A/N: So these will be Aizawa-centered, but I've had this one in my head for a while...

OoOoOoO

The mark of a hero includes never ending guilt.

Someone said that to Toshinori once and he never really forgot it. For 30 years, he had been a daily household name, cornered in public for autographs, brought onto talk-show stages around the world…

And yet, in those 30 years, no one had ever asked him how he dealt with it. It was taboo. Heroes didn't have survivors guilt, or depression, or anxiety. Nothing could hurt them.

He didn't really realize just how bad it was until the sports festival.

Obviously the attack on the USJ was frustrating. It bothered him immensely that he hadn't been there earlier, that Aizawa in particular had gotten hurt, that the pros had to be called in to fix his the day after the sports festival it really hit him.

Toshinori had gone to campus, intent on seeing Recovery Girl about a new nebulizer since the school was quiet. The campus was closed, so it was surprising when he got there and found he was not the only one with a similar idea. He paused in the waiting area as voices floated through her cracked door.

"-bad. I can always give you medicine for the migraines." A drawer opened as she spoke. Something rattled-the tell-tale clatter of pills in a medicine canister. "You might have light-sensitivity for a while, too "

"Thank you." It was Aizawa and, judging by the clarity of his voice, his bandages were off.

I shouldn't be here...this is eavesdropping. And yet, Toshinori couldn't pull himself away.

"Unfortunately, I can't fix the scar. That will be permanent. And there's no telling what the long term effects of your injury will be. You're lucky you still have your sight."

Yagi's heart dropped in his chest. What would have happened if he had been even a minute later? Aizawa's strength was his sight. His quirk, his job, all depended on it. And yet, because of All-Might, he still stood to lose it all.

You idiot.

"You're lucky All-Might arrived when he did." She was only voicing his own thoughts. "That man can be horribly irresponsible."

That's it...that was enough.

Toshinori turned and left, feeling the panicked fear circulating through him. The students had been alright. He had been too focused on that to realize the harm had been done to his coworker and, daresay, his friend.

"Stupid." He muttered to himself, clearing the building and speed-walking to the gate. It was only once he was off campus that he stopped, heart hammering behind his fragile rib cage, to breathe.

Bracing himself on a wall, he coughed into a waiting handkerchief. The panic attack seemed to have subsided. It left him with a raspy cough and a headache. But still, the entire way home he kicked himself.

The next morning, as classes returned to normal, he found himself adamantly avoiding the teacher's lounge. He knew Aizawa's schedule, so he made sure to avoid him at all costs. He didn't want to see it...the damage he had caused...the scar that the man apparently had.

He made it through the whole day and the next before being spotted.

He was at his desk grabbing paperwork when Aizawa walked in. He didn't dare look in hopes of accidentally catching the man's eye, but out of the corner of his eye he watched the man get into a conversation with Cementoss.

Of course, they're blocking the door.

He fiddled around just enough until they had moved to the side, then made a mad dash for the door. For only a brief second, he thought he had gotten by. The halls were empty now, he could get out easily. Until…

"All-Might-"

He froze, shoulder's slumping.

"Aizawa." He scratched the back of his head.

"Is something wrong?"

Something was very wrong, but it wasn't like Toshinori was going to say anything. Especially since he could see it...that large scar that lingered on Aizawa's cheekbone.

"Nope. Not at all."

"You're lying." Shouta looked bored, his hands shoved into his pants pockets. "We were supposed to lesson plan for camp yesterday. Are you avoiding me?"

"Maybe?" It came out as a squeak unbecoming of the number one hero. Aizawa raised an eyebrow at the admission.

"Why?"

"It's nothing."

"Stop being irrational, All-Might." Aizawa took a step forward, glaring at him behind his hair.

Realizing he wasn't going to get out of this, Toshinori blinked slowly and took a deep breath. "The USJ...for a while, I thought everything was okay because I had saved the kids but-" He gestured loosely to Aizawa, "you got hurt, because of my negligence."

Aizawa seemed to be analyzing him, his dark eyes narrowed. For a second, his admission lingered heavy in the air.

Shouta sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

Toshinori choked.

"I mean, this isn't going to go away." He traced the scar with his finger. "And yeah, you were an idiot. But…nothing we can do about it now."

Toshinori had no idea what to say next. Had Aizawa forgiven him? Or was he still angry? It was so hard to tell.

"I'm sorry, Aizawa." He waited with bated breath for the harsh tone of his coworker, but it never came. Shouta's gaze only softened.

He really is beating himself up, huh?

"It's okay. Just stop being stupid, yeah?" He turned, waving away Toshinori's apology nonchalantly. Before he could return to the office though, he paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Those kids need you, All-Might."

Toshinori deflated when he disappeared back into the office, but so did the guilt. Aizawa was right. He could no longer just think of himself as a hero- he had to be a teacher, too, and an example. He couldn't let other heroes get injured for his mistakes.

Although he still felt bad about inadvertently causing Aizawa's injuries, he felt a little less guilty as he left the building.