Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was an unseasonably warm day, Izuku noted, as the class moved down towards Ground Beta. He could feel the sun’s rays cascading over the back of his neck, casting a warm embrace around his shoulders. Not that he was complaining, though. Izuku loved the sunshine, loved the warmth it brought. 

It felt nice. It felt calm. 

Reassuring in a way. 

The cozy burst of sunshine, the clear sky, the soft breeze, all left Izuku feeling content, buzzing happily in his gym clothes as they moved towards their teams for combat training. He felt the lazy pull of the afternoon, tugging at his senses as he half listened to Iida chastise Kaminari for trying to run backwards down the walkway that led into the demolished cityscape. 

The boy couldn’t help the smile on his face, which earned him a scowl from Kacchan (one of his opponents for the day), though he was too content to care. Everything felt good . For once he wasn’t afraid of a looming battle, or a test, or strange dreams, or even learning to control One for All. 

For once...

That power hummed pleasantly through his veins even now, amplifying the warmth he felt from the sunshine. It seemed to nudge at his senses, lapping against his consciousness, provoking thoughts about his progress over the last nine months. 

He’d grown.

He was making this power his own. He knew it. And, for whatever reason, it seemed the quirk knew it too. It felt more natural to call on it, to seamlessly integrate it into every fiber of his being, and to hear those whispers in his ear pushing him onward and upward. There’d been no more hiccups or unexpected sub-powers to contend with. He was finally mastering his skills, finally developing a fighting style all his own and using this quirk to its full potential, at least for him, for now. 

And that brought him a measure of contentment he didn’t know if he’d ever feel. 

This quirk was no longer borrowed. It was becoming part of who he was. 

And today, with the sun bright in the sky, he felt like he could do anything, that he would succeed in this combat training.

It felt like, to him, today was going to be a good day. 

Combat training started out easily enough. 

And for that Aizawa and Toshinori were both grateful. 

There’d been too many mishaps lately and the teachers were rather tense this go-round. Too many unexpected occurrences had taken place for them to rest on their laurels and assume today would be calm. 

They’d thought the same thing about the USJ incident too, and well, that’d hadn’t been pleasant. 

Especially for Shouta. 

And yet, things had been uncharacteristically uneventful so far. No major injuries to report, except for Aoyama’s cape (judging by the boy’s crestfallen face). Sure there were bound to be a few bruises and scrapes--this was a training exercise after all--but there’d been nothing serious yet. 

But…

The Problem Child hadn’t gone his turn yet. 

And until he did, Aizawa wouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief. 

Though, he was starting to see a glimmer of hope that things would go relatively smoothly. It’d been so calm so far. Perhaps he could, just this one, bank on something normal by way of a training exercise? 

Except…

Shouta frowned. 

Except Midoriya was teamed up with Iida (which wasn’t a concern) but fighting against Bakugo and Kaminari (which was a potential issue). 

Because Bakugo and Midoriya...their relationship was strained at best. 

Though they had made some strides forward in recent months. Nearly polite to one another.

Still though, Shouta’s grip remained tight on the armrest, as he watched the two teams step out into the city. 

“Here we go” he muttered to no one in particular, least of all Toshinori who sat beside him, peering thoughtfully into the screen. 

And yes, here they went. 

Silence stretched into the darkened room, the glow of the camera feed illuminating tired eyes and gaunt face, as Shouta watched Bakugo and Midoriya square off. 

It was the obvious choice really. Iida and Kaminari seemed to understand that much, and elected to remain on defensive positions for the time being. 

But this would be a tag team effort, so it’d be interesting to see which group worked better together

Bakugo lodged the first assault, but Midoriya was close behind, deflecting the blow easily with a kick of his own, green lightning a vibrant contrast to fiery sparks from the blonde haired boy’s palms. 

“I’m not going to hold back, Deku. Just to you watch.” 

“Neither will I Kacchan. I’ll beat you this time.” 

The verbal sparring matched the physical as they parried one another, footfalls light and tactful. 

And, well…

Things seemed normal much to Shouta’s surprise. 

They were never this normal. Usually something, or someone, elicited some catastrophic event that left more than one person severely injured (usually Problem Child). But...nothing. 

