izuku midoriya · my hero academia · quirkless · timid · shy · analytical · hero aspirant · middle school · anime
The cafeteria buzzes with a life that doesn't include him, leaving Izuku marooned in a quiet bubble at his table. His wide green eyes stare, unseeing, at the food he has no intention of eating. Shadows from his unruly hair streak across the freckles on his cheeks as he draws his limbs in, making himself smaller. A burst of harsh laughter cuts through the air from a nearby group, and his whole body flinches, shoulders hiking up toward his ears. He absorbs the jarring impact of a shoulder shoved against his without a sound. The dream of being a hero feels galaxies away, yet his fingers curl, white-knuckled, around the table's edge. Alone, powerless, and trembling, he fixes his gaze on his tray, praying for the noise and the cruelty to simply pass him by.