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“Izu-bocchan! It’s morning! Inko-kaasan says it’s time for you to get up!”
“Already? I thought I had a little longer…” Izuku mumbled while rubbing blearily at his eyes. He squinted at the window, the morning light filtering in over his carpet. Nooroo fluttered by his head, smiling gently at his sleepy chosen.
“Normally, yes. But you promised that you’d see Eri-chan off for her first day of Pre-K!” He jolted up at that, rolling out of bed with a quiet swear that his kwami didn’t bother scolding him for.
“Oh no! I forgot what day it was!” He yelped, scrambling for his closet. “Nooroo! Please tell Mom and Eri-chan that I’ll be ready really soon.”
Nooroo giggled, then phased through the door of Izuku’s room to tell the other members of the house.
He stumbled slightly through putting on his uniform for school, pinning Nooroo’s miraculous to the inside of his gakuran where no one but he would know it was there, before ducking into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his hair as best he could. He knew it was a losing battle, but he wanted to at least try to make his riot of curls look presentable. (He was seriously thinking of growing it out, in hopes that the length would weigh it down enough to make it more tameable. Maybe he could try a style like his mom…)
He trotted into the kitchen, backpack held by a single strap over his shoulder.
His mother was at the counter, humming to herself as she portioned out breakfast onto plates to carry to the table. Eri was already sitting at the table, listening to Nooroo tell a folktale while waiting for breakfast to be served.
“Good morning, Mom! Good morning, Eri-chan!” Izuku chirped, setting his bag by his chair. His mother greeted him warmly, and Eri smiled from her seat.
“Niichan! Nooroo was telling me a new story!” She smiled brightly, bouncing as she waved at him. “It’s about a spider who wants to know all the world’s stories! And a sky god gave him a bunch of quests before he could have them!”
Izuku grinned, letting his adopted little sister tell him about Nooroo’s story while the Kwami patiently waited to continue once she finished. Happily letting the emotions of his family wash over him.
He could feel Eri’s joy and the quiet awe for the clever little spider as she spoke, gesturing with her free hand as she did. The calm contentment that radiated from his mother as she placed the food down in front of everyone before sitting down and tucking in herself. The steady glow of fondness from Nooroo as he nibbled on the sliced fruit his mother had cut for the kwami and the glass of sweet juice set beside his own spot on the table.
Izuku let himself soak it all in, basking in the warmth of their little family.
(Happy mornings like this were his favorite. Any meal when they all felt happy was precious to him.)
“Eri-chan? Are you excited for your first day?” He asked gently. Eri paused, quietly nibbling at her omurice. Izuku could sense the flickers of nervousness that appeared. He continued, “It’s okay if you’re nervous. I was really nervous the first time I went.”
“You were?” She whispered, looking up at him with wide eyes. He gave a serious nod.
“Yeah, it was new. I had been in daycare before, but the daycare and Pre-K were different places. It felt scary to go somewhere I’d never been before, with people I hadn’t met before.” Well, that hadn’t been the only reason he’d been scared, but that would just make Eri upset. So he was going to skip over that.
“But you don’t need to be nervous, Eri-chan,” his mother warmly added. “You already know your teacher, and not a lot of your classmates can say that. I’m sure Yukina-sensei will be really happy to see you again.”
“Inko-kaasan is right. And you even have a new story to share once you get there!” Nooroo chipped in, floating up with his slice of banana in hand. “And you know that Yukina-sensei loves it when you share new stories with her.”
Big red eyes looked up at them, a shy smile appearing as Eri let out a little hum as she took another bite of her food.
Breakfast was wrapped up, and everyone getting ready for their respective days. Everything accounted for through the combined eyes of Inko, Izuku, and Nooroo until they were all ready to head out. Eri’s Pre-K was on the way to Izuku’s school, just before the train station he had to take. It was a good thing his mom was able to work remotely, since that gave her time to bring Eri to school and pick her up when it let out.
(They sent a gift basket to his mom’s boss at the insurance company as thanks for the arrangement. Kido-san was very understanding of the situation with Eri. She only asked that his mom come in once a week for check-in meetings with her co-workers.)
But it was important for both of them to travel with Eri to make sure she got there safely. For her sake and for their own peace of mind.
The school was brand new to the area; a combination Day Care, Pre-K, and Kindergarten for children with dangerous or difficult to control quirks. The teachers and their aids had been carefully screened before they were hired, both to ensure they could help the kids and to ensure that their quirks wouldn’t accidentally make any situations worse for the kids.
This would actually be the first year for the whole school, but Izuku had full confidence it would do wonderfully. Yukina-sensei worked too hard to help start it for any other result.
(No one but Nooroo and he would know how many teachers they had vetted behind the screens and pointed toward the new school. But he wouldn’t be surprised if there was a hidden brick in the building with his vigilante name engraved on it. The principal had hinted that there would be credit given for their help, but he had no plans of specifically looking for it.)
Izuku was so happy that Eri finally felt safe about the idea of going to school. She had been so scared for so long, it made him want to cry in relief that she felt like she could make friends and be around others without anyone being hurt.
