Work Text:
izuku felt his heart rabbiting in his chest at a speed so ridiculous, he was sure he could keel over at any time. he wanted to run, to hide, to make himself disappear from the terrifying gaze of those glowing blood red eyes but his body wouldn’t move.
right in front of him, in all his glory, stood the infamous villain eraserhead: the underground boogieman himself.
people called him eraserhead for a litany of reasons. some rumours claimed that every person unfortunately enough to get on eraser’s bad side would simply disappear, their entire existence erased like they never existed in the first place. others say that it was because he took away your quirk, erasing a part of a person so intertwined with themselves that they were never the same afterwards.
the few lucky enough to find themselves in eraserhead’s presence and walk away unscathed compared it to looking death in the face. full body chills, the prickle of the hair behind you neck standing on end, every instinct in your body screaming at you to run, run, run. many didn’t even see the man but immediately knew they were present in the existence of mortal danger- like sheep walking into the lion’s den.
these were all horror stories that had izuku vowing to do everything in his power to avoid ever running into this ghost of the underground, regardless of how interesting the villain and his quirk was or how thrilling every mystery and rumour surrounding the man was- they were simply not worth it. he may be morbidly curious and a little reckless when it came to his hyper fixation of quirks and heroes and villains but izuku wasn’t dumb, and he certainly did not have a death wish. he had resigned himself to be content with the hearsay and sightings people posted on online forums.
except fate hated his guts and said sike-
because on this random tuesday evening, izuku had the misfortune of crossing paths with the man of most people’s nightmares. his included.
he wasn’t even doing any of his sleuthing he would sometimes go on when he hears about a villain attack! he was just running out to buy some cereal! this was so unfair!!
he was rushing to back from the store because the sky started rumbling and he had to get back to his little hideout before he got soaked because he only had so many clothes- and he ran straight into an unmovable wall of a man that sent him tumbling onto his bum.
izuku was instantly met with a red quirked glare and the worst part was the slight sting that sparked over his forearm under the long sleeves of his sweatshirt the moment their eyes met. izuku has never felt anything like it before but he didn’t need to, to know what it meant. he has heard too many stories of what it felt like to meet your soulmate, regardless of platonic, parental or romantic.
everyone talked about the spark over you skin where a tattoo of sorts would appear the moment you made eye contact with your soulmate.
and it looked like eraserhead knew this too. he had no doubt the man felt the same sensation shooting up his forearm even if eraser didn’t even flinch. those dark eyes only glancing between the new tattoo of what looked to be a bunny drowning in the fabric of a ridiculously long scarf and izuku clutching his own arm protectively. izuku’s sleeves hid his skin but they both knew he had the exact tattoo that matched eraser’s identically.
“interesting.”
“p-p-please, let m-me go, mister,” izuku winced internally at his stutter that was infinitely worse than usual because of how fucking terrified he was right now.
“why would i do that?” the man asked in a lazy drawl. “you’re mine now.”
what does that mean what does that mean what does that mean?!?
izuku decided he did not want to find out and he was very proud of himself for not bursting into tears with how he was literally quaking in his boots.
“b-but i have to go home,” his voice shook at his attempt to bargain with the villain. eraser raised a single unimpressed eyebrow.
“do you have someone waiting for you at home?”
izuku considered lying, for just a second, and he could tell that eraser fucking knew before he even opened his mouth to answer. he admitted that he was a bad liar but that was just ridiculous!
“lying is bad,” the man deadpanned monotonously and izuku felt himself bristle.
“i didn’t even say anything!”
“i didn’t say you were,” eraser said, giving izuku a flat look that he just knew accused him of being defensive. “but. if you were to lie to me in the future.” he paused with a dangerous glint in his eyes that made izuku gulp.
“i’m putting you in timeout,” he finished very seriously. izuku blinked. the beat passed. another.
“i’m thirteen,” he couldn’t help but snark incredulously. eraser looked surprised, looking him up and down before asking. “are you sure?”
that just raised the boy’s hackles all over again. he might be a little short for his age but he was not that small. (eraser private compared the sight to that of a spitting, angry little kitten.)
“yes, i’m sure!”
“alright, alright. no need to get worked up,” eraser placated even as he halfheartedly stifled a smirk at the boy’s spit fire attitude. “but my point still stands; no lying to me. understood?”
izuku took to glaring at the villain, his bruised pride braving his rebellion. eraserhead only matched his gaze evenly, patiently waiting for his response until izuku deflated in surrender, recognizing that this was a fight he wasn’t going to win.
“i understand,” he mumbled defeatedly, missing the pleased look that crossed the villain’s face.
“thank you,” he hummed, startling izuku with a ruffle of his curls. “now, would you tell me the real reason you wouldn’t come with me?”
izuku took a long moment to stare into those steady dark eyes, eraser’s expression open and patient, simply curious and genuine want to understand. the weight of the man’s palm surprisingly comforting in his hair and izuku was overcame by the sudden urge to cry.
he hadn’t had the best luck with adults, with parents in this life. it was why he was practically homeless, living in a shoddy abandoned building for the past year after he decided that he couldn’t trust the adults meant to protect him. that he was alone and that had to be enough.
he couldn’t remember a time before the orphanage and group homes and failed fosters. he couldn’t remember how his dad looked like or how his mom’s voice sounded like. he couldn’t remember how it felt to have someone care.
now, standing before him was the man whose terrifying exterior of the great villain eraserhead had all but melted off, leaving behind a man asking for a chance. he glanced over at the dark ink adorning the man’s skin, the little bunny snuggled safe and happy in the loops of fabric, utterly content. he knew the implications of the tattoo. he did. but…
“you’re scary,” he eventually whispered, voice sounding much younger. he watched the villain take in his words, understanding dawning as he cracked a small smile. not the scary grins of all teeth that the horror stories described- instead something crooked and awkward. vulnerable.
“i’m not sure what i can do about that,” eraser started. “but i’d imagine getting to know someone would help, yeah? i’m aizawa shouta. it’s nice to meet you…”
“izuku,” the boy whispered feeling like he was handing over his heart to the man. the soft expression on the man’s face said the same.
“well, aizawa izuku, from now on, you’re my child and responsibility. you have my word that i will never intentionally hurt you in any shape, way or form. i promise that you are mine to protect and care for.”
the boy regarded his words for a long time and eraser felt himself squirm internally even though it didn’t show, before the kid spoke up again.
“i have your word?” he asked carefully, with less fear and more curiosity. “like a contract?”
eraser snorted. “i was thinking like a pinky promise,” he said, amused at the pout and muttered ‘i’m thirteen’ under the boy’s breath, reaching to ruffle bouncy green curls.
“but sure, kid. we can do that too.”