Glass Heart

Glass Heart - Chapter Twenty-Eight

Izuku jumped from one rooftop to another, Shouta - Eraserhead - keeping a careful eye on him as he jumped. While moving, Eraserhead tried to attack him a couple times, and Izuku carefully wound his body around in mid-air, dodging the attacks and launching a couple of his own, forcing Eraserhead to retreat slightly.

Izuku laughed in glee, before slowing down on a big rooftop with a railing surrounding the edge. He leaned against it, waiting for Eraserhead to catch up to him.

"Nice job, kid." Eraserhead said, ruffling Izuku's hair under his hood. Izuku was looking forward to getting his own hero costume but wasn't able to until he passed the big test and got his hero license.

Izuku was now twelve and had been training with Eraserhead and Present Mic for over two years. During that time, no one had pushed himself harder than he had himself. His quirklessness acting as a barrier between him and being labelled as a vigilante, Izuku spent most of his days after school and training wandering the streets, helping cats escape from trees, tripping the occasional purse-snatcher, and other such things.

Eventually, Shouta was able to convince the Hero Public Safety Commission to allow Izuku to apply for a Hero License early when he had begun beating Nezu in chess, and Nezu began advocating for it as well. The test was scheduled for next week, and ever since he found out, Izuku had spent all his spare time training. This was his one shot at moving up. Yes, he could go to UA, but that would be years from now. Hitoshi had worked hard too, but he hadn't been allowed - only him. Only Izuku.

He had no idea whether they genuinely thought he could make it, or whether they believed he'd just make a fool of himself with his quirklessness, or whether they wanted to show the public how diverse they are by allowing a 'charity case'.

Whatever the reason may be, Izuku wasn't going to allow it to slip through his fingers. Chances are that this opportunity is the only one he'll get. There's no reason to assume that the Hero Committee will allow him to train another year and re-enter. The night before today, Izuku completed the written test, and next week... after next week it'd all be out of his control.

Whether he passed or failed...

Izuku was going to make his family proud.

After a few more hours out training with Eraserhead, they decided to call it a night. Or morning, apparently, as the sun had begun to rise. Oh well.

As they entered the house, Hitoshi sleepily mumbled a greeting from the couch.

"Did you try waiting for us again, Hito?" Izuku chuckled, switching on the light. The sudden brightness made Hitoshi hiss and fly back under his blankets, making Izuku laugh harder. Shouta saved Hitoshi from the coldness of the outside world from his blanket haven and switched the light back off. A mumbled 'thank you' could be heard before the snoring started again.

Trying not to wake his brother up, Izuku covered his mouth with his hand, trying to muffle his laughter, before making his way up the stairs and towards his shared bedroom. A few months after the court case concluded with Hitoshi's foster parents and after Shouta and Hizashi adopted Hitoshi, they decided their flat was too small for four people and decided to buy a house instead.

The bottom floor was similar to how it was before, with a living room and kitchen as the main areas when you walk through the front door. Behind those rooms is a staircase and a bathroom next to the staircase. Walking up the staircase, there's Shouta and Hizashi's bedroom, Izuku and Hitoshi's bedroom, a spare bedroom, and another bathroom. You can never have too many bathrooms...

Izuku opened his bedroom door and sat on his bed (a wooden one with a green duvet cover - meant to contrast with Hitoshi's purple one on his own bed - with a couple various hero plushies on top). For a few moments he just sat on his bed and contemplated. It had been just over three years since Shouta found him, and while Izuku never wanted to throw himself off a building ever again, he can't find it in himself to regret his decision all those years ago. Without that choice, he may have never met Shouta. He may still be getting hopelessly bullied.

He may currently be buried six feet under the ground.

Izuku shivered, the unexpected thought chilling him, and tried to focus on the positive. While contemplating, Shouta knocked on his door, and Izuku happily let him inside.

"Hi Dad." Izuku greeted cheerfully. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Shouta smiled slightly, and ruffled Izuku's hair once again. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

Izuku gestured with his hand towards his bed, and Shouta took that as an invitation to sit down next to Izuku, and he did.

"I just wanted to remind you, well... your test is next week."

Izuku laughed. "I don't think you really need to remind me of that."

"That's not what I meant, brat." Izuku laughed again at Shouta's reply, but otherwise tried to calm down and let Shouta speak. "You've spent all your time training. You need to plan out a hero costume and name."

As Izuku's mouth formed a small 'o', Shouta felt like smacking both of their foreheads. Izuku was a genius - his battles of wit against Nezu should prove that - but sometimes he really was dense. Or just hopelessly oblivious.

Shouta ruffled Izuku's hair as a parting gesture as he stood up to leave. "Just think on it, okay kid?"

Izuku nodded, and Shouta left.

A hero name, huh...?

Hi everyone! This chapter was written 9th January. I actually already have a hero name planned - and I mean it's not exciting or anything, I don't like straying too far from canon XD

HOWEVER! I would like to hear people's ideas about a potential hero costume? I want it to be different but similar, which makes no sense, but hopefully you get what I mean, haha. I was thinking it could be dark green and black, maybe mostly black with a dark green criss-cross pattern on his costume? (similar to the lines that form when Izuku uses One for All in canon). I'm not sure what else, but any ideas are welcome.

Anyways, I better get back to writing! I have a lot of books to update XD

But for now...

Peachy out! 😊