Work Text:
Inko was worried.
But really, it's not her fault, she can't help it! Her baby has seen so much already when he's barely fresh out of middle school. He's already experienced death and the fear of losing someone's or your own life.
No child should go through those things, much less her own when he's already had such a bad life until now that it got a little better. It hurts that she's not there to hug and pet his hair whenever he has nightmares. Inko doesn't like that Izuku went to the dorms and it's basically home to him now. Inko has been with Izuku for 16 years and to loose him like that suddenly? In just some short months of being at UA? It's horrible.
But she has to accept it, because she's been such an unsupportive parent and she can't ruin Izuku like that. Not again, not ever, even if it hurts and stressses her to the point of making her not able to breathe through the suffocating emotions of worry and constant questions of "Is he going to be okay?" Even if it makes her fall back into old habits.
Packets of sweets and other food items are littering the floor and kitchen table, it looks dirty and trashy but Inko can't bring herself to care. Yeah, sure, she's probably just stressed over absolutely nothing and being a "drama queen" (said by Mitsuki, gosh, that woman is sometimes unbearable), and going, quite literally, crazy over a short phone call.
It's stupid, Izuku would say the same, but maybe less "harshly."
He's always been a good kid, well-behaved and nice to everyone even if they're mean to him. He was always like that, and it lead to him being taken advantage of more than once, bullied for the longest time.
But when he got into UA everything changed, he was happier, and his smile seemed brighter, finally reaching his eyes and looking more real. She's so, so happy about that. She cried the first time Izuku brought someone from UA over.
Inko sighed and closed the bag of cookies she was eating (most likely her second one), setting them down and planning to finish them later. She buried her face in soft hands, green hair falling onto them and forming a green river with the hidden shine it seemed to have.
She briefly heard the sound of a door opening and feet shuffling, a thump from a bag slightly overtaking the rest of the small noises.
"Mom...?"
Inko lifted her head and smiled at the teenager (God, he's already a teen, so close to adulthood), fixing up her shirt and shifting a little on the couch.
"Hey baby, you're a bit early, aren't you?"
Izuku looked at her confusedly and stared down at his watch. He smiled awkwardly and shook his head, "Yeah, sorry... I guess I lost track of time, huh? Haha...ha.."
Inko looked him straight in the eyes and that seemed to make Izuku even more nervous if the way he wrung his fingers together and pulled at a stray string on his hoodie said anything.
"Izuku, are you okay? You sounded really nervous on the phone earlier, is something the matter? Please tell me if something is wrong. Are you hurt? Did someone do anything to you? Did you hurt yourself again-"
"Mom I'm fine, really! Don't worry about things like that so much!" Izuku yelled, exasperated and rolling his eyes.
Inko promptly feel silent and started curling a strand of hair around her finger. She then looked up at her son again and spoke with a firm and warning look.
"Izuku did you just roll your eyes at me?"
"No! Why would I do that?! I definitely didn't roll my eyes, something just got in, I didn't do that!" Izuku sputtered and waved his arms around, hiding his blushing face. Inko didn't believe him for a second because she saw it with her own two eyes but she won't say anything.
It's better to let the boy think she didn't notice than to make him even more embarrassed. He seemed sorry enough.
Inko put her hands on her lap and intertwined her fingers, "Okay, okay, jeez Izuku, it's not that big of a deal."
Izuku stopped waving his arms around and shut up, smiling sheepishly at his mother.
Gosh, he was such a dork but God did she love him so much.
"So, what did you want to talk about if it isn't about you being hurt? You sounded really nervous, like really nervous. Are you sure you're okay?" Inko asked, looking her son up and down to look for anything suspicious or that showed any sign of weakness(?).
"U-uhmm... Let's sit down first, yeah.."
Inko jumped and blushed. "Oh! How rude of me! I didn't even ask you to sit down or anything! I'll go get something to drink ready, you want chocolate, right?"
"No! Actually- Fine."
