Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Art Credit: Mine (aeolian-mode.tumblr)

Soul of a Hero

When Izuku began his 10 month battle in hell, he was fully prepared to face whatever consequences it would bring. He didn’t, however, consider the consequences it would have on his mentor, the man he had idolized his entire life.

All Might had given him one simple task: to remove every last shred of garbage from a once-beautiful beach that had become a dump. Izuku had never seen so much garbage in all his 14 years, but he was determined not to let All Might down. His new mentor was, after all, the world’s most popular superhero and universal symbol of peace and justice. He was the man who had inspired Izuku to become a hero. The man who had chosen him to become his successor.

Every evening after school, without fail, All Might was waiting for him on the beach with a cooler full of drinks and sandwiches and a grin full of pep-talk. Yesterday Izuku saw him standing tall, bulging with muscles that his shirt could barely stretch over, his face chiselled and battle-hardened with a fearless, toothy grin.

Today Izuku saw him slouching, his stretched clothes sagging off his bones, his hollow eye sockets heavily shadowed under his drooping bangs. Even his best attempt at a smile seemed to slip crookedly off his face.

It was hard to get used to, and even harder to watch. Up until recently, Izuku didn’t even know that the powerful All Might that he had known all his life was just a charade. The real All Might was an emaciated, frail little man whose soul had been crushed under the weight of his responsibilities and the burden of his battles. This was the man who was passing the torch to him: Izuku Midoriya, a lonely quirkless boy. Soon, it would be him shouldering those soul-crushing burdens. A burden he took without question and without hesitation.

It had only been three weeks into his training. Izuku felt like he was getting nowhere. He dreaded coming to the trash-covered beach and seeing those insurmountable piles of rubbish. He had ten months, but he barely put a dent in anything. His muscles ached, burning with every step he took. Still, he counted himself lucky he could work alongside his childhood hero and see him almost every day. When he was a kid, he never dreamed he would even have the opportunity to speak to All Might, let alone inherit his superpower and train alongside him.

His dream came true. He wasn’t going to let that turn into a nightmare.

Even now, as he struggled to push a broken refrigerator across unstable, sandy terrain, sweat drenching through his shirt, he didn’t regret his decision. He didn’t think he ever would. Right now, All Might was on his side, cheering him on, telling him to focus on the muscles in his core instead of just his arms, coaching him every step of the way. He wasn’t just going to pass on his superhuman powers and leave Izuku to struggle and figure it out on his own. He was in it for the long haul, for better or worse.

So Izuku pushed, digging his feet into the dirt, shoving his entire weight against the broken, rusty fridge.

“That’s it, kid! Don’t hold back!” He heard All Might shouting from nearby. And the fridge finally started to budge. Izuku heaved, his legs burning, his shoes digging into the sand as the heavy hunk of metal slid in front of him, leaving a trail in the ground. His chest burned with every gasp of breath he took.

And he worked. For three hours, until the sunset beamed over the ocean’s horizon. By the end of it, Izuku only managed to push the fridge up to the roadside where it could be taken to a proper dump later.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Early.” All Might passed him a bottled water where he sat hunched on the curb of the roadside, shoulders heaving every breath, his clothes clinging to his skin with sweat.

Izuku took it, drinking greedily. “Yes sir,” he responded respectfully, averting his eyes. Tomorrow was Saturday. He wouldn’t have school distracting him. He would be here all day.

“You’re doing good, kid.” He felt All Might’s bony fingers clap him on the shoulder, once. “Most people your age? They’d never be able to do what you’ve just done, not in a million years. You should be proud of how far you’ve come in just a few weeks.”

Izuku didn’t feel proud. It took him far longer than he wanted. He wasn’t improving fast enough. Doubt clenched his chest as he thought of all the other people in the world who deserved All Might’s power more than he did. He was just an ordinary, quirkless kid.

“Come on, where’s the smile?” All Might hovered over him, his knuckles on his hips. “Don’t look so down on yourself, young Midoriya. You’ve got this.”

Izuku lifted his head, and smiled. It was his best impersonation of All Might’s fearless smile. The All Might he knew, anyway. The version of All Might standing in front of him had a smile more like a broken Nutcracker, but it was still there. A shell of its old self, but there.

The scrawny man gave Izuku a thumbs up in approval. “That’s more like it. I’ll see you tomorrow, kid.” With that, All Might turned and began to head down the sidewalk.

Izuku watched his retreating back and stopped smiling.

---

The sun wasn’t even up yet, and Izuku was already at the beach, doing his morning stretches. All Might always stressed the importance of stretching before work. It helped keep muscle injury to the minimum. He moved from stretches to sit-ups and push-ups, then started a brief jog up and down the beach’s shoreline. He kept glancing up the roadside, expecting to see All Might on his way. He usually showed up as soon as the sun did.

He never came.

Morning stretched into early afternoon. Izuku had already stacked up a bunch of tires and broken bits of machinery up by the curb. Still, no sign of All Might. Izuku decided he was probably doing hero work. Maybe there was a car accident, or a robbery. Izuku put it out of his mind and kept working.

Late afternoon arrived and he realized how exhausted he was. He had forgotten to eat lunch or drink anything. All Might always brought lunch with him. Izuku hadn’t even realized he had grown reliant on the expectation. He checked his watch, noting it was 3:30. He decided he should go home and get lunch with his mom.

Just as he was headed back up to the road, he saw a familiar silhouette stumbling down the sidewalk. It was All Might, scrawny as ever, walking lopsidedly towards the beach, a cooler swinging in one hand. Something about him chilled Izuku’s spine. He quickly realized it was the splotch of red on the front of All Might’s stretched, white shirt.

Izuku ran up to meet him. “M-mister All Might, sir! Are you alright!?”

The superhero raised a hand. “It’s nothing. Sorry I’m late. Had to do some hero work on the way here, and I lost track of time.” He coughed into his hand. Izuku watched red drip down All Might’s knuckles.

Izuku had seen him coughing like this many times before. He sometimes saw flecks of blood on his lips when he did, but this was more serious than that. He recalled what All Might told him the day he saw his true form. The day he saw the scar that exploded across his stomach and chest like a spiderweb of ravaged flesh.

His lungs were crushed, and his stomach was gone. He’d gone through surgery after surgery, but he would never be the same.

All Might gestured to the cooler. “Have you had lunch?”

Izuku realized he had been staring at the blood. His eyes snapped up to All Might’s, and he shook his head. “No, sir.”

They sat on the curb, and All Might gave Izuku sandwiches and a can of juice, but didn’t have anything for himself. Izuku had almost forgotten how hungry he was. Something just didn’t seem right about All Might today, and he found himself staring at him as he ate, distracted.

“You didn’t… get hurt, did you? During your hero work?” Izuku finally asked him.

“No. It was a car accident. I was just getting the victims to the hospital. The ambulance couldn’t reach the scene as fast as I could.”

“The blood is…”

“It’s mine. Don’t worry about it.”

Izuku was worrying. But he didn’t say anything else.

As soon as he was done with lunch, he got back to working on the beach while All Might found a spot to sit under an outcropping of metal junk. Izuku worked for an hour, but he noticed All Might was being quiet. He hadn’t said a word the entire time. Normally he would at least be giving him a few pointers of advice by now. Nothing.

The afternoon sun was crushing. As Izuku worked in the heat, drenched in sweat, his hands covered in the grit of sand and band-aids and blisters, he kept glancing distractedly in All Might’s direction. The superhero was starting to slide sideways. His head was drooping forward. He looked like a wilting houseplant, shriveling up in the heat.

Something was wrong.

Izuku abandoned the garbage bags he was carrying, rushing up to his mentor. “H-hey. Hey, are you alright?”

The hero tried to respond, but there was a gurgling sound in his lungs. All Might doubled forward and coughed a spray of blood into the sand. Izuku watched with growing panic. He felt, for the first time, that he had to do something about this.

“Should- should I call an ambulance?” His hand hovered over the cell phone in his pocket.

All Might raised a hand in a placating gesture, wheezing, catching his breath. “Don’t- don’t bother. They can’t do anything.” He pushed himself upright, his back bumping against the broken file cabinet behind him. His head rolled back, squinting up at Izuku. He looked ill. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help you today.”

Something in Izuku’s heart twisted. That was what he was worried about in a time like this?

This whole time, Izuku thought that he was the one who was pushing himself. Coming out here to this dreaded beach day in and day out, doing nothing but heavy lifting and painful exercises. But now, he was getting a tiny glimpse into the kind of life All Might lived. How could he even function with his internal organs missing and damaged? He was giving everything he possibly could until he had nothing left to give. And he was now apologizing for it.

“Then- then you should go home.” Izuku felt so strange, suggesting this to the man who was supposed to be training him right now. “I’ll be alright on my own, really.”

The frail superhero started to stand. Izuku quickly realized he couldn’t. Without thinking, his hand shot out to grab All Might’s arm, and he helped him rise. Izuku realized just how light he was. In this form, he was a twig. Should he even walk him home like this? Should he take him to a hospital anyway? Or maybe his own house?

Izuku swallowed. Neither of those would work. Too public. He would have to explain what he was doing with a withered, scrawny stranger and he didn’t have a plausible story in mind. He didn’t want to lie to anyone, but he promised he wouldn’t explain All Might’s power to anyone, even his own mother. Up until now, he and his mentor trained in secret.

“I’m sorry, sir. I just. I don’t feel right watching you go on your own. Is… is it okay if. If I come with you?” Izuku asked. Hearing himself say it, it sounded so strange. Wrong. All Might was the world’s most powerful superhero, and here he was, looking like he was going to faint in the heat.

Izuku heard him laugh. It sounded more like a wheeze. With the way he dipped his head, Izuku could only assume he was giving him a nod of approval. Swallowing back his concerns and questions, Izuku maneuvered All Might’s arm over his shoulders and helped him stand, heading to the sidewalk.

“That way,” All Might pointed down a side-alley between a general store and laundromat. Izuku figured he was trying to stay out of sight of any concerned pedestrians.

As they slipped into the alley, Izuku heard a crash. A scream. An alarm system blaring in the distance. A robbery? A break-in? As his mind scrambled to figure out what to do, he felt a sudden heat rising off of the man at his side.

The arm that All Might had draped over Izuku’s shoulders was burning, giving off steam, hissing audibly. Muscles grew and bulged around the twig-thin bones of his arm. Izuku gasped, quickly slipping away from All Might, unable to take the heat. He watched in awe as the scrawny man grew five times larger with unnatural, superhuman bulk.

And then watched in horror as the hero doubled over with a spray of blood, clenching the old wound on his side. Just as soon as he transformed, he was back to his old body again, collapsing against an overturned trash can.

Izuku flew back to his side, trying to pick him up off the ground. “You can’t-”

“I have to. Someone needs me.” All Might hissed through clenched teeth, his fists pushing against the asphalt.

“There are other heroes! You can’t help right now!” As soon as the words left his lips, Izuku wished he could’ve taken it back. His throat tightened in shame.

His entire room was filled with posters and action figures of All Might. Ever since he was a little boy, he watched hundreds of videos of All Might on youtube, watching him save countless lives and thwart countless villains. All his life, he dreamed he would have an opportunity to meet him.

And now he was trying to stop him from being a hero.

Izuku withdrew, bracing to get yelled at. But All Might listened. He let out a heavy sigh, marred by a rattling in his lungs. “You’re right.” All Might started to stand, his hand lifting to seek purchase on the building beside him. Izuku returned to his side, slipping his arm over his shoulders again. He could still feel the heat rising off his skin, like he had a sauna in his pores. Somewhere, someone’s home security alarm system was still blaring. But Izuku thought he heard the telltale footsteps of Mt. Lady approaching the scene, likely with other heroes following behind her.

“They can handle it.” All Might conceded as he began to walk.

---

All Might was the most popular hero in the world, and this was where he lived?

Izuku found himself on the doorstep of a tiny apartment in the heart of the city. When he opened the door and stepped inside, he found it clean, modestly furnished, and a little too untouched. As if no one really lived here at all. There was a visible layer of dust on the nearest countertop.

Any time he thought he caught sight of a framed photograph, Izuku didn’t let his eyes linger. He looked away out of respect. Here he was, barging into his mentor’s home, and he didn’t even know the man’s real name. He was just “All Might,” the hero. Izuku felt he hadn’t earned the right to know anything more about him.

He made a beeline for the nearest couch, and let All Might’s weight slip off his shoulders. The pro hero laid down lengthwise, his eyes drooping shut.

Izuku stood there watching him for a moment, at a loss of what to do. The man clearly lived alone. There was no one here to look after him or take him to the hospital if things took a turn for the worst. But All Might was acting like his current circumstances weren’t a surprise, that it didn’t warrant any panic.

Izuku drew in a breath, making a decision. He went into All Might’s kitchen and opened the fridge. All he saw were soups, nutrition drinks, eggs, and noodles. All soft foods, mostly liquid. Izuku reached in and grabbed a nutrition drink before returning to All Might’s couch. He held it out to him.

All Might opened one eye, squinting up at Izuku. “You’re still here,” it was a statement, not a question.

“Is that alright?”

All Might struggled to sit upright, pushing himself up so his back was up against the armrest. “I would rather you be training,” he said, pushing his fingertips up through his messy, blond hair.

“And I would rather you feel better,” Izuku responded. It must have been the adrenaline of earlier, loosening his tongue. Was it really okay that he was talking to All Might this way?

The hero huffed, which Izuku took to be a laugh. He reached out to take the drink from Izuku’s hands and twisted off the cap. He sipped it. “I don’t have a stomach. One of my surgeries involved connecting my esophagus to my intestines. It just goes straight down. So all I can eat is stuff like this. Or soft things. I don’t feel hunger anymore. And if I eat the wrong thing, it can be bad.” He took another sip, thinking. “My lungs are worse. I don't have a left lung. The other was crushed so badly it was barely saved. I have a friend with a healing quirk, and she couldn't completely fix me. Said it would kill me if she tried. So it was surgery, and rest, and lots of medication. Sometimes I get lung infections. I think I’ve got one now.”

He set the bottle down on his coffee table. “Point is, I’ll never feel better, kid.”

His words settled in Izuku’s stomach like stones. All Might wasn’t trying to imply anything, just stating facts, but Izuku felt a crushing burden on his shoulders. This pro hero was dying. Slowly dying. He wouldn’t be the Symbol of Peace forever. It was him, Izuku, who was going to take up that mantle one day. If he didn’t do it, then the world would be left with a gaping void where All Might once stood.

Could he ever hope to fill it?

“Maybe- maybe you’ll never be completely better. But you’re sick right now. And there’s no one else that knows. So- so if you don’t want to go to the hospital, then I’ll stick around.” Izuku had to go home in three hours, though, or his mom would start to worry. She knew he stayed out all day training to get in to UA High, but always expected him back at suppertime.

All Might looked up at him, giving him a sad smile.

“You’re a good kid. Every day I’m reminded that I picked the right person to inherit my power.”

A pinprick of warmth filled the cold anxiety in Izuku’s chest. No matter how scared he was of the future, when he heard words like that, he felt like he could believe in himself. He felt heat stinging the corners of his eyes and blinked rapidly. Izuku sat down on the edge of the coffee table, across from All Might. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it just as quickly.

He didn’t have a dad anymore. It was just him and his mom at home. And sometimes, he was worried his mom didn’t believe in him, didn’t think he could become a hero. Without a father in his life, sometimes, he felt lost. All Might was the first person to ever look him in the eyes and tell him he could be a hero. And now it was All Might cheering him on, giving him all the validation he was so starved for all his life.

But Izuku couldn’t bring himself to tell him this. He couldn’t find the words to tell him how much he appreciated it. To finally have someone to be proud of him, even when he didn’t feel proud of himself.

He was wrenched from his thoughts when he heard All Might coughing again. He was doubled forward, heaving, his shoulders shaking with every breath. He was spitting blood. Izuku jumped to his feet, staring at him, frozen. His eyes searched the unfamiliar apartment. Water. Paper towels. He found some on the kitchen counter behind him.

“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital!?” Izuku returned to his mentor’s side, holding out the wet paper towels. All Might took them, wiping at the blood on his chin.

“I’m sure. This … happens a lot.” He pointed a shaking finger towards a cabinet in the kitchen. “I have some medicine.”

Izuku rushed to the medicine cabinet, fumbling with its contents. He hadn’t seen so many prescription bottles in one place. They were all crammed into a plastic container. Izuku grabbed it, bringing it over to the hero on the couch. All Might quickly selected what he needed, taking a pill and washing it down with his nutrition drink.

As he watched the hero, Izuku finally realized how to put his feelings to words.

“When… when I was a kid. I really idolized you. You were my favorite hero. I even… dressed up like you sometimes.” He found himself saying into the silence of the lonely apartment. He swallowed. “I thought nothing could touch you. Like you were invincible. But now I see that-”

“-I’m weak.” All Might finished for him, his shoulders sagging.

Izuku’s gaze snapped to his face. “No. No, that’s not what I was going to say. You’re. Stronger. Way stronger than I ever thought. You have to live with… with all this pain, but you keep fighting anyway.”

“I wanted to give up. The day I accidentally dropped that villain into the city.” All Might continued, leaning back down on the couch. “I’m not strong. That day, I didn’t think I was cut out to be a hero anymore. The person who reminded me of what I’m capable of was you.”

He pointed towards Izuku’s chest. “You have the soul of a hero. You are who reminded me that I’m strong.”

Izuku didn’t know what to say. All Might had said something similar to him before, but in this context, it put his actions in an entirely different light.

“You’re going to get in to UA High.” All Might continued, closing his eyes as he settled back down on the couch. “I’ll be alright now. I want you to go back out there, work hard, and clean that beach. When I’m well, I’ll come back and help you. But don’t wait for me.”

At those words, Izuku finally felt it was alright to leave him alone.

“Okay. But if things get worse. You’ll call me. Right?”

“Right. And don’t stop smiling.” All Might grinned up at him, giving him his best attempt at his trademark smile, lifting his thumb.

Izuku smiled back.

He was still smiling as he left the apartment.

Chapter Text

Izuku couldn’t sleep.

He couldn’t get the picture out of his head, imagining All Might shriveled up on his couch, soaked in sweat and coughing blood. After he had taken his medicine, Izuku felt more confident leaving him alone, but now he doubted his decision to leave.

He should have stayed. Given his mom some kind of excuse, made up some story. But he didn’t want to lie. What if All Might died in the night, drowning in his own blood, and the world’s #1 Hero would disappear forever? It would have been Izuku’s fault. Because he didn’t stay.

No. All Might was a grown man who had dealt with this condition for years. If he was really in mortal danger, he would get help. It wasn’t all up to Izuku to look after him like he was some infirm old man.

Izuku’s entire night was spent battling with himself, questioning his decision, picturing the pro hero all alone and suffering in silence. He kept checking his phone, half expecting to see a message from the pro hero calling for help.

Nothing.

Izuku was up at 5:30. He showered, dressed, and found himself in the kitchen. He carefully removed a pot from the cupboard, trying not to make noise and disturb his mom. He found chicken stock in the fridge, a frozen chicken breast in the freezer. Uncooked noodles. Salt. Celery. Spices. He chopped up the chicken into tiny pieces, diced the celery into slivers, and dumped it all in the pot of boiling stock along with the noodles.

He had never made this soup before. He had only watched his mom doing it. She made it for him when he was sick. He only hoped he was making it right.

“Izuku?”

He turned around to see his mom, Inko, rubbing her eyes and blinking tiredly in the sharp flourescent lights of the kitchen. “Why are you up? It’s 6:00…”

His pulse quickened. “I- I just thought I’d. Make. Soup.” The less information he gave her, the better. He didn’t want to lie.

Inko gave him a suspicious look. This wasn’t something Izuku had ever done before. “Why?”

“One of my friends is sick.”

Her gaze softened a little. “Oh. Well, that’s very sweet of you, Izuku. My little hero.” She gave him a tired smile, and Izuku felt the tightness in his chest start to ease.

Until she asked: “who’s sick?”

His heart lodged in his throat and heat blazed under his collar. He didn’t have a believable story. Why didn’t he come up with something before he started making soup!?

“It’s- it’s for Kacchan.” The words slipped off his tongue like slugs.

“Kacchan? Katsuki Bakugou?” Inko questioned. “That boy who bullies you?”

“Yeah, I just- I thought maybe- maybe he’d hate me less if…” the rest of the sentence wouldn’t come.

Inko rested a hand on her son’s back, smiling tiredly at him. “It’s really kind of you to do this for him, Izuku. You’re very sweet, even to people who aren’t nice to you. I love that about you.”

Izuku smiled, but he felt like he was shattering inside. He lied to his mother. He couldn’t believe himself.

At 8:00, Inko helped him pack the soup into travel containers and slipped it into a messenger bag. Izuku kissed her goodbye and headed out into town, the weight of the messenger bag too heavy in his hands, like it was full of cement instead of soup. His own voice proclaiming ‘it’s for Kacchan’ echoed in his mind on endless repeat. He started running.

He found his way back to All Might’s apartment door, breathless. He knocked.

No answer. Izuku felt stones lodging in his throat.

“M-mister All Might, sir? It’s me, Izuku!”

No answer. Izuku wiggled the doorknob, finding it was unlocked.

“I’m coming in. Okay?”

Izuku pushed open the door and stepped inside. His heart was pounding as he braced for what he might see. He walked past the entryway hall into the main room, his eyes searching reluctantly towards the couch where he left All Might yesterday. He saw a figure draped in a heavy quilt. He could only guess it was All Might, judging by a single scrawny arm that was drooping over the side of the couch, uncovered by the fabric. He couldn’t tell if the hero was breathing or not. He couldn’t see All Might’s face.

Izuku set the messenger bag on the coffee table and approached All Might, bracing himself before reaching out to shake him.

“Hey? All Might?”

The hero drew in a sharp breath through his nose, twisting around on the couch. Izuku let out a sigh of relief as he saw shadowed blue eyes staring up at him from beneath his messy, uncombed bangs. “Midoriya…?” All Might said groggily. “I thought you went home.” He struggled to right himself, pushing himself to a seated position.

Izuku’s relief was short-lived when he saw a large, red stain on the couch cushion. Dried blood was caked on All Might’s chin. Was the medicine not helping?

“I did,” Izuku replied distractedly. “It’s, um, it’s 8:30 in the morning. I came back to check on you. I hope that’s okay.”

The pro hero nodded, his fingertips coming through sweat-slick hair. When he didn’t speak, Izuku continued. “I, uh. I brought you soup. I thought you. You might be tired of those meal replacement drinks so… so I got chicken soup. I cut the chicken up into tiny pieces. I hope that’s something you can eat.”

“You made it?”

Izuku felt embarrassed. “Um. Yeah, I did.”

All Might managed a lopsided smile. “You didn’t have to do that. But I appreciate it, kid.”

“I’ll go get you a bowl,” he said, whirling around to the small kitchen behind him. After briefly searching the cabinets, he found where All Might kept all his dishes and silverware. He ladled out a decent portion of the soup into a bowl. The fresh, salty smell hit his senses and he found himself wanting some, too. He hadn’t eaten breakfast in his haste to leave his house.

Just as he was taking the bowl to the coffee table, Izuku felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. His ringtone started going off next. It was All Might’s superhero theme song. Izuku quickly yanked the phone out of his pocket and answered it, partially to stop it from playing more of that all-too-familiar track. He forgot to check his caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Izuku Midoriya!” It was Inko. And she was angry. Izuku felt his heart sinking into his gut.

“H-hey Mom.”

“I just called Mrs. Bakugou to ask about Katsuki. I wanted to make sure you got there safely and if he needed anything else. And do you know what she told me?”

There was a pregnant pause. Izuku assumed it was a rhetorical question. He said nothing.

“Katsuki isn’t sick, and you weren’t there!”

Izuku’s mouth hung open. He tried to say something, to explain himself but he couldn’t get a single word out. His mom was talking so loudly he was worried All Might could hear this entire conversation.

“Why did you lie to me, Izuku? This isn’t like you at all. What’s going on?”

“I- I’m sorry, Mom. I- I can explain--”

All Might’s voice interrupted him. “Hand me the phone, please.”

Izuku turned around to face him. The hero was sagging on the couch, a bony elbow digging into his thigh, the quilt draped over his shoulders. He was shivering with fever, his face shining with sweat. His free hand was outstretched, spidery fingers awaiting the cell phone. Izuku was stunned, his head swimming with guilt and humiliation. Unable to muster up any response to either of them, he handed the phone to All Might.

“Hello, Mrs. Midoriya? My name is Toshinori. I’m a pro hero. I’ve been training Izuku in secret, to help prepare him for his entrance exams to U.A. High.”

Izuku watched him in awe. Was Toshinori his real name, or just another code name? A name he gave people who saw him when he wasn’t in his hero body? He found himself leaning closer, straining his ears to hear his mom on the other line. But he found he couldn’t. She was talking far more quietly now. He didn’t want to look like a fool scrunching his ear up to All Might’s hand, so he hovered awkwardly nearby.

“I assume he told you about training with a pro hero?”

There was a pause, and Izuku couldn’t hear what his mother was saying. He could only assume she was telling All Might- Toshinori- that she knew nothing about it. She knew he had been training, but probably assumed he was doing it alone.

“Rest assured, Mrs. Midoriya, it was not my intention to make Izuku feel he needed to keep meeting with me secret from you. I am very strict about separating my personal life from my professional identity, but you are his mother, and you deserve to know. My personal identity is Toshinori, and I prefer to keep my hero identity to myself. I also prefer that you tell no one else about this.”

There was another pause. Izuku couldn’t hear exactly what Inko was saying, but her voice sounded a little strained. Confused, probably.

“You are absolutely welcome to supervise our training exercises. Every weekend from 7:30 A.M to 6:30 P.M. we are at the local beach. Yes, the dump one. On school days, he comes over after 3:30 and stays until late in the evening. After that, Izuku goes back home, and I return to my professional work.”

Another pause.

“Izuku is at my apartment now, yes. He took me here yesterday because I had fallen ill unexpectedly. Yes, I will give you the address.”

Izuku listened to All Might rattle off street names and numbers, listening to his voice grow more and more strained as the conversation continued. He sounded like there was a frog in his throat by the time it was done and he was telling Inko goodbye.

All Might handed Izuku’s phone back. The look in his eyes was hard to read. Izuku couldn’t tell if he looked disappointed or if it was just the exhaustion from his illness.

“I’m sorry. I just thought- … I thought I wasn’t. Allowed to tell anyone.” Izuku said, bowing his head in shame.

All Might was quiet for a while, watching him, before he dipped his head and sighed. “I know. It’s. A big secret you’re having to keep. One for All. My identity. The fact that All Might is really this.” He gestured to himself. “If the world knew that the Symbol of Peace was actually someone like me, people would lose confidence in me as their protector. And villains would take advantage of that. It would be chaos. The world isn’t ready to know.”

All Might lifted a finger, poking Izuku in the chest. “But she’s your mother. She has a right to be worried about you, about who you’re spending your time with. She needs to know that you’re training with a pro hero. You should have invited her to come watch. I can handle protecting my identity, Izuku. Your mother needs to have faith that you can take care of yourself, too.”

“Can you?” Izuku found himself asking before he realized what he was saying. He swallowed. It was out now. He had to commit. Izuku pointed at the splotch of blood on the couch. “I… I thought you said you’d call if. If it got worse.”

All might stared. Then, he laughed. It was a kind of huffed wheeze that garbled in his throat. “You’ve really got a defiant streak going on lately, don’t you, young Midoriya?”

“I’m not trying to be defiant!” He shot back defiantly. “I just- there’s still so much blood.”

All Might looked down at the red stain on the couch. He looked as if he had forgotten that it even happened.

Izuku reached down to pick up the bowl of soup he had prepared for him. “At least have this,” he offered. “If you won’t go to the hospital, or ask anyone else for help. At least have this.”

The pro hero relented. He reached out to take the offered bowl and spoon, and took a hesitant sip, slurping on a noodle. He immediately made a face.

“...Young Midoriya. This is very, very salty.”

Izuku’s face went red. Why hadn’t he tasted the thing before he served it!?

“It’s- it was my first time making it! I’m sorry!”

All Might laughed.

Chapter Text

Inko Midoriya re-read the address she had hastily scrawled onto a post-it note as she headed down the street, her sleeves rolled up and her purse bouncing on her chubby waist. Her mind spun as she tried to think of what she was going to do with Izuku when she found him. It wasn’t like Izuku to lie to her or keep secrets, but given what little the so-called pro hero told her, she had to assume Izuku did it because of his own personal convictions.

Her little boy always wanted to do the right thing, even when the ‘right thing’ wasn’t always obvious or clear. She couldn’t punish him for this. She wasn’t even sure if she should scold him for it. No, her real concern right now was this Toshinori character. She couldn’t believe this was the first she’d heard of a pro hero training her son. Did Toshinori not know that her son was quirkless and had no hope of getting in to UA? How did they even establish this relationship?

She pictured Izuku tracking down some second-rate pro hero with nothing better to do and begging him to teach him no matter the consequences. The pro hero probably relented because he was too tender-hearted to tell Izuku the same thing she had told him years ago: ‘I’m sorry.’

Those words haunted her to this day, but she couldn’t waver. She was right to tell Izuku that. Without a quirk, her baby boy couldn’t be a hero. In a world full of villains who could tear him apart with their horrible, destructive powers, Izuku would be defenseless. He would die. Telling him he couldn’t be a hero was protecting him, no matter how much it hurt his feelings. She would rather have a depressed son than a dead son. And she would rather have a happy son than a depressed son, but she wasn’t sure how to make him happy if he couldn’t have the one thing he wanted more than anything in the world.

It was hard to watch Izuku go through this.

Those thoughts whirled in her head as she stopped at the apartment door, double checking the address and number, before knocking.

“Come in,” came a voice on the other side, muffled. She recognized the voice from the man on the phone.

Inko pushed open the door and stepped inside. The entryway hall was dark, so she searched for a lightswitch and turned it on. Her eyes immediately fell to a dusty end table near the door, a few photographs on the walls near it. One of them showed a strong, bright-eyed young man with messy blond hair posing and smiling next to a dark-haired woman. Inko found herself staring at the photo. There was something about the man that looked very familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Like a forgotten word that rested on the tip of her tongue.

“Hey, Mom.” Her son’s guilty voice reached her and she turned to face him. He was poking his head in to the entry hall. Inko was still upset with him, but she smiled at him anyway, despite herself. She squeezed his shoulder and stepped past him to the living room, where she found a middle-aged man sitting on a couch with a bowl of Izuku’s soup in his hands.

It took Inko a moment to realize that he was the same man from the photograph. His face was like a skull now. He was just skin and bone. If he was sick, he had been sick for a very long time. The sight of him stirred something in Inko’s chest, her maternal instincts aching for him, wondering how he had gotten himself in such a state. Wondering why- and how- he was training Izuku. No wonder Izuku was so concerned about him, willing to lie to her just to bring him a cup of soup.

This man was a pro hero?

“You’re Mr. Toshinori?” She asked.

The sick man nodded. “You must be Mrs. Midoriya. It’s good to finally meet you.”

“I wanted to ask you for more details about how you’ve been helping my son prepare for UA…” She began uncomfortably. “But you look awful, sir. I don’t mean to keep you while you should be resting.” Inko looked around. The apartment sounded eerily quiet, even with the three of them standing here. “Will your wife be back soon?” Inko asked. She felt she was making assumptions based on the woman she saw in the photograph, but she wanted to know if she was about to take Izuku and leave this extremely sick man completely alone.

“Wife?” Toshinori squinted at her, looking puzzled. Then he made a sound that Inko guessed was supposed to be a laugh, but it sounded more like a garbled huff of air. “Oh, I’m not married."

“Do you live with anyone?”

“No.”

Inko was at a loss. She wanted to thank Toshinori for his time, wish him well, and leave. He was clearly too ill to humor her hundred questions. But the sight of him was concerning. She wondered if she needed to take him to a hospital rather than leave him here alone. Without thinking, she stepped closer to the couch, reaching out to this complete stranger and touching his forehead. When he didn’t flinch away, she pressed her palm against the side of his face, feeling her hand conform around the bone and hollow of his cheek.

His skin was slick and blazing.

Inko was, first and foremost, a mother. And this man needed help. Clearly Izuku thought the same, but he was too young to know how to care for someone as ill as this so-called pro hero. “Mr. Toshinori, you have a very high fever. Have you been drinking water? Have you taken a cold shower? Do I need to call a doctor?”

“I have chronic lung problems.” He said, his voice weak and coarse. “I’ve been taking medicine for it.”

He was a grown man, and Inko wasn’t here to baby him like a child. All she could do was suggest what he should do next. If he thought his medicine was enough to fight off whatever infection he had, then she wasn’t in a position to dispute it. “Is there anything I can help you with around the house? Laundry? Dishes?” She offered.

Toshinori gave her a grateful look. “I see where Izuku gets it from.” There was a smile on his worn-out face, somewhere. His eyes struck her as very kind, and it hit her in the chest. She found it hard to stay suspicious of him. “Thank you for the offer, Mrs. Midoriya, but I’ll be alright.”
After those words, he started to rise, placing the hardly-touched bowl of soup down on his coffee table. Inko saw his knees knocking together as he stood. She was prepared to lunge and grab him if he looked like he was going to fall, but once he was upright, he seemed to find his balance. “I think I’ll take a bath. You’re welcome to stay if you want to. But I’ll be fine.”

Inko watched him walk stiffly away, opening a door in the back of his apartment and slipping out of sight. A few moments later, she heard water running. Now she was starting to feel like an intruder. “Come on, Izuku, we should go.” She told her son, who had been standing quietly in a corner looking at his phone.

“Um- before I go I wanted to, uh. Fix this soup. I mean. It’s too salty for him to eat so I need to water it down.” Izuku said, slipping his phone into his back pocket. “Is it alright if we do that first? So I can leave it in his fridge?”

Inko smiled at him. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

She helped him carry the soup containers into the kitchen, taste testing some of it. It made her lips pucker up. She really should have given him a recipe while he was making it. Between the two of them they managed to scour Toshinori’s kitchen for a larger container to make room for the soup before filling it with filtered water from the fridge.

Something crashed from inside the bathroom. Inko nearly jumped out of her skin. Izuku’s attention whipped towards the closed bathroom door. Through the sound of running water in the pipes of the apartment, Inko didn’t hear anything else coming from the bathroom.

“A--Toshinori!”

He ran to the bathroom door. Inko followed, feeling her heart in her throat. Izuku knocked on the door. “M-Mr. Toshinori? Are you okay!?”

No reply. Izuku tried the doorknob. The door was locked.

“He- he locked the door! What should we do!?”

Inko’s hand shot into her purse, digging for her wallet. She pulled out an old credit card and pushed past her franitc son. She had to stay calm and keep her hands from shaking. She slipped the credit card between the crack of the door and the doorframe, trying to maneuver it against the metal prongs that kept the door locked. This was one of the many Mom Tricks in her arsenal, life skills she’d learned over years of accidentally locked doors. This was the first time she ever used it to save a life.

With a click, she made it past the lock on the door and flung it open. In a split second, Inko took in the scene that greeted her, and it was like time stopped.

There was blood in the sink. A trail of it leading to the floor where Toshinori was collapsed, half dressed. One of his hands was clutching his bare chest. Blood was leaking from his mouth and his breaths were quiet and ragged. In his other hand he was holding a cell phone with the contacts open to a name: “Recovery Girl.”

It took Inko a moment to realize what she was looking at. It was a scar unlike anything she had ever seen on a human being. She could count the ribs in his chest from how thin he was, and there wasn’t enough of them on his left side. It looked like an explosion had taken a chunk out of the man’s body and was stitched together again without enough flesh to work with. It was grotesque.

‘Chronic lung problems.’ Understatement of the century.

“T-Toshinori!” Her son’s voice snapped Inko out of her thoughts. Inko blinked, then stepped forward, dropping at the man’s side. His eyes were open, comprehending, but he couldn’t answer. There was too much fluid in his lungs. He was struggling just to breathe.

His shaking hand deposited his cell phone in Izuku’s lap. Inko barely registered what her son was doing as her hands went to Toshinori’s shoulders, trying to prop him up and lean him forward so the blood could drain from his esophagus. She grimaced at the sound of his gurgling coughs. One of her arms wrapped around his waist and the other grasped around his chest to steady him.

Izuku spoke on the phone Toshinori gave him. “H-hello? Is this- um- Recovery Girl? I’m- I’m Izuku Midoriya- there’s an emergency. Toshinori is sick. Yes. His apartment.”

Izuku set down the phone. “She said- she said ten minutes. Ten minutes and they’re sending an ambulance. I think it’s- a hospital for pro heroes.”

Inko nodded. Somehow she had the semblance of mind to remember the bathtub was still filling. “Can you turn that off please, Izuku? And find a washcloth?”

Izuku followed without a word, handing her a wet washcloth. Inko washed the blood off of Toshinori’s face and mopped at the sweat on his brow as she held on to him, propping him up as well as she could. She felt the man curling forward, his muscles trembling as his chest heaved. When she imagined how her morning was going to go, it wasn’t cradling a complete stranger in her lap while he suffered and choked, spitting hot blood onto his own legs. As soon as she washed his face there was more blood and phlegm trailing from his chin. She watched it soak into his baggy pants, wondering if there was anything more she could do.

As long as he was breathing, she didn’t think there was anything else she *could* do.

She looked up at Izuku, who was pacing the bathroom. “He told me he’d call someone if it got bad… why did he wait this long?”

“How long has he been training you, Izuku?”

“About a month.”

“Has he ever been like this before?”

“N-no, not really. Sometimes he coughs but- but it’s never like this.”

“And he’s a pro hero?”

“Yes. Yes, he’s. He’s actually really strong, he… he has a powerful quirk… most people don’t know that he’s hurt.”

Inko knew about a lot of pro heroes, simply by virtue of Izuku’s enthusiasm with them. Izuku kept a journal filled with notes about all the pro heroes that operated in Japan, he had been studying them and taking notes for years. She had flipped through the notebook once or twice. There were a lot of heroes, but Inko couldn’t recall any of them that looked like Toshinori. Maybe she was missing something.

“Do I know about this hero?”

Izuku stopped pacing, chewing on a fingernail. He didn’t reply.

Inko could only assume the answer was ‘yes,’ and he wasn’t going to tell her more, for fear of revealing Toshinori’s identity. In that moment, Inko decided to respect the man’s privacy, and didn’t press for details. Her attention returned to Toshinori. The poor man’s grip never loosened from the scar on his side. His knuckles were white with strain.

“I’m sorry,” Toshinori managed to say as he caught his breath. “This is embarrassing.”

He was apologizing for this? Inko shook her head. “It’s okay. We’re going to get you help.”

Help arrived five minutes later in the form of two medics flanking a very short, very old woman. She thanked Izuku and Inko for helping Toshinori while the medics slipped him onto a stretcher and carted him away. They didn’t ask any questions. They didn’t tell Inko and Izuku where they were going. The last thing Inko saw as they carted the man away was a soul-crushing, defeated look on his face.

She and her son were left sitting alone in a stranger’s bloody bathroom.

If this is the life a pro hero lived, Inko wasn’t sure she wanted her son pursuing it any longer. What sort of monster could cause an injury like that on a man, and for him to still live? His existence looked like torture. But Inko couldn’t find her voice. All she could do was sit and watch as her son knelt down to the bathroom floor and started wiping up spots of blood with the washcloth.

She joined him in silence.

Chapter Text

6 days passed, but Inko still couldn’t push Toshinori out of her mind. The memory of him covered in blood, too weak to move, was stuck in her head every time she closed her eyes. It was hard to sleep. She found herself wanting to check on him, but she had no idea where he was. In their haste to get help, Izuku had forgotten to put Toshinori’s cell phone back into his pocket. Without knowing where the doctors had taken him, it was impossible to contact him.

