Chapter Text
Love
Love was a lesson that had grown with Izuku from an early age and had taught him so much throughout his life. There were many types of love that Izuku had, slowly chiseling him into the next Symbol of Peace. This is the story of Izuku and Love, the story about the people that shaped Izuku into who he is to this day.
By the time of Deku’s burst into the top 10 at the Hero’s Gala, he already had the best family and friends a hero could ask for. This all culminated into the success of one hero who had lived his life through the pathway of love.
As Deku slowly walked up to the stage to take his place as one of the top heroes, cementing himself as All Might’s successor, he reminisced about everything that had brought him to this point. Looking down at the tower he had built for himself to reach the top, he peeked at the fundamentals of what had brought him to this point of his life.
Deku was hit by a train, figuratively of course, more specifically the memory train. Pausing at the sleek, red carpeted stairs in front of the stage displayed to millions across Japan, Deku did a quick once-over of himself.
His shiny silver mouthguard was a tribute to All Might. The first person to tell Izuku that he could be a hero.
The roughened metal gauntlets on his scarred hands, a gift from Mei, the friend that helped Izuku build his suits so that he could go beyond his limits and still minimize damage to himself.
His hero name Deku. A memento from his past when he was bullied, Deku took this to heart and lived everyday protecting those that could not protect themselves. On the other side of the coin, it represented the ability to forgive, the love given to those who were willing to repent.
The name Deku also held a blazing fire for Izuku, a reminder from Ochako that ‘He could do it!’
These were all examples of love that represented a bond between Izuku and others.
There was romantic love, the type of love in which one would take comfort in knowing that there is that one person out there in the word that would be the one to give them comfort at the end of the day and support them through all of the difficulties in life. The deepest feeling of entanglement, knowing that as long as you had this bond you would never be separated, never be beaten down, and certainly have a ‘happily ever after’
There was familial love, the love that although usually defined by blood, did not need to be. It consists of deeply intertwined bonds between a group of people who chose to have each other’s backs and build each other up whenever one of them breaks down. A love that allowed individuals to coalesce and become a force that could bear the burden of the world as long as they had each other. A ‘pack’ if you will.
Then there was platonic love, the one of friendship. This type of love would be the one that would teach Izuku the most as he went through life. This type of love comprised of the smallest of actions. The very fundamentals of a relationship in this case. For Izuku, this type of love was shown by many around him, it could be a pat on the back after finishing a test, a weekend spent frolicking at the park and mall with his tight knit group, or rather a night spent cuddling on the couch marathoning All Might movies after a particular grueling day.
Lastly, there was the love of kindness. The type of love that did not require a personal bond. This was the type of love that All Might provided and Izuku wished to. The love of kindness was the security guarantee that assured the everyday citizen that as long as the hero was alive, they would be safe.
It was these types of loves that would grow with Izuku as he matured, curling around him like vines building up the side of a medieval castle. It was because of his capability to love so much for everyone around him that let Izuku shoot up like a star in the sky to achieve his dreams of being the next symbol of peace.