Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You loved the rain.  

Watching the way it hit your window, the calming sounds of rainfall- book in hand, curled up in your favorite blanket at home, warm and protected from the autumn shower outside... yeah, with those circumstances rain storms were a thing that usually brought peace upon your tired soul. Unfortunately, you were not wrapped in warmth reading some new purchase from half-priced books but were, instead, trapped in a chilling autumn rain storm, shivering and soaked, and very much not at peace. 

Wet, heavy rain boots splashed against the soaked concrete as you searched for your desired place of shelter against the now pouring rain, clutching your leather briefcase to your chest as you used your other hand to shield your eyes from the downpour. Golden neon was being reflected across the wet sidewalk a little less than a block away, and you felt relief fill you as you picked up your already hurried pace, water spilling off of your coat and soaking your jeans.

You had been on your way back from an interview at a clinic down by your current apartment, nervously picking at your clothes and hands as you replayed your conversation with your possibly future employer in your head non-stop when the rain had started.

You had seen the forecast for the evening earlier, before you left in a panicked rush because you were afraid you’d be late to your interview, so in an attempt to be prepared for the storm you had thrown on your rain boots and hauled ass out your front door.

Of course, that did little to nothing to stop you from being soaked because your scatterbrained brilliance had forgotten the most helpful tool against the freezing rain:

Your umbrella.

So, you resorted to curling yourself against your belongings and running to the place you had recently claimed as a happy thinking place.

Your boots slid to a stop when you reached the glowing sign that read ‘Honeybee Café', the windows full of a warm orange light that contrasted the cold blue of the outside, even just seeing the liveliness of the inside of the café was making you feel warm (although not enough to ward off the shivers you had acquired from your time in the rain).  

Shaking yourself off quickly in an unsuccessful attempt to rid the water droplets clinging to you, you pushed through the glass door with a little bee sign reading ‘Open’ on it, hearing the faint ‘ ting ’ of the small bell attached to the door’s frame announcing your presence to the cozy coffee shop. The employees gave you a cheerful, ‘Welcome in!’, in which you replied with some kind of mumbled greeting before taking in the warm, dry atmosphere.

It wasn’t crowded, thankfully, but it seemed you weren’t the only one who was using the Honeybee as refuge against the steady downpour raging outside. A couple of teenagers with fun colored hair and various piercings were situated in the back corner, taking turns showing off videos and images on their phones, loudly laughing and occasionally taking sips of their drinks.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, sitting at a small two-seater table was an older couple gently talking to one another, hands sitting on the table between them with fingers knit together.

You smiled slightly at that, ‘Cute.’ You thought, your boots squelching slightly as you went to take your spot behind another group of mostly dry teens who were finishing up their order.

“-Alright, you’re all good to go, please wait over here for your order and we’ll have it out shortly.” The small barista with golden honey-colored eyes and hair, who looked to have a bee quirk, said warmly before he looked at you, silently telling you it was your turn at the register, before his smile grew slightly and he gave you a little wave over as you approached.

“Hello, Miss; got caught in the rain? It’s only been a couple days since we last saw you, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re becoming quite the regular!” The young man in front of you laughed, his antennae flicking in amusement as your face grew warm.   

“Heh, yeah, it’s pouring out there... and I guess you could say that, y'all have yourselves quite the cozy operation here.” You smiled, embarrassed that he had noticed how often you had been coming in lately.

You had found this place on a walk a couple weeks ago, not long after you first moved in, and had fell in love with the general friendly vibes the place gave off. Finding a place to get familiar with that wasn’t your apartment really helped you get settled in, especially after such a big change in scenery.

That and they had a wide variety of teas and really good lemon bread.

The barista, who’s chalkboard nametag read Bruno, smiled at your embarrassment and tapped at his screen, placing a new order. “Well, I’m glad you think so, we appreciate returning company.” Another happy flick of his antennae.

“Anyway, what can I get for you today?”

You looked up in thought, your hair still damp and your skin covered in goosebumps from the icy rain. You needed something... warm, something to get your body temperature back up to a comfortable level.

After a short moment, you decided. 

“One medium apple cider, please.” 

Luckily for you, by the time your drink had been paid for and prepared you had noticed your usual spot had not been taken by an elderly couple or group of teens.

Holding your hot cider in both hands you made your way to the one booth placed next to one of the outwards facing windows, sitting down at an angle where you could take turns looking out into the stormy outside and the warm seating area of the café.

Setting down your drink, you reached down to pull your brief case into your lap, using your coat’s sleeve to dry the damp brown leather. You unclasped the two buckles keeping the bag from spilling its contents out and pulled out your laptop, mouse, and the psychological thriller book you were currently engrossed in.

You thought it was kind of ironic that you, a (currently unemployed) therapist, would enjoy spending so much time out of work analyzing the characters in said horror/thrillers trying to understand them. You’d think you’d get tired of it and want to switch off the psychologist's instinct when not at work, but here you were.

Finally getting settled in you picked up your drink, taking a small sip, smiling at the warmth that travelled down into your stomach and into your limbs. Another sip and you could feel the goosebumps fading back into smooth, still slightly damp, skin.

You leaned against the warn material of the booth, glancing out the window to watch the rain drizzle down like a shower of frigid diamonds onto the crowd of citizens hiding under their umbrellas and raincoats.

So, for an undetermined amount of time you sat and watched as people of all shapes and sizes went about their day, even playing a little game with yourself where you would try to guess a person’s quirk or job just by first glance as they passed your window. You came up with some fun ones, you thought, like the man with hair made of leaves who you guessed could grow flowers and plants from his own body; or the person who had terminator type glasses who you guessed had medusa eyes that could turn people into stone at a glance of uncovered eye contact, ok maybe you weren’t the most creative person but it was fun nonetheless and helped pass time as you slowly, slowly started to dry off.

After a while of entertaining yourself with ‘guess the superpower’ you eventually grew bored of your people watching. Deciding to be productive you opened your laptop, which you prayed hadn’t gotten any water damage outside, and logged in.

Opening your search engine, you search up the forecast wanting to know how long the storm was going to act up, which you found out wouldn’t end for another hour.

Alright, looks like you’re going to be here for a while, not that you minded. You sighed, sinking back into your seat and ran a hand through your damp hair before taking another drink of your cider.

Blissfully it was still warm, the perfect temperature actually, and you didn’t feel like you had hypothermia anymore so that was a plus.

Reaching over to grab your book, you were interrupted by your computer’s notification that you had gotten an email- an email from the clinic you had applied for!

You slid upright, quickly grabbing your mouse and clicked the notification. The email window popped up with a ‘ping’ and you couldn’t help but be astounded at how fast they had replied, it had only been a little less than an hour since your interview, had they been that willing to hire you- 

-‘Good afternoon,  

We thank you for submitting your job application for our counseling position in the children’s wellness department and coming in to your scheduled interview this evening. We have reviewed all of the information given to us by you and our team, it was a pleasure to meet with you and learn more about your skills in this work place. Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that we have decided to move forward with other candidates that have better met our criteria at this time.  

Thank you for reaching out to us and your interest in this clinic. 

Sincerely, 

Musutafu Counseling Clinic’ -

Your brows had slowly furrowed as you read, your mouth pulling into a meek frown as you breathed out a long sigh from your nose.

Disappointment.

That’s what washed over your heart while reading what you were hoping to be an acceptance letter. Which you now knew you were wrong. Disappointment filled your chest, but you took a deep breath fighting the urge to stress cry and sucked it in, feeling even more tired than you usually did. This was the second clinic to turn you down in Musutafu, and you didn’t understand why... you were a skilled psychologist; you knew this and didn’t doubt it but it didn’t help with the crushing feeling of another lost opportunity.

Sinking back into your chair, you shut your laptop, suddenly feeling much too pitiful and hungry. Picking at your hands in thought as you slid out of your booth. 

Fuck it, you deserved a piece of lemon bread.  

Making your way back up to the counter, your tired look didn’t go unseen by the other barista assisting Bruno today, a young woman by the name of Keiko, who handed you your warm slice of bread with a sad smile, but otherwise didn’t say anything regarding it.

Thanking her, you headed back to your seat to slowly dig into your bread.

It was perfect, warm and fluffy with the right amount of icing and lemon zest, it filled the upset hole of denial in your heart. Feeling somewhat better after some good bread, you felt yourself fill with a distant hope.

You weren’t going to let this effect you so harshly, you would find a job sooner or later and get used to living here and set a pattern of life that is comfortable, you just had to keep looking, keep trying.

Your determined gaze had been focused blankly out the window when the gentle ‘ting’ of the door and sound of rain sounded a new customer had stepped into the café. Nothing special, just another person hiding from a storm, you thought licking icing from your fingers so you could reach for your not sticky book, needing a distraction from the disappointment still faintly nipping at the base of your stomach.

But as you reached you noticed the dripping wet person standing near the entry way and had to take a doubletake at the stranger now taking their coat off to hang it on the guest rack. You had seen many types of people in your field, mostly children and the occasional meeting with parents and coworkers, but you’d never seen someone like this.

He was tall, like really really tall, around seven foot and that was with him slouching so that his head didn’t bump the lights hanging from ceiling of the small shop, so most likely he was even taller than he was now. He was thin too, so not the muscular type of tall but the rail thin type where his clothes looked to be hanging off him and you could almost see the curve of his spine from where it was being bent to accommodate for the too short entryway.

His hair was a wild mess of straw blonde, sticking out in all directions with two long bangs dripping water down onto the floor, like the rest of him it looked worn and fragile.

Your brow furrowed lightly as you tried to sneakily take a better look at his face without being obvious and downright rude, taking small glances instead of full stares, unlike many in the room.

His face was long and angular, like the rest of his body, with sunken cheeks and even more sunken eyes, so sunken you could barely see them. His overall demeaner reminded you of something, not in a bad way but in a vague familiarness of something ordinary that you’d seen a lot around this fall time growing up. 

‘Huh’, you thought. 

‘a scarecrow.’   

The ‘scarecrow’ shook his head, an attempt to dry a wild mane of wet hair, and used his large hands to try and push drooping bangs back. It didn’t work, only resulting in more water drippage. As he started to shuffle up to the counter, where an unphased Bruno was waiting, you quickly picked up your book and tried to get lost in the thrilling story instead of staring at this poor man who was just caught out in the storm like you were, he wasn’t something to stare at just because he looked...interesting. 

 But still you couldn’t help it, the people watcher in you was hollering at you to just take a peek...

So you did.

You watched from behind your book as Mr. Scarecrow leaned down awkwardly to ask the small bee-barista if they had any green tea in stock. The barista nodded and said something you couldn’t quite hear over the sound of rain and buzz of conversation throughout the shop.

The tall man smiled a crooked smile and his hands fidgeted and moved in front of him, occasionally twisting the fabric of his shirt as he spoke, his back still arched in an uncomfortable angle to talk to the much smaller, younger man taking his order.

You took notice of his outfit as you watched the quiet conversation about green tea, his baggy white shirt wet in the area around his collar where his coat hadn’t quite reached and his navy green cargo pants were held on by what looked to be an over-the-top military belt with a large belt buckle. He was also wearing black combat boots, that almost matched yours- albeit much larger- and you couldn’t help but notice one of his boot's laces were untied.

You were wondering about loose laces when you realized the conversation was over, short and simple, and as Mr. Scarecrow was grabbing his too small cup you were suddenly very interested in your book and not at all in people ogling.  

The rain had calmed down to a light drizzle now, the clouds no longer the previous deep grey but now a hazy white where you could see the sun peek through every now and again. The sound of the café was still buzzing with hushed conversations, voices interchanging as finishing customers were replaced with newer ones.

The smell of coffee, baked goods, and some kind of sweet-smelling candle being burned filled you but by now you had gotten used to it, focus drawn in completely on your book as the main character attempted to free herself from the locked cellar to no aval.

She pulled at the bricks and slammed on the door but nothing was working, your brows furrowed and you leaned closer to your book as the words painted a perfect picture of panic and desperation in your mind, and the worse part- she was so close to finally-

You drew back, inhaling deeply, as you realized the chapter ended on a cliff hanger and set your book down to take a quick break from the stress your fictional protagonist was going through. Plus, you were all most at the end of the book and you didn’t want to speed read through the last bit of stressfully tense climax here.

You'd much rather finish later at home.

Shifting to cross your legs, you once more glanced out the rain beaten window, watching people shake off their umbrellas and hats before entering the small corner market and clothing store, internally commenting on outfits and making half-baked plans for a book shopping trip before checking the time on your phone.

Damn, you’ve been in here for a little more than an hour and a half, it didn’t feel like it but you had a feeling that just meant the rain would stop soon and you could head home before it got dark.

You felt your eyelids droop, suddenly the calming aura of the coffee shop making you very relaxed and sleepy. ‘Yeah’ You thought. ‘When I get home, I’m going straight to bed...after I feed Gremlin of course.’ You had to hold in the small snort of amusement as you thought about how mad that big ball of fur would be if you forgot his dinner. Exhaustion seeped into your limbs, making your bones heavy and warm, eyelids half lidded now, you even let out a small yawn before shaking yourself awake again.  

Ok yeah, it’s definitely time for a coffee break or else you’d end up falling asleep in this cozy little booth. Sliding your bookmark back into your book, which you preferred using those little magnet ones instead of the large paper ones or heaven forbid folding the corner down, you closed your evening's entertainment, slipping it back into your briefcase before getting up and (sneakily) stretching the sleepiness out of your legs.  

There was a small line to get through before you could get your wake-up supply, so you grabbed your phone before heading over to wait, distracting yourself via the method of off-brand Tetris.

Eventually the line got shorter, then shorter, then there was just you and the person in front of you. You weren’t exactly paying attention, idle brain too tired to draw in your surroundings, but when you did tune in you did so to notice the person in front of you had a calm, deep voice that had you looking over your phone to see who was talking so nicely. But apparently, you had been too late cause by the time you were looking up it was your turn to order for the third time today, as Bruno and Keiko pointed out with a laugh as you shifted awkwardly after ordering your caffeine fix.

Moving over to the end of the counter you waited for your drink, returning to off-brand Tetris as you shifted from foot to foot. You were halfway to your high score before movement from the person beside you gently interrupted your empty thoughts.

“Um,” A deep voice muttered before the sound of someone clearing their throat followed. “Pardon me, ma’am...”

You looked up, now understanding the person was talking to you, and- oh!

Your eyes blinked wide when you saw that the owner of the voice was nonother than Mr. Scarecrow, who was sheepishly rubbing his hands together.

His frame was curled down again, this time to be closer to the person he was talking to, his face was closer than it had been when you had watched glanced at him before, so this time you were able to see his eyes.

His eyes, although tired, were an electric blue, nearly glowing in the dark shadows surrounding them, they had you sucking in a small breath because something about them had your chest doing something funny-

Caffeine withdraw perhaps?

Two electric blues that were... patiently looking at you, waiting. 

He was talking to you...why was he talking to you?

Your face tensed slightly with slow-brained confusion, before watching his gaze shift from yours to the counter. You followed it and realized what was going on, his drink was ready- had been for a while actually and here you were blinking like a dumbass, standing directly in the way -

Oh god you wanted to vanish into the floor with embarrassment.  

“Oh! Shit, I’m sorry-” You rambled quickly taking multiple steps back, face burning at the fact you had just been standing there staring at him like he was the one being confusing, when in fact you were the one being the oblivious ass. He didn’t seem to be annoyed though, and you blamed the shudder that passed through you on the no-longer-existent cold and not the deep rolling chuckle he let out.

“It’s quite alright,” That crooked smile was back as long limbs reached across to take his order.

“I, too, have a habit of getting distracted in less than convenient places.” He laughed softly, holding a, once again, too-small cup in one large spindly hand while the other idly rubbed at the back of his neck.

He was standing straighter than before now, his tired face still tilted towards you but no longer hunched to get your attention.

Now it was your turn to fidget your hands.

“Even still, I should have been paying attention, I hope you weren’t waiting on me for too long...” You muttered still embarrassed, pretending not to notice how warm the back of your neck was.

The tall blonde waved away your worry. “Oh, not at all, it had only been a few minutes! No harm done,”

You went to give him some type of response, most likely a polite smile and something to end the surprisingly pleasant interaction, when you noticed that your coffee was being set down on the counter.

You stepped forward, your apparent caffeine withdraws honing your attention on the new source of fuel, taking the steaming cup in one hand before bouncing it back and forth between the two at feeling the heat that bled through the coffee cup.

Turning back around, after thanking Bruno for your fix, you barely caught the movement of wild hair exiting the door to the shop, watching the way the man/scarecrow had to duck to fit through the doorframe and enter onto the now darkening street, before disappearing into the crowd of those who came out after the rain had stopped.

Your small... encounter with Mr. Scarecrow stuck with you as you went over to the small cart of confectionary goods the café provided, adding your chosen amount of sugar and creamer you stared into your cup as you watched the creamer and coffee swirl and mix together in a spiral with the stirring of your mixing stick.

‘Hm’ You thought, flicking your now unwanted stick into the small disposal can at the bottom of the cart.

‘What a strange man’.  

After you finished messing with your coffee-to-creamer ratio, you went back to your booth. Enjoying the renewed energy you had, you spent another couple minutes of enjoying your coffee, making sure the fatigue of the day wouldn’t affect you on your way home before you went about packing your laptop, which you had been using to search for new job opportunities in the area while you sipped away.

Sliding your mouse back into its protective pocket; you clasped the buckles back into place, slid the shoulder strap over your left shoulder across your chest, and headed back out into the now damp but no longer stormy world after waving goodbye to Bruno and Keiko. 

You began making your way downtown, passing multiple small shops and restaurants, your boots still a little squelchy- you cringed at how wet your socks felt- but not feeling as down as you would have if you had read that stupid email at home all alone.

‘No, going to the café had been a good choice,’ you determined, walking up to the large apartment complex sit at the end of the block.

Upon entering the building, and climbing like 5 flights of stairs, you unlocked your apartment door with cold hands, kicking off your boot before you entered so you could set them against the wall to dry.

Almost immediately, after you stepped into your home and locked the door, you heard the loud meows of greeting as your cat approached from around the corner leading to your kitchen.

“Hey, Grim,” You cooed as your Maine Coon started to rub his large fluff covered body against you, purr more adjacent to the purring of an engine than a cat.

You reached down to pick him up, with a huff because Gremlin was a big dude, to cradle him against your torso.

He chirped at you impatiently.

“I know,” You sighed, walking over to where his food bowl was before gently setting him down.

“I know.”

You fed your big baby of a cat before heading to your bedroom, setting down your briefcase next to your desk, and going to get changed into some sweatpants and a sleep shirt.

Once out of stiff air-dried clothes you plugged in your phone before curling up in bed, exhaustion dragging your body down with it despite the little pick-me-up you had at the coffee shop. You turned onto your back to stare at the ceiling recounting the day in your mind.

That familiar disappointment was back, you noted with a frown, the kind that had been keeping you up as of late. You... really needed to find a job. One where what you did matter, where they didn’t just want you as a secretary, where they wanted you for what you were - someone who helped those who needed help helping themselves.

You wanted to be able to help people again, help children again.

You groaned, the disappointment morphing into something closer to hopelessness that you tried to internally shake away.

Just needed more searching, more time.

Your arm pressed against your eyes until you could see odd colorful shapes float around in your dark vision. At least you got to visit the Honeybee today, even if it was just to hide from the rain, you got to relax for a bit and that was something to be grateful for.

Also, your sluggish brain said quietly, you got to meet some interesting people today.

Visions of the tall blonde scarecrow came to your half-asleep mind, and you felt your face start to grow warm.

Too tired to understand why your body was acting funny you simply ignored it and let the cool darkness of sleep take you. 

At some point in the night Gremlin had joined you in your bed.

You knew this because it was him who decided to curl up on your chest, which would usually be very sweet.

It would be sweet except for the fact that he was very much an extremely warm and heavy weight crushing your ribcage as he purred away contently.

Your heavy lids slowly opened and you groaned at the feeling of said sleeping cat currently vibrating away on your torso. You made a mistake sleeping on your back, and you were now paying for said mistake as your joints ached and creaked.

Gently, and much to Grim’s disliking you sat up (which resulted in an angry yell from your fur baby) and with a good stretch got up to begin your day of job hunting.

Slipping your slippers on and pawing for your phone, you padded your way to your bathroom, getting a good look at your terrible bed head and squinty eyes, and went about you morning rituals.

Once finished, you headed to make yourself breakfast, Gremlin padding along beside you.

Opening the fridge, you found your first meal of the day- deciding the lone blueberry yogurt would suffice for now, so with a shrug you grabbed the cup before heading to the tea cabinet. Grabbing the tin of leaves labeled, ‘Spiced Chai’, you turned to start your electric kettle.

After you filled the kettle, you opened your phone to scroll through your socials, watching clips of news videos starring heroes like Manual and Kamui Woods capturing some villain with a... clown quirk?? Or something, which had attacked a jewelry store just a couple blocks from where you were staying.

Huh.

You were still getting used to being around so many heroes in your everyday life, that was one of the things about Japan you were getting accustomed to. Sure, there were plenty of heroes in America but due to the size difference between the countries... well let's just say you’re more likely to actively see a hero vs villain fight here than just videos and news articles like back at home.

You swiped past the video and continued swiping until your screen was playing a video with a very famous man saving some kid from a gross ass looking slime monster. 

 All Might.  

Japan’s #1, the big man himself.  

You weren’t exactly a hero fan.

Don’t get it wrong- you were all for helping people and saving lives!

Unfortunately, there were many things in the hero business that you saw as... well as unfair, corrupt, and sometimes downright sneaky and dirty. Even in your youth you noticed there were heroes that didn’t seem genuine, that would take advantage of the pay and general public, turning something noble into some kind of popularity contest and acted as though they don’t care if people were truly safe.

They only ever cared about their rank.

Their fame.

Those heroes, the fake ones, had a real special place in your dislike box, like an exposed nerve if you will. If someone dared to try and tell you that the hero system was a perfect one- even just a good one- you'd most likely laugh.

But, then again there were the goods ones as well.

Good heroes who loved their job, not because of the fame or money, but because they got to help people.

All Might was one of these few diamonds in the rough. He was real. He took pride in helping people and you could see it in the way he acted, the way he never boasted or complained. He was the type of hero that would sacrifice his well-being for a kitten, the type to lay down his life for a stranger. He’s a pillar of hope that has been there and will be there for generations, and you respected him for it.

That and you thought he was absolutely goofy for his apparent obsession with the USA, which at some point you found out was legitimately real and not just a ploy to appeal to a wider audience.  

You watched the video on loop around three times, still taking in the fact that the bastard had somehow changed the weather with a damn punch, before your kettle whistled signaling the tea could be added. Adding your tea leaves into your little metal tea steeper, you poured your hot water into your ‘space is cool’ mug.

Gremlin had jumped up onto the counter and was now rubbing his large face against your shoulder as you ate your yogurt, waiting with you as your tea steeped, purring loudly.

Eventually your tea was done, after topping it off with some milk and honey, and you went over to quickly feed Grim his breakfast and retreated to your room to change, hot tea still in hand, the All Might video still looped playing on your phone...

The next couple of days went by in the blur of wake up, apply for interviews, get either refused politely or never called back, go home, fight back your existential dread, and sleep. Wake up, repeat.

At this point you were genuinely considering starting your own clinic at home but thought against it due to your current money situation. If you didn’t find a job soon you’d have to start looking for a side, non-counseling, job. Not that you wanted to but hey whatever pays the bills.

“What do you think, Grim?” You asked loudly, your voice and the sound of some baking show you put on filling your living area.

“Should I keep trying or give up on my dreams?”

You were answered with a short chirp from your cat, who was seated on the back of the couch, as he pawed and bit at your hair.

You snorted. “Yeah, giving up sounds easier... but alas,” You turned to scratch at Grim’s ears. “Mama ain’t raise no quitter.”

You were met with a purr. 

The next time you visited the Honeybee Café was on an uneventful Tuesday morning.

It was breezy outside, not windy, but the cool autumn air that lightly rushed the leaves and chilled your nose.

The sun was out though, bright and warm, and as you walked the streets of Musutafu you watched as the public bustled around you.

A group of small children ran past you, one using their quirk to summon small paper origami creatures to chase and circle their friends who shrieked in false terror.

You carefully dislodged a small fluttering paper butterfly from your scarf before sending it off to flutter after its small owner. The child noticed and giggled their thanks before running off again, leaving you to softly smile and take in the happy vibe of the morning.

The Honeybee was having a bit of a rush it seemed, line longer than usual and most seats taken by (mostly) satisfied customers.

That didn’t deter you however, you wanted a coffee damn it, and if you had to wait twenty-plus minutes so be it!  

You were right about the waiting estimate, the line took around twenty-five minutes.

But you finally made it up to the counter, saying hi to an exasperated Keiko and happy Bruno, and placed your usual order. After a few more moments of waiting, you had your long-awaited beverage, humming as you speed walked towards the cart to add your special ingredients.

Eyes focused on the cart you were daydreaming about the walk through the town you were going to have in this perfect weather, maybe stop by the craft store uptown for some new yarn-  

You were so focused on the thought of coffee creamer and soft baby yarn that you, somehow, managed to walk face-first into a wall. 

Or at least it felt like one, if a wall could grunt.

Whatever it was had you stumbling backwards towards the floor with a pained yelp, poor untouched coffee falling and catastrophically spilling onto the hardwood floor.

But before you could hit the floor along with your now ruined coffee a firm grip on your upper arms steadied you, stopping your descent.

Ow! Your nose stung.

Damn what did you run into- 

“Shit, I’m sorry! Are you alright? I didn’t mean- I didn’t see you-!” 

...Who did you run into...? 

You quickly but gently brought your hands up to rub your nose, head hung as you tried to determine if you broke something. It stung but didn’t feel broken, that was good at least. The person you had ran into was still rambling off apologies and curses, warm calloused hands still holding you up.  

“I’m alright,” you said weakly, before shaking off the sting and adding a more reassuring tone. “I’m alright!”

The person continued to apologize, their deep voice ringing familiar bells in your head.

Huh, like really familiar bells.

You suddenly had to look at the person you had stupidly body-slammed yourself into, lifting your head- 

You blinked. 

Your eyes met electric blue and before you could help it- 

“Scarecrow.” 

Blue eyes blinked. 

“Excuse me?” 

...Shit. 

Chapter Text

Yagi was having a relatively good morning. 

The weather was nice, the city quiet for the most part. 

No villains or criminals had yet to crawl out of any dark alleyways or come crashing through buildings. 

And the twisted mound of scar tissue on his side had settled for a dull ache instead of a sharp, blind pain today; which was nice. 

So far it was a calm, relaxing morning the older man was taking as a good sign. 

A gift from the universe perhaps; a little break. 

But Yagi knew too well that these quiet moments don’t last forever, so while it lasted, he made an important decision... to go get a drink from that pleasant little coffee shop he had started growing fond of. Ducking under the short doorframe (an action in which the tall man had gotten used to a long time ago after his height reached well above that of the average doorframe) he peered over the line of people, who were chatting away and playing on their devices while they waited, to gaze at the menu. 

Now... did he want something lavender or something matcha? 

While he made up his mind, he went to drift to the side, out of the line, near a small cart of coffee sticks and sweeteners. His eyes were still squinted to at the large chalkboard menu, one hand subconsciously coming up to rest and rub over his mouth in thought when a smaller something came crashing into him. With a grunt of surprise, and a small spill of blood, his hands shot down to catch the person that had ran into him, their coffee spiraling onto the floor. At the sharp yelp that came from the swaying person he apologized profusely as anxious concern buzzed in his ribs, worried that the person now cradling their nose was hurt or broken. Wide eyes looked up into his, a face he vaguely remembered was peering up at him, and you mumbled something he must have misheard.  

Blinking, confusion joined concern.  

“Excuse me?” 

You blanched as you realized that you had spoken aloud, quickly moving from ‘oh shit probably just insulted someone’ to ‘maybe he didn’t hear me and I could fix this already embarrassing incident.’ 

“...I mean-” You gently brushed at his hands, and the very concerned scarecrow dropped the grip he held on your upper arms and shoulders. “I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m alright! Not hurt! Just a little bruised maybe but,” Mumbling the last bit, you began searching the poor soul you had ran into for any injuries. “Are you ok?” You frowned, and Yagi quickly wiped at the corner of his slightly bloody mouth.  

“Yes, yes, I’m quite alright. Just gave me bit of a scare is all.”  

The small smear of blood was almost unnoticed. 

Almost.  

“I am so sorry- I wasn’t paying attention,” again , “Oh lord I am not making a good case for myself, am I? And you're sure you're ok?” Your skin burned with shame at the thought of hurting this unsuspecting man, who was nodding his head reassuring you that he was fine. Not that you fully believed it as you glanced down sadly at your fallen coffee, now laying in a puddle of its own ‘blood’, cup still rocking slightly.  

You sighed, turning to collect some napkins from the cart. Excusing yourself, you bent down to begin soaking up the caffeine puddle with your handful of napkins. Mourning the loss of your coffee, you almost didn’t notice the lanky man walk around you.  

Then... someone was kneeling on the other side of you. 

 “Wait, let me help.” Another, larger, handful of napkins joined your soggy ones. You glanced up. He had sat himself on his knees (ignoring the protest of his joints), long legs folded behind him as he began drying up the spill. You went to gently protest. “That’s very sweet of you, but this,” You gestured to the slightly mopped up spill. “Was all my fault in the first place, so you really don’t have to-” 

“Nonsense! It was as much my fault as it was yours, so please I insist.” 

You squinted your eyes at him. 

He released an amused noise, a gentle look on his face. “Really, it’s no trouble.” He continued as he reached over to dispose of the used napkins, replacing them with dry ones, and your suspicious look dropped.   

A beat of silence passed between the two of you as you sat on the floor, surrounded by the uninterested costumers of the Honeybee and coffee-soaked napkins, before you cleared your throat. “...Again, I’m sorry for bumping into you,” You collected more dripping napkins in your hands before throwing them away. “I hope we don’t keep meeting like this.” 

His mopping stopped, “Like what?” 

“Awkwardly.” 

You heard his chuckle fade with a slight wheeze. “Well, if you want,” His voice was slow and you looked up as he sat up straighter, fixing you a shy grin. “We could... start over.”  

“Start over?”  

“Yeah,” He said, before quickly adding, “-only if you want.” 

Yeah, you would like that. 

“Sure, let’s start over.” You beamed; hands still full of napkins. “I guess introductions are a start.” You hummed thoughtfully, fighting the natural instinct to raise a hand for a hand shake, and bent forward slightly- a polite bow, giving him your name; feeling warm as you saw his grin grow lopsided as he too bowed, introducing himself. 

 “Yagi Toshinori.” 

Sitting back up, with the mood noticeably less tense, you and Mr. Scarecrow Yagi finally trashed all the napkins. Your little coffee spill seeming to not have happened at all, puddle gone. ‘There,’ you stood with your hands on your hips, ‘mess fixed!’ Your triumph was dulled slightly however, when you remembered that was your coffee and now you were going to have to purchase another. Or you’d just have to deal with your constant tiredness without the aid of caffeine. With how today was going, the second option seemed more likely. 

Yagi, who had seen your sad look towards the trashed cardboard cup, took this chance to further make up for the previous drink spillage and collision (not to mention hurting your nose). A plan forming in his mind. Standing straight, he glanced at the menu board, then at the shortened line of people. His deep voice come out quiet yet confident. “Let me buy you a new one.”  

“Huh?” 

“Your coffee, let me buy you a new one.” 

This time, no matter the kindness of the gesture, you couldn’t let this one slide. “What- no, no it’s fine, I’m fine, you’ve already done more than enough-” But Yagi was already nearing the counter, full wallet in hand. And you silently groaned when this generous lanky bastard, lil smile and all, beckoned you over with a subtle tilt of his head. You were suddenly wondering if you were going to end up regretting this encounter after all...  

Until you had your safe, piping hot, precious cup of joe protectively gripped in both hands. Yagi had gotten something floral smelling, maybe lavender, that was still in a cup too tiny for this man- actually, maybe he was just too big for normal cups? Yeah, actually, that seemed more likely.  

“I appreciate the gesture, Mr. Yagi, but really.” You were swirling your drink in your hands, eyes following the river of steam leaking out the top. “It was my fault for faceplanting into you and messing up my first one, which again I'm real sorry about that, but you keep doing such nice things and I’m never going to be able to repay you...” Yagi watched with a pleasant expression as you, once again, apologized for something he already considered ‘fixed’, and replied with a hum.  

“Well, if you're so keen on making it up to me...” He turned to his tea, blue eyes glancing between it and you. “You could always keep me company. If you want to that is-” His ears turned pink as he looked away. 

It was a polite invitation; you could tell by his tone and expression. One that he was uncertain on how you’d react to; you had only just met him after all. But, for some reason... despite your social awkwardness, you found yourself accepting. 
“Sure! I wouldn’t mind sitting with you for a bit, besides” You pretended to not see his surprised blink out of the corner of your eye, and smiled.  

“I have the feeling you’re good company.” You said, matter-of-factly, and Yagi silently agreed.  

He had feeling you were too. 

That accepted invitation marked the start of a phenomena you were calling the ‘Café Buddy Effect’; this meaning anytime you visited the Honeybee Café you found yourself subconsciously searching for a certain unruly blonde, the deep part of your mind looking for a new familiar. It didn’t happen too often, with you still only visiting at most once a week, but if you so happened to spot your tall scarecrow (and gain enough courage) you made it a habit to start conversation. He, of course, was more than happy to converse with you each time, even accepting a sit-down invitation of your own a couple of times. That was only ever when you both had time, usually quiet early mornings you noticed, taking turns initiating the meetings.  

This morning was one of those times where you both had time on your side, early enough that the schedule of the day didn’t actually start for another few hours. 

Calm, but cloudy weather; people still hustling on the streets outside of the little hole-in-the-wall café. This morning, you and Yagi had chosen one of the two-seaters closer the wall and window but farther away from the other patrons of the shop. Tea and coffee still steaming, you both sat opposite of each other and let the peaceful atmosphere seep in. 

“So,” you began, breaking the still silence with a sip of your drink. “How’d you find this place? I mean obviously you knew about it, since I’ve seen you here before...” Your sentence trailed off as you looked at your new... acquaintance? Friend? Maybe a mix? Your almost friend, Yagi, looked to the ceiling as he tried to recall what had first drawn him here. His brow furrowed slightly before he spoke. “I found it on my way to the train station almost a... month ago? Maybe two. I honestly don’t know why- I am not a big coffee drinker myself- but I think it was just a spur of the moment type thing.” His eyes traveled back down to glace at the semi-full Honeybee. “Not that I regret it. This is a lovely little shop with even lovelier people running it.”  

Then those smiling eyes settled on you. 

 “What about yourself?” Long fingers curled around his cup, bringing it up to his mouth to sip at it as he watched you contemplate your answer.  

“I first stumbled across this place a little after I moved here- I'm still new to the city so it took me a while to get a lay of the land as it is, I, uh, still have trouble finding my way sometimes.” You admitted, rubbing at your neck. “Like you said, it’s a lovely establishment with pleasant people working it- not to mention the great snacks they’ve got. Oh! And their variety is really impressive for such a small shop.” You gushed, honestly impressed by the Honeybee’s ability to have so many products in such a limited space. Yagi set his drink back down on the wooden table, some of the old paint curling off the corners, while fixing you a curious look. “If you don’t mind me asking, you mentioned a move, where are you from?” 

“Oh,” You dismissively waved your hand as if what you were about to say wasn’t that big of a deal, which in your mind it wasn’t. “I’m originally from the States, I moved to Japan because I needed a change in scenery. A new place to mix things up I suppose. It hasn’t been too hard.” You smiled reassuringly. “Just need some more time to adjust.” It wasn’t exactly a lie; you did move here for a change in pace and you were adjusting- you just left out the part about how difficult that really was for you. Not that he needed to know how difficult the struggle has been, you would keep that part of your life to yourself for now. 

Wide blue eyes were staring into yours when you looked up from your cup, a crooked grin on his face. You hadn’t realized the floodgate you had just opened inside the now manic looking man.  

“The States...” His large hands were tapping the table as excitable energy radiated off of him. “I used to visit the USA when I was younger- I just adore the scenery, how larger than life everything seems there! And the people are always so charismatic, always so friendly, oh and the food! -” You watched as the always calm and quiet Mr. Yagi you were used to turned into an absolute fanboy , hands making wild gestures as he told you his favorite American places and activities. The fairs, sports, events, styles, even the country's history- rambling about your homeland like it was the second Garden of Eden.  

All that energy for one topic. You felt yourself smile; eyes relaxing. 

It was kind of...  

You didn’t realize you were staring, an odd smile on your face. 

Yagi cut himself off at your weird look, flushing red as his hands dropped back to the table. “Eh, yeah, sorry I just... really like the US. Anyway,” He coughed a little into his sleeve, embarrassed. “How are you liking it?” 

“Hmm?” You hummed, taking another drink. 

“Japan, I mean.” 

“It’s nice. I like the busyness of it, especially here in Musufatu. Really keeps me on my toes, with all the heroes and such running around.” You laughed softly, twirling your wrist. “But I like the noise of the city, if you’d believe it. Like I said I’m still adjusting but, so far, I’m glad I moved. Plus, getting used to the city is giving me plenty of time to browse,” You strained the word. “New places for work.” 

Yagi, who was actively listening, tilted his head. “Oh? What’s your profession?”  

One of your hands had started to rub lightly against the peeling paint, feeling the little curled pieces against soft fingertips. “I’m a psychologist. Uh, a therapist.” You elaborated at his curious look. He brightened at that, curiosity turning into fascination. “A therapist, that’s an admirable career! Forgive me, I don’t know the specifics of therapy, but do you work with all ages or is it just adults, or...?”  

You waved a hand in front of you, pride sparking in your chest, unable to hide the smile at his interest in your job. “I can counsel any age, but my personal field of expertise is in that of children and adolescents! Although,” You shot him a playful look. “I do have experience of a small handful of adults under my belt. From when I was in America, I mean. I’m...” You slightly hesitated, fear of oversharing causing you to pause. “...I’m still searching for a clinic here in Musufatu- or any place nearby, really. I just haven’t found the right place yet.” Your waving hand stopped its motion, moving to rub at the bridge of your nose, face warm with the admission of your currant lack of employment. 

Toshinori made a sympathetic noise, deep voice about to reassure you that you’d find something eventually, when you accidently cut him off- redirecting the attention off you and onto him. “What about you, Mr. Yagi? What do you do?” His hands were back to fidgeting, you noted. A habit brought on by direct attention, you guessed by the way he was looking away and out at the passing pedestrians outside.   

A tired smile graced his thin face, the corners of his eyes crinkling with the expression. “I’m a secretary at a hero agency in Roppongi,” He saw your surprised expression, eyebrows high and mouth slightly ajar, and hurried to prevent any overexcitement. “Nothing special- I just take care of paperwork, meet ups, and public records- you know the boring bit of hero work.” 

 You... hadn’t really expected that. To you, Yagi looked like a combination of a retired librarian and overworked businessman- which you guess the second wasn’t too far from the actual answer but still. 

“Woah, a hero agency? That’s so cool, you must get to meet all types of heroes,” He flushed as you excitedly tapped your cheeks. “Which agency- oh wait that’s probably confidential or something right?” He opened his mouth but you were too busy rambling to notice. “Say no more, I won’t compromise you.” You sat nobly, like you were protecting a secret given to you by a super-secret agent instead of some, very entertained, secretary. “Oh, that must be so stressful- hero work never ends so I doubt their paperwork does either.” 

He found himself grinning at you and your exasperated worry of his workload.  

You really were something weren’t you. 

“I will admit, it isn’t exactly a slow job.” He sighed. “But I’m glad I get to help with the behind-the-scenes aspect of the hero world, it has to be done somehow. Not that I’m complaining, I like helping others at the agency with the load. Like I said, I’m just happy to help.”  

The tired smile was back. 

And as you watched his ocean eyes catch the sunlight dancing through the window, you realized he meant it. 

This man...  

Something you noticed as your run-ins with Toshinori Yagi continued was that the man was always tired. No, not just tired- exhausted . Every time you met with him, while he was just as polite and gentlemanly as ever, outwardly he looked constantly rundown and tense. Some days were better than others, you could tell by the shadows under his eyes and the level of fidgeting, but you could just tell the man was managing some stressful shit. It was almost literally hurting you to see your friend like this. 

Not to mention the faint signals sent your way as your quirk picked up his anxiety on the really bad/straining days. 

Today was one of ‘those’ days.  

The shadows under his eyes so deep and sleepless you almost winced, giving you the impression that he had stayed up late, over worked, or was just mega-stressed in general today. You knew it was bad when you both approached the counter to order and it took him almost fifteen minutes to decide what he wanted to order, sunken eyes slowly blinking at a menu he should have known by heart by now. 

