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Chapter Text

A new school year would be starting soon.  A fresh young crop of potential heroes would be filling the halls at UA and Aizawa was… already exhausted.  He had most of his lesson plans sorted and was reviewing the entrance exam tapes for the students that would be in 1-A this year.  This was normal for this time of year. What wasn’t normal was a morning staff meeting just one week out from the start of the semester.

He supposed it couldn’t be helped. There would be many changes to UA this year and they needed to prepare for it.  But did they have to schedule the meeting so damn early? He’d had maybe four hours of sleep last night after getting in from a patrol.  During the school year, other heroes would migrate to Musutafu to help protect the streets while the teachers were occupied with classes.  But the semester hadn’t started yet and the extra hands on deck hadn’t yet arrived.

“Thank you all for coming today,” Nedzu said as the teachers took their seats at the round conference room table.  “I know you’re all busy preparing for the new year and your time is precious. But we’ll be implementing a lot of changes this year and a simple email wouldn’t have sufficed.

“Today we’ll be going over changes to the UA Barrier, upgrades to USJ, security changes regarding the Sports Festival Stadium, and introducing a new teacher.”

Aizawa sighed and slumped in his chair.  He didn’t agree with Nedzu on one important point. This could have all been said in an email. But the principal could drag this out all day if he wanted to. And it seemed like he really wanted to for some damn reason.

“We’ll start with that latter note.  Fellow educators, please welcome our newest staff member.” Nedzu then gestured to the door at the back of the room.  “All Might, please join us!”

Aizawa was suddenly a lot more awake at that. All Might? The Number One Hero would be teaching at UA?  He turned in his chair to see if maybe he’d heard wrong.

The door slid open and the giant hero strode into the room, smile larger than it needed to be and suit a sickeningly bright yellow shade that really shouldn’t be allowed to be used on anything really.  He was like the goddamn sun from head to toe and Aizawa recoiled at just how upbeat he was at this hour. That man was impossible in so many ways.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” All Might said as he glanced around the room at his new coworkers.  There were a few murmurs among them, but for the most part everyone was just as stunned as Aizawa and people remained generally silent as the large man walked to the front of the room and shot them a smile.  “I’m sure we will have an excellent year with many excellent students.”

While this was certainly an interesting turn of events, after a few moments the initial shock wore off.  Aizawa’s exhaustion crept back in and he slumped even further into his chair. He’d have sunk all the way to the damn floor if he could.  Whatever. UA was already in the news pretty much every week. All Might’s presence would amplify that, sure, but he’d deal with it.

Much to Aizawa’s delight, Nedzu didn’t drag on the introduction period.  All Might didn’t need much of an introduction, but he did so anyway. Then they went around the room briefly stating either their hero name, real name, or both, and how long they’d been at the school.  It was moving at a quick clip, and when it was Aizawa’s turn he didn’t feel like slowing it down at all. Best get this whole introduction business over with.

“Eraserhead,” he said without standing or even looking in All Might’s direction.  His students called him ‘Aizawa-sensei’ and he wasn’t really hiding his real name since he took the job at UA, but he didn’t feel like divulging too much to what was, ostensibly, a stranger.  He’d find out his real name in time. However, the deafening silence prompted Aizawa to at least follow it up with the other bit of information the teachers had been sharing. “Three years.”

And then the excruciating social moment was over. Aizawa could go back to sulking silently and listening to Nedzu drone on about all the school upgrades in far greater detail than was strictly necessary.  Besides a quick break for a light breakfast, the whole affair proceeded at an agonizingly slow pace.

Everything concluded in just over three hours (but felt way longer) and most of the teacher split off to have lunch and enjoy the rest of their afternoon.  Aizawa hung back, however, and decided to take a detour to 1-A to make sure the cleaning crews hadn’t messed up his classroom over the school break. Despite his aloof personality, he did take his job seriously. Keeping his classroom just the way he liked it was a huge part of that.  All it’d take would be for the cleaning crew to mistake a stack of papers as rubbish and throw it away. Then his entire year would be off. He could be… tidier he supposed. But his system worked, so he wouldn’t be changing it any time soon.

To his relief, his room was almost identical to how he left it. Besides the trash being emptied and the floor being mopped, it was the same.  Thank goodness for small miracles.

He paused to survey the desks that would soon be filled with eager new students hoping to make their mark on the world.  A new batch of students was generally a positive thing, but sometimes the thought filled him with dread. If they weren’t ready, he’d cut them loose without a second thought. He wouldn’t risk letting someone unprepared pass through this classroom ever again.

After a few moments he locked up the room and began to make his way out of UA so he could perhaps catch a nap before his evening patrol. An unusual sound coming from the men’s restroom caught his attention, however, and he paused in the hallway.  It started as a wet coughing sound, as though someone had a horrific bit of phlegm stuck on their throat, but then it was quickly followed by the unpleasant noise of someone clearly losing their lunch.

Aizawa was of the mind to just keep walking and let whoever was in the bathroom have some privacy.  On the other hand, if one of his fellow teachers were ill, he should probably investigate and deal with any embarrassment they might feel after the fact.  The last thing the school needed was a teacher out sick at the start of the semester. He should help. He needed to help.

When he pushed the door gently open he was greeted to the sight of an extraordinarily skinny blond man hunched over the sink spitting blood down the drain. Under normal circumstances he might ask the stranger if he were alright, but these weren’t normal circumstances.  This was the most prestigious hero school in the country with top notch security and somehow an intruder got in. Aizawa immediately pulled his capture weapon loose from around his shoulders and activated his quirk.

“And who the hell are you?”

The stranger startled slightly and took a few steps away, wiping the remnants of blood from his lips.

“Eraserhead, wait-“

“That’s my name, but what’s yours ?”

Aizawa took a step forward, prepared to strike with his weapon if the stranger so much as looked at him funny.  The fabric floated around his head as he glared at the man.

“I want to show you, but… I can’t if you’re erasing my quirk.”

“Convincing me to let you use you’re quirk isn’t going to work. Also you sure know a lot about me , but you still haven’t said who the hell you are?”

The blond man shut his eyes for a moment and sighed.  Aizawa wasn’t sure what he was doing but he was going to give him five more seconds before he restrained him and called security.

“You won’t believe me,” the man nearly whispered. He opened his eyes and looked right at Aizawa, any previous sign of fear seemingly melted away.  “But you have to know…. Look…. look at my clothes. Who was wearing this today?”

Aizawa looked down at the extremely oversized bright yellow suit. The color was so gaudy it made his already straining eyes hurt.  But there was no mistaking who was wearing that horrible color earlier today.

“All Might’s quirk isn’t a transformation quirk.”

“Well no… it didn’t used to be.  But it sort of is now. At least partially.”  Aizawa looked back up at the man’s eyes. Now that he thought about it, he could see All Might in those eyes as well.  Still, he knew better than to be so trusting.

“How do I take my coffee,” Aizawa shot at him.

“What?”

“This morning we were at the breakfast table at the same time during our break.  How did I take my coffee?”

The blond man shut his eyes, trying to remember the morning.  “I think… I think you opted for tea. And toast.” He opened his eyes again, recalling the moment.  “We bumped into each other reaching for the butter. I apologized. You ignored me.” He smiled awkwardly.

This was definitely All Might.  He couldn’t be reading his mind because any quirk he has would have been erased.  Only All Might could recall that interaction. Aizawa blinked and his capture weapon dropped back around his shoulders.  The skinny man let out a breath of relief and leaned back against the sink counter.

“I take it this isn’t widely known,” Aizawa said as he reached for the eye drops in one of the cases on his utility belt.

“No.  Very few people know.  Nedzu knows. As does my former mentor and former colleague. A detective I work closely with is also aware. Recovery Girl knows…”

Aizawa tilted his head back and let a few drops fall into his eyes.

“The principal and close coworkers I understand,” Aizawa said as he blinked, letting the drops soothe his sore eyes. “But why Recovery Girl?  How’d she enter the picture?”

When he looked back at All Might it became clear. The older hero had lifted his shirt, revealing a horrific scar across his abdomen.

“Holy shit,” Aizawa huffed out. Judging by the look on All Might’s face, that reaction wasn’t helping matters.  Not many people had probably seen that scar, but the few that did all probably reacted with shock.

“That’s why I’m this way,” he said as he dropped his shirt, hiding the scar from view once more.  “I’ve lost numerous internal organs and this is…. this is me now. She helped keep me alive, though there was only so much she could do.”

“But you transform now.” Aizawa stated plainly.

“For a short time.  Today may have been too much.”

“So there’s a time limit.”  Aizawa was suddenly very interested in the workings of this quirk.  He’d never heard of one evolving in such a way.

“Give or take three hours, yes.”

“Hmm,” Aizawa hummed as he put his eyedrops back where they belonged.  “How the hell are you going to teach? A school day is eight hours.”

“Nedzu and I have agreed that I’d only teach one class per day. It was part of me signing on.  I’ll rotate between the hero courses every day. It won’t be the most consistent schedule, but it can be done.”

Aizawa hummed again in acknowledgement.  It was a lot to take in, but it wouldn’t be the first secret he had to hold from the world.  Underground heroes tangled with the unknown often. Keeping things out of the media spotlight was a skill he’d learned long ago.  Besides, he had some skeletons in his closet himself.

If someone as flashy and famous as All Might could keep a secret of this magnitude, then he could too.

“Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you,” All Might said.

“But if it wasn’t me who’d stumbled across you who knows what would have happened.  You can’t just walk around this campus like this. If the staff doesn’t know who you are, they will treat you as a possible villain.”

“I know.  I’ve been considering that.  But I don’t know what other options I have.”

“Well… you could give this body a name.  Make it another employee of the school in case you ever get stuck on campus after you’ve overextended yourself.”

“Yagi Toshinori.”

“What?”

“This body already has a name.   I have a name.  It’s Yagi Toshinori.”  All Might pushed himself off the sink counter and approached Aizawa, extending a hand in greeting.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Aizawa regarding the extended hand sceptically for a moment, but eventually reached out to shake it in kind.  “Aizawa Shouta.”

It was inevitable that All Might would learn his real name.  Giving it to him willingly shouldn’t feel like such a big deal, but for some reason stepping away from their hero monikers felt much more intimate to the underground hero.  He didn’t really want to get too close to someone as famous as All Might. It hindered his work to have the media buzzing around. But now that he knew such a profound secret about the man, it sort of made sense to cross a boundary, even if it was just a name willingly given.  

All Might, however, never shared his real name anywhere.  Some people knew it, of course. He was a graduate of UA after all, and his classmates had surely watched him become the Number One Hero silently, sitting on a gold mine of information that any tabloid would have killed for.  It was yet another secret and All Might has shared it with him freely when he really didn’t need to.

“Anyway,” Aizawa said, taking his hand back.  “I should escort you off campus. If someone else sees you without an escort they might make assumptions like I did.  But they don’t have the luxury of just erasing your quirk and waiting for an explanation.”

“Yes, that makes sense,” All Might said with a smile.  And even in this emaciated state, that big bright smile was unmistakably All Might.  “Thank you for your kindness, Aizawa-san.”

With that, they exited the bathroom.  The pair didn’t make it far, however. As soon as they exited the bathroom Nedzu was waiting for them in the hallway.  Aizawa wondered if he’d been eavesdropping.

“Welcome to the select few, Aizawa,” Nedzu said with a smile.  “Though I am surprised Toshinori would have chosen you to be let in on this secret.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Aizawa huffed, somewhat offended at the implication.

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” All Might stepped in.  “But I do trust him with this, Nedzu.”

“I trust him, too.  Don’t mistake my surprise as a question on his honor.  I wouldn’t have hired him if I didn’t feel he was a trustworthy and noble individual.  No, I was just surprised by the choice as you two are opposites of the hero spectrum. But no matter how this came to be, Aizawa is part of this now.”

“And I think it’s a bad idea, for the record,” Aizawa said.  “People are going to find out.”

Nedzu paused for a moment.  “Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps we should widen this circle to the entire staff sooner rather than later.  But that decision will take more consideration than a brief conversation in the hallway.” He then nodded at All Might. “Toshinori.  Perhaps we should meet over lunch to discuss our options before school begins next week.”

“Yes, of course,” he said with a nod.

“In the meantime, Aizawa, please continue with your plan to escort him off the campus.  You’re perception of how people would react is an accurate one.”

