Work Text:
1.
Like any person, Toshinori has basic needs. Whether it’s buying toothpaste specially designed for sensitive gums or searching for the clothes that fit his muscled-up form alongside his emaciated state. Of course, within these needs of his, comes the much-dreaded haircut from a local barber shop.
Toshinori was notorious for having wild, messy hair that spread in all directions, and he’s not keen on changing that anytime soon. However, his hero look has slicked-back hair with two long bangs standing up high and mighty. This would require a basic upkeep of not letting his hair get too long, and having it at a respectable length that wouldn’t get in his way of work.
The real problem here was Toshinori’s stance on barber shops. It’s not that he was against the profession. It’s not that he doesn’t like maintaining his image either. However, his discomfort stems from the barber. There’s no grudge between Toshinori and any barber specifically, and while it may sound childish and unfound, Toshinori hates the tools used to cut his locks.
He doesn’t know when it started exactly, but when he was younger, back in the days when heroes were still sparse in population and crime rates were astronomical, finding a job was hard for his parents. So, to keep from spending too much money and instead saving cash when the family needed it, Toshinori’s mother took over the job of cutting everyone’s hair.
This is when Toshinori believes he can pinpoint his discomfort with the standard barber’s tools. While his mother was always gentle and full of love, she could not properly handle such tools. Long story short, for every new haircut she produced, the family had to buy more first aid supplies filled with bandages and antiseptic.
Small nicks at the top of his neck and tiny scabs above Toshinori’s ears formed. Whatever barber tools his mother used clearly didn’t include safety guards, if such things were regulatory. As time went on, Toshinori would end up refusing a haircut every so often, opting to tie his hair up in a man bun or a very short ponytail atop his head.
He dreaded such days when the tools were laid across the kitchen counter and a singular seat in the middle of the kitchen had newspaper surrounding it on the floor.
Still, at some point, Toshinori knew that having long hair could interfere with his hero work, so in the end, he’d always hold his breath as his mother cut away his manic, yellow locks.
His fear brings him to where he now stands in front of a barbershop that Midoriya had recommended to him. Well, recommended may not be the word. However, the boy did talk about how he got his haircuts there as a kid and had no complaints about any of the service or workers.
If his boy could trust this place, Toshinori assumed he could too.
But as soon as the bell chimed behind Toshinori, stepping into the shop, the man stiffened. Right away, the buzzing sound of electric hair clippers made Toshinori’s shoulders hike to his ears.
He was a little kid all over again, fearful of the inevitable cuts from his mother’s tools and the strange looks from his classmates staring at the uneven line his hair fell to. Briefly, Toshinori wondered if pivoting on his foot and walking straight out of the shop would be the best idea for him.
That was until a young man approached him, asking if he had made an appointment or if he was a walk-in.
Years and years of interacting with the public and saving citizens from life-threatening villains instilled a fearless smile on his face. He now uses it to mask his fear of the kind person in front of him. Though, Toshinori would have never thought he’d be using such a smile for a mundane task.
Once he was seated in front of the mirror, the hairdresser approached him and cloaked him in black to prevent his hair from getting onto his clothes. Toshinori, a full-grown man, couldn't say much else than that he wanted a trim and even up his hair. It was standard, yet Toshinori’s muscles tensed as if they were about to pull hairs from his scalp.
“I can’t recall if you’ve ever visited here before, Sir. Is this your first time?” his barber attempts to make conversation.
Mechanically, Toshinori nods, saying, “I haven’t been here before. This place was recommended to me by someone, and I do need a haircut.”
The barber hums and takes the time to assess Toshinori’s expression through the mirror in front of the two.
“You’re nervous,” the man states.
Now, Toshinori can’t tell if it should have shamed him so much. Starstruck, he doesn’t answer.
Taking the silence as a response of its own, the barber smiles and says, “If there’s any way I can further accommodate you, let me know.”
Distractions, Toshinori’s mind supplied. Bashfully, he asks, “Could you talk with me about your life? Or make conversation?”
He didn’t mean for it to sound so blunt, but Toshinori felt entirely out of his element right now.
Luckily, the man doesn’t take it negatively. “You know, you’re not the first to be nervous. While it’s usually the young ones who startle at the sounds and the hair clipping, it’s alright if you’re uncomfortable. Even my youngest doesn’t like getting her haircut.”
“You have kids?” Toshinori says, just barely relaxing.
“Yep! They’re eleven and five. Boy and girl. Didn’t know I was the fathering type until the first one arrived.”
Toshinori smiled. He recalls the first few times he was getting acquainted with Midoriya. He always knew he would have to find a successor, but Toshinori never could see himself as a mentoring type.
“I know what you mean,” he replies.
“You have a kid?”
While Toshinori’s mind feels a bit guilty for lying, he still nods and says, “yes, a boy. A high schooler.” While they share a bond similar to that of a parent by sharing a quirk, Toshinori wonders what it would’ve been like to take Midoriya out to cut his hair as a child and parent. He doubts Midoriya would be much trouble. The first image that pops into mind is his boy smiling awkwardly, waiting for a conversation to start before getting fully engaged and rambling off on a tangent. “He’s actually the one who told me I should come here.”
