Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/13029405. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: M/M Fandom: 僕のヒーローアカデミア_|_Boku_no_Hero_Academia_|_My_Hero_Academia Relationship: Midoriya_Izuku/Yagi_Toshinori_|_All_Might Character: Yagi_Toshinori_|_All_Might, Midoriya_Izuku, Aizawa_Shouta_|_Eraserhead, Yamada_Hizashi_|_Present_Mic Additional Tags: More_plot_than_porn, Blow_Jobs, Awkward_Kissing, Attempted_Romance, Miscommunication, Fluff, Pushy_Izuku, All_Might_getting_crushed_under_a metric_ton_of_guilt Series: Part 2 of A_Hero's_Spirit Stats: Published: 2017-12-16 Chapters: 1/2 Words: 12183 ****** Persistence ****** by Motte_(Gwappo) Summary They say constant dripping wears the stone. Notes This is a direct sequel to Dedication, picking up almost right where that fic left off, so I'd advise to read that one first. It was supposed to be (and still kind of is) a stand-alone story, so consider this an optional bonus, I guess, haha. I hope it was worth the wait at least a little! See the end of the work for more notes Coming into work on Monday, tired and anxious and carrying more baggage than one man should be able to handle, All Might realizes just how much he likes this job. The comfort of a fixed schedule, regular breaks, not potentionally risking his life every time he's on duty; all the things he never had before, never wanted when he was younger, healthier, he has come to appreciate now. But most of all, he likes spending time with the kids. They're so eager, so easily impressed still, their heads brimming with hopes and dreams and ideas, and all of that, all of them make him feel alive again. But right now, sitting at his teacher's desk in class, questioning whether he should man up and quit as he knows his students are whispering, watching him instead of doing the work he assigned them, it all fills him with a burning sense of shame. Maybe he should have called in sick after all. =============================================================================== "All Might!" The voice nearly makes him jump, hand shooting up to grab his heart before he can stop himself, thankful for his decades of experience allowing him to keep a smile as he turns. Midoriya is walking in his direction, followed by young Uraraka and young Iida, all three of them looking so happy, so carefree. They all start talking at once, wishing him a good morning, their voices clashing in a way that's mildly irritating. "Ah, good morning," All Might replies, voice steady even if his palms are damp, his hands shaking. A moment of awkward silence passes between them, their eyes fixing him with such intent, looking like they're waiting for something, but he can't quite figure out what they want him to say, what they're staring at him for, eyes bright and expectant and eager. All Might claps his hands together, the sound reverberating loudly in the quiet hallway. "Well, time for class," he says, hurrying past, giving them a quick wave over his shoulder. "See you kids later, make sure you work hard!" He realizes he's heading in the wrong direction, but that's not important right now, he needs to get away and clear his head first. But even taking long strides he's not fast enough to miss Uraraka asking, "Is All Might okay?" with such sincerity, such concern that he nearly feels obligated to turn around and apologize, to ease her troubled little mind. But he doesn't stop, fear creeping back up his spine again as he recalls Midoriya's face, leaning back against the wall once he's out of their line of sight. He hopes, prays Midoriya is smart enough not to tell anyone, to keep his mouth shut for once. All Might sighs, tries to calm himself. Even if Midoriya is a bit naïve, a bit too happy-go-lucky at times, he's still a smart kid. Too smart, maybe. =============================================================================== "All Might." It's the second time Midoriya startles him that day. He's standing a few feet away, holding onto the straps of his backpack, and the barely suppressed sadness in his eyes is heartbreaking. It's lunch break, and here they are again, too many things to discuss, too big of an emotional mess to sort through. All Might doesn't know where to start, how to start; he hasn't had enough time to prepare for this conversation, and for a brief second he considers making a run for it. But Midoriya starts walking over before he can give into the urge, head lowered, eyes on the floor, and All Might tries to hide the way his legs are trembling. "Um," he starts, swallows, "do you have some time? There's something I wanted to ask you." The mere thought of a one-to-one talk is enough to nearly break All Might's resolve, knees jittering as a hot wave of shame and guilt creeps up his neck, and he can only hope Midoriya won't notice how close he is to falling apart. He's going to have to deal with this somehow, try and straighten out his mistakes (even if they're heinous, even if he should never be forgiven) but it's too soon. The memories are still too fresh, still tangible, and he hasn't been able to sort them out yet, hasn't had time to come up with a way to atone for his crimes. But Midoriya flinches after a few seconds of silence, hunching his shoulders, cheeks lighting up, and he knows that sight will haunt him if he leaves now. So he swallows, puts on his brightest hero smile just for Midoriya. "I'm free," he says, not as cheery as he would have liked, but at least steady. "What did you want to ask me?" Midoriya throws a quick glance over his shoulder. "Can we go somewhere else? I mean, I don't want to– not here, uh– m-maybe the break room?" All Might takes a deep breath, nods, realizing with every step that he's out of time to prepare, that he's going to have to wing it. But then again, apologizing for something he's so ashamed of, something he's so deeply sorry for, shouldn't be hard. The moment they're inside and the door slides shut he exhales, deflates, and the familiarity of the situation is nauseating. He turns with a dozen different apologies on his tongue, ready to beg the kid for forgiveness, but he's coughing, choking before he can say a word. Midoriya's eyes are red and swollen, barely holding back tears as he takes a rattling breath, chokes out a sob that sounds so, so miserable. It's presumptuous to think any apology in the world could fix this. All Might's first instinct is to reach out to Midoriya, to hold him close until he's calm again, but the implications of that thought make him feel sick, hands shaking as he keeps them at his sides, unsure how to handle this situation. Midoriya wipes the first tears from his cheeks, eyes on the floor now. "I didn't mean to make you mad at me," he says, and All Might's jaw drops. "Mad at you?" he asks, breathless, uncomprehending. "You think I'm mad at you?" Midoriya takes a deep breath, swallows before he brings his eyes back up, cheeks twitching, bottom lip trembling. "I saw how nervous you were talking to me this morning. I'm so, s-so sorry, I never wanted you to feel bad, and I-I- I know I'm in trouble, b-but I'm just– I didn't– I'm– please don't expel me." Midoriya fixes him with those big eyes, sounding terrified, desperate as he whispers, "Please don't leave me." "No!" All Might shakes his head, his hands. "No, god, I'm not going to do any of that. It's not– I'm–" he runs his hands down his face, tries to calm down, to collect himself. "I'm not mad at you at all." Midoriya frowns, and All Might hurries past him, drags the stool over to the table, nods at the kid. "Come on," he says. "I think we should sit down for this." They're quiet as they take their seats, Midoriya sitting on his hands, his face so troubled; All Might fiddling with his sleeves just to keep his hands occupied. It's tense, a strange kind of uncertainty between them, too many memories that barely feel like memories at all. He knows he can't let Midoriya feel pressured into taking the first step here. "I'm not mad at you," All Might repeats, just to buy himself some time. "You're not to blame for what– what happened. If anything, I'm mad at myself." Midoriya frowns. "Why?" he asks, sounding so genuinely confused. "I-I mean, I was the one who started it. You should be angry with me, right?" All Might sighs, resting his elbows on his thighs. "You haven't done anything wrong, my boy. I should have talked it all through with you much sooner, but I let my own nerves get in the way of properly educating you." He makes sure to keep his tone even, controlled as he tries to explain; better late than never. "You're still young, and no one can blame you for... chasing your dreams, I guess. However, it was my responsibility as an adult and as your teacher to help you understand, but I... I-I