Aizawa sits at the edge of the couch, staring at something out the window. "Midoriya Izuku, he's one of your students, right?" he asks, eyes flicking towards Hisashi.
Hisashi stands at the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables for dinner later tonight. He looks up, solemnly meeting the man's gaze. "He is."
"He knows how to fight."
Mic brushes the cutting board off, raking everything into a pan. "He does." "He's reckless."
Mic can tell where this conversation's going even before Aizawa has a chance to say it. A contemplative silence stretches between them. "...You could fix that."
Aizawa looks up at him, expression carefully blank. "I could." "He's a good kid. But, he's been through a lot."
"I'm aware," Aizawa murmurs softly.
Mic sets his knife down, resting his hands against the counter. He takes a breath, head hanging. "But, you're not. Which is why I'm telling you this. Even before," there's a short, pained pause, "young Iida's death... He was already fighting battles that the two of us aren't aware of. Kids haven't changed much since we were in school," Mic reminds him. He sighs, pushing himself away from the counter. He kicks the stovetop on, pan warming as the butter and vegetables begin to sizzle.
There's a soft padding of feet from the hall behind them. Oboro peeks his head into the living room. He looks tired, finally finished sifting through the papers he'd brought home. "What're we talking about?"
A quiet laugh bubbles out of Mic's mouth as he busies himself with the food. It's a good distraction. "He's trying to steal one of my students again," the words are teasing, but there's a somber note to them.
"It seems you're turning this into a habit," Oboro chuckles, settling down on the couch beside Aizawa. "Which one is it this time?" He leans his head against the man's shoulder, doing what he can to soften the mood.
Shouta's chest rumbles beneath him. "Midoriya Izuku."
Oboro goes quiet. He doesn't tense, but his sudden silence is surely noticeable. He does his best to play it off as the contemplative kind. "The one who," he trails off, "with Stain?"
Aizawa makes a small noise of agreement.
Oboro bites gently at the inside of his cheek, settling further into Shouta's shoulder.
Oboro Shirakumo has a duty to protect Midoriya Izuku's secret with his life. Oboro hadn't written a word of what Midoriya had said down, hadn't so much as breathed the name Piper since he'd been told.
Midoriya Izuku was a boy that believed in people on principle. He saw the good in others where some would not. He trusted easily, but rarely wholly. It hurt to see the impact of Piper's death on his husbands' lives. But, what trust he had earned from the boy, he would not betray it, not even for the sake of his husbands'.
They would heal with time, but should Midoriya's trust be broken, Oboro is sure that the boy never would. He would go into hiding, disappear from the world as Midoriya Izuku and return as a vigilante, fighting until the day he died. Alone and lost and too scared to get close to anyone else, whether for their sake or his own.
Oboro had never been much of a storyteller, but he refuses to let such an ending find the boy named Midoriya Izuku.
"I pick Midoriya!"
A few cheers go up to the left side of the gym as Izuku steps towards his new team. "Let's go!"
Aizawa is watching over them today. He stands on the sidelines, eyes wandering over the class as they split themselves into groups of two for whatever game he's decided for them. They land on him, lingering for a moment before moving on.
Izuku feels a nervous prickle at the back of his neck. Aizawa's attention was never the good kind.
On the other side of the gym, there's a low groan. "I told you you should've picked him before me!"
"What do you mean 'told me'," the team captain whines, "all you did was wink at me!" "Exactly!"
Izuku chokes back a laugh at the exchange, moving towards the back of his group.
Aizawa's eyes find him frequently throughout their games of dodgeball, always the same short, lingering glances as before. Watching him as Izuku breezily dodges throws, watching as he catches a ball from Shinsou with a cheeky grin.
Izuku really should've seen it coming. "Midoriya."
It's after class. He and Shinsou are the only students still left in the gym, waiting for the others to clear out so they could reunite. Izuku does not so much as pause in his stride, pretending not to hear the hero. He continues walking with Shinsou. He gives Izuku a look but plays along without a word. They're just a few steps away from the door when Aizawa calls out again.
" Midoriya Izuku ." It's not a shout by any means, but in the open space of the gym it seems to boom through the room.
Izuku's words die in his throat and he turns to look at the man. He dons an innocent yet curious expression, praying that it hides the anxiety in his eyes. "Yes sir?"
"I'd like to speak with you after school if you have the time."
Izuku feels universes collapse in his chest. He swallows around the lump in his throat. "Of course."
