A/N: And this chapter we go off the fucking rails, be warned. (I'm probably being dramatic but w/e, I'm anxious about it lmao.)

Thank you to Addles28, Wonderland Tea Party, Necrodragon2020, leafpool5, MIKE202303, Title Unwanted, AllArtAnimeLover, and Anonymonymous for reviewing!

Title: Registered Quirk: Open Heart

Author: liketolaugh

Rating: T

Pairings: None

Genre: Friendship/Adventure

Warnings: None

Summary: Inko liked to say that Izuku had always, in a way, had his quirk. From the time he was born, she told him, he'd cried when others cried, laughed when others laughed, and had a way of knowing when something was wrong. Sometimes when she was upset, he'd tug on her skirt, smile, and say, "Happy please!"

Disclaimer: I don't own BNHA.

The day Izuku was meant to meet All Might fell on a Saturday, and Izuku woke up in a mess of nerves and excitement that made him tremble and start. Less than halfway through his morning routine, his face was flushed with embarrassment, but he was still smiling to himself, small and twitchy.

He still didn't know what All Might wanted from him, but he was so serious, and he'd said it had to do with Izuku's future as a hero too. Did he have some other secret, or a place to train? There wasn't nearly enough data on All Might's appearances to accurately conclude where the man actually spent his time, he always seemed to be everywhere, which was of course appropriate for a professional hero who spent time on patrol-

"You're mumbling, Izuku."

Inko's voice was fond, with brown-sugar warmth, but he still started and flushed deeper, shooting her a guilty smile over his breakfast.

"Sorry, Mom," he murmured, and then, less than a moment later, he brightened up a little. "But I'm so excited! I met All Might for real, and he asked me to meet me again, and-" He cut himself off this time, embarrassed again, but beamed at Inko anyway.

"I'm happy for you, Izuku," Inko told him, earnestly sincere, leaning forward a little. "It's so incredible that I can hardly believe it! But if anyone deserves it, it's you." She gave her son a warm smile as he squirmed. "Whatever he has for you, do your best, okay?"

Izuku punched the air, eyes sparkling. "I will!" he promised immediately.

"And take care of yourself," Inko tacked on, smile fading as her sincerity sharpened into concern and intent. "Don't do anything you don't want to, and don't let yourself be discouraged by anybody. Try not to walk into any more dangerous situations like the day before yesterday-"

Izuku had to hold back a laugh, clapping a hand over his mouth. "I'll be careful, Mom," he promised again, much lighter. "Don't worry!"

"I always worry," Inko said ruefully. "You never make any rational decisions."

"Mom!" he protested, but he couldn't argue, really. He puffed and smiled a little, embarrassed, as little bells of laughter rang through the air, a few tones higher than her cheer. "I'll call you when I'm on my way back, alright? Then you can scold me right away if I do anything stupid."

"It never has the proper impact over the phone," Inko sighed, but despite her disappointed expression the sound of bells didn't fade. "I'll just have to wait for you to come home."

"Using my own quirk against me," Izuku lamented, stifling his smile only with his hand. After a moment, Inko's poker face broke as well, and they both laughed.

Within the hour, he took off, with his notebook tucked against his chest, more out of habit than because he really thought he'd need it. His own excitement made his heart beat quickly, and the whole way to the meeting place – meeting place! – he thought up and discarded possibilities, each more wild and exciting than the last.

In the end, he didn't come to any conclusion. What reason could All Might possibly have to speak to him?

All Might was busy and working on a time limit, so it would likely be short, unless it was going to be something in private or with other people who knew, but Izuku had no training at all and very few special skills, did All Might want him to talk to someone or meet someone, or maybe he had forgotten, it was so spur-of-the-moment and Izuku was nobody at all-

"One of these days you're going to spill all your secrets by accident."

Dong-Dong-Dong, amusement like a grandfather clock. All Might's emotions came across the same in both forms, of course.

Izuku startled badly, head jerking up and bouncing slightly from foot to foot in his surprise. All Might raised an eyebrow at him, only a hint of a smile on his hollow face, but he was there.

"All Mi-" Alarm like a (very quiet) klaxon and he cut himself off, clapping a hand over his mouth. After a beat, he parted his fingers and continued, "You're here!"

"I am here," All Might confirmed, relaxing a little. "I am glad to see you looking better, by the way."

Izuku flushed and dropped his hand from his mouth.

"Y-yeah," he mumbled, mortified. He ducked his head a little, not meeting the man's eyes. All Might was not concerned.

