Chapter Text
"Principal Nezu." All Might greeted as he entered said man? Mouse? Principal of the school's office. "You wanted to see me?"
Nezu, cheerfully as ever waved his small arms excitedly at the sight of the former number one pro hero.
"Ah, yes. Come on in, Toshinori. Would you care for some tea?"
Given that he was summoned here after spending the entire morning with class 1-A and this meeting was running into his lunch break, Yagi figured that one cup couldn't hurt. It wasn't as though he'd be eating much anyway. He accepted with a nod and watched as Nezu poured a second cup in addition to his own.
"And how was your morning with Class A, All Might? I've heard from many a reliable resource that they are continuing to make astounding progress."
While it barely crossed the line into making small talk with the man, All Might couldn't deny there was nothing small about the progress of aspiring young heroes and as such the subject was not to be brushed aside.
"Very well. You should come and observe the class sometime once Aizawa is back. He's done an incredible job with these kids. He should be there when you have the chance to see them in action." He replied with an ounce of self deprecation.
"I do not doubt that. Though in regards to our Eraserhead, he and Mic returned a short while ago. Neither of them had much to say upon their return but it was evident that both were undergoing a great deal of emotional distress. As such I decided it would be appropriate to send them home for the day, though that request was met with a level of protest that is expected from ones as stubborn as those two. Aizawa was called away to check in on young Eri. But I imagine Mic is still most likely wandering around somewhere. I've found he likes to keep his mind busy in dire circumstances such as this. I trust that Gran Torino and Tsukauchi filled you in regarding their absence this morning." It was true. The two of then had told him as much as they knew before the two teachers went to visit Kurogiri. Out of respect for his two colleagues he didn't ask too many personal questions.
But even so, he would go and check in on Mic if he was able to find him. It didn't escape his notice that the man seemed to just disappear without anybody realising only to reappear as though he'd never been gone. It made him curious every now and then as he found himself wondering where the voice hero would wander off to. He had once figured that if anyone would know where he was at any point in the day it would be Aizawa, yet his assumption was proven incorrect the one time he had thought to ask the man only to be met with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. As for wanting to keep his mind busy after what he had been through this morning, well, All Might could definitely sympathise with that part.
"I understand. I can't imagine what either of them must be going through right now." He truly couldn't. For someone who was well acquainted with loss, Toshinori couldn't begin to fathom the pain that came with losing a friend so young, so suddenly, only to be reunited with them in the cruelest way possible. Tsukauchi would probably contact him soon, let him know the score with the warp gate villain so they could begin to formulate a plan of attack. He didn't enjoy knowing what all of this meant for two of his coworkers that he honestly considered his friends, but gathering as much information as possible on Kurogiri was detrimental in helping to track down Shigaraki. That didn't make him feel any less bitter about what this morning's encounter had done to his friends' state of mind. They both must be devastated.
Nezu interrupted his train of thought seeming to sense his distress. "While it is true that Aizawa is currently unavailable, if you wish to look for Yamada then I suppose its not too much to ask to keep this between us were I to give you some insight as to where he might be hiding?" He asked, that twinkle in his beady eyes never failing to make him feel weary.
All Might blinked at the principal in confusion in response to the strangeness of the request as he processed what he had just asked him.
"O-Of course, Sir. Though if I may ask-"
"Yamada does not like to be disturbed when he wanders off alone and usually that is for a good reason. One of the many things I learned after I took him on as my personal student was that heroes with the biggest personalities require more time to come back to themselves as people when the heat dies down. As for Yamada, in order for him to do that, it's easier for him to calm down when he has the chance to do so by himself. However, after what their ordeal at Tartarus this morning, I fear greatly for their state of mind and emotional wellbeing and I believe that solitude is the last thing that either of them need right now."
He took a pause as All Might considered his words and sighed sadly.
