To Love, To Lose, To Leave

Chapter Six

Last Saturday

The war took quite a toll on Inko. Knowing that all those villains were after her son, the only family that she had left, was a raging fuel for her nightmares. She knew that being a hero was her son's dream ever since he was a little boy, and there was nothing she could say or do that could convince him otherwise.

After the war, Izuku had sat her down and apologized for distancing himself after coming to attend UA, explaining that he felt a need to shoulder all the burdens from choosing this future for himself, and thanking her for everything that she'd done to support him up until now. The two of them cried a lot that day, though it's definitely helped strengthen their bond. Izuku had started to visit her a lot more, catching her up on all the latest stuff that's been happening with him regarding school and classes and friends.

Inko doesn't think she'll ever get tired of watching the way her son animatedly talks about the latest game night him and his classmates all had, the both of them laughing at Izuku's retelling of Katsukis bursting into tears from Izuku's remake of her spicy beef curry.

"Oh!" Inko's eyes widen, lighting up in remembrance. "Speaking of Katsuki, how are you two doing? How was your last date?"

The smile on Izuku's face is practically blinding. "We're doing really well! He says hi, by the way." Izuku takes the last bite of his katsudon, setting down his chopsticks by his plate. "As for our last date, we were at this restaurant and I got recognized by these fangirls. I'm usually fine with fans and whatnot, but they were really...touchy."

Inko frowns at the tone of the last word. "Touchy?"

Izuku grimaces slightly as he nods. "Yeah, it was weird. Kacchan got the girls kicked out of the restaurant, though, and the manager apologized to us and stuff, so it was all good. After that, though, Kacchan took me to the old treehouse that we made in the old park, except he completely remade it! Like, it literally looks exactly the same except bigger and newer, and the finishing is just so well done—"

For some people, happiness is a big family, or a successful career, or a lot of money.

For Inko, though?

Her happiness is the brightness in her son's eyes, his smile achingly wide, unable to contain all the joy within himself.

"You really love him, don't you?"

Izuku stops talking in the middle of his sentence, blinking blankly at Inko before his face slowly turns red. Inko lets out a chuckle at the way his freckles seem to disappear into a sea of flushed red.

"Moooooooooommmm, don't laugh at me!" he whines, attempting to cover his face with his arms. "Meanie."

"It's okay, honey, I think you're adorable."

Izuku snorts, while Inko breaks into a snicker. Though the red is still high in her son's cheeks, the shock in his eyes is long gone, replaced with a deep, dreamy thoughtfulness.

"In all seriousness though—" Izuku's smile is a soft, utterly beautiful thing. "Yeah, Mom, I do. I really, really love Kacchan, more than anything else. It sometimes still feels like a dream, honestly, having him be...here, and be with me. It's...kind've surreal."

Inko's heart swells with tender fondness at the look on Izuku's face. She hopes that she'll be able to see that expression on his face always.

"So, when's the wedding?"

Well, almost always.

Izuku's face practically bursts into flames at the way the red bursts to life on his face, hands coming up and flailing about wildly as he shoots up out of his seat. "YOU GO TO THE LIVING ROOM MOM, I'LL DO THE DISHES." As he starts frantically grabbing the dishes, Inko starts standing up. "I'll help you, honey—"

"NO, I CAN DO IT ON MY OWN, JUST RELAX MOM." With that, Izuku practically dashes to the kitchen, a handful of dishes and utensils cradled in his arms.

The sound of dishes gently clattering into the sink and running water fill the air. Inko smiles, turning and making her way to the living room, brushing her fingers against the various book spines on the bookshelf, pulling out a photo album before making her way to the couch, relaxing into the soft, bouncy cushion before opening the album.

Izuku—a little head with the faintest wisps of green sprouting out, swaddled in a bundle of blankets.

Izuku—big eyes and a chubby, squishy face, pacifier taking up half of it, staring out from a car seat.

Izuku—tiny, stubby hand grippy tightly onto a finger, standing as he stares intently at a ladybug crawling along his arm.

Inko lets out a sigh, tracing the smile on Izuku's face in one of his older photos, savoring the gentle warmth of nostalgia.

It feels like just yesterday he was watching all those All Might videos and talking about how he wants to be a hero, and now he's about to graduate and live his dream. Inko lets out a happy sigh. Time flies by so fast when it comes to—

Shattering glass breaks Inko out of her thoughts. "You okay, Izuku?"

There's no response—only a heavy, resounding thump.

Inko's heart twists in her chest.

Something feels wrong.

"Izuku?"

Silence. Inko places the album down on the couch cushion beside her, quickly getting up from her seat and rushing to the kitchen, hands fidgeting anxiously.

It'll be okay, Inko, he probably went to go look for the broom and didn't hear me, or maybe he almost tripped trying to get around the broken glass, or—

Inko's heart drops to the floor, unmoving.

Izuku—sprawled on the kitchen floor, sickly red seeping out from his eyes and fingers, entire body violently trembling.

"Izuku!"

My baby, no, my baby, my baby, my baby—

The tears were falling down Inko's face before she even hit the floor, bringing her shaking hands to wrap around him, the world seeming to end over and over again with every shake of Izuku's body.

"Izuku, please, baby, say something—!"

Izuku's eyes seem to clear for a moment, almost as if just noticing Inko's presence beside him. He slowly, weakly tilts his head up towards her, mouth slowly opening to talk as Inko's grip tightens around him.

The only thing that leaves Izuku's mouth is sticky, glistening crimson.

Inko can't hear a sound besides her own screams as Izuku's shaking intensifies, eyes rolling into the back of his head as his body goes limp.