Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As the sun ascended over the rolling hills, illuminating the sky with a pale orange hue. The sounds of birds chirping and the rustling of towns people starting their day began to fill the small farming town of arkale. At this time, our protagonist, Izuku Midoriya awoke, the freckled boy stretched and yawned as he pulled himself from his bed. Still in his sleeping clothing, izuku left his bedroom, stumbling his way down the dark and narrow hallway of the cramped cottage he and his mother lived in. Izuku entered the kitchen to greet his mother, who was sat in a frayed whicker chair at the kitchen table mending one of izukus linen shirts. Izuku ducted under the low door frame and entered into the kitchen.

Inko took her focus off her sewing and looked up at her son, “good morning Izuku honey” she said with a warm smile on her face.

“Good morning mom” Izuku responded, in a groggy tone, he was still half asleep. Reaching into the cupboard Izuku grabbed a metal cup, he then lifted the lid of the water pail, dunked his cup into the cold water, taking the cup to his mouth and gulping down the water. This helped to wake him up and he walked over to the kitchen table where his mother was working diligently on mending his shirt.

“You do know i couldve done that myself” he said.

“Yes, but i wanted to, you’re always so helpful, plus this will be my last time ill be able to mend my little boys clothes for god knows how long” weepy eyed, Inko Midoriya burried her face in the sleeve of her dress.

“Yeah well i supose i can let you then, only if you want to. I have to say i am going to miss this when im gone, me and needles dont exactly mix..”

This seemed to cheer his mother up some what and she giggled, and began retelling the story of Izuku accidentally sewing together the table cloth and a sock he was mending.

Things had been a little tense in the Midoriya household as Izukus eighteenth birthday approached. Inko always knew one day her son was going to leave this town, i mean, he was his fathers son after all, but it had all hit her quite suddenly none the less.

It had always been Inko and Izuku, for as long as the boy could remember. Izukus father, Hisashi Midoriya had left his home town of Arkale at the age of eighteen, like his son, he too thought Arkale was a deeply suffocating place.

Izuku didnt know much about his father, i mean he has never met the man, he only knew what his mother had told him. plus the whispers of gossip from towns people, but the boy chose to ignore those.

From Izukus understanding, his father had met his mother in school and they started dating, but Hisashi was an ambitious man, his father had heard a tale of a mysterious blade that possessed the power of god, a blade that could give its user great power. The tale of the great sword excalibur, it fasinated Hisashi deeply. It took over his father’s consciousness, according to Izukus mother, “it was all he would talk about, even after he proposed to me. While i was planning our wedding, your father was planning his journey to find that god foresaken sword. He swore to me that once he found it he would return to me, and we would be wed.”

Hisashi midoriya left Arkale on his quest, abandoning fiancée Inko. No less than three days after the young man set off on his journey, Inko missed her period. A girl with such a bright future, was reduced to nothing but a mother, she worked and provided for Izuku all on her own, and despite this Inko never spoke ill of Hisashi once.

The people of the town mocked his father, ‘that poor boy’ people would say as Izuku walked down the streets as a child.
‘What a shame it must be to have such a disgraceful father’. Many of the residents of Arkale didnt share Inkos positive veiw on Hisashis actions, all they saw was a selfish immature young man who abandoned the woman he was supposed to marry to go on a delusional quest to chase so some stupid fairy tale. Many thought Hisashi left due to fear of commitment, he had his fun with Inko and when he actually had to commit to marrying the girl he got scared and skipped town.

Inko didnt care what the towns people thought, she knew Hisashi loved her and maybe he had died on his journey, but she felt in her heart he was out there, waiting to come back to her. When he did come back she would be ready for him.

When Izuku heard this story as a child he naturally grew curious what this legend that had led his father to leaving town was. He visited the small public library and rummaged his way through religious texts, cook books, gardening guides, and childrens books until he found a copy of the tale of excalibur. It was old and the bind was tattered but the writting was ledgable. That day little seven year old izuku spent his day sat in that dusty library reading the book cover to cover.
He became infatuated with the story, not for the same reasons as his father though.
Reading the story made him feel closer to his dad, something he had never felt before. He could picture his dad reading the same book, as he read he could feel his father flicking through the pages with him.

He yearned to meet his father and he waited for his return. Izuku shared his mothers hopefull optimism, Hisashi wasnt dead, Izuku could feel it. His father was out there, and on that day Izuku pledged he too would go on the search for the sword of excalibur. He wasnt intrested in power, but if his father was out searching for this sword than it logically made the most sense that if Izuku were to embark on the same journey he would find his dad.

When the excited Izuku ran home to tell his mother the news of his ingenious plan all Inko did was chuckle.

“You want to go on a quest to find your Excalibur? Izuku baby why would you want to do a thing like that?”

“Because mom! If i go find the sword than it means daddy will have to come home, wont it?!”

“I suppose.. but baby what will i do without you? Who is going to help me wash the clothes or collect the eggs?”

“Oh.. that is true. But mom i want to find daddy, for you, then he can help with all that stuff”

“But what about school Izuku, arent you going to miss your friends? Arent you going to miss Bakugou? Hes going to have to find a new best friend”

“Well i do need to go to school, i guess.. and i dont really want kacchan to find a new friend..”

