Chapter Text
The people of the wolves and the people of the sheep had held an unsteady alliance for many years. The wolves lived up higher in the mountains, while the sheep remained down in the valley where the grasses were more plentiful and rich for their grazing herds, untouched by the predators for the most part. A sacrifice of their older stock was gifted to the wolves each year to keep the alliance alive and keep them and their young out of their fields, and with that they were mostly left to their own devices. They typically remained in their own portions of territory, but occasionally the young would cross paths at the very edges, too curious to remain close to home. That was how Izuku found Katsuki for the first time.
He’d gone wandering with the lambs, enjoying the crisp spring air and the sights of the valley slowly waking up and coming to life once more from the heavy snows, alternating between leading them and being led. When the creatures had suddenly tensed and startled, running back towards home on their own, Izuku couldn’t help but be curious. There were noises he’d definitely never heard back at home coming from a ravine, growling and snuffling and… crying? That was definitely a human sound. On high alert, Izuku rushed towards the sound of distress without thinking, jumping over the edge of the ravine and making his way down towards the blonde, spiky haired person at the bottom.
It was far too cold still to be in the water, but there sat a little boy making plenty of noises but no motion to get up and out on his own. Izuku finished skidding down the embankment and hurriedly walked through the shallow water to approach the blonde, spiky haired youth, sizing him up best he could. He looked about his own age, maybe a little older. He wore clothes suited for the area, so he wasn’t entirely a stranger, but they were a different style to his own, a different cut and tie to the fabric. It wasn’t until the boy looked up at him with red eyes and bared his teeth with an aggressive growl that Izuku realized precisely what the boy was.
A member of the wolf clan. An injured member of the wolf clan, from the look of it. Though Izuku should have hesitated more, he couldn’t help but be worried about the injured boy, and leaned forward to offer him a hand up.
“Here. I uhm. I can help you get back to the top.”
“I can get back to the top on my own!” snapped the blonde.
“...Why are you sitting in the water then?”
He hesitated a moment, still obviously tense, before slowly looking down towards the lower part of his body. Izuku gasped and took a small step back in surprise at the sight of the deep gash in his leg, the water rushing by sweeping away whatever blood was coming from it. Adults were far away, back at home, and wolf child or not, leaving him here alone while injured wouldn’t be right to do. There were other predators out there, beasts and other clans who occasionally swept through, and Izuku knew that with blood in the air there was a chance of this boy being found by something unpleasant.
“Uhm!” Izuku started, fists balling up in front of himself. “I can get you home! My mom’s really good at helping injuries, she’ll fix you right up. I promise! We can even give you snacks so you feel better after the medicine, because it tastes icky.”
The boy stared at him like he had two heads, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “...What clan are you from?”
“The sheep people,” Izuku said quickly. “You’re a wolf clan member, right? My uhm. My name’s Izuku, what’s yours?” he continued, subtly reaching for the blonde again until he not only accepted his hand up but leaned against his side for balance to keep weight off his injured side.
“Izuku,” he repeated. “...More like Deku.”
Izuku pouted at the name, already knowing what it meant. “M’not useless, I’m helping you aren’t I? Here, if we go this way it evens out faster at the inclines, we can reach the top together.”
“Yeah, yeah,” muttered the blonde, limping through the water and up along the bank bit by bit with Izuku’s assistance, watching as the top came more and more into reach. He hadn’t even noticed the subtle shifts in the land, the footholds. Maybe it was because the wolves could just jump the damned creek. Or at least, the fully grown wolves could jump it properly. “I’m Katsuki.”
“How’d you wind up down there? Where’s your wolf?” asked Izuku once they finally reached the top. He needed a break, slowly helping Katsuki sit down where it was safe so he could catch his breath for a moment before they began the long trudge home. It was common knowledge that everyone in the wolf tribe wound up paired with a pup of their own, whose lifelong bond would be unbreakable.
“Where’s your stupid sheep, shepherd nerd?” Katsuki snapped. “Don’t those dumb things stick to herds?”