"Ideally, I'd hoped that the two of them would be able to talk about this to eachother. I believe that a friend is exactly what they both need, if not eachother then anybody who would be willing to lend a listening ear would help all the same. Sometimes in order to be a hero, all one has to do is listen. Not all pain is physical and not all problems can be resolved with brute strength."
All Might met his sigh with a hum of agreement before his brow furrowed in confusion in light of this new information.
"Wait, hold on. You said that Mic was your personal student? I wasn't aware you ever took on any students of your own, Sir." The retired pro enquired.
Nezu hummed, smile returning to his face.
"And typically I don't. As the school's principal I aim to treat every one of the students and staff equally to eachother. But there are some cases in which treating everyone equally may cause more harm than good. Everyone is different with their own individual needs and background. It would be unfair if I were to dismiss the needs of a student because they're different from one another. To truly be able to treat everybody equally means to account for their needs and give them as much consideration as everybody else. For some, it requires more work than others."
Initially, All Might wasn't sure if what he was hearing was a subtle jibe at his not so subtle displays of favouritism towards Young Midoriya. But he was left feeling even more confused as the principal had yet to answer his question.
"I understand that, Sir. But how does the fact that Mic is your student fit into this?"
Nezu chuckled lightly. "Yamada and I come from a similar background. The context was different but the consequences were the same. Since he was but a student in U.A himself I recognised his intelligence and way of thinking as not dissimilar from my own. He recognises things that many others would typically overlook. Such a striking aspect of his personality was not something I could merely dismiss, as otherwise I would be treating him as less than his classmates by not acknowledging his full potential as I would any other student."
He paused to take a sip of his tea, baring no mind to the dumb struck expression on All Might's face as he proceeded.
"Despite our many similarities, I can not deny that Mic has proven himself to be much more courageous when it comes to telling the truth. For example, when I had first considered that there could be a traitor amongst us, it was not something I wished to acknowledge given everything that was happening at the time. The public was quickly turning their backs on hero society as a result of what occurred at the training camp. Nevertheless, as hard as it may be to tell the truth, it has to be done. Especially when lives are at stake, something Yamada recognised before I did. It was hard to hear such words, particularly when the accusations turned onto the students, but I would be lying if I said I was not impressed by his actions. It's a horrible thought that one of our own could be behind all of the chaos that has happened this year, but at least with that thought out in the open we can now take more extreme measures to ensure the safety of the students at this school."
At the ensuing silence Toshinori gave the principal's words some serious thought. He had been there at that meeting too. Nezu was right. The realisation that came with Mic's statement implying there was a traitor at U.A was unthinkable. Yet there was no mistaking the man's logic if he considered every instance in which class 1-A had been targeted. There was little room for argument. As the symbol of peace he had also been kept well in the know regarding the investigation into every student and teacher of the school. So far there was little in the way of evidence and for the most part the staff had been cleared of suspicion.
"I have little reason to doubt any of my staff, however the act of bringing up the possibility of a traitor would also work as an effective strategy in order to shift the suspicion off of ones self. But the fact that he brought it up at all when nobody else would only further proves Yamada's innocence to me. I talked with him at length after our meeting. As someone who has spent an inordinate amount of time with our Mic, I can honestly say I trust him with my life. I suppose to a certain level you may consider me biased, although I assure you that is not the case. Yamada's life has certainly never been easy, one thing he and I have in common. But a mind as capable as his is one that we are extremely fortunate to have on our side."
Toshinori's brow quirked. He honestly didn't know how concerned to feel at the meaning bleeding between the lines of the principal's ominous words. "I can't help but feel that you're implying something. Not that I disagree with what you're saying, Sir. Mic is exceptional as a hero and a good friend to everyone here, but-"
"I'm afraid the means to obtain such information are not mine to decide. It's of no use asking me about personal information of one of my staff members, unless circumstance demands I do." Nezu interrupted calmly, ever present smile never dimming from his face.