“So maybe its better to stay here, daddy will find his way to us Izuku, i just know it”

“I know! If daddy still hasnt found the sword by the time I finish school ill go after the sword myself, that way i wont have to leave kacchan to play alone at break”

“Sure izuku.. if you still want to go when you turn eighteen, you have my blessing to follow in your father’s footsteps. But you make sure bring your father back so i can give him a good scalding, will you do that for me?” Inko said smilling at her son, unaware that in ten years he would be preparing to leave on this journey.

“Off course i will mom, ill make sure to bring daddy home, then we can all be a family”

While he sat at the kitchen table, listening to his mother go on about some supposed drama between the neighbors he was hit with a sensational hunger.

Izuku made his way over to the press and was greeted with a sparse selection of foods. His stomach grumbled and he sighed at the pitiful sight that beheld him.

“I think ill go into town today mom”

“What for?”

Izuku turned to give his mother an unimpressed look.

“Are we looking at the same press” gesturing to the large selves containg a limp bag of grain, wooden bowl of salt, and some dried beans.

“I suppose it is a little bare isnt it” said inko with sheepish look.

“Yuh huh! Either way i need to pick up a couple things, i still dont have everything i need before i leave tomorrow”

“Well if your sure its no trouble..”

“Trust me its fine mom, ill make my way to the market after school today”

“Well ok then, im just a little concerned. Are you sure you want spend your last day in Arkale running errands? Wouldnt you rather hangout with your friends before you leave? What ever happened to you and katsuki? You two were such good friends, im sure he’d love to see you before you go”

“Trust me i think kacchan is the last person who wants to hangout with me” Izuku said solemnly. Inko frowned at this, she knew the boys had grown apart after all these years, but even so. It was odd Izuku wouldnt even drop by the Bakugou household before he left.

After the topic of Izukus child hood friend was brought up and dropped abruptly the conversation between mother and son stopped too. Ms Midoriya got back to her sewing and Izuku zoned out, staring out the window into his front garden, he watched the chickens shuffle around in the grass squawking and clucking gently.
These small things would be the things he would miss most when he left, sitting in a comfortable silence, watching the world around him.

Izuku had always been an observant person, even as a child. He always felt more comfortable looking at others achieve greatness and success than seek it for himself. Maybe thats why he was leaving his sheltered little town? Maybe this would be the first time in his life he could seize the moment and be star, be the hero of the story. Just for once.

Chapter Text

After being lost in a trance starring out the window Izuku was swiftly brought back to earth when his mother broke the silence.

“Are you planning on going to school today..?”

“Huh? Of course. I made a pact with you remember”

“Yes i know dear.. its just.. it looks like all your class mates are on their way to school” Inko said gesturing for Izuku to look out the window. He did and his mother was correct, Izuku saw a group of boys from his class on their way to school.

They all seemed very energetic, jumping around and laughing, though not far infront of them there was the tall figure of a boy, with his eyes facing straight forward and a scowl on his face. Bakugou seemed normal as ever. A shorter black haired boy ran up to him leaving the group behind and jumping up to put his arm around the taller boy’s shoulder. Bakugou twinged at this and flung his arm off him, oh how Bakugou loathed being touched.

Again Izuku got distracted as his eyes followed his classmates until they were too far the see.

“Izuku!!” A voice yelled

Izuku snapped back to reality.

“Honey are you alright!?”

“Huh, yeah no im fine” Izuku shook his head trying to shake off whatever daze he was in.

“Honey you were practically pressed to the glass..”

“Oh geez was i? Its just thought i saw someone i knew”

“Well if your sure your ok.. you just seem off.”

“Yeah no i dont know whats up with me, maybe the thought of leaving, a little daughnting isnt it”

Inko wasnt looking very impressed at her son at this moment. “Izuku! What is up with you?? Those are your classmates!”

“Yeah… they are?” He said a little confused.

“Well if you are planning on going to school i would get a move on considering they are going to the same place..”

Crap!

Izuku jumped up promptly.

“Now he gets it” Said Inko to her self.

The noises of a very frazzled and frantic Izuku erupted through the house and in a flash the boy was dressed.
He threw on his boots as he was half way out the door and with a yell goodbye to his mother the boy began running to school.

“Hello Izuku dear” said the older woman that lived next door to the Midoriyas. She was sitting out in her yard with a chubby tabby curled up on her lap. Mrs Shuzenji was a dear friend of the Midoriyas, due to fact that she was a trained nurse and poor Izuku was even as a clumsier child than he is now, he had a tremendous talent for breaking his fingers when he was young. So the two of them became friends through mutual benefit, Mrs Shuzenji would help bandage up little Izuku’s numerous injuries and Ms Midoriya would send over baked deserts as a thank you.

“Hello Mrs Shuzenji!” Izuku yelled from the street as he frantically tried to tuck his shirt into his trousers.

“Running a little late are we?” The old woman giggled.

“What me? Never!” He waved goodbye as he picked up the pace and began sprinting to school.

“Crap crap crap” he mutter, he slowed his pace to a light jog as he approached the outside of his school. He swung opens the doors entering this dreaded school for the last time.

