The next day continued as normal. Aizawa-sensei showed up for homeroom and left precisely on time, leaving Present Mic-sensei to take over the class. The rest of the teachers continued their lessons as though nothing had happened.

Well, almost as though nothing had happened. They were Pro Heroes. They were good at hiding everything, but Izuku had spent the last year with an octopus that never stopped smiling, a government agent that buried his emotions just as deep as Aizawa-sensei, and a honey trap assassin. He was used to looking for these things, so he noticed the little changes.

He saw them watching the students a little more closely, making sure they didn't need a break. He saw them checking the door and leaving their phones out, waiting for something to go wrong. Waiting to get a call.

Everything went fine. Everything was normal until lunch.

"Midoriya-kun," Iida-san said during lunch on their second day back, pulling Izuku's attention from the handbook he'd borrowed from the library. "I feel I should apologize for my behavior yesterday. I overstepped my bounds and made you uncomfortable." The conversation at the table quickly died down as the rest of the group waited to see what would happen.

…Izuku really should have seen this coming. He carefully shut the book. He could memorize the rules for the Sports Festival and plot later. "It's… It's fine Iida-san. You couldn't have known. I was a bit snappish. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"About that…" Kirishima-san said, "are you alright, man? I mean, you seem better now, but…"

"We're a little worried," Uraraka-san finished for him.

Izuku sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah. Well. Kinda? I mean, I'm definitely better today than I was yesterday, but." Izuku stopped for a moment. What exactly was he supposed to say here? That he already had plenty of traumas about this kind of stuff? That he was constantly on edge because he'd been through more than enough already and that the USJ just made everything worse all over again?

That he was broken and hurting and didn't know what to do about it? No, they didn't need to know about that. Not that he could tell them any of the details in the first place.

"I'll be alright," he finally said. "The USJ kinda hit me hard. And Recovery Girl-sensei's quirk is great for healing, not so great for being able to actually process things."

Izuku's friends nodded. Good. At least they could understand that much. They didn't need to know more than that.

"It's alright, Midori-kun," Hagakure-san said, reaching out to pat Izuku's shoulder. "You do what you need to. I can't imagine having to be that close to everything, much less actually fighting that Hand Guy."

"Indeed," said Iida-san. "It is completely understandable for you to be struggling with this more than the rest of us. Please, do not forget to speak with our teachers if you ever need any help."

"Or us," Uraraka-san added. "You can also talk to us if you need anything."

"Yeah, it wouldn't be very manly of us to just leave you on your own like that. You need anything, you just say so."

Right. They might not be E Class. Izuku might not be able to tell them anything at all, but they still cared.

He had to wonder just how far they'd be willing to go if they knew how his hands had been dirtied.

The latter half of their classes were just as normal and nondescript as the first half. Izuku barely paid attention. Tuning in just enough to copy down notes and answer questions where needed. They were reaching the end of what Korosensei had taught them last year now, but Izuku figured he had another week before things really picked up. Just in time for midterms, so at least there would be something new for him on the test.

Actually, on that thought, were they going to have a practical exam for their midterms? Or was it all going to be paper tests?

Izuku shook off the thought. He could ask Aizawa-sensei later. Or All Might, considering he was about to go talk to his mentor. He waved off his friends and wished them a safe trip home as he gathered his things.

Was All Might actually even his mentor? Sure, they still acted like it sometimes, but Izuku wasn't his protege and successor anymore. And Yagi-san was about to ask someone else to be his student. Would he still have time for Izuku? Or was he going to just… drift off.

"Midoriya-kun?"

Izuku's head snapped up. "Ah, Kirishima-san! What are you doing here?"

"Uh, All Might-sensei asked to talk to me," Kirishima-san answered. "I don't know why yet, but I'm sure it can't be anything bad, right?" He laughed nervously.

Izuku smiled at his friend. He should have known Yagi-san was going to pick him of all people. "Don't worry Kirishima-san, I'm sure he only has good things to say about you!"

"Ah, man. Here I was worried about you and you managed to turn this around on me."

What? "You were worried about me?"