All Might flustered, waving his arms panic-struck in the air ready to defend the fact that he wasn't trying to pry into Yamada's personal life in the slightest.
"Or you could just ask me yourself."
Toshinori's head spun towards the now open doorway of the principal's office, spotting the man in question leaning heavily against the doorframe, eyeing him warily.
If it weren't for the fact that he had just responded as such, the former number one would not have recognised the man as the voice hero himself.
His hair was down, that little fact playing a major attribute to his change in appearance. Yagi honestly didn't think he had ever seen the younger blonde without his signature hero hairstyle, or outside of school hours when it was tied back out of his face. The older man's eyes followed the length of blonde hair from the crown of his head all the way down to just below his ribs. It was honestly longer than he'd imagined it being. Secondly, he was completely discarded of any and all hero gear, dressed looking alot more comfortable in what looked like an old, well loved band t-shirt and black ripped jeans. He still had his boots and leather jacket on, unzipped, exposing what looked to be the beginning of a tattoo below his collarbone. His fingerless gloves remained partially hidden under the sleeves of the jacket. All Might had to admit, even though he'd heard here and there that Mic used to be in a band when he was younger, he'd never actually stopped to picture what he may have looked like. He looked like a rockstar. The only other telltale sign that the man before him was indeed Present Mic were his whiskers being the only thing to make the scowl on his face less intimidating.
The orange tinted glasses had been switched out for a pair of blackout sunglasses that at the moment were sliding down the bridge of his nose as piercing green eyes stared All Might down.
It wasn't until he caught sight of the red rims around bloodshot eyes accompanied by the slight bags underneath that he recognised Yamada's reasoning behind the glasses. There was no denying the man had been crying.
"Ah! Welcome back, Mic. I didn't expect to see you here after you and Aizawa returned to the dorms. How are you feeling?" Nezu chirped.
Mic's eyes glanced away from Toshinori for a fleeting second in order to address the principal.
"Yeah. Fine. Eraser was called away by Suneater to help Eri. Looks like her quirk is causing her pain. She needs him right now. I just went back there to get cleaned up. Also I came to see if Tsukauchi had given you the report regarding Kurogiri." Yamada barely hid a wince as he spoke the name. All Might grimaced in sympathy.
"Why, yes. He has. You don't have to worry, Yamada. It's all under control. I would advise for the time being that you and Aizawa take it easy. Today will have opened up many a terrible wound for you both. I expect both of you to take a few days emergency leave, at least until the end of the week to try and rest while you can. I assume you don't mind passing the message onto Eraserhead."
Yamada's brow shot up following the incredulous expression that crossed his face.
"You really think Aizawa will listen to anybody who tells him to take it easy. If anything this is gonna make him more fired up than he already is."
All Might snorted in amusement at the implication that Aizawa would ever do anything the easy way. Even he knew that. But then again the more he thought about it, Yagi supposed he could say the same thing about the man standing in front of him. Hell, he could say the same thing about himself. Even as a retired pro he couldn't bring himself to relax when the rest of the world was in chaos. That just wasn't who he was.
He was brought back to the present at the sound of Nezu chuckling.
"Yes I suppose you're right. That doesn't make me any less insistent on the matter. You two need to take care of yourselves and eachother right now."
Then it was Yamada's turn to laugh, albeit without the humour.
"Yeah, I'd love to be there the day Aizawa actually lets someone else take care of him for once. But sure, I'll pass on the message. See you next week, Sir."
And with that he was gone.
All Might stared after the man completely floored. There wasn't a single trace of Mic to be found within a second of that interaction. Tense shoulders, shaking hands, hollow eyes and dead smile. It was as though someone had simply gone up to Yamada and told him to be the complete opposite of his usual self in every sense of the word. Yagi had never heard him speak so formally or frankly quietly before.
