Chapter Text
Izuku Midoriya always seemed to find trouble. Whether it was breaking bones, finding a new villain, or just having the world crumble around his very feet. All very shocking for someone who had just recently turned fifteen years old.
Now, though, Shouta Aizawa was half tempted to start a check list of what had and hadn't been done yet. Almost turned to dust? Check. Carried off by a Nomu? Double check. Turned into an infant?
What the absolute fuck.
"Explain," he managed to get out through gritted teeth.
"Sir! We didn't see the villain until it was too late! As class president I should have been paying more attention! Please forgive me!"
He ignored Iida's shouting in favor of staring at a battered Katsuki Bakugo. The usually angry boy was quiet, holding the tiniest baby he'd ever seen, wrapped up in what he'd assumed was Izuku's uniform. He had yet to see his face.
Katsuki huffed at his raised brow. His tone lacked its usual bite. "I'm the only one he recognized. He wouldn't stop crying. Idiot took a hit that was for Icyhot."
"Is anyone injured?" Shouta called out to the group of teens. He was given a chorus of negatives, so he turned his attention back to Izuku. "Midoriya? Let me get a look at you."
Nothing.
"Oi, Deku. Aizawa's talking to you."
Rustling. One large, teary green eye peeked out from Katsuki's shoulder, quickly followed by the other, and soon Izuku was peeling himself away from the boy and blinking up at Shota dumbly. "Se'sei?"
"Oh, fuck. He remembers you."
"Aww! Aizawa Sensei! That's so cute!"
"Se'sei!" Shouta could only copy his dumb blinks when Izuku reached chubby arms out to him and wailed. "Uhh!"
Well, fuck. With clumsy movements, he lifted the baby into his arms and hushed him softly, a hand resting against his soft curls as he bounced in what he hoped was a soothing motion. Shota glared at his students when they cooed. "Enough. Enough. If you aren't injured, go home. Except you, Bakugo."
"Why the fuck do I have to stay?!"
"Because he recognizes me and you for some reason. You're going to sit with him at the hospital while I call his mother. He needs checked out. Let's go. Move it. Shit, I don't have a car seat…" He didn't miss Katsuki pale, but chose not to comment on it. "Shh, Izuku, you're fine, now. Sensei's got you. We'll fix this mess. We always do. Get in the car, Bakugo. Backseat. And hold onto him tight."
"Yeah, yeah. C'mere, Deku. You better not piss on me, or I'll rip your dick off."
Shouta screwed his face up in disgust. "Do not say that to him. I don't care how old he is. Do you have any information on the guy who did this?"
"No. Fucker came out of nowhere. Shot his quirk at that half and half bastard and disappeared. As soon as it hit Deku he started screaming like his bones were breaking again." Katsuki didn't hold back his shudder. "I thought he turned to fucking ash or something. I didn't want to check."
"Right. Ok." Shouta glanced into the rearview mirror to see an itty bitty finger reach up and touch Katsuki's blonde hair lovingly. "Does he look hurt?"
"Not that I can tell. Ten disgusting fingers and toes. All sticky and accounted for. Right, Deku?" He didn't miss the small smile the teen gave. "Forgot how cute he was as a baby. How the hell did he grow up so ugly?"
"He looks exactly the same, Bakugo. Stop being such a hater. Once I get ahold of his mom you can leave." Another sideways stare, one that had Shouta's stomach in knots. The kids were hiding something from him. He just didn't have it in him to find out right then and there.
It turned out, cellphone pressed against his ear, manilla folder in his hands with papers of his problem child, who was currently sitting on Katsuki's lap on a hospital bed, freshly diapered and smiling shyly at every doctor and nurse, he had to have it in him to find out.
Every call to Inko Midoriya's number was disconnected.
"Did she get a new number? I'm supposed to know these things for situations just like this, damn it!" Ok, so he was angrier than he should be. But when you have multiple doctors tell you there might not be a way to reverse this little hiccup, who wouldn't be? As beautiful as Izuku was, being no more than 13 or 14 months, he wanted back the fifteen year old. And soon. "What is going on, Bakugo?"
