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Izuku had something heavy draped over him. Whatever it was, it kept him warm and made him feel safe. He curled up in the warmth, mind drifting gently as it tried to rouse him from a sleep he did not wish to leave. There was something familiar about this smell that made breathing easy.
Eventually Izuku was awake and his eyes fluttered open. His brow furrowed after a moment. Where was he? His body felt so heavy, like he’d slept long and hard. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d rested so well. Shifting slightly, Izuku allowed his lashes to slowly flutter open.
Not his bed. Not his house. He was laying on a couch? A nice, heavy blanket over him, thick socks on his feet. He shifted again as he looked around more. Was this an office? No, more like a break room. His eyes wandered farther, then his entire body seized up in fear as he saw that he was not alone. In the chair next to the couch, leaning back with a book in his hands, was Japan’s number one villain- All Smite.
Izuku didn’t dare breathe. He remembered running from All Smite. He remembered hiding from him. He remembered being lured out by a friendly face- Yagi. Where was Yagi? Was he hurt? Was he here? Izuku needed to get away somehow and find him, then they could both escape together. His eyes scanned the room quickly, looking for anything that might be useful, then quickly glancing back to see if All Smite had noticed he was awake. Their eyes met and Izuku’s body turned colder than it had when he’d nearly frozen to death hiding from All Smite last night. He knew he was awake.
All Smite closed his book slowly and set it down on a table beside him. He leaned forward towards Izuku. Izuku wanted to duck under his covers and hide, the same way a child might hide from a nightmare, but Izuku stopped himself, unable to take his eyes off the villain. All Smite reached for him and Izuku did his best not to flinch, but when the large hand touched his forehead he jerked back, crying out in fear. All Smite pressed his hand against Izuku’s forehead again and held it there for a moment before he pulled back and lowered himself into his chair again.
“No fever.” All Smite said. “You’re lucky- you were in a bad shape when Yagi brought you in yesterday.”
Izuku sat up straight. Yagi! “Where is he?” Izuku demanded, momentarily forgetting about his own fear and safety. “What did you do to him?”
All Smite smirked, making Izuku shudder. “Yagi is fine, you don’t need to be worried about him.”
Except that Izuku did need to be worried. He couldn’t believe All Smite saying that Yagi was fine, especially knowing that All Smite had somehow convinced Yagi to help him find Izuku. Izuku knew that Yagi was a good man, there was no way he would willingly sell Izuku out to All Smite. It was all Izuku’s fault that Yagi was involved. If not for him, Yagi could have continued living his quiet, peaceful life.
“Please don’t hurt him.” Izuku begged.
All Smite’s eyebrow lifted slightly. “Most people in your position beg for their own safety, not someone else’s.”
“Mr. Yagi didn’t do anything wrong!” Izuku insisted. He already knew that his own safety was forfeit. Yagi hadn’t done anything wrong other than be kind to Izuku, Izuku had tried to be a hero, and there were consequences for that under All Smite’s rule.
All Smite seemed to already know what Izuku was thinking. “But you did, didn’t you, Izuku?” He leaned forward again, and Izuku instinctively leaned back. “I wouldn’t have needed to involve Yagi if you hadn’t hid from me. What were you hiding for?”
“B-Because you were chasing me.” Izuku whimpered without meaning to.
“I was chasing you because you were running from me.” All Smite replied.
Of course Izuku was running from him! No matter how the media tried to downplay All Smite’s “justice”, everyone knew what kind of fate awaited anyone who dared act like a hero. Vigilantism was strictly forbidden. Izuku had known that, but he’d still decided to do it. He’d known from the start that, if he was caught, All Smite would come for him. But knowing hadn’t been the same as experiencing it and he had been afraid and ran away instead of accepting and facing his fate.
All Smite was looking at him, as if he were expecting Izuku to explain why he had run away. When Izuku didn’t say anything, he asked, “Well, my little vigilante? Why were you running from me?”
Izuku swallowed. He didn’t know how to answer, other than how anyone would answer. “B-Because you were chasing me.” He repeated. “A-And I didn’t want you to kill me.”
“And what would I want to kill you for?” All Smite’s smirk was unnerving. He wanted Izuku to confess his crimes himself.
“I got caught.” Izuku said, clenching his fists and looking down. “I- I got caught doing hero work.”
