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Chapter - 16

It would be an understatement to say that the last week has been fraught with difficult changes and new levels of discomfort for Izuku. There were the obvious changes like learning the truth of his past. Trying to live as a human and everything that meant.

One of those changes meant he had to start wearing the outer fur like other humans do, or as he's supposed to refer to it, clothes. While Izuku can certainly appreciate why humans wear them now that he's experienced the chill of having next to no natural fur, that certainly doesn't mean they are comfortable.

Aside from trapping natural heat the whole concept of clothes became annoying rather quickly. They constrict and limit movement and have a knack for slipping into and getting stuck in natural crevices. The most irksome of these would be underwear which for some unknown reason is meant to solely conceal human genitalia.

Izuku remains baffled as to why everyone insists he covers himself, the reactions to having seen him in his natural form have varied from odd sounds and protests to disinterest. Aizawa seemed to gain a random illness that turned his face red the first time. Yamada keeps covering him. Nezu and some older woman they referred to as Recovery Girl both showed zero interest or even acknowledgement. Given the wide range of receptions Izuku eventually and reluctantly with many curses to their inventor gave in, and started wearing the underwear.

His problems with human inventions did not end with underwear or clothes in general, no the concept of confining your feet in torture devices known as shoes is a hill he's willing to die on. Izuku is certain that nothing anyone says can make him change his mind, there can't possibly be an argument strong enough for it.

Apart from the discomfort the very first time he tried wearing them he fell flat on his face, well he would have if he didn't have excellent reflexes. Summarily he decided this is the cause of why he's always seen humans as clumsy lumbering oafs. They can't feel their feet or the world beneath them, no wonder they lumber about uncoordinated like that. How Aizawa manages is a mystery to him.

Other kinds of changes were necessary and agreed to by Izuku even if he didn't like them all that much. Seeing as he's actually human, Aizawa and Yamada have made sure he's not living on the streets. The room where he occasionally slept had been converted into his own. His own furnishings in it, and aside from the softness and warmth of the bed, the rest was of zero interest to him. The desk and chair were there for some unknown reason he would only later discover. With the room and belongings came conditions Aizawa and his mate insisted were reasonable for a human child his age, like the option to leave whenever he wanted. Whether it be through the window he's used to or the door it didn't matter. It was something that was taken away.

Plans were made to assess and provide an accurate level of education under Nezu's personal tutelage. Izuku didn't particularly have an issue with the creature, but there is a certain level of awkwardness that comes from literally nearly ripping someone's head off. Even if it's after they alter your entire world for the supposed betterment of it.

The first session with the chimera left him feeling quite stupid for not being able to read everything. He could answer most of the questions if he was asked them but to read them himself proved a challenge. Apparently the language they use in something called advertisements and in general was phrased and written differently. It turned out that's what the majority of the things he had read before were. The book Aizawa found him with, being the only decently written thing around.

There was also the issue that came from trying to use his so-called fingers to write. Izuku had grown far too used to having claws to do it. Holding a pen felt entirely unnatural to him. So despite praise from the rodent about being remarkably intelligent for someone never having had an actual education, Izuku couldn't help but feel slightly defeated and stupid. Life as a cat was certainly much easier.

This was another area where Izuku was feeling slightly depressed over. Ever since waking up in the infirmary at UA he hasn't been able to maintain being shifted for longer than half a day. Aizawa says now that he isn't in a constant survival state his quirk functions like a normal one now. Izuku says he's full of shit and is annoyed by the notion even if he can clearly see it's true.

The hits kept on coming, it seemed to Izuku. The lowest blow came when he had managed to shift back into a cat for the first time since leaving U.A. Not Aizawa or even Yamada was able to understand him. It seemed he would need to reapply the scratch each time he shifted for someone without the ability to talk to animals to understand him.

Izuku has also been unable to shift into anything other than his usual cat form, his lion form nothing but a mere memory. If Aizawa didn't confirm its existence Izuku would've assumed it was a hallucination of a fury driven mind back then.

Driven by depression, frustration and a lack of freedom he was used to Izuku found himself lying awake on his bed. Forced to at least try and adapt to a human sleep schedule was also contributing to his general discomfort. So with all of this making him want to crawl out of his skin Izuku got out of bed and opened his window to the fire escape. Damn the rules, he's been a cat longer than he's been a human able to turn into a cat. Cats don't follow rules, they make them.

Izuku climbed out the window not bothering with those abominations also known as slippers. A supposedly comfortable version of shoes, Izuku feels sorry for the lies humans have to tell themselves. Without the restriction of shoes Izuku was just as nimble as he would be with four legs instead of two. Despite being eager to take a deal where he could remain just a cat, Izuku simply can't deny there is some sort of thrill being able to do all his usual twists and jumps on only two legs. So with a flair and an impressive twist mid jump he found himself on the rooftop inhaling the sweet air of night time, and he couldn't hide the first genuine smile forming on his face in a while.

"Wow i didn't know you could smile like that kid"

The voice had caught him off guard and he hadn't gotten proper footing on the roof yet, he instinctively took a step back making him slip. He would've fallen if a familiar scar hadn't wrapped around him and pulled him back.

"Can you not do that!" Izuku hissed

"What are you doing up here this late kid?" Aizawa asked with a quirked brow

Izuku rolled his eyes in frustration. "You say i'm not a prisoner but you're sure treating me like it!" Even if he was angry he didn't know if Yamada had taken his hearing aids out and despite changing from calling him Zashi to Yamada, their relationship had remained the same. The man was kind and Izuku felt safe and cared for with him.

Not that he felt unsafe with Aizawa or thought he was cruel, he just had the unfortunate position of being the person who helped him discover the truth. Some silly part of his brain blamed the man for changing his life.

"That's not what we're trying to do kid, we just want you safe" Aizawa said as he loosened the scarf after Izuku was securely on the roof now.

Izuku huffed as the last of the scarf was off of him "I was perfectly safe on my own for ten years, I don't need you to go out of your way for me."

Aizawa looked him up and down and sighed slightly "Nobody is doing something extraordinary here Izuku and nobody asked us to do this. We want to do this. We want you in there with us, safe and healthy."

Izuku groaned in frustration and threw his hands in the air. "Yeah well i'm suffocating in there, what's so wrong with being on the roof!?"

"Nothing is wrong with it." Aizawa said plainly

"Good!" Izuku said a bit harshly

Aizawa walked past him and sat down on the ledge where Izuku nearly just fell. "Good." he said softly.

Izuku sighed, clearly not done wanting to scream and rant but now even that felt pointless because deep down Aizawa isn't the one to blame for how his life is. He was just convenient and close enough to hear him being angry at the world. He sat down where he stood and leaned back on his elbows as he looked up at the stars.

"Sorry" he said softly.

Aizawa just hummed an acknowledgement clearly feeling it wasn't even needed. Then he slid down to the fire escape and looked in Izuku's direction. "You can talk to either me or Yamada about anything that bothers you. This is new to us too, so if you are willing to help, we're willing to listen. Try to get some sleep if you can, night Izuku." With that he was gone and a smile bigger than earlier was spreading across Izuku's face.