Finally (gently) ushering your half-asleep coffee buddy over to your personal favorite booth, you set down your stuff before sitting next to him. Leather creaking gently under your weight, you looked at Yagi out of the corner of your eye. He looked so... drained, his eyes drooped shut for intervals of a few seconds before fluttering open again with a small shake of the head that made his bangs sway.  

You had started talking about some new antique shop that had opened up near your apartment, attempting to get the hollow energy out of your little booth’s bubble, when you realized you weren’t getting any feedback.  

Your brows furrowed as your prattling ended in a murmur as you discovered the very nearly passed out secretary next to you. His eyes had drifted shut again, this time not reopening, and his head hung slightly; his non-caffeinated drink abandoned in front of him.  

You sighed, sad you were the one to have to wake him, but the angle of his neck looked like it would hurt if he stayed there any longer.  

Reaching over you light shook his lean shoulder, softly calling his name. It took one more shake to snap him out of it, and with a sharp inhale his head snapped up looking around for the disruption.  

He calmed after seeing it was only you. 

“Mm, ‘M sorry- what happened?” Yagi grumbled, blinking down at you. You cracked a small smile, still resting your hand on his shoulder. “Sorry, you fell asleep. Is...” You moved your head, meeting his with concerned eyes. “Is everything ok? You seem really out of it this morning.”  

He stretched, spine popping, and his hand covered his yawn. Sleepy eyes held a warmth that made you swallow, your hand slipping back down into your lap as he smiled. “I’m alright, in all honesty I’m just a bit tired is all.”  

You deadpanned him. “A bit?” 

An airy little chuckle escaped him as he went to rub at his neck, the other hand grabbing his neglected tea. “Alright, I see your point. I guess... well, I guess works just been a little,” He removed his hand from his neck with a drowsy swipe, mumbling before he took a sip of his tea; eyes shut. “Busy, nothing I can’t handle. No need to worry.”  

Internally you were cursing his hero-boss for causing this amount of stress in your friend. Hero or not it wasn’t far to this obviously overworked man who, in your opinion, deserved better. Taking the moment to quickly look him over, you took in his attire of the day. Being this close to him, you could see his face and mental state weren’t the only things that were suffering from his restlessness. His normally mess of hair was even more tossed and turned, crisp white button up now wrinkled and only partial tucked into his slacks- hell even one of his shoes was untied (again).  

You felt a pang of empathy in your chest, he was reminding you of yourself not many nights ago- unsuccessful job reviews and frustrations kept you up all night, not even a wink of sleep, leaving you so tired you were in near tears. Another pang, this time not just from empathy, had you deciding you couldn’t stand the absolute exhaustion pouring from your friend anymore.  

So... you made a -morally questionable- choice, one you usual wouldn’t do, but you couldn’t really help yourself this time. With a gentle announcement to the deathly looking man besides you, (which earned you a gruff ‘mhm’), you got up to go grab some more sugar for your coffee. As you slid out of your seat, your fingers brushed against his arm for the briefest moment... 

You activated your quirk- a new feeling of tightly wound stress curling into your stomach, waves of anxiety and restlessness rolling over you. New feelings weighing against your chest. 

Feelings that weren’t yours.  

You... didn’t think your quirk was a heroic one. It wasn’t flashy; or powerful; or anything fundamentally useful . Sure, it’s helpful in your field of study; but that’s only because you found a way to use it to help people. It was actually pretty simple: you could take and give emotions. Well, more specifically you could transfer emotions from one thing to another; whether that be another person, yourself, or an object.  

This was useful when working with small children with anxious tendencies. For example, with kids who are interested, you could infuse a small object of their choice, usually plushies and blankets, with a mix of positive emotions (courtesy of you and their parents). That way, if they weren’t able to calm themselves down using methods you taught in sessions, they could use their object for a bit instead.  

Outside of work, it was draining. Draining, because your ability to connect so intimately with emotions made you a walking mood detector. That part you can’t shut off, any stranger with a shit ton of stress? You're stressing with them. Someone's excited about some good news who’s sitting next to you? You’re overjoyed. Someone’s furious? You’re grumpy now, have fun being mad about nothing all day. 

Yeah, it sucked sometimes. 

As it turned out taking is a bit easier than giving unfortunately, which is what you were sneakily doing now. 

You just wanted to take a little bit, just a bit so that the burden was slightly less on him. Let him relax a little.  

And, despite the new anxiousness buzzing under your skin, at seeing his shoulders and creased brow lose some of their tension- you could proudly say you didn’t regret a thing. 

If fact, you were quite ‘happy to help carry the load’, as Yagi would say.  

“Nope. Nope, too far, too sketchy, just no-” You groaned, dramatically deflating against your couch. You were currently looking for jobs on some website, mentally growing more aggravated at yourself and the city as you scrolled past ad after ad after ad. Nothing was sticking out, and it was annoying you that now would be the time you chose to be picky.  

“Damn it, Grim, what am I doing?” You huffed into the living room air, arm flopping over your face. Gremlin said nothing, opting for sleeping on the opposite end of the couch without a care in the world. If you couldn’t find someplace quick you swore you would end up bankrupt, and evicted or something depressing like that to think about.  

Lifting you're arm a bit, you glanced at your open computer, glaring down at the unsatisfying ads on your screen. Thirty more minutes of scrolling went by with little to no results when you decided to take a break. You needed to do something else before your frustration got the better of you, even just pacing for a bit would be better than remaining seated on this sofa. With a long inhale you set your laptop to the side, releasing the breath as you stood up and headed to your kitchen.  

Cold tile met your bare feet as you crossed through the small entryway where your kitchen and hallway met, padding to the fridge. You made a noise of displeasure as you stared into your basically empty fridge, mentally groaning at the very apparent need for a grocery trip. You stared at the single bottle of water and what looked like a mini cup of mandarin oranges, frowning. A headache starting to form behind your eyes from hunger and stress.   

Slamming the fridge door shut, you sluggishly shuffled back to your living room- closed laptop forgotten on the coffee table- you flopped back down on the couch and reaching for the tv remote. When the first show that came on turned out to be a cooking show you took it as a sign that the universe was mocking you. 

 “Alright.”, you grumbled getting up again as Gremlin did the ‘big stretch’, kneading at the armrest.  

You’d put this off long enough. 

“Shopping trip time.” 

The general store wasn’t actually as crowded as you were afraid it was going to be. Only a handful of innocent shoppers spread throughout the different aisles, peacefully browsing as you passed. You hated shopping, it was stressful and overstimulating in your opinion. Something about the florescent lighting most stores had made your eyes strain, the low buzzing only added to the stress migraine you were accumulating. But alas, here you were, trying to pick what flavor of prepacked ramen you would be surviving off of for the next week. Multicolored packages lined up in front of you in neat rows. After a moment of deep thought, you grabbed a couple of each- why pick one when you could just have a little bit of all at the ready.  

Your boots squeaked against the store’s hard, shoe scuffed floor as you moved over to the fruit section. The sweet smell of overripe fruit and whatever fragrance the owner was burning curling into your lungs, so strong you could taste it. You felt your migraine flare slightly, unable to fight a wince as the buzz of fluorescents became more grating. Feeling a couple of peaches for bruises or rotting, you threw some of those in your little basket as well before doing the same to some pears.

At this point you just wanted to grab enough food to get you through a week or two and get out.

One more aisle, you agreed beginning your hunt for the tea aisle. You were able to grab on or two more extra snacks during your grand search before you found yourself once again squinting at a shelf of colorful boxes. You hummed, wincing again at the noise of someone entering the corner store chatting loudly with someone else. 

 Looking turned to staring as your indecisiveness grappled with the need to go home and sleep, your headache causing a faint ringing in your ears. ‘Chamomile, Oolong, Blueberry, Earl Grey-’ your eyes read each box the same way you’d read lines of a book, mind wondering to something else.  

When was the last time you’d visited your favorite tea place? A week ago, had it already been a week? Yes, it had been. You had gotten an iced chai latte before sitting down with your friend, the two of you talking about trivial things that morning like you both had nothing else better to do in the world. And you supposed that was true, at least on your end. You enjoyed spending time with Yagi, you...looked forward to it actually. He was good company. A great listener and conversationalist, talking to him wasn’t awkward anymore; he felt like a good friend now. He was an avid tea drinker; you had seen him order many times before, and you were wishing you had his number right now to ask for advice, let him decide for you. When you noticed someone else had come up next to you, searching for their preferred tea, you left; a box of green tea in hand and a certain blonde scarecrow on your mind. 

Your face felt warm as you determined you’d need to ask him for his phone number the next time the two of your crossed paths.  

‘Exchanging numbers is a totally normal thing friends do.’ you thought matter-of-factly, ignoring the odd anxiousness that had settled faintly in your stomach and the twang of your migraine.  

What a silly thing to be worried about. 

The walk home had been a struggle. Your migraine surpassing the light flare ups from before into sharp pulses. Slowly, and painfully, you finally reached your apartment door, setting down one of your bags to fumble with the key before unlocking it. Gremlin chirped his usual greeting as you kicked the door shut behind you, immediately heading to put your loot away in the kitchen.

Bags haphazardly thrown onto the counter; you held your head with a groan.

“Fuck migraines.” You whined, clumsily filing through your medication cabinet.

Finding your desired medication, you popped a couple in your mouth, heading to the fridge to start putting things away. Once all your groceries were secured in their rightful places, you moved to feed the cat currently rubbing against your legs.  

All your duties fulfilled you grabbed your computer from the living room and walked to your bedroom, head still throbbing. Setting the laptop down on your bed you changed into some jogging pants and graphic tee-shirt, curling up in your heavenly cool sheets. Feeling kind of nauseous from the pulsing in your temple and neck, you winced as you opened your computer. Quickly turning down the brightness, you went to close all your tabs (saving battery life and such) when you saw the website from earlier was still open.

Scrolling through ad after ad, the act of which had most likely caused your migraine, your tired eyes blankly glancing at each one sadly. Some of these you had already applied for, you realized sadly, but had been turned away each time. ‘We found someone with more experience’ your ass. You glared at the familiar job profiles, secretly cursing each one even though you didn’t mean it and were just not having the best of times right now. 

Tired and in pain, you moved to shut your device with a whine, your head flopping on your pillow- the headache was spreading to your other temple too and your pills were taking their sweet time to kick in. Before it was could shut all the way though, your computer dinged as a new ad appeared on the top of the list. You blinked slowly, eyes fluttering open to peak at the new job description that had appeared on your screen. A counseling job, you read. For some school. You dumbly blinked again. School meant kids, and you ... you knew how to work with kids.  

You were so desperate and delirious you didn’t even read the whole thing before clicking the ‘Contact’ button, spending them your resume before shutting the computer fully. Pushing your now turned off laptop to the foot of your bed, you plugged in your phone and slid all the way under your blankets. Turning onto your other side to face away from your window and it's too bright light, you buried your facing in your cold pillow, pulling your blanket to achieve total darkness. A soft 'thud' came from the side of your bed, an accompanying weight following it as Gremlin padded in a circled before curling up next to you.

‘Eh,’ your half-asleep brain thought as you started to drift into sleep, mind still faintly picturing the ad. 

‘I’ll deal with it tomorrow.’ 

Chapter Text

It was a bit after completing your usual mundane morning routine that you remembered the solitary device hidden in the bunched-up corner of your bed, half hidden by sleep-tossed covers.  

Humming to yourself, your breakfast still held firmly in one hand, you slid across the room to plop yourself down on the edge of the bed. Half-aware mind not even thinking as you pulled said device to the opposite corner, with the intention of plugging it in, when you opened it with a descent flick of your unoccupied hand. The screen was still dark, your previous migraine driven choice to turn the brightness all the way down coming back to bite you, so you could barely see whatever was on the screen. No matter though, your thumb slid to press against the brightness keys, all you had to do was turn up the brightness a bit, then- 

You were staring at your computer, aghast, half eaten peach in hand. 

Last night you hadn’t just applied for some normal grade school position. No, you had blindly- foolishly - applied for something much more intimating. 

You had gone and applied for UA , the most prestigious hero school in all of Japan.  

How the fuck did you manage that?!  

You made a half groan-half whimper as your scrubbed at your barely awake eyes. You really needed to pay more attention, starting with reading the entire fucking ad before sending your application away on a whim. 

Anxious, you searched the screen desperately for some button or link that would somehow unsend your already long since received application, one of your hands pulling at your face as you stared at the ‘sent’ message at the bottom of the webpage.

“This is fine.” You mumbled in a mantra-like fashion, slowly closing the screen before immediately reopening it to stare at your inbox. 

They hadn’t responded yet, luckily because you might have exploded if they had, but you knew that’s not how these things worked. It hadn’t even been a full day since you sent the damn thing, and usually these things took a couple weeks to get a response to- of course they wouldn’t have answered back yet. You secretly hoped they wouldn’t respond at all; save you the embarrassment of the top tier school shooting you down via email.  

Sliding the offending screen away you shoved your face into the closest pillow, a silent scream devoured by the cheap cotton pillow sheet. You couldn’t believe this- it was like accidently sending a job request to NASA or something! 

You took a deep breath. Famous or not it was still just a school. No big deal! Just a high school that specializes in heroism. Sure, you weren’t a real hero fanatic but it was still a cool thought to be able to work with the future generation of villain fighters. UA wasn’t too far away from your area and the pay was, well, UA worthy. 

 It was a good job.  

A really good job at that, turning your head to peak at the still open tab. Besides, it wasn’t like they were going to actually respond to you- you didn’t have any heroing experience. Like a hero school would hire someone who’s not a hero! Yeah, now that you were thinking about it, your little ‘error’ will probably not even be seen, let alone considered, but still what harm could this really do to you.  

You either get ignored, declined, or remain unseen; all of these things you could live with. Rolling so you were completely laying with your back against the bed, you took a large bite of your near-neglected peach, your mind wondering.  

Nothing to freak about, it could have been worse; you could’ve sent them some type of headache-drunken rant about the stress of tea shopping on accident or something. 

You were going to be ignored and continue life like it never even happened, and that was that. 

‘But’, Your wishful optimism whispered.  

‘What if...?’  

Mentally scoffing, you tossed your mostly gone peach into the small trashcan near your desk. The discarded pit making a muffled clang against the plastic bag covering metal. You literally couldn’t afford to go off ‘what ifs’ anymore. Money was tight, you needed to find somewhere to get some type of income, or else. Besides, you already had a feeling you knew where you were going to apply for your next ‘mini job’.  

Now... 

You licked the liquid sugar from your fingers, releasing each one with a small ‘pop’, before eyeing your closet door. Gremlin chirping from the other room. 

What to wear...? 

The warm autumn sun did nothing to fight the chill from your bones as a cold wind blew through the area; small piles of dry, red-orange leaves occasionally being picked up to follow the gusts in twisting, rolling patterns.  

The trees that lined the side walk now barren, only a few stragglers holding on to their branches for dear life against the onslaught of chilly wind. One leaf, the last of its designated tree, lost its battle, whipping past you in twisting loops as you tightly clutched your trench coat shut tighter around you. 

 Your nose and ears stung slightly as the temperature seemed to drop a couple degrees. Looking up at the now cloud covered sun, you took note of the murky grey that had begun to creep upon the early afternoon sky.  

A sign of winter, you concluded, pushing through the late autumn wind until you reached a familiar bee-themed café at the end of the busy block.  

Hurrying to get out of the wind, before your hair got too messed up, you pushed inside, your scarf whipping wildly behind you.  

Greeted by the usual chime and welcome, you made your way to the counter, hands desperately trying to fix your hair’s unkempt appearance. Fingers combing and flattening particularly wild areas, pushing them back into place.  

You were grateful they kept the place warm inside, the comfortable heat much more welcome that the blasting, cold wind outside. The smell of pumpkin spice reached you and your eyes were drawn to the front’s small pastry shelves, eyes locking with a fresh tray of cinnamon-pumpkin muffins being laid out. If there was one thing you had to pick as a favorite for the fall time, it would be pumpkins. Pumpkin themed foods, pumpkin themed drinks, candles, decorations, anything and everything pumpkin. Adding a muffin to your mental checklist you neared the dark wood counter.  

During your short walk to the front, you scanned the room, eyes traveling from person to person looking for a particular tall figure. ‘Huh, no Yagi today.’ You observed, hands moving away from your hair into your pocket to grab onto the small, leather wallet hiding there. The soft feel of the material felt warm against your fingers, your pocket using your body heat to make itself a make-shift heater, and you pulled it from your coat.  

Trapping it between your hands, you rubbed them together, hoping the friction would case away the chilled state of your fingers. Bruno noticed your glancing and greeted you with a knowing grin. 

“He hasn’t been in lately,” He chimed, smiling at your startled expression at being caught. “Must be busy, not that I would know, I just make his tea.” Antennae flicking with his chuckle, Bruno grabbed an order sticker and wrote your name down. “Now what can I get for ya?”  

“Um, hit me with a medium hot chocolate and one of those pumpkin muffins, please. It’s getting cold out, the wind almost froze my nose off.” For emphasis, you rubbed at your red nose, wincing at the icy bite of your skin.  

He laughed, agreeing as he slapped the sticker on a medium cup before sliding it across the counter to the waiting hand of Keiko. “Alrighty, Miss, one hot chocolate and muffin coming right up! Anything else?” 

You shifted. 

“Actually...” Nerves stirred gently in your stomach, not entirely anxious butterflies fluttering within you as you leaned a bit closer to the counter.  Bruno, curious, leaned forward slightly as well, his antennae twitching. 

“I didn’t see anything on the outside of the café, but I was wondering if y'all are... perhaps... interested in hiring?” 

 Honey colored eyes widened.  

“I’ve been coming here for a while and thought maybe I could be of help- not that y’all need it! The two of you always do an amazing job, but if you're hiring, I’d like to apply,” Your hands had started move with your ‘professional’ ramble when you were interrupted by Keiko laughing form behind the counter.  

“Haha, look that, Bruno! We were literally just talking about that.” Her dark brown eyes crinkling in amusement. “Talk about good timing! Go on and tell her, Bee.” Keiko nudged the small man as she passed, placing your coco down before adding some whipped cream. Bruno made a small ‘ buzz’ noise, bristling at the nudge, but it quickly faded away; rapidly being replaced with a thoughtful expression. 

“Well, as Keiko has mentioned, we have been discussing the idea of hiring new baristas as of late. With the popularity of the shop growing, we decided it might be nice to have some help. Originally, I was going to wait until after the fall season to start putting up ads and help wanted signs up, but hey-” His aura shifted from thoughtful to satisfied, and you couldn’t help the hopefulness bubbling in your chest. “Here you are! And like they say, the early bird catches the worm, I suppose. I would be delighted to help you through the hiring process, and if you want, I wouldn’t mind setting up a training day for ya. If you're still interested that is?” 

Nodding your head enthusiastically, you forced hands to stop shaking. “Yes- yes, I would appreciate that very much!” Bruno gave a little nod back before tilting his head.  

“Have you had any other work experiences like this before? Any work in customer service, I mean.” 

“I have, I used to work for a café during my high school and early college years.” 

“Good,” He smiled. “Then I think you’ll do just fine. Here, text this number and I’ll help you set up a time for a... trail day, if you will. Just something to see how you do and go over the basics.” 

You could have jumped with joy, almost snatching the number and your goodies from the counter, as you rambled your thanks. “Of course, thank you so much! You have no idea how much I needed this! This is perfect- thank you!” Bruno made a happy noise, his eyes gleaming with something new as he winked.  

“Don’t mention it! Like I said, just text us a date and time and I’ll get everything else set up. I look forward to hearing from you again, stay warm!” 

 Keiko, who had slid into the space opposite of Bruno, nodded furiously.  

“Yeah, keep safe out there- heard some crazy villains are have been acting up lately- it's the weather I say, makes ‘em stir crazy. Plus, we wouldn’t want you getting snatched or something before your first day--” An elbow to the side had the woman stammering, an irritated bee glaring at her crassness. You laughed, promising to be careful as you tried (and failed) to organize your full hands. 

Juggling your wallet, muffin, and cup, you rushed excitably back into the lobby; waves of jubilation coursing through you. Your excitement almost palpable, you barely registered the light laughs of the two baristas following you as you approached the door. Before you headed back into the busy street, you spun around, smile bright and hands full.  

“Thanks for everything. I’ll see y'all later!”  

And with that, you were gone, shoving your muffin in your mouth and walking to nowhere in particular. The warm flavor of spiced pumpkin and melted chocolate only added to the warmth in your chest, the wind now barely noticeable in your elated state. Your conversation replaying in your mind as you grinned, well the best you could with a muffin trapped against your mouth, giggling at the two co-worker's sibling energy. 

Face warm your eyes crinkled at the thought of telling your friend that you might be the next person to make his order soon. 

Hot chocolate warming your hands, you breezed past the crowds of busy people, unaware of the effect your humming excitement was having on the people brushing past you- who got a dose of bright energy as they passed. Unaware of the light rumbling of the concrete beneath you. Of the buzzing vibrations in the air only a couple blocks down. 

Unaware that something was happening . 

Cold nipped at the soaring hero’s ears, bangs flapping wildly as he reached the zenith of his ascent. 

Winter was approaching, Toshinori noted vaguely, gaze trained on the faraway city beneath him.  

The jump he had taken sent him high enough to see a wide view of the bustling area surrounding the south-eastern corner of Tokyo, eyes scanning for any villainous activity as he descended.  

Currently, he was on patrol. 

 More specifically, All Might was on patrol, hopping place to place while keeping an eye out for anyone in need. Not that he was complaining, patrol was actually one of his favorite parts of his career. It was a way to remind the public that Pro Heroes were always there to help, always watching- protecting.  

That’s what the job was about, helping others who were in trouble.  

And boy was he trying. 

 Lately, All Might had noticed the steady increase in villainy, crimes of multiple categories popping up all over the city of Musutafu. It was keeping him... busy to say the least, his time being consumed by patrols, filing said patrols and incidents, and training the young man he had found all those months ago. Which was interesting. Midoriya was a... new adjustment, to the older man’s life. His training was no easy feat, but so far, Midoriya was doing well. Slowly, but well. 

 There was no denying the boy had spirit; he’d give him that much.  

Heavy, yet agile feet landed onto the hard concrete of the tall tower’s rooftop with a thud; hand reaching up to smooth his bangs back only for them to spring back up into their signature ‘V’.  

Toshinori had chosen an industrial building conveniently placed at a corner facing the street, the perfect spot to spontaneously rest and watch for any shady business that might happen in the crowd below.  

Surprisingly quiet steps took him to the edge of the roof, crouching with his arms resting on his knees as he happily watched people gather and mingle in the street’s market places. He liked when it was like this, when people were out and about, when the general public was generally happy.  

Safe.  

His constant smile grew a little bigger, hidden eyes relaxing at the refreshing scene before him, actively ignoring the gnawing of his side.  

Grey clouds covered the sun, momentarily cutting off its heat, leaving the world under it to be cast in a light shade.  

Eyelids drifting shut for but a moment, he inhaled the scent of the wind, the smell of autumn leaves and sun-soaked concrete filling his remaining lung.  

An extremely faint trembling came from the building he was perched on. He almost didn’t notice, too nostalgic on the wind and sound of the crowd, but it was just enough that his eyes snapped open to look back over the street surrounding his searching spot. The tremble became a rumble, and All Might stood straight, eyes trained to the ground and head tilted towards the sound of what seemed like... grinding ?  

When the grinding grew louder and the rumble turned into a sudden heavy shaking, hairs at the back of Toshinori’s neck stood on end. 

He knew something was wrong. 

His suspicions were confirmed when a booming crack echoed through the block, the sounds of shrill screams pouring directly in after the abrupt noise. 

 Instinct kicked in, and he launched himself to the source of the panic, eyes locking with a gaping break in the concrete no less than about a block away.  

Something was pushing up and through the asphalt, it’s metal end gleaming against the faded sunlight- a machine.  

A drill?  

The shaking wasn’t so subtle anymore.  

Now, not unlike an earthquake, the shaking was violent, shattering the structural interior and foundation of many nearby buildings. Large chunks crumbling off as a crack began to climb the side of the exterior. Many civilians fleeing from the scene, rushing to get as far away as possible, but somewhere not as lucky. Many people collapsing onto the ground from the vibrating shockwaves rocking the earth beneath them. 

A local vet by the name of Asa Hirano let out a strangled yell, a section of wall cracking off directly above him. His body curled into itself, expecting a crushing weight and the eventual nothingness of death, eye’s squeezed shut. Memories of his wife, children, and co-workers flashing in his mind as he waited for his eventual end.  

 A beat passed. 

Then another. 

 Still nothing. 

 ...Was he dead?  

Then there was something- a booming voice. 

“It’s alright, young man! You know why?” Small green eyes shot open, head swerving to meet the large figure holding up the piece of rubble. His terrified face morphed into an astonished smile, big enough to almost rival his savior's. 

All Might beamed down at the cowering man, shoulders and back taking the weight of the rough slab of wall. 

“Because I am here!” 

With a shove of his shoulders and arms the rubble was thrown to the side. Hirano, who was no longer in threat of major injury or death, stared frozen at the Pro. So, with a gentle but urgent tone and hand, All Might helped him stand- ushering him to leave the area and go to where a couple rescue heroes were most likely waiting for civilians like him. The vet, with relieved tears in his eyes, nodded and rushed to the corner.  

He was going to see his family again.  

Turning to face the giant drill that literally just drilled itself up and through the ground, All Might thought of the best approach to handle this before he heard someone calling to him. 

“All Might!”  

It was Kamui Woods. 

Heroes nearby must have felt the disruption, racing to the scene to see what was going on, Woods being one of the first to arrive. At the sight of the Number One, the young hero came rushing to his side, determined to get in on the action. At the sight of the large drill head peaking from the ground he hesitated. 

“What... is that?” 

“Some type of machinery, a drill most likely.” Answered the towering blonde, leaning with his hands on his hips as he observed the now still mechanism. 

“Bulky looking thing though, it looks like there could be a cockpit somewhere under the bit. That or it’s being controlled remotely. Woods-”  

The wooden masked hero stood to attention. 

“-look for any injured civilians, this thing did some real damage to the market place. I have no doubt that there are people trapped by fallen rubble, free as many as you can, and take them to the square north of here- I think there may already be rescue and medical teams set up there. You’re a great rescue hero Kamui Woods, can I trust you with handling this while I check out that big hunk of metal?”  

“Yes, sir!” The younger man nodded stiffly, taking off to the nearest spot of resulted destruction- a collapsed entrance to what seemed to be a jewelry store.  

Wooden vines creeping under and through gaps of material, searching for hostages as two larger vines dragged a large beam of wood that was pressing down onto an unconscious women’s lower body away to the side.  

While Woods was searching, All Might began to approach the machinery with caution; jagged, cracked concrete crunching under the soles of his boots.  

The drill had broken through the earth at an angle, tilted like it had been drilling forward and up at the same time. The curved edge of the large bit looked like it was built with the intention of carving through hard soil and stone, glinting edge like a long, curved blade.  

The crunching under his feet gave way to dull metallic ‘clanks’ as he reached the main engine part of the drill. 

 The dark metal was smooth but worn, faint lines of unpainted steel shining through from where certain hard edges scraped away at the paint’s coat. The dark metal bled into the shining steel of the law drill’s jaws- the area of intricate locks and clamps holding the drill’s end in place, and Toshinori’s eyes followed the welding marks up the width of the motor’s casing. Hidden eyes locking onto a small hatch-like door that would have seamlessly faded into the rest of the metal casing, if it weren’t for the way the welding make an outline of its shape. 

Suddenly the hatch shot open, the loud hiss of the engine steam pouring out from the cockpit’s opening causing.  

Then, from the unsealed hatch of the machine, came yelling. 

Not the type of yelling of a villain’s threatening monologue, this was different. 

Almost like... an argument between two, stressed , goons. 

“-at do you mean you got the coordinates wrong ?!” 

“I didn’t mean to- this isn’t where my calculations predicted we’d end up...!” 

“Oh really ? I couldn’t tell! Does this -”  

A hand shot up through the cloud of steam, wide-clawed fingers digging into the steel. With a grunt, a snarling man pulled himself up, facing the opposite way of the number one hero, completely oblivions to his presence as he violently gestured to the outside world.  

“Look like a bank vault, Jiro!”   

The growling mole man reached back into the interior of the drill, a sharp yelp of pain coming from the inside of the motor before he yanked up- a smaller mole-man coming up to the surface via way of being yanked up by the hair. The younger villain let out a low growl back when his larger look-a-like released him with one last tug and a shove.  

Jiro glared out into the distance, determined to find the goddamned bank his drill should have taken them to- 

“ Ahem .” 

The brothers froze, Ichiro’s arm still held out in a wild gesture towards the sky and Jiro’s neck going so still he could feel his joints grind; after a long movementless moment, both of their heads slowly turned to look at the unaccounted third party. 

All Might grinned down at them, chin resting in his palm; crouched figure casting a large, intimidating shadow over the wide-eyed villains. The two mole-men, having realized they had been caught by none other than All Might , paled.

Amused, the hero tilted his head in a friendly way, dark eyes crinkling. 

“Lost?”  

Gaping eyes blinked owlishly. 

“Well, I have to give you credit.”  

All Might’s smile grew and he sighed, putting on an air of sympathy.  

“The bank you boys are looking for is nearby- only a couple blocks away, actually!  A little more to the east and you would have probably made it. The outside was designed by a famous architect, I think it took around a full decade to be completed. Truly a beautiful building. It’s a shame really,”  

One electric blue eye caught the light, glowing down at the two shaking almost-bank robbers.  

“ That two thieves like you will have to see it from the back of a police van. ” 

At the threat, the smaller of the two immediately made a move to dive back into his previous hiding place, not getting very far due to the large, muscular hand that shot out to grasp him by the collar of his dirt-stained shirt, pulling him back up while he snarled.  

The eldest took a different approach opting from rearing back and swinging with his dagger like claws, teeth bared and hackles raised.  

All Might, struggling to keep the kicking male in his grip, noticed the swing a little too late. Dodging before they could slice his chest, the long, bone like claws caught his left arm, his sleeve splitting and All Might dipped into One for All... 

Ichiro had had drawn back his other arm, ready to launch another wide swipe at the Pro Hero single handedly grappling his brother.  

‘This time’, he thought, rodent like teeth forming a cruel grin, ‘I won’t miss.’- 

It was shocking how someone so big could move so fast. 

One second, All Might was right in front of him- a second from being lacerated, the thought his claws carving out long lines in the hero's chest vivid on Ichiro’s mind. 

Then next, he was gone. 

A powerful gust of wind, and the changing of air pressure, the only thing left in the space previously occupying Japan’s favorite poster-hero. 

The mole-man reeled, feeling a presence behind him- 

Before All Might swiftly action-chopped him into unconsciousness.  

The hero sighed, watching as the aggressive one of the brothers collapse onto the cool metal surface of the drill, sliding down onto the hard street.  

‘There, that wasn’t too bad.’ 

The small man trapped against the thick muscle of All Might’s arm and side, vice grip rendering his struggles as useless, drooped his head to stare at his fallen brother, upside-down face screwed up in fear.  

“Oh my god, you killed him.” 

All Might let out a boisterous laugh. 

“Don’t fear, he is simply unconscious. He’ll be up and at ‘em by the time the two of you reach your holding cells, I can assure you.”  

Jiro slumped. 

They were going to jail.  

By the time police arrived, the small number of trapped individuals were found and freed by multiple rescue heroes and professionals; Kamui Woods, Mount Lady, even Hound Dog had been called in to sniff out any remaining hidden victims.  

The drill was being dealt with, Power Loader and some of his assistant technicians arriving on scene to help figure out a way to safely deconstruct the large machine and relocate it to police evidence.  

After a brief update of All Might’s encounter with the criminals- who Yagi learned were known as the Mogura brothers, some small-time bandits that decided to push they’re luck at robbery which had led to the whole drill incident in the first place- the police took everything over from there.  

Mole-men cuffed and detained, Tsukauchi smacked the back of the S.W.A.T. van, giving the driver the go ahead, before turning to his friend.  

“Good work, All Might. Who knows what could have happened in they had actually made it to the bank...” 

All Might laughed loudly, setting a hand on the chief of police’s shoulder.  

“Trust me, detective, I have a feeling the result would have been the same.” 

“Heh, I’m guessing they weren’t the brightest then?” 

“I like to say ‘unexperienced’. I’m just glad no one was seriously hurt today, those two might not have been the most... prepared villains, but the power in that drill...” He glanced back to the team of support scientists working away at it, it’s engine still steaming and hissing weakly. Tsukauchi nodded solemnly, thinking about the future headlines the press would come up with addressing what most thought was just a run of the mill earthquake. Dark eyes looked up at the tall man, unseen eyes deep in thought, gaze fixating on the three rips in the hero’s upper sleeve. 

“Speaking about hurt...” The detective glanced around, checking for any eavesdroppers, before lowly continuing. “Are you alright?” 

The blonde looked down with confusion, snapping out of whatever mental process he was going through. Sure, his scar’s ache was starting to become more wincing, the bubbling of blood sitting hollowly in the very back of his throat, but he was barely at his limit. 

He still had about half an hour, at least! (Liar…)

“Of course, I’m alright! Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“Your arm, Toshinori.” Tsukauchi hissed; hushed tone filled with concern. 

“My arm? What wrong with my-”  

Jerking his arm up, his eye caught the slashed material of his suit, a couple strands of ripped fabric hanging from his forearm. A small area of his arm a deep red and he followed the trail of blood-stained suit, rotating his arm until he saw the three, relatively deep gashes curving around his arm. 

 Ah, so the villain’s claws had caught skin. 

“Oh.”  

Naomasa stared; brow quirked. 

“ Oh? ” 

All Might let out an embarrassed laugh, sweating nervously at his friend’s disappointed face, elevating his still lightly bleeding arm. 

“Oh, this? It’s fine, I can barely feel it!” 

The detective narrowed his eyes, but didn’t feel the tell-tale twinge in his stomach. Yagi was telling the truth- he really couldn’t feel it! Tsukauchi guessed that was from the lingering adrenaline circulating through the hero’s blood, he most likely would be feeling it later though, when he came down from his combat-high and had to clean the wounds. 

“...Still, you should probably get that patched up. How about I go grab some of the medical personal, I bet they’d be more than happy to fix you up really quick...” All Might found himself nearly caving into the offer, Tsukauchi’s common sense combined with his worry had the injured man considering. 

His side however, had different plans for the rest of his day. 

Tight smile hiding his wince, Toshinori curbed his natural urge to cough up the blood creeping up his throat to the back of his palate, falling into his ‘loud and proud’ hero act.  

He was running out of time , he admitted, a feeling of self-loathing stirring in his chest alongside the flaming burn of his scar.  

“Bah!” All Might flicked his wrist, his injured arm coming back down to rest against his popped hip.  

“No need to bother them for something as small as this, Detective Tsukauchi! There are many in more need of their services than I. I appreciate your concern,” He smile, genuine despite the pain ribbing him.  

“But I can take care of this one myself. It’s not like I haven’t had to bandage myself up before now!” Toshinori laughed, trying to sound as natural as possible in his current state.  

“Besides, I want to skedaddle before the press arrives.” He added in a hushed tone, watching his friend laugh while shaking his head. 

“Well, if you’re certain... I won’t keep you. You're your own man, All Might, I’ll let you handle you. Again, thanks for catching those guys, if their plot to rob a bank is not enough to put them away, the damage they did to the block sure is.” 

All Might nodded his head. 

 “Don’t mention it! After all,” Naomasa found himself laughing again at All Might’s highly exaggerated wink. “It is what I’m here for!” 

And with that, and a large gust of wind, he was soaring again; the drill and its destruction fading into the distance as Toshinori rushed to get home.  

His side was screaming as he struggled to hold violent coughs back as he hopped from building to building, roof to roof.  

His mouth filled with the familiar taste of iron, heart beat pulsing in his ears as he searched for a safe place to deflate his muscle form. 

Spotting a blocked off alleyway near his apartment, he jumped down into it, instantly releasing the hold he had on his form, body curling up as he coughed violently- blood splattering into the hand that was covering his mouth.  

Many minutes passed, the alleyway quiet except for his gurgling coughs and heavy breathing, the steam of his transformation dissipating as he kneeled, unsteady figure swaying. 

After a moment, Yagi attempted to right himself, the want to be home flooding his mind, but the movement resulted in another nauseating jolt from his side, sending the thin man convulsing to the dirty floor.  

Lip curling as he spat out the newest mouthful of bloody saliva gathering in his mouth, a grunt left him- forcing himself to slide backwards until he could sit, slouched against the brick alley wall. 

‘Pathetic.’ 

Eyes were cast to the sky, unfocused, before screwing shut; a soft thud echoing through the alley as he let his head fall back against the hard surface supporting him. A cold sweat had started to form on the shaking man’s forehead, straw colored hair sticking to his face as he attempted to breathe.

Toshinori Yagi stayed like that until the gut-wrenching pain faded to a throbbing ache again, breath rattling off the walls of his solitude as he waited. Blood dripped out off of his chin, droplets leaving small crimson dots on his now massive hero costume. The stinging of his forearm didn’t go unnoticed, adrenaline long since faded, and he cradled the weeping arm to his burning chest.  

Eventually fighting past the pain, self-loathing, and the ringing in his ears, Yagi pushed himself up with grit teeth before limping home; entering his building’s back entrance. Luckily all his downstairs neighbors were out and about, most likely enjoying the day outside; if any of them had been home they would have seen the disheveled, bleeding grim-reaper wearing a too big All Might costume creeping his way up to his elevator.  

Luckily, being the Number One hero meant Yagi had enough money to afford not just a small apartment room, but the whole floor, meaning when he reached the top of the building, he didn’t have to worry about bothering any neighbors with his annoying coughing and noise.  

Kicking his baggy suit off of his boney form, he stumbled to his kitchen, locating the first aid kit before shuffling to his bathroom. Not even bothering to turn on the lights, he reached his mirror’s medicine cabinet, grabbing what he needed to disinfect his arm and his medical kit that contained his surgical sutures. 

Then- in the dark of his bathroom, the porcelain of his bathtub’s lip cold against his overheated skin- Yagi began his work in an empty silence, only filled by the fizzing of hydrogen peroxide and a long deep sigh. 

‘Pathetic...’ 

The earthquake had only lasted a handful of minutes, the memory of your stumbling against the shaking ground still minutely present as you reached your room, your good mood still intact despite the odd event from earlier. You hoped everyone was ok and that no one got hurt, the quake was short but quite strong, it would have been enough to have a couple of folks stumbling to the ground. 

 Especially those with weak knees, you determined as you discarded the empty muffin wrapper that had been sitting in your pocket on your walk home. A loud mew sounded from your living room, Grim announcing his usual hello to you, your excitable energy from earlier was still humming under the surface. 

That’s probably what lead to your sock-covered feet sliding across your wooden flooring in attempt to reach your sleepy cat, who almost dodged your swipe but unfortunately was now being coddled in your arms. Holding your cat like an infant, you spun around the room, swaying in a mock ballroom waltz. 

“Guess who’s gonna have money again, Grim. That’s right, mama is!” You purred, the joy of being (not yet actually) employed causing a giddy laugh to bubble from you. The idea of having enough money to make food that wasn’t bruised fruit or ramen had you singing, your confused but comfortable cat staring at you from his spot against your chest, a deep purring starting up as he leeched off your body heat. 

Your waltzing stopped as you remembered something, smooching Gremlin on the head you set him down carefully... before speeding back to your kitchen to retrieve your phone. Phone pulled in front of you, your hands dig through your pockets, hand pulling out the small crumpled piece of paper Bruno had given you.  

Quickly, you unlocked your phone, feeling Grim’s long tail rub past you as he made his way to his food bowl, and you typed in the neatly written numbers into your messaging app. Shit, how do people text- You swallowed, nerves from the pressure of thinking of the perfect way to start your barista career causing you to delete message after message, unhappy with each one. 

Keep it simple, you chastised yourself, typing a simple greeting along with your name as confirmation that you were supposed to have this number, stating your reason for messaging before tapping the send button. After a few minutes of staring unblinking at your phone, a little texting bubble popped up in the left corner of your screen. 

_______________________ 

4:37 pm -/--/-- 

???: Good afternoon, glad to hear from you again so soon! Have you found a time that works well for your ‘interview’? 

???: this is Bruno, btw 

_______________________ 

You laughed out loud, quickly changing his profile name and adding him to your contacts. 

_______________________ 

4:38 pm -/--/- 

--Yessir, I have. Is this upcoming Friday ok? I can come in whenever. :] 

Bruno: Sure, that works for us! How bout you come in a little before we open- that way we can show you where everything is before the day starts 

Bruno: And you don’t have to worry about wearing anything specific, we’ll set you up with your uniform when you get there 

--Sounds good! See y’all this Friday then? 

