A/N: Hello everyone! Day 3 of my update binge! :D This time, as promised, it's Swan Dive! Whooo! So it's short, but I have an Omake at the end to make up for that. This chapter was kinda fun to write, honestly, and it shows how much Izuku has grown over the last year he's been with Shou~
A new fanfic idea I've had lately is one where Inko is Shouta's older sister (there's only 11 years difference between them; totally plausible). So it'd follow them from childhood all the way through Izuku's birth and his eventual attendance of U.A. (likely with Izuku still getting OfA.) Like, how would Izuku change by having Aizawa Shouta as a loving uncle? And Hizashi as an uncle through Shouta? And Inko having more than just Mitsuki?
Comment ant let me know what you think of that idea, yeah? Something you're interested in? (Just sayin'... little Shouta is so freaking adorable!)
Hope this finds everyone safe and healthy. Both my jobs are still open, even though my state (CA) is under a stay-at-home order. So... yeah. Though one job's cut hours dramatically. I went from working about 22-27 hours a week at that one to 8-13 scheduled hours. Oof. that's gonna hurt so bad. _
Like I said—stay safe. Love you all, and please enjoy this update~!
Izuku grinned as he leapt from roof to roof. He was much more proficient with his Capture Weapon than he used to be, and could use it with almost as much ease and precision as his dad. While he still wasn't allowed to actively engage anyone on patrols, he was most certainly allowed to help his dad restrain criminals until the police arrived, so long as he didn't actually fight.
He was slowly getting better and better at these patrols, and half the time, his dad let him lead the routes, now. Izuku was getting very good at finding trouble. It was almost scary. He seemed to have some sort of natural built-in radar for finding the people who needed help the most, and the nights that his dad let him come along on patrol ended up being the busiest nights he had.
Yuki had finally been allowed to come with Izuku on patrols. Turned out, Yuki did have a Quirk after all, and was fully capable of understanding and comprehending human speech, even if he couldn't replicate it.
Yuki's Quirk? He could completely disappear in shadows. Izuku thought it was the coolest, and it was absolutely perfect for the partner of an Underground Hero. Even his dad agreed. The registration would be finished by the U.A. Entrance Exams, so Izuku would be free to bring Yuki with him to school, too. That was something he was looking forward to, even if Kacchan and Yuki fought from time to time.
That was funny, to be honest. Their first meeting had been… explosive—and not in the literal sense, either. Yuki had taken an instant dislike to Kacchan the moment the blond inadvertently stepped on his tail. It was hate at first bite on Kacchan's end, too. Izuku, ever the peacekeeper, managed to quell most of the unintelligible argument between cat and boy. The two now have a sort of love-hate relationship. Yuki understood that Kacchan was important to Izuku, and was family, so he tolerated the blond.
Didn't mean he didn't occasionally swipe his tail under Kacchan's nose to make him sneeze at one in the morning, though.
Izuku idly reached up and scratched the feline under the chin. He was nearly fully grown, now. Yuki still preferred to sit on Izuku's shoulders, which Izuku found wasn't uncomfortable at all. In fact, his weight was a constant comfort to the boy.
Shouta signed to him, using a special variation that would be gibberish to any civilians (it was a special sign that heroes used), to take a break. They landed atop a nearby roof and settled down on the edge as Shouta brought out their lunches for the night.
Izuku had come a long ways from the kid who could barely handle a four-hour patrol. Now he joined his dad for the full 9pm-5am patrols every Saturday, and the half 9pm-1am on Wednesday (because school). Whenever he had a day off from school due to some holiday or villain attack, he'd join his dad for the full 9-5. He loved those ones, even if he now sported the same bags under his eyes that his dad did.
Hizashi called them twins. And no, Izuku did not blush happily when Nemuri had remarked 'like father like son'.
"All right. So you're called onto the scene of a bank robbery. You're the first hero on the scene, and there are an unknown number of hostages inside. The robber has demanded that cops and heroes clear out within ten minutes before he starts killing off hostages." Shouta started. "What do you do?"
"Hmm…" Izuku thought for a moment.
Izuku knew that, though his dad didn't say it aloud, he had a time limit for his answer.
"How many cops are there? What're their Quirks?" He asked, knowing that heroes could direct police—and occasionally even civilians—to use their Quirks to help them in different situations.