Izuku slumped on the couch and started fiddling with his thumbs again, looking around the small living room. It was littered with empty bags of food that Inko obviously ate to dream with her stress. He felt really bad now.
Inko looked at him from over the kitchen counter, taking out ingredients for hot chocolate and sighing sadly. She was worried, even though she probably shouldn't since Izuku's training to become and hero and can take care of himself, but it's hard not to since he almost died more than once.
Oh, did he get expelled from UA?!
Inko slapped herself lightly on the face to get shaken from the thoughts.
She should probably stay silent and wait for him to tell her about whatever that's bothering at his own pace but the nerves are killing her, it's almost too much to bear. Call her a bad mom or annoying for always sticking her nose in Izuku's business and wanting to know everything but at this point she could care less.
Inko doesn't want to lose her only child, her baby and basically whole reason for even being alive in the first place.
Izuku seemed to sense that she nervous since he turned his head towards her and smiled sweetly, so reassuring.
He's going to be a great hero, those big, green, kind eyes and a wide smile that look from heaven. Broken and scarred hands that look harsh and dangerous but so cautious and gentle. Is she selfish for wanting to keep that all for herself?
She looked back at the healing pot on the stove and quickly finished the two mugs of hot chocolate. It was way too warm or a day to be drinking something like that but whatever helps her calm down and not be a bigger mess than she already is-is worth it.
Izuku was suddenly very interested in his hair, inspecting it and wrapping it around his finger. A nervous habit that he got from both her and his father (not father- that deadbeat scrap of a man never even cared about them but Inko doesn't want to admit it after so many years).
She walked over to the couch and sat two mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table, sitting down and looking at Izuku with more worry. What could he the cause of his nervousness?
He doesn't seem sad or mad, just really nervous and stressed. God help her, she's going to have a mental breakdown if he doesn't spill it out.
"M-mom, you would still love me no matter the person I decide to be, right? Even if it seems weird and the rest of the world shuns me for it?" Izuku asked nervously, quiet and not looking his mother in the eye.
Inko grabbed one of his hands and pulled his chin up to face her. "Izuku you know I love you, I always have, I'll support you in everything. If course, some things may be very bad or weird but I'll still have love for you, even when I have to hate you. Wait- are you a villain?! Izuku I-"
Izuku moved his other hand around awkwardly and finally put it on his mom's shoulder. "No mom, I'm not a villain or anything, don't worry. I won't betray anyone for my own selfish needs." He smiled softly at her and his face got pink, "Uhm, this is different than that, like, really different..."
"O-oh, is it?" Inko asked, brows furrowing and leaving a slightly rough wrinkle on her soft face.
"Yeah, I'm- Ugh... I-"
"Izuku, breathe. Take your time, I'll stay here even if it takes a year for you to say it."
Izuku smiled and let out a small puff of air as a laugh. It wasn't genuine and the small smile didn't reach his eyes but he still tried to make it seem as if he was okay.
Inko knew better than that, she raised him alone for an entire 16 years. She won't say anything about that though. Not if he was scared and worried about her reaction on something.
"Yeah, I know, just... even though I know that you won't even lose your patience if it's something that's worrying me a lot."
Inko smiled at him.
"Uh, God, I really don't know how to say this. Mom... you would still love me no matter who I like or what my type is, right?"
Inko sighed, "Izuku I already told you that I'll support you no matter what. Where are you going with this?"
Izuku turned even more nervous, his hands were clammy and sweaty, eyes starting to get glossy.
"Mom, haven't you caught on...?" He asked, and his voice was so vulnerable that Inko's heart was physically starting to hurt. She looked up and gazed into his eyes, trying to keep him pinned to her stare to prevent him from losing himself, "Caught on to what?"
Izuku let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes. "Mom, what if I liked someone the same as me?"
Inko tilted her head, "The same as you? I wouldn't mind you liking one of your hero classmates."
"No, mom. The same as me." Izuku closed his eyes tightly.
"I don't think I understand I-- Izuku are you trying to say..."
