Still Childish

Izuku sat at one of the tables in the bar. He was going over his new school supplies. He had new coloured pencils and a school notebook. It was different from the notebook he used to record quirks in. This one had little boxes on it and Kurogiri had told him that it was for practicing his kanji and hiragana. Izuku hoped they moved to kanji quickly because he already knew his hiragana and the katakana!

He was drawing in his Quirk Notebook and drawing a picture of Kurogiri. The first entry was his mother, the second was his father, and then him! There was an entry from a boy he used to know. Kacchan and a couple of others but he didn't know them well, so hadn't had a chance to get a lot of details about their quirks. Instead, the entries for Tomura, Kurogiri and Doctor Garaki were much more detailed. He was wondering if he should start a new book for himself? If he could get more quirks, then he would need more space but that seemed arrogant and Izuku didn't want to take quirks unless they were offered, like the ones Daddy gave him. Since he only had Fire Breath, it was a question for another day.

It was too early for the bar to be open and Kurogiri was cleaning glassware but he looked up as the door opened.

"Yo! Kurogiri," the woman who walked in greeted the misty villain.

"Juhin," he said, quickly putting the glass down. "You're early."

From the tone, Izuku knew he wasn't meant to have seen the woman, or the young man who trailed behind her. He might be five but he wasn't stupid. He shrank back in the seat, trying to hide in the non-existent shadows.

"Brought someone to meet you," Juhin waved away the complaint.

"What's a kid doing here?" The young man who'd accompanied her asked.

That brought Juhin's attention and Izuku felt her eyes fall upon him. They were unusual. Bright red with crossed pupils.

"I thought you only had that Tomura kid," she said to Kurogiri. .

Izuku could tell from the way Kurogiri stiffened that he didn't want to speak about it but the woman didn't appear to be dangerous. She sounded curious. Izuku wasn't sure what he should do so he sat there watching.

"It's not your-"

"Business," the woman interrupted Kurogiri's statement before she laughed. "Don't worry about it, old man," she told the bartender. "Who you have in your bar is up to you," she added with a casual shrug.

Izuku got the impression that she would remember him though, even as she turned away, back to Kurogiri. He remained still. The young man with her examined him. Izuku looked back. The man had pink eyes and grey hair. He was dressed in a shirt with a dark blue jacket.

The green eyed boy could tell that Kurogiri was still nervous but he looked back at the woman. "How may I help you today, Juhin?" he asked with that stiff formality he adopted when he wasn't happy.

The woman grinned. "This is Giran," she introduced the man. "He's going to be helping me out with supplies."

The young man turned back to the bartender and bowed. "It's good to meet you," he said.

Kurogiri's expression couldn't be seen but Izuku could tell he was examining the man carefully. "You trust him, Juhin?" he asked pointedly.

"I wouldn't be bringing him here if I didn't," she replied honestly.

"Very well," he accepted her words. There was silence between the group for a few moments before Kurogiri moved back to the bar.

"Do you need anything at the moment?" Juhin asked with a broad grin. "Kahlua, Bundy, colouring books?" She added the last with a snort.

"I shall send you the list at the regular time," Kurogiri told her.

"Gotcha!" Juhin said before she moved back. "Anyway, we're doing the rounds. I'll catch you later."

She turned from the bar, back towards the door. "You too squirt!" Juhin added, throwing the words towards Izuku before she pushed her way out the door.

Giran followed her after giving a salute to Kurogiri.

When the door closed after them, Kurogiri moved to it and locked it.

Izuku watched, confused. It seemed odd to lock it now.

"Go to the back, Izuku," the bartender instructed.

He quickly packed up his notebooks and pencils and before sliding off the chair and scurrying around the bar and out the back as instructed.

He startled Tomura who was sitting on a cushion in front of a tv. Izuku could tell that the older boy was engrossed in playing a game. The controller was in his hands, and Izuku saw the way his pinkies were raised. Tomura wasn't wearing his gloves. There was a disembodied hand on each of his arms but the others were not present.

"What are you doing here?" He growled.

"Kurogiri sent me," Izuku replied.

The two boys had agreed to stay away from each other. They hadn't agreed in so many words but the agreement was there. As a result, Izuku was impinging on Tomura's territory now, so it was best to get it out there that it was not his idea.

