healing takes time (none of it is linear)

Chapter 19

Honestly, Izuku was terrified to see his mother again. He tried to tell himself it was an irrational fear because it was. He had nothing to be afraid of when his boyfriends would be there.

They had agreed to meet at Inko's apartment.

Izuku's nails dug into the palms of his hands as they drove down the road toward the address they had been provided with. He was beginning to recognize things. Inko still lived in the same town Izuku had been raised in for the first blissful years of his life.

They passed a park Izuku distinctly remembered playing at with his mom as a kid. He remembered her teaching him how to swing on the swings. The memory was blurry but still there, now tied to others when he had tried using it as an escape in the beginning.

Izuku decided looking out the window wasn't a good idea anymore.

"Izuku, love," Shoto said softly, reaching for his hand so he could try to unclench the omega's hands. "You're hurting yourself by doing that," he said, interlocking their fingers so Izuku wouldn't pierce his palm with his nails. "Are you okay?"

"If you need me to turn around, just say the word," Eijiro added, looking at him through the rearview window.

"I-... I'm fine," Izuku said and put on a smile. "Just... seeing everything again is a lot."

They took that as an answer, thankfully, and soon, Eijiro pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building.

They found the apartment and let Izuku have a moment before he knocked. It was hesitant, and the others weren't sure Inko would have been able to hear it, but sure enough, the door was opened to reveal a woman.

She had long green hair done up in a bun, her emerald eyes filling with tears as she saw who was at the door.

"I-Izuku-" Inko held a hand over her mouth, one staying on the door for support. "Oh my sweet Izuku, it's you-" Even after years, she could tell it was him. His eyes were the same, and the messy hair that Inko had never been able to tame when the boy was young. There was no doubting it. A mother never forgets her child.

The hand on her mouth moved to reach out, yearning to hold her child again, but Izuku hid himself behind Katsuki, holding his hand tightly. He was scared. Her heart broke, but she didn't question it.

She drew her hand back and let out a shaky breath, tears filling her eyes. "You've grown so much," she whispered. "I thought I'd never get to see you again."

"I'm sorry," Izuku muttered, eyes on the ground.

Inko was itching to scoop her son up into a hug, but by the look Katsuki and Shoto were giving her and the way Izuku was fidgeting nervously, she figured it wouldn't be a good idea. "Oh, Izuku, it's not your fault at all. I... I should have-" Now, she really was crying, years of guilt piled up and overflowing. "I didn't know he would-" she choked on a sob.

"Maybe we should move inside," Eijiro offered gently.

Inko looked up at him and then nodded, stepping out of the way of the door. "Ah, yes, come in, come in." She wiped her tears and tried to smile. "You three must be the ones taking care of my Izuku."

Shoto nodded. "I am Shoto, this is Katsuki and Eijiro. We are Izuku's alphas."

The way Shoto said it made Izuku blush; still not used to hearing it said like that. "Ah- Shochan-" he muttered. "You don't have to say it like that-" Even so, it never failed to make Izuku's heart skip when he was reminded of that.

Inko seemed to relax some more and smiled. "It is lovely meeting you all properly." She led them into the living room.

It was different from what Izuku remembered, though that was to be expected after 13 years. The furniture wasn't the same, re-positioned in the room. There were more pictures of him around the room than he remembered previously, though he suspected they went up when he was taken away.