“Oh, I suppose you’ve never come along?”
He chuckles a bit to the side, cheeks flaring up. “It’s, uh, not really my type of place to be. I’m more of a do-it-yourself type of person.” That part wasn’t a lie. Toshinori has done his best to style and cut his hair wherever he’s able to, but it’s never quite been a good job. Besides, he’s a teacher now, and he must attempt to set a general maintenance example for his students. “But, I’ve found myself a new job, and I suppose it’s never too late to move past a fear.”
“That’s admirable. Thank you for having the courage to come in today. I’ll do my best.”
The Deku who strives to do his best . Toshinori smiles at the reminder with pride. He, too, can be courageous like Midoriya.
At the end of his appointment and many, many flinches later, the barber approaches him after Toshinori pays.
With a smile and a singular arm extended, he says, “I realize you said your son is in high school, but I don’t think they ever get too old for a lollipop.” With that, the man plops a reminiscent green candy in his hand. “Please come back again, sir.”
With a relieved smile, Toshinori nods and begins his return to Yuuei.
When Midoriya opens the door of the private lounge to greet Toshinori, he’s granted a small, green lollipop. Curious why Toshinori got one for him, the man sputtered and quietly mumbled, “it was for kids at the barber shop, and I wanted to take one for you.”
His successor laughs and unwraps the candy before placing it in his mouth. With a bright smile, he says, “Thank you for thinking of me, All Might!”
2.
Cleaning the beach of its trash was a treacherous job to complete. Toshinori had no doubts that it would be a difficult task to accomplish. After all, it was to gain just enough strength to hold One For All without having all a person’s limbs blown off.
It was no small task, yet Midoriya was always up for the task. Even with the straining and sore muscles that he would receive, the boy would always return and reset his resolve into becoming a hero.
Midoriya didn’t understand why Toshinori’s heart would warm with such a steel-like resolve. Heroes nowadays have been known to wait for a better-suited hero to come and take a difficult job for them. While it seemed convenient for the heroes, sometimes working around the problem and finding new ways to combat the villains or disasters would end up saving a life. His boy, Midoriya Izuku, despite overwhelming odds, would attempt to combat whatever is thrown his way. This task proves that.
Toshinori has seen the boy’s perseverance. It’s spaned from moving the ridiculously heavy to rotten, rancid items that any normal person wouldn’t approach within a twelve-meter radius. It even entered the sweetest moments as both of them discovered a litter of kittens living in a heap of trash. Immediately, even before Toshinori, Midoriya moved and gently moved them out of the way, mumbling about the nearest shelter.
It’s at these moments that Toshinori knew deep into his heart that his boy was the best choice to inherit such a power.
If Toshinori found himself at the shelter a few days later to house a cat of his own, then he’d simply say to a shelter employee that his kid convinced him.
Back to supervising his boy, Toshinori had grown fond of ruffling the boy’s untamed curls. It started when Toshinori was exceptionally proud of Midoriya’s most recent haul from the shore. It was no easy feat to carry himself in his muscle form on top of a washing machine. Proud, Toshinori’s hand made its way into the tangled mess.
It felt right. He remembers his father doing such things to his own head when he got a superb grade on academic tests. When Toshinori realized what he was doing to Midoriya, it made him freeze just for a moment. It wasn’t in panic but in the realization of how close the two have gotten over their time spent at the beach.
When he saw the rewarding smile Midoriya wore, Toshinori knew it made the boy happy to hear the silent praise for his work. Even back in his days when he was quirkless, praise and genuine kind words were rare to come by. He imagined it was much harder for his boy, and felt that it wouldn’t hurt to ruffle Midoriya’s hair for a second time.
Without realizing it, Toshinori’s hand made its way into the boy’s curls at least once a day.
There came a time when Midoriya would never go home without a ruffled mane of hair, and for days when Toshinori had hero work to do and wasn’t able to observe his boy’s progress at the beach, he made sure to double the hair ruffling the next time they met.
Briefly, Toshinori wondered if Midoriya’s father ruffled his hair good-naturedly at home. The boy had only ever mentioned his mother in his various stories, but he had never mentioned a father.
His belief that Midoriya’s father wasn’t in the picture became apparent a few days later.
“All Might, if I can ask, where is your family? Are they safe even with your number one status?”
He turns his head toward the sky. “Ah, I was an only child, but my parents were safe if that’s what you meant. They died a long time ago from old age. Never had they encountered a villain through their connections to me.”
His boy smiled and nodded. “Then my mother should be safe then if I instill certain measures, right? I mean, it’s not like villains would ever think to find my dad. He left not long after the diagnosis.”
Toshinori sighed, he didn’t want his boy to worry so much so early. His fear for his family wasn’t unwarranted.
Being real, Toshinori said, “There is no way to truly ensure your family won’t be targeted, however, when you get into Yuuei, there will be measures taken even as a student to protect your family. And they’ll give you a class on how to protect your loved ones as part of the hero course curriculum.”