Already, Midoriya and Bakugo had tagged out of their spars to allow their teammates a go, working in tandem to either defend or attack. Kaminari tried to land a blow against Midoriya at one point, but the emerald eyed opponent had been too fast, a grin on his face as he easily leapt away. 

In fact, the boy seemed to be getting faster, letting a little more of his power and control loosen his movements. He seemed more agile, more confident in his footfalls and strategies as he and Iida played off one another. 

Not even Bakugo’s biting insults seemed to faze the kid as the blonde sent a shower of explosive sparks towards Midoriya who dodged them with a smile, eyes practically glittering.

“I thought you were faster than that, Kacchan?” 

And on they went. 

Back and forth. Explosions. Kickoffs, parrying one another. 

A few times Iida managed to get a good strike in on Kaminari, wary of the electricity the boy wielded. And Kaminar, in return, managed to shock Midoriya a few times as well, forcing the boy to either smack into a wall or drop to the ground in surprise. 

But the smile never left the kid’s face. 

It was both unnerving and fascinating to see how...at ease the kid seemed to be. 

And Shouta was struck by how anti-climatic this fight was turning out to be. He could actually focus on proper review notes for the four of them because no one had blown something or someone apart. In fact, he had a good mark up of each of their strengths and weaknesses for this go, which would be of use during their discussion the following day. 

Shouta was surprised. Pleasantly surprised. 

And relieved. Because this was almost over. He’d spied the last six minutes on the countdown timer. Then it would be over. 

Only six minutes. And things had gone smoothly. 

It was…

Dare he say it was nice?

“What the fuck, Deku?!” 

Shouta’s head shot up with a ‘snap’ eyes narrowed in on the screen as he searched for the familiar tousled green curls. 

And…

Dammit, he’d spoken too soon. 

Eyes widened and Shouta let out a low groan, tossing his pen and darting from the room, and down towards the grounds. 

“Fucking Hell,  Problem Child.” 

Toshinori wasn't completely oblivious.  He'd been expecting it for some time now. He'd been waiting for the moment when Midoriya finally unlocked Nana's power. 

The kid had been making so much progress, honing One for All, building up his strength, making it his own. 

He'd known it was coming. But, for all his knowing, Toshi wasn't as good at predicting nor understanding just how powerful a reaction he would have to seeing his boy use that power. 

Float

And boy did he use it. 

It happened so quickly. The kid’s movements had been getting faster, the boy, himself, seeming lighter more energized, more confident in his moves and in his tactics. He seemed like he understood himself and his power. 

Not for the first time did Toshinori spy the budding spirit of the hero peeking through the teenage boy’s visage. And he watched, with some satisfaction and pride, as Midoriya easily dodged Bakugo’s latest powerblast that nearly sent Iida into a light pole. 

The smile never slipped from the freckled face as he charged, sparks flying around his feet, and countered Bakugo’s blast with a wind gust from his kick. 

‘That was a new move’ Toshi noted thoughtfully, pleased that the kid had upped his power without realizing it, overthinking things, overanalyzing his every move.

Young Midoriya was getting stronger. He was coming into his own. 

And as he moved, faster, more agile, around Bakugo and Kaminari, shouting a few calls to Iida for a double teamed effort, Toshi began to notice that inevitable clue that he’d been searching for, even though it still caught him off guard…

“Well” he whispered out, watching as more and more, Izuku Midoriya bounced lighter, his movements barely carrying weight as he stepped and dodged one blow and then another. 

Dancing around his opponents with a lightness and speed until the boy simply hovered above the ground, walking on air. 

It wasn’t noticeable to most as he moved, the boy’s feet only off the ground barely a few centimeters. 

But Toshi noticed. 

And to Toshi it was significant. To Toshi this mattered because he’d seen it before. Of course he had. But it’d been decades. 

And now… now his boy was…

There was a blast from Bakugo, combined with an electric charge from Kaminari. 

With a glint in his eye, Midoriya jumped, kicking the power of One for All into his feet. 

And he floated.  

Midoriya floated high and fast, unmistakable now to others who were paying attention to the fight, and landed a solid blow into Bakugo’s ribs that sent the stunned boy flying backwards. 

Toshi only snorted, the only one not stunned, knowing that Midoriya only had the advantage because he’d caught other off guard with his new-found power. That had hardly been fair. Bakugo had been too distracted by the fact that the other– 

“What the fuck, Deku?!”

