Work Text:
All Might’s Really Nice Day Where Nothing Bad Happened at All
“There are three ways to ultimate success.
The first way is to be kind.
The second way is to be kind.
The third way is to be kind.
—Mr. Rogers
Izuku hadn’t been able to concentrate well for several days. For the past month—especially during the past couple of weeks—All Might had seemed… off. It was hard for Izuku to describe, actually. All Might was always a very private man. Izuku, who knew more about him than practically anyone else, even couldn’t read the man most of the time.
I’m getting better though, he thought. There’s only so much he can hide from me now. I’ve known him for too long. And he’s let me see too much of who he really is. The boy’s brow furrowed as he chewed on the end of his pen, staring fixedly at his notebook. Not that it helps though. I still don’t know what’s wrong.
Izuku sat in his dorm room after an evening training with Aizawa-sensei and a few other students. He now carefully turned to the last few pages of his new notebook, a spot which he always left free in every hero notebook to log information about his most important hero. It was something he’d done ever since his first notebook in elementary school. All Might always had the last few pages for new observations from interviews, footage, or even just stories. His early notebooks also contained theories about All Might’s quirk, age, and hobbies. As Izuku had grown older, he’d begun focusing those pages more on the man’s fighting tactics.
But now… his last couple of notebooks had changed. The purpose of those pages had always been for Izuku to observe what made All Might tick, so Izuku could better himself by copying his mentor. Lately, however, the observations were more personal. Notes of how often the man ate and what he could and couldn’t eat. A listing of medications that Izuku suspected All Might needed in the case of an emergency. Notes of how to tell when the man hadn’t been sleeping well or was worried. Things that made him smile. These new sections were just as important as his old pages—maybe even more so—because now the small section at the end of each notebook was about keeping his mentor happy and healthy and alive.
Izuku bit his lip at that last thought. Keeping the man alive was of utmost importance. It had been around six years since Nighteye had used his quirk on All Might and predicted his death. It had been hard work to convince All Might to put effort into keeping himself alive. Anything Izuku could do to help him with that task was worth the effort as far as Izuku was concerned. After all… All Might had given up so much to save the rest of the world. Wasn’t it only fair that at least someone spent a little time trying to save him?
His eyes roved over the hastily scribbled list on his paper once more:
Problems to Fix
- People without a stomach should eat 5-6 times each day. He needs to eat at least two more meals mid-day.
- Get him to drink more water.
- Is there anything he can’t eat? Allergies? Solid foods? Some scribbles there with an added note, *Solid foods are fine, just small amounts—no known food allergies.
- He doesn’t smile enough…
Izuku paused at that one again. It seemed preposterous. All Might… All Might… didn’t smile enough. But it was true. Sure, he knew how to paste on a grin for people, but Izuku knew him well enough by now to be able to tell when it was fake. And more and more often, he was noticing that All Might rarely actually smiled.
And lately he hadn’t even been trying to do that. Even the teachers were talking to him more often, and some of the other students—even Kaminari, of all people—were noticing that lately All Might seemed more serious than they were used to.
But why? Is he worried about the prophecy? Am I not progressing fast enough? Is he just sad because we can’t train the same way we used to now that he can’t transform?
Izuku took a long drink of his bottled water. How can I help? His eyes dropped to number four on his notebook again, as he thoughtfully remembered the video he’d loved so much as a kid. All Might, saving people from a pile of rubble with a confident smile on his face.
I want to see him smile like that again…
Suddenly a small smile of his own flickered to life as an idea blazed to life in his mind. Maybe I can’t fix everything. I can try to make things a little better though. I’ll make tomorrow the most memorable day of All Might’s life! But I’m going to need some help…
Yagi Toshinori yawned loudly. He had not slept well the previous night. He had far too much to worry about between young Midoriya’s training, his own failure at teaching the boy properly, his promise to the boy’s mother, the pain in his side that had been hurting progressively worse all week, his aching arm, which would be out of its sling by now if he would just let it heal according to Recovery Girl.
And of course, today was August 30th.
He struggled to get his dress shirt to button properly with only one hand.
A part of him wanted to just call Nezu and tell him he wasn’t well and would be staying home today. The principal would understand.
He sighed as he glanced at the clock. No. It was too late. All Might was already next to useless to those kids. If he didn’t show up to today’s practice sessions, he would mean even less to them.
Yawning one more time, and stretching, wincing and then sighing in relief as his back clicked back into place. He opted to skip his morning tea today. No time. And really, he just needed to get through today, so he could forget it ever happened.
The first odd occurrence happened as soon as All Might entered class. Everyone was already seated, working on their essays from the day before when he came in. This, in and of itself, wasn't particularly surprising—except maybe for Kaminari and Mina. What Toshinori hadn’t expected was a steaming tumbler of green tea waiting on his desk with a small bento box beside it wrapped in red fabric. He glanced around the room, but no one even looked up to acknowledge it.
