
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/13029405.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      僕のヒーローアカデミア_|_Boku_no_Hero_Academia_|_My_Hero_Academia
  Relationship:
      Midoriya_Izuku/Yagi_Toshinori_|_All_Might
  Character:
      Yagi_Toshinori_|_All_Might, Midoriya_Izuku, Aizawa_Shouta_|_Eraserhead,
      Yamada_Hizashi_|_Present_Mic
  Additional Tags:
      More_plot_than_porn, Blow_Jobs, Awkward_Kissing, Attempted_Romance,
      Miscommunication, Fluff, Pushy_Izuku, All_Might_getting_crushed_under_a
      metric_ton_of_guilt
  Series:
      Part 2 of A_Hero's_Spirit
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-12-16 Chapters: 1/2 Words: 12183
****** Persistence ******
by Motte_(Gwappo)
Summary
     They say constant dripping wears the stone.
Notes
     This is a direct sequel to Dedication, picking up almost right where
     that fic left off, so I'd advise to read that one first. It was
     supposed to be (and still kind of is) a stand-alone story, so
     consider this an optional bonus, I guess, haha.
     I hope it was worth the wait at least a little!
See the end of the work for more notes
Coming into work on Monday, tired and anxious and carrying more baggage than
one man should be able to handle, All Might realizes just how much he likes
this job. The comfort of a fixed schedule, regular breaks, not potentionally
risking his life every time he's on duty; all the things he never had before,
never wanted when he was younger, healthier, he has come to appreciate now.
But most of all, he likes spending time with the kids. They're so eager, so
easily impressed still, their heads brimming with hopes and dreams and ideas,
and all of that, all of them make him feel alive again.
But right now, sitting at his teacher's desk in class, questioning whether he
should man up and quit as he knows his students are whispering, watching him
instead of doing the work he assigned them, it all fills him with a burning
sense of shame.
Maybe he should have called in sick after all.
===============================================================================

"All Might!"
The voice nearly makes him jump, hand shooting up to grab his heart before he
can stop himself, thankful for his decades of experience allowing him to keep a
smile as he turns. Midoriya is walking in his direction, followed by young
Uraraka and young Iida, all three of them looking so happy, so carefree.
They all start talking at once, wishing him a good morning, their voices
clashing in a way that's mildly irritating.
"Ah, good morning," All Might replies, voice steady even if his palms are damp,
his hands shaking.
A moment of awkward silence passes between them, their eyes fixing him with
such intent, looking like they're waiting for something, but he can't quite
figure out what they want him to say, what they're staring at him for, eyes
bright and expectant and eager.
All Might claps his hands together, the sound reverberating loudly in the quiet
hallway. "Well, time for class," he says, hurrying past, giving them a quick
wave over his shoulder. "See you kids later, make sure you work hard!"
He realizes he's heading in the wrong direction, but that's not important right
now, he needs to get away and clear his head first. But even taking long
strides he's not fast enough to miss Uraraka asking, "Is All Might okay?" with
such sincerity, such concern that he nearly feels obligated to turn around and
apologize, to ease her troubled little mind.
But he doesn't stop, fear creeping back up his spine again as he recalls
Midoriya's face, leaning back against the wall once he's out of their line of
sight. He hopes, prays Midoriya is smart enough not to tell anyone, to keep his
mouth shut for once.
All Might sighs, tries to calm himself. Even if Midoriya is a bit naïve, a bit
too happy-go-lucky at times, he's still a smart kid. Too smart, maybe.
===============================================================================

"All Might."
It's the second time Midoriya startles him that day. He's standing a few feet
away, holding onto the straps of his backpack, and the barely suppressed
sadness in his eyes is heartbreaking. It's lunch break, and here they are
again, too many things to discuss, too big of an emotional mess to sort
through.
All Might doesn't know where to start, how to start; he hasn't had enough time
to prepare for this conversation, and for a brief second he considers making a
run for it. But Midoriya starts walking over before he can give into the urge,
head lowered, eyes on the floor, and All Might tries to hide the way his legs
are trembling.
"Um," he starts, swallows, "do you have some time? There's something I wanted
to ask you."
The mere thought of a one-to-one talk is enough to nearly break All Might's
resolve, knees jittering as a hot wave of shame and guilt creeps up his neck,
and he can only hope Midoriya won't notice how close he is to falling apart.
He's going to have to deal with this somehow, try and straighten out his
mistakes (even if they're heinous, even if he should never be forgiven) but
it's too soon. The memories are still too fresh, still tangible, and he hasn't
been able to sort them out yet, hasn't had time to come up with a way to atone
for his crimes.
But Midoriya flinches after a few seconds of silence, hunching his shoulders,
cheeks lighting up, and he knows that sight will haunt him if he leaves now.
So he swallows, puts on his brightest hero smile just for Midoriya. "I'm free,"
he says, not as cheery as he would have liked, but at least steady. "What did
you want to ask me?"
Midoriya throws a quick glance over his shoulder. "Can we go somewhere else? I
mean, I don't want to– not here, uh– m-maybe the break room?"
All Might takes a deep breath, nods, realizing with every step that he's out of
time to prepare, that he's going to have to wing it. But then again,
apologizing for something he's so ashamed of, something he's so deeply sorry
for, shouldn't be hard.
The moment they're inside and the door slides shut he exhales, deflates, and
the familiarity of the situation is nauseating.
He turns with a dozen different apologies on his tongue, ready to beg the kid
for forgiveness, but he's coughing, choking before he can say a word.
Midoriya's eyes are red and swollen, barely holding back tears as he takes a
rattling breath, chokes out a sob that sounds so, so miserable.
It's presumptuous to think any apology in the world could fix this.
All Might's first instinct is to reach out to Midoriya, to hold him close until
he's calm again, but the implications of that thought make him feel sick, hands
shaking as he keeps them at his sides, unsure how to handle this situation.
Midoriya wipes the first tears from his cheeks, eyes on the floor now. "I
didn't mean to make you mad at me," he says, and All Might's jaw drops.
"Mad at you?" he asks, breathless, uncomprehending. "You think I'm mad at you?"
Midoriya takes a deep breath, swallows before he brings his eyes back up,
cheeks twitching, bottom lip trembling. "I saw how nervous you were talking to
me this morning. I'm so, s-so sorry, I never wanted you to feel bad, and I-I-
I know I'm in trouble, b-but I'm just– I didn't– I'm– please don't expel me."
Midoriya fixes him with those big eyes, sounding terrified, desperate as he
whispers, "Please don't leave me."
"No!" All Might shakes his head, his hands. "No, god, I'm not going to do any
of that. It's not– I'm–" he runs his hands down his face, tries to calm down,
to collect himself. "I'm not mad at you at all."
Midoriya frowns, and All Might hurries past him, drags the stool over to the
table, nods at the kid. "Come on," he says. "I think we should sit down for
this."
They're quiet as they take their seats, Midoriya sitting on his hands, his face
so troubled; All Might fiddling with his sleeves just to keep his hands
occupied. It's tense, a strange kind of uncertainty between them, too many
memories that barely feel like memories at all. He knows he can't let Midoriya
feel pressured into taking the first step here.
"I'm not mad at you," All Might repeats, just to buy himself some time. "You're
not to blame for what– what happened. If anything, I'm mad at myself."
Midoriya frowns. "Why?" he asks, sounding so genuinely confused. "I-I mean, I
was the one who started it. You should be angry with me, right?"
All Might sighs, resting his elbows on his thighs. "You haven't done anything
wrong, my boy. I should have talked it all through with you much sooner, but I
let my own nerves get in the way of properly educating you." He makes sure to
keep his tone even, controlled as he tries to explain; better late than never.
