s tone was bland, almost cold. He didn’t know what she was thinking. Had she changed her mind about him?
His voice was clogged with tears as he begged her to understand. “Yes, but I never wanted to kill anyone. I should have thought of something else. I should have done a better job of protecting my friend. I should…”
He sagged in defeat when he felt her pull back from him taking her arm off his shoulder. He knew it was unforgivable, but he had hoped that maybe…
He almost choked when she wrapped both arms around him and pulled him close.
“Oh, baby. You can’t do this to yourself. Should’ves are some of the heaviest words in the world. You either learn to live with them, learn from them, or let them weigh you down. Please don’t let them drown you,” she spoke softly into his ear as she held him tight.
“I know you. I know your heart. I know you would have done anything to not have this happen. But if it didn’t, would your friend be alive?”
“Probably not,” he sobbed wetly.
She pulled back to look him in the eye. “Then I think you need to forgive yourself. You saved a life. I know how much value you place on your friendships. You would have never forgiven yourself if you allowed them to die.”
“So, you don’t think I’m a murderer? Or irredeemable?”
“Of course not. I’m angry that you had to face such a situation so young. It’s tragic that you were forced into a situation where your only choice was to end a life. But it was in defense of another. Someone you cared about. You saved their life. That’s heroic in my book. My faith in you will never change. You will always be a hero in my eyes.” She pulled him close again and rubbed his back as he let the tears wash away his guilt.
It had taken a while to calm everyone down. Midoriya had found tissues so the other two could mop up the tears. He also got water for them all as the tea had gone cold. They had just got settled, when they heard the apartment door open.
Inko looked up to see a young man with white hair in a long braid standing in the entry. He was looking at Izuku and frowning.
“Zuku, who made you cry?”
‘Hm, is that where the nickname came from?’ Inko thought as she eyed the newcomer.