didn't, and for that I can't forgive myself." Midoriya blinks, frown deepening, looking almost angry now. "I knew what I was doing," he says. "You said it yourself, I planned it. I'm the one who messed up!" All Might shakes his head. "No, no, no. I should have explained the situation to you better. I guess I never really explained it at all. Like I said, that was my responsibility in that moment." "But I started it!" Midoriya's face is bright red, fresh tears already welling up, but they seem to be borne of frustration now, even if that makes no sense. All Might straightens his back, tries to channel every ounce of authority he can in his baggy suit. "You're not to blame, Midoriya. Please now, let me explain and apologize." "Why do you want it to be your fault so bad?" The kid's voice keeps rising, growing higher, shriller. "You always think everything's your fault! Why can't you let me own up for once?" "Would you please listen to me," All Might says, barely managing to keep his own frustration out of his voice. "I'm trying to explain to you that you're not the one who should have known better. You weren't the one in charge of somebody else's well-being in that moment, you're not the one who, wh-who committed a crime–" Midoriya's eyes go wide, gaping before he shouts, "Who says it was a crime?" "The law!" All Might throws his hands up in frustration. "Not to mention morality, and common sense, and–" Midoriya mimics the gesture. "What does the law have to do with this?" "You're fifteen!" "I consented!" "Oh my god," All Might pinches the bridge of his nose for a second, feels his patience snapping. "That's not– that's not how it works! You're too young to consent to anything like that, especially with someone much older than yourself! It's not about if you– not about your– your– don't they teach you kids these things in school!" He blinks, arms going slack as realization hits. "Maybe we should expand the curriculum." "I'm not a child," Midoriya says, glowering as he blinks away his tears, "and I'm not stupid. So stop treating me like I am." All Might sighs, leans back into the sofa, running a hand through his hair. "No, you're not stupid," he says, quieter now. They're not getting anywhere like this, and all the arguing they've been doing lately has made him so tired. "Listen, how about this: we both apologize and put a pin in this discussion for now. We're going in circles here." It doesn't feel right to let Midoriya apologize, but the kid's too stubborn for his own good, his strong sense of self-sacrifice leaving him so misguided. Once he's had time to think, to really reflect on everything that's happened, he will come to his senses. He is, after all, far from stupid. Midoriya sighs, slumping down on the stool. "Okay," he says with a nod, sounding just as worn out as All Might feels. He looks back up after a second, chewing his bottom lip. "And you're really not going to expel me?" All Might chuckles despite himself, shakes his head. "No." They're quiet for a few moments, both caught up in their own heads. It wouldn't do to drag this out for now, wouldn't be right to put even more of an emotional strain on the boy. He has so much to deal with already, so much to ruminate on, and it's just sensible not to add to that the fear of losing someone he thinks he wronged. Such a smart kid, but still just a kid in the end. Midoriya hangs his head. "So, what now?" he asks, looking at his hands. "Where do we go from here?" All Might clears his throat, tries not to shift too obviously in his seat. "First of all, I think we should agree not to tell anyone about it," he says, drying his sweaty palms on his suit pants. "It's not the right thing to do, but we won't be able to work this out at our own pace if word gets around." He feels ashamed just proposing the idea, but Midoriya doesn't hesitate, nods; it's questionable if he knows the magnitude of that decision. "And otherwise, it might be best to pick up where we left off before–" All Might pauses, tries to think of the right words, "before things got out of control." "And where was that?" He looks up to meet Midoriya's eyes again, not as swollen anymore, the tear stains on his cheeks drying. "Before Wednesday at your home," All Might says. "Maybe before you confessed. That's up to you." He's not expecting the way Midoriya's jaw drops, bottom lip quivering again. "Y-You," he swallows, his voice quiet, strained, "you're dumping me?" "What?" All Might frowns. "What do you mean, I'm dumping you?" The kid is fidgeting with his hands, tears already welling up in his eyes again. "I-I know what I did was wrong," he says, continues before All Might can interrupt, "but everything I told you yesterday and all the days before, it's still true. We can take it slow! Just tell me what you're okay with and what not, a-and I'll stick to that!" All Might buries his face in his hands again, groans. "Midoriya," he says, rubbing his tired eyes before he comes back up again, "my boy, I just explained to you that this won't work. I wasn't just talking about the... the things that happened yesterday. None of this is appropriate." Midoriya averts his eyes again, the pained expression on his face tearing at All Might's heartstrings as he realizes he's shooting the boy down again, crushing his hopes, but he has no other options. Looking at the floor, Midoriya whispers, "Would you want it if it were appropriate?" It's something All Might won't even allow himself to consider, consciously keeping his mind from exploring that question. "Don't let yourself get lost in 'what if' scenarios," he says. "It's not about what anyone wants, it's about doing what's right. And the answer to that is simple." Midoriya gives a slight nod, still looking at the ground, and All Might feels compelled to keep talking. "Take it as a learning experience," he says, hoping he sounds encouraging. "There's so much more to a relationship and to, t-to love, you know. It's about figuring each other out, about making compromises, and about romance. It's such a multifaceted... thing," he clears his throat, drawing a blank on any other smart advice he could give. "And you deserve someone you can actually experience all that with. Don't you agree?" Midoriya goes still for a second before he raises his head, eyes wide with what might just be realization. "You're right," he says. "You're right! I went about this all wrong." It's unexpected, but so very welcome, and All Might gives him a real smile for the first time that day as his mind is put to ease. He might not be able to undo what has been done, but he can give it his all to try and support the boy on his path down the right way. "Let's get back to class then," All Might says as he gets to his feet, taking a quick glance at the wall clock. "Lunch break is almost over. Did you have time to eat before this?" Midoriya nods, gets up to follow All Might as he unlocks the door, carefully clears his throat. "Um, All Might?" he asks, and he's looking nervous again. "I was wondering, uh, c-can I still come by sometimes? To visit?" He seems so terrified, afraid to be told no, and All Might's face softens. "Of course," he says, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're always welcome." The smile spreading across Midoriya's face makes all the trouble worth it in the end, wide and beaming, some of that twinkle he loves so much finally returning to the kid's eyes. They say their goodbyes, heading in different directions for different rooms, and All Might nearly trips over his own feet as he realizes just how loud they got back there. He can only hope nobody heard them. =============================================================================== They nearly crash into each other after class, Midoriya rushing around the corner at high speed, and All Might barely manages to balance the stack of paperwork in his hands. "I know school is over, but no running in the halls still applies," he scolds, gently. "Sorry, All Might!" Midoriya keeps running in place for a moment, the soles of his shoes making an unpleasant squeaking noise on the linoleum. He opens his mouth, closes it again, starts worrying his bottom lip. "What's the big hurry?" All Might asks, watching Midoriya's cheeks twitch like they always do when he's nervous. "I was looking for you, actually," he replies, visibly steeling himself for... something. "Well, you've found me," All Might says, laughs. "What can I do for you, my boy?" Midoriya waves his arm, wide and expansive, before he wriggles his fingers, hand snapping back onto the strap of his backpack. "I was just wondering if you had time today," he says, trying and failing to keep eye contact. "After school, I mean. Or, y-you know, after work." All Might holds out