Aizawa's head bobs in a brief nod of acknowledgment. "You can come find me in the faculty office after your last class. It shouldn't take too long."
Izuku has decided that Aizawa is a liar. He's being led into a trap. This is the only possibility his brain allows him. Aizawa knows he's Piper, knows he's at fault for both Stain's appearance in Musutafu and his uncharacteristic attack on Detective Tsukauchi. An attack that killed Iida Tenya.
Maybe Stain had told someone Piper was not dead. Maybe Shinsou had let his suspicions about Izuku slip while training. Maybe his DNA had finally been cross analyzed with Piper's after his fight with Stain. Maybe Izuku had left one too many puzzle pieces. Maybe Aizawa had come to the conclusion himself.
Shinsou watches him from the corner of his eye. "What was that about?"
It's just him and Shinsou today, Reo busy working on something in the support lab.
"I don't know," Izuku states honestly. He picks at his food, moving it aimlessly around his plate. "No," Shinsou starts, "Why did you pretend you couldn't hear him?"
"I just..." He sets his chopsticks aside. "Every time I see him I think of Iida," his words are lost to all but Shinsou in the ambient roar of the cafeteria. This is only one of many reasons for him to avoid the hero.
Every time he sees the hero he's reminded of his failure, haunted by the thought of Iida's death and those that mourn for him. The family, the friends that would be left behind.
"I'm sure," Shinsou starts softly, "That it's the same for him." Izuku hopes that's the only person he sees.
The door to the faculty room is already open. Izuku pauses just outside. He can see Aizawa hunched over his desk, flipping through papers. He takes a deep breath, steadying himself before knocking softly on the door frame.
Aizawa doesn't look up. "Come in."
Izuku steps forward cautiously.
The hero's eyes flicker up. "Midoriya," he sounds tired, more so than usual.
After calming down, Izuku had managed to come up with several reasons as to why Aizawa might want to see him. It could be about his abysmal lack of participation during p.e since the start of the year, or he could be checking in on his condition after the Stain incident. Maybe all he wants is to personally ask Izuku a few more questions about what happened before he and Mic arrived the night of Iida's death.
But, before the news of Piper's death had spread, the man in front of him had been suspicious of Izuku's connection with Piper. He'd seen the similarities in the way they fought, and now that he's seen Izuku fight up close. No matter how many scenarios Izuku forces himself to imagine, he can't let go of the fear he has at Aizawa's suspicions being rekindled.
Stain already knew and Shinsou was suspicious and he'd confessed everything to his therapist just several days prior. He misses a beat, what if he told someone?
The hero pushes himself up from his desk. "Let's find a conference room to talk in."
Izuku follows behind him without a word, anxiety rising. Reo will worry when he finds Shinsou alone. And when he asks Shinsou will tell him where he is, tell him who he's with. Aizawa Shouta, Eraserhead.
They enter a room across the hall. It's small, quiet, windowless and decorated with two small couches that sit opposite each other with only a coffee table to separate them. Aizawa takes a seat on one, Izuku on the other.
The man Izuku is currently faced with is not a teacher to him in this moment, but a hero. A threat .
Eraserhead was the most dangerous hero he'd had the pleasure of encountering during his vigilante career. Not because of his quirk or skill, but because he was one of the few people to have encountered both the vigilante called Pied Piper and the boy named Midoriya Izuku.
"I'll get to the point," Aizawa starts. Izuku can feel the universe crashing down, suffocating him. It makes it hard to breathe, but he forces himself to keep steady. He stares at the man so intensely that his vision begins to tunnel, turning to static at the edges. Surely this would be the great reveal.
Aizawa's mouth parts, words dangling from the tip of his tongue. Izuku hangs onto the action, fear reaching a deafening crescendo. "I want to train you."
The universe grinds to a halt.
The black hole falls silent.
The sun turns its blazing eye on the hero.
Everything tilts on axis. Expectations crumbling beneath the shift of his paradigm. Izuku blinks at him. "What?"
"You originally applied for the hero course," Aizawa states bluntly, "You've missed a lot from the start of the semester." His arms cross in front of his chest. "If you want to catch up with the other students you'll need the extra training."
Izuku feels tears building unbidden like the rising of the tide, swayed by the gravity of celestial bodies.
"For the time being," Aizawa starts again, "You'll still be enrolled in class 1-C and continue with classes as usual. However, if you show enough promise at the end of the year you'll be transferred to one of the hero course classes. It'll be a brutal game of catch-up, but if you're willing I'll help you."
