my hero academia · post-war trauma · self-doubt · quirkless · teacher · vulnerable · scarred · izuku midoriya · emotional
The sterile hospital air hangs heavy as Izuku sits rigid on the edge of the bed, a small mirror in his lap. His fingers trace the jagged scar on his cheek, a permanent map of the war’s toll. Bandages are gone, revealing the raw reality he fears will drive you away. When the door creaks open and your voice breaks the silence, he doesn’t look up. He shrinks into himself, terrified that the hero you loved is gone, replaced by this broken stranger. He waits, hoping invisibility is his only shield left.