I'm Here (mha fanfic)

~Growth~

Izuku couldn't be surprised. He was but it was a more in the moment thing. A sunny Monday morning that made his muscles relax at the naturally cold winter breeze ended up with him being led into Aizawa's office by none other than Katsuki Bakugou after school.

He was confused at first then was hit by realization till he tried to argue his way out of it. He wasn't surprised. Not when Aizawa brought them in without question nor when Bakugou only told Sensei that he was upset. He wanted Izuku to explain it himself. The boy really didn't know to hate him or love him for that.

"Midoriya, mind telling me what's wrong?"

"What's wrong is the fact Kacchan waited the whole weekend to bring me here. I thought I was safe." He grumbled.

Aizawa gave him a look of concern before glancing at Bakugou then back towards Izuku. The boy had tears welled up in his eyes but he clearly didn't want to let them out.

Aizawa didn't say anything and neither did Katsuki as they waited for the boy to talk. Finally Midoriya gave in on holding back his tears and spoke.

He explained it. But when it was put to words it seemed so stupid, immature, and pointless. It sounded as if it wasn't even anything to be worried about in the first place. He felt like a child making a big deal out of nothing.

But one odd thing was Aizawa's reaction. He was kind and caring about the whole thing and reassured him that he was fine. That mistakes happen. Yet regardless of all the reasons why it shouldn't, the guilt was still gnawing at his insides.

He felt better. He wasn't gonna tear down his entire bedroom again just for Kacchan to clean it up (he had remembered to say thank you this time). He was not going to have a panic attack or a meltdown of any sort but he still felt bad.

Normally you'd expect someone to be pissed if you broke their ribs but Aizawa was clearly a different case. He was in everything. And that was kinda scary.

Izuku doesn't know how long it lasted but at some point he found himself agreeing to talk to Aizawa on a weekly about how he feels. It was a better option than therapy in his opinion and it would help to get his emotions out.

It would be okay. He wound be okay. He could finally open up to someone and confide in them. He could finally feel safe. He could be loved unconditionally just like his mother used to before he was declared quirkless.

When Aizawa asked him why he was crying he let out a genuine smile as he said, "I feel better now."

It takes time to heal.

Izuku learned that when Katsuki sat him down with Aizawa. He learned that every time he relapsed after that. He had it knocked back into him every time he fell back into a low point. He knew it would take time but it was hard to wait. It was hard to be patient when you know there's something so close and easy for you to grasp and embrace. Yet no matter what you do you can never close the gap.

It's hard to heal.

It's hard to resist the urge to cut or skip a meal. It's hard to stop sneaking out in the middle of the night to smoke or drink when you've been doing it all your life with no one to care. It's hard to change. It's hard to not relapse after you scream at your lover that you no longer want to deal with his bullshit. It's hard to not try to kill yourself after you yell at your father that he's a hypocritical asshole even after all he's done.

It takes love to heal.

That has to be true for the way Mic and Aizawa always make him Katsudon after an argument or how they would make him have movie night when he's sad. It has to be real for how Shinso would drag him into his room when he was crying in the middle of the night. It has to be the truth for all the hugs Eri gave him when he frowned even in the slightest bit.

Healing will never be easy. Nor will it be fun. But it is comforting. And that is the most important part.

And when Izuku comes to a family reunion, 10 years after they graduated UA, Katsuki by his side as his husband and the wonderful family they wove together were sitting around a table smiling and laughing a small voice congratulated him.

He felt blessed beyond measure. Eri having just made it into UA, Denki and Hitoshi being married and planning to adopt a kid in 1A (Shinso is in fact their homeroom teacher). Dad and Papa being retired from hero work while him and Kacchan were celebrating their fifth year as the number one hero duo today.

They were all so different yet here they were, under the same roof, as a family. Izuku's family. He was grateful for them and loved them so much. He was eternally grateful for that painful yet blessed day when Aizawa saw the red lines drawn on his sleeves. And those dark red streaks had finally turned into a pale white.

A smile tugged at his lips then something came crashing onto his face.

"Stop being so sentimental and make more damn memories for you to be proud of." Hitoshi said.

Izuku laughed and threw the notebook back before going back to his meal. He's glad he came so far. And thank God he never jumped even when he wanted it more than he wanted to live.