Chapter Text
Izuku knew he felt strongly. He always had. But when he was in U.A., he realized his emotions could fill him like a waterfall going into a tiny bowl. It would burst into him with more power than One For All, soak itself into his bones, and squeeze his heart tight.
And one emotion was like an old friend to him: love. He let it fill him, soothe his aches and pains, and heal his wounds.
He loved so very very strongly, and he loved so much of the world. His mother, of course, was one of his favorite people. As were his classmates. And the students who declared themselves his rivals and tried so very hard to be worthy of him, like they weren't already. It would be faster, in fact, to name those he didn't care for with every bone in his body.
So yes, Izuku felt strongly.
He knew that his emotions swelled when Rikido helped him find food coloring and Kacchan looked fondly annoyed at him for making baked goods for meals and Momo told him everyone's favorite foods and hunted down recipes for him without him ever asking.
He knew that his heart filled when Fumikage and Kyoka and Hitoshi all helped him learn about the occult just to include him in their interest, only for Shihai to drag Neito in without warning while the blonde grumbled about it being childish despite joining in.
He knew why he cried from joy when Denki and Hanta and Eijiro gave him notebooks and Yuga gave him new cheese to try and Mina and Ochaco told him when new heroes debuted and Tsu wordlessly hugged him after long days and Tenya gave him his notes if he fell asleep in class and Mashirao and Shoto unquestioningly sparred with him and Koji taught him JSL so he wouldn't have to talk and Mezo helped him locate villain fights and Toru snagged him photos and videos to help him analyze them.
He cried because they're all so incredibly kind to him and he loves, he adores them. He lives for their weird mannerisms and food preferences and insecurities and skill and empathy and their courage, their blinding courage.
For the way Mezo hugs them all so tight when one of them is scared, for the way Tenya reminds them when one of them forgets to take their medicine, for the way Momo volunteers to tutor anyone who needs help with any school work, for the way Eijiro guards the room they're in whenever one of them needs time alone, and for the way Kacchan was simply Kacchan. He loved them all for it, more than words could ever convey.
How was he ever worthy of them?
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1-A loved Izuku. A lot. Of course, not all in the same way, but so incredibly real. Maybe confusing or messy, but that was to be expected. They loved Izuku, after all.
They loved the way he smiled so genuinely and cried so openly and picked up fridges singlehandedly and fought with fire in his eyes and roared his love like a battle cry and his scars like a medal of honor and learned all he could just to protect them.
They adored him, even when he was the densest person on the planet and wondered if he was good enough for them.
Because he was so intelligent and passionate and as he talked about heroes his joy made him seem to glow. And he was warm and kind and gentle as he soothed scared civilians. And Izuku was so perfected and so very, very worthy of their love. Of everyone's, in fact.
Simply because he was Izuku.