It had been painful, the fear she felt when she’d first been brought home.
His first Kamiko had been a risk, a dangerous one. But no hero would have been able to save Eri alone. They would have only been able to save her from the criminals who’d had her, but they wouldn’t have been equipped to take care of her after that.
They would have had to hand her over to someone else. To the CPS, who would have relocated her to an orphanage or put her into the foster care system. And if she had been put into the system after being put through the things she had… She would have been hurt more if in a different way. He was sure of it.
He simply couldn’t trust the system to help her. He couldn’t trust them to understand what she needed to feel safe.
It would have been too easy for her to be lost. For someone just as cruel as her previous “foster father” to get their hands on her. For someone to use and abuse her quirk once she was in their care. It would have been too easy for her to be hurt again by someone cruel or careless.
She was safer with them, even if they weren’t “perfect”.
But they had made it work. Nooroo had been the ideal helper, being too old and powerful for Eri’s quirk to hurt him. Izuku being hyper-aware of Eri’s feelings and being able to help before they became too much. His mother being kind and patient with all of them, easing Eri’s fears before they could get out of hand.
And Yukina-sensei. Who’d helped ease Eri into the idea of going to school and meeting other children. Who had a quirk that was just right for helping prevent children from losing control of their quirks and panicking.
Between the four of them, they had helped ease the worst of Eri’s fear and let her feel safe.
(He really needed to get Yukina-sensei a gift basket for how she’d helped with that. Besides, the new school could use some “housewarming” gifts for all the hard work the teachers had already put into it. Maybe his mom would have ideas of what they could put into it.)
The small building had several families outside the gate, children getting goodbye hugs from their siblings and parents. There were a few scared kids crying and clinging to whichever parent was closest, others hiding behind their legs and watching the other kids nervously.
He didn’t remember his first day being this noisy, but that had been a while ago, so he couldn’t say for sure.
He thought he might have cried which, for a Midoriya, wasn’t exactly unexpected. It had been the year after the doctor’s had declared him quirkless, so none of the kids have been very nice to him.
Had his dad been there on his first day? Or had he already left by then? He couldn’t quite remember anymore. He knew his mom had been there at least, he’d been too little to try and go to school by himself…
Oh well, it didn’t matter. Not anymore.
What mattered was the way Eri clung to his mom as she peeked at the other children from where she hid her face in the crook of her neck. His mom murmured soothing things into Eri’s ear as they approached the building, Izuku taking point and opening the door so that his mom didn’t have to.
Izuku helped them check in so his mother could focus on cheering up his little sister, figuring out where Eri’s classroom was, and greeting her teacher. Yukina-sensei greeted them warmly when they stepped into the little classroom, happily addressing the Midoriya family by name before greeting the next family that arrived.
“Are you ready, Eri-chan?” Inko asked. Eri peeked up at her mom, nodding slowly and letting go so that she could be set on her own feet.“Don’t worry, I’ll pick you up as soon as school lets out. We can get groceries for dinner after that. We can even get everything to make Ringo Pan for dessert.”
Izuku let out a laugh at the way Eri’s face lit up. He crouched down and opened his arms for a hug. Eri darted in and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I’ll be picking something up after school lets out, so I won’t be home until after you and Mom finish shopping. But I’ll spend all day waiting to hear about yours,” he said softly, giving her a little squeeze.
Nooroo peeked out of his bag, being careful to stay hidden from the other families in the room.
“Have a wonderful day, Eri-chan. I can’t wait for the stories you’ll share when you come home,” Nooroo kept his voice soft to ensure no one but them would hear him. “I look forward to hearing about all the new friends you’ll make.”
“Bye-bye, Mama. Bye-bye, Niichan,” Eri said. Then, in a whisper, she added, “Bye-bye, Nooroo. I’ll bring home lots of new pictures for you.”
The kwami smiled, nodding before he ducked back into Izuku’s backpack. Eri smiled shyly again, then slowly made her way to the little shelf of books in the room. Izuku knew she was still a little too shy to go right over to the other kids, but he was sure she would be okay.
He and his mom waved goodbye before finally heading out to make their own way. He could feel the worry from his mom. He was worried too.
He didn’t want Eri to be hurt the same way he was at that age. Kids could be a lot meaner than people thought they could be. They may not have a full understanding of the words they used, but it was easier for a child to carry hurt than an adult. But he knew she would be safer than he had been back then. (She, at least, had a quirk.)
Yukina-sensei wouldn’t let anyone try to hurt her for her quirk.
“Eri-chan will be okay. Yukina-sensei will make sure of it,” Nooroo said, muffled slightly by Izuku’s bag. “She has everything she needs to take care of the class. And there are only ten students in it. Everything will be okay.”
Nooroo’s words helped, just a bit.
The class was small, so there was no chance of Eri getting lost in the shuffle or accidentally skimmed over. And with so few students, any kid trying to be mean was sure to be noticed by the teacher. Yukina-sensei’s quirk, Calm Mind, would help if anything did happen. They picked the school for just that reason.