“Oh.”
Toshinori stood up from where he was sitting beside his boy before ruffling Midoriya’s curls. “Need not worry about that right now, my boy. Even as of right now, I’ve got my police buddies patrolling your neighborhood more often than usual.”
Standing with his hands on his hips, facing the sunset, Toshinori added, “Don’t forget I’ll be here to watch over you and your safety, my boy.” Turning back around to lend a hand to help Midoriya stand up, he continued, “What do you say about getting something to eat for dinner?”
A firm grasp was felt on Toshinori’s hand before Midoriya was fully standing up.
Toshinori hopes to see the day when Midoriya becomes a full-fledged hero. Toshinori intends to help raise Midoriya to be the best hero he could be, even better than himself.
Standing up, Midoriya exclaims, “Oh! I’ve been meaning to try out this smoothie place. I believe they have high-protein options, which I’ve read is good for people who don’t have a stomach!”
Toshinori smiles that his successor could remember such a detail. Though not something he’s necessarily happy with, he’s glad his boy was so thoughtful.
That marked the end of their cleaning the beach session, and they both headed to the smoothie shop.
3.
Inside, Toshinori was beating himself up for not being able to teach his successor well. He’s trying to adhere to the proper teaching style and not give away the answers, but he’d never expect to have his successor blow all caution to the wind and break his bones past the point where Recovery Girl couldn’t even heal him all the way.
It startled him. Toshinori was honest. He could admit he wasn’t doing the best he could do, and boy did he feel awful about that. He felt as if he was letting the boy down.
Of course, there was the option of getting one of the Yuuei teachers to give his successor pointers, but now that Toshinori knows All For One is a threat, he can’t risk any other people getting in on the fight between One for All and All For One. It was bad enough that the League of Villains had attacked his successor’s class and almost gravely injured his coworker.
Long story short, Tohsinori had enough guilt atop his shoulders, and his failure with Izuku was taking the cake.
After the sports festival, his successor left to spend his internship with Gran Torino, Toshinori’s old teacher. While his teaching methods were intense, he had a feeling that Midoriya would get the information he needed from Gran Torino to effectively use his quirk without breaking himself.
Toshinori just wasn’t the teacher Midoriya needed at the moment, and he understood that. What he didn’t understand was why it made Toshinori feel so upset. Was it because he wasn’t good enough; that his skills weren’t enough to fully raise his boy?
The next time Toshinori met with the boy was after the Stain incident. After thoroughly scolding him for entering such a fight without proper backup, he asked if Stain had gotten a taste of Midoriya’s blood. What he wasn’t expecting was for his boy to have forgotten the fact of ingesting the DNA of the holder of One For All. Whatever the case was, Toshinori was so incredibly relieved his boy came back to him.
During that same meeting, Toshinori apologized for being so inadequate of a teacher, letting him get so hurt and instilling bad habits of recklessly running into situations in order to save others. Despite how proud Toshinori was that Izuku was willing to go headfirst to save someone, it hurt him to know that his successor wasn’t prepared, nor was he properly supervised due to the unleashing of Nomu.
That day, Toshinori both scolded and thanked Midoriya, but their talk didn’t stop there. It continued and took a turn for the intense. It delved into the conversation of All For One and how now Midoriya would be the next person All For One would come after.
The last thing that Toshinori was expecting was for his boy to stand from where he was listening to the story of two brothers and intently state his drive to defeat All For One by Toshinori’s side. That Midoriya would stand by Toshinori and to the best of his power, defeat the villain. Despite the danger facing their ways, his boy stood with a determined smile directed at Toshinori.
Not long after their conversation during hero training class with Toshinori holding the class, he noticed that his boy was favoring his left side and was hesitant to use his arms when engaging in his training.
Fearful that the boy had injured himself without telling anyone, he gestured for Midoriya to approach him at the sidelines.
Frantically, but in a hushed voice, Toshinori asked, “Are you hurt? Do you need to head to Recovery Girl? I won’t be mad, but if you did go over your limit, please let me know.”
Without realizing it, Toshinori had been rambling like his boy would do when he was invested in something. Not only that, but his words reminded him of a worried parent rather than a teacher in a prestigious hero course.
He notices his boy’s slightly gaping mouth in response before he shakes his head with the reply, “No, I’m not hurt. You don’t have to worry about it.”
Worry about what? Izuku’s safety? Yes, Toshinori must. Toshinori takes stock of the whole class to see them openly staring at the confrontation going on in front of them. Realizing that this wasn’t the right place to express his concerns about his successor’s condition, Toshinori let him continue his training after reminding the boy that Recovery Girl’s office wasn’t too far from the training area.
When training for the day had ended, Toshinori sent a quick test to Midoriya, asking him to meet him in their normal meeting room.
Patiently, Toshinori waited for his successor and passed the time by brewing them some green tea. He was running through the possible scenarios of how his boy could be hurt and thinking of why he might try to hide such things.