So she did the only thing she could. When Izuku came home from school, she followed him down to the beach to watch his training exercises. She felt both impressed and horrified at the strain Izuku was putting himself through to accomplish Toshinori’s task: clean the most notoriously dirty beach in Japan.

She didn’t know whether or not she should feel proud of her son, watching him scuffed and blistered and scrambling in the sand, trying to push things that were ten times heavier than he was. But it was the hope and determination in his eyes that kept her from intervening. He wanted this so badly. He wanted to get in to U.A. He wanted to be the very first quirkless applicant to succeed. So he needed to act like some kind of bodybuilder, since all he had going for him was physical strength.

Her Izuku. Her little baby. She had seen his soul crushed before, when his pediatrician told him he would never have a superpower. Was she setting him up for more failure by letting this happen? Or was she giving him a chance to finally make his dream come true? She told herself it would be U.A. to decide, not her. It would be U.A. that would evaluate his skill and determine whether or not he was cut out to become a hero. She did not want the responsibility of crushing his dreams.

So she stayed and watched her son until the sun was down and the moon was shining in an empty sky. She watched him cut his fingers, twist his ankles, and collapse to catch his breath. She watched him strain and sweat and break blisters. She watched him rush down to the ocean to dunk his stinging hands into the salty water in hopes to relieve the pain. And her heart slowly broke.

She always brought a little first aid kit, so she could wrap bandages around her baby’s fingers. She always brought plenty of fresh water, so he could stay hydrated despite how much he sweat. But she never knew what to say to help him.

He told her that Toshinori knew what to say. His role as his teacher was to tell him what muscle groups to focus on next, techniques for strengthening his core, when to take a break and when to work more. He told her that Toshinori knew how hard to push him that wouldn’t hurt or break him. He told her that Toshinori had given him an extremely detailed schedule of his life, telling him when he should work and when he would have free time.

He told her that Toshinori believed in him.

She didn’t know why, but it hurt to hear it. This stranger, this man she did not know, believed in her son more than she did. But it was false hope. Toshinori was drilling it into Izuku’s head, setting him up for failure.

When this went badly- and Inko knew it would- she had a face to blame. Toshinori.

If he would even show his face again.

It was Sunday. Izuku was on his 2 hour break, and Inko needed to go shopping. He opted to go with her, saying he would help her carry the groceries and boasting that he should be able to carry twice as many now.

Their trip to the Kiyashi shopping mall was uneventful. As Inko checked things off from her shopping list, Izuku was loitering near a superhero merchandise shop, eyeing an All Might costume through the glass window. Inko smiled at him. Some things never changed. Izuku still idolized that hero, even after all these years. And who wouldn’t? All Might was amazing. His very existence in Japan cowed criminals into submission. It was because of him that she could rest easy and go shopping with her son.

“Come on, Izuku! You know you can’t afford that!” She called to him as she headed for a grocery store. Izuku was rubbernecking as he followed behind her. He had to run to catch up with her by the time she was through the door.

“They got the design wrong.” Izuku said. “They forgot the white stripe around his shoulders,” Izuku pointed to his collarbone, “and he has 2 blue stripes on his gauntlets, but that costume only had one.”

“You really memorized every detail, haven’t you?” Inko asked without looking at him, finding a shopping cart. “You know, I still have the costume you used to wear when you were 3-”

Bang. Inko jumped. Someone’s quirk?

She whirled around. There was a masked man at the door, his finger pointing up at the ceiling, smoke coming off of it. “Everybody down! Hands in the air!” He barked behind his mask. The man looked desperate, something wild in his red eyes.

A robbery. It was an armed robbery. Inko couldn’t move. She tried to sink down to the floor, but her knees were locked. She was frozen.

“Mom, get down,” Izuku whispered, his eyes round as saucers as he stared at the man in the doorway.

The man fired off another shot. Bullets, right out of his fingertips. The sound exploded through the market, a smoking trail left behind. Inko didn’t know where the bullet went. “I said everyone down!”

Inko looked over at the cashier. She had her hands up over her head and was sinking down behind the counter. Inko still couldn’t move, why couldn’t she move!?

She felt Izuku’s hand on her shoulders, pressing down. Her breath hitched in her chest. She felt the pressure of her son’s hands pushing her down. Finally, her knees gave way, and she collapsed to the floor. Her hands raised over her head, shaking. Slowly, she looked up at her side. Izuku was still standing. He was still staring at the villian with the bullet fingers. He was half-crouched, as if he was planning to run right for him. Was he trying to be a hero? Her little baby?

She watched in horror as the villain pointed a finger directly at Izuku. “I said DOWN!”

Izuku was wound up like a spring, ready to pounce. There was fire blazing behind his terrified eyes.

Inko’s heart stopped.

The earth shook. The doorway where the villain stood clogged with smoke and steam. The villain cried out and was gone. No. Held back. His arms were twisted behind his back and pinned. As the steam began to clear, Inko saw a blur of red, white, blue and gold. American colors. All Might’s colors.

The world’s #1 Hero had apprehended the villain in an instant.

She blinked the blurs away from her vision, realizing they were tears.

“Never fear, citizens! For I am here!” All Might’s catchphrase. The superhero standing in the doorway was laughing, perfect teeth in a perfect smile. He was huge, like a brick wall, muscles bulging in his spandex costume. He had a chiseled, square jaw not unlike men on fashion magazines. Inko had never seen him in person before. He was much bigger in person.

What was he doing here, apprehending a petty thief? He just happened to be here, at the right place, at the right time? Or had he somehow heard the gunshots from miles away?

“Izuku,” Inko found herself saying, her voice shaky, “it’s- it’s him! It’s- All Might!”

But Izuku wasn’t smiling. He was staring at the hero- his favorite hero- jaw dropped. He sunk to his knees. A few minutes too late.

“Let’s get you to the police station, shall we?” All Might announced to the villain who was still struggling in his grasp. But All Might had his hands caught in a crushing grip. He couldn’t use his bullet quirk. The superhero turned, looking over his shoulder, beaming at the still-stunned shoppers in the mall. He winked. “Stay safe, citizens!” How could he always be so charismatic and picture-perfect?

As All Might left, Inko thought she caught a flash of red leaking between his teeth. But she blinked, and he was gone. The only thing left in his wake was a trail of steam. Could the man fly?

It took a very long time for Inko to find the strength to stand again. Her heart was pounding. The danger was over, but she still felt like Izuku was about to be shot. She looked up at her son, wiping moisture from her eyes. “Izuku-... that was All Might! Your hero! I - I can’t believe we just saw him!”

“Y-yeah,” Izuku said, his jaw still hanging open. “Yeah. That was really … really cool.” His eyebrows scrunched in an odd sort of way, a squint in his green eyes.

“C-come on Izuku. Let’s. Let’s go home. We… we can finish shopping tomorrow.” She squeezed his arm, trying to encourage him out of his stupor.

“Yeah. Okay.”

Inko’s grip on Izuku’s arm was weak, unsteady. As her spinning mind caught up with the events that transpired, she realized she needed to scold Izuku soon. Back there, he was split seconds away from being shot because he wouldn’t back down. He was trying to be a hero. He was trying to live up to these crazy ideas of heroism that Toshinori was drilling into his brain.

Maybe she needed to scold Toshinori too, if she ever saw him again.

When Izuku stood, Inko hugged him. She returned her shopping cart and quickly left. She heard everyone talking about All Might as she left. Some people were still terrified, crying. Others were in shock. But everyone had the same thing to say: All Might was their hero. The man with a completely unidentifiable quirk. Who could fly, hear cries for help from miles away, run as fast as light and punch so hard he could change the weather. He was a hero that had it all.

When she was in the safety of their home, Inko found herself standing in the living room, staring at the wall. Izuku got himself a bottled water and said he was going to the beach to train. Inko almost felt odd letting him go back to his routine as if nothing happened, but she relented, and let him go. She could finally have a chance to breathe, and all her thoughts were catching up with her.

Looking back, she felt Izuku’s reaction to the ordeal was a little odd. He didn’t sound surprised to see All Might. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed that Izuku actually sounded worried to see him.

To calm her nerves, Inko began to clean the house and set dinner on the stove. She drowned out her thoughts with the sound of a vacuum cleaner. When the soup on the stove was bubbling, Inko took it off, and thought about texting Izuku to tell him that dinner was ready.

Instead, she packed the soup into a travel container, and headed outside. The wind was fierce as she walked towards the setting sun, her hair whipping in front of her face. She reached the beach, feeling the grit of sand on her arms as she searched for her son among the piles of garbage.

She found two figures instead of one. Izuku and Toshinori.

The slouching, scrawny man was talking emphatically to Izuku when he noticed Inko. He looked at her and waved sheepishly, one hand scratching behind his neck. He was wearing an oversized, stretched-out white shirt and baggy cargo pants. His hair was messy and uncombed, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. But at least there was color on his cheeks. The last time Inko saw him, he looked like death warmed over. Inko felt a wave of relief to see him.

“Mr. Toshinori,” she said as she approached. “It’s good to see you. I was starting to worry.”

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he said, shoving his large hands into his pockets. “I would’ve called, but I forgot my cell phone and I didn’t remember Izuku’s number off the top of my head. They had to keep me in the hospital until the infection cleared up, but I’m fine now. Thanks to the both of you. This is the second time your son saved me in the nick of time.” He patted Izuku on the head, ruffling his messy, black hair.

The second time? What happened the first time?

“There’s a lot I want to talk about, if you have the time,” Inko said. “I was just bringing soup to Izuku, but, it’s a little too windy out to eat it without getting sand everywhere. Do you want to come eat with us?”

Toshinori hesitated at the invitation. After a beat of silence, he nodded. “That sounds nice. Thank you.”

Inko was glad she cleaned before inviting Toshinori inside. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to make a good impression on him. Or maybe she wanted to upstage him. The way the stranger was interacting with her son seemed very paternal, and the way he was trying to help him succeed in his dreams was supposed to be her job, wasn’t it? Was she not a good enough parent on her own?

“You have a lovely home.” She heard Toshinori saying. A polite compliment. She expected he’d start talking about the weather next.

She set the table for the three of them. She watched Toshinori sip politely at the soup’s broth while avoiding most of its contents- chunks of meat and potatoes and hearty vegetables. Izuku devoured his meal ravenously, and went for seconds. No one said much as they ate.

“Thanks, mom.” Izuku said as he stood up from the table. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before excusing himself to his room. Inko knew he needed to study around this time, but she wondered if he was leaving early because he knew she intended to talk to Toshinori in private.

“Mr. Toshinori, I’m very glad that you’re well.” She began, putting down her spoon with a clink. “I saw your injury. I’m sorry you have to live with something like that.”

The man across from her looked uncomfortable. “It was a wound I received in combat with a very powerful villain. I am very lucky I survived.”

Inko closed her eyes, thinking. It was hard to find the right words for what she wanted to say. “Villains like that. Will my son be facing them?”

“I am almost certain that particular villain is dead.”

“But there will be others like him. People more powerful than petty thieves and criminals.”

She could tell Toshinori was struggling with words, too. He took another sip of soup, probably stalling for time. “It’s extremely rare to encounter a villain like the one who gave me my wound. Such powers don’t come easily to human beings, and if they do, most people want to be responsible with their quirks.” He took another sip. “I believe human beings naturally wish to be good.”

“What is your quirk, Mr. Toshinori?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t answer.”

“But you have one. Izuku said you are powerful.”

“Yes. He is correct.”

“My son doesn’t have a quirk. You realize this, right?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re training him anyway. He’s just 14 years old and he’s *bodybuilding.* He’s in a time of his life where he should be focusing on friends and hobbies.”

She saw Toshinori’s spine straighten, lifting his head. For the first time since she met him, Inko realized he wasn’t slouching.

“Mrs. Midoriya. Your son has the soul of a hero. Last month, when I first encountered him, there was a villain who had taken a young man hostage, and it was my fault. I was paralyzed with fear. I was unable to help a citizen in need. But your Izuku ran forward anyway, when every other hero on the scene didn’t. Without a quirk, without a power, he saved that young man.” Toshinori paused, lifting his index finger, pointing at Inko. “Here’s what will happen to Izuku. He will try to be a hero anyway, no matter if he has our support or not. Without training, he will definitely get himself hurt. I am trying to give him the tools he needs to prepare himself for the future he already chose. Because he will do it. With or without us. Our only job is to lessen that risk.”

Toshinori spoke with such fierce confidence, Inko felt her spirit shrivelling inside. In the back of her mind, she thought his voice sounded familiar. He spoke in a way that shouldn’t have come from a man with crushed, broken lungs. It rang in the room. Inko felt her cheeks burning with shame. She lowered her head.

Seeing her crumbling, Toshinori slouched again, and his eyes grew very sad. “Forgive me. I am speaking out of turn. You are his mother.”

“No… no. You’re right. Everything you said. You’re right.” She drew in a shaky breath, emotion twisting in her chest.

“After I saw him rescue that boy, the conviction in his actions inspired me. That is why I started training him. He knows who I am as a hero, and thus, he felt pressured to protect my secret identity. But I never intended to overstep my place in his life. I’m not his father.”

“He doesn’t have one anymore.” Inko replied softly. “Hisashi left. He went overseas and… just. Never came home. I filed for divorce.”

Toshinori’s shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s fine. I’m fine. We’re fine.”

“If there’s anything I can do…”

“You’re doing enough.” Inko realized her words sounded harsher than she meant, and could be interpreted badly. She quickly clarified, “I mean- what I’m saying is, you’re doing so much for Izuku already. I can tell you care about him, even though I barely know you. I was worried at first, but… you’re a good man, Toshinori. I trust you.”

Toshinori seemed pleased to hear that. “Thank you. I promise I will not betray the trust you have placed in me. I have been very careful to train Izuku in a way that he can handle, emotionally and physically.”

Inko bowed her head to him. He bowed back.

When Toshinori excused himself, he placed his dishes in the sink, and politely left. While watching his retreating back, Inko found herself unable to move from the table. The events of the entire day weighed heavily on her mind.

Who was Toshinori?

What kind of hero was he?

And why did he look so soft?

Chapter Text

Toshinori’s eyes stung from the hissing steam that billowed from his muscles. He barely managed to close his apartment door behind him before his energy faded, deflating him from head to toe. He took one shaky step and tripped over his own oversized shoes. His hand shot out to grasp the corner table, but it wasn’t enough to stop him from falling. His fingers slipped and knocked off the framed photograph. It struck the ground. Glass shattered.

He landed in such a way that his elbow hit his scar on his side. It was like an electric strike of paralyzing pain, shooting through his core, seizing his lungs. He gasped like a beached fish, the taste of copper thick in his throat. For a few seconds, his whole world was just remembering how to breathe. He coughed, blood splattering his tongue.

When the stars cleared from his vision, he was staring at himself through shards of glass.

He was standing next to his old mentor, a hand on her shoulder, smiling. He remembered when the picture was taken. He was 18, still training with her, determined to make his dreams come true. Back then, he was just like Izuku Midoriya.

I want to make a world where everyone can smile and live happily. I want to become the Symbol of Peace.

His calloused fingertips reached out to pluck the photograph out from the broken frame. He pushed himself to a seated position, the stretched spandex of his superhero costume billowing down from his chest, empty inside. He traced his index finger down the photo, covering up the image of himself so that all he could see was the dark-haired woman.

I failed you, Nana.

He got to his feet and placed the photo on the table. He would have to buy a new frame tomorrow.

He got a broom out of the closet and swept away the glass.

He slipped his tiny legs out of his giant shoes. He dragged himself to his bathroom to shower and change. He hung his superhero uniform in his closet where it rested along with an entire wardrobe of outfits that could only fit him for three hours a day. That was as long as he could maintain his superpowered body anymore. It was like holding his breath and flexing at the same time for three hours straight, and the way his body morphed around his missing organs expanded the empty space in his abdomen painfully. The strain was unbearable.

I’m worthless.

He only had three hours in a day to save people, to make public appearances, to work at his agency, and to remind the world that the Symbol of Peace was still here. People were starting to notice All Might was showing his face less and less. Internet forums and fansites were always speculating. He sometimes read them, just to stay aware of the public opinion of the world’s #1 Hero.

‘Maybe he’s travelling more.’

‘Maybe he’s taken an apprentice and that’s why he’s been quiet.’

‘Maybe he’s just getting old.’

47 wasn’t too old. Most pro heroes were in the prime of their lives in their 40s. Toshinori’s prime years, however, had been brutally cut short.

Toshinori stood in a dark kitchen, the street lights from outside filtering in through his windows. He reached into his medicine cabinet. Pills for pain. Pills for breathing. Pills for insomnia. Pills for anxiety. Pills for infections. Pills for gut health. He counted them out in his hand, and washed them down with a swig of water.

I’m pathetic.

He drank the rest of his water and took the empty cup with him. He set it on his bedside table and crawled onto his mattress. He had gotten in the habit of taking an empty cup with him every night, in case he had a bloody coughing fit. It was better in the cup than on his sheets. It was hard to get the stains out of his pillows.

He laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, his hand clutching his chest.

He remembered that moment every night, branded into his brain like a hot cattle prod. Any time he didn’t have anything to do, left alone with his own thoughts, he was back there. Lying in a pool of his own blood, trying to hold in his own intestines that had spilled from his body, unable to breathe because his left lung exploded, his guts pierced by shattered fragments of his own ribs. He made the sacrifice fully prepared to die. He defeated the villain. He saved the world. It would have been so much easier if he died like he planned to. It was supposed to be his noble sacrifice.

The doctors told him he had only been conscious for two minutes before he fainted from blood loss. But he didn’t believe them. He felt as though those two minutes stretched on for years. If it had been a world without superpowers, without people with healing quirks, he would be dead. There was no question of it.

I’m useless.

He should have been grateful that he was still alive. I’m lucky, he remembered telling Mrs. Midoriya yesterday. But he didn’t feel lucky. He felt cursed.

Am I giving Izuku a curse? Is Mrs. Midoriya right? Am I setting this young man on a path paved with blood? Should I have told her about One For All?

His phone rang. It wasn’t his normal ringtone. It was an emergency line. Toshinori shot upright, grabbing his phone off of his bedside table.

“All Might! It’s an emergency!” It was someone from his agency. “The police can’t get through. It’s a hostage situation. Women and children--”

“I’m on my way. Send me the coordinates.”

He hadn’t been able to meet with Izuku for a few days after that. He was pushing himself too hard. Whenever there was an emergency, he responded without question, no matter how hard it was to hold his hero body. Any time he felt he had reached his limit, he could go beyond. He could reach inside himself and find that flickering ember of power that kept him going just a little longer.

‘Plus Ultra.’ Go beyond your limit. That was the alma mater of U.A. High, right?

When he finally managed to reach the beach, it was with a bandaged arm and bruised face. He watched Izuku doing his morning exercises, and saw Mrs. Midoriya watching from the sidelines, reading a book, tired-eyed and sunburned. They both waved at him when they noticed him, but it didn’t take long for them to look concerned at the sight of his injuries and bruises. He lifted his good hand and waved back.

“H-hey A-- Toshinori,” Izuku rushed up to him. “Are you okay?”

“It’s not as bad as it looks. I just got a little careless.”

Izuku looked over his shoulder, to see his mom was still sitting a good distance away. She was taking her time putting away her book. “It was that hostage situation, right? I saw it on the news,” Izuku said in a whisper. “You were amazing, though. Reporters filmed the whole thing live.”

“Good,” Toshinori replied with a lopsided grin, careful to keep his voice quiet, so that it couldn’t be heard above the hush of the ocean waves. “Every time the media shows what All Might can do, it sends a message to all the villains in Japan. I’m the sort of hero that can’t operate quietly. Success depends on being in the spotlight.” He lowered his hand and ruffled Izuku’s hair. “That’s an important aspect of being a hero, young Midoriya. If you’re camera shy, that’s something we’ve got to work on in the coming months.”

He looked up when he noticed Mrs. Midoriya finally approaching, her book tucked under her arm. He noticed the title: Bodybuilding 101. Was she trying to coach Izuku, too?

“What happened to your arm, Toshinori?”

“A villain surprised me from behind. But fortunately it isn’t too serious.” He stretched out his bad arm and flexed. “Just a bit cut up.”

Inko watched him for a moment, something disbelieving on her face. She seemed to decide not to press him, and nodded. “Well, I hope it gets better soon.”

“Alright, Izuku, get back to work now,” Toshinori shooed him away. “I want every CRT TV and monitor in sight gone by 4:00.”

“Yes, sir!” Izuku responded and rushed off with the energy only a 14 year old boy could have.

Watching him get to work, Toshinori felt he could take a seat and relax a moment. He settled down so that he could rest his back against a rusty, beat up truck. Mrs. Midoriya sat down next to him, the book closed in her lap. He glanced over at her as she watched her son, and found it hard to interpret her expression.

“Why are you having him clean this beach, instead of using a gym?” She asked. “This book only talks about using gym equipment. He also hasn’t said anything about a high protein diet. He just eats whatever I make for meals.”

“The role of a hero is to be a civil servant.” Toshinori replied as he watched Izuku carrying a stack of 3 CRT monitors at once. “This beach was once beautiful. But no one comes here anymore. If they do, it’s just to dump their garbage. If I sent Izuku to a gym, he wouldn’t be actively making the world a better place. All the muscle groups he needs to work on are trained depending on the size and shape of the garbage he’s moving. As for his meals…” Toshinori glanced over at Inko. “I think you’ve been doing just fine with that, Mrs. Midoriya, so I didn’t feel the need to give him specific instructions about it. The purpose of this training is to keep Izuku flexible and well-rounded, not just to make him strong.”

“I see,” Mrs. Midoriya said, drumming her fingers on top of the book cover. “You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?”

“I’m just telling him what my mentor once told me. It worked for me, and Izuku and I have very similar personalities and motivations.”

“When I went to your apartment, I saw a picture of you with a woman. Was that your mentor?”

Toshinori was surprised that she managed to guess such a thing. The woman in that photo could have been anyone- his sister, a friend, a relative, even a stranger he could have saved. He hadn’t told Izuku about his mentor, so there was no way Mrs. Midoriya could have known. It was a very good guess. Maybe she noticed because his mentor was wearing her superhero costume in the picture. She probably paid close attention to small details. He wondered if it was her quirk.

He nodded. “Yes. It was.”

“Izuku keeps up with every pro hero in Japan. He takes notes on them. But I didn’t recognize her from anywhere. Did she retire?”

“No. She died.”

Mrs. Midoriya’s face scrunched up. Shyness, or embarrassment, probably. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Toshinori looked back towards Izuku, watching him work, gathering his thoughts. His fingers interlocked as he rested his arms on his thighs, leaning forward. “She taught me everything I know. But most importantly, she taught me how to smile.”

He saw Mrs. Midoriya look up at him from the corner of his eye, giving him a funny look. It was an odd thing to say. He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly feeling awkward, heat rising beneath his collar.

Mrs. Midoriya said softly, “but you don’t smile much.”

Toshinori felt his throat tighten. I don’t have a reason to anymore. When All Might smiles, it’s to hide Toshinori’s fear.

When he failed to reply to Mrs. Midoriya, she said quickly, “I wasn’t trying to poke fun at you or anything. It was just something I noticed. Forgive me.”

Toshinori did smile, then. Not a real one. He couldn’t get it to reach his eyes. “No, you’re right, Mrs. Midoriya.”

She tilted her head back. “You can just call me ‘Inko,’ you know.”

He felt an odd pressure in his chest. He had only given her his first name, but getting on first name basis with her was different. “Inko it is.”

Inko and Toshinori watched Izuku for a few minutes, the silence filled by the sound of crashing waves. Clouds were rolling in and blotting out the sun, bringing a coolness to the air Toshinori was grateful for.

“I know it’s… probably hard for you to smile anymore,” Inko began quietly, her hands resting flat on top of her book, not looking at him. “With everything you’ve gone through. You seem very sad to me. Is there anything that makes you happy, Toshinori?”

He couldn’t recall the last time someone had asked him that.

“Yakushima cedars.” He replied softly.

“Those old trees?” She looked like she didn’t expect such an answer from him.

“Yeah.” He huffed a laugh, feeling his lungs squeeze painfully as he did. “I know it sounds strange. But they’re beautiful to me. And inspiring.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in person.” Inko commented, tilting her head to one side as she thought.

“I can show you.” The words slipped out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying. He felt his cheeks heat up. “If. If you want.”

Inko looked surprised to hear the offer, and she gave him a crooked grin. Her response came quicker than he expected. “That sounds nice.”

“We can bring Izuku. Make it a road trip. We can take the ferry from Kagoshima.”

Inko tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then rested her hand on her plush cheek. “That sounds fun. This weekend?”

“Yeah. We can meet here in the morning, Saturday.”

The thought of someone trying to contact him for an emergency weighed heavy on his mind, though. This was why Toshinori had a hard time finding leisure time in his daily life. The 3 hours daily he had to spend in his hero body had to be spent wisely, and if someone called him, or if he saw an emergency, he would have to find a believable excuse to abandon Inko and Izuku. It was a gamble. The more he thought about it, the more he realized what a stupid idea the trip was. Why did he offer to take Inko and Izuku on an impromptu field trip just to look at old trees? And why did Inko agree so quickly? She didn’t even take any time to think it over.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything for fun.” She said.

It would be cruel to backpedal now. She looked like she was happy about it. So he smiled, gave her a thumbs up, and said, “I’m looking forward to it.”

Chapter Text

Inko posed for herself in the mirror, turning sideways, sliding her hands down her sides, smoothing out the wrinkles on her skirt. She frowned at herself. It didn’t matter how much make-up she wore or how nicely her colors matched. She looked at how her weight settled in her thighs and chest, hating how she seemed to sag.

I’m so fat and ugly.

If they were going to look at trees, they’d be hiking. Why was she worried about looking nice, anyway? It wasn’t as if Toshinori had asked her on a date. If she had reason to suspect that was his motivation, she would’ve declined him. She wasn’t interested in Toshinori that way. She agreed to go because she simply wanted to learn more about him. She wasn’t lying to him when she said she trusted him, but she still didn’t know enough about him to feel completely confident in his relationship with Izuku. She expected that was why the hero offered in the first place.

You still don’t know me, and I don’t know you, but my son is a link between us. If we’re going to work together to help him grasp his dreams, we can’t be strangers.

She settled on a loose, comfortable white skirt that ended at her ankles, a short-sleeved pink shirt, hiking shoes with ankle socks, and a small necklace. It was a simple look. It didn’t draw attention to herself. She took a spacious white purse with her so she could fit a few granola bars and water bottles for herself and Izuku. After a moment’s pause, she added more, for Toshinori.

The fastest way to Kagoshima was by plane. To do this little field trip in a day, they needed to buy tickets for it. Toshinori told her at the time that it was no trouble for him, that he had enough money saved up from his hero work, and he was happy to accommodate the trip. It did felt strange, how impromptu this whole thing was, but she couldn’t back out of it now. Toshinori had already bought tickets. Early morning tickets, too. Their flight would leave at 7:30. Because of how long it took to get there, they were staying the night at a hotel in Yakushima before continuing their trip back the next morning.

She stepped out of her room. “Izuku, are you ready to go?”

Her son was already waiting for her on the couch near the door. He was wearing a backpack, adjusting the laces on his shoes. He looked like he had been waiting a while already. “Yep!”

He was out the door before she was, a spring in his step. It had been a long time since Izuku seemed genuinely excited about doing something fun. It seemed, the past few weeks, the boy’s mind had been completely focused on his training with Toshinori or his school work, and nothing in-between.

Hadn’t Toshinori said he had been scheduling Izuku’s leisure time, too? Why hadn’t she noticed Izuku ever having any fun?

She worried about it as she followed Izuku to the beach. It was a fifteen minute walk, giving her enough time to calm her thoughts. When they arrived, Toshinori was already there. He was, as always, dressed in clothes far too big to fit him. The back of his white shirt billowed in the wind. At their distance, it was hard to read his expression, but Inko could’ve sworn she saw something uneasy on his face before she closed the distance between them. Looking at him up close, his expression was blank.

“Have either of you ever been to Yakushima?” He asked.

“No, we haven’t.” Inko replied.

“This will be fun, then.”

Toshinori led the way to the bus stop where they waited to take a bus to the airport. Inko expected Toshinori would talk more than he did, but he seemed absorbed in his own thoughts and distracted by something. He kept taking his cell phone out of his pocket, glancing at it for two seconds, then stuffing it away again.

While they were on the bus, Inko finally worked up the nerve to ask him.

“Is something happening?”

Toshinori blinked, looking over at her where he stood, grasping a pole for support. “No. Nothing’s happening.”

“You sound like that’s a bad thing.”

Toshinori gave her a strained sort of smile. “I guess I’m just waiting for something to break. It’s always hard for me to leave town because of work.”

“Well, you’re not going to enjoy yourself if you keep worrying about it. It’s going to rub off on Izuku.”

“I’m fine, Mom.” Izuku said from nearby, looking a little annoyed.

Toshinori pinched the bridge of his nose. He seemed a little upset, but when his hand slipped back to his side, his expression cleared. Blank. Maybe his tense attitude wasn’t going to rub off on Izuku, but it was rubbing off on *her,* and she didn’t like it.

Everything proceeded as she expected. The airport wasn’t too crowded as it was not travelling season, and they arrived just in time to get checked in and wait for their flight. While they were sitting in the terminal waiting for their flight, Toshinori finally turned off his phone- after the 3587th time checking it- and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He looked at Inko and Izuku who were sitting across from him.

“Have either of you ever been on a plane?”

Inko shook her head, “no, we haven’t.”

The only time they had been to the airport was to say goodbye to Hisaishi. Izuku was just two. It was just going to be a year overseas, Hisaishi had said. A business trip, he said. Since he never came back, Inko lost her desire to travel. She never wanted to leave her home. Staying in one place, giving Izuku that stability, was more important to her than anything else.

“It’s a short flight. Less than an hour. The weather is nice, so we’ll have a great view of Japan. I’ll give Izuku the window seat.” Toshinori said while he slid his cell phone back out of his pocket. A habit. When he noticed it was turned off, he quickly stowed it away again. Was Toshinori starting to sweat? Were his hands shaking? Was the idea of being disconnected from his phone really that terrifying to him?

Their flight was finally ready. Everyone stepped through the tunnel single-file and were seated, Izuku with the promised window seat. He was quiet, taking in his unfamiliar surroundings. Inko took the seat in the middle, with Toshinori near the aisle. His fingers were interlocked, his arms resting on his knees. Up close like this, Inko could see his nerves slowly fraying and snapping at the ends, through his clenching hands and tightening jaw.

She had been looking forward to this trip, but now she was dreading it. This wasn’t going to be any fun at all.

After the safety demonstrations, the plane was finally roaring to life. It sped down the runway and was airborne. Izuku’s face was pressed to the window as he stared at the scenery below him, his jaw dropped, his eyes wide. “This is cool,” he commented, looking over at Inko. “Mom, look. At all the lakes and rivers. And the cars.”

Inko felt the tension in her gut relaxing a little as her attention went to Izuku. The unbridled wonder and happiness on his face calmed her immediately. She smiled at him, squeezing his knee, and leaned forward to get a good look out the window. It was amazing. The fact that human engineering could accomplish air travel. It was something she took for granted, but seeing it through Izuku’s eyes, she had a new appreciation for it.

Over her shoulder, Toshinori was staring blankly ahead, his eyes fixed on some distant, unseen point.

Inko settled back in her chair and exhaled slowly. To her left, her boy was happy, relaxed and entertained. To her right, the scrawny pro hero looked miserable. Like he’d rather be anywhere else but here. She was caught between two different kinds of energy, and it twisted her up inside like a tornado.

When they landed in Kagoshima, they had one more leg of the journey: a ferry, which would take them over the sea to the island of Yakushima. They departed from the plane, Izuku commenting about how cool it was to be on a plane for the first time, but Inko found herself distracted again.

As soon as they were off the plane, Toshinori turned his phone on again, his eyes glued to the screen.

It shouldn’t have bothered her as much as it did. Logically speaking, he could do what he wanted with his time. If he wanted to stare at a phone the whole day instead of engaging with her and Izuku, he could. But it was starting to make her angry.

It was another bus trip to the ferry, and then they were on a boat. Already Inko was tired and sore, starting to wonder if the whole ordeal would even be worth it in the end. Even Izuku looked a little worn out, spending his time sitting near the ferry rail, tapping his fingers and kicking his feet.

Toshinori was *still* looking at his phone. Inko finally snapped.

“Are you ever going to put that away?”

Toshinori perked up, his attention whipping over to her. The anger must have shown on her face, because he looked sheepish. He returned his phone to his pocket.

“I’m sorry. I’m ruining our trip, aren’t I?”

“It is kind of frustrating, yes.”

He massaged his face. “I haven’t left the Musutafu and Tokyo area in a long time. That’s where my agency is. I thought it would be fun to get out to my favorite park but… I didn’t consider the logistics of it when I offered.” He looked out at the sea tiredly. “I just keep… thinking there’s going to be an emergency and I might need to leave. A lot of people depend on me.”

Inko squinted at him. Did every pro hero feel that way? This crushing burden on their shoulders to be available 24/7 to answer emergency calls? Or was it just him?

Something eased in her heart as she considered his explanation, and her annoyance soothed into understanding. She stepped towards Toshinori, closing the distance between them. Finally, she noticed the salt air. The wind on her face. The soothing sound of gulls. She let it fill her senses as she breathed it in.

“Mr. Toshinori,” she said, reaching out to touch his arm. “You’re not the only hero. There are a lot of heroes out there working very hard. And the police departments, and the hospitals, and the fire departments. Tokyo isn’t going to explode while you’re gone. I promise.” She gave his arm a squeeze. “This is good for you. Good for us. Izuku was looking forward to it, and I was too.”

He looked at her for a moment, then something in his face seemed to change. The blankness in it turned to something more relatable, more like the Toshinori she thought she knew. The soft sadness. “Izuku told me something like that recently. I guess I haven’t learned.” He found a spot nearby to sit, and allowed himself some time to breathe. For the first time during their trip, Toshinori looked like he was relaxing. They were getting close to Yakushima now. Maybe this trip could still be salvaged.

They found themselves in the middle of a dense forest. It was about as isolated from the rest of Japan as they could possibly get. They started their journey on the Kusugawa Hiking Trail, and were about thirty minutes in to their walk. Civilization vanished, and there was nothing but endless forest and the sounds of babbling brooks and distant animals. Out here, Inko was sure there was no cell phone reception. Even if there was, she noticed Toshinori stopped looking at his phone.

It was peaceful. The trees shaded them from the heat of the sun. Everything was bathed in green, from the mossy roots of huge trees to the canopy of leaves.

Izuku was always several paces ahead of them, his backpack bouncing on his shoulders. From behind, Inko could see how toned his calf muscles were as his shorts exposed them. She found herself wishing *she* had been doing intensive exercises to prepare for this, because she was already breathless after such a short walk. Toshinori, however, was bringing up the rear. Any time their path ascended uphill, he took a very long time climbing it. Inko assumed he had to be careful with his lungs. She wondered if he was even fit to make such a difficult hike.

“How many times have you taken this trip?” She asked him as he caught up to her. She could hear him breathing hard, the sound trained in his chest, but he didn’t seem to be suffering from it.

“About twenty.”

“Always alone?”

“No, sometimes I’ve brought friends.”

“When was your first time?”

“My mentor took me when I was 17.”

“What was her name?”

“Nana Shimura.”

Inko nodded as she walked along. Izuku was already getting far ahead of them. She decided not to try to catch up. It was a straightforward path, and it wasn’t likely he’d get lost. She slowed her pace to match Toshinori’s.

“The oldest tree in this forest might be 7,000 years old.” Toshinori said as he walked along, his breaths heavy. “It’s called Jōmon Sugi. But I don’t think we will be able to reach that one, specifically. It’s a very, very long walk. About six hours. So I was planning on taking us on a shorter trail, to one of my favorite trees.”

“Don’t tell Izuku about that, or he’d try to run all the way to Jōmon Sugi anyway. He’d take it as a challenge.” Inko said with a soft laugh.

“Probably,” Toshinori agreed, giving her a lopsided grin. “Every time I tell him to do something, he tries to find some way to outperform my expectations. If I tell him to run a mile, he runs two. If I tell him to do twenty push-ups, he does forty. If I say ‘jump’ he asks ‘how high.’ Honestly, sometimes I feel like I have to tell him to take it down a few notches.”

“You’ll have to tell me your secret, Mr. Toshinori. I can’t get him to do his chores with that much enthusiasm.”

Toshinori laughed. “Well, think of it this way. Have you ever seen the American movie Karate Kid ?”

Inko shook her head.

“Well, in the movie, the wise sensei Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel fundamental martial arts techniques by washing cars and painting fences. He connected these mundane chores to his student’s dream of becoming a martial artist. Maybe that trick will work on Izuku, too, if you just tell him it will make him a better hero.”

“I didn’t realize you liked American movies.” Inko said, giving Toshinori a funny look.

“Oh, I love them. They can be cheesy. But they’re fun. For a few years I was abroad during my work as a pro hero.”

He liked American culture. It rattled around in Inko’s head. Once more, she got that strange feeling of an unsaid word on the tip of her tongue, like a name she couldn’t quite remember. But no, it wasn’t that unusual. Lots of pro heroes went to other countries during their work. Sometimes emergency situations that couldn’t be easily resolved called heroes from all over the world.

“Well, maybe you’ll have to recommend me something to watch some time. I’ll--”

“Mom!? Mr. Toshinori!?” Izuku. He sounded frantic.

Inko’s heart jumped to her throat. “Izuku!” She rushed down the trail, forgetting how tired she was, how the roots of the trees made the path treacherous. Toshinori was faster. He rushed ahead of her with speed she wouldn’t have expected from his weak frame. He went around a bend and out of sight. Inko struggled to run faster to catch up with him. What happened to her baby!?

She rushed around the path until she could clearly see what was going on. She saw Toshinori’s back, and a slope heading down towards a rushing river. “Izuku--!” she began, rushing towards the edge of the slope, but Toshinori’s arm shot out and stopped her. He lifted a finger to his lips, indicating she should be quiet. He pointed down the slope.

Her heart throbbed in her throat as she looked down.

Izuku was crouched on the bottom of the shallow ravine, next to a wounded fawn. The animal was struggling, its leg caught under a heavy boulder. By the looks of it, the poor thing had been trapped for a long time. Inko knew she should have felt bad for the animal, but all she felt was a wave of relief that it wasn’t her son that was trapped down there. She grasped Toshinori’s shoulder for balance as the adrenaline drained from her.

“It’s a Yaku deer,” Toshinori said softly, looking down the ravine. “indigenous to this island. We have to be quiet so we don’t make it more scared.”

Izuku looked up at them from where he crouched. The boy’s voice was low. “I’m not- I’m not strong enough to move the rock… I tried so hard…” He wiped his face with his sleeve. Her poor baby, he was crying.

Inko couldn’t see Toshinori’s face from where she stood. “You can remove the boulder, right? You’re- you’re a superhero.”

Toshinori stayed silent for a moment. Inko knew he didn’t want to reveal his quirk to them, but would this be enough for him to show her what he was capable of? She felt a rush of excitement at the idea of finally learning Toshinori’s power. “Between the three of us, we should be able to move it.” He said. Inko felt the flicker of excitement fade. He wasn’t going to do it. Or maybe superhuman strength wasn’t his quirk, after all.