Aizawa nodded as the principal turned and left the scene.  Aizawa was even more exhausted than he’d been during their meeting.  All he wanted to do was go take a damn nap, but somehow he stumbled across one of the biggest secrets in the Hero world.

-

Nedzu and All Might agreed that the teachers and support staff should at the very least know about his altered form.  Other things, however, remained on a need to know basis.

Over the following days Nedzu called the teachers in small groups for briefings on the situation.  Over fifty full time teachers and another twenty or so specialists were brought into the fold. Several support staff members were briefed, as well.  Reactions varied widely from those who accepted it with ease, those who had a million questions, and those who felt an extreme amount of sympathy for the hero who was clearly declining in health.  But they all had high enough clearance to teach at UA to begin with, so they were confident the secret would be safe among them.

What All Might hadn’t told anyone at that point was that there was another who knew of this secret… and a whole lot more. But the secret of One For All and Midoriya Izuku would be held even more tightly to his chest than the secret of his failing body.  It wasn’t just his anymore. Exposing that detail of his quirk wouldn’t be dangerous to just himself, but his successor and any potential successor thereafter.  As it was, he could count the people who even knew that much on one hand.

For now, the fact that he had a successor would be known only to him and Midoriya.  And even when this small circle widened to include those who knew of One For All, it’d remain incredibly closely guarded.  The future of One For All depended on it.

Chapter Text

Aizawa begins to suspect All Might had way more secrets than just his deflated form on the very first day of school. After Midoriya surprised Aizawa by showing his potential at the physical exam, the older hero pulled him aside for an unexpected chat.

“Aizawa-kun, you liar.”

Aizawa paused and looked at the older hero.

“All Might,” he said in greeting, though he his tone conveyed just how unenthused he was with the surprise visit.  “So you were watching? Too much time on your hands?”

“‘A rational deception,’ you said,” Toshinori repeated his own words back at him, smile masking how accusing his tone was.  “April Fools was last week. You punished an entire class of first years last year with expulsion. You cut those you judge without potential with no hesitation.  For a man like that to take back his word… that must be because you also felt the potential of that kid, right?”

“ ‘Also ?” Aizawa honed in on that word.  Clearly All Might had a favorite. But why? “You seem to be supporting him quite a bit. Is that how a teacher should be acting?”  He turned and began walking away, not willing to spend the energy trying to reason with the man. He could think what he likes, but Aizawa was going to run his class how he always had.  “His potential was not zero. That’s all it was. I’ll always cut those without potential. There’s nothing crueler than having a dream end midway.”

The interaction stuck with Aizawa, though.  All Might had taken to the boy far too quickly for there to not be something else to it.  It was only the first day of school, after all. How well could he possibly know the kid? Sure, he may have reviewed the entrance exam tapes just like Aizawa had, but even so this seemed like a bit much. For him to awkwardly lurk during the class taking up valuable time in his muscular form was strange enough.  To defend this kid so strongly right off the bat was downright suspicious.

Aizawa stopped himself before he could come up with too many scenarios.  Suspicious or not, All Might deserves to explain or not explain his actions as he wished.  He didn’t owe anyone anything. Nobody did, really.  There were facts about Aizawa’s own life he didn’t want out in the world either. Whatever the deal between Midoriya and All Might was, that was their business. And yeah, he was super fucking curious, but he want going to pick at it.

“Maybe we got off on the wrong foot,” All Might said to him at lunch the following day in the teacher’s lounge.  It was Yagi Toshinori now, standing there in the teacher’s lounge in his deflated form. Same big dumb grin, though. Always smiling...

“In what way?” Aizawa asked as he pulled out a juice pack out of the fridge and poked a straw through the perforated hole.

“I was judgemental towards you for how you conducted the first day of class.  You clearly want what’s best for the kids. And you’re clearly… trustworthy.”

Aizawa huffed at that, amused that he kept getting called ‘trustworthy’ over and over again.  As far as he was concerned, protecting other people’s secrets should be the default. Especially for heroes.  He sipped at his juice and took a seat on the couch.

“Perhaps we can discuss my intentions in your classroom over dinner,” the older hero asked, hovering awkwardly.

“No thanks.”

“No?”

“I have patrol.”

“Oh… it doesn’t have to be tonight-“

“I have patrol every night.”

“Aizawa,” Toshinori admonished.  “Surely you take nights off. There are many heroes in town during the school year.  Even I had social evenings.”

Aizawa didn’t miss the use of past tense in how the older hero was recalling his career.  All Might was such an open book, which was clearly dangerous for someone with the insane amount of secrets he obviously had.  He really needed to not broadcast himself so loudly.

Aizawa didn’t socialize much.  Besides Hizashi and Nemuri, he didn’t really have the urge to get close to anyone. But this man was somehow entangling himself in Aizawa’s life.  He didn’t necessarily want to be his friend, but at the same time it couldn’t hurt to have a conversation in a social setting.

“Fine,” Aizawa relented.  “But not dinner. Drinks. And not tonight.  Friday. I don’t want to deal with a hangover in the classroom the next day.”

“Fine,” Toshinori said with a bright smile.  “Friday it is then.”

-

The bar Toshinori chose wasn’t Aizawa’s typical scene.  He preferred small dark holes in the wall where he could get smashed anonymously without anyone bothering him.  This was a loud and fairly popular American style bar with crowds of rowdy businessmen clearly blowing off steam after a long work week.  Still, Toshinori picked a table in the corner of the room where not many people would pass them by. Small blessings.

“I just want to… apologize,” Toshinori said after they each had drinks in front of them.

“For what?” Aizawa asked, taking a sip of his beer.

“Questioning your methods.  You brought something out of Midoriya that I don’t think I ever could.”

“Look,” Aizawa said, setting his drink down on the table a little too harshly.  The sound of the glass hitting the tabletop made Toshinori jump slightly. “I don’t know what the relationship is between you two and frankly it’s none of my business. It’s none of anyone’s business. But you have to treat him just like any other student.  Not only will that prevent people from snooping around your personal life, but it’s what the kid deserves. You shouldn’t treat him any differently than the other students.   I certainly won’t.  Even if you told me why he’s so special to you, everyone deserves equal treatment in the classroom.”

A moment of silence passed between them as Toshinori considered his words.

“You’re right, of course. On both counts.  I suppose I never learned the art of subterfuge.”

“You never needed to be. It’s not how you operate.”

“I want him to do well, but I’m too obvious about it aren’t I…”

“Extremely so,” Aizawa said as he took another drink of beer.

“I’ll take your advice to heart.”  Toshinori took a small sip of his own drink before continuing.  “You’re incredibly good with the kids, you know?”

Aizawa made a non-committal sound and glanced away.  He wasn’t comfortable with praise most of the time. Right now, especially so. He still wasn’t entirely comfortable with Toshinori as a colleague despite his best efforts to get used to the idea of added media attention. It was hard to accept positive words from someone that was causing him discomfort on the job.  They weren’t friends .  He didn’t have to be so nice.

“I’m surprised you don’t have kids of your own.”

“Not on my agenda, unfortunately.”  The last word slipped out before he could stop it. He cursed himself mentally and tried to hide his reaction with another drink.

“Unfortunately?”  Aizawa didn’t respond.  Toshinori persisted. “What’s stopping you?”

“Doesn’t fit my lifestyle.”

“Plenty of heroes have kids.”

“I’m gay,” Aizawa blurted out. There.  He said it. End of discussion.

To Toshinori’s credit, he didn’t even flinch at the statement and just kept going. 

“There’s adoption and surrogacy.”

“I’m single, too.  No agency in their right mind is going to adopt a kid out to a single hero.  Too high of a chance of the kid going back in the system. And I can’t afford a surrogate.” Aizawa rubbed his face. This was way too personal. How the hell did they get here?  “Besides, I actually am quite busy with two jobs. Between being a teacher and being a hero, when the hell would I find the time to raise a kid?”

Toshinori hummed in acknowledgment of the statement, but made no attempt to argue against it.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Aizawa said as he finished his drink and signaled to the waitress for another.

“About which part?”

“The wanting kids part.  I don’t really care if people know I’m gay. But that’s not really out there either. My private life is my private life.”

“Believe me, I understand that.  Most people don’t even know my name.”

“Then we’re even I guess. We each have secrets.  We both know stuff about each other that we don’t want out in the spotlight.  Now just stop broadcasting your every inner thought to the whole world. I’m surprised you managed to keep your condition quiet this long.”

The waitress brought him another drink and a silence fell between the two men at the table for several minutes.

“I…” Toshinori began. Aizawa looked up at him. “I might be too.”

“Be what?”

“Gay.”

“ ‘Might ?’ How do you not know?”  

“Haven’t had much time to think about it.  Or much interest. The last attempt at a relationship was over a decade ago and it failed.”  Toshinori ran his finger along the the rim of his glass, deep in thought. “It was a woman at that time. Nobody since then, really. Nothing serious anyway.  Maybe gender just doesn’t matter to me, I don’t know.”

“So you’re telling me you haven’t been laid in over a decade.”

“Nope,” Toshinori said, blushing and hiding his discomfort behind that iconic smile.

“God, I can’t imagine.  If I go a month I’m climbing the goddamn walls.  I’d pretty much bang anything that moves.”

“It’s just not a priority for me. Maybe… maybe I’m broken.”

“Dammit, don’t say that,” Aizawa said, crossing his arms on the table and shaking his head.  This conversation really went off the rails and was way more personal than intended, but it was happening.  “Different people feel different things. Just because you don’t prioritize relationships or sex doesn’t mean you’re broken.”

“Just the sex,” Toshinori said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “I love the relationship part. I miss that part actually. Quite a bit.”

“Then why don’t you find someone?”

“If only it were that easy,” Toshinori said with a strained laugh.

“Surely women- men… just anyone would be lining up to be in a relationship with All Might.   Surely .”

“But not Yagi Toshinori.”

They just looked at each other and the full weight of what this secret had done to Toshinori hit Aizawa.  The man was incredibly lonely. He’d been injured for half of the decade he’d been single. Even if a suitable partner had come around, Toshinori would have kept them at a distance due to his condition.  

They weren’t friends. And yet…

“The world is missing out on not knowing Yagi Toshinori.”

He’d only had two drinks. He was barely buzzed.  But he still blamed the alcohol.

Yagi smiled.

They finished the drinks that night and went home to their perspective houses, each a little more knowledgeable about the other, but certainly a lot more curious.

Chapter Text

He didn’t lose consciousness immediately after the Nomu slammed his face into the cement, though he kind of wish he had.  He felt the bones on his face shatter and the skin under his right eye slice open.

He was going to die.  It was as simple as that.

He’d had close calls before, but this was truly it.  His skull couldn’t withstand another blow. He knew that, but he had to keep trying...  

Everything went black.

“I’m sorry, Aizawa-kun,” he heard Yagi say distantly. He couldn’t feel much and he certainly couldn’t open his eyes, but he knew that voice.  He knew it in both forms. This was the more familiar form. It was All Might .  Yagi Toshinori wouldn’t stand a chance here in his deflated form.

Then things went dark again.

There was a brief moment where he could hear Mineta, Midoriya, and Tsuyu talking, but he couldn’t make out what was happening. That moment became noise in the infinite black that was unconsciousness.

The next thing he was aware of was a intermittent beeping sound. It was a familiar tone to him. He’d been in hospitals enough to recognize a heart monitor and he knew he’d been brought somewhere safe.  His entire body was numb, though. They must have had him on some wicked strong painkillers because he was pretty sure most of his bones were still shattered, but he couldn’t feel a goddamn thing. He wasn’t particularly looking forward to when the drugs wore off though.  He remembered what it felt like being crushed under the Nomu.

“Whoa, hey, my man. Are you awake?”

Hizashi.  

He wondered just how long he’d been unconscious.  Days? Weeks? Was Hizashi keeping watch the whole time or was it a coincidence that he was here just as he woke up?

Aizawa groaned in response and opened his eyes. He could see bandages all around his peripheral vision, but they’d left his eyes uncovered. He couldn’t move his neck to get a good look at the room, but Hizashi helpfully shifted into view, cautiously leaning over the bed.

“Is it just you here?” Aizawa asked, and god damn was his voice sore.  

“Right now, yeah. You’ve had a few visitors checking on you but they’ve kept the list of people who can see you small.  Me, Nemuri, Nezu, and All Might. Some of your students wanted to see you but they weren’t allowed in.”

Aizawa grunted in response.

