Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In hindsight, there were signs.

So accepting Bakugo's invitation to eat dinner at the student's dorm was biting him in the non-existent stomach, but sue him for trying to make amends!
The boy had taken it so hard after his house arrest (Which had been completely brought on by himself! A hero should strive to get along with everyone, all the time!) and if nothing else, it was getting hard to teach him when he couldn't even catch him up on what he'd missed. The kid was absolutely refusing to speak to him or make eye contact. To say his invitation to cook for him shocked him was an understatement. But here he was, third course in with dessert on the way and now his body catches up with him. He technically doesn't have no stomach. And he'd been practicing lately! Instead of wasting away, he was eating (at least once!) every day! He was sure he'd heard a doctor saying something about eating more often making his tube of a stomach bigger over time, somewhere in the fugue between Sir Nighteye and now.
Which somehow led to him wincing on the dorm's couch under Uraraka's ill advised attempts at physical therapy. She was insisting that she was a trained masseuse or some nonsense, citing a summer camp experience and her mother's word. Amazingly, the room seemed immune to facts that he knew about his own ailment, nodding along and shouting words of encouragement to her mission. So much encouragement and support that Mina took the initiative and stepped forward.
"That's not fair Uraraka, you're not the only one with experience here and you know it! Why should you get him all to yourself?" All Might sighed wearily, a million other places and times he heard those words in a blink. "Tch. You both clearly haven't been listening in my class. Obviously you share." He missed the twin smirk the girls gave each other. "Being a Hero™ is about teamwork! You've all got to make it a goal to get along with each other." He flinched as a hand met his shoulder, his body gurgling painfully. For some reason, the other students were shouting with excitement before, but now chattered and dispersed. "Woah, why are you touching me?" His hand had come up of it's own accord, and Ochako blocked reflexively. Her face remained a placid smile as her hand on his shoulder slid further, towards his neck, along his back. "I told you sir, clearly you need help, so Miss Ashido and I are going to assist! Technically, I'm planning on going into the healing track, so this is good practice!" Good lord. Their hands were all over him and suddenly the pressure in his guts was all encompassing. It's just pressure. He's just gotta remember, it's just pressure, the doctor always just said pressure. It's everything he can do to not throw up. He's hot and cold at the same time. When his vision fades back from black, it's to the peaceful scene of many of the students doing the dishes in the kitchen, and a few at the table between and the couches, doing homework and chatting. Mina's hand was cold under his shirt. She might be secreting something? But it didn't burn, so he figured it must not be acid. Ochako's hands were steadily kneading at his torso. "I think I can feel some knotted muscles here?" He sighed, realizing again with a pang that his secret was out.
"Nah, that's my scar." She snatched her hands away, blushing, and he nodded. He'd be horrified too. He pulled up his shirt, noticing the crowd of students barely pretending not to eavesdrop start to turn eyes. Jiro approached and suddenly it was a crowd again. Great. Since it was a button-up, he couldn't actually show a lot of it off, so he quickly unbuttoned the bottom four or five and then pulled the wrapping off, relishing in the gasp he got from the room. Yup, read 'em and weep, look at what Fate dragged in.
"I've already told Midoriya this, so I guess it's okay to tell you all. That All For One guy, this wasn't the first time I fought him. A hero's line of work isn't easy, and it requires sacrifices, different to each of us. For me, my sacrifice was my body, but now that he's finally gone for good, so many people have an opportunity at a safe and happy life." Somehow, his eyes had fallen on to Todoroki's. "I think, probably, being a hero IS to make that sacrifice." He'd sensed Deku's presence behind him ever since he's said his name, like he'd summoned the boy, but now he spoke, placing a hand of his own on All Might.
"Gosh." He said, sounding choked up.
"You're the coolest, All Might!" He said, definitely crying.
"I told you, you can just call me Toshi, it's not like we're in class." He muttered, embarrassed. Izuku was getting handsy again, having leaned forward to hug his mentor over the back of the couch. The three sets on hands on him were still, distracted as they were, but then Deku slid his hands under Toshi's shirt and bumped them. The girls, reminded, resumed the pseudo-massage with vigor. He made a sound, somewhere between a groan and a yelp, and Mina was the first to react.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"
"Hm-? No, no- don't feel bad; It always hurts. Nothin' to do with you, kid." He said with a dismissive hand motion, which was the wrong answer, as he felt yet /another/ hand on his shoulder. Young Tenya was looking at him intently from behind the couch, face contorted with emotion.
"Fear not, sensei! We will care for you no matter how you are hurting! As your faithful students, we won't let you down! All Might, we love you!" He shouted triumphantly to end his speech. His monologue seemed apropos to nothing to Toshi, but apparently he was representing his class well because suddenly Kirishima was yelling over everyone about how manly he was, and Bakugo was clenching a fist and nodding at him as the class erupted into miscellaneous cheering. He blinked, surprised. Shocked, really. He thoughtlessly wiped his lips clean of blood.

It took another hour and some convincing, but he finally left the student dorms, still full from his meal. Which was nothing short of a miracle. Even when he could eat, it'd go right through him. That Bakugo really knew his way around a kitchen, and with Sato assisting they were a formidable team. As far as "I'm-sorry-for-ignoring-you" meals went, that was the best he'd ever had. He sighed heavily, halfway between the teacher's dorms and the student dorms, having planned to rest on the bench for the inevitable wave of agony his stomach was going to inflict on him. Or maybe it was his intestines? He never really paid attention when they told him. This late at night, nobody else was around. Grateful for the privacy, he keeled over on the bench, arms wrapped around his torso and head resting on his knees. He just needed a few moments to rest. It always came in waves for some reason. Another explanation he undoubtedly tuned out. He tensed as another wave of agony wracked through him, sweating and shaking with relief when it passed.

There was a terrible ruckus in the tree above him, leaves and twigs raining down. Shoji and Tokoyami landed athletically from the ether of the plant.
"Sir, are you okay?" Fumikage's feathers glinted like oil in the night. "We wanted to make sure you got home okay, considering..." Mezo brought up an arm with a mouth on one end, seamlessly continuing a different sentence. "And we wanted to let you know that you're always welcome! Bakugo usually makes too much anyways." His shoulders slumped microscopically, arms shifting to a slightly more defensive stance. The boys in front of him were often aloof and unreadable. To see them go out of their way to come out of their shells was heartwarming. "And... You have so much to teach us! Even outside your lesson plans. What you said about being a hero... That resonated with me! With all of us! So, you're welcome any time!"
"A-and we could walk you the rest of the way home. If you'd like." Fumikage told the ground meaningfully.
The boys stood in a self-conscious line, shoulder to shoulder. Toshi was taken aback, but then visibly flustered. "Wh! Well! That's extremely kind and thoughtful of you, very heroic actually, you've definitely been paying attention to my lecture! Ah, I really appreciate it but isn't it past curfew? I couldn't get either of you in trouble, especially not with Aizawa. I'm completely confident that I can stroll home safely."

The boys nearly tripped over themselves, words falling over each other and they apologized/thanked him/said goodbye, and tripping over each other as they began to parkour away. Oh, to be young again. Toshi took a few minutes to let his knees get used to the idea of standing up again, ignoring the way his stomach turned.

The walk was peaceful, but despite his hopes, Present Mic and Midnight were still awake. He could hear them yelling through the door before he opened it. He grit his teeth in a smile and steeled himself before opening the door. Of course, the sentence he heard fly out of Mic's mouth was an unnecessarily harsh critique of Nezu. Toshi already felt exhausted.
"HEY, ALL MIGHT!" Mic shouted in his indoor voice, "MAYBE YOU CAN BE OUR TIEBREAKER! WHICH DO YOU THINK NEZU IS WORSE AT, CURATING A PUBLIC IMAGE OR FINANCIALLY MANAGING U.A.?" Toshi was reminded not for the first time that he chose to forgo conventional education in lieu of improving his battle skills. He wasn't sure he entirely knew what 'curating' was and he definitely didn't know diddley from squat when it came to money. His hands came up in a placating defensive manner.

"Uh," Midnight cut him off, launching into a monologue about public image that All Might couldn't help but feel was tone deaf. He was so tired. They were still looking at him expectantly even as they spoke, and he couldn't find an appropriate lull in the conversation to excuse himself to his room, instead creeping along the edge of the space until he hit a couch. Mic was yelling a rebuttal. Neither of them had taken a break to listen to their 'tiebreaker.'
Toshi put his head down on his arms and closed his eyes for just a moment.

