Chapter Text
They milk their advantage as much as they can. They stage little arguments when they know someone is supposed to come, and make a show of Izuku ‘ignoring’ Toshi when the villains are in the room. It’s obvious the League thinks they’re swaying Young Izuku over to their side, because the restraints are put on looser each time their escorted to the bathroom, and their words towards the young man are softer and more sympathetic.
As time goes on, though, there needs to be a natural progression of willingness to speak and work with the League that Young Izuku must portray. But that means possibly separating, and Toshi is very against that idea. However, they may not have any choice, as Izuku constantly points out. Toshi can only get him to promise to play it by ear instead of initiating any separation immediately upon the villains’ visits.
And for a few visits, they get lucky. Izuku just speaks with the villains, asking a few questions on the possible research that All for One was proposing. They even let the Doctor come in, and they have quite the conversation on ethics and scientific study on human and animal subjects.
However, Toshi believes that their luck runs out when Shigaraki and the Doctor enter the room with serious gazes. It puts Toshi on edge, back straightening and body stiffening.
The pair stand before Izuku for a moment. They each adorn expectant smiles as they look at the young man, and Toshi’s breath catches in his throat.
“So,” Shigaraki begins, “you’ve had some time to think about our offer. What do you say?”
Izuku clenches his fists and looks down into his lap. His gaze shifts to Toshi for a second before he whips it away, as if he were greatly upset. Pursing his lips, he nods.
Shigaraki’s eyes light up with his success. “Then let’s get you out of those restraints. The Doctor has been excited to show you the lab since your conversation earlier.”
Toshi and Izuku make eye contact as the villains release Izuku’s restraints. Toshi can’t stop the panic in his eyes at the prospect of Young Izuku out of his site, but his boy offers a small, reassuring smile when the others aren’t looking.
He can only hope his son stays safe, and that All for One stays far away from the both of them for now.
Just as Izuku stands from his seat, a large banging noise is heard from above them. They all look up as yelling and thumping sounds through the ceiling.
“Fuck,” Shigaraki hisses. “Doctor, bring Deku to the lab. I’m needed elsewhere.” And Shigaraki disappears through the door.
After a moment of silence, Young Izuku speaks. “A-ah, what’s going on?”
“It’s more than likely nothing. Some members of the league don’t necessarily get along well,” is the Doctor’s reply. “Don’t you worry, they’ll settle down soon. Make sure to do some light stretches—you were seated for a long time, and that can have negative effects on the body if not handled properly.”
“Oh, right,” Izuku says. “Sure.”
Awkwardly, he does as he’s told while the Doctor checks his phone in his pocket. “As soon as you’re ready, we’ll make our way down to the lab. I’m sure you’ll be impressed with the facilities here; All for One is quite generous with his funds for us.”
The older man turns and makes his way towards the door, talking all the while about his current experiments. Toshi’s heart jumps into his throat, thinking Izuku has no choice but to follow the man out the door. The retired hero watches in despair as Young Izuku gets closer to the exit.
Before the Doctor can even put his hand on the doorknob, however, Izuku quickly chops the side of his hand on the junction between the older man’s jaw and neck, hitting the pressure point so the Doctor falls limp on the ground.
Toshi gapes as he watches his son drag the heavier man back to the chair, heaves his limp body into the seat, and straps him in tightly. Izuku then goes through the Doctor’s pockets for the phone and any other devices or tools that could aid in escape, stuffing them in his own. And when he’s done, he moves quickly to Toshi to release him from his own restraints.
“Wha-! My boy, how did you—”
“I learned it in anatomy class,” is Izuku’s explanation. “My professor is very hands on. Gave the student who volunteered extra credit to participate in the demonstration. But he’ll only be out for a small while. Do you have a sock or glove or something small I can borrow?”
Back cracking as he stands, Toshi groans through his stretches. “Er, yeah.” He pulls off first his shoe, and then his sock. “Here.”
Swiftly, Izuku shoves the sock into the Doctor’s mouth. Toshi sputters and gives the young man an incredulous look.
Izuku shrugs. “The room’s not soundproof. Can’t have him alerting anyone before we’re ready. And I don’t have any socks.”
True to Izuku’s words, the boy doesn’t have socks on, only his indoor slippers that he must have changed into while he was getting ready for bed when they were abducted.
