Chapter 26.5 – Fantasies of a Mother
Although the new house was not aesthetically pleasing, it was certainly functional, and Izuku could get in without ducking every time. It made her feel small, but, for her son's sake, she tried to make as little of it as possible. Moreover, it is only temporary accommodation, according to the principal Nezu, since they had started building a dormitory nearby.
Her son has changed. She didn't deny it the first time she saw him again, and she doesn't deny it now either. He has not only changed physically, but also his aura, his mind, and his eyes. He doesn't sleep at night unless she asks for it herself, and he often skips meals out of habit. On the plus side, in his spare time, Izuku dabbles in art, poetry, philosophy, and literature… or studies law and economics and trains as if his life could end the next day.
But inside… very little of the child desperate to become a Hero, even though Quirkless, remained… and it would be strange otherwise. The man… the venerable elder he has become, is composed, calculating, alert and sharp.
The result of a stolen childhood, of a decision to return home, of deadly training aimed at making him something that only looks human. She will never admit that her son became a weapon of some madman, and what made him eccentric in the eyes of others is, for her, proof that something of that missing child still remains. His words told of his past, and his actions showed what he is.
On his first day of school, Inko insisted that she take a picture with Izuku. He agreed, and although he had to duck to enter the camera field, she could notice in his eyes those small glimpses of happiness that, for the last two days, she struggled to bring out. She wanted to do everything so that Izuku could finally have a moment of peace and happiness after two and a half millennia of facing vigils, war, and the horrors of the universe into which he was transported. She wanted to give him back a glimmer of normalcy, with small, simple gestures that only a mother can offer.
«Good evening, Mrs Midoriya. My name is Melissa Shield, and I'm a classmate of your son.» Melissa introduced herself politely
Inko's eyes had become two perfect ovals, and her pupils kept shifting between the girl and her son, surprised. She composed herself.
«Oh. Good evening to you. I never thought that on the first day he would already bring home such a cute girl.»
«T-t-that's not what you think!» the girl suddenly exclaimed, red in the face «Your son was kind enough to agree to help me for-»
«Thank you for being friends with my son!» Inko exclaimed, suddenly bursting into tears, sincerely «Really, thank you so much!»
«W-well...»
Melissa just didn't know how to behave. Melissa assumed Inko had misunderstood her and her son's relationship, and now that she saw her in tears, grateful to be Izuku's friend, Melissa felt conflicted: she wanted to correct Inko, but at the same time, she didn't want to shatter the relief in her eyes. Not knowing what to do, the girl turned to Izuku, looking for help.
«Mom, please now calm down and let Shield-san go.» Izuku sighed.
To unglue her from Melissa, Izuku took her mother under her arms, as if she were a cat… a cat with the fountains of the eyes still open. Slightly struggling with how to deal with this side of his mother, he began to head towards the living room.
«The bathroom is at the bottom left. Go change, Shield-san. See you outside when you're ready.»
The girl, with relief in her eyes and still slightly red, nodded affirmatively and carried out what had been said. Meanwhile, Izuku leaned her mother on the couch, but as soon as he did, she threw herself around his neck, still in tears.
«My baby! I'm happy for you, Izuku!!»
«Mom, now you're exaggerating.»
That evening, after training Melissa, Inko prepared Katsudon, Izuku's favourite dish, and began questioning him as a mother would, out of interest in her son's love life.
*****
As the days passed, Inko always welcomed Melissa with open arms, sometimes even offering her something when Izuku said she should take a break, along with words of support. Inko had a very positive impression of Melissa, noting her kindness, positivity, seriousness, and fearlessness. It reminds her a little of Izuku.
Izuku's training regimen was… very demanding, both physically and mentally, and every now and then, Inko wondered if her son was exaggerating. But Melissa didn't miss a day and continued training no matter how hard it was.
One evening, after finishing yet another workout and saying goodbye to the now constantly tired Melissa, Inko was preparing dinner while her son decided to practice with his weapon, the spear "Mercy". She's not too happy about having weapons in the house, but she can't deny her son's decision either, since he told her what happened in the Development Studio.
When it was almost ready to eat, she headed for the window to call Izuku to wash himself before eating; she noticed something… interesting.
Izuku was standing before a tall, curvy, mature woman with long, dark purple hair. Her clothes are very… too provocative for a teenager or, at least, a healthy man, but Izuku didn't seem affected. The woman had touched his right arm and seemed to ask him a question… a difficult one, since her eyes conveyed both concern and comfort. Izuku had sat on the ground and, seeing the tired seriousness on his son's face, decided that there was no point in interrupting them. But no one forbade her from observing.
She didn't miss it, of course. She noticed that after something the woman had told him, Izuku's face, for the first time, showed an innocent smile, which surprised her and made her blush. Immediately, the woman tried to hide her embarrassment and run away. A behaviour that Inko certainly doesn't easily misunderstand.
«Oh my!» Inko exclaimed mischievously «I didn't think my son had become so popular.» she ended by chuckling.
Needless to say, the mother's second round of love interrogation put the venerable Custodian on the defensive.