Simple Misunderstanding

9 | Problem Child

Izuku sits in the corner of the bed, staring off in the distance. Aizawa had shown him the guest room a few minutes ago, or was it an hour? He wasn't sure.

The room itself was nice. It consisted of walls the colour of clean seashells just waiting to be decorated. A soft breeze came through the window which was off the middle of the wall. Izuku sat on the warm dark-grey duvet as he brought his knees closer to his chest.

He averted his eyes, deciding he'd been staring at the door for too long. He noticed a small desk opposite the bed, the wood reminding him of acacia trees. The desk was bare, but he was sure to fill it up soon with his notebooks.

It already felt like home.

Wait, no. He couldn't think like that. He was just here temporarily and.. anyway he was already burdening his teachers enough with his presence here.

Of course, he always had. He always heard his middle school teachers complaining about having to 'look after him' to avoid getting into trouble with the government. Sometimes, they'd just say it to his face.

You're just pulling the whole class down, Midoriya.

Would you stop cheating on your tests? The trouble you get yourself into is enough to deal with.

Midoriya? He's one of the worst in my class. Always gettin' himself into trouble, that one.

You? Want to go to U.A? Maybe if you'd stop cheating on your papers and start behaving better, you'd have an actual chance.

I'm just waiting for the day when you finally stop this whole lie about Bakugou bullying you. He's one of our best students - he'd never do that.

Would you stop muttering? It's distracting your classmates.

"I-I'm just a bur-burden to them.." Midoriya began, pulling slightly at his hair as he tries to hold back the tears. "Th-they don't actu-actually care about m-me.."

He put his hands over his ears desperately as he tries to make the voices stop. All of the things his teachers had stated about him in the past were coming back in a flash, overlapping each other as they echoed loudly in his head.

"Sh-shut up!"

Aizawa walked down the hallway. He'd just gotten back from his patrol and after what'd happened at the dorm, he'd decided he would have to check on Izuku. Best case scenario: he's curled up asleep in bed. Worst case scenario.. well, Shota didn't want to think about that.

He reached the guest room door and immediately could hear the familiar ragged breathing he'd heard the other night. He took a deep breath before opening the door.

Izuku sat in the corner of the bed, knees to his chest as he held his hands over his ears. They seemed to be holding on tighter this time. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he muttered incoherent things Shota couldn't exactly make out.

The ravenette walked forward, leaving the door ajar. He sat himself on the bed, sitting cross-legged as he positioned himself in front of his problem child.

"Sh-shut.. up.. pl-please.." Izuku whispered as he shut his eyes tightly, hoping that would help. It didn't. In fact, it made them louder.

Midoriya?! You're kidding, right?

You're lucky I gave you the passing grade. Next time, learn not to cheat.

He's delusional!

I at least thought he'd have some fight in him.

He finally gets it! He'll never be a hero!

If you really wanna be a hero that badly, there might actually be another way. Just pray that you'll be born with a quirk in your next life, and take a swan dive off the roof of the building.

"Ku.."

Someone was calling him. Was it another bully? All Might? His mother?

"Zuku.."

Their voice became clearer each second as Izuku felt warm hands place themselves over his own.

"Izuku!" He his eyes shot open, meeting his teacher's gaze. "Izuku, can you hear me?"

The greenette nodded slightly, tears still rolling down his cheeks. He forced his eyes down, refusing to let his teacher see him cry. After all, heroes weren't supposed to cry.

"Izuku, I want you to match your breathing with me, alright?" Midoriya nodded as Shota began to take exaggerated breaths. The greenette began to take shaky breaths, matching them with his teacher until he could breathe properly again.

Izuku looked away. "I-I'm s-sorry..."

"Why are you apologising, problem child?"

He stumbled over his words. "B-Because-- I-I probably inter-interrupted your sleep or som-something, sir.."

"I told you, just Aizawa is fine." He began, slowly taking his child's hands away from his ears. "And, you didn't interrupt anything. I came home from patrol and decided to check on you."

Izuku nodded, as the ravenette held his hands comfortingly. This comfort, this person. He never knew how much he'd needed them. It really made him rethink how he'd been taught to deal with things like this growing up.

His middle school teachers would tell him to 'stop being dramatic' and 'deal with it' instead of giving him the support he needed. His classmates would be the cause of it, but then act innocent in front of the adults. He'd never really realized that this wasn't.. normal.

"Problem child?" Aizawa squeezed his hands, attempting to grab his attention.

Midoriya refocused on his teacher. "Y-Yes?"

"Can you tell me what it was about?" He gave him a warm smile, hoping to ease his nerves. "I understand if you don't want to yet. Just, can you try for me?"

Izuku nodded. He took a sharp breath. "I th-thought I was being a bur-burden to you and Present Mi-Mic.. and.. and that led to dialogue from m-my past teachers filling m-my head.." he paused, "i-It was horrible! It was al-all overlapping and s-so loud!"

"I understand, problem child. You don't need to say anymore."

Aizawa hadn't realized how bad it was. Well, he did, but he didn't realize it was this bad. Quirk discrimination was bad enough that even the teachers joined in? They should have been protecting him, not encouraging his abuse. He couldn't imagine what his problem child could have gone through alone.

He could see how anxious and shaky his child was. Abruptly, he brought Midoriya forward before giving him a much needed hug. Izuku's once tense shoulders relaxed in his hold as he nuzzled his head into Aizawa's neck.

I promise you'll never have to go through this alone again, Izuku.