“Bingo!” All Smite tapped Izuku’s nose, making Izuku jerk back in fear and surprise. “We can’t have vigilantes running around on the streets! It’s against the law!”
So was villainy, but Izuku didn’t think it would be wise to point that out. Everyone knew that All Smite was the law, not the government. All Smite was president, judge, jury, and executioner.
“Well?” All Smite grinned, catching Izuku’s chin and forcing him to look up and meet his eyes. “Don’t you have anything to say for yourself, my boy?”
He didn’t, but Izuku felt that All Smite wanted an answer. “Someone had to do something.” Izuku choked, suddenly fighting back tears.
“That someone didn’t have to be you.” All Smite pointed out.
“Then who?” Izuku asked before he had the sense to bite his tongue.
“Certainly not you. ” All Smite said.
Izuku felt his face turn hot with anger and embarrassment. He was used to this kind of treatment- useless, Quirkless Deku- but that didn’t mean he liked it. This time he did bite his tongue, pressing his teeth down until it hurt, to remind himself to keep his mouth shut.
All Smite’s violently blue eyes pierced into Izuku for what felt like ages before the villain tilted his head slightly. “So what to do with you now?” He mused out loud.
Izuku winced, heartbeat skipping a few times. This was it. All Smite was going to kill him. Would he torture him? Would he broadcast it? Would he make it quick? Crushed to death, just like his mother? Fast, easy, gone- The tears he was holding back burned at his eyes, making everything hot and blurry. He’d always known this was coming. He deserved this. He couldn’t run from it. Couldn’t hide from it. He knew it was going to happen. And he was still afraid.
“You don’t have any suggestions?” All Smite asked.
Izuku knew he wanted an answer, but he also knew that if he tried to speak he would start to cry. He was used to being a crybaby, but crying in front of All Smite seemed like a bad idea. All Smite was merciless. Tears wouldn’t help Izuku, and given what he knew of the villain, they might even make things worse. His chest was starting to feel tighter and tighter, closing up his throat, squeezing his lungs so tight no air could fit.
When Izuku didn’t answer, All Smite went on talking. “Let’s see… I think I’ll have to put you somewhere safe where you can’t get in any more trouble. What do you think?”
Izuku could barely hear All Smite over the pounding of his heart in his ears, not that he was paying much attention anymore. He was trying not to cry, trying to keep from hyperventilating, trying to hold himself together even just a little.
“Izuku?” All Smite said, maybe not for the first time.
He had to say something. Before All Smite killed him. This was his last chance. “I- Cou- Pl-Plea-” Izuku stammered, breath too short and mind too scrambled to make anything make sense. He could barely breathe. He shouldn’t panic, he shouldn’t let All Smite know how afraid he was.
All Smite had both hands on Izuku’s face. Was he going to crush his skull? Would that hurt? Would he even feel it? Please let it be fast, please let it be quick, please let it be over-
“Izuku.” All Smite said again, louder this time.
“I want to s-see Mr. Y-Yagi!” Izuku burst.
All Smite stiffened. If Izuku has been paying attention, he would think the villain looked a bit flustered. But Izuku wasn’t paying attention. He was desperately fighting against his panic attack, feeling like he was losing more control every second. He needed his mother- she was dead- he needed someone- he needed Yagi-
Fingers brushed against Izuku’s face and he jerked back. “Don’t touch me!” He screamed, ducking his head away. “I want Mr. Yagi! P-Please! Please! I want Mr. Yagi I want Mr. Yagi I want Mr Yagi-!”
“Kiddo! I’m right here!”
Izuku jumped, blinking through his tears and looked up. Mr. Yagi was there, right in front of him. He nearly choked again and launched himself forward into Mr. Yagi’s arms. He should want Toshinori to be as far from All Smite as possible, he should want Toshoniri to be safe, but instead he was so relieved he couldn’t think about those things.
“Whoa, whoa! Calm down, my boy!” Yagi returned Izuku’s embrace, one hand coming up to lace fingers through his hair.
“I’m sorry!” Izuku wailed. “Sorry!”
“Shh, shh, you don’t have to be sorry. What are you sorry for?”
