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“Jirou, do you hear anything?” Izuku asked, looking through the window at the empty city streets outside. Uraraka was on the opposite side of the small corner cafe, keeping watch in the other direction.
It was another training exercise for 1A. The objective for this one was simple, Aizawa was somewhere in the replicated city of Ground Beta and the team that captured him first was the winner. Shinsou had joined in the training for the day so they were randomly divided into teams of three. Izuku had counted himself lucky to be matched up with Urakaka and Jirou.
The latter had her ear jacks plugged into the wall itself, listening through the structure for any sounds to alert her to their homeroom teacher’s presence. She frowned. “I’m hearing more than one set of footsteps. They’re moving in this direction from that way.” She gestured out the windows Izuku was stationed at.
“One of the other teams?” Uraraka asked, looking over her shoulder at her teammates. Izuku hoped not, the only rule they had been given was to stay out of the monitoring room where All Might was overseeing the exercise. If Izuku had realized that one way to ensure your team’s victory was to take out the others, Kaachan was to have had the same thought as well. Probably some others too.
Jirou shook her head, brows furrowing as she concentrated. “No, there’s four of them for one thing. Also I know how to tell apart everyone in the class and most of the teachers.” She looked up, worry clear in her eyes. “I don’t recognize any of these.”
A heavy weight seemed to drop into Izuku’s stomach. “Maybe Aizawa brought in some other heroes as a surprise for today’s training?” Uraraka suggested, though her tone made it clear she wasn’t very convinced herself.
It was something Aizawa and All Might would do, bring in surprise guests to make a fairly straightforward training exercise more difficult. They could play the roles of extra villains or be another team to compete against, making the students work together. But also they had every right to be suspicious. The three exchanged looks, no doubt the other two were remembering USJ and summer camp incidents like Izuku was.
“Are they saying anything?” He asked, hoping his instincts were wrong.
Jirou shook her head. “No, they’re trying to move quietly. But they’ll be passing by us soon.”
“We should hide and take a look as they go by.” Uraraka said, already crouching down, The other two followed suit, taking positions behind the counter or tables in the simulated cafe as they stared out the large floor to ceiling windows of the shop.
Izuku shifted nervously as he waited, worry making him restless. The eerily realistic but lifeless streets outside not helping with his anxiety. Jirou tapped nervously on the counter she was hiding behind with her ear jack before she whispered, “They’re almost here.”
Four figures came into sight and his stomach dropped. There were no bright costumes, no capes or symbols to identify any of the four outside as heroes. But he did see dark, tactical clothes and masks more suited to villains.
Jirou tensed beside him. “Shit, I recognize one of them.” She hissed quietly. “That guy with the bluish skin and four arms? He attacked my group when we were all split up at the USJ.”
They exchanged looks, and Izuku swallowed down the lump in his throat. Class 1A was being targeted by the League again.
A dangerous glint appeared in Uraraka’s eyes. “Let’s take them down.” The usual cheer gone from her voice.
Jirou nodded. “Time for some payback.”
Nothing more had to be said. Jirou unleashed a short, powerful burst of sound to stun all four. The glass windows shattered from her Quirk and barely a second later Izuku and Uraraka leapt through the new openings down on their foes. One quickly was tackled to the ground and knocked out by Uraraka as Izuku delivered a roundhouse kick that managed to strike two others. The final member was caught in another sound blast by Jirou and quickly taken care of.
We’ve come a long way since the first time we faced villains. Izuku thought proudly to himself before growing troubled. These villains were easy to take out, too easy. He had thought the League had learned after USJ when they used a small, elite team to go after 1A again instead of waves of minor criminals. Were they getting desperate, or trying something new?
“We really need to find Aizawa now and let him know. The rest in our class too.” Uraraka said worriedly, eyeing the four unconscious men.
Jirou grinned, “Leave it to-” She broke off suddenly, turning to look down at the nearest one, the same four armed man she had recognized earlier. “They have earpieces.” She explained, gesturing with her ear jack at the man’s own ear. “They just got word to make their way to the control room to meet up with some of the others and take it over. Apparently whatever they did to override security won’t last much longer so they need to get there to keep security down.”
It felt like ice water was injected into Izuku’s veins. The control room. All Might was there overseeing the exercise. Alone. He can’t defend himself anymore.
“You two should go find Aizawa and the others to let them know, try to rally everyone together.” He said quickly, already powering up One for All.
“What about you Deku?”