His dad grinned as he listed off seemingly random Quirks (though Izuku knew from experience that some of the cops at the station actually had these Quirks). Izuku ran through a mental list of possible tactics and options before settling on the three that should result in the fewest number of casualties and smallest number of injuries.
He explained the answer with as much detail as he could, listing backup plans for if things went south.
"Four minutes to spare. Good." Shouta smiled. "You've gotten a lot better at this." He complimented, and Izuku couldn't help but grin as he leaned into his dad, the strong arm wrapped around his shoulders to hold him close as Yuki curled up happily in his lap, munching on some of his fish.
"Hard to believe we've only known one another for just over a year." Izuku breathed. "I feel like you've been here my whole life."
"I wish I'd met you sooner, then maybe you could've grown up with a father figure."
"But I have you, now. And Pa, and Nana, and Auntie Nem and Auntie Mitsuki and Kacchan… I have so many people. I feel so blessed." He sighed contentedly.
Izuku's brows knitted together as he noticed a white figure down in the nearby park, which Yuki was watching intently. What was someone doing down there at—he checked his watch—3:30 in the morning?
"Hm?" Shouta noticed the figure, too. "What is Nezu doing here?" He sighed, packing his empty bento and motioning for Izuku to do the same. "Yuki, he's not food." He added absently, as the feline's ears drooped in disappointment. He quickly jumped up onto Izuku's shoulders as he followed his dad as they swiftly made it down to ground level and approached the… mouse? Bear?
"Shouta!" Nezu greeted with a smile. "I was hoping to find you out here." He blinked when he saw Izuku. "This must be your son, Izuku."
"Good morning." Izuku greeted. "Yamazawa Izuku."
"I am Nezu, Principal of U.A." He smiled, and Izuku straightened up immediately. This was the famed U.A.'s Principal?! Shit, he was not ready to meet him!
Yuki popped his head out from Izuku's Capture Weapon with a small meow.
"Oh, nice to meet you, too, Yuki." He smiled at the cat, who seemed to grin back.
"Why are you here?" Shouta sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. It was kind of chilly out.
"Because I wanted to let you know that recommendation slots for U.A. close at the end of this week. If you want your son to apply for one of those slots, do it now. I've got one spot left." Nezu said, looking over at Izuku.
Recommendation? He stared. The thought had never occurred to him. But weren't the slots filled years in advance? As far as Izuku knew, you had to file for a recommendation slot about three years in advance to get a shot at the Recommendation Slot Exams.
"You had someone pull out, didn't you?" Shouta realized, having been thinking along the same lines as Izuku.
"Yes. And I thought you would like to snatch the spot before someone else did. Teachers get priority, after all."
"It's up to you, kiddo. Do you want to take the slot? Doing so will almost guarantee you a place in U.A.'s Hero Course." Shouta turned to look at Izuku.
It was tempting. So tempting. To just reach out and know that he was attending like that. But… "It feels like cheating." Izuku finally said, absently stroking Yuki's soft fur. "I want to take the Entrance Exam like everyone else. I mean no offense, Principal Nezu, and I appreciate the offer. But I realized a long time ago that I'd have to prove myself and work harder than anyone else. If I took the easy road, it would do me no favors. I'll get in the Hero Course, but I'll do it on my own merit—not on the word of my dad."
Shouta grinned, and Nezu matched it. In that moment, Izuku knew that there hadn't really been a choice to begin with. Yes, maybe there really was an open slot and perhaps if he'd agreed to it, he could've actually taken it. But this had been, first and foremost, a test. And he passed.
"Yamazawa-kun… You really are an intriguing student, aren't you?" Nezu grinned. "Do your best on the entrance exams. I want to see you in my Hero Course. If you manage to get in, I'll work your schedule to attend private lessons with me to fine-tune those analysis skills Shouta's been showing me. It's been a long time since I've had a student of my own."
Izuku almost choked on his spit. Nezu, the guy with High Specs wanted him as his personal student?! Holy shit. He glanced at his dad, seeing a similar expression of shock pass over his features.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be off. I've places to be and paperwork to file." He spun on his heel and walked off at a leisurely pace, humming as he went.
"Dad?" Izuku questioned hollowly. "What just happened?"
"You just met Nezu. And impressed him."