Izuku shook his head and cried harder. It was all his fault Mr. Yagi was here. His fault for trying to be a hero, his fault for running away, his fault for getting an innocent person like Yagi involved. Yagi shouldn’t be involved with a villain like All Smite. Izuku sat up suddenly, pushing Yagi away and looking around. All Smite! He was still here, wasn’t he? What would he do to them now? Would he kill Izuku first, or Yagi? Which one of those options could possibly be more painful than the other?
To Izuku’s surprise, All Smite was no longer there. “Wh-Where-?” Izuku tried to dry his eyes which were blurry and burning. “He’s g-gone?”
“Who are you looking for?” Mr. Yagi asked.
“A-All Smite.” Izuku squoze his eyes shut and pressed his head against Yagi’s chest, trying to ease the burning sensation. “Did he hurt you? Is he coming back? I d-don’t want him to kill you!”
“All Smite?” Yagi repeated. He hesitated a moment. “No, he… He left when he went to get me. But don’t worry, Izuku, he’s not going to kill me, or you.”
It was just like Mr. Yagi to lie to Izuku to comfort him. Yagi reminded Izuku so much of his mother, always there to tell him that things were all right when they weren’t. Even though he knew better, he let himself believe him. He wanted everything to be all right, even though it wasn’t, even though he was scared, even though he was going to die- he started crying again, wondering why he was so scared of death when it was inevitable.
“Were you scared?” Yagi asked softly. He eased himself onto the couch next to Izuku and pulled him into his lap. Izuku felt Yagi pull the blanket around him and start rubbing his back. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Izuku.”
Izuku curled himself into Yagi’s embrace, just like he had after his mother’s death. He didn’t want to be scared. He wanted to be brave and face the death he had earned head-on, like a hero. He wanted to die with no regrets… except that he did have one regret. One thing he had wanted more than anything since the moment his mother had died. If he didn’t say anything now, now before All Smite came back, he would never get the chance.
“Can I live with you?” Izuku asked. He felt Yagi stiffen with surprise and looked up at him. “Please? Please, Mr. Yagi- Toshinori- please!”
“Izuku…” Yagi cupped a hand against Izuku’s cheek. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried to find something to say.
“Please!” Izuku begged. “Mom is- mom is gone and I- I don’t have- you’re my only- please, please-!” He buried his face in Yagi’s shirt again. “I don’t want to be in foster care, I want to be with you!”
“Is that why you ran away?” Yaigi asked.
Izuku nodded, not able to say much through his sobs that just wouldn’t subside. He didn’t mention that the service workers had been planning to hand him over to All Smite. That would only involve Yagi further. He knew he couldn’t live with Yagi, he wouldn’t be allowed to live for long once All Smite came back. He just wanted his only friend, his only family, to know how he felt before he was killed.
“C-Can’t you- can’t you talk to him again?” That was a stupid, selfish thing to ask of Yagi. It wasn’t fair to ask him to talk to All Smite, not a helpless man like Yagi. What could he do? All Smite had already threatened him somehow to get him to agree to bring Izuku to him, he shouldn’t make his only lifeline put themselves in danger like that. “Please?”
“Okay.” Yagi agreed and Izuku felt some of the pressure on his body lessen. Yagi brushed his hair back and kissed the top of Izuku’s head. “If that’s what you want, I’ll figure it out somehow.”
Relieved, Izuku leaned his head against Yagi’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He cried, but his sobs had lessened now. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I don’t want you to get hurt. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not getting hurt.” Yagi promised. He leaned back against the couch, letting Izuku cuddle up in his arms. “I’m going to make sure you’re safe, Izuku. From now on, you’ll always be safe.”
Izuku couldn’t believe that, not when they were up against All Smite, but since it was Yagi, he let himself forget about the danger they were in and believed him. No matter what horrible fate All Smite had in store for him, right now, he was safe with Yagi. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the moment of peace. He realized now why the blanket had such a familiar and comforting scent about it- it smelled like Yagi, and Yagi smelled like home.
“He really agreed?” Izuku asked for maybe the hundredth time. “He’s going to let me stay with you?”
Yagi smiled and ruffled Izuku’s hair. “Yup- as long as you follow the rules, kiddo.”
