Chapter Text
Izuku, when he was diagnosed Quirkless, society turned its back on him, and one of the few people he could rely on was his mom. Instead of abandoning him like so many people suggested, even Izuku’s doctor who delivered the diagnosis. She politely told them to fuck off, criticizing each’s Quirk and making them think again about looking down on her child.
That day his mother took him to a café. She told him the hard truth about his situation, trying to soften the blow with hot chocolate because she couldn’t lie to Izuku. She knew he was wise for his age; many people even suggested he might have developed a mental Quirk from her. So, she told him as gently as possible about what may happen now that it’s recorded; he was Quirkless.
“Izuku, honey, you won’t be getting a Quirk, and I am so sorry that you won’t get one, but your life is going to be a lot different now that you don’t have a Quirk; you’re going to have to be a bigger boy now too soon. I wish I could give you my Quirk so you won’t go through the hardships you may experience. However, I can’t, so I will prepare you as best I can, okay honey?”
Izuku nodded, slightly scared but knew his mom loved him and would protect him; otherwise, she would have left him like everyone told her to, but she stayed.
Inko took a shuddering breath and told Izuku everything she knew, the laws, the discrimination, how he could be treated, and that now he would have to grow up quicker because people could be mean and cruel. So, she needed him to tell her anytime someone hurt him with their words, body, or actions, including teachers and even friends. Because not having a Quirk in a Quirked world would not be an easy life for him.
She told him that he was still a person no matter what anyone said, and that Mama would take care of it and him. She would not let any harm happen to him if she could help it, and if everyone left him, she never would.
She told him how much she loved him, and she was there for him no matter what.
She would support anything he chose within reason and try to ease what the coming years may do. She would always listen and be there as a shoulder to cry on, vent to, or tell anything he was comfortable telling her. She told him their relationship may change for the better, and she would always love and support him and fight for him every day he needed her.
The Midoriya’s were a crying mess by the end, but they were closer than ever before, and when Izuku asked his mother if he could be a hero. She told him she believed he would be the best hero, even if he had to fight tooth and nail, that it would be difficult, but was a hero at heart, so no matter what, he would get there.
She hugged him with all her heart, and they got up to get ready to go home, and Izuku got the first change of his life; his mom, on the walk home, told Izuku that his dad may not react well. To go to his room once they got home and to put music on; she didn’t want him to hear what his father would say. She took a few minutes of thought, though, and added,
“Or, and this is what I mean by changes, honey. Remember when I said you may grow up quickly? This is one of those big-boy decisions you may make, but you can decide to listen only however much you want, then you can turn on the radio after. We’ll try to go at your pace in these rapid changes when we can, you don’t have to tell me what you decide, but it’s your decision. A hard one to make, but you will have to make big decisions from now on.”
Izuku, by the time they arrived at the house and were in his room, decided to listen to at least the first few words of the conversation.
“Ah, Inko,” Izuku’s dad’s muffled voice floated behind the door.
“Hisashi, please sit down. We need to talk.” His mother said coldly.
Izuku heard the slight mumble of “Everything okay?” As he heard someone sit on their old creaky recliner.
“It depends on this conversation,” she said.
He heard shifting. “Inko, what is it? Did someone die? Is Izuku okay? Where is he?”
He heard his mom stutter, “I-I actually need to tell you; we went to the doctor today.”
“Yes, to see what his Quirk is? Was it what we thought? Or does it hurt him?” Hisashi rambled.
“No, Hisashi, he doesn’t have a Quirk, and before you say anything, you better know if you say anything bad about our boy, he will be only my boy, and I will kick you in the balls so fast you won’t be able to have any more children, and then pull you out with my Quirk got it.” his mother snapped.
It was quiet for a few moments until his dad broke it sternly, “Inko, our son being Quirkless means nothing to me. He’s my boy, but oh god, Inko, how will we protect him! He’s 4 years old, and people are absolute dicks about it. A few places, like I-Island, are fine, but Inko, it’s hard to move from Japan!” Hisashi ranted, and Inko let out a gasp and sob.
