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It’s after school hours and Izuku has been standing outside of his homeroom class door for 5 minutes.
He knows Aizawa holds office hours after school and no one takes him up on it. He might be the first.
He’s scared but he’s here, and he’s been standing out in the hallway for 5 minutes.
6 minutes.
He sighs and thinks that he should just go home. Maybe he can try again tomorrow, where he’ll probably stand outside for another 5 minutes before giving up. Rinse and repeat.
He knows he needs to tell Aizawa about his quirk before he cripples himself further. He also knows he can’t tell him about everything because of what All Might said.
This is a secret, my boy. No one can know.
He shudders, trying to dispel the memory from his mind. He thought All Might would help him but-
The door opens and Aizawa’s on the other side, sleeping bag in one arm and coffee in hand.
“Problem child.” If he’s startled to see Izuku there he doesn’t show it. Wow, what a true testament to being a hero. Izuku bets nothing phases him.
“Sensei! Hi, um,” spit it out Izuku, “can- can we talk? I think– I need help.” Izuku pauses and adds belatedly, “please?”
When Shouta started teaching, the first thing he implemented was office hours in his classroom. Just two hours, nothing extreme. He wants students to actually come to him to ask questions, whether it be class help, quirk help, or personal help. He’s very willing to provide it.
Contrary to popular belief, he’s not an asshole. He also doesn’t announce his office hours. Out loud. It’s on the information sheet he gives out on the first day, if the kids don’t read it, that’s not his fault. UA does have amazing resources, they have to; they’re the top hero school out East.
Regardless, out of the ten years of him teaching at UA, only a handful of students have actually utilized his office hours. Those students are now the Big Three of UA. He’s so proud of them.
He does wish that more of his students would use the resources available to them; they can succeed further if they did. What he didn’t wish for, was the absolute trainwreck that is Midoriya Izuku’s life. Suddenly, he feels much older than he actually is.
“So,” he starts off, “you’re telling me that you manifested your quirk a mere two weeks ago?”
Midoriya nods minutely, not moving his gaze from his shoes, where they had been since he finished his story.
Quirkless red, he should’ve noticed that.
Trying not to sigh, he’s not upset; he doesn’t need the kid to think that. “Alright, I’m assuming you’ve got no counseling,” Midoriya flinches, “that’s alright, we have counselors we can set you up with for quirk help.”
Midoriya frowns.
Gods above help him. “Or I can counsel you myself. Just know that I will not be coddling you or treating you like a 4 year old who just got his quirk. You know better.”
“Thank you.” Midoriya says softly, “I… realized I couldn’t do it by myself. I keep hurting and it’s not great.”
“The first step is hard but you’ve taken it.” Shouta praises, “I’ll draw up a training plan for you, but in the meantime, I don’t want you to be using your quirk.”
Midoriya’s face colors lightly, “Yes, Sensei.”
Shouta scrutinizes him before nodding, satisfied the kid won’t be reckless. “Good, come by the teacher’s lounge tomorrow during lunch and I’ll give you the plan. We’ll start training after school, after,” he emphasizes, “my office hours.”
“Okay, yeah I– makes sense.” Midoriya hesitates, “will there be a meal plan?”
Interesting. Why?
“The only reason I will be implementing a meal plan is if you’re constantly eating junk food. As a hero in training, you should be eating a balanced meal, plenty of fruits and vegetables. Of course, I am aware you’re a teenager and there are snacks that are tempting.” Shouta sighs, “If you want meal prepping help, I won’t mind sending you over to Lunch Rush for that.”
Also not well known, Lunch Rush freely helps with anything involving food.
Midoriya nods hesitantly, “Okay.”
“Good. Now about therapy–”
Toshinori has been trying to catch his wayward successor the entire day. He doesn’t remember the boy being so slippery. No matter, Midoriya will have to talk to him eventually.
He just needs clarification, that’s all. Surely he must’ve misheard young Aizawa, when he mentioned quirk training with Midoriya. He can’t fathom a reason why he would need extra training. He’s already in UA, which provides sufficient training for hero hopefuls!
