Archive of Our Own

Accidents happen.

No matter how well prepared, how powerful, or how bright a person is, something is bound to come that will pull the rug from under their feet. If during his long career those accidents were few and in-between, nowadays the Symbol of Peace was no more, and whatever invincibility All Might had faded away alongside his quirk.

If asked to explain, Toshinori Yagi would not be able to give a concise answer as to how he ended up barricading himself in a UA storage room with Eraserhead, while an angry group of teachers tried to make their way in. It all snowballed so quickly.

It started during his commute, when he came face to face with a burglary and, forgetting that he was supposed to be retired, quickly jumped into action to save the day. Decades of experience made the lack of super-powers inconsequential when dealing with small criminals, so it wasn’t difficult to dodge the burglar’s clumsy strikes and restrain him.

What made things a bit more complicated were the victim’s nerves. Toshinori only wanted to offer the poor woman a reassuring pat in the back, but before he knew it, he got sprayed with a sweet-smelling pink smoke.

It reminded him of Midnight’s quirk, but he didn’t feel tired. Perhaps that’s why he brushed it off so easily, paying little mind to the woman’s profuse apologies. A 24-hour quirk. A love quirk.

An accident, she swore.

Nothing Aizawa would forgive his tardiness for, he figured, so as soon as the police arrived and took his statement, he rushed off to work without worrying about what was to come.

He was All Might, after all. The fixation of strangers and their obsessive stalking wasn’t new to him either. Given that, he didn’t think his morning started off in any remarkable way.

If only he had, he could have just gone home and avoided all this trouble.

With the adoption of a dorm room system, the image of All Might jogging through the UA halls in a hurry became rarer than it used to be.

On that Sunday however, he had an appointment with a doctor at Tokyo and spent the night at his own apartment, which lead to his old habit of rushing past students the following morning and heading straight to the teacher’s offices.

“I’m sorry I’m late!” He walked through the open doors to find his colleagues already at their desks. “It was one of those mornings.”

“Every morning is ‘one of those’ with you.” Eraserhead’s tired voice was the first to greet him.

Aizawa sat in front of his computer screen, typing in his lesson plan with one hand, while the other held a mug close to his lips. Toshinori could smell the strong coffee from where he stood, but he knew Aizawa well enough to tell his energy levels weren’t going to get much higher.

He shrugged and sat down, not quite knowing how to respond to that besides offering the usual sheepish grin. Aizawa wasn’t interested in his justifications either. Further berating would do little to stop his bad habits.

“Eraser, don’t be a dick first thing in the morning!” Mic called out in his usual boisterous manner. “Mighty Boy was just saving the day, I bet.”

Aizawa threw his friend an annoyed glance but said nothing in response.

“I came across a burglary.” Toshinori explained, sitting down by his own desk, and opening his work folders.

“Typical All Might.” Midnight smirked with devious eyes and pushed her heels on the floor to slide her swivel chair closer to him. She tapped him lightly on the arm, almost accusatory. “Sometimes it feels like you attract that type of thing to you.”

“True that.” Mic spared them both a glance. Something odd glinted in his eyes, but the moment passed quickly as he walked to the coffee machine. “I don’t see that much crime in plain daylight nowadays, but you always find some.”

“This is the number one hero after all.” Thirteen peered up from behind her own monitor.

“Former.” Toshinori corrected, hearing Midnight chuckle close to his ear.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye to find her staring straight at him, and immediately felt self-conscious. Looking away, he skimmed his fingers through his bangs. Maybe they were out of place since he ran there?

“Still number one in our hearts.” Her sultry voice seemed to dance towards his ears. She felt close. Too close. “I guess that explains the attraction.”

Huh?

“Haha! Buddy!” Mic stole the scene before Toshinori could make sense of it, propping his large boot on Nemuri’s chair and swiftly pushing her away. In his hands he held two mugs. “You can’t start working without a warm drink first, am I right?”

He placed one of the mugs in Toshinori’s hands. It was tea, the warming orange and cinnamon blend he liked, filling him with its sweet aroma.

“Oh thank you Mic, that’s very…” Toshinori paused mid-sentence, as Mic sat down on top of his desk, crossed his legs and took a slow sip of his own warm drink.

It must have been coffee with cream, as soft white stuck to Mic’s upper lip once he finished his sip, red eyes staring intently at Toshinori’s blue.

Then, in a show too suggestive for the workplace, Mic’s tongue slowly peeked out of his mouth to lick his lip clean, without ever breaking eye contact.

“That’s very… sweet of you…” Toshinori finished, completely dumbfounded.

“What are you doing?” Aizawa’s disbelieving voice said aloud what Toshinori was thinking.

Surprisingly, Mic paid his childhood friend no mind.

“Why don’t you try yours, All Might. Aren’t you thirsty?”

Contrary to popular belief, Toshinori was not an idiot. He was not socially inept either. Having been the most popular hero of all time, he knew exactly what it looked like when someone was flirting with him. Licking lips and letting suggestive comments roll out of the tongue was nothing short of upfront.

A wave of awkwardness filled him, how could it not? It was completely inappropriate behavior at the office, and Present Mic and him never had a single spark of that kind of chemistry before. Not to mention Aizawa’s mouth dropping open as he judged the display left him feeling more than a bit ashamed.

But despite the awkwardness, he recalled the accident that caused his delay in the first place, and realization dawned on him.

“Shit.” He let out a curse, but nobody paid it any mind.

Midnight grabbed the back of his chair and pulled him away from his desk – and from Mic, who was still sitting on it – her flirtatious expression replaced with one of contempt.

“Don’t you have work to do, Mic?” She scoffed at him.

“Don’t you have students to hound?” He snapped back, standing up with his chest puffed.

“I’ll leave the children to you, I’m more into older men.” She purred, placing her hands firmly on Toshinori’s shoulders.

Since when?? Toshinori wondered, his mouth pressing firmly together as the reality of his situation hijacked his morning.

As if in slow-motion, he saw her perfectly manicured nails sliding down towards his chest in a type of touch he hadn’t felt in over 6 years, since his injury had turned his body into an emaciated, unappetizing thing.

It wasn’t just embarrassing now; it was also a bit cruel.

He jumped off his chair and away from the other two, who snapped their attentions back to him instantly.

“How about we all calm down?” Toshinori offered.

“You scared him off!” Mic accused.

“Me? You’re the one sitting on his desk when he clearly didn’t want you there!” Midnight snapped back.

“I don’t think you get to speak on what he wants or not! Right, All Might?” Mic turned to him expectantly, and Toshinori cursed his luck.

“Look…” He tried for a diplomatic approach. Both of his coworkers were clearly affected by the strange quirk he was hit with that morning, and he didn’t want to risk their bickering turning into something worse. “I care deeply about both of you. You’re my friends.”

The two of them looked back at him with unimpressed faces.

Fair enough, Toshinori was probably stretching it by calling them friends when their relationship was mostly confined to the high school they all worked at. They probably weren’t that close on a normal day. Even so, the label certainly implied there was a line they hadn’t yet crossed.

His eyes darted to Aizawa, who was looking back at him in confusion. At least he didn’t seem to be acting strangely yet. The idea that Aizawa could be the next person behaving like this felt especially torturous…

“And as my friends…” Toshinori continued. “I’d like you to get along too. Nothing would make me happier.”

Midnight was the first to react, a soft smile gracing her features. She reached out for his hand and held it gently.

“All Might, you don’t have to worry.” She assured him with a soft tone that would have left him at ease, if it weren’t for her next words. “I can easily put this parrot in his place.”

