Fullmetal Deku

VIII

It's been about seven months since Izuku's surgery. According to Makoto, this is the fastest she's ever seen someone recover, let alone a child. Maybe it's because he is a child that he healed so quickly, no one knows. He can't walk on his own yet, but he no longer needs a wheelchair either. 

Den is no longer used as a simple service dog, one used for the emotionally distressed. She helps Izuku get from place to place as a mobility-service dog. Typical mobility-assistance dogs are trained to serve as a brace for their partner by wearing a harness for those who suffer from strength and balance issues. Their harnesses, one that Den now wears, either a rigid handle or a sturdy pull strap attached. In Den's case, her's has a rigid, rubber handle. Izuku uses this handle to balance himself and walk without a wheelchair, although he can't put his full weight on Den; it would hurt her.

He's opening up too. Recently, he's become really smart with Tsukauchi, messing with him, being sarcastic, and joking with him. To no one's surprise, it mostly revolves around his supposedly 'awful' cooking. According to Izuku, the only thing he can cook at home is vegetable soup. Of course, Tsukauchi says otherwise. He just makes it every day because it has milk in it, something Izuku will never drink on its own. 

"You need its protein," Tsukauchi always says.

"I do not," Izuku will protest.

When Makoto discovers Izuku's hatred for milk, she begins teasing him about it wherever and whenever she sees him, often saying, "At this rate, you're always going to be the size of a bean!" Maybe this is the reason Izuku's beginning to open his mouth. With Tsukauchi and Makoto constantly around him, he's either the butt of their friendly harassment or force fed vegetable soup. If he wants to eat and drink what he wants to, he needs to fight back: fight his opposition.

Well, either way, Izuku still isn't permitted to go to school yet, both on behalf of the Bakugous and Tsukauchi. They don't want anyone to get to know Izuku in his current state. He's hardly even allowed to leave the apartment, though he can't necessarily blame them. If they were to keep everything that had happened a secret, he'd have to limit his time outside (away from prying eyes) and stay indoors.

Izuku just feels a little trapped. Figuratively speaking, it wasn't all that long ago that he did this to himself. It just seems as if all he's seen since then are hospital rooms, operating rooms, and Tsukauchi's apartment, the occasional grocery shopping trip thrown into the mix as well (you've got to keep life interesting). Well, there are a few exceptions.

"Hey, Izuku," Tsukauchi's voice rings throughout the apartment, "We were going to go see my sister and one of her friends for coffee. Do you want to come?"

Izuku and Den stumble into the room at the sound of his voice. "I'll go, thank you," he replies. He doesn't think he'd ever met Tsukauchi's sister. This will be a good opportunity to solidify their cover-story. "We're going to Antiquity, right?"

Tsukauchi nods. "If you're ready, let's go ahead and go."

The walk should have been shorter, but Izuku keeps them a little slow-placed, not that Tsukauchi minds. Izuku needs a slower life, less erratic. He needs the calmness his new life is bringing him.

At the moment, Izuku hasn't gone to school in about eight months, and although he is being home-schooled by Tsukauchi and his mechanic, Makoto, he is still a ways behind. Even so, the kid is smart. Once he can walk on his own two feet, he'll be placed back in school (it will either be his last year of elementary school or his first year of junior high, depending on how quickly he manages to recover), and there, he should pick everything right back up. He'll be top in his class in no time.

Within a few minutes, the two of them arrived at Antiquity. Taukauchi leads the way through the small cafe. "Hey, guys," he greets, "It's nice to see you, Enigma."