Diamonds in the Rough *INDEFINITE HIATUS*

Midoriya Inko's Story

Midoriya Izuku was strong. His mother knew this more than anybody. She had seen her child fall more times than could be counted and stubbornly get up every time. She had watched him wipe away tears and press forward no matter what, always with a playful and all-knowing smirk on his freckled face. So having her brave boy weep in her arms because the world once more decided to fuck him over? Absolutely. Unacceptable.

~~~

Mrs. Midoriya remembers that fateful doctor's visit. How could she forget? The shattered expression on her tiny sons face as he was told he would never have a quirk? That moment would forever be etched into her mind. As would the conversation that happened a few hours later.

"Mama?" He had asked her, his small tear stained face lit by the computer screen "D-Do you think... I can be a super cool hero like that?" Something broke in Inko's heart that day, seeing her child still giving her an optimistic smile, a smile that begged her for some kind of hope "That's what I want to be" He whispered.

She wanted to tell him that yes, he would be a hero like that someday, but a tiny horrible voice whispered doubts in the back of her head. Inko ran up to him, engulfing both Izuku and the chair in a hug, her own tears mingling with his.

"I'm sorry Izuku! I'm sorry!" Inko sobbed, apologizing for the thousand things she couldn't say, wanted to say.

Needed to say.

Izuku simply stared numbly at her with a broken grin, as if he knew something she didn't

"It's okay Mama"

~~~

Izuku came home once more covered in bruises and a busted lip. She'd always expected him to get pushed around, Izuku was that kind of child after all, but he'd been coming home with a lot more wounds lately. And a lot more burns.

"Izuku dear" Inko fretted as she patched him up "If you're getting trouble from the kids at school I can talk to the teachers you know" He simply shook his head with a soft smile, kicking his legs lightly from the counter he sat on.

"I'm fine mama" he reassured "I'll be okay" she placed the final bandage on his leg and he was about to jump off when she finally asked the question her child would always find some way to avoid.

"Was it Katsuki again?" Izuku froze and wouldn't meet her gaze. "I'll talk to Mitsuki if that's the case-"

"No!" The boy shrieked before quieting and hopping down "It's fine mama. Kacchan is my friend."

"Darling-"

"It's okay" he reassured, giving her a pained smile she knew wasn't because of the physical bruises. She wrapped him up in a crushing hug

"You're too kind Izu-kun" she sniffled. Izuku patted her head lightly in a soothing way before wriggling uncomfortably in her hold

"Mama? You're hurting me."

~~~

"Izuku?! What happened?!" Inko raced over to where her son sat on the floor bandaging up a certain blonde neighbor.

"Kacchan got into a fight. Again." He explained nonchalantly, as if this was a quite common issue, and knowing Katsuki, it probably was.

"Oh can it Deku." Katsuki grumbled, holding his arm out while the curly haired 6-year-old put an All Might band-aid on a scrape

"All better!" Izuku announced happily, closing up the first aid kit Inko had no idea of how he'd gotten down from the shelf.

"Not bad" Bakugo admitted as he got up. Inko gave him a quick nurse look over.