Work Text:
Toshinori had many regrets in his life. Whether as his superhero persona as All Might or just as plain old Toshinori Yagi. He realized many things that were a part of him as he grew up. One key character trait remained prevalent throughout his entire life and that even with his many years of experience, he was above all else a fool. Toshinori truly realized that on the day he met one Midoriya Izuku.
The kid was starry-eyed when he looked up at him. All Might gave his classic grin with a thumbs-up as he saved yet another person. This particular villain was a nasty fella as All Might had tasked himself to capture and imprison him. He had barely gotten there in time to save the boy but luckily he did. It should’ve been another common day but fate had other plans as the kid, Midoriya grabbed a hold of his leg as if it was life or death when he had to say goodbye. Toshinori never realized how close that statement truly was until later on that day.
All Might landed on the closest rooftop he could find as soon as the kid made his presence known, making sure to hold onto him so he didn’t slip and fall. In truth, Toshinori was frustrated that day, it also didn’t help that he was at his daily limit so his brain shifted into automatic. He wished so badly to take the words he was going to say.
Midoriya was very apologetic as he rambled to his idol. He only took drastic actions because he wanted- no, needed to ask All Might the question he had craved for his whole life.
All Might scowled at the boy, frustration embedded into his tone as he spoke.
“Are you insane kid?! ” All Might yelled. Midoriya flinched back, All Might noticed but that didn’t deter him as he continued to scold the boy.
“My boy, you have to realize how close you just came to death and that would have been my fault for allowing that to happen. Do you understand what kind of danger you just put yourself in? What if you had slipped and I wasn’t able to catch you?! What would your parents think when I showed up at their door and told them their son died on my hand?! I’ve spoken to too many families saying how I couldn’t save their family members. I do not want to add another family who lost their son due to my negligence. Yet alone for a kid who was just a fanboy trying to get as much as my attention as they could get before I had to go. So tell me kid, what spirit possessed you to do such a dangerously risky stunt like that?” All Might crossed his arms, noticing steam coming from them making him panic. He had to finish this quickly before this kid posted his secret on twitter or something.
Midoriya had the decency to look ashamed as his eyes filled with tears. “I-I’m sorry All Might, I won’t take any more of your time but I just w-wanted to ask you one question.” Midoriya pleaded.
All Might nodded, sighing as he just needed this conversation to end. He was out of time and he could already feel the blood entering his single lung, threatening to come out at any moment.
Midoriya looked right at All Might’s eyes, tears shining in the sunlight. “C-Could I be a hero even i-if I am quirkless? I’ve dreamed my whole life to save people and you were the reason why. I n-need to know that I’m not just chasing after a dream I can’t reach.” Midoriya ended in a whisper, too emotional to put in any more mirth in his words.
All Might would have usually broken this softly, maybe even rationally tell the kid that he could be a hero in all sorts of different ways. There were police officers, therapists, firemen, even just a plain old person could be a hero if they so desired as long as they had the courage to do the right thing. All Might would’ve said that on any other day but today wasn’t the case.
All Might frowned, shaking his head at the boy. “No, my boy. It simply isn’t possible for a kid who is quirkless to become a hero. It may be a harsh truth but it’s a reality that people have to face.” All Might would’ve said some more comforting words if he hadn’t felt his body collapsing in on itself, he had to go.
All Might turned around, turning back at the boy one last time, noticing how the boy looked completely shattered. Toshinori frowned, scowling at himself but at least with this maybe the boy could be safe. Hero work was a dangerous profession, he knew all too well the toll it would take on a person both physically and mentally. As much as the world needed heroes, he could never wish this life on anyone. Toshinori’s legs powered up and he readied himself for one last jump.
“I’m sorry, my boy.” All Might whispered before taking off into the day. He didn’t make it very far as he landed in a random alley, shrinking into his skeleton form, blood pouring on the ground from his mouth as he coughed haphazardly. Toshinori collapsed on the wall behind him, taking a breather, every breath he took pained him to no end. He couldn’t help but think of that bright-eyed boy he left on that rooftop. He was harsh, he grimaced heavily as he couldn’t shake that broken look that kid had as his favorite hero told him his dreams were pointless. Toshinori tried shaking these thoughts out of his head as he got up to walk. He needed to turn this villain in. Self-hatred could happen later, it always did anyway.