Toshi jerks his head in a nod. “R-right…”
A series of loud thumps on the ceiling let them know that the commotion upstairs is still ongoing.
“S-so,” Izuku begins, “I’m going to guess that this isn’t some sort of in-fighting going on up there.”
Toshi hums in agreement. “I believe you’re right. Something else is going on. Do you think the heroes found us?”
Shrugging, Izuku motions Toshi to follow him to the door. “Not sure, but we shouldn’t stick around here much longer. Let’s find an exit and see if we can get to the police.”
“I’m right behind you.”
ooo
“I am here!”
The catch phrase rings out around the bar as the door is violently swung open by All Might himself. The League is completely unprepared for the appearance of heroes—how would they track them, after all?—and Shigaraki isn’t even aware they’re here. However, with the ruckus the heroes are causing, it’s only a matter of time before the leader of the team shows and can begin the emergency protocol for a hero raid.
All Might pushes his way into the room, and swiftly knocks out Toga, Twice, and Magne. When he goes for Dabi, however, the fire-user is quick to defend himself with his flames. All Might retreats while Young Todoroki moves to intercept the scarred villain with his ice and flames of his own. Young Mineta quickly makes his way to the downed villains and used his sticky balls to secure them together, restraining them quickly. Young Bakugou apparently found the weakness of the Kurogiri, and is able to restrain him while awaiting assistance from Mineta.
Suddenly, Shigaraki bursts in from a door behind the counter. The villain’s eyes widen in surprise, but he quickly moves to free Kurogiri from Young Bakugou. However, Aizawa quickly intercepts, quirk active, and fights to knock him out. Young Uraraka and Young Asui enter the building to provide assistance with removing the downed villains from the area. And as quick as he can, All Might helps incapacitate first Kurogiri, and then Shigaraki.
Overall, the fight lasts barely 10 minutes. All Might can only hope that the group at the Nomu warehouse are having a similar time taking care of things over there. As soon as all villains are knocked out and put into police vans, Young Mirio calls for phase two to commence.
Alongside the police, the heroes make their way deeper into the building, guards raised as they search the building for Young Izuku and Toshi.
ooo
They keep an ear out for anyone as they sneak through the halls. They hope to avoid running into the fight—just in case it is just an in-fight between the villains—and are currently searching for a side or back exit. Toshi assumes that this base isn’t very big because they’re able to hear the fight no matter how long they walk. So, the instant the thumping and shouting stops, he’s on edge.
He shares a nervous glance with Izuku as they make their way down a long, dimly lit hall. Toshi hopes that All for One isn’t near them; he can’t protect Izuku if they run into the man.
However, Toshi learns, All for One isn’t the one he should be worrying about. The Hero Killer rounds the corner and stops dead in his tracks when he spots the pair.
Stain’s face crumples into a disgusted snarl, voice hissing as he speaks, “Deku.”
The villain says Izuku’s pseudonym like it’s a curse, like something rancid leaving his mouth. Young Izuku takes a step back, and Toshi draws his boy near.
“I don’t know what this League sees in you; you’re just as phony as all those fake heroes out there. Hiding behind a computer screen in safety while you rely on others to do your dirty work—it’s disgusting. You don’t deserve the praise they give you.”
Toshi can see Izuku’s hands shake in the face of the Hero Killer’s ire. So, he steps in front of his boy in an effort to protect him as best he can.
Stains gaze is redirected towards Toshi at the movement. “And you, All Might. What do you see in him that makes you believe his is worth saving?”
Toshi opens his mouth without hesitation, set to defend his boy from this deranged lunatic, but Izuku’s soft voice cuts him off before he can.
“I’m quirkless.”
The words take up the empty space for a beat before the young man continues.
“I’m quirkless, and because I’m quirkless, everyone told me I can’t be a hero.” Fists clenching, Young Izuku moves around Toshi to stand in front of him. His face is set in a determined glare, and he stands straight and confident. “And when everyone tells you you can’t be a hero, they make sure to make their statements come true. I’ve been beaten, bullied, discriminated against—and not just by the other kids, but by my teachers too. They sabotaged me throughout my academics, placed blame on me for things I didn’t do, and turned a blind eye when I was suicide-baited.