Bruno: Yes ma’am, can’t wait! Stay safe :] 

_______________________ 

Smiling, gaze still stuck on the phone still in your hand, you walked back over to the living room. After re-reading your conversation a couple times you flopped down onto your couch, thoughts of Friday morning flooding your mind, planning how you were going to do your hair and wondering if makeup would be too much for the first day.  

You flipped onto your back, head facing the blacked out tv screen. Despite the whole earthquake incident, today had gone well.

Your reflection smiled back at you, and you let out a small laugh thinking about how your favorite scarecrow would react to seeing you behind the counter. 

Your eyes closed. 

Man, you couldn’t wait to tell him about it.  

Chapter Text

Your first day at the Honeybee had gone surprisingly well.  

You had arrived early, reaching the near empty sidewalk at half-past six, the morning sky painted with bright hues of pink and yellow blending with the blues and purples of the ending night on the horizon line of the city. 

The sun cast long shadows across the ground that had yours looking like it had been stretched to a disproportionate length, and you watched your shadowed twin move with you as you rubbed at your hands. 

Again, the temperature was chilly- nowhere as windy as the last couple days had been, but this new cold was starting to become a daily norm as winter creeped closer.  

You really needed to invest in some gloves, your fingers ached in the cold and your joints were starting to creak; not that you had the money for them but still.  

The lobby of the Honeybee was dark, usually neon ‘open’ sign dull and lifeless, glass windows and door reflecting the sky’s rosy light.  

You had chosen the business-casual route of attire for the day, smoothing down the fabric of your neatly ironed sweater as you waited.   

The empty darkness of the unopen café felt odd compared to the usual bright busyness you were used to, the sun-reflecting windows acting as mirrors as you judged your reflection’s appearance. After a few seconds of preening, you shot Bruno a quick text announcing your presence, patiently waiting by the locked entrance.   

With a polite smile you watched the honey blonde peak his head out from what looked like a small office room at the back, locking eyes with you as you waved at him through the glass, laughing softly as he sped towards the door at the realization that it was you.   

With a swift twist of his key the door unlocked with a click, little bell jiggling as he invited you in with a surprised grin. 

“Good morning, you’re early!” Bruno greeted, his voice too bright for the hour, small hands ushering you into the peacefully quiet café. 

 The gentle buzz of his tiny wings filled the room as he guided you towards the back, and you glanced around the vacant tables and unlit display cases as you crossed the invisible ‘no customers allowed’ line marking start of the drink bar behind the counter. 

“Morning, sorry I’m so early-” 

“Sorry!?”  

He laughed.  

“Being a bit early is always a good thing, nothing to be sorry about! Now; if you showed up at like 4’o clock in the morning or something then I’d be a bit concerned.” Golden eyes narrowed jokingly at you, and you let out a light laugh of your own.  

“ Fine , I guess I won’t try to ambush your café at ungodly times of morning then.” 

“You guess?”  

His head shook with mirth, the two of you were now standing in the entryway to the back hall, and you breathed in the smell of baked goods; which was odd- you didn’t see any ovens or baking supplies when you were passing the service station, so where was the smell coming from? 

“Oh, could you wait here a second? I have something for you.” 

 You nodded as he gently brushed past you and into the office, watching the way his wings settled against his back. 

You could hear a faint rustling as Bruno searched his office; patiently waiting next to the doorway. Rocking on your heels, you peeked down the small hallway, past Bruno’s office into what looked like the beginning of a basement. There was dip in the wooden floor – stairs? – and when your rocking tilted you forward slightly, you could see light- 

“Aha! Here we are,” Bruno emerged, a neatly folded bunch of fabric held firmly in his arms. “I thought that since today’s officially your first day, you ought to have one of your own!” 

The light cream-colored bundle was being held out to you. 

Unable to stop the smile that spread across your face, your tired mind recognized what the soft object was. 

Taking your new apron in hand, you held it up to your torso. It was almost identical to Bruno’s, the only difference being the lack of embroidered lettering of his name above the breast pocket. A small bee pin was snuggly fixed onto the top corner, near the neck loop, a miniature of the café’s logo.  

The soft cotton reached your mid-thigh as you secured the thin loop of fabric around your neck, hands darting behind you to (clumsily) tie the back. Once your apron was on and tightened to your liking, you looked up at your employer with a mock smug look before giving him a little twirl.  

“How do I look?” 

Bruno made small sound of approval; hands planted on his hips. 

“Not bad!” 

“What’s all this? Starting the welcome party without me?”  

You startled, turning to meet the sighing woman surfacing from the basement.  

“Keiko! Come say hello to our new no-longer-costumer work friend!” Bruno waved his friend over, other hand on your shoulder as he gestured to you.  

Keiko smiled a sly smile, gloved hand coming up to give you a lazy wave.  

“Hey. Sorry I didn’t greet you when you first walked in but,” She pointed her thumb behind her at the basement entrance. “Was working on setting up shop downstairs.” 

“Oh?” 

“Yep, can’t have much of a coffee shop if you don’t have the goods to go along with the actual, you know, coffee. I’m just waiting for my last batch to finish baking then I can help you get the front ready.” 

Somewhere you felt the invisible connections click in your brain. Oh! The basement must be where the bakery is located- It made sense, how many muffins have you bought from this place before, they had been made somewhere in the building. Keiko must be the main baker of the establishment, that would explain the smell from earlier and her gloves, and you hummed softly expressing your new understanding.  

“Well, whatever your baking smells great!”  

“Thanks, ready for your first day on the battle field?” 

You snorted, amused by her choice of words. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” 

“Great, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to make sure I’m not currently burning the basement down. I’ll leave you with Bee, I guarantee that he has a whole checklist of things he’s gotten teach you. See you guys in a bit.” And with one last thumb up to you, she was retreating back into the basement, the smell of fresh bread and cinnamon replacing where she had been standing seconds ago. 

With she was no longer in sight, Bruno tsked.  

“Always bustling that one, constantly moving.” His eyes left the basement, focusing on you and you watched is exaggerated exasperation turn into something fonder. 

“Now, let's get started!”

The atmosphere of the café had graduated from the peaceful, slow-moving adjustment period of the early morning into a much fuller, faster hustle that was accompanied with a small line of customers and full seats.  

Luckily, your boss assigned you to one of the easiest, least stressful positions to start you off with.  

Which, of course, was to assist your co-workers (in minor, yet helpful, ways), call orders out, and handout pastries- and with the rush hitting its peak, you felt very grateful that was all you were currently responsible for. 

“I’d like two cinnamon rolls and a raspberry scone, please.”  

“Of course! Anything else for you today?” 

“No thank you, just the three.” 

You nodded, gloved hands putting each treat into their respected bag before setting them down onto the counter for the rosy haired woman to grab, her pink eyes smiling as she scooped up her goodies with a bright ‘thank you!’.  

Popping your thumbs, you turned, greeting the next customer - an elderly man who looked like a large, cozily dressed barn owl - with a polite smile.  

This is what the last hour looked like for you, customer comes up, pays at the cashier, then comes to you demanding sweets. It was kind of fun, most of the people you encountered were regulars you could vaguely remember from your previous, unpaid, visits; many of which were polite and sweet, and at worst just plain indifferent. Plus, you were already memorizing which pastry was which, which was making your job easier when you could automatically recall where the treat was located on the display shelves instead of having to read the labels.  

The job was also subconsciously scratching the figurative people watching itch that you possessed. When you weren’t directly helping customers, you were watching them, waiting to be of assistance if anyone randomly got a hunger pang and came up to your designated counter. 

Right now, however, you were far too preoccupied with the slowly thinning line of people to be people watching. The gathering of scarf and coat clad individuals coming in to get their morning’s fix of warm to push out the pre-winter chill that was spreading through Japan at what seemed like rapid speed.  

Handing the owl-man his pumpkin seed loaf, you called over whoever was next- eyes locking with a heavily tattooed person with bright blue hair and what looked like two ox horns sprouting from their forehead. 

The customer service side of your brain took over, the default conversation between worker and consumer spilling out naturally as your mind started to wander to the blue of the surprisingly gentle person’s hair. 

The blue of the sky. 

The blue of the ocean. 

Blue like a neon sign glowing in the dark. 

Blue ... 

Why were you fixating on this person’s hair? 

Wait, what were you doing...? 

OH RIGHT- you felt your ears burn, realizing you had completely glazed over what the person had asked you for. It came to you, thank god , but you apologized for your hesitance before handing Bright Blue their snack while they laughed off your forgetfulness, wishing you a good day.  

You sighed, leaning your crossed arms against the glass top of the snack cabinet, eyes glancing at the almost dissipated line. Many of the next customers only ordering beverages, you noticed as you leaned further into the counter, watching drink after drink be handed out by Keiko until the line was no longer a stream of insistent coffee/tea consumers.  

The warm sunlight gleamed through the front windows, natural light filling the room with an orange-yellow hue. The concrete of the sidewalk outside reflecting the bright sun, making the walkway seem like it was made of pure, white light. Your fascination with the outside was interrupted by Keiko, her shorter presence almost just appearing as she copied your current resting position.  

“Hey, newbie. Not wiggin’ out on us, are you?” 

You hummed with a closed lip smile. 

“Nope, not yet. Just appreciating the sunny weather outside.” 

“Ay, don’t go staring outside for too long, makes it sadder when you realize you're trapped in here with us.” She grinned, gently nudging your elbow with hers.  

You laughed. 

“It’s not too bad, I could get used to it actually.” 

“That’s good, Bee and I really appreciate the help. Plus, it helps that you’re a natural at this already anyway.” 

“I’m not that good.” 

“That’s where we disagree, newbie.” 

You huffed, pushing back so that your palms were flat against the glass, shoulders burning from the light stretch. Your coworker’s gaze was locked on the crowd passing by the window, yours soon following suit. A comfortable silence fell over the two of you, eyes trained on the outside world, the white noise of the customer’s chatter and Bruno’s order taking playing in the background.  

After a few seconds of accompanied people watching, Keiko pushed off the counter, moving over to work on the newest order while ordering you to follow and ‘watch how it’s done’.  

Hovering, you watched her add pumps of various flavored syrups into the rich smelling dark roast, mixing and swirling before pouring the liquid into a large cup of ice. Then, you watched as Keiko reached into a small jar of white sugar, tightly clasping the handful before her wrist flicked once, twice, three times. When her hand opened again you has to hold back the confused noise of astonishment at the fresh brown sugar fell from her palm into the icy concoction, the smell of burning sugar fainty drifting into your senses.  

“Wow, how’d you do that?” 

“What- oh the sugar thing?” 

“Yeah, the sugar thing!” 

Keiko tilted slightly so that she could talk to you while also stirring the iced coffee with a long silver spoon.  

“That’s just my quirk, I can caramelize stuff. Not really in the ‘cool’ category but it’s a good thing I like baking so much, just means I get to use it lot to add flavor to the things I bake...” 

“Woah, I think that’s a lovely quirk Keiko...pretty sweet, actually.” You grinned as Keiko audibly groaned at your pun, rolling her eyes as she called the order name.  

“Oh yeah, I bet you have some kind if badass quirk that like allows you to evaporate people or something-” 

Multiple people glanced up at your loud chortle, a hand flying up to cover your mouth in an attempt to silence your squawking. 

“Haha! Evaporate people - I can assure you I do not make people vanish into thin air.” 

“Well then?” 

“No, no, mine’s not really ‘badass’ like you put it, but I uh... I can make people feel things? I can also take feelings away.” 

Brown eyes locked onto yours, a nervousness creeping up your spine at her excited look.  

“That dope! Here, make me feel something!” 

“No, Keiko I’m not going to manipulate your emotions for fun...” 

“Come on-” 

“Keiko, leave the woman alone.” 

Bruno stepped in, having heard your conversation after he cleared the line, and knowing his friend, knew he had to intervein. Keiko groaned, but relented with a dramatic flop of her head. 

“I was just curious what it would feel like...” 

“Sorry, but I only use my quirk for less than light-hearted matters. Although,” You stressed the word, hoping this next little nugget of information would help satisfy her curiosity. “I have been told that when I get emotional sometimes others can get a little hit of my quirk, so you might be able to experience it in the future! Though I don’t know how accurate that is...” 

“It’s fine, I’m sorry for pushing it. It was nosy and invasive of me.” 

You nudged her, not unlike what she did to you earlier. 

“Really Keiko it’s ok, I just don’t like overusing it if I can help it! Using it too much makes me drained and feel funny.” You offered, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. 

To sound of the front door’s bell rang out into the semi-crowded café, and just like that you were back to work. 

The rest of the morning went in waves, mellowing out towards noon but still having the occasional mini-rush here and there. At one point you were swapped with Bruno, during a slow hour of course, something about learning the system early so it would come to you easier in the future. You were doing alright, the eagerness of your co-workers helped you a ton with finding were all the buttons were, neither of them ever really leaving you alone while you took you first baby steps into cashiering.  

That was until a small toddler tipped his mother’s drink off balance, sending the poor woman’s coffee onto the floor and tabletop, the squeal of her chair was enough to alert you and your coworkers as she quickly scooped the tiny rebel up and away from the steaming mess. 

 Now fully aware of the young mother’s predicament, Bruno had rushed over to help clean up the mess on both the table and the mother herself, Keiko disappearing to the back to retrieve a mop and squeegee; the two of them inadvertently leaving you alone .  

Not that any of this was of great importance to you - having found yourself occupied with serving the small line their snacks and placing their orders into the system, sending them away with smiles and wishes of good days. 

Pretty soon, the line was gone and you took to absentmindedly wiping down the counters, feeling anxious at the lack of productiveness but also appreciating the small breather from the busy rush of the morning coffee shop dwellers.  

You were cleaning the counter near the drink stations; where Bruno had scuttled back to after the toddler-coffee incident, quickly whipping up drink after drink; your back facing the door.  

The chime of another person entering the shop caught your ears, your hand quickly wiping off the remainder of the sticky counter top, glancing back to where the line had been, mentally prepared to greet and treat the next guest.  

Instead, a large grin split across your face, excited butterflies fluttering in your chest at the unsuspecting, distracted man before you.  

Yagi appeared to be struggling with his coat’s buttons, large clumsy fingers fumbling against the fabric covering his chest, his brow furrowed and nose scrunched in a frustrated concentration as he failed to get the damned thing to unbutton - 

You watched, greatly amused, as your friend continued to fiddle with his jacket, his combat boot covered feet shuffling closer to the counter. 

To you . 

Completely unaware. 

Did... did he really not see you? 

It was laughable really, the amount of time it took his to reach you, your chin resting on your hand as you silently waited for him to look up - well, look down - and realize the new addition to the staff of you shared hangout spot. 

Eventually, after a few seconds, you were the one to interrupt his concentration, your grin borderline painful. 

“Can I help you today, sir?” The sugary sweetness of your voice seemed to do the trick, Yagi’s gaze flickering from the half-unbuttoned portion of his coat to your face, back down, then back up.  

You were chuckling as he sputtered. 

“Oh my-” His hands were now held to his chest, no longer concerned with unbuttoning it. “Forgive me... but it seems you are on the wrong side of the counter, my dear friend.” He was leaning towards you, head tilted to take in your appearance, concern lacing the bass of his voice as you snickered.  

“It appears so! Although I can assure you, I am legally allowed to be back here.” 

“But... when-”  

“Today actually! Started this morning.” You were still smiling while Yagi shook his head, a hand coming up to run through his hair. 

“Jeez, how long has it been since I last came in...” He was still shaking his head, only this time his face was matching yours.  “How have you been? You got a job, obviously, but... I thought you were looking for something more...” Yagi trailed off. 

“Clinical?” 

“Well, I just thought...” 

You shifted your weight, trailing the edge of the counter with a finger; your voice coming out quiet but not quite a whisper.  

“I am. Still am; I mean; this is just a temporary thing. I’m still looking for a counseling job, I just needed something to help during the wait, that’s all.”  

You suddenly felt self-conscious, despite the fact his expression held nothing but understanding, so you changed the subject. 

“Anyway, I haven't seen you in a good while! Been busy?” 

He chuckled, a rolling sound you had grown used to, although it came out with a tone of exhaustion layered underneath. “Never not, I’m afraid. Work’s been hectic so I... uh, haven’t had much free time.”  

“Sounds like it. I hope they’re not overworking you too hard, though...” You said, looking up at your friend with a look he knew all too well.  

“It’s fine, nothing I can’t handle.” 

“You always say that, Yagi.” 

“And I always mean it.” 

You sighed, giving up. 

“Fine, just know I am not above finding your boss and sending them a nice long email about work distribution!”  

Yagi just smiled. 

“Of course.” 

With that out of the way, you finally remembered that you were in fact at work, peering behind Toshinori to check if there was a line. 

Luckily, it was just him. 

For now.  

Oh right, he probably came here to order something; not to discuss small talk with you- he was busy after all. 

...You should probably do your job. 

“As happy as I am to see you,” You broke the minute quiet moment that had settled between you with the earnest statement. “I’m sure you didn’t come in here just to see little ol’ me...” 

Yagi didn’t have the courage to admit that wasn’t entirely true.  

Blinking, he stood a little straighter, coughing into his fist.  

Right, drinks. 

“Oh, yes sorry! You probably already know,” You had been by his side when he ordered multiple times before. “But just one green tea please.” 

You nodded, tapping one your screen, actively ignoring the weird feeling of being the one to take one of your friend’s orders instead of some strangers. 

“The usual, then.” 

He hummed his confirmation, digging into his pockets for his wallet before inserting his card into the small reader next to the tip jar. As he waited, he heard you start to chuckle, blue eyes looked up as he removed his card. 

“What?” 

You covered your mouth, eyes crinkling as you waved your hand.  

“Nothing. Just feels weird, ya know, being on the other side of the counter,” 

He nodded, hands smoothly sliding his card into his wallet, folding it shut, and stuffing it into his pocket in one fluid motion. 

“I don’t know, it’s kind of nice,” He met your eye, and your face felt too warm. 

“Besides, I can’t think of anyone else I'd rather have greet me every time I come in.” 

Eventually, your coworkers took notice of the tall blonde, taking their turns greeting him the way they usually do, going about making his drink while you took care of the few newcomers that had wandered in.  

They were nice enough, thanking you as you wrapped and bagged their chosen goods before drifting elsewhere; your mind lingering on your conversation with Yagi, who was still waiting patiently at the other end of the shop, slightly disappointed that it had ended so quickly.  

It really had been a while since the two of you had actually sat down and talked. And now that you were working again, finding a chance to sit down with him - let alone talk to him – would be near impossible! 

 You felt a cold dread wash over you at the thought of your friendship fading due to the busy lifestyle of everyday, you just needed to grow a pair and ask for his number or something! 

You caught sight of Bruno popping the lid on Yagi’s tea, steam seeping up through the small opening, the cardboard cup only missing the paper label.  

Quickly, you slid over to your employer, stopping him as he went to grab the printed sticker by snatching it from the label maker.  

“Don’t worry about this one, Bruno, I got it!” 

His surprise was apparent as he looked up at you, antennae flicking, but slid you the cup regardless with a shrug.  

Proud of your success attempt at coercion, you gently rolled the sticker on, flattening it out with your thumb. 

 The drink was almost ready to be delivered, it was only missing one thing, so you blindly grabbed a black marker from underneath the cash register and got down to business. 

Satisfied, you beat down the butterflies in your chest, sliding over to the side of the counter Yagi was waiting at.  

His face was relaxed into his usual teeth-showing grimace, eyes glazed over in thought, and you almost felt bad from breaking him from his train of inner thought. 

Almost, but your plan was already in motion. 

“All done!” You announced, presenting the cup of hot tea to the lanky-limbed man.  

He snapped up, face lighting up at the sight of you and his drink, swiftly taking two long steps until he was standing in front of you.  

“That was quick, thank you, dear.” Calloused hands went to grab their prize, lightly brushing against your softer hands only to pause when you didn’t immediately draw back.  

“Oh, uh just one more thing,” Stomach full of jitters and butterflies, your hands finally let go, instead moving to pick at your nails while he gripped his tea in a cage of long, knobby fingers.  

“I, um, I wrote my number on the side of your cup,” He blinked, immediately turning his cup in his hands to spot the blocky numbers you had scribbled on earlier. “That way, if you want, we can still be able to meet up and talk whenever we both have time.”  

“You... you’re giving me your number?” 

“Yes, I like talking to you. You’re my friend.” 

You admitted, the back of your neck burning as you mentally scolded yourself from your immature feelings and anxiety.  

‘It’s just a phone number, calm your ass down.’  

What you were not expecting was the large, goofy smile that lit up his face. His hands were now holding the still steaming cup to his chest like it was a treasure, too elated to notice the pulling tightness of his partially healed stitched up arm. 

You liked talking to him, he knew that already - despite the doubts that always creeped up saying you were just pitying a lonely, old man – but it felt different to hear you say it. 

You thought he was a friend.  

You were saying something, eyes looking everywhere but at him. 

“-again, it’s only if you want it.”  

Of course he wanted it.  

“So, I’ll let you get back to it, I’m sure your busy...” You mumbled, embarrassed at his silence.  

“Have a good day, Toshinori.” 

And before he could even get a word out, you were shuffling back to the register, pretending you were not embarrassed beyond reason, helping disperse the sizable line that had accumulated during the time of your exchange. 

By the time the line was dealt with, Yagi was nowhere to be seen.  

You arrived home smelling of baked goods and customer service, shoes left at the door and sweater wrinkled from your walk up the stairs. You had clocked out feeling drained but not bad, it had been a good day- a good first day, at that!  

Nothing catastrophic happened, no-one yelled at you for existing, you didn’t get any orders wrong; in your opinion you had done well. You liked your coworkers, ignoring the fact that you already liked them from before you started working with them, and you got the whole number situation out of the way.  

Sighing, you rubbed your face at the memory of the exchange. 

 You... could have done that a bit smoother, since you did basically run away at the end... 

“Ugh,” You groaned at yourself, you probably made yourself look childish getting so worked up over something as simple as giving someone your number!  

Speaking of... 

You had purposely ignored your phone all day, one- because you were busy and didn’t have time to check, and two- you were nervous about getting a text from Yagi, or more likely, the lack thereof.  

Setting down your keys, you slowly brought out your phone, trying to stay calm as your thumb brushed the screen- 

Nothing. 

You pretended to not be disappointed, thumb swiping up to reload the app over and over only to be met with the same message of ‘no notifications.’ You moved onto logic; he was a busy man – he said so himself – his agency was overwhelmed so it made sense that he wouldn’t be able to answer so soon.  

Still, why did you feel so... 

As if feeling your distress, Gremlin padded his way towards you, chirps echoing through the quiet apartment. His large face pressing up against the backs of your knees, rumbling.  

Tired and social battery running on empty, you scooped him up, and pressed your face against his head before walking to your bedroom to change and lay down for a bit. 

Officially out of your work clothes, your settled down onto your bed, Grim curling up next to your legs. Your laptop was still laying closed next to you; pulling it into your lap you pulled up your favorite show, letting it play in the background as you scrolled on your phone. 

Turns out that earthquake from the other day hadn’t been an earthquake. 

You read the news article, reading about the laughably easy capture of two mole-people and their encounter with All Might.  

The corner of your mouth curled up. 

‘Heh, dumbasses.’  

The rest of your night was spent like that; your cat purring at your legs, your favorite movie playing in the dark of your bedroom, and articles of heroism and villainy on your phone- two thoughts lingering in your tired mind.  

One, you wondered if you had perhaps scared Yagi off; 

And two, ‘ God did it feel good to have a job again. ’ 

Kicking the door open, Yagi slid into the dimly lit room, setting the large stack of files and folders onto his desk before falling back to sit on the creaky swivel chair with a huff.  

Blue-tinted moonlight spilled onto the carpet and wood flooring of his office, only shining in long, broken-up lines due to the semi-closed blinds covering the large glass window that faced out towards the city.

The lights of Roppongi reflecting dully against the glass, but Yagi was up too high up for any real light, other than the moon’s, to fill the small room he was lurking in. 

It was late, nearing eleven o’clock, meaning everyone in Might Tower had already long since left to return home after long work hours.  

All except him. 

Yagi Toshinori still had to file all the hero reports that had been recorded for this week, which meant he was going to be here a while.  

With a heavy sigh, Yagi grabbed the first file out of the pile and slid on his reading glasses, flicking the small desk lamp on for extra light. 

Of course, he already knew what the report was about after reading the first couple sentences, he knew about all of them, him having been there when they all took place.  

Well, All Might was there.  

Yagi was just stuck with all of his alter-ego's paperwork. 

Fingers skimmed over page after page, flipping through each document with blurring speed.

Autopilot took over; Yagi’s eyes on the papers while his mind was elsewhere., physically sorting and signing - All Might’s signature in the lines for All Might and as Yagi in the lines he needed to sign as Yagi - the files away while mentally setting up medical check-ups and planning out patrols for the upcoming week.  

Hunched over his mahogany desk, Toshinori reads file after file, doing his best to actively block out the backache winding up his spine.

The sounds of the city barely reaching his ears, the only sounds loud enough to fill the room being his breathing and the sounds of paper gliding against paper.  

Around half way through the pile, Yagi’s mind drifted to more mundane topics of his life.

It had been a few days since he had been given your number, the memory of your embarrassed face and the way you had said his name -not Yagi, you had used his first name! - becoming a looping scene in his head. 

He hadn’t messaged you yet, not that he hadn’t tried; your number was currently sitting in his contacts, waiting to be interacted with, but every time he thought about texting you a new hesitance gripped him. 

Was it too early? He read somewhere that if you messaged someone too quickly, you could come off as ‘creepy’. Which was the opposite of what he wanted, he wanted to be friendly, not creepy! 

He physically frowned.  

‘Not that his appearance was helping him any with that.’  

You see, Yagi… didn’t have many friends.

Throughout his entire life he was always too busy with school, work, and training to be out there socializing; hell, he hasn’t contacted his closest friend in a decade!  

Tired eyes drifted, leaving the paper in his hand to lock with his dark phone screen.  

He... wanted to see you again.

You were a nice distraction from the chaos of his daily life, a calming balm to help with his tension.

He just was so scared that he would scare you away, he didn’t want to risk it.  

He doesn’t text people!   

Well ok, he regularly texts one person. One!  

He reached across the desk, file momentarily forgotten, taking his comparably small phone into his large hand. 

 It wouldn’t hurt to ask, get advice from a friend for another friend.  

Gracefully thin fingers navigated through his phone, his other hand coming up to idly scratch at his gauze wrapped forearm.

An itch had replaced the sting, the sewn together flesh being protected by gauze, but the scratchy material did not help with the irritated skin. 

Toshinori was not one to complain about ‘minor’ injuries, however... 

Stitches were always a bitch.  

Always. 

Now on a mission, the blonde typed out a considerably lengthy text message regarding his problem and sent it to the only person he could think of.

When the answer was not immediate, Yagi went back to filing, keeping his phone nearby on the desk.  

The pile was thinning, he noted with hope, pointer and middle finger sliding down to pull out the small filing cabinet hiding in one of the desk’s cubbies. Those same digits brushed against the tops of the papers hidden inside before dancing between manilla folders, finally finding a place to put the finalized documents. 

A good chunk of the pile moved out of the way, Yagi pulled another smaller pile up from the ground and onto the few remaining folders.  

Not long after he started on that pile, he felt his phone vibrate from across the desk.  

Pushing his glasses back into place, he snatched at his phone, curious to see what his friend had to say about his current predicament.  

Thin lips pressed into a thin line at Tsukauchi Naomasa’s only response.  

‘Just talk to them like you talk to me. Be yourself!’  

Toshinori deadpanned, but took this into consideration. 

You... did say you liked talking to him. And when he talked to you, he was just going with the flow, mostly.  

Oh, but what if he came off too strong? He voiced this via text to the detective, who was finishing up some work of his own, only to be reassured again that the best way to make friends, and keep them, was to be natural. 

Clearly, this was his dear friends only advice other than some tips on how to start a conversation.  

Fine. 

He’d give it the old college try. 

He’d ‘be himself’.  

He opened a new message linked to your number, and wrote a quick greeting and apology for waiting so long- which he fully meant, he was sorry for being a coward- tapping send when he felt the message was to his standards. 

Then he remembered that it was literally almost midnight, and you were most likely asleep, curled up somewhere cozy sleeping the night away like he wished he was right now instead of taking care of paperwork. 

He groaned at his amateur level communicating skills, in the desperation to contact you he hadn’t taken time into consideration. Great, now you were going to wake up and think that he’s weird from messaging you late in the night-  

‘Buzz’  

Yagi froze. 

It was you. 

You had responded! 

Why had you responded- you should be resting right now. Toshinori thought, frowning, but read the response bubble anyway.  

‘Hey Yagi, that’s ok! I’m happy to hear from you. :]’  

Instant relief eased some of the tension in his already aching neck, you were happy to hear from him.  

Not spooked, or weirded out. 

Another buzz echoed through the room, signaling another message from you. 

An invitation for conversation, apparently you couldn’t sleep and could use some company. 

Yagi felt warmth spread through his tired form, adjusting his glasses again as the buzzing continued in a comforting rhythm.  

The night carried on as he switched between folder and phone, a soft laugh leaving him at the amusing cat image you had sent him somewhere in your conversation after you explained what a ‘meme’ was.

Late nights at the office always felt dragging, leaving Yagi exhausted and having to sleep on the rickety couch located adjacent to the desk that always resulted in a twisted back. 

But, tonight, Yagi didn’t mind sitting crouched over an old desk in a squeaky chair, that wasn’t at all tall enough for his legs, stuck doing endless paperwork. 

Because he had company.  

Chapter Text

Your hand slid over the smooth paper cover with a soft hiss, the novel’s silver-inked title catching the florescent lights of the bookshop as you internally debated whether you should purchase the book now or come back for it later.

You had been meaning to go book shopping again, the last of your slowly growing collection long since read and familiarized, and since today was your day off, it felt like the perfect opportunity to do some browsing. Your thumb caught the book’s corner, fanning the thin white, numbered pages, before flipping it over in your hands to read the summary on the back.  

It had been a month since your first day working at the Honeybee, since you gave Yagi your phone number, and things were starting to... feel easier. Better.   

You weren’t twitching with stress about money anymore - you had nearly cried when the first of your bi-monthly paychecks had appeared in your direct deposit - and you had, surprisingly, not been ghosted by your friend despite your awkward delivery.  

Quite the opposite actually, you two hadn’t stopped consistently talking since his first message, developing a somewhat regular pattern of friendly conversation. Both of you taking turns taking turns sending each other things; memes, recipes, drink recommendations, pictures, etc., sometimes even planning meetups.  

Which was another reason you were currently in the bookstore; during one of your many breaks spent with a visiting Yagi, you had brought up the topic of one of the books you were reading at the time.  

Yagi was very interested in the topic apparently.  

One thing led to another and you had offered your dear friend one of your thriller books, which he at first insisted was unnecessary, he could always buy one of his own to avoid anything happening to your copy; however, he did take it after you countered that it would be a waste for him to buy a whole new book when he didn’t even know if he liked the story or not yet and that you were more than happy to share it with him.  

This started a whole new type of arrangement between you, he would ask about your books and in turn, you’d tell him about them/let him borrow your copy.

You were on your third loop of this cycle when he had texted you proposing the idea of reading something together, at the same time, so you both could share likes, dislikes, and predictions on the story. 

Together. 

So yeah, you were book hunting for something interesting to start this new ‘mini-book club’ of yours. The book in your hand seemed like a good starting point, a mystery with all sorts of hinted twists (and romance), excellent back-of-book reviews, and a reasonable length.

‘This’ll do.’ You decided, quickly snapping a picture of your chosen one, sending it to Yagi for evaluation.  

You hummed, trapping the book under your arm while you returned the other candidates to their rightful places, retracing your steps through the winding maze of wood and paper until you could see the little old woman who owned the bookstore standing behind the front desk.  

“Good morning, Mrs. Suzuki.”  

The bookkeeper adjusted her owlish glasses, old eyes settling on you as she smiled sweetly.   

“Ah, it’s you, my dear. I was wondering when you’d be back; did the last book catch your fancy?” 

“Oh yes, definitely! Considering that I finished it in one sitting.” You admitted, sliding your next purchase onto the counter while she laughed - a soft, kind sound that did not hide her amusement. 

“I expected as much. What’s this you have here, hmm?”  

“Just something for a friend, he and I are starting a miniature reading club of sorts.” 

“I see; ooh- this one’s a goodie, tons of fun.” She affirmed happily, taking the book into her hands. 

A high-pitched ‘beep’ sounded as she swept the book over the scanner, loudly typing something into the old-school computer before reading off your total. Payment made, she skillfully placed both book and receipt into a small paper bag, soft wrinkled hands handing you your price.  

“There you go. Have fun, deary.” 

“Thank you, I will. Stay warm!” You waved, your other hand holding the thin handles of the bag, heading back into the frigid weather with a single smooth push through the door.

The air was still but cold, cold enough for your breath to come out in little puffs of white frost and your nose feel numb already. The sun was out, despite occasionally being covered by a thin group of grey clouds, shining pastel yellows onto the sidewalk underneath you.  

It was getting colder by the day, weather that would usually keep you inside, warm and safe.

However, you were not a coward nor foolish and simply started to dress in more layers, after realizing wearing a lone turtleneck wouldn’t cut it anymore.  

Black boots clicking against the chilled concrete, you began your walk around town, hoping to get some sightseeing as well as people-watching in for the day before you had to head back home. You walked, an undetermined amount of time passing until a soft vibration started up in your pocket.

Keeping pace, you swiftly pulled your phone out of your coat, smiling at the notification message that blinked across your lock screen.

A simple press of your thumb unlocked your phone, swiping down to read the messages Toshinori had sent you. 

‘ Looks interesting! ’ 

You knew he’d think so. 

‘Are you doing anything today? ’ 

You slowed your steps, typing back quickly. 

‘Not really, why? ’ 

You watched as the three small dots jumped in their bubble, looking up to make sure you weren't about to walk into a pole while the device in your hand buzzed again.  

‘I still have the last book you let me borrow. ’ 

Another text bubble. 

 ‘Was wondering when I could return it? ’ 

You rolled your eyes, a cloud of frost accompanying the small huff you let out. Thumbs tapping on your screen, only two words into telling him that it was fine if he kept it but another message from him interrupted you.  

‘And don’t say it’s fine, you will be getting this book back! >:^[’ 

Damn it. 

‘Fine, wanna meet up somewhere or...? ’ 

You waited for his response, sliding your phone back into your pocket when you met the crosswalk, willing yourself to redirect your attention to not get run over by a passing car. A little while later, as well as a couple of crosswalks, you felt a text's tell-tale vibration against your hip. Yagi had sent you two messages; one being an invite to meet up at a favorite spot of his, and two the google-maps link to the location of said spot. 

Glancing at the online map provided, you created a mental image of your route, not bothered by the moderate walking distance- you could use the cardio anyway.  

Starting your journey, you smiled upon realizing the map was taking you to a nature park located near the edge of the district.  

You shot your friend a confirmation message, telling him you were headed that way now and would meet him near the front gates.  

‘ See you there, travel safe ’ 

With that you slid your phone into your pocket, feet taking calm, confident steps that carried you closer to your destination. The streets were starting to become more active, people taking advantage of the nice, albeit chilled weather, leading to you having to actively dodge multiple groups of the now awake population.  

Not that it bothered you, you were barely paying attention to the growing business around you. You were more focused on what you were going to discuss with Toshinori once you got to the park, like how his work was treating him, or if he had anything going on outside of work he’d want to talk about- maybe he’d even want to skim through the book you just purchased after handing over your other novel. It didn’t really matter how exactly your meetup would go down because you had a feeling you would enjoy it either way. 

The park entrance gates glistened in the sunlight; two large iron doors stood open to the public with tall silver rods curling to form an arch above where you were sitting. You had arrived around 15 minutes ago, texting Yagi when you had arrived, taking to wandering around the front while you waited. Nearing the 10-minute mark, with your message still on delivered, you had moved to sit up on one of the small pillars underneath the gate.  

Your feet dangled a couple of inches from the ground, one hand supporting you against the flat base of the pillar while the other scrolled through the media feed on your phone- occasionally swiping up to check if Yagi had texted you, only to find no reply every time.  

When 25 minutes came, still without an answer, you started to worry. 

 Sending him another text asking if he was still coming and if he needed to cancel, you gently kicked the back of your heels against the pillar, reaching up to rub at your chilled nose. Deciding to give it another 10 or so minutes, you went back to scrolling through exaggerated headlines and dramatic news clips with the hope the visual noise would block out the small voice of worry nagging at the back of your mind.  

Clicking on an article about some tv drama involving nonother than pro-hero Mt. Lady, your ears honed in on the soft singing of birds coming from the trees surrounding you, their song helping to keep you distracted as you whistled back.  

A sigh left you, still no answer.  

You hopped off your seat, a leaf crunching under your heel as you stood. You’d been waiting for him for over 30 minutes, maybe it would be better for the both of you if you just messaged him that if he couldn’t make it after all (even though he had been the one to initiate the arrangement) you could just reschedule for a different day. Pulling out your phone to type said message, you almost didn’t hear the heavy footfall and wheezy breaths coming toward you.  

“W- hha - Wait!” 

You turned towards that familiar voice, a call of your name startling you so bad you nearly dropped your phone, watching with wide eyes as a very disheveled Yagi came bolting in your direction. 

“Yagi? There you are- oh shit !” Joy morphed into horror as you realized that he wasn’t losing any speed, quickly shooting to the side to make room for the makeshift linebacker. Toshinori, who also noticed his intimating speed with wide eyes, slid to a rough, jolting stop- hands outstretched to catch himself on the brick pillar you had just been sitting on moments ago.  

“Oh my god, Toshinori are you alright?!” 

You watched, face painted with concern and horror as Yagi leaned against the entrance marker, huffing and wheezing with his hand holding up one finger, not-so-silently telling you he needed a moment.  

“I... huff ... am so... hha .... sorry,” He panted, bangs wild as he shook his head, taking a moment to clear the bubble of blood in his throat before continuing. “I’m sorry... I made you wait-” 

You shook your head back, hands pushing at his chest and arms to get him to sit, which he did with little complaint.  

“With all due respect, shut it, Yagi. Sit down and catch your breath first. Then we can talk, yeah?” 

You stood there, watching him take deep breaths with hands resting on his bent knees, trying not to stare at the thin stream of red dripping from the corner of his mouth.  

This wasn’t the first time you’d seen it, despite Yagi’s sneaky attempts to hide this little... quirk of his. You just didn’t think it would be polite to ask about the man’s medical history, besides it didn’t seem too severe so you would just stay silent for now and let him breathe. 

Once Toshinori felt like he had enough oxygen to speak again without wheezing between each word he looked up at you, guilt written on his expression. 

“I am so sorry I’m late; I was on my way, not a minute after we agreed to meet up, but I got caught up on my way here- I would have called but I forgot my phone at home and-”  

“Yagi, it’s ok! I'm not mad!” 

He didn’t look convinced. “But... I left you to wait in the cold, no call or message, nothing. And you're not...” 

“I wasn’t mad, maybe a little worried and chilly but I get it. Shit happens!” You shrugged, hands slipping into your pockets. 

“Doesn’t help that traffic’s a bummer, man.” 

“Oh, I wasn’t caught in traffic...” 

You looked at him, confused. 

He looked like a kid who knew he was about to be scolded. 

“Now, don’t worry! But I may or may not have been stuck in a crowded part of the city...” 

“Ok, so like people traffic-” 

“Which also happened to be under attack by a villain... that popped up while I was walking nearby...” 

His head shot back because you were suddenly very close to him.  

“You what?!” 

You were looking him over for any injuries, hands gripping at yourself and him as you circled him, questioning if he was hurt, if he needed medical attention, how he got out - it felt like he was being interrogated by an anxious mother. 

He felt his guilt grow heavier. 

He didn’t have the heart to tell you he had been the one to stop the attack. 

You ended up back in front of him, one hand rising to tap at your lips as you gasped.  

“Holy shit, Yagi did you run all the way here?” 

“...No...” 

“Don’t lie to me, mister! Are you crazy? What if you had an asthma attack- wait do you even have asthma? Forget it, never mind!” 

He was sitting there, hands between his knees watching you as you fussed over him. 

You sighed, looking over him one more time before crossing your arms with a huff, the frozen puff of air making you look like a pouting dragon.  

“Are... Are you sure you're ok?” 

“I promise, I’m fine.” He answered, hand wiping the blood away from his mouth while he smiled at you. Sensing the relief that was starting to wash over you, he stood up and reached into his wrinkled coat pocket.  

Your book was in his large, gloved hand, being held out to you.  

“For you madam, as I promised.” 

Despite yourself, you felt a grin spread across your face, his goofiness washing away the last of your concerns. 