He pulled his head up, gasping, close to 3 A.M. He looked about the dark common room, a small pool of drool around his face print on the wooden table. His neck was killing him. He looked blearily down at his shoulders, where someone (Aizawa, a half memory from a cracked eye whispered to him) had covered him with a blanket. He pulled it closer, and stood with a sigh, trudging to his room to sleep.

Chapter Text

The sun filtered through the leaves overhead, painting dappled shades on Izuku’s forest green hair. Toshinori couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s progress. Now that his shoot style was being perfected, he looked more and more like a pro every day. His first work study had done wonders, and the students were excitedly preparing for the next. To say All Might was proud of him was an understatement. But as a perfectionist workaholic, he felt there was always room to improve.
“You’re throwing your arms wide to keep your balance, that’s actually gonna raise your center of gravity though. You wanna keep your weight centered around your hips so you can move and dodge more easily.”

Izuku paused with his leg mid-air, gracefully folding it back down and giving him a look of confusion. His hair caught the light as he cocked his head slightly to one side.

“Ah, right! I’m not focusing on the importance of gravity and how it relates to my abilities. One For All allows me to enhance my physical strength and agility, which in turn affects my ability to control my own body and movements. Gravity is an essential factor in these movements, as it determines how much force I need to exert to overcome the pull of gravity and move freely through the air and on the ground. My abilities as a hero-in-training are only as strong as my ability to use my training properly. I should probably ask Uraraka how she moves so steadily while using her quirk, and maybe to recommend me a few books on gravity. I bet Iida could help me really establish a good foundation of knowledge if I ask him about it, he has a lot more experience than me with this style. He must use his center of gravity to help him balance and aim, especially when using his Recipro-Burst.”

All Might blinked.
“That’s… Way over complicating it, kid. Try keeping your elbows in and your hands up.”

The difference was immediately obvious as Izuku’s kicks became blink-and-you’ll-miss-it fast. Toshi couldn’t contain himself! He expanded to his muscle form with a thrilled shout.
“Alright!!! Now that’s what I’m talking about! Nice job, fanboy!” Izuku grinned at him brightly, resuming his kicks with confidence. All Might’s muscle form collapsed, and he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, hacking up blood unable to shake his smile.
His successor was so dedicated. They trained before school most days of the week when Izuku’s studies permitted, and Toshi was glad for the time he could spend with the boy. Besides just living vicariously through the boy’s youthfulness, he also found something deeply comforting about Izuku’s introspective nature. He watched his training attentively, occasionally noting areas of potential study or improvement in a journal. He’d picked up the habit from his protege, and he felt like it would stick. The time flew by, and before long it was time for class.

Bakugo was yelling as All Might opened the door to the classroom, which wouldn't be unusual except for Iida's efforts to have everything in perfect order at the beginning of class. As Toshi walked further through the door, he saw Iida was indeed the one Bakugo was yelling at, flanked by Uraraka, Aoyama and Ojiro. Bakugo's own posse was involved, Sero, Kirishima and Kaminari stanced behind him. Everybody froze when they saw him, and then to his slight annoyance they didn't take their seats. Instead, the class, suddenly gaining a hive mind, collectively shoved Bakugo to the front, where he stared at his feet in front of Toshi.
"Uh-"
"So. There's this roller rink nearby, and they have a discount night for students, but we're not allowed off campus because of the stupid League of Villains, and we need a chaperone."
All Might blinked. Mina looked up from the crowd, glaring, and kicked Katsuki in the leg, hard.
"Ow! Would you chaperone us please, sir!" He shouted in a single breath, bowing.
"Uh…? I mean, of course? I think I just gotta get Principal Nezu to sign off or whatever. That sounds like a great team building exercise." After seeing All For One in prison, All Might found it hard to imagine any villains would be organized enough to successfully attack them yet, even if they did leave campus. He remained in thought as everyone shouted thanks, eyes shining, before scrambling to their spots.
He started the lesson on autopilot, and as the sun set he realized he'd stayed that way all day. In his hands were the appropriate forms for an after class field trip, though, so he must have mentioned it to someone or something. He shrugged, having long since let go of the need for specific memories, especially when things were going okay.

In a blink he'd finished the walk to Nezu's office, knocking casually on the door.
"Come in!" Nezu called in his easy going manner.
"Hey. My class had a request for ya."
“Oh?” Nezu’s oil drop eyes bored into him, even as the fuzzy man cocked his adorable head to the side. Sometimes, Toshi thought the small principal was downright chilling.
“They want to go off campus to a local roller rink for a student skating night. They asked me to chaperone.” He presented the paperwork to his boss. “I assume they asked Professor Aizawa the same, and he declined for whatever reason.”
Nezu took a moment to look over the forms.
“You have forgotten to sign these, All Might, and as for Mr. Aizawa, this is the first I’m hearing of this request. It sounds like a lovely idea, although I trust you will be aware of the risks. I believe you should inform Mr. Aizawa of this, as I doubt he would want his homeroom to be mysteriously unavailable, even if it is after class.” Nezu handed the papers back with a smile.
“Whoops,” Toshi scrawled his signature in a few places, flipping the pages quickly. “That’s a fantastic idea, I wonder if he would want to bring Shinso. Thanks, dude.” He spoke absentmindedly, as the thoughts occurred to him. Nezu just continued to smile at him, his face nearly unreadable.
“I hope you all have fun!” He called serenely as Toshinori left the room.

All Might headed towards the teacher’s offices. Aizawa was likely there, and besides that, he had some assignments to grade. He was surprised to see young Uraraka waiting nervously at the door, fist raised to knock, and hesitation freezing her limbs. He approached more cautiously.
“Young Uraraka? Were you looking to find a teacher?” His words startled her! She spun around in a flash, activating her quirk for a split second, making her hair go weightless. She blushed and bowed.
“Sensei! I was wondering if I could ask you something about the field trip.” Her gaze slid to the side and she rubbed the back of her head self consciously.
“Of course!” All Might beamed at her reassuringly. “I was about to speak to Mr. Aizawa about that as well.”
“Oh. Um… I was wondering if we could chat in private? I guess it’s a little embarrassing.” Her flushed face darkened in color, and Toshi felt a pang of sympathy.
“Of course young lady! There are breakout offices available just inside. Follow me!”
He opened the door, holding it until she passed through, and then he led her past his coworker’s desks to the office he and young Midoriya usually used. He noticed Aizawa’s eyes following them over the desks as soon as they entered the room. He once again held the door for Ochako, sitting opposite to where she settled on the couch. The door clicked closed, and then all that could be heard was the faint hum of the air conditioning.
“So,” Toshi began, “what was it that you wanted to talk about?”
“Um, so, at my old school, they had this program? Where you could apply to get lunch for free, and have your field trips at a reduced cost. I know this is a voluntary outing, so it might not apply, but I was wondering if this school has anything like that?”
Toshi blinked slowly, processing.
“Um!” Uraraka’s anxiety seemed to spike, and she began speaking quickly, “I know that Yuei doesn’t have a program like that for lunch, I know that already, because, because the chefs are top quality! A-and I have a system for dinner that works for the most part, but. Um, well I don’t own any roller skates so I would have to rent them, and I don’t want to be a burden on my friends, even though they offered to pitch in to pay for me, so I was just wondering if there was some official thing I could do?”
Toshinori pulled himself out of his memories, empathizing with the poor girl’s plight. It had been a great many years since he’d had such concerns, but he remembered the feeling well. Tears pricked his eyes as he realized she was probably denying herself things in order to get by.
“Um.” He began, and he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “I don’t know about official, but, hey, listen.” He pulled out a debit card that had his face all over it. “I never use this card, and I’m gonna be honest with you, you could order takeout for the whole class, every meal for a year, and it wouldn’t make a dent. I want you to hold onto this, and use it whenever you want. I will never ask you to pay me back.”
Ochako’s eyes were wide as dinner plates.
“Oh my god, All Might I couldn’t!”
“Sure you could, here. The pin is 1312.” He pressed the plastic rectangle into her hands.
“No, this is too generous, I couldn’t possibly take advantage of your kindness in this way, All Might no!”
“All Might yes, dude here.” He used his other hand to close her fingers gently around the card. Tears welled up in the young girl’s eyes.
All Might’s heart all but broke, and he used his most reassuring voice, “At least use it on the field trip. You could rent skates, get snacks, they probably have arcade games. Just try it out! If you’re still outside of your comfort zone, you can always give it back after.” She stared at him, misty eyed and shocked.
“Or you could hold on to it for the semester, I mean ramen is good and all, but it’s high in sodium. To be the best hero you can be, it’s important to fuel your body right! Right?”
She nodded stiffly, “Right… Right! So, I can use this for school related, hero activities?”
“Exactly!” Toshinori beamed, “Think of it as a hero stipend! Eating well, sleeping well, and even hobbies and activities can all greatly benefit a hero’s training! A steady mind is a ready mind. So don’t stress, yeah? I’m here. I’ve got you.”
Uraraka’s face burst with emotion, and tears fell. “You’re really serious!? I can keep this!?”
“Of course you can. If you lose it, I’ll give you another one.” He nodded reassuringly. Uraraka dove at him in a hug, tears falling. “All Might this is so generous, I don’t know what to say! Thank you!!!”
All Might patted her back softly, filled to the brim with sympathy and hope. A part of his mind wandered off, worried other students may be having similar troubles. Maybe UA should have a program such as the one Uraraka described. He was due for another meeting with Nezu.
Ochako left the office in a flurry of thanks and bows, her tears drying and her blush seeming more joyful than ashamed. Toshi couldn’t help but beam at her, waving as she left.
Then he sat for a moment in the empty office in thought. His hands steepled before his face, he made a few outlines of plans to begin a funding system for students in need. Even if Nezu didn’t cooperate, Might Tower had mighty influences, and beginning a movement nationwide was, honestly, kind of his thing. He fired off a quick email to his team manager to get the ball rolling.
Then there was a knock on the office door.
Aizawa pushed the door open and leaned casually on the frame.
“You made her cry?” He stated simply.
“Ah, I hope I was able to ease her worries. She was truly quite distressed. Actually, I have something to tell you.”
“What was she ‘distressed’ about?” Aizawa’s voice was toneless, but there was an edge to it that almost sounded accusatory.
“That is, actually, what I wanted to tell you! The students would like to go off campus to a roller rink, and Young Uraraka was quite upset at the idea of the price. She also mentioned some… Concerning things about her eating habits! I gave her one of my debit cards to use freely.”
Aizawa stiffened and stood away from the door frame.
“Are you saying you plan to financially abuse this child?” He asked gruffly.