“Flocks,” Izuku corrected, making Katsuki’s cheeks color in annoyance. “And uhm. I had some lambs with me, but they ran away when we heard you crying.”
“I wasn’t crying!” Katsuki insisted, stubbornly pouting. “My leg doesn’t even hurt that bad.”
“Whatever,” Izuku sighed, annoyed by now but not wanting to fight with him. He watched Katsuki for a bit before noticing him shivering. It made sense, he’d been in that ravine for however long in ice cold water and the air was still chilly for how early in springtime it was. After a bit of thought, Izuku removed his gloves, his hat, and his scarf, and started to put them onto the blonde without any warning. Surprisingly this tactic worked, and the boy let him apply the pre-warmed items onto him. “We need to try bandaging your leg… It’s leaking again.”
“Should I rip my shirt?” Katsuki asked. “I’d have to get my jacket off but-”
“No, you’re already cold, let me do it,” Izuku said instead, pulling his toasty jacket off to show his under layers. With a few more tugs he’d gotten his undershirt off and ripped it carefully into a long piece of cloth he could tie around Katsuki’s leg, setting it into place before he started to tie it himself. Izuku redressed himself and leaned over to watch Katsuki work the knot just tight enough it’d do the trick.
“There. That should stop it for now.”
“Ready to keep going? I feel rested now,” Izuku said, offering his hand down once more.
Maybe it was the fact he was a bit warmer, or that there was pressure on his wound, or that Izuku had not only given him his clothes but destroyed one of his belongings to help him, but Katsuki didn’t complain this time. He reached for Izuku’s hand and helped himself up with the counterbalance, then leaned against his side for support once more as they set off across the vast expanse of the valley towards Izuku’s home. It was beautiful down in the valley, bright slivers and patches of green grass among various outcroppings of remaining snow, the first flush of low lying flowers, the sturdy trees surviving to send off fresh sprouts in the warmer sunlit air. Katsuki hadn’t really spent much time out of the mountains themselves in his life, so seeing this was kind of a treat.
“Whoa, what’s with these sheep? They’re huge!” Katsuki suddenly said as they neared a flock grazing. The lambs were fairly small, running around chasing each other near their mothers, but the ewe themselves were gigantic beasts who were even larger from how much wool had been growing during the harsh winter. It was nearly time to shear them, Izuku realized, reaching out to try touching one of their fluffy sides only for it to sense danger and trot away. Considering Izuku was lugging around someone who smelled like a wolf, it made sense, but it still felt bad to suddenly not be able to touch them.
“They’re normal sized,” Izuku defended. “Maybe a bit fatter from the winter’s wool, but. These are normal sized sheep. Aren’t your wolves big too?”
“Well yeah, but those are wolves. Sheep are prey! And the sheep we get from your people as offerings are always smaller than that.”
“Oh, right. We give you the younger ones,” Izuku realized. “I guess that makes sense, older sheep would be a bit bigger.” Less tasty too in his opinion, but there was no way he was going to say that to a son of a wolf lest he get any ideas.
Eventually they spotted an adult shepherd watching the flock, and Izuku waved to him for help, yelling in greeting to show it was him. The adult came quickly, concerned at what he was seeing, blue slowed when Katsuki looked up at him cautiously with those red eyes.
“...Who’ve you brought home, Izuku?” he asked, looking around automatically to check for predators that were probably in range if the child was there.
“My new friend, Kacchan!” he said proudly. “He was in a ravine, but I got him out. He’s hurt and really cold, I wanted t’get him to Mama so she could make him all better!”
The shepherd grimaced slightly, still assessing the risks of the situation, before he leaned down to scoop Katsuki up in his arms so he wouldn’t be walking anymore on his injured leg. “You did well, Izuku, good boy. Your mother probably was wondering where you’d wandered off to anyway.”