By the fact that his friend... rival ...could now, essentially, fly. 

And then off shot Aizawa, a curse falling from his lips, as he stormed from the room, no doubt to go interrogate the boy who, regrettably, could no longer claim his quirk was a simple ‘power type’. 

Well then. This complicated things, didn’t it? Toshinori frowned and then grinned again, watching the camera as the brooding underground hero stalked onto the screen. 

Ah, they’d have to come up with a better lie then. 

But, as the man watched the screen, he hesitated to move, resolving instead to watch the boy’s reactions and listen in on his comments to his Sensei. 

And funnily enough?

Initially it didn’t appear Midoriya had realized he’d been floating. His movements had just appeared natural, light, and easy. He hadn’t been overly concerned with the mechanics of his power, concentrating, instead on its precision in his attacks towards Bakugo and Kaminari. He’d been wholly focused on the fight, and the fluidity of it. 

He’d been fully engulfed in the battle, and in his power. 

They’d been one and the same.  

This left the boy open to channel more energy from One for All, and use it how his body needed rather than trying to restrict it as tightly as he had been before. 

He’d finally learned how to subconsciously regulate himself. 

And, consequently, learned to float in the process. 

‘Atta boy.’ 

Toshi watched the boy with a soft smile, as he maneuvered through the air easily, verdant sparks twisting and coiling around his arms and feet. There was a grin firmly stretched across the boy’s cheeks, a glow in his gaze as he peered first at Bakugo and then at Kaminari and Iida who looked a mixture of impressed and concerned. 

But, so far, the kid hadn’t hurt himself too much. 

Toshi counted that as a win. 

The man continued to watch the screen carefully, the smile on his face dimming just a little, twisting somewhat pained. 

And that power…

Oh Toshi felt something funny in his chest at the sight of it. 

Because the last time he saw that power…

The man cleared his throat and straightened, rising slowly from his seat and heading towards the door, thoughts flashing through his mind, a voice ringing in his ears. 

He always wondered why he was never able to wield Nana’s power. He’d never used float before, even though it was a part of One for All. It’d been his Sensei’s power and yet he’d never been able to unlock himself.

Even if he’d wanted that connection opened up to him again. 

And yet, here was Young Midoriya, so easily integrating it into his repertoire. 

‘Isn’t it cheating that you can float?’ 

The man’s footsteps gently tapped against the concrete as he moved towards Ground Beta, thoughts churning at the memory of that fight that day, staring up at his teacher. 

He recalled saying those words to his master once as he scrambled after her, nearly sprinting to keep up. 

She’d only laughed of course. 

‘Come on Young Toshinori, you’re just jealous that I have a power that I use to my advantage while you’re stuck running to catch up. Don’t be jealous of what you don’t have. Only use what you do and make the most of it. That makes all the difference, kid.’’ 

Toshi could feel his throat tighten, emotion overcoming him at the voice that still rang softly in his ears. 

And now seeing that power again it seemed all the clearer. He could see Nana’s face, her smile, in his memories as he worked his way down the stairs. 

The smile rivaled Midoriya’s. 

And they had both looked so at home in the air, easily gliding and maneuvering, grinning all the while. Like they were meant to fly.

That grin. That familiar, easy, warm smile. 

He knew he’d recognized it.

Nana…

‘It’s not so bad, Toshinori, you’ve fought hard for your power. Own it. Develop it. And grow with it. You are deserving’

Toshi had reached the end of the stairs, hand stuck to the door handle as thoughts swirled in his head. He heard Aizawa’s voice on the other side of the doorway, Bakugo’s angered shouts close behind.

But he couldn’t…

Toshi couldn’t get the one voice out of his head, couldn’t escape the images that played, like a reel. 

‘ A true hero saves not only their lives, but also their hearts... That's what I believe. So no matter how scary things get, give 'em a smile, as if to say, "I'm a-ok". The people in this world who can smile are always the strongest.’

Nana stood before him, stretching her cheeks with golden gloved hands, contorting her face in the most ridiculous manner. 

Toshi could almost reach out and touch that image. It was like she was there, if for half a moment. But the minute he blinked, the grin was gone, the eyes, and gloved hand pointing towards him. 

Toshi was left staring at the door again, left with a memory and a mantra he’d carry with him for the rest of his life. 