“But even as an outcast, I still tried. I did everything right—I went to U.A. I trained to win the sports festival. But without support from anyone around me, without anyone there to listen and to mentor me, my dreams became unattainable. So, I did the next best thing with the skills that I have.
“So why do you, someone who knows how it’s like to be cast aside by society and hurt by everyone around you, take your frustrations out on the people who have experienced the same as you?”
For a moment, Stain looks taken aback. However, he tries to gain his own momentum back. “All I hear are excuses—”
Toshi cuts him off: “Isn’t your whole M.O. about being ‘truly heroic’ and ‘for the people’? To eliminate the negatives in society that force people into unjust lives? Because your actions and beliefs here are the exact opposite.” Toshi places a hand on Young Izuku’s shoulder. “Izuku’s heart is the most heroic I’ve ever seen. In my time of need, he took me in with no expectations, no questions asked. And he made sure that I needed everything not just to survive, but to thrive until I could get back onto my feet. He does everything he can to save lives; and while it isn’t in a way that you approve of, he’s doing the best he can with how legalities are set. He’s a true hero. In fact, he is my hero.”
Toshi feels Izuku’s breath hitch, and squeezes his shoulder a little tighter. Meanwhile, Stain looks flabbergasted at Toshi’s words. He wants to take advantage of the opportunity to escape while Stain’s caught off guard, but they hear footsteps quickly approaching from where they’d just come in from.
Cursing, Toshi moves to face the incoming group. He takes a battle stance, and he can feel Young Izuku clumsily do the same as he faces down Stain. The odds are against them, and their rouse is up; so if they’re caught again, they’re absolutely screwed. Toshi doesn’t have high hopes, but he’ll take as many out as he can in the meantime.
Around the corner appears All Might and Lemillion, as well as a couple of policemen.
The relief Toshi feels is astounding as he relaxes his stance. He watches Lemillion disappear and hears him reappear in the hall behind him to begin his fight with Stain. With permeation and One for All, Lemillion ends the fight quickly, and the policemen gather around the pair.
Surprisingly—or maybe not so surprisingly—All Might sweeps Izuku into his arms, squeezing the young man in relief. “Thank goodness you’re safe.”
Izuku’s eyes water as he returns the embrace. And when they let go, they turn to Toshi.
“Are either of you hurt?” All Might asks, gaze serious.
Just as Toshi opens his mouth to reply, he feels sludge bubbling up from his throat. Eyes widening, he turns to Izuku, and can see the black goop bubbling out of his mouth as well. He knows exactly what’s happening.
Toshi turns his gaze to All Might and implores him to follow them, to prepare himself for his next battle with All for One. And then, they’re gone.
ooo
He lands next to Izuku, coughing violently as sludge and blood spew from his mouth. It’s pretty hard for him to breathe, what with the quirk damaging his airways to teleport him, but he forces himself to stand up and survey his surroundings quickly.
They’re at the warehouse where the Nomu are stored. All for One stands before all the heroes, some knocked unconscious while others attempt to hold the line. The members of the League were also teleported here, but some are still stuck together with Mineta’s quirk. Shigaraki and Dabi are awake and unrestrained, however, posing a threat to their escape.
“Ah, Young Deku,” All for One begins, shaking his head, “I’m quite disappointed with your decision. You would have made a great asset to Young Tomura’s League. All this after the generous offer I made!”
All for One takes a leisurely step towards them. “Nevertheless, you’ll make quite the tool for our success whether you cooperate or not.”
It’s then that All Might and Lemillion shoot into the scene. They stand side by side, backs tall and glaring the supervillain down. The other heroes on site back away, regrouping and gathering the wounded.
“Another All Might!” Is what All for One exclaims at their arrival. “While I’m unsure what’s caused this anomaly, I will get to the bottom of that soon. But that will have to wait for now, isn’t that right?”
“All for One,” All Might growls in anger, “your reign ends here. Surrender now.”
“How arrogant,” All for One replies. “It seems I’ll have to show you what real power is like, once again. I hope you and your little successor have come prepared. Tomura, capture Young Deku and the other All Might and leave. I will be right behind you.”
“Yes, Sensei,” Tomura runs towards Toshi and Izuku, followed closely by Dabi.