"You're still young, and no one can blame you for... chasing your dreams, I
guess. However, it was my responsibility as an adult and as your teacher to
help you understand, but I... I-I didn't, and for that I can't forgive myself."
Midoriya blinks, frown deepening, looking almost angry now. "I knew what I was
doing," he says. "You said it yourself, I planned it. I'm the one who messed
up!"
All Might shakes his head. "No, no, no. I should have explained the situation
to you better. I guess I never really explained it at all. Like I said, that
was my responsibility in that moment."
"But I started it!" Midoriya's face is bright red, fresh tears already welling
up, but they seem to be borne of frustration now, even if that makes no sense.
All Might straightens his back, tries to channel every ounce of authority he
can in his baggy suit. "You're not to blame, Midoriya. Please now, let me
explain and apologize."
"Why do you want it to be your fault so bad?" The kid's voice keeps rising,
growing higher, shriller. "You always think everything's your fault! Why can't
you let me own up for once?"
"Would you please listen to me," All Might says, barely managing to keep his
own frustration out of his voice. "I'm trying to explain to you that you're not
the one who should have known better. You weren't the one in charge of somebody
else's well-being in that moment, you're not the one who, wh-who committed a
crime–"
Midoriya's eyes go wide, gaping before he shouts, "Who says it was a crime?"
"The law!" All Might throws his hands up in frustration. "Not to mention
morality, and common sense, and–"
Midoriya mimics the gesture. "What does the law have to do with this?"
"You're fifteen!"
"I consented!"
"Oh my god," All Might pinches the bridge of his nose for a second, feels his
patience snapping. "That's not– that's not how it works! You're too young to
consent to anything like that, especially with someone much older than
yourself! It's not about if you– not about your– your– don't they teach you
kids these things in school!" He blinks, arms going slack as realization hits.
"Maybe we should expand the curriculum."
"I'm not a child," Midoriya says, glowering as he blinks away his tears, "and
I'm not stupid. So stop treating me like I am."
All Might sighs, leans back into the sofa, running a hand through his hair.
"No, you're not stupid," he says, quieter now. They're not getting anywhere
like this, and all the arguing they've been doing lately has made him so tired.
"Listen, how about this: we both apologize and put a pin in this discussion for
now. We're going in circles here."
It doesn't feel right to let Midoriya apologize, but the kid's too stubborn for
his own good, his strong sense of self-sacrifice leaving him so misguided. Once
he's had time to think, to really reflect on everything that's happened, he
will come to his senses. He is, after all, far from stupid.
Midoriya sighs, slumping down on the stool. "Okay," he says with a nod,
sounding just as worn out as All Might feels. He looks back up after a second,
chewing his bottom lip. "And you're really not going to expel me?"
All Might chuckles despite himself, shakes his head. "No."
They're quiet for a few moments, both caught up in their own heads. It wouldn't
do to drag this out for now, wouldn't be right to put even more of an emotional
strain on the boy. He has so much to deal with already, so much to ruminate on,
and it's just sensible not to add to that the fear of losing someone he thinks
he wronged.
Such a smart kid, but still just a kid in the end.
Midoriya hangs his head. "So, what now?" he asks, looking at his hands. "Where
do we go from here?"
All Might clears his throat, tries not to shift too obviously in his seat.
"First of all, I think we should agree not to tell anyone about it," he says,
drying his sweaty palms on his suit pants. "It's not the right thing to do, but
we won't be able to work this out at our own pace if word gets around."
He feels ashamed just proposing the idea, but Midoriya doesn't hesitate, nods;
it's questionable if he knows the magnitude of that decision.
"And otherwise, it might be best to pick up where we left off before–" All
Might pauses, tries to think of the right words, "before things got out of
control."
"And where was that?"
He looks up to meet Midoriya's eyes again, not as swollen anymore, the tear
stains on his cheeks drying. "Before Wednesday at your home," All Might says.
"Maybe before you confessed. That's up to you."
He's not expecting the way Midoriya's jaw drops, bottom lip quivering again.
"Y-You," he swallows, his voice quiet, strained, "you're dumping me?"
"What?" All Might frowns. "What do you mean, I'm dumping you?"
The kid is fidgeting with his hands, tears already welling up in his eyes
again. "I-I know what I did was wrong," he says, continues before All Might can
interrupt, "but everything I told you yesterday and all the days before, it's
still true. We can take it slow! Just tell me what you're okay with and what
not, a-and I'll stick to that!"
All Might buries his face in his hands again, groans. "Midoriya," he says,
rubbing his tired eyes before he comes back up again, "my boy, I just explained
to you that this won't work. I wasn't just talking about the... the things that
happened yesterday. None of this is appropriate."
Midoriya averts his eyes again, the pained expression on his face tearing at
All Might's heartstrings as he realizes he's shooting the boy down again,
crushing his hopes, but he has no other options.
Looking at the floor, Midoriya whispers, "Would you want it if it were
appropriate?"
It's something All Might won't even allow himself to consider, consciously
keeping his mind from exploring that question. "Don't let yourself get lost in
'what if' scenarios," he says. "It's not about what anyone wants, it's about
doing what's right. And the answer to that is simple."
Midoriya gives a slight nod, still looking at the ground, and All Might feels
compelled to keep talking. "Take it as a learning experience," he says, hoping
he sounds encouraging. "There's so much more to a relationship and to, t-to
love, you know. It's about figuring each other out, about making compromises,
and about romance. It's such a multifaceted... thing," he clears his throat,
drawing a blank on any other smart advice he could give. "And you deserve
someone you can actually experience all that with. Don't you agree?"
Midoriya goes still for a second before he raises his head, eyes wide with what
might just be realization. "You're right," he says. "You're right! I went about
this all wrong."
It's unexpected, but so very welcome, and All Might gives him a real smile for
the first time that day as his mind is put to ease. He might not be able to
undo what has been done, but he can give it his all to try and support the boy
on his path down the right way.
"Let's get back to class then," All Might says as he gets to his feet, taking a
quick glance at the wall clock. "Lunch break is almost over. Did you have time
to eat before this?"
Midoriya nods, gets up to follow All Might as he unlocks the door, carefully
clears his throat. "Um, All Might?" he asks, and he's looking nervous again. "I
was wondering, uh, c-can I still come by sometimes? To visit?"
He seems so terrified, afraid to be told no, and All Might's face softens. "Of
course," he says, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're always
welcome."
The smile spreading across Midoriya's face makes all the trouble worth it in
the end, wide and beaming, some of that twinkle he loves so much finally
returning to the kid's eyes. They say their goodbyes, heading in different
directions for different rooms, and All Might nearly trips over his own feet as
he realizes just how loud they got back there. He can only hope nobody heard
them.
===============================================================================

They nearly crash into each other after class, Midoriya rushing around the
corner at high speed, and All Might barely manages to balance the stack of
paperwork in his hands.
"I know school is over, but no running in the halls still applies," he scolds,
gently.
"Sorry, All Might!" Midoriya keeps running in place for a moment, the soles of
his shoes making an unpleasant squeaking noise on the linoleum. He opens his
mouth, closes it again, starts worrying his bottom lip.
"What's the big hurry?" All Might asks, watching Midoriya's cheeks twitch like
they always do when he's nervous.
"I was looking for you, actually," he replies, visibly steeling himself for...
something.
"Well, you've found me," All Might says, laughs. "What can I do for you, my
boy?"
Midoriya waves his arm, wide and expansive, before he wriggles his fingers,
hand snapping back onto the strap of his backpack. "I was just wondering if you
had time today," he says, trying and failing to keep eye contact. "After
school, I mean. Or, y-you know, after work."
All Might holds out the papers in his hands. "I should be done with these in an
hour or two," he says, notices Midoriya's eyes shifting between his face and
hands. "Something important?"