“I’m glad you’re ok, Yagi.” You said, watching him eye you, unaware that he was taken aback by your sincerity. 

“Now give me my book, I want to see what unholy damage you’ve done to it!” 

You snatched the novel out of his hand, glaring at him playfully while he gasped, hand clutching at his heart as if he was insulted. 

“I would never-” 

Laughing at his dramatic display, you headed into the park with a beckoning finger wag. 

“Come on Yagi, walk with me!” 

How could he say no? 

 The sound of crunching gravel and leaves went unnoticed as Yagi flipped through the crisp, pristine paper of your new book, eyes scanning the small font while you walked beside him talking about something you read online earlier. 

“I just can’t believe they’d write something like that without any solid info; like if you're going to write about someone with a large fan base like Mt. Lady then you’d better make it believable ya know?” 

“Mhm.”  

“Right? I'm not even that big of a fan of her but- oh, wait don’t read all of it.” You insisted, moving to grab your book from his grasp only for the lanky man to hold up and out of your reach.  

“... ‘m not. Just looking.” 

“Toshinori! Give it, you're going to ruin it for the both of us if you read it all now-” 

Yagi blinked, a smug smile playing across his face. “I’m not reading it all,” He motioned, hand holding the book sweeping across the air still too high up for you to reach. “I’m checking to see if it’s worth our time.” 

“You’re not checking for shit, come on- I literally just bought that. Go buy your own!” 

He snickered at your tone; grin lopsided as he relented, lowering the book into your waiting hands. 

“Alright, alright, I deem it worthy.” 

“Sure you do, you weirdo.” You rolled your eyes playfully, moving to glance at the canopy of nearly leafless trees that grew around the path you and Yagi had chosen to follow.  

A flock of birds chirped and sang as they flew by, piles of orange and red leaves littered the ground of the large park, a nice warmth settling over the two of you as the bright sun beamed down from above- it was a near-perfect day for a winter walk through the park with a friend to spend some time small talking about nothing special or important.  

A meetup to pick up a book turned into a time for catching up on the latest ‘personal’ news. 

It was nice.  

“So,” You drawled, still eyeing the scenery around you. “How’s work been treating you?” 

“Good,” He hummed, hands seeking out the warmth in his pockets. “Busy, like usual, but not in a bad way if you’d believe it. The agency’s been buzzing lately, always keeping all of us occupied with something. Only bad thing is that the cold weather makes it less than enjoyable to walk to the train station that takes me to work.” 

“Oh? Is your work far from here?” 

“Eh, not too far. I just prefer taking the train over something like driving through traffic,” He glanced at the ground, gently kicking a small pebble further down the trail. 

 “Besides, the station I go to has a train that takes me directly to Might Tower, so it’s not too bad of a ride.” 

“Yeah, totally, it’s nice you don’t have to travel very far.” You agreed, nodding happily. 

‘ Might Tower ’ 

Might. 

Huh, that sounds a lot like All Mi- 

... 

Wait a minute. 

Yagi turned to ask you about your job, completely oblivious to the avalanche he had just unleashed on you, only to find you were no longer by his side. You had stopped walking, only a couple of feet away from the confused secretary as you stared at him with wide eyes. 

“What?” 

“Yagi-” You hissed, rushing back up next to his side. “Do... do you work for All Might??” 

Yagi suddenly realized his mistake. 

When your friend made a face like he swallowed a lemon, you knew you had heard his little slip correctly. 

“Holy shit! You work for All Mi-” A large hand cupped your mouth, cutting you off as he leaned forward to shush you. 

“Shhh! Not so loud!” He looked around in a panic, checking for onlookers and eavesdroppers before removing his hand, a wary expression on his face.  

“You do! That’s so cool.” You whispered loudly, your face painted with bright awe. “No wonder you’re always so busy, you work for the big man himself!” 

Yagi groaned as his face turned a soft shade of pink, trying to hide his embarrassment by rubbing at the bridge of his nose.  

“Hey,” You said, still smiling. “No need to be all flustered! It’s cool that you work for Japan’s No. 1 and all but I’m not going to go run around saying things. Promise!”  

“I know you won’t...” He mumbled as you both started walking again, side by side.  

The sound of gravel filled your ears as you walked, a building flood of questions creating a pressure in your chest as you tried to keep it all in. Yagi, who must have seen your face, spoke up. 

“...I don’t blame you if you want to ask some questions, just know I might not be able to answer all of them.” 

“So, do you get to see him often?” 

“Who? All Might?” Yagi asked, watching you from the corner of his eye. 

Oh god, this was going to be weird.  

“I do, although he is a busy man so he’s usually out of the tower doing his hero work.” He said carefully, and technically it was true- he wasn’t stuck up in the office when he was All Might. 

“Is he as big as they say on the news? I’ve uh...” Yagi took notice of the way your face reddened. “I’ve never seen him in person before.” 

He blinked, were you... 

Were you a fan of All Might?! 

“Really? Well, I suppose he’s pretty big,” He knew he was. “Do... do you like him?” 

You laughed, the soft, bright noise surprising the deflated hero.  

“I guess, I mean he seems like a good guy, plus the fact that he’s the best, badass hero in Japan...so, yeah I think I like him. Who wouldn’t?”  

You were smiling at the ground, face still a little pink, so you didn’t see the look that came over Yagi’s face. 

He had picked up on your... mistrust in heroes not too long into your friendship, sure you thought some were cool but he could tell you didn’t truly like many of them – which at first baffled him, how could you not like heroes?? - but to hear you talk about All Might... 

You thought he was a badass! 

You liked him! 

Pride filled his chest when you looked up at him with that same smile on your face. 

“Which is why I think your job is so cool, you get to help him help everyone else! Which, in my humble opinion,” You grinned teasingly, slightly bumping into him as you walked. “Means you’re pretty badass too, Secretary Yagi.” 

Yagi felt his ears burn and suddenly felt very thankful for the cold weather.  

He sputtered while you laughed, rubbing the back of his neck to rid himself of the burning heat sitting there. 

“On the topic of work-” Yagi interjected.  

“How’s the Honeybee been lately? Seems like it’s gotten more popular over the past month. Any new drinks I should try next time I visit?” He fumbled, desperate to change the subject and save himself from any more flustering attention. 

Your already bright aura grew somehow brighter as you brought up how one of your co-workers was working on a new tea and pastry recipe and how you thought it was going to be a huge hit once they were finished- “You should totally visit when we start selling them, I’ll even give you a discount if you show up during the first day we release it!”- and he listened. 

He listened to you for the rest of the walk, occasionally chiming in to comment or add on something you were saying but, for the most part, let you do most of the talking. 

Not that he minded. 

‘You’re pretty badass too!’  

He could listen to you all day.  

By the time you made it back to the entrance, it was nearing the end of the afternoon, the sun now getting ready for its departure for the day.

Multiple groups of people, both entering and leaving the park, gathered around the gate as you and Toshinori made your way to the sidewalk, leading away from the busy portion of the area.  

At some point Yagi had mentioned that he had somewhere to be before it got too dark, so you both agreed (sadly) that it was time for your meetup to end.

You were in a good mood, a little sore from walking so much distance in one day - despite the long break Yagi suggested on one of the park benches - but happy about how your day had gone. You were also more than ready to go home, relax, make yourself some food, and chill with your Gremlin.  

You came to a stop, your hands securing your small bag of books, your conversation falling away in a comfortable silence. Yagi, who was currently leaning against a stop sign, cleared his throat softly. 

“Are you sure you’re comfortable walking home...? I could call you a ride-” 

“Toshinori. I told you already, I’m fine walking home;” You replied, fiddling with your phone as he shifted his weight. “I could use the extra steps anyway.” 

“Well, if you’re sure...” 

“I am.” You stated, moving closer to your friend after putting your phone away. “I don’t live very far from here so I should be fine. If it makes you feel any better I'll message you when I get home, deal?”  

He breathed, a puff of frost evaporating in front of him before he nodded. “Deal.” 

You smiled at his protectiveness, nudging him softly.  

“It was nice seeing you Yagi, thanks for returning my book and walking with me.” 

“Not a problem, I had a good time. I’ll have to go book shopping soon, that way we can start reading this new pick together.” He glanced at his watch, inwardly astonished with how much time had passed already, making a mental note for later. “ I suppose I’ll see you later then?” 

“Yep, you know where to find me.” You chuckled, lifting a fist into the air. Yagi blinked, chortling as confusion shifted to amusement - his fist meeting your smaller one in a gentle fist bump. “Stay safe Yagi, wouldn’t want anything happening to my reading buddy.” 

“You as well, my dear.” 

And like that, you both were going your separate ways, your time in the park ending on a good note.  

Yagi’s naturally long strides echoed throughout the calming streets, his shoes slightly dusty with gravel from the park trail. He walked with purpose, the sun now casting a pinkish hue on the sky as his mind filled with the fresh memory of you and him in the park. 

He wished he wasn’t so busy, that way he could have more time to hang out with others- you, Naomasa, and other hero friends- but sadly that wasn’t how his life worked and he knew that. If it was like that he would be on his way home right now, going to rest until a new day started tomorrow, but instead, he was heading away from his dwelling.  

He had someone waiting on him, after all.  

Heels of his shoes clicked as he walked down the staircase, the loud noise of his footsteps fading when the solid concrete underneath him changed to soft sand. The sound of the ocean came to the forefront of his attention, waves crashing in rhythm alongside the shifting of sand. Yagi breathed in deeply, taking in the smell of salt and mist while he stared out at the vast reflection of the sea.  

“All Might!” A shrill voice echoed across the beach, the owner quickly approaching the thin man gazing out at sea. Yagi turned and at seeing who was calling to him, quickly beckoned the young man towards him.  

“Midoriya-shonen, there you are! Also, what did I say about the name, young man!”  

“Sorry, Mr. Yagi!” The boy stammered, coming to stand in front of his trainer.  

Yagi took one more deep breath of the salty air before finally moving to fully face his student, who was currently trying to catch his breath from the jog over.  

“I was looking all over for you,” The freckled boy said between breaths, wincing at the stitch in his side. 

“I apologize for being late, my boy. I was out with a friend and lost track of time.” Yagi admitted, placing both hands on his hips while the hero-in-training steadied himself.  

Midoriya frowned, All Might was only a couple minutes late so the teenager wasn’t sure why he was apologizing, but the apology was quickly overlooked – Izuku visibly brightening up at the mention of his mentor having met with a friend. By the looks of it, Midoriya noticed by his mentor’s at-ease look, he had a good time.  

“It’s ok, All Might. I haven’t been waiting too long.” He smiled, and Yagi silently noted the name slip with a sigh.  

This boy.  

“Right, now down to business. Have you been following the meal sheet I gave you, boy?” 

“Yes sir!” 

“And you’ve been training like I told you outside of our sessions?” 

“Yes sir!” 

“Not overdoing it?” He asked, a hint of trepidation lacing the hero’s voice as the memory of the last time the boy had over-worked himself to sickening exhaustion played in his mind. 

“No sir!” 

The older man hummed in approval, gaze moving over to the piles of garbage and junk taking up a small portion of the beach, nodding his head.  

The boy was going well, following the strict mandates the Pro had laid out for him, hell even a large chuck of the beach was cleaner than it had been in years due to Midoriya’s thorough training.  

But there was still so much trash littering the ground on this once beautiful beach, so much to get done; still so much to teach. The boy’s entrance exam for UA would take place in roughly three months, meaning he had those three months left to make sure his successor was ready both physically and mentally for the challenge.  

So much work in so little time. 

“Alright, my boy.” Yagi grinned, watching the boy’s determined expression. “Let’s get to work!” 

A light, cheery tune echoed through the large empty office; the large windows filled with the deep purple of the darkening sky. All other staff had departed for the night, some returning home to rest while others went to get ready for their nighttime patrols. In the quiet principal's office, Nezu sat in his large leather chair having to peer over the surface of his desk to see the screen of his open computer, humming as he read through his newest emails.  

Lately, UA had been going through a recruitment phase, of sorts. With the number of courses and the estimated number of freshman students that would come pouring in during the next semester rising, the high school was in need of more staff. More staff meant more help, and honestly, they could use all the help they could get at the moment.  

So far, it had been... difficult to find anyone for any of the ‘non-teaching’ jobs. The few applications that would be directed to him would always contain unqualified heroes looking for an easy bit of extra money, or just plain sketchy characters with little to no background experience/knowledge.  

It was draining, to say the least. 

Luckily the hero courses were less difficult to fill out, many of them already having professional heroes and experienced teachers overlooking them - they even got nonother than All Might to agree to teach foundational hero studies next semester!   

Nezu yawned, a little squeak escaping through his nose as he filtered through his messages. He had been doing this for a couple of hours now, attempting to clear his never-ending inbox while also reading messages from teachers and students alike. He glanced at the time again, beady eyes starting to feel heavier with each passing minute.  

After another moment or two of checking emails, the principal sighed sleepily, fluffy paw moving to shut off his computer and start packing up – until a new notification popped up on his screen.  

Blinking the weight out of his eyes, Nezu decided one more email couldn’t hurt and clicked the preview. It was a message from Hound Dog, the school's guidance counselor, who had been assigned with directing promising applications straight to the school director’s email. It was an application – one that had been sent in a while ago – for one of the newer additions to the school’s programs. The email contained only the attached link and three words from the Hunting-dog hero. 

‘ Check this out. ’ 

Nezu’s eyes glanced at the clock once more, before clicking on the linked document.  

Might as well get this one out of the way before he leaves for the night, he determined tiredly.  

The application, to his immense surprise, was not from a Pro-Hero.  

The applicant was quite experienced in the field, with many years of both school and professional licensed counseling under her belt.  Multiple words of recommendation from previous employers, time working for both elementary and high schools in America – she just moved to Japan from the looks of it – no documented criminal records, it was the type of application he was looking for.  

If Hound Dog had sent it to him, he must have thought this one was worth looking into as well.  

Nezu hummed, reaching the contact section of the application with renewed interest. 

A non-hero working at a hero school... 

This could be interesting.  

Gremlin purred loudly, rubbing his face against your legs as he made himself comfortable; you had dozed off, spread out in bed, computer open beside you playing some film you had tuned out not too long ago.  

The hand holding your head up slipped, causing you to jolt awake as a little ‘ping’ interrupted the white noise for your forgotten movie. You stared blankly at your screen, trying to process the almost blinding light emanating from the device, drowsy eyes drifting to the small notification flag in the corner of your screen. 

Who would be emailing you at this time?  

You huffed, tired mind upset with being yanked away from sleep, begrudgingly opening the damned message that startled you awake.  

- ’ Dear applicant,  

I am pleased to inform you that your application has been selected for an in-person interview at our main campus. We have reviewed your request and have decided that you may be a perfect fit for our school’s mental-health counseling position. We have scheduled you an interview for the 23rd of this month, at our main location in Musutafu. Any other information can be found attached to this email. You will also be sent a physical copy of this letter in the mail in the next few business days. If you have any questions, you can contact us through the contacts listed below. Thank you for applying with us, and we look forward to meeting you.  

Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!  

‘UA’ School of Heroics, Japan  

• Signed: Principal Nezu - 

You stared at the letter, blurry eyes re-reading the small-fonted words over and over until you were certain you weren’t reading it wrong.  

You couldn’t breathe.  

This wasn’t a rejection letter. 

It was an acceptance letter. 

Your half-awake brain swirled with emotions it couldn’t fully process, a strange mix of anxiety and joy filling your entire body. 

You had been accepted. 

Holy shit... 

You had been accepted for an interview at UA!  

Chapter Text

Ring... ring...

Pick up. Pick up. Pick up.

Ring... ring...

C’mon, pick up!

...Ring-

“Hello?”

The voice on the other line was still a little thick with sleep; deep and gravelly - the voice of a man who had woken up recently.

“Yagi!” You cried into the phone, thrilled that he had answered your call. “Yagi, you will not believe what happened last night!”

The egg you were frying popped and sizzled in the small frying pan in front of you, your unoccupied hand wielding a rubber spatula that gently pushed at the edges of your breakfast to prevent any burning as you wildly rambled into your phone.   

Last night’s surprise had been extremely unexpected, not unpleasant in the least, but you had not been prepared to receive such big news so late into the night. It had banished any desire of sleep from your body, your nerves fueling the multiple-hour online search frenzy that kept you occupied all night that had your sleepless brain storing away any tips and tricks the internet had to offer when it came to getting into prestigious institutions and how not to get ridiculed or blacklisted during an interview.

When you finally did fall asleep, sunlight was just starting to light up the sky and leak into your apartment through semi-closed blinds as you dreamt of intimidating interviews, the color yellow, and... dogs, for some reason.

You laid snoring on your living room floor until your alarm went off an hour later, sending you straight back into your frenzied, wired state – suddenly filled with that high school-aged urge to gossip and get your sickening excitement-plagued thoughts out.

You needed to talk about it.

Get it out.

To someone.

Anyone.

Unfortunately for him, Yagi was the first contact your eyes locked onto when you had opened your contact list.

The poor man hadn’t even had his morning tea yet when he saw your name pop up on his lock screen.

“Woah, woah, slow down –” His voice urged tiredly before it tapered into a muffled yawn. “What happened...?”

“I got accepted for a job interview, Yagi! A real, big, once-of-a-lifetime job interview!” You squealed, unconsciously shaking your spatula back and forth in barely contained excitement.

“That’s great!” Yagi’s face split into a smile you couldn’t see, his shoulder pressing his phone to his ear as he poured steaming water into his mug. “With what clinic?”

You winced, an internal battle starting in your mind. “Well, it’s not a clinic, really...”

“Oh?”

You bit your tongue, reaching into your spice cabinet.

“It’s a secret,” You said pointedly, flipping your half-done egg in a way that kept the yolk intact after sprinkling on your seasonings of choice. “I know it’s childish, but I don’t want to jinx it by saying too much, feels like bragging.”

It would make the possibility of rejection sting a little less if you didn’t hype it up too much, your sleep-deprived mind decided.

“But,” You interjected before your negative thoughts became any more vocalized. “I will say it’s a huge opportunity! It’s somewhere I’d get to work with kids and it’s a brand-new opening, so it’d be like a whole new experience for both me and the institution. Which,” Your words became drawn out as you transferred your over-easy egg onto a plate. “Is why I’m calling.”

The man on the other end of the phone made an inquisitive noise, rough fingers skimming over the rim of his mug as he waited for the chamomile tea bag, he had dropped into his cup to finish steeping.

“You see, this place I applied for is really, really intimidating. Like, top-of-the-line prestigious type of intimidating, ya’ know? And I am not particularly used to such... distinguished places reaching out to me, let alone asking to meet with me for an in-person interview. So, I thought I’d ask you for advice.”

Yagi tilt his head.

“Me?”

“Yes, you.” A piece of toast was placed on your plate next, dirty pan quickly moved from the stove and into the sink to cool off. “You work for a crazy impressive place for an equally impressive person, you’ve got to have some type of golden ticket of knowledge for me, Yagi. Really though, any advice would be well appreciated... I really don’t want to mess this up.”

At the defeated sound of your voice, Yagi knew he had to think fast.

He hadn’t had an interview for his secretary job.

Hell, he hadn’t had a real business-related interview in decades.

He currently was his own ‘employer’ after all.

Shit, what to say, what to say...

“Well... try to think of it as just another job interview.” He started, internally searching for memories of long-since-passed hero apprentice experiences. “Be honest and truthful with your answers when asked questions, be respectful and patient, show up early, uh... dress to impress is what I’d suggest appearance-wise – oh, but not too flashy, the more professional is better. Hm...”

A thoughtful hum filled your ear as you took a bite of your food, listening intently before gently cutting in.

“Is.. Is there anything etiquette-wise that I should know? I’m still not completely familiar with Japanese customs when it comes to super professional stuff...” 

Oh yes, of course, the basics.

That he could do.

“Oh- of course, let's see...”

You ate your breakfast quietly while he listed the dos and don’ts, making a mental list in your mind for future reference while you mopped up left-over egg yolk with your remaining toast.

Calling Yagi had been a good choice, you thought as the bass of his voice listed all sorts of professional tips into your eager ear.

At one point during his tangent of advice you had started physically making notes on a nearby stack of sticky notes, determined not to forget even a single detail that could help you overcome this nerve-wracking step into the future of your career.

“Remember that being calm is key, so take a walk or do something that relaxes you before your meeting. It’ll help with the jitters.”

You nodded, summarizing his words on the small pink piece of paper currently stuck to your table.

“Got it, stay calm and relaxed. Any other notes I should write down?”

“Hm, not any that I can think of at the moment.” He sipped his tea, leaning against his kitchen cabinet with a thoughtful glance out of the window. “I hope anything I’ve said has been helpful to you in some way... I’m not the best at giving advice, unfortunately.”

Your eyes glanced over the small pile of what you now considered sacred knowledge, baffled by his statement.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Toshinori, you don’t even know how much you just helped me!” A laugh tumbled out of you at his ridiculousness.

The man had just dropped some of the most helpful tips you’d ever received – in your jittery, sleep-deprived brain - and still thought he wasn’t good at giving advice.

“Really man, you have no idea how helpful this is! I knew calling you was a good idea!” You sang his praises, dirty plate forgotten as you gathered your small army of sticky notes into a messy pile that would be organized later.

“I’m glad I could help.” He said softly, eyes still gazing through his window to watch the morning sky. “Is there anything else I can assist you with?”

Shaking your head softly, you leaned back in your chair, your eyes scanning your dimly lit kitchen. “You’ve been so helpful already; I doubt there’s anything you haven’t already covered- gasp--”

 Yagi made a startled, wet choking noise at your sudden rise in volume as your scanning eyes locked onto the small LED numbers shining down at you from your microwave’s clock. “I’M LATE! Shit, I’m sorry Yagi I completely forgot that I have work this morning!”

The startled hero winced, wiping blood on the back of his hand while sounds of shuffling and muttered curses spilled from his phone.

“I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to yell like that,” A dull thud could be heard from your end of the line. “Fuck! Ow, ow,” He went to ask what happened, but you beat him to it. “I’m ok! I’m ok, sorry Yagi I’ve got to go get ready.”

“It’s alright, I understand-”

“Thank you so much for the advice, I really appreciate it! Talk to you later!”

“Of course, it’s no prob--”

Click

He glanced at his phone.

The call had ended.

The guilt of hanging up on him mid-sentence was drowned out by the very real fear of being even later to work, hurried steps carrying you to your bedroom to change into your uniform. Sending a quick text to your co-worker’s slowly growing group chat, you threw your dirty clothes haphazardly into a corner, searching for a fresh pair of socks as if it were a life-or-death matter.

Gremlin watched from the countertop as you slid around your living space, big orange eyes looking on in disinterest when you eventually darted through the entryway of your home and through the front door that slammed shut with a bang.

Grim’s eyes narrowed slightly, his tail flicking in annoyance.

Not that he was bothered by the loud noise for too long, though.

He was much more interested in the egg yolk and crumb-covered plate currently sitting unsupervised on the kitchen table.

“Aaand we are officially closed.” Keiko sighed with relief; the small neon ‘open’ sign flickering off with a brush of her finger.

“Oh, thank god.” You said with a little huff, shifting to lean back against the counter.

Your tired eyes drifted to the area Bruno was sweeping - the last of the closing duties needed before the rest of you could leave - taking the few extra minutes to reflect on your hectic day.

Today had been a busy day at the café, busier than usual, in fact. By the time you got to work (only a few minutes after the morning rush), there was already a line that led out the door that never. Seemed. To. End. It didn’t help that you ended up having to take a double shift to cover for one of your newer coworkers who had called in sick - an unfortunate but valid reason.

 There were approximately five different spillage incidents, six wrong order mix-ups, and EIGHT separate attempts by customers to order milkshakes despite the fact that you had told them multiple times that ‘Sorry, we do not sell milkshakes. At all.’

Besides, it was December – it was cold enough outside without any frozen treats.

It was a draining day, to say the least, but you made it.

Exhausted and in need of a long sit-down, but you survived, nonetheless.

“So, you interested?” Keiko asked, raising her eyebrows.

Oh shit, when did she start talking to you?

You blinked sheepishly, turning your gaze to the woman wiggling her eyebrows at you.

“Hm? What’d you say, Keiko? Sorry I was spaced out.”

“Damn, girl. Today really wore you out, huh?” She laughed, stepping back to make room for Bruno as he passed to put his broom away. “What I was saying was that we’re having a sort of get-together with some of my friends this weekend, and I asked if you wanted to come.” Her hand came up to push some of her dark hair out of her face, her eyes shining despite the exhaustion hinted in her faint eye bags. “It’s gonna be at this chill bar downtown - there’ll be food, drinks, dancing, you know, the works! You should totally come! It’ll be fun.”

You chewed your lip, thinking. What she was describing, it sounded like a night out partying with friends – well, strangers to you not including Keiko.

You… you haven’t been out partying in a while.

A long while.

‘It’ll be fun.’

Yeah, it could be fun.

“I’d have to check my schedule for this week first, but,” You flashed her a smile. “I’m down. It would be nice to get out, just know now that I’ve never been much of a drinker so don’t expect me to get too crazy.” You added with a sheepish laugh, and Keiko pumped her fist in excitement.

“Awesome! I’ll send you the deets later, ok? I think you’ll like the rest of our little group, they’re chill.” She sent a wink your way.

“All right, ladies, not to interrupt but I can’t shut down shop with you two still in it, so,” You and Keiko turned toward the front of the café, the entrance door being held open by a tired-looking Bruno who was watching you expectantly.

When did he get over there?

“Mozy.”

“Oh, come on Bee, I was just inviting her to our get-together this weekend!” Your co-worker brushed past you, keys in hand, heading to the open entryway.

You followed suit.

“Well, you can continue your conversation outside my cafe. That way we can all go home.” He added impatiently, antennae laying flat over his head in annoyance.

Today must have really stressed your boss out, you thought, Bruno only ever gets snippy when he is super stressed or exhausted.

It was weird seeing him in such a bad mood.

“Yeah, yeah,” Keiko murmured, flicking one of his antennae – getting a grumpy buzz in response. “I was done anyway, she said she’s down.”

The two continued back and forth as you pulled on your jacket, venturing outside, the cold night air already nipping at your skin through your layers. It was cloudy so not many stars were out tonight, and you couldn’t help but wonder whether it would clear up or if it was going to storm later into the night.

“All right, I’m going, I’m going!” You tuned back into focus as Bruno batted his friend out of the way in between angry buzzing sounds and demands to go home. “Jeez, good night, Bee. Love you too.” She laughed as he swatted her advances away again, her eyes meeting yours before she turned to leave.

“Night, to you too, girlie. Stay warm, I’ll text you about the thing tomorrow!”

You waved as she left, clouds of frost accompanying your breathing.

“Sounds good, night! Stay safe!” You shoved your hands into your pockets glancing at your remaining co-worker. “Good night to you too, Bruno.”

All you got was a mutter and a buzz as he locked the door of the Honeybee, and you sighed before you started your journey back home.

The sound of a car horn blaring could be heard from a far distance, fading as it easily disappeared into the night air while you walked.

So many new developments.

So much to look forward to.

You smiled, looking up at the murky grey-black sky as a warm feeling sparked in your chest.

You were excited about your interview.

You were excited about this weekend.

Excited to meet potential friends.

A black cat crossed the near-empty street, the small bell attached to its collar jingling as it walked. The small animal ignored you when you made little clicking noises and rubbed your fingers in its direction, prancing past in a slow saunter.

Something told you it was going to be a fun night.

The night had no plans of treating him kindly.

Yagi knew this as his bare feet slid on the tile of his bathroom.

In his haste, his shoulder collided with the towel rack hanging on the wall– the metal pole coming loose, hitting the cold floor with a loud metallic crash.

He paid the mess of towels on the floor no mind.

Acid burned the soft tissue of his throat and nose as he wretched, a dark mix of bile and blood spilling from his mouth onto the porcelain in front of him. Long, shaking hands gripped the edge of his bathroom countertop as a wave of painful nausea passed through him in the form of a shudder, insides cramping as hot saliva gathered in his mouth.

The telltale sign of more to come.

The taste of acid was overwhelming, strong, and vile. Familiar.

This time Yagi swallowed the liquid creeping up his throat, forcing the vomit back down with a wet groan.

Tired eyes glanced at the corner of the room. Specifically, at what was located in the corner of the room.

His eyes squeezed shut, another shudder passing through him.

Damnit, he hadn’t made it to the toilet in time.

Blood dripped from his chin, small droplets joining the large puddle now sitting in his sink as he shivered and gagged.

Great, another mess to clean up.

He turned on the faucet, watching as his blood mixed with the running water.

A dull thump echoed throughout the dark bathroom as his knees hit the tile so that he could better rest his forehead against the counter.

The smooth material was cool against his blazing skin.

He pressed his face against it, hoping the cold would distract him from the twisting of his absent stomach.

It didn’t.

Yagi sneered, fighting back another gag before moving to spit the remaining residue coating his mouth into the sink.

There was still a thick coat of crimson remaining where the water hadn’t quite reached.

To hell with it, he’d clean it up later when he wasn’t on the verge of passing out.

White dots danced across his vision as he winced.

No, it was not going to be an easy night for him.

Toshinori had realized this as soon as he had woken up late into the night - covered in sweat, shaking, and wheezing, the tissue of his scar even more inflamed than it usually was as it pulsed, angry flesh lashing out and it hurt.

God, did it hurt.

It hurt so bad he couldn’t sleep.

Couldn’t breathe.

Leaving him only able to grit his teeth and close his eyes as agony wracked his thin, trembling body.

It was only when the burning and boiling in his side traveled to his throat that he found the strength to move.

He didn’t want to get blood on his sheets.

He had just washed them.

A clammy palm moved to push back long frizzy bangs out of his bloodied face (not that it was any use now), shaking fingers feeling the wet patches of hair that had gotten hit in the crossfire.

Shit.

The mound of his side pulsed again, hot and dizzying, as a new wave of bubbling fluid forced its way up and out. Quickly, Yagi scrambled forward, desperate to keep all of his… mess in one place, his hand gripping his abdomen as he emptied the remaining part of his “stomach”.

What had he eaten for dinner?

His brain was too foggy to recall, and wet coughs joined by flecks of blood shook him as he tried to clear his airways.

More droplets joined the draining pool in the bowl of the sink.

It smelt awful, like thick acid and iron mixed with the stench of human bile.

It was almost enough to trip the man’s gag reflex again, so Yagi clumsily stumbled backward to sit on the freezing floor, away from the smell of blood and to give his aching knees a break.

Then his palms were pressed to his wet eyes, scrubbing at the involuntary tears that had slid down his feverish cheeks due to the force of his vomiting. A few more slid down his face as he panted, open-mouthed and shaky, the pain radiating from his side spreading to his whole body, the damaged nerves of his scar tissue on fire.

There was no way to tell what time it was in his large bathroom. No windows or clocks.

It didn’t matter.

He was tired and in pain.

He wasn’t panting anymore; he held his breath as the fire of his long-since-healed wound became all-encompassing.

The sound of running water filled his ears.

He remembered now - why he woke up in the first place…

He was dreaming of him, again.

Of her.

A quiet hiccup cut through the silence surrounding him.

He was so tired.

Rough knuckles brushed against the soft material of the large towels that had fallen earlier, previously forgotten.

He was cold.

Cold and tired.

That’s all he ever was.

Quietly, and stiffly, Toshinori wrapped a towel around himself like a blanket, pulling its twin closer to him as he slid onto his non-injured side to rest his head on it. His back met the side of the bathtub, long legs curling towards his middle as he shivered, all of his thoughts drowned out by the overwhelming sensation of molten lead that had settled in his side and painful exhaustion.

He was too weak to get up, not that it would’ve mattered. The aggravating movement would have just made him ill again and he didn’t feel like cleaning up any more blood.

Colorful non-static filled in the darkness his eyes couldn’t process, making him dizzy, so he closed his eyes.

Toshinori drifted to sleep curled up on his bathroom floor. The faucet still running, a form of white noise that helped rid Yagi of the ringing in his ears.

Even in his sleep, he could feel the chill in his bones and the dampness of his skin.

Vivid pictures flashed in his mind as Yagi dreamt of blood and loss.

He wished he couldn't dream.

It only made sense that the man who spent his entire waking life dreaming would also be the one plagued by nightmares in his sleep...

The pill bottle in your hand rattled as you shook it, two small capsules tumbling out into your open palm before being popped into your mouth.

Your earlier assumption had been correct, you ended up having a great time!

In all honesty, you had the time of your life – Keiko’s friends had welcomed you like they had known you for ages, with wide smiles and open arms they invited you to join them at their table. There were drinks and, although you yourself didn’t drink, the rest of your group had a blast getting hammered.

You never could’ve imagined a day when you’d see Keiko down five shots in a row and Bruno grind on someone in the span of one hour but here you were.

Not that you were complaining, it was nice to see them have such a nice time.

A little weird, but nice.

You huffed, the water bottle in your hand crinkling as you chugged the remaining liquid inside.

A spike of pain pulsed in the base of your skull, and you winced.

Unfortunately for you, the fun time you indulged in wasn’t without repercussions. Something about last night – whether it was the loud music, bright lights, general lack of sleep, or a mixture of the three – was coming back to bite you in the form of your most hated foe.

This time the pain traveled from the back of your neck to your right temple.

Another damn migraine.

The empty bottle hit the wall with a ‘bonk’ before landing in the small trash can located in the corner.

You had no plans for today, a blessing considering your current predicament, but you didn’t want to waste it by being unproductive. You still needed to find an outfit for your job interview, not that the clothes you owned weren’t nice, but you just felt like you should invest in something more… sleek. Professional.

You also had set up a meeting with a language coach this afternoon to help with any possible language barrier issues that could arise during your interview, you were still relatively new to the complexity of the Japanese language, after all. You weren’t too worried though; it was just your accent-

You frowned at Toshinori as he grinned.

“Accent? I do not have an accent.”

“Oh, but you do! I noticed it when we first met, except I couldn’t pinpoint what accent it was exactly, at first. Then you told me you were American, and it clicked!”

You made a face. “Is… is it that noticeable? God, I hope it’s not too bad.”

Your friend shrugged your concern away with a lopsided smile, a thin finger tapping his Adam’s apple. “No, no. It’s not bad.”

Your eyes locked onto where his digit tapped his throat, warmth creeping up your face.

“It’s nice.”

-that you were mainly worried about. You didn’t want to be misunderstood due to any small mistakes or flaws in your voice.

You also didn’t want to end up insulting someone on accident.

That would be less than ideal.

A sigh left your lips as you slipped on your shoes, reaching down to adjust the way your pants fit over the area by your ankles.

Your head pulsed at the angle.

Other than that - minus some errands – you didn’t have anything else planned. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. You were going to visit Toshinori to do some reading together, get that book club ball rolling, but he hadn’t answered any of your messages regarding the matter. The only response you got from him was sent around four in the morning, telling you he wouldn’t be able to meet up in the next day or two, and that he was sorry.

When you asked him if he was alright, he simply replied ‘busy.’

Something about his text rubbed you the wrong way, a strange something overcoming you when you had read it when you got up to take your medication.

You tried to shrug it off, this wasn’t the first time he couldn’t meet with you.

He was busy! That’s all. Works got him workin’!

But the knot in your chest had yet to untwist.

It was fine. You decided.

You didn’t want to bother him.

Frosty air circled you as you strolled down the stairs of your apartment, greeting your neighbor with a smile as they passed. It was just that time of the year and you had your own stuff to worry about.

The sun glared at you, making the grey sky look almost white as you walked under it. Your footsteps were joined by others as you met the main street. A crowd of people to blend into, your face becoming one of the hundreds beside you.

Your date with U.A. was approaching fast. You needed to focus, and settle your mind. You would have plenty of time to catch up after the interview.

A flash of nervousness filled your head before you pushed it away, steps becoming more determined.

The knot was still there.

You were not going to let something as little as a text message get you upset.

You had been dreaming of an opportunity like this, ever since you moved to Japan.

You were going to focus on this chance for a successful job, and you were going to be the best damn interviewee they have ever seen!

You had to be.

For your sake.

Chapter Text

The entrance gate of UA was tall and wide, providing plenty of shade for the bored man resting beneath it. He sighed, leaning slightly to move his weight onto only one of his sides, pressing his shoulder against the cold metal beam that supported the structure above him as he closed his eyes.

It was far too early for him to be awake.

He should be at home right now. Sleeping. But, unfortunately for him, he had not been woken up by his usual alarm – instead, it had been a phone call from the principal that woke the sleep-deprived man from his much-needed slumber.

Aizawa reopened his eyes, lids heavy as parts of his early morning replayed in his mind.

His disgruntled greeting when he picked up his phone.

Nezu’s cheerful voice on the other end.

‘I need you to get here a bit early, Aizawa. I have something I must discuss with you. Nothing urgent, I assure you! I only require your assistance with something.’

His presence was needed and Aizawa could not just ignore a call from his boss.

By the time he had made it to the main campus, the sun was only beginning to peek out from under the horizon – the unlit part of the sky still littered with dulling stars and scattered clouds. His footsteps felt heavy as he walked to the conference room, half expecting the entirety of the UA staff to be there for some sort of meeting.

Luckily, it was just him and his higher-up.

The steam that rose from the hot tea the principal poured him.

The twitch in his eye when Nezu told him why he was there.

About the guest they would be meeting with today.

So here he was, doing Nezu’s errands for him.

The tangled fabric of his capture weapon created a pocket of warmth for the hidden half of his face, protecting him from the chilled air around him. His eyes scanned the area unconsciously, dark gaze trained to take in as much as possible after so many years of silent vigilance.

It was calm outside, the only thing catching his attention being a small black cat staring at him from across the road.

He stared back with a small tilt of his head.

The cat’s ears flicked to the side, hearing something just out of Aizawa’s hearing range before darting into a nearby bush. Not long after, the sound of tires rolling on the pavement reached his ears and the Pro turned his head to watch as a black car pulled up and parked in front of the gate. His eyes immediately took in the appearance of the vehicle: sleek black paint, tinted windows, and a popular company’s mark printed on the side.

An uber.

He watched, uninterested as the rear door opened- revealing the professionally dressed individual inside. They took their time, thanking the driver sincerely and leaving promises of high ratings with a smile as they stepped out, grabbing their briefcase and brushing off their business attire before shutting the door behind them.

A cold breeze drifted past, causing Aizawa’s hair to shift in the wind as the person before him weakly waved at the car driving away. Then they were turning, taking in the sight of the entirety of U.A., eyes widening at the sight of the impressive H-shaped building located past the gate.

She hadn’t noticed him yet.

Annoyance prickled behind his lidded eyes.

Why did he have to be the one to do this?

He hated doing this kind of stuff.

He felt his eye twitch, and he sighed, clearing his throat with a grunt to get your attention.

Your bright eyes met his with surprise - you smiled, a tight-lipped gesture you gave to strangers out of habit, and Aizawa mentally prepared himself for the socially draining day he was about to have.

The next time Nezu asked him for a favor this early in the morning, he was just going to go back home and go back to sleep…

The person in front of you looked like a homeless man.

Well ok, that wasn’t entirely true.

He looked… scruffy.

Disheveled in nature; like he hadn’t gotten a good night’s rest in weeks. His black hair was long, laying in a wild, ratty mess above his shoulders. The dark strands covering a good portion of his face did nothing to help with his unkempt look, only casting his eyes further in shadow. He had dark eyes, black or grey, you couldn’t tell from the shadows cast over them, both slightly bloodshot and irritated. His glaring eyes were outlined by two very dark circles, which further hinted at your earlier observation about sleeplessness.

You found yourself taking in his attire as well, not that there was much to look at. Dark long sleeve shirt, dark sweatpants, some kind of utility belt, and matching black boots - the only thing that stood out was a strange-looking bundle of grey fabric that was coiled around his neck, effectively hiding even more of his face from your curious eyes.

Dark hair, dark clothes, dark eyes – by the looks of it this guy’s favorite color had to be black.

“You’re here for the interview.” He said evenly, like it was more of a statement than a question, voice laced with rough exhaustion. His dark hair danced across his face as another breeze blew by, tired eyes studying you.

You hesitated, slightly stammering in muddled surprise. He knew why you were here.

“It’s a yes or no question.” He grumbled, eyes not leaving yours.

Your mouth shut as you blinked.

Okay… damn.

Irritation flashed in your chest at his seemingly fed-up tone – you had only just met! - but you pushed it down.

Stay friendly.

“Yes, yes sir, I am.” You stated after a second, just as straightforward as he was. You were attempting to be polite, but curiosity won as you broke the uncomfortable eye contact he seemed to be set on having, and you quickly looked him up and down. “Are you… the principal?”

The stone-faced man in front of you raised a brow, unamused. “Do I look like the principal?”

No.