All at once, the battlefield explodes. The power coming from the blows between All Might, Lemillion, and All for One create gusts of winds that make it difficult for onlookers to keep on their footing. The other heroes are busy trying to get civilians and downed heroes out of the way, while others attempt to get to Toshi and Izuku. The latter make do, dodging attacks, and going on the offensive when they can; while Toshi may be significantly weaker in this form, that doesn’t mean he can’t pack a punch.
Somehow, Shigaraki was able to disintegrate the restraints on the other League members, and the conscious ones join the fight. Soon, the pair are overwhelmed, and Toshi knows it’s only a matter of time that they’re captured.
When he can, Toshi shoots glances towards Izuku. He’s surprisingly holding his own, though he knows that the villains are likely going easy on him because they don’t want to hurt the young man. Izuku’s movements are sloppy and easily predictable, and Toshi wishes that he’d thought to teach the young man self-defense before they were kidnapped.
Although, he didn’t think that they’d actually end up abducted!
More than once, Toshi finds himself drawing the fight away from Izuku. The villains know that the best course of action would be to get Izuku alone and overwhelm him, but they forget that they’re fighting All Might. Toshi, deceptively quick on his feet, decides to take one out of Izuku’s book and knock out the villains he can. He targets Twice first to ensure they aren’t overwhelmed with manpower, flipping said man over his shoulder and aiming a kick to his head, wincing when he uses a bit too much force. And from there, he tries take down whomever gets close enough.
Toshi almost breathes a sigh of relief when Young Bakugou and Young Todoroki show up. Young Tenya is hot on their heels as they careen into the scene, moving immediately towards Toshi and Izuku. Slowly, more and more heroes show up to help Toshi and Izuku, and they’re able to—once again—restrain the villains threatening the pair. Young Shoji sneaks into the battlefield to guide Toshi and Young Izuku to the police line while the others take care of the villains.
When they make it to safety, Toshi still feels wound tight. It’s obvious that Izuku feels the same way, because the first thing that both of them do is turn to the large screens showing live news coverage of the fight between All for One and One for All.
The other heroes are evacuating at this point, the rest of the League of Villains captured and detained. All for One is obviously furious, his attacks stronger and more dangerous with his growing ire. It’s obvious he’s targeting All Might and his weaknesses, but Lemillion is making it close to impossible for All for One to land a good hit to the older hero. Together, they make a strong team, and it looks like All for One will go down soon.
The three stand in the middle of a large crater, with a backdrop of destroyed buildings in their wake. All for One stands between the heroes, and the way he holds himself, Toshi can tell that the supervillain is finally feeling the pressure. Lemillion and All Might tag team All for One, getting in hits where they can. But the masked man doesn’t let his guard down. Toshi swallows down his bile when he sees All for One layer on multiple quirks to form a disgusting amalgamation of an arm, which he uses to swing at the heroes like a club.
While All for One had many years to recover, he is still dealing with injuries that limit him. Toshi can’t be more relieved when he notices the supervillain slowing down, his punches getting weaker, slower. All Might and Lemillion are able to dodge the attacks, and crowd All for One in to look for any weaknesses they can use.
Lemillion—in an act of pure genius—uses permeation to get close enough to rip the tubes from All for One’s mask. The supervillain clutches at his chest and the ventilator, attempting to suddenly regulate his breath on his own, and All Might takes advantage of the opportunity.
The crowd can hear it over the speakers, as All Might calls out his ultimate move, his United States of SMASH.
And then there’s dust. It covers the field and hides the three forms for what feels like hours but could only be a minute or so. Toshi’s heart is in his throat, and he can feel Izuku grab his hand to clutch tight. He squeezes back as hard as he can, eyes unblinking as he stares at the screen.
When the dust settles, All Might and Lemillion stand side by side, staring down an unconscious All for One, with fists raised in victory.
ooo
There are celebrations throughout the hours that follow their rescue. Izuku and Toshi are taken to the hospital for treatment, and they have a constant stream of visitors in their room. And while Izuku seems to appreciate all the attention and love he’s getting from his friends, it’s obvious who he really wants to see.
A few hours after the nurses left them in their room, another bed is brought into the room.
“All Might!” Izuku exclaims, attempting to roll out of bed so he can make his way towards the hero.