He wouldn't exactly say he was close with Yamada. He would hardly say he'd even cracked the surface of knowing who he was when he wasn't on duty. But it didn't make him feel good to just watch him walk away like that. The fact caught up to him all too quickly that Yamada was about to leave by himself, go home by himself, most likely spend the rest of the day by himself.
Going off of what Nezu had told him, that was the way the man liked it. But it didn't sit right with him to just leave him alone while he was clearly upset, probably confused, scared and angry amongst other things.
If he knew Aizawa as well as he thought he did and as Mic definitely did, then it was highly unlikely the man would be willing to talk about what happened, much less allow himself to be comforted. But Yamada was a different story. He hadn't interacted with the other blonde nearly as much. He didn't know if Yamada would want to be comforted or willing to open up to him.
But he would try. Not as a hero this time. That wasn't his goal. He didn't want Mic to think he needed saving. He would try as a friend.
Yagi's mind wandered back to what Mic just said when he appeared in the doorway.
"Or you could just ask me yourself."
With his curiosity about the other man peaked following his brief conversation with Nezu, Yagi decided that he just might.
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For someone as good at appearing out of thin air as Yamada, it would appear he was also frustratingly good at disappearing as such. His car was still on the parking lot, meaning he was still roaming around here somewhere. Midnight, Vlad and Hound Dog hadn't seen him since he came back and had all just assumed he had gone home. With Aizawa not around, Yagi had been counting on Kayama given how close those two always seemed. There was a niggling feeling in the back of All Might's mind that told him they might be dating when he first started teaching at U.A, only for the two of them to quickly shut that idea down in an uproar of laughter. He didn't understand why that was so funny given the fact they were both attractive, funny and seemed to get along very well. Heck, even Aizawa seemed baffled by the implication that the two could be romantically involved. But he decided to leave it at that.
He had been about to give up as he wandered back through the halls before he caught sight of a silhouette walking up the stairway leading to the roof. Given his luck so far, he thought it unlikely that it was the very man he was looking for. But with little to no other option of where to look aside from the vents, he decided to chance it. The way to the roof had been closed off for a while now for safety reasons so he hoped that it wasn't a student for their sake at least.
It would seem as though luck was somewhat on his side after all as he caught sight of a very familiar pair of boots as he began making his way up the stairs.
It was only when he actually saw the man that Toshinori suddenly turned flustered and started second guessing himself, causing him to almost trip up the stairs in the process. He cursed himself under his breath as he quickly regained his balance, fretting over whether or not the other man had heard him.
"No point in trying to be quiet, man."
So that was a yes, then.
Sheepishly making the rest of the way up the stairs, All Might felt the bitter cold hit him in the face as he walked out onto the roof. He kept a guilty look pointed towards Yamada, who was looking at him with amusement, the barest hint of a smile creeping onto his face. There was a half burned cigarette in his left hand which was hanging through the railings over the edge.
"Sorry." All Might stuttered. "I didn't want to disturb you, I just saw you come up here."
Mic merely shrugged his shoulders, flicking ash off the end of the cigarette.
"It is what it is."
Yagi could only stare in response before his eyes turned back to the cigarette.
"Wouldn't have taken you for a smoker." He remarked.
Yamada barked a laugh.
"Yeah. I keep trying to quit but it's a hard habit to kick. Especially on days like this. Don't tell Kayama though, please."
The older man raised his hands in surrender. "Your secret's safe with me. But for the sake of your quirk and your own health I would gently request you to put that one out."
The voice hero shot him a blank stare before raising what was left of it stubbornly to his mouth. All Might matched the expression before holding his hand out determinedly.
"Come on. Hand it over." He beckoned with his fingers.
Yamada considered the outstretched hand for a second before slowly passing the butt of the cigarette over, watching as the elder pro stubbed it out and threw it over the railings while grumbling childishly under his breath in a way that made All Might smile.
He turned to Mic, observing the way that despite wearing his leather jacket, the man still seemed to be shivering, wrapping his arms around his middle and borrowing into himself for warmth.
