Chapter Text
Hero Licensing Exam: Plus Ultra Style!
Getting Down to Business
Just as Shouta had suspected, Toshinori had been deeply wounded upon discovering the severity and complexity of the emotional trauma that Izuku’s mindset had been suffering with.
The former hero, having discovered the pair curled up together, fast asleep in the others’ arms, could immediately deduce that something was very wrong. The way his partner had cradled the boy protectively against his chest, head stretched above Izuku’s own, who had the majority of his face buried under his neck and clutching his soft shirt tightly, was a sight he was not commonly greeted with. In fact, almost never. Even Toshi himself, a highly affectionate and caring being, only displayed this level of comfort to the boy when the demons that plagued his mind had become too hard to handle.
Creeping over, he placed himself down on the very edge of the mattress beside his boy. Absentmindedly, Toshi reached his broad hand out, his expression sombre, and gently began to run long, reassuring strokes down the child’s arm, going from shoulder to elbow. Though he only had side-profiles of their faces to go by, he could see the lingering misery that prevented the two from looking peaceful.
Even after he’d withdrawn his hand, the former hero sat there, gloomily contemplating the workings of the cruel and unjust world they lived in. A world where villains skulked in the shadows, preying on the innocent, murdering without a thought spared for those who would have to live with a lifetime full of pain and regret. He looked from Shouta, his young partner that blamed himself for not being able to stop the psychopath that had cut his mother down, to Izuku. His boy, his son, that had been abandoned by his father at age four, who had lived a life believing he was a failure after being born without a quirk. And after he had graciously accepted the power and responsibility that came with wielding One For All, the blows continued to come at a faster and more painful rate. The numerous broken bones, the USJ Incident, facing the Hero Killer, losing his mother and his home, being kidnapped and tortured… Toshinori couldn’t help but feel like he was responsible for Izuku’s continued suffering, having been the one to introduce him to the world of heroes. Where he had intended to set that once quirkless boy up for success, all he’d really done was place a massive target on his back. ‘All heroes have targets on their backs’, he tried to remind himself, but still, he wished he could have done more…
Caught up in his thoughts, he’d lost track of time, brooding silently as he listened to the comforting sounds of his two family members breathing deeply. And even then, he had zoned out. It wasn’t until someone began to stir behind him that his mind had snapped back to the present. With a sad smile, he turned his head, eyes landing on his precious boyfriend. The man stretched out with a satisfied groan, before blinking his heavy lids open. Immediately, they darted to Toshi, then down to Izuku, once more returning to the skeletal figure after determining the kid was still fast asleep.
Without a word, he lifted his head, indicating they should convene outside the room as quietly as possible. As the hero peeled himself from the bed, trying not to jostle the resting child too much, Toshi grabbed a light blanket and gently draped it over his boy. Leaving the room with a small smile in Izuku’s direction, he followed Shouta out into the house, bypassing him to make them coffee.
With a hushed voice, Shouta immediately delved into a brief recount of the conversation he and Izuku had just had, tempted to, though sparing the man no details. Though part of him believed it would be kinder to his partner to leave out some of the more stressful and heart-wrenching details, he found he just couldn’t do that to him. If the situation had been reversed, and Shouta had been left out of the loop, he would have been pissed if Toshi had kept things to himself that he’d had a right to know. So, he had told him everything, and by the time he was done, the former hero was as pale as a ghost.
And Shouta, well-versed in the art of comfort after finding himself blessed with the role of unprepared parent, simply held him tightly in his arms and promised that everything would be okay…
~
By Sunday afternoon, when Izuku had returned to 1-A Alliance and resumed mingling with his peers after a brief hiatus, the kid was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. Toshi had been emotionally overbearing, in a caring way, so much so that Shouta had been forced to step in, gently ordering him to “back off a little and let the kid breathe.” Not even sure why, the teen had found that quite amusing, snickering behind his hand as 1-A’s homeroom teacher scolded the former hero after he’d initiated his sixth hug of the day. Toshi had mumbled something about Shouta being a ‘bossy boots’ under his breath as he pouted, failing to notice the glare he’d received in return, so when the hero’s capture weapon shot out to grab him, he yelped loudly in surprise. “What was that?” Shouta demanded in mock anger, eyes narrowing as he reeled him in.