“You, you’re not mad? Or...or leaving?” Inko muffled behind her hands.
“Inko Midoriya, don’t you ever say that to me again; unless I am dead, no one is taking you or Izuku away from me, Or I away from either of you. But we need to figure out a way to help him.” Hisashi obviously ruffled but continued on.
“He’s already so mature for his age, but he doesn’t deserve this; people will treat him differently, and I’m worried he won’t be able to stay the happy kid anymore. What do you think will happen with Mitsuki? Masaru? Or Katsuki? He’ll be devastated if they don’t accept him, and I might have to commit murder!”
Inko giggled wetly, and Izuku slammed the door open from his room and ran to cuddle close to his mom on the couch.
Hisashi came in front of him. “Hey buddy, don’t worry; Mama and I will try our best to help, protect, and love you even if the world doesn’t. Things will change, but I know you will tough it out, but it will not be easy.”
Izuku was thankful to have such a loving family.
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As the years went by, Izuku understood what his parents meant now. After that talk with his father, the two decided to confront the Bakugou first. To get out of the way if they would abandon Izuku for his status. Thankfully, Mitsuki and Masaru didn’t bat an eye at the reveal of Izuku’s Quirklessness. If anything, they were sympathetic.
Mitsuki even got pissed at the suggestion of them leaving their nephew. “Inko, Hisashi, if you think I am leaving my nephew for a stupid Quirk he will not get, you are dead wrong. That boy is going to need all the support he can fucking get. You two have no family besides us, and don’t you dare say anything, we’re siblings all but in blood.”
With that declaration, Izuku thought his parents could have been exaggerating on what his Quirk status could change, so when he went to school the next day with Kachan, he told his teacher he was Quirkless. That was when he really saw the worst of people.
Not only did his teacher sneer down at him, she used to smile and tell Izuku how smart he was, and told him to sit farther away from the other students. Even making a show of it and letting everyone know not to be around him, Kachan even listened and started making fun of him like his classmates and teachers.
When Izuku got home that day, he told his mom and dad everything, and his mom was rightfully upset. The first thing she did was email the school and pull him out, the next course of action was to get him to online school, which was extremely hard unless you had severe reasons to be in Online school, and it turns out being Quirkless was considered a severe handicap in society.
The person his mom got a hold of was a woman who had told Inko she was so charitable to keep a Quirkless son and that they could even waive the Quirkless fees as so few people ever keep their Quirkless children enough to care about them having a good education. Inko agreed to the waiver and didn’t comment on the woman’s blatant Quirkism.
After he had settled into the program list Inko then had her next call, Mitsuki. After telling her everything Aldera did, Mitsuki also pulled Katsuki from the school and left him with Inko for the day while she took Izuku out to ice cream as an apology from her about her son. Izuku accepted and told Mitsuki it wasn’t her fault but the schools and Kachan, but if she really wanted to help him, she needed to promise him to go see a therapist.
Mitsuki agreed, and by the time they got back to Midoriya’s, both saw Katsuki as a mess and Inko comforting him on the steps to the door. Izuku, at first, was hesitant, already trying to go back into his shell, but with the encouragement of Mitsuki, led him out of the car and Katsuki ran to engulf him in a hug.
“Izu, I am so sorry your mom told me everything, and how I acted was wrong. Please stay, my best friend!” Little Izuku gave a soft hiccup with his tears and nodded against the other boy. Katsuki was also pulled from Aldera but didn’t do online school. The two also stayed close friends during this, and by the end of their elementary school days, Katsuki and Izuku were thick as thieves.
Another change around this time was his father having to leave Japan. Not because he wanted to leave them but because he didn’t have much choice; after the HPSC told him to go after finding out about his son’s Quirk status. He was unable to find a job as a Quirk analyzer in Japan.
