Chapter Text
He remembered hearing a story when he was a kid about a guy who held the sky up. He never thought he would relate. The building was heavy, and he swore he could feel his bones creak under the weight. He blinked away the tears, Shoto had fought his way down to help him thinking that he could shore the building up with his ice. He was doing his best not to look at where the man now lay his sightless dead eyes staring at him accusingly.
“Deku, where the fuck are you? Get out of here the building is coming down.” He could hear the pain in Kacchan’s voice.
“I can’t.” He looked at the child coughing weakly at his feet. He didn’t know who she was, but he was hoping someone could get her out. Both her legs were broken. “I have a civilian down here and I can’t–”
“Fuck them Deku. Get out!”
“She’s a kid. I’m trying to hold on until someone–”
“God damnit Deku no one is coming. I’m pinned and the fire is spreading. Kiri is down for good.” He heard Kacchan sob over the mic and he swore he could feel his heart break. “You have to get out.”
Something shifted above him and he fell to his knees barely managing to miss the child. She was awake now and curled up to him crying in pain. “It’s going to be okay honey, I am here.” He told her. Trying to comfort her, he bit back the scream as his arm snapped.
“Forget the fucking kid and leave. Please.” Tears were falling onto the girl's face and she weakly reached up and wiped them away.
“I’m not going to leave you.” He forced a watery smile.
“Fuck.” He heard the pain in Katsuki’s voice. “Deku, the fire is spreading fast. I don’t want you to hear this–”
“Do not turn off your mic.” It was a demand but Katsuki just gave a weak laugh.
“Not the boss of me nerd. Listen, I thought I had more time. That we had more–” He was cut off by a wet cough.
“Don’t turn off your mic. Kacchan please!” The rubble above him shifted again and he was barely hanging on. “I thought we had more time too. I need to tell you–” before he could finish that thought there was a crashing sound and the mic went dead. “Kacchan? Kacchan! Please! I have to tell you that I love you! Kacchan!”
“Hey Mr. Deku?” It was the first time in a while the girl had spoken, he couldn’t see where the blood was coming from as it dripped from somewhere in her dark hair, but her eyes were sad and kind, if crinkled with pain.
“Yeah honey, don’t worry, help is coming.” He hated lying and by the look she shot him she knew it.
“Mr. Deku, if you had a wish, what would you wish for?” Her hand tightened on his arm as she tried to pull herself up on her broken legs. Despite the conditions he thought about it. The first thing he thought was time. He wanted more time. With Kacchan, with his friends. He felt like so much was wasted. But what really came to mind was he wished he could go back to when he got his quirk. If he knew then what he knew now, maybe his arms would be strong enough to get them out of here. He would have been able to save Shoto. He wouldn’t have wasted so much time. He tried not to scream as the rubble shifted again and he felt another bone snap. “It’s Okay Mr. Deku. Dying only hurts for a second.”
He didn’t know if this was dying, one second it was dark, and the next a bright light seemed to be growing. Pain, a burning tearing pain seemed to flash through his entire body and he closed his eyes, losing the battle with the scream bubbling in his chest.
“Eat this!” What the fuck? He opened his eyes and in front of him stood All Might in his former bulking glory, holding out a hair to him. Looking around he realized he was on the beach and for once, there was no pain in his body. His younger body. What the fuck?”
*
*
*
“Young Midoriya?” Ok maybe this was one of those life flashing before your eyes as he died. At least if it was he would have a chance to see Kacchan again. Taking the hair he choked it down and tried to remember exactly what he did next. The exam! Oh shit, it had been years since he took the entrance exam, what if he couldn’t remember anything? Would he get kicked out of his own flashback? But as he moved through the city, everything felt too much, too real. His breath caught in his throat as he saw Katsuki, his signature teenage scowl on his face.
“Kacchan!” Rushing to the blonde boy he grabbed him. “Kacchan!” He could tell Katsuki wanted to pull away but something in Izuku’s face gave him pause.
“What is it?”
“We don’t have time right now, but I have so much to tell you. You are the most important person to me and I don’t want to keep anything from you.” He had never seen that confused puppy look on Katsuki’s face before and it was oddly cute. “Wait for me after the practical please?”
Katsuki’s face hardened, but he could still see the curiosity burning in those bright red eyes. “Tsk. Fine, but only to see what the fuck you are on about.”
“Whatever you say.” Could this be real? Could he really have traveled back in time to a time before everything went to shit? There was so much he could change! Was this a quirk? As he walked into the school he tried to think about the last thing the little girl said to him. What was it she asked him, something about a wish? He wished for more time didn’t he? No. That wasn’t what he wished for, he wished to go back in time and– oh he forgot about this part he interrupted his own thought train as he tripped over the raised brick. Despite his fourteen year old body, he was a trained hero. Before Uraraka who was standing near could use her quirk to stop his fall, in a practiced move he rolled forward popping back to his feet. Damn in his real time that would have sent pain shooting all the way through his body. He had felt so much older than his twenty two years.
“Oh my god that was so cool!” He turned and smiled at her.
“It’s just using your own momentum to find your footing again. When we are in class together I can teach you.” He forgot how happy she used to be before everything went wrong. If this ended up being permanent, he was going to make sure that she didn’t lose that spark. He was going to protect everyone this time.