Kirishima-san nodded. "Yeah. You were walking around all dark and brooding like. Didn't even seem to notice me. You sure you're feeling alright?"

Oh. "Y-yeah. I'm fine, Kirishima-san." Izuku quickly waved him off. "Come on. We shouldn't keep All Might-sensei waiting." He stepped around Kirishima-san, walking swiftly towards the lounge.

"He asked you to come too?" Kirishima-san scrambled to catch up to him. "Wait. Do you know what this is about?"

"Ah, yeah, kinda? Don't worry. It's nothing bad, and you really should hear it from All Might-sensei."

"Come on, man, give me something! Don't leave me hanging here!"

Izuku threw a grin over his shoulder. "The faster we get there, the sooner you'll find out!" he sang before breaking into a sprint.

A loud squawk and pounding feet were the only things telling Izuku that Kirishima-san was following him. The pair raced along the empty halls, weaving around the rare person they came across, usually leaving them yelling in their wake. As they approached the stairs they needed to climb, Izuku felt his grin grow wider. A loud whoop pulled itself from his lungs and he lunged up the first few steps, angling himself towards the wall.

And then he took a solid step up the wall and flung himself through the gap in the railings between floors, twisting to keep his momentum and pin balling up the next flights, until he finally rolled out on their floor and skidded around the corner. His laugh grew on the level ground, ringing through the halls.

He felt wonderful. He felt alive. His lungs and legs barely even burned at all, but the rush through his hair and in his blood as he pushed himself and flew through his surroundings was intoxicating. He hadn't felt this free in months.

And just as suddenly as he started it, it came to an end. Izuku slowed to a soft jog and stopped in front of the door. His breathing leveled off and he could feel himself settling back down. It wasn't enough. He wanted to keep running and never stop, never look back.

Izuku shook off the thoughts. He needed to stay grounded here. He needed to focus on the now, keep moving forward. He wanted to run from his pain, but it would never help. It would never be enough.

Izuku was smiling again by the time Kirishima-san rounded the corner panting. Even if the smile was fake, it would be enough to keep his classmate from worrying about him too much.

"Dude," Kirishima-san said between breaths, staring at Izuku, "how the hell did you do that? Where did you learn that? Can you teach me?"

It felt like Kirishima-san had managed to get his breath back all at once with how he fired his questions off one after another. "I'm not much of a teacher, and it would be a while before you could do anything like that. Find a free running gym somewhere and try it out there. Just… don't be stupid about it. It can get a little dangerous sometimes."

Kirishima-san nodded rapidly. "God, that was so manly."

Izuku laughed. "Well?" he gestured at the door. "After you."

Kirishima-san glanced between Izuku and the door, before slowly stepping up and knocking.

There was a brief shuffling inside, and the door opened, with All Might standing there in his full glory. "Please, come in, boys!" he said, stepping aside.

Kirishima-san swallowed and stepped forward his hands locked in a white knuckled grip on his bag. Izuku raised an eyebrow, watching both of them closely as he stepped in behind them. He casually set his bag aside and let himself fade into the background as he took a seat on the couch.

"So, uh, you wanted to see us, All Might-sensei?"

All Might nodded at him. "I did! Please, take a seat, Kirishima-shounen. Would you like some tea?"

"N-no thanks."

All Might coughed into his fist. Izuku knew he saw some blood, but Yagi-san had it hidden away before anything else could come of it. "Then let's get to business! Everything you see and hear here today is sensitive information, Kirishima-shounen. Can you keep it a secret for me?"

"Uh, y-yeah. I can do that! I couldn't call myself a man if I couldn't keep a secret that important!"

All Might deflated in a puff of smoke, coughing softly again as he relaxed back down to his true form.

Kirishima-san screamed.

Izuku really should have expected that.

"Wha- but- what happened!?" he said, starting to hyperventilate.

"Hey!" Izuku said, voice cracking like a whip. "Hey, look at me Kirishima-san."

Kirishima-san turned to face him, eyes not focusing as he panicked.

"That's it. Everything is fine. You don't need to worry."

"How can you say that!? All Might's… All Might's…"

"And that's why you need to keep it a secret."