“Damn,” He murmured, blinking again. 

Swallowing back the emotional, he opened the door and entered the dilapidated street scenario that’d transformed Ground Beta.  

With a brow quirking upward, he turned his attention to the air, and Young Midoriya who was still afloat, eyes alight in concentration and excitement as a displeased Aizawa looked on, examining the boy’s movements. 

The boy, however, took immediate notice of Toshinori’s presence. He turned quickly at the sound of the door creaking, to face Toshi, his movements rising higher, smile widening. 

That smile…

‘They’re so much alike.’

“Stay focused, Problem Child,” Aizawa chastised, “Control your emotions. That seems to be activating this...power of yours.” 

“The fuck…” Bakugo retorted, agitatedly, “A-fucking-nother quirk.” He briefly flashed a questioning look towards Toshi who nodded before ghosting a shrug towards the boy. 

Yes. Another quirk. 

What did Young Bakugou expect to happen?

It’d been inevitable.

It was a quirk that was bound to come out at some point, accepting Midoriya as that worthy wielder. 

Now here it was and it had Toshi seeing and feeling his Master’s presence again. He could see the image of her there, before him, a shadow floating behind his own successor. 

And he could see those last moments he’d seen that smile, that power…

‘Now it’s your turn, Toshinori.’ She’d choked out, using float to send him back. 

Toshi had fought so hard to get to her, reaching for her hand. But, that power had been enough to get him away, away from the looming danger. 

Away from All for One. 

He’d never forgotten that look in his master’s eyes, the pain, the resignation. 

But the hope as well. 

The hope for him. 

‘Now it’s your turn’

“All Might?” 

The man blinked back to himself, eyes settling on the inquiring emerald eyes that stared up at him, the boy having returned himself to the ground once more. 

Izuku Midoriya. 

He was concerned. This boy was concerned about him.  

The boy had been quirkless. Just like he’d been. 

‘I want to save everyone with a smile. And be a hero, just like you.’

Just like him. 

‘Now it’s your turn’ he’d said to the boy that day, during Kamino. He knew the kid was watching, knew he’d understand. 

Just like he’d understood what Nana had meant. 

“Never you mind, Young Midoriya,” he placated easily, ruffling the boy’s hair as he trailed after Aizawa and the others, “You did good today. No injuries I see!” 

Izuku grinned up at the man, eyes shining with admiration and an unfettered and unreserved joy. 

Almost. There was still a flicker of reserved wondering there, a question lingering behind the excitement as the boy nodded.

“No. No broken bones this time. No one got hurt. Thank goodness and I think, I think I like this quirk,” the kid admitted, biting his bottom lip thoughtfully. “It was...it was like...hmm…” 

Young Midoriya screwed his face up in concentration.

“It was warm” he mused after a moment, face going soft, “kind of like a hug. And I just felt...I felt lighter, more confident in myself.” 

Izuku hazarded a glance up at Toshi, whose face had softened into a smile of his own. 

‘Now it’s your turn.’ 

‘You chose well, Toshi.’ 

He swore he could hear his master’s voice the warm afternoon, softly tickling his ear as Young Midoriya continued to prattle on about what it felt like to float, the ease, the elation behind the quirk. 

The joy.

‘Now it’s your turn Toshinori.’ 

He we certain he could see Nana’s smile reflected in this boy. 

His turn. 

Now it was his turn to be the mentor. 

Now it was his turn to take on Nana’s mantle and teach the next generation. 

‘My turn.’

Later, after the kids had gone back to the dorm, with a charge for Midoriya to visit Recovery Girl for an assessment, the two teachers sat in the quiet of the teacher’s lounge, both reviewing notes. 

Toshi was busy considering a new training regimen for Midoriya now that he’d unlocked Nana’s gift.

A warmth filled him at the thought, with just the smallest dregs of bitterness. 

He missed her. God, how he missed Nana. 

But, now? Well, it was like that flicker had renewed, that small tendril of her remained, glowing brightly in Midoriya’s care. 

A piece of her still burned brightly. 

And he could live with that. 

Aizawa suddenly let out a long-suffering sigh, fingers idly rubbing tired eyes as he dropped his head in frustration, slumping into his chair. Toshi quirked a brow towards the man who looked equal parts exhausted and perturbed. 

It was overly loud for the man, however. Almost deliberate. 