"No! N-No, nothing important, I just," he scratches the back of his head,
smiles, "I wanted to ask if I could come over later. Since you said I'm still
allowed."
It's a bit soon for All Might's tastes, but this isn't about his own comfort,
he reminds himself. "You're always allowed. What did you have in mind?"
"You know, just," Midoriya gives him a wobbly smile, shrugs, "hang out."
All Might blinks, quickly looking around to assure himself nobody's listening
in on their conversation; don't let word get around, don't let anyone get
suspicious. "Well," he says, wondering what exactly 'hanging out' might entail,
"that's fine with me."
Midoriya beams, thanks him twice before All Might can ask him about it, already
rushing off towards the school's entrance, not looking back as All Might yells,
"Hey, I said no running!" after him, but he does slow down, taking comically
large, fast steps as he hurries outside.
It's adorable to watch, and All Might quickly starts making his way to the
teacher's lounge again to get it out of his mind.
===============================================================================

As it turns out, hanging out is a lot more benign than All Might would have
thought.
Midoriya arrives at five on the dot, and All Might lets him in with a quiet
laugh, a quick ruffling of hair. The boy accepts the offer of something to
drink, sitting down on the sofa, rummaging through his backpack. It's a bit
surprising when he draws out some kind of magazine, turns to sit with his back
against the armrest as he starts reading. All Might watches for a moment,
trying to think of something to do while Midoriya is busy.
He's an apple and a banana into making the kid a smoothie when Midoriya
suddenly gasps. "Oh, hey, there's a quiz this week!" he says, sitting up a bit
straighter. "'Which Top 5 Hero Are You Most Like?'" He looks up. "All Might,
did you really answer these questions?"
All Might thinks for a moment. "Not that I recall," he says, "unless they used
answers I gave a few years ago."
"Are they allowed to do that?" Midoriya asks, frowning.
"Sure," he says, shrugs. "Maybe they just guessed. The media does those things
sometimes."
"Oh." The boy is quiet for a second while All Might looks around the kitchen,
realizing he's already out of fruit. Maybe he should have checked before
starting. "Hey, why don't you answer them?" Midoriya asks, smiling wide. "We
can see how well they know you!"
All Might drums his fingers on the counter as he tries to improvise. "Don't you
want to take it first?"
"I can always do it later." Midoriya shrugs. "I've already done a lot of these
anyway. Come on, it's not long!"
"Alright, alright," he chuckles, opening the fridge. "Hit me."
There's some rustling, the click of a pen. "Okay," Midoriya drawls. "Question
number one: 'Are you tall, average, or short for your age?'"
And All Might laughs. "Maybe they didn't even have to guess."
Midoriya grumbles. "Yeah, that one's too easy," he mutters, pen scratching as
he must be circling the right answer. "Let's see, question number two: 'What's
your favorite color?'"
"Well?" All Might asks after a second. "What are my options?"
"Ah, I, I think it's more fun if you answer without knowing them. We'll see if
they know you at all!"
All Might turns to look at Midoriya, not bothering to hide his amusement.
"What, you really need me to answer? Are you saying there's something you don't
know about me already?"
The blush spreading on the kid's cheeks is so bright, so intense. "There's too
much to you for me to ever know everything," he says, and the reverance in his
voice raises the hairs on All Might's arms. He turns around again, considering
the eggs in the fridge; he could make it an old school protein shake. "Is it
blue?"
He takes out two of them. "Yellow, actually."
"Oh." Midoriya starts scribbling something in his magazine; notes, probably. He
does love gathering facts. "See, I don't know everything yet! I just assumed...
because of the suit."
"There's yellow in the suit as well," All Might says, cracking the first egg
into the blender. "Ah well, you couldn't have known."
"I guess." He seems to ruminate on that for a second, drumming his pen against
the paper. "Okay, next one: 'What's your favorite kind of food?'"
All Might frowns. "Kind of food? Like what?"
Midoriya starts tapping his pen again. "Oh, uh, it just says, you know, sweet
or spicy or, um, b-bland?"
"Hmm." All Might considers the question. "There's a lot of things I can't
really eat anymore, so that one's a bit complicated."
"Why not?" Midoriya asks before his eyes widen in realization. "Oh, right," he
whispers. "That must be hard."
"Ah, it's fine," All Might waves away the pity, "don't worry about it. I don't
think I can answer that question, though."
Midoriya leans forward a bit. "So, what do you eat?"
"Whatever I can stomach." All Might grins to himself, watching the boy out of
the corner of his eye, but the pun seems to fly right over his head.
"And what's that?"
"Rice, light soups, things like that," All Might shrugs, turns to look at him.
"Why do you want to know all that?"
"Just curious," Midoriya says, shrugging a bit too hard. "I've never really
thought about that before, and, you know... I like learning new things about
you." He loudly clears his throat. "Only two questions left now."
All Might lifts his brows in surprise. "That really is a short quiz."
"I know, right?" Midoriya laughs, taking an excessive amount of notes as All
Might cracks the second egg. "Uh, next one: 'What's your favorite kind of drink
at dinner?'"
He turns his head to look at Midoriya again. "That's supposed to tell you what
hero you're like? I was expecting questions about physical strength or exercise
routines."
"Well, it's a magazine aimed at younger kid– teens." Another shrug. "I guess
most of them don't really work out yet."
"Hmm." He puts the lid on the blender. "Ah, I don't know. Tea, I guess."
"Really? Nothing fancier, like wine maybe?"
All Might stops, frowns at Midoriya over his shoulder. "You just said it's a
kid's magazine, why would wine be an option?"
"It's for teens!" Midioriya rapidly taps his pen against the paper. "And it's
not listed, I was just... wondering."
Another moment of quiet passes between them before All Might turns back again.
"I've never liked wine, or most alcoholic beverages for that matter." He gives
the boy another firm look over his shoulder. "Make sure that's a trait you
emulate. Just put tea, it's fine."
"Okay, then." Midoriya's pen starts flying over the paper again, his cheeks
flushed, and All Might uses the moment to turn on the blender.
"Only one more question," Midoriya says when All Might walks over to the sofa,
offers the boy a cup.
"Oh, th-thanks!" He accepts without hesitation. "What is it?"
"A protein shake. It's a bit old fashioned, but it still does the trick." All
Might sits down, nods. "Try it."
And Midoriya does, taking a big gulp. "It's great," he says, wiping his mouth,
and the smile on his face is so warm, so soft. He takes another swig before he
puts the cup down on the table. "Okay, are you ready for the last question?"
All Might nods, leaning back.
"'You're spending time with your friend on a day off. Would you rather meet him
at the beach, at the park, at a restaurant or at home?'"
All Might considers the question for a moment, frowns. "They only give you four
options when there's five possible results?"
"I-It's not like that for all questions," Midoriya says, eyes flying across the
page. "I mean, question two through four had five answers each, and the first
one only had three, so I guess it works out."
"Hm." He sighs, stretches his arms. "These days I'd just stay at home, I
guess."
Midoriya gives him a serious look over the edge of the magazine. "All Might.
Not this again."
"No, no, it's just," All Might chuckles, "I have two jobs now, and that's not
even counting your training. If it's just one day, I'd like to relax."
"Well, okay," Midoriya says after a second, gives him another serious look
before he starts scribbling again. "That's all of them," he says as he closes
the magazine, looks up with a smile. "Thanks."
"So?" All Might asks, nodding at the boy's hands. "Am I me, or someone else?"
"Ah, uh," Midoriya hastily flips through the pages, barely stopping to look
before he closes it again, "y-you're you, congratulations!"
Something feels off about the situation. All Might keeps his eyes on the kid's
nervous face as he reaches a hand out. "Let me see that quiz."