“You should be able to check out after two or three more treatments from Recovery Girl. Your legs were the least damaged part of you so you’ll be able to walk soon. Your arms will be in casts for another week or so…”

“Right through the the Festival.”

“Yeah, hey man, I know I made you promise to co-host this year but-“

“I will.”

“You’ll still be a mummy man at that point.”

“I don’t care.”

Hizashi sighed, but eventually nodded. “Fine. But if you change your mind I can host alone. I did it last year.”

“I’ll be there,” Aizawa said, letting his eyes fall shut again.  He wanted out of this hospital and having a goal on the other side of it was a great motivator. “So… what happened after I lost consciousness?”

“Oh man.  It was intense.”  Hizashi became so animated while talking he accidentally shifted out of view.  Aizawa took advantage of this moment to shut his eyes again. “A lot of the teachers arrived but even so it was hard to get to you and some of the students. All Might pulled you guys out of the hot zone.”

“I think… I think I remember that.  Vaguely.”

“Yeah honestly I hope those memories stay vague.  It looked painful. You had over forty broken bones and your skull was shattered.  Very lucky the only brain damage was a concussion.”

Aizawa was surprised he’d survived,  honestly. If All Might hasn’t been there…. he didn’t want to think about it.

“How are the students?”

“A few scratches and bruises. Not a single broken bone, though.  You took most of the severe hits.”

“Good.”  Aizawa opened his eyes again.  Hizashi had returned to his field of vision.  “And All Might?”

“It was a close one. He used everything he had.  If it’s lasted just a minute longer he’d have been stuck there in his weaker form.  Don’t even want to think about what would have happened to him then.”

“He deflated on the battlefield?”

“Yeah! But nobody saw.  Secret is still safe. He was pretty beaten up, though. Both physically and emotionally.  Two treatments from Recovery Girl set the physical damage right, though.”

“And… emotionally?”

“Well… let’s just say I hope that man has a good therapist.”

Aizawa grunted in response again and let his eyes fall closed.  Emotionally damaging battles were part of the job. Having a strong system to work through them was important.  But he had no idea what Yagi’s support system was like. He wondered how he was holding up.

—

Two weeks later Aizawa was in the teachers lounge before school grading papers that he really should have graded last night. He was cast and bandage free now, but the scar under his eye would be there for the long run, it seemed. Recovery Girl’s power was limited.  The cut went down to the bone and the mark would be there forever. He was alive, though, and mobile. And that’s the most important thing.

Yagi entered the lounge a few minutes after Aizawa had settled.  It was the first time the two had a moment alone together since the attack. The only other moments were in teachers meetings.

“Oh, hello,” he said with a nod.

“Mornin’,” he replied, still distracted by his grading.

The older teacher set about to make a cup of coffee and Aizawa finally glanced up to take in the state of his coworker.  Yagi was in another baggy suit, completely deflated but ready to transform for the lessons he was about to teach.  Coming out about his condition to the teachers was a good idea. It gave him more time to relax and not push himself.

“Thank you,” Aizawa said.

“Hm?” Yagi glanced back at him as he poured his milk in his coffee.

“For saving me at USJ.”

“Oh.  No need to thank me,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “It’s my job, after all.”

“Of course.  But surely I’m not the first person to thank you for saving their life.”

“No... I just...”. Yagi paused after putting the milk back and looked to his coworker.  “I’m just so incredibly sorry. You almost died because I wasn’t there and-“

“Yagi, stop,” he interrupted.  “Don’t do that. You weren’t there because you’d saved other people that day.  Maybe those other people would have been hurt or died had you not rescued them. You can’t be everywhere.  You made a choice that day and you couldn’t have known what was going to happen.”

“Still. Before I could have done both, and-“

“Yagi,” he cut him off as he stood and approached his coworker.  Yagi set down the coffee and milk and backed up, recoiling slightly from the sudden closeness. “ I don’t blame you for this.   The students don’t blame you for this.   You shouldn’t blame yourself either.”

Aizawa was standing less than a foot in front of him now trying to catch his gaze, but Yagi was staring at his own feet and avoiding him.

“Yagi, look at me.”  Finally he looked up.  ”I’m fine.”

“But are you?”  The older teacher reached out and traced the scar under his eye with his thumb.  

Aizawa instinctually leaned into the touch and suddenly he found himself in the unique position of having his face gently cradled by the Number One Hero.  His heart fluttered. He’d think about that later.

“Yes,” he said, his voice slightly breathless.  “I am.”

Yagi traced the scar with his thumb again before retracting his hand, and then continued to look at him with a weary expression.  The touch was unexpectedly intimate, but neither of them were particularly uncomfortable about it. Aizawa wasn’t even sure Yagi registered how intimate it was.  To test the boundary they were crossing, Aizawa reached out and set his hand gently on Yagi’s hip below his own scar.

“We all have scars.  My most recent one just happens to be visible.”

For a moment this new touch seemed welcomed, but it appeared to dawn on Yagi just how close they were.  A light blush spread across his cheeks and he removed Aizawa’s hand from his hip, cradling it gently in his own hand.

“You’re right, of course.  Thank you.” Yagi dropped his hand and turned around to find his coffee on the counter where he’d left it.

“Why are you thanking me ? What’d I do?”

“Pull me out of my cycle of guilt and self flagellation.  I do that sometimes.”

“A lot of us do,” Aizawa said with a sigh.  “I have Nemuri and Hizashi to kick me out of it.  Some have therapists. I’m surprised you’ve made it this long as a pro without someone to set you straight.”

“I have people,” Yagi said, pausing to sip some coffee. “But they’re further away now than they used to be. And things.... are so much worse.”

“Well, I’m here,” he responded, then flinched slightly at how much it sounded like the older hero’s catch phrase.  He continued. “Next time you feel like kicking your own ass for shit that’s beyond your control, give me a call.”

“I don’t have your number.”

Aizawa put his hand out between them. “Phone.  Give it here.”

Yagi complied and handed over his phone.  Aizawa punched in his information, sent a text to himself so he could have Yagi’s, then handed it back.

“There.  Now you do.”

“Thank you, Aizawa.”

“Now we’re back to thanking each other? Better than apologizing then.  Now just accept my appreciation for saving my life, dammit.”

Yagi grinned, and damn, Aizawa had no idea how badly he wanted to see him smile.

“Alright.  You’re welcome, Aizawa.”

“And you’re welcome, too, Yagi.”  Just then the bell rang and Aizawa sighed. “Guess they’ll just have to wait until tomorrow for their test scores.”

“Sor-“ Yagi began.  After a stern look from Aizawa he stopped himself and laughed.  “Haha, I guess the will. I’ll see you around.”

With that they went their separate ways.

Chapter Text

Aizawa finally had time to catch up on grading papers while his students were away at their internships. Between teaching and doing patrols he found he had very few opportunities to sit down and grade, which bothered him greatly.  He liked to know his students skill levels and tests were the best way to judge that. This week would give him the chance to re-evaluate the students as a whole and tailor his lessons accordingly for the remainder of the semester.

Around midday he found himself seriously dragging and made his way to the lounge for a much needed caffeine fix. To his surprise, Yagi was already there, but pacing back and forth staring at his phone.  The older man didn’t even seem to notice that someone else had entered the room since he was so preoccupied with the device in his hand.

“Yagi?”  The other hero jumped and fumbled with his phone.  “Are you alright?”

“I, uh….” His eyes darted around as he struggled  to come up with a lie, but after a few moments sighed and shook his head. “No.  I’m not.”

“Talk to me,” Aizawa said as he set about making coffee.  Yagi certainly wasn’t going to open up without an invitation and until he realized Aizawa was willing to actually listen to him, he needed to be prompted to share.

“I’m worried about Midoriya,” Yagi said with a sigh.  Aizawa hummed with acknowledgement as he made he poured the blessed caffeine into his favorite cat mug.  “He’s training with my former mentor. And it worked for me. But I don’t know if it’s working for him. Gran Torino…. He told me not to call.  He says to just let him do his job but… but…”

“But you care and you’re curious.”

“Yes,” Yagi said as he plopped down on the couch, seemingly exhausted from all the worry.  “I want him to succeed. Gran Torino helped me succeed but…. but Midoriya...”

“I can’t pretend to know the relationship between the two of you - especially since you won’t tell me,” the younger teacher said as he leaned against the counter and sipped his drink.  “Which is fine. Honestly. But what I do know is how Midoriya works.  I’ve been teaching him for a few months now.  I know what he’s capable of and how he handles stress.  Even if he’s faced with a less than ideal situation, that kid will find a way to make it work for him.

“And besides, if Gran Torino’s methods worked for you, I feel like they’ll work for him too.”

“You do? Why?”

“You’re more alike than you know.”  When Yagi stared at him expectantly Aizawa set his mug down on the counter behind him and continued.  “You’re both optimistic. You’re idealists, but not at the cost of dealing with the reality of any given situation. Granted you could be a bit more realistic sometimes, but that’s just you .  He could have ended up in the most oppressive, negative internships possible and I’m sure he’d still walk away with a lesson learned.”

Yagi grinned. “You do see potential.”

“More than zero.”

“I think it’s a bit more than that.”

“Don’t project your favoritism onto me.”

Yagi smiled widely again for a few moments, but then looked back down to his phone.  His face fell again. Yagi was clearly bothered by this internship and he was sure there was more to it than Yagi wanted to divulge, but he wasn’t going to prod into that area.  But he was going to do his damndest to cheer Yagi up and get his mind off it.

“Fuck it,” Aizawa said, startling Yagi out of his downward spiral. “Let’s go for coffee.”

“Uh… you already have coffee.”

Aizawa looked back at the mug on the counter and then back up to Yagi.

“So I do.”  Without breaking eye contact he upturned the mug into the sink.  When it was empty he set it on the counter and folded his arms. “Guess we need to go out for coffee now.”

-

The walk to the coffee shop was less than five minutes, but the two fell into a comfortable conversation about the upcoming lessons.  After their internships, they had a brief two week lesson on the history of the hero industry, then final exams, then they’d be off to training camp. Yagi was scheduled to lead several sections of the history lesson, but the majority of it would be up to Aizawa as the homeroom teacher.  To their surprise, they were already on the same page about most of the scheduled lesson plan and very little needed to be hashed out.

The year was moving at a brisk pace but Yagi was adapting.  He wasn’t the best teacher in the world, but he cared deeply about these students. Aizawa thought that with a few pointers on his teaching style, he could have a place at UA long term. He could be a wonderful teacher with just a few minor adjustments.

It didn’t take them long to settle into a window booth with their chosen caffeinated beverages of choice - Aizawa with his coffee and Yagi with his herbal tea.  Once settled their topic of conversation veered back to Midoriya.

“I guess it’s silly, I supposed,” Yagi mused.

“What is?”

“How concerned I am about Midoriya’s internship. I just… I’ve never had something resembling a protege before.”

“And technically, as a teacher, you shouldn’t have one student as a protege. That’s favoritism.”  Aizawa held us his hand to cut off the oncoming apology. “But it is what it is. And as I’ve said before you don’t have to tell me all the details.”  

“Thank you for your understanding.”  Yagi sipped his tea and continued. “I worry if I’m making the right choices for him. I don’t want to choose something that can set him back on his path to becoming a hero.”

“Well, you didn’t choose this for him.  Gran Torino reached out with the offer. Midoriya accepted.  You didn’t factor into this at all.”

“True… but…”

“If you are going to mentor him at all, you’ve got to let things like this happen. Let him make choices on his own.  This can be good for him.”

Aizawa reached out and placed a hand gentle on the wrist of the hand Yagi was using to clutch tightly onto his mug of tea.  Yagi relaxed slightly and looked up to meet his eyes.

“But how are you doing Yagi?  You spend so much time worrying about others…”

Before he could complete that thought a woman shrieked behind him.  Both he and Yagi instinctively turned to assess the situation. Two men were at the counter with guns aimed at the barista.   Who the hell robs a coffee shop , Aizawa thought to himself. But the thought was fleeting as he immediately began planning out a game plan.

“Laptops, phones, cash, and jewelry on the tables,” one of the culprits said as he turned to the rest of the coffee shop. “And hands up where I can see them.  No quirks or I shoot.”

Aizawa turns back to Yagi, who looks like he was also formulating a battle plan.

“You can’t transform in public,” Aizawa says quietly. “Let me handle this one.”

“Aizawa…”

“It’s two robbers. I can handle this. Just usher people out of the way if things get messy.”