“I need to get to the control room. All Might’s there alone and if they gain access to the room then they can seal us in and completely cut us off. I can get there the fastest and hold them off while you get Aizawa and the rest of our class.” Jirou looked like she was about to protest but Izuku cut her off. “You’re our best hope of finding everyone quickly and between you and Uraraka you guys can take care of yourselves against any other villains you might come across. I’ll be okay until you guys come with reinforcements.” The girls exchanged a glance but seemed to realize it was the best way forward. Both nodded.
“Take care of yourself Deku.”
He nodded and gave each a small smile. Before he could let himself second guess his decision to split up, he took off towards the center of the training grounds. Worry made him push to the top limit of One for All that he could safely handle. Last time the League had attacked UA directly, Shigaraki had come specifically to kill All Might. But now the man was Quirkless, an easy target. Imagines of lean, scrawny limbs and kind blue eyes deteriorating into dust flashed in his vision.
Please, just let me get there in time. He wiped the tears from his eyes and pushed himself to go even faster. One for All responded eagerly, lightning crackled in his wake as he continued on.
The control room was located in an unremarkable looking office building. He found three more villains just outside and wasted no time in quickly taking them all down. Worry and fear made him want to shout for his mentor as soon as he entered the building. Caution held him back. He had no idea how many villains could be already inside.
He crept as quietly as he could down the hallway, cringing at the heavy footsteps his iron soles created even as he tried to step lightly. Part of him now regretted leaving Uraraka and Jirou behind. Earphone Jack would have been handy in the moment to find All Might and see if any intruders had made their way inside yet. He bit back the desire to try calling out for All Might. Finally making his way to the end of the hall, he pressed himself against the wall and peaked around the corner into the monitoring room, holding his breath.
The room was a mess, empty of life but full of destruction from an obvious fight. The main keyboard was smashed and dented in. Bits of glass from the monitor lay scattered in small pieces across the room. The harsh overhead lights glinted off the fresh puddles of bright red blood on the floor.
No, All Might. Fighting back tears, he took a steadying breath before stepping inside. The controls were a lost cause. He sighed in frustration. No call for help could be sent to the main UA campus, but at least it also meant the League couldn’t access security either. It had to have been All Might, he tried to reassure himself. He must have noticed the League trying to infiltrate in and smashed everything himself to keep them out. The lack of his mentor’s presence and the blood on the floor however did little to relieve his anxiety. A few small dribbles of the blood led out of the room and down one of the halls. Izuku took off in that direction, iron soles stomping heavily. He no longer cared about stealth.
A tall figure in silhouette on his right caught his eye as he passed by an open door. He stopped abruptly. “All Might?” He called, leaning into what looked like a small conference room. It was empty.
Did I just imagine- The rest of his thought was cut short by a searing pain in his left side. Instinctively he tried to jump away from the source. More pain as whatever had just been stabbed into his side was wrenched out. He spun to face his attacker, only to be knocked off balance and into the conference room by another.
Izuku used the momentum of his fall to slip into a handspring and land on his feet atop the conference table. Two figures stood in the doorway, blocking his escape. One was a woman with a thick, muscular build. Blood dripped from a long, curved stinger at the end of her scorpion tail. The other was a pale, thin man dressed in all black. His shadow cast on the wall beside him waved even though the man himself did not move.
One hand came up to press against his injury. Luckily it hadn’t been too deep. It’s not that bad, I can still fight. He powered up One for All and leapt at the woman. One leg tensed and readied for a kick. He kept his eyes on her while keeping track of any movements made from her partner in his periphery. The man never moved as his shadow glided over the wall. Both villains were still in front of him when a solid punch connected with his jaw. Stars exploded in his vision as he collapsed to the floor.
Slightly dazed, he staggered to his feet and looked around the room for the third attacker. The room as empty besides the furniture. No, wait. Izuku swung to face the man’s shadow, now making exaggerated laughing gestures on the wall. His own shadow was hunched over like himself.
“Think this is the right kid? I’d hate to go through all this trouble and bring Shigaraki the wrong brat.” The woman said, bringing Izuku’s focus back on the pair still blocking the door.
“Green hair, freckles, giant hero complex. Yeah seems like it Sting.” The man replied. “How much longer will this take? By now our security override has probably worn off and now we can’t mess with UA’s security here.”
The woman, Sting, eyed Izuku critically with solid black eyes. “Shouldn’t be too much longer, the more we make him exert himself, the faster it has time to spread.”
What does that even mean? And Shigaraki was now after him personally? Izuku gulped, mouth feeling suddenly very dry. It sounds like All Might did destroy the controls for security, hopefully that meant the rest of the UA staff would be on their way soon. I just need to stall for time.