Izuku nodded. Against even his most delirious hope, All Smite had allowed him to move into Yagi’s house. There were rules in place, the most important being that Izuku was never allowed to leave, but he had allowed it. Izuku didn’t ask what would happen if he didn’t follow the rules and tried to run away, he already knew what All Smite would do to him. He would be taken away from Yagi and he would be tortured and killed. That was if All Smite was generous. Izuku had heard of him doing much worse. Yagi may be punished if he tried to run as well.
“Hold still, Izuku.” David said, brows tight with concentration. “I don’t want to pinch you.”
Izuku held still, watching as the ankle monitor was fastened into place. He didn’t want to mess David Shield up. Like All Might, he knew this was a man he didn’t want to cross. David was nicer than he’d expected, but he was starting to learn that the nicer people were, the more evil they were capable of.
Clink! Beep! The ankle monitor beeped once it was clicked into place. Izuku waited a moment, then moved his foot experimentally. It was lightweight, and he barely noticed it was there.
“It looks… different than I was expecting.” Izuku admitted. “Not like the ones on TV.”
“It’s made special for you.” David explained, taking Izuku’s foot and turning it back and forth a few times to be sure everything was fitting and functioning correctly. “We didn’t want you in one of those bulky, unreliable things. This one can’t be cut or broken, it’s waterproof, and it tracks your location in addition to setting off an alarm if you leave the perimeter.”
“What happens if I start to grow out of it?” Izuku asked. “What if it gets too tight?”
David flashed a smile at him. “It’s not permanent. I have a key, so if upgrades are needed we can make adjustments.”
Izuku nodded again, letting the gravity of the situation sink in deeper. He was alive, All Smite was going to let him live, and he could never go outside again. He looked up at Yagi. “It’s really… it’s really okay?”
“You live with me now.” Yagi assured him. “Just make sure you stay inside like you’re supposed to.”
“What about school?” Izuku hadn’t thought about school since his mother passed, he’d stopped going but suddenly he felt as though he needed that normalcy again.
Yagi frowned. “I hadn’t thought about that…” He muttered.
“Why don’t you go online?” David Shield suggested. “My daughter takes online courses, you could join her class! She’s only a bit older than you and I think you would get along. She’s also Qui-” He stopped suddenly and coughed several times before clearing his throat and continuing. “She’s also into studying Quirks.”
Yagi looked at Izuku expectantly to see what he wanted to do.
“Um, if All Smite is okay with that?” Izuku replied uncertainly.
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Yagi told him almost dismissively.
Now Izuku frowned. Both he and Yagi were at All Smite’s mercy, of course he was worried. Why didn’t Yagi sound worried?
David cleared his throat and gave Yagi a strange look. Yagi blinked at him, then looked flustered, stumbling to correct himself.
“I mean- your health and education were entrusted to me! All Smite doesn’t care- I mean, he does care- since I’m your guardian- what I mean is-!”
“As long as you stay in the house you’re free to do whatever you like.” David cut in, interrupting Yagi. He stood up and straightened his jacket. “I’d best be heading out now. Let me know if this thing gives you any issues.” He nodded to the ankle monitor. “And about the school as well. Melissa would love to have a new friend.”
“Um, thank you.” Izuku called after him.
David glanced over his shoulder, an amused look in his eyes. “I just imprisoned you- what are you thanking me for?” He chuckled.
Yagi walked David Shield to the door. He came back a moment later and stopped in the kitchen doorway, looking at Izuku who was still seated at the table. “Looks like it’s just you and me now, kiddo.”
“Is he coming back?” Izuku asked.
“David?”
Izuku shook his head. “All Sm…” He trailed off, mouth suddenly too dry to finish.
Yagi’s expression softened, and turned a bit sad at the same time. “No.” He said softly. “Not today. It’s just us, I promise. Now how about some lunch?”
“How is he settling in?” David asked.
“It’s only been a few weeks.” Yagi replied, shifting his phone to hold against his shoulder as he gathered up the grocery bags. “He’s still adjusting.”
“And?”
Yagi sighed. “And it’s hard on him, that’s all. Has Melissa told you anything?”
“Just that he looks sad and won’t talk about it. They haven’t been friends long enough for him to trust her, even if he is desperate for someone to talk to.”
“He misses his mother and he doesn’t want to burden anyone.” Yagi explained.
“Are you really planning to keep him locked up in that house forever?” David asked.