Inko let her sentence trail off, scared to finish it. She doesn't want to say anything in case she's wrong. Izuku could see the gears turning in her head. Even if she probably figured it out already he was nervous to say it.
"M-mom…" He sucked in a shaky breath and squeezed his mother's hand and shoulder harder, closing his eyes tightly.
"Mom ...I-I… I'm gay."
There was a long beat of silence before Izuku started shaking, tears falling down his cheeks.
"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so s-so sorry."
"I-Izuku, are you serious? A-are you joking?" Inko asked, wide-eyed and breathless.
Izuku stayed silent, sobbing and crying, still mumbling 'sorry' over and over again under his breath.
And that was all Inko needed to know that no, her son was not joking. That he was serious about it. She was shocked, but not mad, she could never be mad at something so innocent. Never at Izuku's preferences.
"Izuku, baby, look at me." Inko insisted, and Izuku shook his head as he held himself tighter, backed up on the end of the couch and shaking.
Inko tried calling out to him again but Izuku just kept shaking his head and mumbling apologies.
"Izuku Midoriya, you are going to look me in the eyes right now."
The firm tone made him look up, shaking all the while. He was scared and ashamed, that much was clear. His cheeks were red and his eyes slightly puffy from crying, Izuku looked wrecked, it was sad to look at. Her baby was scared that she would hurt him.
Inko felt tears welling up in her eyes, and even when she tried to hold them back they flowed down her cheeks, painting thin, salty rivers on her pale face.
Izuku flinched when he saw the tears and started shaking even more, holding himself impossibly tighter. "I'm sorry mom, I'm so sorry that-"
"Oh Izuku, what are you sorry about." Her voice was shaky, so unlike the usual l soft and honey ring it carried.
"That you now have to live with the fact that you have a disgusting faggot of a son! I'm sorry that I'm not your perfect little boy anymore! I'm just a disappointment, I always was! I'm sorry, okay?!"
"Izuku, don't say that!" Inko yelled, heart hammering in her soft chest. "Don't say that all you've been is a disappointment when I've spent years caring for you and putting my all into making sure you were happy! Don't say things like that, you're still my son, the same person I had inside of me for 9 months! Even if I now know something else about you it doesn't change anything." She breathed harshly, "Don't you dare imply that I hate you. You're perfect, I could never think something so vile of you."
There was even more silence, Izuku's sobs slowly going away. Inko was still crying but less than when she started her rant.
"Why?"
"Huh?"
Izuku gulped, "Why do you still love me? How could you not hate me now? Do you not think it's weird?"
"Izuku I already told you that I'll still love you no matter what. You're still my son, the same Izuku as before, now I just know another part of you. Nothing about you changed, I won't see you as another person because you've been the same all your life."
Izuku looked down and suddenly, with seemingly no warning at all, he jumped over the green-haired woman and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace full of tears.
"Thank you, thank you, that you so much."
"Izuku…" Inko hugged him back and let more tears fall.
They spent some time hugging and crying and just talking about everything. The nervousness was almost forgotten, replaced by the sense of comfort and love. Their relationship was more than just mother-and-son, they're each other's best friends, there when nobody else was. Nothing could ever replace that part.
Izuku sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his sweater sleeve. "I really thought you hated me or something," he smiled sheepishly, "Guess I was nervous for nothing, huh?"
Inko smiled sadly, "Izuku, why did you think I'd hate you for something like this?"
"I just thought that, I don't know." He shrugged.
"Izuku, don't lie to me. You mentioned some things about being a disappointment and… Another thing," She doesn't dare say the word, didn't want to say it. "Did someone tell you those things?"
"No! No, nobody told me anything!" Izuku yelled.
"Don't lie to me."
Izuku sighed and looked down, "well… In middle school, someone found out. And they started saying things. At first I didn't understand why it was so wrong since I've always kinda felt this way, but the more I've heard them talking about how disgusting and wrong it was, the more I stayed to believe those things were true."
