Chapter Text
If you asked someone who met him for the first time, they'd say Izuku was a sweet kid, gentle and kind.
Others, who had known him a bit longer, would say that as well, but add that he was a bright and curious child. Not a day would go by without little Izuku asking about this or that, trying to learn as much about the world as possible.
They would also mention that he's not very possessive, that he caves in to others much too easily. It came easy to the little boy to give and share with nary a thought, be it his toys or his heart.
But those who knew him much more intimately would argue that, despite Izuku's willingness to give, he was stubborn to no end. If there was something he loved, something that was his, he wouldn't let it go, like his closest people, but most importantly his dream.
Izuku was kind and sweet and caring, he was stubborn and determined, but most of all he was a dreamer. He dreamt of being a hero, of saving and helping and bringing hope with a smile on his face. It was a childish dream, most would say, a dream every kid in their society once held, but grew out of.
Izuku had a big heart and bigger dreams, and the determination to match. How unfortunate it is then, that the world tends to break the best of them eventually.
~
Midoriya Izuku, soon-to-be 5 years old, was at the doctor's. Well, he was in the waiting room, carefully coloring an All Might picture, but it was the same. Probably.
He wasn't sick, but mommy had said that she wanted to check something about his quirk, because he was one of the last who didn't have one yet. It was the second time they were here, the first time there'd been some tests, and today they were here to find out about the results. Izuku didn't really understand, because Hina didn't have hers either yet, and she was only a month older than Izuku.
There wasn't a doubt that his quirk would appear eventually, because how else would he be a hero? It would be something super cool as well, like fire breath or telekinesis or even a combination of both! Izuku had written down a lot of possible quirks, some more absurd than the others, but he was a hundred percent sure it would be awesome!
Well, maybe not as awesome as Kacchan's, cause Kacchan's was the awesom-est quirk of all! He said so all the time, and Izuku wholeheartedly believed his friend, like how he believed that Kacchan would be a hero someday, or that the two of them would be hero partners, just like All Might and Sir Nighteye!
Izuku took the yellow pencil to start coloring the hair, when a hand on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts.
"Izuku, dear, it's your turn," mommy said, smiling.
Izuku nodded and scrambled off the stool, taking his All Might action figure along. It was an early birthday gift from dad, cause he'd been home last week, but wouldn't be able to make it to Izuku's birthday. He had apologized a lot, and Izuku had been disappointed, but there was nothing to be done about it, so he said that it's alright. Daddy had burst into tears then, hugging Izuku tightly, and then Izuku had started crying himself, which is how mommy had found them later. She'd sighed, as if she was annoyed, but she was smiling, so Izuku figured she wasn't.
They were at the doctor's office, the one with the weird glasses and funny moustache. He made Izuku a bit nervous, but his mom was there and they were here to find out about his quirk, so instead Izuku clutched his All Might figurine a bit tighter, and clambered on the stool next to the one his mom was sitting on.
She was wringing her hands and her eyebrows were scrunched up, and Izuku wanted to ask what's wrong, but the doctor spoke before he could.
"You should give up."
...what? What should he give up? Why should he give up? The doctor's words were echoing in his head over and over again, and Izuku could barely hear what was said next because of the rushing noise in his ears. Something about a toe joint and... quirkless? Was that about him? But... what?
The doctor's words made sense, suddenly. Last time Izuku had been talking about all the quirks he might have and how he would use them as a hero. He was saying that Izuku couldn't be a hero. He was saying that Izuku couldn't be a hero.
The thought made Izuku sick like only long car rides do, and he wanted to cry, could feel the pressure building up, but he was frozen stiff, barely even noticing the fallen figurine.
With a detached sort of dullness Izuku found himself walking out of the office and out of the hospital and into the car. He doesn't remember the drive home, or coming to his dad's work room and sitting in front of the computer. Izuku knows it must've happened, but couldn't remember a single thing up until the video of All Might's debut started playing. And only then do the tears fall.
~
Izuku knows about the Quirkless. He knows that there are much less of them than there were before. He knows that in Japan it's a really rare thing to be quirkless, and he also knows that there are no quirkless heroes. However much he searched, Izuku couldn't find a single hero without a quirk, and every time he didn't, made his hope waver just that bit more.
He knew all those things, knowledge that could easily be gained by searching it up. What he didn't know was what it was actually like to be quirkless. Suddenly, the teachers were much more careful with him, always making sure that the others didn't play too rough with him. Which wasn't a problem, because now noone wanted to play with him, not even Kacchan.
Suddenly his best friend didn't want anything to do with him, became meaner to Izuku and other people too. And when Izuku tried to stand up for them, Kacchan turned on him with his quirk. It wasn't anything big, just a few scorch marks, but it still hurts in a way Izuku can't explain.
And then there was his mom. She'd always been a worrier, he knows, but it became more after the doctor. Anytime he brought up his dream of being a hero, she'd tense up a bit, words just that bit more strained. Everytime Izuku came home with bruises she'd worry, and he had to reassure her that it was because he was clumsy and that no, no one is picking on me, don't worry mom. It was true, after all. Izuku was clumsy, and he knew what he was getting into when he defended others.
And even if he didn't like making his mother worry, he couldn't just stop either. He couldn't leave anyone in need of help, and he couldn't let go of his dream even more, even when the words I'm sorry Izuku wedged themselves deeper into his heart with every worried or regretful glance.
He would become a hero, that was never a question, in whatever way that may be.