Movement from the corner of his eye. He turned and cocked his arm back for a punch but only saw the man’s shadow as it leapt towards Izuku’s own. Hoping his instincts were right, Izuku shifted the aim of his blow and angled it so his shadow hand connected with the stomach of the shadow on the wall. Despite his real hand hitting nothing, he still felt a slight pressure and the real man doubled over in pain.
Sting let out a snort before rushing at Izuku herself. “You’re a clever one, didn’t take you long to figure out Umbra’s little trick.” He blocked a punch and then just barely managed to duck as her large tail jabbed at his shoulder.
Opening his mouth to reply, he took a step forward. Whatever he was going to say fled his mind as his left leg nearly buckled beneath him, refusing to support his weight. Tremors shook his whole body. “Wh-what-” He sputtered, stumbling to keep upright.
The distraction cost him as two more shadow punches caught him in the ribs. He fell to one knee. Even accounting for the blows he had taken, it took far too much effort to bring himself back upright. What’s happening to me? He barely managed to lift his head, looking at his two foes in front of him. The woman, Sting, just gave him a smug smile as she waved her large scorpion tail in front of him. Something dark glistened on the end of the sharp barb besides his own blood.
It took effort to take in a full breath, like a vice was squeezing around his lungs. I have to end this fast, before whatever poison she injected me with has time to completely bring me down. Nothing hurt and he didn’t feel sick, so he just hoped it wasn’t lethal.
“Lousy brat.” Umbra muttered. “Shouldn’t he be facedown on the floor right now?” His shadow self shot towards Izuku again and Izuku jumped back to keep his shadow out of range. He meant to then propel himself off the opposite wall to change trajectory quickly, but instead crashed into it as his legs were too slow in responding to his commands. He fell to the floor with a heavy thud.
It was getting harder to breathe, each breath now took effort. Despite the lack of oxygen and the effort he was giving, Izuku grew alarmed as he realized his heart should have been beating rapidly with everything going on. Slowly he rolled onto his back, grunting at the effort, he brought one hand to his chest. His arm felt like lead to lift up. Even with his hand pressed against his chest, he couldn’t find his own heartbeat. Don’t worry about that now, I have to keep fighting. All Might could need my help.
His limbs shook as he struggled once more to his feet. “I can see why Shigaraki wants you gone, you don’t know when to quit.” Sting said dismissively, watching his strained efforts with nothing more than a bored expression on her face.
He tried lifting one shaky hand up, if he could at least flick his flingers he could try blasting them away with an air force attack. His fingers wouldn’t move. Brow furrowing, sweat pouring down his face, he tried forcing his will into his hand but found them completely uncooperative. At the same time, he lost control of his legs and crumpled like a puppet with the strings cut.
He fell to the floor with a thud, unable to even reach a hand out to try to catch himself. Facedown on the ground, he tried to suck in breath but even his lungs now seemed to be shutting down. Eyes watered. He didn’t want to die, not like this.
The two seemed content to just sit and watch as the toxin finished its work. He felt strangely attached and yet unattached to his body. He could feel the rough carpet beneath him and the dull pain from the blows he had received, but couldn’t even twitch a finger after a few more seconds. If his heart was still beating at all, it was too slow and sluggish for Izuku to notice. Nothing more than a tiny wisp of air worked its way in and out of his lungs. How could he still be alive like this?
Two sets of footsteps approached and he tried to glare as the two pairs of boots came within his field of vision. Nothing. Even the ability to blink or move his eyes had been taken from him.
“You sure he’s out now?”
Two fingers pressed against his neck. “Oh yes, he’s down for sure. Tough little thing.” The fingers moved to comb through his hair. Internally he bristled but couldn’t jerk his head away from the unwelcome touch.
“We should get a bigger bonus for the trouble it took to take him down.” Umbra replied, giving one sharp kick to Izuku’s side. He couldn’t even cry out in pain. Despite the lack of control over his body, he could still feel everything.
She chuckled at that and lifted him up roughly by the collar of his jumpsuit. Izuku could do nothing but hang there limply.
“Oh yes, we’ll need a much bigger reward for being the ones to take down the one giving the League so much trouble!” She said with glee, grinning in his face.