“N-nothing precious,” Toshi gulped, feigning ignorance even though he could see that his boyfriend was only playing.
“That’s what I thought.” As he released him, the raven-haired man pressed a rough kiss to Toshi’s lips. Then, he wrapped him tightly in his arms, whispering, “I know you’re worried, but try not to suffocate him.” It was a gentle reminder that being too concerned and loving might be doing more harm than good.
But Izuku, who had watched entire the scene unfold with an amused expression, understood that Toshi was worrying over him, showering him with love and affection, because he cared.
The sense of self-worth that he felt, almost non-existent, had started to magnify with the realisation that he was important to Toshi and Shouta, that the two really did care for him deeply. And that feeling only continued to grow as the entered 1-A Alliance and was instantly swarmed by all his friends. Uraraka had forced her way through the sea of students to greet him, beamingly widely as she threw her arms around him and loudly announced that everyone had missed him. Gratefully, Izuku accepted and returned his friend’s warm embrace, assuring her that everything was fine when she started to fret over his well-being.
As was his normal, Izuku did his best to deflect all questions regarding his health, because it was easier to deny anything was wrong rather than having to talk about his feelings. With Toshi and Shouta, he didn’t really mind so much, but having his entire class knowing that he wasn’t okay would’ve been too much to handle. Still, Izuku knew that they only asked him because they genuinely cared, and just the thought alone made him smile.
~
As Shouta strolled into the classroom the following morning, a deep scowl etched into his weary face, it was as though everything had gone back to normal. “Morning,” he greeted unenthusiastically, dropping a huge stack of papers down onto his desk. “I hope you’re all ready to knuckle down and work yourselves to the bone, because we’ve got a lot to do before you take the provisional licensing exam the week after next,” he drawled. Twenty sets of eyes locked on him with an excited interest as he rounded his desk to address the class. “In addition to regular classes, you will all be required to attend intensive quirk training two hours each evening after class to further develop and strengthen your ultimate moves.” Denki groaned loudly, and Aizawa chose to ignore him. “This will take place between 5 and 7pm, overseen by myself, with assistance from Ectoplasm and All Might. Do not waste this opportunity. Use your time wisely so you can improve your techniques and abilities. Also, if any of you need any further upgrades for your costumes, now would be the time to send them off. It would be a shame for any of you to have to show up on the day without it.” Inspecting their expressions carefully, he was satisfied to see that no-one appeared overly worried or anxious after his last statement. “Training starts this evening. Gym Gamma; Don’t be late.”
Just before the lunch bell rang, Toshi had slipped into Shouta’s office to surprise him. He technically had the day off, though he was eager to inspect 1-A’s ultimate moves and had volunteered to provide tips and insight during their intensive training that evening. But that was hours away, and feeling lonely, he’d decided to take a stroll up to the school. He’d just made himself comfortable on the lounge when Shouta appeared through the door, looking exhausted. But, seeing his partner eagerly waiting for him, his mood picked up a little. “Oh, Toshi. Hey.” He immediately closed in on the man and plonked himself down beside him, resting his head against the former hero’s chest. Immediately, Toshi began to run a hand through his hair tenderly, and the teacher allowed his eyes to drift closed. He purred, revelling in his boyfriend’s soothing touch. “What brings you here?” He asked after a few moments, peering up to see a brilliant smile greeting him in return. “Thought you had the day off…?”
“I do, but I missed you,” Toshi admitted with a shy smile. He bent forward, pressing a loving kiss to Shouta’s temple. “Made you lunch, too.” Reaching down, he fished the warm bento box from where it sat beside his feet.
Shouta immediately sat up, reaching for it gratefully. “Thanks, Toshi; you’re too good to me.” He waited a moment, and, realising he wasn’t reaching for another, asked with a forming frown, “Where’s yours…?”
