A Grey Thin Line

2

      Izuku barely got any sleep that night, too occupied with researching how to put together work out plans and proper nutrition plans for a kid his age. When he finally did manage to go to sleep, it was well after midnight and at his desk. When he came to, his head was resting on the keyboard actually somewhat comfortably. With a groan, he detached himself from the computer and looked at the clock. Six thirty a.m, he still had time to get ready for school. Thank goodness for small mercies.

      He groggily walked over to his closet, mindful of the pile of scrap paper on the floor that used to be numerous posters. He quickly picked his school uniform out of the many, many, piles of hero memorabilia. Ugh, he'd have to change his wardrobe soon.

      After getting changed, Izuku stepped out of his room. Shoes still in hand, he quietly made his way to the kitchen, only to see his mother making an array of breakfast items. Great, she was nervous cooking. He let her put down the hot pan of egg whites before walking in and sitting down, making his presence known.

      Inko seemed to startle before smiling at him a bit too brightly. "Good morning, Izuku." She greeted, turning her back to him as she stirred the egg whites. "I know it's a bit early for breakfast, but.....uh"

      Izuku smiled reassuringly as she fumbled for an explanation, "it's ok mom, you don't have to be worried about me."

      Inko stiffened, then turned around. "You know me too well, Izuku." She sniffed, tears in her eyes. "But I'm a mother. Your mother, I worry, it's what mothers do." She turns back to the eggs.

      "Yesterday morning you left the house absolutely bursting with excitement, but when you come home, after a villain attack no less, you looked so heartbroken," her shoulders shaking as bad as her voice. "And meanwhile, I don't know what to do! You've always been so happy, even when Kacchan stopped being your friend. And yes I did notice that." She added before he could even speak up.

      "Nothing ever seemed to keep you down for long, but yesterday, your eyes looked like something had been damaged beyond repair. I'm your mother, Izuku, I'm supposed to help you when you're hurt, but all I could do last night was watch a soap opera with you and try to make you smile!"

      Izuku was at a loss for words, his mouth opening and closing like a fish on the chopping block. Yet when her voice started cracking, he dropped his shoes as he stood up and rushed over to his mother, wrapping his smaller arms around her larger body. "I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry I've made you worry. It's fine mom, like I said, I just had a reality check. A few heroes told me off and I guess it finally got through to me. I'm still Izuku, I'm just...." He fumbled for something to say that wasn't 'your son who's decided to become a vigilante, isn't that great, mom?' Yeah, that wouldn't go over well. "....a bit more mature."
Inko broke his hug by whipping around to wrap him in her own. If there was a small wet spot growing on his shoulder, Izuku wouldn't comment on it, instead opting to pat his mother's back as she sniffled.

      And if the eggs were a little burnt? He could've been the worst villain in Japan and he still wouldn't find it in himself to care.

      The next few weeks had Izuku falling into a sort of schedule; he'd wake up early, usually right as the sun was rising, and work on schoolwork. After that he'd eat breakfast, something with a lot of protein, then head to school, where he'd make a sport out of avoiding Kacchan for the day. After school was training, but some would rather call it suicide, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, he'd exercise one muscle group in particular: abs, lower body, or upper body. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday were the days where he'd work on his cardio. It was embarrassing, but his endurance was pretty abysmal, and don't get him started on his speed. It was well into the first month of his conditioning that the schedule he'd somehow made for himself was interrupted by a muffled scream in an alleyway he'd happened to walk by on his way home.