Toshinori carefully stepped down a narrow path that winded towards the bottom of the shallow ravine. His footing was careful and precise as he had to step onto loose stones. There was confidence in how he navigated the path, which told Inko he had done similar things many times over. She followed behind him, far slower, and several times she had to slide down on her butt to stay balanced as she descended. She knew she’d regret the stains on her skirt.

When they finally reached the bottom of the ravine, Toshinori took a moment to assess the situation. He crouched next to Izuku, watching as the boy wiped at his face, leaving smears of dirt. Toshinori rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. Izuku sniffed and looked up at him. Inko’s gaze went to her son’s pitiful face to Toshinori’s. “I’m - I’m not strong enough… I- I can’t do it,” Izuku whimpered.

The hero was smiling wide, grinning ear to ear, confident and bold. “We will definitely save it,” he said, his voice filled with the same confidence Inko remembered back when they spoke over dinner at her home.

But this was a baby deer with a broken leg. What were they supposed to do? It would die in the wild, even if they did manage to free it. But the look on Toshinori’s face made her feel like this was going to be alright. He must have a plan. Maybe he knew what to do to give the deer a fighting chance.

Izuku sniffed and nodded. He smiled back. “Okay. What do we do?”

“Between the three of us, we might be able to leverage the boulder off the animal. Pushing and shoving is no good. We need strong, sturdy branches. Izuku, climb up and find us some. Get three.”

“What do you plan to do after the deer is freed?”

“We carry it to a wildlife rehabilitation charity.”

We haven’t had a chance to look at your trees, Toshinori, Inko thought sadly. But she nodded. While Izuku worked his way back up the ravine slope, Inko brushed her hands on her thighs. “Okay, what should I do?”

“You and I will dig. Here, here, and here.” He said, making marks on the ground with his shoe. Inko looked down, noticing the terrain was mostly sand and small pebbles. “We’ll dig enough for the branches to slot under the boulder. Then, we’ll each work at leveraging it.”

Inko did as she was asked, kneeling down near the boulder to dig up the pebbles and sand underneath the stone’s weight. Toshinori joined her at the other side, working dutifully. She watched his spidery fingertips, watched the dirt gather under his fingernails. He was still smiling, but the look was more grit determination now. Watching his face, Inko realized he was in his element. He really was a hero. He knew what he was doing. She felt a pang in her heart as she watched him come to life. 

He had a very handsome face when he was focused and smiling like this.

Izuku came back with the branches some time later, breathing hard, sweat on his face. Toshinori followed through with his plan, slotting the branches underneath the boulder in the small ditches they dug with their bare hands.

“Alright. On three. One, two, three!”

Inko pushed down against her branch with all her weight, while her son and Toshinori did the same. The branches bent under the strain, but by some miracle, it worked. The boulder rolled. The baby deer was free.

It was immediately trying to get up on its feet and run away. But the poor thing could barely push itself upright before it fell again.

It was Izuku who reached it first, wrapping it in his arms. He picked it up gingerly, careful not to press its leg against him. “I’ve got it. What do we do now?”

Toshinori took a bottled water from Inko’s purse, uncapping it and taking it to the animal. When the deer realized what the water was, it drank deeply. “We take it back to town. I’m sure there’s a wildlife center we can take it to.”

“We didn’t get to see your cedars.” Inko commented as they returned to the trail.

Izuku and Toshinori, however, didn’t seem to mind. 

Chapter Text

Summer vacation arrived sooner than Izuku thought, and he approached his last day of school with a mixture of excitement and dread. He wouldn’t have his studies distracting him anymore, at least until break ended. That meant he’d be working even harder with All Might. The hero had given him his summer vacation schedule, and Izuku was expected to work even harder than ever before.

Remember why you want to be a hero, All Might’s words rattled in his brain. Keep your eyes on the goal. I’m working you very hard, Izuku, because I believe in you. When next spring arrives, and U.A. High begins accepting applicants, you will have my quirk. You will have One For All.

Izuku knew getting One For All from All Might wasn’t going to be straightforward. All Might warned him that the intense power of his quirk was enough to tear his muscles to shreds and shatter his bones if his body wasn’t strong enough to withstand it. That was the true purpose of his 10 month training regimen. His mother was under the impression that it was just bodybuilding for the sake of strength alone. She would only be half right. But neither Izuku or All Might told her the full truth. He doubted they ever would.

He went through his classes the same as he always did: squeezing a grip strength tool under the desk, lifting his legs against ankle weights, and struggling to focus on his studies through exhaustion and stress. His grades have been slipping, but it didn’t matter. As long as he passed, as long as he could squeeze by with acceptable marks, he could focus on what really mattered: U.A.

With a flurry of activity, his classmates rushed out of school as soon as the final bell rang. They were all excited about summer trips, talking about family and friends, playing video games, and goofing off. Izuku felt a flicker of regret, for just a moment, wishing he could play video games, too.

Remember why you want to be a hero.

He clenched his fist and headed down the street, planning to take a shortcut home. He stepped between the school and adjacent apartments. It was just two blocks away from here, then he’d be home. He’d have about an hour to unwind before he was supposed to meet with All Might.

“Who do you think you are, Deku?”

Izuku skidded to a halt. His way home was blocked by a familiar silhouette. A boy with wiry, blond hair and a sturdy frame.

Kacchan spit to one side as he stood in the alley, cornering Izuku. Behind him, two other kids from class stepped in to block his escape route, and ahead of him, the boy with fire in his veins popped his fingers against a fist. Izuku could do nothing, say nothing. He was frozen. He watched crackles of fire exploding around Kacchan’s arms.

‘Deku.’ It was the name Kacchan gave him to make fun of him, intentionally misreading the characters that spelled his name.

Kacchan tilted his head back so that he could stare down his nose at Izuku. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed. For the past three months, you’ve been using exercise grips to class under the desk. You’re wearing weights and braces.” He took a step forward. Izuku took a step back. “You’re still trying to get in to U.A. Aren’t you.”

Izuku raised his hands. “I- I told you before, I’m not trying to compete with you! I just- I want to see if I can do it-”

Kacchan’s fingertips crackled, sparking with light, tiny pops of chemical reactions. “You’re weak. You don’t have a quirk. You’re just going to get in my way.” Izuku could see a cold fury in his eyes, glinting at him beneath his messy hair. “Since you didn’t learn last time, I’ve gotta remind you. Give up, Deku.”

“I’m not going to give up! I’m going to be a hero!” Izuku shouted back.

Kacchan flew at him with his right fist. Izuku dodged sideways. But Kacchan’s lackies came up behind him, pushing Izuku forward. He spun on his heel, trying to move unpredictably, but he only succeeded in tripping himself.

Izuku didn’t have time to catch his balance. Kacchan struck him in the side. Hot pain lanced through his gut. His school uniform was smoldering with heat. Someone kicked him from behind. Izuku staggered forward. He had to find an opening! Some way to escape! His vision blurry, he tried to focus, find a way past Kacchan.

He ran forward blindly. Kacchan’s fist connected with his jaw. He spun sideways, crashing into the brick wall of the nearby apartment. Kacchan grabbed the back of his head and knocked his forehead against the wall. His brain rattled in his skull. The sky ended up somewhere to his left and the ground rapidly became the ceiling. He crashed into it, gasping.

Kacchan stepped on his chest. “You’re quirkless. You’re pathetic. You’re not going to be a hero. So give up. You’re just going to get in everyone’s way.”

Izuku couldn’t muster a response as he lie on the ground, gasping. Tears stung the corners of his eyes. Don’t cry. Don’t let him see you cry.

With one last push with the sole of his shoe, Kacchan left him there. He and his lackeys walked away, Kacchan in front, his hands shoving into his pockets. Izuku laid there on the asphalt, paralyzed with pain, his world in freefall.

“All… Might…” He whispered in a choke.

All Might never came.

He trained for three months but he was still nothing but a bug to Kacchan, easily crushed. And All Might wasn’t there to save him. And how could he be? All might had more important things to worry about. He was probably off saving someone else right now, doing all the amazing things Izuku could only dream of doing. How could he protect others if he couldn’t even protect himself?

Maybe Kacchan is right and I should give up.

The very thought of it sent fresh tears trailing down the sides of his head. All Might and his mom were working so hard for him, trying to help him. He couldn’t let them down. And he couldn’t let himself down. He couldn’t let Kacchan crush him like this. As he lay there staring at a blue sky through the slit of two buildings, he felt his resolve strengthen, reinforcing his wounded heart.

The only way to beat Kacchan is to work even harder.

Izuku finally found his will to stand again, after what seemed to be an hour. His knees knocked. He touched his forehead, feeling against a welt and a bloody scrape. His head hurt so bad. He stumbled down the road towards the beach where he was supposed to meet All Might. His vision was blurry, but he saw All Might waiting for him near the roadside, checking a wristwatch.

All Might looked up and started to wave with a scrawny hand, but he quickly looked horrified. All Might rushed forward, meeting Izuku halfway, his hands steadying gently on his shoulders. “Young Midoriya,” he breathed. “What happened to you?” He must have seen all the blood. Did it really look that bad?

Izuku sniffed thickly. Don’t cry. Don’t let him see you cry.

“I- I want to- I want to work really hard this summer. Please give me harder work.” Izuku said through a clenched throat as he felt All Might gently dabbing at his face with his sleeve, trying to clear the blood.

“Shh,” All Might said, his voice soothingly soft. “Come on, Izuku. Let’s get you home.”

Izuku felt All Might’s hands resting heavily on his shoulders as he led him down the street, walking slow to match his pace. He felt pathetic. His throat was still burning as he tried not to cry. He found himself being ushered inside his home by All Might, who quickly led him to the couch. He sank down, holding his breath, the world spinning.

Inko, who was in the kitchen, noticed them and rushed to the scene. “What happened!?”

“I don’t know yet,” All Might said as he knelt in front of Izuku.

Izuku flinched when he felt All Might’s thumbs peeling back his eyelids. Izuku fought the instinct to close his eyes against the pressure of his mentor’s fingertips. He stared dully at All Might’s skull-like face and sunken, blue eyes.

All Might leaned back a little after he seemed to find what he was looking for. “Concussion,” he concluded.

“You’ve been working him too hard, haven’t you!?” Inko snapped at All Might.

Before All Might could reply, Izuku fired back, “it was Kacchan.”

Inko looked stunned. Then, furious. “I’m calling Mrs. Bakugou.”

“Don’t,” Izuku begged, his fingers clenching his knees. “It’ll- it’ll just make it worse. And I don’t- I don’t want… I don’t want to cause trouble.”

“You’re not causing trouble! You’re seriously hurt!”

“Mom, please. Don’t do anything.”

“Go get a first aid kit and some ice.” All Might said over his shoulder to her, before turning his attention back to Izuku. “We need to clean and dress the wound. Are you hurt anywhere else, Izuku?”

“Just bruised.”

“Lay down.”

Izuku did as he was told, lying lengthwise across the couch. His lips pressed together as he tried to control his roiling insides. He was feeling ill. And the thought of his mom calling Mrs. Bakugou made it even worse. He’d be beaten to smithereens.

His mother was back with a cold compress, antiseptic and bandages. He winced as he felt her dabbing at his head wound, wiping away blood. All Might stood nearby, watching him sadly, his face lined with sympathy. “Mrs. Mi-- Inko,” he began softly, “I don’t think you need to call Mrs. Bakugou about this.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Inko asked, fury seething in her voice as she touched her son’s wounded face. “Her son has been pushing Izuku around since they were toddlers! I’m sick of it!”

“It will just make it harder for Izuku to overcome this obstacle. Kacchan is giving him motivation to work harder.”

“Why should that matter!?” Inko snapped, whirling around to face All Might. “I don’t want him to deal with Katsuki anymore. He’s never stood a chance against that awful boy!”

“And he never will if you keep treating him like a child who must be protected.” All Might responded, his tone calm and level.

“I don’t agree with that. And he is a child, Mr. Toshinori.”

“If you choose to contact Mrs. Bakugou and complain about her son, it will make their rivalry worse. It will make things harder for Izuku in the long run.”

“I don’t see it that way. Mrs. Bakugou will make sure he never hurts Izuku again.”

“How do you know that?”

“I--” Inko began, but Izuku finally had enough of listening to them argue. “Mom!” He interrupted, his teeth clenched, giving her a pleading look. Begging. “Please. I don’t want you to call Mrs. Bakugou. Please.”

Inko’s face scrunched up painfully, a mixture of anger and hurt in her eyes. He watched her draw in a deep breath, her chest filling and emptying slowly. She gently brushed her fingertips through Izuku’s hair with a calm sadness.

“Just rest,” she told him. “I’ll bring you some water and medicine. Let me know if you start to feel worse.”

She left to the kitchen, and Izuku felt his pounding headache worsen. He stared at the ceiling, trying not to whimper. While Inko was gone, All Might knelt down next to the couch, touching Izuku’s shoulder. “Why did Kacchan attack you?”

“B-because he doesn’t want me trying to get in to U.A. He… he’s always been. A lot stronger than me, and… he hates that I look up to him.”

“You look up to him?”

“Yeah, I- I always have. Ever since we were kids. I’d. Follow him around, and. He was just so cool, because he has an amazing quirk, and he’s so confident. He’d always push me around and try to leave me behind but… I kept following anyway.”

This seemed to interest All Might, and he thought about it for a moment. Izuku wondered what he was thinking, but before he could say more, Inko was back with his water and medicine. Izuku took the pills and drank deeply. He was already feeling his attention fading. He curled up on his side, facing the back of the couch, closing his eyes. He knew his mom and All Might were still there, because he didn’t hear them leave.

“I’m sorry I lost my temper, Mr. Toshinori.” Inko said, after some time.

“No, it’s my fault. I was overstepping my place.” All Might said.

“No. No, it’s fine.” Inko said, without much conviction. Izuku heard her footsteps starting to retreat. “It’s fine.” She repeated, a little more resolved the second time. Her voice disappeared as she went into another room.

All Might was still there. Izuku soon felt his hand on his shoulder again. “When you get better, we are going to work harder. Harder than you ever have before.”

It was what Izuku wanted to hear. He relaxed a little, the tension in his gut easing. He turned away from facing the back of the couch, finding it more comfortable to be on his back. He could breathe a little easier.

As All Might began to leave, his hand resting on the doorknob, Inko’s voice came from the other room. “Will you be coming back for dinner, Mr. Toshinori?”

All Might turned where he stood near the doorway. He looked a little surprised at the offer.

“I would like to come back and check on Izuku, yes.”

“Alright. I will see you later. Thank you, Mr. Toshinori.”

All Might opened the door and stepped outside. With the door still open, he looked over his shoulder, his thin body cast in silhouette. “Just Toshi is fine.” He closed the door and was gone.

Izuku spent the next three hours miserable. He stayed on the couch watching TV, his head throbbing, the pain pills barely touching his aching skull. He felt so sick he couldn’t focus on anything. His mom was making curry, he could smell it, and for the first time it made him feel like there were crawling slugs in his gut instead of a ravenous wolf. Once or twice he slipped into an uneasy sleep, only to wake up moments later from pain.

His attention went to the front door when he heard someone knock. All Might came back, just as he promised, carrying a plastic bag. He set it down on the table and gave Izuku a soft, sad smile. “I got you something.”

Izuku pushed himself upright, teetering. He leaned forward to look inside the bag. It was a can of soda, a bag of candy, and a gashapon toy. Izuku leaned forward to take the gashapon, inspecting the label. Pro Heroes. He hadn’t bought one of these in years. Sometimes he got them hoping for an All Might figurine, but he never got one. They were rare. Maybe he’d get lucky this time.

He popped it open and withdrew a tiny plastic figure, and immediately knew it wasn’t All Might. At first glance, it was a hero he didn’t recognize: a man in a black jumpsuit, long black hair, and a flowing gray scarf. Izuku thought he knew every single pro hero at first glance without having to think about it, but eventually, he recognized him. It was the odd, yellow goggles that gave him away. Eraserhead. He was the sort of pro hero who didn’t get a lot of media attention.

“Thanks, Mr. Toshinori,” he said, smiling up at his mentor, who gave him a thumbs up. Izuku opened the can of soda while All Might walked to the kitchen.

“Can I help with anything at all?” He asked Inko.

“If you’d like to set the table for us, I think that’s all I need.” She responded, wiping her hands on her apron.

Izuku watched them from his vantage point, idly turning the Eraserhead figurine in his hands. He watched All Might gather bowls for curry and rice. Izuku found himself idly wondering if All Might could even eat curry. Would it be hard on his condition?

“Can you join us, Izuku, or do you want me to bring it to you?” Inko asked.

“I can come,” Izuku replied. He gathered his strength and stood, joining his mother and his mentor at the table. He didn’t feel like eating. He placed Tiny Eraserhead on the table and sat down across from All Might.

He didn’t eat much, and neither did All Might. He thought his mom looked a little uncomfortable, seeing as she was the only one actually enjoying the meal. All Might seemed to notice this too, and he started eating a little more. Izuku felt compelled, and joined them, despite how much he didn’t want to.

“If it’s not good, you don’t have to-” Inko began.

“It’s great!” Izuku and All Might said, nearly simultaneously.

Inko laughed awkwardly. After that, some of the tension in the room seemed to ease. The two adults across from him relaxed a little more.

“Toshi, I was wondering a few things about your time in America.” Inko said. “Were you studying with anyone, or did you go alone?”

“I went alone at first, but I met someone there who I developed a close friendship with, and we worked together for a while. He is a brilliant man. We still stay in touch.”

“Where did you live?”

“Los Angeles, California.”

“So you enjoyed your time?”

“Very much.”

“Was it hard to leave and come back to Japan?”

“Yes. Crime in America is just as bad as it is here. It’s hard on me sometimes, because I can’t be in two places at once. But Japan is my home, and… there were things here that I needed to do.”

“Do you think about ever going back?”

“All the time. Maybe I will, someday.” All Might paused, rubbing his jaw. “What about you, Inko, do you ever want to travel anywhere?”

Inko sat back a little, pushing her dark hair behind an ear. “I… sometimes think about it, but… I. Sort of lost the will to travel after Hisaishi left.”

There was a pause and Izuku looked between them. Was All Might going to offer to take her to America, like he did with the Yakushima cedars?

“Maybe some day, you’ll want to travel again, too.” All Might said.

Inko smiled over at him, but her eyes were sad.

Izuku sat in his room, thinking.

He pulled one of his All Might figurines off of his shelf. It was his favorite one, an extremely detailed sculpt that his mom got him for his 12th birthday. He turned it in his hands, looking at how muscular it was. He could have probably sent Kacchan to another planet if he wanted to. It wouldn’t be hard for him at all.

I’ll never be like you.

He put the figurine on his shelf, and remembered to put Tiny Eraserhead on his desk, along with a small collection of other gashapon heroes he’d collected over the years. He didn’t like to display them prominently. All Might was his favorite.

He sat back down on his bed, his head still throbbing, full of fears and worries. His future as a hero was still so far away. He had seven months left of training. He didn’t think he would be ready in time. He didn’t think he’d be strong enough to receive All Might’s power.

He laid down in bed, his head still throbbing, and tried to sleep. He couldn’t. Every time he closed his eyes he could see Kacchan’s cold stare, could hear his voice telling him to give up.

He tried to replace those thoughts with images of All Might and his mother, cheering him on. In that moment, an unexpected thought came to him.

It’s nice that Mom and All Might are getting along.

His eyes snapped open, wide awake, the realization hitting him like a truck.

Holy crap. Mom and All Might are getting along.

My mom . And All Might!

Chapter Text

Japan sweltered in the height of summer, and an unusual drought gripped the nation. It was getting harder and harder for Toshinori to coach Izuku. Both of them constantly took breaks to sit in the shade and drink water to stay hydrated. Inko also showed herself less and less. Toshinori found himself missing her. He had grown accustomed to talking to her on the beach almost every day, even if they rarely talked about anything important.

Sometimes, when he was sure she was gone, he risked showing up in his hero body. In this form, he was more helpful for Izuku, if not for short bursts of time. It was always late at night, when the weather was coolest, and no one bothered coming to the beach. As he promised, he was working Izuku very hard, extending his workout hours later into the evening, and cutting back on his leisure time.

Then again, Toshinori wasn’t sure Izuku was even taking his leisure time in the first place.

Dinner with the Midoriya family became routine. Every once in a while, Inko invited him to stay. Every once in a while, he agreed. He couldn’t always do it. Some nights, he was needed by his agency. Some nights, he received emergency calls. Some nights, he simply wanted time to himself.

This night, however, was different.

Toshinori stood on the roof of a skyscraper, staring in horror as a red-orange glow swallowed up a distant point in the city. Fire. Something was on fire. And it was bad.

“I see it,” he said into his cell phone, “I’ll be there in a few seconds.”

He hung up. From what little he was told, the fire started in the second floor of a 4-story business. No one knew the cause. And due to the heat and the drought, the flames spread quickly. Heroes from all over the city were being called to the scene, but the fire was about to spread out of control.

Toshinori drew in a deep breath. He crouched, flexing his body, bracing himself as his weak, frail muscles unnaturally bulked around his bones. In seconds, the 150-pound man became a 550-pound behemoth. He grit his teeth, then smiled. All Might’s smile. Fearless. Calm. Optimistic.

He judged the distance and his trajectory, his eyes focused on a distant point.

He jumped. The force of his legs pushing off the ground was enough to launch him through the air in a rough imitation of flight, fast as a rocket. Just as he promised, it only took him a few seconds to reach the roadside near the flaming building. He landed with explosive force, the asphalt beneath his feet cracking as the shock repelled from his ankles. He felt no pain.

He had a split second to assess the situation. The road behind him was filled with bystanders. A few people had already been rescued. Ambulances and fire trucks hadn’t yet arrived on the scene. Backdraft was here, at least, but he had his work cut out for him just trying to keep the fire from spreading. The human fire hydrant was launching jets of water in several directions at once, but Toshinori knew it was like tossing buckets in a volcano for all the good it did.

Eyes turned to him. Toshinori saw a worried, frightened crowd. Through their tears, he heard their voices, crying out that their friends and family were still trapped inside.

Toshinori saw them, his heart breaking inside. Lifting his head, he laughed joyfully. “Never fear, citizens! Everyone will be saved tonight!” He projected loud enough for everyone to hear over the noise of chaos and a roaring fire. “There is no need to worry! For I am here!”

He turned, faced the building, and launched himself through the window on the top floor.

The worst part about these kinds of rescues was how hard it was on his lungs. He had to move fast. He could hold his breath far longer than normal people could, and he could move faster than the human eye could perceive. But in order to rescue everyone in the building, he needed to take his time. He didn’t want to miss a single person. He could barely see through the choking smoke.

He moved in a blur, searching room from room. He found four people, all unconscious, and draped them carefully against his arms and shoulders. This was about his limit that he could carry at once. He was out the window again in an instant, and quickly handed the victims off to other rescue heroes who were tending the injured nearby.

He didn’t allow himself any time to linger. He was back inside the building seconds later.

He would do this over the next hour, back in and back out, searching the building from top to bottom, carefully navigating each floor, scrambling past collapsing structures, holding his breath against the smoke, enduring the overwhelming heat. In this form, he barely felt pain, and could barely be touched by the fire. With every second that passed, a gnawing fear remained in his mind that he was missing someone, forgetting someone, leaving someone behind. He gave the building one more thorough sweep. He didn’t see anyone else.

He exited the building, gasping for breath as soon as he found cool, clear air. He kept wearing his smile as he approached the gathered crowd. The city’s disaster response teams were finally here, treating victims, mitigating damage. All around him, people were getting taken care of. A few people came up to him, thanking him for saving their friends, but he hardly heard them. His attention zeroed in on a young woman crouched nearby, burned and scraped, weeping.

“Is everything alright, citizen?”

“Y-you didn’t- you didn’t bring him back alive, All Might,” she choked out. “You- you promised- you promised everyone would be saved. But you didn’t save my husband!”

Toshinori’s heart broke.

He didn’t have time to individually assess the health of every person he brought out of the fire. He found collapsed bodies, some people still conscious, some not, and he took them out of the fire. That was all he could do. Once he handed them off to triage, he didn’t have time to hear about their fate.

He had brought a dead man out of the fire.

All the noise around him disappeared. He felt like he was falling through an empty abyss. The smile on his face faded and vanished. People were still thanking him, trying to talk to him, but he couldn’t respond.

Behind him, the fire began to die. The continued efforts of the firefighters and rescue heroes finally brought control to the chaos. Heroes and firefighters took a head count. Somewhere, he heard someone assess with confidence that everyone had been removed from the building.

But not everyone had been removed alive.

‘I can’t train you tomorrow’

‘ oh ok are u alright? :( ‘

‘Yes, everything’s fine. Something just came up with my hero work. I’ll see you later.’

‘ do u want me to work on that big truck ‘

‘ Yes, but only if your mother can watch. Don’t want you to throw out your back.’

‘ ok i hope u have a good night ‘

Toshinori put down his phone, coughing heavily into his hands. He stumbled into the bathroom, stripping of his hero uniform that stank of smoke. He stepped into a stream of cold water, shivering with relief as the droplets soothed his parched and aching skin.

He leaned his head against the cold shower tiles and wept.

He didn’t feel like himself when he returned to the beach. He was coughing more than usual, all the smoke had strained his lungs. His guts were writhing, protesting every time his abdomen tensed. Izuku was working so hard lately, but his heart just wasn’t in it to coach him. Inko wasn’t there, it was hot, he was stinking in his own sweat and all he could think about was the fire. So he sat on the sidelines and watched, having little to say, as Izuku struggled to move a rusty truck by himself.

After some time, he noticed Izuku approaching him, sweat soaking the front of his ‘All M’ shirt. He was breathless. Toshinori reached into his cooler to get a bottled water for Izuku. He held it out to him, but Izuku didn’t take it.

“Are you okay?” He asked, watching Toshinori with large, worried eyes.

“Hm? Oh, I’m alright.”

Izuku looked skeptical, then frowned. “I saw on the news two days ago. The fire downtown. You single handedly saved 34 people. I thought it was really cool. Did you get hurt?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Izuku squinted at him. “Did… did something happen?”

Toshinori thought for a moment, his heart heavy, trying to hide the pain in his eyes.

Izuku, my boy , he thought, I never want you to experience what this feels like. I don’t want to taint your goal with fear. I don’t want you to face the hardest thing about being a hero. You won’t be able to save everyone. No matter how hard you try, no matter how strong you are, no matter how much you believe in yourself. You will fail.

“No, nothing happened.” Toshinori said with a smile. “I’m just very tired.”

In the end, he couldn’t tell Izuku what happened. He didn’t have the heart. He wanted Izuku to keep his mind clear and focused on his dreams. He didn’t want to taint the 14 year old boy’s mind with thoughts of All Might’s greatest fears and failures. It would distract him.

Izuku, thankfully, accepted his explanation. He drank his water, then started to rush off. He skidded to a halt, remembering something. “Oh! Mom wanted me to tell you, you’re invited to dinner again.”

“Yeah, I’ll come.”

Izuku didn’t move from his spot, silent. Toshinori watched him, tilting his head. Why was he just standing there? He had a lot of work to do.

Izuku shifted his weight back and forth between his feet. “I was kind of thinking. Wouldn’t it be easier if you just got her cell phone number?”

Toshinori blinked. “Her number?”

“Yeah. I mean. You’re always texting me, and I’m always telling you what she says, so wouldn’t it, you know, be easier if you just got her number?”

Toshinori knew his cheeks would be red if he wasn’t already sunburned. As he stared at Izuku, he tried to get a read on the boy’s body language and expression, wondering if Izuku was trying to imply anything, or if he was just innocently asking a question. Izuku was wearing a poker face that looked almost *too* good. It was out of character for him.

“Yes, I suppose that would make sense.” He responded, careful to keep his face and tone equally blank.

For a few moments, blank-faced Toshinori stared at blank-faced Izuku, as if in a silent battle of wills. Then, Izuku nodded and rushed off to return to the old, rusty truck.

As promised, Toshinori showed up for dinner. He helped set the table. Inko made sandwiches and daifuku for dessert. When Toshinori seated himself across from Inko, he kept noticing Izuku staring at him, as if he was waiting for him to do something, and Toshinori had a pretty good guess what it was about. If there was a way he could beam his thoughts into Izuku’s head, he would.

You’re not going to ask her on my behalf, are you, kid?

“Hey, Mom?” Izuku finally broke his attention away from Toshinori, and he felt a pang of dread twist his insides.

Don't say it.

“Can you pass the salt?”

Toshinori let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. His guts were swimming with butterflies.

Geez... my constitution can't take all this back-and-forth.

Inko nodded. She reached her hand out, but the salt was a long way away from her reach. It was actually closer to Toshinori. But just as he reached out to grab it, he saw the salt shaker float. His eyebrows raised as he watched it hovering, floating gently towards Inko’s outstretched hand.

Her quirk! For the first time, Toshinori saw her using her quirk!

“You make things float?” He asked with interest as Inko handed the salt over to Izuku.

Inko looked shy. “Oh… yeah. Just small things, though. It’s not a very… flashy power, is it?”

Toshinori could tell by the look on her face that it embarrassed her. His heart hurt. “I can actually see a lot of practical applications of a quirk like that for hero work. It could be very powerful.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Inko responded, rubbing the back of her neck. “I was always told it was kind of… boring and useless.”

“There’s no such thing as a boring quirk. Or a useless one.”

“I don’t know, I’ve always felt it was plain and ugly.”

Toshinori squinted. Ugly? How could a quirk be ugly?  “If you practiced it and used it more, it would become stronger. Quirks are like muscles. If you don’t use them, they get weak. You could start using it along with Izuku, while he trains, if you wanted.” He took a tiny bite of his sandwich.

Inko was staring at the table. “I don’t know,” she said softly.

Toshinori wasn’t going to push her. Clearly, she had some deep-rooted insecurities about her quirk, given he had known her for months and just now learned about it. He wanted to know why, but he didn’t think it was his place to ask, especially since he was just as guilty of hiding his power.

Inko got up to serve dessert. Toshinori found himself distracted, thinking about her, the things she said about her quirk. His forgot to pace himself with bites of sweet daifuku. It wasn't really wise for him to be eating any of it in the first place. Izuku devoured his hungrily. “I think it'd be fun if you used your power more, Mom.” He said between stuffed cheeks.

“It's just never been very fun for me.” She replied.

“Why?” Izuku asked.

“I don't want to talk about it.”

The sad look on her face was enough to stifle Izuku's curiosity. He swallowed down his bites of daifuku with little enthusiasm. “Thanks for dinner, mom.”

He retreated into the hall, leaving Toshinori and Inko alone. For some time Toshinori felt awkward, not sure how to excuse himself from her home in a way that wouldn't seem like he was in a hurry to get away from her. She seemed so sad to him, but if she didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't sure how he could help.

“I'm sorry about that,” Inko broke the silence after a moment, turning an empty cup in her hands.

“I’ve been noticing that you apologise a lot.” Toshinori commented. “Especially when you feel things strongly. You don’t need to be sorry about that.”

Inko looked conflicted, then a little grateful. “You're very kind, Toshi.”

He gave her a thumbs up. “Just telling the truth!” He quipped cheerfully, before lowering his hand, his expression sobering. “I don't know what's happened to you to make you feel so bad about yourself, and I didn't think it was my place to ask. But for what it's worth, I like your quirk. And I agree with Izuku. It might be fun for you to use it more.”

The look on Inko's face wasn't what he expected to see. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, exactly, but she looked all twisted up. Like she felt both happy and sad all at once. He felt a pang in his gut, his insides twisting as Izuku's words at the beach returned to the forefront of his mind.

Ask for her number.

“Inko, I-”

His insides flipped. His intestines felt like they were knotting up inside him. A wave of nausea crashed into him and he drew in a sharp breath. Oh geez. Not here. Not now.

It was such a rookie mistake. Sweets were one of the worst things he could possibly have in his diet, and he ate too much of that daifuku without thinking. When his surgeon first explained 'dumping syndrome’ to him after he had the gastrectomy, he thought the name sounded funny. He quickly learned just how unfunny it was.

Inko looked concerned at his sudden paleness. “Toshi? Are you alright?”

“Just fine.” He said, even though he knew it was a very obvious lie. He curled forward, his elbow propped on the table so that he could rest his forehead in his palm. Stay calm, breathe deep. Maybe it’ll pass.

“Well, you don’t look fine to me.”

His head spun. It was just too much. Everything was crushing him at once. He was having a very bad week. And now this, on top of everything. The sick feeling in his gut reached a crescendo. “I, uh. Be right back.”

He shot up from the table and stumbled into the hall. When he reached the bathroom door, he realized with horror that the shower was running. Izuku was in there. He stood in the hall in a panic, his hand pressed to his mouth, his eyes searching desperately for something - anything - that could be the victim for the disgusting mess waiting to happen.

Inko must have seen him panicking from the kitchen, because she rushed up to him with a trash can. His saint and savior. He took the plastic bin from her, doubled over, and buried his face in it. He felt her fingertips dragging back his hair, withdrawing his messy bangs from the front of his face. One of her hands rested on his back, rubbing circles over the ridges of his spine. Somewhere, he had the semblance of mind to appreciate her for it.

It was as if his insides had wrung themselves out like a washcloth. He was a retching, choking mess. And it wasn't just his abdomen that hurt. It hit him in his lungs, making it hard to breathe, exasperating his condition. Everything he ate came up bloody.

For the second time, it was Inko who was holding him through it. While he knelt there in her hall, puking his guts out, he remembered his very first encounter with her. She had found him curled up on his bathroom floor, choking blood because of a lung infection. He remembered how it felt to be cradled in her arms, how gentle her grip on him was.

“Do you need to go to the hospital again?” She asked him.

“No,” he managed. “This is normal.” That part was true, at least. This couldn’t be helped.

It was embarrassing. Every bit of it. He was supposed to be All Might, the world’s #1 Hero. But he was reduced to this sick, disgusting mess. A sick, disgusting mess who couldn’t save everyone.

I’m worthless.

When he finally caught his breath and lifted his head, Inko dabbed at his face with her apron. He found it hard to look at her.

I’m pathetic.

She got up to bring him a glass of water. He sipped at it gratefully.

I’m useless.

“Toshi,” she said softly, dragging him from his spiralling thoughts. He realized her hand was on his back. “Why don’t you stay here tonight?”

The shock of hearing those words made him splutter. He aimed for the trash can.

“I- I- I mean, I want to put you up on the couch!” Inko quickly clarified in a flurry of stumbling words, “I just- you’re- you’re clearly not well, and I’d rather you not go back to your apartment like this.” She sounded so flustered. And he wasn’t feeling much different, himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her blushing madly.

In truth, he didn’t like the idea of walking all the way back home like this. He wasn’t sure if his insides were quite done torturing him. Inko was offering a huge favor, out of the goodness of her heart. She probably didn’t mean to imply anything by it. He just didn’t know what to say in return. This was a very, very awkward situation.

Toshinori started to reply. At that moment, the sound of the shower behind the bathroom door ceased. Both he and Inko stared at the door. He had almost completely forgotten that Izuku was still in there! He had to make a decision fast and get out of here before Izuku showed up on this miserable scene!

“Thank you for offering to put me up, Inko.” He said quickly. “I appreciate it.” He started to rise. “I’ll stay.”

She seemed to relax a little after hearing him accept her offer so frankly. She went to a nearby closet, finding some old sheets, blankets, and a pillow to spread on the couch. He followed her, dragging along his unfortunate trash can. He hovered awkwardly nearby, wanting to offer to help, but knowing she would have refused. After the couch was prepared, Toshinori took a seat. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening to him. His head still hadn’t caught up with it.

“I’m sorry you’re feeling this way, Toshi. I’ll be around, if you need anything.” Inko said, wringing her hands. “I’m going to tell Izuku what’s going on.”

“Thank you.” Toshinori said. Izuku’s going to jump to so many conclusions.

She began to leave, but something occurred to Toshinori in that moment. Something very, very important.

“Wait.”

Inko stopped, looking over her shoulder at him.

“I. Uh. I take a lot of medication every night. It’s probably not a good thing if I miss my doses.” He dug around in his pocket, finding his house key. “Can you send Izuku to get them for me? I keep all my pills in the kitchen cabinet- uh, he knows where it is. Just have him bring the whole container.”

Inko took the key from him and nodded. She still looked worried. Probably even more so now, knowing he was on ‘a lot’ of medication.

Before Inko had a chance to send for him, Izuku stepped into the living room, freshly showered and in his pajamas. He rubbed his eyes and took in the scene with confusion, staring at the sheets on the couch, the trash can, the look on Toshinori’s face. “What’s going on?”

“Toshi’s unwell, so he’s staying the night.”

Izuku’s expression was hard to interpret. It was that uncharacteristic poker face look again. “Oh. What’s wrong with him?”

“Side effect from not having a stomach,” Toshinori explained quickly. “I’m fine.”

“He needs you to go get his medicine.” Inko offered the house key to Izuku. “Can you do that? He needs you to get the whole container from his kitchen cabinet.”

Izuku took the key and nodded. “Yeah.” Still didn’t drop his poker face. The kid was good. “I’ll be right back!”

Izuku was out the door in an instant, leaving Toshinori and Inko truly alone. The house fell silent. For a moment he sat there, not knowing what to do or say. He took another careful sip of his water, staring at the floor.

“About what you said earlier,” Inko said, clasping her hands together. “About using my quirk more. I’ll do it. I’ll come to the beach with Izuku and, and that’s what I’ll do.”

He didn’t know why, but it made him feel happy to hear that. For once, he felt a little less awkward. “I would like that.”

Inko cleared her throat. “Anyway. I’ll be going to bed now. Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine. Thank you.”

“Do you want a change of clothes? I still have some of Hisaishi’s old clothes…”

Toshinori’s throat tightened a little. “I’m fine, I can wear this.” It wouldn’t be the first time he had fallen asleep in his day clothes.

Inko looked a little embarrassed to have offered her ex husband’s clothes, clearing her throat. “Um, I’ll set out a spare toothbrush for you. We have one that’s never been opened, so you can have it.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Inko nodded, wringing her hands. “Well, um… I’ll be going to bed now. Goodnight, Toshi.”

She was gone, leaving him alone with his thoughts. After a while, he entered the bathroom, finding the unopened toothbrush just as Inko had promised. He used it. He washed his face, staring at himself in the mirror, at the sunken features he’d grown to hate so much.

He returned to the living room, his insides still roiling. He laid down on his side, staring blankly ahead. He wondered what was going through Izuku’s mind right now. Heck, he wondered what was going on in Inko’s. When he pictured how his night was going to go, it wasn’t remotely this.

He couldn’t sleep, not without his medication. All he could do was wait for Izuku to get back.

He was sure taking a long time.

Chapter Text

Izuku was in no hurry as he walked down the street, his mind spinning.

This is happening so fast. And it is happening, right? I’m not just reading into it too much? My mom and All Might are falling in love? Oh man, I bet they’re in there kissing right now! A manic laugh burbled out of him. He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling his heart fluttering. This was crazy. It was insane.

And he had no idea how he felt about it.

He thought he wanted it. That was why he was trying to push All Might to get his mom’s number. He thought maybe he just needed a little encouragement. That maybe the hero really liked his mom, and they could hit it off. But now that it was actually happening, Izuku felt a gut-twisting panic.

She doesn’t know he’s All Might. She barely knows anything about him. And it’s All Might! The hero I’ve looked up to since I was a toddler! The world’s number one hero! With my mom! My mom! My mom! Holy crap! How did I get so lucky? To be in line to inherit his power and- and- what if he’s going to be my dad!? My dad! All Might, my dad!

It was so exciting. So terrifying. So wrong. So right. And this could go very, very badly. Maybe he was getting excited over nothing. Maybe there really was nothing going on between them and All Might really was just sick and couldn’t find the strength to walk to his apartment.