“What in the world? Where is that accusation coming from? That poor child deserves stability and peace of mind, least of all while she’s enduring rigorous academic training! I’m actually quite appalled that the school doesn’t have a meal plan for students, especially underprivileged ones. It’s a sign of a deeper failure that my individual action was able to solve this particular situation, and make no mistake, I plan to correct that failure.” All Might found his hands curling into fists in determination.
To his surprise, Aizawa shot him a lazy smile and chuckled.
“Good.” He leaned casually on the doorframe again, crossing his arms. “So what was this about a roller rink?”
“The kids have made a plan to go on a student discount night at the end of the week. It sounded like a great bonding activity to me, so I agreed to chaperone. You wanna come?”
“You're inviting me?” Aizawa’s expression barely changed, but he seemed surprised.
“Of course. I dunno if Shinso would need different paperwork, but I already signed off for class 1-A.”
Aizawa nodded thoughtfully.
“I’ll be there.”

The day’s stresses bordered on exhausting, and for once Toshi found himself in his room at the Teacher’s Dorms before late evening. He’d gone to the wordless place in his mind somewhere between grading papers and getting a juice and granola bar from a vending machine for dinner. It was easier that way, calmer. Eating and taking his meds was easier to do on autopilot, anyhow. He floated above the emotions within like a boat on the sea, watching as the eddies and currents went by.

There were things running through his mind that he couldn’t hold, currents that would pass through his fingers and carry on their way if he reached overboard to dip his hand in. It felt like static coating his body, an itch that didn’t itch and could never be scratched or soothed.

He wished he could patrol properly again, even just one more time. The wind at his back as he watched over a city from above was a comfort like no other. He’d learned how to patrol from his mentor, and it often felt as though she was by his side when he did so. He’d only need to look to his side and she would be there. He’d spent months chasing her, glimpses of a white cape disappearing around street blocks as he ran until his throat was raw and his legs were numb.
Once he’d caught up to her, she never let him go. Like the mother he’d never had, she cared for him, buying him meals and clothes and eventually letting him live with her.

The wordless feelings coalesced into a tsunami of desire, a single minded wish.

He wanted to see her again.

Sighing deeply, he indulged the feeling, crossing the barren dorm to fetch one of the few things he’d bothered to move in.
He kept it in a box under his bed.

He was almost certain Gran Torino had no idea it existed. How could he, when the events of the day had been so fraught, when all three of them had been fighting for their lives. He wondered often how Gran Torino would feel about it. But the man had almost entirely cut him out of his life after the younger had gone abroad, and Toshi tried to respect that decision. Some days, even he could admit, it was hard.
Toshi wondered if it was because he reminded the man of his mentor, or because he felt Toshi was responsible for her death.
All Might felt like he was responsible for her death.
He had been so close, and Gran Torino had needed to use his full power to drag him away, but he had been so close.
So close that her cape was in his hand.
So close that, when he was ripped away, that small piece still in his palm was too.
It was rare days like this that he would take the box out from under his bed. The scrap was wrapped in another fabric only to keep it from wearing down over time. The piece was surprisingly clean, a smudge of ash in one corner was the only reminder of the day.
On truly dark, desperate days, he could convince himself it still smelled like her.
The moment of Nana Shimura's death was seared into the back of Toshinori's eyelids, defining his actions, his goals, his ideals.
The utter insanity of the beast who claimed he was a man standing atop her ruined corpse was something he couldn't understand. The impossible decision to end any life was one he wouldn't allow himself to consider. The decision to end her life? He couldn't fathom why someone would try to snuff out a shooting star. He couldn't understand the man who had stomped out his source of light.
Nana was smiling when the light left her eyes. It must have been his quirk allowing him to hear her, because even over Gran Torino's jets he could hear himself screaming.
"Now, it's your turn." Were her last words as she handed her gleaming ideals and all her hopes and dreams condensed by love volleying from the palm of her hand to his. Even as her image shrunk in his view and as All For One ripped and shredded in glee, his outstretched hand met hers, in air.
It did.
And when he woke up with images of sun kissed fields and her laughter in his ears, he knew it was more than a dream. In whatever form that came next after this life, Nana was still shimmering, gleaming, perfect.

Even if he couldn't see her anymore.

He didn't ask the hard questions anymore.
"Did she love me?"
"Was I good enough?"
"Was it my fault?"
He wouldn't admit to anybody that they plagued him. Especially not to himself. Especially not when he was older now than she ever got to be. Old enough that he didn't remember the precise way her muscles moved in her hand when she took his, didn't remember the texture of her gloves. Her every detail had seemed so important for so long, and to have the lingering ghost in his mind lose detail should have been frightening or saddening in a different way.
But for some reason, he couldn't quite believe she was gone. Dead, yes and truly, but... gone? As in never gonna see him again gone? Something deep within him told him that where she was, she was struggling to send a message to him. Much of his time when not engaging in hero work was spent in meditation, establishing and strengthening his connection to One For All. He tried to focus on the previous wielders.

He tried to contact Nana.

But she wasn't available to answer any calls. Even though she promised.

She had promised.

And he couldn't help but wonder if it was a choice, if she blamed him like Gran Torino surely did, or if she was lost somehow, in need of a guiding light.

Her hand wasn't in his.

He was reaching, fingers outstretched.

He wondered if it was a choice made out of self hate, as she often had pushed away anyone who offered a kind word. She went as far as to make the mortifying decision to give up her son, the only thing in the world she loved more than Toshi. It was impossible to forget the tense discussion after the fact, Gran Torino pointing out she was acting like she was on death row. And she smiled at them so sadly, so resigned. All Might often wondered if she had received a prophecy, much like his, that foretold her doom. His own resignation he recognized as a mirror of hers, something he learned by association and didn't realize he'd done it. He never went so far as to give away all his earthly possessions, but he had made plans in case of his death. Nana had too.

And maybe that was a key aspect to it. The dread. She had spoken of her death for months before it happened, but both he and Gran Torino had been so immovably against the concept. Toshi thought he had convinced her there was another way.

He hadn't.