The door to the classroom flung open and the class inside looked to see who had caused such a ruckus. The class giggled and whispered to eachother looking at the green haired boy who had interrupted their lesson. Izuku stood in the door frame red faced and panting as he shamefully took his seat.

“What a fucking loser” one girl wispered to another. Neither cared that Izuku could hear them, it didnt matter, he knew they all hated him.

Stumbling through the rows of desk, Izuku was cautious not to bump into anyone, and of course no one had bothered to readjust their chairs to make space for him to walk through.

A boy with grey hair grinned at his classmate clearly struggling to get through in a quiet manner. The boy stuck his foot out infront of Izuku as he made his way past his desk, and just like clockwork Izuku fell to the ground.

With a thump Izuku found himself on the ground, the class erupted into more laughter and mockery, the boy who tripped him was smiling smugly as his friends complimented him on his timing.

“That loser went down like fucking tree, good job yuu”

“Please take your seat quickly Mr Midoriya, youve disrupted the lesson enough”

“Yes sir i am so sorry” Izuku said, thou Izuku wore no frown on his face today, instead, he was smilling.

“What the fucks wrong with you” said Yuu

“Im sorry Yuu i must not have seen you foot”

Izuku took his seat and before the boy could question him further the lesson had comenced again.

Nothing was going to rain on his mood, not today, not the tourmentors or anyone else. ‘This is my last day in town’ Izuku thought, ‘i dont care what anyone says or does im going to enjoy myself’.

Izuku sat through class fully invested in what the teacher was saying, not zoning out like normal. He even raised his hand to answer questions from the teacher, something he hadnt done since primary school.

His classmates didnt even throw stuff at him or bother him at all, most if them were just too confused by what was going on with their normally akward and shy classmate.

That was how all Izukus classes went that day, at break he even sat in the lunch hall instead of his usual spot in behind the school. He was still sitting completely alone, but the fact that he had to confidence to actually sit in amongst his peers was enough for him.

He got plenty of stares but if nothing else, his bullies were too confused by Izukus completely out of character behaviour to even bother doing the normal drill of tipping his lunch on the ground or dumping all his stuff out the window.

This cycle had been dekus entire secondary school experience, before that Katsuki had always kept the bullies off him. But after Bakugou had stopped talking to him and started hanging around with different groups the bullying started up again.
I guess they thought he was weird, this skinny boy with no dad, who lived in a run down cottage with his mother. Constantly spaced out and never willing to inflict violence on others. Those things always stayed the same, even when Izuku got older and started working out, he didnt want to go out of his way to hurt others.

In truth his bullies were just small minded, they thought he was delusional for thinking he could find his father and resented him for having aspiations outside the tight confines of Arkale. Deep down most of them knew they could never leave Arkale, so picking on Izuku was the only thing they could do to cope with that thought.

Apart from Izukus strange behaviour it was just a normal school day like any other. To most it was just the day before break, the last day of the academic term but nothing else, so the day still ran as normal.

On the sound of the final bell signalling the end of the day Izuku was already packed up and walking out of the building, trying hard to contain his excitement. He reached the gate to exit the school when he heard a familiar voice yell out to him.

“Hey nerd” the voice yelled out.

Izuku promptly turned, already aware of who the greeting had come from.

“Hey Kacchan, how are you”

“Shut your damn face Deku”

“Nice to see you too..” Izuku hadnt really expected anything else from the blonde boy.

“Why the fuck have you been acting so weird today” his tone was something Izuku hadnt expected to hear, he sounded almost concerned.

“I mean, i dont blame you for not remembering but today is the last day of term, and subsequently i also happen to turn 18 tomorrow, so well..”

“You cant tell me your delusional ass is actually going to follow through on that hopeless childhood fantasy of yours”

This snark comment struck Izuku and he felt a twinge of rage inside of him.

“So what if i am”

Bakugou laughed “god Deku you really are pathetic, you know you’re just going to make a fool of yourself, everyone in town knows it. So whats the fucking plan huh? You gonna leave Arkake to find that deadbeat dad of yours? News flash Deku he’s gone.” Bakugou took a sigh seeing the angered expression on Izukus face.

He smiled smugly then continued on “I mean dead or not, why the fuck do you think he’d care about a worthless weakling like you? You shouldn’t care about him either, cuz he’s either a washed up failure or a fucking corpse”

“If thats all you wanted to say Kacchan then you can leave me alone, you think i havent thought all that already? God, the fact you have the nerve to even come up to me after belittling and ignoring me for years. Im leaving tomorrow at first light and im not coming back till i find my dad. I’ll learn for myself where hes been. This is important to me, its not something you can just talk me out of. So if i dont get a chance to say this later, goodbye Kacchan. Next time you’ll see me will be after ive found my father.”

“Yeah well dont bother saying goodbye, like i fucking care! I dont care what you do because i know you’ll come crying by nightfall tomorrow after youve shit your pants.”

Izuku ignored Katsuki and the stream of insults being yelled at him as he walked towards town to sort a few things out before he went on his journey.

He was leaving tomorrow and no one could stop him.