"It's fine!" Midoriya yells, voice loud and squeaky as he clutches the magazine
to his chest, leaning back so far he nearly goes tumbling over the armrest. "I-
I mean, I have to take it now, right?"
"I just want to see the answers," All Might says, frowning as he holds his hand
out a bit further for emphasis. "Show me."
Midoriya keeps the magazine tight against his chest, eyes wide, a few moments
of tense silence passing before All Might lunges forward, tries to grab it.
Midoriya's arms shoot up high, keeping it out of reach as he jumps to his feet.
"Woah, I completely forgot, I promised my mom to help her clean today," he
sputters, stuffing magazine and pen into his backpack, "I need to get going!"
"What? But you were the one who asked to come ove–"
He's already at the door, tearing it open, shoes not even all the way on as he
steps outside. "Thanks for letting me visit, see you tomorrow at school, bye!"
"Hey, wait!" All Might shouts after him, but the door is already slamming shut.
"You didn't finish your shake!"
It's quiet all of a sudden. All Might shakes his head, tries to make heads or
tails of whatever just happened; at this point he's not sure he will ever be
able to read that kid. He looks at the shake sitting on the table mostly
untouched, and not drinking it would be a waste. Taking a sip, pointedly not
looking back at the door, All Might decides Midoriya doesn't even know what
he's missing out on.
===============================================================================

In the spirit of getting rid of all residual awkwardness, All Might invites
Midoriya to eat lunch with him again on Thursday, and the boy barely remembers
to say goodbye to his friends before he's off in the direction of the break
room, All Might hurrying to keep up.
They're in their usual seats, Midoriya telling him about this and that as All
Might unpacks the food he's brought, positively surprised how comfortable this
feels. Midoriya keeps talking, gesturing wildly, and most important of all he
never stops smiling, looking so happy, so at ease.
"–and Aizawa-sensei threatened to throw Kacchan out so he could calm down," he
tells All Might about the day's first lesson, remembers to eat a bite of his
lunch. "But that short fight was really impressive. Did you know that Todoroki
can shape his flames into different figures and objects? He just kind of waved
his arm through the air – like this! – and it really looked like he made a
shield out of fire! It was amazing."
All Might smiles as he listens, enjoys the glazed over look of admiration that
always spreads across Midoriya's face when he's talking about quirks, about
people he admires, overcome with the urge to memorize, to analyze. It looks
good on him.
And even if it does feel a bit like patting his own back, there's never too
many times to remember just what a fine choice All Might made naming that boy
his successor.
"Your lunch is getting cold," he points out, and Midoriya snaps back to
reality, starts wolfing down his meal. "I'm glad you didn't get caught up in
the fighting for once. Young Bakugo is talented but also quite a handful, isn't
he?"
Midoriya keeps shoveling rice into his mouth for a moment longer, putting the
empty bowl back down on the table as he loudly swallows the last of his meal.
"Yeah," he agrees, nods. "The teachers keep telling him to work on his temper.
But he's always had a short fuse."
He laughs a bit, sips his tea, and the moment of comfortable silence they share
eases All Might's mind in a way he couldn't possibly put into words.
It ends when Midoriya clears his throat. "Hey, All Might?"
He looks up, watches Midoriya shift his arms and legs like he's not sure what
to do with them, and the way he eventually leans his elbow on his thigh, head
slightly cocked to the side must be the very definition of 'forced casual'.
"I was wondering," Midoriya starts, voice so high it cracks on the last
syllable; he clears his throat. "I was wondering, what are you doing tomorrow?
After work?"
All Might hums. "Friday is laundry day," he says, takes another bite of his
lunch.
Midoriya stares for a moment before he blinks, sitting up straight again. "But
doing your laundry doesn't take all day, right? What are you doing after that?"
"Hmm," he mumbles, thinking. "Probably the dishes."
He finishes his meal as Midoriya watches, utter confusion on his face. "Well,
okay," the kid says, shifting back into that unnatural position, "but what are
you doing after that? Or maybe some other day of the weekend or–"
"If you want to come over, you can just ask," All Might interrupts, confident
for once that he knows where this is going as he reaches for Midoriya's empty
bowl, stacks it in his own.
The tips of Midoriya's ears light up. "C-Can I come over tomorrow?"
Ah, he's always so easy to tease. All Might smiles, tries not to chuckle too
loudly, but that face is such a sight to behold.
"Of course," he says, barely resists the urge to reach out and ruffle that
messy head of hair.
And Midoriya finally relaxes again, shoulders sagging a bit as his posture
eases. "Thanks," he says, quietly, and the little smile that spreads on his
face, the way it highlights the freckles on his cheeks, proves yet again that
it's all so very worth it.
===============================================================================

The door bell rings at 5pm sharp on Friday, and All Might doesn't bother trying
to hide his amusement as he makes his way over, opens the door, and sure enough
Midoriya is standing there, looking up at him with those big, bright eyes.
"Come on in," he says, steps aside, and Midoriya keeps facing him as he
shuffles in sideways, his smile a bit wobbly, his movement stiff. All Might
shuts the door with a frown, and when he turns to face the boy again, he truly
takes him in for the first time.
Midoriya is standing ramrod straight in the middle of the room, hands behind
his back, chewing on the inside of his cheek it seems. He's strangely over-
dressed for the occasion; button-down plaid shirt tucked into his jeans (the
thin, yellow on white pattern making it look a bit too much like a dish towel),
and if All Might looks closely it seems his hair is a bit straighter today, a
bit less messy.
Midoriya clears his throat, takes a step forward, and a long, long moment of
silence passes between them as he holds out his hand. All Might blinks a few
times, opens his mouth to say something, closes it again.
He's not sure what to do with the flowers.
Midoriya's eyes keep jumping from the small bouquet of sunflowers to All
Might's face. "For you," he says, stretching his arm a bit higher.
Reaching out to take them is mostly reflex. All Might turns the bouquet in his
hand, hoping for some kind of explanation to jump out at him, but there's
nothing more to it than a few brightly colored flowers. They must have been
expensive.
"I passed by a flower shop on my way here," Midoriya says, getting up on his
tiptoes before he bobs back down again, hands clutched behind his back.
(Having walked from Midoriya's home to his own, All Might knows there to be no
flower shop on the way.)
"They just... reminded me of you. You know, the color. Do you like them?"
All Might tears his eyes away from the flowers, blinks. "I don't think I own a
vase."
"Oh, uh," Midoriya stutters, starts babbling. "Do you have a–a jar? Or a glass
bottle? They make nice makeshift vases! My mom has used those before, it looked
really good!" He walks over to the kitchen, turns around in hesitation, hand
frozen an inch from the first cupboard. "Should I help you look? I know they're
pretty long, so it might be a bit tricky to find a glass that fits, but I'm
sure we'll find something! Can I open these?"
A terrible feeling starts creeping up All Might's back; he really hopes he's
wrong about where this is going. "Ah, Midoriya," he says, and the kid perks up,
"I'm not sure what you think we're doing tonight, but–"
"I thought we could watch a movie," Midoriya interrupts, swinging his backpack
off his shoulders as he hurries back over again. "I brought some DVDs!"
All Might knows he needs to say something, but he can't think fast enough, and
there's already a stack of DVD cases being shoved in his face before he can
come up with anything.
"I know you like action movies," Midoriya says, and yes, he had said that
during an interview once, hadn't he, "but I don't know which one's your
favorite, so I brought some from home so we can choose together!"
With Midoriya already hurrying in the direction of the TV and hundreds of
thoughts buzzing around in his head at once, All Might ends up putting the
flowers down on the table for now.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, DVD cases in his lap, Midoriya starts
reading the titles, adding a little comment with each of them. ("This was the
first movie you starred in I ever watched!" "Your battle scene in this one was
amazing!" "I got this one on DVD just so I could rewind and watch your scenes
over and over!")