His last thought, as he watched All For One deliver a blow that was obviously fatal, as she didn't dodge but just smiled at him, was, "Oh you suicidal bitch don't you DARE"

And he hated himself for it, even if a small part of him insisted on holding on to it. She had known she was going to die. And she had walked into the battle smiling.

Nana Shimura's smile was much different than his own. She was a serene pool, water rippling but never splashing. Nana was the wind across a calm beach after rain, the sand uniformly flat and firm. Nana smiled like she had spun the stars and spoken the answers to the universe and was simply waiting for you to catch up. A calm, reassuring smile of confidence.

Toshi only ever bared his teeth in fear. He tried to capture that serenity, but he knew it came from a deep place of resignation. And All Might didn't know how to give up. He held the scrap in his hands, unable to let go of the memory of someone so special, so unique.

He couldn't understand the decision to end a life that was so beautiful.

And that was another thing Toshinori supposed had never clicked about it to him. Someone as endlessly perfect, someone holding such depth of light inside themselves couldn't die. Not really. Not in the way that mattered. He could feel it, in his soul, that some intrinsic part of what made Nana, well, herself, was still out there floating free. Even if a thousand others made the insane, impossible decision All For One had made, she couldn't be killed.
He knew it was likely her ideals, her impact that he meant. But on days like this it felt confusing and jarring why he was making the decision to refrain from calling her. It felt like she was just out of sight, and all he had to do was open enough doors and she would be behind one.
Most days felt different. The entire world had shifted hue with Nana Shimura's death, and Toshi's life along with it. There was no recapturing the feeling of his life before his debut, both pain and comfort. For better or for worse, he was a different man now.

He hated All For One, in a way he hadn't known possible. After All For One killed all of Nana's surviving family and friends, he had targeted her. Toshi wanted a neon target painted on his own back, because if All For One was obsessing over attacking him, he wouldn't have time to hurt anybody else.

He tried to hold his anger and resolve, but they broke like bottles, leaking grief and sorrow throughout his sagging body. All For One was a jerk, plain and simple. And simple was bad because it left time to feel without thinking. And the emptiness that his Nana left was a black hole, it's event horizon slowly devouring him from the inside out.

It hurt.

And he missed her.

Chapter Text

Toshinori awoke with a start, his fists clenching. He sat up moments before his alarm went off, just as the sky was beginning to gray with the light of dawn. The air in the room was sharp and fresh, chemical crisp. He took ten minutes to meditate, bringing his heart rate back down and relaxing each of his muscles one by one.
Once he felt centered, he brought his morning meds to the teacher’s dorm’s kitchen in the common area and staked out a table. He found a spot hidden around the corner from where the TV was droning some nature documentary to a pile of blankets and limbs on the couch. Toshi quietly made himself a small breakfast of white rice, plain eggs and nori without using any of the machines or loud devices. He sat with his plate, and took his meds. Then he answered emails on his phone while he ate. He had to put on his reading glasses to actually see them, and then, realizing there were fewer than he was used to, he had time to catch up on the news.

A lot of it was about himself, but a lot more was about UA. He couldn't help the feelings of dread and horror that had taken root, winding tendrils through his bones and across his side. He should have been there to stop it. Bakugo never should have been taken in the first place. All For One had really fucked them over by getting a teleporter before Nezu got a forcefield or a long distance nullifier. It was a shame Star and Stripe was as limited as it was, although part of Toshi still didn't quite understand why Cassie couldn't just rule herself more rules. Every time he brought it up she had brought up genies, which he didn't get. It meant that UA was at a tactical disadvantage. Without an effective counter, the students of UA were sitting ducks for AFO to pick off. They had been for a while, but All For One was so weakened he was behaving like a shellfish, too fearful to extend himself all the way. Toshi had been banking on that while stomping him out, and All For One and co’s known hideouts were dwindling, especially as the League of Villains blundered into the open repeatedly, surely eating away at AFO’s resources. It was impossible to stop All For One from attacking, so Toshi preferred to force his hand as often as possible, attacking first and deciding the battlefield himself. Like a dog digging for clams, the game had been persistence. His stomach turned at what AFO’s fellows would do now with the power vacuums that had formed. He should have been there. Nezu wouldn't hear him out when there was obviously a leak somewhere among close ranks. All Might hadn't even suggested it be an intentional one, even just one school email address unknowingly compromised was enough to make the entire fortress debunk. But the idea had seemed unthinkable to Nezu. More likely the principal had assumed it would be easier to pinpoint the mole if he isolated them. Toshinori thought it had been irresponsible to spring a trap like that half cocked. If they thought it was a chance at AFO, they should have staged a full ambush. He should have been there. But instead the students were horribly traumatized at best, again. And at worst they were injured, and they still didn't know the extent of what Bakugo experienced because the boy refused to talk about it.
Was it a good idea to take the students out in public? He could scarcely ensure their safety on the premises of UA, a notorious mechanical death trap. How on Earth were they supposed to let the children experience a moment of normalcy and safety in peace? If something horrible happened to any of those kids, he felt like he would absolutely lose it. Nothing should have happened to them in the first place. He should have been there, even back at the USJ, he should have been there.

All Might realized he was hyperventilating too late, tears blurring his vision as he realized he hadn't been reading any of the words he was scrolling past. He pushed his glasses off his face as he wiped his eyes. Locked in a doom cycle, brain fuzzing out, and tense to the point of pain, he lowered himself to the floor next to the table, finding something solid to rest his back against and drawing his knees up to his chest. He was here, at UA, he was safe and nothing was happening. He rode the wave, understanding what was going on but still a detached part of his mind was so annoyed that his body was about to eat up so much time. It was hard to dismiss the frustration, but once he was able to see his body from the standpoint of sensations and reactions he observed it without judgment. This was just a moment. He'd experienced many moments, like snowflakes in the breeze. He could only choose to act in the future, not change the past. He tried to comfort his body while it needed to expel some terror and guilt and frustration, and he let the moments come and wane. He patted the young boy in his mind on the head, the rest of the kid obscured by the stray dogs he was huddled with for warmth, and he told him it didn’t stay winter forever. He promised himself to try to stay in his zone of tolerance next time, and notice when he was getting so worked up. He'd been taught very young that crying brought negative attention, but he was in relative safety and didn't want to accidentally have a second panic attack later in the day, so he tried to let himself cry fully, until there was no fear left. He knew how to cry until he could smile again.

His Nana had caught him crying a time or two. He had been so horrified, not understanding that the experiences he'd had living on the street had been outside of he norm. He'd honestly expected violence, but instead her words were soft and gentle, and she'd taught him that physical closeness didn't have to equal pain and fear. The way her breath pushed her body against his as she held him was such a strongly formative sensation it was one of the background colors of his mind. It was always easy to smile when his master was there. He found himself summoning her presence, carrying her strength of spirit close to his heart.