“Please don’t get up, young man,” Toshinori says. He’s in his smaller form, bandages peeking out from the collar of his hospital gown. “You need your rest!”
Of course, Izuku doesn’t listen, bare feet pattering on the floor as he steps towards Toshinori’s bed. He waits patiently for the nurses to finish setting Toshinori up before he approaches the bedside. He lifts his hands as if to give the man a hug but hesitates.
“I, um, I’m really glad you’re okay.”
Toshinori smiles and opens his arms. Izuku immediately falls into them and Toshinori buries his face into messy curls. “I’m glad we were able to save you in time.”
It’s at that moment that Tsukauchi pops his head into the room. “Hey, you three. Do you have a minute?”
Toshinori raises one hand off of Izuku’s back to wave the man in. He gives his boy a warm smile when Izuku pulls away slowly, cheeks red in embarrassment.
“I just wanted to let you know know that All for One was successfully captured and imprisoned in Tartarus. And the same is true for the others in the League. We did find the Doctor that works for them tied up in a holding cell beneath the bar—I believe that was your doing?”
Izuku, sitting on the edge of Toshinori’s bed, blushes deep red and stares into his lap. “A-ah, yeah. We heard the commotion the heroes were making, and figured they were distracted enough for us to escape.”
Tsukauchi nods. “I’m glad you were able to find an opportunity to get away. By the way, I wanted to remind you that we need to question you and Toshi about the whole ordeal as soon as you are ready.”
“I’m sure we can do that,” Toshinori butts in, “tomorrow afternoon. We should all be released by then, no?”
Toshi nods. “No expensive injuries or anything. Izuku and I should be released in a couple hours, actually.”
“Well, that works with me.” Tipping his hat, Tsukauchi opens the door to leave the room once more. “I’ll see you both tomorrow, then.”
For a moment, none of them make a sound, sitting in a heavy silence. There’s so much to discuss—like Toshinori’s morbid curiosity over what happened while they were kidnapped, and the fact that the whole reason why Toshi is being kept here is fixed—but no one knows how to bring up such heavy issues after enduring such stressful events so recently.
So, Toshi stands up out of his own bed. He makes his way to Toshinori’s and urges both Izuku and Toshinori to scooch over. He squeezes himself onto the side of the bed, the three of them barely fitting together. Sighing, Izuku does his best to fit between the two without exacerbating Toshinori’s wounds.
And they lay there. In the quiet. They stare at the ceiling, and revel in the fact that they’re all okay; that everything went according to plan.
“I think,” Toshinori starts, voice soft and face content, “I want to retire.”
ooo
When Izuku and Toshi are released, they head back to the dorms. Toshi knows that they would be safe going home to Izuku’s apartment, but he knows that the young man needs friends and love and support, so he assures his son that he’s okay with staying at the dorms overnight and meeting up with his hero friends.
However, Toshi wasn’t banking on Izuku getting this kind of ‘love and support’.
The older man watches with a blank face as Izuku is surrounded by the U.A.’s former class A. They’re laughing and guffawing at the sight before them—Young Bakugou and Young Todoroki squishing his son between them in an overly affectionate embrace. They whisper ‘comforting words’ to the red-faced analyst between them and tell them how much they worried over him as the three squish onto the couch together.
“We’ll protect you,” Young Todoroki promises, his expression somehow more serious than Toshi’s ever seen.
“I guess if you’re gonna keep gettin’ in this kind of trouble, you’ll need both of us to keep an eye on you,” Young Bakugou grouses, grinning as Izuku somehow gets redder. “Bet you’d like that, huh? Me and Icy Hot?”
Young Bakugo finally lets Izuku out of his embrace only to lean back on the couch, sighing as if he’s being put off. Then, that offensive smirk makes its way onto his face. “That’s fine. At least he’s hot.”
Young Kaminari and Young Sero are cackling so loud, Toshi doesn’t know how they’re even still breathing. There’s shouting and squealing throughout the room when Young Todoroki decides it’s a good idea to catch Young Bakugou’s eye and wink.
Izuku basically has steam rising from his face it’s so red, and he buries his face into his hands to hide.
Toshi wishes he could hide.
Toshi wishes he didn’t have to see this.