“What did you say, cougar?” Mic snapped.

“Nononono—” Toshinori pleaded, trying to step away from them only for Midnight’s grip to tighten around his wrist. Not wanting to be left behind, Mic grabbed his other hand in defiance.

“Did your yelling give you hearing problems? You heard me!” She smacked at Mic’s arm, wanting him to relent.

“Don’t hit me, you harasser! You’re too shameless for him!”

“Me? I’m a breath of fresh air!”

“You’re something fresh alright.”

“Finish that insult, bagpipes, I dare you—”

Fortunately, Present Mic never did.

Nobody noticed he got up. One moment Aizawa was at his desk, looking at the scene in disbelief, the other he was smacking both of his friends’ arms away from All Might, and standing between them and the retired hero.

His eyes said everything. He directed his friends the same terrifying look that silenced entire classes.

“What do you two think you’re doing?” He asked, although it felt less like a question than a threat.

“Aizawa-kun, I can explain this.” Toshinori blurted out, but Aizawa barely acknowledged him.

“They’re the ones who have to explain why they’re acting like clowns.” Aizawa stated, with a tone that would intimidate anyone else, but only seemed to make his friends more agitated.

“Who do you think you are?” Midnight bristled. “You don’t even like All Might, so back off.”

For a moment, Toshinori stopped breathing. Unexpectedly, the comment hurt.

Aizawa mustn’t haven thought it was anything noteworthy, as he held his ground, pushing back Mic when his friend tried to sidestep him.

“All Might.” A new, muffled voice entered the scene, and Toshinori looked to his side to see Thirteen quietly nudging him. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Right.” He nodded, slowly walking away with his eyes still fixed on Aizawa.

The younger man threw him a glance that promised more questioning was to come, but his silence was nothing if not a go-ahead.

“Hey Mighty, what about your tea?” Mic called out.

Without replying to him, and entrusting Aizawa to stop the other two teachers from following him out, Toshinori fled the scene.

“Wow, things were getting a bit heated in there!” Thirteen broke the silence, having probably noticed Toshinori’s tense shoulders.

She stayed close to his side as they walked towards the small room where Toshinori would often meet up with Midoriya and discuss One For All over a cup of tea.

Nowadays the kid didn’t seem to need him as much, a thought that dampened his mood when it shouldn’t, so he wasn’t worried about any possible run-ins.

They entered the room and quietly sat down on the small sofa, side by side, as he searched in his mind for information he might have forgotten about this love quirk. Meanwhile, Thirteen fidgeted with her fingers, as if she was searching for something to say.

At least with her, he knew what to expect already. They had gone drinking before, alongside the rest of the UA teachers, and she revealed herself to be a clingy drunk, but ultimately harmless. She would lean in against his arm and bring up nature documentaries, environment trivia, anything that could seem like an easy common interest to fall into.

“Did you hear they’re going to expand the protected area in Yakushima, and plant new trees?” She tried, and he sighed, throwing her a small smile anyway.

Predictable.

“I read it on the news.”

“It would be a really nice place to visit.” She continued. “And you know, it’d be really symbolic if All Might himself went there and planted a tree that would last for centuries.”

“I suppose.” Toshinori quietly conceded.

“I’d be happy to go with you.”

“Thank you.” His mind blanked from the conversation.

“I heard you could rent these small cabins in the woods, just for two…”

He wondered whether Thirteen would even remember this talk, once the effects of this quirk ended. He wondered how embarrassed Present Mic and Midnight would be to find out they were bickering over Toshinori, of all people.

Maybe as All Might he would have understood it. His hero persona always projected an image of perfection, and that was by design. A symbol couldn’t afford to show any flaws that could be exploited, even if they were still there, hidden beneath the surface.

But as Toshinori Yagi he was just a man struggling to find his place in the world, at an age where he should have figured it all out decades ago. A lousy teacher, who was constantly being reprimanded for his failures and shortcomings, who was outdone as a mentor by anyone else who tried.

He dropped his eyes to his hand, frail looking and bony like the rest of him. Even the looks department had nothing left to offer.

Then, as if hearing his thoughts, Thirteen’s own hand made its way to his, and rested atop his fingers. Toshinori looked back at her.

“You’re so big, All Might.” She said, entwining their fingers. “It’s rare to find a man who is taller than me, but look at the size difference between us.”

Toshinori was always built like a tree, a size gap was a lot less interesting than Thirteen’s low voice was suggesting. But he supposed at least his height stayed with him when everything else was gone.

He tried moving away, but she gently pressed down on his fingers.

“I want to feel your hand against my own skin.” Thirteen softly muttered, as if lost in her own little world.

“Ahm, I quite like your gloves.” Toshinori tried, feeling wildly uncomfortable.

“Really? Should I keep them on?”

“Hmhm.” He nodded. She wasn’t to blame for acting the way she was, so he didn’t judge her for the unwanted attempts at intimacy. Instead, he tried to keep things where they were, without crossing any lines.

“All Might, I…” She murmured, leaning ever closer into him.

Thankfully, before Toshinori was forced to put shut her down, the door to the room opened.

Far below eye level, with his tiny paw still grasping the doorknob, the principal greeted them with his usual polite smile.

“I thought you would be here, All Might. Thirteen.” Nezu nodded at them, although his eyes landed specifically on Toshinori.

“Principal.” Thirteen stuttered, her grasp on Toshinori’s hand suddenly tightening.

“After I heard of the incident at the teacher offices,” Nezu walked in with a confident stride. “I easily put two and two together. After all, my staff – extravagant as it may be – has always been professional. Thirteen, would you mind checking on the students?”

“The students?” She mumbled, not giving any indication that she was planning to do as she was asked.

“I told them today’s classes were cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. I need to make sure they’re all safely in their dorms already.” Nezu explained.

As Thirteen remained silent, Toshinori could feel a drop of sweat forming in his temple. She didn’t even bother asking about what the unforeseen circumstances were, and the last thing he needed was for her to start defying her employer over this stupid infatuation.

Mic and Midnight had known each other for most of their lives, he could rest assured they would work it out once the 24 hours passed, but now…

“I’m really worried about the kids.” Toshinori tried his most pitiful voice. “I’m not going to be at ease until I’m certain they’re all safe.”

As he hoped, her head snapped from Nezu to him.

“All Might, don’t worry about them! I’m sure they can handle themselves!” She aimed to reassure him, and he was happy to take advantage of that.

“Could you please make sure? I wouldn’t trust anyone’s word but yours.”

“Oh!” She perked up, beaming at his admittance. “Of course, anything for you!”

“Thank you so much, please be thorough!” He pleaded, and just like that she stood from her seat, intent on coming back quickly.

Her hand lingered on Toshinori’s before that contact was gone, slow and wanton, and extremely awkward on his perspective. Then, she was out the door, although not without casting Principal Nezu one last suspicious glance.

“Impressive.” Nezu finally said, once the two of them were alone. “Very impressive.”

“And very cold.” Toshinori pointed out, shifting a bit to the side as the principal sat next to him.

For a moment, he eyed him suspiciously, wondering to which extent a rodent (or was he a marsupial?) would be affected by a love quirk. His hopeful mind rationalized that Nezu was probably far too intelligent to fall prey to such a nuisance anyway.

“Sometimes you have to be a little cold to get some peace. But I’m sure you already knew that.” He sat down. “Would you imagine my surprise though, when I find two of my staff members at each other’s throats instead of working?”

“I’m terribly sorry—” Toshinori started.

