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All things considered, yesterday was likely the scariest day of your life.
It makes sense, really. While you have led a very… interesting life, you wouldn’t call many days terrifying. The day you had run towards the sludge monster and learned about One For All had been more life-changing confusion than terror. When the training camp was attacked, you had felt horror, but it was the kind that clung and clawed at his mind rather than his heart. The only time you had felt so afraid was that fight in Kamino Ward, when All for One and All Might had been killing each other with each blow that was interchanged. The feeling of being frozen, of having to watch and being able to do nothing as someone you cared about was in danger was the most horrible experience of your life.
That was what it felt like yesterday. The fear of knowing that people you cared for could - would - get hurt, while you were stuck and left to watch was something that you never wanted to experience again. The added knowledge of the fact that the only way you could protect them was by losing One for All, losing your Quirk, losing the chance to become a hero, was terrifying.
Was that selfish? You don’t want to be selfish. You’d become Quirkless a million times if it meant that Mahoro and Katsuma would be alright, of course, but it did little to take away from the sadness and guilt you had felt about giving All Might’s Quirk away, even if it was to Kacchan.
Of course, One for All never really left you, and Kacchan didn’t remember anything anyway, so your feelings didn’t really matter in the end.
Besides. Everything is fine now. Mr. Shimano will be coming to the island soon to see his children and make sure they’re okay, before all three of them will be questioned by the police. After all, the whole family was attacked by the same villain, and who even knows where Nine went or what happened to him.
You sigh. You really shouldn’t be so worked up about this. Aside from a few broken bones - which was normal, really - you were hardly even injured.
A boat’s horn startles you out of your thoughts.
“He’s here!” Mahoro says, sounding happier than you have ever heard her. She knocks into you in her excitement, and waves a quick apology. You don’t doubt it’s sincere, despite her having other things on her mind. Katsuma is attached to her hand, and you smile a little at how the girl must be slowing down just a bit so her younger brother can keep up.
“Daddy!” They both yell, as what you assume must be their father steps out from the shadows of a boat. They wrap their little arms around Mr. Shimano, and the man does the same in turn. Your smile grows as you step further away from them, trying to let the three have some light privacy.
Mr. Shimano, however, locks eyes with him, and his smile falters. In an instant, you feel your heart stutter with panic, thinking the worst. Mercifully, the man’s recognition is replaced with relief, and oh thank god. You smile back, slowly waving your hand in greetings.
You’re going to have to talk later, aren’t you?
As it turns out, yes. You would.
“Hey,” Mr. Shimano says to Izuku a little while later, chuckling a bit while you jump in surprise. “Sorry, sorry! Didn’t mean to scare ya there.”
“It’s all right.” You says, pink dusting your cheeks. You wonder if you’re doing a good Uraraka impression. Based on the way that Kacchan is smirking at you, you suppose you must be.
“You’re, ah… ‘Mr. Deku’, right? And you would be Bakugou?” The man says, looking from you to Kacchan, the question showing in his expression. “My children told me you were, but I would like to confirm.”
“Yeah!” You say, a bit too loudly. Your face grows even redder. “Yeah.” You repeat, quieter this time. “I’m Mr. Deku- I mean, hi! I’m Midoriya. And yeah, that’s Kac- Bakugou.”
Wow. All that time at school being surrounded by adults and pro heroes really helped your social skills.
Mr. Shimano laughs, but unlike your middle school classmates and teachers, it’s not at all unkind. In a way, he almost sounds like All Might. Almost. “It’s nice to meet you, Midoriya, Bakugou.” Here, he pauses, looking away from you two. You meet his gaze, and find that he is looking at Mahoro and Katsuma, drawing together on a table a ways away.
“Could we three talk together for a moment? Outside?” He asks, and your heart skips a beat before you force it to beat a normal pace. You’re fine, it’s fine.
Kacchan looks at Mr. Shimano in apprehension, or maybe that’s just his usual look. Upon a second glance, it seems to be just his usual look. “Sure.” He says curtly. It’s almost polite; it’s something close to a record.
The three of you walk outside. There’s a pleasant breeze around you, scattering leaves and petals across the pathway.
“I wanted to say thank you.” Mr. Shimano begins, and you look up from the ground at him in surprise. “You both saved my children, and I- I cannot show enough gratitude.”
Oh gosh. Some of the people on the boat with him must have told him some kind of summary of what happened. Your face heats up, even as a small smile begins to form. It’s not your first time being thanked by a victim’s family, you know as your memories of Kouta and the Wild Wild Pussycats resurface, but it doesn’t get easier.
“Don’t thank just us!” You say quickly. “Everyone else helped out too! We never could have saved Mohoro and Katsuma without them.” You tell him, and you mean it, because it’s true. You were so blessed to have the rest of your classmates; you’d be dead ten times over if it wasn’t for them.
Kacchan scoffs, though you don’t think it’s from your words. “Please. If anyone thought I couldn’t take that guy, they’d be dead wrong.”
You smile at him. That’s Kacchan for you; he always has to be the best.
Mr. Shimano’s mouth twists up in appreciation. “I’m sure, and I don’t think anyone doubted you for a second. But…”
He sighs, but it doesn’t seem to be out of sadness, or exasperation, or anything else that adults used to sigh at you for. “I wanted to give you this.”
You tense in surprise as his arms wrap around you.
Oh. He’s giving you a hug.
It feels strange. You’ve been hugged enough in the past while you’ve attended UA, and even then your mother had loved hugging you. Somehow, though, this is different than those types of things. It’s… warm, far warmer than most hugs, and it’s kind, and filled with gratitude.
It really reminds you of All Might’s hugs.
“Thank you.” Mr. Shimano repeats, and Kacchan, who is also being hugged, looks away. You wonder if he’s thinking about how he doesn’t quite remember what he did in that battle against Nine, or if perhaps he’s uncomfortable. He’d always been more popular than you, but you suspect he gets even less hugs across the years.
Mr. Shimano lets go after a few moments, and you smile at him. You sort of know how he feels. You’ve felt a similar gratitude to your classmates and teachers whenever they did something kind for you, a similar protectiveness when fighting Muscular and Overhaul with two different little kids on your back.
“Thank you.”
Kacchan scoffs once more, but it’s less proud. You suppose there’s only one thing that you can say, or at the very least one thing that Mr. Shimano would accept.
“You’re welcome," you say, and you mean it.