“I was just with the lambs,” he said innocently, leaving out just how far away he’d wandered. There were only so many ravines in the immediate area however, which kind of defeated the purpose of the fib, but the adult didn’t call him on it, instead leading the way quickly to Izuku’s home before leaving the pair at the door so he could get back to his herd as fast as possible.
“Izuku?” Inko called from deeper in the warm house when she heard the outermost door open and shut. “I was just about to go calling for you, lunch is almost ready honey. Get your boots off and wash up so you can have it nice and fresh.”
“Mama, I’ve got a new friend with me!” he announced, helping Katsuki tug his boots off before setting them aside with his own and once again helping him to hobble around as they opened the interior door and headed for the main hearth. “He’s hurt though, can you help him?”
“A new friend?” she asked without looking up from the fire. “Oh that’s wonderful. But hurt? What happened? Were you climbing things again?”
“No Mama, he fell in a ravine before I found him. Here, you can use the good stool,” Izuku murmured once he got his outer layers off and collected Katsuki’s wet coat and the things he’d leant to him. The blonde was shivering slightly, but the warm air offset the worst of it almost immediately, proving soothing. “It’s his leg, there’s a big cut in it.”
When Inko looked over, she assumed it would be another of the clan that Izuku had befriended, or even a traveler. When she recognized Katsuki for what he was, she flinched back and held her hands in front of her chest, unsure where to put them as she worriedly looked around, as if someone were going to come into the house at any time.
“Oh! Oh, I. He’s, ah. …Did anyone see you come into town with him, honey?”
“A shepherd carried him here for me,” Izuku said with a grin. “We walked a long way before that, though. It was really tiring. His name’s Kacchan!”
“My name’s Katsuki,” he corrected.
Inko still looked stressed, cornered, but the longer she looked at Katsuki’s worried face, his concerned, slightly fearful eyes, the more she relaxed. Eventually she sighed and pressed her hands to her face for a moment to reset her thoughts. Right then. This child needed help before he could be returned, they’d just need to make sure he was taken care of properly before then, and then they could give him right back before anything bad could happen. She smiled when she uncovered her face and reached out to stroke Katsuki’s hair a few times.
“There, there. We’ll get your leg all better and get some food into you and warm you up. Everything’ll be just fine soon,” she promised. “Izuku? Can you grab one of your nightshirts for me? He should be able to fit it, he needs to get out of the wet clothes before I can really get a look at his leg to help it.”
Within minutes of Izuku running away to the dresser to dig out his comfiest bedtime shirt for his new friend, Inko had helped strip Katsuki down bare by the fire, and set aside the bloody bandage to get a look at the wound. Izuku tugged the fresh clothing over his head from behind and helped him wiggle his arms into the sleeves as Inko cleaned the injury carefully, then applied some medicine to it and wrapped it with a clean bandage. Katsuki wiggled his toes and flexed his foot this way and that to see if the bandage was too tight, but grinned when it proved to be just the right amount of tension. If anything, he felt better already! He was warm, dry, his injury wasn’t hurting anymore, there was food smells everywhere. This was pretty damn nice actually, who knew the stupid sheep people had such comfortable houses?
He glanced around as Inko busied herself with something else in her medicine box, taking in the decorations. A few large ram skulls were decorated with dried flowers and herbs, multiple tapestries covered the walls, dancing with bright colors. Here and there were also delicate looking pottery items and carved wood figurines, clothes, and toys belonging to Izuku, as well as knitting supplies and many colors of wool yarn rolled into balls.
“Here, sweetheart. Drink this real quick, and then we can get you two fed,” Inko said, offering him a small container that Katsuki immediately wrinkled his nose at. It smelled… green. He didn’t know how else to describe it, but it smelled green and damp and unpleasant. But the woman was watching him closely, so when he eventually drank, she smiled happily “You did so good! I’m sorry it tastes bad, but it helps to keep sickness away.”
Katsuki stuck his now tinged green tongue out and miserably gagged a few times before coughing, trying to get the taste out of his mouth. It was bitter on the back of his palette, and unlike anything he’d ever had to drink before. Hopefully he’d never taste that stuff again. He rubbed his forearm against his mouth a few times, making Izuku whine a bit in distress as the fabric was stained green in a few places.
