Inko had a husband… Didn't she?

Every day was lonely. Her husband hadn't visited home since Izuku left primary school for middle school. And he rarely called. He hadn't kept up frequent communications since Izuku was in the seventh grade. He called on birthdays and Christmas, that was all. In the past three years, it had been little more than a check. It wasn't like she wasn't grateful to her husband. It was just that, was she even married? She had remained faithful throughout her entire marriage, through all the lonely nights and doubts. Oh, the doubts. On top of that, raising a quirkless son in a society of superpowers was indefinitely difficult. And her husband was only there for a short while. If all it was a paycheck, Inko was starting to think she could do that for herself. Izuku was starting his senior year at U.A. After this, he would be a Pro-Hero. He would be able to provide for himself and start living as an adult. Inko set the tea on the table a second before the doorbell rang.

"Mr. All Might! Please come in," Inko greeted.

"Please, use Toshinori," All Might said quietly. Inko ignored him as she peered around for her son and came up empty.

"Izuku?" she asked softly. He was supposed to come back for the winter break.

"Ah, Young Midoriya asked to see Ms. Uraraka home safely before coming home. He said he should be here before night, however." At first, the quarterly meetings with All Might were nothing more than updates about Izuku. He had promised her that he would take responsibility for him. He had promised that he would look after her only son. Of course, she was grateful to the former number one hero but, where did that leave her?

Inko's heart sank a little from having to wait longer to see her son. But, it was a blessing in disguise. She had something she wanted to talk to All Might about.

"Oh, well. He does like her a lot," she sighed. "The tea's hot and ready." All Might sat at the table, thanking her as she poured a cup. She sat across from him, quietly sipping on her tea, wondering how to start.

"-very well. But, of course, he always does well. His improvements are extraordinary. He really wishes you could see him now." All Might waited for her reply.

"Mr. All Might-"

"-Toshinori-"

"-I need your help."

The request took All Might off guard. In the two years he had known Inko, she had never asked for his help. She had demanded his insurance for her son. Her usual small and frail frame had hardened. All Might watched as she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

"Of course, Mrs. Midoriya."

"I've got a job. It pays well enough that I can keep our lifestyle pretty much the same. I started two months ago."

"That's amazing Mrs. Midoriya! I think a job is really good for you!" All Might was genuinely excited. He had seen the toll of being by herself first hand. It was something maybe even Izuku hadn't seen. On a few of his update meetings, her eyes were dark and clouded. Her shoulders weighed down with a burden he could only imagine. "Why are you worried?"

"Well, that's not all…" She took a shaky breath and glanced away to her cup. All Might waited patiently, unsure of how to comfort her. He heard a hitch in her voice that urged him to place a hand over hers.

"Mrs. Midoriya," he started softly, "Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'll do my best to help in any way I can."

Inko tried to steady her breath but, instead, a river of tears flowed.

"I'm divorcing Izuku's father-" she managed to choke out. "I've already sent back his past two checks." She took her hand away from All Might's to cover her face. All Might had no idea how to react. He only had a few girlfriends, none of them were ever too serious. And, of course, he had never been married. He didn't know how to console someone from the end of their marriage. In the end, he reached across the small table to rest his hand on her arm.

"I'm sorry that it's come to this," he said. "I can listen to you if you'd like."

"No, no," Inko cleaned her nose on her sleeve. "I'm worried about Izuku. Could you be there for him especially after I tell him?"

"Of course, I promised to look after Izuku and I intend to keep that promise."

"Thank you," Inko sniffled and patted his hand. "I'm very grateful for you, Mr. All Might."

All Might blushed a little. If he was being honest with himself, he had liked Inko from early on. That's why it was important to him to gain her trust personally and not just as the No. 1 Hero. He secretly looked forward to his quarterly meetings in which they would discuss nothing but Izuku. And that was okay with him. He had squandered his crush almost as soon as it started. She was a married woman after all. He wouldn't step over her boundaries… All Might cleared his throat and got her a tissue.

"If you need someone to talk to Mrs. Mid- um- ah, if you need someone to talk to, you can call me."

"I guess I'll have to get used to my maiden name," she smiled a rueful smile. "But you can call me Inko."

"Only if you call me Toshinori," All Might tried to lighten the mood. Luckily it worked; Inko let out a small chuckle. She patted her face down, wiped her hands on her jeans, and sighed.

"I think I should start dinner now. You're welcome to stay."

"If that's alright with you," All Might patted his hands on his thighs, a little nervous for some reason. "I can help."

.

Izuku came home, late into the night, to see Inko asleep on the couch. There was a covered plate of food on the table. He felt terrible. It had taken him longer than expected to get home (that and he ate with Ochako). Nonetheless, he woke her up to tell her that he was home. She hugged him a little longer and tighter than she usually did. Her breath was sweet and her cheeks were rosy. At first, he thought that her slurred words were due to tiredness. But, when he took the plate of food to the fridge he noticed two wine glasses in the drying rack. A shock ran down his spine when he realized that his mother had been drinking.

With who?, Izuku thought.