Okay, Izuku, calm down. Nothing’s happening. They’re definitely not in there kissing right now. They’re not going to get married or anything like that. Just- put it out of your mind. Nothing’s happening. You’ve gotta focus.

It was hard to put it out of his mind as he approached the apartment complex where All Might lived, scaling the stairwell to his door on the third floor. He unlocked the door with All Might’s house key and stepped inside.

It was eerily quiet. Everything was dark. Izuku turned on the light, but it didn’t ease the strange, empty, lonely feeling of the place.

I’m in his house, alone. If I wanted to… I could look through anything. His old photos. Books. Maybe even his computer, if he has one. He smacked himself on the forehead lightly. No, stupid Izuku. That’s so bad. Don’t do that.

He was so frazzled with emotion and churning worries, he was starting to lose himself. Intrusive thoughts overtook whatever semblance of calm rationality he possessed. He had to refocus. He was here for a reason. All Might needed his medicine. He shouldn’t be dragging his feet, or doing anything awful, like spy on his private life.

That was what Izuku told himself as he started looking for photographs anyway. It’s not spying if I just look at photos. If he’s displayed them, then that means he doesn’t care if people see.

He didn’t find anything particularly shocking. A younger All Might was posing next to a young woman in one of the more prominently featured photos. Other than that, All Might wasn’t in any of the other pictures that Izuku saw. He saw faces of many strangers on All Might’s walls, many of them signed with notes of thanks.

‘If it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead.’

‘My mother is alive because of you.’

‘Thank you for your service.’

‘Thank you for fighting for us.’


Izuku found himself wandering through All Might’s apartment, letting his eyes wander, searching. He found a stack of unopened letters on a desk in another room. He found an even larger stack of opened ones. Izuku ventured to read a few of the open letters, quickly noticing it was all fan mail.

Another stack of paper nearby of neatly folded papers were responses that had yet to be stamped and mailed. All Might had been replying to his fan mail. Izuku read a few of them before carefully putting them back, exactly where he found it. None of All Might’s responses were generic or copy-pasted. They were all personal. They were all thoughtful.

Izuku found himself wandering further through All Might’s apartment, ending up in his room. Unlike the cleanliness of the rest of the apartment and his study area, his room was a mess. Clothes strewn about. Half-filled cups and dirty dishes littered every available surface. His bedsheets had old blood stains. The closet door was cracked open and Izuku could see his Golden Age hero uniform poking out among a yellow dress suit.

This is so bad. Stop doing this , Izuku thought as he walked through All Might’s room. He didn’t know what he was looking for. He didn’t even know why he was here. Maybe he just wanted to find something, anything, some clue to give him more insight as to what sort of life Toshinori lived. The real person, and not just the All Might Izuku knew.

He realized, after a few minutes of standing there and looking, that the answer was already staring back at him. It was in the form of dirty dishes, strewn laundry, an unmade bed, a broken lamp, and the complete absence of aesthetic decorations. Despite his room being a mess, it felt strangely empty and lifeless.

Toshinori was depressed.

Izuku felt his shoulders sag with the realization. Finally, he found the semblance of mind to turn away.

I came here for medicine.

He found All Might’s medicine cabinet. He saw a bunch of prescription bottles in a plastic container that was too small to hold them all. There was no lid. Izuku grabbed the whole container and headed out the door.

He still felt strange about imagining what he might return home to see, but his thoughts of excitement were now sobered. Realistic. The more he learned about All Might, the more Izuku realized how ordinary and human he was. It was hard to shirk the mental image he had cultivated all his life about this legendary, untouchable superhero. In reality, Toshinori was just a very, very good actor. Once he slipped on his All Might mask, he was a completely different person, in almost every conceivable way.

So who do I think of him as? All Might or Toshinori?

Izuku caught movement out of the corner of his eye and stopped in his tracks. Across the street, he saw a familiar face with messy blond hair. It was Kacchan. He looked like he was going somewhere, and he didn’t seem to have noticed Izuku yet. Izuku held his breath, his grip on the box of pills tightening. Ok, don’t move. Don’t move. Maybe he won’t notice me if I just stand here… play it cool...

A blinding light engulfed him. Izuku blinked stupidly. He turned around. Headlights.

The car came out of nowhere. Izuku jumped backwards. He could feel the wind off of it as the car sped off, way too fast. Izuku’s foot caught on the curb. He tripped. The box of pills slipped from his grasp, hitting the curb, spilling its contents.

Izuku watched in horror as a pill bottle rolled across concrete and dropped right through a drain grate.

“Oh no… oh no, no no no!” Izuku quickly collected the rest of the pill bottles and scrambled towards the drain grate. He looked down. He couldn’t see the bottom. Between the iron slits was pitch darkness.

“No, no, no!” Izuku gripped at his hair. He couldn’t believe himself. He lost All Might’s medicine. It could be something extremely important. It could be something he really needed to live! He had completely forgotten about seeing Kacchan and his close brush with death. He needed to get those pills back! There had to be some way to get down there!

He saw a manhole lid nearby and rushed towards it, still holding the container of the rest of All Might’s medicine. He set it down on the sidewalk and inspected the manhole lid. He couldn’t see a way to get a good grip on it, but he knelt down anyway and tried to grasp at it with his fingertips.

It wouldn’t budge.

He struggled. He pulled. His fingers scrambled fur purchase on something, anything. He couldn’t do it. The thing must have been bolted down!

“What the hell are you doing, Deku?”

Izuku jumped in surprise. His attention shot up towards the looming figure of Kacchan. Oh no. He’d been seen. He didn’t know what to do or say. He gaped like a stupid fish. Oh man. He's going to beat me up again!

Kacchan’s red-eyed stare trailed to the container full of pill bottles. “Did you rob a pharmacy or something?”

“N-no! No, of course not!” Izuku spluttered. “It’s- it’s for a friend. He’s really sick and- and this is all his! I was bringing it to him!”

WIthout asking, Kacchan dipped his hand into the container and picked up two of the orange prescription bottles, comparing them, turning them in his hands. “...Toshinori Yagi? Who the hell is that?”

“J-just a family friend!”

Kacchan stared suspiciously at him. Then, he said, “and why are you trying to get into the sewers?” He dropped the prescription bottles into the container with the others.

“I accidentally dropped one down there.”

Kacchan scoffed. “So you lost your friend’s medicine. Tch. Just like you to do something careless.” He tilted his head to one side, looking down at Izuku, his fist on his hip. “So how sick is he?”

“It’s- really bad.” Izuku actually didn’t know if that was even true. He didn’t know what any of this stuff was for. He could only assume it was important, and related to All Might’s nasty injury. Maybe there would be bad side effects if he didn’t get his medicine in time. “I can’t pick up this manhole cover. It’s bolted down. I- I need to get down there.”

Kacchan stared. “You’re asking me.”

“N-no, I just- in general- I need to get down there somehow! I wasn’t asking.”

Kacchan looked between him and the metal manhole cover. He huffed a breath. He was clearly thinking hard about something.Then, he seemed to come to a decision. He popped his fingers and stepped towards the obstacle. He gave Izuku a menacing stare.

“I’m only doing this because you’re so damn weak. Not because I owe you anything.”

Izuku’s heart was in his throat. Was Kacchan actually helping him? Or was this just another way for him to rub his weakness in his face?

Kacchan placed his hands down on the lid. Or rather, on the bolts that held it down. One after another, he melted them against his superheated fingertips. Then, in one swift motion, he lifted the lid up and tossed it aside like it was nothing. Izuku couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Why was Kacchan helping him? He lowered his head frantically in a bow. “T-thanks- thanks Kacchan,” he managed. His pulse was throbbing in his ears.

“Tch.”

Izuku looked down the gaping hole in the road. There was a metal ladder that led into pure, pitch darkness. Izuku hadn’t brought his cell phone. He had no way of lighting things up down there. Still, he had to go down there. He had no choice. He drew in a deep breath and stepped towards the ladder.

“Wait.” Kacchan said. “You won’t be able to see. Even if you get down there, how do you expect you’re going to find those pills?”

Izuku swallowed. “I- I hadn’t… thought that far ahead.”

“You can’t do anything by yourself, can you? Ugh.” With a heavy sigh, Kacchan grabbed the grips on the ladder and slid down into the dark. Izuku watched him from his vantage point, holding his breath. He saw a light. Kacchan ignited fire in his palms. Steeling his resolve, Izuku grabbed the ladder and followed him down.

Kacchan’s quirk wasn’t much of a light, not if he tried to sustain small blasts of power in his palms. Neither of them could see more than two feet in front of them. They were on an elevated walkway. In the middle of the tunnel was a shallow stream of stagnant water. Every sound they made echoed into the unseen depths under the city.

“Okay, so, where’d you drop it?”

“Over there,” Izuku pointed where he remembered the grate was. He hoped the bottle hadn’t rolled further away, or landed somewhere unreachable. He didn’t want to go slogging through that sewer water. It smelled disgusting down here.

They stepped carefully, unable to predict what might show up just a few feet in front of them. Izuku kept his eyes on the ground, searching desperately for any sign of an orange tube. He couldn’t believe he let this happen. He couldn’t believe Kacchan was actually helping him find it. He knew it was probably so he could just rub his face in it later, but he didn’t care. All Might needed him.

“Deku, look out!”

Something came out of the water. Izuku jumped backwards, gasping. He saw black, beady eyes glinting at him from the darkness, the light from Kacchan’s fire reflecting off its wet fur.

He had never seen a rat so big in all his life. It was the size of a cow!

“W-what- what’s that!?” He found himself babbling, even though he knew what he was looking at. An animal with a quirk. It was rare, but it could happen. He saw a scaly, pink tail slither out from the water, impossibly long. Then, in a blink of an eye, it whipped out towards them.

Izuku jumped backwards. The tail smacked the concrete wall of the tunnel with such force it cracked. Dust showered onto his shoulders.

“Holy crap!” Izuku cried. And all he needed was All Might’s medicine!

Kacchan ran forward. He jumped off the elevated path and landed in the water with a splash. Putrid, black water came up to his knees. “Finally, I don’t have to hold back!” He cried, and raised both hands, palms outstretched.

The explosion that shot from Kacchan’s hands had so much force behind it, Izuku was blasted sideways against the wall with in a shockwave of superheated air. He felt like he was stuck in a wind tunnel. For a moment, the underground was ignited in a bright light, and Izuku could see everything. As he struggled to reorient himself, he saw a flash of orange. His attention shot to it. A pill bottle! Kacchan’s blast had sent it rolling!

It plopped right into the water behind the rat monster.

Izuku rushed around the back of the distracted rat and jumped into the water. His hands shot out and plunged beneath the surface, feeling across slimy floor. Behind him, the rat monster’s tail whipped over his head as it twisted around, trying to strike Kacchan with it. But Izuku couldn’t see what was going on. As soon as he got the pill bottle, they could leave!

His fingertips finally bumped into something solid. Plastic. He grabbed it and withdrew his hand, only to find it was just a piece of trash. With a frustrated cry, he tossed it aside, and plunged his hands back into the blackness.

Another burst of fire exploded through the tunnel. The rat screeched, the sound inhuman, garbled, pained. Was Kacchan killing this thing? What if it was intelligent, like a person?!

“Hurry up and find the pills, Deku!” Kacchan cried. “I don’t want to blow up the whole damn city fighting this thing!”

Like you could do something like that, Izuku found himself thinking as he desperately searched the water. At last, he found something! His hand clenched it. It was the right size and shape! He withdrew the pill bottle from the water and checked the label. It was still legible, despite being soaked. Toshinori. He found it!

“I’ve got it! Let’s get out of here- augh!”

The tail came out of nowhere. It whipped into his side, sending him spinning. His head went under the water. He closed his mouth and eyes, desperately trying to right himself. He didn’t know which way was up and which way was down. He twisted, his free hand seeking purchase on something- anything.

He grabbed something scaly and smooth.

An instant later, he was being flung out of the water and through the air. It was the rat tail. He let go. His back struck the far wall. He collapsed to his knees, winded. Everything was spinning. He was terrified. But his grip was still tight on Toshinori’s prescription bottle.

I still have the pills.

“Kacchan, let’s- let’s get out of here,” he gasped, barely affording a look over his shoulder as he dashed madly for the ladder. Somehow, he had the semblance of mind to shove the pill bottle into the pocket of his pajama pants so both his hands were free. He started to climb.

He looked over his shoulder. Kacchan was right behind him. But the rat was still alive. Its fur was smoldering and smoking. But it wasn’t giving up. It chased after Kacchan, teeth bared.

“Look out!” Izuku cried, but neither of them were fast enough. The rat snagged Kacchan’s ankle with its teeth. Izuku blindly reached for him, trying to grab his arm, a hand, a shoulder, anything. But Kacchan gave him a wild, fierce stare.

“I don’t need you, Deku!” He roared. He aimed a hand behind him, and shot one last blast of fire into the rat’s face. It screeched, releasing him. With that, Izuku scrambled the rest of the way up the ladder, throwing himself onto the sidewalk and gasping for air. Kacchan came up an instant later, stumbling to his feet, standing over him, dripping and stinking of sewer water. The rat wasn’t pursuing them. It was still down there. Whether alive or dead, Izuku didn’t know. And he wouldn’t be checking to find out.

From his vantage point on the ground, Izuku could see Kacchan’s foot bleeding.

“K-Kacchan, are you oka--”

“Shut up!” He spat. “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have been in that mess!” He turned around. “You’re freaking lucky I was here.” He started walking down the road with a limp, his spine bent forward, his hands shoving into his pockets. “Just make sure your friend doesn’t die.”

Izuku watched him limping away. Everything he wanted to say just got stuck in his throat. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even say ‘thanks.’

He picked up the container of pills. Shivering and covered in filth, he made his way back home in a daze. He found himself standing in front of his own apartment door, his hand hovering over the knob. Should he knock? No, stupid Izuku. This is my own house!

He opened the door to his apartment and took off his soaked shoes. He was going to drip all over the floors. Maybe he should yell for some towels.

Before he found his voice, he saw All Might, sitting upright on the couch, a hand raised in a half-wave. He looked like how Izuku felt: complete garbage. “What took you so long, kid? I was starting to get wor--” All Might noticed his state and turned a few shades greener. He smacked a hand over his mouth and nose. “Geez, young Midoriya, what happened to you!? You smell like old gym socks in a clogged toilet!”

“Um… it’s kind of a long story…” he replied breathlessly. “But! I got your medicine!” He held up the plastic bin that was too small to carry all the prescription bottles. His hands were still shaking.

All Might flinched away and spluttered with a wheeze that was almost a laugh, before it devolved into a retching cough. Izuku grimaced as he watched him double over a trash can, spitting blood. Izuku was probably desensitized to how bad he smelled right now. It probably wasn’t doing All Might any favors that he was still standing here, dripping all over the floor.

“But you’re alright? Not hurt or anything?” All Might asked when he caught his breath.

All the commotion summoned his mother to the scene. Izuku saw her go white when she saw him, both her hands covering her face.

“I’m fine, really. I just. I- I can explain later!” Izuku said, looking between the two of them, frantic.

“I’ll get you some towels,” Inko concluded quickly, retreating from the scene.

“M-might want to take another shower, kid,” All Might managed, shooing him over his shoulder. “You can- set those down on the kitchen table, I’ll get them- when I can breathe out of my nose again.”

Izuku nodded, feeling embarrassed and worn out. “Um. Right. I… uh. You might wanna… wash them off first, though.”

All Might gave him a crooked look, a question in his tired face, but before he could ask anything else, Inko was back on the scene with a stack of towels, paving the way for Izuku to make it to the bathroom while causing minimal damage to the floors in his wake. She took the container of pills from him and quickly retreated from the scene.

“I’ll bring you fresh clothes. When you’re done, take everything to the laundry room and wash it. Immediately.” Inko said over her shoulder. He nodded at her and waited for her to come back with his clothes.

Izuku found himself standing in the shower, scrubbing himself down with more soap he had ever used in his entire life, paranoid that he wouldn’t be able to get the smell out of his skin. As he stood there, his mind finally got enough of a break to process the day he had just been through. Under the hush of warm water, his pulse slowed and he could think. For once, he was able to calmly, rationally categorize the day’s events.

1. All Might is spending the night at my house.
2.This may or may not mean that he is developing feelings for my mom. Maybe he is just becoming a family friend, like I told Kacchan.
3. For some reason, Kacchan helped me get his medicine back after I was a complete idiot and dropped it into the sewers. We fought a giant rat. Well, he fought it.
4. I think Kacchan was genuinely worried about helping someone. Like a real hero is supposed to do.
5. Kacchan was a better hero than me. Kacchan , of all people.

He grit his teeth as he scrubbed shampoo into his hair for the fifth time. It made him so angry. His fingertips dug into his scalp a little too hard. He had to calm down. Breathe.

I can’t let it get to me. I’m going to be a hero. I’m going to be a better hero than him. As soon as I get All Might’s quirk, I’m going to beat Kacchan. I’m going to show him that I’m not some helpless, pathetic kid that he can push around. Mom and All Might are both helping me. Whether or not anything’s happening between them, they both believe in me and want me to succeed. It doesn’t matter if they get together or not.

It doesn’t change anything.

Chapter Text

It was hard to sleep knowing Toshinori was in the other room. Inko had a hard time centering her thoughts. She tossed and turned in bed, thinking about him, worrying about him, wondering who he was.

Why hasn't he told me his hero identity yet? Does he not trust me? Are we not friends yet?

No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn't figure it out. Out of all the pro heroes she knew of, none of them looked anything like Toshinori, or even remotely matched his silhouette in their hero uniforms. She didn't know his quirk. She could only assume it was some kind of transformation quirk that changed his appearance entirely. It would be impossible to guess who he was in that case.

How is he even a hero when he is constantly sick? I saw the amount of medicine Izuku brought back. He's taking about eight different prescriptions. He looked absolutely horrible earlier and I'm still not entirely sure what even happened to him.

Eventually, Inko made a decision. She retrieved her phone from her bedside table and opened up a web search.

‘gastrectomy information’

She started by reading about his condition. About the things he should and shouldn't eat. About the symptoms he would suffer if he ate the wrong things. About how to better care for someone in his state. But she quickly remembered that having no stomach wasn't his only problem. His lungs were damaged. He had several missing ribs, so she could only guess there was more wrong with his internal organs than he had told her or Izuku. The poor man has been completely messed up inside by his injury. Satisfied with her research, s he made another search.

‘pro heroes in japan with chronic injuries’

Most of the information that was available was just journalist speculation. It didn't surprise her that pro heroes wouldn't make their injuries so public. Not only would it put a target on their backs for villains to take advantage of, but it would be bad for their public image, too. People needed to have faith in their heroes. They needed to feel safe around them. They didn't need to feel like their hero needed protecting.

‘toshinori yagi’

She learned his last name from looking at his prescription bottles. But there was absolutely nothing on the man she knew of. There were a few people that shared a similar name that were clearly not him- coincidences. But no photos, no public information, no records of him at all. Was Toshinori even his real name? Or had everything about him been wiped off the Internet, either from government regulation or his own request?

‘pro heroes from japan who studied in america’

There were just too many to narrow her search down, especially not knowing Toshinori’s age or when he went abroad. Toshinori really didn't give her much to work with, so nothing she knew about him was helpful information for a web search. She ran her fingers through her hair, feeling frustrated, sinking her back into her pillows.

Then, she felt ashamed of herself.

What am I doing? I'm spying on this poor man. He has his reasons for keeping his identity a secret. I already know too much, he is so sick. If the public knew about that… then it puts him in danger.

She put her phone away and stared at the ceiling. There was one good thing that came from her spying, at least. She had a better idea of meals for him whenever she invited him to dinner. That way, at least she could keep this unfortunate incident from repeating itself. She couldn't help but to feel guilty that her cooking made him ill.

I wonder if Toshi is awake.

She slid her feet to the floor, adjusted her night clothes, and carefully opened her door. She stepped into the hall and made her way to the living room, trying to peek at her guest. At first glance, he looked like he was asleep. He was lying on his back, one of his hands draped limply over his face. He was too tall to fit on the couch completely, so his feet were dangling over the edge. His blankets were all tangled up around his chest and legs.

She didn't know what possessed her. She stepped forward, took the corner of his blanket, and tugged it up over his feet.

“Inko?”

Inko jumped. She looked down at Toshinori's face. He was peeking at her between his fingers. It was so dark in the house, but his eyes were vividly blue, like there was a light behind them.

“Oh- I'm sorry. I didn't know you were awake.” She stepped away, embarrassed. What she had just done was far too intimate of a gesture for their current position. And Toshinori's face was too hard to read.

“Can't sleep?” He asked quietly.

Inko looked down. “There's a lot on my mind.”

Toshinori pushed himself upright against the couch. He watched her tiredly for a moment. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She lowered her head. It's hard to talk about it because it's about you. She looked back at him after a moment. “I wanted to check on you. Are you feeling better?”

“A little.” Toshinori replied with a lopsided smile. “I appreciate it, Inko.”

She stood there for a moment, indecisive. The longer she stood here the more awkward this was. What did she come in here for? What did she want to tell him? What should she say?

Who are you, Toshinori?

“I was wondering if… if you wanted to watch a movie. One of those American movies that you like.”

He looked like he wasn't expecting to hear that. His shoulders sagged a little and he rubbed the back of his neck. He clearly didn't know what to say. inko felt like a fool. This was stupid.

“I, uh. Okay. If you want to.”

He agreed!

“I- oh! Okay! Great! Um. We can rent something online, stream it. I can cast it to the TV.” She said quickly, trying not to look excited or surprised.

Inko retrieved her laptop from nearby and sat down on the opposite end of the couch, leaving a cushion of space between the two of them. While she searched for a movie rental website, Toshinori asked, “what kind of movies do you like?”

“Oh. Um. I like animated movies.” Inko admitted with a laugh. “Studio Ghibli.”

“Ever watched Pixar?”

“I've heard of them, but I haven't seen anything.”

“We should watch Toy Story.” Toshinori suggested. “It was their first film, and it's very good. It's my favorite from them.”

“I'll try to find Japanese subs. My English isn't very good. You must be able to speak it well from living in America?” She asked as she searched for the movie.

“I can, but I have been told that my accent is too strong.” He laughed.

She bought the film and started casting it to the TV screen. She kept the audio low as to not disturb Izuku. Soon, she was leaning back and watching the joys of early 90s computer animation. Bright, colorful, somewhat awkwardly rendered, but charming. She was enjoying it.

She just wished there wasn't all this distance between her and Toshinori. Part of her wanted him to scooch closer. To take up that empty cushion between them. But he never did. And she didn't either.

They enjoyed the movie in relative silence. At one point she got up to make them some tea, but otherwise did very little. She liked the movie. She liked the characters. And the message was good. But she did find it hard to fully enjoy it while her mind was so full of worries about Toshinori. When the film was over, she smiled over at him. “I really loved that. Thanks for showing it to me, Toshi.”

He smiled back tiredly. “I'm glad.”

She looked down at her empty teacup. She still felt an emptiness between her and Toshinori, and it wasn't just because they were seated at opposite ends of the couch.

“I can't help but to relate a little to Woody,” Inko admitted, winding her finger around a lock of her hair. “He had such a hard time feeling like he was being upstaged by someone else… like he wasn't going to be loved anymore like he used to be.” She realized, after she said it, how it would have come across. Her heart skipped a beat and she wanted to disappear. She wanted to backpedal and quickly clarify 'I didn't mean it like that' and go on and on about how she liked the philosophy of the film, the character development, and how cleanly it all resolved in the end.

“Your ex husband. Hisaishi, was it?” Toshinori began, interrupting her before she could find a way to explain herself. Her face was burning. She said nothing, so he continued. “He left you for someone else?”

“I think so. He just. Disappeared and stopped speaking to me.”

“Was he the one that made you hate your quirk?”

Inko swallowed. She nodded. “I sometimes think… if I had a more powerful quirk or if I was pretty, he wouldn't have left.” She couldn't look at Toshinori when she said it. It was just too hard. “Sometimes he made me feel like I just wasn't good enough for him. He started getting... really distant with me, especially after Izuku was born. We stopped talking as much. He started ignoring me. And then he was just... gone.”

Toshinori didn't say anything. Inko squeezed her eyes shut. He was probably feeling so awkward, trying to find a polite way out of this conversation.

“That's unforgivable of him.”

His voice was dangerously soft. Fierce.

She looked at his face. He was staring at the black TV screen, his brows furrowed, his jaw set. His scrawny fingers were clenching his knees. Not once did he glance in her direction as he spoke.

“Inko, you are worth more than that. Don't let him rule how you feel about yourself. Your quirk is amazing, and you are very pretty. He was cruel and wrong to leave you and such a wonderful boy all alone.”

He called me pretty.

To hear those words from another person after so many years, it was like pouring boiling water in a frozen lake. The ice in her eyes cracked. The tears came before she could stop them. She smacked one off her cheek as it fell. She felt so confused. She turned away so he couldn't see her miserable face.  I forced him to say it. I made him feel like he had to comfort me. I don't know if he really meant it. But he said it. He really said it. But he's just a tender hearted man, that's all.

“Toshi, I'm s-”

“Are you about to apologize?”

She sniffed thickly and nodded.

“Don't. You're allowed to feel what you're going through. I'm not sitting here judging you or thinking you're weak. And you aren’t inconveniencing me.” He looked at her when he said it. His voice was so gentle. So soothing. It was hard not to believe him. He was being genuine. Everything he said, he really meant it.

She couldn't hold her tears back anymore. She curled inward, her arms wrapping around her sides, sobbing quietly. She felt the weight on the couch shift. He closed the distance between them. She felt the bones of his arms tighten over her shoulders. His large hands cupping against her arms. His sharp chin on the top of her head. She could feel the ridges of his ribs beneath his shirt.

This man.

He didn’t smell great. Like sweat and poorly laundered fabric. But she buried her face against his shoulder and breathed deeply against him.

This sweet, lonely, sick, gentle man. Who I have watched suffer. Who I have watched nurture my son as if he was his own. Who I know almost nothing about.

She could feel his hair tickling her face, his bangs too long and uncombed, frayed at the ends.

I'm falling for him.

She hadn't seen it coming, but she realized it in that moment. Maybe it was just because he was the first man to ever get close to her since Hisaishi left. Maybe he didn't feel the same. Maybe she just felt this way because she was lonely. But she couldn't deny it: in that moment, she wanted to kiss Toshinori.

She didn't.

Toshinori held her until all her tears had dried, until she was wiping at her eyes and catching her breath. He hadn't said a word. He just held her until she could breathe and think again.

But she didn't kiss him, and he didn't kiss her. And when he was sure she was feeling better, he patted her back and released her. “You can talk to me anytime. If something is bothering you. Okay?” He opened the doors to further discussion. This wasn’t just a favor he was doing for her in the moment. He wanted her to feel better about her future. He was kind. Truly, genuinely kind.

“Y-yeah. I will. Thank you.” She said, giving him a watery smile. He gave her a cheerful thumbs up in response. She noticed that he liked to do that. It helped her feel at ease. She stood from the couch. “I… I think. I should be able to sleep now. With what's left of the night.” She chuckled, though her heart still felt strangely heavy.

“Yeah. Me too.”

“Goodnight, Toshi.”

When she woke the next morning, intent on making breakfast for her guest, Toshinori was gone.

The sheets and blankets were folded neatly. The teacups from last night were washed and put away. There was no other trace that he was ever there.

She proceeded to make breakfast for herself and Izuku, but the spot that Toshinori left behind made her feel empty. She wished he was still here, so he could have spent more time with her family. Feeling like family.

“Were you watching a movie last night?” Izuku asked as he tucked in to breakfast.

“Oh, did we wake you?”

“I barely heard it.”

“We couldn't sleep.”

Utensils clinked. Inko stared at her bowl, wondering what was going through Izuku's mind, while barely understanding what was going through her own. But he didn't ask any questions, and she didn't tell him anything.

Izuku finished eating and took his bowl to the sink. “I'm off to the beach!” He said. “Are you coming later? To work on your quirk?”

She was snapped out of her thoughts. She had almost forgotten that she promised Toshinori that. So she would see him again today after all. For once, she felt excited about going to that dump of a beach with Izuku.

“Yeah, I'll be there after work.”

Chapter Text

As Izuku worked under All Might's watchful eye, today was different. Today, his mom was standing on the sidelines, levitating a distant soda can towards her hands.

“Izuku, you're doing great. Concentrate on keeping your core muscles tight. Don't slack off. Inko, that's perfect. See if you can do it again from a greater distance. We want to figure out your exact limit and work towards going beyond it.” All Might was standing on a pile of junk, able to see both of them from his vantage point. He was focusing on helping both of them now. Izuku was glad that his mom was feeling more confident about her quirk now. But would All Might be too distracted to focus on helping him as much as he used to, now?

Izuku shook his head. It didn't matter, as long as he kept putting in his all. If he didn't work as hard as he possibly could on his own merits, he would never be able to call himself a hero. He would never be able to defeat Kacchan.

Last night, he told his mom and All Might that he dropped the medicine into the sewer on accident, so he needed to take a nasty swim to retrieve it. He got a slap on the wrist from mom for his carelessness, but he figured she was too tired to make a big deal about it. All Might told him it really wasn’t worth the trouble in the end, because he could just get his prescription refilled easily the next day. It only succeeded in making Izuku feel very stupid about the whole ordeal. On top of it all, he didn't tell them about Kacchan, or the rat. And they didn't ask. Admitting it to them simply damaged his pride too much. He wanted to be a good hero so desperately, but in the end, it was Kacchan who ensured he was able to go home with All Might's medicine.

I'll just have to work harder. I can't let myself get distracted.

But as time passed, he found himself distracted.

His attention trailed to the shoreline where his mom and All Might were now standing. The hero had his hands on her shoulders. Then, he was demonstrating a stance. She was imitating him, extending her reach, gesturing to a distant soda can that All Might had placed about ten paces away. She was straining, trying to make it float towards her.

Izuku put down the stack of tires he was carrying to watch them. He watched his mom struggle through her telekinesis, All Might coaching her, refusing to nudge the soda can closer, forcing her to work hard to draw it towards herself. She was sweating, strained, but she looked determined to succeed, to prove that she could do it.

It was the first time he’d ever seen a look like that on his mom’s face.

She looks like me.

The next day, while Izuku was tugging on his shoes to prepare for his next workout, Inko tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up at her, squinting with confusion. She looked embarrassed about something. Shy.

“Izu, do you have a moment?”

He blinked at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I… have a… strange request.” She tugged at the collar of her shirt, swallowing, clearing her throat “I, uh. Do you think you could find some way to get Toshinori’s… clothing size?”

He tilted his head a little. “His clothing size?”

“His measurements, yes. I noticed he doesn’t fit in anything he wears. So I wanted to make him some new shirts. He’s just so tall, but also so thin, so it must be hard for him to find something from a store that fits right. S-so I was wanting to make some, tailor made...”

Izuku knew his mom liked sewing as a hobby, but she hadn’t been doing it lately. It was nice of her to think of doing something for All Might like that, and Izuku tried not to read too much into it. He told himself a few days ago that he shouldn’t be getting all excited about the idea of his mom and All Might together, when he wasn’t even sure that was happening in the first place. But he did find it odd that she was asking him about this. “Why don’t you ask him, yourself?”

She looked flustered. “B-because it’s. It’s just a little embarrassing, is all. For me to ask.”

“Well it’s weird if I ask him, too! He’s going to wonder why and I don’t know what I’d tell him.”

“I never said you had to ask.” She withdrew a measuring tape from her back pocket. “If you can… find some way to measure him when he’s not looking?”

Izuku couldn’t help but to laugh at the absurdity of the request, it had come completely out of left field. “M-mom! How am I supposed to do that!? He’s always looking! How can I run up to him and wrap him up in measuring tape?”

“I don’t know! Maybe if you catch him taking a nap, or something!”

“He doesn’t take naps while he trains me! The only time I ever saw him nodding off was when he was super sick, it was that day I had to walk him home.”

Inko shoved the rolled-up measuring tape into his hands. “L-look, I don’t… I don’t really care how you get it, just, if you can get it without him knowing, great. If you have to ask him, that’s fine too. I’m just... too embarrassed to do it myself.”

Izuku inspected the measuring tape and sighed through closed lips. He wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to go about this, and he thought things would have been a lot easier if she just asked him herself. Why was she jumping through all these hoops?

Was it because she had a crush on him?

It really does make sense , he thought as he headed outside, jogging on his way to the beach. She invited him over, watched a late night movie with him, is starting to use her quirk because of him, and now she’s asking me to measure him.

Izuku’s heart was starting to flutter again at the thought of his mom and All Might together. Despite his best efforts to maintain a cold neutrality towards the situation, he was starting to get his hopes up again.

What if Mom really, really loves All Might? Will she tell him? What will he say?

The idea that All Might could turn her down struck him next. As he reached the edge of the curb which led down to the beachfront, Izuku wrestled with a new worry: even if his mom loved All Might, surely she wouldn’t be the first person to feel that way about him. Izuku had seen All Might swarmed by fans before, kissed by random people in the adoring masses. He never asked for it, and he always brushed it off with a cheerful smile and sent people on their ways with an autograph. Surely at least one person in his life confessed feelings to him and begged him to marry them.

So why wasn’t All Might married already? He didn’t have a ring on his finger, he never once mentioned any romantic connections with anyone, and he didn’t seem interested in pursuing such things.

Then again, Izuku didn’t know him well. His personal life was a mystery to most people. All the public saw when they looked at All Might was an undefeatable hero. The Symbol of Peace and Pillar of Justice. That was all he wanted them to see. No one knew he was actually a sick, frail man who lived alone in an unkempt apartment.

Maybe there’s a chance that he wouldn’t turn down my mom , Izuku thought as he headed down to the sandy beach, starting for a new pile of trash that he had yet to clear away. But I don’t have time to worry about that right now. I need to think of some way I can catch All Might off guard and take his measurements. Izuku knew it would be far easier if he just walked up and asked nicely. But Izuku wasn’t one to turn down a challenge, especially when it seemed so difficult to accomplish.

All Might was waiting for him near the ocean’s edge, giving him a grin and a thumbs up. “You’re late, Young Midoriya,” he announced. “And where’s your mother?”

“Oh, she can’t come today,” Izuku said. “What should I start on first?”

While All Might gave him his exercise instructions, he couldn’t help but to keep distractedly watching him. All Might’s attention rarely drifted from coaching him. Izuku ground his teeth as he hauled off an old spring mattress to a burn pile.

I could get a sleeping pill, drug a soda, and give it to him! No, no, that’s a terrible idea. It could make him sick or something. Maybe I could… break into his apartment at night once he’s asleep! But… he might not be asleep when I try to do that… and isn’t that a little creepy? Come on, Izuku, think. You’ve got to come up with something!

As he returned to the shoreline, preparing to take his next load of cargo, he heard a buzzing sound.

All Might’s hand dipped into his back pocket, retrieving his red cell phone. He checked the caller ID. “Sorry, Izuku, I have to take this.” He turned, his back facing Izuku, and lifted the phone to his ear. He was speaking quietly, his voice hard to hear over the rush of the waves. All Might seemed completely distracted, focused on whatever conversation he was having.

Izuku felt a rush of excitement. Now’s my chance!

His hand dipped into his pocket, retrieving the measuring tape. Carefully, he crept up behind All Might, his footsteps barely making a sound in the sand. Sneaking up behind him like this, Izuku could now hear what he was talking about.

“Sounds like a small-time thug to me. What’s special about this one?”

He was talking about some kind of villain to someone, but Izuku could barely focus while he was trying so hard to stay in All Might’s blind spot. Any time he started to turn, Izuku quickly adjusted so he could stay right behind him. He’s gonna see me. Oh man, this is stupid. He’s gonna think I’m spying on his phone conversation , he thought as he unravelled the measuring tape and stretched it out, trying to get a good measurement of All Might’s waist.

“He was the one who started the fire?! Are you sure?!” All Might sounded pretty upset over the phone. But Izuku couldn’t get distracted. He had to memorize the number. He didn’t bring anything to mark on the measuring tape with. He repeated the numbers over and over in his head as he prepared for the much more difficult part: measuring his shoulders. He had to reach his arms up, All Might was so tall.

“Hold on, sorry, Tsukauchi. I need to call you back.”

All Might slipped his phone in his pocket and whirled around. Izuku didn’t have any time to get out of the way. He was standing there on his tip-toes with a stretched-out measuring tape held between his hands. Izuku stared up at All Might’s face. He looked visibly upset. Angry. Izuku had never seen that look on his face before, at least not directed at him.

“What are you doing?” All Might sounded stern, like he was trying to hold back frustration and failing.

Izuku lowered his arms, sheepish. He felt like he was about to be scolded. “I- I wasn’t spying-- I was…”

“How much of that did you hear?”

“N-nothing! I just- something about a fire. That’s all!”

All Might drew in a deep, slow breath through his nose, pinching at his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. He was trying to calm himself down. For a few moments, all Izuku heard was the crash of the waves on the shore.

“Alright. So what’s the measuring tape for?”

“Um… um… well… you see…” Izuku began, then sighed heavily. He had been caught, there was no way he could get out of this one. “Mom wanted to know your measurements.”

The tired frustration on All Might’s face eased somewhat. “What for?”

“She wanted to make you new clothes but she said she was too embarrassed to ask you, so she wanted me to do it.”

All Might’s shoulders sagged. He huffed a single-syllable chuckle through closed lips, then coughed into a fist. “Young Midoriya,” he began, shaking his head. “You could have just asked me that, instead of sneaking up behind me while I was having an important phone call.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Just… don’t do that again. Please.” He reached down to ruffle Izuku’s hair. “As for your mother. Well. If she wants to do that for me, I can’t stop her. I’ll write down my measurements for you to take home later. But you know why I have to wear clothes like this.” He tugged at his oversized shirt. “If I have to become All Might unexpectedly… well… I don’t fancy the idea of jumping around town butt-naked.” He coughed again into his fist and added under his breath, “but I’m sure some of my fans might.”

Izuku couldn’t help but to splutter and laugh at the mental image. In one fell swoop, All Might had diffuse the tension of the situation, and seemed to have forgiven him just as quickly. “Well… mom seems to really want to do this for you,” Izuku said. “Do you think you could… just. Wear it whenever she’s going to be around?”

All Might scratched the back of his neck. “Well… I suppose I could, if I had enough forewarning when I need to become All Might.”

Izuku watched his mentor for a moment, finding the man difficult to read. His responses to the idea of his mom making him new clothes were utilitarian at best- he couldn’t read any emotional undertones in it. Did All Might like the idea of it? Or was he uncomfortable? As Izuku wrestled with his worries, he watched All Might taking his phone back out of his pocket.

There’s really only one way to find out.

“Hey, uh… All Might? What… what do you think of my mom?”

All Might’s thumb was hovering over the screen. He blinked, looking over at Izuku. “Pardon?”

“What do you think of Mom?” Izuku repeated, this time, with intent.

All Might’s face went a shade redder. “I- I, ah. Sorry, Izuku. I have to call my friend back. It’s important.” He pressed some numbers on the screen and lifted his phone to his ear. “You’re slacking off a bit- I want to see our burn pile full of flammables by 3:00.”

He turned, his back facing Izuku, shooing him away. Izuku slumped, dragging his feet as he walked away, but not without giving All Might a crooked stare over his shoulder.

That evening, Izuku returned home with All Might’s measurements. They were hastily scrawled on a receipt, the only thing he had available to write on at the time. While his mom was making dinner, Izuku placed the receipt on the table.

“He wrote it all down for you,” Izuku explained. “I… tried to get it without him knowing but… he caught me. Sorry.”

“That’s okay.” Inko said quickly from her spot near the stove while she boiled rice. “I was thinking about it today and… I realized I asked too much of you with this. I was feeling kind of pathetic.”