“Wait, no, that’s my sleep shirt!”
“I’m sure it’ll wash out, sweetheart,” Inko promised, tucking her box out of sight once more. “Come on now. Who wants to eat some supper?”
“Me, me, me!” Izuku said quickly, dancing on the spot. Katsuki looked cautious, uncertain what sheep tribe members really ate, but… it did smell delicious. Maybe it would be good tasting too? When Inko grinned and nodded at her son, Izuku grabbed Katsuki’s hand and tugged at it till the blonde got up and carefully walked with him to the table, deposited him, then ran off to grab plates and bowls to bring to the table for them. Another trip brought back some cutlery and cloth napkins for everyone, before Izuku was scrambling up into one of the chairs and excitedly watching his mother as she started to bring over different items.
It wasn’t a huge spread, but there was plenty of food to choose from and Katsuki couldn’t take his eyes off everything. Fresh bread with what looked and smelled like herbs baked into it and dusting the top, slices of something that he was pretty sure was cheese, a thick stew that she was already dishing up so it could cool, thin slices of cured meats, and some strong smelling vegetables that had Katsuki wrinkling his nose suspiciously again.
“What’re those supposed to be?” he asked bluntly.
“Pickles,” Inko explained, going back to set the stew pot out of the way for now near the fire. “They’re good for you!”
“Those aren’t pickles,” Katsuki said, confused. “They’re not red.”
“Red?” Izuku asked, confused. “Pickles are yellow’n green, not red…”
“No, pickles’re red, that’s how you know they’re done and spiced enough!” he insisted. “These aren’t done, they’re not red. You made’m wrong.”
Inko furrowed her brows, trying to think what he could mean before she covered her mouth and softly laughed. “Ah, I see. These aren’t spicy pickles like you’re used to, they’re sweet. A different kind! I hope you’ll like them.”
Katsuki furrowed his brow and pursed his lips, watching as Inko dished out a few of the pickles to each boy then grabbed some for herself, then made sure everything else was in reach for the boys before she sighed and went to grab some water for them all. When things were finally set up and the boys had dished up their own servings, she helped herself to the rest and finally sat down to enjoy the fruits of her labor.
Izuku huffed and puffed at his stew to cool bites of it before eagerly digging in, while Katsuki stirred his own a few times and left it to cool on its own, wanting to investigate the other things on offer. The sweet pickles were very weird, but pretty tasty to someone who wasn’t that used to sweet flavored things. The bread was also delicious, fluffier than the kind his mom made, and each bite tasted buttery and savory all at once. The meat was chewy and salty in a good way, and it just made him more eager to dunk everything into his stew and start eating it hungrily once it was cooled down, soon joining Izuku in his eager spoonfuls. Neither of them stopped till their bowls and plates were scraped clean and the hazy, slow, comfortable feeling of being full of warm food had set in.
“You two can rest on my bed before playing more together, it’s bigger,” Inko said softly. “We’ll look into getting Katsuki home after I talk with some of the others in town about how best to do it.” They’d need to either carry the boy or take him in a wagon to avoid him messing his injured leg up more. That had been a bad gash, and who knew how long he’d been in the ravine before Izuku brought him home. If it didn’t wind up infected, she’d be thrilled, but the risk was there even with the medicine and work she’d done cleaning him up properly.
Izuku nodded diligently and went to help Katsuki off his seat, leading the blonde along as he rubbed his eyes to his mother’s room past a thin curtain. It was cozy and comfortable as the rest of the house, with the bed festooned with soft blankets and pelts and cushions. Plants lived in here as well, making the air feel fresh and sweet. He helped Katsuki get up onto the bedding before hopping up beside him and sprawling out on his side with a relaxed groan of a full stomach, watching Katsuki’s face curiously.