Still, Toshi is… happy for his son. So, he slips away quietly up to his room to lay on his bed and stare at his ceiling until he forgets everything that he saw.
ooo
“Thank you for this,” Tsukauchi smiles as he turns off his recorder and flips his notebook closed. They’d just went over Toshi’s and Izuku’s accounts of their abduction. “It was scary what you went through; I’m glad that you’re both okay in the end.”
Izuku smiles at the detective, nodding as the man stands up. “It would’ve been harder without Toshi with me.”
“You both were brilliant.”
Tsukauchi dismisses himself from the room moments later, encouraging Toshi to work on getting back home. Jokingly, as he walks through the door, Tsukauchi grins at Toshi as he says, “I better not see you the next time I visit!”
Toshi chuckles at the heckling. Honestly, he agrees with the detective’s words. It’s high time that he makes his way back home and stop overstaying his welcome.
Toshinori, Young Togata, and Nighteye replace the detective’s presence. They all seem to be in high spirits as they join the two. As they enter, they chat about Toshinori’s upcoming retirement from heroics, and Izuku can’t help himself from jumping into the topic.
His boy stands from his chair and circles the table to stand beside Toshinori. “Have you already chosen a date to retire?”
“Ah, not quite yet,” Toshinori says, sitting down and encouraging the young man to sit beside him. “All I know is there will be a press conference next week to address the All for One situation. I want to announce a plan to transition myself out of heroics over the span of a couple months. Just so that the other heroes aren’t hit with a sudden onslaught of work.”
Izuku nods. “That’s a good idea. Wouldn’t want everyone to get overwhelmed, right?”
“Right. But with you helping the heroes, I’m sure they’ll be able to handle things just fine.”
Izuku beams his sunshine smile.
For some reason, Toshi finds himself feeling a bit emotional. Watching the scene in front of him, he definitely understands why the quirk that brought him here did just that. His heart squeezes at the love and care blossoming between Toshinori and Izuku. Some part of him wishes with all his heart that he could have this with his own Izuku—his son safe, without the pressure of having One for All, and the opportunity to retire slowly and efficiently rather than having his identity forced out in the open in an epic battle to the death. He wishes he could have quietly and happily retired with his son by his side to enjoy the rest of his life.
But that isn’t his life. And this isn’t his son.
“I think,” Toshi slowly begins, “that it’s time to go home.”
The happy atmosphere that once filled the room suddenly disappears. Izuku looks to Toshi with wide, sad eyes. His expression shows that he understands exactly what Toshi is thinking.
A small smile makes its way onto Izuku’s lips, and tears begin to gather in his eyes. “I think we’ll be okay now. I’ll be okay.”
Toshi can feel the quirk in his heart—or maybe it’s just the overwhelming love he has for his boy—and it spreads slowly through his chest, then towards the rest of his body. He stands quickly, making his way towards Izuku and Toshinori. He squeezes Toshinori, and notices that both of their eyes are slowly filling with tears as well.
“Please,” Toshi’s voice comes out ragged and small, “take care of him. Please.”
Toshinori opens his mouth to speak, but ultimately closes it and nods. Toshi understands—it feels like his emotions are physically lodged in his throat.
The warmth of the quirk covers his entire body now, and he’s beginning to feel faint. So, without hesitation, he spins on his foot and gathers his boy in a tight hug.
There’s so much he could say, so much he wants to say. How much he’ll miss him, how he’ll never forget him. But all that he can get his mouth to say is, “I love you. So much.”
Izuku buries his face into his shoulder as a sob wracks his body. “I love you, too, Dad.”
And suddenly, Toshi is gone.
ooo
He’s in a familiar conference room when he regains his ability to see. The room is empty, but he can hear people walking down the hall, conversing quietly with their peers. He’s in Might Tower, alone, and likely back in his own world.
Here, as he digests the months that he’s been away, he allows himself to cry. He cries for the life that could’ve been, cries because he had to leave one version of his son for another. He cries in relief because, even though he had to leave, his boy will be okay.
When he feels composed enough, he leaves the room in search of a bathroom. And then, he leaves for the reception.
There’s instant pandemonium when the employees notice he’s there. They start running around, his receptionist starts crying, and he might even have heard some screaming. But soon, Tsukauchi arrives and Nedzu is on the phone with the receptionist, and Toshi is just… overwhelmed.
