Chapter Text
Izuku stops in his tracks when he sees something interesting.
He’s out trying to hunt for food when he spots the yellow object, laying inconspicuously in the middle of the road. Izuku tilts his head, shuffling closer as he ruffles his wings, bending down to pick it up carefully in his talons. His excellent eyesight allows him to spot small objects like this from hundreds of yards away.
Izuku looks around him, making sure there’s no one there as he flies up towards the top of the abandoned apartment building in which he’s currently living. It’s condemned, dangerous and so as far as Izuku knows, he’s the only person living there.
Izuku has been alone for as long as he can remember. He thinks he had a mother and a last name, once, but his memory of his past has long since faded. At six years old, he’s used to taking care of himself, using his falcon instincts to hunt and stay as safe as he can. He’s not great at flying yet, not really, but he can at least get himself away from anyone who wants to catch or hurt him.
Now with the yellow goggles clutched in his talons, Izuku heads into his little home. He’d picked one of the top floor apartments, piling some blankets in a corner along with other objects he likes collecting. As far as he knows, collecting objects isn’t something falcons do in the wild, but Izuku’s always liked doing it, feeling like he has a treasure trove of his own.
He tucks the goggles into the dirty blankets he has in the corner, ruffling his feathers happily. He had stolen a hot dog earlier from a street vendor, eating it hastily as he cuddles in his blanket nest, wrapping his wings in front of himself. When he’s done eating, Izuku picks up the goggles, examining them with his talons.
They’re yellow and the eyes are slits. They don’t look like they’re for swimming or flying, and Izuku is perplexed by them. He spends the night trying to work out what the goggles are for, before he hangs them around his neck, moving to look in the dirty mirror hanging on the wall of the room.
Izuku takes in his appearance. His wings look almost too large for his body, cascading down his back and impossible to miss, the speckled markings of a peregrine falcon on them. His body is mostly human looking, save for his feet and hands which curve into talons instead of fingernails. His eyes are dark, much more sensitive than an average human’s, and on top of his head is a mop of curly black and green hair. He looks like a blend between a bird and a person, and Izuku's not honestly sure which he's more like.
Izuku has never been to quirk counseling and isn’t officially registered anywhere, but in his head he calls his quirk Falcon, since that’s the animal he is. He looks at his falcon wings now, proud of how he had slashed openings in the back of his dirty blue hoodie to put his wings through, his tattered black sweatpants the only other clothes he’s wearing. The yellow goggles still hang around his neck and Izuku grins, liking the look of them. He nods to himself, deciding to keep the goggles. They look cool.
The next morning, Izuku is up on the roof still wearing the goggles, stretching his wings when he smells something delicious. He looks down to see that someone has left what looks like an entire lunch out on a picnic blanket on the ground outside his building. His stomach growls, looking to see who it might have been.
He doesn’t spot anyone, so Izuku flies down to the food, almost drooling when he sees some fried chicken and a juice box. Practically a buffet, more food than Izuku’s seen at once in months. He doesn’t even think, he just sits down and tears into the food, shoving in as much as he can without a thought to who might have left the food here. Izuku doesn’t have the luxury of thinking about the morality of things like stealing, since he’s only six and also starving most days.
He’s so caught up in his eating that he doesn’t notice someone approaching him from the side, keeping a safe distance away from him.
“Hey, kid,” a voice says, and Izuku stops mid bite, turning to see a man kneeling down about three meters away from him, wearing a black outfit, a silver scarf, and with long, scraggly black hair.
Izuku knows he can fly away from the man but he’s intrigued, surprised that someone was able to sneak up on him. He doesn’t talk to people often, but the man doesn’t look angry. Izuku opts to try speaking to him, in case the man turns out to be nice.
“Is this your food?” Izuku asks, pointing down at the feast he’s already ravaged, “I’m sorry, I was really hungry.”
“It’s okay,” the man smiles, “I actually left it out here for you. You see, I’m a pro hero. I was patrolling here the other night and I lost something very valuable to me.”
Izuku glances down at the yellow goggles, his wings rustling unhappily. The man spots the goggles too, but Izuku doesn’t hand them over. He likes the goggles, and he doesn’t want to give them back, if that's what the hero is looking for.
“My name is Eraserhead,” the man says calmly, “I need those goggles for my job. They help me catch the bad guys.”
Izuku rustles his feathers with interest. “Catch the bad guys?”
Eraserhead nods. He’s moved a little closer, about two meters away now. “Yep, that’s right. With those on, villains can’t see if I’m using my quirk. See, when I use it, my eyes turn red and then I can stop them.”
Izuku nods like he understands what Eraserhead is talking about. He just keeps eating the fried chicken, watching the hero with interest.