"Come here." Yagi said, regaining the other man's attention as he shrugged off his coat and draped it over Mic's shoulders.
Yamada blinked at the action in surprise, looking wide eyed at the other blonde as he slid down to the floor next to him.
"Thank you." He responded earnestly.
"Wait, aren't you cold?"
Yagi chuckled lightly and lifted the left side of his jacket to pull around his own shoulders in response showing his big the jacket really was.
"You don't need to worry about that. Its All Might sized."
The two shared a small smile at that, something Yagi counted as a win.
"So, do you want to tell me what's wrong? I won't pry, I promise."
"You know what's wrong, All Might. Hell, you probably knew before Eraser and I found out."
He did. He wouldn't deny that.
But then Yamada's smile slipped completely.
"If you've only come up here to check on me, man-"
"I thought you could do with some company." The older man gently interrupted. "Though of course, say the word and I will walk away. I've been told by a few that I tend to come on a little strong and don't have a strong grasp on when someone wants to be left alone. But right now, the day you've had, I just thought you might like someone to talk to."
Yamada scoffed, "Firstly, the few who said that are idiots. Secondly, I appreciate what you're trying to do but I'm sure you've probably got better things to do than sit here with this pathetic loser."
All Might frowned almost offended himself that the other man would speak of himself in such a way.
"Careful now. I don't like hearing people insult my friends." The sight of Yamada's slightly surprised expression at the word stung slightly. To be fair he had probably brought that on himself. "And there's nothing pathetic about needing some time to process after what happened this morning. What you saw.....it must've been awful."
There was a small voice in the back of All Might's mind that chastised his choice of wording. Obviously what he saw was awful.
"That's one word for it." The other blonde replied in a hushed tone, eyes faraway as though he was reminiscing what he had seen.
All Might remained silent, completely letting Yamada call the shots. If he wanted to talk, he would wait until he did. If he didn't, then he would sit here until Mic asked him to leave.
"Its just weird, I guess." He eventually muttered. All Might hummed questionably.
"I've spent most of my life saying goodbye to people. Shirakumo wasn't the first. But he was the first person I had ever seen die in front of me before. No matter how many years passed, I never forgot his face, his smile, the way he used to always know what to say in the right moment." Yagi smiled encouragingly at the other man, dimming slightly when Yamada didn't return the sentiment.
"But after so long I started to forget his voice, his laugh, that know it all tone he used to have when he knew something was wrong. He just had this way of understanding people. And now for the life of me I can't remember what he sounded like."
Toshinori listened, reaching tentatively forward to place his hand on the smaller blonde's knee.
"He sounds like a remarkable person."
Mic laughed wryly. "He was. He was a better person than me, that's for sure."
Yagi's brow furrowed, "What makes you say that?" It didn't take a genius to see how good of a person Yamada was, not to mention an incredible friend to have on side. He was empathetic, easy to talk to when he wasn't armed, a great listener, on top of being fiercely protective of those closest to him. Toshinori, despite never being on the receiving end of it, had witnessed first hand what Mic's sharp tongue was capable of when it came to defending Aizawa or warning off the media.
"Because if I were to tell you the thoughts that are going on in my head after I saw what they did to my friends, you would never look at me the same way ever again."
Yagi froze at the dangerous edge to Mic's voice that made him shift awkwardly to stave off the full body shiver that threatened to rock through his veins.
"These thoughts are not that of a good person, All Might. If anything they're downright villainous. When I think about how someone can be that cruel...it fills me with rage. And it makes me feel scared." Mic continued, his voice tapering off with a whisper.
"What are you scared of?" Yagi asked, though he had a feeling he knew the answer.
"I'm scared of myself. Scared of how much pain I want to inflict upon the sick bastards who did this. Scared of what I might turn into. Never in my life have I ever wanted to lose control so badly and it terrifies me that if I'm having thoughts like this, then how can I possibly be any better than them?"