How many years had Izuku been waiting for such words? How many foolish things had he done in pursuit of such recognition?
This was the chance Izuku had been waiting for. Even so, there's a bitter taste on the back of his tongue. "Is this because of Stain?"
"Is this because of Iida?" goes unsaid, but Aizawa understands even without Izuku having to explain.
"If I said no you wouldn't believe me, would you?" "No," Izuku murmurs hoarsely.
The man sighs, leaning back. "I want to give you the opportunity I should've given you from the start." His eyes bore into Izuku's. There's something soft in that gaze, something painful like he's looking at a ghost rather than Midoriya himself.
Who does he see when he looks at me, Izuku wonders numbly, Was Shinsou right?
"I'll have to think about it." As much as Izuku wants to deny it in the moment, it's inevitable that he'll accept the man's offer.
After all, this was the opportunity he'd fought for so desperately.
hersh-underscore reblogged josieeejo shadowlogogist:
[Gif 1: CCTV footage of a woman with a knife quirk. She points her sharpened fingers at a bank teller. Pied Piper, running in from the side, does a flying jump kick into the woman's side, sending her to the floor. The caption reads: "Eat shit!" ]
[Gif 2: Phone footage of Pied Piper at a hero convention. He stands on stage next to five people wearing cosplays of his vigilante suit. The camera zooms in on him shakily. He wears an unamused expression. There is a second-place ribbon on his chest. ]
[Gif 3: A bird's eye view shot of vigilante Pied Piper, power stancing atop one of many police cruisers on the street. He points dramatically at a quirked villain further down the street. The caption reads: "Sick 'em boys!" ]
[Gif 4: Pied Piper, crouched on the sidewalk next to a stray cat. He holds his hand out to the cat who hesitantly sniffs at his glove. There's a short moment before the cat bites down, attacking his hand. ]
[Gif 5: Professional close up of the vigilante Pied Piper. He glares dramatically towards the camera, seemingly looking at something far off. Eventually the look melts off his face and he turns to the cameraman, scratching embarrassedly at the back of his head. The caption reads, Piper: "Was that good?" Cameraman: "It was perfect! You're a lifesaver, man!" Piper's eyes crinkle with a smile. ]
Samonsa:
Piper really was a light in so many people's lives. He helped more than just the people he saved.
low-main-nooble
BRO YabeeYot:
I miss him :(
#:( :( :( #no q we spam like assholes 26,328 notes
Izuku watches his ceiling blankly, blindly tracing the edges of shadows. It's well past midnight, but he can't bring himself to sleep. He pushes himself up, shuffling into the living room and out onto the balcony.
It's raining out, storm clouds blurring the skyline.
Eri was out there, hidden somewhere beneath the city's eye. Sleepless nights like these often bring back memories of her. He'd handed her case off to capable people, but her desperate eyes often haunt his wandering mind.
He leans against the railings. The wind shifts, rain splattering onto the floor beneath his feet. It's cold against his skin, falling against his cheeks, brushing through his hair. He closes his eyes, letting the spray ground him.
It'd still be dangerous. UA hadn't lied in their letter to him. But, he'd have support this time, resources. He could ask for help when he needed it. On the horizon, two antenna lights flash a twin vermillion. One day, when he was ready, when he had the resources and skills to do so, he would be able to protect others like Eri. Where he had failed once he would not fail again.
Aizawa would be able to guarantee a future like this. Midoriya never had any intention of refusing him, just like he'd never had any intention of applying to another school in the wake of UA's rejection letter.
He turns, slipping back inside. The aircon rapidly cools the water on his skin, chilling him further as he trods back to his room. He dries his hair with an old towel, sparing a glance at the time, then the closet.
Reo's probably awake.
Izuku tries to resist the urge, he really does, but he eventually gives in. He pulls his closet open, throwing on a new hoodie and pants. He leaves a small note on his bed, grabs an umbrella from the hall closet, and slips quietly out of the apartment.
It's still raining when he gets to Reo's and it'd eaten through more of his clothes than he'd like. His socks are sopping wet, pant cuffs soaked, even the back of his hoodie is splattered with rain.
The fire escape is wet and cold and with his umbrella out of commission for the climb he looks every part a drowned rat by the time he gets to the top. It's been a while since he's made a nighttime visit to Reo's apartment. He hadn't sent any texts before setting out so he can only hope the boy is still awake. And sure enough, he can see the boy through the crack in his curtains, hunched over his desk. Izuku does not knock. He watches Reo work, diligent with everything he does, every smoking sizzle of the soldering iron, every twist of wires. Even when the rain picks up, Izuku continues to watch in silence, lost in his head. He doesn't know how long he stands there. It must be only a few minutes, but it's enough for his hands to start going numb.
