Before you continue, I'd like to thank the following for following my story: Ability King KK, Jonsey2.0, Kradeiz, kryodeamon, and mike166. The show of support, considering this is my first story on fanfiction for a very long time, is much appreciated, and I hope my story exceeds your expectations.
2. Shared Passions
Toshinori pressed the doorbell, his briefcase in his left hand. It was a quiet neighbourhood, with the river and park on the other side of Young Midoriya's apartment complex. Toshinori wondered what mischief his pupil had gotten up to there.
The door opened. Mrs. Midoriya was dressed nicely but not formally, which was refreshing; Toshinori endured public appearances for the public's sake, but he'd never liked being fawned over and flattered in private. Her bow was a bit formal and trembly, but there was an honesty in it so much like her son's it made Toshinori smile.
"W-welcome to our home!" Mrs. Midoriya said. "Please come in!" He suspected her voice was an octave higher than normal.
"Thank you," Toshinori said, returning her bow. He was relieved to see Young Midoriya's door closed; he could only see the All Might-themed name plaque on the door.
"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" Mrs. Midoriya said. There was a pleasant smell from the kitchen that warmed Toshinori's chest. Papers were spread over the dining room table.
"Just tea, if you have some on," Toshinori said, taking the chair she pulled out for him.
"I'm sorry about the state of the dining area," Mrs. Midoriya said as she bustled around in the kitchen, utensils floating to her at a gesture. "I work from home as an accountant, so things spread a bit while I work."
"It's fine," Toshinori said. "Homes are made to be lived in. My own is a bit spartan."
"Oh?" Mrs. Midoriya said. There was a gentle clatter of dishes being put away, and then she grew in height as she mounted a step to put away some cups on the top shelf.
"I hadn't much time to sit around enjoying it until a few years ago," Toshinori said. He saw Mrs. Midoriya hesitate, heard the question she wanted to ask. "Would you like some help?"
"Oh, no no," Mrs. Midoriya said, "I'm fine. My Quirk only pulls objects toward me; I can get something up off a high shelf with no trouble, but putting it back is more challenging."
Toshinori nodded. "Every Quirk has its drawbacks." Another question. Toshinori was glad she didn't ask that one either. "He is doing well, by the way," he said, opening the briefcase, struggling to pop the right-hand latch with his left hand.
"Oh, please, All Might," Mrs. Midoriya said as her kettle began to whistle, "wait until you've had some tea at least." She started. "Oh! Unless you're busy and need to be somewhere quickly!"
He shook his head, pushing his long hair out of his face. "Not tonight. I set aside extra time in case this took longer than expected."
"Thank you! Again," she bowed, and Toshinori had to smile; Young Midoriya screwed up his face the exact same way.
She brought out two ornate tea cups and a matching pot, black porcelain with green and red pheasants.
Toshinori took his, and his hand slipped, splashing tea over the table.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" they both said, scrambling to clean up the mess. Toshinori pulled away some tea-stained forms, and lifted the partly-soaked newspaper so Mrs. Midoriya could wipe up the mess. Toshinori chuckled.
"Yes?"
"That was a cardio workout, wasn't it?" he said, setting the papers down on the towel.
Mrs. Midoriya gave a nervous laugh, and noticeably relaxed. She looked a bit flushed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to—" Toshinori glanced at the newspaper, and noticed something he'd missed. "Oh, are you a fan of Kimeru-chan? You cut her haiku out of the paper this week." She flushed more. "Sorry! I mean, I am too, I just find her poems very lovely, and when she sang twenty-five or thirty years ago—"
"You're a fan of Kimeru-chan?" Mrs. Midoriya looked flabbergasted.
"Well," Toshinori could feel a flush creeping up his own neck, "she influenced me at a rough time in my life." His smile felt incredibly sheepish. "Her urging for action and helping the disadvantaged inspired me. I'm not sure it would've even occurred to me to become the Symbol of Peace without her." A thought sprang into his mind, and he pulled a small, well-worn book out of his pocket. "I have a copy of her first collection of song lyrics and poems here." He smiled. "You can barely make out 'The Lonesome Night' anymore, I've read it so many times."
"The doe walks alone," Mrs. Midoriya began.
"Eyes twitching at each rustle," Toshinori said.
"As the wolves draw close," Mrs. Midoriya finished.
There was a moment of quiet as they finished reciting. "They were the days before you came along," Mrs. Midoriya said. "We knew society was corrupt, but trying to organize and create change for the better was hard."
Toshinori nodded. "And dangerous." He gave a small smile. "Her poems are lovely, but her songs… every time I listen to them, I find something new."
The rest of his visit, discussing Young Midoriya and Kimeru-chan, passed in a warm glow Toshinori knew, when he stepped outside, he hadn't felt for a long time.
(same night)
Inko sighed, and let the tears start rolling out. He liked Kimeru-chan! She did a little sort of hopping dance in the sitting area until she was out of breath.
She hummed all through her shower and other evening ablutions, and her sudoku. On a whim, as she was changing for bed, she did her exercises. Things were stiffer than the last time she'd done them. But then, that'd been long before Izuku was born.
(a few days later)
"All Might?" Toshinori started. Young Midoriya was giving him a curious look. As were a couple of other students.
"What is it, Young Midoriya? We were just about to start your Search and Retrieve training." He pulled the instructions out of his pocket.
"What was that tune you were humming?"
"Who cares!" Young Bakugou said from the back of the group. "Let's just get started, Deku!"
"It sounded lovely," Young Uraraka said, ignoring her volatile classmate.
Toshinori chuckled. "Can each of you remember when the drive to become a hero first started moving within you?" There were a few nods and affirmatives; Young Midoriya's was especially forceful. "That song was the moment that drive started moving within me. Japan was a turbulent country when I was young, with crime and violence rampant. When I heard that song for the first time, something in me I had never known was there came to the surface." You could say All Might was born that day. "I had wanted to change this country for years. That was when I realized I could to do it as a hero."
Toshinori almost smiled as Young Midoriya's eyes got shiny.
"So, you had strength and speed like the world has never seen," Young Asui said, "and no one suggested becoming a hero to you?"
"That does seem like a glaring oversight," Young Tokoyami said.
Young Midoriya's almost-crying switched to almost-sweating. Toshinori held up a hand. Don't worry, Toshinori thought, Enough people have tried to find out about my Quirk that I know how to deflect. "It was more my state of mind than anything," he said. "I had accidents trying to figure out my Quirk when I was young, so I set it aside." I won't say how young I was. "By the time I heard that song, I may as well have been Quirkless. But afterward, something clicked."
"Oh!" Young Kirishima punched his palm and looked at Young Bakugou. "Like that time you told me about when you were six and almost blew off your nose!" He hardened just in time to render Young Bakugou's explosion harmless.
"You weren't supposed to tell anyone, dumbass!" The rest of the class was already laughing. Young Midoriya winked at Toshinori. Toshinori winked back.
"All Might Sensei," Young Yaoyorozu said as the laughter died down.
"Yes?"
"What was the song called?"
" 'Remember the Sun'," Toshinori said. "By Kimeru-chan, the idol, who was twelve when she recorded it. Anyone reasonably young at the time would know it."