The first thing that went through his head was that Midoriya was overpowering himself, leaving him with a stress fracture. As to explain why he didn’t go to Recovery Girl. the suspicion was that he was either too embarrassed or took Chiyo’s threat to heart when she said she wouldn’t heal his self-inflicted wounds anymore.
Slowly, the door creaked open after a soft knock. The familiar tuft of curls popped around the side of the door before making his whole body step into the room. Without any further greeting, the boy took his normal place in front of Toshinori, having the table and tea separating the two.
“I poured some tea for you, my boy,” he said, gesturing to the steaming cup in front of Midoriya.
They remained in silence for a minute or two until Midoriya asked, “Did you have something you needed to talk to me about? Is it about One For All?”
Toshinori shook his head. “I noticed you weren’t feeling your best in training today. I know I already asked you if you were hurt. While you said no, I’m just checking in to see if you need anything, even if you think it isn’t enough for our healer to have to heal it for you.” Lips pursed, Midoriya remained silent. Trying to press for answers, Toshinori continued, “You can tell me anything, my boy. I won’t be upset with you.”
Midoriya still sat straight on the chair he was occupying, however, his mouth opened and closed as if he was trying to find the right words to explain what was going on.
“It’s nothing, really, All Might. I’m not injured.” The boy looks into his tea as if that would give him the answers to how to properly talk to his predecessor. “There's nothing that Recovery Girl can do for me. She said so herself.” Something Chiyo couldn’t fix? The realization dawned on Toshinori the second Midoriya elaborated. “I did this to myself: breaking my bones time and time again to the point where they were barely salvageable. I can’t do anything to fix that, but usually, the discomfort is more subdued.”
It was chronic pain. Chronic pain that Toshinori had indirectly caused through his flawed teachings. “Oh, my boy,” he said guiltily. “I’m so sorry, Midoriya.”
He let out a high-pitched squeak and immediately negated Toshinori’s words, repeating, “it’s not your fault!”
Good-naturedly, Toshinori shook his head. “It is. If I had taught you properly or gotten you to someone who could sooner than I had, I’m sure your pain wouldn’t have gotten this bad, if any at all. For that, Midoriya, I’m so sorry.” He stood up from his place on the couch and deeply bowed. “I apologize for my inadequacies as a teacher to you.”
Even going further to refute him once again, Midoriya said, “But it’s my fault for ignoring Recovery Girl’s warnings. It was my ignorance that got me here, not your teaching.” The boy looked toward the window as Toshinori came out of his bow. “Besides, it was to save another person,” and even more quietly, he added, “and I wouldn’t take it back.”
Knowing that his boy wouldn’t take his apology, no matter what, Toshinori brought their conversation in a different direction.
“No matter what you’re thinking right now, know that I don’t think your choices to save others are wrong. I appreciate how thoughtful you are, and how you’ve always been, but you must think about yourself too.” Toshinori dug into his pockets and pulled up his online shopping cart on Glamazon. “I’ve dealt with my fair share of aches and pains over the years, so if you’ll let me, please allow me to buy some things that may make you more comfortable.”
“But, All Might, I’ve just told you-”
“I take it back, Young Man. I will be buying you some things. If you have no need for them, I’ll return them, but I ask that you try them out first.”
Resigned, Midoriya began to answer Toshinori about the types of pain he was feeling.
Over the weekend, the package arrived at Toshinori’s doorstep. From there, the man packaged it in a gift box and had it delivered to Midoriya’s house, letting the boy know that a package for him would be arriving soon.
So, that next week when his boy arrived at school with compression sleeves over his hands and arms, Toshinori smiled. It wasn’t going to be a permanent fix, not by a long shot. Toshinori was just glad that the boy could continue to trust him even though his failings as a mentor so far.
Later that day, in his teacher's mail, there was an envelope written in Midoriya’s handwriting, reading: For All Might.
What the envelope contained was a slurry of recipes for healthy, stomach-free meals that were easy to digest. Included was a detailed list of ingredients that would hopefully ease some extra discomfort Toshinori would get from eating.
As he said, Midoriya was truly a thoughtful person. A thoughtful person that will make a superb hero.
4.
“Sir?” A voice said from behind Toshinori.
Swiftly, the man turned to greet the voice. Upon turning around, he realized it was Young Todoroki.
“Ah, Young Todoroki, what can I do for you?”
“I know your secret, All Might.”
Toshinori froze. One For All? How could the teen know of such a secret? Unless Izuku had told him, but if he opted to, then surely the boy would consult Toshinori first, right? Toshinori needed more information. He repressed his startled thoughts and took a breath.
“My secret?” He prompted.
The teen looked both ways as if he were scanning the room for any onlookers or people who could eavesdrop on their conversation. He leaned forward and said lowly, “I know that you’re Midoriya’s father.”
This Toshinori felt he had a free pass to splutter in surprise. “Father!?” He exclaimed.
Todoroki looked down at his left hand and closed it before looking back up to Toshinori and speaking. “Yes. I realized he was your secret love child during the sports festival. Of course, your son denied the fact. I understand the reason for secrecy.”
