hero's shadow // mha

36) somewhere i belong

(warnings: implied/referenced child abuse, eating problems)

Izuku doesn't know what he expected, in all honesty.

The Aizawa and Yamada household is fairly plain, if not a little chaotic. There are two bedrooms, one small office space that Yamada uses as his at-home studio, and two bathrooms, making this one of the biggest places Izuku has ever stayed at, despite it being only an apartment.

Which is weird, unusual, and maybe a little uncomfortable, though not bad.

Not bad yet.

Yamada is very enthusiastic while showing Izuku around, looking almost giddy when he opens the door to his studio and starts to explain what each piece of equipment is used for. Izuku doesn't have to pretend that he's excited, as he knows that the stuff in this office alone is probably worth more than all of his old support weapons put together. The hero promises to take him to the actual studio sometime soon, and honestly? He's ecstatic about that idea.

But his okay-ish mood quickly dampens after the tour ends, and now he's standing around, arms wrapped around his middle as he tries to think of something to do. Something that won't, preferably, make him look more out of place than he already feels.

Rarely has he ever been given the chance to just wait around and do nothing. The feeling is abnormal, and he doesn't like it one bit. His muscles twitch and ache with the need to just move and stretch. He needs something to do, or else he's going to keel over and die.

And it's not like he has a phone right now either. Usually he'd be searching for more jobs or clients online and be browsing public forums for hero and villain information, but none of those are options at the moment. He's definitely not going to ask Yamada or Aizawa for one of their phones to use, as that'd be... rude. He's a guest here. This isn't his home. Asking for something like that would be impolite and entitled.

He also can't even distract himself with unpacking because he doesn't have anything to unpack. He doesn't have any clothes or weapons or electronics—nothing. All of his old belongings are gone now. Mere piles of ash sitting on splintered wood.

Izuku is lucky that Aizawa apparently has a ton of spare clothes. The man doesn't even wear more than two outfits, so Izuku is trying not to feel too guilty right now about having to wear his stuff. Most of it is too small for the other anyway, but still.

He knows that it's either this or the couple will spend their money to buy him new clothes, which is a big fucking nope.

It's only been a couple of days since the incident and he's acting jittery. He can feel his quirks pulsing in his mind in the form of a mild headache, his powers simultaneously trying to fight off the drugs in his system and succumb to them. It's like a war going on inside his body—inside his mind, and it's not pleasant at all.

Dammit. Izuku is already contemplating jumping out of the window and it's only been a few hours since arriving here. It's just six stories, he assures himself. I've survived falling from worse heights before.

He shudders at the sudden reminder of The Helicopter Fiasco. It was fun in the moment, sure, but he'd rather not have a repeat of that.

Something headbutts his leg, jolting him out of his thoughts, and Izuku glances down to see the cats once again crowding around him, tails held high.

Huh. They don't seem to be capable of leaving him alone.

The fluffy gray one with green eyes claws up his pants and forces herself into his arms, meowing incessantly. Pickles, his mind helpfully supplies, and he tilts his head down to kiss her head on impulse. The cat surprisingly lets it happen, but not without swatting his cheek first.