Chapter Text
Saturday, April 9th 2006
“Alright, Izuku. Are you ready to see Grandpa?” Hisashi said, having crouched down to his son's level. His curly white hair bounced with every movement he made.
Burgundy eyes stared down at the younger. It was a shame that they were filled with anger all the time, they were absolutely beautiful.
"He's sure ready to see you."
Hisashi only had two emotions — white, hot rage, and cool white calm. He was either impeccably warm or impossibly cold, and either way the man was inconsolable.
“But, daddy, I—” He'd said. Izuku didn’t even register the stinging sensation on his cheek until the hand was retracting. Impeccably quick, was another of Hisashi's aspects, though his movements, like a lion on the prowl — utterly deceptive.
But of course, that was the point of it all. It was supposed to draw you in like a snake who circles his prey with his tail, then he'd strike when the time came, meticulously sculpted.
“We’re going to go see him, do you understand? You’re gonna do whatever he asks of you, and you’re going to be respectful. That’s one punishment when we get back, we haven’t even left the house yet.”
Izuku knew that he angered his father, but he couldn't help but speak his mind, even though he was terrified. That was what made him him after all. Izuku had a tendency to talk his mouth dry, but he'd never stop there, and he had that antagonistic spirit all the Midoriya's possessed, even though his had manifested in a peculiar way.
Izuku doesn't like his grandfather, he never has. The man was dangerous and ill-tempered — far, far more than Hisashi, that's where he'd gotten it from, and Izuku's father's temper only got worse throughout the passing days.
He'd flinched, but he followed his father out the door, his bag in tow. The trunk was already open when he went to put his backpack in there. It contained all his necessities for the rest of the weekend. Izuku had his toothbrush, his church clothes, and an extra pair of regular clothes and pajamas, underwear — he had his toiletries, like his hair products.
Izuku tried to take in all of his surroundings during the car ride, because he knew he wouldn't be able to leave the house until he had church tomorrow, not even to walk around the grounds, or play in the garden. Akui never let him play in the garden.
The only time he'd ever been in the garden was when Yoshi went outside to pick flowers for the tables in the house. It was usually the cleaning lady's job, but Yoshi never liked to give her extra work, and she'd let Izuku come with her.
She'd gotten in trouble that night.
The Cherry Blossoms were just starting to bloom.
”We’re spending the night to go to church with him tomorrow.” Hisashi’s voice cut through his thoughts. He'd known it, as soon as Hisashi had told him to pack clothes. It didn't matter if Izuku would spend the night at his Grandfather's house to attend church in the morning — if he didn't, it'd end with the family going home with Akui after church to have dinner, and he'd spend the night then.
Izuku always liked those better. Akui wouldn't hurt him as much when he had school in the morning. Though, the purpose of that wasn't so he wouldn't get caught — far from it. Grandpa didn't actually care about that. Instead, it was because Izuku was less difficult to deal with when he knew he was going to school.
Akui liked to mess with him before they went to church, and on top of that, Izuku just hated church. Yes, the Cathedral was beautiful, and the pews were polished, but that only backed up his point. There was so much hate in the hearts of the people who attended that Izuku couldn't stand going there every time Sunday came around.
”Yes sir.” He responded.
“Then we’re going to the doctor to figure out your quirk.” Hisashi added, sharply, looking at Izuku from the rearview mirror.
"Will Mama be there? At church, I mean?"
"Yeah, she'll be there."
The drive was mostly quiet after that. Just the sound of turn signals, or an occasional horn. He watched the bullet train go by and wished he could ride one. Hisashi entered the code at the gate and drove into the pull-around driveway. Izuku heard the gravel crunching under the tires, he shuttered, looking at the house in fear.
He got out of the car and kept his eyes on the floor, and wouldn’t dare look up.
“Hello father, Tomura.” Hisashi greeted.
No doubt he had that stupid malicious grin on his face.
“Hello Hisashi, hey little Izuku. Has his quirk come in yet? How’s he doing?” The man asked, the same question he asked every time he saw the damn guy. His quirk was supposed to come in at four, but it was normal among their family members for it to be a little late.
Izuku could feel the eyes boring into his soul, he didn’t dare look up though.
“No, we’re going to the doctor tomorrow after church, father.” He replied, "We'll get it situated, no matter. I only scheduled the damn thing because of Inko, you know how she gets."
All for one crouched down, still taller than Izuku who was standing at a height of three feet. He still didn’t look away from his shoes. The man placed his hand under the greenettes chin and lifted it up. He averted his eyes away from the carmine ones as much as he could.
Instead, he looked at the familiar white hair, but not fluffy, and not curly. Instead, it stuck out and faded at the sides. It was almost a relief. He was getting tired of the ringleted hair his father possessed. But then he reassured himself that Grandpa was no better — so he didn't bother trying to lull himself into a false sense of kindness, or security, or any kind of compassion — it'd all be fake.
“Look at me.” He ordered, his voice forceful.
Izuku's eyes snapped up, meeting red ones, though not identical to Hisashi's. There was a subtle difference in shade — while his father's eyes were definitely more of a dusty vermillion kind of red, Akui's were much darker, like the color of fine wine. They held a much darker meaning, and the light reflected off of them like they would a topside demon.
“You’re not gonna greet your grandfather, Izuku?” Hisashi said, after a while of silence, with Izuku just staring into Akui's eyes, like he'd accepted his fate. Izuku hadn't even noticed the time that'd passed, and he startled into the present.
“I…Hello.” He said, timidly meddling with his chubby fingers.
Akui hooked an arm around Izuku’s body and put the other arm under his bottom. Izuku never liked this gesture, he always felt like he was too high up and it made him tingle, and he never liked Akui to touch him. It insulted him in a way he couldn't explain.
“Kurogiri prepared each of their rooms, sensei.” Tomura said. The purple warp gate appeared right next to the blue-haired man
Izuku flinched, Kurogiri was another thing he didn’t like. He was just an empty void with a neck guard and a vest on. Glowing yellow eyes that seemed to look at everything and nothing at the same time.
“How old are you now, Izuku?” Akui asked. Izuku averted his eyes.
”six, sir.” He squeaked.
“How is your mother?” He asked.
“She’s fine, sir.” Replied Izuku.There was a hefty silence. Then that stinging sensation on his face returned. "I don't know why you'd ask. You'll see her tomorrow, just like always."
“…Excuse me?” Akui said, apparently having taken offense to what he said and Izuku, for the life of his, couldn't figure out the reason why.
Izuku’s eyes went wide in a fraction of a second. "W-was it something I said?"
"Do you think I am stupid Izuku?” Akui asked, he wasn’t even trying to hide his chastising tone. His maroon eyes narrowed more with every passing second.
”No! Not a-at all! I promise!” He pleaded. "I just thought, y-you know ... "
The man gave a grunt in response, clearly not believing him.
”we’ve been standing out here long enough.” Akui said, looking around at the rest of their faces. “Take Izuku to his room and join us in the briefing room, Kurogiri.”
Akui's arms loosened around him before he dropped Izuku onto the ground and opened the door. Izuku followed Kurogiri through the manor. They stopped at an oak wooden door that creaked ominously when it was opened.
This was the room Izuku always stayed in. The room where he would spend most of his time in when he was with his grandfather. He would read, watch tv, sleep, and grandpa would come in and-
Izuku walked inside the room and the door was closed behind him. He locked it just in case and went over to the desk. He would never claim the room, not ever.
He picked up a book and sat on the bed and read until he fell asleep.