I do not own BNHA or its characters.
Enjoy part 4 of "Shoes"
All Might led the way to the parents' visiting lounge in the main school building. Izuku followed behind, mind racing. When he had gone to fetch his phone, he found it had dozens of missed calls and texts from his mom. When he called her back, she had tearfully apologized for not telling Izuku sooner that Hisashi was being released and would want to see him. She wanted to warn him that Hisashi was coming, to prepare him, but he didn't answer his phone. Izuku in turn apologized for making her worry and promised to keep his phone on him at all times, including summer study sessions.
Izuku covered his mouth and tapped his chin in thought, wracking his mind for the very few stories his mom had told him about his dad. She rarely talked about him, and always seemed a little sad when she did. That was part of the reason Izuku had stopped asking. Now he wished he had been more curious. Hisashi had been an engineer, or was it a mechanic? What was he like? He seemed pretty angry at the front gate, but was that unusual for him or was he generally quick to anger? How would he react to seeing Izuku for the first time? Would Hisashi like him? Would he not? How did he react to Izuku "suddenly developing a Quirk?" Would he ask -
Izuku bumped against All Might's back.
"Ah! Sorry," Izuku blurted, jumping back and looking his mentor up and down, hoping he hadn't aggravated any of his injuries.
All Might smiled as his student's fretting, "I'm not going to fall apart so easily, my boy." He thumped his back as if to prove it, but coughed. All Might smiled sheepishly as Izuku's fretting increased. He rubbed the spot on his back and laughed dryly. "I'm fine, really."
Then he nodded ahead.
Izuku suddenly realized they had already entered the visiting lounge. Across the room, a middle aged man, Hisashi Midoriya, stood and stared wide eyed at Izuku.
Izuku froze.
The man was taller than him by a head. His hair was a dark brown and curly like his own. Faint freckles blended into scruffy stubble. Izuku was surprised they had a similar build, though Hisashi's chest and shoulders were broader.
"Izuku?" Hisashi practically whispered.
All Might gently patted Izuku's shoulder before taking a seat in a chair by the door.
Swallowing roughly, Izuku approached Hisashi.
"Hi," Izuku said, nervously attempting a smile.
"Hi," Hisashi said, breathless. He reached out, taking Izuku's shoulders in his hands. "Look at you… You got so big."
"Yeah," Izuku let out an awkward laugh.
"You look so much like your mom. Wow," Hisashi laughed, a breathy underused laugh, lifting and turning Izuku's chin. He caught Izuku's embarrassed look. "Oh, sorry… Come sit down. You have to tell me about yourself. I've got a lot of catching up to do. How is … life? I mean, you got into U.A. That by itself is - Your mom wrote and told me you were quirkless, but I saw you in the Sports Festival. You were incredible! How did that happen?"
Izuku tensed and glanced at All Might who seemed engrossed in a small book.
"Yeah," Izuku said finally, rubbing the back of his head, "some crazy mutation. It was really surprising."
"So? What can you do?" Hisashi asked, leaning in eagerly.
"Uh," Izuku rummaged for his phone in his pocket, "I think I had All Might record some of my training." He scrolled through his videos, finding a few of him practicing running a small battle obstacle course with his Full Cowl. Mostly running, jumping, and lifting heavy metal gates, increasing his endurance.
Hisashi whistled as he watched.
"That's quite the Quirk." Then he paused, "Where are the other students?"
Izuku blinked in surprise and fumbled for a bit before admitting that he was taking extra lessons with All Might.
"My Quirk can be rough on my body if I'm not careful," he said, absently rubbing his right arm.
A distraught look passed over Hisashi's face as he spotted the mass of scars that ran across Izuku's arm and the damage to his hand. Then anger flashed in his dark eyes.
"Wait! Look," Izuku backpedalled nervously, "See these?" He pointed to the reinforced areas on his suit in the video, "They are a work in progress, but these parts here and especially on my gloves are shock absorbers. We actually figured out my quirk by itself doesn't necessarily hurt me. My injuries are mostly a result of my body being unable to handle the impact or whiplash. The shock absorbers have been doing a great job distributing the recoil. They're really incredible!"
Hisashi's scowl lightened marginally.
"So they treat you alright here?" he asked, his voice low.