“Yes. Izuku is safe with me. I would prefer to keep him at the Tower, but he’s not ready for that yet.”
“What do you mean? You still haven’t told him the truth?” There was an accusatory tone in David’s voice that made Yagi grit his teeth.
“What am I supposed to tell him? He has nightmares almost every night! He looks like he’s about to faint every time I show up on TV! I suggested coming over to see him and he had a full panic attack, freaking out that he wanted Yagi to be there. He’s not ready for the truth!”
“He’s not ready? Or you are not ready?” David asked. “Because it seems to me like you’re hurting him more by lying to him. The longer you wait, the worse it will get. And if you don’t tell him, he’ll find out on his own. Do you really want that to happen?”
Yagi could feel his anger growing. “I didn’t ask you for your opinion.” He snapped, nearly crushing his phone.
Despite David being one of the few people Yagi never yelled at, his friend stayed calm. “No. But you’re a father now, and this isn’t about just you anymore. You need to do what’s best for Izuku, even if it’s not what’s best for you.”
“Thank you so much for the unsolicited advice.” Yagi said, unable to hide his irritation. “I’m almost home now, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He hung up before David could reply and forced a deep breath before he unlocked the door and went inside.
“Izuku, I’m home! Come help me put groceries away!” He called, setting the bags down on the table. He started unloading, then frowned when he realized that Izuku hadn’t replied. “Izuku?” He called again. “Are you asleep?”
Yagi checked the couch, then Izuku’s bed, then his own bed. “Izuku? Kid, where are you?”
A cold feeling of fear was creeping up in Yagi’s chest, the same anxiety he’d felt when he hadn’t been able to find Izuku when his boy had run away from the social workers. Izuku had disappeared that time. He’d made sure Izuku would never be able to disappear again. Izuku would never disappear again. So where was he?
“Izuku? Izuku!” Yagi tried not to let the fear creep into his voice, but he was getting louder with each call as he tore from one room to the next, looking for Izuku. “Izuku!”
David picked up on the third ring- far too long, anyone else would have regretted not answering him right away. “Toshinori? What do you-?”
“Where is he?” Yagi cut David off, throwing open curtains, opening cupboards and closets, looking anywhere Izuku might be hiding. “You said there would be an alarm if he left- you said it would tell me if he ran away- you said-!”
“Whoa, whoa!” Now David stopped him. “Izuku? He’s not home? Hold on, I’m pulling it up right now, just calm down.”
“Calm down?” Yagi nearly shouted. How was he supposed to calm down? If Izuku had run away, did he not trust him anymore? He had nowhere to go, Yagi had made sure of it. It was too dangerous for Izuku to go outside. Why would he have left? Where would he have gone?
“It says he’s in the house still.” David said. “You’re sure he’s not just hiding somewhere?”
“I’ve looked everywhere!”
What if someone had found out about Izuku? What if they’d come for him? What if he’d been taken? What if All for One-?
Yagi’s senses, now tuned up in direct proportion to his panic, caught the smallest sound coming from the back of the house. A slight shuffle of feet, perhaps? A faint whimper? He hung up on David, dropping his phone on the table and moving slowly and quietly towards where he’d heard the noise from.
“Izuku?” Yagi called more softly this time. He stepped quietly, listening intently to hear the sound again. “Izuku?”
There was a small sniffle that Yagi zeroed in on. There, in the laundry room. There? But it wasn’t much more than a closet with the stacked washer and dryer shoved in, no more than a few inches on either side. Was Izuku inside one of them? But how, and why? They were both so small.
Yagi eased the door open, listening again. “Izuku? Are you in here?” He asked. He didn’t see Izuku, but he heard something move again. Yagi craned his neck and tried to look behind the machines. There was no way Izuku was there, it was too small for a person, except-
A small face looked up at him. White as death, stiff and expressionless, eyes rimmed red, streaks of dried tears on cheeks.
“Izuku! How on earth did you get yourself in there?” Yagi pulled the machines back, opening up the space until he could pull Izuku out. Izuku was stiff and cold and didn’t pull back when Yagi lifted him into his arms. “Are you stuck? What happened?”
Izuku whimpered softly, pressing his face down against Yagi’s shoulder. He was trembling and tears had started to reform and fall from his eyes. “M-Mr. Yagi…” He mumbled.