“D-don’t be,” Izuku said quickly. “It was kind of fun, sneaking up on him and everything.”

“Was he mad at you?”

“No, he wasn’t.” Well, that was only half true. He was a little bit mad, but that was because he thought he was spying on his phone conversation. Izuku seated himself at the table, drumming his fingers. What was that conversation about, anyway? Clearly it was important, otherwise All Might wouldn’t have been trying to keep it from him. What did it have to do with a fire?

Maybe… he was referring to the fire that he helped with a few days ago. The one where he saved all those people from. Could he have a lead on what caused the fire? Was it a villain?  Izuku’s mind was spinning, his fingers drumming on the table. The day after he saved people from the fire, I noticed he was acting a little strange. There’s something bothering him about it. And he clearly doesn’t have the time or energy to worry about what my mom is thinking or feeling right now.

They had dinner quietly. Inko didn’t invite All Might, so he didn’t show up. Izuku wondered if he would have anyway, even if he was invited. As Izuku washed and put away the dishes, Inko took the receipt of All Might’s measurements and headed into a back room, where he knew her sewing supplies were.

As Izuku went into his room to study, he heard the sewing machine running well into the night.

Chapter Text

“Thanks for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice, Naomasa.”

“It’s my pleasure. It’s been a while, anyway.”

Toshinori sat in a window booth across from Naomasa Tsukauchi, one of his very few trusted friends. There was low chatter in the diner, and it wasn’t very crowded, so he felt they could speak freely here over their morning coffee. Toshinori rarely saw Naomasa in his civilian clothes. He was so accustomed to seeing him suited in a detective trenchcoat and matching hat, he almost didn’t recognize him.

“It’s a lot easier to tell you all of this in person, anyway. You sounded pretty busy when I called you yesterday. What were you doing?” The detective asked, sipping on his coffee. Naomasa liked his black. Toshinori couldn’t understand that. He must have scooped about four spoonfuls of sugar into his own mug and dunked enough creamer in it to turn it off-white.

“I was actually meaning to tell you about that.” Toshinori responded, “which is why I insisted we meet up in person.” He looked over his shoulder, ensuring no one was within earshot, and that no waiters would try to walk up on them. He leaned closer to Naomasa and said in a low voice, “I’ve found him. My successor.”

Naomasa looked shocked. For a few moments, he processed it, squinting at Toshinori as if he were expecting him to say something like ‘just kidding.’ When it never came, he lowered his coffee mug, leaning forward. “Really? I thought… I thought you were going to do that after you observed the students at U.A. High. So you could find someone with a quirk and disposition worthy of it.”

“I thought that too, until I met a boy named Izuku Midoriya.” Toshinori responded, leaning his back against the booth again. “He doesn’t have a quirk. But he embodies the spirit of heroism greater than anyone I’ve ever met.  I have complete confidence in him.”

“Quirkless! Come on, Toshinori. Are you sure you’re not just projecting a little bit? Just because he reminds you of yourself doesn’t mean he’s going to end up like you.”

“Are you saying you doubt me?” Toshinori said with a low chuckle, running his fingers through his hair. “This kid is good. And I believe in him. I’m currently training him so that his body will be strong enough to inherit One for All. He’s just a skinny twig right now, but before U.A.’s entrance exams start, I feel like he’ll be sturdy enough to handle it.”

Naomasa chewed on this information for a while, before he sighed. “I’m… sure this is going to work out fine. It’s just… surprising, is all. Does this mean you’ll withdraw from teaching at U.A. next year? Considering your only reason in doing so was to find and train your successor…”

“No, I have no intentions of declining Nezu’s invitation. Because I also believe Izuku Midoriya is going to pass the entrance exam.”

“Wait. Wait. A quirkless kid. A quirkless kid who you’re passing One for All on to. You think he’s going to make it in to U.A.”

“Again with the doubting!”

“I’m not doubting! I’m just trying to think this through. It’s a lot to take in.” Naomasa said, raising his palm placatingly. “Just- what if this Midoriya kid doesn’t make it?”

“I don’t believe that will happen.”

“But what if it does?”

“I’ll stay on as a teacher. I won’t break my word.”

Toshinori knew that every single word he said to Naomasa was true. If it wasn’t, Naomasa would notice. The detective had an extremely powerful quirk: lie detection. It was one of the reasons why the two of them trusted each other so much. Part of being a hero was being honest- and Toshinori was very careful to tell the truth every time he spoke. Naomasa probably knew that about him, which cemented their trust in each other very early on. He was one of a very small handful of people who knew the truth behind One for All- it was only logical that Toshinori found time to tell him about Izuku, as well.

“Well, I hope this works out for you, Toshinori. Maybe one of these days, I’ll meet Izuku and see for myself what you see in him.”

“You will. One day, the whole world will know his name.”

Naomasa seemed to have accepted his convictions, and nodded slowly. He downed more of his coffee, before saying, “now, for the reason why I called you here. We need to discuss that fire.”

Toshinori’s face darkened, and the light in his soul clouded over. He nodded solemnly, his own mug forgotten. He clenched his fingers together and rested his chin and mouth against his knuckles.

“I’ve gotten conflicting reports from witnesses. Some people claim to have seen a figure matching this description.” Naomasa pulled a small notebook from his back pocket and showed Toshinori a page- a police sketch of a possible perpetrator. A tall, broad-shouldered shirtless man with white eyes. “But I’ve also gotten reports describing this.” Naomasa flipped the page, and the second police sketch showed an entirely different story: a young boy who looked to be in junior high, with wild, wiry hair. “Both these people were described to be near the scene just before the fire was started. And based on all the evidence we’ve gathered, the fire was definitely not an accident. There was no faulty wiring, no stray cigarettes, nothing like that. For whatever reason, someone set it on purpose.”

“Yes, I remember you explaining over the phone that some people thought a child was behind it.” Toshinori murmured into his hand. “I don’t believe it was. We have to operate under the assumption that it was the adult.” A child that looked to be Izuku’s age. It couldn’t be.

“No, we have to operate under the assumption that both of these people are suspects. Sometimes you can be a bit soft, Toshinori.” Naomasa closed his notebook. “We’re doing what we can to search the city for the suspects. Whenever you have the strength, we could use your help.”

Arson was a serious crime. And in this particular case, someone died. Someone All Might couldn’t save. The burden of that sin should not be on the shoulders of a child. It was unthinkable. Toshinori couldn’t accept it as a possibility, even while Naomasa tried to remain calm and rational. His mind was spinning. He didn’t want to think about this anymore.

“Yeah. I’ll help this evening after I work with Izuku.”

“Great. Thanks, Toshinori.” Naomasa said, though he wasn’t smiling. He could tell it was bothering him. He knew someone had died that day.

Toshinori was quiet for a moment, remembering his coffee. He stared out the window at the city beyond, at all the people wandering down the streets, the cars whipping past, the train on the distant horizon. The morning commute was busy, there was always a chance that someone, somewhere, would call for help. He never felt like he could truly relax. For once, though, his mind was given a chance to wander and think.

“There’s… one other thing I was hoping to get your advice on.” Toshinori began quietly, his voice barely audible over the sound of city life.

“Hm?”

Toshinori rubbed at his neck. “There’s… one… one problem with teaching Izuku, and it’s going to become a bit more of a problem the more I do it.”

“Which is?”

“The boy’s mother. She’s a single parent. And I think she, uh. She has feelings for me.”

Naomasa stared, clearly taken aback. Then, he laughed. “Toshinori Yagi, are you asking me for relationship advice?”

“N-no, it’s not like that-” Toshinori babbled, but Naomasa cut him off.

“Your face!” The detective pointed loosely. “You’re all red!”

Toshinori covered his cheek with one hand, unable to mask his own embarrassment. Before he could get another word in, Namasa continued.

“So another person likes you. Just deal with her how you deal with all the others! Give her an autograph, thank her for her continued support as a citizen, launch yourself into the sunset, all that good stuff.”

“I can’t do that in this situation.” Toshinori insisted, grumbling, his head lowering into his hands. “I have to see her almost every day. I’m training her son to inherit One for All and I’d be a terrible person if I didn’t involve her in this process. I can’t go behind the back of a concerned parent like this. And I want her to accept Izuku’s path in life and see all the potential in him that I see. She’s… still not there yet. I want her to feel like her son is in good hands, and have confidence in his future as a hero.”  

Naomasa’s expression sobered somewhat as he considered the story. He nodded sympathetically. “And all this is complicated by the fact that she seems to have a crush on you, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure? You’re not just picking up the wrong signals?”

“It was very obvious.”

“Did she tell you? Women can be hard to read sometimes, you know.”

“She… didn’t, no.”

“See, you don’t know for sure.” Naomasa shrugged. “So don’t worry about it. Until she outright tells you she likes you, you don’t have to do anything about it. Keep playing dumb. Eventually, Izuku will get accepted to U.A. if he’s as good as you say he is, and you’ll have plenty of time to teach him while he’s on campus and away from his mother. It seems your goal right now is to just ease Izuku out of his mother’s nest and into the real world.”

“Yeah…” Toshinori sighed, staring into his milky, sugar-sweet coffee. “I don’t know, Naomasa. It just doesn’t feel right. To do that to her. Play dumb and pretend I don’t notice the looks she gives me. I feel like I should at least tell her I can’t return her affections, so I’m not stringing her along.”

When he said those words, he felt a pang in his heart, a twist of guilt and grief that spread to the core of his being. He found it: the source of his worries, the root of the infection. It was a hero’s job to save lives as well as hearts, not break them. Toshinori did not want to be in the position of breaking someone, hurting someone, leaving them sad or crying. It made him feel sick. It went against the very core of who he was.

Which was why it hurt so much to deal with the affections of others. He could not return them. It didn’t matter if he wanted to or not; his life was too dangerous. He was too unhealthy and frail. Villains everywhere wanted him dead. A lover in his life would become a target at worst. At best, they’d have to endure an aging, suffering, sick and miserable pro hero who constantly came home bruised and battered and didn’t have the time or energy to give them. Loving him would be a mess. He never entertained the idea of romance. Even as a preteen, he was infatuated with the idea of heroes- being one, saving lives, saving the world, it was all he ever wanted to be happy. Having a lover just never remotely crossed his mind. It was always someone else who approached him with such ideas.

People fell in love with the idea of him: it was All Might they saw and wanted. He had to turn down many people over the years, mostly starstruck fans, sometimes people he saved. He normally handled it exactly as Naomasa described, turning them down as gently as he possibly could, by giving them some sort of memento and thanking them for supporting him as a citizen, before finding some heroic way to exit and never see them again. It was the only way he knew how to communicate his appreciation for their sentiments without completely crushing their spirits.

There was one big difference in this situation than the others, though.

Inko Midoriya did not know he was All Might.

She seemed to be developing feelings for Toshinori Yagi , and that was something entirely different. It was new and terrifying and he didn’t know how to approach it. How on Earth could he have met someone who liked the real him? This sick, frail husk of a man that he was?

“She doesn’t know I’m All Might.” He found himself saying, an afterthought.

“So you haven’t told her about One for All either?”

“No. Just her son knows.”

“I see. Well, I don’t think that changes anything, Toshinori.” Naomasa finished off his coffee. “Whether or not you turn her down directly or just play dumb, you know as well as I do that it’s a bad idea to let this turn into something serious. For her sake.”

“Yeah. I know.”

He took the bill. Two cups of coffee was a drop in the bucket, but Naomasa thanked him anyway. After they parted ways, Toshinori got into his beat-up white truck and headed for the beach, his mind replaying bits and pieces of his conversation on repeat. The suspects at the fire. Inko Midoriya. Whether or not a child actually caused the fire. Inko Midoriya. What he would do if he caught the suspect. Inko Midoriya.

Was it a mistake that I hugged her? Was it a mistake that I called her pretty? Was it a mistake that I agreed to watch a movie? Was it a mistake I accepted her invitation in the first place?

I just wanted her to be happy, that’s all. She’s so sad. And I’m a hero. It’s my job to save lives and hearts. I wanted her to have confidence in herself.

She’s completely getting the wrong idea.

Or maybe I’m the one who’s got the wrong idea.

Then, when he finally arrived at the beach, he saw both of the Midoriyas waiting for him, already going through their morning exercises. His eyes fell on the woman, watching her from a distance, feeling his heart twist and heat choke him beneath his collar. Ever since he had located the source of his concerns and openly addressed them to his friend, he felt like he had opened up the proverbial floodgates. Now, the very sight of her made him feel stressed and confused.

Shit. I can’t let myself get distracted.

“Sorry I’m late. I was meeting an old friend of mine.” He announced, waving to the two of them as he approached the beachside. “Let’s get started.”

Chapter Text

Toshinori woke with the taste of copper on his teeth. His hands grappled at his side, expecting to feel the red-purple ropes of his own entrails. Instead, his fingers touched the hills and valleys of his scar, trailing to the epicenter of his old wound. There was no blood. He groaned, resting a hand across his eyelids.

I'm awake. I'm in my apartment.

Sleep was a gateway that sent him back there, to the night he fought for his life. His medication was supposed to help with this, but whether or not it worked was a coin flip. Sleeping at this point would be impossible.

It was 5:30. He made himself a protein shake and went into his office to work on replying to his fan mail. There was so much. He wanted to reply to everyone, but it was an impossibility. Every single person who reached out to him deserved to hear from All Might, but he only had so much time in a day. Sometimes he had to be selective with his mail. Some people opened up to him with chilling details about their personal lives, telling him how he inspired them to live. He didn't want such things to go ignored.

It was people like that who inspired him, too. He was grateful to everyone who reached out to tell him the impact he had on their lives. He would never let himself forget how important All Might was. He would never let himself lose his resolve. He was still the Symbol of Peace. Even when he wasn't out there, actively fighting villains and saving lives, people were inspired to live and breathe and be happy just because he existed. If he gave up, if he let himself fall down the road of despair, he would let down all those people who looked up to him.

So he could endure his aching, frail and failing body. He could endure the nightmares. He could endure the anxiety, how his senses were honed to a razor's edge to detect danger from miles away. He could endure the crushing burden of being All Might. He would not regret a second of it. This was a life he chose and he accepted the consequences of it long ago.

With a stack of letters stamped and ready to mail, he realized it was almost 7:30- when he was supposed to meet Izuku. Pale sunlight filtered in between the cracks of the blinds. He finished off his protein shake, picked up his stack of letters, and prepared to head outside. He'd have to drive by the post office before continuing to the beach, which would make him rather late.

He opened his front door, took a step, and nearly tripped over a box. He caught his balance by grabbing the door frame, looking down at a wide box in pink wrapping paper. He reached down to pick it up, inspecting it. There was a nametag on it: "For Toshinori, from Inko."

He became aware of his own pulse.

He slipped back inside his apartment to set down his stack of letters so he could open the box. He carefully peeled back the wrapping paper- he wasn't the type to tear it to shreds- and opened the lid. Inside were three dress shirts: a white one, a black one, and a yellow one.

He unfolded the shirts and inspected them. They were so well made, they looked as if they could've come straight from a clothing store, but he knew they were handmade by what Izuku told him a few days ago.

He noticed there was a piece of paper in the bottom of the box. He lifted it up, realizing it was a letter.

"Toshi,

I'm sorry I couldn't do this in person, but I was a little embarrassed. I wanted to thank you for everything you do for Izuku.

Let me know if these fit. If they don't, I can make adjustments. White and black look good with everything. But I thought yellow would look nice on you, too. I know it's a bit of a bold color, but when I think of you, yellow is what comes to my mind.

Inko"

He was expecting more in the letter. Toshi turned the paper over to look at the back of it. Nothing. Her words were so brief, he was wondering if she was holding something back. She had good instincts, though. He did like wearing yellow.

And he was still aware of his own pulse.

He picked up the yellow shirt and returned to his room to change. He inspected himself in his mirror, tugging at his sleeves, smoothing out the wrinkles on his torso. It was a near perfect fit. He had to wear this when he went to the beach. If he showed up without it, he knew it would hurt Inko's feelings.

I hope I don't have to become All Might, he thought, I'll ruin all of Inko's hard work. Then, he lightly smacked his forehead. Stupid. I can just bring one of my old shirts. Just in case.

He grabbed his stretched-out XXL white shirt and tucked it under his arm.

As he drove to the post office, he kept wondering what he could get Inko in exchange. He didn't feel right taking such a thoughtful gift without doing something for her. He realized that he barely knew anything about her, even though they had known each other for months. It was always her asking him questions about himself. He rarely reciprocated. He didn't really know anything about her hobbies or interests. She just made him shirts, but he wasn't sure if she actually enjoyed sewing or if it was just like a job to her.

If I do get her a gift in exchange, will she think I'm implying something?

I'm overthinking this.

I'll just get her a box of chocolate. Or flowers.

No, that's too romantic.

I'm overthinking this.

I'll get her a puzzle or board game or something. Something she and Izuku can play together.

Yeah, that works.

He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he barely noticed a young man walking down the sidewalk where he was stopped at a traffic light. But it was the kid's with blond hair that caught his attention, and the way he walked with a pronounced limp. By the time Toshinori acknowledged him, he had dipped out of sight between two buildings.

His heart caught in his throat. He was one of the suspects!

Should I call Naomasa? I have to. It's my job as a pro hero to apprehend him. But he's a kid. And he looked like he was injured.

Toshinori grit his teeth. He searched for somewhere to park. He had memorized the layout of this entire city inside and out, above ground and below. He knew generally which direction the suspect was headed, but there was still a good chance he could lose him if he wasn't fast enough. As soon as he was parked, he hastily unbuttoned Inko's shirt, tossing it in the passenger seat chair and replacing it with his oversized white shirt. He held his breath.

He could see a reflection of his own transformation in the side view mirror, how his skeletal form disappeared beneath a mass of muscles, how his messy hair flattened against the back of his neck while his bangs perked up in a rough imitation of eagle wings, how he suddenly had a very hard time fitting comfortably in his own vehicle. A picturesque example of human strength stepped out of his truck, shadowed eyes scanning his surroundings.

The best way to look for the suspect was from above. Toshinori crouched, judging his trajectory. He could make it to the rooftop of the nearest building with a single leap. In the blink of an eye and through a burst of rushing wind, he was standing on the roof of a convenience store, looking down at the streets below.

There! He saw the kid! He was making very slow progress, cutting between an alley on his way to a street ahead. The limp looked bad. At this point, Toshinori almost completely forgot he was a suspect. He had to figure out what was wrong.

He jumped down to land squarely in front of the young man. The poor kid startled, letting out a yelp and staggering backwards, his hands reflexively lifting and igniting with sparks.

Toshinori lifted his hands in a placating gesture. "Hold on, young man! Sorry for just dropping in like that!"

The kid lowered his hands, staring at him. "All Might?" He breathed, as if he didn't believe what he was looking at. He was stunned, at a loss for words. His expression flickered, showing something like embarrassment or shyness. He averted his eyes, then looked over his shoulder, as if he was trying to plan some kind of escape.

Toshinori was used to seeing looks like that. He laughed good-naturedly. "Don't look so surprised! I just happened to be in the area, and I saw you seem to be walking a little funny there, kid."

The kid blinked, then shook his head. His stunned expression smoothed into a dark glower. "I'm fine."

"Doesn't look that way to me," Toshinori remarked, leaning forward a little to inspect the young man closer. If there was something wrong with his leg or foot, it was hard to tell. He would need to take him to a walk-in clinic or a hospital if it was serious, but there was no way he could be completely sure unless the kid outright admitted it to him. Not to mention, he was a suspect. Toshinori couldn't just let him weasel out of this. One way or another, he had a job to do. "Where are you headed in such a hurry, anyway? And by your lonesome?"

"Nothing! Nowhere! I'm fine!" He shouted, his fists clenched at his sides.

He was not being very cooperative. Toshinori was surprised he was speaking that way to All Might, of all people. Most kids his age who knew of All Might acted like starstruck fans when they met him. It merely struck him as unusual, and Toshinori wasn't entirely sure how to crack his shell and get him to talk without resorting to extreme measures, like calling the police on him. That was a last resort.

"I'll be frank, young man," Toshinori began carefully. "I'm investigating an incident that happened a few days ago. A fire was started at a small business downtown. Witnesses on the scene described a few suspects. And I'm afraid some of them described you."

The kid clenched his fists tightly. Toshinori could see him swallow, his throat tighten, sweat beading his brow.

"I don't believe it was you who did it." Toshinori continued, when the kid refused to talk. "That's why I need you to tell me everything you can. You clearly know something. So let me get you to see a doctor about your leg, then you can tell me everything."

"I don't need a doctor! And I'm fine!" The kid barked back, but some of his fire was gone. He was clearly shaken. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. "My name is Katsuki Bakugou. I was there. At the fire. I saw who did it."

Toshinori's pulse quickened. He recognized that name. Katsuki Bakugou. Izuku's bully. This was the young man who beat him up and gave him a concussion! But he couldn't focus on that right now. He had information.

"Thank you for telling me," Toshinori continued calmly. "Can you describe who you saw?"

"Yeah. He was real slimy looking. Wasn't wearing a shirt. And he didn't have any irises." Katsuki pointed to his own face. "Eyes were all white. Looked like a freakin' creep."

Exactly what Toshinori wanted to hear. "Thank you, Katsuki." He reached down to clap him on the shoulder. Katsuki flinched, but didn't move. "You've helped us a lot with this case."

"You're not going to take me in to the police?"

"No. I'd much rather take you to a doctor right now, instead. You wouldn't have to worry about cost. I can pay."

"I told you, I don't need one."

"Then let me see your leg."

Katsuki squirmed away, Toshinori's hand falling from his shoulder. "No."

This kid is giving me a very, very hard time. I can't just grab him and take his shoes off. The best thing I can do is get him to an adult he trusts. "Then answer me this: where are you going right now? At least let me take you there, so you don't have to walk."

Katsuki looked away, clearly debating his answer. "That's none of your business."

"Katsuki, you realize you are still a suspect, right?" Toshinori answered softly. "I'm doing you a favor by not taking you to the police to give your official statement, because I believe in your innocence. So please. Work with me here."

That worked. The kid finally relented, exhaling heavily. "I was looking for the guy with the white eyes. I've been looking for him ever since I saw him."

Toshinori frowned. "You should have gone to the police and reported what you saw. Pro heroes are responsible for this sort of work, not citizens. And without a license, using your quirk to apprehend villains is a crime."

"I know that! I was just going to find him! And then I could report him! I wasn't going to break the freakin' law!"

"And what if you put yourself in danger? You can't even walk in a straight line. You're not thinking this through." Toshinori pinched the bridge of his nose. This kid was a real piece of work. "Since you won't let me see your injury, then I would like to take you home. Leave the rest of this case to me. The villain won't get away with what he's done, because I am here. You can rest easy."

"My leg is fine. I was bit by some gross animal a few days ago. It's already been looked at."

"Will you allow me to take you home?"

"Tch… fine." The kid looked to one side, his vigor expended. It seemed Toshinori managed to take the wind out of his sails with this little talk. Good. The last thing Katsuki needed was to go deeper down this rabbit trail and get himself in even more trouble.

"It's honorable of you to want to do the right thing, and make sure justice is served to criminals." Toshinori said as he offered his hand. "Just make sure you don't become one, yourself, in the process. Now, what is your address?"

Fortunately, Katsuki lived relatively closeby. It took him no time at all to carry him home. Toshinori felt it best to leave him at his door, and wouldn't trouble his family by going inside. Once he was sure Katsuki was safely inside his home, Toshinori made a swift exit, his mind spinning.

He believed in Katsuki's innocence, and his brief report practically confirmed what he already believed: this man with white eyes was responsible. Now it was only a matter of finding him. With limited information, Toshinori would have his work cut out for him. As he made his way back to his truck, he battled with his decision, wondering what his next course of action should be.

I have to tell Naomasa I had this encounter. If he wants to take Katsuki in for an official testimony, then he'll have to do that himself. I just don't feel right making that decision. I don't think he's responsible, and putting a young man his age through that level of stress, especially while he's already injured, it just doesn't seem… heroic. I'll explain my reasoning to him. Maybe he'll listen.

He then remembered how late he was to get to the beach. Izuku must be wondering where he was. He had to resume this investigation later. While he was in his truck, he allowed his false form to melt away, exhaling with relief as the exhausting strain left him. He started his car and returned to the road, trying to refocus his thoughts on training Izuku.

I'll call Naomasa this evening and worry about the rest from there.

When he made it to the beachside, gingerly making his way down the stairwell that led to the sandy shore, he found both Izuku and Inko already hard at work. He waved sheepishly as he approached. "Sorry I'm late. Hero work. Though I guess you figured that."

When Inko saw him, she watched him for a few moments before looking away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

For a moment, Toshinori thought he saw a flicker of disappointment on her face. Something hurt. But when she looked back at him, she was smiling. It was a false smile. He knew what false smiles looked like. What was wrong?

The realization hit him like a truck seconds later.

The shirt. He wasn't wearing her shirt. In his haste to get back to the beach, he had completely forgotten to change back in to it. It was sitting in the passenger seat of his truck right now, all wrinkled up. He was so absorbed in all this hero work and his worries about capturing this villain, Inko's feelings had been completely shoved aside.

What could he say to her? 'I'm sorry I forgot to wear the gift you gave me?' That would just admit his own negligence. He could play dumb, as if he didn't see the gift or open it yet, but how could he have missed it when it was sitting right on his doorstep? And if he explained to her why he wasn't wearing it, he would give away too much about his quirk. She would connect the dots, and realize it was because his body changed significantly. He knew her well enough to know how good she was at piecing things together.

She looked like she was waiting for him to say something about it. But he found himself completely at a loss of words. Panic clenched his throat. No words were coming, no explanation that sounded good enough. He didn't know what to say to her or how to say it. His heart hammered as shame burned in his cheeks.

He shut down. Turned on his coach brain. Clasped his hands together, and announced, "we've got a lot of work to do today! I've got something special planned for both of you. It'll be hard work, but I know you will succeed."

It was hard to get through the whole day knowing full well how badly he hurt Inko's feelings and how hard she was trying to hide it.

Chapter Text

Summer ebbed into early autumn. Izuku was back in school for his second semester, and Inko had more time on her hands than she knew what to do with. When she didn't have anything to do with her hands, like cooking, cleaning or sewing, her mind inevitably drifted to Toshinori, and he was the last person she wanted to think about.

She was mad at him. She had been mad at him for weeks. And she knew he didn't deserve it. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she was being petty, she still couldn't put her anger on ice. She felt like a teenage girl all over again, reliving high school drama and boy problems. She felt pathetic.

Sure, he showed up the next day after The Incident wearing her yellow shirt. Sure, he kept wearing the shirts she made him every other day since. But he never acknowledged anything about them. He never said a word. No 'I'm sorry' for the day he forgot, no 'it fits perfectly,' no compliments or complaints at all. Heck, Inko would've taken a 'they're bad and I hate them.' At least it would have been feedback.

Inko realized she wasn't mad at him about the shirts.

It was the lack of feedback. Toshinori never told her how he felt about anything. He was getting increasingly hard to read and increasingly distant. Every time she tried to get him to open up about something, he seemed to dodge the question or give her an answer so vague it might as well have just been air. She hadn't been practicing her quirk much anymore because of how weird and mixed-up she felt about Toshinori, so she had been seeing him less and less.

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to say something. She didn't want to stay frustrated with Toshinori for the rest of the semester. Izuku was working so hard for U.A.'s entrance exams. He deserved to have her full support. That meant being around Toshinori without allowing her mixed-up emotions get in the way. It was her duty as a parent to support Izuku. He was her priority.

When Izuku came home from school, she made up her mind.

"Izu, can you do me a favor?" She asked him from her spot on the couch, turning off the TV.

"Yeah, sure." He said as he took off his shoes at the doorway.

"Can you text me Toshinori's number?"

Izuku didn't immediately respond. Inko turned to look at him over the back of the couch. He seemed startled, but his expression quickly smoothed over when he realized she was staring at him. "Yeah. Of course." He slipped his cell phone out of his back pocket. Izuku seemed a little uneasy as his thumb navigated his phone's screen.

"Um… is everything okay? I… noticed you guys haven't been talking much in a while…"

Inko felt her cheeks heat up. She turned back around to stare at the blank TV screen. "Yes, everything's fine. I just. Had something I wanted to say to him."

She couldn't see Izuku's face, and he didn't say anything in response. A few seconds later, her phone vibrated in her back pocket. She slipped it into her hand and checked her text message from Izuku. She added the number to her contacts, debating whether to just call it Toshi or be a bit more thorough and name it Toshinori Yagi.

In the end, she chose Toshi.

"Thank you, Izuku."

"Sure."

He headed off into his room, leaving Inko alone on the couch with her thoughts. She stared at her phone, trying to think of how to put her thoughts into words.

I'm tired of acting like a schoolgirl. I'm an adult. I need to confront him. I need to tell him exactly how I feel.

'Toshi, this is Inko. I got your number from Izuku. Do you remember when you told me I could talk to you about anything?'

She hit send and promptly shoved her phone back into her pocket and turned the TV on. She couldn't sit there staring at her screen waiting for him to respond, no matter how strong the temptation was. She needed to distract herself with funny game shows or cooking programs.

Two minutes later, her phone buzzed. She felt panicked and wasn't able to place if it was excitement or nerves. She checked the message. It was Toshi. He already replied.

'Yes, I remember. What's on your mind?'

Since he replied so quickly, this was probably going to go fast. Inko hardly noticed the chatter on the TV as she composed her response.

'I was wondering if we could talk about something in person. Maybe we could meet up for dinner?'

'Sure, I can do that. Where and when?'

'Tonight. Asahi's ramen place? 6:30?'

'I'll be there.'

' :) '

That was… relatively painless. Inko let out a breath and slipped her phone back into her pocket. We're both adults. We can talk about things like grown-ups. This will be fine.

Now, it was just a matter of killing time. She finished watching the rest of her TV show. She made dinner and put it in the fridge. She poked her head into Izuku's room and told him that he would have to take care of himself tonight, because she would be out of the house. He gave her an uncharacteristically blank look over his homework and chirped, "sure. Have fun."

She went into her bedroom to change into something nice. But not too nice. This wasn't a date. She stood in front of her mirror and lightly applied eyeshadow and mascara. But not too much. This wasn't a date. She played with a tube of red lipstick, turning it in her fingers, before putting it down and opting for something less intense, a deeper shade of pink. This wasn't a date.

She checked the time. 5:30. It was back to watching TV. It was a better use of her time than pacing around her room or staring at herself in the mirror and worrying about how tightly her dress hugged her fat rolls.

He called me pretty once. I'm not sure what possessed him. At the time, it sounded like he meant it, but…

She shook her head, plopped herself down on the couch, and turned on the TV again.

When she arrived at the diner, Inko found Toshi was already there, waiting for her at a booth table in the corner of the restaurant. She slipped into the booth across from him and took a moment to inspect him. He was wearing her yellow shirt, as she expected he would be. His hair was combed and slightly damp, as if he had just gotten out of the shower and hadn't completely dried off. His hands were folded on top of the table. She could see every bone in his fingers.

"How are you, Inko?"

"I'm fine. You?"

"I'm good, I'm good." His tone edged on forced casual. "How's Izuku?"

"He's still working hard. Stressed out that school is back. He has to study a lot more than usual because his grades were slipping." Inko felt like she wasn't telling Toshi anything he didn't already know. He was just small talking. Delaying the inevitable.

They both ordered their ramen and an uncomfortable silence settled between them. Inko found herself twiddling her thumbs, turning a bracelet around her wrist, twirling her hair around a finger. Toshinori was staring at his phone. Inko drew in a deep breath. He was waiting for her to broach it, probably.

"So, Toshi…" Inko began carefully. He put away his phone and looked up at her. She found herself noticing the small details on his face more than usual, now that it was just the two of them, seated across from each other under the bright restaurant lights.

His skull. His eyes are so sunken in. His cheeks are so hollow. He's too tall, stretched like taffy. His hair is so wild and frayed, and the way he styles his bangs is strange. His skin looks like it's been stretched over his bones like plastic wrap. What is it about this man that is so attractive to me?

"There's… something I need to ask you."

"What's on your mind?"

Inko looked away from him. "You. You're on my mind."

She paused, to see if he'd respond. He didn't say anything, so she continued. "All the time. It's been frustrating me that we haven't really had … an actual conversation. So that's why I asked you to come out with me." She stopped playing with a strand of her hair, and drew in a deep breath. "I'll just say it. You probably already know, anyway. I like you, Toshi."

She saw red bloom in those sunken cheeks of his. His bright blue eyes drifted off to stare out the window. "Yes, I assumed you did."

"It's okay if you don't feel the same. I just… need to know. It's kind of been driving me crazy not knowing how you feel. You've been keeping me guessing."

"I'm sorry about that, Inko." He said, his shoulders sagging a little. "Truly. I… don't want to string you along or play mind games with you." He looked back over at her. He looked so tired and sad. His shoulders continued to sag, as if he was defeated. Inko felt her heart tighten in her throat.

He's going to shut me down.

"The truth is, I've never had someone show interest in me before. The real me." He continued, his tone frank and level. "I've been kissed by thousands of people, and heard confessions from hundreds more. But… those were for my hero identity. Not Toshinori."

It wasn't what Inko expected to hear. She squinted at him, trying to process this. "You've… never been in love before?"

"No, never."

"And no one has ever loved the real you?"

"No."

"Just… your hero identity?"

"Yes." Toshinori nodded, patiently letting her run through what he had just said. He didn't seem to mind repeating himself. "My hero identity is a persona. He's an exaggerated embodiment of heroic ideals. The kind of person I would want to look up to. It's important to me to be him, and it's important to other people that he exists. But when people confess love to him, it isn't real to me. Because he isn't real."

This was the most Toshinori had ever told her about his hero identity. At first, Inko was excited to hear it. Then, she felt frustrated and angry moments later. He just told her that he didn't want to string her along or play mind games, but this hero identity of his was the biggest mind game he had. He was literally living a double life, being two different people, and Inko only knew about one of them.

She reached out to touch his hand. When he didn't flinch away, she wrapped her fingers around the back of his hand, squeezing it.

"Toshi, don't you think… it's about time you told me who you are?" She asked softly. "Izuku knows. And I'm his mother. He hasn't told me out of respect for you. I think it will be a lot easier for us to move forward with his training if you didn't have to keep it a secret."

Toshi didn't pull his hand away, but his other one slipped up to brush his fingers through his hair. She could see him growing uncomfortable. There was a tightness in his throat, and she felt dampness on his hand from sweat.

"You already know who I am."

Inko released his hand, groaning. "You know what I meant."

"I- I know. I'm sorry. This is just hard."

"I know it's hard. I know I'm putting you on the spot. I just feel like you don't trust me, and that bothers me."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Inko." He breathed, lowering his head, his nose pointing directly at the table. "I'm terrified of putting you in danger."

She took a moment to process this. How would it put her in danger to know his hero identity? Did he have a target on his back? Was someone out to get him? Just how famous was he, anyway?

Thousands of people have kissed him.

He's an embodiment of heroic ideals.

It's important to people that he exists.

A lot of heroes could say that about themselves. Pro heroes were constantly in the spotlight. They had fan clubs. They constantly had TV interviews. Companies loved using pro heroes to advertise products. But it was in Toshinori's timing, his phrasing, that made Inko wonder, and she began to connect past conversations she had with him.

He likes American culture.

He looks familiar.

Especially in that older photograph I saw.

Izuku implied that I know who he is.

Izuku looked a little strange that one day at the mall, when we went shopping.

Two words smacked into her brain with the force of a freight train at full speed.

All Might.

Her heart skipped a beat. The chatter in the restaurant faded out of her attention completely. In an instant, her mind rattled through a laundry list of possibilities, of pros and cons, of explanations, trying to wrap her mind around whether or not her assumption was accurate.

No, no, no. There's no way he could be All Might. How could he be All Might? He looks nothing like him. Even if he had a transformation quirk, could his physique really change that much? All Might's face shape is entirely different. Even if Toshinori had a healthy physique, his face wouldn't look like All Might's. Even his skin is darker. Sure, there are strange quirks in this world, but could a quirk really give one man that much power?

All Might is the world's most popular hero. The strongest man alive. He's changed the course of history. He's beaten crime into submission. He's Izuku's lifelong role model. He's an entity so far beyond the reach of ordinary people. How on Earth could All Might, of all people, show personal interest in my son's dreams of becoming a hero? It's beyond lucky, it's absurd.

I'm reading into things too much. There's no way he's All Might.

But if he is All Might. By some impossible coincidence. By some freakish twist of fate. If this man really is All Might.

Then he's completely right. I would be in grave danger by associating with him. Every villain known to man probably wants him dead. And I would be a liability. My quirk is useless. I can't defend myself, or him.

Inko knew that the easiest solution would be to simply ask him if he was All Might. Toshinori didn't strike her as the type of person who would directly lie about it, and he could easily confirm it by acting weird or dodging the question. But, in that moment, her throat tightened up, and no words came.

She didn't want to know anymore.

She didn't want to know if he was All Might. Because if he confirmed it. If he told her who he was. Then she knew she could not love Toshinori anymore.

She loved the man who was sitting across from her right now. She loved his cute, awkward smile, how she could see too many of his teeth. She loved the little crows feet around his eyes. She loved how soft and gravelly his voice was when he spoke. She loved how kind and nurturing he was. She loved how his arms felt when he hugged her. She loved how passionate he got when he talked about being a hero. She loved how, despite everything he's been through, he still had it in his heart to have hope and positivity.

She wanted to take this moment in a little bottle and keep it forever. She didn't want it to change. She didn't want to stop having feelings for Toshi. Even if he never reciprocated, even if he constantly kept her at an arm's length, she still wanted to love him.

"I understand," she said, after realizing that the silence had stretched on for a few too many heartbeats. "It's… it's okay, Toshi. You don't need to tell me." She massaged at her face, unable to hide the defeated look she wore.

He, too, looked conflicted. "Thank you, Inko. Please understand, this isn't about whether or not I trust you. There are some things about me I haven't told my closest friends. I just don't want to put them in danger. I would rather them be alive and well than to know some things about me."

"I understand." Inko repeated, this time, with a little more conviction. She did understand. The life of a pro hero must be hard. She knew that much by looking at his scar. "But, Toshi," she continued, as something struck her. "Izuku knows. Is he in danger?"

Toshinori's expression twisted a little. "It was never my intention to let Izuku see who I was. It was all a big, poorly timed accident." He admitted quietly. "Had we not had a chance encounter, I would have never seen just how amazing he is. The way everything happened... him seeing my hero identity, telling me about his dreams, helping me capture the villain... it was all a perfect storm. He's the most heroic person I've ever met. I wanted to give him the tools he needs to succeed with his dreams. That's what I stand for as a hero. Helping others be great."

Inko nodded solemnly, but she asked again: "is he in danger?"

"You've asked me that once before, back when we first had dinner." He reminisced. "My feelings haven't changed. Izuku is in no more danger now than he already was. He's chasing his dreams of being a hero. Whether or not he met me, I don't think that would have changed at all. I believe my involvement in his life is putting him in less danger than he would have been otherwise."

"So how is it different for me?"

"In a way, it isn't. However, the more people who know the truth, the more room there is for something to go wrong. I never intended for Izuku to know the truth in the first place- it's simply how I operate. I want to keep my secrets to keep people safe. If you got hurt because of my negligence, I couldn't forgive myself."

Inko felt uneasy, but satisfied. It was the best answer he could have given. For now, she was content with it.

Their food was delivered. Toshi sipped at the broth, venturing to risk a few bites of the noodles. Inko found herself looking at him, wondering how she was supposed to feel. Nothing made sense anymore. She came out with him looking for answers, but what she got was more questions.

