Work Text:
It was more peaceful than he thought. The days events played in his head on loop but... it affected him less now. Now that he had control. He had a decision. It was knew to him. He rarely had control over his actions. He was controlled by others... by society. They controlled his life. It was shown in the statistics. Quirkless statistics. He would struggle to get a job, struggle to go places... struggle with bullying. It was laughable. It was obvious that he would struggle with bullying. He was different and that was wrong. It was clear now how wrong it was. He thought he could act that everything was fine but his idol made it clear that it wasn't. Nothing was fine. It was the reason he stood on the roof watching the cars below. It was peaceful but the words remained in his head... the events from the day.
'pray for a quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof of the building!'
'I'm sorry but you can't be a hero. If you wanna help you can be a police officer. I'm sorry but in hero work you would just get in the way.'
He couldn't take it. The words were overbearing. He had had enough of them. The constant taunting. They were what drove him at the start. He wanted to prove everyone wrong. He wasn't worthless! He wasn't a useless Deku! Yet... they were right. They always were right. He gave into the taunts. He accepted it. He now knew just how useless he was. He was a burden. He didn't want to be a burden or worthless or stupid so... he gave up. Now all it took was one step. One step them it'll stop. The taunting. The yelling. The burns. The burns from his once 'best friend'. The 'best friend' that told him to jump. To end it so... he did. He jumped. He didn't get far. Something grabbed him before he could hit the floor. It pulled him back onto the roof. He screamed! He wanted it to let go! He wanted it to stop! He continued to scream as strong arms held him. Stopping him. Stopping him from ending the pain the world caused. He screamed until he couldn't. Until his voice turned into a wisper. When the screaming stopped... the sobs began. The arms continued to hold him. They held him until the sobs also fell quiet. It was then he realised that not only had the arms been holding him but a gruff voice had been comforting him. It told him it was okay and that it'll get better. If only the voice knew. If only it knew the reasons. The reasons he was driven to the roof. Once the voice knew... it too would leave. It would leave in fear and... in hatred. Hatred towards how someone could be so much of a disappointment. The voice however continued to comfort him. It was unknown but it was somehow safe. Eventually, the sobs stopped. The tear tracks on his face were the only sign he had cried. Despite him no longer crying the voice continued so he looked up. He looked at the voice. He recognised the voice but couldn't remember where it was from. A hero of some sorts. The voice looked back. Yellow goggles hung round it's neck over the top of a gray scarf, the voice had black, long hair and wore a simple, black tracksuit. The goggles and scarf made him finally find a name for the voice.
"E...eraserhead..."
The hero looked impressed. It was then that the boy realised the hero... was underground. He wasn't supposed to be known. He was secretive. The hero surprisingly didn't seem to mind that someone knew him.
"I'm impressed kid. Not many people know who I am. Can I know your name?"
The boy was quiet for a while. The voice sounded safe so he could respond right? The voice was a hero and heros are... supposed to be safe. The boy however didn't want to be known. His last name would lead to a file. A file that told the hero everything. Where he lived, who his mom is and that he was quirkless.
"I...Izuku..."
"Nice name. You can call me Shouta if you want."
The hero understood. Shouta understood. It was clear he understood the effects of knowing Izukus last name.
"How about we get down?"
Izuku nodded. He couldn't jump now. He couldn't with someone watching. Someone to stop him. The two made their way off the roof down the emergency fire exit. It felt weird being on the ground. The roof had felt peaceful but now the effect of Izukus actions took hold. He messed up. Shouta would tell his mom and then she would yell at him again. He hated yelling. She would yell and yell but... never hit. His mom would throw things but wouldn't physically hit him. Sometimes he begged that she just hit him. The emotional effect felt worse than the physical would so if she hit him... he would feel better right? Now he regretted ever thinking that being hit was better. This was going to be the last straw. She was going to hit him. He failed! He failed! He fail-
"You're okay..."
The arms were back and so was the voice. Comforting him again. Shouta. He was there. He would protect Izuku. He had protected Izuku from his thoughts so he would protect Izuku from his mom. Shouta would protect him... until he found out. Until he found out Izuku was quirkless. Maybe Shouta would be different. Maybe he wouldn't leave. Maybe he would help. Maybe he would stop everything from hurting. Maybe Izuku would finally have someone who cared.
"You're safe... breathe..."
Izuku did. He listened and he followed the voice. He allowed it to take control of his actions. It wasn't forceful like the rest. It was nice. It was soothing. It helped... so Izuku followed. He followed until the thoughts were calmer. He followed until the thoughts were quiet. Once the thoughts were quiet... the guilt began. Izuku had interrupted a hero on patrol for his own stupid life. If it wasn't for Izuku than Shouta could be saving people more important.
"I...I'm s-sorry...you can go..."
"I'm not leaving you in this state."
"P-please... t-there are other more impo-"
"Nothing is more important. What's my job Izuku?"
"T-to save people..."
"Now want do you think I'm going to do with you?"
"I'm... I'm quirkless..."
"My job hasn't changed. I'm going to help you Izuku. That's a promise."
Izuku broke. Help him? Someone will help him? Save him? Shouta will save him! The thought that someone would help, that someone will save him brought the sobs back. It also brought the arms back. The comforting, safe arms that held him again. The voice came back. It told him again and again that he was okay. It stayed. It would stay as long as Izuku needed it.
"T-thank you..."
The arms held tighter. Holding Izuku in a tight but comfortable hug.
"Do you think you're going to be okay to walk Izuku?"
Izuku could only nod at the question. His voice refusing to work. The two walked. Izuku listened to the voice tell him where they were going. Shoutas apartment. The voice didn't stop. It told him all about the apartment, the layout, the cats and about his husband. It continued until the two reached the apartment. Izuku couldn't remember the way they had gotten to the apartment. He just let the voice guide him. It wasn't dangerous. Izuku trusted it. Then another voice reached his ears. It wasn't gruff, quiet like the one he had followed. It was louder but it also felt safe. Both voices felt protecting. It was all Izuku wanted. Peope to protect him. People who make him feel safe. People who now he had found.