“It was indeed imprudent of you to come to UA after being hit by a quirk like that. It’s a good thing the police had everyone’s statements. I was able to confirm my theory quite quickly.”

“I was so concerned with getting to work on time that I didn’t think things through.” Toshinori kept his head down in apology, feeling like a child getting chided. “How are Mic and Midnight?”

“Angry. At each other, but also at Eraserhead, who thankfully managed to restrain them both before they ripped all the hair off his head.” Toshinori winced.

“And the classes?”

“Cancelled, as I said. The police told me this quirk could last up to 24 hours, and certainly no longer than that. Even so, those are 24 hours during which we simply can’t risk having you near students.”

Toshinori sighed. The more the situation unfolded, the more he realized how idiotic it was to come to UA in the first place. He should have called in sick right away, but he didn’t even factor in hormonal teenagers.

Midoriya suddenly came to mind, looking enamored at him. Midoriya who knew more about him than any other person, who carried OFA inside him, and with it, part of Toshinori’s own soul. He loved that boy like his own son, and the thought of the kid being affected by this quirk made Toshinori want to lock himself in Tartarus.

He was enough of a fanboy as it was.

“I’ll stay out of everyone’s sight.” Toshinori promised, and Nezu patted him reassuringly on the head.

“I’ve handled everything. In fact, I’m more concerned about you than anyone else.” Nezu said. “I’m sure it can’t be pleasant, having to push away coworkers that you barely know from crossing any lines.”

“If I hadn’t been so irresponsible...”

“You’ve always had a reckless streak in you. I remember when you were a notable UA student.” Nezu smirked. “Young, inexperienced, but full of ambition. You grew up to become a great man.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Having no parents of his own, Toshinori found his familial support systems in the kindness of people like Nezu, who helped him pave the path that would make his dreams come true. With the end of his career and old mistakes weighting down on him, praise from someone who knew him before he became a symbol of peace was reassuring.

More so because Nezu opened up his conversation with soft reproaching. It made it so much easier for Toshinori to believe praise when it wasn’t gratuitously given.

He couldn’t help but think back to Aizawa, a man who spent most of the time shaking his head at All Might’s methods, but whose rare compliments Toshinori found himself valuing much more than anyone else’s.

Aizawa had no reasons to be kind to him. He was a pragmatic man, notoriously upfront with people. In fact, if Midnight’s words were ture, it seemed as though he didn’t even like Toshinori. That might have felt like a stab in the heart, but it meant that when Aizawa said some of his traits were qualities, Toshinori could rest assured he meant it.

Funny how, when you live a whole life with high rates of approval, sometimes you just want someone next to you who doesn’t fall for the hype.

“You’re lost in thought?” Nezu asked, his paw still pressed gently on Toshinori’s hair.

“Sorry.” He apologized by instinct but felt his own shoulders tense.

Nezu’s paw was combing through blond locks with more care than was befitting of a boss-employee moment. It didn’t feel right in the context of an old teacher and his former student either.

“Sir?” Toshinori slightly backed away, but the principal’s paw followed as though he hadn’t moved at all.

“Your hair is so soft to the touch.” Nezu spoke, looking almost bewitched. “It’s drying at the ends, but I can help you.”

“Er…”

“If I keep touching it like this, softly with my paws, I will rub my own keratin filled sebum on it and make it shine.”

Alright, this is way too weird.

“Sir!” Toshinori helped and stood back up, away from Nezu’s caressing. “The quirk is affecting you too.”

“It seems to be the case, but can we be empirically sure of it?”

“Yes we can.” Toshinori insisted. The principal might have been incredibly bright, but he wasn’t immune to errand quirks, and he wouldn’t trust that intelligence not to be put to bad use if it was under the wrong type of influence. “I should go!”

“Why not stay here with me?”

“Principal, please.” He pleaded.

“Alright, alright.” Nezu chuckled, leaning back on the couch. “I suppose you might want some time to collect your thoughts right now, and seeing as I do like you, All Might, I’ll grant you that much.”

“I appreciate it, really.”

“Do come back though.” The principal warned. “I would take it the wrong way if you grouped me in the same category as the rest of your coworkers.”

Then, he did the worst thing he could have done, lifted his paw to his nose – the paw that had been petting Toshinori’s hair mere moments ago – and took a deep sniff.

Nope. Nope nope nope nope.

Toshinori rushed out of the room without sparing his boss another glance, and ran to the only place he knew he wouldn’t be disturbed at: his dorm room.

Naturally people have been creeps around him before, but it was never anyone he personally knew. Mic licking his lips at him, Midnight trailing her hands down her shoulders, Thirteen with her lingering touches, and now Nezu sniffing the paw that touched him – it was all way too much.

It didn’t take him long to reach his room and shut himself inside, hoping the quirk wasn’t going to leave some sort of trail behind for them to follow.

His dorm was small, but bigger than the student’s. He had enough space for a big bed, the standard desk, but also a small kitchenette and lounge area where he fit a couch and a modest TV. Just in case he’d ever have any guests over.

He laughed. Guests, in his room. Yeah right. If he didn’t want them now, he surely never would.

Toshinori let himself fall on his bed and stared at the ceiling above him, trying to make sense of everything. Nezu seemed to behave at first, so perhaps it took a small timeframe for the quirk to affect the people near him. Thirteen as well didn’t seem to be overly invasive when she left the teacher’s offices with him.

As he replayed the day’s events in his mind, something clicked into place.

It must have been touch.

Midnight tapped him in the arm, Mic brushed his hands when he passed him a mug. Thirteen also touched him, and Nezu remained perfectly normal until he reached out for his hair.

There was a big chance that, as long as he didn’t establish physical contact, he could safely talk to other people.

He fished out his phone from his blazer’s pocket, and quickly called the one person he thought could help him.

His friend of many years, Naomasa Tsukauchi, was a detective working at the police station, and although he usually had bigger fish to fry than small criminals like that morning’s burglar, he always made his way to a crime scene if Toshinori was involved. That day was no exception.

They didn’t talk much though. Tsukauchi was only there to ensure this wasn’t anything serious, and as soon as the police took his statement, Toshinori hurried back to UA.

That was the thing about being All Might post-retirement. Neither the hero commission nor the government were willing to let him roam around too freely. There was always a lingering fear that someone would target him, despite Toshinori’s many assurances that he could still take care of himself.

In any case, the detective probably took more notes on the incident than Toshinori ever would. If there was any more information about the quirk – anything that could confirm his thesis – Tsukauchi would know about it.

The phone only had to ring once before it was picked up.

“All Might, is everything alright?” Tsukauchi went straight to the point.

“Can’t this just be a social call?” He chucked, and he could almost sense the relief in Tsukauchi’s sigh. It was nothing urgent.

“I wouldn’t mind that, but it’d be pretty out-of-character.”

“I probably have to work on that, don’t I?” Toshinori crossed one of his arms behind his neck, comfortable for the first time that day. “Actually, I wanted to talk about this morning’s incident.”

“The burglar?”

“Yes. Or rather, the victim.”

“You want me to fish more info about her? You did leave in a hurry.”

Tsukauchi seemed to be behaving as normal, but Toshinori felt added safety in having this conversation over the phone. He didn't remember whether he touched him at all, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about unwanted displays of affection.

“Yes, I wanted to ask specifically about her quirk.”

“It’s a love quirk.” Tsukauchi said. “The person hit by the quirk becomes incredibly attractive to pretty much anyone, so it’s better to stay isolated for the next 24 hours.”

“I knew that much.” Toshinori explained. “I was wondering if there were any more details to it.”