“LET. HIM. GO.” A deep voice growled. Izuku instantly recognized it, though he had never heard the man it belonged to speak with such rage before. Sting whipped around and sure enough there he was, All Might stood within the doorway, his face hidden in shadows but two blazing blue eyes eyes shone bright with fury. He was somehow in his muscle form, his large frame standing to its full height. His suit was ripped and straining against his broad chest and shoulders. That’s impossible. Was the toxin she injected him with making him hallucinate too?
But no, the villains could clearly see him too as Sting let out a shout. “Oh fuck, it’s All Might!’’
“I thought he was supposed to be just a scrawny old dude now!” Umbra backed away.
“Don’t care, I’m not messing with him! Take the kid, I didn’t sign up for this.” Sting flung Izuku towards the hero. Like a passenger in his own body, Izuku could do nothing to stop the fall. Two sets of footsteps took off out of the room and down the doorway.
Before he could hit the floor, broad hands reached out to grab him. Jostled to a new position as All Might stopped his fall, his head rolled back so he could see his mentor just as a puff of smoke revealed his true form. The man staggered from the weight but kept a tight hold as he quickly closed the door to the small room and nearly collapsed to the floor. Several deep, harsh coughs erupted from the man that shook both him and Izuku as he was held close against his teacher’s chest. From his vantage, Izuku could easily hear each shaky, rattling breath the man tried to take between coughs. Worried, Izuku tried to move again, to ask if he was alright or at least shift his weight a little to give All Might more room to breathe. But his muscles refused to listen to the desperate commands he tried to give and he could only lie there limply and listen as All Might finally got his coughing under control.
“M-Midoriya, my boy.” He gasped after finally catching his breath. Izuku was shifted again so he was lying faceup with his upper body supported by one of All Might’s hands as the other pushed away the hair half covering his face. When his eyes were uncovered, still unable to do anything but stare straight ahead, the man’s breathing stopped altogether. From his new position, he could clearly see the shock and fear across his mentor’s face.
“Midoriya!” All Might shouted again, taking his hand and pressing two fingers to Izuku’s neck, desperately trying to find a heartbeat. “No… no no no.” The man said frantically, each word increasing in volume as he pressed his fingers harder against the throat, failing to find a pulse.
With a jolt Izuku realized how it must look to All Might, to find his successor limp with no apparent heartbeat.
“Midoriya, stay with me!” He urged, panic edging into his voice.
I’m right here. Izuku wanted to say, but his tongue was dead weight in a mouth that refused to obey his commands.
I’m here All Might, I’m fine . He wanted to scream. It was a little like when he was under Shinsou’s mind control Quirk, aware of his situation but unable to do anything to escape from his mental prison. However this time even when Izuku tried to fire up One for All, his body did nothing to respond.
“Midoriya!” All Might lowered Izuku to the ground so he was laying on his back. He could only watch as the man kneeled above him and put both hands on his chest to begin compressions for CPR. “Come on kid!” He shouted as the heel of his palm dug into Izuku’s chest, “Stay with me!
Stopping his compressions, his mentor tilted Izuku’s head back. His mouth was opened and nose pinched shut as All Might tried to breathe air into his lungs. There was a slight pause as his pulse was checked again. Trembling fingers dug into the side of his neck.
Izuku could do nothing but watch as All Might began another round of chest compressions, pounding on his chest with desperation and alternating between pleads and reassurances to the body below him.
“Please my boy, wake up!”
“You’re okay Midoriya, everything will be okay.”
After another series of breaths that did nothing to restart his lungs, Izuku could tell the man was tiring, the presses became weaker and out of rhythm. All Might’s breathing was becoming more ragged and harsh with each round.
More useless breaths. More compressions.
“Come on Midoriya, please .”
The voice above him broke more often into coughs. At one point All Might had to pause for a coughing fit and the hands that then continued the desperate attempts were stained red with blood. Stop, All Might. Please . Izuku begged, unable to watch the man strain himself so much, but of course he still couldn’t move a single muscle.
Finally the hands against his chest stilled and instead clutched the fabric of his shirt tightly. “Izuku…” All Might said softly, barely more than a broken whisper. One trembling hand reached for Izuku’s face and ever so gently cupped his cheek. The man hesitated for a second and Izuku took in the man before him. His mouth and hands were smeared with blood, now darkening against his pale skin. Bloodshot eyes were wide and glassy, sunken deep into shadow.
The former hero looked entirely broken.
It was the last sight he saw as then All Might took his hand again to carefully close Izuku’s eyes. While he was glad the burning sting of being unable to blink for so long was gone, he hated not being able to see what was happening around him. All Might was quiet for several seconds above him and Izuku could do nothing but strain his ears and listen.