“Is someone cooking eggs?” Nemuri slurred and dragged herself across the floor, slippers scraping as she stretched and yawned.
She opened the fridge to pull out a tall energy drink, cracking it open and pounding it without hesitation.
Anan stumbled in after her, crashing into her from behind and wrapping her arms around her.
“What time is it…” The Space Hero drawled. She pawed the drink out of the R-Rated Hero’s hands and took a sip.
Nemuri turned around and then startled as she spotted Toshinori.
“All Might! When did you get there?”
“Why are you on the floor..?” Anan asked sleepily, cocking her head slightly to the side and taking another small sip of the energy drink.
“Hahaha! I was merely getting a start to my day, and I decided to crack my back on this wall! Haha!” Toshinori flexed his shoulders against the hard surface and his upper body made a satisfying snap-crackle-pop! He stood up and returned to his meal, gesturing.
“I made myself but a modest snack, however breakfast is the most important meal of the day! If you would like, I would be more than happy to prepare you something!” All Might volunteered.
“Where do you find all this energy…” Midnight groaned, pulling the energy drink back from her coworker and chugging the whole thing until she crushed the can.
“Prescription drugs!” All Might grinned with pep.
“I want an omelet.” Thirteen declared.
“I’ll make it so,” Toshinori immediately began bustling around the kitchen, chopping a few vegetables and pulling out some spices he could no longer eat while beating the eggs. Toshi also got the bright idea to make pancakes, since he couldn't have those anymore either but he had gotten really good at making them extremely fluffy and tall, before. He grabbed his own plate from the table, taking bites as he cooked. By the time the first batch was hitting the stove he was aware that there was a small crowd coalescing, Aizawa and Yamada had appeared and were hovering over Nemuri, who was showing them something on her phone and whispering. When he served up the first omelet to Anan, he already had another on the stove, so when the trio asked if they could have one too, it was as simple as smiling and nodding. He was out of practice and mangled the flip on the first pancake, but he got back into the swing of it with the second, and soon he had a good pile going with the misprint set to the side.
Toshinori wasn’t certain if anyone else would appear, but he made a fifth omelet just to be safe. When he set down a towering stack of pancakes, it vanished in four equal parts in an instant. His coworkers were gushing over the food, eating heartily and passing sauces and jams, except for Aizawa who was silent and watching, chewing thoughtfully. Toshinori beamed and thanked them for the praise, and then boxed up the extra omelet before it got cold, placing it on a bed of lettuce and buttering the pancake before cutting it into semicirles to bring it to Izuku during their morning training. He also made a mental note to stop by the store to replenish the ingredients that he hadn’t originally stocked in the dorm. He was becoming worried that brewing roommate fridge drama was the reason Aizawa was glaring him down until Aizawa quietly cornered him as he was putting his plate in the sink.
“Who’s the extra breakfast for?” He mumbled.
And Toshinori didn’t quite know why he felt like he should lie, as though his coworkers couldn’t be trusted with the secret of One For All.
“It’s… For… Me! Yeah! I made it for myself, to eat later! Yep!” All Might declared in a totally confident manner.
“Hmm…” Aizawa acknowledged, and then he just walked away, off to prepare for the field trip later that day in whatever way it was that Aizawa did.
Toshi, however, stayed in the kitchen for a bit longer, cutting fruit into shapes and drawing faces on them with chocolate sauce before placing them each on a pancake slice and packing them away for Izuku.

••• ... — — — —... •••

The roller rink was dripping with themed neon signs and flags, colorful and dazzling and just shy of overstimulating. With Aizawa on board, they had snagged a school bus and were chauffeured right to the location. Toshi took a moment to glance back over the bus, smiling wide at all the kids. Most of them were wearing fashionable dailywear, and if he wasn’t mistaken they had all dressed up for the occasion. Kaminari even had on the leather jacket that was part of his hero outfit, although everything else he was wearing seemed civilian appropriate, and it was just a jacket, so he figured they could let it slide. Shinso was seated next to Aizawa, talking across the aisle to Tokoyami. Everything had been so weird since his retirement, but for the moment everyone seemed happy. For a moment, everything was normal. Toshinori had to wonder if he should be worried that Bakugo wore his entire hero ensemble, though. Aizawa hadn’t said anything, but he’d had to bite his tongue almost three times nearly scolding the kid. The bus was near deafening with excited chatter, and as they pulled to a stop the students surged forward.
“In an orderly, rational manner, please exit the bus.” Aizawa grumbled to the crowd.
“IT IS VITAL THAT WE MAINTAIN ORDER! EVERYBODY, SINGLE FILE!” Iida yelled from the middle rows, causing Yamomo to cover one ear next to him. The students chilled out slightly, and before he knew it, Toshinori was watching the queue filter past the rental window.
He couldn’t help but notice Shoji, Uraraka and Midoriya hanging back slightly. He meandered over to be nosey, but by the time he got there they all nodded in sync, Uravity taking the lead. She confidently slid a familiar card across the counter, a slight blush on her face, and covered all three admittance and skate rentals. Then, without further ado, the crowd was inside and lacing up. Uraraka placed a rather large purse in a locker, sharing it with Izuku’s current notebook and a small tote bag that Todoroki brought. Yamomo was showing her custom, light up skates to a dazzled Jiro, and Bakugo was grumbling about the arch support while Sero laughed. Iida had put his skates on at near inhuman speed and was doing warm up stretches, clad in skating safety pads and an aerodynamic fitted helmet.
Toshinori had rented a pair of skates and stood experimentally, never quite having had the opportunity to go skating before. He found it was quite intuitive, and he made his way to the skating rink in time to catch Aizawa using his quirk on Kirishima. The pro teacher scolded him briefly, and Toshi caught the last of Kirishima’s explanation.
“Haha, sorry professor, I guess I hadn’t realized how much of a reflex it is for me to get hard.”
Sero and Kaminari skated past him and burst out laughing.
“You got hard, huh?” Sero lightheartedly mocked.
“Embarrassing!” Kaminari sing-songed.
“Haha, hey! You know what I meant, don’t get it twisted!” Kirishima called, skating after them. Toshi watched Aizawa shake his head hopelessly. Then the man saw Shinso struggling with his laces and left back to the benches in a woosh of messy dark hair. Toshi smiled at him as he passed, taking his own first step onto the polished floor and nearly wiping out.
Midoriya was clinging to the wall, legs shaking like a newborn deer.
“How’s it going, young Midoriya?” All Might asked, rising from a crab walk on the rink floor back to the wall.
“A-all Might! Hi! I-it’s going good!” Midoriya spluttered, before muttering under his breath, “I think… Maybe they’re a kind of polycarbonate, or some special alloy?” The boy was inching along the wall, bracing himself with both hands. All Might had no idea what he was talking about, but he wondered at how the roller skate wheels felt, the strange fluid not-walking gait a completely unique experience.
“Hmm, I’m not sure how well it applies in this situation, but I do know a technique that works with ice skates and skis? Wanna hear it?” Toshi offered, remembering something David had showed him so many years ago. Midoriya turned to him, beaming and blushing.
“Oh, a technique? That sounds amazing, yes please!”
This kid always knew how to gas him up. Toshi grinned wide, skating closer on greased wheels so he was side by side with his pupil.
“Okay, so basically there’s two positions you keep your feet in, and switching between the two will make you go forward. The first is French Fry, where your feet are parallel to one another.” All Might demonstrated, bouncing his knees slightly. “The second is Pizza, where you have your skates pointing in towards one another, so it looks like a triangle, kind of like a slice of pizza! Oh.” He shot forward much farther than expected for such a slight motion, and he called back to his boy, “It definitely works with skates!”
Midoriya’s laughter was like rising balloons and birdsong, and it made Toshinori feel like a hero anew.
“Oh! I think I’ve got it!” Izuku cried triumphantly before falling backwards.
“I’ve got you!” Uraraka appeared behind him, using her quirk for a split second to ensure her own balance wasn’t affected and righting Izuku in an instant. She kept a hand on Izuku’s forearm as they skated forward and Toshi fell in line with them.
“Nice save! Although strictly speaking, I think we could get in trouble for quirk use indoors.” Toshinori felt a little bad reprimanding her for a genuinely heroic action, but he was afraid of Aizawa, or worse, the owner taking issue.
“Ahaha, oh r-right, whoops.” Uravity fixed her hair a bit, blushing.
“It’s important to keep your knees bent, and if you feel yourself falling, try to sit.” Said Todoroki, appearing out of nowhere behind them and taking Izuku’s other arm.
Suddenly there was a clattering, and Toshi saw a pink streak disappear towards Tsu as a hanging decoration swung wildly above the rink.
“Yikes,” He muttered, kicking off like he was longboarding and rushing forward along the flow of traffic to pull up beside her.
“What happened?” He asked in concern.
“I-I’m sorry sir, I don’t know why I thought it was falling towards me? I just flinched, I’m really sorry.” Tsu was looking at the ground, eyes welling up somewhat. Toshinori felt his heart break a little. These heroes were too young to have such strong startle responses, but he could see the effect of their experiences in their behavior. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“That is alright, Tsu, I completely understand. When I flinch, I often find it helpful to take a big, deep breath to recenter myself.” He spoke gently. She immediately did so, her shoulders rising and then sinking down relaxed as she took a full, proper breath.
Mineta pulled up next to them.
“Did you just attack that tacky sculpture?” He asked bluntly. Tsu just covered her face, clearly embarrassed. “That’s kinda funny. It makes sense though, doesn’t it kinda look like the villain that attacked us at the USJ?” He continued.
Tsu’s head whipped back around to the decoration, one finger pressed below her lips.
“Oh… It does, doesn’t it? I thought I saw it falling.” She explained.
“Ha, that makes sense. You really have some killer reflexes, it’s kind of badass!” Mineta continued. Toshi continued to hover, skating just behind them as they talked, glad when they started laughing more and more.
There was a fair crowd on the main track, mostly mothers holding their children’s hands and teenagers doing tricks. Toshi was surprised to see Shoji doing what appeared to be some kind of skating routine, graceful dips and sharp spins interspersed with fluid glides that made him appear weightless. Tokoyami, Dark Shadow, Koda and Ayoyama were cheering him on, applauding at his tricks and trying to copy them with minimal success. Koda was the most stable, and the other two crashing into him, shaking him in excitement, and dangling off his arms didn’t seem to change his steady, easygoing pace, although the poor boy was blushing up a storm. Todoroki also seemed particularly adept as he whizzed by, occasionally doing a spin or skating backwards to scan the entire rink with his eyes, understated glitter skates in mismatching colors of white and red. He was speeding from group to group, smiling and greeting his classmates as his pace overtook them.
There was a gust of wind that passed him by, and All Might realized he could watch the breeze circle the rink, ruffling hair and pulling at loose clothing. When it passed him next, he tried to catch it’s attention.
“Mr. Class President? A moment please?” He spoke into the vortex.
Iida angled his legs as he came to a stop, matching speed and readjusting his glasses.
“Yes sir? What is it?”
“Well, I believe you may be using your quirk.”
“WHAAAT? But I would NEVER!”
Iida’s mouth hung open, aghast. He continued, “That would violate so many laws and regulations, not to mention this skating rink’s own policies! To even consider such an untoward and boorish act is, why it’s, well,”
All Might chuckled and pointed down at his legs. “Dude you were skating so fast you were making, like, an air tunnel.” He pointed up and moved his finger in a circle to demonstrate. “Are you… Absolutely positive that your engines aren’t running?”
Iida got a little sheepish, his hands coming to chest level in thought.
“Well… It’s possible I was cycling air… Oh dear. I didn’t think that counted.” The boy turned to him and stood ramrod straight, “It won’t happen again, sir!”
“Attaboy!” All Might clapped him on the back casually as the class co. president began to skate away. He wondered if he should be worried he hadn’t seen Bakugo yet, when nearly everyone else was skating.
Toshi saw a pair of skates and socks with nobody inside them go airborne, a floating sports skort and sweater tumbling downward. Hagakure was caught by Ojiro, who had been sailing by with Shinso. He righted her, one hand raised and moving with weight, and Toshi realized he was holding her hand like a prince, making sure she still had her balance. Shinso offered his arm which was gratefully grabbed as well, and the two guided her around the next difficult obstacle; The majority of the lane ahead was filled by Yayorozu and Jiro, arm in arm, chatting animatedly with Uraraka and Mina, who were also arm in arm. He couldn’t help but smile at his little heroes, all looking out for one another.