Whether or not it was the HPSC’s doing, he didn’t know, but his dad told him that his leaving wasn’t because of Izuku but idiots and that he would come back or talk to him every day. He kept his word, would visit his family as often as possible, and called Izuku and Inko daily. He had stayed in Izuku’s life however he could, and Izuku was happy. He may not be the happy boy he was as a kid, but he was content with his family.
Izuku’s mom was right that he had to grow up quickly; even with Kachan as a friend, he still received a lot of hate. He now had to wear special shoes for the toe joint in his foot; the problem is they only came in one color, and anyone who saw the shoes and knew what they meant treated him horribly. On the streets, he would be pushed to the ground; on the subway, he would be yanked off the train or told he was Geneless and a mutt.
Hell, people threatened to kill him constantly, even as a kid, so he grew thicker skin, he asked his mom to enroll him in some type of self-defense, and the only one who would teach him was at a rundown gym on the wrong side of town. As a Quirkless person, though, it was the best he could get. He thrived off the energy, though; the people teaching him were also cast aside by society and seemed to understand Izuku in a way others couldn’t.
He ended up becoming acquainted with not-so-great people according to standards. However, his parents seemed to not mind. His mom especially told him not to judge books by their cover, and when he would talk about some of the people in his circle at the gym, his mom didn’t bat an eye and some of the stories. If anything, she would smile smugly, pat him on the head and tell him she was happy for him.
Their relationship also changed a bit as he entered middle school. He knew he was mentally and emotionally more mature than his peers, and his mom treated him more and more like an adult each day. Not because she was rushing him to grow but because she knew that life situations changed him into a young adult in a 12–14-year-old body. So, in many ways, his mom would treat him as a roommate, and so did his father, both leaving him to make his own decisions because they trusted him, and he trusted them.
So, when he started really getting hurt now by others in public, deeming him fit enough to take beatings, or at training when someone’s Quirk would go haywire. Izuku had asked for mental health help. His mom tried to find any place that would accept him, and only so few catered to Quirkless people, even the ones that would make them pay an outrageous price.
The only place she found that would accept him was, by chance, they stumbled on an underground Quirkless clinic. They didn’t have a counselor there but told Inko to come back anytime she needed anything for Izuku, as there was some stuff for him to watch out for. They also told them not to go to other therapists, and Inko told them the stories of when she tried.
Inko ended up volunteering at the Clinic every so often as they were always understaffed and needed help. They were grateful and told her that not many families come together like this for their children or for the care of others. So, they suggested that Inko read some psychology books in her spare time to be almost a stand-in counselor since no one else would for her son.
So Inko did, and she learned all she could to help Izuku; it may not be enough, and Izuku might have other outlets he would need, and she would be right. However, it wouldn’t be as bad as she thought. Izuku ended up using some things as a crutch; he hated the scars on his body from the abuse from others over the years. He decided to tell his mom this to see if there was a way to get rid of them.
There would be virtually no one in Japan who could get rid of them. Still, Hisashi happened to be in America now, where rules were a bit laxer about tattoos and piercings. So, for his 14th birthday, his parents shipped him to America for a while as a surprise. His dad had a friend who could draw on a person’s skin that would become permanent without using needles.
It was more of changing the hues and colors of the skin, so no healing time was needed, and it covered the scars in beautiful arrays of colors, animals, and flowers. It also wasn’t really a tattoo because it wouldn’t fade; it would only change if Izuku returned to his dad’s friend to change the color of his skin tone. His dad also took him to get piercings, one on his tongue since he was scared others would see, and one for his septum that he could hide in his nose.
His dad even took him to a counselor in America who told him he had anxiety, and depression based on his life in Japan. They recommended that he stay with his father, but he refused; not only would it be tough with his father never staying in one country long, but he couldn’t leave his mother or give up his dream of helping the people of Japan.