“The effects might not actually last the whole day, if that’s what you’re getting at. 24 is the upper limit.”

“I was thinking more about what activates it. For example, do people get affected by it only after I touch them, or if they hear my voice…” He elaborated.

“I don’t think she said anything about that.” Tsukauchi paused, as if trying to recall. “But you do have a nice voice, I could see people falling for it without a quirk.”

Toshinori’s eye twitched.

“Don’t tease, Tsukauchi. This is a huge hassle for me.”

“Why? Is the UA staff chasing after you?” Tsukauchi’s tone was light, but there was something behind it. Whether Toshinori was projecting his concerns on it or not, was yet to be seen.

“They’re being… possessive.”

“Where are you now? Are you hiding from them?”

“Yeah. I’m in my dorm room.”

Tsukauchi chuckled on the other end of the line. Toshinori heard a door closing from where he was calling, almost imperceptible to the untrained ear.

“In bed?” He asked, and Toshinori hesitated. There was no use in lying when Tsukauchi’s lie-detecting quirk functioned through phone calls as well.

“Yeah…”

“What are you wearing?”

“Is this a joke?” Toshinori snapped, pulling the phone away from his ear and glaring at it, as though the device itself insulted him.

Then, deciding he didn’t actually want to know the answer, he shut it off and threw it under his pillow.

Great, just great. He probably did touch Tsukauchi too. Just a friendly pat in the back would have been enough to kick start the quirk’s effects.

Toshinori didn’t know how much time he spent lying in bed and cursing his luck before someone knocked at his door.

Sitting up, he stared at it for a few moments, wondering if he should respond to it at all. The thought of it being any of the people he was with that day made him consider climbing out of the window and running off.

Could it be Aizawa now, he wondered. He was the only person he was with that didn’t intrude on his personal space bubble yet.

Still, Toshinori’s chest felt tighter as he considered that possibility, and imagined all those playful words and caresses coming not from his other co-workers, but from that man instead. Someone whose attention he always secretly wished for.

He berated himself for the thought. How gross of him, to indulge in daydreams of Aizawa showing him affection through forces outside of his control. No, don’t think of that, Toshinori reminded himself, just imagine how upset Aizawa would be when he’d realize you were using his lack of agency for your own enjoyment.

A knock on the door interrupted his inner turmoil, this time with a call out.

“All Might, it’s me.” Ectoplasm announced. “Eraserhead told me what happened, and I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Toshinori stood up, and hesitated.

If he were to open the door, would Ectoplasm turn infatuated by him as well? Would Toshinori lose his only safe space if he so much as replied to him? The doubts made their way into his head, but at the same time, a single idea pulled him the opposite way.

He hadn’t seen Ectoplasm all day, and he certainly hadn’t touched him. Tsukauchi was of no help, but if he was careful, he might just confirm his hypothesis.

“I’m here.” Toshinori spoke, the words very far removed from his trademark. “I’m okay too.”

“I’m so glad to hear that.” Ectoplasm replied. “Would you please open the door, I’m not being very subtle by standing in the hallway.”

With a calming exhale, Toshinori did just that, and quickly established distance as Ectoplasm walked inside.

“You can’t touch me.”

Ectoplasm tilted his head, as if quietly asking why.

“You see…” Toshinori hesitantly continued. “This quirk that hit me, it might only affect people after they have any sort of physical contact with me. A touch on the shoulder, a brush of fingers, anything.”

“I understand.” Ectoplasm nodded. “I haven’t touched you.”

“You haven’t. So I think you should be safe. Ah, would you mind closing the door?”

“Of course. You’re comfortable with this?”

“Yes, thank you.” Toshinori let out a sigh of relief at the question. It was considerate, helpful, prioritized Toshinori’s feelings.

All in all, it was suggesting that Ectoplasm wasn’t about get pushy with him.

“Thirteen was out there looking for you.”

“You didn’t tell her I’d be here, did you?” He asked.

“Of course not.” Ectoplasm seemed more interested in adjusting his coat than in Toshinori. Another good sign. “Although I don’t think it’ll take long until everyone comes over here.”

Of course, it was probably one of the first places anyone would look for him at. However, something else caught his attention.

“Everyone, you said?”

“Present Mic and Midnight have been very vocal about their intentions too.” Ectoplasm warned him. “And I believe even Principal Nezu said he wanted to have a private talk with you. I assumed he was also affected.”

“You assumed right…” Toshinori bit his lip. “I should probably think of a better hiding spot then.”

“If you want, you can stay in my room. I don’t think anyone would look for you there.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude in your space.” Toshinori said, while peeking through the curtains of his window. He tried to think of places he could sneak into that no one would search, but he came up empty.

“It’d be no intrusion. You’ve done so much for all of us, All Might, it’s only fair that we return the favor where we can.”

As Ectoplasm talked, Toshinori continued looking outside, wondering if he’d spot anyone roaming around the building.

“Please, don’t worry about returning favors,” Finding nothing, Toshinori turned around to face his guest again. “I never wante…”

He froze, feeling stupefied by the sight of Ectoplasm, undoing the top button of his long, cream coat, and letting it slide off his shoulders.

His very naked shoulders.

“What are you doing!!?” Toshinori blurted out as soon as his brain caught up with his eyes.

“I’m showing my gratitude.” Ectoplasm told him, like it was nothing. Like what he just did wouldn’t grant him a whole month in a sexual harassment seminar. “Don’t worry. We don’t have to touch, you can just watch.”

While the gears still rolled in Toshinori’s head, he could at least conclude one thing: touch or no touch, it didn’t make a difference. The stupid love quirk was a curse like no other, and now he had no place to hide.

“Uh, Ectoplasm?” He winced.

“Yes?”

“Would you… sit down on my bed and close your eyes?”

In his fogged mind, Ectoplasm must have assumed the request would lead somewhere pleasant, judging by the way he smirked. He did as he was told, and Toshinori actually felt bad for him.

It wasn’t Ectoplasm’s fault he was doing this. It was no one’s fault other than All Might himself, the number one dimwit who was hit with a troublesome quirk and decided to go to work and spread it all over the office. He didn’t even know how he was going to make it up to his coworkers, but that was something to think about later.

Now, he just waited until Ectoplasm sat on his bed and closed his eyes as he was asked to. Then, he ran out of his room, locking the door behind him, and ignoring his guest’s calls as the realization he’d been fooled dawned on him.

“Sorry!” Toshinori called out, rushing through the dorm room’s hall and into the common area downstairs.

If only it was so easy.

Right between the building’s front door and himself, nearly vibrating with excitement and looking like he was about to pounce, was Hound Dog.

Honestly, since when was Toshinori surrounded by so many people?

It was fortunate that years spent on active hero duty honed his senses and kept him in escape mode. Toshinori might not have been the best of teachers, and he certainly didn’t see himself getting a grasp on excel anytime soon, but when faced with adversity he was trained to look at obstacles one at a time, and to deal with them swiftly.

There was no time to stand idle and roam through a list of procedures. Instead, Toshinori did the first thing that popped to mind.

“Good boy.”

Immediately, Hound Dog’s ears perked up.

“Yeah, you’re a good boy.” Toshinori pressed, noticing how his fellow teacher didn’t necessarily seem calmer. However, he was responsive.

Hound Dog took a deep breath, crouching slightly as though he was obediently holding back from running towards him. Toshinori took it as good sign.

“I have a collar in my bedroom.” He kept his eyes fixed on Hound Dog. “Would you fetch it for me?”

And just like that, Hound Dog darted past Toshinori with animalistic glee, and headed straight to his dorm.