"Yeah! It's amazing." Izuku exclaimed, then paused. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "Why do you ask?"
Hisashi didn't reply. His expression was suddenly dark and unreadable.
"Guess I'm just biased," he said flatly, glancing over at All Might with a stony expression.
Izuku hesitantly changed the subject. He talked about his summer, his friends, and his studies. Hisashi's mood remained subdued, even more so when Izuku talked about his childhood and his mother. Now and again, his expression lightened and he would ask specific questions: how an old family friend was, what the new shopping district was like, and what happened to Izuku's old playmates. He asked about movies and television shows the Izuku liked. He asked about places that they could visit together, if Izuku had a day off to show him around. Topics that were neutral. Less personal.
It was … not entirely what Izuku expected but … Did he really expect different? He knew the man was his father, but he was a total stranger. Worse, Hisashi seemed to feel the same. Izuku would catch him examining his face as if looking at someone he thought looked familiar but couldn't place from where. Hisashi tried to share stories of what they would do together when Izuku was young. He could not hide his disappointment when Izuku hesitantly admitted he couldn't remember any of them. Awkward attempts at sharing personal stories eventually bled out into small talk.
Around an hour into their meeting, Hisashi looked up, frowning in annoyance and resignation.
Izuku felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry to interrupt," All Might said, "Midoriya, my boy. It's nearly seven. Do you want more time? Perhaps, we could postpone today's training?"
Izuku suddenly perked. What better way to show Hisashi what kind of life he was living? What better way to show him what he was working toward? Maybe … maybe it could create some kind of common ground?
"Actually, could Hisashi come watch?" Izuku asked.
"I don't see why not," All Might said with a gaunt smile.
They both missed the brief bitter expression on Hisashi's face when Izuku called him by his name, and the envious scowl thrown at the smiling hero.
Toshinori stood beside Hisashi Midoriya outside one of the many U.A. training fields, waiting for Izuku to return. The boy had gone to fetch his hero gear that remained in the main school building. The two men stood in silence as the sky slowly took on a warmer hue on the horizon.
"So, why are you the one giving Izuku extra training?" Hisashi asked, breaking the long silence.
"His Quirk is very similar to mine," Toshinori said simply, retelling the well rehearsed half-truth. "In order for him to fully utilize it without hurting himself, he must build up his body's tolerance and endurance. I have experience with that. It is my responsibility to teach him how best to use his Quirk."
"And you're the best person to do that?" Hisashi asked, the skepticism in his voice clear. With Izuku gone, the man seemed to revert to a less amiable persona. Not that Toshinori was surprised. Most former inmates held grudges against heroes, some from personal experience, some merely gained from their environment. He was sure Hisashi was no exception.
"You mean, should someone crippled and forced into retirement train him." Toshinori said. His barking laughter echoed across the courtyard, unbothered by the disgruntled look Hisashi shot him. "I am aware of how it may look - how I may look. Ah, well, to answer your question: sometimes I wonder myself. Most days young Midoriya teaches me more than I him. He is quite remarkable, if a bit foolhardy at times." He chuckled fondly, "Unfortunately, that is a quality we share."
Hisashi fell silent again, scowling softly.
"Ah," Toshinori looked to the main building, the silhouette of his young student running toward them. "There he is." He raised his hand to the side of his mouth and yelled, startling Hisashi, "MIDORIYA, MY BOY. PUT SOME PEP IN YOUR STEP. FIVE PERCENT!"
"Five percent?" Toshinori heard Hiashi mumble.
"Yes, sir!" Izuku perked up and shouted. Then in two steps, he activated One for All and ran.
"Holy shit!" Hisashi exclaimed as Izuku rushed toward them, impossibly fast.
"Up and over!" Toshinori commanded, pointing up to the tall fence surrounding the training grounds.
Without hesitation, Izuku squat and leapt, clearing the fence in a single bound leaving only dust in his wake. He landed on the other side, rolling to lessen the impact, and popped back up, practically vibrating with energy. He looked down at his hands in surprise, and shot a astonished look at Toshinori.
"I maintained it!" Izuku said, the rush of One for All still coursing through him.
"Excellent, my boy!" Toshinori said, walking onto the training field. "How is your equipment holding up?"