“We can’t go one exercise, can we? Just one. One damned exercise without Problem Child…” 

The man trailed off before shooting a sidelong glare through his fingers towards Toshinori. 

“I blame you for this.” 

Toshi balked. A jolt ran through him.

Him? 

Why him ? 

“Me? What did I do?” He retorted in a sputter. “He’s your student.” 

Aizawa huffed as though the answer ought to have been obvious. To Toshi though it wasn’t. The underground hero was positively cryptic in his observations. .

“I don’t know why. I don’t know how. But I do know you have something to do with it. This is undoubtedly your fault,” The Underground Hero retorted evenly, his face neutral, eyes trained on the former Symbol of Peace. “I’m rarely wrong.” 

Toshi spluttered indignantly at the frustrated glower leveled at him, wiping the small dribble of crimson that fell from his lips. 

But he didn’t deny Aizawa’s accusations. They were…technically true. 

This was his fault. He’d given One for All to Young Midoriya, but he couldn’t bring himself to be upset about it. This wasn’t a bad thing, this power. If anything, it showed how far Midoriya had come. 

Aizawa should be pleased. 

And really, Toshi mused, this was also kind of Nana’s fault too. That was her power after all. And she seemed to find as much potential in Izuku as Toshi did. So…

Not that Aizawa needed to know that just yet. 

Shouta was frazzled. Slightly frustrated, and mostly curious. 

And he hated being lied to. 

He knew there was a connection between Toshinori and Midoriya. 

You’d be stupid not to see it. 

But of course Toshinori Yagi, All Might, was mum on the subject. And Midoriya wouldn’t say anything. He knew damn well the kid wouldn’t dare to utter a peep. And if he did say anything it’d be a half-way, incoherent muttering fest filled with anxiety and apologies. 

The kid wouldn’t betray his idol like that. 

But Shouta couldn’t help but be concerned because this was another quirk, another power, another reason for the boy to keep pushing himself harder and harder. 

And that smile…

‘Dammit.’ 

“I don’t know what your connection is to the kid,” he finally let the comment drop from his lips, “But I do know you see something in him, a connection to yourself.” 

The younger hero kept his hand on his mouse, eyes trained on the screen. He didn’t want to get into a staring match with the ‘Symbol of Peace’. 

But he had to let the man know that he wouldn’t let the subject drop. Because this boy was reckless, compassionate, and selfless to a fault. 

And it would…

He was just like…

There was a soft sigh to his left.

"It's just…Young Midoriya reminds me of someone who was very important to me," Toshinori’s voice picked up after a moment, his pitched rumbled quietly beside Shouta, as they sat in the stillness of the teacher’s lounge, the lights dimmed, the ticking of the clock loud skipping by.

The other man only nodded thoughtfully at the comment, eyes never straying from the screen, a flash of blue peeking in the corner of his mind's eye, a soft pang striking his own chest at the thought and the familiarity of it all.

Yeah. Someone familiar. Someone who was very important. 

Shouta hadn’t missed that wording. 

The pained strain in the other man’s tone. 

He sighed a little to himself, knowing this wasn’t the whole truth. 

Knowing there was more to the story he’d eventually have to tease out. 

‘You can do it Shouta!’ 

He recalled that smile of the boy on the cloud, and thought back to the freckled face from earlier, with a similar, wide grin of his own, soaring high through air. 

A soft strike beat his chest as he nodded.  

"I know what you mean."

Chapter Text

In the course of a few days, my fics have come under fire and been reported for supposed violations of rules where I am 'soliciting money' or 'commercializing' my writing. 

Neither of these accusations are true, but they're hurtful. Someone accusing this forced me to admit out loud how hard it is to maintain positive enjoyment of this site and of doing something I love, which is write. 

I've been struggling to believe, for a long time, that what I do here or in my real life has much meaning to more than just myself. Writing here was my escape from the harder reality of life, where there's been a lot of physical and emotional pain that I'm trying to work through. Writing was that one thing that I clung to to see me through darker days of going through all the really bad stuff. Rejection from family, death, abuse, school shootings and all that trauma. You name it. It's been a lot and it's been lonely and hard. But writing was mine and I was happier with it and posting here. I felt safer. 

Right now though? I'm not certain it's worth it anymore. And that kind of breaks me more than a little.