As for Toshinori, he would concern himself with how insulting that was later. If Hound Dog bit him for this, it was probably a bite well deserved.

There was no time to waste though. He had to carry on.

Unfortunately, the exit door opened on its own, at the exact same time Toshinori laid his hand on the knob, and another troublesome person came crashing onto him.

The worst possible person, this time.

“All Might!” Aizawa looked wide awake for once, his hair even more disheveled than usual, as he grabbed Toshinori’s wrist and pulled him down to eye level. “Where is Ectoplasm?”

Just like that, the years of experience given to him by intensive training and hundreds of successful missions seemed to evaporate into thin air, and all Toshinori could think about were the red specs of light hidden in Aizawa’s dark eyes.

“Uh—”

“Have you seen him? I told him you were hit by a love quirk, and the idiot went looking for you right away.” Aizawa kept holding his wrist, but instead of focusing on Toshinori, he was looking wildly around them.

“He’s in my bedroom!” He finally said, gathering his wits.

“In your bedroom??”

“I locked him there.” In that moment, they both heard a frustrated growl coming from upstairs, and something large scratching at a dorm room door. “And I just sent Hound Dog there too.”

“Hound Dog is locked too?” Aizawa frowned.

“No, he’s trying to get in.”

“Then we can’t waste time.” Aizawa turned to the intercom in the wall next to them, and quickly typed for assistance. “Take off your jacket.”

“No.” Toshinori said, faster than he could process the request. He could feel his face warm up.

“Hound Dog can track you down with smell.” Aizawa elaborated, and at the same time two robots made their way in the room, presenting themselves to his service. “We’ll need him to lose your track.”

Finally understanding, Toshinori took off his blazer. Aizawa all but ripped it off his hands to tie it around one of the robot’s neck.

“What do the humans want this time?” It asked.

“Who knows how their primitive minds think.”

“Your tie too.” Aizawa gestured, and Toshinori quickly obeyed with a renewed sense of urgency. “You two, I need you to roam around campus. Be quick, and don’t stop moving.”

If machines could roll their eyes, they surely would have. Unfortunately for them, they were built purely to obey, and quickly dashed outside, going on opposite directions with just a few humorous comments about overthrowing the human race.

“That should save us some time.”

With that, Aizawa pulled him along, and together they ran towards the wooded area of UA’s hopefully deserted Campus.

Toshinori’s face wasn’t getting any less red though. It was reasonable to head off to the middle of the trees – they would be harder to find in there, and there were plenty of hiding places they could jump into if they heard any footsteps approaching.

However, Toshinori had also come across a great deal of students who loved the area for other discretions it offered. He couldn’t help but wonder if Aizawa’s plan was to get away from everyone, then push him against a tree and--

“Here, All Might.” Aizawa gestured to some bushes, his breath racing from their quick escape. They probably stopped for his sake more than Aizawa’s though. Toshinori was already used to his lack of a lung, but anyone next to him would have noticed the distressingly raspy coughs that started to make their way out.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized, wiping a bit of blood from his lips.

“How much time has it been?” Aizawa asked, closing his eyes as he too took a calming breath.

“Just a few hours.” Toshinori rested his head against a large tree trunk, more exhausted by the attention he’d been receiving than by their escape. “This can last up to a full day.”

“Great. Just great.” Aizawa’s shoulders slumped.

They sat in silence, the minutes stretching past them without any words exchanged. On his end, Toshinori couldn’t hide his curiosity.

As time ticked by, he looked straight at Aizawa but saw no signs of opportunism. He didn’t stick close to him, he didn’t massage his back when a coughing fit hit, he didn’t make flirtatious comments. He just sat there, in silence, as he would under normal circumstances, and Toshinori didn’t know if he was relieved or disappointed.

“You can stop staring at me.” Aizawa mumbled after a while. “I’m not going to hit on you.”

Why not? Toshinori wondered. Don’t you feel anything for me? Nothing at all?

But he didn’t ask. He dropped his gaze at his own dress shoes, now filled with dirt, and figured he must have looked like a businessman and his bodyguard at a high-profile hero case. Whether it was due to sheer work ethics, sense of duty, or because he was somehow unaffected by the love quirk, Aizawa remained impassive and at arm’s length.

Midnight’s words once again came to mind.

You don’t even like All Might.

Maybe that was Aizawa’s secret. Maybe all it took for the quirk to have no effect was to hold absolutely no affection towards him, not even the friendly liking one takes to a fellow co-worker.

But that idea was too hard to believe.

It wasn’t that Toshinori felt everyone in the world owed him some degree of appreciation. Quite the contrary, surrounding himself with yes-men would only ever lead him through a dirt road. Instead, he looked at Aizawa and saw a man who had a rough exterior, but an incredibly soft heart.

Toshinori had seen Aizawa reprimand his students one moment and encouraging them in the next. He saw him call Midoriya a problem child more times than he could count, and still nudge him forward every step of the way. He noticed how he paused by the window stands of small shops if they left UA to do some errands, whenever he noticed little toys or bracelets in display that Eri might have enjoyed.

It was what made him like Aizawa so much. Toshinori thought the other man could spare his own brand of kindness to anyone. That’s why the possibility of his immunity was such a hard pill to swallow – Toshinori didn’t know what to make of the fact that Aizawa remained so neutral on him.

He lifted a thin hand towards his neckline, quietly, rolling his shoulders back as he did so. The homeroom teacher glanced at him, and Toshinori let his fingers work through the first button of his shirt. Then the second, exposing more of his neck to the air – and to Aizawa’s eyes.

The point was less to seduce, and more to examine.

“I’m hot.” He finally said, and instead of jumping at the opportunity like any of his other coworkers would have, Aizawa only seemed to snap at him.

“Are you trying to seduce me?” Aizawa looked angrier than he’d seen him all day. “I’m not going to be affected by it!”

“But why?” Toshinori blurted out. “Why are you so different?”

The crack of branches on the ground interrupted their exchange.

“Someone’s here.” Toshinori whispered, as Aizawa crouched defensively.

Then, something red dropped down on the homeroom teacher and dragged him through the rough woods.

“Aizawa!” Toshinori shouted, rising from his hiding spot and chasing him down as fast as he could.

“Forget about him, All Might!” A strong, masculine voice called out from closely behind him, and Toshinori immediately spun to land a kick on his assailant’s chin.

The blood that had solidified and grabbed Aizawa away liquified and sloshed back into the ground.

“Vlad King, what do you think you’re doing?!” Toshinori scowled at him.

His kick, although well aimed, didn’t do much to throw off a man as tall as imposing as Vlad.

“Obviously, I’m saving you from your abductor.”

“Abductor, are you kidding me…” Aizawa groaned from the distance.

“I could smell the tempting scent of your blood from a mile way.” Vlad explained, and Toshinori realized his small coughing fits might have given their location away. “It called to me.”

“I really don’t need saving right now.” Toshinori affirmed, even though he lifted his fists to his chest as if he was expecting to come to blows. He didn’t need saving from Aizawa, but he wouldn’t have minded Vlad King being dealt with.

Vlad didn’t seem to care about what he had to say though. Pulling a phone from his uniform, he quickly called someone to tell them: “I found him.”

And without further delay, Aizawa’s capture weapon dashed towards him, whipping the device from his fingers.

His hair was standing up, Toshinori noticed, which meant Vlad’s quirk was erased. Still, that meant nothing given their size difference. UA teachers were also experienced heroes in their own right, well aware of each other’s weaknesses and short comings.