Toshinori walked slowly out of the alley before catching his reflection in a window. He stared at himself for a solid minute as he traced his form on the window. He didn’t see the number one hero, all he saw was a broken man who shattered a boy’s dream due to his own frustration and impatience. Toshinori looked at his hand, it was covered in his own blood and shaking heavily. He clenched it as tears filled his eyes, what good was a hero who didn’t inspire others? What good was he without All Might? How was he any different from that boy he left on the rooftop? He was practically quirkless if not worse off than that boy but he still tried to make a difference. Why did he ever say that to the boy? What was wrong with him?
Toshinori made sure to secure the villain and left the alley, he was going to apologize to that boy after he dropped this villian off at the police station. He didn’t give a damn if he had to scrounge up some left-over power to get All Might back, that boy deserved better than the answer he gave him.
It took a solid thirty minutes for Toshinori to drop off the villain at Tsukauchi’s office. He gave a quick excuse and left in a hurry as he walked back to where he left that kid. Tsukauchi usually wanted to speak to Toshinori when he dropped off villains but he let the matter go as he saw the determination in his friend’s eyes. The detective let him be as the number-one hero left without another word.
Toshinori searched for a good hour, checking the rooftop, local stores, even local alleyways but nothing came up. He even started to ask strangers if they had seen a green-haired boy. Most people left him on deaf ears, he wasn’t too surprised given his appearance but it still hurt. He decided to resort to underhand tactics as he started saying he was the boy’s uncle to people he talked to. Most people still ignored him but it did make people talk to him more and finally he caught a break as a nice-looking couple told them that the kid went in the direction of the beach. Toshinori thanked them heavily before rushing off in that direction. It wasn’t until sunset that Toshinori finally found the boy but dear God he did not like where the boy stood.
Toshinori saw him on a fairly high building, his legs swinging on the edge making him panic. Without All Might at his disposal, Toshinori climbed all 10 floors without a second thought in record speed. He finally made it to the top but stopped as he reached the final door. Last thing he wanted to do was startle the boy and send him over the edge. He opened it quietly, closing the door behind him softly.
The kid hardly had a reaction but Toshinori knew the kid sensed his presence with his ears twitching slightly toward him. The kid didn’t say a word as Toshinori approached slowly, seemingly content at staring at the sunset. It was a beautiful sight and Toshinori definitely would’ve enjoyed it if he wasn’t so worried for the boy’s safety.
Toshinori was ten feet away before the kid spoke, his voice filled with sobs. “D-Don’t get closer. J-Just leave whoever you are. You wouldn’t want t-to be n-near me anyways.”
Izuku hugged himself as he kept on crying, staring down at the ground. He was gonna do it, right as the sunset ended, finally no one would have to deal with quirkless Midoriya, not his mom, not Bakugou, certainly not All Might. All he did was waste the hero’s time, he didn’t need to be worried over some quirkless loser.
Toshinori took a calming breath, knowing he had to choose his words carefully. “Kid… Mind telling me what’s got you out here? I know the sunset’s beautiful but don’t you think it would be much nicer to see at the beach? I can take you to a good spot I know? Why don’t you take my hand and get off that ledge?”
Toshinori tried reaching a hand out but the kid scowled at him as he turned around. “G-Get the fuck away from m-me?! D-Don’t you understand! I’m quirkless! I’m some kid you have to save, there’s nothing to salvage from me! Go take care of the kids with quirks, I’ll just be another afterthought in everyone’s minds.” Izuku’s breath was labored as his emotions kept spiraling, the sunset was already starting, it was only a matter of time.
Toshinori retracted his hand, thinking of ways he could salvage this. He let his heart speak for once, showing the boy no one outside of him didn’t know.
“I can’t say that I know what you’re going through but… I do know what it’s like to feel powerless.” Toshinori made eye contact with the boy, his face had so much anguish and it only made his heart shatter. He took a small step, easing closer to the boy as he kept on speaking.
“I have a quirk but with my age and my injury, it’s starting to fade. It’s something that’s been tearing me up on the inside and I’m powerless to do anything about it. ” Toshinori lifted his shirt, showing his grotesque scar, making the boy flinch.
“I-I’m sorry…” Midoriya whispered, feeling bad for the man.
Toshinori smiled softly, even in the kid’s worst day of his life he still cared for others. Oh he so desperately wished he could’ve done the same.
“I used to help so many people but with each passing day I can only do so much with my power fading. I’ve felt so powerless to do anything that some days it's hard to even acknowledge the good I even did.” Toshinori took another couple steps forward, the kid backed away ever so slightly making Toshinori freeze. He reached his hand out yet again, this time close enough that the boy could reach out to him if he wanted to.