Yagi hesitated, but nodded in agreement. There were just too many people around to change.

One of the robbers was just a couple feet away from their table grabbing the valuables off the table and cramming them in a bag.  As his hands were occupied with shuffling the looted goods around, the gun was aimed haphazardly and his finger wasn’t on the trigger.  The man at the counter was much more dangerous and the barista was at risk of being shot if anything went wrong, so Aizawa had to act fast.  Thankfully, that was his strong suit.

In the blink of an eye his capture weapon wrapped around both their gun holding hands, sending the weapons flying.  One of the guns fired upon impact with the floor and Aizawa hoped nobody was injured by the stray bullet, but he had to focus on the two assailants first in case they had any spare weapons.  They were only restrained by a single wrist so it wouldn’t be hard for either of them to grab a backup gun or something if he didn’t act quickly.

Aizawa was out of his seat and pulling the two men back to back in the middle of the room to properly restrain them.  He hadn’t had a chance to gauge their quirks, but to be on the safe side he activated his own and stared the two men down as his weapon wrapped around them.  He approached and pulled the weapon tightly to ensure they wouldn’t be going anywhere. Their torsos and arms were full bound together together on the ground.

Unfortunately a clicking sound and hard metal gun being pressed against his spine informed him he hadn’t been as observant as he’d hoped. Where had this third person come from?

“Don’t move,” the person behind him said.

Without seeing the person, Aizawa wasn’t sure how to counter attack. Most of his capture weapon was wrapped around the two people in front of him.  He could attempt to kick the persons feet out from in front of him, but with the way the gun was forced directly against his spine he risked being shot mid maneuver.  He could be killed.   He was effectively pinned down where he was.

“Release them,” the man behind him said.

Think. Think. Think.

A split second later the gun was gone and the man behind him screamed.  The sudden movement made Aizawa flinch and blink, his hair falling back down to his shoulders and his quirk shutting off. He turned to see All Might holding the man in the air by his wrists with one hand, the gun clutched so tightly in his other hand he’s sure the metal barrel was on the verge of breaking.

“Eraserhead,” he said with a nod.

“All Might,” he said, returning the grateful gesture with a sigh of relief.  “Thanks for the assist.”

“My pleasure.  I alerted the police a moment ago.  They are a few blocks away.”

Aizawa looked around at the few frightened patrons who hadn’t fled.  Some were snapping photos in their phones. A few others may have even been live streaming.

“The press likely isn’t far behind,” he said with a hint of annoyance.

“Once they’re cuffed, you can go Aizawa.”  Under other circumstances he may have been slightly peeved at the use of his real name during a battle.  But coming from All Might he found it hard to be upset. That was something he’d have to consider later, along with all the other unusual things he was beginning to feel towards Yagi.  But regardless, since working at UA the cat was somewhat out of the bag on his identity anyway. “I can deal with the media,” All Might continued.

Aizawa stepped a little closer and lowered his voice.  “You should conserve your energy. The media isn’t worth what little time you have like this.”

“It’s part of my job.”

“Of course,” Aizawa said with a sigh. “What about there being too many people around…?”

“The hallway that led to the bathroom was empty and everyone was looking at you. It only took a second.”

Just then the police filed through the door, cutting off their conversation.  Aizawa looked back at the two culprits on the ground. To be on the safe side he activated his quirk as the police moved to handcuff them, just in case one of them attempted something between the short window between being released from Aizawa’s hold and being cuffed.

“I’ll be off then,” Aizawa said with a nod. “Remember to take care of yourself, too, All Might.”

All Might’s already bright smile shifted slightly into a more genuine expression that Aizawa was only familiar with on his smaller form.  This was Yagi, not the shining superhero persona that the world knew. Aizawa was beginning to be able to tell the difference.

“I will, Aizawa-kun.”

With that  Aizawa turned and left out the back door to avoid the press..

Chapter Text

Grading papers was endless .  Half of his free time for the past three years was just grading and grading and grading.   He still had nine written finals to do before tomorrow and if he didn’t finish he’d end up having to it on the bus in the morning or during the training camp.  Though the practical exams had already been decided, the final grades on the written portion of the course were due in just a few days, right in the middle of the trip.  He didn’t want to have to upload his assessments with spotty cell coverage from the middle of the forest.  The easiest option was to finish it tonight and be done with it.

The amount of work still left to go was daunting, though. Some of the more verbose students went in for ten pages or more and he really should have set an upper limit on them.  When he suggested ‘about five pages,’ most students stuck to that. But this year’s class was different. All of 1-A was just different .   Midoriya’s final alone was fourteen pages long.  The kid needed to be far more succinct. He had great ideas but he tended to get side tracked or repeat his points.  He liked to babble and Aizawa needed to put a stop to it. Still… at least there was potential. More than zero.

Just then his phone lit up with a text message.

Yagi: Our last coffee appointment was interrupted.  Want to try again?

Aizawa grabbed his phone and considered before responding.  Hell yeah, he wanted to. Spending time with Yagi was surprisingly pleasant, but one glance at the papers in front of him made reality hit him full force.

Aizawa: I have too many papers to grade before tomorrow. Rain check?

Yagi: of course

He was surprised at how much he actually did want to see Yagi and how pained it made him say no. He’d be gone for a whole week and somehow he thought maybe he’d miss the guy.  How he went from barely tolerating him to genuinely being bummed about the looming prolonged absence, he wasn’t sure. But whatever the cause he shot off another text message in an attempt to remedy the situation.

Aizawa: If you don’t mind me grading, you can come over here.  I have some tea. Can’t guarantee it’ll be the best but the offer is there.

Yagi: I’d love to!

Aizawa fired off his address and went back to grading.  If he could just get through Midoriya’s maybe the others wouldn’t be so bad.  He uncapped his red pen and got to work.

-

When Yagi arrived, Aizawa only had three more to go.  Yagi must have lived relatively far away for him to have taken almost an hour to get there, but at least it had given Aizawa time to catch up.  He let him into his apartment and set about to make them tea, but Yagi shooed him away saying he knew his way around a kitchen and that Aizawa should finish his work.  Five minutes later the older Hero was sitting down on the couch next to him and handing a mug of hot tea.

“Sorry for the work,” Aizawa said as he took the tea.  “I just want to get it done tonight.”

“I don’t mind.   Really . I don’t need to be entertained or anything. Just being here is enough.”

And wasn’t that strange. The simple enjoyment of each other’s company seemed to go both ways. Regardless of Yagi’s words, Aizawa still felt the need to give him something to do.  He pulled out Midoriya’s paper from the completed pile and handed it to him.

“Here.  In case you’re curious.”

Yagi took the paper and glanced at the name.

“Actively feeding my favoritism now, are we?”

“Shut up,” Aizawa said as he turned back to Bakugo’s half graded paper.  “Midoriya has some good ideas. Figured you’d want to know some of what’s going on in his head.”  Aizawa huffed a laugh. “But maybe encourage him to be more concise.”

“Thank you, Aizawa,” he said as he started reading the essay.

They stayed in relative silence for a good half an hour as Aizawa finished and uploaded the final grades. Several of his students were already lagging behind and barely earned their spot at the training camp and these final essays only solidified how quickly he needed to bring them up to speed.  Training camp would not be easy for them, but he was determined to catch them up with the rest of the class.  He would not tolerate mediocrity in his class.

When Yagi finished Midoriya’s essay he moved on to read Bakugo’s.  As much as there was something special between Yagi and Midoriya, if was clear he wasn’t the only student he cared about.  He had the makings of a great teacher, favoritism be damned. Aizawa hoped to be able to develop him more as a teacher.  He’d teach him what needed to be done just as he taught his students.  Together they could make the next generation of heroes stronger than the last.

Aizawa shut his laptop and leaned back against the couch.  He hadn’t realized Yagi had draped his arm along the back of the couch until he made to lean his head back and inadvertently found himself using Yagi’s arm as a pillow.  He turned his head to look at the older hero and he realized that the time for putting off thinking about his feelings was over. He just had to admit that he enjoyed being around Yagi, even if they weren’t doing anything important.  It dawned on him that he wanted more from this, whatever it was. He wanted more quiet nights grading papers and more warm cups of tea. He wanted more contact and more glances.  He wanted it all.

Yagi hadn’t made a move to retract his arm from under Aizawa’s head and, in fact, seemed to have turned slightly more towards him. Aizawa shifted in kind until their knees gently bumped against each other.  They both relaxed into the tiny point of contact and their eyes met.

The small touches, the eye contact… it was all so comfortable.  Aizawa wondered if he should act on these feelings at all or just let them be. If Yagi’s comfort with their physical closeness was any indication, he might also be interested in something more. Something more intimate emotionally, if not physically as well.  He’d held his face so intimately in the teacher’s lounge a few weeks ago. Maybe he was just inexperienced? Maybe he didn’t know that that type of touch conveyed so much more than friendship. He hadn’t had a physical relationship in a decade...

“Aizawa,” Yagi said softly. He had been watching him intently as these thoughts ran through his head.

“Hm?” the younger hero hummed, raising his eyes from Yagi’s lips. And when did his eyes even drift down to his lips? Strange…

“You are thinking very loudly. What’s on your mind?”

Aizawa considered his options again.  He could continue to play it all safe and just let things continue as they were.  Or he could go all in and see what happened. He didn’t want to risk losing a friend, but the way Yagi was angled toward him, face inches away from him, he thought maybe the body language was saying what Yagi’s lips were not.  Yagi seemed interested.

“I’m just debating about whether a kiss would freak you out or not.”

Yagi grinned and laughed.  

“It wouldn’t. But I appreciate the consideration.”

Aizawa leaned in slowly, giving Yagi time to say no before leaving a gentle kiss on the lips.  It was a far cry from the passion fueled kisses Aizawa was used to giving and receiving, but everything with Yagi was bound to be just a little bit different.  Yagi wasn’t his usual fling. Yagi wasn’t even all that interested in sex to begin with which was something they should probably talk about at some point. But not now.

When Aizawa pulled back, Yagi’s eyes were still closed. It took a moment for them to flutter open, followed by a sharp inhale as though Yagi had forgotten how to breathe.  It really had been a long time since Yagi had been close to anyone, it seemed.

“You alright?” Aizawa asked.

“Yeah…” Yagi reached out and stroked his cheek.  “Yeah I’m good.” Aizawa reached up and tucked Yagi’s bangs behind his ear. There was a flush across the older man’s cheeks, which Aizawa found rather endearing. “Are you okay?”

Aizawa smiled.  

“Better than okay.  But I’m not the one who has an aversion to certain physical activities.  I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s not as though I avoid all sexual activity, Aizawa. It’s just… not a priority.  Not something I actively seek out.” Yagi brought Aizawa’s hand to his lips and gently kissed his fingers.  “I’m probably not interested in that tonight, however. If you were curious.”

“No rush.”  The gentle kiss on his fingers was more intimate than anything Aizawa had experienced in years. Yagi was surprisingly good at these small gestures despite being a decade out of practice.  He was a romantic at heart, perhaps.  “We can talk about that another time.”

This time Yagi was the one to lean in and gently press their lips together. He pulled back only a second and the two found a comfortable stillness just being in each other’s space and looking at each other.  Aizawa didn’t want to let that go any time soon. It was so new and so satisfying .  But he was going to have an entire week without it right away.

“How would you feel about staying the night? Just to sleep.”  Aizawa squeezed Yagi’s fingers where they were still holding onto each other reassuringly, hoping he was conveying he wasn’t trying to pressure him into anything. “I’m gonna be gone for a week, you know. I just…”

Words failed him then, but he hoped he conveyed his thoughts.

“I’d love to,” Yagi said, squeezing back gently. “What time do you have to be up in the morning?”

“Ugh, like five.”  Aizawa rolled his eyes and sighed.

“We should probably head to bed soon then.”

“I can’t usually get to sleep before midnight.”

“Is that why you always nap between classes?” Yagi said with a grin.

“Hey,” Aizawa said with feigned offense. “Let’s not start pointing out each other’s flaws on day one.  That’s, like, a six-months-into-it thing.”

Yagi’s breath hitched and he swallowed.  “‘ Day one ?’” he quoted back to him.

“Yeah.”  Aizawa realized they hadn’t actually codified what they were doing, but Yagi’s small smile couldn’t be mistaken.  He was flustered, but not so subtly excited at the prospect. “Day one of what I assume will be a relationship. Am I wrong?”