Then, there was a sound like a clap of thunder.

Every skater slowed to a halt to glance towards the sound, just as there was a slight lull in the music. Jiro laughed and clapped a hand over her mouth to smother the reaction. She unclasped her arm from Yamomo’s and knelt in front of her, where Kaminari had fallen flat on his face, arms in the air.

“Oh nooo… Are you okay?” Jiro held out her hand to the blonde who sat dazed on the floor.
“...Yay?” Kaminari replied woozily.
Suddenly all the girls broke into a commotion, gathering the boy and guiding him off the floor with impressive speed. They swarmed around him, a flurry of concern.
Yamomo printed out a drink with a small glow of pink and offered it to Kaminari. “Here! I learned this to help with sports recovery!” And he took it gratefully, sucking it down.
Uravity popped upright, clapping once, “Oh, I’ll get my first aid kit!”
Mina gasped, “You brought one? That is so prepared!” And the two of them darted off to the lockers.
Ejiro and Sero slid to a stop at the exit and started wobbling over to Denki.
“Hey, I fell like three times, how come I’m not getting any love?” The redhead joked with a smile as he sat.
“I think it was the legendary smack my face made when I hit the ground, honestly.” Denki seemed embarrassed.
“Yeah, yours was better than mine. My last one was kinda embarrassing.”
“Well it couldn’t have been worse than mine, everybody looked over!”
“I dunno, I think I kinda left a crater where I fell.”
“Oh, I guess that is kinda embarrassing.”
“Yeah. And also, He landed on his butt.” Sero interjected.
Kaminari blinked, considering this.
Then he burst into laughter.
“Wait, wait you mean you left a butt print on the rink???”
The three of them busted it up laughing for a moment as All Might rolled out of the exit.
“Hey, Kaminari, I just wanted to check on you real quick if that was ok?” Toshinori asked.
“Oh, uh sure?”
“Is the space between my fingers blurry at all?”
Looking bored, Kaminari replied, “You’re holding up two finger- wait what?” And then he actually squinted at them a bit, “Oh, uh, no I don’t think so.”
“Awesome. Do you remember the name of the street you live on?” All Might asked.
“Yeah,” Said Kaminari before he recited his address. Kirishima’s eyes flicked between the two of them. Sero explained the situation to Koda and Froppy, then once more as more classmates rolled up.
“Okay. And, how about today’s date?”
“What? Dude I have trouble keeping that straight when we’re turning stuff in, why do I have to say it now?”
All Might laughed in agreement, knowing well that the boy often turned in tests with the date incorrect.
“I know, but humor me? Just your best guess.”
“Uhhhhhhh…” Kaminari hesitated, then, “Oh!” and he excitedly said the correct date.
“Nice one! High five!” All Might lifted his hand for Kaminari to slap, watching his coordination. Kaminari grinned, going for the loudest high five he could manage. The crack was truly impressive.
“Yeah, you’re all good, kid.” All Might assessed, chuckling.
Todoroki ambled over, walking on the stoppers of the skates.
“Did you need any ice?” He asked softly, with no greeting. Kaminari leaned back casually.
“Oh, sure! Thanks bro! My face doesn’t even really hurt anymore, I just know you’re supposed to. Although, haha man, do you think they have slushies here?” Kaminari looked back toward the rest of the building, a glowing space with numerous counters partitioning sections from one another. Todoroki began making ice, finding some napkins to wrap it in nearby. Toshinori unlaced his skates to go find Aizawa.

Suddenly, the sound of firecrackers filled the space, along with a familiar voice roaring.
“WHAT, YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN ME? I COULD TAKE YOU OFF THE PLANET, TWERP!” Bakugo raged with fire in his palms, advancing on a young man of only five as the boy retreated against a group of cowering friends. Behind them, a few mothers clearly noticed what was going on.
Toshi was behind him in a blink, feeling all his hair stand on end.
“Young man. What do you think you’re doing? Apologize, now.”
“A-all Might…” Bakugo audibly grit his teeth, the squeaking crunch almost sickening. There was a tense moment where it seemed nobody moved. Then Bakugo lowered his head slowly, seeming to gaze at his feet.
“...’M sorry for shouting or whatever. And for using my quirk. Tch.” Toshinori glanced up at the group of parents who had just reached their children, cradling them as they clung back crying.
The first child, though, a young man with wild hair, wasn’t hugging his mom back, and he wasn’t quite crying either. He was staring at Bakugo in near betrayal, eyes fixed to his face.
The fury welling up inside Toshinori nearly couldn’t be contained. He grabbed his student’s shoulders and firmly began to guide him to the entrance they came in from.
“Young Bakugo we are going outside to think of a better apology right now, because they have every right to be upset at you. This behavior is unacceptable.” He spoke sternly.

The air outside was colder.

