Hello! First time posting on here, but please don't hesitate to tell me if there's something wrong with this. Us writers are always striving to be better after all, so criticism is needed. PLUS ULTRA!
Everyone in 1-A knew that there wasn't a duo more iconic in their class than Midoriya Izuku and hospital beds. At the very beginning of the school year, when they saw the boy who broke his own finger just to throw a ball, the boy whose own quirk was the cause of the destruction of his body, there was no doubt that he'd be taking almost daily trips to the infirmary.
Each and every time he came out of the infirmary, he'd tell them not to worry. He'd tell them he'd be more careful. But each and every time, he pushes himself further and further past his limits.
He really did try his best to embody the school's spirit, Plus Ultra.
It wasn't a bad thing, not at all- but sometimes his friends worried. There isn't a single person in 1-A who hasn't seen Izuku wrapped in bandages and laying in bed, unconscious or not.
"I don't think it's a problem. I-I mean, the bed's comfortable..." he said, smiling shakily at Uraraka and Iida.
They supposed it would have to be comfortable, since it was made to help injured people recover. Uraraka was the one to say this, and it was enough to draw out a lighthearted laugh from the greenette.
Some days later, the boy managed to crash into a grove of trees in the middle of their training, ruining the bandages he'd just gotten a week earlier and guaranteeing another visit to Recovery Girl.
When entering the infirmary, there was no need to look around the room for Izuku. There was practically a bed emreserved especially/em for him at that point. It was the one right next to the window that overlooked the entrance of U.A., where his friends usually waved goodbye if they couldn't wait for him.
Of course, that was before they started living in dorms. Now, they could wait for him for as long as they wanted.
"We still need to get back before curfew, Uraraka-kun... Don't make that face. I also want to wait for Midoriya-kun to recover, but we can't make Aizawa-sensei mad at us for this."
It was to be expected from Iida, their ever responsible class rep.
However, even though she was scolded, Uraraka Ochaco wasn't one to back down. Recovery Girl would sometimes catch her sneaking into the infirmary at night, which eventually lead to more scolding from both the nurse and their teacher.
That certain topic was brought up in one of their many conversations by the bed. "Eh? You did that? Not that I'm mad or any-anything, but it's fine if you're not with me for a while." Despite his statement, Midoriya was touched by his friend's actions.
Aside from his mother, never in his life before U.A. had anyone done something like that for him. Iida proceeded to convince Uraraka that their friend wouldn't mind some alone time, and she eventually conceded.
Midoriya didn't even notice that he was smiling until Iida asked him if there was something he found funny. He chuckled to himself, muttering "No, don't mind me," before listening to his friends argue about whether oatmeal cookies were better than chocolate chip ("No one even likes oatmeal cookies!" "I do!" " Pshh...weirdo." "I heard that!" "No you didn't." "Uraraka-kun!").
A few more words were exchanged before Uraraka and Iida asked him if he'd grown some kind of emotional attachment to the bed. Izuku was surprised, but oddly found it true in a way. He smiled and answered sincerely, "Well, since I always seem to end up on it one way or another, I guess it's true."
Iida looked at him incredulously, not expecting him to answer it seriously. Uraraka simply laughed it off and declared, "It must be fate! The fated meeting between man and bed!"
That got them all laughing, and the next thing Izuku knew, they were passing the time with more jokes and stories.
All M-...Toshinori Yagi, rather, had his fair share of visits to the hospital, and now U.A.'s infirmary. Despite that, what worried him wasn't his health, but the health of his protégé. The amount of times that he's walked into that room and seen Izuku in bed isn't normal. It shouldn't be even half the number that it is.
However, since making him his successor, he should have seen it coming. He knows how bad the physical backlash of One for All can be, especially to those who aren't used to its power.
The knowledge that he was partly to blame for his student's frequent visits to the infirmary made him feel an uncomfortable weight in his chest.
He stopped by the infirmary door and wondered how he'd react if he saw Izuku on the bed for what seemed like the millionth time.
Toshinori jumped when the door opened before he had the chance to touch it. "Oh, you're here. Come on in, we don't want you coughing up more blood than what's necessary," Recovery Girl said.
As he followed her inside, she added, "The boy is here too, just so you know."
Toshinori felt himself slouch even more. So he is in there. "When did he arrive?" he asked.
"Not too long ago," came the nurse's reply. The former top hero nodded, his head turning to look at the spot next to a certain window without a second thought.
Just as he expected, Izuku lay underneath the blanket, eyes shut while his chest rose and fell. "Why?" ha asked. Recovery Girl sighed. "Nothing serious. He fell into a grove of trees and ruined the bandages from last week. He'll be up and about by the end of the day."
Toshinori's lips perked up when the nurse muttered something that sounded like, "I swear, that boy is such a trouble magnet".