Yagi bowed his head to hide his blush, but Aizawa tipped his chin up, wanting to enjoy every emotion that flashed across his face.

“You aren’t wrong about that but…” Yagi smiled wide, flashing his bright All Might grin.  He was about to sass him. Aizawa could tell. “But you are wrong about me not encouraging you to get some rest on day one.  I need to encourage you to be well rested.  Would you expect any less?”

“Not really,” Aizawa snorted.  “Fine,” he said standing up. He offered his hand to Yagi to stand.  “Let’s go to bed then.”

-

Sleep didn’t come immediately, but after they’d both stripped down to T-shirts and boxers they made themselves comfortable on Aizawa’s bed.  It was the least amount of clothing either had seen the other in, but when they got under the covers it hardly mattered.  Their touches remained light and innocent.  It was new territory for the both of them.

Aizawa couldn’t be sure, but he was fairly certain he fell asleep first.  They’d been facing each other in the dark, Yagi gently playing with a strand of his hair, when he finally drifted off.  The way Yagi fiddled with his hair was almost soothing and likely the reason he was able to fall asleep so fast. He could definitely get used to this.

Unfortunately even this level of physical comfort wasn’t enough to keep the nightmares at bay…

It was the Nomu again. Here. In his apartment. The large muscular villain barely fit in his living room and was knocking furniture over as he walked through the room.

His quirk wouldn’t work against the Nomu. The creature was just naturally powerful. But he could at the very least try to restrain him.  Aizawa propelled his capture weapon at the Nomu, encircling his wrists and attempting to restrain his movement. The Nomu yanked him forward, though, and within seconds he found himself in the creature’s tight grip.

The Nomu slammed him against the ground on his back and pinned his arms down.  He couldn’t move. He was trapped yet again. He could feel the bones in his arms being crushed and the Nomu pressed down on him.  The creature leaned over him and he could feel the hot breath on his face.

“You really are cool, Eraserhead,” he heard a familiar voice say.

He looked up to see Shigaraki crouched nearby watching as the Nomu destroyed him yet again.

Aizawa sat up, suddenly inexplicably free, room shrouded in red as he activated his quirk.  He reached around his neck for his capture weapon, but it wasn’t there.

“Aizawa.”

A gentle hand on his elbow drew his attention to the person next to him. Yagi.  Still draped in red. His quirk was still activated, but it hit him then that he was safe at home in his room with his new partner beside him.  The Nomu had been a dream.

He blinked.

“Aizawa?”

“I’m sorry,” he huffed out as he tried to bring his breathing back under control.  

“Don’t apologize.  It happens to all of us.  Come here,” he gestured towards himself as he opened his arms invitingly.

Aizawa took him up on the offer and folded himself into Yagi’s comforting embrace.  They laid back down holding each other as Aizawa worked to control his breathing. Yagi went back to running his hands through his hair and Aizawa could feel the tension melting out of him.

“‘All of us’ go through this” Aizawa mused, repeating Yagi’s off handed comment. “And what causes All Might to wake up screaming in the middle of the night, I wonder?”

“The fight that caused me to become, uh, this,” Yagi said, pausing his soothing petting motions on Aizawa’s head only long enough to vaguely gesture at himself. “A couple years ago I woke up so frightened I punched a hole in the wall.”

Aizawa laughed slightly, both finding the image of Yagi punching a hole in the wall hilarious, but also recognizing the mental anguish these nightmares could cause.

“One night I fell asleep with my capture weapon at the foot of the bed,” Aizawa said, shifting slightly in Yagi’s arms, hand running up his back as he settled down to go back to sleep.  “I grabbed it in my sleep and smashed my window. Neighbors weren’t too happy with me that night.”

Yagi laughed in that same knowing tone that Aizawa had.  It wasn’t funny to be so traumatized, but when you’ve been there you can feel the dark humor in these ridiculous unconscious reactions.

Aizawa’s breathing grew deeper and he began to drift back off to sleep.  Moments before losing consciousness again he felt Yagi kiss the top of his head and tighten his embrace on him.  This time the nightmares stayed away.

Chapter Text

Breaks were so rare for pro heroes.  With the kids away at camp and the streets being patrolled by every pro hero who wasn’t accompanying them, Yagi found himself with a relaxing night off.  He simply wasn't needed anywhere for a change.  And if he spent that night soaking in a bubble bath that smelled of lavender and vanilla, that was his business.  Small indulgences were sometimes all he could get with everything going on around him.

The quiet moments spent soaking in the tub allowed him room to breathe and consider the events of the past few days.   He’d been nervous wanting to advance their relationship further. While he’d been able to pick up on a few signs that Aizawa might be interested, he couldn’t help second guessing himself. There were so many things working against him that he couldn’t possibly fathom it could work.

They were different. Aizawa avoided the spotlight whereas Yagi practically lived in it. Aizawa was a young, healthy, sexually active man whereas Yagi was reaching middle age, injured, and hadn’t had sex in a decade.  How could this work?  He looked down at his emaciated form under the sudsy water and cringed.  No way could someone but attracted to this?

But Aizawa moved first. He shouldn’t have been surprised that the younger hero breached that’s next step. It was yet another difference between them.  While they were both bold in their own ways, Aizawa was far more open and straightforward with his thoughts. It made sense that he’d act on this connection between them.  He was grateful at least one of them had the guts to do it.

They’d only been apart for a couple of days, but Yagi already missed him.  Cell coverage was poor out there and all he’d gotten was a text upon arrival that they’d made it to their destination.  The morning he left they’d parted ways quickly, but Yagi wanted another chance to have a proper morning with him when he returned.  He wanted a morning where he could make him breakfast and talk about the day ahead. He craved a sort of domesticity that he’d been denied his entire adult life.  Calm, relaxing, routine mornings with a partner. It sounded like some far off unattainable dream, but Aizawa was there and seemed willing to try.

Suddenly his phone rang, snapping him out of his thoughts.  He looked at the screen. Nedzu? Why was Nedzu calling?

“Hello?”

“There’s been an attack on the camp.”

“ WHAT?”

Yagi stood in the tub, sloshing water out over the side.  He sprang from the tub without a second thought, no plan in mind but ready to jump into action.

“Police and ambulances are on the way.  No fatalities reported but we need to assess the situation.  We need to-“

“I’m going!”  Yagi grabbed his towel and quickly wiped down before dashing towards his closet.

“ No. Toshinori listen to me.”

“The kids are in danger. Aizawa…”. He grabbed his hero suit and tapped the speaker phone as he prepared to change. “Vlad and the others. I have to go.”

“Toshinori!  The battle is over.  We need you here.”

There was a pause where they both fell silent.  Yagi clutched his hero costume to his chest and let the words sink in.  It was already over. He couldn’t be of help out there.  He was useless.

Nedzu continued.

“The villains have left the scene. The police and ambulances are heading there to take statements and treat the wounded.  We’ll know more soon. But we need you to come into the school. Eraserhead and Vlad are taking care of the children.  Now we need to take care of the school.   We’ll hold a meeting first thing in the morning and discuss our options.”

A few more seconds passed as Yagi thought about how much he didn’t want to be sidelined because of this plan.  But Nedzu was right.  Yagi sighed.  

“Fine. I’ll be there.”

He hung up the phone and set his hero suit on the bed. He hated this helpless feeling. Saving the reputation of the school was no doubt important.  It was the most important training ground for heroes in the country. Without the rigorous hero coursework, the next generation of heroes would be at a disadvantage.  But he hated standing by while people he cared about were hurt. It was against his nature.

He dialed Aizawa, but it went straight to voicemail.

“Call me please,” he said by way of voicemail before hanging up.

He sat there for a moment debating spending the rest of the evening at home alone worrying about so many people he cared about.  The idea was preposterous.He glanced at the clock.  It was just before midnight.  But there was no way he was going to be able to sleep now.  While he couldn’t be of use to them at the camp, he could at least gather as much information as he could so he could be prepared in the morning.

He grabbed his teaching suit and began to get dressed. Surely he wouldn’t be the only one headed to the school immediately. He guessed Nedzu would already be there.

-

As the last students were brought to the main building, the police and ambulance lights became visible on the main road leading to them camp. Aizawa wasn’t sure how many ambulances would be on site but he immediately began triaging his students.  And god he hated having to do this to them, but some injuries were worse than others and this was a hefty dose of reality for them.  The unconscious students took priority. Then the rest would follow in order of severity.

“Jiro and Hagakuge and the other unconscious students in the first ambulances. Yaoyorozu and Midoriya next. The rest of you may be able to be treated on scene but let the medics make their final calls based on space.”

A smattering of “yes Sensei” greeted him in response and the students set to work on getting their classmates situated with medical help.  At that moment his phone pinged.

When he looked at his screen he had six missed calls. Three from Nedzu, two from Yagi, and one from Hizashi.  Logically he should call Nedzu first, but his finger moved of its own accord and he found himself dialing Yagi immediately.

“Aizawa!”  Yagi answered on the second ring.

“You got word, I see.”

“Nedzu called.”  Yagi was well practiced at keeping a strong and positive lilt to his voice, but Aizawa could trace the subtle panic hiding under every syllable.  This was another targeted attack against people important to him and the Number One Hero was scared. “Is everyone alright? How severe are the injuries?”

“There major and minor injuries. Nothing fatal. Lots of students unconscious but alive.  Midoriya will recover. Broken bones.  He used his quirk. Bakugo…” Aizawa trailed off and went silent.

“What?  How’s Bakugo?”

“He…” Aizawa froze. He knew this would hit hard but Yagi deserve to know.  “They took him.”

“Shit!” Yagi shouted in English.

“The police will be here soon.  We’ll collaborate. Yagi. We’ll find him.”  

Aizawa watched with a mix of horror and pride as his students leapt into action, following his triage advice and loading their fellow students into the first few ambulances to arrive.  There was a brief moment of arguing as they debated whether Midoriya or Yaoyorozu would get in the last vehicle, but Midoriya insisted that a head injury was far more severe than his broken limbs. The medics agreed with his assessment.

“Yagi,” Aizawa said into the phone, realizing they were still on a call but hadn’t spoken to each other in over a minute.  “Midoriya is here. Do you want to talk-“

“Yes,” Yagi interrupted with uncharacteristic desperation.  “Please. If he’s able to talk.”

“Midoriya,” Aizawa said as he approached his student.  A couple of medics were wrapping his arms in temporary bandages but he looked up at his teacher as he crossed the short distance between them. “It’s All Might.”

He held the phone to his student’s ear for him.

“All Might?”  The boy listened as his mentor spoke to him. He could only imagine the words of encouragement he was giving the young hero.  He wondered if Midoriya could pick up on the subtle panic in his voice like Aizawa could.

“Yes,” Midoriya said, eyes tearing up.  “Yes I’m fine, but Bakugo…” He began to cry in earnest then and Aizawa had to adjust slightly to keep the phone next to his ear.  Midoriya wore his heart on his sleeve more than any of his other students. In addition to his wounds being treated, he made a note to get the kid some mental healthcare after this to cope with the trauma.  A lot of the students would need that.  It wasn’t surprising really, all things considered, but Midoriya was especially impacted.

“Yes, All Might.  Thank you.” Midoriya nodded at Aizawa to indicate the conversation was finished.  Aizawa retracted the phone but before he could put it back up to his ear he spotted another ambulance rounding the corner.

Aizawa turned to the medics treating Midoriya.

“Can we get him on that one?” Aizawa asked.

“Yes sir, that’s the plan,” the medic nodded.

Aizawa put the phone to his ear again.  

“He’ll be on the next ambulance.” Aizawa sighed.  “I should call Nedzu.”

“Yes,” Yagi agreed.  “I’m on my way to the school now. He’s probably there.  There’s a meeting in the morning.  We’ll talk later.”

“Yes. We’ll speak soon.”  

Aizawa hung up and immediately dialed Nedzu, who caught him up on the school’s current plan.  There’d have to be a press conference. Things were going to get ugly for a while. New security measures would have to be put in place.  Nothing would be the same.

-

Tsukauchi requested a full interview with Aizawa and Vlad.  Neither of them left the scene until all their students had been cared for, but once the scene was clear they hopped in Tsukauchi’s car and headed to the station.  They arrived just after sun up.

“Any descriptions of the ones you saw,” Tsukauchi encouraged. 

Aizawa immediately launched into describing the flame villain he’d fought.  The copies they kept sending were weak, but ultimately the villain behind them had gotten away. It’d likely haunt his dreams for a long time to come.