Bakugo was noticeably crying but Toshi pretended not to notice. The boy found a seat on some corner steps as Cementoss walked up to Toshi.
“What happened?” Ishiyama asked his coworker, hushed in concern.
“Our young man here decided it was appropriate to threaten children with violence while using his quirk, so we’re out here thinking of a proper apology for the time being.” All Might explained, and he couldn’t help but think to himself that he fucking told Nezu that kid needed professional counsiling and therapy even before the kidnapping fiasco went down. The boy was noticeably grappling with something bigger than he could handle on his own.
“I see…” Cementoss said, troubled.
Toshinori went and sat next to Bakugo, who was seething with his arms crossed over his knees.
“It’s not fair. If those stupid brats hadn’t acted like I was weak then I never would have needed to get so angry! Those stupid twerps were acting like I couldn’t take care of myself, when I’m the one who survived being kidnapped by villains for days! I’m hero material and they’re just too jealous to see it! I can take care of myself, nobody needs to help me!” Bakugo was raging again by the end of his tirade, but Toshinori felt like he understood.
“Young man, there is a time and a place to show your strength, and that was not it. Do you understand why?”
“No!” He blurted, but then faltered, looking down. His eyes flicked back and forth as he processed.
“It can’t seriously be because they’re kids, it is total bull that someone’s weaker just because they’re younger, I was winning fights with boys three times my age when I was as old as those brats.” And Katsuki genuinely snarled on the insult.
“What did they say that made you so angry?” All Might shook his head, not understanding.
“They didn’t say anything! They were just a bunch of snot nosed punks!”
“You are not telling me that you attacked a group of children completely unprovoked right now???” All Might was mortified. Bakugo just looked down, settling his head on his crossed arms. Toshi shook his head, aghast. He knew that the parents must be hearing a similar story by then. He realized he should go do damage control. Then he stood and waved Cementoss over from where he was briefing Snipe and Ectoplasm.
“Would you mind watching him? I think he needs to take some time…” Toshi glanced back at Katsuki, huddled miserably on the ground.
“Of course! Young man, would you like a water bottle?” Cementoss asked, approaching the brooding student.
Toshinori walked back inside and was immediately met with a small crowd of pissed off parents.
“Was that the student the villains kidnapped?”
“How could he behave that way as a heroics student?”
“Wasn’t he restrained after the sports festival?”
“Is it really safe to have him around other children?”
“What was the school thinking?”
Toshinori found a space between all the valid concerns he heard expressed.
“I would like to apologize on behalf of my student. His behavior was inappropriate, uncalled for, and entirely unacceptable. I understand if you feel unsafe due to his behavior, but I promise he will not do it again. We have him under control, so you may feel free to continue to enjoy your afternoon. I would also like to personally buy each of your children a treat to make up for the unpleasant experience.” He’d never known straight up bribery to fail him.
There was a bit of hemming and hawing and then one of the young boys involved screamed the words “ICE CREAM” and the parents were pulled over to the snack bar. Toshinori got each of them an elaborate sundae upon request, the first kid seeming to know exactly what he wanted to improve his mood and most of the others following his lead. Then Toshi felt a tug on his pants leg.
“Um? Are you All Might?” Toshi looked down to see the main victim of Katsuki’s rage staring up at him with huge eyes.
“Oh! Well, yes. I mean I was! Haha, I’m retired now.” The boy nodded solemnly.
“Is it scary fighting villains?” The boy’s voice was small, like he was afraid of either the question or the answer. Toshi considered his words carefully.
“Yes, it is very scary. That’s how we know strong heroes are so brave. They protect others even though it’s scary.” All Might tried to speak gently.
“Oh. Okay.” The boy thought for a moment, then he looked back up, “Can I get a light up prize instead of ice cream?”
“Of course!” Toshi couldn’t help but laugh heartily. The kid reminded him of Izuku, just a little bit, thinking too hard and possibly caring too much. The children were soon clambering about rambunctiously, the incident seemingly forgotten. The mothers hovered anxiously around their kids, but two of them smiled and waved at Toshi, which he hoped was a sign of forgiveness.

Kirishima, Iida and Tsu appeared next to him.
“Dude, what happened?” Kirishima was the first to speak, clearly cutting off Iida who had just opened his mouth.
“Our young Bakugo’s temper just made a terrible impression, and in his hero costume no less.” Toshinori could only shake his head in disappointment.
“Was anybody hurt?” Tsu asked, beating Iida to the punch again.
“No, no thankfully everything is quite alright.” All Might smiled.
“Will Bakugo be punished?” Iida asked. Suddenly All Might felt a tug on his arm. He looked to his side to see Izuku.
“All Might? Can we talk?” Izuku asked.
“Uh, we’ll have to see, young Iida,” All Might managed as he was pulled away.

Izuku had managed to find a corner tucked away from it all, slightly dark and out of view of most anyone else.
“Did Kachan hurt anyone?” He asked with an impressively severe look on his face.
“No, do not fear, young man, everyone is just fine.” All Might reassured.
“Okay, it's just that Kachan doesn't really know how to hold back, and he respects everyone as an equal warrior, which is why he isn't afraid to give it his all!” Izuku emphasized.
“Respect, huh?” Toshi snorted. He hadn't seen any respect whatsoever. He had seen a lot of misguided defensiveness, however.
“Yeah, he has to prove himself because he's trying to be the best there ever was one day! Just like you, All Might. The first time he beat me up was because I stopped him from beating on a kid after he started crying.”
“Uh-” Izuku's intense expression focused inward as he continued without taking a breath.
“See, Kachan is kind of like a lion, he has to fight others for dominance, and if he isn't the absolute strongest then he really freaks out.”
“I see.” Said All Might, not seeing the comparison at all.
“Usually he's all bark and no bite, but when someone really sets him off then he doesn't have any breaks. I don't think it's that he wants to scare others per se, it's just that he doesn't know how else to make others respect him.”
“Hm.” Toshi replied, still processing the fact that apparently Izuku's bully had used more than just words to harm him.
“Yeah! So I don't think it's really his fault, and it's probably something that he's going to grow out of, and really I think it's just because he has such a cool quirk that everyone treats him a little different, and really kids should probably know not to stare at strangers for too long, haha I know I’ve gotten into my fair share of trouble just from being too nosey and asking questions when I shouldn't have, so-”
“Wait. Did you see what happened?” Toshinori interrupted.
“Oh. Kind of? Kachan noticed that kid staring at him after he froze when Jiro helped Kaminari. I think?” Izuku was all smiles now, which Toshi didn't quite understand. The man placed a hand on his chin in thought.
“I see…”
Uravity’s head popped into view.
“Oh! Deku, there you are! They're doing a dance competition!!! Come on!” She grabbed Izuku, wrapping her arm around his.
“I’m just gonna borrow him for a minute!” She politely beamed at All Might as she pulled him away. Toshi was so glad Izuku had good friends, smiling and waving as they made their way back to the roller rink and laced up their skates once more.

Toshinori walked back to the seating area, finding Aizawa lounging on the sidelines. All Might was about to go check on young Katsuki, but Aizawa waved him over so he plopped down next to him, grinning as the skaters chose their songs and determined an order. Aizawa barely acknowledged him with a glance and a few raised fingers in greeting.
“Goodness, they really are a handful.” Toshinori commented.
“You're telling me.” Aizawa mumbled. Toshi couldn't think of anything else to say, but the students queueing up between other skaters wasn't particularly interesting.
“Nice job catching Bakugo.” Aizawa volunteered a conversational lifeline.
“Hahaha, I am glad you approve!” Toshinori puffed up his chest in pride before immediately slumping back down, “I just wish there had been no need. That boy's temper has gotten him more trouble than anything else.”
“Where is he now?”
“Just outside, with Cementoss. I think the cavalry is guarding him. I should go talk to him again, actually.” Toshi began to stand, but then Aizawa stopped him with a hand on his forearm.
“No, I’ll go. I’m sure you'll enjoy the dance competition more than I will.” Aizawa audibly smirked, which Toshi found impressive.
“Hahaha! Okay!”
The lights dimmed to put a spotlight on the rink, and the first set of skaters hit the floor. Mina, Hagakure and Kaminari did a high energy routine, bouncy and peppy and over too fast. Next was Koda, Froppy, Shinso and Sato, sailing along interpretively to a ballad with a very modern beat. Then a mother and her child danced to their song. Then came Shoji and Tokoyami, doing what looked like ballet to a death metal song. Sero, Mineta and Aoyama went on next, after a few more children and their parents, dancing extremely out of sync to a pop song that was dominating the radio. A few more civilians performed with glee, then came Kirishima, Uraraka and and Jiro with a heavy rock song with a female singer which involved a lot of headbanging. Then was Ojiro and Midoriya, who, to Toshinori's shock, did a waltz with Ojiro leading. They glided with grace, and Izuku blushed when he was dipped as the song ended. The blonde had made his protegé look like a trained skater, and a few glances his way told Toshinori he had clapped a bit too loud. Then was the gang of children Katsuki had terrorized, doing a famous dance to a well known pop song their parents undoubtedly played all the time. The last group to dance was Yayorozu, Todoroki and Iida. The song started and Toshinori was thrown back to a charity event he'd done years ago, a pageant where the final challenge was a performance to the very song he heard playing. He watched, almost hypnotized, as his students relived the memory, move for move, before his eyes. He racked his brain, rewinding nearly ten years trying to understand, and then it hit him. He remembered the Iida family participating, and Endeavor cornering him to growl at him before and after the event. There was no way. As the kids finished their routine he leaned over the banister of the rink and got their attention.
“...Little Miss Nippon?” He asked. All three children groaned, Iida throwing back his head, Todoroki pinching the bridge of his nose and Yamomo covering her face entirely.
“I can't believe you remember!” Yayorozu moaned, a giggle in her voice despite the mock despair. Toshinori laughed heartily, “I remember they made each contestant do about a million outfit changes!”
“The fabric was so itchy, it was basically torture.” Todoroki informed him.
“How interesting that we met before attending UA!” Iida pointed out.
“It really is a small world, hahaha.” Toshinori chuckled, smiling.