the papers in his hands. "I should be done with these in an hour or two," he says, notices Midoriya's eyes shifting between his face and hands. "Something important?" "No! N-No, nothing important, I just," he scratches the back of his head, smiles, "I wanted to ask if I could come over later. Since you said I'm still allowed." It's a bit soon for All Might's tastes, but this isn't about his own comfort, he reminds himself. "You're always allowed. What did you have in mind?" "You know, just," Midoriya gives him a wobbly smile, shrugs, "hang out." All Might blinks, quickly looking around to assure himself nobody's listening in on their conversation; don't let word get around, don't let anyone get suspicious. "Well," he says, wondering what exactly 'hanging out' might entail, "that's fine with me." Midoriya beams, thanks him twice before All Might can ask him about it, already rushing off towards the school's entrance, not looking back as All Might yells, "Hey, I said no running!" after him, but he does slow down, taking comically large, fast steps as he hurries outside. It's adorable to watch, and All Might quickly starts making his way to the teacher's lounge again to get it out of his mind. =============================================================================== As it turns out, hanging out is a lot more benign than All Might would have thought. Midoriya arrives at five on the dot, and All Might lets him in with a quiet laugh, a quick ruffling of hair. The boy accepts the offer of something to drink, sitting down on the sofa, rummaging through his backpack. It's a bit surprising when he draws out some kind of magazine, turns to sit with his back against the armrest as he starts reading. All Might watches for a moment, trying to think of something to do while Midoriya is busy. He's an apple and a banana into making the kid a smoothie when Midoriya suddenly gasps. "Oh, hey, there's a quiz this week!" he says, sitting up a bit straighter. "'Which Top 5 Hero Are You Most Like?'" He looks up. "All Might, did you really answer these questions?" All Might thinks for a moment. "Not that I recall," he says, "unless they used answers I gave a few years ago." "Are they allowed to do that?" Midoriya asks, frowning. "Sure," he says, shrugs. "Maybe they just guessed. The media does those things sometimes." "Oh." The boy is quiet for a second while All Might looks around the kitchen, realizing he's already out of fruit. Maybe he should have checked before starting. "Hey, why don't you answer them?" Midoriya asks, smiling wide. "We can see how well they know you!" All Might drums his fingers on the counter as he tries to improvise. "Don't you want to take it first?" "I can always do it later." Midoriya shrugs. "I've already done a lot of these anyway. Come on, it's not long!" "Alright, alright," he chuckles, opening the fridge. "Hit me." There's some rustling, the click of a pen. "Okay," Midoriya drawls. "Question number one: 'Are you tall, average, or short for your age?'" And All Might laughs. "Maybe they didn't even have to guess." Midoriya grumbles. "Yeah, that one's too easy," he mutters, pen scratching as he must be circling the right answer. "Let's see, question number two: 'What's your favorite color?'" "Well?" All Might asks after a second. "What are my options?" "Ah, I, I think it's more fun if you answer without knowing them. We'll see if they know you at all!" All Might turns to look at Midoriya, not bothering to hide his amusement. "What, you really need me to answer? Are you saying there's something you don't know about me already?" The blush spreading on the kid's cheeks is so bright, so intense. "There's too much to you for me to ever know everything," he says, and the reverance in his voice raises the hairs on All Might's arms. He turns around again, considering the eggs in the fridge; he could make it an old school protein shake. "Is it blue?" He takes out two of them. "Yellow, actually." "Oh." Midoriya starts scribbling something in his magazine; notes, probably. He does love gathering facts. "See, I don't know everything yet! I just assumed... because of the suit." "There's yellow in the suit as well," All Might says, cracking the first egg into the blender. "Ah well, you couldn't have known." "I guess." He seems to ruminate on that for a second, drumming his pen against the paper. "Okay, next one: 'What's your favorite kind of food?'" All Might frowns. "Kind of food? Like what?" Midoriya starts tapping his pen again. "Oh, uh, it just says, you know, sweet or spicy or, um, b-bland?" "Hmm." All Might considers the question. "There's a lot of things I can't really eat anymore, so that one's a bit complicated." "Why not?" Midoriya asks before his eyes widen in realization. "Oh, right," he whispers. "That must be hard." "Ah, it's fine," All Might waves away the pity, "don't worry about it. I don't think I can answer that question, though." Midoriya leans forward a bit. "So, what do you eat?" "Whatever I can stomach." All Might grins to himself, watching the boy out of the corner of his eye, but the pun seems to fly right over his head. "And what's that?" "Rice, light soups, things like that," All Might shrugs, turns to look at him. "Why do you want to know all that?" "Just curious," Midoriya says, shrugging a bit too hard. "I've never really thought about that before, and, you know... I like learning new things about you." He loudly clears his throat. "Only two questions left now." All Might lifts his brows in surprise. "That really is a short quiz." "I know, right?" Midoriya laughs, taking an excessive amount of notes as All Might cracks the second egg. "Uh, next one: 'What's your favorite kind of drink at dinner?'" He turns his head to look at Midoriya again. "That's supposed to tell you what hero you're like? I was expecting questions about physical strength or exercise routines." "Well, it's a magazine aimed at younger kid– teens." Another shrug. "I guess most of them don't really work out yet." "Hmm." He puts the lid on the blender. "Ah, I don't know. Tea, I guess." "Really? Nothing fancier, like wine maybe?" All Might stops, frowns at Midoriya over his shoulder. "You just said it's a kid's magazine, why would wine be an option?" "It's for teens!" Midioriya rapidly taps his pen against the paper. "And it's not listed, I was just... wondering." Another moment of quiet passes between them before All Might turns back again. "I've never liked wine, or most alcoholic beverages for that matter." He gives the boy another firm look over his shoulder. "Make sure that's a trait you emulate. Just put tea, it's fine." "Okay, then." Midoriya's pen starts flying over the paper again, his cheeks flushed, and All Might uses the moment to turn on the blender. "Only one more question," Midoriya says when All Might walks over to the sofa, offers the boy a cup. "Oh, th-thanks!" He accepts without hesitation. "What is it?" "A protein shake. It's a bit old fashioned, but it still does the trick." All Might sits down, nods. "Try it." And Midoriya does, taking a big gulp. "It's great," he says, wiping his mouth, and the smile on his face is so warm, so soft. He takes another swig before he puts the cup down on the table. "Okay, are you ready for the last question?" All Might nods, leaning back. "'You're spending time with your friend on a day off. Would you rather meet him at the beach, at the park, at a restaurant or at home?'" All Might considers the question for a moment, frowns. "They only give you four options when there's five possible results?" "I-It's not like that for all questions," Midoriya says, eyes flying across the page. "I mean, question two through four had five answers each, and the first one only had three, so I guess it works out." "Hm." He sighs, stretches his arms. "These days I'd just stay at home, I guess." Midoriya gives him a serious look over the edge of the magazine. "All Might. Not this again." "No, no, it's just," All Might chuckles, "I have two jobs now, and that's not even counting your training. If it's just one day, I'd like to relax." "Well, okay," Midoriya says after a second, gives him another serious look before he starts scribbling again. "That's all of them," he says as he closes the magazine, looks up with a smile. "Thanks." "So?" All Might asks, nodding at the boy's hands. "Am I me, or someone else?" "Ah, uh," Midoriya hastily flips through the pages, barely stopping to look before he closes it again, "y-you're you, congratulations!" Something feels off about the situation. All Might keeps his eyes on the kid's nervous face as he reaches a hand out. "Let me see that quiz." "It's fine!" Midoriya yells, voice loud and squeaky as he clutches the magazine to his chest, leaning back so