The most recent of these movies is almost as old as Midoriya himself.
All Might listens, tries to work out a gentle way to tell him this evening
isn't quite what he seems to think it to be, but it's hard to think with
Midoriya's animated chattering in the background, the way his eyes light up
with every new title.
With a deep breath and a sigh, All Might ends up settling on the one he has the
smallest cameo in.
"I love this one," Midoriya says, smiling up at him so brilliantly, and he
makes an effort not to smile right back, sits down on the sofa. "Oh, also,"
Midoriya starts as he quickly gets up, gets his backpack, "I brought some
snacks, just to complete movie night! I didn't know what you like, but I got
some potato chips and popcorn and some kind of... onion rings, I think." He
holds up one of the bags with a loud crinkle. "These are pizza flavored!"
"I think I'll pass," All Might says, mainly because he's not a fan of any of
the snacks offered, and partly because he's not sure he could keep them down;
he's expecting the way Midoriya's face falls, the corners of his mouth
dropping. "Maybe I'll try some later," he adds, telling the boy to sit down and
get comfortable as he starts the movie.
Considering how eager and excited Midoriya was when he arrived, he seems to
freeze as soon as the movie starts playing. The only sounds besides those
coming from the TV are the occasional crinkle of whatever bag he's opened, some
careful chewing, but even those cease after a few minutes. He's sitting too
straight, too rigid, and the tenseness he's radiating puts All Might on edge.
This was a bad idea. He should have stopped it as soon as he realized what
Midoriya's angle was, should have put his foot down and explained to him again
how it's not happening, but maybe, maybe, he's reading too much into the
situation. They're just watching a movie, after all. And the kid's a bundle of
nerves on any regular day, always so quick to blush and flinch and cry.
It's not until All Might catches sight of Midoriya's hand out of the corner of
his eye, slowly sliding closer in the direction of All Might's own, resting
limply on his thigh, that he realizes he was right after all.
He tries to make the movement look natural as he rolls his shoulders, shifting
a bit before he brings his hands together in his lap. And Midoriya's hand
stops, lingering for a moment before he quickly draws it back, burying it back
into the bag of snacks.
The explosion on screen ends in a dramatic cut to black, and the sight of their
reflections sitting next to each other, stiff and quiet and unmoving, feels all
kinds of ridiculous. It's his home, but All Might can't help feeling out of
place in his sweatpants and t-shirt next to Midoriya with his gelled hair, his
button-up properly tucked into his pants, and if he's not entirely mistaken he
catches a slight whiff of aftershave every time the boy moves.
The next and last time Midoriya moves throughout the movie is when All Might
feels a tingle creep up his back watching himself appear on-screen, and
Midoriya gasps, leaning forward with an awestruck look on his face like he
hasn't watched this scene a dozen times before.
All Might remembers, hears Gran Torino telling him he wasn't cut out for acting
(too over the top, too theatric; "Keep your eyes on what's important,
Toshinori!") and watching his own performance for the first time in over a
decade, he wishes he had listened.
But Midoriya's eyes are glued to the screen, keeping track of the younger,
healthier All Might bustling around, letting out little 'oh's and 'ah's every
time he moves, every time he talks. The kid only leans back again once the
scene is finally over, a small, satisfied smile on his face, and even if it was
a pain to watch, maybe all those subpar cameos were good for something after
all.
An eternity passes until the credits finally start rolling, and Midoriya
immediately snaps out of his stupor, turning his head. "Wanna watch another
one?" he asks, beaming.
It's not exactly late yet, barely 8:30, but he remembers the curfew Midoriya
mentioned that day, and he's so grateful for the instant excuse.
"Don't you need to be home in half an hour?" he asks, but Midoriya is already
shaking his head, smiling even wider.
"I got an extra hour today," he says, holding his chin a bit higher with
something like pride spreading across his face. "I asked for it before I left,
and I got it without discussion! And I mean, I am turning 16 soon, you know."
Oh, does All Might ever know, but he consciously pushes aside all thoughts of
age, of what exactly Midoriya tells his poor mother every time he leaves to be
around a man three times his age. He needs to come up with a different excuse
quick, buy himself some time to think this unfortunate new development over.
"I think I'd like to get some rest, actually," he says lamely, gets up,
stretching his arms for a moment. "Maybe we should call it a night."
Midoriya's eyes go wide, getting up, trailing after All Might as he starts
walking. "W-We could do something else," the kid says, talking to All Might's
back as he picks up the laundry basket he left in the hall earlier. "It doesn't
have to be another movie. How about food? Are you hungry? We could go out, or
order in, o-or I could cook! My mom showed me how to make an omelet a few weeks
ago, do you like omelet? Can you eat that?"
The incessant babbling follows All Might to the bedroom, goes on as he drops
the laundry basket on the floor. "I'm not really hungry," he says, notes
Midoriya freezing in the corner of his eye. "You can come by again tomorrow, if
you like. I just need a bit of sleep."
"Are you okay?" Midoriya asks, and the concern dripping from that simple
question makes All Might feel so weak, so pathetic.
"I'm fine," he says, "just a bit tired." He half-sits, half-lays down on the
bed as if to prove it, wondering if the position looks as casual as he hopes.
Midoriya is on the mattress before All Might can tell him to stay off, intense
worry in his eyes as he's looming over him. "You're not getting sick, are you?
I could make you some tea."
"No, no, it's fine. I'll just rest a bit and–"
"You haven't eaten anything all evening, how about some hot soup? Are you cold?
You should get under the blanket, maybe I can get you a thicker one, do you
have–"
"I'm fine!" All Might snaps, a bit louder than he means to; he won't be
patronized by this kid, won't be fussed about like he's so fragile, like he's
going to break any moment.
Midoriya quickly leans back. "Sorry," he mumbles, siting down cross-legged,
wringing his hands in his lap. "I just... sorry."
He sounds ashamed, guilty even, and All Might knows he can't send the boy home
right now in good conscience. He sighs, wonders if getting something to eat
might be a good idea after all, but now that he's lying down he realizes just
how tired he really is.
"You don't need to worry about me," All Might says, shifting onto his back.
"I'm just worn out after a long week. An old man needs his rest, right?"
Midoriya frowns, purses his mouth, and All Might laughs; just the reaction he
was aiming for. Midoriya is still so predictable, so adorable, a bit pouty now,
a bit sulky, his brows drawn, his cheeks so round and pink and supple – ah,
what a boy!
He stops laughing when Midoriya untangles his legs, lays down on his side
facing All Might, head resting on the pillow no one's ever used before. His
first instinct is to tell him to get up, to get off the bed (it's all still too
fresh in his mind, too palpable, if he closes his eyes he can still feel it
sometimes) but that would be overreacting, wouldn't it? They're just lying next
to each other, just talking, and there's nothing wrong with that.
"You're not old," Midoriya says, like he always does.
And All Might carefully reaches over, tries to ruffle the kid's hair, like he
always does, trying to bend his arm at an angle that isn't too awkward. But oh,
his hair feels so soft today, so sleek, running through All Might's fingers
like it never has before, smooth and silky; he quickly draws his hand back,
Midoriya catching it in mid-air.
They're not exactly holding hands, just resting them on top of each other,
Midoriya's calloused fingers the slightest bit shaky on the back of his own.
His cheeks are glowing but he seems calm, a bit tired even, eyes half-lidded
now. They lie in silence for a few long moments, and despite everything it's
comfortable, relaxing.
"All Might," Midoriya says eventually, eyes on their touching hands, "you know
you can talk to me, right?"
And for what feels like the millionth time, he's not sure he understands. "Talk
to you?"