He had long eyelashes, Izuku realized. He was pretty like the girls in the village were, and even if his bright red eyes were a little intimidating, he could appreciate the angles of his young face. Katsuki seemed to be watching him just as closely with narrowed eyes, though not once did it feel like the look of a predator to Izuku. Instead, he eventually reached his hand out to poke his chubby cheeks, counting his freckles lazily.
“You’ve got lots of those.”
“Heh. Yeah, Mama says they’re like stars but for the daytime on my face.”
“Stars huh?” Katsuki asked, pursing his lips briefly in thought before he nodded in acceptance. Yeah, he could see that. Freckles as stars made sense to him. “How’d you get stars on your face?” His voice was softer now, sleepier now that he was nestled somewhere cozy and safe. It was like being in his own home in a way, warm and safe in a nest.
“Just lucky I guess,” Izuku murmured. “She said she wanted a baby for a long time, and when I was born the Gods kissed my face in blessing because it was so sunny when I was born.”
“Stars and sunshine,” Katsuki murmured, blinking hazily a few times, growing more and more groggy by the second. “M’kay…”
“You’re pretty, for a wolf child,” Izuku said quietly, but with a sleepy grin. He reached over to pat Katsuki’s cheek as well before letting his hand drop, crossing their arms between them with a yawn. “I thought predators were… all scary…”
“M’terrifying,” Katsuki insisted. It was the last word either of them managed before conking out, breathing slowing more and more till they were deep in slumber, resting off their big meal.
Inko checked on them a few times with a smile, satisfied to see they were doing well and safe. When she was certain they weren’t going anywhere for a little bit, she left her home and went to seek counsel from a neighbor about how to get Katsuki back home without the wolf clan feeling threatened by their approach, or without being attacked. They weren’t used to interaction outside of established offerings days and trade days at certain areas at the edge of the territories where other clans would also come to exchange wares and goods. Or when they were raiding now and then to pick off extra sheep from their herds and then deny it, the thieves. She couldn’t just keep Katsuki here, that was just asking for trouble, but she also couldn’t just leave a small, injured child to find his way home on his own. There was no way her conscience would let her do anything like that. That boy was Izuku’s friend now, for better or worse. Even if it wasn’t going to last, he’d helped someone, and it was her duty to finish helping him.
A plan was hatched to borrow a wagon from one of the farmers, get some blankets to pad the back so he’d be comfortable, then hitch it to one of the few village horses and get him back to the mountains by tomorrow night. If they tried to go all the way to the mountains and the wolf village right now, this late in the day, they’d be met with nothing but troubles and an early onset of darkness for their troubles which was just too treacherous. Setting out at first dawn was the best bet. Inko was wondering if she should make Izuku stay home where it was safest, or allow him to come along to enjoy the last fleeting moments with his little friend he’d be able to have. Let him enjoy a little time away from the village, even if it was a bit risky.
Inko went back to her home still pondering these things as she tidied up from lunch and set the leftovers aside to go with dinner later. She glanced at the clothes Katsuki had been wearing, pursing her lips at the blood stained pants. There’d not really be much in the way of getting that stain out, but at least sending him home entirely dry would be best. She hung each piece of his little outfit by the fire so it could steam and dry itself with the warmth, and then busied herself at her knitting again, working on an intricate blanket she’d set aside for later. She definitely needed something to steady her hands with, there was just so much hanging in the air over her now because of the little boy sleeping in her room with her son, she needed her nerves soothed.
- - - - - - - - - - -
The howling of the wolves was what first set off the alarm in the village. Normally distant and haunting, the sound of predators had come disconcertingly close before the bell in the center of the village began to be rung. They hadn’t heard it since they’d made cautious peace with the wolf tribe, this warning of an attack by a raiding party, but here they were late into the night being called to alertness.