It was about part way through his ramble that Yagi intercepted, taking the others flailing hands gently into his own and and forcing him to look him in the eye.
"Now that's enough of that. You are nothing like the villains who did that to your friend, Mic. Having thoughts like this when someone has caused pain on you and the ones you love is something even the greatest heroes can sympathise with. The fact that you say these thoughts scare you already tells me that you recognise the consequences of acting as such and that itself tells me that you are a good person. You care so much that it pains you to see those closest to you hurt. Believe me when I say I know how that feels. Would you say that I am a bad person?"
Yamada balked at the sudden question, "No, of course not."
Then Yagi's smile was back, though not as prominent as before.
"I appreciate that. But my point is that wanting to lose control so badly, it doesn't make you a villain or any less of a hero. Wanting to let go and destroy the evil that caused you such pain makes you human. I'd feel alot more concerned for your welfare had you not opened up to me about this. Or anyone for that matter. I know you're a good person. On top of that I also know you're smart. You have an incredible ability to judge someone's character and recognise that anyone has the ability to snap when that pressure becomes just a little too much to bare. What's important is whether or not just anyone would have the ability to consider the consequences if they do. And I believe that is also why you're hiding out here rather than going home."
Yamada considered his words for a moment, though there was something else about the way he was looking at him. Almost hesitant. Like there were words he wanted to say on the tip of his tongue that he didnt trust himself to say out loud. Or rather, words he didn't trust Yagi to hear.
He remembered once when he just started teaching at U.A, after multiple feeble attempts to get along with Aizawa he wound up running into Mic. They'd ended up really talking for the first time, the first time since his arrival that he was really getting to know one of his coworkers on a personal level. For all of his noise that had been ever present since his first day, the first thing Yagi noticed about Mic was that he always seemed to dial it down when it came to having a one to one conversation with the man. And it was during that conversation that he quickly realised how much he had in common with the other blonde. To top it all off, despite the other members of the faculty presenting themselves as openly annoyed by Mic's behaviorisms and oddities, when he was alone with the man Yagi couldn't help but notice how sincere Mic was with every word that came out of his mouth. Despite how irritated other adults often seemed to be by his hero persona, Mic never had a bad word to say about them.
Though that's not to say he didn't have a problem putting them in their place if they pushed too far with their teasing and yelling at him to be quiet. The one person who he had never actually seen Mic drop his smile for was Aizawa. Yagi was painfully aware of the history between the two, more so after the last couple of days. But he also knew that if Aizawa really wanted Mic to leave him alone, he would have no problem telling him that. Hence why he approached Yamada to ask for advice on how to better approach the Erasure hero without putting him off.
The only advice he had received from Mic that day was that while it took time for Aizawa to become accustomed to any type of change, including whether that change was a person, sometimes all he needed was a little nudge.
Now the very same man was sitting before him, fully ready to bolt in the event that Yagi pushed him too far.
So he wouldn't push.
He would use Yamada's advice on himself.
And give the hurting man a little nudge.
"Mic, if there's anything at all you would like to get off your chest then I promise whatever is said between us on this roof will stay on this roof. If anyone else asks then they won't hear anything from me. I just want to know that you're gonna be okay when you leave."
Yamada continued to stare considering him a little longer before his pinched expression finally softened.
"I know what you're doing." He remarked, the faintest hint of amusement curving his lips as All Might was left subsequently fumbling. The older man quickly relaxed, releasing a throaty chuckle that made Yamada smile slightly wider.
"And there you go proving me right about you being smart. Should've seen that one coming I suppose."
He considered it a win when Mic shot him a fond look after letting out a disbelieving scoff.
But then his smile disappeared completely.