He didn't shut her down, but he didn't embrace her confession, either. Just like with her thoughts about All Might, she didn't ask him for clarification.

She didn't want to know.

They ate in silence, having very little to say. She assumed he was drawn into his thoughts just as much as she was, herself. She didn't fault him for it. When dinner was finished, Toshinori took the bill. Before he dismissed himself, he smiled down at Inko and said, "you look very lovely, by the way. I just want you to know that."

Inko watched his back as he walked down the street, the pain in her heart softened by his gentle words.

He called me pretty again.

Chapter Text

Izuku was falling apart, and it was his own fault.

All Might had given him a schedule. He was supposed to follow his schedule to the letter- no more, no less. But he wasn’t satisfied with it. Even after he asked All Might to give him harder work, the adjustments he made to his schedule were minor and inconsequential at best. It wasn’t enough. He wasn’t improving fast enough.

So he started working on his own terms.

In his room, while he studied, he lifted weights. He cut back on his sleep schedule so he could do workouts in his room for another hour. What little leisure time he once allowed himself, he completely threw out the window in exchange for jogs around the neighborhood. Under All Might’s watchful eye, he always pushed himself to do more than was expected of him. All Might probably thought he was just being an overachiever and didn’t ask him about all the extra work he had been piling up on his own shoulders.

I have no friends to hang out with, so it doesn’t matter, anyway.

It was true. At school, Izuku was ignored at best, and picked on at worse. Ever since he was in kindergarden, he was the only kid in his class who didn’t have a quirk. He was an easy target and no one wanted to be seen associating with him, especially with Kacchan watching. It was no secret how much Kacchan hated him, and people wanted to stay on his good side.

It was Saturday morning and Izuku was getting ready for his workout, feeling his core muscles burn as he bent over to tie his shoes. He had to brace a hand on the wall to keep from toppling over. Every inch of his body ached. He didn’t want to move.

Go beyond. Plus Ultra. I can’t give up. It’s supposed to hurt, right? That means I’m getting stronger.

As he headed out the door, feeling woozy, he thought back to how things had gone the past few weeks. His mom started talking to All Might again, but he couldn’t tell how happy she was about it. The night she went out with him, Izuku wondered if it was a date and got excited about it, but when she came home she looked a little sad. He had decided not to ask her how it went, and her feelings towards him remained a mystery.

He didn’t want to waste his energy worrying about it, anyway. He had one goal, one dream: be a hero. Whether or not his mom and All Might got together wouldn’t change anything.

Deep down, though, he did care.

When he made it to the beach, All Might wasn’t there. He’s late again, Izuku thought as he started his stretches, but found his body resisted so much he could barely touch his toes. He wanted to collapse. He wanted to sleep. He operated on pure willpower, feeling sluggish as he went through the motions.

It was 8:30 when All Might finally arrived, looking about as tired as Izuku felt. He greeted him with a wave, coughing into his free hand.

“You look like you didn’t get any sleep last night,” All Might commented as he approached.

“Neither do you,” Izuku said.

All Might smiled lopsidedly. Izuku could see red on his teeth. “It’s just been one of those nights.”

“Are you sick again?”

“Some days are worse than others, but no, I’m not sick. No fever or anything.” All Might replied. He looked around, shielding his eyes from the sun. “Where’s your mother?”

It had been a long time since he had asked for Inko. “She had to go shopping today.” Izuku squinted at him. “You have her number now, so why are you asking me?”

All Might looked a little embarrassed, but he barked a laugh. “You’ve got some attitude today, kid.”

“Sorry,” Izuku said shyly, realizing his tone was a little sharp. He wasn’t feeling well, but he shouldn’t be taking it out on All Might.

“Well, let’s get to work,” All Might said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “This beach isn’t going to clean itself. I want to see you putting in a little extra effort today.”

All Might worked him like a mule. Izuku didn’t want to take another step. The weight of the garbage he carried on his back felt like it was about to snap him in two. Through the strain of work and struggling to follow All Might’s instruction, he barely noticed how his mentor’s voice had gone hoarse, or how often he stopped to cough.

They worked for three hours before All Might suddenly received a phone call. Izuku was familiar with his ringtones by now. One of them was, absurdly, All Might’s own voice proclaiming ‘a phone call is here!’ The other was an alarm sound- an urgent ringtone. An emergency. And that was the one Izuku heard before All Might dug his cell phone out of his pocket.

“Yes? You found him!? Alright. Send me the coordinates. I’m on my way.”

All Might jammed his phone into his pocket. He looked around, ducked behind an outcropping of garbage, and assumed his hero form. Izuku watched his transformation with a cringe, watching how he strained with it. No matter how many times he saw it happen, it surprised him every time just how different he looked when it was all over.

“I have to go,” All Might told Izuku as he straightened, stumbling out from behind his cover. “Keep working. Don’t wait for me. I’ll text you if I can come back.”

Izuku started to say something, but All Might didn’t wait for a response. He crouched. Izuku knew what was coming next. He barely had enough time to shield his eyes as All Might jumped, the force of his leap causing sand to explode in all directions. By the time Izuku could see again, All Might was already in the sky, long gone. Izuku was so used to seeing him in his true form, it was easy to forget just how powerful he was in his hero form. But he knew more than anyone else that the hero had his limits.

Panic grew in Izuku’s gut. What had gotten him to leave in such a hurry? And where was he going?

He was coughing up blood again. More than usual. He’s not feeling well today.

Izuku dropped the trash he was carrying and ran for the street. He didn’t know what possessed him. But he felt as though All Might was in danger. His instincts told him something could go wrong. He didn’t have a quirk and he wasn’t a hero, but All Might had praised him for his instincts once before.

His eyes followed All Might until he watched him land on a rooftop in the distance. Izuku was lucky he could still see him, but barely. He knew once All Might left his line of sight, he’d be left guessing where he’d go next. He broke into a run, every step pounding pain through his legs.

I’m lucky he didn’t leap over the entire city. He looks like he’s only three or four blocks away. Crap, he’s gone! I didn’t even see him move! He has to be nearby. He didn’t take another leap, so he must have jumped down.

Izuku’s breath hitched in his chest as he ran down the sidewalk. He gripped at a painful stitch in his side. His vision went dark and foggy around the edges. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus. All Might is going to get hurt if I don’t do something!

He ignored traffic lights and signals. He crossed a street without incident, then two. He ignored the sound of honking cars as he sped through oncoming traffic. He heard someone shouting at him as he ran. He didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop.

Something stopped him.

Glass shattered. Heat exploded into his side. His vision went white. Red. Black. Alarms blared. He was on the sidewalk. His face was pressed into concrete. He twisted onto his side, confused. What just happened? He tilted his head painfully, looking up.

The building next to him was on fire. A raging inferno engulfed the first story. Something had exploded from the inside. The force of the explosion had knocked him down. He didn’t feel anything. No pain. All he felt was his own pulse hammering through his body. He strained his ears. People were screaming, leaving the building, but some people were still inside.

Get up.

He tried to rise. He couldn’t.

Why can’t I move?

Through the dancing flames and shadows in the building, he thought he saw a silhouette that looked like All Might. But he blinked and it was gone. The searing heat made it hard to see. He had to get up. He had to help All Might. He had to help the people trapped inside the building.

“Deku!”

Kacchan?

He heard footsteps running up to him from across the street, coming up behind him. He wanted to turn over onto his back so he could see him, but he couldn’t even manage that. He felt Kacchan grip his shoulder, roughly shoving him onto his back. Izuku winced. He could feel pain now. His whole body hurt. He didn’t know what part of him was worse.

“The hell are you doing here, Deku!?” Kacchan barked.

“I… was going to ask… you that…” Izuku managed in a wheeze.

Kacchan’s eyes were slits, wild panic in his pupils. “There’s a villain in that building! You’ve got to get out of here, you quirkless loser!”

If Izuku didn’t know any better, he would have thought Kacchan was just insulting him. But he knew the truth. Buried beneath those scathing words was worry.

“I can’t move,” Izuku said.

Kacchan started patting him down, probably checking for injuries. Izuku let him do it. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Everything was happening so fast, he was too stunned to think. He winced when Kacchan roughly jostled his side. That was closest to the explosion when it happened.

“I don’t think anything’s broken or bleeding. Your side’s just burned. Why can’t you move? Are you really that pathetic?”

“I- I don't know.”

Kacchan grit his teeth, cursing under his breath. He cast a wild look towards the building, then back down. Izuku felt him slip an arm beneath his knees and the other beneath his back. Straining, he picked him up and took a few stumbling steps towards the street. His steps were unsteady, and Izuku didn’t know if it was his weight, or if there was something wrong with Kacchan’s foot. Is he limping? But how is he so strong!? He’s picking me up like I’m nothing!

Another blast shook the building behind them. A burst of heat washed over them. Izuku felt Kacchan stumble, growling. He took the brunt of the heat against his own back, shielding Izuku from the worst of it. He caught his balance and headed across the street. Through stinging eyes, Izuku saw that cars had pulled over and a crowd was starting to form. After Kacchan made it to the opposite block, escaping from the worst of the fire, two strangers rushed up to them from nearby.

“Are you alright? We called the police. An ambulance should be here soon!”

“Well, Deku!?” Kacchan barked. “You need to go to the hospital?”

Izuku could barely process what was going on. His eyes jumped from Kacchan to the two strangers. He couldn’t find his voice.

I’m a failure. I came here to be a hero. I bet Kacchan came here for the same reason. Now look at me. This is exactly what happened when I lost All Might’s medicine. I’m the one messing things up and he’s the one actually doing something helpful.

“He looks like he’s in shock,” one of the strangers said. “Hold still, kid. Help is on its way. All Might is in there, too. He’ll catch the villain responsible for this, I’m sure of it.”

Kacchan put him down on the sidewalk. They were far enough away from the building where he couldn’t feel the heat anymore, and hopefully the explosions wouldn’t reach them. Kacchan stood by with the rest of the bystanders, watching, waiting. Izuku felt completely helpless. All he could do was wait. He watched for All Might, worrying.

“The villain in there has a quirk like mine,” Kacchan muttered. “It pisses me off. A quirk like that and he’s wasting his life.”

Izuku’s attention jumped between Kacchan and the building, his mind spinning. I’m the only one who knows what state All Might is in. What if he can’t save us? What if this is the villain that finally gets him?

Police, ambulances and fire trucks arrived on the scene before Izuku learned the answer. There was no sign of All Might before Izuku’s line of sight was blocked by emergency responders. An EMT showed up to assess him on the scene. The burns on his side were more serious than he thought, so it was determined he needed to go to the hospital for treatment.  

It was driving him insane not knowing what was going to happen to All Might. He was taken away in an ambulance before he could ask anyone what was going on. Izuku could barely move his arms, but he had to let his mom know what had happened. He managed to fish his cell phone out of his pocket and send her a text.

‘hey mom dont worry but im going to the hospital i got burned. im ok tho’

The last thing he saw before he was carted away was another explosion inside the flaming building.

Izuku laid in a hospital bed, staring miserably at the ceiling.

His treatment had been swift. There were second degree burns on his side, blistered and swollen. It was the state of the rest of him that convinced the doctors that he needed more time in recovery. His body was in a state of exhaustion from overworking himself and exercising too much. He was dehydrated, his muscles were breaking down from overuse, and he was in the beginning stages of rhabdomyolysis. He admitted the intensity of his self-imposed exercise routines.

The doctors said he was fortunate that his relatively minor burns forced him into the hospital. If he had continued exercising at the rate he was going, his kidneys might have completely failed. Fortunately, he was in a stage where it was completely reversible, but he needed plenty of rest and plenty of fluids. Izuku knew it was all his own fault.

Every time a nurse came in to talk to him, he asked about All Might. Every time, he was told there was nothing on the news about it yet, and to be patient.

Now, all Izuku could do was wait for his mom to arrive. Visiting hours were open, but she had been out of town at the time everything happened. She had texted him back almost immediately to tell him she was rushing over as soon as she could make it out of traffic. All he could do was keep checking his phone, refreshing news websites, desperate for information.

The door opened. Izuku put down his phone. His mother rushed into the room, her eyes puffy and her cheeks streaked. “Izuku,” she gasped, rushing to his bedside, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair and cup his cheeks. “Baby, are you okay? Does it hurt? What happened?”

His throat was tight. He found it hard to admit to her what had happened. “I… I’ve been overdoing it, Mom.” He admitted. “Exercising too much. Then Mr. Toshinori had to leave because there was a villain attack and I… I was stupid and followed him. There was an explosion. I couldn’t get out of the way because I was too sore.”

Inko looked flabbergasted. Then, her expression became very difficult to read. Izuku had no idea what she was thinking, but she kept petting his hair.

“I don’t - I don’t know if he’s okay, Mom.” Izuku admitted. “He was coughing up blood again this morning and- and that villain causes fire and explosions with his quirk-”

“Shh,” Inko interrupted him sharply. “Don’t worry, Izu. Just focus on resting. I’ll try to get a hold of Toshinori.”

Izuku sagged. The one thing he hadn’t tried to do, himself, was call or text All Might. In all the chaos, he didn’t think to do it. He watched as Inko took her own phone from her pocket and dial his number from her contacts. She held her phone to her ear, waiting.

“Toshi?!”

Izuku’s heart leapt. He answered!?

“Are you alright? What’s going on?”

Izuku could only hear Inko’s side of the conversation, but she was talking to him, so that meant he was okay! Right?

“Okay. Good. That’s good. That’s a relief. I’m glad. Are you hurt?”

Inko paused a while while Izuku tried to fill in the gaps of their conversation with his own imagination. By the sound of things, All Might must have caught the villain and everything was okay.

“Listen, Toshi. Izuku’s in the hospital. He’s okay. I’m here with him. I just thought you should know.”

Another long pause. Izuku squirmed. Inko was going to make him worry, and then he was going to come to the hospital, and he would have to admit to him he had been overworking himself. He was going to get yelled at.

“Okay. I’ll see you later, Toshi. I’m glad you’re okay.”

She put away her phone and took her seat nearby. At one point, Izuku’s nurse arrived to talk to his mom about his discharge and treatment plans, but he could barely focus on what they were saying. All he could think about was All Might’s inevitable arrival, and what he was going to say to him. After the nurse left, and Inko and Izuku were left alone, they were both silent. Izuku stewed in his thoughts and worries, having nothing to distract him.

He felt like a little kid who was about to be punished by his dad. It was the longest thirty minutes of his life.

The doors opened and All Might entered into the room. His hair was a mess, frayed and a bit burned on the ends. His clothes were stained and covered in soot. He smelled strongly of smoke. But he didn’t look like he was injured. At least, Izuku couldn’t see any burns or bruises.

“I came as fast as I could. I was swarmed by news reporters. It took me a while to wade through it.” He said, breathless, coughing hoarsely into his elbow. “Are you alright, young Midoriya? What happened?” He edged his way to Izuku’s bedside, hovering over them. Inko was still seated in the chair near the bed, looking worn-out and unhappy.

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but Inko cut him off.

“Toshinori,” she said, her head bowed, her hair curtaining in front of her face. “This is your fault.”

All Might stared down at her, confused. “Pardon?”

Inko looked up at him. There was no fire in her eyes, no anger. She just looked tired. Defeated. “My son could have been killed today. He followed you to the incident because he thought he could help you. But you’ve been working him too hard. And he doesn’t have a quirk.”

Neither Izuku or All Might knew what to say. They exchanged glances. In that beat of silence, Inko continued, standing up from the chair.  

“You’ve put it into his head that he can be a hero, even without a quirk! You’ve convinced him that he’s strong enough to fight villains and save people! You’ve made him feel like all he needs to do is just… get physically strong!” As she spoke, the defeated look on her face morphed into pain. Anger. “Day in and day out for months you’ve been working him like a dog! A 14 year old boy, bodybuilding, because you filled his head with false hope!” Inko pointed to Izuku. “Do you know what the doctors told me!? Rhabdomyolysis! His kidneys could have failed because his muscles are dying!”

Izuku’s breath caught in his throat. “Mom! It’s not his fault! I was-”

“Izuku!” She barked at him, cutting him off. “I’m not done!” Inko whirled around to face All Might, jabbing a finger into his sweat-stained shirt. “I let this happen because I trusted you! You told me once that you wouldn’t push him too hard! That you’d only tell Izuku what you knew he could handle! I wanted to believe that maybe U.A. could accept a quirkless student! But what happened today just proves that I was right all along! That villain could have killed my son!”

Inko grit her teeth, tears shining at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill. She spoke in a cracked voice: “I don’t want my son training under you anymore.”

Izuku wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to beg his mom that she got it all wrong, that all this was his own fault, that he hadn’t been following All Might’s instruction, that he could still get in to U.A. That he wasn’t going to be quirkless forever. That he was going to inherit One for All, All Might’s secret quirk. But he promised All Might he wouldn’t tell him his secret. He felt trapped.

It was all over. There was nothing he could do. His world was crumbling all over again. His dreams were coming to an end.

Then, he saw steam billowing from All Might’s body.

He changed. Muscles replaced bone. His shirt stretched over thick pectorals. He grew taller. His face changed, jaw squarer, cheeks fuller. His skin darkened. His hair perked up in his signature eagle wing style. He wore a perfect smile with his perfect teeth.

“Miss Midoriya,” he boomed, his voice deeper and fiercely confident, “your son will become a hero. Do you know why?”

Tears spilled down Inko’s cheeks as she watched All Might. Her arms wrapped around herself, squeezing, hugging against her sides. A sob broke from her throat. Her knees grew weak and she sank back into the chair. She hung her head.

“Because I am here.”

Chapter Text

“Inko. It’s time I told you everything.”

Toshinori knelt down so he could be eye-level with her. Through hissing steam, he reverted back to his true form. Inko watched his face, at the sockets of his skull, where his sad eyes gazed up at her from beneath messy bangs. His hand reached out to rest shyly on her knee. She allowed it, but she didn’t know how she felt.

He really was All Might.

Deep down, she always knew. She had just been in denial.

“I was born quirkless, too. Just like Izuku.” The volume of his voice was hardly above a whisper. “But I wanted to be a hero more than anything. I looked around at our world, at the evil and the darkness and the pain, and decided I wanted to be a force of change. A force of good. I wanted to shine a light on this world, and save people with a fearless smile. And your son? He told me the exact same thing when we first met.”

Inko tried to swallow back her tears. She couldn’t. They kept spilling unbidden from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks, no matter how many times she wiped them away.

“I saw myself in him. So I am going to do for him what my master, Nana Shimura, did for me. I am going to give him my quirk.”

Inko looked over at Toshinori, her heart pounding. What did he mean, give Izuku a quirk? “That’s… that’s impossible,” she managed, sniffing. “Quirks are… you’re born with them. No one’s ever… been given a quirk before.”

“My quirk is called One For All, and I am the eighth person to receive it. As it’s passed along from person to person, it grows more powerful. The combined power of seven individual people flows in my veins. When I become All Might, I borrow the power of all seven of those people. It’s what allows me to save those who are in need of a hero, even though I am weak and frail.” He squeezed Inko’s knee. “I believe your son has what it takes to wield One For All. When his training is complete, I am going to give him this power.”

Confusion swirled in Inko’s gut. She didn’t know how to take this. In one fell swoop, All Might had destroyed everything she thought she knew about quirks. The idea that her son could obtain a superpower from him never even crossed her mind.

But did it change anything? Why didn’t he tell her this a long time ago? This was critical information. Didn’t she deserve to know? She was Izuku’s mother. What right did this man have to go behind her back and give her son a quirk without her knowing about it?

“You haven’t given it to him yet?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“Because the more people know about One For All, the more dangerous things can get. The temptation of this power could drive villains to hunt me and Izuku. There are quirks in this world with the power to obtain information out of people’s minds. No matter how careful you are at keeping this secret, if a villain with the right quirk managed to get a hold of you, it could start a chain reaction of villains seeking to take One For All by force.”

Inko understood. But she didn’t like any of this. It was starting to seem like her son was in more danger than Toshinori had let on in the past.

“What if I refuse? What if… what if I don’t let you give him One For All?”

“You can’t control my life, mom!” Izuku suddenly blurted from his hospital bed. He was sitting upright, despite his burned side, staring at Inko with water and fire in his eyes. Inko flinched. She had almost forgotten he was there. He must have hated her now.

“He’s not forcing me to do this. He’s never pressured me with it. He put the offer on the table, and I decided to accept!” Izuku continued, the fire dwindling to something softer. “I know you love me, Mom. I know you’re worried about me. But everything’s going to be okay. I want this. More than anything. Please… don’t take this away from me.”

Her son leaned forward, trying to grasp her shoulder. Inko swallowed thickly, her hand reaching up to hold his, giving it a squeeze. Izuku stared at her, his eyes shining, tears brimming over. “I’m growing up, mom. I know what I want to be. Who I want to be.”

Inko smiled at him, despite how much it hurt. Her little boy. Her baby. He was becoming a man, and she never even noticed.

“With my quirk, Izuku should have no trouble getting in to U.A.” Toshinori continued quietly. “All that training on the beach isn’t just for physical strength. It’s to prepare him for my quirk. And once he enrolls at U.A., I’ll be watching over him while he chases his dreams to the top. Izuku is destined to be a great hero, Inko. I know it. I believe in him. One day, he’ll be a force of good that shines a light on this world, and brings hope to every innocent soul alive.”

Inko listened. She didn’t know what to say.

Toshinori tilted his head a little, giving Inko a pleading smile, his eyes shining. “Won’t you cheer him on, rather than hold him back? Won’t you watch over him with me, Inko?”

Inko shut her eyes. It was so much to take in. She was picturing Izuku, ten years from now, with a body like All Might’s and the power to stop villains in the blink of an eye. She was picturing Izuku on television and magazines. Izuku posters on the walls of every little boy and girl in the nation. Izuku action figures. Izuku licensed merchandise. Izuku constantly on the news, catching criminals.

It wouldn’t be a safe life. Not in the slightest. Inko would rather see Izuku work a 9 to 5 desk job, dressed in a snappy suit and tie, with no one but his family and friends to know his name.

But it was his dream to be a hero. That was the life he wanted.

The life he chose.

Inko opened her mouth to reply.

The door burst open. A nurse entered. Toshinori quickly straightened, clearing his throat. The nurse continued to provide Izuku’s discharge instructions. It was time to take him home. Turning to Toshinori, Inko said, “we… should talk more about this. Come over this evening. I’ll have dinner for us.”

“Alright. I’ll be there. 7:00.”

It wasn’t long before Izuku was in the car. Inko was armed with his care instructions, her mind focused on her son’s health. She was able to put her worries about Toshinori to the side as she drove home.

“Mom?” Izuku said from the passenger seat, squirming.

“Yes, honey?”

“It really wasn’t his fault.” He muttered, staring out the window. “I was the one who was overdoing it. He gave me a schedule and… and I didn’t stick to it. I was giving myself really hard work and I was doing it by myself.”

“I understand, Izuku,” Inko responded, her voice strained. “That’s not the only thing I’m upset about.”

“You’re… you’re not going to make me stop training, are you?”

“I’m thinking, Izu.”

He fell silent for the rest of the trip, stewing. He could be mad if he wanted to. She was still making her decision, and she needed to talk to Toshinori again.

As soon as they got home, she tucked Izuku into bed. She left him with a tall glass of ice water and a few bottles of flavored sports drinks. He never said a word.

Inko had to keep busy, or she’d think about Toshinori. She proceeded to work on cleaning the house, preparing dinner, watching TV, and occasionally checking in on Izuku. The poor boy was completely asleep every time she poked her head into his room. Good , she thought. His body needs to repair itself before he can even think about working out again.

It wasn’t long before she heard someone knocking on her door. Inko’s stomach tied itself up in knots as she went to answer it.

Toshinori stood there in the doorway, freshly showered, wearing her yellow shirt, holding a bouquet of flowers and a small wrapped box. Inko noticed a sunflower was the centerpiece of the bouquet, surrounded by bundles of small white and yellow flowers.

Gifts? For me?

Her heart fluttered, but she still felt confused. Was he trying to bribe her? Butter her up? What did he intend for this gift to mean?

She let him inside. He had to duck his head to enter so he wouldn’t smack his head on the door frame. He kicked off his shoes and stood awkwardly in the entryway. “I, uh. This is for you.” He held out the flowers. “And this is for you and Izuku.” He held out the box.

Inko took the flowers, smelling them. She felt heat in her cheeks, despite herself.

“Thank you, Toshi. That was very thoughtful.”

She went to the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase, and set the box on the table. She would open it later. There was just too much on her mind.

She had a very light meal prepared, keeping Toshi’s dietary restrictions in mind. She made him a nutrition smoothie, along with some peanut butter crackers and thinly sliced apples. She invited him to the table, where he sat stiffly across from her, clearly uncomfortable. He picked at his food while Inko munched on some crackers. Both of them seemed to be waiting for the other to start the conversation.

“So I-”

“Inko, there’s-”

They both spoke at the exact same time. They laughed awkwardly.

“You first.”

“No, you.”

Flustered, Inko pressed her elbow into the table, leaning her forehead on her hand. “Um. What were the… flowers for?”

“For you.”

“I know, but. Are you trying to… put me in a good mood, or something?”

“N-no, it’s. Not like that. It’s… it’s an apology.”

“For what?”

“For putting you in this position. I really should have told you everything from the very start. I shouldn’t have been keeping secrets. It put a lot of stress on you and Izuku. All of this could have been avoided if I was up front from the beginning.”

“Yes, that’s true, Toshi.” Inko nodded. “I was thinking a lot about what you said. And I do agree with you about a few things. Izuku is growing up, and I know how badly he wants to be a hero. You saw his passion and you reached out to him and offered him the means to make his dreams come true. And I’m… I’m so grateful for that. Really, I am. You didn’t just offer your quirk to him, you’ve been personally training him for months. You’re involved in his life. You’re like the father he never had.”

She watched Toshi’s face change, the wrinkles in his brow smoothing a little as a small smile lifted his lips.

“But I hated being left out of all of this. I hated not knowing anything. I took it on blind faith that you knew best for him. And I almost lost Izuku today. All your secrets put his life in so much danger, Toshi. And I am so, so angry with you.” Her fists curled on top of the table as she stared intensely at him. “I’m so grateful, but so angry. And now… now that I know everything. Now that I know about your quirk, now that I know you’re All Might… I don’t know what to do.”

The smile left Toshi’s face. He sagged.

“You’re the world’s greatest hero. Izuku’s role model. And now, his mentor. You live a life in the spotlight. And there’s probably hundreds of powerful villains who want you dead. That’s… that’s why you didn’t know what to do with me. Right? I’m not going to be taking your quirk, I’m not a hero, I’m not strong, I won’t be able to protect myself like Izuku can with your power. So you think… that it’s too dangerous for me to be in your life.”

“That’s correct.”

Inko’s fingernails bit into her palms as her fists tightened. Tears sprang to her eyes. “I can’t believe you let me fall for you!” She found herself saying. “You’re All Might! All along- all along you- you knew it was a bad idea to let me fall for you! So why - why didn’t you shut me down!?”

“Because I like you too.”

Inko’s breath left her. The tension left her fists, the pain ebbing from her palms. She stared at him as if she was hearing things. She didn’t speak. Did he really say that? He liked her? Truly?

He continued. “I’ve liked you for a long time now. I just… didn’t know how to deal with how I felt.” He lowered his head so that Inko couldn’t see his face anymore, his hair was in the way. She heard him make a strange sound. It was hard to tell if it was a laugh or a sob, and through the wheezy sound his damaged lung made, it was even more cryptic. “I didn’t want to shut you down because I think I wanted … I wanted us to work out somehow. I can’t stop thinking about you. But I can’t- I can’t figure out how this would work out.”

He made that sound again, and the back of his hand lifted to wipe under his nose. Inko felt her heart twist. She reached across the table towards him. She had to stand up out of her chair to reach him, so she could sweep his hair behind his ear and brush a tear away from his face with her thumb.

“I’m All Might. I come home every day nursing wounds. I’m constantly sick and spitting blood. I’m exhausted and my body aches. Every force of evil wants me dead. Every force of good needs my help. But the world looks up to me and loves me. I’m in the spotlight. My life is complete chaos, Inko. And I’ve never had a partner before, I don’t know the slightest thing about it. Beyond the constant danger I’m in… I’d be a terrible partner.”

He lifted his head to look at her, tears spilling from his bright eyes. “So… so that’s where I am. I’m stumped. So please… you tell me. Could this even work?”

It was an objective question to a subjective situation- the hardest kind of question to answer. Inko knew what her heart was saying. She did want this to work. She liked him. More surprising of all, he liked her, too. But he brought up a lot of very valid points. The practical issues of dating a superhero- All Might, of all people- were glaring.

She pictured her hypothetical future with someone like him. The ridiculous amount of fame he had was the least of her concerns. Her house would be empty all the time. Any time he was ever late coming home, she would worry. He’d be called away on emergencies all the time. He’d come home covered in blood. He’d be constantly sick. He’d have her nerves frayed day in and day out, worrying about him. Any free time he had, he’d probably spend it dead asleep. There wouldn’t be very much time for affection.

But...

All those things he’s worried about… all those issues he’s bringing up…

Aren’t they already problems in our relationship?

She was already worried about him all the time. Now that she and Izuku were involved in his secret, they were in danger, no matter how much distance they put between themselves and All Might. She already lived in an empty house. She was already dealing with his emergencies. She was already helping him while he was sick and hurt.

They were just friends now. Would it be any different if the label on their relationship changed?

She held both sides of his head with her hands, brushing back his hair. She was leaning forward as far as she could so she could stare him right in the eyes. He looked away from her face, shy.

“Yes, those are problems, Toshi. And I recognize that it would make a relationship hard.” She said. “But there’s one thing that you forgot.”

His eyes finally met hers.

“We both love Izuku.”

Toshi started to sob. Inko dabbed at his face with her sleeve.

“Don’t you see, Toshi? We’re already his parents.”

Toshinori Yagi- All Might- was sitting across from her at the table, falling apart at the seams. He completely broke down. He crossed his arms on the table, dipped his forehead onto his forearm, and wept. Inko felt strange sitting across from him now. She stood up, walked around the table, and embraced him just as he once did for her.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaned her head against his shoulder, and squeezed him tight. He had been holding these things in for so long, it seemed the dam finally broke. He was so sad, so lonely, so broken. Crushed under the weight of his responsibilities as the Symbol of Peace. But his heart was made of pure, solid gold, and it shone so brightly, the whole world saw it.

He likes me.

I don’t care about all that other stuff.

“I like you. You like me. We both love Izuku. So let’s… let’s do our best and cheer him on. If something dangerous happens… we will deal with it then. One step at a time. And… we can see each other just like we already do. And we can be friends. And we can maybe hold hands, or go out for dinner sometimes. And we can just… see how things go. Does that sound nice, Toshi?” She said, rubbing his back.

“Y-y-yes… it sounds nice,” he hiccuped. “It sounds very nice, Inko.”

“There’s no pressure. I know you’re… you’re the Symbol of Peace. I know there’s a lot you have to deal with. Don’t worry about making me happy, because… because I’m already happy. I have a wonderful son, and a wonderful friend, and a wonderful life.”

He sniffed thickly, trying to stifle his sobs. “O-okay.”

Inko smiled sadly at him, brushing her fingers through his hair. “Besides, there’s still a whole lot about me you don’t know, Mr. All Might, sir.” She said, her tone teasing, though her heart was heavy. “Next time we go out to dinner, maybe I can tell you some of my mysterious secrets.”

He laughed, which turned into a watery wheeze. He coughed into his hands. Inko patted him on the back while he caught his breath.

“Are you okay, Toshi?”

“Y-yeah. I’m fine. Everything’s going to be okay.”

For the first time in a very long time, Inko believed him completely.

Chapter Text

Izuku wasn’t sleeping.

He was standing with his ear to the door, straining to hear what his mom and All Might were talking about at the table in the other room. He could barely hear more than muffled voices. It was agonizing. His heart pounded as he waited to hear some sign of an answer. He wanted to know if his mom was going to make him stop training with All Might. His dreams and ambitions hinged on this moment.

I have to trust that All Might knows how to talk her into it. He’s not going to give up training me without a fight!

As Izuku listened, he became aware of a very strange sound from All Might. A sharp intake of breath, a wheezing warble. Inko's voice had shifted from harsh to soothing in response. What was going on? It almost sounded like All Might was crying! It was baffling to picture the man breaking down into tears, but Izuku couldn't think of any other explanation for what he was hearing. Was All Might crying because he wouldn't be allowed to train him anymore?

The thought chilled his gut.

It took every inch of willpower not to open his bedroom door so he could listen more clearly. He was afraid he would be spotted. All he could do was hope they'd start talking at a normal volume. He pressed his ear against his door even harder, holding his breath.

Eventually they stood from the table. He could hear them walking closer to the hall, and their voices became clearer. They were headed for the front door. All Might was leaving.

"Will you be alright heading home, Toshi?"

"Yes, thank you." All Might sniffed thickly.

"And you'll call me if you get hurt or sick. Can you promise that? It won't inconvenience me. I want to help you."

"I promise. Thank you."

"And keep coming for dinner? I think I've finally gotten the hang of cooking for your diet."

"Yes, I'll come. Every day, if I can."

"And… and we should go on another date. Soon."

"You count that first one as a date?" All Might laughed, "no, Inko, I'd like to take you on a real date next time. The kind with a movie, candles and a fancy dinner."

Inko laughed shyly, "I'd like that. Goodnight, Toshi."

"Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow. Tell Izuku that I hope he feels better soon."

"I will."

The door opened and closed again.

Izuku blinked. What did he just hear? What was that? His heart pounded in his ears as his brain caught up with his gut. His first thought was a confused, what about training me?

His second thought was far more grounded.

Wait. They're… dating?

Izuku covered his mouth with both hands to muffle an involuntary gasp.

I wasn't hearing things. They were talking about a date!

He didn't have any more time to process it. He heard his mom enter the hall, probably to check on him. He only had a split second to react, dashing across the room and slipping into bed as silently and quickly as possible. He barely managed to throw the sheets over his head before Inko opened his door.

Izuku was motionless, pretending to be asleep. He heard his mom's footsteps as she approached his bedside. He felt her fingertips brush into his messy hair, combing it back against his scalp. Izuku pretended to wake up, breathing in deeply through his nose. He turned to look at her, his green eyes squinting as he tried to imitate sleepiness.

She looked happy. She was smiling down at him warmly, and the same warmth travelled through Izuku, right down to his toes. She looked really happy about something. So the dating thing was really happening, wasn’t it?

"Have you been drinking your water?"

"Yeah."

"How are you feeling, honey?"

"Fine."

Inko nodded, straightening and clearing her throat. "I've… made a decision about your training."

Izuku pushed himself upright, watching her expectantly.

"I'll allow it. And I'll allow you to take Toshi's quirk, as he promised. I know how badly you want to be a hero, Izu. I'll support you with everything I have."

Though it was something Izuku wanted to hear, he found that he wasn't satisfied with it anymore. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know what, exactly, Mom and All Might were talking about. He wanted to know if he wasn't just hearing things, that they were actually dating now. His heart fluttered as he thought about it, of his mom and All Might together. Excitement was building hesitantly in his soul, and the more evidence he saw to confirm it, the more his excitement threatened to burst forth.

But he couldn't bring himself to just ask her directly.

Izuku leaned forward to wrap his arms around his mom, hugging her tight. "Th-thanks, Mom," he choked out. "I'll be careful from now on. I won't get hurt."

She rubbed his back as she squeezed him. "I love you, Izuku. I'm so sorry if it didn't feel that way sometimes. I believe in you."

His fingertips clutched the back of her shirt as he buried his face against her shoulder. "I know, Mom."

For the first time in as long as he could remember, Toshinori came home with his heart flooded with warmth and hope. His empty apartment felt strangely less empty. Perhaps it was because his life felt less empty. He was picturing Inko and Izuku here with him, filling the cracks of his soul that his old life left behind.

We both love Izuku. Inko’s response to his confession echoed in his mind.

He cried when she said it, because it was the first time he had ever grasped how he felt about Izuku. It made him cry because he was so happy. To hear Inko say it in her own words was like giving him permission to feel, for the very first time, what it was like to fill a missing role in a child's life.

He's my son.

He had given them a father, and they had given him a family.

He picked up the photograph of Nana, running his fingers over the fresh, new frame. The lovestruck glow in his heart ebbed and sobered as he looked at her.

I was once her son, too.

"I think I have a girlfriend now," he told his mentor's smiling image. "I wish you could meet her. You two have a lot in common. I think you would like her. You even keep your hair in the same style. Of course, you both have good tastes." He laughed, but his eyes grew heavy and wet. He mopped at them with his sleeve.

It wasn't fair. Nana deserved to be here.

He gently placed the photo back down and went through his nightly routine, taking his medicine and replying to more fan mail. As the evening light dwindled into darkness, Toshinori's thoughts darkened, too. He began to worry over the practicalities of dating Inko. Would he be able to keep it a secret? Would he be able to protect her if a villain managed to connect him to her? Had he ruined her life? How long would this relationship even last before she learned just how high maintenance he was?

He had no intention at all of inconveniencing her, hurting her, or worrying her. He liked her and wanted her to be happy. But all the negative things she would have to deal with were completely out of his control.

He drew himself a warm bath and sank into the water, feeling all twisted up inside. He was so happy, but so worried. There was a lot that could go wrong. His insides had been hurting all day, but now, he really noticed it. This whole situation was stressing him out. His guts were a twisted up mess of fluttering butterflies and bees, stabbing and stinging his fragile intestines. Not to mention, his lung was still strained from being caught in a burning building.

As soon as he got out of the tub, everything hit him at once. The cold air hit his hot skin as he stood upright, his blood pressure changed too quickly, and he woozily dropped to his knees, coughing, his throat gurgling.  He spit blood onto the tiles.

Crap .

He waited for the world to stop spinning before he pushed himself upright, yanking a washcloth from the side of his tub and scrubbing up the blood splatter.

Such an inconvenience.

He pictured Inko dealing with things like this on a regular basis, mopping up his blood and fretting over his multitude of health problems. He didn’t want to chain her to that fate.

No matter how much he brushed his teeth, he couldn’t get rid of the smoky aftertaste in his mouth. He hated doing hero work in burning buildings. He wasn’t sure how much smoke he inhaled in his hero form. That body could take it, but this one couldn’t. He spat out a mouthful of toothpaste and scowled at his own reflection in the mirror, wiping at his chin with his towel. How did Inko fall for something like this?

He’d just have to sleep it off. Exhaustion shackled his limbs as he dragged himself into his room and slipped into bed, not bothering to remove a small pile of laundry that tangled up the foot of the bed. As he lay there, staring at the ceiling, he became very aware of the messy state of his own room.

He pictured Inko feeling like she had to pick up after him, like he was some helpless child. He wondered if he should never let her see his apartment again.

Or I can just clean it, for once.

He tried to sleep. He couldn’t. His mind was too full, and his body ached. His medication just wasn’t touching it. Toshinori struggled to find a comfortable position, tossing and turning. Every ten minutes, his lung seized with pain. He was coughing and choking all night. He felt absolutely horrible. He slipped in and out of a restless half-sleep until the darkness outside his window turned gray.

At 6:00, his fingers curled around the red cell phone on his nightstand, plucking it off the charger. He pushed himself upright and stared dizzily at the screen, thinking.

She did say to call her if I was sick… I guess it’s just my luck that this is happening to me now. She’s going to think I’m faking it so I can have an excuse to see her.

He drew in a bracing breath and hit the call button on her contact. The phone rang a few times before it was answered.

“Hello?” She sounded groggy.