Toshi turned to him with a guilty expression. “I may have forgotten to get groceries, so there was only enough for one.”
“Then we’re sharing,” Shouta stated resolutely, and when Toshi began to object, he hastily cut him off, saying, “There’s more than enough for the both of us.”
Together they ate in a companionable silence, basking in each other’s company as they savoured the delicious meal that Toshi had cooked for his boyfriend. Shouta peered over at the man and sighed in content. His live had improved significantly just by having the former hero in it. He’d gone from working himself to the bone, only to return home miserable, to never wanting to leave his partner’s side. That was how much he loved Toshi; he never wanted to be apart. Seeing the young pro’s thoughtful expression, Toshi enclosed him within his arms, initiating a sweet and loving kiss. And, as predicted, Shouta had absolutely melted within his embrace. Too soon, it was time for them to part ways again. “I love you, Toshinori Yagi; more than anything,” he whispered with an uncharacteristic gentleness.
Toshi blushed deeply, still unsure how he’d got so lucky in life to have been bonded with Shouta. “I love you too, precious one.”
Saying their brief goodbyes, the pair went their separate ways, Toshi, back to the loneliness of the empty dorm to mark essays, and Shouta returned to his class of overly noisy heroes-in-training. However, as he entered the classroom for the second time that day, he found that not even Kaminari’s idiotic remarks couldn’t even put a downer on his elated mood. He’d just had, arguably, the best lunch break ever, and nothing those bratty teenagers did that afternoon was going to outweigh that.
~
At 4:45 that evening, after changing into his costume and grabbing a quick snack, Izuku raced out of the dorms, thrumming with excitement, to find Iida, Tsu and Uraraka patiently waiting for him. Together, the group headed towards Gym Gamma, where their fortnight of intensive training was about to begin. This was the next big step in their path to become the next generation of heroes, and Izuku was more determined than ever to give it his all. Finally, he would be able to show Shouta just how much he had improved, even during his recovery when he was supposed to have been resting. He was no longer the kid that had utilised his mentor’s techniques, desperate to make them his own. No… This Deku was the young hero that had developed his own fighting style, a combination of powerful punching techniques and fierce strikes with his legs, complimented by his brand-new iron soles.
They were the most important upgrade of his new costume, not only giving him the ability to send kicks at high velocity without damaging his legs, but also extended at the toes upon impact to nearly double the power of his strikes. The teen’s eyes had lit up like wildfires upon seeing just how perfectly they had complimented his costume, not just for practicality, but also the design. Almost immediately he had emailed Power Loader, thanking him profusely for assisting with the changes. The other design change that the hero had suggested to the company on Izuku’s behalf were longer, sturdier gloves with supportive spikes, that would help absorb the force from his punches and overall increase the protection in his arms as he used his quirk. These new changes meant that Izuku would be more effective in combat, allowing him to use higher percentages of One For All whilst also protecting his limbs. Entering the training facility for the first with his new support gear, he dubbed his new and improved look ‘Costume Gamma’.
Shouta’s gaze swept over each and every one of the students as they entered the Gym, eyes landing on his Izuku. This was the first glimpse of the kid’s new costume, and he had to say, overall, he was a big fan of the new improvements. Now, he was keen to see the hero-in-training in action. “Good, you’re all here,” he eventually announced, moving to stand alongside Ectoplasm, who had just released two dozen clones into their midst. “Spread out and get to work. Make sure you’ve warmed up. You can either pair up with each other or train with one of Ectoplasm’s clones; it’s up to you. The two of us will be working our way round to see where your progress is at. All Might should be here soon too… Go on, get moving.”
No sooner than Aizawa had finished barking his orders did the students get to work. Like a thin mist they had dissipated, spreading from one big cluster of bodies to make use of every available inch of the massive training area. Izuku, racing to the left, immediately locked onto one of the teachers’ clones, activating his quirk. “One For All: Full Cowling – Shoot Style!”
In a single strike, the teenager decimated the clone, sending it into oblivion. ‘I can do this,’ the young hero encouraged himself, ‘I can be the next #1 hero!”