Son?! Izuku wasn’t his son! Izuku had his own father, albeit he was in America and wasn’t in contact with him. And in Toshinori’s opinion, he was a truly lacking father figure, but nevertheless, he’s not Izuku’s father!
“Todoroki,” he tried to interrupt.
Unstopping, he continued. “Sir, since you’re Midoriya’s father, I have something of the utmost importance that I need to ask of you.”
“Todoroki,” he tried again.
“I would like to ask your permission to date him, officially.” If Toshinori’s mouth wasn’t hanging wide open for the flies to fly in, then it surely was now. “It’s only what’s polite.”
Toshinori, whether it was because it was through such whiplash and surprise or his sickness, he coughed up blood into his fist. However, based on the teen’s reaction, did nothing to deter the boy away from getting his answer from the man.
“Sir, I understand if this is hard to come to terms with, however, your son has changed my life-”
“Todoroki!”
“Yes, All Might, sir? Is there an issue?”
Weakly, he said, “Please stop there.” He sighed, feeling his shoulders slump further forward. “Todoroki, I am not Midoriya’s father. His father lives abroad. I have no children.”
Todoroki nodded. “Well, yes. That’s your cover-up.”
“It’s not a cover-up, Todoroki. I have no relation to the boy. How did you come up with this?”
“I was going to get to that.” The boy looked around them once again and asked, “Would it make you more comfortable if we talk somewhere more private? Just in case people are listening in from somewhere. I understand this is a big secret to keep.”
Toshinori thinks this is the longest he’s ever heard the teen talk, especially being the one to lead the conversation. He’s always thought the boy had been quiet and reserved, even when talking to Izuku. Even so, he’s never seen Todoroki go off on such a tangent.
Unknowing how to properly proceed in reiterating that he’s not Izuku’s father, Toshinori waved his hand to Todoroki, signaling the boy to follow him.
Closing the door to the private lounge behind him, Toshinori said once again, “I am not Midoriya’s father.”
However, the events had finally caught up to the man, finally realizing what Todoroki was seeking from Midoriya’s father: permission to date his son. This realization made all of Toshinori’s thoughts come to a complete stop before suddenly feel an overwhelming wave of protectiveness.
“Wait, you said you’re asking for permission for what exactly?” Did he hear the boy wrong initially?
Without any hesitation came, “To date Midoriya.”
To date… Izuku? His boy? His successor? The closest person to Toshinori? Is he even the age when people start dating? Does he even need to start dating? What’s the rush?
His face must’ve lost its confusion and settled into a more focused, considering look because the boy across from him stood up straighter.
Toshinori needed answers. He knew the two boys were close. Todoroki seemed to gravitate toward Izuku, but he thought it was purely platonic. Well, maybe he was overlooking a bit of the blushing that bloomed across Izuku’s face when mentioning how much Todoroki had grown in his quirk usage and studies and… oh. Well, maybe Toshinori was a bit blind-sighted, wasn’t he?
Nevertheless, Toshinori felt an immense feeling of protectiveness that overwhelmed his heart, causing him to draw in a deep breath and make his posture taller and more intimidating.
This didn’t make Todoroki cower much, but Toshinori saw the minuscule step back. In his mind, he saw flashes of the fanboy Toshinori had come to know as Izuku. He sees the boy who managed to push past his limits and fully clear a beach without many complaints, the boy who made Toshinori gain more strength within his soul to push forward, the boy who collected every item of his merch even though the man offered to get it to him without any cost of his own. He sees the boy who’s driven by others to do better. He saves others and makes deep connections. He sees the boy whose tears rush out of his eyes, causing a flood, when something moves him. Amused, the last time this happened was when Izuku saw a cat pick up its kitten by the scruff and carry it across the road.
Toshinori stared at the boy in front of him. Toshinori’s shoulders were tense but his face was carefully blank. But even a fool who looked into his eyes could see the storm brewing behind them.
Even so, Toshinori knew his place. He wasn’t the boy’s father, nor did he approve of parents interfering in their child’s love life without a valid reason. Again, with emphasis, he’s not Izuku’s father. He has no place to say whether or not it’s okay for him to date a perfectly kind, powerful boy in the same class.
But his boy, was he ready for such a commitment? As of now, he was improving his control and usage of his quirk, but would a significant other hinder that progress? Would he get distracted from his school studies? Would he call his mother less? Would he draw away from his other friends to just spend time with a possible boyfriend? Would Izuku ever have time for him?
Izuku was a responsible boy. He could make these choices. Toshinori trusted him to do so. Izuku didn’t need to look back to the old man Toshinori surmounted to. He doesn’t need to restrict himself, especially if he found love.
Toshinori should have no interference in this budding relationship.
But maybe it’d be okay to have a few words with Todoroki, just for clarification of boundaries and whatnot.
It wasn’t his job, but there was no harm done.
Even if Todoroki had chills run up and down his spine for the remainder of his conversation with All Might.
5.