Perhaps emboldened by the love quirk, Vlad didn’t hesitate to run towards Aizawa, managing to grasp and pull a strand of his capture weapon.

Toshinori didn’t wait to see what could come out of it.

Aided by his huge height, he rushed behind Vlad King and tightened his elbow against his neck in a chokehold.

“Why?! Let me go--” Vlad’s strangled voice urged him.

Toshinori didn’t bother replying. Relying on Aizawa to keep Vlad’s quirk erased, he applied continuous force, until the other man slowly stopped resisting and finally dozed off.

Aizawa only looked at him, seeming completely caught off guard. A childish sense of pride lit up inside Toshinori. Perhaps Aizawa had been impressed.

He squished the that little voice down. It didn’t matter.

“Well, change of plans.” He said, grabbing Eraserhead’s forearm and urging him along. “They’re all going to look here now; we need to find another hiding spot.

“The storages are pretty much abandoned at this time of the year.” Aizawa suggested. “I can’t think of anything else.”

“Then that’s where we’re going.”

Almost miraculously, they managed to avoid running into anyone on their way to the storage facilities. Then again, it was about time Toshinori got a break, having come across too many people already.

The silver lining of it all was that at least the day was going by faster than usual. It probably felt that way because any rest he managed didn’t seem to last long enough.

When they reached the large concrete buildings where UA stored most of its equipment, a sense of relief filled them. The structure was almost like a warehouse, and it was courtesy of Cementoss, who thankfully wasn’t in school grounds that day.

Small mercies.

“Where to?” Toshinori asked.

“The underground levels are more secluded.” Aizawa replied.

With a simple nod, Toshinori agreed and walked inside.

The building was not like the rest of UA. The walls remained a plain concrete color, and there was nothing to look at beyond signage and the automatic lights showing the way. It was a brutalist place, function above beauty, unconcerned with appearing friendly to visitors.

Behind the many rows of doors, Toshinori knew were closets filled with paperwork, folders and records from decades ago. Behind some other closed entrances, those protected by metal gates and pin codes, were rooms for all types of equipment from deadly robots to decommissioned support items.

Neither he nor Aizawa had access to those rooms for now. They required a special permit, but if they just hid in the lower levels they could probably relax for a few hours before anyone thought to look for them there.

Or, if Toshinori found Aizawa’s presence too distracting to relax, they could at least wait out the worst of it without worrying about getting attacked again.

They finally found a storage room that looked secluded enough, and dragged the cabinets and shelves inside to barricade the door, just in case. Then, they sat down side by side against one of the walls, and finally allowed themselves to take a deep breath.

Toshinori looked at Aizawa next to him. He never thought a love quirk could be more than just an awkward inconvenience, but Vlad King had his judgement clouded enough to attack a fellow hero.

The thought scared him. Aizawa was covered in scrapes and bruises from being dragged across the forest grounds, some of those scratches still bright red with blood. Toshinori stood back up, and rummaged through the room, looking for any medical kits.

“What are you doing?” Aizawa asked, his voice rough and tired.

“I need to find something to clean you up.” He replied, finally spotting a small box of emergency first aid.

“Clean me up?”

“You’re hurt.” Toshinori elaborated, as he retrieved the kit and walked back towards Aizawa.

“This is nothing to write home about.” Aizawa scoffed.

“I’m not sure I trust your word right now, Aizawa.” Toshinori smiled softly and sat back down by his side.

“Then you're pretty dumb to be locking yourself in here with me.”

“I guess I am.” Dabbing a small ball of cotton with alcohol, Toshinori leaned in close to Aizawa’s face, and lifted his hand to clean the scrapes he saw. Before he could, however, Aizawa held his wrist back.

“I can do that on my own.”

Toshinori felt his own smile become strained, and something inside him nagged him that Aizawa wanted nothing to do with him. He brushed it off.

“You can’t see your own face, Aizawa. Just let me.”

He took the short grunt he received as consent, and gently, he pressed the first bit of cotton against a small gash on Aizawa’s forehead. Surely it stung, but Aizawa didn’t really give him much of a reaction.

Still, Toshinori kept his gestures careful and light. He trusted the alcohol to wipe the dry blood off instead of pressing harder on the sensitive skin, and bit by bit he disinfected every scrape he found. It was only when he lingered on Aizawa’s scar, crescent moon shaped under his eye, that the other man reacted.

“Did you treat everyone else like this?” His tone sounded almost accusatory.

“Like what?” Toshinori pulled away, feeling suddenly defensive.

“All concerned and stuff.” Aizawa looked away as if struck by embarrassment.

“Nobody else ended up dragged through the woods, to the best of my recollection.”

“Don’t play dumb.” Aizawa mumbled. “Knowing you, the moment they started asking for you, you obliged them the whole way.”

Toshinori was taken aback.

“I didn’t!”

“And the shirt unbuttoning move earlier? What was that all about?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were feeling normal!”

“Did you try to make sure everyone else was normal too? By flirting with them?”

“Aizawa,” Toshinori pleaded. “I barely had to say anything for them to start acting weird.”

“They just fell at your feet right away, is that it?”

“I just wanted to know,” He blurted out. “Why you, whose approval actually matters to me, are completely immune to this!”

Aizawa actually looked as if those words were news to him. Toshinori’s shoulders sagged. He figured he was obvious, with the way he always sought to compare notes, and stayed up late at the offices to perfect his class reports. With the many times he observed Aizawa’s teaching to try to follow his lead.

“Since when does All Might need my approval…” Aizawa murmured.

“Do you think I’m misleading people on purpose?” Toshinori ignored the question and pressed on.

“No, I…” Aizawa hesitated. “Just forget it.”

“I’m not cleaning you up because I want you to act smitten towards me.” Toshinori continued.

But you wouldn’t mind that, would you? His mind threw back at him.

“I know.”

Despite the take-back, Toshinori couldn’t ignore what Aizawa just said. It didn’t feel like the usual berating he received when he messed up a schedule or accidentally deleted a sheet. There was something else lurking beneath it that Toshinori didn’t want to risk naming.

It couldn’t be jealousy, could it?

Right then he needed Aizawa to understand he was not like everybody else. Not just at that moment, when the entire staff was at the mercy of a quirk, but on every given day.

Toshinori would always – hopelessly - see him through a different colored lens.

“Aizawa-kun…” He tried. “I spent all day trying to get people off my back.”

Aizawa didn’t respond. He just spread his legs further apart on the floor.

“But you,” Toshinori continued. “You took me with you when I was trying to run off, and I found myself grabbing you back and dragging you here with me.”

Now the silence between them seemed to say a thousand words.

“So no. I didn’t treat everyone like this. However this is.” Toshinori murmured in conclusion.

“I’m sorry.” Aizawa responded.

“It’s alright. I shouldn’t have done that shirt thing earlier…”

“You just wanted to make sure. That’s reasonable.”

They sat quietly for a few minutes together, no further words needed. Instead, Toshinori lost himself in his own thoughts.

Where they were, 3 stories below ground floor, the air was cold and dry, and Toshinori had to cross his arms around his chest to try to keep some body heat.

It was just another of the many problems with extreme thinness, cold could be unbearable at times.

But he reminded himself that he was All Might. He survived freezing temperatures and scorching heat. He held his own guts in his hands and marched forward undeterred. Discomfort was relative, really.

The cold brought to mind bittersweet memories, of the day he met his master, of the times he couldn’t afford heating, of One For All’s flames extinguishing inside him and leaving him in a dark blizzard. Now he could add this moment to the list, sitting next to Aizawa in silence, yearning him and wondering if he’d ever be yearned in return.