You shrugged, going to say something about how you wouldn’t know since you’ve yet to meet him, but he held up a hand.

Bored eyes never left your face.

You looked down.

There were two cards held between his fingers, extended to you.

“Unfortunately for the both of us, I’m the one he chose to pick you up. Principle Nezu is waiting for you in his office.” His black irises moved to the three doors located at the entrance of the school, then back to yours. “You’ll need these if you don’t want to set off the security system,” You took the guest ID card and what looked to be a keycard of sorts. “Don’t get excited, they’re for temporary access only.”

Was this man always so monotoned?

You nodded, rotating the slim pieces of plastic with your fingers. “Of course, makes sense. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a school like U.A. Thank you-”  You smiled and looked back up at him--

The man was gone.

What...?

You whipped your head around, looking for where the stranger had gone. Luckily for you, his all-black attire stood out from the colorful world around him. You found him walking towards the school’s entrance, his gruff voice calling back to you with little effort on his part.

“Keep up.”

You were stammering again, pulling your briefcase closer to your body as you moved to follow him.

“Hold on-”

“Or don’t.” You could see his shoulders move in a weak shrug as you rushed to catch up to him, a long portion of hair that fell across his upper shoulders shifted with the motion. “I don’t really care if you get the job or not.”

Ignoring his words, you found yourself smiling at him once you finally caught up, nodding. “I will, this place is huge! I would hate to get lost!”

He didn’t answer as the two of you reached the first set of steps.

He glanced at you out of the corner of his eye.

You were still smiling.

He looked away, and his eye twitched again when he heard you start to introduce yourself.

Of course, Nezu had filled him in, he already knew your name.

He knew a good deal about you, actually.

He looked uninterested but grunted at the greeting.

You took a moment to look him over again, noticing the way his face and hands had silvery scars – some of which looked relatively new.

The realization was slow as you deduced that he had to be a hero, with access to the campus and a position that got him so close to the principal for him to be his ‘errand boy’.

There was a small beep as your guide pressed a keycard to the door, unlocking it.

This was it. No backing out now.

Your eyes took one last look at the mystery man passing through the now-open door, and the last thought you had before you entered U.A. high was-

Huh... guess heroes are allowed to wear sweatpants to work.

Cool.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the empty hallway you were in, concrete walls creating the perfect surface for the sound to bounce off of. You kept your eyes ahead of you, resisting the urge to look around at every little detail surrounding you.

Just like the outer building, the interior of the high school was massive, giving off the feeling of a labyrinth rather than a high school. The outer wall of the hall you were in was made of the same glass panes you had seen outside. Each pane looked like they were shined and polished regularly – so much so that you could see the perfect reflection of your image as you passed.

They also looked multiple inches thick, and somehow you knew you couldn’t break the glass even if you really wanted to.  

It was impressive.

Secure. Clearly built to be safe.

You could see the slouched man walking next to you in your periphery, silently wondering who he was.

You thought about asking but stopped yourself before the words could come up.

You see… it turns out Sweatpants, as you had so quickly nicknamed him, was not a talkative person – at all.

He had made little to no acknowledgments of any of your attempts to get the conversation ball rolling, only responding in grunts and irritated silence. The only time he actually said something, was to tell you that you talk too much and to ‘hurry up’ when you had been walking too slow.

After a few more failed attempts at getting him to talk, you gave up, opting to walk in silence instead.

Truth is, your chattiness was a byproduct of the nervousness eating away at your stomach. In an attempt to calm your nerves, you had been planning topics of small talk in the car on your way here. However, Sweatpants had thrown that plan out the window. Had you done something to upset him?

…No, he probably just preferred the quiet.

You let out a breath through your nose, focusing on the sound of your combined footfall.

…Problem was, you were prone to overthinking when there was nothing to distract you.

So, instead, you thought about how it would feel to walk these halls on your way to work every morning. What your office would look like. Would you have an office? Maybe the principal was much more… sociable than your guide, that would make them much easier to talk to. Even if they weren’t, you had prepared for this.

Relax.

Deep breath in.

Out.

In.

“Are you just going to stand there?”

Dark eyes was staring at you, half-turned with one scarred hand resting on the handle of a giant door. You hadn’t even realized you had stopped walking.

Your eyes flicked to the door’s label - ‘Principal's Office’.

The leather handle of your briefcase creaked quietly as your grip tightened, and you internally steeled yourself as you apologized to the bored man waiting for you.

Deep breath out.

“Right, I’m ready.”

He opened the door.

The first thing you noticed was that the principal's office was a lot smaller than you had initially thought. By the size of the door, you naturally assumed the big boss of the school would have an equally massive room to do principal stuff in. You were wrong, apparently. The office was equivalent to a large break room, even housing a couple of couches and a coffee table in the center of the room. Behind them was a dark wood desk and a mix of filing cabinets and selves. A large glass window made up the back wall of the room, filling the office with natural light and a pleasant view of the greenery outside.

The second thing you noticed was the tiny creature currently sitting at the desk. Large paws tip-tapping away at the laptop sitting on the desk’s surface.

At the sound of the door opening, as well as an ‘Oi’ from Sweatpants, the two little ears on the creature’s head twitched in your direction.

The tapping stopped.

Beady black eyes looked up at you.

“Ah, there you are!” A cheery voice filled your ears, the small mouse-like animal sitting at the desk closed the laptop and you felt your face twitch. “I was wondering if you had gotten lost, but it looks like you made it here just fine!”

The small creature was talking to you!

“I knew sending someone to guide you was a good idea, this place can be quite the hassle to navigate when uninformed on how to do so beforehand.” The dog-bear-mouse creature hopped out of his seat, causing him to be briefly out of sight for a moment, before padding his way toward you and your ‘navigator’.

You noticed a long slit-like scar that crossed over his right eye, the dull pink standing out against the bright white of his coat. You also noticed the long white tail that followed him as he walked, swaying as he spoke.

He was wearing a mini suit and tie!

You were trying not to explode as he continued to talk, a paw pulling back his sleeve to check his watch.

“Right on time, a bit early even. Thank you, Aizawa, you have been a tremendous help!”

You turned to the man who had brought you here, Aizawa, as he reached up to scratch at the scruff of his face while his eyes shut tiredly.

“Hm.”

“I believe introductions are in order,” The well-dressed mammal looked back up at you again – he was so small, only reaching the area where your upper thigh meets your hip. “This here is Aizawa Shota, an excellent Pro Hero and teacher here on campus.” Another grunt sounded from the man next to you.

Pro… you were right about that. A teacher, though…

Who would have guessed…

“My name is Nezu, I am the principal here at U.A. high and I will be the one conducting your interview this morning.”

You faintly remembered seeing that name somewhere.

Your acceptance letter flashed in your mind.

• Signed: Principal Nezu

This small creature was the principal.

Your eyes went wide, and you bowed politely, giving him your name and similar pleasantries. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Principal, sir! I look forward to today.”

Nezu smiled, the expression matched with a light crinkling laugh and a flick of his tail, as he waved a paw. “You sure are a polite one, aren’t you! Come,” Your attention was directed to the couch closest to you, Aizawa was already settling down on the one opposite the coffee table. Was he going to stay for the whole thing? “Sit. May I ask, do you enjoy tea?”

“Yes, sir. I do.”

“Then I’ll pop the kettle on while you get comfortable!”

You set your bag down next to your feet and sat down, folding your hands in your lap as you watched your interviewer stand on his tippy toes to reach the electric kettle hidden on one of the shelves.

Across from you, you heard a light snore.

Mr. Aizawa had fallen asleep.  

“Now, then, let’s get started with some simple questions.” You nodded as the principal brought over a small tray containing the kettle and two teacups, setting them down on the coffee table before (literally) climbing onto the sofa next to the now-sleeping Aizawa.

“First off, have you brought the documents I requested? You providing them saves all of us so much time and struggle.” Nezu sighed, drumming his padded fingers against his dress pants.

You nodded, quickly retrieving the said documents out of your briefcase before sliding them onto the smooth surface in front of you.

“Yes sir, it should all be right here.”

He scooted forward to thumb through the stack of papers.

“Good, I’ll make sure to get these in our system for you. Now, I saw on your application that you just recently became a resident of Japan. Why did you choose to move away from America if you don’t mind me asking?”

You hummed, only slightly surprised by the question.

Of course, he’d do his research, he wouldn’t just hire anybody without a few background checks. The real questions were hidden between the lines.

Were you running from something?

Hiding from law enforcement, perhaps?

“I’ve wanted to visit here as long as I can remember, something about the culture and the location drew me in, I guess. That, and I needed a change in my life, something to shake things up, to help me grow.”

His smile was one of understanding.

“A change in one’s environment can be essential to one’s growth and development. I can respect having the freedom to take that step forward into a new life.”

You nodded, only half-understanding the implications of his statement.

“Do you think you’ve found what you needed?”

“I hope so, though I think it maybe is a little too soon to tell entirely.” You answered honestly, memories of the good and the bad playing in your memory. “But, so far, I think the move has been good for me.”

“That’s good to hear.” Nezu hummed happily as he reached into his suit jacket, withdrawing a small notepad. “Excuse me, but I find that writing down my questions beforehand keeps me from getting sidetracked.”

A shake of your head was his answer. “No, no, go on ahead.”

He thanked you before flipping back the first page.

“Alright, how long have you been a practicing psychologist? And how would you describe what you do to someone who has little to no experience on the topic?”

The questions after that were all along the same vein:

When did you first realize that counseling was your passion? Why child psychology? Explain a scenario of what a typical session looks like. What’s your favorite part about the job? What’s your least favorite part about the job? Name some of your strengths… blah blah blah. All normal interview questions that you answered with relative ease and complete honesty. You had thought of these when you had been preparing at home the week before, each answer tailored to the perfect response.

Eventually, after the tea had been poured and the sky outside had shifted to its normal ocean blue, you felt the nervousness that caused your fingers to tap at the ceramic teacup in your hands melt away.

That is until Nezu started asking the real questions you had been worried about.

“So,” The school director sat with his short ankles crossed, his steaming cup held in both paws. “I noticed on your file that you have no hero experience. Is that correct?”

You shallowed, the hot liquid in your mouth burning your tongue. “Yes sir.”

“And you are aware that this is a hero school, correct?”

You had to fight back the deadpan that threatened to slip out. “Of course.”

“Knowing this you still applied, why?” He watched in quiet interest as your brows knit in thought.

You had been honest this whole interview, but… the real answer to this question? Oh yeah, it’s funny actually! You see, I applied on accident one night when I had a blinding migraine! It was a total accident.

Yeah, no. That wasn’t an option…

Why did you go through with it?

You could have contacted them and let them know it was a mistake.

But… you still came.

Why?

“I, uh… I wanted to be part of the future, I guess you could say.”

He leaned back a little, his tail twitching with interest. “Elaborate?”

“The next generation of heroes is being shaped here, molded into something new for the future. I want to help these kids reach the goals they have while being enrolled in your school in a way that’s healthy mentally.” You watched your hands, studying the wrinkles and creases of your fingers and knuckles. “ Everyone is always concerned with the physical, but only a select few think about the effect heroism has on the psyche. Besides,” You avoided his gaze. “Looking at some of the heroes we have now, I say some guidance might be necessary.”

Nezu made a sound akin to a surprised hum, sneakered feet tapping together. “Oh?”

He caught the way you glanced at Aizawa and hesitated.

“It’s ok, you won’t be hurting anyone’s feelings. I want to know what you think.”

You pressed your lips together, redirecting yourself before you said too much. How do you tell a Pro Hero that you don’t like a majority of Pro Heroes?

“I just think that the way some heroes seem to think and behave can be… harmful. And I want to protect the kids from some of these harmful ideals that come hand in hand with this..” You rolled your wrist while you searched for the term. “..modern idea of heroism.”

Principal Nezu listened, taking note of the passion that sparked in your eyes.

“Self-destruction, self-negligence, pride, and fame are all parts of heroism that have bled into the very nature of being a hero. By no means am I suggesting that all heroes are corrupt or unhealthy, but damnit a large number are, and it is kind of sad.” Your hands tighten their grip in an effort to stop their shaking. “If I can teach even a small amount of the growing population to take care of themselves and work on whom they want to be in a safe and positive way that can prevent them from hurting themselves or others, then I consider my job done.”

Your eyes locked onto his.

“Mr. Principle, I have seen many things in my years of being a therapist. So, hear me when I say that some kids will put all of their self-worth on the fact of whether or not their quirk is strong enough or ‘hero’ enough just because of the expectations Pros set for them. And it, 9 times out of 10, ends up breaking them down more than it ever ends up pushing them forward.”

A beat of silence passed, and regret settled in your stomach. You said too much. The tea in your cup was going cold, little ripples colliding with the walls of the cup as your hands trembled slightly. A deep pressure settled in your ears. “I meant what I said before… I want to help these kids on their journey to not only becoming Pros but also better people in general. That way they can live a happy life while doing what they love.”

“But you don’t like them, do you?”

Your head shot back as if you had been insulted. “The children?”

“No, no. The heroes!” He laughed like he wasn’t asking you about his own profession.

“I don’t… not like them. I just…” You paused debating what you should say.

Be honest.

You sighed, shaking your head softly.

“My opinion doesn’t matter. But please know that I never would push my personal beliefs onto a student, nor will the way I feel about things change the way I treat them. They’re all just normal students in my eyes, and they should be treated as such.”

Nezu looked thoughtful, sharp eyes narrowing. “So, despite the fact that you don’t particularly like heroes you are still willing to work with them?”

“Please don’t misunderstand me, sir, it’s not that I don’t like heroes as a whole. It’s just a very specific type that I’m not a fan of.” You finally set your cup down, giving him a shy smile.

He was nodding, an expression on his face that you couldn’t quite pin down. “I appreciate your honesty; many would have lied in your position in an attempt to get in my good graces.” The sound of shifting fabric met your ears as he tilted his furry head at you. “But you didn’t. It’s refreshing to hear what one really thinks about the situation we find ourselves in.”

You looked away, momentarily landing on the man Nezu was currently resting his tail on, eyes naturally following the path of his body to land on his face for only a split second before freezing.

Dark eyes bore into yours.

“Now then, why don’t we discuss what type of schedule you would need to work with—"

Aizawa didn’t look away, even when Nezu flipped another page of his notepad, prattling about times and dates as you gave your input, polite nods, and hums.

You could see him though, out of the corner of your eye.

Evaluating you.

You did your best to shove down the anxiety sprouting inside of you.

God, you hoped you hadn't offended him.

The interview seemed like it lasted forever.

The questions continued, varying in intensity, topic, and subject, and by the time Nezu was done, the kettle of tea was empty and cold. Aizawa had actually joined in on the questioning at some point, much to your surprise, asking about self-defense classes and your willingness to protect students from harm before falling back into tired silence.

You didn’t know how to feel about the interview so far. You thought you were doing well during the first half but after basically confessing that you held a grudge against heroes you were worried you’d fucked it up. But something felt… different. You couldn’t focus on it but the energy of two males talking to you had shifted after your earlier comments, and you couldn’t tell if that was a bad thing or not.

The sound of soft rustling interrupted your thoughts as Nezu tucked his notes back inside his suit jacket.

“Excellent, that just about covers everything I needed to know! Aizawa? Are there any other questions you’d like to ask before we end this part of the interview?”

Aizawa merely blinked, half of his face tucked in his scarf. He looked like he could go for another nap.

At his silence, the principal clapped his paws together.

“Perfect! Well, that settles it for me,” Nezu nodded once to himself, ignoring the way Aizawa gently brushed his tail off of him when it flicked his knee.

You were leaning down to gather your stuff, fully prepared for the typical spiel on how they’d “reach out to you later” and “contact you when a decision is made” before they would send you on your way.

It was a shame really; you had spent so much time preparing and stressing over this interview for it to end the same as the others. At least now you could say you’ve been inside U.A. high school, which was a pretty cool thing to get to do by the way! Maybe you could pick up some Takoyaki after this to make yourself feel better after what you could feel was a another failed--

“You’re hired!”

Your body stopped mid-lean, fingers twitching as you processed what was just said to you.

Hired.

The way your head snapped to face your new boss was near unnatural. You must have misheard him – it was far too early for him to decide that!

Wasn’t it…?

“I’m…”

Nezu threw his short arms up into the air, opening his balled-up fists to release tiny pieces of paper into the air.

Was he hiding confetti this entire time?

“Hired! You’re a perfect fit for the job!”

You were dreaming, this all had to be a dream.

But it wasn’t, you were here – sitting on this office couch, in front of a small bear-mouse hybrid in a suit and a homeless man, with small pieces of confetti in your hair, being told that you just bagged the biggest job you’ve ever applied for.

You were going to cry.

“Really? I got the job?”

“That is what he just said. Twice, actually.” Aizawa rolled his eyes tiredly, standing up to stretch while you gaped. Nezu, who remained seated, tapped his knees.

“Yes! Though to be honest, I already knew I would be hiring you after I ran my background checks and read through your recommendations.” He stated, smiling at the wide-eyed blink he received in response. “I just needed to meet you in person to see if your personality was what I was looking for, luckily for us, you are just what I’d hoped you would be.”

“Thank you! Thank you!” You were smiling, hands twitching, your body not knowing what to do with them. “I’m happy to hear that, sir. You have no idea how much this means to me.” You spoke as evenly as you could, fighting back the urge to run around the room as you leaned forward.

The way your face was scrunched up must have made you look downright unhinged, but it was the only thing keeping the flood of emotions welling up inside you from spilling out.

You took a deep breath, willing your emotions down.

You really didn’t want your quirk to ruin the moment.

“All that is left to discuss is the specifics. You said you are currently employed, as of a few months ago?” Nezu looked at you expectantly.

“Oh, yes. I work at a local café near where I live.”

“That’s good since you will be expected to start during this upcoming semester – we’ll pay you while you wait, of course, think of it as a bonus of sorts. During that time, we’ll iron out other smaller details like what you’ll need for your office,” Your very own office! “How meeting with students will go, and of course, you’ll need to meet the other staff and faculty that you’ll be working with.”

You were simply nodding along, making mental notes for later as he continued on with the list. Then you were following his gaze as he turned to find Aizawa who was leaning up against the wall, typing on his phone.

“Anything you want to add Aizawa?”

“…”

“Ok, that only leaves one last thing then! Since you are now part of the U.A. facility you will be meeting with one other member of our staff before you leave today. He’s actually the one who sent your application to me! He’ll be giving you a tour of the campus while me, Aizawa, and another one of our excellent teachers plan what steps to take next so that your integration into the school is as smooth as possible.”

 He was hopping off the couch, arms folded behind his back as he walked towards the door you came through when you first got here, you followed him as nerves over the promise of meeting another hero/person flashed across the back of your neck. “Aizawa should have sent a message to him, so he should be here any minute.”  

“Oh, ok then-”

The door slammed open. You jumped back with a strangled yelp at the sudden loud noise, while Nezu seemed unfazed.

Aizawa sighed in annoyance.

“Ah, there you are Inui, we were just talking about you!”

You had covered your face to protect yourself from the abrupt interruption, but you slowly uncovered your eyes as Nezu’s cheery voice spoke to you.

 “Meet U.A.’s guidance counselor,“

The bright light of the hallway was blocked off by an encompassing shadow, a large and towering silhouette filling the space where the door had been. Clawed fingers dug into the door’s handle as the visitor tried to get it to slot back onto its hinges, a frustrated snort following the sound of scraping claws on wood.

It broke the door.

…Off its hinges.

Once it realized the door wasn’t going back on, it roughly shoved against the wall to keep it from falling over. It sniffed the air, turning towards you.

A long, muzzled snout looked down at you, snarling mouth pulled back to expose rows of long white fangs. Two lupine eyes glared out from under a spiky mess of dark blonde hair as a ground-rumbling growl left the thing currently standing in the doorway.

You felt extremely small then, and even though the creature was only a head or two taller than you, you felt like a scared rabbit being stared down by a hungry wolf.

Werewolf.

You were staring at a werewolf.

“Hound Dog!”

Chapter Text

Hound Dog was… intense.

But not a crazed wolfman like you feared.

It turns out that the baring of his teeth had been an attempt at a polite smile, the growl you had heard/felt was just what he sounded like. Nezu assured you as much at the face you gave him, before sending the two of you away with a shooing motion of his small paws.  

His reassuring words helped your… hesitance, but their effect vanished as soon as you were left alone in the hall with the Hound Hero himself.

It was true though, even though Hound Dog looked and sounded scary enough to set your instincts off, he wasn’t mean.

Just a bit growly.

You gathered this when he huffed and snarled his greetings as the two of you toured the building, his voice a dog-like rumble.

“Grrrood Morning, Miss... Like Nezu said before, the name’s Hound Dog.” Softer growls seemed to interlace themselves with every other syllable as he introduced himself (formally this time), peering at you from the corner of his eye. “I apologize for the scare earlier, I tend to get a little… overexcited around new scents…” Hound Dog’s voice sounded almost sheepish, and his ears tilt back as he rubbed his muzzled nose, another fang-filled grin aimed your way apologetically.

He was embarrassed!

You smiled back as the adrenaline from earlier was finally filtered through your system, your muscles relaxing a little more with each step forward. “It’s ok, Hound Dog, sir. Besides, I was already a little jumpy from the nerves during my interview, so...”

He snuffed as you chuckled.

“Still, I shouldn’t have spooked you, for that, I apologize. And you don’t gotta keep calling me sir or anything, me and you are gonna be working with one another a lot of the time so no need for all the formalities.”

“Of course, no problem, sir- I mean, Hound Dog.”

You heard a snort above you as the pro next to you slowed to a stop in front of an open hallway.

“We’ll start here. This is where my office is,” His pointed face nodded to a door labeled ‘Extracurricular Guidance Counseling’ before moving to the other door further down the hall, currently label-less. “It’s also where yours will be, eventually. The room’s currently empty, say for some boxes and old furniture, but once Nezu gets all your stuff finalized you can decorate it however ya’ want.”

You nodded as excitement fluttered in your chest, the idea of having your own office that you can decorate the way you want was making you slightly giddy. “Would it be ok if I could go in and look around? Just for a second.” You folded your arms in front of you politely, hopeful face pointed up at Hound Dog as he scratched his chin.

“Mrr…I guess, but like I said, there isn’t really anything in there.” You followed him as he talked, a large hand turning the door handle. “So don’t get disappointed of what ya’ see.”

Hound Dog held the door for you as you took your first steps into your soon-to-be office.

He was right, there wasn’t much inside of the room. A few sealed boxes lay on the floor, and the walls were mostly bare, except for a couple of wooden shelves covered in a light layer of dust. A single solid wood desk was pressed into the corner of the room, and old furniture was scattered across the room, covered by sheets and plastic.  

A small window placed high against the back wall casts a soft glow of natural light into the dusty office space, and your eyes watched specks of dust dance in the air where the light caught them.

There was a ceiling light, but the bulb was missing, red and blue wires sticking out of the empty socket.

Approaching the desk, your hand slid across the smooth surface before pulling back, calculating eyes taking in the entirety of the room.

You heard Hound Dog shift behind you, exhaling sharply as the dusty air tickled his nose. “See, what did I tell ya’…”

Hound Dog fully believed you were disappointed until you turned toward him with your arms held to your chest.

You were nodding, hands shifting down to your hips as you bit your lip to hide the grin that spread across your face. “It’s perfect.”

You were looking at him with wide, excited eyes, even when he let out a literal bark of laughter.

“I mean it! It’s lovely – I can already picture it.” You were pointing around the room, listing features you wanted to include and where you could put them while he stood in the doorway, shaking his head.

“You sure do have an imagination on ya’, don’t you.”

You chuckled, exiting the room with a satisfied smile on your lips, plans of possible layouts flooding your mind. “I take pride in being a creative person.” You stated, as if it were a matter of fact, the sound of the door clicking shut vaguely registering as Hound Dog took his place next to you once more.

“How humble of you.” He rumbled with a flick of his ear.

You hummed playfully in false agreement. “Where next?”

“Now, I’ll show you where the classrooms are.” He said, striding in front of you, eager to get back on track.

Despite his hurried movements, you knew he wasn’t mad or annoyed.

Not when his spiky tail was wagging behind him with an audible whooshing sound.

You took one last look at the door behind you, your door, and a sudden and odd feeling of something flickered in the back of your mind.

You ignored it, chalking it up to nerves as you turned back, feet moving quickly to catch up with the hero already half a hallway ahead of you.

The UA campus was beautiful, thought out, and huge, but as you got closer to the principal’s office you felt as though you had only been gone for less than an hour.

But like they say, time flies when you’re having fun.

“Well, that’s the end of the tour.” Hound Dog grumbled, his ears tilting in the direction of the office, listening to something you couldn’t hear. “Nezu’s almost done with his meeting with the homeroom teachers. I’ll leave you with him in a moment, he’ll give you all the details and stuff.”

He was looking down at you, a gentle growl reverberating throughout the hall, a very large, clawed hand held out in your direction. “It was nice to meet you, little lady. Can’t wait to work with ya’, you seem…” He looked so serious it seemed forced, professional, his eyes narrowing in an unthreatening way. “Nice.”

You looked at his hand and blinked. Hound Dog faltered, following suit.

“I… grr this is how they do it in America… right?”

You breathed out a laugh, taking hold of his hand as you nodded. His hand was warm and patterned the same black as the fur on his arms, his short claws lightly pressed into your skin as his grip tightened.

He had a good grip!

“Yes! Yes, this is how we do it in America.” You shook his hand, smiling at the familiar gesture. “You give a good handshake Hound. It was a pleasure to meet you, you don’t seem half bad yourself.”

Hound Dog gave a respectful nod of his head, releasing your hand when you moved to pull away. His ears twitched toward the (still broken) doorway, his eyes following as the sound of an ending conversation reached your ears.

“… I think that’s all taken care of then, thank you, Vlad. I’ll need the files we talked about next week, but other than that I think we have a good plan.” Nezu chirped, his tail wrapped around Aizawa’s upper arm to keep him from falling off the hero’s shoulder as Aizawa walked into view. Right behind them, a well-built hero in a crimson suit grunted.

“Of course, sir.” The stranger had a slight lisp, probably caused by the set of his bottom jaw, two little fangs protruding from his lower lip. He was frowning, red eyes focused on the principal as they talked, one gloved hand running over his white-grey hair.

You shuffled your feet standing awkwardly until Nezu looked toward you and Hound.

“Ah, all done? How was the tour?”

Right, the tour.

“Great! The campus is extraordinary, Hound Dog here is an excellent tour guide.” You boasted, placing a hand on the arm of the hero currently rolling his eyes to hide his smirk.

“Oh, stop, you were the one who kept things interesting, I just showed you around.”

Nezu watched in interest as the two of you bantered, a knowing expression on his face. “I’m glad everything went well, by the looks of it you two are getting along swimmingly! That’s a relief.” He sighed, resting his head on the paw he had resting on the side of Aizawa’s. “Makes this a little easier for us all.”

His other paw was then held out to the hero currently glaring at you.

“This is class 1B’s homeroom teacher, Vlad King.”

You swallowed, looking momentarily into his ruby eyes before bowing slightly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Vlad King.”

He made a noise, and you heard Hound Dog growl, actually growl at him.

“Fix your face, Vlad.”

Vlad only softened his stare but remained frowning.

“Pleasure. You going to be taking care of my kids?”

You looked him in the eye.

“Yes sir, I plan to do my very best with every student, yours included.”

He seemed pleased with that answer, his frow easing by a fraction. He gave a polite bow back.

“Treat my kids with respect, and we’ll get on just fine.”

Hound Dog let out a chortle, and Vlad was back to frowning. “So serious!”

“Oh, I’ll show you serious, you overgrown—”

You watched in horror as the two Pro Heroes got into it, Vlad King locking Hound Dog in a headlock while his free hand aggressively scrubbed his ears and fur.

You were worried they were going to actually start fighting, but the lack of true aggression and real threats threw you off. They weren’t actually mad; they were just messing with each other.

Like friends.  

…and like teenage boys - you concluded as Hound Dog resorted to licking a long stripe up Vlad’s arm to escape his grasp. The grey-haired man pulled back in disgust, going back to throwing fake insults at his friend as Hound grinned evilly.

Nezu ignored them.

Must be normal for them, then.

“Well, that’s that,” Nezu said brightly, tapping Aizawa’s head gently. The half-asleep man held out two open palms, pressing them under the shoulder Nezu was sitting on. The principal used the makeshift step ladder that was Aizawa’s hands, hopping down from his perch.

“We’re all done for today, and class starts soon. Can’t have our homeroom teachers being late to their own classes.” He stated, brushing off his suit pants, making the statement loud enough for the still wrestling pair to hear. “Thank you, Aizawa, you’re dismissed.” Aizawa sighed, immediately starting down the hall muttering ‘finally’.

“Oh, one moment.”

Nezu disappeared into his office, not that you were bothered, the two heroes giving you their goodbyes before snapping playfully at each other was much more entertaining.

“Don’t want you to forget this!” Nezu was back, paws holding an object nearly as big as he was. Your eyes widened.

“My briefcase! Oh, thank you, Mr. Principal I totally forgot that I left it in your office!” You were thanking him profusely, taking your bag away from him as he held it up to you like a child holding up a drawing to their parent.

“It’s no trouble, I have a habit of forgetting my belongings as well. Please, allow me to walk you out! I would like to confirm a few things with you as we walk.”

You smiled, holding your briefcase tight as Nezu led you in the direction of the front gate.

The conversations flowed as the principal walked with you, much shorter legs meaning you had to make slow measured steps to avoid disturbing the pace you had. You were starting to feel more comfortable, though. Talking with Nezu was nice, his positive energy contagious as he explained that he had already called you a ride back to your apartment, a ‘courtesy of UA’ he said.

The closer to the exit you got the more students started popping up, early birds ready to start a day of education and training.

The sun was out, warming your skin as you gave your never-ending thanks to your soon-to-be boss. The sight and sound of students chatting, gathering in little groups to talk and walk to class together, was warming your heart.

You couldn’t wait to meet them.

The familiar scent of your home greeted you as you walked through your front door, followed by the just as familiar chirp of your Gremlin greeting you from around the corner.

You dropped your bag, kicked off your shoes, and slid around the corner to pick up your very large cat. He made a noise in protest, but you kneeled on the ground, tucking your face against the top of his head.

Everything felt… surreal, at the moment.

Almost like your body couldn’t comprehend what just happened not even an hour ago, emotions unable to respond in a way that could encapsulate what you wanted to feel. So, you just sat on the floor for a little bit, Gremlin purring against you as you took a minute to process.

You got a job with one of the most prestigious schools worldwide. You met friendly (mostly), good heroes who were going to be your co-workers. Your boss was a small mouse/bear/dog that was extremely cute and extremely cheerful. You would start your said job in four months give or take, AND be paid during that time period.

Overwhelmed.

That’s what you felt, you were overwhelmed with how much everything was.

Your new job.

Your new boss.

Your emotions were too much.

You let go of Gremlin, suddenly afraid you were accidentally using your quirk on him. Gremlin, unbothered and untouched, simply rubbed his face against you. His fluffy touch urging you to calm down.

You let out a shaky breath.

No need to get overwhelmed, you reassure yourself, this is good.

The something from before was back.

Suddenly you got an idea, reaching for your phone. You know what you need to do.

You needed to do what you do best – Talk!

First, you sent a text to your favorite victim, not wanting to bombard him with the avalanche that was your thoughts and wanting to check that he was ok.

He wasn’t being as responsive as usual… and it was starting to worry you.

To your surprise, he responded relatively quickly.

‘I’m fine, how’s your day going?’

Again, his responses felt dryer than usual. You responded, telling him that your day was good and asking if it was ok if you called him, you had important news to share.

How could he say no?

At his confirmation, you dialed his number.

It rang once before his voice was in your ear.

“Good morning, my friend.” He sounded ok. That eased a little of your worry.

Only a little though.

“Hi,” You said softly, trying to gather your thoughts so you didn’t end up accidentally word-vomiting everything all at once. “How are you, Yagi?”

“I’m good! Working on some paperwork but otherwise not very busy.”

Unbeknownst to you, Yagi really was seated at his desk in Might Tower, blankly staring at some papers in front of him. He had been staring at the same document for ten minutes now, his mind too foggy to process the information.

He… hadn’t been getting good sleep lately.

His time as All Might was getting shorter as the weeks went by, and his self-criticism was at an all-time high during this past week.

But you didn’t need to know that.

He already knew how he was going to respond to you, predicting the question and your wariness.

He was fine! He was great actually!

Despite what the hollow feeling in his chest told him.

But that didn’t matter.

You wanted to talk to him and damn it he was going to focus all of his attention on you and you alone.

Well, you and the paperwork he didn’t want to do.

“Oh, should I call back? I don’t want to distract you…”

“No! No, please, what did you want to talk about?”

Your grin was genuine as the excitement of the day took physical form in your system.

“Well, today I had my big interview…”

Yagi blinked, internally kicking himself for letting that slip his mind. “Oh. Oh! How’d it go?”

Gremlin sat next to you as you twirled pieces of his fur in between your fingers, your smile audible in your voice. “I got the job! I wasn’t expecting to get hired today, but they said I was just what they were looking for! I can start this upcoming semester!” You squealed, eyes crinkling happily.

Yagi found himself smiling at your excitement, the cloudiness in his brain clearing for a moment. “That’s great news, my dear! I bet you did fantastic during your interview! I had every confidence in you.” He said honestly, the pen in his large hand scribbling signatures on the paper in front of him.

“I still can’t believe it!” Your voice was loud as you fell back, laying against the floor as you giggled and squealed like a middle school girl. “Who would have thought! Me! Working at UA high school!” You let out a crazed laugh, stress and relief, and excitement flooding you as you rambled.

Yagi felt like he’d been shocked as his breath caught in his throat.

“Wait... wait what school did you say?”

“Oh yeah, I didn’t tell you ‘cause I didn’t want to jinx it. I applied for UA last month, and now I’m one of the school’s student counselors!” You were laughing again, a normally lovely sound, giddy from the way the title sounded out loud.

The pen in Yagi’s hand snapped, ink dripping between his clenched fingers as he choked back the blood in his throat.

Panic.

“O-oh,” Yagi choked, bringing his other hand up to his clenched jaw. “UA. That’s great!” He stressed the word, pulling the phone away from his skull as he silently yelled through his teeth into his fist.

UA.

You were going to be at UA.

He was going to be at UA.

All Might was going to be at UA.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

You couldn’t know. He couldn’t let you know.

“B-but I thought you didn’t like heroes… why would you want to work for a hero school if you don’t…”

“I may not be a fan of heroes but the ones I met today were very nice and professional.” You stated. “Besides, they’re not why I’m there, I’m there for the students.”

He sighed, pushing his panic to the back burner at how utterly happy you sounded.

You got your dream job.

He was happy for you.

Be happy.

“That’s amazing. You’re amazing, I know you’re going to be a great help to those kids. So, what was it like? Tell me all about it.”

You felt your neck go warm at his compliments, jumping at the opportunity to explain everything in detail to your dear friend. Yagi listened, shaking shards of plastic and lines of ink off of his thin hand.

And he listened.

He listened and thought.

Even after your recap ended, he thought.

“Oh, god Yagi I didn’t even think about what I’m going to tell Bruno and them,” You chewed your nails as an issue presented itself to you – the topic of transitioning from the Honeybee to UA.

“Don’t worry,” The sound of his deep voice was like a balm to your nerves. “Just tell them the truth, they’ll understand. Didn’t you say they’ve been hiring more people as of late?”

“Yeah…”

“See, then you don’t have to worry about leaving them understaffed either. This is a good thing! A new opportunity, just tell them a month or two in advance. That way they’ll be prepared for when you leave.”

You nodded with his reasoning, resting the side of your face against the floor of your apartment. “Yeah, I think I’ll do that, then. Have I ever told you how helpful you are?”

“A few times, yes.”

Letting out a little laugh at his humble tone, you stared at the ceiling. “I hope I can live up to their expectations of me.”

Yagi leaned back, looking at the hanging light of his office. “You will, and even if you feel like their expectations are too much, just be the best you that you can be. Knowing you, though, you’ll surpass their expectations and go even higher than you think.”

You closed your eyes, suddenly very lonely.

“Hey, when you’re not busy we should meet up.”

The blonde man ran his tongue over his teeth. “Oh? What do you want to do?”

“Hmm, what about we get some lunch at that ramen place you like? My treat.”

He hummed, pretending to think about the offer.

It’s not that he was avoiding you… it was just that he didn’t want you to see him so drained…

But… he did miss seeing you.

Your hangouts or whatever they were had become one of his favorite things to get involved with.

Spending time with you reminded him that he wasn’t as lonely as he sometimes thought.

You made him feel… included.

Ultimately, he agreed, even though he knew the night after would not be kind. He didn’t want to hurt your feelings.

The remainder of the call was filled with a discussion of plans to meet up, the time, the date, and all other vital information.

“Thank you, Toshinori. I’m happy I have you to talk to.”

He was happy for you, too.

“See you later then, rest up, ok?”

“Ok. I’ll see you soon.”

Click

Yagi took his phone away from his ear, eyeing the screen as your name faded out of sight. The gentle smile that had graced his features slipped away as the earlier panic nipped at his mind.

He had to keep All Might a secret.

He couldn’t… he couldn’t let you know. You’d instantly be in danger.

He didn’t want you to get hurt because of him.

The hollow feeling replaced the warmth that came with you as Yagi thumbed through his contacts.

No, he wasn’t ready to tell you yet.

His thumb landed on a familiar number, labeled as ‘Principal’.

He had a phone call to make.

Yagi may have sounded ok over the phone, but he looked… zapped.

Tired.

Ill.

It wasn’t too noticeable, he didn’t look like he was going to fall over and die or something, but you could tell.

He looked smaller, thinner.

Had he been eating?

His eyes were still bright, electric blue standing out against the dark circles of his under eyes, but they looked less focused.

Oh yeah, you were worried.

Yagi met you in front of the ramen shop a few minutes late, long legs carrying him to where you were waiting. He was wearing a warm turtleneck that was oversized, as usual, a light-colored scarf wrapped around him to protect his face and neck from the cold. Something seemed off about him though, as he led you to his acclaimed ‘best seat’ of the small restaurant.

His oversized clothes hid it pretty well, creating the illusion of a bigger body that he did not possess, but as you sat next to him you noticed that his gaunt face was a tad bit slimmer. His wrist was a little thinner, his smile a bit tighter.

Fuck, yeah you were concerned now.

 So, you decided to straight up with him, and you asked him.

“Are you doing ok, Toshinori?”

He seemed taken aback by your question, in the middle of rambling about his favorite American film as you looked at him with serious, gentle eyes.

Shit.

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?” He asked, naturally masking his uneasiness with charm.

“You just look a little warn, and I don’t mean that in an insulting way,” You said gently. “I know you’re busy a lot but maybe you should ask for a break… you look tired.”

He gulped, hoping you wouldn’t notice.

You did.

“I’m ok, I promise. I’ve just been feeling a little under the weather lately, that’s all! Nothing to worry about.” His reassuring tone felt hollow, and you sighed.

Ok, you’d let it go.

“Ok, just don’t forget that I’m here to talk if you ever want to get anything off your chest.” Yagi nodded, as if saying ‘of course’, but he soon changed the subject to something less him-oriented.

You were going to let it go, you promised you were, but every time Toshinori thought you weren’t looking he would get this sad look on his face before brightening up again when you focused on him.

It was driving you crazy.

So, you did it again. You swore you wouldn’t use your quirk like this anymore, the first few times were fleeting and rare but this time you felt obligated to help the dude out.

Whatever it was, it was making him ill. And what kind of friend doesn’t help a friend who isn’t feeling good?

After the two of you ate and finished chatting, you walked him out (after practically fighting him when he tried to pay the bill) with your hand on his arm. Your quirk activated as you squeezed his bicep, asking him to check up with you later.

You miscalculated how much you took, that’s all.

Yeah, there’s… no way he was… there was no way it was that bad.

You tried to convince yourself that you took too much, but the truth was that you didn’t.

The truth is that what you took from him that day made you sick for days after.

It was miserable, a feeling of deep aching sorrow and guilt that had you questioning everything about your friend.

You didn’t leave him alone after that.

You were constantly checking on him, inviting him places, sending him memes and good mornings and good nights.

Calling him.

Taking from him. It wasn’t right, you knew that. But you couldn’t bare the thought of him feeling that all the time. You started losing sleep as well, but you kept holding his sorrow for him.

Kept taking until the crippling sorrow eased into something manageable.

A little more than a week went by and eventually, Yagi showed up at your work looking much better than he had been for the past couple of weeks. He looked like his old self again, still thin but not sickly thin, his eye bags were fading. He was smiling with ease again.

You knew it was wrong, and immoral even to use your quirk multiple times on someone without asking.

It was an invasion of his privacy!

But still… you didn’t feel bad about it.

