Chapter Text
Tenko’s feet burn, and his face stings, and his hands ache .
He doesn’t know how long he’s been wandering aimlessly down this street, And he can’t remember when he left home.
He misses home .
Please, help me! Is what he thinks as all the big people walk by and he wishes he could scream it out but his voice catches in his torn throat the only thing his ears are met with is the sound of feet stomping on pavement and hushed chatter as the big people glide past him.
Punishment , That's the answer his mind supplies him when he wonders why all this is happening.
It’s the only answer that makes sense. Tenko was bad and now he’s being punished.
Tenko’s legs give out and his face nearly lands right on the pavement but he’s able to catch himself in time.
When was the last time he went to bed? But mom couldn’t read him bedtime stories anymore so how could he fall asleep?
“Woah, kid, are you okay?” A voice from above him says.
Tenko lifts his head to see the owner of the voice, but is immediately blinded by the blazing sun and squeezes his eyes shut.
Still, he smiles because mom always told him that people love a sweet smile, so maybe if he smiles then the person won’t walk away from him like all the others.
Plus, mom also always said that he has a pretty smile.
—
It’s safe to say that the last thing Kohaku expected to run into on her way to the store was a tiny kid; And she definitely did not expect said tiny kid’s face to be so….
Is horrifying too cruel of a word?
Nearly his whole face is caked in blood and dirt; and if Kohaku had a lot less self control she might involuntarily gag at the sight.
And now that she was really looking at the kid, she could make out the dried blood in his shaggy gray hair and the grime coating his clothes.
And now, she has only one thought when looking at this kid.
What in the world ?
“What happened kid?” She asks hesitantly, kneeling down to be closer to eye level with the kid.
The kid’s smile drops and he looks as if he’s trying and struggling to say something before he gives up and just frowns a sad frown and scratches at his throat.
“Do you know where your parents are?” She tries again, still hesitant as she inches a little closer to him.
The kid tries to speak up again, and for a moment she wonders if his voice is just too quiet to be heard over the hustle and bustle of evening city traffic but when she leans in closer to the kid and still can’t hear a thing, She opts for the option of the kid simply not being able to speak for some reason.
The kid seems to accept the defeat of his voice box seemingly not cooperating and settles with a resigned shake of his head.
“How about where you live?”
Another shake.
Kohaku sits there idly for a few moments while pondering what to do with this obviously urgent situation. The kid’s horror filled eye’s that haven’t left her face for longer than comfortable send an eerie shiver down her spine.
“Alright… Uhm, Don’t worry kid; I’ll help you out, alright?” She offers him a practiced smile, and promptly freaks out internally when tears start to prick at the kid’s eyes.
“Hey, hey! It’s gonna be alright, okay?” She says as reassuringly as she can. “Now… Don’t freak out but I'm gonna pick you up, okay?”
When the kid doesn’t protest or move away she slowly wraps her arms around his small frame and braces to pick him up; standing and pulling him up with her.
She spends a minute or two adjusting him so he’ll be secure; An arm under his bottom and a hand firmly on his back.
Much to her surprise, the kid wraps his arms around her neck limply and rests his head on her chest.
Oh, and now he really is crying; quiet tears streaming down his blood covered cheeks.
“Hey, it’s okay kid- erm.. Shh shh, there there,” She says quickly, panic at the unusual situation rising because how do you deal with crying kids??? She only knows what they do in movies!
She sighs and shuffles the kid around, using the arm that had been supporting his back to dig her phone out of her pocket.
Her phone rings for a few beats before the other end picks up.
“What’s the emergency? You don’t call on your off day for no reason.” The person on the other end says immediately.
“Well… I just found this kid and he’s like…” She glances down at the kid quietly crying into her chest and momentarily debates whether she wants to discuss this when he can clearly hear her but ultimately decides there's more important things to worry about. “He’s covered in blood, and he doesn’t know where his parents are and so yeah it’s kinda an emergency and I need help.”
“Are you taking him here or the hospital first? You said he’s covered in blood so you should probably take him to the hospital if he’s injured.”
“Hospital,” Kohaku responds, already heading in the direction of the nearest one. It’s not too far and she should be there in minutes.
“I’ll meet you there in an hour.”
“Thanks Genji.” Kohaku ends the call and shoves her phone back into her pocket so she can return her hand back to supporting the kid.
—
I’ll help you out, alright?
Tenko can’t stop thinking about those words. He had been sure that the world was punishing him but then the nice girl said those words and picked him up.
She saved Tenko.
She’s his hero.