He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to draw their attention. No one looked up.
Great.
The class already had him a bit nervous. It hadn’t been that long since Kamino had exposed his weak form to the world—including to the students he’d been hiding his injury from. They had treated him as if nothing were different ever since he’d returned to UA, but still… he felt like a rift had grown between them now. Like he had to work to keep up.
Clearing his throat again to no avail, he finally asked quietly, “Does anyone know whose things these are?”
At those words, a few of the students blinked up at him. Young Iida appeared surprised. “Those were there when most of us arrived. We assumed you’d come early and left them there, sir. Are they not yours?”
Toshinori smiled tiredly and shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Maybe they’re Aizawa’s.” Only that didn’t make any sense. Aizawa? Bento and tea? Never.
Young Uraraka shook her head. “They were here before Aizawa-sensei arrived, too, sir. They aren’t his.”
He picked up the box, as though somehow the fabric around it would hold an answer to his questions. Underneath the box was a small, typed note.
Enjoy some tea and breakfast, All Might-sensei! Thanks for teaching us!
As he was hastily swiping at his eyes in surprise, he’d have sworn he saw a couple of students smile at each other in the front row.
The second odd occurrence happened while he was was walking to the staff room for lunch. Today was Tuesday—the one day young Midoriya wasn’t free to have lunch with him, due to media training with Present Mic. Tuesdays were always a lonely day as a result. Toshinori hadn’t realized how much he’d come to count on the little lunch meetings that he and the boy used to regularly have. They weren’t often, but until this semester, Toshinori had been able to call one whenever he’d needed.
Today of all days, he could really have used some company to distract himself. He was sure if he explained the situation to Mic, the other teacher would have no problem letting the boy go for one day. But Toshinori already felt like he got in the way too much as it was. The last thing he wanted to do was further impede the boy’s training. He’d almost gotten himself killed in the ultimate move training section, and Midoriya’d had to save him…
Before he could fall into any more dark thoughts, a bright voice called from behind him. “All Might-sensei! I have a question for you! Could you hold up a minute!”
Toshinori stopped and turned to see Kirishima running to catch up to him. The boy caught up somewhat breathlessly, grinning up at him. “Young Kirishima!” he said in surprise. “What can I do for you, my boy?”
The red-haired boy panted for a moment before replying, “Man, I wish I was as fast as you are. I barely caught up with you!” Grinning, he added, “I’ve been thinking about the ultimate move training and—“
Toshinori sighed and interrupted gently, “I’m sorry for worrying all of you. I probably shouldn’t have come in there like that. I—“
But he didn’t get a chance to finish. Kirishima’s eyes widened. “No! I’m really glad you did!” He flushed a little. “I mean, yeah, I was worried when that rock fell, but it worked out all right. Midoriya got to practice his move, too, which was awesome! But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. You gave me some advice about how to use my quirk… No one has ever suggested using it like that. Everyone always sees me as a powerhouse, and they’ve always suggested I hit with everything I have, since I’ve got a time limit once I start using my power.”
Toshinori froze at the words “time limit,” but Kirishima didn’t seem to notice, and continued. “You’re the first person who really seems to get the way it works, which is crazy with how powerful your own quirk is. I just wondered if maybe I could spend lunch with you today, so we could talk more about it. I don’t get a chance to talk to you much between schoolwork and practice. And I know you’re busy with your own stuff, too.”
He must have noticed Toshinori’s stunned silence, because the boy immediately began backpedaling, “I mean I’m sure you’re really, busy, All Might-sensei. If you don’t have time for it, that’s fine.”
But Toshinori just smiled at him. “I’d be delighted to discuss the idea with you over lunch, young Kirishima. Why don’t you grab your food from Lunch Rush and meet me in the teacher’s lounge? We can discuss it there.”
The boy grinned at him. “Sounds great! Thank you, All Might-sensei! I’ll meet you there soon!” And he was off, as though this were a treat for him.
Toshinori smiled behind him, pleasantly surprised. He was well aware that Crimson Riot was Kirishima’s favorite hero, not All Might. He was honestly surprised the boy was interested in what he had to say. But it would be nice to not have to eat alone. And it was nice to know that the kid had gotten some use out of his advice that day.
Classes went more smoothly than Toshinori could ever remember. The students listened to what he had to say, even young Bakugo attempted to limit his wisecracks for awhile. Mina asked at the end of class if he could help with some English homework she’d been struggling with, after young Midoriya had reminded the class of his time training in America. He’d suddenly wound up tutoring five of the students in irregular verb forms for an hour after class.
After the last student had left the classroom, he’d turned to find another small bento box and a glass bottle of melon soda resting on the desk with another typed thank you note.
He didn’t even question it this time, smiling warmly at the gift, and taking it to eat with Aizawa, Mic, and Midnight in the Student Dorm dining area.
As he opened his bento, he noticed some katsudon and rice this time.