Because you didn’t want him to feel that way.

You didn’t want him to hurt.

Chapter Text

With the initial interview out of the way and a job in sight, you were left to your own devices to live life as if nothing had changed. Busy shifts at work, lazy afternoons with Gremlin, nights out with co-workers and friends, the occasional checkup with Yagi – everything went on as normal.

It was calm. Stable.

The only difference now was that you had UA’s email saved in your inbox, watching and waiting for any announcements or meeting schedules that you might need to know about before your first day.

Four months.

That’s how long you had before you would walk through those big entrance doors and into the future of your career.

Now…

All you had to do was wait.

January

You were mid-conversation with Yagi when the first snowflake landed, unnoticed, on your extended hand, melting almost instantly.

The second one, fatter and fluffier than the first, landed directly on the tip of your nose, causing you to stop mid-sentence. Your eyes locked onto the blurry white dot sitting on your nose, curious, before glancing up at the sky where a soft sprinkling of snow was now falling from.

Yagi tilted his head toward you when you stuck out a hand, your open palm facing the sky.

Another intricate snowflake drifted into your palm.

Then another.

And another.

“Is something wrong?” He asked, his own eyes following yours as the soft sprinkling transitioned into a gentle flurry.

“It’s snowing.” You stated softly with bright eyes, rotating your wrist to watch as snowflakes gathered and melted on the back of your hand.

“It appears so.” He chuckled, his breath coming out in icy puffs. “Do you not like the snow?”

You shook your head, tucking your hand into your pocket when the stiff feeling in your joints shifted from unpleasant to painful. “It’s not that. We don’t get much snow where I’m from, nothing like this at least.”

Yagi listened; eyes trained across the street at a couple smiling at what looked to be their children who were attempting to catch snow with their tongues.

“If it did snow it always just melted when it reached the ground or turned to ice, I’m not used to seeing… this kind of snow.” You couldn’t help the childlike joy that whispered to you as you looked at your friend, his ears and nose stained pink due to the cold weather. “I’ve always wanted to live somewhere with real snow.”

He smiled; a closed-mouthed gesture that went unseen as you went back to watching the fluffy flakes of ice rain down from above. He was used to the snow, having been raised in a place that experienced the weather often since childhood. For him, snow wasn’t uncommon during this time of the year, but this was clearly a likely first for you.

The first snowfall of the season.

Blue eyes took in the way you looked then- bright eyes and smile directed to the sky, flecks of white shining like diamonds in your hair and lashes, face and ears flushed from the fridged air. He looked away sharply as something fluttered in his stomach. He shallowed, worried his side was acting up and that he would have to end things early.

The pain never came, though.

When the fear of stomach cramps faded from his mind, Yagi stole another peek from the corner of his eye.

With a puff of frozen air, he spoke once more while the two of you stood side by side taking in the official first snowfall of the year.

“So, what do you think? Is it what you hoped it would be?”

You let out a happy sound that faded into a calm exhale, eyes still focused on the swirling snow around you. The ground was dusted with a light layer of bright white now, and you marveled at how fast the growing build-up of snow took to the rooftops and trees surrounding you.

His gaze never left you.

“It’s beautiful.”

Yagi swallowed again when the fluttering started up once more, internally wondering if he had eaten something earlier that was making him feel funny.

He stepped a little closer to you – out of habit, of course, the human part of his subconscious craving the close proximity of a familiar, warm person.

Winter was… not one of Yagi’s favorite seasons. Probably his least favorite, actually, if he had to choose one. It hadn’t always bothered him, but as he got older (and thinner) the freezing temperatures that came with the season only caused him discomfort and chilled bones. The cold made him ache and the frozen atmosphere made it difficult to travel during patrol/hero work without freezing his face off.

But at this very moment, he wasn’t paying attention to the stiffness of his body or the numbness of his ears. He pushed aside the distant nagging voice in his mind reminding him that if he stood in the snow too long, his clothes would get damp and then he’d really feel the uncomfortableness of walking home in the cold with wet clothes and damp hair.

But the way you looked, eyes dancing with appreciation and wonder as snowflakes kissed your face and hair…

Your smile…

His sunken eyes met the sky again - a deep feeling of fondness settling inside of him. He didn’t mind standing in the cold for you.

A delicate snowflake landed on the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah… it is, isn’t it?”

February

“Oh, watch that step there- I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve tripped on the dumb thing.”

Tailored shoes gingerly stepped over the crooked step hidden in front of your apartment door, taking your words into consideration.

“I can’t believe I forgot my book! I swear, I have got to put a reminder on my phone since we do this so often.” The soft clinking of metal met Yagi’s ears as you twisted the small key held between your nimble fingers, unlocking your front door with a click.

The two of you were supposed to be at the library, seated in one of the more closed-off sections of the small bookshop where your discussions would be better muffled by the thin walls and wooden bookshelves.

Unfortunately, by the time the both of you met at the designated meetup spot you had realized that you had made a fatal error during your rush to be on time.

And, well… you can’t have book club without the book in question.

So, you had groaned and shook your head, muttering that you would need to stop by your apartment before you could go to the bookshop. To your surprise, Yagi told you it was completely fine and that he didn’t mind walking with you.

He could, quote ‘use the exercise’, anyway.

What Yagi was not expecting, however, was for you to push your front door open and gesture for him to come inside.

“Come on in! It’s warmer inside and you’ve walked all this way!”

This time he hesitated.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind waiting out here if you don’t feel comfortable with me coming inside. It is where you live, after all…”

With a huff, you leaned your hip against the door to keep it open. “Toshinori, come inside. We’ll only be a minute and it’s not like you’re going to be in my bedroom or something!” Yagi’s cheeks went a little pink at the implication, but his time in the winter air disguised it as something cold-related. “I’m perfectly fine with you seeing my living room.”

He chuckled, shaking his head as he shuffled inside. “If you say so…”

“I do.” You chirped, slipping in after him. “My copy is in my room, but you can chill out here if you want. Actually,” You bit at your nail as visions of your bedroom’s current state filled your mind. “- it might take a sec ‘cause my room is kind of a mess right now, so you can look around the living room or grab a drink from the kitchen if you’d like!”

He hummed, taking a moment to look at the pictures and decorations hung up in your hallway as he walked with you, stopping in the main living area while you ventured off into another room further down the hall.

Your apartment felt like you, he noted, fingers trailing a path over the top of your sofa as he passed.

Behind him was another opening – the kitchen – but he only dared to take a quick glance as he was already feeling awkward being in such a personal space.

You were right, of course. This wasn’t nearly as personal as somewhere like your bedroom (which he would NOT have entered, even if you offered, out of sheer embarrassment and respect for your privacy), but it still felt… wrong, for him to be here.

You lived here and you had willingly let him in.

With a quiet groan, he rubbed his neck, trying to banish the feelings of displacement and awkwardness at being in your home.

It was nice, comfortable.

He liked your apartment.

Yagi grew a little bolder as the minutes went on, actively taking a little tour of the limited space you allowed him to look at.

He had his back turned to your couch when a soft noise from behind him ended his mini tour early, startling him as he turned around.

Bright orange eyes met electric blue.

…

“Why, hello there.”

You found your book stashed away under a pile of pillows, throw blankets, and clothing. The smooth cover felt nice against your hands as you gripped the object that, seconds ago, caused you great frustration. The book was already hard to spot from far away, dark palette and all, and it didn’t help that it looked like a bomb had gone off in your room.

Yeah, it was definitely time for a cleaning day.

Prize in hand, you trotted back into the main area of your apartment, relieved that book club could commence once more.

“Ah ha! I found it! Now let’s get going, I would hate to waste any more precious… time…” Your voice tapered off at the sight of Toshinori sitting on your couch, hands hovering high above his lap, uncertain of how to handle the ball of fur curled up there.

“Oh,” With an amused chuckle, you sat down next to him, book now resting in your lap. “I see you’ve met Gremlin.”

Gremlin let out a mrph noise, stretching out his big paws to knead at the material of Yagi’s pants as the man blinked with recognition.

“Ah, I’ve seen you before. He’s the cat in all those me-me’s you send me.”

You had to laugh at that, covering your grin with a hand.

“Yes, he’s my little camera star,” Yagi lowered one of his hands, gently running his fingers over the top of Grim’s spine. The feline purred at the affection, nudging the welcome hand with his snout to redirect Yagi’s fingers to scratch behind his ears. The blonde’s eyes crinkled as your cat twisted his head, eager for scritches under his chin. “Well, he sure is sweet. What breed is he? He’s quite large compared to the cats I’m used to seeing out and about.”

Your hand joined your friends, passing soft fingertips over your cat’s ears while Yagi ran his hand over the length of his spine again.

“Maine Coon. They’re like the gentle giants of cats. Also, I’m surprised you even noticed, compared to you he looks just like a normal cat!”

It was true. If you picked Gremlin up, his entire body, tail and all, would be longer than your torso, hips, and then some. But compared to Yagi, he barely covered the expanse of the man’s lap, most of his upper legs and knees still visible despite the large fluffy creature laying there.

Just an unusually large man petting an unusually large cat.

It was adorable.

“Is he always this friendly?”

“Basically. But I can tell he likes you.” Yagi heard you say softly, actively trying to ignore how close you were every time you leaned in to stroke your very affectionate cat.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” You shifted back, checking your watch. “Shoot, we should probably head to the library now.” A hand held up the book that you had retrieved earlier. “And this time, I won’t forget this!”

Oh right, book club.

“Oh, yes. Of course.” He moved to stand but remembered the weight on his lap. “Uh… hm… How should I…?”

You stepped in quickly at Toshinori’s hesitance – he didn’t want to upset the sleeping Gremlin currently sitting on him (which warmed your heart)– standing near his thighs as you bent down to scoop your cat up into your arms before gently setting him down on the floor.

“There you go, baby.” You murmured as the sleepy creature rubbed across your calves, unaware of the soft eyes looking at you. “Right, let’s go! I have so much I’ve been wanting to talk to you about, especially stuff that happened near the end of the book.”

As you guided your friend out of your home, Gremlin jumped back onto the couch, tail swishing as he curled up on the cushion the big stranger had been sitting on.

Warm.

The stranger was warm.

March

Only after rehearsing your lines in your head over and over and prepping yourself up for a good hour did you finally break the news to your current boss and friend about UA. Bruno was understanding and excited for you, taking time after your debriefing to thank you for letting him know in advance.

Keiko, while devastated that you would be leaving so soon, was also jumping with joy for you, going as far as baking you a surprise treat in congratulations.

Their reactions helped calm your nerves, and knowing that the main thing you were nervous about was over brought you the reassurance that made the rest of the month go by like a breeze.

“I’m going to miss seeing your sweet face all the time,” Keiko sighed after finding out that you had handed Bruno your two-week notice the night before. “It’s going to be rough without you helping us train the newbies and putting bitchy customers in their place.”

“Oh, come on Kiki. I’ll still visit! It’s not like I’m never going to step foot in this place again.” The young man in front of you thanked you as you handed him his drinks with a quick smile, watching him walk back to a table where a young woman sat.

“I know, I know. Doesn’t mean we aren’t going to miss you though…”

The chime of the door’s hanging bell rang again, but you took a moment to look at your pouting friend with a sad smile.

“I’m going to miss y’all too. All of you.”

Your co-workers were wonderful, this job was wonderful. In all honesty, your new life here couldn’t have even started if you hadn’t started working at the Honeybee.

You had found stability.

Balance.

Friends.

But now…

It was time to move on.

April

The metal handle you held onto was cold, jostling with the rest of the train car as the scenery speeding past you slowed to a stop.

With a hiss, the train’s doors opened, and a wave of new passengers filled the empty space of the already busy train.

You stepped out.

The morning air was cool and dewy, the smell of blossoming Sakura trees and rain greeting you as you made your way out and away from the station.

The air smelt like spring.

Sometime during the month before, you attended a mandatory staff meeting at UA - something about discussing the plan for the overall school year as well as introducing and meeting with all staff members before the semester began.

It was nerve-wracking being introduced to a room with so many pros, but Nezu kept things very professional the entire time. The staff was all very polite and well-mannered, which helped greatly with your stage fright. Although, one staff member, UA’s English teacher, became ecstatic when he found out you were from America, yelling his greeting in English with a large grin on his face - only to receive a hard smack to the back of the head from Aizawa who was sitting beside the loud man.

“Be respectful.”

Other than that, the main meeting went by smoothly and quietly. Apparently, there was supposed to be one more introduction, but he was unavailable at the moment and would ‘pop by later’ as the principal put it.

You didn’t get to meet the new guy though, as you were whisked away by Nezu to handle the task of setting up your office. After working out a finalized layout and color scheme you headed home, slightly disappointed that you didn’t get to stay for the curriculum section of the meeting. It would have been boring, you told yourself as you walked down those concrete halls.

But still, part of you wanted nothing more than to stay after you caught a brief flash of red and blue entering the break room…

Blossoms glided down to settle in your hair as you walked under the path of trees leading to a familiar blue gate, shaking you out of your thoughts. It was still early, only now the bright citrus orange of the morning sky started to blend with soft baby blues.

A songbird chirped and sang somewhere above you, and another sang back in response.

UA high school looked just as intimidating as it did the last two times you visited, but this time was different…

Yes, this time you didn’t feel anxious or nervous or apprehensive. You felt excited.

Ready.

This gate now represented the start of a new opportunity.

A new life.

Today marked the first day of a new chapter in your life. Today you weren’t going to let something as small as first-day jitters make this an awkward experience for you. No, you were going to go in there and make the most out of your first day!

Just remember to breathe.

Deep breath in.

A breeze blew by and a wave of cherry blossoms danced softly to the ground.

And…

One landed on your shoulder. If you were a spiritual person, you would have taken it as a sign. A metaphysical hand on the shoulder from the universe pushing you forward.

Out.

As you release your breath, you stepped forward, taking your first step into your new life.

Chapter Text

“Everyone, sit down.”

Mr. Aizawa’s voice cut through the buzzing atmosphere of his classroom like it was butter, tired but effective as those hovering around their peers’ desks quickly rushed to their seats. In the presence of their teacher, the loud conversations from before faded into hushed whispers before finally tapering out altogether.

It was only a few days into the new school year and many of his students had already developed a friendliness towards one another, quickly forming small groups of matched energies and interests.

On the one hand, this made teamwork-related activities less stressful for both the students and their teacher, helping them improve their cooperation skills while allowing them the opportunity to make friends.

On the other hand, it made it somewhat difficult to get them to stop talking during class. Luckily, Mr. Aizawa was very good at his job and, after their first lesson where the threat of expulsion was weighing on their shoulders, his students learned to take his instructions very seriously.

“I know that you all are eager to discuss yesterday’s fight training and receive your results, but please leave all discussions for after my class.” A stack of papers tapped gingerly against the lectern in front of him as Aizawa straightened them, taking a moment to rest his eyes as he spoke.

“In a minute, I will be passing out your written scores so you can read them and see what you did well and what you need to work on. Take these critiques to heart, I know you are all just beginning but that is not an excuse to not put in the work and improve.”

As he moved to give out the first of the scores a stiff hand shot up near the back of the class and Aizawa knew who it was without having to fully look at them.

“Yes, Iida?” He sighed.

“Is there any particular reason we are receiving them now and not at the end of class? Correct me if I am wrong, sir, but I thought that results and grades would be given out at the end of the period.” Iida’s hand stayed high in the air as he spoke, his voice loud and clear as to be heard from his assigned spot at his desk.

“Yes, usually that would be the case,” Mr. Aizawa confirmed as he passed a sheet of paper to the very apprehensive-looking green-haired boy sitting stiffly at his desk, not surprised that his student caught the disruption in his routine. “But today’s class is going to be a little different.”

Murmurs started up from his students, echoing fragments of his earlier statement spreading throughout the room like the common flu. At the growing commotion, Mr. Aizawa could feel the beginnings of a headache forming at the base of his skull.

“…Different?”

“What do you think that means?” Kaminari asked loudly, glancing back at the redhead behind him. Kirishima shrugged, using a hardened claw to pick at his shark-like teeth.

“I don’t know, man. I just hope he doesn’t threaten to expel us again like last time…”

 “Ooh, do you think we’ll get another specialty hero as our teacher today?” Ochako chimed in curiously, tapping a padded finger against her rosy cheek.

”I hope they don’t make us do another type of combat training. My body’s still sore from the last one!”

”You’re just mad your team lost.”

”I am not—“

“Settle down.” With a flash of his eyes, the room was quiet once more, and Aizawa passed out the last of the results. “We will be having a guest stop by today, but said guest will not be arriving until near the end of class, so it will not disrupt our usual class time.”

“I bet it's another hero we haven’t met yet. So cool!”

Jiro looked away from her paper skeptically, twirling one of her earphone jacks. “I don’t know… We’ve already met everyone else teaching hero course students, who else is there?”

“I bet my lunch money that it’s Ms. Midnight again.”

“Maybe it’s the Principal?”

“Is it--“

“No, it is not All Might, Midoriya.”

The boy deflated at Aizawa’s irritated sigh and glare.

“We have a new staff member who is simply coming by to introduce herself. That is all.”

Ashido and Mineta’s eyes lit up at the phrasing, albeit for two very different reasons.

Hagakure squealed, gloved hands waving in the air as if she was covering her face as they moved from side to side. “Another girl! How exciting!”

“I know right!” Joined Ashido, grinning widely. “I was worried Ms. Midnight would be the only one!”

Mineta drooled, staring stupidly into space while the dark-haired girl behind him looked down at him in disappointment and disgust. “Another girl teacher… another Midnight…?”

Iida was the fastest – and therefore first – one to cut off his classmate's thought process. “You are to be on your very best behavior when our guest gets here, Mineta! You will not say a single thing inappropriate or crude! Be respectful!”

Mineta continued to stare dreamily through the air, mental images of two Midnights too captivating to react to Iida’s reprimanding or the way his teacher’s capture scarf constricted around him – cutting him off right as he started mumbling about feminine assets.

Mr. Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Again, she’s not coming until the end of class.” He stressed, eager to steer the conversation in a more productive direction. “But yes, you will be expected to behave. Am I understood?”

Mineta nodded the best he could with his teacher’s scarf around him, and Aizawa let go.

“Now, once you’ve all taken a moment to read through your scores, I want everyone to get out a sheet of paper and write – in detail – some of your struggles and how you plan on improving them in the future. After that, we will begin today’s lecture on some of Japan’s hero laws regarding detainment and capture.”

A mix of semi-eager and unenthusiastic ‘Yes, sir’s echoed through the room, a select few students ready for class to start while the rest groaned at having to do actual schoolwork.

“Get to it.”

With that, he laid his head back against the wall and allowed his tired eyes to shut, willing away the pressure in his temples. The sound of rustling paper and the slow start of scribbling pens told him his students were doing what he told them to do - that or they were doodling on their papers, pretending to do something.

Either way, it gave him plenty of time to rest his eyes.

Besides… He had no intention of actually grading them once they were done, anyway. This assignment was for them. A tool to look at throughout the year – to remind them of where they started and how they changed. At the most, he might just take them up, make it a participation grade, and give them back out in a week or so.

But they didn’t need to know that.

Aizawa’s head fell ever so slightly, the temptation to sleep evident in the heaviness of his closed lids. He shook it away, blinking to wake his body up – fighting the urge to crawl under the desk and fall asleep.

He still had the video lecture to play before his guest was supposed to stop by, and that was a whole other ordeal he was going to have to sit through later.

How exhausting…

Oh well.

He’d just have to squeeze in a quick nap during the lecture.

“Nervous?”

The text on the notecard you were staring at snapped back into focus as you blinked, the world coming back to you as you turned to look at the principal who was giving you a knowing smile. It appeared that the short journey the two of you had taken from your office down the hall was over, the clicking of your heels petering out as you stopped fully.

In front of you was a large sliding door, marked with bright red lettering.

1-A.

You looked at your notecard again, the script you had laid out for yourself written in a mix of crossed-out English and messy Japanese. You had written it this morning during the brief, quiet period you had when you were in your office setting up the last of your decorations and organizing your final office necessities. Well, you wrote as much as you could before you received the gentle knock on your door, signifying the arrival of your boss who had explained to you weeks ago the process you were about to go through.

After all, it was your first day, which only guaranteed one thing:

Introductions.

Today was the day that you would be expected to go to each and every class and introduce yourself to them. Despite how tedious that may sound, you were looking forward to it. In all of your years doing what you do – meeting your students and clients was always your favorite. It was exciting getting to finally see and eventually talk to these new individuals. Meeting students was always the highlight of your week every school semester, and UA was no different.

Nervous?

Your hands were trembling and fidgety, you felt restless, and you could only just stop yourself from pacing the hall.

In response, you gave Nezu a giddy smile, heart pounding.

He chuckled in understanding. “Excited, then?”

The tip of your shoe clicked on the ground as you tapped it, the energy radiating from you so palpable that Nezu could feel it buzz under his thick coat and skin when he focused on it.  

“A bit of both, really.” You admitted sheepishly, restless fingers creasing the corner of the card in your hand. “They’re my first of the day, I want to make a good impression.” Your eyes drifted to your watch briefly - 16 minutes before the bell – one more minute until you were going to be standing in front of a classroom full of teenagers talking about yourself.

What fun.

“Of course, but no need to feel nervous!” He took your hand, placing a few light pats with a comforting paw. “I can promise you that all of our students are good eggs- so you won’t be receiving any trouble from them. Not to say there aren’t any tough nuts to crack here and there, but Erasure will be there to get everybody back on track if you need any help whatsoever!”

Right, Aizawa was their homeroom teacher.

You couldn’t tell if that made you more or less fidgety.

With his reassurance, you simply nodded, steadying yourself as he pulled away to reach for the door.  

“I’ll let them know you’re ready. After that, I’ll be leaving everything else up to you!”

Again, you nodded, taking one final glance at your little script before pocketing it as Nezu gently moved you out of the way with a soft nudge to your hip (due to the height difference, that’s as close as he could) and an extremely polite ‘excuse me.’

You shimmied a little to avoid being directly in the doorway as Nezu slid the door open, the monotoned voice of Erasure Head dying out as Nezu peeked inside with a cheery ‘Hello!’ which was met with an equally happy sounding ‘Good Morning, Principal’ from the class inside. The door slid shut with you standing beside it, leaving Nezu to say whatever he was going to say out of earshot. In the short time you had to wait, you took a moment to file through the mental checklist of topics you had in your mind while you stood rocking on your feet.

Only a moment later, the door was open again.

Only this time, Nezu was headed out, sparing you a good luck grin, and you were being invited in.

You peeked inside, finally getting a glimpse of all the new, fresh faces that awaited you. Then you stepped inside, sliding the door shut behind you.

Go time.

“Uh,” You did your best to push down your stage fright with a smile. “Good morning, everyone! As you may or may not know already, I am y’all’s new school counselor. I look forward to getting to know all of you.”

They collectively - well, all except one irritated-looking blond kid to the right- blinked.

A young invisible person (girl?) in the back of the class clapped their gloved hands with a squeal. “Ah, Mr. Aizawa! You didn’t say she was American!”

You felt your smile twitch.

Damn accent.

“I didn’t say anything about her, Hagakure. Other than the fact that she works for UA.” Aizawa sighed, exhausted. “And don’t shout, raise your hand if you have a question.”

His thumb was being jabbed in your direction. “That’s what she’s here for.”

You nodded, folding your hands in front of you. “That’s right, don’t be shy to ask me anything about who I am, what I do, or anything else you want to know! And yes, as ya’ll can probably tell from the way I talk and sound I am from the United States. Miss Hagakure, was it?”

You asked gently, trying your best to pronounce it right. The invisible girl made a movement that looked like she was nodding vigorously.

“Yes, ma’am! Hagakure Toru.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Hagakure.”

A stiff hand shot up in the air so fast it almost made you jump. The owner of the hand, a broad-shouldered boy with glasses, waited patiently for you to call on him. “Yes, Mr….?”

“Iida Tenya, ma’am.” His voice was even and strict, and you couldn’t help but wonder about his tense posture. “On behalf of class 1-A, I would like to say it is a pleasure to get the opportunity to get acquainted with you and we welcome you to our school. May I ask, what are the specifics of your occupation?”

Huh, someone sure is the class leader. You thought, shaking your head a little at his enthusiasm.

“Well, thank you for the welcome, Iida. Like I said before, I’m one of UA’s counselors. Now, with that being said, what I do is a bit different than what our school guidance counselor does. Where he focuses on y’all’s mental health in terms of your relationship with school, I’m here to focus on your mental health as a whole.”

Another hand was being raised, this time by a boy with wild green hair and freckles who had just spent the last 5 minutes trying to figure out who you were.

So far, you were a blank.

You paused, turning to point at the freckled one. “Yes?”

“What’s your hero name?”

You made a hesitant confused noise, glancing at Erasure who was looking back at you expectantly.

“Yeah! I’ve been trying to figure that out too! I can’t think of anyone!” Exclaimed another student, this time with bright crimson hair and sharp teeth.

The green-haired one was staring at you with calculating eyes, almost like he was trying to find some sort of mental file on you despite never having met you before.

“Um, that may be because I’m… not a hero?” You said with a purse of your lips, crossing your arms and shifting slightly at their baffled faces.

“Huh? How come, ribbit?” A girl with dark hair and frog-like features asked innocently, placing her finger to her chin, and tilting her head.

“Well, I guess I was just more skilled in this area of helping people.” You smiled again, trying to redirect the topic. “Besides, my quirk wouldn’t really be very helpful for the work of a Pro-Hero! Plus, I like my job as a psychologist!”

Two hands this time. One from Freckles and the other from a girl at the very back who had her dark hair tied back in a ponytail.

Ponytail was only just faster than Freckles.

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Yaoyorozu Momo,” She stated, head held high and voice holding an air of education and prestige. “You said you are a psychologist, what’s your area of expertise and how long were you in school for, if I may ask?”

“I specialize in children's psychology, specifically abnormalities and development, and, oh geez..” You drawled, looking to the ceiling. “I have a doctorate, so let’s just say I was in school for a long while.”

“Oh, a PhD, how impressive!” She nodded, pleased, thanking you before sitting straight in her chair.

“And you, young man?” You had loosened up, pointing at the now blushing boy raising his hand. “What’s your name, hun?”

“U-uh, I’m Midoriya Izuku!”

“Alright, then Midoriya, what do you want to know?”

“You mentioned that your quirk wouldn’t be good for hero work.”

“Mhm, that’s right.”

“Can I ask what your quirk is?” Midoriya squeaked, and you noticed multiple other heads nodding with his question.

There it was, the question everyone seemed to ask no matter what age. In this society, quirks were all everyone ever talked about, so it didn’t surprise you that it popped up so often. You just wished that there was an easier way to explain it.

“Hm, let’s see, how to explain my quirk…” You said slowly, inhaling slowly as you thought of what to say. “My nickname for it is Empathy, or Pathokenesis if you want to get technical. Basically, I can form emotional links between myself, others, and objects when I touch them, allowing me to give or take emotions. Think of it like opening a channel between two bodies of water, only I can control which direction the water flows and how much. I can detect strong emotions without touching someone, but they have to be in close proximity to me.” You hummed, hands moving as you spoke. “But yeah, in simple terms, I can share and take emotions as long as I have direct contact with someone or something.”

Iida raised his hand. Again.

“Objects don’t have emotions.”

You chuckled. “Correct, but people do. When a person is feeling a lot of emotion, it can leave imprints on objects that they touch. Which I can sense and sometimes connect with if the emotion is fresh enough.”

He put his hand down.

“Any other questions? Looks like we only have…” You checked your watch, fighting a wince. “...roughly 5 minutes left.”

The room stayed mostly quiet, beside a huff from somewhere in the back.

“Perfect. Now, before I go, I ought to tell y’all why I’m here today. Sure getting to know all of y’all is wonderful and exciting, but there is something I should explain in case there are some questions about it. Ok?”

“Due to concerns with the school’s counseling program in the past, starting this semester, Principal Nezu has issued a counselor-student meeting schedule for each student attending UA.” You pressed your palms together and grew them down, speaking gently but professionally. “Meaning that all of you will be meeting with me twice every month during your time at this academy for a mandatory counseling session. Now, this does not mean you are limited to only twice a month, and this doesn’t mean that the school cannot be flexible. If any of you want or need more time, you can simply stop by my office, and we can work something out. If you think you should only meet with me once a month, the school has given me permission to do an evaluation that will determine whether I think it wise or not. Don’t forget, it is entirely up to how y’all decide to communicate with me.” With an exhale, you were back to smiling softly, glancing around the room. “Get me?”

Aizawa stepped in, rough voice startling you after him being silent for so long. “And, yes, when she said mandatory, she meant mandatory. Anyone caught skipping, pronounced a no-show, or sneaking elsewhere without valid reason will be getting detention -- with me.” His eyes flashed red, and you could have sworn you heard the whole room stop breathing.

The loud sound of scraping metal made the room jump as the sandy-haired blond from earlier shoved his foot into the corner of his desk causing his chair to screech across the floor. Red eyes glared at you from under angry blond brows as the kid scoffed loudly.

You could hear the boy behind him, Midoryia, mutter something anxiously.

“Tsk, so what? You’re going to make us see some—” He sneered. “Shrink, twice a month?! That’s stupid! We could be spending that time doing something actually useful, like training!”

Surprise flashed in your eyes at the boy’s outburst. The entire time you had been talking, he had been either ignoring you, kicking the toes of his sneakers into the ground, or making the occasional irritated face or sound. Even from his spot across the room, you could feel the jagged heat of rage radiating off of this boy.

No, not rage.

Pride.

Pride that strong usually went deep.

A switch clicked in your brain.  

You made a mental note of that feeling, filing it away from later analyzing. You also made a note of the way Midoryia flinched a little every time that boy spoke.

“A counselor,” You corrected sweetly, and the boy’s face twitched. “But yes, that’s the gist of it. Twice a month sessions so that everyone has a chance to get some help or guidance if they want it.”

He rolled his eyes and clenched his fists, a dramatic display of displeasure. “What a fucking waste of my time.”

“I don’t know Bakugou,” Chimed in the graceful voice of Yaoyorozu. “I think it’s a good idea, a smart one even. They want to ensure that we have optimal mental health while we train and learn while at UA. Becoming a hero is no easy feat – physically or mentally,” Her dark eyes met yours, gracing you with a small almost unnoticeable smile. “It might be helpful to have someone to talk to if we’re struggling.”

“Well, maybe you extras need the help, but I sure as hell don’t!”

And straight to the file.

“Bakugou! No need to be so rude! And what have I said about putting your feet on the desk?!?” Tenya shouted, his arms swinging in a robotic chopping motion as the blond, Bakugou, leaned back to grin viciously at him.

“Huh? How ‘bout I come over and stick it up your ass, four-eyes!”

“Alright, that is enough -- if one of you so much as shouts again, this entire class is doing laps!”

At the loud snap from their teacher, both students turned back to sit properly in their seats, both glaring at the floor or fuming.

The room breathed in relief.

Your lips pressed together in a tight line, replaying the scene that just happened in your mind’s eye once more.

 “Does anyone have any questions before our new counselor has to go? You guy are not her only class you know.” Aizawa grumbled, running a hand over his face and eyes.

“Um.. Just one…”

“Hm?”

A boy with electric yellow hair cleared his throat, looking sheepishly at you.

“If you’re not a hero, what do we call you? Cause all our other teachers and stuff use their hero names? Ya know,” He started naming them, ticking off the numbers using his fingers as tallies. “Ms. Midnight, Mister Present Mic, Mister Snipe, Mister Vlad King…”

“Uh, y’all call Mister Aizawa by his name, right?” The room of youngsters slowly started nodding their heads. “So y’all can just use my name then, easy.”

“But…” This time the girl across from him chimed in, as if adding to his thought process. “What if a villain finds out you work here? They’ll know your real, civilian name since your not a pro…”

The thought had never even occurred to you, you just assumed you’d be safe and protected by UA’s security and staff protection laws. It never occurred to you that villains were something to think about now, a real-life possibility of danger…

But what the hell are worried about! This is UA of all places!

You swallowed, forcing a smile as the thought of some villain hunting you down solely based on your name filled your previously very happy skull.

“Uh, how ‘bout…” You wracked your brain, trying to think of a way to remedy this critical error. “y’all make one up for me! Next time, I see y’all for our session you can tell me what  names you thought up and I’ll pick the one I like the most! Sound good?”

The crowd of teens made loud cheering noises in agreement, the idea of getting to name one of their staff members exciting them the same way a child gets excited over naming a new puppy.

You smiled as the bell rang, signaling your time to go to the next class. You said your thank you’s and goodbye’s, quickly handing out little cards that had your office room number on them as the children got ready for their next period. Then you headed down the hall to another large sliding door with big red lettering.

1-B.

A new home, a new job, and now a new name in development. How exciting.

Who were you kidding though, the name thing was just to get the kids involved. This was UA of all places! I mean…

What could possibly go wrong?

“Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to me babble on, remember my room is just down the hall, right next to Mr. Hound Dog’s room! It was lovely meeting all of you!” You laughed as your last class headed out the door, smiling and bantering as they collectedly headed home.

You took the time to thank the homeroom teacher one more time before heading back to your office yourself, finally letting the exhaustion of the day overtake you.

Don’t get it wrong, today was wonderful. But Christ, was your social battery dead or what?

Your feet were killing you from being in those heels all day, and the way you had done your hair was starting to give you a headache.

That and the fact that you may or may not have walked in on Present Mic’s English class and had to endure the man’s extremely passionate lecture on verb conjugation. He was sweet enough to cut the lesson short, though.

Thank God, you thought your ears were going to be stuck ringing forever…

You groaned quietly as you walked back to your office, your poor feet screaming for relief as you fought the urge to reach down and rip those dreaded shoes off.  When was the last time you wore 4-inch heels for this long?

The clicking of your steps turned to white noise in your ears as you walked, eyes drifting shut briefly as you reached up to mess with your hair, looking to somehow lessen the tension in your scalp.  

Nezu was right earlier, nearly all his students seemed like sweet, eager teenagers wanting to go to this school to learn something more. To become heroes.

There were only a very select few that you had already made mental files for, only a few that immediately stuck out to you during your short 15-minute visits with all the students. These ones, now filed away in your memory, would just need a little more time and patience to get through to.

What was it that the principal called them?

Right, the tough nuts.

You’ve had a handful of so-called tough nuts throughout your career, but there has yet to be one that you haven’t been able to crack.

Those were part of your specialty, after all.

A ghost of a smile graced your lips as you thought, eyes briefly reopening before sliding back shut when your path was revealed to be clear. Your fingers found a spot in your neck at made the pressure go away, your neck flopping as you rolled your shoulders.

Damn, once you got back to your office you were going to have to sit at your desk for a few more hours, finalize all your students’ times and session dates for the next month, and start making official records that you could easily access before your sessions.

Back to the good ole’ days of being a new school counselor, where none of these things were done in advance.

Your poor neck was going to go through hell after tonight—

WHAM!

Pain.

Your head was in pain and your body was falling backward.

What the fuck—there wasn’t a wall here last time you walked this hallway—!

Your eyes, instinctually squeezed shut on impact, snapped open as you bent your knee back, trying to catch yourself before you fell and, most likely, broke an ankle.

Instead, a clean snap sounded underneath you as your dumbass heel snapped at the odd angle, your ankle going with it.

Fuck. You thought squeezing your eyes shut again at the promise of a fractured bone.

Without thinking you blindly reached out in front of you, desperately grabbing handfuls of the tight fabric draped over the wall you had run into.

The wall grabbed you back.

Suddenly you weren’t falling anymore.

Actually, both your feet were off the ground.

Something big, and warm, had wrapped around you—wait no two big and warm somethings had, effectively holding you up by the waist.

You reopened your eyes, blinking away the large splotches of color painting your vision. Only, the colors weren’t going away. Owlish eyes took in the vast expanse of blue and red currently bunched up in your hands, then they trailed upward.

Golden blonde hair, broad build shoulders, wide award-winning smile.

You were going to faint.

Because when you looked up, your surprised face met the equally, if not more so, surprised face of the wall you had just run into.

Only it wasn’t a wall.

No, it wasn’t a wall at all.

It was All Might.

“Holy Shit.”

Chapter Text

The heel of your shoe clacked as it met the floor, alone and forgotten and significantly less important than what was going on directly in front of you. Your hands felt hot, bundled in the warm spandex-like fabric covering the man you had slammed into. You really, really had to work on your spatial awareness – because this had to stop happening.

You, in your obliviousness, had run into a wall named All Might. Your head pulsed and you couldn’t help but pray that some god would have pity on you and cause you to have a stroke.

Kill me.

All Might, who had no intention of letting you fall to your death (much to your disappointment), acted quickly and accordingly.

“Worry not, because I am here – to catch you!”

You were slack-jawed, a jumbled exclamation ending up coming out more like a drawn-out squeal as you fell into the muscular arms of All Might.

The All Might.

His hands held the soft area above your hips, holding gently but firmly as to keep you held up and oh god, you were going to pass out.

This is not how you imagined your first meeting going. This was not even a real-life possibility in your mind before now! But nevertheless, here you were, stiff and warm in the face - gawking at the most famous hero you had ever met. To say he was larger than life was an understatement, both of his hands completely covered your waist and lower back, large fingers overlapping one another behind you like some kind of brace. Even with your feet off the ground your head only reached the area under his chin, a testament to his towering height.

Oh yeah, you were definitely going to pass out.

“—didn’t see you there, my apologies! I really must start watching where I’m going—” He was talking, you realized as the pressure in your ears began to dissipate, his rich laughter snapping you out of whatever trace you had fallen into. Hearing his laugh in person was a completely different experience than hearing some audio of him online. You could feel the bass of it in your chest, along with your heartbeat which was knocking against your sternum rapidly.

What do you even say in a situation like this? What could you say? Without knowing the answer, you opened your dumb mouth and--

“Wow.”

All Might cut himself off when he heard your breathy contribution to the conversation, awe painted on your flushed face as you continued to stare. You had been giving him doe eyes ever since he first caught you, not that he had known it was you in the beginning – he had been checking his phone when he had run into what he had perceived to be a student – and the look wasn’t an uncommon one to receive while in this form. The difference was that it was you, not some stranger, and that alone was… messing with him.

You had never looked at Yagi like that.

Did he want you to look at him like that? Why would you?

God, did he want you to.

Unbeknownst to you, an internal conflict sparked in All Might’s mind as he felt a strange blend of opposites stir in his chest. His internal debate was stupid, of course you would look at All Might like that – you had confessed to Yagi that you were a fan months ago! Even still, he was almost sorrowful, watching your fangirly wide-eyed look flinch away into startled confusion in time with his thoughts. Your hands were still gripping the fabric of his suit, palms flushed with his chest. As quickly as it came, it faded, and you quickly brought your hands back into yourself to sever the accidental connection.

Hurt.

He had been quick to bury it, but it had been there. Had you done something wrong? Had you said or done something hurtful that you were unaware of?

All Might felt a pang of guilt strike his heart as your wonderfully happy expression fell into a small frown and worried eyes.

Shit.

Before you could say anything else to ruin the encounter, you were being set down, carefully avoiding putting too much weight on your twisted ankle as All Might withdrew from you. You offended him, didn’t you? Your staring had been too much.

“I am so sorry—”

At your apology, Yagi wanted nothing more than to lay his hands on your shoulders and comfort that little frown away. Unfortunately, much to his dismay, he was not Yagi at the moment.

He was All Might.

All Might has an image to uphold.

Quickly, the hero was shaking his head as he waved your apology away, unaware of what you were really apologizing for. V-shaped bangs swished from left to right with the motion, his smile still big and bright as he laughed your perceived bashfulness away.

“It is OK! Say, we haven’t quite met yet, have we?”

Rule number one of having an alter ego: play dumb. Works (almost) every time.

Yagi was already long since acquainted with you. All Might was not. His hidden eyes softened a little when you looked up at him, your former downturned expression replaced with shy giddiness.

“I mean… well, you’re All Might.” You stated like the mere statement spoke for itself, before whispering a sharp - “I can’t believe I’m talking to All Might.” – under your breath.

He laughed at that, hands finding his hips as his head went back in a dramatic display of amusement. You peeped at the large belt buckle that was now framed between his hands, staring a bit too long because you swear you’ve seen that same style elsewhere before, only to quickly look away when he straightened once more.

Did he have to get his belts tailor made? He must, because there’s no way they make them that size normally.

“Yes, but that’s not quite what I meant. You are the school’s new counselor, aren’t you?”

 You blinked at him. The pressure in your ears was back. He knew you?

All Might knew you! Little old you! Well, sort of… but the notion still sent a jolt through your spine.

“Yes! Yes. That’s me! How do you…?”

“The principal filled me in! As a new teacher myself, I felt it was part of my duty to meet or have at least some knowledge of the other staff members!”

New teacher?