far he nearly goes tumbling over the armrest. "I- I mean, I have to take it now, right?" "I just want to see the answers," All Might says, frowning as he holds his hand out a bit further for emphasis. "Show me." Midoriya keeps the magazine tight against his chest, eyes wide, a few moments of tense silence passing before All Might lunges forward, tries to grab it. Midoriya's arms shoot up high, keeping it out of reach as he jumps to his feet. "Woah, I completely forgot, I promised my mom to help her clean today," he sputters, stuffing magazine and pen into his backpack, "I need to get going!" "What? But you were the one who asked to come ove–" He's already at the door, tearing it open, shoes not even all the way on as he steps outside. "Thanks for letting me visit, see you tomorrow at school, bye!" "Hey, wait!" All Might shouts after him, but the door is already slamming shut. "You didn't finish your shake!" It's quiet all of a sudden. All Might shakes his head, tries to make heads or tails of whatever just happened; at this point he's not sure he will ever be able to read that kid. He looks at the shake sitting on the table mostly untouched, and not drinking it would be a waste. Taking a sip, pointedly not looking back at the door, All Might decides Midoriya doesn't even know what he's missing out on. =============================================================================== In the spirit of getting rid of all residual awkwardness, All Might invites Midoriya to eat lunch with him again on Thursday, and the boy barely remembers to say goodbye to his friends before he's off in the direction of the break room, All Might hurrying to keep up. They're in their usual seats, Midoriya telling him about this and that as All Might unpacks the food he's brought, positively surprised how comfortable this feels. Midoriya keeps talking, gesturing wildly, and most important of all he never stops smiling, looking so happy, so at ease. "–and Aizawa-sensei threatened to throw Kacchan out so he could calm down," he tells All Might about the day's first lesson, remembers to eat a bite of his lunch. "But that short fight was really impressive. Did you know that Todoroki can shape his flames into different figures and objects? He just kind of waved his arm through the air – like this! – and it really looked like he made a shield out of fire! It was amazing." All Might smiles as he listens, enjoys the glazed over look of admiration that always spreads across Midoriya's face when he's talking about quirks, about people he admires, overcome with the urge to memorize, to analyze. It looks good on him. And even if it does feel a bit like patting his own back, there's never too many times to remember just what a fine choice All Might made naming that boy his successor. "Your lunch is getting cold," he points out, and Midoriya snaps back to reality, starts wolfing down his meal. "I'm glad you didn't get caught up in the fighting for once. Young Bakugo is talented but also quite a handful, isn't he?" Midoriya keeps shoveling rice into his mouth for a moment longer, putting the empty bowl back down on the table as he loudly swallows the last of his meal. "Yeah," he agrees, nods. "The teachers keep telling him to work on his temper. But he's always had a short fuse." He laughs a bit, sips his tea, and the moment of comfortable silence they share eases All Might's mind in a way he couldn't possibly put into words. It ends when Midoriya clears his throat. "Hey, All Might?" He looks up, watches Midoriya shift his arms and legs like he's not sure what to do with them, and the way he eventually leans his elbow on his thigh, head slightly cocked to the side must be the very definition of 'forced casual'. "I was wondering," Midoriya starts, voice so high it cracks on the last syllable; he clears his throat. "I was wondering, what are you doing tomorrow? After work?" All Might hums. "Friday is laundry day," he says, takes another bite of his lunch. Midoriya stares for a moment before he blinks, sitting up straight again. "But doing your laundry doesn't take all day, right? What are you doing after that?" "Hmm," he mumbles, thinking. "Probably the dishes." He finishes his meal as Midoriya watches, utter confusion on his face. "Well, okay," the kid says, shifting back into that unnatural position, "but what are you doing after that? Or maybe some other day of the weekend or–" "If you want to come over, you can just ask," All Might interrupts, confident for once that he knows where this is going as he reaches for Midoriya's empty bowl, stacks it in his own. The tips of Midoriya's ears light up. "C-Can I come over tomorrow?" Ah, he's always so easy to tease. All Might smiles, tries not to chuckle too loudly, but that face is such a sight to behold. "Of course," he says, barely resists the urge to reach out and ruffle that messy head of hair. And Midoriya finally relaxes again, shoulders sagging a bit as his posture eases. "Thanks," he says, quietly, and the little smile that spreads on his face, the way it highlights the freckles on his cheeks, proves yet again that it's all so very worth it. =============================================================================== The door bell rings at 5pm sharp on Friday, and All Might doesn't bother trying to hide his amusement as he makes his way over, opens the door, and sure enough Midoriya is standing there, looking up at him with those big, bright eyes. "Come on in," he says, steps aside, and Midoriya keeps facing him as he shuffles in sideways, his smile a bit wobbly, his movement stiff. All Might shuts the door with a frown, and when he turns to face the boy again, he truly takes him in for the first time. Midoriya is standing ramrod straight in the middle of the room, hands behind his back, chewing on the inside of his cheek it seems. He's strangely over- dressed for the occasion; button-down plaid shirt tucked into his jeans (the thin, yellow on white pattern making it look a bit too much like a dish towel), and if All Might looks closely it seems his hair is a bit straighter today, a bit less messy. Midoriya clears his throat, takes a step forward, and a long, long moment of silence passes between them as he holds out his hand. All Might blinks a few times, opens his mouth to say something, closes it again. He's not sure what to do with the flowers. Midoriya's eyes keep jumping from the small bouquet of sunflowers to All Might's face. "For you," he says, stretching his arm a bit higher. Reaching out to take them is mostly reflex. All Might turns the bouquet in his hand, hoping for some kind of explanation to jump out at him, but there's nothing more to it than a few brightly colored flowers. They must have been expensive. "I passed by a flower shop on my way here," Midoriya says, getting up on his tiptoes before he bobs back down again, hands clutched behind his back. (Having walked from Midoriya's home to his own, All Might knows there to be no flower shop on the way.) "They just... reminded me of you. You know, the color. Do you like them?" All Might tears his eyes away from the flowers, blinks. "I don't think I own a vase." "Oh, uh," Midoriya stutters, starts babbling. "Do you have a–a jar? Or a glass bottle? They make nice makeshift vases! My mom has used those before, it looked really good!" He walks over to the kitchen, turns around in hesitation, hand frozen an inch from the first cupboard. "Should I help you look? I know they're pretty long, so it might be a bit tricky to find a glass that fits, but I'm sure we'll find something! Can I open these?" A terrible feeling starts creeping up All Might's back; he really hopes he's wrong about where this is going. "Ah, Midoriya," he says, and the kid perks up, "I'm not sure what you think we're doing tonight, but–" "I thought we could watch a movie," Midoriya interrupts, swinging his backpack off his shoulders as he hurries back over again. "I brought some DVDs!" All Might knows he needs to say something, but he can't think fast enough, and there's already a stack of DVD cases being shoved in his face before he can come up with anything. "I know you like action movies," Midoriya says, and yes, he had said that during an interview once, hadn't he, "but I don't know which one's your favorite, so I brought some from home so we can choose together!" With Midoriya already hurrying in the direction of the TV and hundreds of thoughts buzzing around in his head at once, All Might ends up putting the flowers down on the table for now. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, DVD cases in his lap, Midoriya starts reading the titles, adding a little comment with each of them. ("This was the first movie you starred in I ever watched!" "Your battle scene in this one was amazing!" "I got this one on DVD just so I could rewind and watch your scenes over and over!") The most recent of these movies is almost as old as Midoriya himself. All Might listens, tries to work out a gentle way to tell him this evening isn't quite what he seems to think it to be, but it's hard to think with Midoriya's animated chattering in the background, the way his eyes light up with every new title. With a deep breath and a sigh, All Might ends up settling on the one he has the smallest cameo in. "I love this one," Midoriya says, smiling up at him so brilliantly, and he makes an effort not to smile right back, sits down on the sofa. "Oh, also," Midoriya starts as he quickly gets up, gets his backpack, "I brought some snacks, just to complete movie night! I didn't know what you like, but I got some potato chips and popcorn and some kind of... onion rings, I think." He holds up one of the bags with a loud crinkle. "These are pizza flavored!" "I think I'll pass," All Might says, mainly because he's not a fan of any of the snacks offered, and partly because he's not sure he could keep them down; he's expecting the way Midoriya's face falls, the corners of his mouth dropping. "Maybe I'll try some later," he adds, telling the boy to sit down and get comfortable as he starts the movie. Considering how eager and excited Midoriya was when he arrived, he seems to freeze as soon as the movie starts playing. The only sounds besides those coming from the TV are the occasional crinkle of whatever bag he's opened, some careful chewing, but even those cease after a few minutes. He's sitting too straight, too rigid, and the tenseness he's radiating puts All Might on edge. This was a bad idea. He should have stopped it as soon as he realized what Midoriya's angle was, should have put his foot down and explained to him again how it's not happening, but maybe, maybe, he's reading too much into the situation. They're just watching a movie, after all. And the kid's a bundle of nerves on any regular day, always so quick to blush and flinch and cry. It's not until All Might catches sight of Midoriya's hand out of the corner of his eye, slowly sliding closer in the direction of All Might's own, resting limply on his thigh, that he realizes he was right after all. He tries to make the movement look natural as he rolls his shoulders, shifting a bit before he brings his hands together in his lap. And Midoriya's hand stops, lingering for a moment before he quickly draws it back, burying it back into the bag of snacks. The explosion on screen ends in a dramatic cut to black, and the sight of their reflections sitting next to each other, stiff and quiet and unmoving, feels all kinds of ridiculous. It's his home, but All Might can't help feeling out of place in his sweatpants and t-shirt next to Midoriya with his gelled hair, his button-up properly tucked into his pants, and if he's not entirely mistaken he catches a slight whiff of aftershave every time the boy moves. The next and last time Midoriya moves throughout the movie is when All Might feels a tingle creep up his back watching himself appear on-screen, and Midoriya gasps, leaning forward with an awestruck look on his face like he hasn't watched this scene a dozen times before. All Might remembers, hears Gran Torino telling him he wasn't cut out for acting (too over the top, too theatric; "Keep your eyes on what's important, Toshinori!") and watching his own performance for the first time in over a decade, he wishes he had listened. But Midoriya's eyes are glued to the screen, keeping track of the younger, healthier All Might bustling around, letting out little 'oh's and 'ah's every time he moves, every time he talks. The kid only leans back again once the scene is finally over, a small, satisfied smile on his face, and even if it was a pain to watch, maybe all those subpar cameos were good for something after all. An eternity passes until the credits finally start rolling, and Midoriya immediately snaps out of his stupor, turning his head. "Wanna watch another one?" he asks, beaming. It's not exactly late yet, barely 8:30, but he remembers the curfew Midoriya mentioned that day, and he's so grateful for the instant excuse. "Don't you need to be home in half an hour?" he asks, but Midoriya is already shaking his head, smiling even wider. "I got an extra hour today," he says, holding his chin a bit higher with something like pride spreading across his face. "I asked for it before I left, and I got it without discussion! And I mean, I am turning 16 soon, you know." Oh, does All Might ever know, but he consciously pushes aside all thoughts of age, of what exactly Midoriya tells his poor mother every time he leaves to be around a man three times his age. He needs to come up with a different excuse quick, buy himself some time to think this unfortunate new development over. "I think I'd like to get some rest, actually," he says lamely, gets up, stretching his arms for a moment. "Maybe we should call it a night." Midoriya's eyes go wide, getting up, trailing after All Might as he starts walking. "W-We could do something else," the kid says, talking to All Might's back as he picks up the laundry basket he left in the hall earlier. "It doesn't have to be another movie. How about food? Are you hungry? We could go out, or order in, o-or I could cook! My mom showed me how to make an omelet a few weeks ago, do you like omelet? Can you eat that?" The incessant babbling follows All Might to the bedroom, goes on as he drops the laundry basket on the floor. "I'm not really hungry," he says, notes Midoriya freezing in the corner of his eye. "You can come by again tomorrow, if you like. I just need a bit of sleep." "Are you okay?" Midoriya asks, and the concern dripping from that simple question makes All Might feel so weak, so pathetic. "I'm fine," he says, "just a bit tired." He half-sits, half-lays down on the bed as if to prove it, wondering if the position looks as casual as he hopes. Midoriya is on the mattress before All Might can tell him to stay off, intense worry in his eyes as he's looming over him. "You're not getting sick, are you? I could make you some tea." "No, no, it's fine. I'll just rest a bit and–" "You haven't eaten anything all evening, how about some hot soup? Are you cold? You should get under the blanket, maybe I can get you a thicker one, do you have–" "I'm fine!" All Might snaps, a bit louder than he means to; he won't be patronized by this kid, won't be fussed about like he's so fragile, like he's going to break any moment. Midoriya quickly leans back. "Sorry," he mumbles, siting down cross-legged, wringing his hands in his lap. "I just... sorry." He sounds ashamed, guilty even, and All Might knows he can't send the boy home right now in good conscience. He sighs, wonders if getting something to eat might be a good idea after all, but now that he's lying down he realizes just how tired he really is. "You don't need to worry about me," All Might says, shifting onto his back. "I'm just worn out after a long week. An old man needs his rest, right?" Midoriya frowns, purses his mouth, and All Might laughs; just the reaction he was aiming for. Midoriya is still so predictable, so adorable, a bit pouty now, a bit sulky, his brows drawn, his cheeks so round and pink and supple – ah, what a boy! He stops laughing when Midoriya untangles his legs, lays down on his side facing All Might, head resting on the pillow no one's ever used before. His first instinct is to tell him to get up, to get off the bed (it's all still too fresh in his mind, too palpable, if he closes his eyes he can still feel it sometimes) but that would be overreacting, wouldn't it? They're just lying next to each other, just talking, and there's nothing wrong with that. "You're not old," Midoriya says, like he always does. And All Might carefully reaches over, tries to ruffle the kid's hair, like he always does, trying to bend his arm at an angle that isn't too awkward. But oh, his hair feels so soft today, so sleek, running through All Might's fingers like it never has before, smooth and silky; he quickly draws his hand back, Midoriya catching it in mid-air. They're not exactly holding hands, just resting them on top of each other, Midoriya's calloused fingers the slightest bit shaky on the back of his own. His cheeks are glowing but he seems calm, a bit tired even, eyes half-lidded now. They lie in silence for a few long moments, and despite everything it's comfortable, relaxing. "All Might," Midoriya says eventually, eyes on their touching hands, "you know you can talk to me, right?" And for what feels like the millionth time, he's not sure he understands. "Talk to you?" "Yeah," the