“H-hey, Inko. Sorry it’s. So early.” Toshinori replied, his voice slurred and hoarse.

“It’s okay, I was about to get up anyway. What’s wrong, Toshi?”

“I’m, uh. Well. You made me promise I’d call if, uh, something happened. I think I’m sick.”

“Oh no, I’m sorry. How bad is it, hon?”

She called me ‘hon,’ he thought, his guts fluttering. Isn’t that too soon? It hit him in the chest next. He held the phone away from his head as he doubled forward to cough. “It’s not serious. I don’t think I need to go to the doctor. But I don’t think I can work like this. I might have to give my agency a call and let them know I’m not coming in.”

“It’s good to admit that, at least. How often do you take sick days?”

“Almost never. The last time I did, uhh… well, you and Izuku were there for that.” That was nearly seven months ago.

“Well, since I’m still taking care of Izuku… why don’t you come over here? Is that okay?” Inko offered. “Or do you need me to come pick you up?”

“No, I should be fine walking there. I mean. Yes, I’d like to come. If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Okay. When will you be here?”

“7:00.”

“If you don’t show up at 7, I’m going to go looking for you, Toshi. Don’t go falling into a ditch.” Her tone was teasing, and Toshinori managed a weak chuckle.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be alright. I’ll talk to you soon, Inko.”

“See you later.”

Inko spent the entire morning in a flurry of restless energy. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was almost glad Toshi was ill. Not because he wasn’t feeling well, but because it gave her an excuse to spend more time with him so soon after their conversation. She felt like they hadn’t really covered everything that needed to be discussed, but it had gotten so late last night that she wasn’t able to talk as much as she wanted to.

She only hoped he wasn’t miserable. Maybe he had just caught a little cold?

She went into Izuku’s room at 6:30 to check on him. He was already awake and on his computer, reading some forum about U.A.

“Hey, Izu,” she said as she stood behind his chair, rubbing his shoulder. “I just want to let you know, Toshi’s coming over soon. He isn’t feeling well again, and I wanted to look after him.”

Izuku swivelled to look at her. He watched her face a moment, unsaid words on the tip of his tongue. Inko could always tell when Izuku wanted to say something, but didn’t have the words.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Inko pushed.

Izuku was quiet for a while, thinking, his green eyes drifting around the room, looking at anything but her face. “Okay, Mom, I have to know.” He finally said, twiddling his thumbs. He drew in a breath. “Are you guys… uh… you know, dating?”

Inko felt her cheeks heat up. She was anticipating he might ask about it at some point. She was planning on telling him herself, some day, but it seemed he made that decision for her. She cleared her throat, folding her arms behind her back. “We’re, um. We’re thinking about it, yes.”

Izuku’s hands went to his mouth, stifling a laugh, the sound burbling and high-pitched. “I knew it!”

Inko laughed too, dipping her head. It felt so strange to talk about this with her son. It was an experience she never had before. What was a parent supposed to do in this kind of situation? It wasn’t as if she needed Izuku’s permission to date Toshinori- but, at the same time, Izuku deserved to have his feelings and opinions heard. He was, after all, the only other person who would be affected by this whole mess.

Based on how much he loves All Might, though… I don’t think he would be opposed. “What do you think about it, Izuku? I want to know how you feel.”

“It’s great!” He chirped. “I mean-- I’ve been wanting it for a long time!”

“You - you have?”

“I thought I was super obvious. Yeah, I- well, one time, I tried to get him to ask for your phone number.”

This was news to her. Inko rubbed her cheek with her pudgy fingers. He looked overjoyed about this. It was contagious. “I had no idea.” She cleared her throat, facing Izuku. “Don’t get too excited, though, okay? Right now, we’re just, feeling this out. We don’t know for sure if we’re going to be a couple. It’s… very messy to be in love with a superhero. That’s something you need to think about, too.” She reached out to squeeze his shoulder, looking him in the eye. “As you grow up, you might meet people you like, too.  But you’ve picked a very difficult path in life, Izu.”

Her son was going to high school soon. For many young people, this was a time in their lives when they started to become interested in romance. Inko wanted her son to make smart choices, to be wise and careful. But if Izuku was anything like Toshinori, she knew where his heart was set. Being a hero and saving people came first. Would Izuku meet someone who he had to choose between the life of a hero, or the life of a boyfriend? Would his goals and dreams turn into a tangled mess?

She was thinking too far ahead. She didn’t want to fill his head with too many confusing worries.

“I know, Mom.” He said softly, the excitement on his face fading into something more focused. Determined. “Everything will be okay.”

She smiled at him. There was that optimism she loved. She ruffled his hair. “If anything comes up that you’re worried about, or you want to talk about, I’m here for you. Even if you think it’s dumb. Okay?”

“I will.”

“Toshi will be here soon, I think. Do you need anything before I go?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Breakfast will be ready in an hour or two. I’ll let you know.”

Toshinori arrived exactly when he said he would- 7:00. When Inko got the door for him and let him inside, she immediately knew he wasn’t faking it. He looked like he was about to fall over. Maybe she should have insisted to drive him over. He was carrying a small duffel bag, probably with a change of clothes. She had the couch prepared for him ahead of time. She helped him to it, and he sank down to sit on the cushions immediately.

She wanted to talk to him, but the poor man didn’t look up for conversation. After she prepared and served breakfast, she noted he could barely hold his eyes open, and what few, brief words he shared with her and Izuku, they were punctuated by rattling coughs.

It was when he stretched out lengthwise on the couch that Inko felt a pang in her chest, watching him. The man was ridiculously tall, and he simply did not fit. She chewed a thumbnail as she considered her options.

He can have my bed. She thought. It’s not going to be awkward to offer it, right?

She reached down to touch Toshi’s bony shoulder. He opened his eyes to look up at her.

“I’m sorry, I should have thought of this sooner,” she began, flustered, realizing she got her words backwards. “I mean, ah… why don’t you take my bed instead? It’ll be more comfortable than this couch, I think.”

Toshi looked a little embarrassed, his eyes drifting away from her face. “Um… okay. If. If it’s no trouble.” He coughed into his hand.

She relaxed a little with how easily he accepted it. She offered her hand to him, helping him rise, and led him down the hall into her room. It was directly across from Izuku’s. It was more spacious- she needed a lot of room for her craft supplies and fabrics, and her computer desk was rather large and crammed with piles of paperwork. Otherwise, she liked to keep it very clean, all of her belongings and decorations neat and tidy. Her walls were lined with photographs of her family. There were still some with Hisashi’s family that she never got around to taking down.

Toshi’s tired eyes scanned her room, taking it all in, his attention particularly focused on her computer desk. As he sat down on the edge of her bed, he pinched his nose and asked, “I’ve been curious-- I mean, ah… I’m so sorry, Inko. I’ve known you for months, but I’ve never asked you something so simple as what you do for a living.”

She laughed. “I work from home. I’m a freelance editor.”

“An editor?”

“I edit anything people send me from books to news articles. I also have a craft shop on the side. I make and sell clothes and jewelry.”

“Oh, I see! Is it hard to find work?”

“It used to be, back when Hisashi lived here,” she began, rubbing her chin as she thought back on those days. “He had a full time job, of course, and I only did things off and on. I didn’t have the financial pressure to make a real living off of it. But after he left… I was scrambling. I had to advertise myself a lot to find clients, and it was difficult to break in to. For a while I had to take a part time job. I was actually able to quit it last year because I have enough work now to make ends meet.”

“Do you like doing this kind of work?”

“Yes. It’s very fulfilling. I’m lucky I don’t have to work a desk job. I can make my own hours. It gives me a lot of flexibility.”

“Yes, I was wondering that. You were always able to make time to come to the beach, and things. I-” Toshinori gurgled. “-liked th-” He doubled forward, coughing into his hands. The sound he was making was wretched. His shoulders quaked with his every breath.

Inko bristled, immediately snatching up old scrap fabrics from a nearby table and rushing to Toshi’s side. She didn’t like the pattern, anyway. When his hands came away from his face, they were splotched with blood. She wiped them clean before swiping the blood from his lips and chin.

“Are you sure this isn’t another emergency?”

“Yes,” he rasped, looking away from her, embarrassed. “This - this is normal, it just happens sometimes.”

“I’m sorry, Toshi, but there’s nothing normal about coughing up blood.” Her free hand went to his face, checking his temperature. She didn’t think he had a fever this time.

He was silent for a moment, considering something. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he was having trouble finding the words. It was a look she’d seen on Izuku’s face plenty of times before. “I’ll be right back, Toshi,” she said. “I’m going to get you some water.”

“Thank you,” he said at her retreating back. When she returned with the glass, he took it gratefully, taking in a few deep sips. “You’ve seen my scar,” he began after a moment. “Believe me when I say that it used to look far worse than that.” He cleared his throat and set the cup down on the bedside table.

Inko realized she was in for a story. She hopped up to sit on the bed next to him, folding her legs and placing her hands in her lap. She watched him, not intending to interrupt.

“I don’t have a spleen, stomach, or a left lung. I lost both my kidneys. I have one now, and it’s from a donor. And my other lung was so badly damaged, it’s always difficult to breathe. I’ve had so many surgeries, and seen so many people with healing quirks… but there’s not much they can do. So please believe me when I say there’s not much I can do about the coughing-up-blood thing. Doctors have already tried.”

“And you still… you still do hero work like this?” Inko asked, breathless. She had always known Toshi struggled with his injury, but until now, he hadn’t gone into much detail about just how much it had messed him up inside.

“I’m All Might,” he murmured, his shoulders sagging, his elbows digging into his thighs. “The Symbol of Peace. If I disappeared… imagine what would happen to society.”

She sagged, too. It was because of All Might that Japan’s crime rate was so low. Toshinori had shouldered himself with an impossible burden.

A dark thought pierced her soul. Why was only one man the Symbol of Peace? Toshinori couldn’t do this forever, he needed help. New heroes needed to rise up to stand with him, to hold him up, to help him carry this burden. But the closest hero to All Might in regards to incident resolution was Endeavor, a notoriously harsh and cold-hearted man. When it was Endeavor, of all people, that was closest to standing side-by-side with All Might, how could hero society hope to stand with Symbol of Peace?

And when Izuku took One for All, what would that make him?

“Will you tell me a little more about One for All? Um. How are you going to give it to Izuku? How does it work?”

“He will need to ingest my DNA. I’m going to give him one of my hairs,” he patted his head.

“Eat… a hair?”

Toshinori laughed. “Yeah. It’s better that than swallow my blood, right?”

Inko coughed, looking embarrassed. That was certainly a strange way to pass along a power. She was picturing something with a little more flash and fanfare, like casting a magic spell in a video game.

Her real concern, however, came next. “What… what will happen to you, when you give it to Izuku?”

Toshinori picked up the glass of water to take a few more sips. “I’ll still have One for All for a while. But, as Izuku grows into it, and makes it his own, it will fade from me until it is gone.”

Inko felt a chill course through her body. At the time he told her about One for All, she just assumed both of them would have it, like passing a flame from one raging fire to another. But now, she realized it was something that could not truly dwell in two people at once. It was inevitable that the Symbol of Peace would disappear. Would society have time to raise new heroes to All Might’s position? Would anyone even hope to come close?

Would Izuku be the one to become the Symbol of Peace?

“H-how long do you- do you think you’ll have with One for All? As All Might?” She was unable to keep the fear from her voice.

“It depends on how quickly Izuku develops.” He said, rubbing his chin. “I’m thinking… five years, at the most. By that time, U.A. will have molded Izuku into an amazing hero in his own right, and during his time at the school, I want him to declare himself as the next Symbol of Peace in training. I want to see if he can get on some news reports, or TV, and make a big splash about it. I’m hoping the transition will be smooth enough where the world won’t miss me too much as I step into retirement, and Izuku rises to take my place.”

It wasn’t what Inko wanted to hear. The more she became aware of the practicalities of All Might’s life, and Toshinori’s decision to give his quirk to Izuku, the more afraid she was. Earlier, she was picturing Izuku fighting alongside All Might as his sidekick, but leaving all the truly dangerous stuff to the experienced hero. That picture in her mind shattered.

There was a silver lining to all of this, the only thing that kept Inko from completely breaking down. If All Might retired in five years, he wouldn’t have to fight anymore. His body could finally rest. He could stop hurting himself, and pushing himself, and focus on living the rest of his life in peace and comfort. And she could be there with him. She would be there with him. She could not see herself leaving his side.

He’s hurting and sad and lonely. He’s thinking about the future. And I still want to be part of that future. And no matter how scared I am about who Izuku will become… I’ve already decided to let him chase this dream of his. I can’t backpedal now.

She wanted to ask him more questions, but Toshinori was looking increasingly tired. His eyes were drooping, and his voice was strained from his coughing fit. She didn’t want to push him.

She rested a hand on his knee, drawing in a breath. “Well, Toshi. I’m going to let you get some sleep, okay? I’ll come in and check on you later.”

“O-okay.” He said, managing a weak smile at her.

She smiled back, but her heart was still heavy. For a while she sat there. She didn’t want to leave yet. She wanted to stay with him. She wanted to lie down with him and wrap him in her arms and tell him how much she appreciated him. She didn’t want him to be suffering and alone.

Instead, she said: “Is it… is it okay if I kiss you?”

His cheeks turned scarlet. He started to say something, but his mouth clicked shut moments later. He rubbed at the back of his neck.

Inko realized after a moment that he couldn’t find any words. She had stolen the breath out of this poor man. She dipped her head in a quiet apology, huffing a laugh. “It’s okay, Toshi. It’s too soon. I’m sorry.”

He gave her a grateful smile and a little shrug. Her heart stung a bit, but she was okay with being rejected. Yeah. It was too soon. Maybe some day, when their relationship was a little less fresh, she could try again.

She gave his knee a squeeze, got up, and left the room. She looked over her shoulder at him as she stood in the doorway. The last thing she saw was Toshinori sliding under the covers, lying down on a bed that he could actually fit in without his feet dangling over the end. She smiled at him and shut the door.

Chapter Text

Over the next two weeks, Inko and Toshinori explored their confusing new life together. It was a familiar dance to Inko. She already knew the steps, but Toshinori didn’t. She was the one teaching him, this time. She was patient as he stumbled. She would always hold his hand. He was a man who had never known love before, who had never had a partner, who never even entertained the idea of it. She had no idea how old Toshinori was, but she could only guess he was older than her. It shocked her that, in all his years, he had never been this close to someone before.

It had been confusing and messy as they navigated each other’s boundaries, but after two weeks, they still liked each other. They still wanted to make this work. It was encouraging to her.

That evening, they decided to meet for dinner at a nice restaurant downtown, to talk a little bit more about each other. Toshinori struggled over the menu, trying to pick something that he could actually eat, and he ended up asking quite a few questions to the waiter before settling on their soup of the day. Inko selected a steak dinner, cooked medium-rare.

“I was wondering something,” Toshinori began, sipping on his glass of water. “About Hisashi. Is it okay to talk to you about it?”

Inko nodded.

“How did you meet? Why did you marry him?”

“We were highschool sweethearts,” Inko replied, folding her hands on the table. “He was a popular boy. When he had eyes for me, I felt kind of starstruck. Like one of the lucky girls, I guess. I was so worried he would lose interest in me, so I kind of obsessed over him and made my life revolve around him. We got married very young, too. I think… that didn’t do any favors for our relationship in the long-term. He got used to me treating him like a god, I guess? We started falling out of love once Izuku entered the picture, and my priorities changed. I wasn’t obsessing over him anymore. We had a son.” Inko pinched at the bridge of her nose. “...I guess he never actually wanted to have Izuku, and… that hurt. A lot.”

“Of course it hurt. Why wouldn’t anyone want Izuku?” Toshinori said in a breath, in disbelief. He cleared his throat, reaching out to take her hand, giving it a squeeze. “Inko, I… I don’t think Hisashi ever really loved you in the first place.”

She closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath.

“I’m- I’m sorry, that was too harsh.” He said quickly.

“No, no. You’re right, Toshi. You’re right.” She smiled sadly at him. “I realized that a few years ago, and it became easier for me to move on.” After a moment, she asked him a question of her own: “Toshi, how old are you?”

He coughed, turning scarlet. “...That’s one of my big All Might secrets,” He said in a hoarse whisper. “I have never told anyone how old I am. Not even Izuku.”

“Can you tell me?”

“Promise to keep it a secret?” By his tone and hushed voice, she could tell he was mostly kidding.

“I’m already keeping a lot of your secrets, your age is an easy one.” She laughed.

“I’m 48.”

He was almost 50. His age didn’t surprise her, but he had about 10 years on her. “I’m 40,” she replied. “Does our age difference bother you?”

“No, unless it bothers you?”

“No, it’s nice. I think I’ve always liked older men,” she winked at him. He spluttered a little, scratching at the back of his neck. She chuckled. He always reacted strangely to her flirtatious teasing, like it embarrassed or confused him. She thought it was cute. “Toshi, I’m also curious… when you say you’ve never been in love before… does that include being intimate?”

He cleared his throat. “Ah-- yes. It does.”

“Never!” Okay, that surprised her. “You’re 50!”

“Never.” He responded with a lopsided smile.

“Do you ever feel like you’ve been missing out? Does it bother you?”

“No, it doesn’t bother me. I know it, ah, might seem strange?” He drummed his bony fingers on the table.

“It’s a little strange, yes!” She said, blinking at him. No wonder he was so slow about moving forward in their relationship. He still hadn’t even kissed her. He wasn’t just a novice at this, he was a complete beginner. “Is it, something you would want some time in your life?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really think about it.” He looked embarrassed, shy, his attention drifting away from her.  

Inko had to have a real, long think about that.

Would she be okay moving forward in a relationship with a man who didn’t think about being intimate? Inko was used to being a single parent and having no physical connections with other people for a very long time. But she had been going into this relationship with Toshi on the assumption that they might eventually get married. She wasn’t in this to just have a good time and mess around. Inko was focusing on the future, on the long term.

I’m willing to take him being so incredibly sick, bleeding everywhere, holding down an extremely dangerous job… why should this be the dealbreaker?   She thought, twirling her hair around her ear. Of all things to bother her about dating All Might, this really shouldn’t have mattered. At least I won’t have to worry about him cheating on me...

She smiled at him. “I think I understand,” she responded after a moment. “I know this probably isn’t easy to talk about, but I appreciate you being honest about your experiences, Toshi.”

He gave her a good-natured thumbs up, grinning just a little too wide. The poor man probably felt extremely self conscious about this. Inko hoped he knew she wasn’t judging him.

“I have one more question. A little less awkward, this time.” She said, grinning at him. “Do you mind telling me about your parents?”

He relaxed considerably, obviously grateful for the change in topic. “Of course,” he said. “My mother, Summer, was from San Francisco. Ah- that’s in California, in the states. She immigrated to Japan, and that’s where she met my father, Shigeru Yagi.”

“Oh! You’re half-American?” It was a surprise to her. He looked very Japanese in his features, except for his hair color.

“Yes,” He said with a smile. “I’ve got my mother’s hair, and her eye color,” he tapped his temple. “I loved both of my parents very much. Both of their cultures were important to me. That’s why I chose the United States when I went abroad.”

“Her name was Summer? I think you got her sunny disposition, too,” Inko commented with a smile, but it faded somewhat as something he said struck her. Was. Past tense. “What happened to her?”

Toshi’s smile faded too. “She was killed. By a villain. I was only 12. My father died a year or two later. He got sick. I think it must have been heartbreak. By that time, I was a student at U.A. Nana became like a mother to me. I had to become independent while I was very young. The faculty of U.A. were basically my parents, and the person who became like my father went by Gran Torino. Immediately after I graduated from U.A., I went to the states.”

Inko’s heart sank. “I’m… I’m so sorry, Toshi.” She whispered. Both his mothers were killed. It was horrible. “Is… is that why you chose to become a hero?”

He rubbed at his jaw, thinking. “...I wanted to hate the villain who killed my mother. I wanted to blame him. I wanted to be fueled by vengeance and bring justice down upon him. But I just… couldn’t. All that anger and hate… I just wasn’t capable of fostering it. That villain was another human being, driven to do what he did out of desperation and pain.” His bright eyes looked over at Inko. “That… that was why I became a hero. Not because I wanted personal vengeance. But because whatever drove that villain to do what he did, it was because hero society is broken, and the world is dark and full of pain. I decided I wanted to shine a light upon this world, instead of breeding more suffering.”

Inko watched Toshinori’s face, the determination in his voice, the light in his eyes. Her heart grew full and proud. This was why she loved Toshinori. Not just for all the little things, like his smile and his voice. He was a real hero. A truly good person. There was nothing deceptive about him, no secret dark side.

All the little awkward things they were trying to figure out about their relationship didn’t matter at all. The more she learned about Toshinori, the more she wanted him.

She was impatient. She wanted to kiss him, stick a ring on his finger, take him down to the nearest government office for a marriage license, and whisk him away on a honeymoon vacation. Of course, those were just the silly daydreams of a lovestruck girl. She found she often had these daydreams, when she was with Toshi.

“What about your parents?” He asked, dragging her out of her thoughts.

She smiled up at him. “They’re both in their 60s, but they’re still alive and well. I don’t see them very often, though.”

“Is your relationship with them okay?”

“I’d… say it’s fine, yes,” she said, rubbing her cheek. “I know they’re… disappointed with how things turned out with Hisashi. But I think they know it was more his fault than mine. I just, ah. I don’t talk to them much because I don’t like to get out of the house much, and I don’t call very often because I always end up feeling so embarrassed.”

“Why?”

“I guess… I just. I think I’m a failure sometimes, and that maybe I disappoint them. I have an older brother who is much more successful than me.”

Toshinori looked surprised to hear that, his eyebrows scrunching up. His other hand went to hers, and he cupped it between both his hands. “You’re not a failure, Inko. And I’m… I’m glad you’ve been coming out with me. I like seeing you, and I like it when you’re happy and smiling.”

His palms are so warm , she thought, her heart fluttering.

“What standards are you judging yourself by, anyway?” Toshi asked. “What do you think ‘success’ looks like?”

“I… I don’t really know. That’s a good question.”

“You’re the mother of Izuku Midoriya!” Toshinori said enthusiastically, squeezing her hand between his. “What a wonderful achievement! What an amazing boy you’ve raised, all by yourself! He’s so smart and brave and kind, and he gets it all from you!”

Tears sprang to Inko’s eyes. She quickly wiped at them with her sleeve, sniffing. “Oh, Toshi,” she said in a half-laugh, half-sob. “Y-you know, I really, really want to kiss you for that...”

She had just been making a little joke. In the moment, her thoughts had spun ahead of her and her words got all tangled up, and that was what came out. Just a little joke.

But Toshinori stood up, leaned across the table, and pressed his warm lips to her cheek. He let it linger for a few seconds, before he drew away and plopped back down at his end of the booth, his bones popping.

Inko stared at him, wide-eyed. Her hand lifted to her cheek. Her brain caught up to her fluttering heart, and a laugh jumped free of her throat. “T-toshi,” she said in a breath. “You’re wonderful.” She beamed at his red cheeks and lopsided grin and hunched shoulders. What a delightful, awkward, charming man.

She would take a cheek-kiss. It was a step forward.

Chapter Text

Toshinori braced himself for his least favorite season. It wasn’t easy to train Izuku in the blistering heat of summer, but winter brought its own unique challenges. No matter how much he bundled up, he was always cold. There wasn’t enough meat on his bones. The bitter air was harder on his lung and made his joints ache. In order for him to get around comfortably in his true form, he humiliated himself by riding around on a segway. He felt like an old man.

Izuku and Inko had poked fun about it at first, teasing him about being geriatric, before they got used to seeing him with it. It was better that he saved his strength for when he really needed it. All Might could be called away at a moment’s notice, and he couldn’t risk exhausting himself prematurely.

Izuku was making steady progress with the beach. He bounced back from his previous medical scare without too much trouble. However, at the rate he was going, Toshinori was genuinely worried he wouldn’t be able to meet his goal in time for U.A.’s entrance exams.

He planned on giving him One for All anyway, regardless of if he completely succeeded or not. Izuku had done a lot of very hard work, and it was obvious by looking at him how much he had changed in just a few short months. He had gone from a scrawny, nerdy little fanboy to a sturdy, tough-looking young man. Toshinori was confident that he could handle One for All, even if he didn’t completely clean the beach in time.

In two weeks, it would be Christmas Eve, and Toshinori had gone downtown to look for gifts for Inko and Izuku. He planned to take Inko out on an expensive date and do something fun and romantic downtown, but he hadn’t quite settled on where, or what. He planned on doing some online research when he got home about the best sorts of romantic dates for Christmas Eve celebrations, feeling like a complete fool that it wasn’t something he already knew.

Despite being the world’s #1 Hero, Toshinori didn’t keep much of the money that he got from his agency work. He didn’t keep the money from merchandising deals, either. He wasn’t the one selling out his image to companies who made All Might products. The financial staff at his agency were responsible for doing that. They were also responsible for handling all the revenue. From what little he knew about the income his agency raked in, the numbers were staggering.

All Might’s agency put the vast majority of that money into charities and community service work. He was the one who ultimately chose which charities he wanted to support and where he wanted his money to go. He only kept enough of it to live comfortably in his apartment and handle his medical expenses. He didn’t feel right taking more than that. He didn’t become a hero for money. The people who worked desk jobs at his agency had better paychecks than he did, and it was a decision he consciously made.

For the first time in his life, he found himself wishing he had more money.

Izuku and Inko rarely talked about things they wanted. He wanted to spoil them and buy them something fancy and expensive, like a new car, a video game console or a bigger TV. He knew the Mikdoriyas weren’t extravagant people, and they weren’t expecting anything from him, but he still wanted to make their jaws drop.

In the end, Toshinori couldn’t afford anything like that. He settled for finding Inko some nice craft supplies, hoping she would like the fabrics and jewelry kits he found.

For Izuku, he found a rare, limited edition All Might statue in a hero merch store. He would have never dreamed of buying something like this as a gift if he didn’t already know Izuku was a rabid collector of All Might merchandise. He felt ridiculous and narcissistic buying a figurine of himself. Fortunately, the store clerk would never know who he was.

He bought some gift boxes and wrapping paper, too. It had been a long time since he went all out with Christmas presents, so he wanted to make it count.

It was 6:30 and the sky was already dark. The winter wind was blistering, biting right through his thick jacket and turtleneck sweater and chilling him down to the bone. Snow was drifting from the sky, not thick enough to stick, but it looked like it’d get worse through the evening. Toshinori could see his breath as he walked to his truck, his head bowed. His only solace was looking at all the pretty Christmas lights that decorated the streets. The city was already starting to set up the annual light show. He was looking forward to seeing the sights with Inko and enjoying himself.

He hopped into his truck and started down the road, exhaustion weighing on his limbs like weights. He had a lot of work lately at his agency, mostly thefts and burglaries, and he had exhausted his hero form for the day. He didn’t think he could manage to become All Might even if he wanted to.

His beat-up truck puttered along. It chugged every time he stopped at a red light. Sometimes, the old truck seemed a bit like him. He needed to take it to a mechanic at some point. He just never had the time.

A blur of motion caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He glanced towards an alley, and saw a woman running. Chased. Someone was following her.

Not good. This is the near bad part of town.

They were near the manufacturing district. There were a lot of old warehouses and run-down factories nearby. Toshinori was extremely familiar with the place. Back alley deals, secret lairs… this was the sort of place that bred villains like rats.

Toshinori’s hero instincts bristled within him. He pulled over immediately, thanking his lucky stars that there was no one coming and no one parked nearby. He threw off his seatbelt and reached within himself, looking for that spark of One for All that burned in his soul.

Steam hissed from his muscles. Nothing happened.  

He tried harder. He strained, his jaw clenched so tight he thought he might shatter a molar.

Nothing happened.

He had exhausted himself too much today. He couldn’t become All Might. There was no hope of it.

“Dammit!” He hissed. No time. He thrust open his door and rushed onto the street. His feet pounded as he rushed to the alley where he saw the woman running to. He didn’t see her yet. He kept going.

He wasn’t fast in this body, not by a long shot. If they got ahead of him and went somewhere out of sight, he was unlikely to catch up. But he had to try. If something happened to that woman because he didn’t intervene, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

His only clue as to where they could have gone was a tipped-over trash can that looked recent. He followed the path, ran down a street, and followed his instincts to a nearby alley.

His heart jumped to his throat. There they were. He saw two figures up ahead. She had been cornered. Her hands were up to shield her face. The man attacking her was after her belongings.

“Hey!” Toshinori yelled.

The burglar whirled around. He was a scrawny, messy looking guy, clearly desperate. He looked like he hadn’t had a shave and haircut in a while, and his clothes were ragged, too thin for weather like this. He didn’t look like he wanted to be a villain. He was a victim of a broken society.

In that moment, Toshinori remembered his mother. The man who attacked and killed her. He looked a lot like that, too. Determination raging in his heart, Toshinori held up both his hands in a placating gesture. “Let me- let me buy you dinner. I won’t call the cops. We can talk about this. Just leave her alone.”

That seemed to give the burglar pause. He stood there and stared at Toshinori, his breaths rapid. He seemed to be considering it. Good. Maybe Toshinori could diffuse this situation without having to fight anyone.

While the burglar was distracted, the woman he was attacking slipped away and started to run for it, flashing a grateful look to Toshinori as she passed. Toshinori could only glance at her. He didn’t want to take his eyes off the burglar.

Everything happened at once.

The burglar changed. In a split second, a beast stood in place of a man. A flash of fangs and claws rushed towards the woman who was running. Toshinori moved to intercept. He spun on a heel, a scrawny fist shooting to clip against the thick fur that had sprouted on the burglar’s face. He knocked him clean against the jaw.

Your eyes are faster than your head. Let instinct guide your muscles, not reason.

Stunned, the burglar whipped around to face Toshinori, confusion in his slitted pupils. He barked through a drooling maw. There was no human reason in his canine face anymore.

“That’s a fancy quirk you’ve got.” Toshinori replied in a level tone. A werewolf transformation quirk wasn’t going to be easy to deal with, especially if he couldn’t communicate anymore. Toshinori wondered if he had no control over his quirk. If that was the case, the poor man shouldn’t be blamed for this.

It still didn’t change what he had to do.

Toshinori brought up his fists, his stance sturdy. In his peripheral vision, he noticed the woman had escaped. Now it was just up to him to get out of this mess without getting himself killed. His brain was still All Might, full of Gran Torino’s combat training, but his body wasn’t. The best he could do was give himself an opening to run for it and call for backup.

A clawed paw swiped at him. He dodged. Teeth snapped at his shoulder. He jumped back.

“I’m still willing to buy you dinner! Why are you fighting me?” Toshi shouted.

Nothing. He wasn’t getting through to this guy. His heart pounded. The werewolf pounced at him and he feinted right, then ran left. His hand grappled for his cell phone in his back pocket. But he couldn’t pull up his contacts and watch this guy at once. His vision blackened with fur. A claw sliced through the length of his arm.

Despite his best efforts, his phone flew from his injured hand. The screen shattered on the ground. The werewolf picked it up in its teeth and crushed it. The case came clean off. The battery popped out.

Toshinori jumped back, heart hammering.

I’m going to be his dinner at this rate.

His only hope of getting out of here was to stun this guy and take a run for it. He had to get serious. As the werewolf moved in to strike, Toshinori stepped forward instead of away. He struck the creature right between the eyes with an open palm, then brought his knee up to kick him in the gut.

It didn’t work.

Toshinori wasn’t used to how weak he was in this body! If he had been in All Might’s body, it would have--

He was on the ground. The burglar’s weight crushed him. All he could see were fangs and a pink tongue. He couldn’t move. This guy was going to eviscerate him.

When attacked by an animal, behave unpredictably.

He shoved his injured arm into the werewolf’s mouth, as deep as he could, so that his fist hit against the base of his tongue and back of his throat. The beast made a choking sound, momentarily stunned. As Toshinori jerked his arm back out of the beast’s maw, his teeth clamped down, tearing his flesh to ribbons as he drew away. His front teeth caught on Toshinori’s fingers. Bones crunched as Toshinori yanked his hand free in a burst of adrenaline.  

He barely felt the pain. He had stunned the beast enough to give himself a moment to recover, stumbling to his feet to run for it. He only had to get to the street. He only had to find bystanders.

He didn’t even manage two steps.

The beast snagged his back. He threw him against the wall of the nearest building like a ragdoll. He took the brunt of it against his left side.

Nothing existed but pain. Toshinori crumpled to the ground, his good arm snaking against his chest. He couldn’t breathe.

I’m actually going to die.

Of all the things…

A car drove by. Toshinori’s eye widened. He tried to call for help. The werewolf noticed it too. His teeth closed around Toshinori’s leg. He dragged him backwards across the asphalt. Toshinori scrambled against the ground, resisting, his fingernails breaking.

He was dragging him deeper into the manufacturing district. No one was around to see them. Toshinori gave up trying to fight back as he was dragged farther and farther away from civilization. He was helpless. Waiting to die.

Nana saved me for nothing.

Inko… Izuku…

The werewolf stopped dragging him. The sharp pains of clenched teeth retreated from his leg. He couldn’t see what was happening, but he heard a very human voice begin to sob behind him.

“Oh- oh God. What have I done!?”

Toshinori tried to move. With every ounce of strength, he turned onto his side so he could look at the burglar behind him. He wasn’t a wolf anymore. He changed back. Could he be reasoned with now?

“G-get help,” Toshinori choked, spitting a mouthful of blood.

“I- I can’t- they’ll arrest me- I did this to you!”

“I’ll make up a story--”

“I- I can’t- oh God… my life is over! It’s over!”

“It’s oka--” Toshinori began, but his voice was drowned out in a gurgling cough. A coppery taste trickled up his throat. Blood spilled from his lips.

The burglar was freaking out. Toshinori couldn’t even understand what he was saying anymore, he was babbling nonsense. He wanted to say something, to calm him down, to reassure him, but he could barely breathe.

He felt the burglar’s hands digging through his pockets. His wallet was removed. Then, he felt the man’s arms encircle him and lift him from the ground. Was he picking him up? Was he taking him to get help?

Then, for a split second, he was weightless. Flying.

He landed on something soft, with a strange texture like stretchy plastic, but a horrible smell surrounded him, choking his senses, overwhelming him. His eyes stung. Garbage. He was lying on garbage bags.

Then, everything went dark as something slammed shut above him.

The burglar had tossed him into a dumpster.

Chapter Text

That day, Inko learned what it meant to know real fear.

She thought she knew before. But she realized just how wrong she was. Worrying over Toshinori had been, up until now, hypothetical. His health problems had been relatively minor, and the few incidents All Might was called to resolve, they weren’t particularly dangerous.

It began when Toshi didn’t show up for dinner when he said he would. None of her calls to his cell phone were going through. It wasn’t like him to turn off his cell phone or let it die. He always responded to her texts within minutes, and he never let a call go unanswered. His job as a pro hero depended on being on call. That cell phone was a lifeline for other people, and Toshi was too conscious of that to do something so careless as forget to charge it.

“Izu,” she told her son as she paced worriedly in the hall, giving up on trying to call Toshi for the 20th time. “Something’s wrong. Toshi’s not answering his phone. He was supposed to be here  30 minutes ago.”

“Maybe he’s busy?”

“This isn’t like him at all. Will you come with me to his apartment? I just- I have to check on him.”

Izuku looked worried, uncomfortable. He chewed anxiously on his thumbnail- a habit he had picked up from her- and nodded. Inko wasted no time rushing out the door. Izuku followed close behind, barely managing to grab their coats as he rushed out the door. He handed Inko’s coat to her, and she took it and put it on without remembering to thank him.

She wouldn’t waste her time walking, even though Toshinori lived very closeby. Inko hopped into her little car, Izuku barely managing to sit down and clamp on his seatbelt before she was driving off with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.

When they arrived at his apartment, there was a strange man wearing a tan trenchcoat, shoulders dusted with snow, knocking on Toshi’s door. Inko’s heart was in her throat as she rushed up the metal stairway to reach Toshinori’s story of the building.

“Who are you?” She demanded of the man in the trenchcoat.

He turned to face her. He was a very plain-looking fellow, dark hair hidden by a hat that matched his coat. His expression was worried. Grave. Was he a friend of Toshi’s who had come here, worried about him? Or was he the cause of Toshi’s absence?  

“I was going to ask you that,” he said, looking between Inko and Izuku.

“We’re friends of Toshinori’s. I’m Inko Midoriya. This is my son Izuku.”

Recognition flashed in the man’s dark eyes. “Midoriya,” he echoed. “I see.” He turned to face them fully. “Toshinori told me all about you both.” He extended a hand towards Inko. “Naomasa Tsukauchi. I’m a detective on the police force.”

Inko’s blood went cold. “C-can I see? Proof?” She asked in a shaking voice. She still did not trust this man.

“Of course.” The man flashed his ID and detective badge. “You can trust me. I’m a very close friend of Toshinori’s. I even have a spare key to his apartment.” He said, pulling a keyring out of his pocket.

“W-what happened to Toshi?” Inko asked, her voice threatening to crack.

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m here.” He said. “I was hoping it might be a false alarm, so I came here to check on him.”  

“Is- is the police involved?”

“His phone is set up on an emergency alert system. When it goes dark, it pings his last known location to his agency and the police force. It’s an automatic process. Most of the time it’s a false alarm.” Naomasa explained as he unlocked Toshinori’s apartment door and pushed it open. “In all my years working with Toshinori, it’s only ever been legitimate two times. When a villain breaks or interferes with his phone, they think they can cut him off from outside contact. There’s a small team on their way to his last known location now. I just came over here to make sure he’s not at home.”

“I see,” Inko said, bile in her throat as she stepped into Toshi’s apartment.

Dark.

“Toshi!?” She called.

Silence.

Inko, Izuku, and Mr. Tsukauchi swept through the building, checking every room from top to bottom. There was no sign of him anywhere. Inko barely registered the horrendously messy state of his master bedroom as she rushed through it, checking everything from under his bed to his disorganized closet, just in case.

“W-what- what do we do now?” Izuku asked. His thumbnail had been in his mouth for the past fifteen minutes.

“We go to his pinged location.” Mr. Tsukauchi said, his voice calm and level. He lifted his cell phone out of his pocket and called someone. “Sansa. Have you found anything?” A pause. “His truck? Any sign of an altercation?” Another pause. “We’ll be right there.”

Inko and Izuku watched the detective expectantly as he pocketed his phone. “Toshinori’s truck was found a block away from his broken cell phone. There’s some blood, but it’s hard to tell where he is now. They’re sending teams out in all directions to figure out where he might have gone. Please, try not to panic. This kind of stuff happens all the time to pro heroes, and it’s usually ends up looking worse than it actually is. Leave it to the police. We’ll find him.”

“C-can we help look for him? Please, Mr. Tsukauchi,” Inko insisted, grabbing the detective’s arm. “Please.”

“Mrs. Midoriya, there’s no need to--”

“I know who he is.” Inko insisted, her grip tightening on Mr. Tsukauchi’s arm. “Do you? Toshinori’s identity.”

Mr. Tsukauchi watched her carefully for a moment. “Yes. I do.”

“He’s All Might.” Inko said, her tone level.

Tsukauchi stared, jaw slack. Then, his eyes screwed shut, and he let out a long, slow breath. “He told you.” He sounded… worn out. Disappointed.

“Yes. He did.” Inko insisted, narrowing her eyes at him.

“How much did he tell you?”

“I know about his injury. I know about his quirk.” Inko squeezed his arm again. “He’s in danger. I can feel it. You know how frail he really is.”

Mr. Tsukauchi pinched at the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

“Yes,” He admitted. “I’m worried, too.” Then, he said, “All right. Mrs. Midoriya. Young man,” the detective looked to Izuku as he spoke. “I’ll allow you both to accompany me. We’ll look for Toshinori. I’ll give you my number in case we have to split up.”