"I am glad to see you here," All Might continued, and when he started walking, Izuku took it as his cue to follow. "Today is a day of great importance! But I cannot explain until we reach our destination." Izuku deflated a little, and All Might shot him another amused look. "While we walk, will you tell me your name, my boy?"

"Ah!" Izuku yelped, straightening up as he felt his entire face burn bright pink. "It's, ah- Midoriya Izuku." He shot All Might a tentative smile, latching onto the ease he felt from the hero.

"Quite plain," All Might commented, thoughtful rather than incriminating. "And you seem rather intelligent, from the contents of your notebook… among other things." A teasing lilt decorated his voice at the end.

Izuku squeaked for a few moments, trying to figure out something to say, and finally settled on, "I like to study." Then, under his breath in an uncontrollable ramble, "My quirk isn't physical and Kacchan didn't like me to play too closely with him, and Mom liked it when I stayed inside with her so I read a lot and watched a lot of hero videos and then I just-"

How wasn't All Might annoyed yet? He cut himself off with a wince, but All Might was only interested.

"It's a good quality in a hero," the tall man assured him, and then within moments, his emotions shifted. Izuku tilted his head, brows furrowing slightly.

The flavor was faint and unidentifiable, but rich, with only silence to accompany it. A form of pensiveness and anticipation, Izuku thought – the feeling of grandparents watching their grandchildren grow as they themselves aged and withered.

Izuku changed the subject.

"Can you eat candy?" he asked, already reaching into the pocket where he kept a handful.

A brief rasp like rubbing sandpaper, and All Might turned his head, bemused. "Why?"

Izuku cringed, looking away. "I mean, I just- sometimes I, um, I thought-"

"I can, in small quantities," All Might interrupted, saving him from himself, and Izuku stopped stammering. The rich taste faded, and something oddly like fondness replaced it. "The easier to digest the better, of course." And then he repeated, less abruptly, "Why do you ask?"

Izuku ducked his head a little and pulled a rice candy out of his pocket, offering it to All Might.

"I keep them for- for when people are having bad days, or think about bad things," he explained, stilted. "And you, um-" Long experience told him that his familiarity with the beat and pulse of emotions didn't make much sense to most people, even when he tried to explain.

Surprise rang briefly in the air, a single strike of a church bell, and then All Might took the candy, and as Izuku watched, unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth.

"You're a thoughtful boy, Midoriya," he said, and chuckled quietly as Izuku stammered again.

The conversation continued, but never approached the reason for meeting, which only made Izuku more and more rabidly curious as time went on. Eventually, they reached a tall office building, and All Might stopped.

"This is the agency of my former sidekick, Sir Nighteye," he explained, gesturing forward. Izuku couldn't quite hold back a little gasp of excitement, calling to mind what he knew of the hero and feeling the clean burst of All Might's pride and fondness across his tongue. "We'll be meeting him and his protégé here."

Izuku opened his mouth to ask a question, and then closed it, just a little apprehensive. Why?

All Might led the way into the building, and as soon as the door swung shut behind him, he swelled into his heroic muscle-bound form, flashing Izuku a broad smile possibly out of habit. Izuku swallowed, squashing down his awe only with effort.

Awkwardness swelled beside him as All Might led the way through the building, most of the man's foggy positive feelings swept aside by anxiety. Izuku stayed quiet, trying to puzzle it out – had they had a falling out? Were they meeting about a sensitive matter, did-

Dong, much quieter than before, and Izuku shut his mouth, realizing he'd been mumbling aloud.

He couldn't even control his babbling around All Might. No wonder his classmates made fun of him.

Finally, they reached an office, and All Might opened the door and went through first. Izuku tagged along after, peeking around him to get a good look inside.

There was Sir Nighteye, sitting behind a desk with his work out but not in progress, expression just as stern and mirthless as Izuku remembered of him. Kitty-corner to it, in a chair set sideways, there was a boy a few years older than Izuku, with a plain face and a uniform, buzzing just slightly with nerves, just enough to keep Izuku from making out what they were saying; the two of them were conversing quietly.

In the next moment, Nighteye glanced up, and deep-toned disapproval reverberated a shade louder than the blond boy's nervousness. The boy, meanwhile, craned around and started as he caught sight of All Might, but he didn't seem surprised.

"All Might," Nighteye greeted, and even his tone was just slightly dangerous. "You didn't say you'd be bringing anyone along."

All Might's awkwardness rose about three notches. Izuku cringed both independently and sympathetically.