After months spent on Yuuei’s campus after the dorms were erected, Toshinori and Izuku weren’t able to train off campus anymore. The struggle with being on campus was finding somewhere truly private so no one could hear their conversations about One For All. So, looking for a new place, free of onlookers, Toshinori and Izuku would head to the forest on Yuuei’s campus to train. Usually, they would work on getting Izuku’s power outputs to be consistent in different situations. Whether it was using his hands to use his Airforce or using his shoot style in his legs, they worked long and hard on his form and consistency.
He was getting there. It was a rare occurrence when there was bruising caused by his quirk.
Toshinori doesn’t know when it quite started. Still, when Izuku had fewer and fewer visits to Recovery Girl, they had begun to find some food to get in some sort of celebration.
Frequently, the two found themselves at a local convenience store not too far from the school. Inside there were some standard snacks and popular drinks scattered around the shop. Most of the time, however, Toshinori and Izuku would always go for their meat buns and some random candy bar. They would always try to find a new flavor they either hadn’t tasted or seen before.
Because of their now frequent stops here, the store manager had gotten well acquainted with the two of them. Oftentimes, they’d discuss the new flavors imported to his shop and if they were any good.
However, what Toshinori didn’t know was that the man didn’t recognize Toshinori as the emaciated form of All Might. Rather, if he did recognize him, then he had never mentioned it or brought it up to the two of them. That wasn’t ever a problem though. Toshinori enjoyed this animosity and equal treatment as if he were anybody else.
In all of these trips he’s had with Izuku, he’s found that he really enjoys lime-flavored candy bars. Not only that, but he figured out that his boy had an affinity for sour candies as opposed to sweet, chocolate items.
It was nice coming with Izuku. It became so regular and ingrained in Toshinori’s schedule, whenever the two didn’t end up going off to visit this convenience store, it felt like there was a chunk of Toshinori’s life that was simply missing or incomplete.
The other thing Toshinori didn’t expect was the perception the manager had about the relationship between Izuku and Toshinori.
It went like this:
They both walked through the automatic doors of the store and were instantly hit with the chilling air conditioning as usual. The two had split up. Izuku was tasked with finding them two new candy bars or some substitute while Toshinori had the task of getting them meat buns. To do so, he’d always go up to the manager and ask for what they wanted while making small talk. It’s normal. It’s ingrained, so when Izuku is brought up in the conversation, Toshinori isn’t surprised. However, what was surprising, was the question.
The man was placing the two steaming buns into their little containers with tongs while he and Toshinori talked. As they did so, he mentioned, “You and your son are some of my best customers, you know.”
The first thing that pops into Toshinori’s head is: here’s another All Might’s secret-love-child theory again. To say the man was absolutely appalled when he approached Midoriya after the whole dilemma with Todoroki was a bit of an understatement. What made it even worse was that Todoroki was so dedicated to the cause and it was spreading throughout the school. And worse, it was spreading to the media using clips of the sports festival paired with clips from many of All Might’s rescues and fights.
The second one is questioning whether he genuinely believes the two are related without the influence of the theory. Either way, the two look nothing alike.
The third debates whether or not to play along with the statement. As in, would the man accept that the two weren’t related, and was it really worth the trouble to correct him?
The fourth thought that came to Toshinori’s mind was a proud one. Proud in the sense he’s gotten so close to his successor that other people have been able to see how close they were. He felt honored that other people’s first thought to seeing the two together and instantly thought their relationship was father and son.
He really doesn’t know why he’s so touched by the notion of being considered the boy’s father.
Perhaps, it’s what happens after so much time spent together through thick and thin. Perhaps Toshinori has gotten truly soft with the boy. Maybe Gran Torino was right, and Toshinori had developed a soft spot for Izuku.
But in the midst of all these sudden thoughts and feelings, all Toshinori was able to do was elicit a strained, “Oh?”
The manager laughed. “It’s been a long time since my son went off to university. He doesn’t visit as often as I would like, but I understand he’s busy, you know.” He wrapped up the two containers in a branded plastic bag, tying the top handles up into a neat bow. “I enjoy seeing so many families walk in here. I get my enjoyment working here by seeing the people around me happy, especially the ones who come in packs of sorts.”
It wasn’t that often that the manager would get off on a tangent like this, but why would Toshinori make him stop? After all, his boy was the prince of nonsense when it came to running off on a mumbled or excited tangent himself.
“Whether it’s a group of friends, couples, coworkers, or family members, I find that the packs of family members bring me the most happiness. It gives me the most nostalgia, even if it does make me miss my son.” The man sighs and takes a seat on a stool behind the counter right in front of the register. “But it also reminds me of how much fun we had goofing around in this shop.”
Toshinori takes the time to smile and look back at the hunched-over figure that was his successor. In all his focus on deciding which flavors he wanted to choose, he’d somehow end up curling into a ball, trying to make a decision.
“I know your son goes to Yuuei and all, but I’m glad that you’re able to spend time together even though he must be incredibly busy.” Izuku begins to rush over to Toshinori with two orange candy bars in hand. When Izuku was still out of earshot, the man continued, saying, “It’s such a joy to know that All Might has always been such a family man.”