kid mumbles into the pillow. "I know you're not always well when you say you are." All Might freezes, eyes going wide. "It's just... you do so much for me all the time. And I, I feel like I want to give you back something. Even if there's not much I can do, I want to help you, too." He takes a shuddering breath. "I still can't believe I got to meet you at all." All Might smiles, turns his hand to squeeze Midoriya's fingers. "But you did," he says. "And you do a lot more for me than you realize. You inspired me to push myself to the limit again, not to let myself go. Rekindling that fire, that was all you." He decides not to add how much the kid motivates him to stay alive at all. "Give yourself some credit, Izuku." The corners of Midoriya's mouth twitch into a smile, his bottom lip quivering, his breathing picking up, and All Might knows he's going to cry even before the first gentle sob rocks his body. "Hey, hey," he tries to soothe, squeezes Midoriya's hand once more before he lets go, reaches up to lightly touch his shoulder, but the kid's already scrambling over, clinging to his side before he gets a chance. He's nestled between All Might's arm and chest, face pressing into his ribcage. He freezes as Midoriya slings an arm across his chest, holds himself close as he's rubbing his face into All Might's side, into his shirt, sobbing, coughing. It's not at all outside his experience to soothe the boy (who's still not listening, always crying) but being so close conflicts with the intense feeling of guilt that's still gripping him, crushing him. All Might puts a careful hand on the kid's back, gently rubbing, just a constant, light touch as he lets him snivel and sob as long as he needs to. And it's taking so long today, but eventually the grip around his ribs loosens, Midoriya's breathing slowing down, deep and even now. He's aware of every breath Midoriya takes, pressed so close that he can feel every inhale, every exhale, and it's so comforting, soothing his troubled mind. Midoriya feels so soft, so warm everywhere they're touching, sweet and real and very much alive. When was the last time he got to be this close to someone without slamming them into the concrete a second later? "Hey," he whispers, gently shaking the kid's arm until he gives a short hum, rubbing his cheek against the mattress. "You need to text your mother." Midoriya gives a small grumble, half-asleep. "What?" "She's going to worry if you don't come home. Just let her know you're okay. Is your phone in your backpack?" Midoriya shakes his head, fumbles the phone out of his jeans pocket with clumsy hands. He squints at the screen, turns down the brightness before he taps a few times, yawning as he pockets it again. All Might keeps rubbing his back throughout it all, and his own eyes are getting heavy as the boy hugs him close again, shifts his head, cheek resting between All Might's chest and shoulder now; he makes a conscious effort not to look at it, so soft, so soft. With his eyes closed again and his voice all drowsy, Midoriya mumbles an, "I love you," into his chest, and right here, right now, All Might almost believes him. =============================================================================== Midoriya is still asleep when All Might wakes in the morning, arms and legs tangled around him in a way that makes it hard to gently slide the kid off, a wet stain on his shirt that looks suspiciously like drool. Getting up, making his way to the bathroom, he comes to a step as he spots the sunflowers, standing on the table in a glass that's barely high enough to hold them. He's not sure how Midoriya managed that without waking him, but he has to admit they really do make the room look a lot livelier, friendlier, all long green stalks and bright yellow petals. =============================================================================== Reflecting on everything that's currently happening, All Might comes to the conclusion that he might need some help handling it. He's still busy trying to think of a way to bring it up on Monday, but the opportunity presenting itself in the teacher's lounge after school is out is too ideal to pass up. Aizawa is sitting hunched over some paper or other, pen scratching as he works, and taking a quick look around All Might assures himself the room is otherwise deserted, slides the door shut. "Aizawa, my man," he greets. "Just who I was looking for." All he gets in response is a hum of acknowledgement, pen still loudly scratching on the paper. "I was wondering if you had some time," he goes on, trying to choose his words carefully. "There's something I could use some help with, and I'd like to ask your advice." Another hum, pitching upwards at the end this time. All Might starts fiddling with his hands. "So, you're a good looking man, right?" He clears his throat. "You got any, uh, any experience with romantic advances in the workplace?" Aizawa finally stops, slowly turning his head to look at All Might, eyes squinted and brows drawn. "I need help turning someone down," All Might adds, and the stern expression on Aizawa's face loosens, his posture easing somewhat. "Turn someone down," Aizawa repeats. "Who?" All Might swallows, trying hard to sound casual. "It's a–a student." Aizawa hums once more, leaning back in his chair as he swivels it around to face All Might. "It happens," he says, "especially to someone of your standing. Just explain to them why it's inappropriate. Be strict, if you must." "I've already tried that," All Might confesses. "More than once, actually. It's, ah... complicated." Aizawa lifts his brows at that, staring for a few long moments as he stays quiet, and All Might tries not to fidget too much under that stare, not to appear nervous. He lets out a long sigh. "I warned you about Midoriya." "I guess you did," All Might says. "And that's exactly why I thought you might be able to help me. Just a few tips on how to handle, ah, romantic interest." "Hey, whoa!" All Might starts, feeling the color draining from his face as he turns around. Mic stays in the door for a second before he slides it shut again. "What's this I hear? You need romance advice?" All Might shakes his head, his hands. "N-No, no! Not at all, actually," he tries to explain as Mic walks past him, sliding his own chair out next to Aizawa's before he sits down with a little spin. "It's not about romance, it's not even really about me, I'm just–" Mic holds up his hands, gives him a look over those shades that he can't quite decipher. "No need to be shy," he says, "you're talking to an expert here. So, what do you need help with?" "It's a student crush," Aizawa says with another long-suffering sigh, already sounding like this discussion has been going on for hours. "Oh. One of the kids, huh?" Mic shrugs. "Well, don't worry, I'm an expert on that, too!" All Might perks up. "You are?" "No, he's not," Aizawa interrupts. "What happened?" "He, ah, confessed," All Might says after a second of hesitation. "It just kind of slipped out in casual conversation." "Hm," Aizawa hums. "You should have seen that coming." "How was I supposed to–" "It was obvious." "Wait, we talking about Midoriya here?" Mic asks, and Aizawa turns his head to give him a look. "How did you–" Aizawa fixes him again. "What have you done about it?" All Might quickly averts his eyes. "I tried talking it out with him," he says, trying not to wring his hands too much. "It worked at first, but I don't think he understands the, ah, core problem." He clears his throat. "I think he might be trying to... court me." Mic snorts, shares another quick look with Aizawa, brows raised in disbelief. "I know, I know!" All Might frowns, voice rising as he tries not to get irritated. "But he's been asking a lot of strange questions lately, he's acting so different around me, keeps showing up at my door with, with–" "He knows where you live?" Aizawa asks, the amusement on their faces gone, replaced with concern now. "Yes. I told him." They groan in unison, Aizawa rubbing his eyes with his fingers, and All Might feels compelled to defend himself. "We exercise sometimes," he says, shrugs. "I give him some tips, make sure he has somebody to turn to with questions. I'm just keeping an eye on his progress." "Not playing favorites, huh," Aizawa mutters, so quietly All Might barely catches it. "I'm not going to shoot down the kid's ambitions." He frowns, shakes his head. "But that's not the problem. I think he misunderstood me when I told him it's not appropriate for a teacher a-and his student, and not to mention the thirty year age gap, b-but–" "Wait, thirty years?" Mic asks, raising his hand to interrupt him. "You're 45?" All Might blinks. "Mic, how is that relevant right now?" "Just