“It’s funny, you know.” He broke the silence, testing. “As All Might, I could always have anyone I wanted.”

“How humble of you.” Aizawa chided.

“Yeah.” Toshinori chuckled. “In a considerably more unhinged way, it feels like I’m back at that old place, where I was actually desired.”

Aizawa says nothing to that.

“But despite that, I find myself only wanting the one thing I can’t have.”

“What is that?” Aizawa asked, but held his breath. On his side, Toshinori also braced himself.

“The affection of a particular person.”

“I’m pretty sure nobody’s off-limits for you now.”

Toshinori looked back at him, filled with doubt and wondering if he was twisting those words in his head to get what he wanted out of them. Aizawa wouldn’t turn to him at all. He hid his expression under the dark bangs of his hair, seeming guarded.

“I’m not so sure myself.”

“Hm.” Aizawa’s mouth parted and closed, as if he wanted to say something, but wondered if he should. “Would you want it from them now?”

Toshinori faced him curiously.

“Wouldn’t you doubt their feelings,” Aizawa continued. “If they spoke them out loud now, of all times?”

He didn’t receive a reply right away. Instead, a thoughtful silence fell between them, spreading for a few moments before Toshinori chuckled and leaned his head back against the wall.

“You’re right, Aizawa-kun.” He said. “I probably wouldn’t believe them.”

Bending forward, Aizawa reached out for his capture weapon, and pulled it from his shoulders, leaning towards Toshinori and covering him with the still warm scarf.

“There. So you don’t think I’m completely cold.”

“Thank you…” Toshinori looked at him, taken aback by the gesture. “But like this, you’ll be-“

“I have a lot more body fat than you. I’ll be fine. It’s only rational.”

“Only rational?”

“A rational choice.”

Toshinori couldn’t help but smile at that, a gesture that was returned by Aizawa.

Simply through something as small as that, All Might felt as though the hole in his chest where his lung used to be suddenly filled with butterflies. He never thought he’d be on the receiving end of one of Aizawa’s smiles.

He repeated Midnight’s words in his head one more time, to try to reel himself back from misreading things, but as Aizawa’s lips stayed slightly upturned, they sounded like nothing but cloud-minded gibberish. He decided them, to just indulge in the feeling.

The little burst of joy wouldn’t last long.

Toshinori was still covering himself with Aizawa’s dense capture weapon, when the sound of multiple footsteps coming from the hallways became louder and louder.

Aizawa tensed but said nothing. The two of them remained in absolute silence, self-aware enough that their own breaths stayed slow and shallow.

When they heard the loud sniffling of Hound Dog going from door to door and stopping by theirs, they knew it was game over.

“HOOOOWGRRR”

“What’s he saying?” They heard Midnight ask on the other side.

“All Might’s here! And he smells Eraserhead too!” Ectoplasm replied, and with that both Aizawa and Toshinori gave up all pretense of not being there.

“I freaking knew it!!!” Present Mic shouted. “Eraser wanted him all for himself!! Well, I’ll show him--”

“Mic, don’t do that, you idiot!” Midnight must have smacked him in the back of the head. “You’ll hurt All Might too!”

Toshinori exchanged a look with Aizawa. This was bad. Just like back at the forest with Vlad King, it seemed as though the effects of the quirk only got stronger, to the point where their coworkers thought nothing of harming Aizawa, if it meant they could get their way.

“If you hurt All Might, I’ll vacuum clean you!” Thirteen was there too, and another voice joined in.

“Yagi! Are you mad at me? Are phone calls too impersonal, because I can fix that!”

“Tsukauchi’s here too?” Toshinori cursed.

“The whole town might as well have dropped by.” Aizawa snarled.

“I’m not going to stand here and wait for you idiots.” Vlad King was up and walking too, it seemed. “I’m getting in now.”

To Toshinori and Aizawa’s dismay, they then heard a large body hitting the door that stood between them and the angry bunch that was out to get them.

“It’s alright.” Toshinori said, grabbing Aizawa’s arm but not believing his own reassurance. “We barricaded the door, they’re not coming in.”

Another loud bang threatened their safety, making the shelves they propped against the door shake.

“Eraser, you’re not getting away with this!” Midnight threatened. “Open this door right now!”

“The hell I will…” Aizawa muttered, but hearing the threats, Toshinori moved closer to him, not planning on letting anyone follow through with them.

“It’s me they want, you should hide somewhere and let me handle it.” He said.

“I’m not going to cower in some corner while a bunch of crazy people try to get their hands on you.” Aizawa rebutted.

They could hear the cracking sound of the door slowly breaking.

“Aizawa, what’s the worst they can do to me? They love me, apparently.”

“Love you? They don’t love you, All Might!” Aizawa grabbed Toshinori by the shoulders. “Nobody who loves you would chase you down like you’re property. They’re not in their right minds now.”

“They’re threatening you, not me!” Toshinori insisted.

“I’m a pro hero. I’m obviously not going to let you deal with this alone!”

With one final slam, their incensed co-workers managed to burst the door open and send the furniture that had been serving as a barricade tumbling to the floor.

For Toshinori it was as if the whole world around him had been submerged. Sound was muffled, things seemed to move so very slowly.

His every instinct told him to cover Aizawa, and so he did, keeping him close to his chest and protecting him with his scrawny, useless limbs. He felt something firm on his back, and he registered that Aizawa was doing the exact same thing to him.

Toshinori couldn’t discern if the loud heartbeat was his own or Aizawa’s, or maybe even both of theirs drumming at the same rhythm. All he knew, at that very second, was that he had exactly what he wanted in his arms, and not by virtue of any quirk.

“I should buy you a drink.”

“You should focus on your recovery, All Might.”

“What are you doing, out in the cold?”

“You can live, you can be here…”

“If they want you, they’ll have to go through me.”

Vlad, Midnight, Mic, Thirteen and Hound Dog all jumped inside at once, but instead of tearing All Might and Aizawa apart from each other they seemed to halt the moment they laid their eyes on them.

Tuskauchi, Ectoplasm and even Nezu followed, to the same reaction. Still, Toshinori didn’t relent his grasp.

Present Mic was the first who seemed to snap out of his sudden daze.

“What the hell, man?”

Midnight quickly followed, pressing her fingers against her forehead as if struck by a headache.

Then, generalized embarrassment settled in.

“Oh my…” Principal Nezu collected himself, staring ahead to see two of his teachers holding each other tightly, gaping at him like a couple of fish. “What a powerful quirk that was.”

It felt as though a bucket of cold water was dropped all over their heads. Ectoplasm took one look at Toshinori, turned around, and left immediately. The rest of them just fretted, as they slowly realized what they’d been doing.

“All Might, I am so sorry!” Thirteen yelped, not knowing whether she should go to him or give him space. “It was like my body and mouth were moving on their own, I don’t know what took over me!”

“But we’re back to normal now, right?” Mic checked with the others.

Then, his eyes fell on Aizawa, who was still pressed against Toshinori’s chest.

“Uh,” Mic pointed at him. “Is Eraser still…”

As if electrocuted, Aizawa snapped away from Toshinori and scurried back to his feet.

“I wasn’t—I’m fine. I’m normal.” He glanced at Toshinori and he must have caught the glimpse of dejection in his eyes, because he quickly offered him a hand.

Toshinori took it, rising back up and awkwardly offering Aizawa his capture weapon back.

“Thanks…”

“Man…” Vlad King spoke, and Toshinori saw him looking at Aizawa. “I’m so sorry Eraser, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Aizawa pulled his scarf back on and hid his scraped face beneath it. “I’m not the one who took a nap in the woods.”