“I don’t know what’s happening in your life, my boy, but know that no matter what anyone else says, you can still do good in this world. Quirkless or not.”
Midoriya froze at that simple phrase, tears shedding faster than he could control as he kept staring down at the ground beneath him. His whole life he had just wanted someone, anyone to tell him he could be a hero, that he can do good in this world even without a quirk. It was all he ever wanted, maybe it was just the feeling of finally feeling something other than despair. Maybe he didn’t even need to hear the words from All Might, although I guess he just had hope that his hero would’ve told him the same thing.
Midoriya stared at the open hand and back down to the ground, maybe one more day couldn’t hurt. If anything, there was always another sunset to watch. Izuku reached out to the man’s hand but he wasn’t careful enough. His body slipped off the ledge, Midoriya looked at the man one last time, pure fear in his eyes as he saw the boy fall out of his grasp. The boy only smiled, at least one person tried to save him.
Toshinori leaped at the boy, grasping his hand right as the boy fell over the ledge. The grip was weak but Toshinori held on as he used his other hand to try to get a grip on the ledge. The boy stood there hanging from the building, fear in him as he stared up at the man.
Toshinori looked down at the kid, trying to smile but failing as his grip started to fail, he didn’t get a good hold on the boy and he was too weak to pull him back over. Izuku felt his hand start to slip, he bit back a cry, staring back at the man who tried to save him. He didn’t want anyone else to get hurt by his poor choices.
“Let go.” Midoriya said tiredly.
Toshinori refused, he had already failed this kid once he was not doing it again. “Don’t even think about it, kid. I’m getting you off this rooftop even if it kills me!”
That was the wrong thing to say as Midoriya looked at the man, his grip was failing and his body was slowly being pulled over the edge. Izuku could only pray that the man could forgive him. Toshinori gasped as the kid used the wall to kick himself out of his grip, time seemed to slow down as the boy fell.
Toshinori didn’t hesitate for much longer, power flared in his body, All Might in full force as he used the wall to do the same thing that Midoriya did and boost him towards the falling boy.
“ I am here! ”
With his power, Midoriya didn’t even meet the halfway mark as All Might gathered him in his arms and shielded him from the crater he made along the road and towards an alleyway.
All Might looked down and was relieved as he saw the boy in his arms. His power dissipated in the next second, showing Toshinori back in his true form. Izuku gasped as All Might revealed himself to be the man he talked to on the roof. He sobbed as he thought he was injured. Midoriya was panicking as he searched the man for injuries, becoming even more alarmed as the man woke up spewing blood out of his mouth.
“N-No All Might! It’s ok! I’ll get you to a hospital.” Midoriya was about to literally drag the man before he felt All Might’s hands feeling him around. Toshinori could care less about his identity as he made sure to check the boy for injury. He took a deep breath, relieved to find none.
“I’m glad to see you ok, my boy.” Toshinori coughed up a bit more blood before sitting up.
Midoriya was still panicking as he thought he caused this, too worried to think rationally. “Oh God, I-I’m so sorry! I c-caused this! All Might I swear I didn’t mean to hurt you!”
The man quieted the boy by pulling him into a hug, his body wracking in soft cries. “I-I should be the one apologizing, my boy. I was wrong to leave you on that rooftop and I was wrong to tell you that you couldn’t be a hero.”
Midoriya looked ashamed and untrusting as All Might broke the hug. “You don’t have to try to lie to me, All Might. I know you meant what you said back on that rooftop.”
Toshinori made sure the boy was looking at him by grabbing his hand. “ No. I was the fool, I took out my frustrations on a boy who only wanted advice on what he wanted to do. I was the idiot and I meant every word I said to you back on that ledge up there. You do have the capacity to be a hero, quirk be damned. ”
Midoriya was still cautious but nodded anyway. Toshinori noticed and smiled as he thought of an idea.
“To prove what I said to you earlier. I will train you, my boy, i-if you’re up for it of course.” Toshinori said quickly, he didn’t want to pressure the boy.
The boy’s mood shifted dramatically as he jumped up and down, agreeing automatically to All Might’s proposal. Toshinori smiled genuinely for the first time in a while as the boy led him back to his home, talking rapidly on how he saw all of his movies and tv shows, including all the several limited edition mangas that were scarce all across Japan.
Toshinori didn’t feel worthy of his powers for many moments in his life, but in that moment, he certainly felt it, and he hoped Midoriya felt the same.