"How?"
"I've been showing him your Quirk Analysis Notebooks for the last few months. He got curious, and I saw no harm in showing off what my son was capable of." Izuku felt his cheeks redden. "He was very impressed."
"Kacchan's gonna flip."
"I'm sure he will." Shouta chuckled, no doubt thinking of Hizashi's reaction.
"Now, come on. We've got a patrol to finish." Shouta ruffled his hair, eliciting a laugh out of Izuku. "By the way, have you thought about a hero name, yet?"
Izuku groaned.
OMAKE:
Shouta sighed as he sat down next to Hizashi, Nemuri, and Chiyo at the staff meeting. Nezu said it was important. He'd left Izuku a note—something they'd been able to do recently without the kid freaking out—explaining where they would be. Shouta and Izuku hadn't gotten back from patrol until 6 that morning (because shit kept popping up, as usual), and this meeting was at 7:30.
Just because Shouta wasn't getting any sleep didn't mean that Izuku couldn't get any.
"Thank you all for coming." Nezu started, and everyone's attention flitted to the principal. "As I'm sure you're all aware, we will be welcoming a new staff member next year! I'd like for you all to meet him, now, and listen to what he has to say." Nezu grinned as All Might walked in through the door.
Motherfucker. Okay, maybe he'd spent a little too much time around Katsuki.
"I AM HERE!" All Might announced, a large grin plastered on his face. God, Shouta could feel the headache already, and the man had only said three words. This was going to be a long school year.
"The floor is yours, Yagi." Nezu said with a smile. Yagi? Shouta blinked. Was that All Might's civilian name?
"Right. You all know me as All Might, but my civilian name is Yagi Toshinori. Feel free to use it in private." He smiled wider, and though Shouta didn't like the man, he still understood that All Might—no matter how big of an idiot he was—kept his secrets close to the vest. So why was he telling a room of practical strangers his civilian name? Was it a fake?
"Since we're going to be working together for a while, I'm going to share something with you. Please, and I cannot stress this enough… Tell no one." His voice left no room for argument, and Shouta felt himself stiffen, Hizashi alongside him.
Then, against all logic, All Might deflated. The entire room stared in shock at the stick of a man that stood before them, hacking blood. What?
He lifted his shirt, showing one of the worst scars Shouta had ever seen. "Five years ago, I was nearly killed in a villain attack. The man who injured me is gone, now, but I lost half my respiratory system and most of the functionality of my stomach. I've become like this due to the numerous surgeries and the aftereffects. I can only hold my Hero Form for three hours a day." He took a moment to sit down as the room digested this gigantic piece of shit pie.
Shouta shared a disbelieving—and half terrified—look with Hizashi and Nemuri. He could only work as a hero for three hours. And that's about how long the Beginning Heroics class was, between 1–A and 1–B.
"So you plan to balance Heroics and teaching… how?" Shouta raised an eyebrow. "If you can only work for three hours, are you going to sacrifice your class time because you got caught up in hero work on the way to school? Or are you going to retire?"
He idly wondered if Izuku knew about this mini-might form of his. Perhaps he'd shown it to him on the rooftop? That kind of psychological blow… the weight of knowing that All Might's peaceful era was coming to an end…
Even if Shouta didn't like him—at all—that didn't mean that Shouta didn't respect the hero work this man had done. He single-handedly brought about a new, peaceful, era.
"No, I'm not planning on retiring just yet. Actually… I was hoping that I could work with you all to figure this all out." All Might spoke up, his voice sounded much quieter in this form. "My time as a hero is nearing its end, and I want to help train the next generation to handle the gap that I'll leave behind."
Shouta couldn't necessarily fault that logic. The Number One Hero retiring will certainly bring about a massive spike in crime.
"About how long would you say you have?" Ectoplasm spoke up.
"A year or two, depending on how I use my power. If I push myself too far, I'll lose time." All Might's answer was not what they wanted to hear. So they had two years at most to somehow train these kids to not only keep themselves and others from dying within the first five years of their career, but to collectively fill the gap that will soon open up and attempt to swallow the Hero World whole. Fucking wonderful.
The rest of the meeting was spent talking to All Might and gossiping about some of their star students. Shouta left that room the first chance he got.
This, he decided, was going to be a long, looong year.
