Midoriya had lived with Aizawa for about a month. In that time, they had developed a routine. Well, it was less of a routine and more like rules that went unsaid. Aizawas schedule was too crazy to make a routine.

Rule one- Unless you're dying, don't wake Aizawa up.

Rule two- Aizawa is not allowed to go near the stove.

Or the microwave.

When they got home, they both waited until their stomachs were dying before they entered the kitchen to solve the issue. Aizawa stuck to the stool, papers out on the counter as Midoriya debated on what to make.

"These kids are idiots."

Midoriya nodded in sympathy. He could relate. Even though the comment was rhetorical, he found himself responding.

"What'd they do this time?"

Aizawa groaned, "Everything and nothing. I think they hate me."

Midoriyas lips twitched into an almost smile as he continued to stir the food. The silence made another appearance and it only took a few more minutes for the stir fry to be done. Midoriya grabbed two plates and dished it up. He slid it over to his guardian before getting a couple capri-suns and chopsticks. Izuku leaned against the counter, picking through his food before digging in.

"Did you find out why the media broke in?"

Aizawa sent him a halfhearted glare which he responded with a shrug. The elder sighed in resignation, chewing the food in his mouth before swallowing. "The blonde idiot. They were hounding some drama queen in Vlads class. The kid enjoyed the attention and the media ate it all up. It took a while for it all to settle down."

Midoriya nodded, brows furrowed as he thought back to the roof. Should he mention that he saw something? Probably. He'd sound like an idiot either way.

"I-uh, I was up on the roof and-"

Midoriya looked up hesitantly and nearly faltered at the others dead pan. Yes, the roof wasn't supposed to be a part of the students domain but- well, they should get better locks. Izuku rolled his eyes and continued.

"I think I may have seen something. Other than the media, I mean. I only saw it for a second but…I don't know. Just wanted to tell you I guess."

Aizawa set his chopsticks down and folded his arms. Midoriya took that as a request for more information. Feeling the sense of a talk come up, he pushed away his food.

They still had to talk about his side hobby.

"It was just, like, this black blob. It almost seemed-"

Midoriya stopped dead, grinding his teeth at his own stupidity.

"What, kid?"

Izuku groaned, palming his eyes. Earlier this summer- before all this crap. On the rooftop. The black blob that transported Shigaraki. It…it was probably a stretch but at the same time, it really wasn't. Even if it was just a small chance.

"I-I don't even know how much of a possibility this is but, earlier this summer and before I got shot its- Shigaraki got transported by this…person. Or, their quirk. It was like black smoke and earlier today, on the roof. I could have sworn I saw something and at first I passed it off as a car or something. Maybe it was just my imagination but…"

Aizawa sighed, dragging his palm down his face. "You think you saw him again. Earlier."

Midoriya grimaced and resisted the urge to wring his hands. He didn't succeed. "I-maybe? I don't know but if it was then-"

"Then they could have gotten something. From the school. The media was just a cover."

Midoriya pulled his hair roughly. "There's a possibility, I guess. Yeah."

Aizawa took another bite, eyes glazed it thought for only a moment before they snapped back to reality.

"I'll talk to Nedzu about it tomorrow. He'll know what people would want from the school, or at least narrow it down. We may need to bring it up to the police though."

Midoriya swallowed again and picked up the drink to sip from the straw. He didn't know how to start the next unsaid topic and by the looks of it, Aizawa didn't either.

"I don't really like the idea of you staying out. Especially now that schools started but, if you really want to and you promise to be careful, then you'll have my support."

Or, maybe he did.

Izuku took a deep breath before letting it out. He threw the empty drink into the garbage can under the sink. He walked around the small nook and hopped onto the stool next to Aizawa. He took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Did you talk to Kio?"

Aizawa rose a brow, neither impressed or unimpressed. "First name basis already?"

Midoriya shrugged, "I saved his daughter and grandson apparently. At the jewelry store."

Shouta snorted but not in humor. "You didn't know?"

Midoriya merely glanced at him. His fingers came to the counter to tap on it. Aizawa was eying his bowl and Midoriya reached over and flung it lightly in Aizawas direction. The elder, however, pushed it back to him, as well as the chopsticks. Izuku scowled lightly but took the hint.

"I have talked to Kio, yes. I can't say that I agree with what he's wanting to do though."

Midoriya rose a slightly amused brow, "What? Use me as bait? Or the matter that I would be a good political piece? 'An end of era goldmine?'"

The other scoffed, eyes carefully blank. "He said that?"

Midoriya nodded, chewing quickly before continuing. "More or less. He's- he can be very persuasive."

"Be that as it may, do you want to? Or are you feeling pressured to?"

Izuku was quiet for a moment, gnawing on his lip. He looked away, "…I do want to. It's something that I've done before, willingly. And-and it's something that I like doing. But it seems to be going fast. I- I never did any of this to get fans, or whatever. I didn't even want the attention, I just wanted to help people. But now I have actual villains after me."

Midoriya palmed his eyes roughly before continuing. His disbelief evident in his voice. It cracked. It hurt.

"I-I have freaking Stain calling me out. I have a mural painted in my name. This- I wasn't even supposed to get into UA. None of this was supposed to happen."