“Yes, yes, I’m here.” Yagi sat down on the ground with relief, holding Izuku close. His heart was still pounding, thudding in his chest faster than any hero fight he’d ever been in. “What were you doing in there? Why didn’t you answer me?”
“...Hiding.” Izuku mumbled after a long pause.
“Hiding?” Yagi repeated. “What for? Who were you hiding from?”
Izuku was quiet again, but just as Yagi was about to ask him again, he answered. “He was going to find me. He was chasing me again. I had to… I had to hide.”
Yagi hesitated, trying to understand what Izuku was talking about. “All Smite? Izuku, did you have a nightmare?”
Izuku gave a small, delayed nod.
Yagi sighed, feeling both relieved and disgusted with himself. He’d never planned on Izuku being so afraid of All Smite. Izuku had always been so brave and defiant facing villains and heroes alike, he had been expecting All Smite to be treated the same. Instead, Izuku had been terrified of him, and grown more and more afraid as time went on. Perhaps because he was so young, and All Smite’s reputation was so terrible, or perhaps he had been too vulnerable because of his mother’s death. No matter the reason, Izuku was terrified of All Smite.
“It was just a dream.” Yagi assured him. “You’re safe.”
“...I heard him.” Izuku said.
Yagi winced. He hadn’t been careful. He must have used his All Smite voice by mistake when calling for Izuku. “It was just a dream.” He said again, kissing Izuku’s forehead. “You should have called me instead of hiding.”
“I don’t want him to hurt you.” Izuku mumbled, though he was slowly starting to loosen from his frozen panic. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise.” Yagi said, kissing the top of Izuku’s head. He hugged Izuku as tightly as he was able to without hurting him. The thought of Izuku spiraling with a panic attack, home alone, petrified with fear made him feel sick with guilt. He remembered finding Izuku that night, how Izuku had crawled out of the smallest crack in the darkness where he’d hidden himself. How desperate Izuku had been to fit there and stay unfound, just as he must have been this time.
“I thought you were gone.” Yagi mumbled. “I thought you ran away.”
Izuku stiffened in his arms. “R-Ran away?” He repeated. Yagi felt Izuku’s breath suddenly grow short and pulled back to see what was wrong. “Did you- did you tell him?” Izuku asked.
“Tell who?” The sinking feeling was back in Yagi’s gut as he looked into his boy’s face. Izuku was pale again, terrified.
“All Smite!” Izuku grabbed his shirt, already on the verge of hyperventilating. “D-Did you tell him? Is he- is he coming? Is he m-mad? Will he h-hurt you?”
“Izuku, no, stop-”
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Izuku started to cry. “Please, please don’t let him h-hurt you! I d-don’t want to lose you! I d-don’t want him to take me away!”
“Izuku, stop! No one is taking you away from me!”
“But All Smite-!”
“I’ll talk to him!” Yagi promised, desperate to calm Izuku back down. “I’ll talk to All Smite, everything will be okay! You’re safe, Izuku! You’re safe with me!”
Izuku choked a little, but his breathing began to steady again. Yagi hugged him, kissing his head and rubbing his back until his boy stopped shaking. He reluctantly let go as Izuku sat up and dried his eyes. “Sorry…” Izuku mumbled.
“It’s all right.” Yagi’s smile was slightly forced from the stress. “You don’t need to be scared anymore Izuku.”
Izuku sniffled and nodded, drying his eyes again. He was looking down and Yagi could see his brow slowly wrinkling as he thought. Yagi was used to seeing Izuku’s concentrated face, but for some reason, he felt nervous watching his boy think this time.
“Um, Toshi?” Izuku asked, glancing up and then quickly away from him.
“What is it, my boy?” Yagi asked, making sure to keep his smile on his face.
“Why… Why do people listen to you?” Izuku asked. “David Shield, the social workers… even All Smite. They all do what you say when you talk to them. Why is that?”
Yagi’s mouth went dry. He thought back to what David had said earlier and knew that the moment had finally come. Izuku had started to grow suspicious of him, had likely been suspicious for some time. “What do you mean?”
“You just- I mean, you smell like- I’ve never heard of him listening to- I- I just want to know.” Izuku stammered, eyes still not meeting his. “Are you- Are you and All Smite-?”
“Brothers!” Yagi blurted. “We’re twin brothers!”