Then there was an audible popping crack. Toshi turned his head suddenly to spot Izuku nearby, staring at the group with a clenched jaw and clenched fists. The boy blinked in surprise as eyes landed on him, and he blushed with a wobbly smile and hurried closer.
“H-hey guys, great job! You looked so well rehearsed!” He stuttered in a high voice.
“It was a routine we learned years ago. I don't think I could forget it if I tried.” Todoroki told him.
“O-oh that's so cool! That was for the fifteenth annual Little Miss Nippon, All Might's two hundred and forty-third public judging appearance for charity, right? Each contestant got nearly fifteen minutes of screen time and All Might had forty five minutes if you count the interview before!” Izuku infodumped. Todoroki and Yayorozu just blinked but Iida laughed heartily.
“My brother called it my fifteen minutes of fame for years! That's quite some memorization there, Izuku!” Iida shouted in his indoor voice.
“O-oh yeah, haha!” Izuku rubbed his hair self-consciously as other students began to gather around, Kirishima and Uraraka coming to compliment the dancers. Izuku pulled All Might away from the crowd, urging him to sit by where he had left his skates.
“All Might! I want you to put your skates back on!” Izuku said emphatically, gazing into his eyes.
“Oh! Are you sure? The time is almost up for this round. Also, we're not in class or anything, you can just call me Toshi.” Toshinori pointed out, finding a wall clock to glance at.
“I know, that's why you gotta, All Might!” Izuku was holding on to the front of his shirt and he realized he couldn't say no to those big, green eyes.
“Of course, young man.” He took off his shoes and laced up his skates, very aware of the boy’s eyes on him as he fidgeted in place, watching him. The lights came back up, but this time in dazzling colors, a disco ball appearing from seemingly nowhere.
“Alright skaters, the hour is almost up, but before we clear the rink we have the slow dance! Couples, hit the floor!” The MC announced. Toshinori laughed, his face heating up. Ah. So that’s what it was. That made sense.
His protegé tugged him onto the skating rink with a smile. Other skaters filtered in, and Toshi hoped he didn't disappoint the fanboy by eating shit and breaking something, his nerves acting up suddenly. Other skaters were holding onto one another as though it was an actual slow dance and Toshinori felt his heart jump to his throat. He wasn't usually so close to others when he wasn't fighting them, did he even know how to dance??? Izuku took his hand gently, copying what Ojiro had done earlier. Then the boy put a hand on his waist and Toshi realized the only place to hold was Izuku's shoulder and suddenly they were moving and there was music.

He sucked in a surprised breath. Izuku was- He was so graceful! They glided around slowly, avoiding other dancers with ease, only the sweat beading on Izuku's brow betraying his otherwise cool demeanor. Toshi realized he hadn't taken his eyes off his student once.
“You really got the hang of skating fast! I’m impressed!” Toshi knew he was blushing but he hoped the low light hid it.
“Thanks All Might! Your advice really helped me!” Then Izuku pulled him closer. “You're a really good teacher.”
Toshinori was almost certain his advice had just gotten Izuku off the wall, and everything after had been the result of his own hard work and his classmate's help. But it felt rude to reject the compliment, so he said, “Thank you, young man. You're an incredible student.” He squeezed the boy's hand lightly, feeling warm all over and downright hot where they were touching.
The song was over too fast, and then all the students were taking off their skates and chatting amongst each other. Izuku suddenly shrank down, face scarlet.
“T-thank you for dancing with me, All Might.” He stuttered, looking down. All Might chuckled warmly.
“Thank you for inviting me to dance! You were lovely. I mean it was lovely. Ha ha ha!” All Might laughed, clapping the boy on the shoulder to help ground himself. Izuku spluttered for a moment, blushing up a storm when Iida and Uraraka flew to his side, bursting with excitement.
“Izu-!”
“DEKU THERE'S AN ARCADE!” His friends stumbled over each other in their excitement. Very quickly the majority of the class had gathered.
“All Might there's an arcade in the roller rink! We're allowed to go over there, right?” Sero asked with a smile, jerking a thumb over his shoulder towards a particularly glowing and flashing corner of the space, past the counters and partitions.
“Um! Well! I don't see why n-” Toshinori was on the spot, but then he saw Aizawa come back into the building over his student's heads. He was saved!
“Let's go ask your homeroom teacher!” He suggested, and the crowd began to move in that direction.
All Might was a little surprised and mostly relieved to see young Bakugo following him. His student was dressed in his school uniform, hero costume nowhere to be seen. The boy saw the class coming and peeled off to the side, to Toshi’s slight horror, directly towards the lockers where the boys he had frightened were gathering their things. He speed walked over, hovering nearby anxiously.

Bakugo greeted the boys with a soft, “Hey.”

Two of them jumped into each other and a third screamed, but the other boy blinked in surprise and turned towards him calmly.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier. It wasn't cool. I was reminded of something else, and I think I took it out on you guys.” He turned his head, his gaze focusing on the one boy in particular. At this point the children's mothers had noticed and were hovering nearby as well.
“I do go to UA. That's what you asked, right?” Katsuki’s voice was somehow rough and soft at the same time.
“Y-! Yeah!” The one boy took an excited step forward, but then stopped, looking down and clutching his shirt hem. Bakugo took a step forward and sank to one knee.
“You got another question?”
“Um!! Uh well!! I uh!!!” The kid struggled.
“Come on! Spit it out!” Bakugo snapped, and a mom raised her hand to her mouth.
“I wanna know what your hero name would be!” The kid shouted at him all at once.

“Tch.”
Bakugo stood with a grin, pointing his thumbs at himself.
“What it’s gonna be? Pfft, I’m already THE GREAT EXPLOSION MURDER GOD DYNAMIGHT!!!” He screamed at the top of his lungs.
“COOOOOL!!!” The kid jumped up in the air in pure enthusiasm. His mom looked like she was about to have a heart attack. Bakugo knelt back down, pulling out his costume’s eyepiece from his pocket.
“Here. It's sharp, so be careful. I want you to have this.” Bakugo handed the spiked mask to the kid and his face dropped in shock.
“WOAH! I GET TO KEEP THIS!?” He gaped up at Katsuki in awe, leaking from multiple orifices.
Bakugo nodded and stood with a “Hmph!”
“When I was your age, me and my best friend would chase after heroes all the time, and he always wanted a picture or a souvenir. Well, here's yours, from a bonafide hero, just you wait and see!” Katsuki shouted.
Toshi saw one of the mothers swoon in the background as he felt his heart leap. Oh he might have been talking about Izuku! That's crazy haha! Maybe there really was some hope left in the world! All Might grinned at Bakugo as he said goodbye to the kid and walked back over to join his class. The boy kept his hands in his pockets and his gaze on the ground.
“That was a very good apology, young man. I’m proud of you.” All Might smiled at him warmly.
Katsuki froze in his tracks for just a beat, and then made an irritated sound and continued walking faster. Toshi took a breath and scanned the crowd until he found Aizawa’s browline.
Surrounded by a flock of students, the slumped man casually nodded, and the crowd exploded into cheers. Sero, Kirishima, Kaminari and Jiro broke from the flock to grab at Bakugo’s arms.
“Baku-bro!” Kaminari called.
“We missed you!” Jiro emphasized.
“Dude, the teacher’s letting us play at the arcade! Come on!” And Sero and Kaminari were talking over each other, but managed to sync up at the word “arcade”.
“Alright! Let’s go!” Bakugo yelled, and they ran off to join the rest of the class.
Toshinori strolled to a stop next to Shouta and gazed at him out of the corner of his eye. He looked peaceful, face relaxed and brows high and hidden in his hair.
“I figured the kid deserved another chance.” And Aizawa didn’t need to specify to Toshinori who he was talking about. “I told them you’re paying, by the way.”
Yagi coughed over a startled laugh and grinned, giving him a thumbs up. “Makes sense!”