Katsuki scratched his head warily. "Yeah, so… It's really Deku's fault. So make sure you yell at this face when I tell you." He grabbed chubby, angelic, freckled cheeks and squeezed them up at Shota. He felt his brow twitch. "Auntie bounced. Right after the sports festival, she just kind of…left." The hands slowly slid to cover his ears.
"Excuse me?"
"I didn't find out until I saw Deku fucking sleeping next to a dumpster one night in his uniform. I was pissed. He's been at my house for about a week now. But my mom and dad don't know. I've been sneaking him in." A shrug of the shoulders. "I guess she was done with him coming home broken and bruised all the time. She paid rent 'till the end of the month, shut off her phone, and left."
Shouta gave a curt nod, threw the papers on a nearby counter, and flopped onto a chair, rubbing his aching eyes. Of course this would happen. "You didn't think to tell me? Your teacher? Someone that could help him?"
"Oi, that's on him. My fucking job was making sure he had somewhere to eat and sleep, ok? He's been a mess any time I brought up his mom. Like full on sobbing. No fucking way was I about to give him an ultimatum with telling you. Not when he was like that."
"Give him to me." Shouta demanded. Katsuki hesitated, as if he'd hurt the baby, before handing the sweet little one over.
"Se'sei!"
Izuku truly was a beautiful child. The large green eyes framed by long, dark lashes. Round, cherubic cheeks littered with freckles. And those soft, green curls perfectly disheveled and begging to be kissed. It was his shy, toothy smile that had Shota's heart in a chokehold.
"What am I going to do with you, Problem Child?" He murmured soothingly, moving his bangs back so he could press his lips to his forehead for a long moment. "I guess you're coming home with me, huh? Is that alright with you?"
Izuku just smiled his knowing smile, too wise for his young age, and patted at Shota's cheeks. "Mmma! Ayayaya!"
"I'll send a text to Detective Tsukauchi and have him give me emergency foster care placement documents. Bakugo, let me drive you home."
"Nah, I've got stuff I need to do. I'll let you know when I'm home, though. Bye-bye Baby Deku! Try not to crap your pants."
Shouta sat there, bouncing the baby on his knee, and thought about just what to tell his husband. "I need to get some stuff from the store, Izuku. I can't just have you in a diaper. Or rolling around in the backseat of my car. Let's see. Pack of diapers, an outfit, and a car seat. That's an easy thirty thousand yen."
Izuku finally frowned, as if he understood his words. Shouta had the sinking feeling he probably did. Maybe fifteen year old Izuku was in there as well. Looked like he needed to watch just what he said. "Ohh, no?"
"That's ok. I think you're worth it. Let's go, Problem Child." He made a show of lifting the boy up, heaving and puffing out his chest with exertion. "You've gotten heavy. I don't think I can carry you."
Izuku turned into a fit of giggles, the noise light and airy and full of innocence.
Maybe Shouta could do this.
Later that evening, one arm balancing the car seat carrier, the other a couple shopping bags, Shouta stood in front of his front door with a nervousness he hadn't felt in a long time. "You ready, Izuku?" Cooing came from the infant in his new seat, freshly covered feet kicking out excitedly. "Ok, here we go."
He unlocked the door and stepped in, dropping the bags and unwrapping his capture weapon so he could hang it up. It was with careful movements that he set the car seat down next. "Hey, 'Zashi? Can you come here? I brought you home something."
"Coming, coming!" His husband rounded the corner with one of the cats in his arms. "What is it? Food? I'm hung—…ry. Is-is that a baby? Did you bring me a baby?" Shota was impressed with how Hizashi was keeping his voice quiet and low. "No fucking way. You brought me a baby?" The cat set down, he crouched, his hands shaking.
"Kind of. You should recognize him."
