Puppet Master

Izuku's First Day At The Kirishima's

Mary Lou was reeeeeaaaaally trying to hold it together as Yamada drove her and Izuku out of the red lights and to the Kirishima's house. She opted to sit in the back with Izuku who refused to let go of her arm. It was strange how at first Izuku would have a panic attack when anyone even tried to touch him but now he was clinging to her like the sap on a tree. The brunette truly hoped he wouldn't revert back to that after this whole ordeal.

Mary Lou looked down at Izuku who was on the phone that Yamada had bought him. Yamada promised, probably more to himself than any other, to make good on the trust that Izuku had granted him. He bought Izuku the phone and paid for the plan so that the boy could stay in touch with him, Shinsou, and Mr. Aizawa.

And her for as long as she was here.

Izuku was texting Shinsou about possibly putting Marshmallow on a diet and about how bad that would turn out.

"Izu." He tilted his head up from where he was leaning on her arm. "Can I see your phone for a second?" He furrowed his eyebrows a bit but nonetheless handed her the phone. Mary Lou took it and opened the camera app. She held the phone out in front of them. "Smile!" Mary Lou did.

Izuku... tried.

It was more of a smirk because he didn't seem to have the facial muscles for smiling anymore. There were a few times he fully smiled but it broke her heart every time she thought of why he didn't anymore.

Maybe someday, someday when she was in heaven, she would look down and see a true, real smile on his face.

Mary Lou snapped the picture. The was leaning her head on his, a few of the green curls covering a bit of her face. Her yellow eyes winking on the right and Izuku's emerald ones staring straight forward. She smiled brightly and Izuku had his half-smile, half-deadpan. He leaned his head against her arm a bit.

It's a nice picture. Mary Lou messed around with the device a bit and set it as Izuku's background before handing it back to the boy. Izuku took the phone. For the rest of the trip, Mary Lou noticed, he stared at that picture.

Their car entered the housing addition that the Kirishima's lived in. It's a much nicer place. Thirty minutes out of the red light district. Izuku will be safer here. This is for the best. The best...

She tries to convince herself. It doesn't hurt any less. Izuku seemed to think the same. Yamada seemed to think the same.

None of them wanted this.

They parked at the curb. No one started the movement to get out of the car. Eventually, Yamada turned in his seat and looked back at Mary Lou and Izuku. "Hey, little listener," he whispered in a voice that one could tell he was trying to hold it together. It was so quiet compared to the normal loud, boisterous self the hero usually was. "Are you ready?" Izuku did not look up. He did not speak. Not even to Mary Lou. Mary Lou met Yamada's green eyes. He gave a weak smile. Yamada climbed out of the car. He went around to their door and opened it. Mary Lou got out first. Izuku followed after. He wasn't wearing shoes, only bandages around his feet. They decided that it would be best that he doesn't wear anything on his feet until school starts for him.

Yamada turned and pressed the button at the side of the gate.

*~DING-ding-Ding-DING~* The gate-bell rang. Soon, the door of the house further down the brick path opened. Mr. and Mrs. Kirishima came down to greet them. Their faces, while smiling, held a sense of solemness to it. They understood the seriousness of this and the pain that each of the three on the other side felt. "Good morning, Ms. Takakawa, Mr. Yamada, Izuku," Mr. Kirishima gave a small bow. They bowed too.