“His skin was like patchwork,” Aizawa described.  “Pieces of dead skin attached to his unscarred flesh with metal clips. Almost like piercingsZ The damaged skin was dark purple, almost black. I’m not sure what caused the damage. It could be his own quirk.  His is similar to Endeavor’s quirk except blue.  Possibly fire or heat damage.”

“Hm,” Tsukauchi hummed as he looked over to his partner. “Can you grab that Camino Ward file from last week? I want to check something.”

His partner left the room to grab the file and Tsukauchi continued gathering information about the incident.  Vlad hadn’t seen much besides another copy of the flame villain.  Neither of them had been present at the final battle, though Tsukauchi assured them that they’d gather that part while interviewing students later in the day. 

When his partner returned with the file he opened it up on the table in front of them.

“I think we’ve encountered your patchwork skinned villain before,” Tsukauchi said as he rifled through the file. “Ah! Here.”  He pulled out one particular witness statement and read it over before handing it to Aizawa. “It doesn’t mention a quirk but the physical description is similar enough to look into it.”

“That sounds like him,” Aizawa said as he read the witness statement.  He was seen going into an abandoned building.  An old bar that’s been out of business for several years.  “This place is in Camino ward?”

“Yes.  If we’re going to coordinate an assault, we need all hands on deck.”  

Aizawa and Vlad looked at each other, knowing how strained the teachers would be over the next few days.  They both wanted to take part, but their duties at UA would keep the two of them occupied.

“All Might should take part,” Aizawa said, turning back to Tsukauchi.  “You know him. He won’t sit this out. But Vlad and I won’t be able to assist.”

“Understandable.  I know you’re stretched thin. I’m grateful your institution may be able to spare All Might for this.”  

Tsukauchi dialed his friend on his phone and prepared to launch into their battle strategy.

Chapter Text

Of the four of his students that were admitted to the hospital, only Yaoyorozu was conscious. She was holding up pretty well, all things considered. But he could see the battle worn look in her eyes. That look shouldn’t be there at this early stage in her hero career, but these kids had been thrown in the deep end repeatedly since USJ. On the one hand, it did make this particular batch of heroes stronger than previous classes. But it still pained him to watch them struggle through trauma that would leave even the strongest adult with nightmares. All he could do was encourage them to get stronger not just with their quirks, but with their coping mechanisms to survive the mental anguish this career path often inflicted on people.

After conversing with Yaoyorozu he visited Midoriya, who was laying bandaged in his hospital bed with an IV drip feeding him what was no doubt a rather strong dose of painkillers. They estimated that he should wake up in a day or two. He was expected to make a full recovery, though Aizawa did catch hints that his arms may not be able to take much more damage. He’d inquire about that more in depth later. If there was a medical issue with one of his students, he needed to be aware of it and find a way for them to work around it. Though knowing Midoriya, he’d figure out a way to work with any limitation thrown his way.

Aizawa yawned as he watched over his unconscious student. As soon as he was free from the interview with Tsukauchi, he immediately went to the hospital to visit his kids, not bothering for even a brief nap along the way. He was going on thirty hours without sleep now and he knew he needed to crash soon if he was going to face the press the next day. He was terrible with the media on the best of days and he couldn’t imagine going in front of them in a near hallucinogenic state. But he needed to be here. As long as they were students in 1-A, he felt a certain responsibility for their well-being.

As he was exiting Midoriya’s room he saw Yagi in his fully muscled form and several police exiting Yaoyorozu’s room. They must have been interrogating her about the incident. A million questions came to mind, but what he ended up blurting out wasn't any of them.

“Yagi,” Aizawa said before he could stop himself. Not many used his real name in this form and he hoped he hadn’t let too delicate of a secret out of the bag in his eagerness to get his attention. The only other people in the hall were Tsukauchi and a couple of police officers, who were likely used to keeping hero secrets considering how closely they worked with them. He may have gotten lucky here, but he still mentally chastised himself for his instinct.

All Might turned and for a brief moment there was a genuine smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The stress of the situation had worn him to the point that his fake smile had been growing obviously thin, but seeing the other hero brightened him up. The feeling is mutual, Aizawa thought to himself. And I can’t even explain why.

Before they knew it they’d each traversed the hall, meeting in the middle, and were immediately in each other’s space as though they’d been separated for months instead of just a couple of days. They both stopped short of touching each other, knowing that there was an audience just feet away. They hadn’t had long to discuss their relationship and being open about it in front of others hadn’t had a chance to come up. And it likely wouldn’t for a while, considering what was about to happen. There were far more important things happening. Still, the need to touch tugged at them both and Yagi seemed to be fighting the urge to do just that.

“Uh,” Yagi remembered his companions behind him and turned. “I’ll meet you at the station. I need to catch up with a coworker.”

“Sure,” Tsukauchi assured him before turning with the rest of his officers and leaving the area. With Yaoyorozu’s new information, the police had more strategy to hash out before they made an offensive attack against the League of Villains.

As soon as the cops were out of sight, Aizawa glanced around the hallway. For the time being there was nobody else there, but it still felt too public to him. There was a chance they could soon be disclosing sensitive information to each other and he didn’t want to have an audience. A quick glance into the room next to them confirmed it was empty so he took Yagi by the hand and pulled him inside.

As soon as the door was shut behind him, Aizawa was on his tiptoes pulling Yagi down into a kiss. That wasn’t what he had planned. Not at all.

But still, his hand found their way into Yagi’s hair as he angled him to deepen the kiss.Yagi’s hair was much silkier in this form than his other form, but now less radiant in color. Aizawa was relishing the chance to run his fingers through it and he hoped he’d have plenty of chances to do this after.

It was far more than the chaste pecks of the lips they’d shared a few days ago, but if any of this at all surprised Yagi, he didn’t show it. In fact, he seemed to reciprocate, giving just as much as he was being given. Yagi’s arms had wrapped around his waist, keeping him easily up on his toes.

Before the intensity could ramp up further - this isn’t the time nor place - Aizawa lowered himself back on his heels effectively breaking their kiss. At this height he was eye to eye with All Might's massive chest. And holy shit, he’d always known All Might was built, but seeing that chest up close and personal was something else. He was friggin huge.

“You’re too damn tall, Yagi,” he settled on instead of commenting on the ridiculous size of the muscles.

Yagi pulled him closer rested his head on top of Aizawa’s, simply enjoying the proximity. They stayed like that for several long moments until Aizawa broke the silence, knowing they had important things to discuss even if the both of them would rather just soak up the comfort of being around each other just a little longer.

“If you’re going to be part of the offensive soon, you should probably save your energy.” Aizawa gave Yagi’s muscular arm a light squeeze for emphasis.

“We’re making our move tomorrow.”

“And this stamina doesn’t carry over from one day to the next?”

“Not really, no. Maybe I’ll get a few minutes longer but….”

“A few minutes is a few minutes.”

Yagi huffed a little and kissed the top of Aizawa’s head. Steam surrounded them and the giant barn of a man in front of him deflated. Much to Aizawa’s chagrin, it did nothing to level the playing field as far as height was concerned. He was still too damn tall. But at least he could wrap his arms around him now. He took advantage of that fact and held held him closer.

“Don’t die tomorrow,” Aizawa said, slightly muffled by pressing himself against Yagi.

“You know none of us can make those types of definitive promises to return. Not in our line of work. But I can promise I’ll try.”

A moment passed and Aizawa tensed.

“Dammit. Nemuri was right,” Aizawa huffed.

“... pardon?”

“Nemuri,” he said as he pulled back to look up at him. “She was in a relationship with another hero a few years ago. She always being in actual relationships with other heroes sucks, because we’re always worrying about each other. We’re always in danger. She still sleeps with them from time to time, but the emotional stress was too much for her.”

“Do… do you regret it?”

“What? No. Yagi…” He reached up and cupped the older heroes cheek. “Not a single part of me regrets it. I just have to get used to it. And fast I guess…. you guys are moving in on them tomorrow?”

Yagi let out a sigh. “That’s the current plan, yes. Though Tsukauchi’s team will be hashing out the final details with the additional information gleaned from Yaoyarozu’s interview.”

“She had more intel?”

“A tracker. There’s a second location somewhere. We’re going to have to tackle this in two groups.”

“Don’t spread yourself too thin. They’ve nearly handed our asses to us twice now. Nearly killed the both of us. Got Bakugo…”

“Every pro hero in and around Musutafu is being called in except for you, Vlad, and Nedzu.”

“Still. There’s more to this if they’ve been able to best us twice. They know you. They know all of us. Shigaraki knew me. Nobody knows me.”

“Midoriya knew you.”

“Yeah, well, he’s a fanboy. He knows everybody.”

Silenced passed between them again as they both absorbed their current situation. The battle would be extremely large. There would likely be casualties, though they’d do everything in their power to prevent that.

“We have to win,” Yagi said, squeezing his eyes shut. “We have to get Bakugo back. It doesn’t matter how powerful or coordinated they are. We can’t do anything other than win.”

“I know…” Aizawa said, running his thumb gently across Yagi’s cheek until he opened his eyes and looked at him. “And when it’s over, we’ll find each other and… just have a good night’s sleep.”

Yagi laughed, and oh Aizawa enjoyed that sound. He didn’t think anything could feel so joyful when everything around them was going to hell. But hearing Yagi genuinely laugh was like an ice cold drink on a hot summer day. It was exactly what he needed at that exact moment.

“Is this the part where I refrain from pointing out your poor sleeping habits?”

“Six months, Yagi. At six months you can nitpick me all you want.” Aizawa said with a playful tap on his partner’s ass. And again, if Yagi had a problem with it he didn’t give any indication that there was an issue. Still, Aizawa took that moment to disengage and unwrap himself from around his partner. “We both have work to do, though.”

“We do.” Yagi sighed. “I should get back to the station.” Yagi buffed himself up again and went for the door.

“Yagi,” Aizawa said as he opened it. The older hero turned around. “Midoriya’s room is at the end of the hall. In case no one told you.”

Yagi smiled again, a real bright genuine smile. “Thank you, Aizawa.”

“Of course.”

-

As soon as the press conference was over, Nedzu, Aizawa, and Vlad gathered in a back room to collect themselves and catch up on whatever happened to be going on with the offensive against the League of Villains. None of them were happy having to skip such an important battle, but they did what they had to do to save UA. The next generation of heroes depended on them to keep such a rigorous hero course up and running. More than half of the top fifty heroes in Japan were UA alum and keeping the next generation of heroes as strong or stronger than the last was more important than their presence.

For a few minutes it was relatively quiet as Vlad made them some tea in the small kitchen provided in the lounge.. Aizawa checked his phones for updates, but the news was vague. Something was happening in Kamino Ward, but details were scarce. But then Nedzu turned on the TV and all three heroes stopped in their tracks to take in the scene.

Kamino Ward was in shambles and in the middle of it all stood All Might and an unknown masked villain. There would no doubt be fatalities in the rubble. A collapsed building was a hard event to survive. Equally as alarming was Yagi. He did not look good. The camera was too far away to pick up the details, but based on the drooping of one side of his bangs Aizawa could guess that he was partially deflated. He’d used all his time.and yet he was still going. Typical, Aizawa thought. This is who he is at his core.

The villain let loose a bright flash directly at All Might and the screen whited out. Aizawa held his breath and clenched his fist. So this is what it feels like to be in a relationship with another here. Nermuri had watched her partner charge into minor battles and it caused her a lot of stress. This is what he signed on for, though. The moment he closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to Yagi he was getting all the good and the bad.

The dust had cleared and Yagi stood, completely deflated and bleeding profusely from a head injury. Aizawa subconsciously raised his fists at his side, taking a stance as he were about to go to battle even though he was far removed from the battle. In the peripherals of the scene they could see other heroes clearing the scene for him. The injured were being saved as All Might fought the enormously powerful masked man in the center of the battlefield.

“All Might,” Nedzu said at the TV monitor. “Don’t let this shake you. Don’t let this… defeat you.” It was weird hearing Nedzu so hesitant. So unsure of his words, but at the same time determined to send whatever positive energy he had through the TV screen at the fellow hero.

Before Aizawa knew it, he’d taken several steps towards the door, but was stopped by a small furry hand on his knee.

“You won’t make it before the battle is over,” Nedzu warned. “Kamino is a forty minute metro ride on a normal evening. The trains have no doubt stopped due to this.”