Once the test was in front of him, surprisingly he remembered everything, breezing through. He could feel Katsuki beside him glaring at him. To be honest, having his undivided attention was gratifying. Izuku smirked, god he remembered a time that he would be flustered and stumbling over words, but there was too much history, he knew the boy too much after all these years. Although he supposed that Katsuki wouldn’t know their history. Ugh time travel gave him a headache. Before he knew it, it was time for the practical. He had been so lost in thoughts he missed Tenya yelling at Present Mic.
“What the fuck is going on nerd?” This time under his gruff voice there was a note of something that sounded almost like concern.
“I promise I will explain everything after the practical. I should have never tried to keep anything from you. Just promise me you will hear me out?” He felt like Katsuki was searching his soul as he looked at him.
“Fine. But you tell me what the fuck is wrong with you ass soon as the practical is over.” He couldn’t help it, and he knew Katsuki would not thank him, or forgive him for that matter, but he threw his arms around the angry blonde holding him tight. To his credit, he didn’t pull away, seeming to understand that Izuku needed this, even though he didn’t hug back.
Getting to the exam area, this time he was prepared to go when Mic said, pulling full cowling around him like an old friend. He didn’t bother counting how many points he was getting, just having fun taking out robots like the others were having. It was only when Ayoma flew by with his navel laser that he was reminded of how much he had to remember. At this point Ayoma would still be under the threat of all for one. For that matter, None of the League minus Shigaraki would be under his thumb quite yet. He knew because one night when him and Shoto were studying they tracked Dabi’s villain activity. It wasn’t until the start of the hero killer getting popular that there were any murders credited to him. Until then it was all petty theft and muggings. Things, that while horrible, could be understood for someone trying to survive. That meant Izuku had a small window of time where he might be able to get through to him.
People started running and he could feel the vibrations under his feet. The zero pointer. He knew he could take it out without destroying his arms, well he thought he could. Even with full cowling he could only use a small percentage of One for all. But what he could be was fast. Within seconds he had her unpinned, and with her lightning them was able to have her whisked away to safety without even spraining his ankle.
Despite the euphoria of being able to do things right this time, and not embarrassing himself– he didn’t even get a lecture from Tenya– doubt creeped in. Was this cheating? Should he be trying harder to do things the way he had before even if it meant destroying his body once again? No. He refused. He didn’t want to admit it before- or later- god time travel was a huge headache, But there were times he almost failed because of the pain his broken and repaired body had been through. He decided that the best course of action would be to tell the truth, and let the adults decide. And that shouldn’t be such a relief. That he wasn’t considered an adult anymore that he could literally sit back and let someone take care of it. Although that may change if he does tell the truth. And there was the headache again.
“Young Midoriya, what was that?” He perked up as his mentor arrived.
“Did you see? I did amazing right?” but for some reason All Might did not look happy.
“I expected you to at least break an arm, you shouldn’t be strong enough to use–”
“Oh I’m not. I think that was at most two percent and I could feel some strain on my bones at that. Wait– The whole time you knew I wouldn’t be able to wield it?” He was confused why didn’t All Might look proud of him? “Anyway as I get stronger my body will be able to handle more of one for all. But we need to talk to some people can you get me a meeting with Nedzu and Aizawa? If things go like they did before they need to know everything.”
“Everything? You mean expose my quirk? No young Midoriya that is quite impossible. This has to be a secret. I thought you understood that.” This was not going the way he thought it would.
“Well, it is my quirk now, and you had your own support system in place, I deserve one of my own. Besides it isn’t just the quirk I need to tell them–”
“I’m sorry, but if you insist on telling people I am going to have to ask you to return One for all to me. You are apparently the wrong choice.” He held his hand out expectantly. “I thought you would be obedient and grateful. Not talking back to me and not using my quirk properly.”
A sinking feeling came across him. “No.” He couldn’t give it back that would change too much. He had to be a hero.
“How dare you say no to me!” Of all the things he expected from the moment he got sent back, All might striking him across the face was not one of them.
“No wonder you were such a shitty teacher, you only saw me as an extension of you and your quirk. You never expected me to be my own person.”
“You were supposed to be my legacy. But if you won’t obey I’ll find someone who will. Even if I have to rip my quirk out of you myself.” All Might was standing over him menacingly and for the first time ever, Izuku was scared of him.
“Oi nerd! Am I walking you home or not?” He didn’t know how long Kacchan had been listening but he had never been more grateful for him.
“Yeah! I’m coming.” He ducked under All might’s arm and practically hid behind the other boy, his heart swelling with affection as Katsuki stepped in front of him hiding him from view. He glared at the older hero for a few seconds before taking hold of his arm and dragged him away. Izuku still didn’t relax until they were off school grounds. As soon as they were a decent distance away Katsuki slammed him against a wall.
“Talk Deku.” He was so close Izuku could feel his breath on his face and a familiar feeling pooled in his stomach.
“Oh wow, how the fuck did I not realize I was gay until much later?” The shock on the other boys face made him chuckle. “It’s a long story but how do you feel about time travel?”
*
*
*
*