They returned outside to the biting chill of snow.

Inko felt sick to her stomach, imagining what had happened to Toshi. It started to feel very real to her when she saw the crime scene.

When the three of them arrived at the alley, a police officer with a catlike face passed over a plastic bag containing Toshinori’s broken cell phone to Naomasa. A few bystanders were being questioned. The area was sectioned off by yellow tape reading “DO NOT CROSS -  POLICE LINE” in repeating, bold text. Another police officer was investigating a few splatters of red, but the blood on the ground was threatening to get covered up by falling snow. It was a race against the weather to figure out if there was more blood, if it was leading in any specific direction. Some people were checking the adjacent buildings, others had gone down the street. The police force had been spread out thin, and Inko was grateful that Tsukauchi allowed her and Izuku to offer a few extra eyes and ears.

There wasn’t much time to talk about what to do next. Inko and Izuku followed Naomasa’s lead, the detective trudging off down a nearby street leading to the warehouse district. Snow had draped over the street, making it difficult to see anything on the ground.

All the buildings around them were very run down, covered in graffiti, ominous. Inko wondered if people even lived in these places. If they did, she doubted it was legal. She kept Izuku close beside her, clenching his shoulder. Mr. Tsukauchi stopped at each door he passed, knocking. At the fifth door, he actually got a response. Someone looked out the front window before opening the door after a few clicking locks. A tired-looking woman answered the door, standing there warily. Inko could smell the stink of smoke on her.

Mr. Tsukauchi flashed his badge. “I'm Detective Tsukauchi.” He introduced. “We’re investigating a disappearance in the area. Have you seen anything suspicious?”

“No,” she replied. “Sorry, sir.”

Inko saw the detective’s eyes flash, his brows furrowing. “I’d like the truth, please.” His tone was dangerously soft.

The woman flinched, shocked. She swallowed thickly. “I-- I don’t know what you’re talking about--”

“The truth.” He pressed. “I know you saw something tonight.”

Her fingertips clenched the doorknob, and she started to shut the door. The detective shoved his foot between the doorframe and the door, stopping it from closing.

“I’m not going to hurt you or call in the police force. I just need answers.” He pressed. “You can’t lie to me. I have a quirk, I can tell.”

“I- I see.” The woman replied, her voice shaking. “Fine. I did see something. But I was bribed to keep quiet.”

A lead. Maybe Mr. Tsukauchi could get somewhere with this. “Tell me everything. Please.” The detective pressed.

“I saw… I saw a man being tossed into a dumpster. Up north from here, across the street. I. I think he’s dead. I’m sorry, that’s all I know.”

Bile rose in Inko’s throat. She was the first to run for it, immediately followed by Izuku. She guessed Tsukauchi was asking for more information, a description of the man in the dumpster, or the person responsible for doing it, but she was long gone and out of earshot.

She ran like the wind. She barely noticed her own feet. She lifted the lid of every dumpster she passed, frantic. She didn’t want to fathom what she might see in one of them. Her mind refused to comprehend it.

Up ahead, she saw a fourth dumpster, the lids covered in fresh snow, but something about it looked different. It was then that she realized what it was. There was a splatter of red on the side of it, untouched by snow.

Izuku and Tsukauchi were right behind her as she approached it, talking to her, but she didn’t hear what they were saying. Her ears were ringing with her own pulse. Her shaking hands grabbed the dumpster lid and thrust it upright, snow raining down. The smell that burst forth was overwhelming. Garbage. Blood. Vomit. She had to scramble up onto a pile of garbage bags that were lying on the ground so she could make herself tall enough to look inside.

A man with messy blond hair was lying there on a pile of garbage bags, limp. His right arm and left leg were wrapped up in stained paper towels and ripped up shreds of trash bags, vividly red. He was too thin. Too tall. Unmistakable.

“Tosh--” Inko began, but the rest of her voice wouldn’t come. She burst into panicked tears. All she could do was stand there, helpless, as Izuku and Mr. Tsukauchi leapt into action, climbing up into the dumpster to assess Toshinori. The only sound that reached her ears was a frantic, hopeful, “he’s alive!”

She heard them debating in frantic voices how to move him without hurting him further. Slowly, the ringing sound faded from her ears. She had to be useful. She had to help. She had to think. She stood at the base of the dumpster. “I’ll- I’ll help. L-lower him down to me.”

It was a clumsy mess of limbs as Mr. Tsukauchi and Izuku worked as a team to remove Toshi’s limp and scrawny frame from the disgusting prison he was trapped in. Inko was there to help ease him down to the snow-covered ground. She felt sick as she looked at Toshi’s face. His eyes were closed. His clothes were stained with blood and vomit. He was barely breathing.  

Clarity returned to her senses as she heard her son and the detective conversing.

“The police force is expecting to find All Might. Not Toshinori.” Tsukauchi explained. “We’re extremely lucky to be the ones that found him. This- this is the first time this has ever happened. If I call the police force out here to get him, they’re all going to see his secret, and then everyone will come to know about it. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if they saw. But it’s going to make things harder for him in the long term. I don’t completely trust every single person I work with.”

“S-so what do we do?”

“I think we should call Ms. Shuzenji. Ah- Recovery Girl. She’s one of the few people who knows. She’s Toshinori’s doctor. Emergency contact.”

Inko remembered. That person had been called before, a very long time ago, when Toshinori had the lung infection. It was the crisis that had originally brought her and Toshinori together. Would this crisis be the one to tear them apart?

“W-will she get here fast enough to save him!?” Izuku asked, his voice frantic.

“I think so. We have to keep him warm until then. It looks like he managed to stop the bleeding on his own. We- we shouldn’t remove what he used as bandages. It’s completely unsanitary, but if he starts to bleed again, we’ll just kill him faster.” Mr. Tsukauchi shrugged off his jacket, tucking it over Toshinori. He grabbed his cell phone next, about to call Recovery Girl.

“What are you going to tell the police force?” Izuku asked.

“Unfortunately, I’ll have to lie about it and pretend we didn’t find him. All Might will have to come up with a story later.”

“You’d- you’d do that? But-- you’re a detective! With the police!”

“Protecting the Symbol of Peace is more important. If something comes from this, I’ll deal with the consequences.”

Inko gathered Toshi into her lap, holding him up against her chest. She held the detective’s jacket up over Toshi’s front, making sure he was covered. She barely noticed how bad he smelled. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Her heart felt like it was shattering. She brushed her fingertips over his forehead, pulling back his hair so she could see his face.

She heard Tsukauchi talking to someone over the phone, but her mind was now too occupied to listen. She saw Izuku crouching next to her, huddling close. Tears had frozen to the boy’s cheeks.

While she held Toshi, she felt his body tensing. He gagged and coughed. Fluid leaked between his lips, a thin trickle. Without thinking, Inko wiped it away with her own sleeve. Not that it helped. His face was covered in filth. His breathing was becoming more erratic. Was he awake? Inko’s grip tightened on him, her thoughts spinning wildly into darkness. "Shh, Toshi, sweetheart," she heard her own voice saying. "You're going to be okay, we're here, you're safe." Her fingertips brushed through his hair, shaking.

What if he dies in my arms?

What do I do?

Why is this happening?

She barely noticed a vehicle arrive on the scene from a side street, an ambulance. There was no fanfare. It was quiet. Mr. Tsukauchi had apparently called for discretion. She barely remembered asking permission to ride with Toshinori. She felt her son grasping her wrist as he joined her. They wouldn’t be separated from Toshi. They couldn’t be.

Mr. Tsukauchi had to stay behind and come up with a cover for this crime scene. The last thing Inko heard him saying was a desperate prayer for more snow.

Inko realized, as she got into the back of the ambulance with Toshi’s corpselike frame, that she felt like she was breaking the law. Toshinori clearly had a network of close, trusted friends in powerful positions, likely for situations just like this one. They were dodging proper protocol and infrastructure, just to protect the identity of the Symbol of Peace.

Inko didn’t think it was worth it.

Chapter Text

Inko held Toshinori’s hand where he lay in a hospital bed, an oxygen mask affixed over his face. Tubes fed fluids and blood into his veins. Patches and wires were stuck to his skin, monitoring his vitals. He had been washed and changed by medical staff, his wounds carefully sterilized. The process was a little hasty and haphazard, given his critical state, but it had been impossible to safely operate on his injuries without it. Despite some nasty bruising to the scar on his left side, some shattered fingers and a shredded arm and leg, he was stable. He would pull through.  

Inko learned about Recovery Girl’s quirk. When she kissed someone, their bodies were stimulated to work in overdrive and rapidly heal injuries. However, there was a great deal of risk in using too much of her power. It was possible to exhaust someone to the point of death. In Toshinori’s case, his body was already so exhausted and frail, it was too much of a risk to use Recovery Girl’s quirk to its fullest extent to heal him. The medical hero only felt comfortable using it to a certain extent. The most critical of his injuries and trauma to his left side was eased to a less dangerous state, but she said he’d have to wait to heal naturally from there.

They expected he would wake up soon. All they could do was wait. They’d have to monitor him to make sure his condition wouldn’t worsen from using contaminated bandaging and lying for hours in a pile of garbage.  His blood test had come back, confirming the presence of something bad, but Inko didn’t know the specifics of what Recovery Girl and her medical team had discussed. Toshinori was on medication now. As long as Recovery Girl was confident in his prospects, that was all Inko cared to know.

They were in a privately owned medical clinic which operated on the campus of U.A. high school. Inko had never been to the campus before, though she had seen the place on plenty of news reports and photographs. It was a lot grander in person, but she hardly had the opportunity to see any of it except from outside the ambulance window. They had ushered their patient inside the building through a private entrance. No one had a chance to see them.

“Everyone of us knows his secret, and the truth behind One for All. There are only two others that are not present. So, we can speak freely.” Tsukauchi said from nearby.

“Only two besides us?” Inko asked.

“Yes. The principal of U.A. and his old combat teacher, Gran Torino.”

“Okay. Why so few of us? I… I thought for sure he would have told more people.”

“I have been trying to convince poor Toshinori to drop that whole ‘Symbol of Peace’ thing for years. He won’t listen to reason. Stubborn oaf.” The short old woman, who went by Recovery Girl, sat near her medical PC, sighing and clicking her tongue. “He thinks he’s got to hold the world up on his shoulders all alone, and wear that horrifying fake smile all the time. He thinks he needs to have no weaknesses, no fear, no trouble at all. He thinks he has to keep these secrets to protect his friends and loved ones. He doesn’t realize that plenty of us are perfectly capable of protecting ourselves, and that maybe we want to protect him, too.”

“He should … he should just retire. Right now. I don’t think my heart can take this happening again.” Inko swallowed, massaging her face.

“We all feel the same way you do, Mrs. Midoriya. After his injury, all of us kept telling him to hang up his cape. He won’t listen to us. Maybe he will listen to you. When he wakes up, you should tell him how you feel.”  Tsukauchi paused, watching her from his spot near the door. “You know… when Toshinori told me about you, I advised him against pursuing a relationship. I thought it would be a bad idea, for your sake.”

Inko felt a confused sort of anger flicker in her chest, like she wasn’t sure if Mr. Tsukauchi was insulting her and Toshi’s relationship or not. It wasn’t his place to decide who they should love. Just what kind of advice was that supposed to be?

“But I realize now that my advice was ill placed.” The detective continued. “Toshinori needs you. He never listened to us, his closest friends. But maybe he’d listen to the person he loves.”

Inko still felt twisted up, listening to this stranger talk about her relationship. Seeing Toshi like this, she had her first real taste of the dangers he faced. It was shoved unbidden down her throat and it writhed in her gut. She still felt ill, even after the worst of it was over. She didn’t know if she could take another bite.

Can I really live like this, being in love with him while he’s trying to be All Might? Would I really threaten to break up with him if he doesn’t retire? Do I really want to pressure him like that? What kind of person would that make me? A wise person? Or a selfish one?

Izuku had been very quiet. Inko had almost forgotten he was still here. She looked over at him where he sat at the foot of Toshinori’s bed, his head hanging, sniffing. Her poor baby. He shouldn’t have had to witness any of this. He was so kind and tender-hearted. She wanted to wipe this whole experience away from him, erase it from his memories and thoughts forever. She wanted to bring his smile back.

He wants to be a hero. He’s going to have to see people in Toshi’s state all the time. Worse. He will have to see people dying and dead. Will he be able to take it?

“Izuku, baby…” Inko began, her voice cracking. “Do you want to go home? I- I’m sure Mr. Tsukauchi can take you.”

“No, I want to stay.”

“Are you okay, baby? What’s on your mind?”

His fists clenched on his knees. “I just…” He said, his throat tight. “I- I don’t think … I don’t think All Might should retire yet.”

Everyone exchanged glances. Inko felt a lump in her throat. Was it not obvious to Izuku what was going on, here? Of course, he’s upset. He idolizes All Might. To lose the Symbol of Peace, the person he’s loved and respected all his life… it would be a huge blow to him.

“Why, Izuku, dear? Why do you feel that way?” Recovery Girl asked softly.

“Because he still has the soul of a hero.” Izuku said, lifting his head, his eyes shining with tears, but Inko saw something different. Determination. Hope. She had seen this look before. There was water and fire in his eyes.

“He said- he said to me once... that’s what I have. But I think… I think maybe he got it backwards. He’s the one who has the soul of a hero and- and I got it from him. I’ve watched him all my life, ever since I was 4 years old. I wanted to be him. He’s still a hero. He’s still the same All Might that I’ve always looked up to.”

“It doesn’t matter how badly he wants to keep being a hero and how badly he wants to keep saving people.” Tsukauchi said, his tone level and professional as always. “Izuku, he has a chronic illness. He can’t help it. His body is falling apart.”

“He can still - he can still be All Might!” Izuku shouted. “Even if it’s just for a few hours! He can still be a hero!” Some of the fire faded from his voice as Izuku drew in a breath, thinking. As he slumped forward, staring at Toshi’s hospital bed, his brow furrowed in concentration. Inko knew what was coming. He was in one of his analytical moods. “I mean- you’re all talking about this like its his fault he got hurt. Like he’s just- throwing his own life away on purpose. We still don’t know what happened to him out there. We don’t know the whole story about why he got hurt tonight, so- so we should just wait to hear it from him. Anything could have happened. I just don’t feel right talking about him behind his back like this, like he’s some idiot. Don’t you all respect him?”

Izuku’s words were unexpectedly touching, and Inko felt some of her own resolve shrivelling inside. The others in the room, too, looked like they were grappling with the boy’s words.

“We don’t think he’s an idiot.” Tsukauchi replied softly. “Of course we respect him. Toshinori… he’s sacrificed so much to give the world hope, someone to look up to. I couldn’t be more proud to call him my friend.”

“Then why do you want him to retire?”

“Just look at him, young man,” Recovery Girl said sadly.

“I am! And I don’t see someone who’s ready to quit!”

“Do you want to see him die? Is that what you want?”

Izuku was starting to look angry. “You’re not listening to me,” he said through clenched teeth.

Before Izuku could clarify anything or argue further, a strained and weary voice came from the hospital bed. “You guys are giving me a headache.” Toshinori’s voice was muffled behind the oxygen mask, but behind the weariness in his words, Inko thought she heard a teasing tone.

Her heart burst to see him open his eyes, and she lowered her head against his chest and wept.

She felt his spidery fingertips rake through her hair. His hand was shaking and far too cold. But he was alive, and awake, and speaking. It was a good sign.

“Toshinori!” Mr. Tsukauchi and Recovery Girl were quick to join his bedside. “You’re awake, thank God.”

“How do you feel?”

Inko felt Toshinori take a gentle fistful of her hair as he listened to his friends fretting over him. He released the back of her neck and let his hand fall to his side. “I’ve had worse.” He drew in a deep breath through his nose. “Feel a bit sick to my stomach.” He tugged at the strap of the oxygen mask. “Can I take this off?”

“How’s the pain?”

“I don’t feel anything.”

“How’s your breathing?”

“I think I’m okay.”

Inko could only sit helplessly as Recovery Girl bustled around the room to remove his oxygen mask, adjust his medication and check his IVs. Mr. Tsukauchi seated himself nearby.

“Can you talk much, Toshi?” The detective asked.

“I think so.”

“Don’t force it if you can’t. We can always talk later. But we’d like to know what happened to get you in this state.”

Toshinori nodded tiredly, closing his eyes and drawing in a deep breath through his nose. Inko watched his face carefully. He had a history of pushing himself too much. If he started to look sicker, or started coughing, she planned to step in and stop him from speaking further.

“Was driving home from downtown. Saw someone being chased by a burglar. But I’d already reached my limit that afternoon. I tried to grasp One for All but it wouldn’t respond. I thought maybe I could resolve the situation without it, so I followed.”

Inko didn’t like where this was going. Clearly, Mr. Tsukauchi and Recovery Girl didn’t like it either, by the way they exchanged glances.

Toshinori continued. “I thought I was getting through to the burglar, but he turned out to have a quirk that turned him into a wild animal. He didn’t seem to be able to control the transformation, or himself. I couldn’t reason with him. He mauled me. He managed to transform back into his human form and I … I guess he couldn’t deal with what he did to me. He thought he’d be arrested and that his life was over, so I guess the only thing he could think to do in his panic was hide the evidence. So he threw me into a dumpster.”

“We definitely do have to arrest that guy for what he did.” Mr. Tsukauchi said, venom in his tone.

“No. It will do no good.” Toshinori shot back. “He needs to be put in rehab. He needs to learn how to control his quirk. He was clearly homeless, disowned, desperate. He didn’t want to do what he was doing. I don’t blame him for what he did to me.”

“He almost killed you! And nothing’s stopping him from doing it to someone else! If this guy’s still at large, we need to catch him!”

Toshinori clenched his fists and started to rise to a seated position. Inko worriedly stood from her chair, her hands hovering near his shoulders. He shouldn’t be pushing himself. “ This is the problem with hero society, Naomasa. This is what I hate about our world.” As he spoke, his voice grew more hoarse. “When we encounter people we don’t understand, quirks we don’t understand, we make them feel like they’re less than human. We drive them to do bad things, because they have no support group, no one to turn to. For years, I’ve tried so hard t--” he gurgled and coughed.

Inko reached for his shoulder, rubbing it. Recovery Girl was there with a plastic bin for him to spit in to. Inko winced at the blood. It wasn’t as much as before, but it was still hard to watch. While Toshinori caught his breath and dizzily laid back down, it gave her time to think and process all of this.

I shouldn’t be surprised. This is the consequence of a golden heart. The thing I love most about him is the thing that’s going to kill him.

“Toshi. My sunflower.” She said, her hand still on his shoulder. “You’ve tried so hard to change the world, all by yourself. And look at what you’ve done. You’ve brought the crime rate down lower than it’s ever been in history. What an amazing achievement.” His own words to her weeks ago echoed on her lips.

She smiled at him, pain on her eyes, a tremble in her fingertips. She lowered her face to his. Her lips pressed to his clammy skin. She kissed the hollow place between his cheekbone and jaw. She saw his brows furrow when she did, his lips pressing into a thin line. He was trying not to cry.

“You have done more than any single human being can ever hope to accomplish on their own. Now… you need to trust that hero society will follow your footsteps. We can’t change what’s broken about our world overnight… but we all can do our part. You’re not holding up this world alone.”

“You all want me to retire.” His words came in an exhausted breath, so empty and weary, Inko imagined it would be what a corpse would sound like if it could talk.

“I don’t.” Izuku said from nearby, his voice hardly audible.

“My boy…” Toshinori swallowed thickly, a weak smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “You understand.”

A silence fell upon the hospital room, and for a long time, Inko didn’t know what to say. As she tried to gather her thoughts, to find something to fill the void, Toshinori looked over at her, his eyelids heavy.

“Do you still… want to be with me… after all this?”

She grasped his hand and squeezed it. She couldn’t find her voice for a very long time. When she finally spoke, she had a very hard time keeping her voice from shaking. “Toshi… I want you to think very, very hard about what you want in the future. I know what kind of future I want… but it’s not going to come true if you’re dead.”

Toshinori didn’t reply. His eyes glued themselves shut.

“He’s getting exhausted.” Recovery Girl warned. “We should let him rest. We’ve given him a lot to chew on.”

Inko released his hand so she could brush back his messy, golden hair. It felt tangled and wiry beneath her fingertips. She knew how it was supposed to feel. Soft and fluffy, like a lion’s mane. He looked more like a sick kitten now.

Izuku is right, Inko thought bitterly. He does have the soul of a hero.

The soul of a hero trapped in a body that will get him killed for it.

Outside, a blizzard raged.

Naomasa’s cover-up of the crime scene went generally well, and no one suspected the man with the lie-detection quirk was lying. Naomasa wisely told the police not to reveal any of this information to the press.  The last thing anybody needed was a big “SYMBOL OF PEACE MISSING” headline all over the news.

Toshinori’s present concern was coming up with a plausible explanation for All Might’s absence while the poor, overworked police force was still searching for him. It was his top priority to make it out there in his hero form to assuage their worries and reassure them that he was alright. He would only have a few minutes in that body. An hour, if he was lucky.

His cover story? He was captured by a villain with a sleeping quirk and kept in one of the abandoned warehouses. He managed to escape a little too late for anyone’s comfort. All he’d need to do is show up to whoever was currently working on his disappearance case, explain the situation, and find a convenient way to leave the scene without being asked too many questions. Recovery Girl would allow him to leave the hospital, but only for 30 minutes tops. He would have to be very up-front in explaining why he would need to leave on such short notice and prevent the police from asking him too many questions.

None of that was really what he was worried about.

It was that guy with the werewolf quirk.

No matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t able to convince Naomasa to take a merciful approach. The detective had weaseled a description of the man out of him, and soon, everyone on the police was searching the city for him. Naomasa believed that it wasn’t their place to decide the consequences of a criminal’s actions. That was up to a judge and jury. It was the police’s job to bring those people in.

You did this once before, with that kid who was a suspect at the fire, Naomasa had reminded him. I let it slide, because it’s you. But you can’t keep doing this, Toshinori. You might be All Might, but you’re not the law.

In the end, the man had been found and arrested.

Toshinori’s plan to make an appearance and assuage the worries of the police went well. No one questioned him too much about his quick disappearance. They all assumed he had been exhausted from his fight with a villain that did not actually exist. In total, he had only been out of the hospital for 25 minutes to make his public appearance. A good thing, too. He deflated from his hero form against his will as soon as he made it back into Recovery Girl’s office.

He needed to buy a new cell phone. It was going to eat into his savings, but he didn’t want to bring this up with his agency’s financial department. He didn’t feel right asking for money, even though he knew they would readily give him whatever he wanted. He marked it down on his list of things to buy when Recovery Girl let him out of the hospital. She had kept him far longer than he expected, likely due to the infection he had contracted from the unsanitary conditions of his little dumpster diving adventure.

Christmas Eve was in three days. He wanted to go on a date with Inko. Right now, it looked like his chances of doing that were a big, fat “maybe.” At least she and Izuku made a point to visit him every day, but their conversations were rarely cheery.

He hadn’t made a decision on whether or not he was going to retire. And he didn’t know if his relationship with Inko hinged on that decision. She had been vague about what she meant when they discussed it on the day he was brought here, and he hadn’t had the heart to ask her for clarification.

Inko and Izuku never talked about it. They didn’t want to pressure him. He was already very aware of their stance, and the stances of his friends. Whenever they came to visit, it was usually to talk about school, or training, or the progress Izuku was making with the beach. Toshinori had told him to keep doing it, even if he wasn’t able to oversee his progress.

While he was stuck in bed, when no one was around to talk to him, all he could think about was all the different ways his future could go wrong. All he could think about was Inko.

Is she really going to make me choose between being a hero and being her boyfriend?

I can’t blame her if she did.

I don’t deserve her.

Chapter Text

On the morning of Christmas Eve, Recovery Girl let Toshinori go home. Inko had come to pick him up and take him to his apartment, with Izuku along for the ride. Toshinori wasn’t able to speak much, still exhausted and feeling a little ill, but at least his doctor was confident he would recover well enough on his own.

Inko and Izuku flanked him on either side as they helped him up the stairs. He felt ridiculous, with how much his knees knocked together, trying to accomplish such a simple task. By the time he made it up the stairs and to his front door, all he could think about was curling up on his couch in a blanket with a cup of tea.

Izuku opened the door for him. He was surprised to feel a blast of warm air against his face when he entered. His heater was on?

His arm was still draped over Inko’s shoulders as he shuffled into his apartment. Izuku had gone on ahead, though he wasn’t sure where he went.

It’s nice that they’re making themselves at home. He found himself thinking as he mindlessly followed Inko’s lead into his bedroom. He could walk on his own as her supportive grip left his shoulder.

When he entered, he wondered if he was in the wrong house.

Everything was clean and tidy. The furniture had been rearranged. There was no laundry or dishes strewn about. A new lamp had replaced the broken one near his bedside. A brand new dresser took up some empty space in a corner. His walls were decorated in framed photographs. From a glance, he saw that the photos were landscapes and scenery of places he recognized. The Golden Gate Bridge. The streets of San Francisco. Hollywood. Santa Monica Pier. Cliffs and beaches and deserts. All artful photographs of California. On another wall were more framed photographs, all familiar places in Tokyo, but more of Yakushima, and his cedars. An American flag and a Japanese flag hung on the opposite wall, taking up the entire wall space near the head of his bed. The bed itself was covered in a new comforter and fresh sheets, dark and stylish.

His room had been transformed into a beautiful celebration of the places he had lived, the places he considered home.

Izuku and Inko stood in the center of the room, facing him, all big smiles and glittering eyes. They spoke in unison:

“Merry Christmas, Toshi!”

“Merry Christmas, All Might!”

His hand lifted to cover the shocked look on his face. He blinked rapidly, trying to ward away tears before they came. “Y-you guys,” he whispered. He hobbled up to them to catch them both in a hug, one arm over each of them. He squeezed them tight. He felt their arms encircle him, draped around his back. “Thank you so, so much. I love it. This means so much to me.”

He sniffed thickly as he drew away. He had given up trying to stop himself from crying. There were tears rolling down his hollow cheeks as he looked at his family’s beautiful faces, squeezing their shoulders.

“I knew you would love it!” Izuku chirped.

“We both got the idea together,” Inko said with a gleaming smile. “We worked on it while you were in the hospital. Mr. Tsukauchi was kind enough to lend us your apartment key.” She winked at him.

Toshinori wiped his eyes. “I wish I had something as grand to give you both.” He managed. He was lucky that the gifts he had in his truck hadn’t been stolen in the time his vehicle was left unattended in the street. Tsukauchi had managed to retrieve it for him and drive it back to his parking spot at his apartment, and he got the presents out too. They were wrapped and left in the hall closet. “I was planning on giving them later tonight, but… ah… here, let me go get them.”

“You didn’t need to get us anything, Toshi,” Inko said with a laugh. “It’s enough of a gift to see you so happy.”

Toshinori shrugged off her comments, hobbling to his hall closet to retrieve the gift bags. He brought them back to Inko and Izuku, handing them both their respective presents. Izuku eagerly peeled back the wrapping paper. As soon as he saw what was inside, he made a big gasp.

“Oh my gosh!” He cried, freeing the All Might statue from its wrapping paper prison. “I can’t believe— wow! Where did you find this!? I’ve been trying to collect this one for years! It’s so rare!”

Toshinori laughed. “I have to say, it felt very odd buying a statue of myself. But I knew you liked collecting these things.”

“I love it, All Might!”

Inko, meanwhile, had opened up her own gift, revealing a hefty collection of brand new fabrics and jewelry kits. She seemed equally pleased with it as Izuku was, turning them in her hands with a big smile on her face. “Oh, Toshi, thank you! These are beautiful. I already have ideas for what I want to make with them.”

Toshinori felt his heart swelling. He was so glad to make them happy.

He sat down on the edge of his bed (it even smelled nice. It must have been the fresh sheets.) “I wanted to do something fun with you both in town to see all the lights and maybe eat some fried chicken,” he began, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “And, uh, I wanted to take you on a date, in the evening, just the two of us,” he said towards Inko. “But I, ah. I don’t know if I can handle being out in town all day. I’m really frustrated about that.”

“Oh, Toshi, don’t worry.” Inko said. “I wouldn’t have felt right doing that anyway, with you still being so ill.”  She clasped her hands together. “I was thinking we could just stay here for a while and watch movies. Is that okay?”

Izuku looked between them and cleared his throat. “You guys can do that. I need to go work at the beach. I’ve been kind of slacking off lately, so I wanna put in extra work today.”

“Okay, Izu. Please be careful. And wear your new tracksuit!”

“I will, Mom.” He tucked his new All Might figure under his arm as he headed out. “I’ll see you guys later. I hope you feel better, All Might.”

He was feeling better already.

He and Inko sat on his couch, nursing mugs of tea, watching old American movies. They were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, sharing a blanket. The day had dwindled to twilight. Izuku had been texting him throughout the day, letting him know how things were going. His last text confirmed that he was home safe, and he attached a picture of his Christmas present standing proudly on a shelf full of All Might figurines and statues of various sizes.

It was nice to see Izuku easing back into routine. And it was nice to be spending time with Inko. But as the day waned, his thoughts returned to the dark times they had shared, and the unanswered questions that lurked between them.

Every time he tried to bring it up, he couldn’t.

Right now, in this moment, he and Inko were enjoying some peace and comfort, for the first time in a long time. He didn’t want to shatter the moment with something that could very well lead to a painful topic.

As The Princess Bride came to a close, however, he felt Inko shifting in the couch next to him. She set her mug down on the coffee table and turned to face him. One of her hands rubbed circles over his back, and the other rested on his knee.

He didn’t mind sitting close to her on the couch, but now, with just a few changes in position, it suddenly felt far more intimate. She was very, very close. He felt uncomfortably warm beneath his turtleneck.

“I’ve… been hoping to talk to you about our conversation in the hospital. But I didn’t want to pick a bad time. So it’s up to you. Do you want to talk about it now, or do you want to do this another time?”

His eyes lowered to the floor. His head turned away from her. “I… suppose there’s no point in delaying the inevitable.”

“Do you still want to be a hero?”

He pinched at his nose and drew in a breath. “Izuku understands something about me that the others didn’t.” He began quietly. “Our personalities are very similar. We think the same. So he…he knows how I feel about heroism on a level that I think my other friends lack.” He hesitated for a moment to see if Inko would say anything. When she didn’t, he changed positions, bringing his knees up and tucking them up to his chest. He faced her fully.

“It doesn’t matter if I wear the title of hero or not. I will still always try to save people who are in trouble. That is just who I am. However, it is true that the very nature of All Might puts me in more danger than most people, and it is true that my ailing health is making it more and more difficult to be the Symbol of Peace.” He rested his hands on his knees, curling forward a little. “However, I will always be a hero.”

Inko watched his face carefully. Her expression was difficult to interpret. She sat with her arm draped over the back of the couch, close to him, breathing deep.

“I think I understand,” she said. “You got hurt when you weren’t even All Might. And I think that’s what bothers me. Even if you did retire, even if you did pass the mantle of the Symbol of Peace to someone else, the fact that you still rushed in to danger without thinking about yourself was disturbing.”

He nodded solemnly. She was right. Over the past two weeks, she had plenty of time to think about the circumstances that led him here, and it seemed she had settled on the heart of the problem. He agreed with her, and that was why this was so hard. “I feel right now, that whether or not I retire is irrelevant. A hero isn’t defined by a costume they wear, a license they carry, or a quirk they have. Your son taught me that the day we met.”

“And my son is why I want you to rest .” Inko said, scooting even closer to him, her hands lifting to place on top of his knees. She leaned forward, eye level with him, staring right into his eyes. “You’ve chosen him as your successor. You’ve chosen him as the next Symbol of Peace. That is why I want you to stop throwing yourself into danger when no one is around to help you, regardless if you’re retired or not. I want you to love yourself more than the world, for once in your life. Izuku needs you. And I need you.”

“I understand what you’re asking me to do, and I respect your sentiments.” Toshinori replied softly. “But Inko, I don’t even know what that would even look like. A hero’s job is self-sacrifice, not self-preservation. I feel like I can’t have both. I feel like I have to choose.”

“There has to be a way to have both. We have to find the answer. Because If you keep hurting yourself, you’re going to keep hurting me. So if you choose this path of relentless self-sacrifice… you choose to hurt me. And it’s going to be very hard for us to have a happy relationship. I thought I’d be able to handle it when I went into this, but finding you in that dumpster, imagining how much you suffered, seeing you covered in blood, barely alive…” She drew in a deep breath, leaning her head against his knees. “Toshi, I can’t even begin to describe to you how horrifying that was. I haven’t been able to sleep without having nightmares about it.”

His heart clenched and his throat tightened. He didn’t know what to say. He adjusted again so that he could sit closer to her, his arms reaching out to encircle her, hugging her against his chest.

“I’m so, so sorry, Inko.”

“I’m- I’m not mad at you, Toshi. How could I be? You were trying to save someone. I just- it feels like you don’t care at all about what happens to yourself. And I can’t handle that.”

He kissed her forehead. He brushed back her dark hair.  “There's something I need to tell you. I think... now is a good time for it."

She looked at him expectantly.

"When the next semester starts, I’ll be on the faculty of U.A.” He told her softly. “I wanted it to be a surprise, which is why I haven’t told you or Izuku yet. I’ll be teaching a class on heroics. And while I’m a faculty member, my life is going to change significantly. I’ll be spending less time at my agency, and more time raising the next generation of heroes. I am going to be in a safer place.”

She looked shocked. Before she could say anything, he grinned lopsidedly at her and said, “don’t tell Izuku. If he gets in to U.A. next semester, I want it to be a surprise that I’ll continue to teach him while he’s at school.”

“That’s- that’s wonderful, Toshi,” she began, blinking, clearly confused and battling a lot of different emotions at once.

Before she could say anything else, Toshinori continued, smiling weakly at her. “You are right, about everything you said. Even if I’ll be physically safer, my mindset is still unhealthy. You’ve made me realize that I need to work on it. Are you willing to be patient with me, while I figure this out?”

“Yes,” her response was immediate. “Yes, Toshi. As long as you’re trying, I’m not going to leave you.”

It was like a breath of fresh air to hear those words, to hear that she was still willing to put up with him, even after everything she had seen. The tension he had been carrying in his shoulders finally started to ease. “Thank you. For giving me a chance.” He said, dipping his chin against the top of her head. His eyes screwed shut, emotion clenching his chest. “I don’t deserve you.”

“The first step to getting better? Don’t talk like that anymore, Toshi.” Her grip tightened around his back. “You deserve to be happy. You deserve all the happiness in the world.”

Not long later, Toshinori’s eyes had succumbed to the heaviness of sleep. It was such a relief to have that conversation, that he could barely hold himself upright anymore. He had drooped into Inko’s arms, his sick and ailing body begging for rest.

The last thing he remembered was Inko guiding him into his freshly decorated room and tucking him into his bed. She kissed him on the cheek, whispered “goodnight, my sunflower,” in his ear, and left. She shut the door gently behind her.

Chapter Text

It was the most triumphant sound Toshinori had ever heard in his life.

He watched Izuku stand tall and proud on a tower of garbage, overlooking a spotless beach, roaring with pride. The young man finished cleaning the beach. He finished cleaning around the beach, too. As far as the eye could see, the coastline was clear, devoid of even a single shred of trash. Just in the nick of time, too. U.A.’s entrance exams were a mere hour away.

Toshinori stared in disbelief. He stared at Izuku, at the muscles that bulged from his sturdy frame, at the sheer power in his stance. Then, he smiled, ear-to-ear, glowing with pride.

“Oh my… oh my… goodness !”

Inko paced outside Izuku’s door, chewing her thumbnail, fretting.

It had been a week since Izuku had gone to U.A. to apply for the hero course. A letter had arrived from the school that morning. That letter would determine Izuku’s future and his fate. Neither of them had seen Toshi all week. Inko knew why. He was a faculty member. He was probably so busy settling in at school, he hadn’t had the time to see them yet.

It was still hell, all this waiting.

Whether Izuku succeeded or not, Inko was still endlessly proud of her son. He had worked so hard. He had obtained One for All from Toshi. Even if U.A. Wouldn’t take him, she knew he would still be a hero, one way or another.

She jumped when Izuku opened his bedroom door. She spun to face him, tense, anticipating.

Izuku looked up at her, the seconds ticking by like hours.

Then, he smiled.

“I got in.”

Izuku rushed towards the freshly cleaned beachside, his mom chasing several paces behind him.

It was late in the evening, a biting chill in the air, but All Might was waiting for them there all the same. His scrawny back was facing them as he overlooked the ocean, the moon’s reflection glittering and dancing on its surface.

“Hey, All Might!” Izuku shouted.

Oops. He called him by his hero name, out in public. He had been so excited to see him, he wasn’t thinking.

A bit of blood spurt between All Might's teeth as he coughed in shock. “H-hey, not so loud! You’ll blow my cover!” He hissed. A couple on a nearby pier turned and shouted, “All Might? Where!?”

Oh, no.

All Might leaned towards Izuku, hissing, “repeat after me! ‘Just my eyes playing tricks on me!’”

Panic jumped in Izuku’s throat as he waved his arms haphazardly. “Oh! Just my eyes playing tricks on me!” He shouted in a raised voice.

Murmurs of disappointment came from the couple on the pier, as they turned back around to enjoy the ocean view.

All Might and Izuku sighed with relief. At that moment, Inko caught up with them, breathless. “Izuku, when did you get so fast!” She huffed. “You should’ve waited for me!”

With the three of them finally gathered, and the slip-up crisis averted, they could finally speak comfortably. All Might grinned proudly at Izuku, raising his hand for a high-five. “Congrats on getting in!”

“I couldn’t have done it without your help!” Izuku smacked his palm.

“Just so you know, you got in on your own merits, Izuku. I wasn’t one of the judges. I didn’t pull any strings or ask for any favors. And no one knows I’ve been training you.”

“Oh wow, thanks for telling me!”

“Toshi, thank you.” Inko stepped in, closing the distance between them. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. I’m so, so happy. Izuku’s dreams are coming true.” Izuku watched his mother reach out to take All Might’s hand.

“I’m looking forward to what comes of this semester. The three of us will keep working hard together.” All Might said with a smile.

“Just remember to take a break every now and then. Whenever you’re off campus. Come over for dinner.” Inko told him, her tone teasingly stern.

“I will.”

“And Toshi?”

“Hm?”

What happened next was a memory that Izuku would cherish for the rest of his days.

His mother grabbed at Toshi’s collar and dragged him downward, forcing him to bend his back so his face was level with hers. She tilted her head back and planted a confident kiss upon his lips. Izuku stifled a shocked laugh as he watched All Might’s face turn beet-red and his eyes bulge wide in their sunken sockets.

Then, All Might eased into it.

One of his hands went behind Inko’s head, and the other braced the small of her back. He kissed her deeply, passionately.

The moment lingered long enough for Izuku to fumble his phone out of his pocket, open the camera app, and snap a few pictures. The laughter that came out of his chest sounded completely dorky, but he didn’t care at all.

It took a few seconds for his parents to notice what he was doing. Inko and All Might’s eyes snapped over to him in unison. Then, All Might broke away, snapping to full height. “H-hey, what are you doing? D-delete those!”

Izuku turned around and broke into a run down the beachside with uproarious laughter, holding his phone up above his head tauntingly.

“Young man! Get back here!”

Izuku cackled. By now, All Might and his mom were long behind him, and they had given up trying to chase him down.

Good ! He thought with a grin over his shoulder. They could use some time to talk in private, I think!

My mom !

And All Might!