“I can’t….” The words had come out before he could think about them. He looked down at Nedzu. “I can’t just stay here. Even if I don’t make it in time…”

Nedzu looked at him for a moment before finally nodding his consent.

-

Twenty kilometers.

That was how far Aizawa had to travel across the city to get to the battlefield. He dumped his suit jacket off in the lounge, grabbed his capture weapon and goggles, and leapt from the nearest window to get a head start. Stairs would slow him down, no doubt, so he just cut them out entirely. He landed on a roof and began to run, leaping from close rooftop to close rooftop until he had to traverse a large plaza. And man, these dress shoes were not meant for running. He pulled out his phone briefly to check the status of the fight and things still didn’t look good, but at least Yagi was still alive. But for how long? He shoved his phone back in one of the pouches on his belt and kept running.

He’s still alive. He’s still alive. He’s still alive.

On the other side of the plaza he used his capture weapon to climb to the top of the buildings and begin running again. The streets were too maze-like in the densely packed residential district and he’d waste time trying to traverse them. This was the most direct route, though doing this on a good day had its limits. In dress shoes, slacks, and a button up top he felt horribly uncomfortable. He didn’t have the same range of motion like this. He didn’t have as sturdy footing as he would have otherwise. He could grab his capture weapon the same easy freedom that his jumpsuit afforded him. And yet… he kept going.

All around him he heard cheering and chanting of “All Might! All Might!’ and he came to a stop at a rooftop about halfway to his destination. He pulled up his news app on his phone and was greeted by an image of All Might standing proudly over the fallen villain, arm raised triumphantly in the air. He released all the tension he’d been holding in with an exhale and nearly collapsed onto the rooftop. He remained on his feet, though, but used this moment to catch his breath.

The battle was over. Nedzu was right. He didn’t make it, but he still wanted to continue on his journey. He wanted to be there. He needed to be there. One look around him confirmed he was heading in the right direction. Smoke billowed from the other side of the city where Kamino Ward stood in pieces. A quick glance at the clock on his phone let him know he was making good time, but he still had a long way to go. Once he'd caught his breath he took off again.

Chapter Text

When he arrived at the scene in Kamino Ward things were chaotic.  Search and rescue operations were well under way but the sun hadn’t begun to rise yet. They were reliant on whatever ambient lighting they could get from the surrounding city and their flashlights.  Still, people were being loaded into ambulances and whisked away rapidly. Several dozen people were huddled in a first aid area waiting for more ambulances to arrive. They were being tended to by the few first aid trained heroes who weren’t actively involved in the rescue efforts, but it was clear the injured far outnumbered the rescuers.

“Rescue personnel and pros only, sir,” a police officer said as he made to duck under the yellow tape.

“Fuck,” he grumbled as he dug around in his pocket for his wallet. He was glad he hadn’t left his ID in his utility belt or he'd have likely been barred from the scene entirely.  “I’m a pro.”

The officer took a scrutinizing look at the ID and then lifted the yellow tape for him to pass.   Aizawa didn’t have to show his ID in his home turf, but Kamino Ward was a bit beyond where local officers were familiar with him.  He was underground, after all. Outside of the tidbits about UA, his face wasn’t often in the news.  And when it was, he often looked quite different than it did right now.  With his hair up and a suit and tie on, the only distinguishing feature was his capture weapon.  This cop probably hadn't seen their news conference and had no idea who he was.

Regardless, he was here now and people needed help.  He hoped and prayed that Yagi had been taken to a hospital already but he couldn't be too sure. He saw the damage in the pictures that were posted on social media. His arm had been obliterated and the wound on his head looked horrible, even in the shaky helicopter footage that was being passed around the Internet.  If he were in charge of triage, Yagi would have been one of the first people out on an ambulance.

Aizawa set to work helping where he can, knowing that in a recovery situation such as this there were already a lot of heroes on the scene with quirks better suited for searching in the rubble.  He could, however, help with the first aid situation that had been set up in an area cleared of rubble near the yellow tape. There were a few scraped knees and bumped heads among the injured, but thankfully nothing too serious among this group of people. The most serious injury he was tasked with patching up was a deep cut on someone’s arm.  The bleeding took some time to get under control, but he’d be fine.  The worst had likely already been sent out before he'd arrived.

After an hour or so of assistance he finally asked on of the medics where the ambulances were headed.

“Several hospitals.  Kamino Trauma Center, Totsuka Kyoritsu Daini, Washingborough Zaka, and the City Minato Red Cross, mostly.  There might be a few others. There’s a lot of injuries.”

“Do we know which one All Might was taken to?”

“He hasn’t left the scene yet.”

“What?  Jesus, he was horrifically injured.  How has he not been taken in?”

“You heroes are stubborn when it comes to hospitals,” the medic said with a soft hint of a smile.  She wasn't intending to insult them, but state the facts and Aizawa knew she didn't mean anything by it.  And she wasn’t wrong, per se, but the thought wasn’t very comforting. He just wished someone would have strong armed him into going immediately.  “I have to take care of my patients. I think he’s on the other side of the scene. That’s where I saw him on my last pick up.”

“Alright,” he said with a nod.  “Thank you.”

He crossed the battlefield as the sun rose, knowing that if any other rescue operations arose he would have to focus attention on them.  Things seemed to be well under control, though. The pros and rescue personnel had sorted the injured quickly and he wasn’t sure there would be too many people left in the rubble.  He shuddered to think about the casualty count, but it’d have been higher if so many heroes hadn’t shown up to save people immediately.  This city was well protected.

As the medic suggested, Yagi was on the other end of the field.  He was interacting with reporters, though his interaction with them was far from the boisterous and upbeat interviews he was known for.  In his deflated form, with blood pouring from his head, he looked tired and subdued. It made sense, Aizawa supposed. This was probably the most devastating fight he’d ever battled in the public eye and it’d be hard to keep up that upbeat persona through it all.  Still, there was something quietly reassuring about him even battered and deflated. That part was never a mask. That was just who Yagi was deep down.

Aizawa approached him and was delighted to see Yagi’s face light up with relief when they made eye contact. 

“Aizawa,” he said, reach out with his good hand to close the gap between them.

Aizawa took his hand, but immediately began brushing the hair away from his face with the other to gauge the severity of his wound.  It was bad. The laceration was above the hairline and cut deep almost through the his skull. It seemed to have mostly clotted on its own, but all it’d take is a little pull of his hair in the wrong direction and the scab would open up again.  He didn’t even want to think about the possibility of a concussion, but that was almost an inevitability.

“We need to get you in an ambulance as soon as possible.”

“Others need it more,” Yagi said as he pulled Aizawa’s hand off his scalp.  

“Not right now, they don’t.  The bulk of people have been taken away already.  Look around, Yagi. There are dozens of ambulances just sitting here on standby on this side of the scene.  I’m getting you on one.”

Before Yagi could argue more, Aizawa was leading him to the closest ambulance and directing the medics to take him next.  There was little argument from them, though Yagi looked like he wanted to protest as the medics took a quick look at his most superficial wounds and started guiding him to sit on the gurney in the back of the vehicle.

“Which hospital will you take him to?”

“This one’s headed to Kamino Trauma Center,” the medic replied.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Aizawa said to Yagi, dropping his hand as the medics moved him out of reach.

“Make sure they don’t need you here,” Yagi said as they started putting an IV drip in his arm.

“Of course.”

The doors shut and the ambulance sped away with the sirens blaring.  Aizawa stood for a moment and looked around him at the quickly quieting scene.  This was probably the biggest disaster Musutafu had experienced in his lifetime.  They city would never be the same after a trauma this large scale.  The thoughts of what his city was going through pained him, but his thoughts drifted to Yagi, too.  He’d never be the same, either. But Aizawa was ready to be there for him in whatever way he could.

-

Nedzu brought him his gear  as he waited in the lobby to the Trauma Center.  He was grateful not only because his suit was covered in dirt and blood at this point, but because his fancy dress shoes had practically disintegrated from all the activity he’d experienced over night.  Those shoes simply weren’t meant for traversing a city and taking part in intense rescue operations. Once dressed in his normal jumpsuit, belt, and boots he returned to the lobby to wait. And wait. And wait.  And wait.

It was three hours before a nurse finally came out to greet him.

“Aizawa Shouta?”

“Yes.”  He was on his feet immediately.

“Yagi Toshinori is requesting you.”

-

He slipped into the room the nurse had directed him towards, shutting the door quietly behind him.  Yagi was sitting on the bed, back to him, wound on his head wrapped tightly. He had been changed into a clean pair of hospital scrubs and, from the back, it looked like his arm was in a sling.  If those were the only two injuries that needed long term treating, Aizawa considered them both quite lucky.  

“Toshinori,” Aizawa said quietly.  

Aizawa inwardly flinched at the casual use of his partner's given name, not really intending to be so casual with it, but knowing there were more important things to tackle right now.  Yagi turned his head and looked at him without saying a word. He looked even paler than usual, eyes at once looking at him and past him as though he were dazed.  Perhaps he was a bit out of it from pain killers, Aizawa mused.  Or perhaps he's traumatized.  He'd seen that look before after an event, but never on the face of the Number One Hero.

“Shouta…”  He sounded so small then.  Almost frightened and Aizawa realized it was most likely the latter scenario.

Aizawa had crossed the room and sat next to him on the bed, still cautious not to make any sudden moves as though Yagi were a very frightened animal.  Different people dealt with trauma in different ways and Aizawa's approach was always to let them be the ones to choose how to seek comfort.  A few moments of silence passed between them where they just looked at each other, but then Yagi was leaning against him, eyes squeezed shut and face contorted in a way that indicated he was trying his best not to release a years of built up emotions.  Aizawa’s arms wrapped around him and he pulled him close to his chest.

“Let it out, Toshinori,” he whispered into the older hero’s hair, leaving a gentle kiss against the top of his head.

And then Yagi did.  It was as if that simple verbal permission was all he needed to completely crack.  His sobs were still guarded, quiet enough to not be heard outside the confines of the room, but unmistakably the sound of a man who hadn’t had the chance to cry in a long time, It was clear he oh so desperately needed to let this out.  He was shaking against Aizawa, hands clutched in the fabric of his jumpsuit as he clung onto him as years of pent up emotion flowed out of him, tears soaking the fabric of Aizawa's clothing.

All Might never cried.  All Might was always smiling and confident.  All Might always had it together as he gave the world hope.

But Yagi Toshinori was tired and battered.  Yagi Toshinori was a complicated mess of emotions streamed out of him in the form of tears.

Eventually, when Yagi’s breathing had returned somewhat to normal, Aizawa rearranged them on the bed so that he could still cradle him against his chest, but they could relax while doing so.  Aizawa laughed internally that he finally felt taller than his partner and could press gentle kisses onto the top of his head from this vantage point. When standing, he was still the shorter partner and the one being completely enveloped when they embraced, but not here. Not like this. 

He ran a comforting hand up and down Yagi’s back as the last bits of his crying jag flowed out of him, much quieter and controlled than before.  He was no longer shaking, though tears still flowed on occasion as he silently let himself become overcome with whatever thoughts were going through his head.

“I want to tell you everything,” Yagi said into Aizawa's chest, still seeking comfort curled up against him.

“You are under no obligation to do so,” Aizawa responded, knowing they've had similar discussions about secrets before.

“No, I mean… I want to and I’m going to try but…  it’s not just my secret.  I need to discuss it with the other party involved.”

Aizawa paused, realizing this was about a very specific secret.  One which he’d been curious about but never pushed.

“You have to ask Midoriya, don’t you.”  Yagi’s fingers twitched where they clutched Aizawa’s clothing.  He’d nailed it. “You really don’t have to. If it’s both of your secret, you can keep it between just the two of you.”

“It’s not just the two of us.  It never has been. But I still need to ask him first.  In exchange…” Yagi backed up a little from Aizawa and looked his partner in the eye.  “I want to tell him about us.”

Aizawa blinked and considered that possibility.  He was a private person. Most of his coworkers knew nothing about his relationships or sex life, which is what he preferred.  The idea of a student knowing that bit about himself felt a tad awkward, but whatever this thing was between him and Yagi was clearly important to the both of them.  Perhaps an exception could be made.

“Alright,” Aizawa said, before leaning down and leaving a small kiss against Yagi’s forehead.  “But I’m not giving him any special treatment in class.”

“He wouldn’t want that. I wouldn’t want that.”  Yagi moved in again and buried himself against Aizawa’s chest.