“I’m very sorry about that too, Vlad.” Toshinori apologized.

“Nobody’s going to blame you for that, All Might!” Vlad bowed his head, as if asking for forgiveness.

“I feel like a veil suddenly lifted from my head.” Midnight commented, more to herself than for anyone to hear. “How did you turn it off?”

“We can discuss this in detail later. For now, I’m sure we can all make better sense of things back at our own rooms.” Nezu suggested. “Although All Might will have to wait a bit longer to go back to his own.”

“Huh?”

“We have to replace your door first.” Nezu explained. Behind him, Hound Dog lowered his head in shame.

Everyone mumbled their agreements, confused and embarrassed, and one by one they left the room and made their way out of the storages.

Toshinori was the last one out, right behind Aizawa. They exchanged a single look - one too brief for comfort - and he reached out to him, catching his sleeve.

Aizawa paused, but all of Toshinori’s words died on his lips.

Slowly, his hand let go of Aizawa.

Later, he thought. We can talk later.

With that, Aizawa turned around and walked ahead.

The following day, All Might had been called in first thing in the morning, to receive what Aizawa assumed would be the reprimand of the century. He deserved it, in all honesty. Although the students were spared by their principal’s quick thinking, this was easily one of the biggest fumbles anyone in the UA staff ever caused.

Ridiculous. To get hit with a quirk like that and still come down to work like it was inconsequential.

“Well, he probably didn’t think it’d be that powerful, you know?” Thirteen suggested. “Sometimes people just have little crushes and carry on their days as usual.”

“Don’t make excuses for him.” Aizawa groaned.

“I’m thinking he probably wanted to avoid another Aizawa lecture about being late to class.” Present Mic laughed. “Nobody likes the Eraser stare of disapproval. Ah, see, there it is!”

“It’s too bad you seem to be immune to it.” Aizawa threw back and returned his attention to his computer.

The previous day had been a complete nightmare, but thankfully everything was back to normal. When he and All Might saw their barricade get broken through in less than 10 minutes, he really thought they were screwed. Much to his surprise, however, nothing happened to them.

It was as if seeing them both together triggered something in everyone else, and made them regain their awareness. Mic and Midnight were able to brush things off and stay as unashamed as ever, if only a little bit weirded out. On the other end of the spectrum, Vlad King could barely even look Aizawa in the eye after realizing he attacked him, and Ectoplasm…

Well, Aizawa didn’t know what happened with Ectoplasm besides the fact he was locked in All Might’s room at some point, as both he and All Might were tight lipped about everything. The man was beyond apologetic though, so Aizawa figured it was best if he didn’t know.

Thankfully, everyone involved was an adult who knew situations like these just happened sometimes, and it was nobody’s fault for being affected by them.

“Speaking of immunity…” Mic popped up from behind Aizawa’s chair and leaned over him. “It’s pretty interesting how we all made fools of ourselves, but good old Shou-chan over here kept all his faculties.”

“Back off.” Aizawa glared at him.

“No, no, I think he’s onto something.” Midnight jumped into the conversation, looking far too interested. “Tell us, Aizawa, what’s your secret.”

“Good to know you’re back to being friendly with each other.” Aizawa blew them off. Or tried.

“See this, Kayama?” Mic smirked. “This is the classic diversion technique. A lesser person would have fallen for it.”

Aizawa really wanted to divert a pencil up Mic’s nose.

“A diversion? Why, those tend to be used only by people who have something to hide, isn’t that right?” Midnight twisted the knife on the wound.

Discretely, Thirteen walked away to the copy room, leaving the three friends to themselves. Somehow that only made Aizawa more annoyed. It implied there was something he would talk to them about that may not be for all ears.

He tried his best to keep ignoring them.

“You see, I have this theory.” Mic straightened his back and focused his attention on Midnight.

“Go on.” She urged him.

“Everyone’s attitudes towards All Might changed drastically yesterday. Why was that?”

“Because we were suddenly in love.” Midnight answered him with a sing-along voice.

“That’s right! We weren’t in love before, so it’s natural we behaved differently.” Mic clapped, and then rested his hands on the back of Aizawa’s chair.

The nerve of him.

“But what if you already had those feelings beforehand?” He continued. “What if the quirk didn’t really change anything because you were in love from the get-go?”

“Mic…” Aizawa warned, to no avail.

“I supposed if that were the case, then I’d behave the same way I always did.” Midnight looked straight into Aizawa’s eyes as she spoke.

“BINGO!” Mic cheered, spinning Aizawa’s chair to look at his friend face to face. “And how long have you been head over heels for the symbol of peace?”

Aizawa pushed him away and spun back towards his computer screen.

“If you’re going to waste your time instead of working, at least do me the favor of not wasting mine.” He deadpanned.

“That’s not a denial!” Nemuri pointed out, much to Mic’s glee.

“And that is how you know you caught a Shouta.”

“Are you done?”

“No, I’m curious about something else.” Despite his words, Mic walked to his own desk.

“Do share.” Nemuri asked.

“Isn’t it odd how we all snapped out of it so suddenly?” Mic wondered, sitting down. “Makes you think if there was some sort of off switch.”

“A trigger.” She nodded.

“And those two seemed pretty chummy to me, I wonder what happened.” Mic’s eyebrows wiggled as he spoke.

“Nothing happened.” Aizawa tried to burst his bubble. It was the truth, the end of the quirk’s effect seemed to be mostly random.

It was possible that it worked like a balloon. The more it inflated, the more aggressive the people affected by it became, until it finally filled up to its max capacity and popped.

That was unlikely to stop Mic from jumping into assumptions though.

“In fairy tales, a story like this would end with a true love’s kiss.” The shit-eating grin on his face was almost unbearable.

“We didn’t kiss, back off.”

“How come I don’t believe you?” Midnight piped in.

“Shoutas are known for being crafty liars sometimes.” Mic taunted.

“We. Did. Not. Kiss.” Aizawa repeated. If he kept quiet, he was giving them his silent agreement, and if he denied anything it meant he was lying. Whatever he did only served to validate them and annoy him.

“Getting a bit aggressive now.” She chuckled, receiving only a glare in return. “Maybe we should step back a little.”

“Maybe, we don’t want him to be in a bad mood, after all.” Mic agreed. “Just think of poor All Might coming back from his lecture to find a grumpy Eraser waiting for him.”

“If I’m that way it’s because I’m a day late with my work due to a perfectly avoidable incident.”

“Shit happens, buddy.” Mic leaned back on his own chair. “You might as well just move along and make the most of it.”

“Make the most of piled up work.” Aizawa mumbled.

“No,” Mic lowered his voice. “Take the opportunity and maybe talk about some things that have been overdue. I’m pretty sure Mighty boy would appreciate some genuine feelings right now.”

Aizawa scoffed.

Just a few moments after, All Might walked in the teacher’s room with the face of a man who just heard an earful.

Without looking up at him, Aizawa thought back to the previous day and the words they exchanged. The small admittance that All Might gave him.

But despite that, I find myself wanting only for the one thing I can’t have. The affection of a particular person.

Aizawa briefly glanced at Mic, who was still wiggling his eyebrows at him, and quickly looked away scowling.

The 24-hour maximum limit of the quirk had already passed, but the quirk itself had lost its effects long before.

It was rather safe to say there was no external factor influencing Aizawa’s heart at this point. He should probably have that conversation with All Might soon.

Not yet though.

It’s only rational, he excused himself.

The more days passed by from the incident, the more believable his feelings would be.