"Oh, shit! Midoriya! Oh, my gosh, he's so stinking cute! Oh, come here, my precious little baby boy! Let 'Zashi look at you!" Hizashi unbuckled him carefully and lifted him out, the two of them watching chubby little legs kick out on reflex. "Oh, sweetness, what happened to you? What happened? Tell me all about it?"
At the gentleness of his tone, Izuku began to cry, soft, heartbreaking noises leaving his lips as his tiny fists curled into Hizashi's hair while he was held close. "Here, let's go sit on the couch. I'll fill you in on what I know."
Once they were on the couch, with Hizashi cradling the hiccupping baby, Shouta reached out to pet Sashimi, rubbing at one of his eyes. "So what happened to Izu-chan? This was only a matter of time, huh? You always get yourself into trouble."
"Isn't that the truth," he muttered, turning the warm bottle of milk he'd made in his hands with feigned interest. "'Zu, do you want something to drink? Something yummy? Help him drink this. The kids were tasked with a cleanup after a villain fight. It was supposed to be completely safe. No bad guys, just recovery. I guess there was one lingering around, they fought him, he used his quirk and Midoriya got hit. The doctors say they don't know if this can even be reversed. He's around a year old."
"A year?! He's like nine months!"
"He's tiny. He's always been small."
"And what about his mom? Does she…not want…you know…?" At the mention of his mom, Izuku perked up, only to deflate and pop the bottle out of his mouth, pushing it back to Shouta with an actual grimace.
Shouta wanted to find Inko and break her neck.
"Not now. Later. Izuku, you're done? No more?" A shake of curls. "Hmm. Ok, if you're sure. We're going to need to go out tomorrow and buy some stuff. We'll clean out the back bedroom since it's basically empty and turn it into a nursery. Wanna ditch school tomorrow?"
Hizashi grinned. "Hell yeah. Izu-chan! We're gonna have so much fun! Can he walk?"
"Not sure. I haven't tested that out yet. C'mere, squirt. Come to Sensei for a second." Baby back in hand, Shouta attempted to stand him on unsteady legs, Izuku bouncing up and down with his fist in his mouth while he held him securely from under his arms. "I'm going to let go, ok? Can you stand for me?"
Izuku, once he was let go, wobbled a bit, before grinning and placing his little palms on Shouta's knees for balance. Hizashi all but passed out.
"He's so cute I can't stand it!"
"N—let go. I'm going over here. See?" He crouched, arms wide open. "Come to Sensei."
Izuku toddled a couple of feet before tumbling onto his bottom and crawling the rest of the way, throwing himself into his hold with those sweet giggles Shouta was starting to fall in love with. "Uh oh, Se'sei!"
"Uh oh. So no. He can't really walk. Why are you crying over there?"
Hizashi, his idiot husband, was near tears, hands to his chest as he squirmed on the couch. "The two of you are so adorable. And he still calls you Sensei. Tell me that's not the cutest thing ever, Sho. Seriously."
Shouta stood with Izuku in his arms, flinching when his hair was tugged on in strong fingers. "I think it's the only word I've heard him say. Can you say ''Zashi'? Hmm? Try for Sensei, Izuku." He was given a sweet smile and an owlish blink, his hair let go in favor of the tip of his nose being grabbed. In a silly tone of voice due to the little amount of oxygen, he said, "Hmm, maybe he's a late bloomer."
Hizashi, while Shota sat back on the couch and brought baby hands to his mouth to kiss, began to go through the bags he'd brought in. "What all did you buy? And where's he gonna sleep tonight? Is it safe to sleep in a car seat?"
"Mm. No, I already googled that. It's too dangerous. He can sleep with us, we'll just be careful. Maybe pile some pillows on the side of him. Ow, ow. Why do you keep pulling Sensei's hair, Izuku? That's not nice."
"Ayayaya!"
"Let's see…jammies, baby cereal. Smart, Sho. Diapers, outfit for tomorrow. Oh, Jesus. A little binky. I'm going to cry. A toy! Izu-chan! Instead of yanking on Aizawa Sensei's hair, let's play with these blocks. I'll get dinner started, babe." Shota accepted the sweet press of his husband's lips against his own for a brief moment. "God, I can't believe this. A baby. We have a baby." It was whispered out, a giggle, hands on his cheeks and squeezing them tightly with giddiness.