Izuku looked up at him, startled. “Y-You’re what?”
Yagi mentally cursed himself. What a stupid thing to say. Just how desperate was he to hide the truth from Izuku? Like David had said, he couldn’t hide it forever. But Izuku was so afraid of All Smite, wouldn’t he hate him if he knew? Wouldn’t he lose the love and trust Izuku had for him as just Mr. Yagi? But it was too late now, he’d already spoken and he wasn’t ready to see Izuku afraid of Yagi the same way he feared All Smite. He would commit to the lie, to protect the peace he and Izuku had developed together.
“All Smite and I, we’re twin brothers.” Yagi said. “That’s why he listens to me.”
“O-Oh.” Izuku said, looking confused and surprised.
“I didn’t tell you because I thought you might hate me.” At least there was a partial truth, which only made the lie more painful. “You’re so scared of All Smite, I didn’t want you to be afraid of me too.”
“Which one of you is older?” Izuku asked, still looking startled.
“Me. That’s why he listens to me.” Yagi went with the first line that popped into his head. Was Izuku buying it? Did he believe him?
“S-So then, why was All Smite chasing me?”
“I asked him to! When you ran away, I asked him to find you for me because I was worried about you.”
“But what about- what about when I was a vigilante? All Smite knew about that, he was going to punish me!”
“He wasn’t! I told him not to, but he probably thought it would be funny to tease you about it.” This was just getting worse and worse but Yagi couldn’t stop himself. “I don’t think he realized that I hadn’t told you. He didn’t mean to scare you.”
Izuku blinked a few times, clearly still trying to process the load of new- false- information. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
Yagi sighed and rubbed his eyes. “No, Izuku, I’m sorry. I should have told you. I should have realized how hard this has been for you. Will you forgive me?”
Izuku nodded, wiping away the last tracks of his tears. “It’s okay. It must be hard for you to talk about.”
It wasn’t okay, but it was just like his boy to think about other people’s suffering before his own. Yagi pulled Izuku back into another hug. “I don’t want to lose you either, my boy. I love you very much.”
Izuku didn’t answer. Yagi could see that he was still thinking, processing everything he’d been told. There was no way Izuku would believe him. He shouldn’t ask. He shouldn’t make it worse-
“Do you believe me, Izuku?” Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
“I believe you.” Izuku said, which only made Yagi feel worse. “You wouldn’t lie to me.”
There was too much trust in his voice. It almost felt threatening. Izuku wasn’t questioning him, but something in the boy’s voice had made it clear that his trust in Yagi was based purely on his love and respect for him. If Yagi broke that trust, he would lose all of it. He would lose Izuku. He shouldn’t lie to him, he shouldn’t break that trust. Izuku would never forgive him if he learned the truth after a lie like this. Now was the moment, he should take it back and confess everything. It was the right thing to do, the right thing for Izuku, the best thing for Izuku.
Heroes did the right thing.
Yagi was a villain.
“Can you keep what I just told you a secret?” Yagi asked. “It would be dangerous for both of us if anyone found out about my evil twin.”
“Yeah, sure, of course.” Izuku nodded.
Yagi gave Izuku one last squeeze, then started getting to his feet. “Thanks, kiddo. How about you help me with the groceries now?”
“Okay.” Izuku accepted Yagi’s hand and was pulled to his feet as well.
“That’s my boy.” Yagi ruffled his hair again and turned to the table.
“Mr. Yagi?” Izuku caught his hand.
Yagi’s heart thumped a few beats faster. He tried not to let it show. “What is it?”
Izuku stared up at him for a moment before he spoke. “I trust you.”
Yagi forced a laugh. “Is that all? Thank you, my boy, that means a lot.”
“Do you… do you trust me too?”
Yagi hesitated longer than he should have. He shouldn’t have hesitated at all. But he had, and it was too late to pretend he hadn’t. “Of course, Izuku. More than anyone.”
Izuku met his gaze steadily and nodded.
Yagi remembered the promise he’d made the day he brought Izuku home, that he would destroy anyone who threatened Izuku’s peace and safety. He felt like he was destroying himself. If it was for Izuku, it was worth it. Izuku would understand, Izuku would forgive him. Izuku had to. Yagi wouldn’t be able to live with himself any other way.