Izuku held out his arms, flexing his fingers and running his hands along the shock absorbers at his joints and padding between them.
"They're a little stiff but only hinder my movements a little," Izuku admitted, shaking his arms loose.
Toshinori nodded, "Still, best to have that addressed."
"Damn kid!" Hisashi rounded Toshinori and approached Izuku, astonishment and awe clear on his face. "What kind of crazy Quirk is that? That fence is - what? - twenty feet high?"
Izuku laughed bashfully, rubbing the back of his head.
"Ready to begin, young Midoriya?" Toshinori asked.
Izuku perked up, determination firing in his green eyes. "Yes!"
Toshinori grinned wide, pride filling his chest at the boy's passion.
"Attaboy! Warm up with eight laps, maintaining five percent. Don't let it falter even in your little finger! Go!"
With a determined smile and a last glance at Hisashi, Izuku turned and bolted for the ringed track.
Hisashi whistled.
"That's really impressive in person," he said to himself. The awe on his face only growing as he watched Izuku loop the track with incredible speed.
Toshinori was about to agree when something in Hisashi's pocket buzzed.
Hisashi frowned, his brow furrowed, perplexed. He pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. His frown deepened and he stuffed the phone roughly back into his pocket. Only moments later, the phone buzzed again. Hisashi sighed, taking the phone out again. Anger and something else flared and he bared his teeth at whatever message he saw.
"Everything alright?" Toshinori asked.
"Mind your own business, hero." Hisashi snarled.
Toshinori's brows raised in surprise. That was certainly a sudden change in mood.
The phone buzzed again.
"Goddamnit." Hisashi growled, but resignation weighed heavily in his slouched shoulders. He pocketed the phone. "I have to go."
"Go?" Toshinori inquired. "Something come up?"
"Mind your own business," Hisashi said, scowling at the hero. Then he sighed, "Tell the kid… I'm sorry. I'll see him again soon."
Hisashi turned to leave.
"You shouldn't waste this opportunity."
Hisashi whipped around, retort on his tongue - only to stop short.
Toshinori towered over him, eyes dark and serious. Even emaciated and arm in a sling, he cut an impressive silhouette in the fading daylight.
"He wants to get to know you." Toshinori said, his voice quiet but commanding. "You should stay. Whatever that was, it can wait. You are the boy's father -"
"And what do you know about being a father?" Hisashi spat.
Toshinori coughed, surprised.
"I…" He couldn't find the words.
He looked back out to the training field where Izuku was running. The students' conversation he had overheard in the dorm lounge replayed in his mind.
Tsuyu stuck out her tongue in thought, "With their Quirks, I always thought maybe All Might was secretly his dad."
"Oh, good!" Kaminari sighed in relief, "I wasn't the only one."
Why would he remember that now?
Hisashi scowled, turning back and stalking to the field exit, "That's what I thought, hero."
Toshinori remained planted in place long after Hisashi Midoriya left. It wasn't until he felt a presence behind him that he turned.
Izuku stood there, a small sad frown marred the boy's face.
"He left." The boy said, far too resigned.
"Ah," Toshinori cleared his throat, "He got … called away. He said he would see you soon."
"Yeah…" Izuku said, unable to hide his deep disappointment.
Toshinori approached the boy, raising his hand to -
He paused, his hand frozen just above the boy's curls. Then, almost uncertainly, he patted his head.
"Don't worry yourself, my boy." Toshinori said, giving Izuku a brave smile. "There is plenty of time yet to get to know him."
"Yeah," Izuku sighed, but seemed lighter for it. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder, "I'm, uh, going to finish my laps."
Toshinori nodded. Yes, they still had training to do, and he was the boy's teacher. It was best they continue with -
"And All Might," Izuku looked up at Toshinori, giving him a shy smile and rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks."
For the second time, Toshinori found himself frozen. He watched the boy, his successor, return to the track.
"And what do you know about being a father?"
"With their Quirks, I always thought maybe All Might was secretly his dad."
Toshinori looked down at his hand, still warm from mussing the boy's hair.
"And what do you know about being a father?"
His gaze returned to his successor, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. Something akin to fear but warmer fluttered in the remains of his stomach.
His eyes burned brightly as realization hit him.
Oh my goodness…
To be continued.