Chapter Text
Bakugou Katsuki is calling . . .
Would you like to answer?
Aizawa picked up his phone, careful to not accidentally hit end call. He pulled out one of his earbuds and held it a little way away from his ear just in case he was greeted with screaming. While he was going to be there for his students, he still didn't want to lose his hearing or other senses from it.
With a quick click, the call was accepted. "Yes Bakugou? What's going on, you normally don't call." The first thing he noticed was that this wasn't a normal call he got. Most the time he was greeted with a nervous laugh and 'sorry mister Aizawa.'
This time, it was a shaky breath and wheezed out "Please, please help him." Panic flooded Aizawa's senses as he sat up straight, put his earbud back in and started grabbing his stuff.
"Don't worry, I'll help whoever it is Bakugou, but I need you to breathe and tell me what happened okay?" Aizawa picked up his binding scarf and tossed it over his head, looking over to check that Bakugou was still on call.
"It's, it's Izuku. I was, um, fuck." Bakugou took in a gasp of air, trying to focus on his words but also fuck this was so urgent! "Izuku, he, he's on the roof. Over the, the fucking thingy!"
He knew he was sounding so pathetic, but his brain wasn't thinking straight, and he just knew that Aizawa had to be there right now. Bakugou could focus later on how he thought this was all his fault, how the guilt was eating him up alive. Swallowing him whole, taking everything but the broken body he operated in.
Aizawa broke him from the train of thought, "Bakugou, I'll go get him right now. Okay? I need you to do something for me. While I'm gone, you're going to challenge yourself to focus your breathing and your mind. Can you do that?" While Aizawa hated the thought of leaving this call, he knew that he had to get Izuku down from the roof first, one thing at a time, as Hizashi always reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah, I can do that. Please get him," the last part was so quiet, but Aizawa still caught it and made a silent promise to follow through, "and, and tell him I'm sorry."
With those rushed and quiet words Bakugou hung up the call and Aizawa took off down the hall to the roof. Taking stairs two at a time was something that he always hated doing, but for today he'd make an exception.
The roof was only three flights up, but in this situation, it felt like seven. He still made it quickly to the roof, just not as quick as he'd like. Izuku though, he still stood there. Fingers barely clasped to the railing to hold him from the fall that he was so close to.
"Hey kid?" Aizawa slowly stepped forward, his pace quiet but fast. It took him weeks to master that during his hero training. The only one to this day who could still detect him was sound based heroes like Jirou.
Izuku looked over his shoulder, catching his gaze with Aizawa. "I guess someone saw me?" He slid down, sitting with his back against the fence. A bit safer, his feet couldn't slip out from under him anymore.
Aizawa nodded, words caught in his throat. He had always imagined all the things he'd say to someone in this situation, and it was so easy to talk down those strangers he has been called to save time and time again.
But this? This was his student. His pride and joy, one the kids he's watched grow since the beginning. It baffled him in a way, he never thought it would be Izuku he'd be talking down someday.
"Talk to me kid, what are you doing here?" Aizawa walked over a bit closer, just enough that he could quickly grab Izuku if he tried anything. "The person who called is really worried, they said they're sorry."
A small hum left Izuku, "They shouldn't be? I doubt they did anything. Everything's my fault anyways, I always annoy everyone in class with my mumbling. I'm not far enough with my quirk, I barely saved those kids on the island. I'm not doing enough. I'm not enough."
Those words felt like a stake to the heart for Aizawa, how could he communicate to this boy that he was more than enough? How could he say he saw how much everyone admired him, you can't communicate how much love and admiration runs through that class. The inspiration that some people use him as. He'll still try.
"Hey Izuku, do you remember back during the Sports Festival, when Iida said he didn't want to be on your team?" It was a weird moment to bring up, but it was useful.
Izuku nodded, fiddling with his hands in his lap. "I remember how much it hurt, how I couldn't figure out why my best friend didn't want to be on my team."
Aizawa let out a small laugh, "I'm not laughing at you, it's just funny 'cause do you remember the real reason why he wasn't on your team?" A small shake of the head was all he needed to be urged on. "It's because he admired you. Do you remember it now? Those words he said to you after the event?"
Izuku chuckled, it was small and watery. Full of tears that were now smudged on his face and soaked into his skin. A simple "yeah, I do" was heard before a couple sniffles.
"And how about Shinso? Do you remember him? Because of you he's currently being allowed a new test to try and get into the hero course. Because of you four children are now safe and in perfect homes with people that love them." Aizawa stopped to think, and let those words settle and sink in. "Iida is still safe and healthy because you saw how hurt he was. Todoroki is doing better with his quirk too. Do you see what I'm getting at Midoriya?"
Muffled cries could be heard and for a moment Aizawa began regretting everything he said. Just as he was about to rush over and grab the boy Izuku turned around and threw himself over the fence and into Aizawa. "I feel so stupid Aizawa!"
Relief flooded Aizawa's senses, Izuku was safe in his arms. That's all he needs right now, he wasn't free-falling.
"Why's that kid? You're okay, don't worry." Carefully Aizawa adjusted the two so he could stand up and begin making his way off the roof with the boy in his arms.
"I nearly ended it all over these stupid thoughts. I haven't been able to get rid of them, they're always screaming at me, and I just wanted it to stop! They kept telling me that I was just a problem and that things would be better without me, they told me I wasn't enough, and I could have done more, been more." Izuku sobbed, face shoved into the fabric of Aizawa's shirt.
He took a breath, trying to force more words out of his system. To finally get everything out there instead of trapped in his body and mind. "I just, I had enough today and when I thought it was safe, I came up here. I guess someone saw me and alerted you though..I'm so glad they did. I was scared, Mr. Aizawa. I was so scared."
Aizawa nodded, doing his best to try and calm Izuku down as they moved. "You're safe now Izuku, don't worry. We're away from there now, you're going to stay with me tonight, okay? Unless you want me to call in one of your friends so you can sleep in your room. I just can't leave you alone."
Izuku nodded, mumbling out a quiet, "I want to stay with you." Before burying his face back in the fabric. It felt safe there, he couldn't see the movement of the walls couldn't be overwhelmed with his brain focusing on every little detail and how the movement meant he missed his chance. "I'm sorry."
Confusion laced Aizawa's brain, trying to sort out how in the world this kid could be in the wrong. "Why are you sorry?"
"I didn't call you; I didn't tell anyone. I kept it all to myself." Izuku looked down, careful to not meet Aizawa's gaze in fear that he'd just start sobbing then and there.
Everything seemed to click for Aizawa there though. "That's okay, you didn't want to worry anyone. I'm just glad I got there in time for you, and hey, now we know! So, I can keep an eye on you, and you can get help. I'll set you up with meetings with Hound Dog now. It's gonna be okay, right?"
Izuku got places down on the ground, his feet meeting the carpet placed in Aizawa's room. "Right, I'll try and be more open now." With this, he made his way over to the spare bed pushed in the corner and crashed. Emotional exhaustion finally catching up with him.
"I'm glad, sleep well kid." Aizawa placed a mental note to take away the nickname "Problem child" and picked up his phone. Clicking on his recents to call Bakugou back and inform him that everything was okay now and check in the the blonde.
Maybe this was just a one-time thing?