He answers their questions as best as he can and is able to calm down his employees with big smiles and laughter that his hero persona is so well known for. But he’s getting tired, and agitated, and it must show because Tsukauchi makes an excuse for them to leave to the precinct.
Once they’re in the car and driving, however, Tsukauchi turns to him in worry. “Are you okay? You don’t look so good, Toshinori.”
Toshi huffs and gives a tired smile. “Just a bit overwhelmed. There’s a lot that’s happened. But could we do something first? I just… I need to see my son.”
Tsukauchi jolts the car. “Your son? You have a son?”
Toshi flushes when he realizes the implications of his words in this world specifically. He really didn’t think about it, not after referring to his boy that way for many weeks, now. “M-my successor. Izu—Midoriya.”
Raising an eyebrow, Tsukauchi glances at Toshi’s expression before making a U-turn and driving towards UA. “Where did you go? And what happened?”
“Well, long story short, I met an Izuku that never met All Might. And he just… opened my eyes. I’ve always cared about Izuku, I’ve always been so proud. But I didn’t know how much I love him.”
“That’s… I’m happy for you.”
“I’ll tell you everything later. It’s a lot to go over, but it’s a happy ending, overall.”
“We still haven’t found the villain that hit you with that quirk.”
Toshi grins. “Worry not, my friend. I have all the information we need to close up the case.”
“Why does that sound so menacing?”
Before Toshi can reply, he sees U.A.’s gates coming into view. His heart races with excitement, and he can’t help himself when he opens his car door to fling himself out on the sidewalk even before the car comes to a stop. He ignores Tsukauchi’s shout and sprints through the gates and towards the dorms. It’s afternoon, now, and classes should have been out for around an hour. If his knowledge of his boy’s schedule is right, Izuku should be finishing up his homework and getting ready to do his evening training.
He bursts through the front door, probably looking quite frantic to the students he startled upon his entrance. There’s yelling and excited shouting all around him, but there’s no Izuku. So he ignores everything and takes the stairs two at a time to Izuku’s room. And when he gets there, he bursts through the door like he just did downstairs.
There, absolutely startled and staring wide eyed at Toshi, is his son. His absolutely adorable, chubby cheeked, little boy! And, goodness, how did Toshi forget how he looked at this age, he’s like a baby!
He might have said that aloud because his boy flushes bright red and can’t stop stuttering. But Toshi doesn’t care, all he cares about right now is his boy, and he sweeps him up into his arms and holds him tight to his chest and cries into his fluffy hair.
He feels Izuku wrap his arms around him with equal fervor, burying his face into his chest as the boy begins to cry. His boy whines softly, trying to shift his weight further into the taller man, but Toshi’s basically picked him up, and Izuku can barely reach the floor with the tips of his big toes.
Toshi can hear footsteps make their way to Izuku’s wide open doorway, can hear the happiness in his other students’ voices—as well as the confusion of his actions—but all he can focus on is the feeling of the trembling boy in his arms.
Suddenly, Aizawa and Tsukauchi are here as well, and they push their way through the students and into the dorm where Toshi and his son embrace. There’s a long, withering sigh that fills the room, and Toshi knows it’s definitely come from Aizawa. Said mad places a hand on Toshi’s shoulder and encourages him to let go of Izuku and follow him out of the room. And while Toshi does release Izuku from his hold, he keeps a hand wrapped around the boy’s hand and leads him along the other hero and the detective, stopping only so he can put on proper shoes at the front door.
His boy is adorable, one hand clutching at Toshi's and the other rubbing at his leaky eyes. He sniffles and gives big smiles when Toshi looks down at him. And while Toshi was sobbing not an hour ago, his heart is full now that he’s with his boy.
Toshi assumes that they’re headed to a conference room somewhere on the main campus, where he’ll tell the full story of where he was and what he did. He idly wonders what his boy will think of the potential life he could have had without All Might and One for All. However, when he looks down at his boy and sees teary green eyes gazing shyly back, he wonders more on how their relationship will change now that Toshi isn’t holding himself back any longer.
He tugs at the hand still wrapped in his and slings his arm over small shoulders when his son is close enough. Toshi uses his free hand to gently wipe tears from freckled cheeks and smiles with so much admiration that he can feel the love practically oozing out of his chest.
“Come now, son, there’s no need to cry; I am here.”