He blinks away rain from his eyelashes, reaching a shaking hand out to knock on the window. Reo's head perks up at the noise and he swivels his chair to face Izuku. He springs up, throwing the curtains the rest of the way open and ushering him out of the rain.
Water drips from Izuku's eyelashes to the floor, streaming from his bangs and clothes, forming a puddle beneath his feet. He can only offer Reo a guilty look.
"You're soaked." Reo's brow is furrowed with concern as he moves to grab an old towel for Izuku to stand on while he gets a clean one. He comes back with an extra towel, tossing it to him to dry off and wrap up in. He digs out a spare set of clothes before leaving him again, this time so he can change while Reo makes them something warm to drink.
Reo comes back a few minutes later with a warm cup of Izuku's favorite tea and a third towel that he drapes over Izuku's head.
Izuku takes a seat on the bed, accepting the cup from Reo as he crawls in behind him.
They sit in silence for a while like that, Izuku drinking his tea and Reo doing what he can to towel dry Izuku's hair.
"What were you working on?" Izuku asks, eyeing Reo's desk.
"A project for school. It's not due for another week, but I didn't feel like sleeping."
"Me neither," Izuku replies softly over the rim of his cup, taking another small sip.
There's another bout of silence, rain pattering against the window. "What did Eraserhead want to talk to you about?"
Izuku hesitates for only a moment. "He asked to train me."
Reo's hands still in his hair, the towel falling in a curtain over Izuku's eyes. "What'd you say?"
"I told him I'd think about it."
Reo's head falls against Izuku's back, resting there. It warms him up, just a little bit. Even with the tea and the dry clothes, he's cold . There's a sigh. "I'm proud of you."
Izuku's head turns a fraction. "You're not worried?"
"I am," Reo murmurs, burying his face further against Izuku's back. "But, you were made for saving people, Izuku. You were made for heroism . Anyone would be a fool not to see it." He lifts his head, bumping it back into Izuku. "Even if there's no one else, I will be there to tell you you can. I'll be the last one to dissuade you from following your dreams."
"What if my dream was to become a dog?" Izuku asks, a teasing lilt to his voice
Reo snorts. "I guess I'd have to help make your fursuit."
Izuku laughs at that, bright and joyful. "When did I say anything about furries!"
"Come on," Reo teases, reaching around to take Izuku's empty cup and set it aside, "it'd be one more thing you have in common with my uncle."
"WHAT," Izuku exclaims, turning to look back at Reo with wide eyes. "What does that mean!"
Reo bursts into laughter at the look on his face, trying to shush him with a wild wave of his hand while he chokes back his laugh. "It's a joke! It's a joke!" As a last resort he cups a hand to Izuku's mouth. "He started dating someone with a cat quirk and he was teasing my uncle about being a furry now."
Izuku bites at his palm and Reo pulls his hand back with an indignant squawk.
They fall back in a tangle of limbs, batting at one another, poking and prodding with laughter too loud for how late it is. They tire themselves out eventually, shoulder to shoulder on a bed far too small for the both of them.
There's a lull where only the sound of their breathing breaches the silence. Then, with a breathy exhale, Reo says, "You're my best friend, you know?"
Izuku laughs softly. "Maybe it's because I've never had friends before, but that doesn't really fit us, does it?"
"What, best friends?" Reo asks.
"Mhm," Izuku hums gently, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm good friends with Shinsou too but... I
don't know. It doesn't feel the same."
Reo's head lulls to the side, looking at him. "Something different then?"
"Something different," Izuku confirms. "Nothing romantic," he murmurs, rolling onto his side to watch for Reo's reaction, "but something other than just friends, I guess." Amber meets emerald in a swirl of colliding galaxies
"Do you have a word for it?"
"Not really."
"Do you want to have a word for it?"
"Do we need one?" Izuku asks curiously.
Reo huffs a gentle laugh, looking back towards the ceiling. "Not really."
"I love you," Izuku whispers.
A content smile settles on Reo's lips. His eyes fall closed. "I love you too."
Midoriya slides quietly out of bed, careful not to wake Reo as he slips out of his arms. If he has any intention of accepting Aizawa's offer tomorrow he'll need his uniform.