"Please, shounen, try to calm down," Yagi-san said softly. "We can explain everything to you, but I would rather not have to explain why you fainted to Recovery Girl."

Izuku couldn't help the soft snort at that.

"Y-you're Yagi-san?" Kirishima-san said, his attention slowly shifting back to the skeletal man across from him.

"Yes, I am. Yagi Toshinori, better known to the public as All Might."

"You knew?"

Izuku nodded. "Do you think you'll be alright, or do you need another minute?"

"Uh, give me a minute. This is… this is a lot."

Izuku laughed, a warm smile pulling up his lips. "Yeah. I freaked out just as much when I first found out."

"How-?"

Yagi-san chuckled softly at the memory. "Izuku-kun made some… questionable decisions," he said.

Kirishima-san shot Izuku a confused look. "What did you do?"

"Believe it or not, I wasn't always…"

"Confident?" Kirishima-san supplied "Self-assured? Cool and collected? One of the manliest people I've ever met?"

"That. All of that."

"Somehow I doubt that."

Izuku shook his head. "I was… quiet. Nervous. I was the kind of person that was easy to overlook. I kinda wanted to be, honestly. Life was… rough. One day I got caught up in a villain attack. Some low life was trying to make off with, I think it was stolen cash?"

Izuku glanced over briefly to get a confirmation from All Might. At the nod, he continued. "Anyway, point is, I was attacked, and All Might saved me. After everything was over, I had some questions. All Might needed to get moving, and I was desperate, so I, uh…" In hindsight, this was actually really embarrassing and Izuku wasn't sure he actually wanted to admit to it, but at least Kirishima-san had calmed down and seemed to be interested in the story.

"You did what?"

"He grabbed onto my leg just as I jumped," Yagi-san answered for him. "Scared the crap out of me."

"You what!?"

Izuku laughed nervously. "Anyway, we're not here to talk about me being an idiot a year ago. We're here to talk about All Might."

"Ah, right," Yagi-san folded his hands in front of him. "You said you would keep all of this a secret, Kirishima-shounen?"

"Well, yes," Kirishima-san said, "but I'm a little confused as to why you're telling me."

"We'll get to that, for now, there are somethings that need to be explained." And with that, Yagi-san was launching into his story. He talked about his injury and his time limit. He talked about his quirk and how it worked. How he was chosen, and how he needed to find a successor while he still could. How teaching at UA did two things for him. Putting him in a position to find a successor and allowing him to set up for his retirement.

"I had offered my quirk to Izuku-kun the same day we met," Yagi-san said, bringing his speech to a close.

"Wait, you're All Might-sensei's successor?" Kirishima-san said, turning to Izuku. "But then why all of this?"

"I'm not Yagi-san's successor," Izuku answered. He'd stayed back and let Yagi-san talk until now, but this was his to explain.

"You turned it down!?"

Izuku shook his head. "Not at first. It was the best day of my life when All Might asked if I would accept his quirk, but I changed my mind later."

"Why?"

"I wanted to do it myself, with my own power and my own strength. I wanted to prove that I could."

"That's so manly." Was Kirishima-san crying?

"Indeed, Kirishima-shounen," said Yagi-san. "And now, I've chosen you. It is your choice."

Kirishima-san stared at Yagi-san. "You… you want me to…" He was definitely crying.

"I do."

"But… I'm just… I'm not…"

Izuku placed a hand on Kirishima-san's shoulder as his classmate wiped away his tears. "Don't sell yourself short, Kirishima-san. You're gonna be great. Don't forget, you're manly too."

"I'm just me."

"And once upon a time, Yagi Toshinori wasn't the name of anyone special either," Yagi-san said. "He was just a kid with a hopeless dream." Yagi-san stood up and moved to kneel in front of Kirishima-san. "Maybe you're just a kid now. Maybe you're not anyone special just yet, but we all start somewhere, Kirishima-shounen. You are kind, and brave, and optimistic in ways that so few people are. You are outgoing, and energetic, and I see in you the potential to be a great hero. One of the best, even. You don't need this quirk to be great, but I think you deserve it."