curious," he says, tapping his chin in thought. "Not it, huh? Hm, 50?" "What? No, I'm not–" "55?" All Might gasps. "No!" "Gee, sorry," Mic says, raising his hands in surrender, no hint of apologism in his voice. "47?" Maybe this was a bad idea after all. "Can we please return to the problem at hand?" "48?" All Might opens his mouth, stuttering a few words that aren't exactly lies, not exactly thruths, trying to come up with a little joke, a clever distraction, something. "Wait, really?" Mic asks, leaning forward, and as All Might keeps gesturing aimlessly, trying to come up with a reply, he groans, reaching into one of the back pockets of his pants. He gets out his wallet, mumbling something under his breath as he takes out a bunch of bills, slaps them into Aizawa's outstretched hand. It takes a second for All Might to connect the dots. "You two had a bet going on my age?" He gapes for a moment, confused and slightly insulted; that's just plain rude. He huffs, glowers at Mic. "Wait, what was your guess?" Aizawa gets to his feet. "Stop spending so much of your free time with Midoriya," he says, not looking at All Might as he folds the money, pockets it. "Stop indulging him so much in general. You're sending the wrong signals." And with that he makes for the door, leaves without further clarification. Mic watches him go before he turns to All Might with a light shrug and a nod, rolling his chair back over to the desk with his feet, turning his back on him. Maybe he should have asked somebody else. =============================================================================== All Might's discussion with Aizawa (and Mic) leaves him with the same sense of helplessness he's been struggling with for weeks now. Their advice might work in any other case, but Midoriya is more than just a random student. For better or worse, their lives are already much too interwoven, connected in so many ways that counting them seems redundant. He has a duty to fulfill mentoring that boy, shaping him into a hero, a worthy successor, a new symbol of peace to ease the minds of the public once the name 'All Might' is merely a fond memory. No, cutting ties with Midoriya is out of the question. But his colleagues don't know about this bond they share, and he'd prefer it stay that way. Heaving a sigh, All Might realizes he is on his own after all. And when his phone vibrates a minute later with a message from Midoriya, asking to come over later, to work out, there's no hesitation on All Might's part; somewhere deep down he's always known that even if he could abandon Midoriya, he wouldn't. He still blames it on that brilliant smile. =============================================================================== Their afternoon work-out doesn't quite go as planned. The same time that Midoriya arrives at All Might's door the first rain drops start falling, and quickly hurrying inside it becomes apparent they'll need a change of plans. All Might, surprised and glad, argues they could take it easy instead. Midoriya, clinging onto his arm with pleading eyes, manages to get him to agree to a small exercise inside. Shutting the blinds to keep prying eyes outside, he allows himself to buff up, pointedly ignoring the awestruck look on Midoriya's face this time. He needs to stop indulging the kid like that. But it's hard to say no to anything when the boy is so enthusiastic, so dedicated, doing push-ups on the floor like his life depends on it, putting one arm behind his back every once in a while when he's sure All Might is looking. He's still progressing so fast, such a skilled boy, and tearing his eyes from that sight is a struggle. Taking a short break to have some water, sitting on the floor, Midoriya eventually says, "This isn't hard for you at all, is it? You've barely broken a sweat," and with a playful smile he asks, "Would it be harder if I sat on your back while you're doing push-ups?" The answer to that is a definite no, but the way Midoriya's eyes are twinkling, a kind of excitement burning underneath that's strangely intoxicating, he knows that's not what he should say. The added weight is barely noticable, his movements just as fluid as before, but Midoriya keeps laughing, hands holding onto his shoulders, knees digging in on each side of his spine, and it's adorable, makes him want to never stop entertaining that kid. When Midoriya eventually slides off he slumps down on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest, resting his head on his arms. All Might ruffles his hair, walks past to sit down on the sofa, realizing how strangely out of breath the boy still seems considering he didn't really do anything. He's looking up with a smile, pushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes as he consciously slowes his breathing. Straightening his legs again, leaning back, he pulls up the front of his shirt, wiping sweat off his face, hands running down his cheeks as he keeps smiling, keeps eye contact. All Might watches, elbows on his thighs, huffs a laugh. "You need a towel?" And Midoriya freezes for a second before he drops his shirt again. "Ah, n-no," he says, clears his throat. "I'm okay." "You did well," he keeps going, taking the opportunity to dish out some praise. "I'll admit I didn't keep count, but those were some great repititions. What's your personal record?" "122," he says, face heating up with the flattery. "I still have a long way to go." Ah, always so humble. "We all do," All Might tells him, throwing in some casual wisdom. "But you should always celebrate your accomplishments. You keep this up, you'll be impressing a lot of people with your strength soon." The kid gets to his feet, hands in his pockets as he sidles closer, his smile turning somewhat lopsided. "Oh?" he says, cocks his head. "Like who?" All Might's grin widens. "How about your friend Todoroki?" A second of intense silence passes before Midoriya starts frowning. "Todoroki?" he repeats, saying the name like he's never heard it before. "What about him?" "You've been talking a lot about him lately," All Might says, determined to steer this in the right direction, one he's been considering for a while now. "He doesn't seem one to be impressed by simple show-offs, but I'm thinking a move that's both entertaining and practical might get his attention. Have you ever tried a clapping push-up?" "What?" The frown on Midoriya's face deepens. "What the– I wasn't– wh-why are you talking about Todoroki? He has nothing to do with this!" "He's a good kid," All Might continues, undeterred, "bright and friendly, and very responsible for his age. You're very impressed with his quirk, aren't you? I'm an old friend of his dad's, you know, maybe I could–" "All Might!" Midoriya shouts, high and shrill all of a sudden, gesturing wildly. "Why are you doing this? I was talking about you, I-I thought that was obvious!" All Might sighs, runs a hand through his hair. There goes his plan. "We've talked about this." "Yes, but–" "No buts! Whatever you have to say, don't use that word." The raw desperation in Midoriya's eyes is hard to bear, so helpless, so sad, and he whispers, "I love you," in a way that squeezes the air out of All Might's lungs. He swallows, points a finger at the kid. "Don't say that, either." And he feels so slow again when the arms wrapping around his neck catch him completely off-guard, Midoriya squeezing him tight, rubbing their cheeks together. He's so soft, his skin so supple, no imperfections there to speak of, no rough stubble scratching his face. It's enough to throw All Might for a loop, one hand hovering over Midoriya's back before he allows himself to give the lightest touch, holding him gently, barely. Midoriya exhales, presses himself even closer. "I love you," he repeats, his mouth so close to All Might's ear that it raises goosebumps all over his skin, and Midoriya must feel it, the barely supressed shudder traveling up his body. He's about to answer, to tell the kid off when he whispers, "It's okay if you don't love me back," and All Might's mind goes blank. "I just want you to know how much you mean to me." He takes a shuddering breath, squeezes tighter. "I want to make you happy." Midoriya slowly draws his arms back, running his hands over All Might's shoulders, over his clavicles, down to his chest, lets them linger for a moment; his palms feel so hot, too hot, this is all wrong, he has to move, move before things could possibly spiral out of control again; he's still frozen when they run up across his neck, thumbs resting on his jawline. He needs to stop this, needs to pull back and have a serious talk with Midoriya, but those words keep bouncing around in his head, it's okay if you don't love me back, a new kind of guilt tingling