"If he says no I'll understand," Aizawa said, resuming his comforting back rubbing motion.

"I don't think he will.  He respects you, Shouta.  I think he'd probably find it comforting to have someone else be aware of our situation."

"Hm," Aizawa said, at a loss for what else to say.

It wasn’t long before they both fell asleep.  Though Aizawa was chased out of the room early in the morning by a nurse, it was one of the best night’s of sleep he’d ever had, despite the hospital bed feeling like concrete beneath them.  Just being near Yagi was relaxing, and the feel of him in his arms seemed to chase the nightmares away. He hoped many for night’s with Yagi were to come.

Chapter Text

The day before the special summer session of started, Aizawa received a text from Yagi informing him that he’d had his conversation with Midoriya.  His young protege had given him his blessing to tell Aizawa their big “secret” and, in turn, Midoriya knew that they were in a relationship. The deed had been done.  Aizawa didn’t generally like the idea of his students knowing so much about his private life, but it was only fair he supposed.

Yagi inquired when a good time for them to talk would be and Aizawa was so curious he almost invited him over right that moment.  But he knew that wasn’t the wisest decision. It was his last evening before the new semester began and he needed to finish up the syllabus for his students.   After class tomorrow, Aizawa texted back.   I’ll make dinner at my place.

Aizawa’s ‘place’ was now a small apartment attached to the student dorms.  It’d taken the rest of the summer break for the school to negotiate about breaking his current lease so that he could move into the on campus apartment with his landlord.  In the end, he wasn’t sure how Nedzu managed to get him out of it but he was grateful. As the homeroom teacher he had first priority getting the on campus housing, but he could have turned it down.  Others had, and special subject teachers had taken up residence in their place. But Aizawa couldn’t imagine turning it down. Being able to watch over his students in the dorms seemed like a good fit.  Though he didn’t often admit it, teaching had sort of become the focal point of his life.

The new apartment was a cozy two bedroom attached to 1-A’s dorm building through a small outdoor corridor. He had relative privacy from his students, but was just two doors away from their common area if they needed him. He didn’t really need the second bedroom, but some teachers had families and every attached apartment was built to accommodate that possibility.  Outside of the xtra room, the kitchen and living area were essentially the same size as his old apartment and he found it easy to move in and settle down relatively quickly.

Before he knew it, the students were all moved in and the ten day crash course for special moves had begun.  The first day of lessons went surprisingly well, considering how last minute all the planning was since their original training was cut short at the training camp.  Despite the camp having taken a turn for the worst, his students were chipper and happy to be back. Even Midoriya was in high spirits, even though he knew that he’d been right in the thick of the situation and was particularly close to All Might. He was also about to have a major secret revealed to his teacher soon, too, which had to be stressful, but he gave no indication that anything was different.

“Class dismissed,” Aizawa said at the end of the day.  All the students stood and began gathering their materials and Aizawa slipped down the aisle to approach Midoriya.  “Stay for a moment, please.”

Midoriya nodded and sat back down waiting for the class to clear.  As soon as the last student drifted out the door, Aizawa shut it behind them and turned to look at his pupil.

“So you and Yagi had your chat?”

It took a moment for Midoriya to register ‘Yagi’ as ‘All Might,’ but once he did he nodded vigorously.  “Yes.”

Aizawa pushed himself off the door and leaned against a desk a couple rows over from Midoriya.

“And you’re alright letting me in on whatever your guys thing is?”

“You haven’t talked with him?”  Midoriya asked curiously.

“Not yet.  We’re talking tonight.”  Aizawa folded his arms and looked back down at Midoriya.  “But that didn’t answer my question.”

“Oh.  Yes, I’m alright with it.”

“Hm,” Aizawa said, looking down and considering the young kid’s consent to it all.  He was just a kid. He had no idea what this secret was, but it felt big.

“I’m happy for you two,” Midoriya continued.  Aizawa looked back up at him at that, eyebrows raised.  “He’s been through… a lot. He doesn’t have a lot of people that he’s close to.  I mean… coworkers, of course. And other heroes. But, like, people he can talk to. Who can watch out for him.  Like not as a hero. As a person. You know?”

The kid was rambling, but not the confident knowledgeable muttering he had a reputation for.  He was uncertain. He was just a kid trying to navigate a very hefty social and emotional situation and he didn’t quite have the experience to put it into words.  He was trying, though, and Aizawa got the jist of it.

“I do know,” Aizawa said reassuringly.  Hoping to turn the conversation back to something more within Midoriya’s realm of experience, he shifted topics.  “Just because your mentor and I are in a relationship, doesn’t mean you’re going to get preferential treatment in class.”

“No! Of course not!” Midoriya waved his hands in front of him, over emphasizing his distaste at the mere thought.  “I wouldn’t want that!”

“Good.  In fact, I might go harder on you.”

“Now now, Aizawa,” Yagi said from the door.  Both Midoriya and Aizawa turned to look at him.  He still had a cast on and his head was still bandaged, but he looked better.  There was more color to him and his eyes didn’t look quite so emotionally detached.  “We agreed you’d treat him the same, not worse. ”

“Fine,” Aizawa said, pushing himself off the desk and returning to his own at the front of the class.  “Guess I can compromise. No preferential treatment or harsher assignments.  Whatever.”

“Just normal coursework.  ‘Normal’ in your class is already quite difficult,” Yagi continued.

“You make me sound so strict.”

“Well… you are. ”  

“Six months, Toshinori.  You can’t start pointing out my flaws until six months.”

The fond smile Yagi was shooting him made his own lips curl up in response.  It was then he remembered Midoriya was still there and watching between them like it was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen. He was studying their interaction like he studied hero quirks and, ugh, he’d have to get used to the kid analyzing them like that now.  That was just who he was.

“You’re free to go, Midoriya.”

“Thank you, sensei,” he said as he stood from his desk and grabbed his book bag.

When Midoriya got to the door he paused next to Yagi, he smiled at him and ruffled his hair.  They each nodded at each other, one last bit of confirmation about what Yagi was about to do, before Midoriya turned and left the classroom.  Yagi then looked back at his partner, who was packing some papers into his satchel.

“So, dinner at your place?” Yagi asked.

“Yeah.  Curry alright with you?”

“Sounds perfect.”

-

Aizawa wasn’t that great of a cook, but he could whip up some packaged curry easily enough.  Though the size of the kitchen was similar to his old place, the configuration of the cabinets was different and he kept forgetting where certain supplies were located.  Eventually he completed what should have been a simple meal and scooped two bowls for himself and Yagi.

They ate at the coffee table, as the small apartment hadn’t come with dining room furnishings and Aizawa hadn’t had any at his previous apartment.  He wasn’t exactly used to having company to begin with, and he briefly wondered if he should invest in some dining room furniture if he was going to continue being with Yagi.  It wasn’t really a confidence boost to be living like some recent college graduate with a half furnished apartment when he was thirty. It could very well be a romance killer. But Yagi didn’t seem to mind.  And really that was the important part.

As they finished their meal, their conversation drifted from casual pleasantries about their students and the recent dorm situation, to the big elephant in the room.

“You can still change your mind,” Aizawa said as he set his empty bowl on the coffee table.

“No. No I want to.  It’s just a hard truth to articulate.”

A moment passed as Yagi also discarded his bowl on the table and took a deep breath.

“I was born quirkless,” Yagi began.  That alone made Aizawa sit up a little straighter.  “Both my parents had quirks. I was an anomaly. But I was still very interested in the developing hero industry.  Even if I didn’t think being a hero was a strong possibility, I worked towards it. I followed hero news closely. I had… strong opinions.

“But when I was in middle school, I met a hero named Shimura Nana.  Her quirk was called One For All. It was given to her by her own predecessor and, when she felt I was ready, she passed it down to me.”

“A transferable quirk?”

“Yes,” Yagi said with a nod.  “It gets stronger with each person it gets passed down to.  It stores up power. Shimura-san was the seventh. I was the eighth.  Midoriya… he’s the ninth.”

That hit Aizawa like a ton of bricks.  No wonder Yagi was so protective over the kid.   Aizawa would be, too. He didn’t have a protege exactly (though he had recently offered to start training Shinsou, though the teen hadn’t quite taken him up on his offer yet).  If he did, he could see himself being even more defensive than Yagi about them. And yet, this was his own quirk being passed down to Midoriya, not just knowledge and skills.  It must have amplified that protectiveness to an extreme degree.

“When I made the decision to pass it on, it came with certain drawbacks,” Yagi continued.  “I was already limited with how much time I could maintain my muscle form. That was due to my injury.  But once I chose a successor, it started to… fade. Like a campfire slowly running out of fuel. It’s last dying embers burned off during my fight with All For One.”

“All For One?”

“The villain I fought in Kamino.  He’s the same one who gave me my injury six years ago.”

“Wait wait.  Stop. How does he factor into this?  Who is he to you?”

Yagi sighed.  

“I guess I did say I’d tell you everything didn’t I?”  Aizawa nodded.  “He’s the brother of the original holder of One For All.”

“Nine generations ago? That’s got to make him, like, 200 years old or something.”

“Yes.  He must have absorbed a regeneration or healing quirk of some kind early on.  He takes them just like he did with Ragdoll. Though I am loath to admire a villain in any sense, I must admit it was a smart strategy to take a quirk like that early on.  He’s made it a habit of tracking the successors of One For All and challenging us.”

“So this basically means he’s your arch nemesis…. Or wait Midoriya’s arch nemesis, now?”  Aizawa’s eyes went wide suddenly at that horrible thought.

“Yes.  Sadly. I had hoped Midoriya would have more time to train and be prepared before All For One found out about him, but he’s sadly surmised that he is the one I chose to pass it down to.”

“If that asshole gets out of prison and comes anywhere near my classroom, I’m taking him down.”

Yagi chuckled at Aizawa’s protective streak.  “Honestly, you probably could. He relies heavily on his quirks.  Terrible at non-enhanced hand to hand combat. Dare I say, you could kick his ass.”

It was Aizawa’s turn to smile.  It was rare to hear Yagi curse and, on the few occasions he did, it was usually in English.  

“So…” Yagi said, glancing down at the discarded empty bowls of curry on the coffee table.  “That’s our secret.”

“ Heavy secret ,” Aizawa said.

“I know.” Silence fell between them for a few moments.  

“Thank you for telling me.”

Yagi smiled and leaned in, kissing him gently on the lips.  It was a chaste kiss, barely lingering for a second before they were pulling back again.  Yagi brushed some of Aizawa’s hair from his face and cupped his cheek.

“Stay the night?” Aizawa asked.  “For sleep.”

“Hm, wouldn’t that be a bit scandalous now that you live on campus?”

“Like I care about that.”  This time it was Aizawa’s turn to brush some of Yagi’s hair out of his eyes, tucking one of his ridiculously long bangs behind his ear delicately.  “This is my apartment. I can have guests over. And besides, you’re a teacher. You’re allowed on campus.”

“You don’t mind the student gossip when we leave the apartment together in the morning?”

“Not particularly.”  He did like his privacy, but he found he didn’t really care if people gossiped.  Especially about something that was true. “Do you?”

“No.  Not particularly.”

“Then it’s settled.  I’ll clean up and we can go to bed.”

“It’s only seven,” Yagi said with a raised eyebrow.

“Well we can, I don’t know… lay down and…”

“Cuddle?”

Aizawa sighed.  “Though I’m not particularly fond of that word choice, yeah.  That was a heavy conversation, you know? I kind of just want to… be with you.   Quietly .”

“Alright,” Yagi said, big toothy grin flashing as bright as the sun.  “Let’s clean up and cuddle.”

“Ugh, I’m going to regret agreeing with that word choice, aren’t I.”

“Perhaps.”

But that’s exactly what they did.  They cuddled and Aizawa enjoyed it.  He enjoyed being close to the person he’d grown to love.  He enjoyed the peace and quiet and just feeling of relief that he felt in Yagi’s presence.  From the moment he’d learned about that first secret so many months ago in the bathroom at UA, he knew he’d stepped into a delicate situation.  He knew he was closer to Yagi than most people ever would be. But he hadn’t expected for these secrets to make their relationship deepen like it had.  He hadn’t expected to be let in so close and, more importantly, he hadn’t expected finding comfort with being invited in like that.

He loved him.  He loved this big tall blond man resting peacefully in his arms.  And he hoped he’d get to continue loving him for a long time.