QUIRKLESS LIFE

~20~

8 YEARS AGO

It's been two years since Izuku was taken by the police, Inko was getting noticeably worse, but Katsuki wasn't going to let it get him down. His friend would be back eventually, and until then, he's been trying to fill the space he left behind in Inko. The woman had moved in shortly after her son left, since Mitsuki had believed she'd forget to take care of herself otherwise. The blonde had done his best to keep her happy, giving her flowers on Mother's Day, cooking dinners for her when his parents went on dates, and even reading to her because she sometimes had trouble sleeping, and it always helped him, and seemed to make her smile ever so slightly.

Today was no different, and much like most of them, his 'auntie' hadn't come down for breakfast, so he was taking it up to her room.

"Auntie? Are you awake?" He knocked on the door, earning no response.

"Auntie, it's time for breakfast!" He knocked a bit louder, earning a slight scolding from his mother.

"Just let her sleep brat!"

"Oh, shut up old lady! I don't want her to starve!" He stuck his tongue out to no one in particular, rolling his eyes before knocking again.

"Auntie? I'm coming in." The boy opened the door, holding her breakfast like a waiter as he entered. Since the room was dark, he flicked on the light switch.

"Auntie? It's time to wa-" Katsuki felt his blood run cold, and the breakfast fell to the floor, echoing a large crash through the house. Inko was sat on her bed, holding an orange container. Her eyes were rolled back, mouth uncontrollably salivating, slightly closed, but open enough for it to drip down her chin. The woman's skin was paper white, and the boy could see her veins, blue and sticking out like a sore thumb. He ran up to her, taking her by the shoulders.

"Auntie! AUNTIE! Wake up!" He shook her, his voice breaking, and her head fell limply to the side. Mitsuki and Masaru had run up stairs, worried from the sound of the clatter, but stopped in their tracks as they saw their son sobbing against a dead body. Mitsuki walked hesitantly up to her best friend and son, eyes welling up with tears. Her husband stood at the door, face pale and breath caught in his throat. His wife now sobbed with his son, holding him and Inko in her arms. He couldn't remember the last time he saw his wife cry, same for his son. It'd been years, and it's like all their tears were being used up right now.

PRESENT

Katsuki looked up at the stranger, pissed at them. He had the situation completely under control, and he didn't-

"Are you alright...?" The stranger looked down at him, green hair falling over the shoulders, a bit over their face as well, hiding their freckles. Their bun looked messy from just saving him, and the blonde didn't even register the suit before he opened his mouth, face pale, like he saw a ghost.

"Inko...?" The name seemed to shock the stranger, who stood a bit straighter, and now Katsuki realized it couldn't possibly be the woman, she died 8 years ago. He was just going crazy. The blonde felt his breathing speed up, and he hurriedly swatted the stranger's hand away, getting up and running past the crowd, forgetting about the people he had come there with.

He didn't stop running, and he convinced himself he's just hallucinating. His breath heavy and eyes teary, he ran into his house, slamming the door behind him as he entered his room, and collapsed on the bed.

"It's not her... she wasn't there... it was just a stranger... she's dead... it couldn't be her... she over dosed..." But then why did they look so much like her... He thought, staring at the ceiling while calming his breath, and wiping his eyes. Someone knocked on his door, and ignored him when he told them to go away. Masaru entered the room, sitting on his son's bed.

"What happened?" Katsuki was silent, and his father sighed.

"We saw the news, but that's not why you're so shaken up, is it?"

"No..." The blonde mumbled, sitting up straight now, hands in his lap.

"Then what is...?" The teen narrowed his eyes, staring at the floor.

"I thought I saw Inko..." His father wasn't surprised, putting his hand on his son's shoulder.

"We thought so to... the stranger looked a lot like her... Your mother almost punched herself because she thought she was going crazy..." A short silence fell between the two, and Katsuki sighed.

"How could he look so much like her... he looked like a carbon copy of her..." Masaru raised a brow, a bit confused at the revelation.

"They were a boy?" 

"Yeah... I thought they were a girl to... at least until I fully registered the person in front of me." Masaru looked at the ground, bringing his hand to himself, before he stood up.

"I have to talk to your mother." He said simply, and left his son alone with his thoughts.