"I guess I'm just used to dealing with this kinda thing alone. Right now my hand is hovering over the self destruct button waiting for an opportunity. And I know the moment I get home I'm just gonna drink myself into oblivion and go to the studio tomorrow like nothing's wrong because I can't let anyone think that something could possibly be wrong. And I can't talk to Aizawa about it because I know that hes dealing with all of this too, plus hes got his kids and Eri to think about and hes supposed to be starting with her quirk training soon so shes gonna need all the help she can get. While on the other hand I've got no job to go to for however many days Nezu wants me to take off so I'm just gonna be left alone with my thoughts and-"
Yagi's head started spinning the moment the subject turned onto the kids, by which point all of Yamada's words started to just blend together in a spout of word vomit that rivalled the ability of young Midoriya.
"Mic. Mic! Yamada!" Yagi finally managed to stop his spiralling at the third attempt, bringing now erratic green eyes back to his. If what he just said wasn't so terrifying then All Might might've considered the whole deer in headlights look comical.
"Sorry, man." Yamada sounded sheepish. "I tend to ramble when I'm more than a little on edge."
All Might's brow shot up in surprise, having not expectedthe other man to apologise for something that he felt was perfectly justified.
"That's no reason to apologise. I just didn't want you to further upset yourself is all. You have absolutely nothing to apologise for. Besides, its not like you're the first person who has ever spiralled when they need to get something off their chest."
Yamada hummed thoughtfully, "Midoriya, right? Yeah, I've been on the receiving end of that one more than once too. Kid's like a jukebox. You put a quarter in, you get the full song."
Yagi laughed brightly at the metaphor, telling by the hint of laughter in his voice that there was no malice to it.
"To be fair it's not like I'm in any position to ridicule someone for being a chatterbox." Mic jibed at himself humorously, succeeding in widening the grin on All Might's face. It was an easy distraction to push the concern off of himself and one that had proven effective on multiple occasions throughout his life.
Unless you were the former number one pro hero of the world apparently.
All Might's smile didn't waver as he rose to his feet, leaving Yamada looking up at him curiously.
"Well, if what you're trying to avoid is going home alone, then why don't we make use of the time left in the day?" He asked, glancing back down at him.
"How do you mean?"
"You wanna take a walk with me?" Yagi asked. Yamada's eyebrow quirked in response and All Might shyly rubbed the back of his head.
"I mean I can't guarantee my company will be the most thrilling and I know it's cold out, but the thought of what you just said combined with the idea of letting you leave makes me rather uncomfortable. I'm more than a little familiar with the phrase 'misery loves company' if you catch my drift. I'm ashamed to say I haven't had the opportunity to get to know my coworkers all that well, but all the times I've interacted with you have been where I've felt the most welcome. And if it's not too much to ask, I would like to get to know you better. Though of course, if I'm overstepping any boundaries then-"
"You're not." Yamada interrupted effectively shutting Yagi up, both looking equally wide eyed at eachother.
Then a soft smile appeared on the younger blonde's lips.
"That....sounds nice."
All Might matched the look. Retired or not, his hero duties didn't ever just rely on saving people from villains or natural disasters. One duty that he could still uphold was his duty as a friend. The smile Yamada was giving him right now filled him with warmth. What he was offering wasn't much. But if this could in any way prevent the chances of the younger man being further hurt by what had happened, then All Might was all too happy to help.
Leather gloves stroked across his palm as Yamada took his outstretched hand to help him to his feet and he was then reminded of the whole look Mic had going on at the minute. One way or another he would need to question him on the fact that he apparently used to be in a band living in the states a few years ago and somehow as a man who spent his fair share of time living there himself, he had not been able to recognise him. He should ask about things like this of he wanted to get to know Yamada so badly. It might do him good to reminisce on different parts of his past.
Not to mention, Toshinori had a few stories in mind of his own that didnt involve hero work that he would be happy to share as the two of them passed the time.
For now, he was happy to walk alongside the other blonde and let him take the reigns until he had successfully distracted Mic from his pain.
Just for a little while.