"Y-you're sure?"

"Very."

Kirishima-san brushed away his tears and lifted his head, looking Yagi-san in the eye. "Then, if you'll have me, I'd be honored, All Might-sensei!"

Yagi-san grinned back. "Then it's time for the next step!" he said, reaching up and plucking a hair from his head. "Eat this!"

"What!?"

Izuku burst out laughing. Of course, Yagi-san forgot to explain something.

"I need to ask you something," Kirishima-san said, rising from the water fountain where he'd been trying to rinse down the hair he swore he could still feel in his throat.

"Ask away."

"You and Bakugou-kun don't get along."

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "That would be putting it lightly."

Kirishima-san winced. "Right. Yeah. I just. Do you hate each other?"

That was certainly a loaded question. "I don't know. It's. There's a lot of baggage there. We… I don't think I hate him. Not really. We're just incapable of holding a civil conversation under any circumstances."

Kirishima frowned at the floor and turned, resuming the trek down to UA's front entrance. "Would you hate me if I was friends with him?"

"What? No? You can be friends with whoever you want. Why? Do you want to?"

Kirishima shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. Can I be friends with both of you?"

That really was the question wasn't it. Izuku didn't think simply being friends with Bakugou would prevent them from being friends. But what did Izuku really know? All of his childhood "friends" went with Bakugou. Would this be the same? Could someone actually manage to maintain a relationship with both of them? "I don't know. We haven't really had shared friends since we were really little. I guess the only way to find out is to try? Can I ask you something, though?"

"Of course! You can ask me anything Mido-bro!"

"Why? What do you see in him? What made you want to be his friend?" When was the last time Izuku had seen any of Bakugou's redeeming qualities? Were they even still there? What parts of Kacchan could even still exist under that mountain of anger and insecurity?

"You know we wound up together at the USJ, right?"

Izuku nodded. The USJ. Where they almost died.

"When we were separated from everyone else and surrounded by villains. He just. He had the air of a real hero, you know? It was so manly how he looked at the situation and didn't even let it phase him. All these villains and he was so confident that they wouldn't leave a scratch on him. And he was right! He took them all down like it didn't matter. Made me feel like I could do something too. Like it was gonna be fine because he couldn't possibly lose."

"Don't sell yourself short, Kirishima-san," Izuku cut in. "He didn't beat those villains alone. You fought there too."

"I know. But I was terrified. Watching him, I felt like I was already behind him. Like he was two steps ahead. Like he's already a hero. And don't get me wrong! I know he's not. I know he's got his faults. But still. He's our classmate, and it was like he was one of the closest to being a Pro out of all of us in that moment. I just thought. With all this skill, all this potential. It sucks that he seems so lonely all the time. That he keeps setting himself apart from all of us."

Oh. That made sense. And it was the exact same thing Izuku used to see when they were small. How Kacchan never backed down and always won. Even against the big kids he stood his ground and got them to back off. "You know," Izuku said, "he could probably use someone like you at his side."

"You think so?"

Izuku nodded. "Don't tell him I said this, but I think he's forgotten how to have friends. At our old school, he didn't really have any. Not real ones. He just had people clinging to his coat tails and trying to get the chance to say they were friends with a future hero. He could use a friend."

"So, you're fine with it? You won't be upset if I try to befriend him?"

"Nah. Just. Don't expect us to get along. And be careful. Remember that you can't fix him. You can be there for him. You can support him. But the problems he's got? They aren't the kind of problems that go away with the power of friendship. He has to do the work. Got that?"

Kirishima-san grinned. "Yeah. Of course. He's his own person and his faults are his to deal with. I got that."

Izuku nodded. "Well. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Kirishima-san," he said, stepping out into the afternoon light. "And I don't suggest trying anything new on your own," he finished with a firm look.

"Yeah, I got it," Kirishima-san laughed, rolling his eyes. "Um. I think I'm gonna try to sit with Bakugou for lunch tomorrow."

Izuku snorted. "Like I said. I won't stop you. But it might take a while before he actually warms up enough for you to get anywhere."