Izuku sat down on the far side of the room before Kurogiri entered.

"Izuku will be staying here from now," the warp gate said.

Green eyes widened.

"What? No!" Tomura objected.

Izuku wanted to agree. There was no way he could share the space with Tomura. He'd be happy to but he already knew the other boy did not want to. That's why he'd been out in the bar.

Kurogiri looked at the other boy. The controller had disintegrated and Tomura was now standing before him, glaring. The misty man sighed. There was something going on that Izuku didn't understand. He clutched his bag.

Eventually Kurogiri seemed to realise that having the two of them together would not be a good idea. "I will move the TV into the bar," he indicated.

Tomura screamed in frustration. "This is your fault!" He yelled.

Izuku didn't know what he was expecting but having Tomura lunging at him, hands extended was not it. He threw his bag up. The grey haired boy smacked the bag away and the notebook and pencils Izuku had for school clattered to the ground.

He used the time to dodge but Tomura was persistent and faster than he thought. Izuku pulled up as Tomura grabbed the back of his neck.

"Tomura," Kurogiri warned.

"No!" the older boy hissed. "This is his fault! First he comes and takes Sensei away and now this!"

Izuku felt the three fingers and thumb gripping him. He swallowed. He already knew he wasn't strong enough to dislodge Tomura. The boy had proven that to him when Daddy had first brought him here, but Tomura had been wearing gloves then.

"This is all his fault!" Tomura screamed and Izuku didn't need to be told that he was lowering his pinky.

He lashed out, grabbing wildly with his quirk and he felt Tomura's quirk come through to him. The grey was almost familiar and Tomura's pinky came down on his neck. It only took Tomura a moment to realise what had gone wrong when nothing happened. He screamed again and squeezed.

Izuku cried out.

That got Kurogiri's attention. Up until now he had been still. A warp gate appeared at Izuku's feet and he fell through it. The unexpected weight caused Tomura to lose his grip but Izuku felt the scratch of his nails against his skin. It stung. He fell to the ground behind Kurogiri.

"Tomura Shigaraki!" The misty man berated the boy.

Izuku was surprised. He couldn't remember Kurogiri ever telling Tomura off. He remained where he was, drawing in great lungfuls of air.

"It's his fault!" Tomura fully screamed, stamping his foot. His hands were now balled into fists.

"He is Sensei's son," Kurogiri reminded the older boy.

"I don't care. He's ruined everything."

Izuku didn't know what he'd ruined.

"Sensei needs both of you," the warp gate told him.

"Why did Sensei need him? He had me!"

"He needs you both," Kurogiri repeated.

Tomura heaved a breath. Izuku was watching him carefully, ready to scramble out of the way if Tomura attacked again. He might not have his quirk at the moment but he was still strong.

"Sensei only needed me!" Tomura growled.

Kurogiri said nothing. Izuku didn't know what you could say to that. "I will move the TV into the bar," he said finally. "And you may stay there for as long as you want each day," he added the inducement. "Izuku will do his homework here."

"Bah!" Tomura snarled but Izuku knew it was agreement.

Kurogiri knew it as well. "I'll take you both to Sensei now so that Tomura can get his quirk back," he said. Tomura huffed but nodded.

Izuku perked up. "I can put it back," he said.

That brought the attention of them both. Kurogiri turned to look at him. "You can?"

"How?" Tomura asked, his voice suspicious.

Izuku gulped but nodded. Daddy had practiced with him allowing Izuku to take a quirk from him and then give it back. For some reason he couldn't give Daddy back Fire Breath but he could give him any other quirk he took. He could feel that he could give back Tomura's quirk.

Tomura stormed up to him. "Give it!" He growled.

Izuku looked up at him. "Say you're sorry," he replied. Daddy always made them apologise to each other.

Tomura screamed and made to slap him but Kurogiri was quicker. He grabbed the older boy's hand. He gave the grey haired boy a glare, though it was hard to tell but they both knew it. Tomura huffed again, wrenching his arm out of Kurogiri's grip. He clenched his teeth. "I'm sorry." The statement seemed to cause Tomura pain.

"I'm sorry as well," Izuku said with far more grace.