Inko sat upright in her bed, a cold sweat on her brow, but she didn’t have time to think. Instinct took over: keep her home safe, protect her son. Protect the children. She heard the screams of slaughtered sheep nearby and the growls and huffs of running canines as she climbed out of bed and staggered to the kitchen area. She didn’t really have anything in the way of weapons she could use to defend her home, but she did know her way around a kitchen knife and decided it was better than nothing. She could’ve kicked herself for not knowing how to use anything else. Hisashi had always said she needed to take up some kind of a weapon just in case he wasn’t around to help anymore, but somehow the time to practice had never really come up before. The boys were either staying quiet in Izuku’s room or were still asleep. Just as well, honestly. She didn’t need Izuku to be this scared in his own home.
She caught sight of a furry body racing by a window and shivered, holding her grip steady on her knife as she approached the middle of the room, standing her ground between the front door and Izuku’s room. The thought that she should grab Katsuki and take him outside crossed her mind, but the fact this was a raid, that sheep were being slaughtered and the sounds of destruction were happening in the village, made that feel like an unsafe option. Who was to say that she wouldn’t be slaughtered for being in contact with him outside? Or that a wolf wouldn’t just take her down? Her boy would be an orphan then and-
Absolutely not. Be brave, Inko, things would be okay.
Screams rang out from next door and her blood ran cold. The neighbors had children as well, she could hear shrieks from terrified toddlers and the breaking of wood and pottery, clanging metal and snapping snarling jaws of wolves as a fight broke out. Something began scratching and digging at her front door, huffing and growling, sniffing at the cracks. Inko adjusted her grip on the knife and tried to be brave. She had Izuku to worry about, she had to keep him safe no matter what. Had to protect their home.
When the door gave way and the wolf sprang at her, Inko screamed and shoved the knife forwards. Though she was knocked flat, she managed to draw blood on the beast’s face, leaving a nasty slice along its muzzle and keeping hold of her knife enough to threaten to do it again, this time to its nose. It withdrew a few paces with a miserable whine, pawing at its face as a blonde woman walked inside through the fallen door, looking around angrily.
“...Mama?” came a small voice from behind Inko’s position. She snapped her head to the side to look, wide eyed and trembling, tears already falling from panic, only to see Katsuki bleary eyed and confused in the doorway to Izuku’s room. Izuku himself looked sleepy and confused as well, rubbing his face before really realizing what he was seeing in the living room.
“Mama?!” her son cried, starting to rush out towards her.
“Izuku, no, stay back!” she shouted, making him freeze and really register the massive wolf making a mess in their home between its blood and its body movements. Izuku began crying heavy tears, but Katsuki ran out unbothered, straight to the other woman’s legs to hug her tight.
“Mama, why’re you here?”
“Katsuki!” the blonde woman cried, dropping down into a crouch and drawing him to her chest, holding him tightly and stroking at his hair. “There you are, are you hurt? Are you okay? What happened, how did you get here, did they take you?”
He groaned and pushed at her face as he began to squirm, torn between enjoying the attention and not liking being fussed over so much. “Izuku brought me here! My leg’s messed up, but-”
“Izuku?” she said, looking up with narrowed eyes towards the cowering child who was shakily crawling towards his mother despite her earlier warning not to come near. Still holding on tight to her own child, the woman stood up and took a step back towards her wolf. “I don’t want you sheep people getting the wrong idea. We’re going to let you live… but it’s not out of any goodness of our hearts. It’s because you gave him up without a fight.”
The implication was more than clear. If they’d resisted more, if Inko had done more damage perhaps, they might not have survived this encounter. Inko grasped Izuku tightly when he finally reached her, turning her body to shield him between herself and the floor, clenching her eyes shut, willing the wolf and the woman to leave them be so they’d be safe again.
“Mama, put me down!” Katsuki complained, squirming a bit harder. “M’still full from dinner, I don’t wanna get squeezed!”
“We’re going home now, Katsuki. Don’t worry,” she soothed, digging her fingers into the wolf’s fur to stroke it a few times before hefting herself up onto its back, flattening Katsuki down in front of her into the fur before opening her coat and curling herself against his back to keep him warm. Katsuki nuzzled down into the familiar fur of his mother’s wolf before lifting his head up to look down at where Izuku and Inko were on the ground, brows furrowed. …They weren’t bad. They’d helped him, actually. A lot. Inko had helped his leg, and Izuku had brought him here and-
“Mama I don’t wanna go yet.”