Two small drops splashed on his face.
“I’m sorry my boy, so sorry.”
And Izuku was pulled into a fierce, desperate hug. If he had been breathing regularly, the air would have been squeezed from him as All Might clutched him tightly to his chest once again. A low, mournful keen escaped from the man and he buried his face into Izuku’s hair.
He could feel every tremor that racked All Might’s body. The thin, lean body hunched over protectively, trying to curl itself around Izuku’s limp form. His hair grew damp with falling tears. And Izuku was unable to do anything but witness his mournful sobs. To hear his hero and mentor break down was agonizing. And to know he was the reason for those broken cries was even worse.
All Might, I’m sorry. I’m here, I’m right here. He tried putting all his focus, all of his will into even just twitching a finger. Anything to let the man know he was alive, but nothing happened.
How long would this toxin last, did it have a time limit to run through his system? Or was it meant to be permanent? Fear clutched at his heart as he thought about never being able to move again, being trapped inside his own lifeless body. They’ll all think I’m dead, including my mom. Dread flooded him at that thought.
Large, bony fingers combed through his hair. Different than the usual playful ruffling he had received from All Might in the past.
“Izuku, I-I never told you… I should have long ago.” He gasped between choking sobs. “B-but I love you, my boy. Lo-loved you like a son.”
The petting continued. “You-you gave my life meaning again. And now...now I’ve lost you.”
Izuku wanted to cry, to hug All Might back just as tightly, anything. He had grown up worshipping the hero for as long as he could remember. The Symbol of Peace had been like a god to him - all powerful and perfect in every way. There were times he still couldn’t believe All Might had chosen him as his successor and was now a daily part of his life. And he got to know the very human man behind the smile. His flaws and weaknesses but also his bravery and kindness. The warm reassurance he brought just from being there and believing in Izuku, especially early on when there had been no one else besides his mom. They had only been in each others’ lives for a year and a half, but now Izuku couldn’t imagine a life without this man a part of it. He was more than a teacher, more than a mentor. He had been a father in all the ways his own had never been.
I wish I had told you sooner too. His unresponsive body couldn’t even produce tears.
Footsteps. Several people were running down the hall in their direction. All Might tensed and gripped Izuku even tighter.
“Which way Jirou?” A gruff voice asked. Izuku relaxed and felt some of the tension leave the skinny body beside him as well. It was Aizawa.
There was a brief pause, no doubt from Jirou listening for any sounds. “Behind that door. Two heartbeats. But one sounds… off. Really faint and sluggish.”
All Might had been started to struggle to his feet without letting go of his tight grip but paused at Jirou’s words. Hope surged within Izuku.
The door opened just as All Might finished standing, Izuku heard several gasps and cries of alarm, no doubt from seeing the two of them in such states. “What happened?” Aizawa barked, voice tight with worry.
All Might ignored them all, “Jirou, you said you could hear a heartbeat from Midoriya? Are you sure?”
“What’s wrong with Deku?” Uraraka sounded on the verge of tears. Izuku hated that his friends had to see him like this too.
“Y-yeah.” Jirou said, no doubt overwhelmed by everything happening at once. He heard footsteps getting closer and the soft touch of one of her ear jacks press against his neck.
“It’s weird, I’m only hearing it pretty infrequently, and it’s really quiet. His breathing is the same, unnaturally slow and faint. I can just barely hear it.”
Izuku could hear All Might’s own heart pounding. “We need to get Young Midoriya to Recovery Girl as soon as possible!”
Jirou and Uraraka start shouting questions but immediately quieted. He assumed Aizawa gave one of his infamous glares.
“She’s on her way with the other heroes. There’s a nurse’s office down the hall, for Recovery Girl when we have exams and practicals in this area. It should have everything she needs, if not she’s coming with the medical transport.” He heard Aizawa stepping closer. “I can carry Midoriya.”
The arms encircling his limp form held on tighter. “No, I got him.”
There was a slight pause before Aizawa spoke again, “Jiriou, Uraraka. Go back to the entrance of the building and make sure to let Recovery Girl know where we are.”
“But what about Deku!” Uraraka cried out.
“The best way you can help now is making sure Recovery Girl knows where to find us. Prioritize the needs of the injured and put aside your own emotions.” He said flatly, then continued in a slightly warmer tone. “We’ll update you as soon as we can on Midoriya’s condition.” Two footsteps gradually faded as Izuku was quickly carried away in the opposite direction, cradled carefully in All Might’s arms.