Unless, the boy blabbed. He’s always been a nervous mumbler, but Toshinori didn’t take him to be disloyal. Toshinori knows that he specifically told Midoriya that he mustn’t tell anyone about the quirk. He doesn’t know about the enemies. Yes All for One is dead, but it’s a powerful quirk. Many are envious, he doesn’t want to see the downfall of his successor so soon. And yet–
Toshinori looks up and watches as Midoriya, fragile and young, walks into the teacher’s lounge.
“Um-”
“My boy!” Toshinori interrupts what he was going to say, he already knows, “I didn’t know you were coming to have lunch with me!”
Midoriya hesitates, poor thing must be flustered at the attention, “Actually–”
“Let’s eat in my office! I have much to tell you about my day.” Toshinori grins at him as he steers Midoriya into his office.
The door slams behind them with a finality that has Izuku cringing. He knows All Might has been looking for him, he just hoped he wouldn’t pin him down so early in the day. Annoying.
“All Might!” He beams, “I brought rice and veggies, did you want to share?”
Be nice. He’ll be nice back.
“Ah, no,” fuck. “Young Midoriya, I had a question. It seems silly now, but I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.” All Might laughs loudly. Double fuck. Izuku hates him.
“Oh?” Izuku tilts his head, eyes wide, “Misunderstanding?”
Toshinori lets himself relax and hope a little. Of course his perfect successor wouldn’t betray him like that. Of course Toshinori was “jumping the gun”, as Americans like to say.
He looks at his successor, at how confused he looks. Midoriya knows nothing, of course.
“Ah,” Toshinori smiles conspiratorially, “well I overheard something young Aizawa say and I wanted to confirm with you, but obviously he was misinformed!”
Midoriya frowns, “Misinformed about what, if I may ask?”
So polite! What a good kid.
“He was talking nonsense about extra training,” Toshinori chuckles, “he mentioned your name specifically! As if we’re not already in UA, imagine.”
Yes, just a misunderstanding. Midoriya will get flustered, deny everything because he’s loyal and will only rely on–
“Oh, that.” Midoriya puts down his chopsticks. What?
“I did ask for Aizawa-Sensei’s help with quirk training.”
All Might loses his smile.
Izuku watches as Yagi loses his smile and withholds a sigh. Here we go.
He’s actually surprised at how long both of them were able to go on with their personas. He wondered, albeit morbidly, how long and far they were both willing to go; pretending to not notice how they were pretending with each other. Using each other for their own selfish end goals. He knows Yagi’s not a good person. He can’t be not when–
Izuku focuses back on Yagi, he’s tense. He doesn’t know this version of Yagi and he’s wary. He’s also very tired. Izuku deserves proper training and support, and he’s not willing to sacrifice his body and bones to cater to a selfish hero, who doesn’t know when to retire. Years of mistreatment and abuse have been built up to make one Midoriya Izuku, he will not waste his time at UA.
“Why?” Huh? “Why are you betraying me?”
“What?” Izuku’s confused, “asking for extra help isn’t a slight against you, All Might. I just need to stop breaking bones like crackers.”
“You don’t understand. No one can know about the quirk, young Midoriya. I thought I told you this.” All Might stands, calm and eerily. Izuku doesn't like this, he stands as well and tries a different route.
“A-all Might! I didn’t tell him, I promise! I didn’t betray you, please!” He pleads. He needs this to end quickly so he can get his training plan and go back to his classes. Pretend the slip never happened.
Yagi frowns, “I don’t think I can forgive you for this, my boy.” He’s not listening, ugh.
“If you can’t follow the rules, you won’t get to keep the quirk.”
What? Izuku wasn’t prepared for this. He didn’t plan for this, of course he didn’t, it’s bullshit. Why would Yagi ever take the quirk back? It wasn’t ever in the cards, the realm of possibility. Izuku didn’t even think that could happen. How would that work, logistically?
