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ESD Headquarters
A meeting of the minds had been taking place from within the most secure location within the country for heroes to discuss private information regarding the world at large. Their discussion of current affairs left the heroes a bit lost in regards of where to go from here on out,
"Why is the retirement of a villain the thing that's making me feel sick to my stomach?"
Mt. Lady spoke out at the most prominent piece of concerning news so far. Discovering the video chat that took place on a not so private channel had the ESD reveal the conversation to only a few of the top heroes in the country due to concerns of the public reaction. Investigating the mansion that held the holographic video device only told those who wanted to know more that it was an abandoned old house.
With heroes on the decline, the Emergency Security Department felt like the only people who were doing anything to maintain the peace. Their attempts to maintain relations between the public and heroes themselves felt like the ones in the costumes were taking a pity ride on the vehicle that belonged to the adults.
Worst yet, another large public figure in the hero circuit retired their mantle just three days ago. Death fists had seen the limits of his motivation to be a hero in current society after the raid on the Liberation Front.
Not only were the public lambasting his efforts to keep them safe; he saw what it took to actually keep them safe from the dangers of the world. He watched first hand as countless officers put themselves in harms way to protect those they were charged with saving. Over a hundred dead bodies erupted from the mansion he watched explode with the appearance of Gigantomachia. Still, the ESD never faltered in offering their undivided support in protecting society as a whole. This level of death haunted the former hero as he shed the costume he once wore so proudly. He no longer could endure the commitment that he saw came with being a protector of the innocent from the threats of evil.
"Still, here we are. We can't allow our own self pity keep us from doing what we set out to do. If the ESD can still stand after their losses, then we have no excuse to quit. They too depend on us for the hope we provide!"
In a surprising moment of resolute strength, Mt. Lady spoke up to remind her fellow heroes where they stood in all of this mess. Everyone from Best Jeanest to Endeavor brushed off their pertards to address the biggest issues requiring their attention.
Even asking the ESD officers in the room for their specialists surprised the others in the room with how much they knew the woman despised the department as a whole.
Her entire career had the ESD constantly hounding her for all the damages and regulations she caused on a regular basis. Seeing her be so professional with their officers humbled the others enough to focus on the job at hand. Entering the room at quest were the intelligence operatives who the heroes needed at their disposal. Without any time to lose, the intel these officers had at their disposal briefed the heroes about the current situation at large.
Increases in public violence put the ESD as the primary symbols of authority. Police were given additional support for lower priority crimes, though the lack of heroes made things a bit too cut and dry for the department's tastes.
Uprise in crime correlated to areas that lacked hero support to address the public after said arrests were made. Many heroes were actually working double the hours of their previous times on duty while putting forward five times the effort while doing so. Having the remaining population of diligent heroes out to make their smaller communities a safer place while the larger heroes wallowed in their self pity felt wrong to the bigger named juggernauts of the industry.
Heroes like Manual, a small timer in the Hozu district, actually fell ill after overworking himself. His only regret was that he left his city undefended while he recovered in the hospital.
All these heroes got to work in devising new ways they could better offer their services to better keep the uprising of violence from escalating. Nobody in that room no longer felt the need to feel so helpless as long as they could keep providing a way to help those in need.
Elsewhere
Arriving on the scene of a criminal bust, All Might saw Midoriya in a sordid state as he attempted to leave the area.
"Kid!"
The costume on Midoriya's back saw better days. Filth caked the exterior of his armor as Izuku finished up with another villain that tried to take over a shopping district in a hostage situation. Police were on the scene to apprehend the villain as All Might barely managed to catch the attention of the fleeing vigilante that stopped the villain out to do the public harm.
"Wait! Just wait, will you?!"
Just a moment passed before Midoriya responded to the concerned mentor that led this young man down the path of this journey All Might left this young soul to follow.