"Yeah," the kid mumbles into the pillow. "I know you're not always well when
you say you are." All Might freezes, eyes going wide. "It's just... you do so
much for me all the time. And I, I feel like I want to give you back something.
Even if there's not much I can do, I want to help you, too." He takes a
shuddering breath. "I still can't believe I got to meet you at all."
All Might smiles, turns his hand to squeeze Midoriya's fingers. "But you did,"
he says. "And you do a lot more for me than you realize. You inspired me to
push myself to the limit again, not to let myself go. Rekindling that fire,
that was all you." He decides not to add how much the kid motivates him to stay
alive at all. "Give yourself some credit, Izuku."
The corners of Midoriya's mouth twitch into a smile, his bottom lip quivering,
his breathing picking up, and All Might knows he's going to cry even before the
first gentle sob rocks his body.
"Hey, hey," he tries to soothe, squeezes Midoriya's hand once more before he
lets go, reaches up to lightly touch his shoulder, but the kid's already
scrambling over, clinging to his side before he gets a chance. He's nestled
between All Might's arm and chest, face pressing into his ribcage.
He freezes as Midoriya slings an arm across his chest, holds himself close as
he's rubbing his face into All Might's side, into his shirt, sobbing, coughing.
It's not at all outside his experience to soothe the boy (who's still not
listening, always crying) but being so close conflicts with the intense feeling
of guilt that's still gripping him, crushing him.
All Might puts a careful hand on the kid's back, gently rubbing, just a
constant, light touch as he lets him snivel and sob as long as he needs to. And
it's taking so long today, but eventually the grip around his ribs loosens,
Midoriya's breathing slowing down, deep and even now.
He's aware of every breath Midoriya takes, pressed so close that he can feel
every inhale, every exhale, and it's so comforting, soothing his troubled mind.
Midoriya feels so soft, so warm everywhere they're touching, sweet and real and
very much alive.
When was the last time he got to be this close to someone without slamming them
into the concrete a second later?
"Hey," he whispers, gently shaking the kid's arm until he gives a short hum,
rubbing his cheek against the mattress. "You need to text your mother."
Midoriya gives a small grumble, half-asleep. "What?"
"She's going to worry if you don't come home. Just let her know you're okay. Is
your phone in your backpack?"
Midoriya shakes his head, fumbles the phone out of his jeans pocket with clumsy
hands. He squints at the screen, turns down the brightness before he taps a few
times, yawning as he pockets it again.
All Might keeps rubbing his back throughout it all, and his own eyes are
getting heavy as the boy hugs him close again, shifts his head, cheek resting
between All Might's chest and shoulder now; he makes a conscious effort not to
look at it, so soft, so soft.
With his eyes closed again and his voice all drowsy, Midoriya mumbles an, "I
love you," into his chest, and right here, right now, All Might almost believes
him.
===============================================================================

Midoriya is still asleep when All Might wakes in the morning, arms and legs
tangled around him in a way that makes it hard to gently slide the kid off, a
wet stain on his shirt that looks suspiciously like drool.
Getting up, making his way to the bathroom, he comes to a step as he spots the
sunflowers, standing on the table in a glass that's barely high enough to hold
them.
He's not sure how Midoriya managed that without waking him, but he has to admit
they really do make the room look a lot livelier, friendlier, all long green
stalks and bright yellow petals.
===============================================================================

Reflecting on everything that's currently happening, All Might comes to the
conclusion that he might need some help handling it. He's still busy trying to
think of a way to bring it up on Monday, but the opportunity presenting itself
in the teacher's lounge after school is out is too ideal to pass up.
Aizawa is sitting hunched over some paper or other, pen scratching as he works,
and taking a quick look around All Might assures himself the room is otherwise
deserted, slides the door shut.
"Aizawa, my man," he greets. "Just who I was looking for."
All he gets in response is a hum of acknowledgement, pen still loudly
scratching on the paper.
"I was wondering if you had some time," he goes on, trying to choose his words
carefully. "There's something I could use some help with, and I'd like to ask
your advice."
Another hum, pitching upwards at the end this time.
All Might starts fiddling with his hands. "So, you're a good looking man,
right?" He clears his throat. "You got any, uh, any experience with romantic
advances in the workplace?"
Aizawa finally stops, slowly turning his head to look at All Might, eyes
squinted and brows drawn.
"I need help turning someone down," All Might adds, and the stern expression on
Aizawa's face loosens, his posture easing somewhat.
"Turn someone down," Aizawa repeats. "Who?"
All Might swallows, trying hard to sound casual. "It's a–a student."
Aizawa hums once more, leaning back in his chair as he swivels it around to
face All Might. "It happens," he says, "especially to someone of your standing.
Just explain to them why it's inappropriate. Be strict, if you must."
"I've already tried that," All Might confesses. "More than once, actually.
It's, ah... complicated."
Aizawa lifts his brows at that, staring for a few long moments as he stays
quiet, and All Might tries not to fidget too much under that stare, not to
appear nervous.
He lets out a long sigh. "I warned you about Midoriya."
"I guess you did," All Might says. "And that's exactly why I thought you might
be able to help me. Just a few tips on how to handle, ah, romantic interest."
"Hey, whoa!"
All Might starts, feeling the color draining from his face as he turns around.
Mic stays in the door for a second before he slides it shut again.
"What's this I hear? You need romance advice?"
All Might shakes his head, his hands. "N-No, no! Not at all, actually," he
tries to explain as Mic walks past him, sliding his own chair out next to
Aizawa's before he sits down with a little spin. "It's not about romance, it's
not even really about me, I'm just–"
Mic holds up his hands, gives him a look over those shades that he can't quite
decipher. "No need to be shy," he says, "you're talking to an expert here. So,
what do you need help with?"
"It's a student crush," Aizawa says with another long-suffering sigh, already
sounding like this discussion has been going on for hours.
"Oh. One of the kids, huh?" Mic shrugs. "Well, don't worry, I'm an expert on
that, too!"
All Might perks up. "You are?"
"No, he's not," Aizawa interrupts. "What happened?"
"He, ah, confessed," All Might says after a second of hesitation. "It just kind
of slipped out in casual conversation."
"Hm," Aizawa hums. "You should have seen that coming."
"How was I supposed to–"
"It was obvious."
"Wait, we talking about Midoriya here?" Mic asks, and Aizawa turns his head to
give him a look.
"How did you–"
Aizawa fixes him again. "What have you done about it?"
All Might quickly averts his eyes. "I tried talking it out with him," he says,
trying not to wring his hands too much. "It worked at first, but I don't think
he understands the, ah, core problem." He clears his throat. "I think he might
be trying to... court me."
Mic snorts, shares another quick look with Aizawa, brows raised in disbelief.
"I know, I know!" All Might frowns, voice rising as he tries not to get
irritated. "But he's been asking a lot of strange questions lately, he's acting
so different around me, keeps showing up at my door with, with–"
"He knows where you live?" Aizawa asks, the amusement on their faces gone,
replaced with concern now.
"Yes. I told him." They groan in unison, Aizawa rubbing his eyes with his
fingers, and All Might feels compelled to defend himself. "We exercise
sometimes," he says, shrugs. "I give him some tips, make sure he has somebody
to turn to with questions. I'm just keeping an eye on his progress."
"Not playing favorites, huh," Aizawa mutters, so quietly All Might barely
catches it.
"I'm not going to shoot down the kid's ambitions." He frowns, shakes his head.
"But that's not the problem. I think he misunderstood me when I told him it's
not appropriate for a teacher a-and his student, and not to mention the thirty
year age gap, b-but–"
"Wait, thirty years?" Mic asks, raising his hand to interrupt him. "You're 45?"
All Might blinks. "Mic, how is that relevant right now?"
