Post Vitam

Chapter 25

Four boys around the age of eight stopped in their tracks upon entering their room and discovering Izuku. Izuku didn't know what to make of these four identical faces watching him. They all stood silently in an unspoken blinking match with Izuku. Sweat was covering Izuku's back. This was very awkward so he chose to break the silence.

"Uh... hi guys. I'm Midoriya Izuku. I'm your new roommate I guess." Izuku smiled nervously hoping the twins would at the very least not be hostile towards him. He shifted on the bed waiting for them to respond.

"Aww who told on us?" They all spoke at the same time giving an eerie vibe when syllables were slightly delayed between the four of them. Izuku couldn't help but smile however when they spoke. A lisp was detectable but not to such a degree that it hindered him in understanding what was said. 

The boys looked at each other when they spotted Izuku's smile. Only one of them spoke this time. "You aren't creeped out by us?" He asked clearly confused by Izuku's lack of response by their speech impediment or how they all spoke together.

Izuku gave them a warm smile "Not in the least. It's kind of adorable when you guys talk like that. I'd like to at least get along with you guys if we cant be friends" The boys went into a corner and gathered in a circle to talk to each other. After a while they broke apart and seemed to have come to some agreement. What that was Izuku could only wonder about because as the boys were about to speak the door burst open again. "Why do we even have a door at this point..." Izuku mumbled to himself

Another boy had entered the room this one  was younger than Izuku but older than the twins, Izuku guessed him to be about nine or nearing ten. But that was all Izuku could judge him on. The words he spoke were so fast he wasn't sure those were actual words from any known language he was using."Kah av u ah th u r igur ude inu ooi hi mi ir ay ooh an mi ing oru urc ker hed ork hing vin ohimu ellemna emrass ust lme bby eone - OOO!!!!" 

Izuku look at him horrified that he was expected to respond to that. Even worse judging by the motions this guy was making he expected Izuku to follow him. "Err I'm sorry what?" Izuku replied using his gentlest voice not wanting to the boy to take offence by the fact Izuku didn't understand anything he had said.

The boys he's sharing a room with spoke together to the new arrival "Robby your regulator... put it on. Nobody understand what you're saying" While making pointing gestures to their wrists. The boy they called Robby smacked his own forehead when he looked at his wrist. He dug in the pockets of his jeans and pulled out a wristband and put it on. Speaking again he spoke in an understandable language.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Just a sec, lucky for you this baby also records so lemme just play this back slowed down..." He fiddled with the wristband tapping it every so often. "There we go. Aaaand PLAY!" Soon the room was filled with a distorted sound with only Robby's voice sounding normal. 

"Kuiga have you guys seen the - Oh there you are! Figures you'd be in your room. I hid in mine the first day too. It's pretty intense here right?! Anyway the Miss is asking for you, your case worker finished the paperwork or something. She's leaving. Oh I'm uh... well my name is embarrassing so just call me Robby like everyone else. But we mustn't let Miss wait, not sure the walls can stand her quirk two times in a day. Hehe. Well don't just sit there dude... LET'S GO!!!!"

Izuku jumped off the bed worried the Miss would be mad he didn't come immediately though he felt it wasn't his fault as Robby forgot to wear his support gear he needed for everyday life. "We'll talk later guys" Izuku waved to the twins and ran off behind Robby making their way to the Miss. 

As Izuku followed Robby he noticed the stretchy boy cleaning the walls. "That's Naka, bit of a germaphobe and a neat freak. Bad combo to have in this house. Well this is the Miss's office" Showing Izuku the door they stopped at. Robby knocked and they heard an "Enter" from behind the door.

Robby opened it and stepped aside to let Izuku in and then left closing the door behind Izuku. "Ah. Midoriya-kun. Come in and have a seat" She said pointing to an armchair in front of her desk. "I'll be with you in a second" was all she said when Izuku took a seat, she continued with paperwork filling things in now and then. 

The air felt stiff and Izuku felt like he was back in school and in the principal's office. Like he was waiting to hear his punishment for something he most certainly was unjustly being blamed for. Izuku felt his heart starting to race. How his palms became sweaty, his breathing slowed then became faster. Soon he could feel his heartbeat in his throat. Just when he was sure he was going to have some form of attack the woman finally spoke.

"It would appear that you've had quite the hard time before you came here Midoriya-kun. While I'm sorry I cant do anything about that I can promise you, that for as long as you want you are always welcome and safe here." She smiled a very warm smile.

Izuku was hesitant, his mother only smiled like that in front of others. Anyone else who smiled at him like that before were just annoyed that he was in the way when they would hear Izuku was quirkless. He felt a bit guilty not taking what she was saying at face value but the world has a way of destroying your ability to trust others. 

Especially if you're the one without a quirk. The past made him wary to trust any adult. The events with Jared certainly didn't build any trust in adults for Izuku. Nonetheless Izuku had heard that common courtesy and being nice does have an impact on how others treat you over the long term. Not that it had personally helped him all that much before. So he decided to be nice until she gave him a reason to not be.

"Thank you Miss. I'll try to remember that."

"Good. Good. By the way how's the face. I know you've a healing quirk but not all of them are equal." Izuku couldn't help but grin remembering how Ash had laughed himself silly when he heard the miss scolding the soccer players for "already breaking a face" today.

"It's not broken Miss" He tried to suppress a giggle. The Miss eyed him suspiciously but let it go.

"Okay I'll let you go. Dinner is at 6PM at the latest. If we're lucky..." She said the last part so soft Izuku could barely hear it. "If you have any questions feel free to ask me or one of the other boys. Just don't become part of the group of hooligans who prank me. Please..." She almost begged. Izuku wondered what kind of pranks she has endured with a house filled with boys. He agreed and left saying his thanks.