When he returned to Japan, no one was the wiser of his change, he had already worn long sleeves because of less risk of being hurt over the years, and his piercings were tucked away. He also had some new habits that unfortunately started in America; one such habit was smoking, when his dad had caught him once instead of the anger he was expecting. All he got was understanding from his dad; he reassured Izuku that he knew without a regular counselor and not much help in Japan, this was honestly not the worst thing he could do to relax.
Izuku also agreed he didn’t like the taste of alcohol much. He was able to vent to his mom or dad. Still, there was only so much his parents could do without professional help, so Izuku sought out smoking, and it turned out to be what he needed.
When he was back in Japan, his mother had caught him as well, and she didn’t bat an eye and just told him not to do it in the house; if he did, he’d have to clean it. Which he didn’t do, his parents had given him the freedom that not many children grew up with, and Izuku tried not to take advantage of it.
He only did it when he would go out at night. His parents didn’t give him a curfew after he turned 12, and he found other things to help with his anxiety, depression, and desire to smoke. Weed helped him in the long run, and thankfully his parents were happy that he was no longer jumpy around others like Katsuki and Katsuki’s new friend he made at Nobu Shinsou Hitoshi.
They were pleased that he could turn his thoughts off, especially the negative ones, and just relax or sleep without feeling like he had to watch his back at every turn and second. He knew it was not normal to grow up this way, but he didn’t hate it. Instead, he felt more confident, able to confide in his family for eternal support and have them be some of his friends and his parents.
So Izuku couldn’t believe it when his mentor and homeroom teacher was there in his living room telling him and his mom that there were dorms being implemented for all students, especially the hero course. While Izuku was happy for UA to help keep parents and students safe, it didn’t help his case.
As he shuffled his mentor and his homeroom teacher to the door. After his mom finally agreed to let him stay at UA and the Hero Course. He shut it after them with a slight click. His mom sighed in the other room, and Izuku shuffled back to her. He sat on the opposite side of his mom on the couch, expecting her anger but was surprised she just hauled him closer for a hug.
“Izuku, honey, I’m worried about you being in the Hero Course; that’s a given. However, I’m also worried about something else.”
Izuku knew what she would say; he could see her eyes when talking to his homeroom teacher. “Yeah, Mom, I know this shit is going to be hard; maybe I should talk to the therapist at UA; he’s not like the others.”
Inko Midoriya sighed, “Honey, people will see your tattoos and piercings, and you won’t be able to completely relax. You know your father, and I don’t mind. We support your decisions. I’m also worried about your mental health, so please see their therapist. I won’t be there to help you let go of the stress; I also don’t think they will let you smoke in the dorms.”
Izuku nodded, knowing she was right, but he couldn’t give up UA. His mom and dad knew everything about his Quirk and understood that he would need to stay close to all might. That didn’t mean they cared much for the man, considering the Quirk got Izuku into worse situations. Still, they kept their promise of supporting Izuku and his dreams.
The only other time he was almost pulled out was when he told them about Recovery Girl no longer healing his wounds; his mom had a field day and marched to UA to give Recovery Girl and Nezu a piece of her mind, considering the two also knew of his circumstances.
After hearing the whole story from the Midoriya matriarch, Recovery Girl bowed and apologized to Inko and Izuku. Knowing what she said was wrong, Inko refused to accept. Unless Nezu hired more competent people to watch over each other and work as a team or hired people from the Quirkless Clinic.
Recovery Girl had a bit of a blow to her pride but accepted the conditions gracefully. Nezu agreed and decided to hire a mix of professionals and the Quirkless Clinic Inko had found, even donating in a backward way to the Clinic for medical supplies to make up for his negligence with the issues.
However, medical issues were not the problem currently, “Mom, I know, but I can’t give up my dream; you know that I’ll try to tough it out somehow like you and Dad said before I got the Quirk. Being Quirkless was never going to be an easy life.”
His mom sighed into his hair. “I know, baby; how about we call your dad?”
“Okay...”