A student gets into a prestigious school with a shiny, powerful quirk. Then, poof! Suddenly, the student is quirkless? Again. That would raise many questions and many red flags. How is that possible? How can that student keep being in the hero program? Questions he doesn’t want to field or answer. Nor does he feel like giving his quirk back to the asshole in front of him.
“I’m not giving it back.” Izuku stands firm. He won’t.
“I wasn’t asking, young Midoriya. That quirk is mine.”
“Not anymore! You gave it to me and said it was now mine. Which means that I can tell who I want about it, which I haven’t! I can, also, train with who I want to make sure I don’t explode and DIE.” He’s tired, he wants to leave this room and go back to class. Izuku doesn’t deserve this bullshit.
“Now, let’s not be hostile. We know you’re not managing the quirk well, and being in hero school is stressful as it is. Perhaps I was right when I told you to be realistic.” Yagi muses.
Izuku burns.
“How dare you?” He seethes. Yagi looks taken aback. Good, Izuku thinks, vindictively, watch this.
“Sho,” Hizashi whines.
Shouta sighs, “I’m not interested in your whining, we have papers to grade.”
A loud sound comes from Yagi’s office. Shouta frowns, his, the kid’s in there. Everyone saw how Yagi ushered him in.
“Um,”
Shouta stands up, slowly, disregarding the papers in front of him.
“WHY ARE YOU SO HELLBENT ON CONTROLLING ME? HOW DARE YOU? I’M NOT A PUPPET TO BE CONTROLLED FOR YOU TO LIVE VICARIOUSLY THROUGH ME AND I’M SICK AND TIRED OF IT AND–”
Loud sobs cut off the yelling, but Shouta’s already in the room, quirk activated, capture weapon floating around him.
He takes in the scene. Sees Yagi, that fucker, staring at Midoriya with a contempt he’s never seen before. Sees Midoriya sobbing, table broken in front of him, couch thrown against the wall behind him. Shouta sees the bruising starting to form on Midoriya’s body, the way he curls into himself to protect his vital organs from a threat.
His eyes narrow in on Yagi. He watches as the number one hero deflates and looks at him in surprise.
“Ah, young Aizawa!” Yagi smiles, “no need to worry, Midoriya has always been emotional. He’ll get over it.”
Magnanimous motherfucker. What an asshole.
Shouta throws his capture weapon expertly and has Yagi down in less than 5 seconds. Nedzu should be here soon, he thinks. He makes sure the man is secure– and gagged, before crossing the room to Midoriya.
“Kid,” Shouta says gently, putting a hand on his shoulder, “Are you alright?”
Midoriya practically throws himself at Shouta and starts sobbing harder as he tries to speak.
“Hey, let’s breathe first, then explain, okay?” He’s so out of his depth with this. He pats Midoriya’s back stiltedly. He can hear Hizashi snickering at him, from where he stands next to Yagi.
Midoriya nods and takes a shaking breath. “All Might didn’t like that you’re going to give me extra training.”
Shouta frowns, “why?”
The kid shrugs and mumbles, teenagers, Shouta thinks fondly, “says he doesn’t get why we need more training when we’re already in school.”
What?
“He also,” Midoriya sniffs, “thinks that our quirks are similar and I should train the same way he did at my age.”
Midoriya shudders, “a mini-me, he said.”
Hook, line and sinker.
Izuku wraps his arms around Aizawa a little tighter and sniffs some more. Gods it feels good, he should’ve done this earlier. Not hug Aizawa, that’s – no. He should’ve tossed Yagi to the curb sooner. The man was already overbearing as it was, but trying to control him? No thanks, Izuku could do without.
Soon Nedzu, Nedzu!, will come in and Izuku will explain the full story. Explain One for All, bringing Aizawa and Yamada into the loop, making Yagi mad in the process. Nedzu, bless him, can’t fire Yagi, fuck the HPSC, but he can limit his teaching; make his life hell. Izuku admires Nedzu.
And if Izuku stays in Aizawa’s arms for longer, that’s his business, and his alone.