“I like the goggles, though,” Izuku mumbles through a mouthful of chicken, “They’re cool.”
“They are really cool,” Eraserhead agrees, “But I need them if I’m going to catch more bad guys. Could I have them back, please?”
Izuku freezes. He doesn’t want to give them back. Izuku has so few things that when he finds something he likes he has a really, really hard time letting go of it. Sometimes, his claws won’t let him even if he wants to.
“But I like them,” Izuku mumbles, taking off the goggles and holding them in his hands, frowning at them. He knows he should give them back, they’re not his, but he still doesn’t want to.
“How about this,” Eraserhead says quietly, “What if you hang onto those goggles, but you come with me instead? You can hold them the whole time.”
Izuku considers this. “Um…that might be okay. Where are we going?”
“Well, I was thinking you could go home with me,” Eraserhead says calmly, “I know you’re alone, kiddo. You could have a bath, a good meal, and some new clothes. What do you think?”
Izuku thinks for a moment. That all sounds good and Eraserhead is nice. Plus, he gets to keep a hold on the goggles which makes him happy.
“Okay,” Izuku says, keeping the goggles locked in his talons, “Where do you live, Eraserhead?”
“A little ways from here,” Eraserhead says, “We’ll need to drive there. I’ve called someone to come give us a ride, if that’s okay with you.”
Izuku nods, watching as Eraserhead picks up the remnants of the food Izuku had eaten, and tosses it in the trash. They wait for a few minutes until a car pulls up. In the front seat is a man with blonde hair and a friendly smile.
Izuku just blinks, playing with the goggles in his claws as Eraserhead gently coaxes him into the backseat, buckling him in. Izuku’s never been in a car before, excited when Eraserhead sits down next to him.
“Hey there, little one,” the blonde man says from the front seat, “My name is Present Mic. What’s your name?”
“Izuku,” Izuku says, keeping his eyes fixed on the yellow goggles, “Eraserhead’s letting me hold these.”
Present Mic smiles. “Eraserhead’s very nice, isn’t he? Alright, everyone buckled? Home we go!”
The car ride is interesting, Izuku’s stomach doing a little swoop as Present Mic drives a little faster. Izuku’s talons are still wrapped around Eraserhead’s goggles, but he's looking out the window with big eyes as the buildings whiz past. It almost looks like they're flying, despite being low to the ground.
“Mic and I live together,” Eraserhead tells Izuku, who looks at the hero with surprise.
“In the same house?” Izuku asks curiously.
Eraserhead nods, “Yes. We’re married, and we live together in the same apartment. My name is Shouta Aizawa, and Present Mic is called Hizashi Yamada.”
Izuku furrows his brow in confusion. “You have lots of names to remember. I only have one.”
“It’s a good name you have, though,” Hizashi smiles, “Izuku. It’s nice.”
Izuku preens at that, pleased with the compliment. The drive lasts a little while longer, until Hizashi parks the car and Aizawa helps Izuku out of his seat belt. They’re outside a nice looking apartment building, and the heroes lead him inside and up the elevator. Izuku’s stomach swoops again as they ride up in the elevator, still clutching onto Eraserhead’s goggles. When the elevator stops, Hizashi leads them down the hall to the last door on the left, unlocking it and letting them in.
Izuku looks around curiously at the little apartment. He sees lots of things he’s never seen up close before, like a real kitchen and a television. There’s bookshelves, a table and chairs, even a computer. He looks around with interest, eyes widening when he spots a leather jacket on the couch. Without thinking, he sets the goggles down, heading to the couch and picking up the leather jacket, raising it up and looking at it with big eyes. It looks warm, and Izuku buries his face against it, inhaling deeply. It smells good.
“You like that jacket?” Hizashi asks gently, “It’s mine, but you can hold it for as long as you like.”
Izuku clings to it, sitting on the couch and looking around the room with wide eyes. He’s still not entirely sure what’s going on, but Aizawa had promised him a meal. His stomach growls as if on cue, looking at Aizawa hopefully.
“You still hungry, kid?” Aizawa asks gently, Izuku nodding enthusiastically. The chicken had been nice, but Izuku's always hungry.
“Alrighty, what do you want to eat?” Hizashi asks, heading to the kitchen with a grin. Izuku clutches onto the jacket before he stands up, setting it down and rustling his wings with interest, following Hizashi into the kitchen.
Izuku doesn’t answer, his eyes wide when the fridge opens and he sees how much food is in there. It’s more food than Izuku’s ever seen at once, even more than the feast Aizawa had given him earlier.
“Take whatever you’d like,” Hizashi says gently, “We’ve got more than enough.”
Izuku looks in the fridge, spotting all sorts of good things before one package gets his attention. He reaches for it, his mouth watering when he sees what’s inside. Raw meat, hamburger.