"Just curious," he says, tapping his chin in thought. "Not it, huh? Hm, 50?"
"What? No, I'm not–"
"55?"
All Might gasps. "No!"
"Gee, sorry," Mic says, raising his hands in surrender, no hint of apologism in
his voice. "47?"
Maybe this was a bad idea after all. "Can we please return to the problem at
hand?"
"48?"
All Might opens his mouth, stuttering a few words that aren't exactly lies, not
exactly thruths, trying to come up with a little joke, a clever distraction,
something.
"Wait, really?" Mic asks, leaning forward, and as All Might keeps gesturing
aimlessly, trying to come up with a reply, he groans, reaching into one of the
back pockets of his pants. He gets out his wallet, mumbling something under his
breath as he takes out a bunch of bills, slaps them into Aizawa's outstretched
hand.
It takes a second for All Might to connect the dots. "You two had a bet going
on my age?" He gapes for a moment, confused and slightly insulted; that's just
plain rude. He huffs, glowers at Mic. "Wait, what was your guess?"
Aizawa gets to his feet. "Stop spending so much of your free time with
Midoriya," he says, not looking at All Might as he folds the money, pockets it.
"Stop indulging him so much in general. You're sending the wrong signals."
And with that he makes for the door, leaves without further clarification. Mic
watches him go before he turns to All Might with a light shrug and a nod,
rolling his chair back over to the desk with his feet, turning his back on him.
Maybe he should have asked somebody else.
===============================================================================

All Might's discussion with Aizawa (and Mic) leaves him with the same sense of
helplessness he's been struggling with for weeks now. Their advice might work
in any other case, but Midoriya is more than just a random student. For better
or worse, their lives are already much too interwoven, connected in so many
ways that counting them seems redundant. He has a duty to fulfill mentoring
that boy, shaping him into a hero, a worthy successor, a new symbol of peace to
ease the minds of the public once the name 'All Might' is merely a fond memory.
No, cutting ties with Midoriya is out of the question. But his colleagues don't
know about this bond they share, and he'd prefer it stay that way. Heaving a
sigh, All Might realizes he is on his own after all.
And when his phone vibrates a minute later with a message from Midoriya, asking
to come over later, to work out, there's no hesitation on All Might's part;
somewhere deep down he's always known that even if he could abandon Midoriya,
he wouldn't.
He still blames it on that brilliant smile.
===============================================================================

Their afternoon work-out doesn't quite go as planned. The same time that
Midoriya arrives at All Might's door the first rain drops start falling, and
quickly hurrying inside it becomes apparent they'll need a change of plans.
All Might, surprised and glad, argues they could take it easy instead.
Midoriya, clinging onto his arm with pleading eyes, manages to get him to agree
to a small exercise inside. Shutting the blinds to keep prying eyes outside, he
allows himself to buff up, pointedly ignoring the awestruck look on Midoriya's
face this time. He needs to stop indulging the kid like that.
But it's hard to say no to anything when the boy is so enthusiastic, so
dedicated, doing push-ups on the floor like his life depends on it, putting one
arm behind his back every once in a while when he's sure All Might is looking.
He's still progressing so fast, such a skilled boy, and tearing his eyes from
that sight is a struggle.
Taking a short break to have some water, sitting on the floor, Midoriya
eventually says, "This isn't hard for you at all, is it? You've barely broken a
sweat," and with a playful smile he asks, "Would it be harder if I sat on your
back while you're doing push-ups?"
The answer to that is a definite no, but the way Midoriya's eyes are twinkling,
a kind of excitement burning underneath that's strangely intoxicating, he knows
that's not what he should say.
The added weight is barely noticable, his movements just as fluid as before,
but Midoriya keeps laughing, hands holding onto his shoulders, knees digging in
on each side of his spine, and it's adorable, makes him want to never stop
entertaining that kid.
When Midoriya eventually slides off he slumps down on the floor, hugging his
knees to his chest, resting his head on his arms. All Might ruffles his hair,
walks past to sit down on the sofa, realizing how strangely out of breath the
boy still seems considering he didn't really do anything.
He's looking up with a smile, pushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes as
he consciously slowes his breathing. Straightening his legs again, leaning
back, he pulls up the front of his shirt, wiping sweat off his face, hands
running down his cheeks as he keeps smiling, keeps eye contact.
All Might watches, elbows on his thighs, huffs a laugh. "You need a towel?"
And Midoriya freezes for a second before he drops his shirt again. "Ah, n-no,"
he says, clears his throat. "I'm okay."
"You did well," he keeps going, taking the opportunity to dish out some praise.
"I'll admit I didn't keep count, but those were some great repititions. What's
your personal record?"
"122," he says, face heating up with the flattery. "I still have a long way to
go."
Ah, always so humble.
"We all do," All Might tells him, throwing in some casual wisdom. "But you
should always celebrate your accomplishments. You keep this up, you'll be
impressing a lot of people with your strength soon."
The kid gets to his feet, hands in his pockets as he sidles closer, his smile
turning somewhat lopsided. "Oh?" he says, cocks his head. "Like who?"
All Might's grin widens. "How about your friend Todoroki?"
A second of intense silence passes before Midoriya starts frowning. "Todoroki?"
he repeats, saying the name like he's never heard it before. "What about him?"
"You've been talking a lot about him lately," All Might says, determined to
steer this in the right direction, one he's been considering for a while now.
"He doesn't seem one to be impressed by simple show-offs, but I'm thinking a
move that's both entertaining and practical might get his attention. Have you
ever tried a clapping push-up?"
"What?" The frown on Midoriya's face deepens. "What the– I wasn't– wh-why are
you talking about Todoroki? He has nothing to do with this!"
"He's a good kid," All Might continues, undeterred, "bright and friendly, and
very responsible for his age. You're very impressed with his quirk, aren't you?
I'm an old friend of his dad's, you know, maybe I could–"
"All Might!" Midoriya shouts, high and shrill all of a sudden, gesturing
wildly. "Why are you doing this? I was talking about you, I-I thought that was
obvious!"
All Might sighs, runs a hand through his hair. There goes his plan. "We've
talked about this."
"Yes, but–"
"No buts! Whatever you have to say, don't use that word."
The raw desperation in Midoriya's eyes is hard to bear, so helpless, so sad,
and he whispers, "I love you," in a way that squeezes the air out of All
Might's lungs.
He swallows, points a finger at the kid. "Don't say that, either."
And he feels so slow again when the arms wrapping around his neck catch him
completely off-guard, Midoriya squeezing him tight, rubbing their cheeks
together. He's so soft, his skin so supple, no imperfections there to speak of,
no rough stubble scratching his face. It's enough to throw All Might for a
loop, one hand hovering over Midoriya's back before he allows himself to give
the lightest touch, holding him gently, barely.
Midoriya exhales, presses himself even closer. "I love you," he repeats, his
mouth so close to All Might's ear that it raises goosebumps all over his skin,
and Midoriya must feel it, the barely supressed shudder traveling up his body.
He's about to answer, to tell the kid off when he whispers, "It's okay if you
don't love me back," and All Might's mind goes blank. "I just want you to know
how much you mean to me." He takes a shuddering breath, squeezes tighter. "I
want to make you happy."
Midoriya slowly draws his arms back, running his hands over All Might's
shoulders, over his clavicles, down to his chest, lets them linger for a
moment; his palms feel so hot, too hot, this is all wrong, he has to move, move
before things could possibly spiral out of control again; he's still frozen
when they run up across his neck, thumbs resting on his jawline.
He needs to stop this, needs to pull back and have a serious talk with
Midoriya, but those words keep bouncing around in his head, it's okay if you
don't love me back, a new kind of guilt tingling in his chest. What Midoriya
wants, he deserves, after all.