(Calm Mind; A semi-passive, area-of-effect quirk. Very useful for helping calm people during moments of stress, be it anger, fear, or extreme sadness. Generally, it made it harder for those emotions to take effect and could be momentarily strengthened for roughly fifteen minutes at a time. It had a roughly 6-meter range, centered on Yukina-sensei herself.)
Inko let out a breath as they stepped onto the main street.
“We know, but it’s hard not to worry.” She stopped and turned to Izuku, pulling him into a hug. “You have a good first day, too. And try to stay safe.”
“I’ll do my best, Mom,” he said, hugging her back tightly. “I’ll send a text once I get out of school and after I pick up the books we ordered.”
The two parted ways, Inko heading home while Izuku started jogging lightly to get to the train station.
Which was under attack by a villain. Because of course it was.
(Animal transformation mixed with size-changing. Something in the head-shape was reminiscent of a shark, so he probably had a sensory ability similar to them.)
At least it was wrapping up, so he wouldn’t end up late for school. Kamui Woods’ agency was on the scene, and they were fairly efficient in post-battle cleanup. Even if Kamui himself was a tad melodramatic while working. (From what Izuku and Nooroo had gathered, at least.)
He also got to see the debut of a new heroine. That was always a good way to start the day!
Mt Lady had been the one to bring the villain down, cutting off Kamui’s attack before he could make contact. He supposed being able to get the drop on the villain had been what gave her the edge, along with the fact that she could increase her size further than they could. He’d need to make a proper profile for her later in his analysis books. She was clearly a Limelight Hero, so it wouldn’t take long for him to get plenty of information on her.
She seemed very focused on the crowd, though. Possibly more than the villain she’d just helped apprehend.
Public approval was important, especially for new heroes who were trying to drum up potential connections. For interest from possible sponsors and product placement roles. Jobs and connections like that often helped Limelight Heroes stay in the limelight. Considering Mt Lady’s quirk and the potential property destruction that came with it, getting attention to help pay for her agency’s insurance would be an important part of maintaining her place as a Pro-Hero.
(Hm… Her costume may need some work, though; it looked like the sizing was a bit off. It bunched up too much at the joints while somehow being too tight over her bust and hips. He could see her butt far more easily than he should have. There was no way that was comfortable for her.)
At one time, Izuku wouldn’t have minded getting attention like that for helping people. For making them feel safe and like everyone would be okay while he was there.
Now, however, news slots and meet & greets didn’t have the appeal it used to. It was better that no one knew who he was or what he looked like. Izuku and his skills were better put to use in the background, where everyday people rarely thought to look.
After all, the worst villains stayed hidden in the shadows. So he was better off there, too, to help fight them back.
“Izu-bocchan, don’t forget about your train!”
“Ah! Right!”
Afterword:
A little note just to set the ages/timeline! Eri was 6 when she was rescued in canon. And Izuku’s wiki page says he was about 15 during his first year at UA. Therefore, during Izuku’s training year before the Entrance Exams (when it’s explicitly stated that he’s 14), Eri was probably about 5 years old.
Izuku and Nooroo ended up learning about Eri’s situation much sooner than canon, and they agreed to make a Kamiko to SPECIFICALLY rescue Eri and ensure that Overhaul wouldn’t find her again. I might go into specifics later (bc I put THOUGHT into how to pull that off), but right now it’s vague.
Since Eri was rescued earlier thanks to Izuku’s work as Sasakia, and was adopted by the Midoriyas, she’s old enough to be going to Pre-K (which is for ages 4-5) and they’ve managed to arrange for her to attend a special school for kids with unstable/hard to control quirks.
Izuku and Nooroo went out of their way to check the local schools and their teachers to ensure she would be safe. And they would only settle for The Best One for keeping the kids happy/safe without putting them at risk. Izuku had, with a tiny bit of reluctance, come to terms with the Trauma from his own pre-k thanks to Nooroo. He DOES NOT want his new baby sister to be hurt the same way he had been. She’s already been through enough.
In turn they have SO MUCH DIRT on all the local daycares, pre-k’s, and kindergartens and the people running them. There may be a few that they got shut down. For Reasons. Don’t worry about it.
I also wanted to show that Nooroo has a very different relationship with the Midoryia family than other Kwami seemed to have with their chosen. He isn’t a secret that was being kept by Izuku; the whole family knows that he exists. He’s pretty much part of the family, helping take care of Eri and Izku (even if it’s in a more emotional/mental health way).
He’s a confidant. They all talk to him, and he talks to them. He comforts both children, he helps keep Izuku on track, and he is cared for in turn.
Also, he calls Izuku “Izu-bocchan” to be both formal and very affectionate. “-bocchan” often gets translated as “young master” in manga and anime, and often used by maids and butlers for their charges, but it’s actually a very affectionate/personal term when it’s used. There’s a distinct childishness/inexperience that’s implied by its use that just doesn’t translate into English.
In combination with using “Izu” instead of “Izuku” (since the Japanese don’t traditionally do casual nicknames), it’s meant to make them sound very close/affectionate.
It’s kind of like Nooroo calling him “Young/Little Master Izu.” Which sounds a lot more playful/affectionate than just calling him “young master”.