"I, well…" All Might cleared his throat and gave Nighteye a winning smile. Nighteye was not won. "It was a last minute decision, you see-"

Nighteye tipped his head up and pinned All Might with a glare, and it was at about that time that the other boy – Nighteye's protégé, Izuku remembered – stood up and sidled over to Izuku, looking almost as awkward as Izuku felt.

"Hello," he greeted once he was close enough, and held out a hand. "I'm Togata Mirio."

Izuku shot him a nervous grin and shook his hand. "Midoriya Izuku," he returned, not quite meeting the other's eyes. "Do… you know what's going on?"

"Not a clue," Togata told him, but already his nerves seemed to be falling away, in sharp contrast to Izuku's, which were rising. He was even smiling. "Sir Nighteye said he wanted me to meet All Might, but he never told me why."

Izuku laughed nervously. "All Might didn't even tell me what we were doing until about half an hour ago," he said ruefully, and Togata snorted a little, with a ring of amusement just a tone higher than All Might's signature.

(Off to one side, All Might and Nighteye were speaking in quiet, terse tones, but Izuku couldn't hear what they were saying, and honestly, he was reluctant to try.)

"They must teach you not to tell anyone anything at Yuuei," he said, and Izuku relaxed a little with a laugh. Togata tilted his head slightly, caramel curiosity rising in place of the amusement, and continued, "How did you come to meet All Might? You aren't a student at Yuuei, I would have recognized you."

Izuku flushed. "Um-" How to explain that he'd grabbed onto All Might and hadn't let go without it sounding terrible?

A discordant vrum made him start badly, and his head jerked up to look at All Might and Nighteye, who were almost uncomfortably close. Nighteye was still glowering, and with a quick, indrawn breath, Izuku counted out betrayal, frustration, worry on one side and then guilt, anxiety, obstinance on the other, amidst a tangle of complication and a taste like a precursor to rot.

They were fighting, but neither of them liked it.

"Excuse me," he said quietly, and to Togata's clear confusion, he skirted around the other boy and approached the two pro heroes, heart pounding in his chest.

Nighteye turned his glare on Izuku as the boy approached, and Izuku swallowed, but spoke anyway.

"I apologize for arriving unannounced," he started, pressing his hands together formally. With effort, he lifted his gaze to meet Nighteye's and felt his heart skip uncomfortably. (It felt too intimate, but sometimes it was necessary.) "I met All Might only very recently, so it was an extremely hasty decision. All Might holds you in such high regard, I'm sure he trusted your ability to adapt to anything." He offered the man a nervous smile even as the hero's eyes narrowed. "I haven't been told what the meeting is about, but I'll do my best not to disrupt it too much."

There was a long, lingering moment of silence, where none of the noticeable emotions changed.

And then the tension eased, and Nighteye stepped back. Izuku let out a breath, and beside him, All Might did as well, the ambient emotional intensity dropping about three levels.

"Introduce him," Nighteye said at last, stiff and still irritated. Togata, seeing the change, crossed over to meet them and took a place mirroring Izuku's, beside Nighteye.

All Might smiled, and his emotions lightened, half relief but not all.

"This is Midoriya Izuku," he explained, placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder. Izuku started, only just holding back a yelp. He glanced down at Izuku and added, "Midoriya, your quirk, if you would?"

"My… Oh!" Izuku flushed and glanced back to Nighteye, reaching over to fiddle with the spine of his notebook in discomfort. "My quirk is Open Heart. It's, um, an empathy quirk with elements of synesthesia."

Togata let out a little 'ah' of realization and shot Izuku a grin, his fist landing on his open palm in a gesture of sudden understanding.

Nighteye, on the other hand, was not impressed.

"Togata Mirio," he said pointedly, "has been training with me for several months and has the quirk Permeation, which allows him to pass through objects and attacks."

Togata's pride tasted like oranges, tangy and sweet. The boy grinned a little, but his confusion, if anything, increased. Izuku had to agree; that was a rather- confrontational way of introducing him.

All Might, though, turned to Togata and flashed him a grin.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Togata," he said, and Togata hastily returned the sentiment, only a few shades shy of being as star-struck as Izuku.

"Hm," Nighteye said, somehow dissatisfied, and then, "Sit."

Somewhat reluctantly, the four of them sat – Nighteye and Togata on one side, while All Might found and placed an extra chair in the moment it took for Izuku to (awkwardly, mortifyingly) realize he wasn't sure what to do, and the two of them sat opposite.

A quiet moment, and then All Might cleared his throat, swelled with apprehensiveness and anticipation- and powered down with a cough.

Togata leapt back up with a gasp, alarm sparking loudly in time with his worry, but Nighteye reached up and took his wrist and said, "It's fine, Togata, sit down."