Shouta couldn't help his own shaky, excited grin, even as Hizashi bounced out of sight.
He met Izuku's large, intelligent eyes from where they stared up at him from his seat on the floor, Hizashi placing the little boy and the blocks there moments ago. "…Yes?"
Izuku brightened considerably, mouth vibrating and spewing drool as he babbled. "Ababa! Se'sei! Ohh, woah!" Tiny fingers latched onto a crease in his pants and tugged hard enough to lift his little body up onto wobbly legs. His palms slid onto one of Shouta's knees and patted, as if reassuring him of something.
"What is it now?"
A shy smile. "Up?"
Shouta felt every wall in his carefully constructed foundation crack and topple to pieces.
"C'mere, big guy." With the almost familiar weight on his lap, he brought his legs up and curled into the couch, armed wrapped snuggly around Izuku as he ran his fingers through soft, green curls. He was rewarded with a pleased hum, Izuku's own fingers tracing odd shapes into Shouta's chest as he listened to his heartbeat. "My Izuku's in there, isn't he?"
Those eyes. They were too wise for a one year old.
Izuku just stared at him before reaching up and tapping his nose again with a sweet giggle. "Hehe! Se'sei!"
Shouta found himself laughing as well. They sat like that for a while. Even when Hizashi had called them for dinner, Izuku had attached himself to Shota like a little leech while his husband had attempted to feed the baby.
"Here comes the airplane, Izu-chan! N—it's ok, Sensei's still right there! Look at 'Zashi! Yummy, yummy! Yummm, open wide!"
Now, with Izuku as full as they were going to get him, half asleep and all three of them more than ready for bed, they had the next obstacle that needed to be faced.
The first diaper change.
"Ok. I think he's just wet. You've got the fresh diaper?" Shouta asked, a bead of sweat on his forehead. He tried not to let his nerves show through the shaking of his fingers as he began to unfasten the dirty diaper's straps. "Oi, no kicking."
He grabbed a naked, chubby leg when Izuku kicked out desperately, a little whine leaving him. "No," a quiet cry, one that had Shota swallowing painfully. "No, no!"
"Oh, baby…Sho, he's embarrassed. Be gentle."
He let go of Izuku and tied his hair back. "I'm not going to be rough." He grumbled, irritated, but softened at the fat tears rolling down freckled cheeks. "Hey, now. It's just Sensei. Why would you be upset when it's just me?"
"…" Izuku seemed to hesitate. Shouta took the chance to rip the diaper off and lift little ankles into the air, wipes already in hand. It was instant; loud, piercing sobs. Izuku began to hysterically cry, wriggling and screwing his tiny face up as if his world was ending.
"Diaper."
"Here."
"He's kind of red on his bottom. I'm pretty sure I bought some—Izuku, please stop twisting. In that bag, there should be some diaper rash cream. Yeah, that. Can you…? Thanks. Almost done, 'Zu. You're doing a good job."
Izuku quieted at that, red nose crinkling and sniffling pathetically. "Ya?"
Shouta barked out a laugh, Hizashi nudging their shoulders together with a grin, and, when he finally finished, placed a hand on Izuku's naked tummy. "Yeah. You did really well. I'm proud of you. Do you want to pick out your jammies? There's the sharks or the bears. Look at what 'Zashi has. He's holding them." He helped Izuku sit up and felt his fingers itch at the need to touch the chubby baby rolls that met his eye.
"Oh."
"It's all you, babe. Which do you like?"
Izuku tugged on the beige, teddy bear covered footie pajamas with interest. "Oh! Ayaya! Ahh! Se'sei!"
"Good choice." Shouta manhandled him back onto the ground and began to wrestle him into the outfit. Instead of cries, Izuku began to giggle, kicking out excitedly, arms and legs flying. "Oi, watch it. Let me zip you up."