Shit.
But maybe later when Toshinori lay in the teacher's apartments, he’d smile, thinking of his boy and how much he’s grown.
Maybe he didn’t mind being placed as the boy’s father.
+1
Sparking lightning dances across Izuku’s skin as he smashes another dummy with his legs. The boy isn’t quite exhausted yet, but it wouldn’t hurt him if he took a breather. So, Toshinori waved him over, hand outstretched to hand him the electrolyte-infused water.
“Drink up, my boy. You’ve been doing great, but I do have one pointer I’d like to talk to you about.”
The boy jogged over, wiping the sweat off his brow before gratefully taking gulps of water.
“Yeah?”
“You’re turning your head too much. With those powerful kicks and occasional twists you do, you’re straining your neck. It’s not good for the muscles and will leave you sore all the time if you keep that up. Instead, try to focus on letting your limbs and the rest of your body do the work to face your target.”
All the while, Izuku rapidly nodded his head invested fully in the words Toshinori is saying.
With an enthusiastic, “Yes, sir!” Toshinori let a burst of a laugh out. He was about to head off back to training before Toshinori held him back.
“My boy. You can take a breather. We’ve been at this for a while. No need to rush right now.”
Huffing, the boy sat down on the bench next to his mentor, taking out his phone.
Teasingly, he said, “If that’s the case, then do I have something to show you.”
He began to scroll on his phone before whipping it around to show Toshinori the screen. There lay a photo of an All Might doll with its bangs sticking out of his head like they were deer antlers.
The man guffawed. There were other things wrong with the details of the costume, but none of which would be glaringly apparent unless you were a super fanboy like Izuku or the man who wore it every day.
“I’m gonna name this one Deer Might or maybe Buck Might. Which one sounds better do you think?”
Toshinori crossed his arms, intensely staring at the screen. “They’re both as ridiculous as that doll. Boy, I can’t wait until more merch comes out when you become a pro. Only then can I find all these photos of lopsided merch in return for all the ones you’ve shown me.”
Izuku shook his head, making his curls slap into his face. “Nope! You’ll be banned from buying any of my merch!”
“No! My boy is denying me my right to see and harbor merchandise of my favorite hero!” Toshinori whined.
“You absolutely cannot be my biggest supporter.” The boy covered his face, slightly muffling his voice. “That’d be entirely embarrassing.”
“Aw, don’t say that, my boy. I’ll always be your number one fan.”
Izuku flopped back into his seat. “Nope, my mom is taking that spot from you.”
Gasping with a hand grasping desperately at the cloth of the shirt that was directly above his heart, he said, “Well, she’ll have to fight me for that title officially.”
“Don’t forget Shouto either. There would be quite a few people you’d have to fight for that, Toshi-san.”
“I’ll see to it that I’m officially named your number one supporter, Izuku,” he teases.
The room is filled with light laughter from Izuku. Despite all of the additional people he added to the possible opponents Toshinori would have to fight to claim the title of the ultimate fan, Toshinori was sure no one else could be as proud as he is of Izuku. There’s no doubt in his mind about that.
Deep inside Toshinori’s photo album is the picture of his successor sprawled across the sand, crying on the beach from very early on in his training. The boy truly was incredible.
A sharp dinging sound came from Izuku’s phone. He was on a break after all, so there wasn’t a reason for him not to respond to the message that came to him. Toshinori saw as the reminisce of their laughter left in the form of a smile disappear from view.
“Ah, Toshi-san?” The boy rose his head from the screen. Toshinori nodded, signaling him to continue. “I need to cut this session short. I, uh, actually need to go home.”
Go home? “Is your mother okay?”
“Uh,” he checked his phone again. “Yeah, at least she said so. She wants me home for some reason right now. But she said it was urgent, so I’m not really sure what that implies or if it’s really okay to–”
“Okay, okay, Izuku. No need to overthink this. Of course, you can go home.” Both of them stood up from where they were sitting. “I’ll write you a waiver.”
Izuku sighed. “Yeah, that would be great.”
After the waiver was given, he let the other teachers know that Izuku had to leave for home and that he should be back before curfew. The boy set off to his house with a promise to make up for the end part of his training session.
While Toshinori wondered what was so urgent, he didn’t worry that much about the incident. After all, life happens.
The next day during hero studies was when Toshinori saw his boy next. Instantly, he knew something was off about him. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and he seemed utterly exhausted.
Concerned, after class, he approached Izuku, asking, “What’s going on? Was your mother alright when you arrived home last night?”
The boy nodded slowly. “She was fine, ecstatic, really.” He took the time to shift his weight between his feet before meeting Toshinori’s eyes. “My dad came home.” His father? The one that hadn’t been in the picture for who knows how long? Before Toshinori could get another word in, Izuku said, “I guess I’m just tired. Had a lot to catch up on.”