She walked over to him and handed over his medicinal tea. "This should do it," she said. "Do you want to talk to him?" Toshinori glanced at the greenette. "No... I'll be out in a bit."
Recovery Girl nodded, though she eyed him with a knowing look. "Make it quick," she said. Toshinori nodded. She retreated further into the infirmary without another word. Not wasting a single second, he crept closer to Midoriya's bed.
The sight was all too familiar to him, and if he had to be honest- he wished that it wasn't. A sigh slipped past his lips, soft but enough to rouse Midoriya from his nap.
"All Might..?"
Toshinori suppressed a grimace at his hero name... Because that isn't what you are anymore is it? He shook himself from his thoughts. "Young Midoriya, I didn't mean to wake you up," he said. The boy stared up at him with tired eyes. He smiled warmly.
"Ah, Toshinori-sensei."
Said man huffed in amusement. The bed creaked as he plopped on its edge. This boy... he knew his mentor too much. Either that, or he was too observant for his own good. Toshinori decided there was no harm in starting up a conversation to pass the time. He asked, "How are you doing?"
Izuku stayed silent for a moment. "Ah... I'm fine, I guess? It's nothing serious. I just crashed into the woods during training. There were only a few scratches, though I reopened some of the wounds from last week."
Toshinori made a sound of understanding. After a beat of silence, he decided to ask, "How did you crash into those trees?"
Midoriya once again took his time to gather his thoughts. "Well, it- it was more of my fault, to be honest. I got careless and came a little too close to where Todoroki was training..." he admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
Toshinori rolled his eyes. "You give the impression that you're the cautious type, but you really can't help but attract trouble," he teased.
His student's face burned from his ears to his neck. "A- Toshinori-sensei! I do not attract trouble!"
The older man chuckled and ruffled his hair. Izuku bit back a whine. "It won't matter if I do this, huh? You pretty much have bed hair 24/7," Toshinori grinned.
Midoriya stared at him with a look he never used on his mentor before. Toshinori recognized it from when he was talking to Uraraka and Iida, sometimes even Todoroki.
"Are you sure you're not looking at a mirror?"
For a moment, Toshinori's ears didn't process what he said. When he realized that Izuku, the one who admired him and idolized him from the depths of his heart, had teased him back, he almost couldn't believe it.
He let out a hearty laugh, which caused some blood to escape his mouth. He didn't mind though, he was genuinely surprised. Pleasantly surprised.
Izuku must have thought he was laughing at him, because his gaze immediately shifted to his hands and his ears burned a little brighter. He mumbled under his breath, "Was that no good?"
Toshinori slapped him on the back. "Hey, hey, hey! Where'd you get that spirit, young Midoriya?" Izuku's eyes widened, as if only realizing it himself, before he started sputtering and burying his face in his hands.
The former hero grinned at his student, and Izuku returned it with a bashful smile of his own.
"Tell me more. What's been going on lately?"
Midoriya's face immediately brightened, delighted to share his and his classmates' newest exploits.
"Yes! Just a few days ago, Ashido and Kaminari..."
And Toshinori was content to listen.
Aizawa glanced up as Toshinori entered the faculty room, a lazy smile on his face.
"Went to see the problem child, I presume?"
The other man looked at him in confusion before his smile returned and he waved his hand, laughing. "Problem..? Well, I suppose he is, yes." he said. The underground hero rolled his eyes.
"Birds of a feather flock together," he grumbled, organizing a stack of papers. His colleague yelled from his desk, "Did you say something?"
Aizawa didn't spare him another glance, saying, "None of your business."
Izuku Midoriya left the infirmary with a bright smile on his face. He bid goodbye to Recovery Girl, biting his lip apologetically as she lectured him about taking care of himself.
He ran back to the dorms, looking forward to spending more time with his classmates. As he entered the living room, they greeted him with smiles and waves (with the exception of Bakugo), all of which he was more than happy to return.
Uraraka and Iida were immediately by his side, and they soon fell into their usual chatter.
As Izuku sat on the couch, sandwiched between his two best friends, he smiled and thanked his mother, everyone in his class, his teachers, Recovery Girl...and himself...
...for giving him the chance to experience the happiness he'd never known beforehand.
Izuku knew that he'd be laying in that hospital bed a lot more in the years yet to come, but he didn't mind the pain he had to go through if it meant keeping everyone around him safe.
He would keep this growing happiness safe, and to Izuku Midoriya, that made laying in a hospital bed a very small price to pay.
A/N: And this is my first MHA fanfic! To think that it was inspired by a meme...
I hope you guys liked it! I was planning on making this a two-shot, but I dunno if it's better off this way. Tell me what you guys think. Should this have a continuation or not? Reviews are very much appreciated ^^
This is AKUlti, signing out!~