He reached inside himself, feeling for the grey spark that was Tomura's quirk. He gripped it with the green of his own and shoved it back towards the other boy. He could tell when it was back in Tomura from the way the grey haired boy quivered.

Immediately Tomura turned and stormed off towards the bar. Kurogiri looked at him and gave him a nod and followed.

Izuku released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and collapsed again. He sniffed and felt the tears fall. He began shivering before he howled. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to deal with Tomura. He cried.

Kurogiri almost immediately returned and Izuku could feel his eyes upon him before he was scooped up into the misty man's arms. "There, there," Kurogiri whispered to him.

Izuku just cried harder but he felt when they traversed through a warp gate. He felt it when he was placed on a bed and through bleary eyes he recognised it as his. Kurogiri put him on the bed before sitting down next to him. He felt Kurogiri's arm wrap around his shoulders.

"I will have Sensei talk to Tomura," the warp gate promised.

Izuku sniffed again, controlling his tears slightly. "It won't matter," he objected.

"I think you will find it will," Kurogiri objected. "Sensei cares for you both."

"Daddy's never punished Tomura before."

Izuku felt Kurogiri nod and he didn't contradict him. Tomura had never been punished before. The misty man pulled back slightly, and Izuku felt his fingers brush his neck. "You shouldn't need a plaster," he gave the assessment of the scratches.

He hadn't even thought of that, and reached up to touch the back of his neck. The scratches felt hot but he trusted Kurogiri's assessment. "Will you be okay?" the bartender asked.

"I need my notebook," Izuku said. He needed his school gear.

"I'll get you a new bag," Kurogiri promised, which was his way of saying that he'd also collect the notebook.

"I'll be okay," Izuku assured him as Kurogiri created a small warp gate and brought a glass of water to him. "I need to sleep," he added.

"You do," the bartender agreed. "It's a big day tomorrow for you," he commented. "Your first day of school."

The green haired boy nodded, and smiled as he lay down. Kurogiri stood. "Sleep well, Izuku," he wished before he left the room.

Izuku gave him a smile but when the bartender left he curled up, hugging his knees to his chest as his tears fell.

-ted-

All For One looked over at Tomura. He didn't want to punish the boy but at the same time, he couldn't overlook the attack on Izuku. He'd overlooked the previous ones and this is where it had gotten him. Yet punishment could drive Tomura away and he'd worked so hard to ensure that the boy was his. But, if he had to separate the two he would.

"Why did you attack Izuku?" he asked. "I told you, I need you both," Hisashi cut off that line of argument.

Tomura looked at his feet. It was the most contrite he had ever seen the boy.

"You've never doubted me before, Tomura, why now?" All For One asked.

"Because he's your son," Tomura said.

"Yet it is you who bear my name," he reminded the boy. "Izuku is at school today as Chui."

"You didn't need him!"

"I need you both, Tomura. I've always needed you both."

"Then why didn't you bring Izuku when he was born?" There was actually a note of curiosity in Tomura's voice.

Hisashi privately admitted that it would have been easier for Tomura to accept, if he'd brought Izuku in as another foundling but he had long ago put aside the wistfulness that accompanied what if situations. "I could not bring Izuku here until I knew what his quirk was," he told Tomura instead. "If his quirk was not useful to me, I would simply have left."

Tomura examined him for a few moments. All For One could feel the judgement in the gaze before the boy nodded. The answer was what he had raised Tomura to expect. He was a being of logic and he had just treated Izuku as a logical choice, not an emotional one.

"You pay more attention to him," Tomura told him.

"It was Izuku's birthday," Hisashi explained. "I spent the day with you on your birthday," he reminded Tomura. He was not so stupid as to do something so obvious to show favoritism. It was not the time.

Tomura looked back at the floor and All For One knew he'd won the argument. Though the day he lost an argument with Tomura would be… It would not happen.

"I'll try to be nicer, Sensei," the grey haired boy said.

"And attacking?"

Tomura didn't answer. Hisashi was tempted to threaten but knew that would simply make Tomura resentful again, though he had told Izuku that if Tomura attacked him again, then his son could keep Tomura's quirk for a day or so before he gave it back.

"I will try, Sensei," Tomura answered finally.

"That's all I can ask," All For One replied, though if Tomura ever injured Izuku permanently then…

He'd changed plans before. He could do it again.

-ted-