“Oh, well, if you need another pass to go home over the weekend, let me know, my boy.” Maybe he shouldn’t use such familiar language like that for now. Getting reacquainted with a father seems like a tough thing, and Toshinori didn’t want to overstep too much.
“Ah, yeah, I guess I’ll need one for this weekend then.” He began to wring his wrist before staring back at the ground.
Toshinori wondered if there was resentment toward his father inside Izuku’s heart. He also wondered if his father coming home was the whole picture. He didn’t understand why Izuku looked so… dull.
But the next day, Izuku seemed to regain his sense of self. That didn’t stop Toshinori from keeping a close eye on him, though.
It wasn’t until late Saturday night that something happened. It was nearing midnight, and Toshinori was stuck on his couch watching some kind of documentary about meerkats. He was startled by the sound of his own booming voice, saying, “A phone call is here! A phone call is here!”
He reached over to accept the call wondering who would be calling at such an hour. He didn’t bother to look at the number, knowing if it was this late at night, then it must be urgent.
“Hello?”
“Toshi-san?” It was Izuku.
“My boy,” Toshinori said instinctually, “is everything alright?”
“I, uh, yeah? Can you, um, can you meet me by Dagobah Beach right now?”
Toshinori stared at the clock from across the room. “Izuku, do you realize the time it is? Are you sure you’re okay? Are you hurt? Did something happen?”
Before he could ask more questions, Izuku cut him off. “Oh, I see. Um, you don’t have to come out then. Sorry for disturbing you, Toshi-san. I just needed some fresh air.”
Toshinori stood up, already heading straight to the front door. “Don’t worry about it. I’m on my way. I’ll meet you there, then.”
They stayed on the call until both of them arrived on the once garbage-filled beach.
“My boy, it’s unlike you to call me so late. Do you mind telling me what’s going on? Do you need me to do anything for you?”
The boy collapsed butt-first onto the sand of the beach, leaving the silence between them to be filled with the soft crashing of the waves in the background.
Abruptly, Izuku whispered, “He doesn’t want to get to know me.” He began to pull at the zipper of the hoodie he wore before continuing, “He saw I had a quirk now, and I don’t know, I guess he wanted the perks of having a hero student as a son.”
Turns out the “he” Izuku spoke of was his father.
“And Mom? She’s so happy. But I can see right through him. He doesn’t want to be around us. He asks what I’ve been up to and what Yuuei is like, but a second later, he’s talking about America. He’s talking about moving all of us there to be a full family.” He shook his head. “I don’t understand why he wants me now all because of a quirk. I couldn’t stand him and his false intentions, so I walked out.”
“And you called me,” Toshinori finished.
Izuku nodded. “I guess I don’t understand. I don’t think I hate him, but I know that I have no business being around him.”
“My boy, if I may, you have every right to be upset with him. You’re entitled to space. After all, from what I’ve heard, he’s shown up out of the blue.”
He shrugged. “I’m not even sure if he wants a father-son bond with me.”
Toshinori’s frown increased. How dare someone turn his boy away.
Abruptly, he states, “Then he’s really missing out on you, Izuku.” Mentally, Toshinori thinks he’s done more than the sperm donor has ever done for his son. Before he can chastise his mind for immediately thinking of himself as his successor’s father, Izuku flops fully into the sand as if he was about to make sand angels.
He thinks of the day he was on his hands and knees, kneeling to Izuku’s mother, declaring he’d live and die for her son and do his best to raise the boy.
He thinks of how protective he got when Todoroki asked him for permission to date Izuku, already thinking Toshinori was his father.
He thinks of the manager and the strangers whose immediate thoughts of his and Izuku’s bond were parental.
Maybe somewhere along the line, the separation between mentor and student had bloomed into one that a father and son may have shared. Well, he supposes it’s so on his part. He’s not sure of Izuku’s stance on it until:
“Either way, you’ve done a better job raising me than he ever has.”
Toshinori’s mouth gapes open, wondering if he had picked up on Izuku’s habit of mumbling his thoughts aloud. His head whips over to face his boy.
Izuku doesn’t look as shocked as Toshinori, that’s for sure. He continues on. “Shouto always makes the joke that we’re kin, but maybe he has a point.” There comes the embarrassment that spreads across Izuku’s face. “You’ve definitely filled the father role. We even share the same quirk.” The boy twiddles his thumbs. Clearly more nervous than he was at the start of his statement. “I mean, that’s how I’ve come to see you I guess?”
Toshinori stands up from where he’d plopped into the sand and made his way over to Izuku. He crouched down next to the boy’s head and it was hard to suppress his grin. His hand immediately found its way into the mess of curls.
“I feel the same, my boy. Also, there are way too many people out there that think we’re related already. We have your boyfriend to blame for this, I assume?”
With an incredulous guffaw, Izuku nods. “He may have posted a video on HeroTube regarding that conspiracy theory.”
Standing back up, he held out his hand like the day he first offered One For All to the boy. “How about we make our way back to the dorms? We can collect your stuff at your mother’s tomorrow.”
With one firm pull, hoisting Izuku up from the sandy beach, they made their way back to Yuuei.