A light bulb went off above your head as you remembered your first faculty meeting, the mention of another new staff member and that little blink of red and blue as you were heading out.

“Oh! This is your first semester, as well?” You spoke softly to him this time, almost whispering as your curiosity got the better of you. “I’ll admit I’m a bit nervous, I’m still getting used to--”

To prove your point, you waved a finger at him, gesturing to his hero getup with a nervous laugh.

“I can’t help but feel a little out of place.”

Oh fuck, you were saying too much weren’t you - reel it in!

All Might nodded, chuckling. “I understand the sentiment. I’ll let you in on a little secret of mine...”

Surprised, you leaned a little closer, ears heating up as he bent as the waist to talk to you at a slightly lower volume than before, a hand held against his face as if he was going to whisper it to you.

“I’m quite nervous as well! This is my first-time teaching.”

“No?! Really?” You gasped back at him, honestly surprised that the hero has never done any kind of educational work in his time working as a hero. You couldn’t really blame him though; he was a very busy character who took hero work very seriously. It struck you that All Might of all people could feel nervous, being the picture of courage that he was. Still, the admission appealed to something very human within you, and you felt the heat of admiration shift to the warmth of friendliness.

All Might felt more… human than you expected.

It was nice.

“Really!”

“Oh, but you’ll do great! I bet the students just adore you already!”

Now was his turn to be bashful, humble as always, he was waving you off again – but you insisted.

“Really, I can’t think of anyone that fits the bill better than you All Might!” You gushed, hands clasped in front of you as you fell into the role of the fawning fangirl once more. “I mean it!”

“I thank you for your encouragement.” He chimed, and you couldn’t help but watch the way his nose crinkled at the bridge when he smiled wider than usual. “I hope I’m not interrupting you from any counselor business…?”

It was a question, subtly asking if you had time to be having this time. A way out perhaps?

“Oh no, I was actually on my way back! I just finished up meeting all the classes I could today.” Exhaustion returned at the memory of your day as you sighed up at him, eyes remaining bright and filled with mirth despite the light bags that always seemed to sit under them. “Almost feels like there’s not enough of me to go around, if you know what I mean.”

You moved to make some kind of gesture, but your uneven footing shifts, one unharmed heel still on while the other balances on part of your heel that is still intact, causing you to stumble. The foot that got yanked in your little mishap met the ground, buckling instead of providing the support you hoped for. It throbbed angrily at you as you hissed, quickly grabbing the muscular arm that shot in your direction as soon as you started to go off kilter.

“Thank you.” You grunted, sharply tucking the fingers of your other hand into the back of the cursed footwear to slip it off. It had caused enough damage. “I’m never going heel shopping at a discount shop ever again. I swear.”

“Are you alright? That looks quite painful!” All Might, ever the hero for coming to your rescue again, lays his spare hand against your shoulder helping you balance as you wobble on your hurt ankle to slip the other shoe off as well. You followed his gaze down to your now uncovered ankle, wincing at the blossoming red-purple bruise forming there.

“Yeah, I think I just sprained it when I…” Ran into you. “…fell. My stupid heel snapped and took my leg with it.”

“Oh goodness! That’s no good, we have got to get you to Recovery Girls office at once!”

Recovery Girl? Right, the school nurse. You blanched at the thought of being forced to sit in some white room that smells sterile and be poked and prodded. All for what? A sprained ankle?

“What? Wait no, All Might it’s OK–!”

Suddenly you were off the ground again. With a squeak, you were lifted into his arms once more, your shoes still held tightly in your hands as you protested loudly.

“It’s fine! I think I can walk—”

“Not on that foot you can’t! No need for concern,” His sweet face looked down at your mortified expression, oblivious. “I could never leave someone in a state such as yourself, especially since it was my ignorance that got you here in the first place!”

Could this get anymore embarrassing. This had to be a dream, or some kind of mental break that was resulting in hallucinations.

“It’s fine!” Your protest dissolved in your mouth when he gave you a look that could only be described as pure determination. You swallowed.

“Please, let me help you.”

Well, when was the next time you were going to be in the arms of All Might again…?

“Yeah, ok.”

His grin got a little bigger and, after checking you weren’t in any discomfort or pain (you were lightheaded by that was probably just from being pressed up against the most famous man in Japan) he strode off down the hallway, walking with purpose and an injured lady in his arms.

You buried your head in your hands and all you could think was:

Thank god, the students are at lunch.

Recovery Girl’s office wasn’t a typical doctor’s office, thankfully.

After startling the poor woman, All Might had to slide the door open with his foot since his hands were quite literally full which ended with a lecture about knocking, you were given an x-ray before the super sweet old lady announced that it was just a sprain.

Feeling satisfied, All Might reassured you that you were in good hands before regrettably announcing that lunch would be ending soon, and he needed to get back to class in time to teach. With a pleasant goodbye, your encounter with the Symbol of Peace was over – leaving you with Recovery Girl.

“Don’t worry, dear. That man is always in a hurry.”

She shook her head, apparently exasperated by All Might’s fast pace. Your mind filled with questions; she must have known him from some time to know his habits. Did she know his name, his life, his history? Or maybe she was simply the school nurse.

Sock discarded, soft gloved hands held your foot, flexing it every which way as you winced.

“Now, hold still so we can get this all fixed up.”

You shut your eyes, ready for more pain—when you felt her press a loud smooch against your ankle. The area began to tingle, then ache before the burning sensation of your sprain faded away in a matter of seconds. You peaked down at the injury, smiling in astonishment at the absence of a bruise and pain. Experimentally, you rolled your foot sighing happily when nothing hurt or burned.

Suddenly, you could go for a very long nap.

“All done, here take these.” A small hand held out some small pills, as well as a piece of hard candy. You blinked sleepily at her. “You might feel sore later, and don’t worry feeling tired is normal since I used my quirk on you.”

“Thank you for healing me.” You smiled, pocketing the pills and candy as you slipped your sock back onto your foot. Recovery Girl sat back on her spinning stool, her cane held in front of her as she shook her head.

“You’re welcome, dear, but you healed yourself, I simply sped it up a little. Would you like me to look in our lost and found for anything that might fit you? I don’t think you want to be stuck with no shoes all day.”

“Thank you but don’t worry, I always keep a pair of lounge shoes with me when I wear heels, I just have to get back to my office first.” You shrugged, moving to stand. It was a little sore. “Thank you for your help again, I’ll get going so you can get back to work!”

“Of course, dear, visit anytime you need! Here, have another candy before you go!”

By the time you left, there was a tiny horde of hard candy within your pockets. Not that you minded, you thought as you popped one in your mouth ignoring students pointing out your lack of shoes as you ventured down the hallway towards the counseling hall.

You loved butterscotch.

 As you shuffled to your door, your face burned as you recounted all that happened today. All Might had you like putty in his hands twice today, twice! You had to get it together, you couldn’t get so flustered over some celebrity hero that you kind of (very much) liked! It’s not your fault he’s attractive and sweet and funny and big and—

Hound Dog, who had been exiting his office as you approached, watched in horror as you slapped yourself.

“What the hell was that?!” He barked, taking in your appearance. Red faced with no shoes on, currently rubbing your face with both hands in an attempt to sooth your cheek and your thoughts.

“I bumped into All Might in the hallway today.” You groaned into your hands, leaning against your door as your coworker regarded you. “All Might!”

“That’s why you hit yourself?”

“Yes. I embarrassed myself! I couldn’t even properly introduce myself…”

Dark eyes regarded you, before landing purposefully on your feet.

“Why do you have no shoes on?”

“Would you believe me if I said also All Might?”

“Hmrph. So…” He huffed through his nose. “How’d that go?”

All you did was whine into your hands, sliding further into the door.

“Did he do something?” It surprised you how serious he sounded, the sentence more of a growly string of noise than words.

“Uh, no? He was nice. Sweet even. I twisted my ankle, and he took me to the nurse.”

“It’s your first day and you’ve already injured yourself?” You shifted bashfully as your coworker frowned down at you. “It was an accident!”

“Whatever, go put some shoes on.” He lifted his snout in disgust, his sensitive nose sniffing a few times before he glared down at you past his spiky mane. “Your feet smell.”

“Ok, rude.” You huffed playfully, opening your door as he closed his.

“No, really. I can’t feel my nose anymore.”

“Alright - it’s not that bad!”

“I promise you; it is.”

“Maybe it’s just your breath that you’re smelling, think about that.”

Happy to have the last word, you shut your door behind you, cutting his growl off as you slipped across the room and into your office chair. You started keeping a pair of house shoes under your desk, preparation for the hours of computer work you were required to do each day. Your feet sang as you slipped said shoes on, the soft inside heavenly against your soles.

Finally.

‘God.’ You huffed as you sunk into your chair, glancing at the hanging plant you had put up near the small window a little while ago, small yellow and pink flowers peaking at you from behind green vines.

‘I could really use that nap right about now…’

The next day there was a knock on your door.

The gentle rap of knuckles meeting the exterior of your office door initially startled you. You were about two and a half hours deep in class 1-B’s scheduling file, feeling more like a robot than a person thanks to the lack of social interaction and outside stimulus. So, when the knocking started you couldn’t help but twitch, eyes blinking away the dry eye from looking at the screen too long before turning your attention to the door.

“Come in.”

The hinges creaked as nervous feet shuffled outside of the door, the door slowly gliding open to reveal the sweaty face of a student you had met recently.

Green hair and freckled cheeks. Midoriya Izuku.

“Um, Miss Counselor, ma’am…?”

The title was shrugged off as you smiled at him, happy to finally have a student come seek you out.

“Ah! Midoriya, right? Come, come!” Excitedly gesturing to the chair on the other side of your desk, you fluidly slipped your screen-protective glasses off and slid your chair further into the space hidden underneath as you turned your full attention to the boy in front of you. “Here, honey, feel free to sit down. What can I help you with?”

The boy shifted in his seat, glancing at the little bowl of sweets that was nestled in the corner of your desk. A strange mix of Japanese and American candy thrown together in an attempt at variety had the boy wondering where you had acquired so many American snacks.

He also made note of the tiny, limited addition All Might sticker you had snuck onto your monitor, which pushed whatever reasoning he had for coming here to the back burner.

“Midoriya--?”

“Is that from All Might’s mini sticker pack? The one only sold to American retailers during his Silver Age when his agency went international?”

Unexpectedly, the boy immediately pointed to the miniature smiling chibi All Might sticker who was flashing a little thumbs up from his spot on the base of your monitor. You followed his line of sight, confused and slightly embarrassed at being called out by a student you had only been acquainted with less than a day ago. He had only been in here for less than two minutes, what the fuck?

“Yes? Maybe? I think so. I take it you’re a big fan of his?”

“A fan?! Of course I’m a fan, who isn’t? He’s my mentor! Well, I mean from a fan point of view, I don’t know him personally!” He laughed a little too loud as his face got a little sweatier and you quirked a brow at his suddenly too nervous behavior. “I mean why would I know him personally, that’s crazy! Anyway, I actually bought the same sticker collection from an online website specifically for non-Japanese All Might merch, so I guess I’m just surprised to see someone who also go their hands on it! Although it does make sense that you would, since being from America likely means you had better access to it when the collection first released to the public.”

You watched on curiously as Midoriya fell into what could only be some sort of episode, growing a little more concerned as his ranting dissolved into a long muttering ramble. His fidgety hand gestures and in-depth descriptions reminded you of a particular scarecrow you hadn’t spoken to in a little while. A tinge of sadness ran through you before you shrugged it off, mentally planning a phone call after work.

Somehow, the boy was still going. You decided to intervene once the clock got a bit too close to five minutes.

“Uh, hon’?”

Midoriya’s hands stood still in midair, interrupting a demonstration of the size of a limited addition All Might action figure the boy had, his mumbling cutting off as he perked up.

“Hm?”

“Was there something you wanted to talk about…? Before the All Might… discussion, I mean.”

Face turning stop-sign red, the boy coughed into his fist as a warm wave passed over your skin. Then it traveled to the back of your neck, causing you to rub at your nape.

Bashfulness. Shame. Embarrassment.

“No need to be embarrassed, I’m happy that you have such passion for your interests. I simply don’t think you only came to me to talk action figures is all.”

“Right! Right. I, uh, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Ok, shoot! I’m all ears.”

“I wanted to see what… an appointment looks like. Like, what do we… do?”

You smiled; this wasn’t as uncommon as some may think. Many of your clientele are new to the idea of counseling, so it was normal to have a consultation with them first. Of course, you would be explaining all of this information to each student on their first appointments, but it warmed your heart to see that he had sought you out to find answers so soon.

“That’s a good question! Well, it’s different for everyone, but the gist is still the same. The first time we meet, we’ll sit down and make a game plan together. I’ll ask you things such as your goals, your aspirations, your struggles, your background, etc. Then we’ll work on slowly improving or working towards any goals that you set for yourself. Remember, you don’t have to tell me anything you are uncomfortable with, and I can’t tell anyone about what we talk about unless it involves the active harm of yourself or others.”

Midoriya nodded along, nervously rubbing his thumbs together as he avoided eye contact. “Ok.”

“Actually,” Humming, you opened class A-1’s scheduling sheet and searched for the boy’s name. “I believe your appointment with me is coming up next week! It’ll be easier to explain when we go over our consultation.”

“Oh, ok. Do I have to bring anything…?”

“Only yourself, unless you want to bring something, I guess. Some people bring their notes from the days between appointments in case they forget something, but you don’t have to.”

“Ok.”

He tapped his hands on the tops of his legs, still only looking directly at you in small glances, while he pursed his lips slightly in thought.

“What’s up? I can tell your thinking something.” You shifted back a little in your chair, crossing your arms with a sigh at his ‘I’ve been caught’ expression. “Your vibe’s all droopy.”

“My…?” The green mop of hair on his head followed him as he tilted his head. “Oh, your quirk.”

“Yes, and right now I can tell you’re…” Inhaling you closed your eyes, focusing on the dull feeling swirling there. “…disappointed - underwhelmed.”

Midoriya blushed, one hand coming up to fidget with his hair. “I guess I just expected… more? I don’t know.”

Light shone in from your office’s little window, making the mint plant you kept on one of the lower desk shelves perk up. You reached out to absentmindedly (gently) rub one leaf against your thumb.

 “It’s normal for people to make things like this a big fuss but I promise it’s not as big a deal as you think. Hah!” You tapped a finger on the table, leaning forward with a pleased look on your face. “Think of this as a getting to know you meeting – because that’s all it is! No tests, no exams, no nothing. It’s just so you can learn about me, and I get to learn who the real you, Midoriya Izuku, really is.”

He relaxed at that, freckles standing out more against the pink in his cheeks as he thanked you for your time, bowed, and shuffled out of his chair.

“Thank you for stopping by Midoriya, see you for our first appointment.” He squeaked a choppy goodbye as he continued to shuffle his way back outside of your office – mini snickers bar in hand and anxiety slightly eased.

“Have a lovely day!”

Your door clicked shut, and once more you were left in the silence of your office. You brought your forefinger and thumb up to rub your nose, the smell of mint oil lingering even after lowering your hand back to your mouse.

‘Poor boy’s a nervous wreck’, you noted, unfolding your tinted glasses before getting back to work. ‘We’ll work on that.’

Yagi had been more withdrawn than usual.

You first noticed it when you called him after work, the conversation short and less… warm than usual. At first, you wondered if he was struggling emotionally again, but he assured you that he was just tired.

Which was true. Although, the real reason was not as respectable as he would have liked. He wasn’t as close as usual for a reason.

The truth was, All Might had been actively trying to avoid you - before your run in together. Yagi figured that if he kept his alter ego busy on the first day he could just… not run into you. 

Fate had a different plan, apparently.

And even though alarm bells were going  off in his head during the first few minutes, he missed talking to you. 

How long had it been since the two of you actually sat and talked?

So he stayed, having to will himself away early once your foot was healed and the twitching of his side turned to a dull spasm. 

It was also true that he had taken the call after his last class while hidden away in Recovery Girl’s office. His side was acting up in retaliation to remaining as All Might thirty minutes after his limit had been reached, and Recovery Girl was one of the only people he could trust to see him so... vulnerable at the time being.

He just needed a little break, is all - and, apparently, a check-up with his favorite school nurse.

Recovery Girl watched, frowning as Yagi spoke quietly on the phone, his long body tilted away from her for some privacy. It didn’t matter, she knew who he was talking to.

Her mind wandered to the friendly woman that the man had carried in not too long ago. The one that had him calling the principal before her arrival, begging everyone to keep the connection between Yagi and All Might secret. That action alone spoke volumes of his… attachment to you.

And his fear.

Even if he didn’t realize it, Chiyo knew that his feelings toward you would come with… precautions. She knew he would do anything to hide himself, as long as it kept his loved ones safe. He had always been too keen to push others away when things involved his career. His health. She knew him when he was a young boy in high school just the same as she knows him now.

So, when he mumbled his goodbyes and took the phone away from his ear, she openly sighed at him.

He looked tired.

“Yagi… how long are you going to keep this up?”

The blonde froze. Shoulders, lean and wide, rolled in their sockets, shifting as he dropped his head in exasperation. He didn’t speak, just quietly coughed into his fist.

“You can’t hide from her forever.”

“I know.” Bitterly, he glanced over his shoulder – only for his eyes to close. He wasn’t bitter towards her – or you. He was weak. “…I know.”

Chiyo crossed the room to place a gentle hand on his knee, patting as she shook her head at nothing. “Don’t you want her to know?”

“I…” Yagi frowned, casting a long look at his reflection in the glass in front of him. He saw himself, disheveled and small sitting in a too large suit that belongs to a much bigger man. He wasn’t All Might. All Might was All Might. And All Might was running out of time…

Your eyes when you looked at him.

You liked All Might.

What would you think of him then, if you knew?

“Not now.” He grumbled to his reflection; eyes lost in the heavy shadows under his brow. “I’ll tell her, just not now.”

“If you don’t tell her soon, she’ll find out on her own.”

“Maybe.” He mumbled, his side twisting painfully as he looked down at the bed – where he placed his phone. Where you were -- only a button press away.

“Maybe not.”

He could hope, couldn’t he...

Chapter Text

A light April shower trickled outside, pattering gently against the window as it cast grey light into the small room it overlooked – contrasting greatly with the warm glow emanating from the standing lamp propped in the corner. The air was warm, but not uncomfortably so. The tiny desk fan you had picked up from the general store near your apartment provided a gentle breeze, circulating the space as well as becoming a form of white noise other than the very faint ticking of your watch.

10:32 am

The room smelt of lavender and mint.

Your guest, a girl with short purple hair, shifted her weight on the sofa, accompanied by a folded throw blanket sitting on the opposite end of where she had settled herself. It was surprisingly soft, she had noted before, pulling one of the many decorative pillows sitting near her into her lap to prevent herself from fiddling with her earphone jacks.

At least she would be comfortable while she was here.

“So,” A slow tapping started across from her, your pen bumping against the translucent clip board settled in your lap. Your voice was gentle and light. “Jiro, how are you liking your classes so far?”

Your line of questioning was purposefully mundane so far, Kyoka noticed, topics all light and easy to answer – a tactic for easing her into this new experience without overwhelming her with personal matters.

The girl shrugged.

“They’re good. I really enjoy the hero courses,” You nodded – made sense considering she was in the heroics program. “But English is chill too.”

“Yeah? I’m glad you’re enjoying them! Make any friends yet?”

“Kind of…” A pleasant pink bloomed over her cheeks as she glanced away uncertainly, the tips of her earphone jacks tapping together. “Me and the girls in my class get along well, oh – and most of the guys are cool.” You hummed, aware of the way she stressed the word most, her bored eyes narrowing coolly as something played in her mind’s eye.

“Anyone in particular?”

“Well, I mean…” The pink grew and the warmth was back. “There’s this one girl in my class, Yaoyorozu. She’s super smart, has a kick ass quirk, and helps me with homework sometimes.”

Visions of the youthful girl with dark hair and intelligent eyes filled your mind, Yaoyorozu had been the one to defend you during your first meet-and-greet with the students. Although her first session wasn’t until tomorrow, you were excited to meet with her.

“Aw, that’s sweet of her. The two of you get along then I take it?”

“Yes, ma’am. We partner up most of the time for group activities - well, whenever Mister Aizawa allows us to pick our own team, that is.”

Jiro’s warmth for her classmate made its way into the small list of scribbles hidden on the thin stack of notebook paper posted on your clipboard. Relationships were important for determining how the school year would go for these students, so writing it down was important for later reflection. Friendships, along with their ability to form healthy and productive relationships, were always something you made room for in your notes.

“Wonderful! So then, how’s your relationship with the rest of your class?”

Upon further digging, you discovered that a young man by the name of Kaminari was also up high on her friendship list. Although, from what you could tell, their friendship involved more teasing and taunting than her friendships with Yaoyorozu and the other girls of class 1-A did. She was telling the truth earlier, Jiro enjoyed hanging out with all her girl classmates as well as the majority of the boys – however, one name did come up that held some… unpleasant feelings.

Unbeknownst to Jiro, you had already heard about Minoru Mineta from some of the girls that had come in before her.

Apparently, the boy had extremely distasteful tendencies.

“Honestly, I have no idea how he got in.” She sighed flippantly, grimacing as you shifted in your armchair, writing her down as another victim of his. “All he ever does is harass any and all women he sees and whines. It’s annoying -- but fine though, I guess. Thankfully, Mister Aizawa doesn’t let him get away with it whenever he’s around.”

“Well,” How delightful, you fought a grimace, the schools very own little pervert. “It’s good that your teacher doesn’t allow that kind of behavior. It must be nice knowing that you have a teacher you can trust.”

“It is.” Jiro smiled, petting the pillow in her lap. “Mister Aizawa’s the coolest.”

It was a statement. A fact. From what you could tell, Aizawa had class 1-A in the palm of his hand.

You chuckled.

“So, I’ve heard. Now, tell me a little bit about home.”

“Home’s good. My parents are both musicians, although my mom is usually working from home when she isn’t in the studio. They both wanted me to follow in their footsteps until I told them I wanted to be a hero.”

“Really, how fun!”

“I guess, they can be kind of annoying sometimes.” 

“And how about now, do they still want you to go into music?”

She shook her head, earphone jacks swaying and curling around one of her fingers. You wondered how they worked.

“Surprisingly, no. They’re…” She smiled. “…actually really supportive of me, although my dad still worries about me getting hurt.”

You nodded and wrote that down.

“I see. It must have been relieving to know that your parents are willing to support your dreams.”

“I’ll admit, it was kind of scary.” The pillow in her lap deflated slightly as slender hands folded onto of it. “I remember apologizing like crazy when I first told them, but they just told me that they were happy that I was brave enough to make that decision for myself and that they’d do their best to help me with whatever I needed to reach my dream.”

Bless these sweet people.

The sweetness of her voice and her parents apparent overwhelming support made you a little emotional. Sadly, it was quite common for kids to have less than enthusiastic parents.

You were silently grateful that the Jiros were a supportive bunch.

“That’s wonderful to hear Jiro. I can tell they love you very much.”

Kyoka blushed but didn’t reply.

“Now, onto the nitty-gritty!” You flipped to the back of your clipboard and removed a sheet of paper. “On this sheet, I’ve made a little questionnaire that we’ll go through together. These are just some questions about your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and so on so forth. After that, we’ll use your answers to create some goals for you to focus on during this semester. Sound good?”

You slid her paper across the coffee table along with a small penholder with different writing utensils.

She shrugged but had no objections.

“Good.”

The boy in front of you seemed on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

Koji Koda, another one of class 1-A’s students, was next on your schedule. However, as soon as you had asked him a direct question, he had shrunk into himself and had begun to visibly start sweating bullets.

Anxiety was radiating from him in copious amounts, and when he still hadn’t made a move to answer you, you knew you had to intervene before this escalated into a panic attack.

“I can tell you’re nervous, and that’s perfectly normal during these first meetings.” He avoided his eyes like looking at you would burn him, so you tried again. “Was it the question I asked you?”

To your surprise, he shook his head.

“No? Ok,” A realization struck you as you watched him continue to shrink, a brief warning from Aizawa as he passed the boy off to you coming back.

--

“Be patient with this one.” He had mumbled as Koda passed you, looked around, and stood rigidly in the middle of the room looking lost and nervous.

“He’s quiet.”

--

“Koda… does having to talk to people make you nervous?”

You received the barest of nods.

Ah, you thought as you were nearly certain you knew what the cause of his fear was. A quick pen scrawled across the page, a quiet clicking starting up as Koda tapped the tips of his fingers together shyly.

“I see. Hey, it’s ok if you don’t want to talk.” You smiled at him disarmingly, recognizing his lack of speech through out the good chunk of this session. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, ok? How about we stick with yes or no questions, from now on. Would that be more comfortable?”

At your reassurance, he eased up, fidgety hands fumbling in his lap seemingly calming down in real time as you saw and felt some of the fear fade away. He was still caged up, but the lack of tears or agitated movements gave you reassurance that he was no longer on the precipice of an anxiety attack. For now, at least.

“Oh!” You snapped your fingers as a sudden idea came to you, startling the poor boy on your couch. “Do you like to draw?”

Another, more enthusiastic, nod.

After retrieving some construction paper and colored pencils from your side cabinet, you presented them to the rocky-skinned teenager. In which he immediately reached out for them, tapping his left wrist with his right hand and lifting it up toward his cheek, before digging out a pink colored pencil.

Understanding and something akin to sadness filled your heart as you realized that he had signed something–and while you didn’t know exactly what he said, you had a feeling you had an idea.

“It’s no problem. Now, I know you said you like your classes so far,” AKA nodded at you. “How do you feel about your classmates?”

A pause filled with scribbling entered the room before a piece of paper was being presented to you. It was a doodle of what looked like Koda himself, and next to him were little depictions of his other classmates.

“You get along with them?”

Another scribble was being added to the page- this time in the form of text. He had labeled them.

“Oh, these are your friends!”

A happy expression lifted his face.

“Will you show me more?”

He flashed you a thumbs up.

Near the end of the session, Koda revealed something to you after you had inquired about things that make him feel the most relaxed. A drawing of a rabbit was sitting in front of you, and you couldn’t help but ask if he felt he was most comfortable around nature and animals, as his body language alone has shown you that he had trouble relaxing under the direct attention of others. He had been in the middle of shading in the nose of a small furry creature when he looked to the side thoughtfully, then he confirmed.

“Why do you think that is?”

He wrote neatly on the corner of the paper. “They understand me.”

You nodded, fighting the little frown that started to pull at your muscles.

This sweetheart.

With a glance of your watch, you sat up a little straighter as you debated an idea that had formed in your head.

It might not help any, but…

“Ok, that’s all the time for today! Before you go though, I would like to know your thoughts on an idea of mine…”

Growing up in the American school system, you were never a big fan of cafeteria food – the funding in your area was lackluster, hence the school lunches provided were cheap, to say the least. Grilled cheese that tasted like plastic and hamburgers with the same consistency of cardboard had ruined the experience for you, the only thing edible that you could scarf down being the occasional apple left isolated from the not-so-food-like-food on your lunch tray.

Which is why you hesitated when Midnight and Present Mic approached you as you were heading to your usual spot to eat – your office – to ask you to come have lunch with them and some of the other teachers in the staff cafeteria. Midnight had gushed how wonderful it would be to have another girl at the table while Mic clasped an arm over your shoulders, effectively steering you in that direction as soon as you shyly accepted with a nudge from Hound, who had joined your little entourage not long after they appeared.

They remained by your side as you shuffled up to the counter, arguing that their favorite dish was better than the other’s while you hurriedly squeaked out your choice from the day’s menu before anyone could convince you otherwise.

“I’ll take one yakisoba bowl, please.”

Mic groaned at your apparent poor choice while Midnight shook her head – you gawked back, suddenly defensive.

“What? It’s sounds good!”

Many members of the teaching staff were already seated, chatting and enjoying their lunch as your little group approached. You went to find a table further away, but Hound shifted behind you, herding you closer to the group while you glanced at him nervously.

Were there always this many teachers?

Why were you so… self-conscious?

“YO YO! Wassup my party people!” Mic sang loudly, sliding between you and Hound to sit next to a disgruntled Aizawa as he pointed dramatically in your direction. “Look alive, we got a new listener joining us today!”

Face burning, your colleague’s announcement had shifted the focus momentarily onto you, all eyes taking in your shifting form as you smiled weakly, waving shyly.

You wanted nothing more than to evaporate.

“Hello… everyone.”

It was a lame introduction, but immediately the group lit up with smiles, some falling back into previous topics of conversation while some took to making room for the additional seat now needed.

Fur brushed you as Hound left your side to sit next to Vlad -- the traitor that he was.

Instead, the homeroom teacher for the third years, Snipe, politely shifted over - a silent invitation for you to sit in the now empty space next to him.

“Ah, there you are! We were wondering if you were going to join us!” Rescue hero, Thirteen, chimed happily, their fingers drumming against the space helmet sat in their lap as they smiled. “I’m surprised it took this long, those two don’t usually hesitate when it comes to involving new staff!”

Midnight grinned from her seat beside Cementoss, waving her hand back and forth dismissively. “I’ve been looking for an excuse to socialize. It’s Mic who’s been slacking.”

Present Mic, who was now face deep in his rice bowl exclaimed loudly, finger raised as he spoke behind the mouth full of rice he was stuffing his face with.

“Well, I had sho hun’ ‘er down to get ‘er here firsh! Shesh good a’ hiding!”

Your nose wrinkled as you watched him, hand covering your lips to hide your smile at the aghast look he was receiving from Midnight.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Mic. Have some decency.” Aizawa drawled, exasperated at his friends disgusting lack of etiquette. Despite the warning, the blond continued to babble, now defending himself and purposefully bugging a very fed-up Aizawa.

At the distraction, you shucked the paper wrapping off your chopsticks before fortifying yourself for your first encounter with U.A. cafeteria food. It looked good, steam coming off it in waves as you blew on it a little. Inhaling proved that it smelled delicious as well. When your stomach growled lowly at you, you went in for your first bite (stumbling a little at first, still not the most graceful with your newfound way of eating). Instead of bland cardboard, bright flavors burst across your taste buds, and you nearly purred at the savory bite of stir-fried noodles, tender meat, and slightly charred veggies. It was, without a doubt, better than any meal you had ever had at any job or school -- college included.

American school lunch didn’t have shit on this.

Despite the buzzing conversation happening around them, Midnight caught the way you happily dug into your meal silently, slightly clumsy fingers attempting their best effort at eating with chopsticks, sharp eyes calculating the situation. Having spoken to Hound Dog, she knew that you were a kind and humorous person. There was no doubt that you were pleasant to be around, as Mic had grown attached to you after you had asked him for help breaking down a certain English phrase you were having trouble translating into Japanese. After that, well, the blond parakeet of a man had glued himself to you on your breaks, eager to finally have someone new to gossip with:

Gossiping in English was much better than gossiping in Japanese he proclaimed, less eavesdropping that way - which you doubted but allowed because having someone who spoke your first language appealed to something homely inside of you.

The problem was, at realizing that almost all of the heroes that taught U.A. knew each other and were close to each other, you were having a harder time breaking down your walls.

You were shy, Midnight had realized not too long ago after your first-time meeting. Pleasantries appeared to come easily to you. Friendly, personal conversations with colleagues, however…

At the hesitant way you peeked up at the rest of the table before looking back down at your food, mouth pressed tight in a wobbly smile to keep from laughing at one of Mic’s jokes, Midnight made it her new mission to get you out of your shell.

“So,” She chimed, after a soft call of your name. “How’s your first week been so far?”

Surprised at the direct attention, you swallowed, clearing your throat as the very attractive woman seated across from you rested her chin on her palm.

“Oh! Uh, good! It’s been good.” The tips of your chopsticks picked at your food. “I’ve been busy with making all the student’s meeting schedules, but I think I’ve finally got everyone planned out for this upcoming month!”

“Already?” She asked, intelligent eyes flashing. “That’s quite impressive considering the number of students.”

“Well, I am splitting them with Hound.” You admitted bashfully, and you could see Inui’s ear twitch at the mention of his name. “But thank you. I’ll admit it was… tiring at times, to say the least.”

“I believe it, it’s only been one week, and I’m already swamped with things to grade.” Midnight breathed, exasperation present in her silky voice, beside her Cementoss nodded solemnly.

“I wouldn’t know ‘bout that.” Snipe rasped smugly, and you realized he still had his mask on. “My class ain’t got to worry about all that.”

You glanced at him.

“You mean you haven’t given out any homework assignments?”

“Hell no! Not if I can help it.” He scoffed, tipping his hat up a little as he crossed his arms. Midnight and Cementoss looked appalled.

“Do your kids do anything in your class?”

The sharpshooter shrugged, leaning his head back.

“Sure thing! Participation assignments! Easy and don’t require no extra grading time.”

“Your teaching methodology is a joke, I swear.” Grumbled an unimpressed Cementoss as he began to work on his own lunch.

You chuckled, shaking your head as you shared a concerned look with Midnight. With a shake of your head, you scanned the scene around you, teachers you have already met chatting and eating in their small cliques. One, however, was unaccounted for.

“So, Miss Midnight,” You started, not sure if you were relieved or disappointed at All Might’s absence. “You teach art history, right? I’m still trying to remember everyone’s area of expertise.”

“Please,” Midnight brushed away your bashful behavior as she sipped at some sort of dark beverage she had brought along. “You can call me Nemuri, or just Midnight, if you persist. Miss Midnight makes me sound like an old maiden.”

“I apologize, I meant nothing by it and nothing about you makes me think of an ‘old maiden’ as you put it.” You were a bit flustered at the misunderstanding, from what you could tell the two of you were not too far apart in age – in fact you might actually be her senior by a few years!

“It’s perfectly fine, I’m just pulling your leg, beautiful. Yes, I teach art history most of the semester– besides for the sexual education seminar I help arrange for the students each year.”

Makes sense. From the brief conversations you’ve had with her, as well seeing her in her costume, you figured out quickly that sex was a large part of her life and identify. Still a bit jarring to see in a high school, but hey good on her for being comfortable with her femininity and power.

“Do all of the staff eat together like this?”

Nemuri shrugged. “Most of the time, well except for a few like Aizawa and All Might. Aizawa usually takes a nap during his, unless Mic drags him out, and All Might is… well, All Might.”

You cocked your head, but Snipe leaned in to whisper in a low tone.

“He’s in infirmary,” Your eyes widened. Infirmary!? “You know how he is, went off and used too much—” A loud curse left the man as Midnight kicked him underneath the table – hard.

You pitched forward, hand over your mouth as you voiced your concern at Snipe’s outburst, missing the look Midnight shot him.

“What Snipe meant to say,” She gritted out, laying a hand on your shoulder protectively. “Is that it isn’t uncommon for All Might to use his free time to do things off campus. Like patrol! Sometimes he comes back with some scrapes and bruises from being careless, that’s all! ‘Villainy never rests’ he says.” She quoted with a roll of her eyes.

Your brows furrowed as Snipe and Midnight went quiet, focusing elsewhere or digging into still warm food. You… followed suit.

“Right. Maybe, I’ll catch him next time, then.”

Unbeknownst to you, she cast you a knowing look.

Snipe looked away.

“Maybe… Now,” In a startlingly smooth movement she was in your space, hands grasping yours. You blinked owlishly at her as her crystal eyes glinted with mischief. “Let’s talk business! We just have to go out sometime. You know, hit the town! We’d love to have a fresh face come with us to karaoke this weekend. What do you say?”

Oh, what the hell.

“Count me in! But just know that I don’t really sing that well.”

She grinned.

“That’s not a problem, most of the time we’re too drunk off our asses to hold a tune! Not like that ever stopped Hizashi before, though!”

Present Mic whipped his head around, hand on his heart as he gasped.

Midnight watched as your face lit up with laughter, a warm feeling – like warm water, flowed from your skin and seeped into her own as she pulled her hands away subconsciously at the new feeling.

Noticing almost immediately, you apologized – but she just continued to smile at you.

“I’m sorry—"

You tucked your hands into yourself, still a little self-conscious, but she rested her hand on her cheek – the left-over warmth settling as she swirled her drink.

“Funny, I’ve only met one other person who feels the need to apologize for being happy.”

You blanched, unsure of what to say. She swatted gently at your shoulder, playfully.

“I’ll make sure we fix that when we go out!”

3:56pm

The remainder of your day was spent with your last few sessions, Mineta’s ending almost instantly when he got caught trying to get a peek under your skirt, before being swiftly handed off to Hound Dog:

Inui’s office door slid open with a bang, your red face baring a too calm smile as you held class 1-A’s perv by the back of the neck. Indignation was blaring from you and before he gets a word or a bark out, the boy was being guided -shoved- to sit before him.

“Hound, I’ve decided that Mr. Mineta here is much better suited for your counseling style. I’m transferring him to you effective immediately. Thanks!”

Mineta’s blissed face transformed into one of fear as his new counselor grinned down at him, sharp and unfazed as you slid out of the room, now at ease.

All of your students so far, minus him, were lovely young individuals. You were left feeling accomplished and hopeful as you looked over the roster for the next day, planning on reading over their profiles before heading home for the day. First on your list, one you had been anticipating since the get-go, glared at you from the profile picture posted on the school’s student database.

Sandy hair and sharp eyes.

Bakugou Katsuki.

You winced as you remembered your first encounter with him, the prideful, loudmouthed boy who snapped at you and his classmates for little to no reason. One of the top students in his class, especially in heroics, but not very well liked, was what was provided to you via his homeroom teacher.

What fun.

You shook off the feeling of foreboding that crept up your spine the longer the teenager on your screen stared at you. He was just a kid! Anger wasn’t uncommon in his age group, but still, from his comment about ‘this being a waste of time’, you figured he was going to be a rough first session.

Nevertheless, you began to mentally prepare for it.

The halls were loud as students filed out of the building, teachers and students alike heading to different parts of the campus, whether that be towards the exit or further down the halls into the teacher’s lounge. Nemuri blew you a kiss goodbye as you passed her in the hallway, and you caught it with a laugh and waved goodbye. She was already growing on you.

The rain from this morning had trickled out, turning into shining puddles on the concrete outside. The air still smelt of rain as you walked, shivering slightly as a gust of wind shook the leaves above you, little droplets that had been resting on the trees hitting your face and shoulders.

Then the air settled.

A tune warmed your vocal cords as you hummed, melodic and soft, but enough to keep your mind from wandering too far as you went over the events of the week so far. Young faces and differing personalities being filed away and categorized delicately, shifting into slots that you could access more easily at a later date.

A few faces stuck out a little more than the others.

Some of which you still hadn’t seen yet.

Not to mention the one that never showed up.

You would discuss that with Aizawa later, you decided, one foot carefully avoiding a puddle. You were certain he already knew, but you would still be emailing him when you got home just in case.

Right as you reached the gate, a commotion reached your ears, and you jolted upon seeing a large group of people surrounding the front entrance of UA. Suits and ties, microphones and cameras.

The press.

You peered over, hoping to find the focus of their attention which happened to be a teenager in uniform – a student – who was being interviewed. They looked camera shy as the woman interrogating them pressed on about what it was like to be taught by the number one hero. Annoyance pinched you as you stared, watching this poor kid try to get away from the loud lady in their face. Then, suddenly, her attention was elsewhere.

More importantly, it was on you.

Shit.

“Hey! You! Ma’am, do you work here?!”

Shit, shit, shit.

Stiff, you shuffled on your feet to turn and walk (jog) away as quickly as possible, but before you could there was an arm in your personal bubble. Determined eyes locked on yours and you knew you had to think of something fast.

“Excuse me, I’m with Heroes Weekly, what are your thoughts on All Might teaching here at UA? What is he like as a co-worker? What are your feelings on the matter?”

You froze, mic shoved in your face as she questioned you. What were you supposed to say? Were you even allowed to say anything? Shit, this was bad.

When she made a snippy comment on your silence – “What, are you deaf or something?! The people want to know!” – you reacted as spite overtook your senses:

By switching to English, babbling nonsense and silently praying that if you played this right, she’d leave you alone. You pushed away the embarrassment as you reflected on this moment later, coming to the terms that even if they did understand you, you were definitely going to be written off as being insane (you were convinced that you would be ok with that).

She lowered the mic, frowning before turning to her camera man. “Um. You know what she’s saying?”

He shrugged, looking fed up as you continued to spout word vomit in a way that was unintelligible to someone who didn’t know the language well.

When the reporter turned in search of a translator, you took the opportunity to escape. Ignoring her shouts as you sped walked out of sight.

Cause fuck that noise.

The train ride home was crowded as well, other people leaving from work as well piling into the space – you tried hard not to bump into anyone, but once the mass was shoulder to shoulder you gave up. Dimly lit screen blinked up at you, caged in by the silhouettes of those blocking you in, as you slid your thumb up, flicking through your feed. A jostle, then a bump, then you were squeezing your way out and onto the busy train station. All the movement still made you antsy, still accustomed to big open spaces and less crowd surfing.