(Stop indulging him, push him off, push him off)
With a hum and a breath Midoriya rubs their cheeks together again before he
starts dragging his face back, skin hot and tingling where it slides over All
Might's own, slow enough that he should move; when Midoriya kisses the corner
of his mouth, All Might finally flinches, reaching out with the intent to push
him back, grabbing his hips, but the boy hums again, one hand moving to the
back of his neck, running itself through All Might's hair now.
When Midoriya turns his head further, still stroking his jaw with one calloused
thumb, still stroking his hair, he lets it happen.
It's so sweet, so chaste, their mouths closed, and All Might's heart hammering
in his chest. Midoriya draws back just enough to laugh, quiet and breathless.
"I've wanted to do that for years," he whispers, and All Might's first thought
is to tell him that he has, technically, done this before.
But his second thought finally lets him push the boy back, hands trembling on
those slender hips as he thinks of an even younger Midoriya's hands on his
face, mouth on his own; he doesn't need that particular image in his head, not
now, not ever.
All Might stifles a gasp, doesn't get out more than a breathless, "Stop that,"
but his hands are still holding on, Midoriya's fingers still buried in his
hair. It's exhausting maintaining this form while he's under so much emotional
stress, but he knows it's what his boy wants. No matter how guilty he feels,
how much he tries to resist (why is it so hard, so hard) what Midoriya wants,
he deserves to get.
"Okay," the kid says, draws his hands back, and All Might looks at him in
surprise; it's a mistake when, without preamble, Midoriya drops to his knees.
He flinches, leaning back as far as he can, the sudden surge of shame so strong
it nearly suffocates him. "No," he says, still breathless, ignoring the violent
twitch in his pants. "Absolutely not."
Midoriya keeps looking up at him, and he barely seems nervous at all, why isn't
he nervous, bringing a hand up to rest on All Might's knee.
All Might firmly shakes his head. "No."
And Midoriya scoots closer, slowly, gently resting his cheek against the inside
of All Might's thigh, and it's too much, overwhelming; he squeezes his eyes
shut, but the image of Midoriya's face pressed against him so sweetly is still
there, nuzzling against him now, and he's panting, already exhausted.
He leans back, tilting his head over the backrest, tries to clear his mind, but
the hand on his knee starts creeping upwards, over his thigh, calloused little
fingers sliding between his skin and the hem of his sweatpants. Midoriya gives
a light tug, and praying for forgiveness from whoever is listening, All Might
tries to keep his thoughts on his own imminent death; what Midoriya wants, he
shall get.
That horribly soft cheek is finally gone, hand sliding up his other thigh, his
hip, and Midoriya is pulling down the elastic as All Might swallows, clutches a
hand over his own eyes. There's a gasp, a hum, a moan, and it's all he can do
not to move when Midoriya takes him in hand, the touch of his palm so painfully
familiar.
Midoriya shifts a bit, his breathing loud as he starts giving slow, careful
strokes, and the time it takes All Might to get hard under that unskilled touch
is embarrassingly short. His movements get a bit smoother after the first few
pumps, thumb rubbing up over the head now, over the slit, and All Might is
shaking with the strain of keeping this form for Midoriya's sake, keeping his
mouth shut.
There's the lightest ruffling of fabric before the boy's mouth is on him, warm
and wet and tight in a way All Might should have expected, but the way Midoriya
starts bobbing his head is almost enough to break him, tongue moving in a way
that makes it terribly obvious he's never done this before.
But he's still humming, sounding so content as he tries to take him in deeper,
moving faster; he can't fit much, but his hand is so eager, stroking and
pumping, just slightly out of sync with his mouth, and it's too much, too
intense–
All Might caughs, blood in his mouth, on his hand, shuddering as he swallows it
back down, slumping against the backrest as he realizes he finally broke,
Midoriya's voice barely reaching his ears.
"Are you alright? All Might?" he's holding onto one of his arms, shaking it,
his voice high and panicked. "All Might! Did you hear me, are you okay?"
He blinks a few times, still staring at the ceiling, before he nods, clears his
throat. "I'm okay," he says, knowing he sounds anything but. "Just need to
catch my breath."
It's quiet, too quiet as he tries to calm his breathing, his racing heart, and
sitting like this is beginning to hurt his neck; he's about to look down, to
suggest they stop whatever he's allowed to happen again, forget about it all,
when Midoriya's hand starts moving again, barely at first, hesitant.
Hissing, squeezing his eyes shut again, it would be so easy to imagine someone
else in Midoriya's place – anyone, anyone – but his mind keeps revolving around
that boy, his hands and smiles and cheeks, and he's so gentle now, slow and
careful, doing so well, so well, working so hard.
Ah, it's been too long, if a touch like this can get him all riled up.
"All Might," Midoriya says, voice slightly hoarse, and All Might releases a
shaky breath. "All Might, please look at me."
He almost wants to, can't help but wish he could feel that face again, touch
that freckled skin, but his body won't move, arms heavy, hands limp, his last
shred of decency keeping him in check; it's a long way down from the top, and
considering just how far he's fallen it's a surprise he didn't break his neck.
Midoriya calls out to him again, one more little plea, grumbling when he gets
no reaction. He speeds up his hand, takes him in his mouth again, and it's so
good, feels amazing in the way that it doesn't, a form of excitement All Might
never really knew before this kid entered his life.
There's no warning when Midoriya suddenly takes him deeper, too deep, swallows,
and he's choking himself, coughing and gagging as All Might moves reflexively,
pulling him off, palms on those reddened, soft cheeks.
"Are you okay?" he asks, breathless, the words said before the worry can
actually catch up to his brain.
Leaning into his palm, face bright red and spit on his chin, Midoriya smiles,
his eyes watering. "I'm great," he says, and All Might barely has enough time
to tremble before Midoriya goes in again, his cheeks bulging, his head bobbing,
and he can't tear his eyes from the sight, leaning back again as he watches,
gasping, groaning, and thank god did they close the blinds.
One hand is still on Midoriya's face, and he slides it up, through that curled
hair damp with sweat, just touching, guiding. When Midoriya looks up, lifting
his eyes as he never stops moving his mouth, it's all over, and All Might
lightly, lightly grabs the boy by the hair, tries to drag him off, but his arm
is being shoved away, Midoriya gripping it tightly to stay in place, and All
Might falls apart.
It's intense, his whole body shaking, tasting blood as he stifles a cough, and
it takes forever for Midoriya to draw back, swallowing quickly, his face drawn
and body shivering for a second. All Might slumps back into the sofa, mumbling
an, "I told you not to," that's so quiet the boy likely didn't hear it, and he
feels boneless, exhausted as he rests his head on the backrest again, trying to
catch his breath once more.
He never hears Midoriya getting to his feet, but he's throwing his arms around
All Might's neck again, startling him as he holds on for a few long moments. He
draws back with the brightest smile, cheeks aglow, freckles sticking out in
dark contrast, a bunch of nasty stains on his shirt.
All Might swallows as he remembers his conversation from just a few hours ago
("Stop spending time with him, stop indulging him so much.") realizing how hard
he just slammed that advice into the ground.
It seems these past few weeks haven't really been his proudest moment.
End Notes
     This thing got out of control, but I absolutely promise the next and
     last chapter won't take so damn long. I basically came up with all of
     that first before I decided this story could do well with a bit more
     plot. Also, I don't usually write plot/dialogue heavy stuff, so it's
     a bit of an experiment for me, stepping out of my comfort zone and
     all that. Anyway, enough defending myself, I hope it's okay so far!
     English isn't my first language, so please feel free to rip this
     thing apart. I really want to improve!
     Also feel free to hmu on twitter @dickheightdeku if you ever feel
     like it!
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