Tenko is sure he’ll never be able to thank her enough, though right now he’s focused on not making a fuss at the doctor for wiping at his face like he normally would when…
When what? What does he normally do?
He can’t remember.
Tenko’s eyes widen as the realization hits him.
He can’t remember. Anything.
Where’s mom? Where’s home? Why isn’t he home? Why was he on the streets, why did he need to be saved?
Why can’t he remember?
He remembers being punished, because that's what his brain said earlier but why? He knew somewhere deep down but he just couldn’t remember anything concrete.
Tenko doesn’t even realize how spaced out he is and how he hasn’t been breathing until he feels arms wrap around him and the warm sensation brings him out of his head.
“There there, little one, can you breathe with me please?” The arms’ voice says. No wait that’s the doctors voice, if Tenko’s stupid memory is anything to go by.
Still, Tenko tries to follow the up-down-up-down motion of the chest he’s leaned against and is eventually breathing normally again.
The doctor rubs his back, and Tenko finds himself grateful for the comfort of the motion.
Eventually the doctor releases Tenko from his comforting hold and sits back so he can look at Tenko’s face.
“You alright little one?” When Tenko just shrugs unsurely the doctor continues, “Well, you’ve got some nasty owies on your face huh? Those probably don’t feel too good so I’m gonna get one of our best healing quirk doctors to make their way in here and take care of you okay?”
Now that the doctor reminded Tenko, he can feel all the stinging on his face that he’d forgotten about.
The doctor stands up to leave, and Tenko almost starts crying because he doesn’t want the doctor to leave because he was nice and comforting and Tenko doesn’t want to be alone again.
“You’re staying here right? I don’t wanna leave the little one alone in here,” The doctor says, and Tenko suddenly remembers that his hero is still in the room; quietly sitting in the corner.
“Yeah, of course,” She responds; And Tenko no longer finds himself on the brink of tears now that he knows he won’t be alone again.
The doctor makes his exit and his hero just turns to look at him.
After a few moments of quiet starting her eyes widen and she sits up a little straighter.
“Oh my goodness, I totally forgot to give you my name. Sorry kid,” She says suddenly.
“Well, better late than never-” Tenko barely hears that, “- My name’s Kohaku Hada, you can call me whichever is easier I guess.”
For some reason Tenko feels like her name is familiar but he’s not sure why cause he’s almost certain he’s never met his hero before she saved him.
Tenko decides he shouldn’t think about it too long and instead focuses on the sudden need to thank her for saving him, but his voice still refuses to work; Much to his own dismay.
“You got a name?” She suddenly asks; And once again Tenko wishes he could respond with his name but he settles with a nod. Not that it’s very helpful.
“Can you write?”
He shakes his head.
“That’s alright. Plenty a’ time to learn.”
They sit in silence for who knows how long. Tenko resisting the urge to scratch the itch and his hero looking thoughtful.
Since Tenko is sitting facing the door; he watches as a new big person walks in.
“Hello!” She says with a big smile while she makes her way towards Tenko and takes a seat on the swivel chair near his bed, “My name is Doctor Imai, I’m here to make the owies you’ve got go away; Does that sound alright?”
Tenko nods hesitantly.
“Now, before we start, can you drink this for me?” She holds out a cup and Tenko takes it in his hands. It looks like water so he sips as much of it as he can before returning the cup to the doctor.
“Great Job,” She says with another bright smile. “Now, could you hold my hand for a little bit?”
Doctor Imai offers her hand to him, and Tenko slowly reaches his hand out to place it on hers before hesitating; Flashes of hands, his hands and blood and Hana!
He draws his hand back.
“Hey it’s okay bud, I ain’t gonna hurt you,” No that's not what Tenko is worried about. “You gotta hold my hand so I can heal you up with my quirk.”
The images escape Tenko’s mind once more and he shoves down all his bad feelings and hesitantly places his small hand on top of the doctor’s.
“Good job! Now, my quirk might make you feel a little weird but don’t freak out cause the weird feeling means your owies are going away.” She says, and her hand starts glowing in a way which Tenko finds fascinating; The glow curling around his own hand and traveling up his arm.
“Can I ask you some questions while my quirk does its job?” Her words bring Tenko out of his fixation on the glow and he gives her a nod.
“Can you talk?”
He shakes his head.
“Have you ever been able to?”
He nods, his face forming into a frown.
“Do you remember how you got hurt?”
Tenko pauses for a moment. He can’t remember. Only little flashes and these bad bad feelings.
He shakes his head and tries to hide behind his hair; Feeling exposed on the too-big bed.