Bag in hand, you made your way out into the open air.

You were still getting used to this, after all.

‘God’, You frowned at the sky with a deep breath, ‘..please don’t let them post that.’

“You need to tell your boss to make a public announcement or something,” You groaned, iced green tea lemonade in hand as you flopped dramatically into your chair. “I beg you.”

It was sunny and warm, the sky finally taking a rest from the rain as the early morning broke. Luckily, you didn’t have to come in early today, so you could enjoy the nice weather before heading off to work.

Yagi sat his cup down, looking at you in alarm. “They’re still bothering the school?”

The image of the horde of reporters blocking the entrance to your place of work was stapled to your brain. They were vultures. And it was grating on you.

“Yes! They’ve been there for at least two days! I can’t keep pretending to not understand them.” The man raised an eyebrow, but you didn’t elaborate. “Yagi, please, as your friend, I’m asking you to tell All Might to make them go away.”

A deep chortle left his chest, and you took offense. “I’m serious!”

“I know you are.” The lightness in his voice was refreshing, he seemed worn as of late, but after he admitted to it being his day off you could see that he really was taking the time to rest. Even if it were just for today. “Listen, even if I were to say something, do you think they would be satisfied?”

He knew he had you when you pursed your lips.

“Trust me, I know how these people are. The press doesn’t want another interview with All Might – they want to know what it’s like for the students. As bothersome as it is.”

“It’s awful.” He simply nodded in agreement as you grumbled, arms crossed and back leaned back against the seat. You sipped at your drink when he twitched, turning his head quick to catch the rigid coughs in the palm of his hand – the faint glimpse of red catching your eye.

That has been happening more frequently.

He peered up at the cloth napkin you had extended towards him, your eyes staring out onto the street. He hesitated, but then took it while he thanked you between wheezing breaths.

You went to ask something – but shut your mouth.

When he dabbed at the crimson dripping from the corner of his mouth, he caught your look before you forced it down. He sighed.

You panicked.

“Sorry, I—”

“It’s ok. We’ve both been avoiding it for some time now, haven’t we.” He chuckled, but it was sad.

“I… didn’t want to intrude.” You let out hesitantly, unsure of where this was going, but he held up a hand. “Really, you don’t have to—"

“It’s ok, I feel like I owe you some sort of explanation at least. I’d like to preface this by saying I’m not contagious or anything.”

You couldn’t help it, you laughed at that.

“I gathered that,” You smiled, trying to seem at ease before adding. “, besides that wouldn’t have stopped me from talking to you, I promise!”

He smiled lopsidedly at that, but the buzzing over nerves was still prominent in his aura.

“Well, the truth is…I had an accident, years back. Nothing recent! But it left me with some… a lot, of damage. As you can probably tell, I’m not exactly the picture of health.” He gestured to his gaunt form and bony limbs, his hand hovering over his side. “Because of the surgeries I had to go through, I lost my stomach and my respiratory system isn’t what it used to be.”

Oh.

You partially hid your face with your hands to hide the pull of your muscles.

“And the blood?” You whispered; hands settled over your lips as you let the news settle over you. “Is that because of…?”

He nodded.

“Yes, it’s completely normal for me. It just happens to be a side effect of the surgeries that I mentioned.”

“Ok.” You were nodding, hands settling back on the table. “Ok.”

“Does it,” He swallowed. “, bother you? The blood?”

Dread filled you as he looked at you expectantly.

“No! No, it doesn’t bother me! Not at all!” He tried not to jump as a much softer hand lightly rested over his. “I’m happy you felt you could share this with me. It’s probably difficult to talk about, huh?”

More than you knew.

“Thank you for telling me.”

He turned his hand over, but you were suddenly pulling away. “Shit, I’m going to be late! I’m so sorry, I have to head to the train station before I miss my ride. I’ll text you, yeah?”

You were gathering your things and Yagi panicked as he realized he hadn’t returned the cloth you had let him borrow.

“Wait, your handkerchief—” You were smiling at him again, something you did often, stopping him as he went to hold it out to you. Your fingers curled around his to force him to hold onto the little article of fabric, stained with blood and the smell of you, as you shook your head.

“Keep it! It’s reusable.”

With that, you were waving back at him, rushing to get to your stop as he stood, blinking with your little gift in his palm.

You were in your office when the alarm went off.

You had been preparing for your sessions for the day when the loud noise startled you. You had covered your ears, peering up at the intercom speaker as it instructed students to evacuate safely.

What the fuck.

As soon as the voice announced a level three security breach, you were out of your door, eyes meeting a just as (if not more) startled Hound Dog. He glared down the hallway, hackles visible raised, and you didn’t need your quirk to know he was on high alert.

“Inui, what’s going on—”

“Security breach, someone got through the barrier. Stay with me.”

You weren’t going to say no to that.

As soon as you were by his side, he was sniffing the air, eyes closed as he mapped out the student’s whereabouts and any intruders. A torn growl left him, and he shook his head.

Almost instantly, his rage turned to annoyance.

“What? What do you smell?”

“Grrrowwl fuckin’ press!”

You deadpanned.

“You’re kidding.”

“Do I look—” He couldn’t finish his sentence. Something heavy settled over you, encompassing you as you froze.

“What?” Inui huffed out, as he felt the change. You grabbed him.

“We need to find the students. I can feel them.”

He cocked his head down at you as you looked up, eyes locking as you told him in all seriousness.

“They don’t know it’s the press.”

He looked further down the hall, where the sound of voices had started up and understood.

Panic.

You could feel them panicking.

Fucking press.

Chapter Text

Fear entered the young girls’ hearts as they heard the bathroom door creak open, the small group huddled tighter together, shaking with covered mouths as the stall door swung open and images of a dangerous villain with blood thirsty eyes entered their minds--!

With an eloquently placed brush of your hand, the small quivering group of high school girls hidden in the bathroom broke into hysterics – babbling with tears as the three of them curled away from you before leaning into your calming vicinity once it was clear you were not there to cause harm.

“Shhh. Calm now, girls. No need to be scared, it’s just a false alarm.”

One girl – a freshman from the general studies course – pressed into your side, effectively hiding as she continued to shake and sniffle. “B-but, I heard villains broke in and are attacking the school!”

“Yeah! Everyone in the cafeteria started running and pushing, hic, they said it was bad guys— we ran and hid in here to get a-away!” Her friend spoke up, just as distraught while the other one whimpered ‘villains’ quietly.

You sighed, stroking the tops of their heads as you shook yours.

“No villains, I promise. It’s just the news pushing their boundaries. If it were really villains, don’t you think you would have run into one by now? Hm? Or even one of your teachers coming to protect you?”

You continued to talk them down as their sniffling became less frequent, coxing them to leave the ladies restroom where Inui was standing guard outside. This was the fourth group of kids that had been sniffed out – one of which got startled by you and reared to attack leading to Inui having to intervene – but you had a feeling there weren’t many left to find.

The main mass of students had been calmed at this point, thanks to that of young Iida and his show of leadership in the main hall. Now, what was left was hunting down students who chose to hide instead of fleeing while Aizawa and Hizashi took care of the ‘threat’ outside. A task made easier by your colleague’s impressive nose and your ability to feel increased airs of panic since the overwhelming wave of fear had subsided once it was made clear to the school’s majority that this was no emergency.

Still, you were given the responsibility of calming the remaining students when you found them, as Hound Dog was too worked up to make much noise besides growls and clipped remarks – let alone any kind of relaxing or calming speech.

Not that you minded, it made your heart ache to see your students scared like that.

“Alright, I’ve got them heading back to the cafeteria. You said Cementoss and Snipe are keeping an eye on that area, right? That should be a good place to send anyone else we find that way they can help sort them back to their homerooms.” Humming softly, you glanced at the still irritable wolf-man stood guarding you. “You smell anyone else, Inui?”

With a puff and a huff, he inhaled the air above him, searching for any more trails that didn’t lead to the mass deeper within the building.

“Uhmf. No students.”

“Alright then, let’s regroup with the other staff. The principal will definitely have some words for us. And for the press, I hope…” You tacked on snarkily, praying that this incident would result in a restraining order or blacklisting for that news cast. With your hands on your hips as you ventured towards the hall back down to the cafeteria, your coworker following right behind.

It wasn’t until after the press was escorted off campus and all students were accounted for; that you finally got back to your office. Apparently, according to Hound, something else was going on involving the situation from earlier and while he couldn’t give you details – it had Nezu and the rest of the staff on edge.

Which was… comforting.

The event led to appointments being pushed back or cancelled, a setback that would only be resolved by reworking the schedule for the umpteenth time this week. Still, you were able to see two or three students before classes let out for the day; many of which focusing on the borderline traumatic event caused by the idiot reporters who broke in. At the end of the day, you were simply glad everything turned out ok and that everyone was safe.

The sky grew a hazy pink, school halls now silent and empty – a strange juxtaposition to the loud, crowded atmosphere they held earlier. It was nice, but did little to make you feel any better. The mass freak out combined with using your quirk as a ‘spooked kid’ detector had been too much, your body feeling heavy and sick with how drained you felt. You were tired, you realized; focusing on where a cozy place in your office would be while you fought the whispers of melancholy brushing over you.

As you set up the newest adornment for your office, you couldn’t help but have the feeling that something was off about the space – breaking through the haze you found yourself slipping into. Your office, usually serene or in line with your usual emotional state, held a strange air to it. Curious you stood, following a new sensation that made you feel like metal being tugged on up a magnet – your eyes shut as you focused really hard and--

Your filing cabinet.

Something was wrong with your filing cabinet.

Not on the outside, at least upon first glance. You reached a hand to brush against the top. Despite cleaning regularly, there was a thin layer of dust that clung to your fingertips. However, the observation didn’t stick as you jolted, a flash of something cunning and cold shooting through your arm to your chest.

Mischief?

No, that wasn’t right… too heavy for that.

Malevolence.

Hatred.

Malice.

You pulled your hand back in shock, as the feeling faded as fast as it struck, lost to time but memorialized in your memory. You fumbled, fingers sliding the cabinet open and flipping through each file as the unknown clawed at your throat. The labels were slightly crooked.

You didn’t think much after that; you simply reached over, picked up the phone on your desk, and dialed the principal’s office.

It was only fair, right even.

He had to be the first person to know that someone had been in your office.

More importantly,

He had to know that someone had gone through your files.

Your knee bounced, the end of your shoe clicking on the floor.

If you had simply locked your office door before you left, would it have changed anything?

Guilt.

Why hadn’t you locked it?

Guilt.

Apparently, according to Nezu, your files might not have been the only ones that had been tampered with. The incident involving the press had started when someone or something had destroyed the security system out front, meaning that during the time you spent with Inui collecting frightened students, someone could have snuck in.

“What are on those files?” Aizawa grunted, serious eyes calculating the possible risks that would need to be accounted for depending on your answer. You swallowed.

“Nothing vital… My filing cabinet is where I store my session notes and diagnoses, things like that. All personal information is kept on my computer: addresses, schedules, family information – that’s all locked up. I swear I keep the file cabinets locked, someone must have found a way to access them, even without my key! I just--” You gnawed at the inside of your lip, frowning guiltily. “Why? Why would anyone go through them? We’re not that far into the semester, hell, some of the students haven’t even met with me yet! There’s nothing worth taking…”

Nezu hummed, rubbing his cheek against his paw. Aizawa regarded you sternly but looked at the principal standing nearby.

“That’s not true. Whoever this was likely was looking for information. We don’t know it wasn’t someone with the press, they could have slipped in searching for anything to gain traction with the public.”

“Even still,” Nezu objected, “This kind of breach on our student’s privacy is no light matter. First the gate, now this… Was anything missing?”

“I don’t believe so, I only noticed something was wrong because I could sense that another person had been near them.” You grimaced, the feeling still in your mind – thick and heavy like tar. “It felt… bad. Awful. It’s hard to explain, like there no good intentions involved.”

He nodded gravely. “This is greatly concerning. Let us keep this between the staff only, understand?” You agreed and Aizawa gave a curt nod. “I don’t want any students to catch news of this. We aren’t even a month into the school year and already students have had quite a scare, false alarm or not. Let’s not have another one so soon.”

“Yes sir.”

Thanking you for your communication, Nezu dismissed you. This time, you locked your office before leaving. It was late, later than you typically stayed anyway. Pink had darkened into violet, and you could see the trees sway in a gentle dance as the wind rocked them while you walked the hall. Like a painting, just behind the thick glass that made up many of the building’s walls.

Sensitive fingertips pressed against each other, feeling the intricate lines that made up the swirling patterns hidden there. Echoes like that, like the one in your office, always stuck with you. For some reason, you found them more profound than direct connections. It was like catching a glimpse through a keyhole, obscured and unable to fully see the other side, but able to feel another person in a moment of their lives; without ever meeting them. It was often beautiful in your eyes, and deeply moving, getting to experience a moment in the past with another person you’ve never met.

Now, though, as you attempted to rub the memory of that awful feeling away from your fingertips, you hoped that you would never, ever run into the person who had snuck into a space that was yours, who was so filled with ill-intent and hatred…

“I brought coffee!”

The teachers’ lounge was mostly empty, only the handful of teachers who were always early using the space for last minute grading and lesson planning. Your friends down at Honeybee were thrilled to see you, especially Keiko, who gushed about how business was so lucrative that they were in for a remodel soon. This little habit you had picked led to seeing them more often, as coffee runs were now more common– the caffeine needed to survive your early workdays.

It started when you were given a black coffee by accident, one of the new hires at the café no doubt. Fully intending to throw it away – the taste alone made you cringe from the intense bitterness – you had stumbled upon the bloodshot eyed homeroom teacher of class 1-A in the lounge. He was more unkempt than usual, dark hair ratty and mused, with eye bags two shades darker than your own. From what you could tell, he had been up all night due to his hero job and got no chance to rest before coming in to teach.

You felt bad for the guy, as grumpy as he was.

Aizawa could sense your arrival, the change in his mood shifting just slightly as you approached cautiously; as you weren’t very subtle, and it was hard to miss you. He paid you no mind – he had so much grading to do before his first class, and there was that shared lesson plan he had sent to Thirteen and All Might – who still hadn’t added anything; not to mention the punishment he had to think up of for his students who refused to go to your meetings—

A cup was set down on his desk.

“I heard from Mic that you take your coffee black. They gave me the wrong order and I’m not one who can handle the taste of coffee without something to sweeten it.” With a shrug, you nudged it closer. “You can have it if you want.”

You spoke softly, voice still a little sleepy from the hour, and he said nothing as you continued over to sit at another spot where you could work.

A few moments later, a smile crept up you face when you heard a long sip from across the room… and then another.

After that, you started bringing two cups when you knew Aizawa would be there. Then three when Mic accused you of favoritism. Then four… so on and so forth.

Which led you here, handing out drinks with a happy face.

“Right on!” Cried Hizashi in English, grabbing his cup when you extended it to him. Aizawa was next, simply leaning back enough to allow room for his cup on the desk.

“I told you,” He drawled, watching in disdain as his friend began sucking down his iced latte. “You shouldn’t be feeding into his vices. He’s hyperactive enough as it is, and I need him focused for today’s heroics lesson.”

You chucked, your own drink cradled in between your knit fingers. It was still too hot to drink, so you decided to give it some time to cool to prevent scolding your mouth. “He insisted! Besides the only one who isn’t allowed to have coffee anymore is Hound Dog.” The expression on your face grew grave as flashbacks entered your mind. “Not after last time…”

“And you think I’m bad when I’m hyped up.” Hizashi teased Aizawa, who in return ignored him with a sip of his coffee and closed eyes.

The door behind you slid open – and to your surprise, All Might walked in. It was unusual to see him in the building so early, as Aizawa put it, he was always late because he can’t, quote “get his priorities straight”, end quote.

He was cheery, preppy almost, grinning as he greeted the room and continued his stride into the space. You felt your ears burn at the memory of your first meeting. Come to think of it, when was the last time you had seen All Might this past week, other than in passing?

You took in his appearance, as the last time you had gotten a good look at him, he had been wearing his hero get-up; this time however, he was wearing a suit.

Dark navy blue with an eye-catching red tie. You had to admit, he didn’t look bad.

Not one bit.

“Good morning, everyone!”

You went to greet him back, eager to talk to him some more, when the slouched ball of darkness spoke up.

“Finally taking some responsibility for your teaching gig, All Might?” Grey eyes settled on him, and All Might felt sweat gather on his forehead, now rubbing his neck sheepishly. “Or were there no cameras for you to pose in front of this morning?”

“Ah, well,” The blonde struggled to redirect his answer, “I wanted to get a head start before classes today! You know, go plus ultra!”

Aizawa was unimpressed. You clasped your hands with a smile. “That’s a good plan, that is what we’re doing here as well! You should join us – right?”

Dual reactions came from next you as Mic enthusiastically agreed and Aizawa grunted.

You ignored the darker haired individual as you went to pass the massive man near the doorway. Your eye bags were slightly darker than usual, he noticed, likely from working hard on your new schedule. “Don’t mind him, All Might. I’m happy to see you here so early! Do you like coffee?” With a little adjustment, you held the last cup up to him.

“Sorry, de—” A sound caught in his throat, and he swallowed it. “Sorry, I don’t drink coffee, I’m more a tea man myself but thank you. That’s very kind and I appreciate the thought!”

You shrugged, setting it down again as you went back to your seat. “That’s alright, I’m usually not one for coffee either. It’s the caffeine I need.” You laughed, and All Might reluctantly went to join Aizawa to finalize the heroics course student’s lesson plan for next week. (Aizawa forced him to sit down and work, for once.)

He was trying to be better. Trying to not run for you and force himself to stick around you while… like this. But it still felt a bit strange. You were still you, sweet and gentle. Offering things as peace offerings to the other staff, chatting with Hizashi in English, such a pretty sound, as the others worked on their desktops. Multiple times, Erasure had to snap him back into reality, griping about his idiotically short attention span. But he found himself glancing at you every now and again, watching the way your hand twirled the little hairs at the back of your neck in thought.

Maybe it was a good thing his side had woken him up so early.

Maybe, he could catch you later before you snuck off to your office, invite you eat lunch with him— Make up lost time.

Surely, he could hold this form long enough for that.

Only a bit later, you stood, waving goodbyes as other teachers began trickling in. Hizashi peered curiously at the shy goodbye you gave All Might followed by his own enthusiastic reply. Before you left, the blonde figured he’d ask you one last thing – just out of curiosity.

“Why were you here so early, if you don’t mind me asking?” You turned slightly, still in the doorway with your back to him. “The principal said you were having trouble with the schedule, is that still a concern of yours?”

You ran a hand over your head, shaking your head. “Oh, no I finally got that figured out. I thought the extra time would be nice considering that I’m preparing for my first session today.”

All Might tilted his head. “Oh?”

Hizashi leaned back, to glance around All Might’s large frame to ask. “Which little listener is it today, Miss C.?”

A deep inhale could be heard as you turned your head a little more, one tired eye meeting theirs, and everyone besides Aizawa winced at the answer.

One you’ve been thinking about since the beginning.

“Bakugou Katsuki.”

Heat.

Lingering anger.

That’s what the boy felt like as he sat across from you, scowling. He was not happy when Mr. Aizawa dragged him to this stupid office and set him down in front of your stupid waiting form. He was not happy now, as you introduced yourself then watched him with curious eyes in silence, relaxed gaze moving to glance at the clock on the wall before turning back to him.

He stared back, eyes a fiery red.

You continued to wait, hands folded over your clip board as you simply watched. Quiet and calm. From the other side of the room, you could feel the boy’s temper starting to reach a boiling point. His fist clenched once, then twice. The room he was in smelt like flowers, he noticed, causing his nose to twitch with discomfort; and he scrunched the muscles near his nose.

More silence.

When you still didn’t say anything, his impatience made itself known -- bubbling over.

“Well? Are you just going to stare at me!? Do your thing and get this over with!”

Your head tilted. “My thing?”

“You know, ask me about my childhood and give your speech or whatever spiel you have.”

To Katsuki’s irritation, you smiled at him; a soft sound of amusement muffled behind your throat. You were still looking at him with those annoying eyes.

Like you were studying him -- like he was something to be studied.

It was, frankly, pissing him off.

“I think you’re mistaken, I’m not here to give you some speech or teach you a lesson or anything like that! I’m here to listen to anything you want to discuss. We can talk about school, family, whatever you want. This is your session, Bakugou, you decide how we proceed.”

He paused, eyes tracking yours while he searched for any hints of disingenuousness. “Can I leave?”

“If you truly want to.” You answered simply. “But you’ll still have to come back for your next session, and the one after that, and the one after that… until you can prove to me you truly won’t find any benefit from them.”

He scoffed, jerking his head down to stare at his black sneakers. The laces were neatly tied, the tips scuffed from his habit of dragging his feet.

“So, it’s what? Better that I sit here and talk with you?”

“I find that time flies when in good conversation. You might find these sessions easier to get through if you participate!” You were so gentle with him, like he was a child. “I’m simply here to listen to whatever you wish to talk about. At most, provide some insight and offer some things to think about.”

“And keep me from going off the handle or something, right?” His voice was rough and cocky; a mean twist of his mouth told you what he thought of that. “Isn’t that what you said? Back in the classroom. Your job is to talk to us and give us ‘support’;” Katsuki rolled his eyes, the word dripping with sarcasm. “Well, all those idiots in my class might need you, but I don’t.”

A scribble, then another, were added to your notes. Alread between your first meeting and now you were sensing a theme. “Maybe not, but isn’t it nice to have the choice?”

“I don’t have a choice; I have to come here! Or did you forget these are mandatory?” His jab at you was low growl.

“Technically, you do have a choice,” At his expression you continued, “You chose this over detention with your teacher. You’re choosing to express your displeasure with me right now, just as you’re choosing to sit with me and talk. You could’ve left by now, and yet despite my saying you can do so; you haven’t. Why is that?”

By the look on his face, he was stumped that you had called him out. It was a valid question though, why not just leave? Sure, you already said he’d just have to come back; but that meant you would let him leave early every session if what you said was true.

So, why was he still here?

Slowly, his scowl curled, and his tantrum died.

“To prove that I don’t need this.” A fire burned in his chest as he glared up at you, leaning his elbows on his knees. He wore a mean grin, like a dog baring his teeth. “To prove that I don’t need you.”

This wasn’t some kid throwing a fit over an inconvenience. No. To him, this was a challenge.

You could work with that.

“Alright then.” You leaned back, cool and collected while your eyes reflected a similar spark to his. This boy, who you had only met on now two separate occasions, had insulted you, cursed you, insinuated he knew what you were. He had no idea how determined you could get.

“If you don’t want to talk about your childhood, how about we start with something that happened this week?”

“Seriously?”

“Unless you have something else on your mind? You wanted to prove that you have no need of me, this would be the best way to do it. Play this my way, by my rules, and if you have not gained a single piece of useful insight by the end of the semester…” It was your turn to grin. “You never have to see or talk to me again.”

From the look on his face, he didn’t mind the sound of that. There was a click, Bakugou pressing his thumb into his palm to relief the pressure in the joint as he sat back – satiated for now.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

You regarded him, exasperated that he was giving you nothing to go by. Time to get the ball rolling. “Your teacher mentioned to me that there was some sort of incident -” The boy’s brows flinched at the topic, inwardly cursing his teacher for bringing it up with you prior to your meeting. “- with another student during a training exercise y’all did a few days ago.”

From what Aizawa had told you, the blond got into quite the fight with another student, Midoriya, during a training exercise All Might had planned for them. They were both injured, and the freckled boy was sent to the infirmary due to the severity of his injuries. Even All Might had pulled you aside before you left, warning you that Bakugou’s failure to beat Midoriya had hit him hard. And due to the flash of mixed emotions you got hit with when you mentioned it, you didn’t believe it when he claimed there was nothing to talk about.

“From what I gather, and forgive me if I am crossing any lines, the loss of your team may have had an impact on you. Do you have any thoughts on that?”

The rage was back, but quieter now. Like steam coming off rolling water. It was tainted with something else, something you couldn’t quite pick out.

“What do you want me to say? Me and that freckled faced moron went head-to-head, and I lost.” It was spat out from behind gritted teeth, as if the words were painful to say. You hummed.

“Midoriya. I take it the loss was unexpected?”

He looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel at your accusations but said nothing to deny it.

“It’s not fair! I came first in the entrance exam – I’m top of the class, and still! That idiot waits years to finally show his quirk off and beat me. Even worse he rubs my face it in before trying to convince me he’s fucking innocent!”

Huh.

That… was a lot of information.

You sat, brows raised at the sudden burst of impassioned anger as Bakugou seethed in his spot in front of you. This was obviously something that had bugged him for a while.

“You knew Midoriya before high school?”

He grunted.

“Our moms were friends. That just meant I had this pathetic wannabe following me around all my childhood. He was always there, some quirkless kid with no other friends to bother.” You were writing this down, noting that this was definitely deeper than just a kid losing to a class rival. “Then comes this late bloomer bullshit. Like I believe that shit!”

“When you were growing up, did Midoriya ever show signs that he was hiding his quirk from you?”

“Hell if I know, Deku was always blabbing about how cool my quirk was and whining about becoming a hero. I should have known he was up to something when he was talking about getting into UA.”

Followed him around? Blabbed about his quirk? Shared interests with Katsuki? Doing things that childhood friends did? But from his point of view, their relationship was nothing like that.

“So, from your perspective, him following you around and complementing you was a tactic to trick you? To seem smaller than he really was?”

Katsuki sneered. “Why else would he be doing it?”

Slowly, you inhaled, motioning towards him with a hand. “Ah. For clarification, would you say that a lot of people have complimented your quirk after it developed?”

He chortled, a bored sound. “I couldn’t get them to stop: my parents, my classmates, it got annoying after a while. I already know I’m better than everyone else here, why do I need to be told every time I use it?”

Right.

“Uh huh.”

You think you know where the ego started.  

“Bakugou,” you said softly, walking on eggshells. “Would you say you find it hard to believe when people are being genuine?”

You could hear a pen drop in the silence that followed, and Katsuki’s ears popped.

“What?” He seethed.

“I’m simply asking because of what you’ve told me so far. You had a childhood friend,” You hesitated with the word. “, who consistently wanted to be near you, celebrated your quirk when you got it, and worked hard to get into the number one hero school in Japan because he wanted to do the same thing you want to do. It sounds to me, like the two of you have many similar interests, yet--”

Instantly he was shaking his head, pointing at you accusingly as his volume rose. “No, don’t pull that shit with me! I am nothing like him! He is a weak, pathetic— some extra who lied and beat me once. Once! Never again, you hear me; I’m going to be a better hero than him, than anyone!”

“…I see. I didn’t realize this was such a reactive topic.” Time to redirect, you thought as you saw the little sparks popping off his palms. You would bring that up at a later time, after he was more acclimated to the setting. He was prideful, arrogant, and easy to anger. But you were beginning to understand just how his ego affected his perspective on others. After a beat or two, you decided to stick to a topic you deemed safe. “Tell me, why do you want to be a hero? Actually,” You paused, rubbing your nose lightly as you pivoted. “What does being a hero mean, to you?”

The change in direction came as a surprise, but Katsuki was more than happy to stop talking about that green-haired idiot. When he found his answer, he stated it like it was obvious.

“To be the strongest, to never lose.”

You weren’t even surprised.

Talking to him about the actual loss was like walking around a mine field. Certain topics, especially ones that put the spotlight on vulnerability, caused explosive reactions that varied in intensity. The boy was reactive, whether that be his personality or a side effect of his quirk, and it was clear that he wasn’t used to being forced to see other’s perspectives.

He definitely had some anger issues that would need to be addressed. Although, from the very little personal information you gained today and tendencies with people like him, it was a very real possibility that it came from a place of defensiveness. Nevertheless, there was much work to do with Katsuki before you could even breach that.

At the end of the session, you understood one main principle of this young man:

He hated losing, but he hated losing to Midoriya the most.

Aizawa glared suspiciously as you snuck by, a large dark duffle bag in your arms. Lately, you have been sneaking strange things to your office. A large taped up box, screw guns and hammers and the like, and now this. The sleep deprived man usually didn’t give a fuck, but with the unusual break-in from the media, he was on guard.

When you passed him in the hall, he saw something move inside the bag right as you went to close your door, and he knew he should check it out.  

All Might on the other hand had no idea what he had stumbled onto as he peaked into your office, bright smile on his face and neatly packed bento box in hand. He had decided yesterday that he was finally going to invite you to lunch! It was the least he could do, with you not being able to see him – to see Yagi – outside of work as often. He had the whole thing planned out: he would drop by, invite you to sit with him, then woo you with his heroic charm.

It was a perfect plan.

Except, as he went to greet you, something other than you greeted him back. Seated on your couch was Aizawa, reclined to make way for the familiar fluffy blob laying on his chest. The blonde stared as the dark-haired man looked up, regarding him with a blank expression while he played with the feline’s large ears.

“Oh, hi All Might!”

The pleasant tone you held was welcome, popping up from where you were bent under your desk. You had been creating a spot for Gremlin to sleep at your feet while you worked but peeked back up at the sound of the door opening. Aizawa went back to closing his eyes, an expression matching the one on your cat’s face.

“Sorry ‘bout that, I’m currently trying to make the office cat friendly!” With a groan you stood up, stretching your back by pulling your arms high above your head. All Might tried not to notice the way the fabric covering your torso lifted ever so slightly, exposing a sliver of your stomach. Instead, turning his attention to the cat tree you had set up in the corner of the room. “Ah, forgive me. All Might, this is Gremlin. He’s my therapy cat,” With a wink you whispered. “It’s his first day back at work!”

“I see.” Turning, he bent forward when Gremlin stretched, lifting himself off of Aizawa to sniff at the giant’s extended finger. In a moment, he was purring, rubbing his face against All Might’s hand before leaping up the back of the couch and onto his shoulder. Unsure what to do, the blonde froze, smile tense, letting the cat rub against his hair. “Oh, hello there.”

You were fretting, reaching to grab him off before he mused All Might’s hair even more. “I am so sorry, he’s friendly but I’ve never seen him this touchy with someone he just met!”

Inside, Yagi blanched. Blue eyes locked onto bright orange knowing eyes.

Gremlin pressed the top of his head against his cheek before you finally pulled him away, a rumbling machine happy to smell a familiar scent.

Yagi’s scent. Ignorantly, All Might had failed to take this into account.

Gremlin, pleased with himself, returned to the quiet one’s chest while Aizawa said nothing, simply accepting his fate as a living sofa.

“I wanted to see if you wanted to eat lunch with me.” All Might fumbled, standing straight as he tried his hardest to push down the ugly feeling stirring in his chest. You were here, alone, with his co-worker, and he was likely disturbing the peace. Great job Toshinori, had to go and make it awkward. Whatever bravery he had built up melted away. “But I see you’re busy, I will leave you two be.”

“Wait, no I don’t mind--” You were all flutters, the thought that he had sought you out to eat with you lighting your insides up. Your heart dropped however when you saw All Might was already half-way out of the door, sliding it shut before you could get another word in.

Your mouth opened, then closed.

“Uh, I guess… not then.” Feeling dejected at the odd encounter that just happened, you rubbed the back of your neck, looking at the half-asleep man on your couch.

“Maybe... he doesn’t like cats?”

“If he doesn’t, he’s an idiot.”

You frowned at him, running a hand over Gremlin’s skull as you made your way back to your desk. “Be nice to him. You’re only here because I agreed to let you use my office as a quiet place to take your nap!” Grumbling, you whispered. “And because you apparently have a soft spot for cats.”

Shouta was asleep by the time you left the office, heading down to pick up your lunch from the cafeteria. Alone.

 It was Wednesday night.

On Wednesdays, when you were available, you and Yagi had dinner. Nothing fancy, you would invite him over – or vice versa, cook a meal and have book club/talk sessions. It had been a while since your last meet up, the school and work keeping the both of you busy. However, tonight, Yagi was set on making it happen.

He had arrived only minutes later than your agreed time, knobby fingers tugging at the sleeves of his too big dress shirt as he stood in front of your apartment. It was a warm evening, matching the tone of the lights peeking from underneath the door of your home, and the long sleeves covering his arms weren’t helping.

He nearly avoided a normally long night at the office, since playing the secretary meant that he did eventually have to deal with the media regarding the break-in at UA - which resulted in a very long report claiming All Might’s campaign team will NOT be giving any comments on the issue. The report took a little longer than he anticipated, as his – All Might’s – media manager wouldn’t stop CC-ing him on emails sent from the local news stations in the nearing cities.

His neck cracked as he rolled his neck, a deep grunt following which he busied his fingers.

Nevertheless, he had made it to the train station before the train leading to your apartment had left. A lucky feat, partially due to him jogging the rest of the way. Due to the rush to get to you, he hadn’t been able to change into something less formal.

Yagi had been waiting for tonight. He had just finished the book you had given him, and while he wasn’t a big fan of the dark twist it revealed, he was excited to see you. A grin was already creeping up his face and seconds after his knuckles hit the wood of your front door, the sound of you scrambling to unlock it reach his ears. With a loud exclamation, you were there – the light of your entryway casting a halo around you.

Standing outside of your door was your friend, as tall and as wild haired as always.

“Hello, dear.”

Before you knew it, you were out of your doorway, wrapping your arms around him in a friendly embrace.

“You made it!”

When your arms settled around him, ‘oh!’, he stiffened. You were pressed against his torso, your head turned to press a cheek against his chest to avoid bumping your nose. You barely reached his sternum. He had rolled up his sleeves, the warmth of you radiating far enough for him to feel it with his exposed forearms which were rigidly resting above your sides. A deep warmth buzzed in him, only to fizzle out into a quiet fondness when you pulled back just as quickly as you came. Bright smile and all, you were inviting him in.

“Come on in, I made one of your favorites!”

Toshinori’s eyes lit up, pausing to step out of his shoes as he entered your home. “Don’t tell me. Fish?”

You clasped your hands with glee. “Salmon!”

The space smelt sweet and slightly spicy, the light hum of your air fryer could be heard from your kitchen and Toshinori took a deep breath in. Teriyaki, it seemed. However, the deeper he got into your apartment, the clearer it became that something was missing.

Your form was turned from him, guiding him to the small bar-like area of your kitchen.

“It smells wonderful! Where’s Grim?”

“Oh, you know that sleepy head. He fell asleep on my bed a half-hour ago and has been knocked out since! He’s had a long day, poor baby.”

Blue eyes watched you as you fluttered around, taking out the veggies from the air frier before plating everything. “Oh, let me—” A large hand reached over to help with his, but you softly smacked it away.

“Yagi Toshinori” You threatened. “Go sit down; I’m hosting tonight so I get to serve both of us!”

He chuckled but obeyed, long legs taking back over to his seat. “Yes, ma’am. But I get to help clean up, later.”

You huffed. “Fine.”

He was right, it was teriyaki.

“He was at the school today?” He asked, carefully eating small portions to not upset his stomach. You sighed, covering your mouth as you spoke.

“Yes, one of the kids I work with is a selective mute. I found out, though, that he likes to talk if there are animals involved. So, Grim has been working with him.”

Yagi had an idea who you were talking about, but you didn’t know that he did. For now, he was going to keep it that way.  He hummed.

“That’s sweet of you to make that accommodation for him.”

You shook your head, bashful. “It’s the least I could do. You should see it Toshi, he’s so clammed up and quiet but the moment he’s with Grim he just relaxes. Opens up. It makes me happy to know that having that resource is something that makes him feel like he can be himself around me.”

Toshinori knew what it felt like, the joy of helping others. One of the best feelings in the world.

The night went on as usual, chatting and eating – enjoying one another’s company. The hour growing later, book club turning into gossip hour as time when on. The two of you were discussing work when the issue came into conversation.

You were leaning on the counter, playing with your fork, one of the many that came with you when you moved, when you sighed. Yagi began to worry as a cringed expression pulled at your mouth.

“You’re close with All Might, right?”

He coughed, blood pooling in his mouth at the sudden change in subject. You apologized, moving to explain yourself.

“I just mean… I don’t know, you work with him. You said you handle more of his personal stuff, so you probably talk right?”

“W-well,” He cleared his throat, taking the small piece of fabric out of his pocket to wipe his mouth. He was starting to feel nervous with your line of questioning. “I suppose so, yes. Why? Did something happen?”

“No?” You groaned, rubbing your eyes with your hands, pulling them down in frustration. “Yes? I don’t know!”

He watched as you struggled, your hands flexing as you tried to gather your thoughts.

“I just-- has he mentioned anything to you… about me?” His eyes widened and you backtracked, “Nevermind, its silly. I don’t know why I’m asking!”

“Why do you ask?” Toshinori broached carefully, your visible and physical nervousness creeping across the table across his skin. Like static electricity. A gentle call of your name was all it took you to break.

“I don’t think he… likes me, very much.”

Yagi felt his world shift. You didn’t think he liked you? He was staring at the table, events with you and All Might playing in his mind as he sorted through them to find what he did to make you think that. To you, it simply looked like he was in thought.

“So, he has said something.” You took his silence as guilt, frowning deeply.

“What? No, that’s not – what,” He coughed. “What makes you think that- that he doesn’t?”

“Well, the other day,” The memory of you in your office, standing before an uneasy All Might entered your mind. “He came to see if I wanted to have lunch with him but before I could accept, he just… left? Like he changed his mind. Sure, there was another teacher present, but he was just there to see what I was building in my office and ended up staying because Gremlin was there. And every time there’s a staff event outside of school hours where he’s attending, I’m not invited.” Sadly, you came to terms with all the little things you had been ignoring for the past few weeks.

Sure, you weren’t being actively excluded from hanging out with the other staff, but it didn’t need to be a direct rejection for you to notice. Hizashi mentioning nights prior that weren’t mentioned at all to you, talking about all the fun stuff they did. With All Might there. You weren’t saying you were owed an invite to every event, but there was a pattern.

It may be petty, or immature, but the little things were starting to weigh on you. Now, here, in your kitchen, all the weight became apparent -- all at once.

“He tries to be polite about it, but I can tell he was avoiding me, at first.” You missed Yagi’s little flinch, rubbing your eyes as you whined. “I don’t know. I can’t help but feel like I did something to make him uncomfortable around me…” Your ears burned. “And I know our first meeting wasn’t very flattering for me either. I just really don’t want him to think I’m weird or--”

“No!”

Yagi’s outburst caused you to jump, eyes wide at the appalled man in front of you. As if, his own voice had startled him. “I’m sorry. No, I don’t think he thinks you’re – you’re weird or dislikes you. In fact,”

He really shouldn’t.

But how could he not, after seeing your sad eyes.

“He’s spoke highly of you!” If not for the circumstances he would have thought your reaction was cute. Brows raised, the furrowed, the look of disbelief. Then the look of excitement.

“Really? He did?”

“Yes. He said, um,” Careful. “That you looked” Pretty “-- seemed very nice the first day you met! Even though you were a little starstruck.” He laughed, hand in his hair while you groaned.

“No! He did not say that!”

“He did! Oh, and he said that he’s inspired by how you come to work each day with a smile on your face. He can also tell just how much you care about the kids because of how you talk to them. Not to mention, how he likes that the both of you started there at the same time, something you have in common!”

He listed the ones he’d be willing to say out loud, all the while keeping the ones that were his alone in the locked box in his mind. Like how he likes how you do your hair for work, how you play with it when you’re concentrating. He likes that your office smells like you, sweet and gentle. He likes the fact that he’s so much bigger than you, and that that doesn’t stop you from treating him like everyone else. He likes how you talk, how you struggle to find the words in Japanese but still try.

“He likes that you get along with the other staff, like its natural! And how you always say good morning to him when you pass.”

As he went, you grew more and more flustered, avoiding eye contact and covering the lower half of your face to hide the smile you were fighting.

He liked—

“In all honesty, he’s just worried that he’ll scare you off if he’s not careful. You’re so quiet, while he’s so loud, it makes him nervous.” Yagi’s ears were matching yours now, a sweet smile on his face. Wide and crooked, like—

You met his eyes.

“Give him another chance. I’m sure he didn’t mean to make you feel like you were unwanted. He’s not used to this whole teaching thing, and knowing him, the fact you have so much school experience under your belt makes him even more nervous trying not mess up in front of you.” Sadly, he looked away, and a melancholy feeling filled his heart. “Just give him time, I’m sure he’ll come around.”

You sniffled.

Yagi looked at you, surprised to see you wiping the corners of your eyes. All this time, you felt like you were doing something wrong.

“Thank you. I needed to hear that. I’ll be patient,” You were looking back at him, eyes damp and determined. “I’m willing to give him all the time he needs.”

That’s all that he could ask for. All that he needed.

And after tonight, he wasn’t going to let you feel like you were unwanted by him ever again.