Togata hesitated, looking at Izuku and then All Might and finally Nighteye, but seeing that no one else was concerned, he reluctantly sat back down, now more confused than alarmed but no less worried.

"Keep in mind," All Might said at last, as serious as he had been when warning Izuku of the hazards of heroism before, "that everything the two of you hear in this meeting is extremely secret. You cannot tell anyone."

Izuku and Togata exchanged a confused and worried look, and then Togata nodded and Izuku followed hastily. All Might cleared his throat, making a visible effort to straighten up, not giving away the pepper-burst of pain that resulted from the action.

"I am weakening," he declared solemnly, and Izuku stifled a gasp of alarm. "My injury-" He lifted his shirt to show Togata, who flinched away, eyes widening. "-which I received five years ago in a villain attack that was not disclosed to the public, makes it difficult for me to maintain my heroic form. Currently, I can only hold it for three hours, but it used to be longer. Eventually, I won't be able to maintain it at all and I will be forced to retire."

Nighteye's frustration magnified, but he didn't speak, or move. Togata and Izuku were both frozen, for all that Izuku had heard this part before.

And then All Might continued, his intensity breathtaking.

"I am going to disclose to you both the nature of my quirk. I repeat, you cannot tell anyone."

"I would never," Togata swore earnestly, and again, Izuku nodded quickly, leaning up slightly even as he held his breath.

"I was born Quirkless," All Might announced. Izuku's breath hitched, and his mouth opened slightly, tasting defiance, sobriety, the same faint rich flavor from before. Confidence, a low hum on the edge of hearing that didn't obscure his words. "My quirk, One For All, is a stockpile quirk, passed from person to person over generations. Currently, I am searching for a successor." He flashed Nighteye a look, unreadable in and of itself, but resonating with regret, guilt, and respect. "Nighteye was kind enough to help me in my search."

Irritation rang briefly from Nighteye, but it faded quickly into the background. "And still you obstruct my efforts to help," he deadpanned, and All Might coughed on a laugh, surprise and pain both flashing in turn. Then Nighteye turned and fixed Izuku with a glower, and then shifted his gaze to Togata, direct and much less accusing, more solemn. "It wouldn't be an easy task. The next holder of One For All would take All Might's place as the Symbol of Peace, reassuring the world with your very existence. You will need to be strong, skilled, and fearless."

Izuku swallowed.

Togata would be perfect for this, he thought distantly, even with what little he knew of the boy.

His quirk, Permeation- it would be almost invincible paired with All Might's quirk, Izuku thought, distractedly making assessments and calculations with what he knew. And he had hardly shown any of his nerves when they'd arrived, sprang instantly to help when All Might powered down, and he'd been so reassuring when they'd both been nervous and uncertain at the beginning of the meeting, obviously drawing strength from the simple need to be brave for another-

"This meeting was meant to be for All Might to meet with Togata," Nighteye added, irritated. Togata started. "I recommended you personally, so you would be considered above and ahead of any students he might encounter during the coming year at-" All Might coughed, and Nighteye stopped with a sigh.

Togata's mouth opened and closed, static shock and faint-berry awe clear and strong from him. His hands twitched almost together, as if to fidget, but he stopped them, keeping otherwise still as he struggled for words.

Izuku himself was almost blank with shock, save the acute, uncomfortable sense that he'd walked into a classroom where he did not belong and where everyone was several years older.

"I-" Togata cleared his throat, straightened up, and his nervousness outwardly vanished, replaced by a beam and confident eyes. "I'm honored, and whether or not you decide in my favor, All Might, I'll do my best."

All Might gave him a nod and a small smile, and he almost beamed. After a moment, he turned to Izuku, curiosity swelling up again.

"How did you catch All Might's attention?" he asked, half-referring to an earlier question. "It must have been dramatic."

It was Izuku's turn to falter without words, and the longer he hesitated, the more he realized he had no real answer. It went beyond being a too-clingy fan, obviously, but what he had done, he had no idea.

He ducked his head, but before he could attempt to explain this to dazzling Togata, All Might interrupted.

"My mind isn't at all made up," the man said firmly, as if he thought jealousy or rivalry might start to spring between them, though Izuku wouldn't dream of it. "I'm certain that you would both be excellent successors." A smile, crooked and somehow very different from the one in his hero form. "I just want to talk to you for a while."

*smile* Hopefully a little less rushed than the other two, eh? Though it went off the beaten track real quick. Let me know what y'all think! Thanks for reading, and please review!