“Oh, we’ll have to cook the meat first if you want that,” Hizashi starts to say, but Izuku’s already tearing into the package with his teeth.
"You’ll get sick if you eat it raw,” Aizawa adds, reaching for the package as if to stop Izuku.
Izuku lets out a warning chirp, his eyes darkening as he pulls the package close to his chest, flexing his talons and flaring his wings. Aizawa puts his hands held up as if to show Izuku he’s not going to take the meat. Hizashi doesn't say anything, just looks at Izuku with a calm expression.
“Izuku, do you eat raw meat?” Aizawa asks quietly. Izuku just nods his heart pounding hard. He hadn’t meant to threaten them, but his bird instincts act up when he feels emotional, especially when hungry.
“Alright,” Hizashi soothes, kneeling down, “Sorry kiddo, go ahead and eat it. Raw meat makes most people sick, but we weren’t thinking about your raptor instincts.”
Izuku tilts his head almost completely horizontally in confusion. “I’m a bird, not a raptor. A raptor is a dinosaur.”
Hizashi laughs and Aizawa grins. “Raptor is another word for birds of prey, Izuku. Like you.”
Izuku considers this for about ten seconds before hunger overtakes him, tearing into the rest of the package with his teeth. He eats the contents in less than two minutes, licking the bottom of the tray before he looks back up at the two heroes.
“Was it good?” Aizawa asks him, with no judgment in his eyes at all. Izuku nods, wiping his mouth and setting the now-empty tray down on the counter. He stands there for a while, unsure of what to do next, remembering Aizawa had mentioned a bath and new clothes.
“Come on, let's get you cleaned up,” Aizawa murmurs, and he shows Izuku the bathroom. Izuku is enamored with the bath, having only previously gotten clean standing in the rain. The warm water feels amazing on his skin, and he enjoys the feeling of water sliding down his feathers, too. He scrubs his body clean, giggling as the bar of soap keeps slipping out of his hands. He has a fun time trying to grab it under the water, splashing both Aizawa and Hizashi in his game with the soap.
“C’mere, squirt, let me wash your hair,” Hizashi smiles and Izuku leans forward, allowing him to gently massage shampoo into his scalp. It feels amazing, and Izuku relaxes completely. He closes his eyes while Hizashi rinses it out and Izuku chirps happily, enjoying the sensation. He’s never been so clean before, and when he stands up and shakes the water out of his wings, Izuku’s surprised to see how shiny and healthy his feathers look.
Izuku dries off and Aizawa brings over a long t-shirt with two slashes cut haphazardly in the back, helping Izuku pull it on. It falls past his knees and it smells clean and fresh. He chirps happily again, hoping he’ll get to sleep in this nice, warm place where there’s a bath and seemingly endless food.
“May I pick you up?” Hizashi asks, and Izuku nods enthusiastically. Hizashi’s tall, so he figures it will be fun to be up high, like when he’s flying. Hizashi very gently picks him up, tucking him close to his chest, careful to mind Izuku’s wings and talons, and Izuku sighs happily, snuggling into the warmth. He’s never been so warm before.
Hizashi carries him into a room that has a huge bed in it, bigger than any bed Izuku’s ever seen. He’s set down on top of the covers, a big, thick blanket pulled up over him. Izuku notices with absolute joy that the yellow goggles and the leather jacket are on the bed, too, happily pulling them up to his chest.
“Izuku, do you like it here?” Aizawa asks him, and Izuku nods. He’s clean, warm, full, and no one is taking his treasures away. He’s not lonely, either. Hizashi and Aizawa are there, and he likes them.
Hizashi shares a smile with Aizawa before looking at Izuku with gentle eyes. “Do you want to stay here with us?”
Izuku’s eyes widen in surprise. Stay here?
“For real?” Izuku asks softly, “I…I can stay?”
Aizawa nods, reaching over to gently put a hand on Izuku’s talon, “Yes. The police have been trying to help you for a long time. I actually dropped my goggles to get your attention. They said if you wanted to come home with us and stay here, you could live here with us for good. We’d adopt you. Is that something you would want?”
Izuku can hardly believe his luck. It’s like a dream come true, but he’s not about to second guess it. Living on his own is scary and sad, and Izuku doesn’t like it. It sounds like Aizawa and Hizashi have been trying to find him for a long time and now that they have, Izuku doesn’t want to leave.
“Yes,” Izuku says quietly, “I wanna stay.”
Hizashi and Aizawa both smile, and Izuku thinks he sees tears in Hizashi’s eyes.
“Alright then,” Aizawa murmurs, eyes crinkling at the corners, “Welcome home, kid.”