in his chest. What Midoriya wants, he deserves, after all. (Stop indulging him, push him off, push him off) With a hum and a breath Midoriya rubs their cheeks together again before he starts dragging his face back, skin hot and tingling where it slides over All Might's own, slow enough that he should move; when Midoriya kisses the corner of his mouth, All Might finally flinches, reaching out with the intent to push him back, grabbing his hips, but the boy hums again, one hand moving to the back of his neck, running itself through All Might's hair now. When Midoriya turns his head further, still stroking his jaw with one calloused thumb, still stroking his hair, he lets it happen. It's so sweet, so chaste, their mouths closed, and All Might's heart hammering in his chest. Midoriya draws back just enough to laugh, quiet and breathless. "I've wanted to do that for years," he whispers, and All Might's first thought is to tell him that he has, technically, done this before. But his second thought finally lets him push the boy back, hands trembling on those slender hips as he thinks of an even younger Midoriya's hands on his face, mouth on his own; he doesn't need that particular image in his head, not now, not ever. All Might stifles a gasp, doesn't get out more than a breathless, "Stop that," but his hands are still holding on, Midoriya's fingers still buried in his hair. It's exhausting maintaining this form while he's under so much emotional stress, but he knows it's what his boy wants. No matter how guilty he feels, how much he tries to resist (why is it so hard, so hard) what Midoriya wants, he deserves to get. "Okay," the kid says, draws his hands back, and All Might looks at him in surprise; it's a mistake when, without preamble, Midoriya drops to his knees. He flinches, leaning back as far as he can, the sudden surge of shame so strong it nearly suffocates him. "No," he says, still breathless, ignoring the violent twitch in his pants. "Absolutely not." Midoriya keeps looking up at him, and he barely seems nervous at all, why isn't he nervous, bringing a hand up to rest on All Might's knee. All Might firmly shakes his head. "No." And Midoriya scoots closer, slowly, gently resting his cheek against the inside of All Might's thigh, and it's too much, overwhelming; he squeezes his eyes shut, but the image of Midoriya's face pressed against him so sweetly is still there, nuzzling against him now, and he's panting, already exhausted. He leans back, tilting his head over the backrest, tries to clear his mind, but the hand on his knee starts creeping upwards, over his thigh, calloused little fingers sliding between his skin and the hem of his sweatpants. Midoriya gives a light tug, and praying for forgiveness from whoever is listening, All Might tries to keep his thoughts on his own imminent death; what Midoriya wants, he shall get. That horribly soft cheek is finally gone, hand sliding up his other thigh, his hip, and Midoriya is pulling down the elastic as All Might swallows, clutches a hand over his own eyes. There's a gasp, a hum, a moan, and it's all he can do not to move when Midoriya takes him in hand, the touch of his palm so painfully familiar. Midoriya shifts a bit, his breathing loud as he starts giving slow, careful strokes, and the time it takes All Might to get hard under that unskilled touch is embarrassingly short. His movements get a bit smoother after the first few pumps, thumb rubbing up over the head now, over the slit, and All Might is shaking with the strain of keeping this form for Midoriya's sake, keeping his mouth shut. There's the lightest ruffling of fabric before the boy's mouth is on him, warm and wet and tight in a way All Might should have expected, but the way Midoriya starts bobbing his head is almost enough to break him, tongue moving in a way that makes it terribly obvious he's never done this before. But he's still humming, sounding so content as he tries to take him in deeper, moving faster; he can't fit much, but his hand is so eager, stroking and pumping, just slightly out of sync with his mouth, and it's too much, too intense– All Might caughs, blood in his mouth, on his hand, shuddering as he swallows it back down, slumping against the backrest as he realizes he finally broke, Midoriya's voice barely reaching his ears. "Are you alright? All Might?" he's holding onto one of his arms, shaking it, his voice high and panicked. "All Might! Did you hear me, are you okay?" He blinks a few times, still staring at the ceiling, before he nods, clears his throat. "I'm okay," he says, knowing he sounds anything but. "Just need to catch my breath." It's quiet, too quiet as he tries to calm his breathing, his racing heart, and sitting like this is beginning to hurt his neck; he's about to look down, to suggest they stop whatever he's allowed to happen again, forget about it all, when Midoriya's hand starts moving again, barely at first, hesitant. Hissing, squeezing his eyes shut again, it would be so easy to imagine someone else in Midoriya's place – anyone, anyone – but his mind keeps revolving around that boy, his hands and smiles and cheeks, and he's so gentle now, slow and careful, doing so well, so well, working so hard. Ah, it's been too long, if a touch like this can get him all riled up. "All Might," Midoriya says, voice slightly hoarse, and All Might releases a shaky breath. "All Might, please look at me." He almost wants to, can't help but wish he could feel that face again, touch that freckled skin, but his body won't move, arms heavy, hands limp, his last shred of decency keeping him in check; it's a long way down from the top, and considering just how far he's fallen it's a surprise he didn't break his neck. Midoriya calls out to him again, one more little plea, grumbling when he gets no reaction. He speeds up his hand, takes him in his mouth again, and it's so good, feels amazing in the way that it doesn't, a form of excitement All Might never really knew before this kid entered his life. There's no warning when Midoriya suddenly takes him deeper, too deep, swallows, and he's choking himself, coughing and gagging as All Might moves reflexively, pulling him off, palms on those reddened, soft cheeks. "Are you okay?" he asks, breathless, the words said before the worry can actually catch up to his brain. Leaning into his palm, face bright red and spit on his chin, Midoriya smiles, his eyes watering. "I'm great," he says, and All Might barely has enough time to tremble before Midoriya goes in again, his cheeks bulging, his head bobbing, and he can't tear his eyes from the sight, leaning back again as he watches, gasping, groaning, and thank god did they close the blinds. One hand is still on Midoriya's face, and he slides it up, through that curled hair damp with sweat, just touching, guiding. When Midoriya looks up, lifting his eyes as he never stops moving his mouth, it's all over, and All Might lightly, lightly grabs the boy by the hair, tries to drag him off, but his arm is being shoved away, Midoriya gripping it tightly to stay in place, and All Might falls apart. It's intense, his whole body shaking, tasting blood as he stifles a cough, and it takes forever for Midoriya to draw back, swallowing quickly, his face drawn and body shivering for a second. All Might slumps back into the sofa, mumbling an, "I told you not to," that's so quiet the boy likely didn't hear it, and he feels boneless, exhausted as he rests his head on the backrest again, trying to catch his breath once more. He never hears Midoriya getting to his feet, but he's throwing his arms around All Might's neck again, startling him as he holds on for a few long moments. He draws back with the brightest smile, cheeks aglow, freckles sticking out in dark contrast, a bunch of nasty stains on his shirt. All Might swallows as he remembers his conversation from just a few hours ago ("Stop spending time with him, stop indulging him so much.") realizing how hard he just slammed that advice into the ground. It seems these past few weeks haven't really been his proudest moment. End Notes This thing got out of control, but I absolutely promise the next and last chapter won't take so damn long. I basically came up with all of that first before I decided this story could do well with a bit more plot. Also, I don't usually write plot/dialogue heavy stuff, so it's a bit of an experiment for me, stepping out of my comfort zone and all that. Anyway, enough defending myself, I hope it's okay so far! English isn't my first language, so please feel free to rip this thing apart. I really want to improve! Also feel free to hmu on twitter @dickheightdeku if you ever feel like it! Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!