He looked up and cleared his throat, looking for the right words to say. "Then I was fully convinced that all those words were true. I didn't want to believe anything but when so many people are against it, you can guess it's hard."
Inko felt her eyes water once more, and she went forward and hugged her son once again. "Izuku I'm so sorry that those things happened to you. Just know that no matter what you think I'll never feel that way about you, okay?"
"Yeah." He hugged her back harder and closed his eyes as to not let his tears fall, "yeah, I know."
They stayed there silently holding each other for 5 minutes. Even when they separated they stayed close.
"Mom, how do you think the teachers will react? How will All Might react?"
She put a finger on her chin. "How do I think they'll react? Well, hopefully not badly. If they ever expel you or something for this I swear I'll go over there and personally punch them myself."
" Mooom! Don't beat up the teachers, I don't want you to get arrested!" Izuku whined.
"Well then maybe they shouldn't kick you out unfairly! If they do then they better get ready to catch these hands!"
"Mom!"
"See? Don't think mommy doesn't know about that, I know what you kids spend time watching."
"Where did you even learn that from?" He laughed and shook his head.
"Oh, c'mon. Did you think I was a boring old mom?" Her tone was teasing but the way her voice slightly dropped made Izuku believe she was serious.
"No! Not at all," Izuku smiled, then his expression turned sad. "Still, All Might is my mentor and like a father to me-" Izuku blushed "-I don't know if I could ever be the same if I could ever be the same if he abandoned me for this. Mom, you're great, and I mean no offense when I say this, but he basically got me to where I am now, and without him I don't think I'd be here right now."
"He made me a better person and taught me so many things, what if it all goes down the drain when he finds out?"
Inko sighed, "Izuku, I can't promise that everyone will be accepting of you, you've experienced first had how awful people can be, what's to say they won't be the same?" Izuku visibly deflated by the last comment.
"I'm not saying this so you feel bad, baby. I'm just saying that. But they're adults, you have to have faith in the fact that they're Pro-Heroes and they're mature," She Hope's they are, "I doubt they'll kick someone out for liking men, and I don't think All Might would just leave you like that after he's been there like you said he has."
Inko sighed, "He's a good man, he'll never do something like that." Inko finished and looked Izuku in the eyes firmly.
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right! I shouldn't worry much about that. I'm sorry mom, I didn't mean to make you sad again." Izuku smiled apologetically.
"You're fine, don't apologize for something like that."
"Still…" Izuku perked up a but next to her, "Hey… Can I hug you again?"
"You don't even have to ask."
She made a 'come here' motion and opened her arms, Izuku crawling into them and burying his head in her bust like he did as a kid.
They sat there quietly, Inko petting his green curls and Izuku mumbling in a sleepy state.
After a while Inko finally spoke up, "Hey, Izuku?"
"Yeah?"
"About you and that guy…"
"Mom!"
°○°○°○°
Inko was washing some dishes in the kitchen when she heard the door opening and Izuku's bubbly voice yelling excitedly over the soft hum of the fan and speaker.
"Mom! I'm home!"
"I'm in the kitchen, baby!" She yelled back.
Izuku walked over to Inko and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. Shouti appeared from behind the kitchen counter andbInko looked at him questioningly.
"Oh! Izuku, you didn't tell you Shouto was coming over. If I had known I would have made more food and cleaned the house a bit more!"
Izuku jumped up. "It's fine! I'm sorry that I didn't tell you," he scratched the back of his head, "but you don't have to prepare anything more, we're just going to my room!"
"Oh."
"Yeah, so I'll get going now if you don't mind?"
Inko turned off the faucet and dried her hands. "No, I don't mind! You can go!"
"Thanks." Izuku said hurriedly, speed walking to his room and Shouto followed, basically running and almost tripping them both up.
"Oh my!"
"You sound like your mom when you say that."
"Shut up!"
Inko just smiled and sighed contently.
Later, when Shouto left the apartment blushing and fixing his messy hair, Inko stared at him with a knowing look and smirk.
You best believe she teased Izuku about it for days.