“Hush. Put your head down, get ready to run,” she instructed, pressing herself flatter as the wolf exited the building, not wanting to get scraped off. The wolf, still bleeding and upset, shook itself once it was outside of the house. The blonde woman lifted her head up to howl from the wolf’s back, giving a signal, only for her wolf to pick up the signal and sing it out even louder for her. Others nearby paused what they were doing and answered in another tone before the shouting and thudding picked up. Wolves began to dart out of homes, out of fields, with either freshly killed sheep in their jaws or stolen goods on their backs held tight by their riders. Izuku got loose from his mother when the wolves began to race out of town, leaving them all in the dust as he hurried outside.
Katsuki was already long gone, one of many wolf riders disappearing into the valley and rushing towards the mountains. Inko, shaken and pale, was soon behind him and scooping him up to hug him tightly, shivering from the amount of adrenaline coursing through her blood.
“Izuku. Izuku… Please. Please, promise me you’ll never do something so dangerous again. When I tell you to stay away, I mean stay away. That wolf…. What if it had bitten you?” she asked softly. “I wouldn’t have been able to handle it if anything happened to you. I’d never forgive myself if anything had happened to you.”
“Mama, is Kacchan ever coming back?”
“Hopefully not,” she said immediately, turning to take him back inside. “I think the treaty is pretty much gone at this point. I don’t know what will be happening for now, but I need you to promise me. If you ever see him again, I want you to turn around and come right home. Okay? Don’t talk to him. Don’t do anything. Just turn around and come home where it’s safe with the flock. You can’t trust people from the wolf tribe, it’s too dangerous.”
“But Kacchan was nice,” he mumbled, watching over Inko’s shoulder as she brought him back to her room and closed the door behind herself, welcoming the soothing dimness of the space and the comforting familiarity of the space. Izuku crawled back into the space between the blankets that still held some of the warmth he and Katsuki’s bodies had made earlier, and watched as Inko lit a lantern and turned it on low to act as a comforting muted brightness in the dark. This lantern didn’t have the shapes cut out on its metal cover like the one in his room, but it was still nice. Sleeping in his room didn’t seem to be an option right now. He could sense his mother needed to make sure he was safe and close, and after how scary things had been earlier he didn’t even want to imagine what kind of nightmares might come his way if he left his mother’s side that night.
“I know, sweetheart. But he was very young. He’s going to grow up to be like his mother, and then he’ll be very dangerous,” Inko explained, reaching over to stroke his hair back from his forehead before touching his freckled cheeks with the back of her knuckles. “They’re predators. We’re prey. …It’s not really something that can last, a friendship between the two.”
Izuku made an uncertain sound, but he was still tired, and now that he was laying down again he could feel the fatigue in his bones. Inko leaned to kiss his cheek and tugged the blankets up to tuck him in securely, making sure everything was just so.
“I’m going to go check on the neighbors, and then see about getting the door fixed. I want you to stay right here, okay? Just sleep now. Everything is going to be just fine.”
“Okay mama,” Izuku mumbled. “...You’ll be coming back, right?”
“Of course I will be, sweetheart. I’ll be coming back in here very soon, and when you wake up in the morning I’ll be right there with you too,” she promised, already mentally giving herself permission to sleep in so she could keep that promise. They’d make breakfast together instead of him waking up to it. It would be a good trade off.
Though he still seemed unsettled, small brows furrowed, Izuku turned his face towards the pillow he rested against and snuggled the blankets against his chin, shifted his legs in the uninterrupted space of the large bed, and slowly curled up to dream about a friend he made and lost in a single day, the fields of the valley, and the haunting wolfsong that had happened outside of his door when that friend disappeared to the mountains from whence he’d come.