“That’s alright bud, I think your brain is just trying to protect you from the scary memories. And that's perfectly fine.” Tenko briefly looks up to see her kind smile. He isn’t sure if he should believe her. He doesn’t like his brain very much for making him forget his family.
The room is coated in silence, As the doctor is apparently done questioning him for now.
Now that Tenko isn’t focused on her questions and his traitorous brain, he’s focused on the tingly feeling spreading through his body. He almost starts freaking out before he remembers it’s the doctor’s quirk.
He doesn’t like it. And the urge to scratch the tingly away takes hold of him and he reaches his free hand up to scratch at his face where the tingly is the worst.
The doctor gently grabs his wrist before his fingers can scratch away the tingly and Tenko wants to cry because he doesn’t like the tingly feeling .
“Hey, it’s ok bud. It’s just my quirk, alright?” And I'm almost done so just hang in there for me.” She says, her voice soft and kind. Tenko feels her give his hand a reassuring squeeze and he blinks away the tears welling up in his eyes.
—
Kohaku frowns at the scene before her.
She can’t help feeling bad for this kid. He obviously went through something traumatic, that much was plain to see.
A quiet knock on the door steals her attention from the kid and the doctor. Thankfully, she’s met with the sight of Genji standing in the doorway.
She quietly stands and makes her way out of the room, careful to close the door quietly behind her.
“That’s the kid, yeah?” Genji nods his head towards the room.
“Yeah.” She runs a hand over her face and sighs. She then promptly remembers that her hands had picked up a layer of grime and blood from holding the kid and sighs again.
Genji gives her a somewhat amused look, obviously not missing the now-state of her face.
“Kid’s covered in blood and grime, Genji,” She says, wiping her hands on her pants. Not that it’d do much good at this point.
“He talkin’ yet?” Genji asks as he pulls out a handkerchief and hands it to Kohaku.
“Thanks,” She mumbles as she takes the handkerchief. “And, no. He isn’t. But when the doctor asked him if he has ever been able to talk he said- well, nodded his head ‘yes’, so I’m assuming it's either a case of selective mutism or he damaged his throat somehow.”
Genji humms thoughtfully and pulls out a small notepad and pen to jot down whatever he feels is important.
“Oh, and apparently he doesn’t remember the incident either.” Kohaku adds.
Genji sighs, “Well that won’t make anything any easier. And depending on how old he is and if his quirk has developed yet he might not be in the system either.”
“Yeah, I know.” Kohaku groans and leans against the wall, still rubbing at her face with the handkerchief to get the gross feeling of the grime off.
“I guess we can just hope he starts talking or he’s in the missing children files.”
The two sit in contemplative silence as Genji scribbles down whatever in his little notepad and Kohaku gives up on getting the gross feeling completely off of her skin without some water and soap.
“So, what happens in the meantime?” She finally breaks the silence.
“He’ll stay in the hospital for however long the doctors say he needs and if we haven't found his family by then, I suppose he’ll be put in a children’s home until further notice.” Genji answers, finally looking up from his notepad and settling his eyes seriously on Kohaku.
“Really? That’s sucky. You’ve heard the same rumors about those places I have. When are we gonna stop sending kids there?”
“Yeah, I have. But we can’t do anything about the law so until further notice that’s how it works.” He frowns and puts his notepad back into the discreet pocket inside his jacket.
The door of the room opens and Doctor Imai steps out, Gently closing the door behind her.
“I assume you’d like a report of the child’s condition?” She says immediately and receives a nod from Genji.
“Alright, I’ll also write up a report on the questions I've asked him so far and his answers. I’ll have all the papers delivered to you when I've completed them.”
“Much appreciated, thank you Doctor,” Genji says with a small bow to the doctor.
“Before I leave, is one of you going to stay with the child or send an officer? If not I’ll be having a nurse stay with him because I don’t believe he should be left alone.” The doctor says, eyeing the two.
“I can stay with him,” Kohaku offers, earning herself a questioning look from Genji that she promptly ignores.
“Great! Now I have reports to write and patients to heal so if you would excuse me,” She says in a sing-song voice as she scampers off down the busy hall.
Genji gives Kohaku a look .
“Have fun baby-sitting,” He says before turning and beginning his own trek down the hall. “And I’ll call you with any updates, I expect the same in return!”
—
Kohaku looks down at the kid currently curled up in her lap and absently wonders how she found herself in this predicament.
“I uhh… Got caught up in a work thing,” She eventually says into her phone.
“Uhuh. Says the police officer on her day off. Did Genji rope you into doing overtime again?” A sigh comes from the other end of the phone, “You were literally just out to get groceries for dinner!”