He stood with the help of Hizashi, Izuku, who was now dressed, in his arms, and sighed. He felt like he aged fifty years that day.
"Hand him to me and get ready for bed, Sho. We'll follow." Shouta tried not to hesitate, the empty feeling of not having the baby with him nerve-wracking, and headed for the bedroom, already shrugging off his shirt and stepping out of his work pants while Hizashi threw the two of them on the bed. "I'm gonna tickle you! I'm gonna get you, Izu-chan!"
"Eee! No! Baah! Noo!" Shouta yanked on some sleep shorts and a tank top, stuffing his toothbrush in his mouth as he listened to the sweet lilt of Izuku's voice.
"Are you ready for bed, Little Listener? Hmm? You've had such a big day, haven't you?"
"Trade me." He climbed into the cool sheets all while dragging Izuku up by one of his arms, grinning at the shameless giggles he received. "You're going to sleep with us, got it? So no funny business."
Izuku mumbled something out, glancing around shyly, and sat up, fisting at Shouta's chest so he could lean in and place a messy, open mouthed kiss on his cheek, his own bright red.
Shouta felt his heart stop in his chest.
"Was that my goodnight kiss?" A hesitant nod, almost as if he wasn't sure how Shouta would react. All he could do was smile. "Thank you. May I give you one back?"
Izuku perked up. Chubby arms reached out, and he squealed in delight once Shouta covered him in his own gentle kisses. "Se'sei!"
"Ok! 'Zashi is back! Look at me, my little love." Hizashi bounced back into the room and popped the new pacifier into Izuku's unsuspecting mouth before shutting off most of the lights and taking his spot next to them. "It's clipped to his pajamas, so if it falls it's not a big deal. Here, baby. I also got you this."
Izuku lit up at the sight of a bottle, pacifier forgotten as he smacked his lips, tiny fingers reaching out and latching on tightly. "Baba!" Soon the only noise was the soft suckling of the bottle, Izuku's dark lashes fluttering dangerously while he fought the urge to sleep that crept up on him. Shouta couldn't help but rub his tummy soothingly as he watched, almost fascinated at the sight.
Half lidded green eyes shifted to him at the motion before they unfocused yet again.
"So…there's no turning back?"
Shouta jumped at his husband's voice. "What?"
Hizashi looked guilty from where he was curled up on his side. "You know…he can't…turn back. Is that what the doctors said?"
Shouta made sure Izuku was all but out before responding. "More or less. Hizashi, I'm going to try to fix this. I need him back to fifteen. But as of right now, no. There is no reversing this. Try not to look too happy. This can't be easy for him."
"S-sorry. I'm sorry. You know I love him older, too. He's cute as a button either way. I've just…we've always wanted this."
It went back to being silent, just the soft breaths that signaled Izuku's slumber breaking it. Shouta took the chance to grab the nearly empty bottle from barely parted lips and replace it with the pacifier. Izuku immediately started to suck, stretching in contentment, tiny fingers coming up to tug at his green curls, before he relaxed.
"You never explained about his mom, Shouta."
He grunted, irritated, both at being reminded of the situation and of having his attention ripped away from the peaceful sight of the baby. "I don't know much about it. Bakugo filled me in today. Apparently, his mother up and left him about a month ago. Right after the Sports Festival. He's been homeless and sleeping outside since, until Bakugo found him last week."
"That's awful…poor thing. What about his father?"
"There's not much about him in Izuku's chart. He isn't in the picture as far as I can tell. I don't think we have to worry about anyone snatching Izuku away from us, 'Zashi," he murmured soothingly, reaching an arm over Izuku and gripping his husband's shoulder.
Hizashi blushed. "That's not why I was asking. I just don't want any surprises. Are you ok if I take out my hearing aids?"
Shouta's features softened. "Of course I am."
"I can't wait until tomorrow. I love you."
He watched the rise and fall of both of his boys' chests for a good while, happy to just take in the sight of them. In the end, he didn't sleep.