The clock ticked and Izuku would count them if it wasn't for his thoughts going so fast. Neither he nor Aizawa were looking at each other anymore.

"You know, I'm not that great with words. But I will say this, and you better not bring it up again. I think you'd make a great hero, Midoriya. I don't know what dragged you into being a hero, and I'm not asking. It'll be hard, the greatest things always are, but you could do it. All of it, if you really want. UA, Midorikari, eventually being a Pro-Hero. You can do it."

Midoriya bit back tears. He didn't know why he was crying. He had heard most of this earlier today but in a strange way, it felt different coming from Aizawa. More meaningful, maybe, in a way.

Maybe it was because Aizawa was already a hero. Maybe it was because he agreed to take him in. Or because he backed up a recommendation for him to get into the best hero school in the country. Maybe it was none of this and something he hadn't even thought of.

"If you don't like the spotlight, you can always go Underground. I know it's pretty much what you're doing now but there's nothing wrong with it."

Midoriya hated the taste of saltwater. He hated it. But he hated the voice in his head even more. The one that he knew was irrational and didn't even make sense. He knew this but he couldn't help it.

"I don't have a quirk, Aizawa. I feel like an idiot for even trying this. I'm-I'll probably going to end up in a ditch for even trying. For thinking that I could be something more than the poor kid from a trash city but the worst thing is that I wouldn't even care. I-I don't understand why you even took me in or-or why Kio thinks that-"

Aizawas hand met the countertop with a clap. Midoriya swallowed in the silence and wished that he knew what the other was thinking. But he didn't. Aizawa wasn't even looking at him.

"Stop-just- just stop, kid. You aren't going to die and it doesn't matter if you don't have a quirk. It'll be harder for you than anybody else because of that but it doesn't mean that you deserve to die. Get that bullshit out of your head and think. You're helping people. You're saving people. If you don't want to live for yourself, then live for them. But don't ever think you deserve to die just because you're a quirkless kid with a tragic backstory and it fucking fits. You're more than that, Midoriya. You just need time to see it."

Izuku blinked, mouth open slightly as he stared at the other. Aizawa glanced at him before rolling his eyes and shifting on the stool to face him.

"Midoriya, my quirk does nothing but put myself and whoever I'm fighting with, on equal ground. That is all it is. Take that away, take that equal footing away, and I am quirkless. I'm still a pro-hero and I still save lives. Do I deserve to die?"

Midoriya shook his head rapidly, "What? No! No-why would you-"

Aizawa cut it almost brutally, "Then why do you?"

Midoriyas hands shook as he brought them to his eyes. He waited for the other to say something- or, maybe he was hoping that this never happened. He didn't know. All he knew was that his head was full and he wanted to stop crying.

"Patrol starts in an hour. Are you coming or not?"

Midoriya looked up, blinking away tears. Aizawa had moved to the living room and was looking back expectantly. Izuku felt more tears come to his eyes as he nodded. He didn't say anything, his voice having cracked enough in the past twenty minutes. He looked up again when the wall was pounded on.

"Do the dishes then suit up. We don't have all night."

Izuku didn't move for a couple minutes, the insistent ticking of the wall seeming like a death sentence to him. He got to his feet sluggishly and to the sink. He sprayed off the plates and chopsticks on auto pilot before putting them in the dishwasher and starting it.

He leaned against the sink for about six ticks, he noted, before turning the water back on and washing his face. He turned it off and cleared his throat. He dried his wet hands on his pants before pulling his phone out. Scrolling through his contacts, he clicked on one before putting it to his ear.

"Midoriya?"

The teen sniffed before he replied. "I need Kios number, Tsukauchi."

As expected, the other hesitated. "…Are you sure, Midoriya? You really don't need to, you can just go to UA and-and relax, for a bit and-"

"I need Kios number, Naomasa. Please."

He heard shuffling and Midoriya blinked away his exhaustion. After another moment, he heard the line crackle again.

"(802)-548-2095."

Midoriya hummed, already having memorized the number. "Thanks."

The teen stayed on the call for another moment before hanging up. He stared at his phone for a second, then looked down the hall. A small flame of determination lit in dark emeralds as he turned back to his phone and dialed the number. He held it to his ear and waited.

"Hello?"

Midoriya huffed through his nose, "Kio, it's Midoriya."

The elder hummed pleasantly. "Did you decide?"

Izuku nodded, despite the other not able to see the action. He bit his tongue roughly before he spoke.

"I'm in, Kio. I'm- I'm in."

The other made another pleased sound. "You going out tonight?"

Izuku shook his head, not even asking how the other knew that. "Yeah."

He wasn't asking for permission and the other knew it. The chief of police only grunted in approval. "I'll give you the license tomorrow. Same time?"

Izuku was about to decline when the other spoke again.

"I'll bring Joes too. You want anything special?"

Midoriya thought back to that morning. In the end he decided that one night without sleep wouldn't be too bad. It wasn't anything he hadn't done before.

"Do they have hash browns?"

Kio snorted, "Only the best."

Midoriya huffed quietly and slid the phone back into his pocket before moving to his room. Even with his exhausted features and tear stained cheeks, a small smile lit his face as he pulled his gear out.