“No, Ai, I'm being serious. I, uhh…” She glances down at the kid again and lowers her voice, “I found a kid on the street and he was- is in bad condition so I had to take him to the hospital and then I sorta.. Volunteered to stay with him.”
“A kid?” Her friend's voice suddenly sounds a lot less teasing at the information.
“Yeah, we still don’t know what happened cause he can’t talk so Genji’s just trying to track down his identity and family.”
“Oh my goodness,” Kohaku can just hear the other girl’s pout in her voice alone, “The poor baby, Can I help at all? What hospital are you at? I can bring you stuff if you're staying overnight or anything the little one might need?”
Kohaku thinks it over for a minute.
“Actually, yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Just bring the overnight bag I always have packed and… Could you pick up some clothes for the kid?” She says, thinking about the bloody, grimey clothes the kid had been wearing before they changed him into a hospital outfit.
“Of course!.... Ermm do you know what size he is?”
“Uhhmmm…” Kohaku pauses to think, “If his finger counting abilities are to be trusted, he told the doctor that he’s five so… Google what size five year olds normally wear?”
“Okie dokie! I’m already working on heading out so I’ll be there in an hour or two- By the way send me the address.” Kohaku can hear shuffling on the other end.
“Alright, see you when you get here.”
—
Kohaku looks up to see her friend sheepishly poking her head into the bare hospital room.
“Hey, Ai, stop loitering around and get in here already.” Kohaku says, keeping her voice low so as not to startle the kid in her lap.
Ai walks in, happily taking in the scene before her as she sets her bag in the chair Kohaku had been inhabiting earlier and gently setting a vase of flowers on the table by the bed.
“Ohmygoodness, the baby is so cuuutteee ,” She whispers.
“Ai, you seriously brought a vase of flowers?” Kohaku gives her a very done look.
“ Yes , yes I did. Flowers make everything better.” She replies as she takes a seat in the swivel chair that Kohaku is 70% sure is reserved for doctors but doesn’t say anything.
The kid finally picks his head up and looks at the new person in the room. Luckily he doesn’t seem startled. Honestly he just looks tired.
“Hey there sweetie, My name is Ai, what's yours?” Ai says with a bright smile that’s almost always present on her features.
Obviously, the kid doesn’t respond. Although he does try. He just looks up at Kohaku then back at Ai.
“Well, we're just gonna have to give you a nickname until we can find out huh?”
“Ai, no, you’re gonna get attached. Also, did you bring the clothes?”
“I don’t care if I get attached, Hima. And yes, I did. They're in the bag over there.” She gestures to the bag she’d left in the chair.
“Hey little dude, You wanna put on some comfier clothes?” Kohaku says to the kid, leaning down a little.
He gives her a small nod.
—
Tenko is glad to be out of the hospital clothes. They weren't necessarily uncomfy , but they didn’t feel right.
He much prefers the soft pajamas that sport a picture of All Might.
Tenko is a little uncomfortable now that his hero isn’t in the room with him, But she seemed to like this Ai girl so he’ll trust her for now.
“I’m gonna call you Kiku.” She says suddenly, startling Tenko a little.
Kiku?
Before Tenko has time to question the sudden name, his hero is walking back into the room.
“So the doctor said I’ll be able to stay with him for the night but you're getting kicked out in half an hour, so.” She takes a seat on the bed next to Tenko and he scoots a little closer to her.
“Aweee….” Ai pouts. Tenko thinks she looks kinda funny.
“They might release him tomorrow depending on his condition,” His hero looks down at him. “But they said he’s still dehydrated and needs to work on eating more.”
Tenko shivers as he remembers the very not nice time when the doctors put the thing in his arm that apparently gives him water. Why can’t he just drink it like normal?
“Well then, I’ll be back first thing in the morning with homemade breakfast for you two.” Ai declares with a proud look on her face.
“Uhuh, sure sure.”
Ai blows a raspberry at Tenko’s hero and he almost giggles at the scene.
—
“Kohaku,” Ai says, a serious light to her eyes as they walk down the hall.
“Ai,” Kohaku responds.
“Where’s he going once he gets let out?”
“Children’s home unless they track down his family.”
There’s a silence between the two as they pass through the door and are hit with the chilly night breeze.
“Hima-”
“There’s nothing we can do about it Ai, go home and get some rest okay?” Kohaku says to interrupt her friend who gives her a pout in return.
“I will be back tomorrow, just you watch me and I’ll have a whole plan.” Ai says, walking backwards as she makes her way to her car.
“Yeah, I have no doubt about it, Ai.” Kohaku gives her friend a wave and heads back inside.