“Ohhh,” Midnight murmured, glancing at his meal. “That looks good.” She smiled at him. “I always forget how good a cook you are.”
Toshinori flushed, laughing awkwardly. “I’m not that good. And this isn’t even mine.”
At their blank stares, he quickly clarified. “It’s mine. I mean, it was given to me. I didn’t make it.” He palmed the back of his head, laughing a bit.
“Ahhh,” Midnight purred. “Who gave it to you, then?”
Toshinori shrugged. “I’m not sure, honestly. I’m guessing one of the students left it for me. There was a note, but it wasn’t signed. They left one this morning, too, with some tea.”
Mic snorted at that, laughing. “And you’re just eating it? They’re kids. Who knows what the little trouble makers might have done to it. I’d have it tested for poison first!”
Toshinori shook his head. “No. They’re good kids. It’s fine,” he protested.
Midnight’s lips curved into a crimson smile as she chuckled, smacking Mic lightly. “Ignore him. He has a warped sense of humor.” She glared at Mic before turning back to Toshinori. “I think it’s sweet. The kids really like you if they’re leaving little gifts.”
“Or they think I can’t take care of myself,” he deflected, awkwardly.
Aizawa just rolled his eyes, muttering, “Just take the compliment, All Might. The kids can like you. It’s not a bad thing.”
Toshinori had no response to that, instead digging into his food as Mic and Midnight playfully argued and Aizawa cut in with well-timed little barbs.
The food was good. And if he was honest, the surprise gifts, not to mention the kind words of his coworkers, warmed him even more than the meal.
Toshinori wasn’t able to eat the entire bento box, just as he hadn’t been able to finish the first in one sitting. His body couldn’t take that much food at once. But having those little prepped meals had helped him stay fed for enough meals for the day. He sat on the bench outside of the dorms, looking up at the moon, and chuckled softly. The doctors who usually nagged him about his eating habits would be proud.
And Toshinori had to begrudgingly admit that eating on the correct schedule today had left him feeling a lot better than he usually did.
He leaned back and and gazed up at the moon, enjoying the warm breeze on his face. The pain in his side was at a surprisingly manageable level, and he hadn’t needed his pharmacy of medications to control pain for once. Even his arm was hurting less than it had been lately.
All-in-all it had been a really nice day. A small smile played on his lips.
Of course, one thing would have made it a little better.
As if on cue, a small voice piped up from behind Toshinori, from the stairs. “All Might?”
Toshinori turned to see young Midoriya standing at the top of the dorm stairs, looking down at him. “Hello, my boy! I haven’t had much of a chance to see you today. We’ve both been fairly busy. How are you doing?” He motioned for the boy to join him on the bench, and scooted over to make a little room.
The boy smiled and came down to sit beside him, fidgeting a bit. “How was your day, All Might?” He asked, tentatively.
To his surprise, Toshinori had to admit that it had been a nice day—a really nice day, actually. Nothing bad had happened. No sad memories had cropped up. It had just been… good.
He smiled warmly at Izuku. “I had a nice day, my boy. How was yours?”
The boy seemed to relax at that. “Mine was nice, too. I was hoping to see you before now, but I didn’t get a chance. I’m sorry.”
Toshinori sent him a strange look and straightened. “It’s no problem, my boy. Why would you need to make time for me?”
Izuku ran his fingers over the scars on his opposite hand gently, before commenting, “Well, it’s August 30th…” He didn’t make eye contact, which was probably for the best, as Toshinori nearly choked on the soda he was sipping when the boy said that.
“What do you know about August 30th?” he asked in surprise.
Izuku didn’t look up. “Not much,” he admitted quietly. But when we were training, you had a really hard time in August. And I remember on the 30th, you cut training short because you weren’t feeling well. We didn’t meet again for a few days after that…”
“You noticed that?” He didn’t know why he was surprised. This kid noticed everything.
Izuku just shrugged. “You seemed sad. I made a note of it, because I was going to ask you what was wrong if I got a chance, but it never came up. And then you seemed better, so I didn’t want to say anything in case it made you sad again. But I noticed when it started happening again this month, so I wanted to make today a better day for you.
He finally looked up to meet his mentor’s eyes. “I don’t know why August is so hard on you, but I’m glad today was better.”
He set this whole thing up today, he realized in awe. Well, maybe not all of it, but enough. He noticed something that I didn’t even realize anyone could see… Toshinori looked up at the moon, so the boy wouldn’t see the surprised tears in his eyes. The last thing that kid needs to see is his hero crying. It was a long moment before he found he could speak. “Do you want to know what happened on August 30th?”
“Only if you want to tell me.”
He gently touched his side. “Six years ago, today, this happened to me.”
The boy’s mouth dropped open, but Toshinori just smiled back at him, setting his soda down on the seat beside him, so he could lift his good hand to ruffle the boy’s hair. “So… thank you, my boy. Today’s always been a hard day for me. But today… was nice.”