The familiar scent of antiseptic and medicine greeted Izuku’s nose as they stepped into the nurse’s office. With great care, All Might laid Izuku down on a bed. A creaking sound told Izuku his mentor had sat down in a chair near his bed. One large hand gently gripped his own.
“Now that Jirou is out of even her hearing range, what happened?” Aizawa asked, sitting in the seat opposite the other teacher.
“I smashed the control room to keep the villains from gaining access. Knew I couldn’t hold the place on my own. Afterwards I tried to find a place to lay low until help arrived.” His voice was flat and low. “I-I found Young Midoriya along with two villains. He was struck by one with a scorpion tail. He was already limp and unresponsive when I found him. I-I thought… I couldn’t find a pulse or heartbeat.”
Silence filled the room at those words. All Might and Aizawa sat quietly on each side of Izuku for a moment.
“Oh dear, what happened this time?” Concern clear in Recovery Girl’s voice.
All Might recounted his story again to the Youthful Heroine as she checked him over thoroughly, inspecting the stab from the stinger in his side and taking his temperature, blood pressure, and failing to find a pulse. It was only after she had his vitals hooked up that his heart rate could be measured. A mere 3 beats per minute.
The entire time, All Might never let go of his hand.
“Seems to be from a venom in the tail. It’s unfortunate that I don’t have a sample of it to study to get a better match, but I do keep a supply of anti-venoms on hand for these sorts of situations. ” Izuku heard a cabinet open and the soft clinking of glass jars. “We have a few students here with venom Quirks and of course there’s always a chance of encountering a villain with one too. Here we go. This one’s polyvalent, it’ll work on a wide range of venoms and should counteract whatever’s in his system.”
“He’ll be okay?” All Might asked, failing to keep his voice even.
“This should work to counteract whatever toxin she put into him.” Recovery Girl explained as she expertly inserted the needle into his arm. “That and a small healing boost and he should all better soon.” She said reassuringly. He felt a small weight lean over him and lips pressed against his forehead.
Aizawa let out a long sigh. He had been so quiet and still that Izuku had forgotten his homeroom teacher had even been in the room.
“I need to check on the rest of the students, and let them know Midoriya will be alright.” A hand rested briefly on his shoulder and his homeroom teacher murmured something almost too quiet for even Izuku to hear. “Rest up, Problem Child.”
“I’ll start arranging for the med bots and gurney to wheel him out of here. His vitals should be stable soon and then we can take him back to my main office for better monitoring. Keep an eye on him while I’m gone.” Two sets of footsteps left the medical ward, mentor and student were left alone with only the infrequent beep from the monitors.
All Might rubbed soothing circles into his hand with one thumb.
Over the next few minutes, both simply sat there in silence - listening as the beeps gradually increased in frequency. After a minute, Izuku was able to draw in his first small gasp of air and he had never been so happy for such a strangled breath.
He wants to cry when a few minutes later he’s able to twitch his toes.
As soon as he was able, he squeezed back on the hand still holding his own. I’m here All Might, I am here.
All Might let out a gasp and clasped Izuku’s hand in both of his own. “Midoriya, it’s alright my boy.” His voice still sounded hoarse from his earlier shouting and crying. He never wanted to hear or see his mentor like that again.
He tried opening his eyes and it felt like there was a sandbag across each one as he fought to open them.
“All M’t” He slurred. His tongue still felt heavy and wooden in his mouth but he was relieved to finally be able to speak at all.
“Don’t strain yourself, my boy.” He gently said, lifting a hand to gently run through Izuku’s hair. It felt nice. “You’ve been through a lot and you just woke up.”
“N-nno.” It somehow became important he said this, that he let All Might know. “Was ‘wake. Th’ whole t-time.” He tightened his grip on All Might’s hand and pronounced his next words with care. “I’m here, not going anywhere. Love you too.”
Tears welled up in All Mights eyes. His mentor leaned over and kissed him gently on the forehead before pulling him into a light hug, Izuku’s cheek pressed against one bony shoulder. “You are the most important thing to me, my son. I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you.”
A few tears slid down from Izuku’s own eyes. He tried to lift his free hand up to wipe them away but found his arm seemed to be weighed down with lead. That little speech had tired him out more than he expected, he blinked sleepily a few times and tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. All Might squeezed his hand and gave one of those soft smiles that always made Izuku feel warm. “You should rest my boy, I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Izuku let the regular monotone beep of his heart rate and his mentor’s familiar presence lull him to sleep, safe in the knowledge he would wake again and All Might would be waiting for him when he did.