"It's okay, All Might. I am as capable as you were at one hundred percent. So…"
The look that All Might felt through that armored mask pierced his heavy heart. He questioned the good he brought into Midoriya's life as the boy told the man something that left him in his grief over his decision in making Izuku his inheritor.
"You don't have to worry about me anymore."
Tripping over his own two feet, All Might felt the weight of his decision finally bear down on him in full capacity. He now understood all the hate he received from the other mentor that helped the boy through their journey. Why it was that Nakamura kept criticizing the retired hero for all the decisions he made in teaching the young Midoriya. Even before the events that passed now, he knew that the boy would suffer through so much to carry on the burdens left by his predecessors. He didn't hate the hero; he hated the pain that came with such a path that required countless self sacrificing of the one to walk said path,
Left in the rain, All Might cursed the power that he gave Izuku all that time ago. He now saw the damage he has wrought to the boy after it finally became too late.
?
Inside of the meeting room that all the inheritors first convened with the young Midoriya within, everyone except Izuku and the unknown inheritor all sat in heavy silence in light of recent events.
None of them could deny that this inheritor took on more than his fair share of the burden when it came to finding out who this Bloodsoaked was. Constant work to keep questioning all the villains that he could find put Izuku in a compromised position that kept weathering him down day by day. He even stopped returning to the home of Nakamura to keep looking for a solid enough lead to bring down the bloodied linker that deeply disturbed Izuku with their words.
"I feel as though my original goals have placed a burden on Midoriya."
"This kid has some serious dedication, since he makes evert]thing his business!"
"His newfound potential now has put him on the path that he wished to take to save everyone…"
All the inheritors voiced their concerns for the young boy they gave their powers to to complete the job they failed to complete. In light on the rise of this new threat, he now pushed himself even harder to stop this villain that he felt obligated to stop. Someone who they all felt was out of their depth of understanding.
"He is choosing the right path… Yet…"
The second inheritor had been a fighter for a rebellion against All for One from the very beginning. What he experienced entailed all sorts of horrible things that war brings with its natural process.
"To simply let him take on such an opponent such as this… it feels wrong…"
Nothing about Bloodsoaked had been something he faced in his previous life. This monster even told Izuku to simply walk away from their path, yet this young would didn't want to leave injustice in this world. This thing; if felt so unnatural in any context.
Present Time
Day after day of taking on all these reckless villains out to make a fortune on the current perceived instability had Midoriya wander from city to city with no specific destination in mind.
Fighting these villains all were to seek out the information necessary to stop the misery this one individual brought to this world. He even left Mina in the care of those he trusted as he kept on trekking through his fatigue. Seeing her suffer in that fear motivated to keep on pushing through it all. There was too much he wanted to protect to let this one being threaten it all.
All their faces. Mina's joy that he felt privileged to be a part of. Momo's elegant beauty she chose to make a part of his life. Kyoka's wonderful gift that made her one of a kind in his eyes, Ochaco's kindness he felt undeserving of. Tsuyu's familial love that she shared with someone like him. Toru's gentle soul he swore to protect with his life. Ryuko's trust in him to treat her with the love she deserved. Shinzo's nurturing affections he wanted to pay back in full. Tomoko's healing heart he wanted to see fully realized while investing her love in him. Itsuka's gentle nature he wanted to experience more of. Tokage's passion she wanted to share with Midoriya. Melissa's faith that put him as the object of her expectations for greatness. Toga's misunderstood heart that he wished to nurture.
These feelings were all real to him. Too much was on the line for him to simply give up now after all he endured to reach where he was now. His friends all depended on him to succeed. Two siblings he felt connected to out of some sort of deep seated connection with them. One being a child that he wanted to be proud to look up to. The other a role model that trusted him to achieve the potential they saw in Izuku.
Iida's desire to just be the best he can be to the people who matter to him. Kirishima's passion that recognized him as a worthy man. Sero's trust to see that Midoriya would excel because of the help he lent to his fellow classmate. Kaminari's naive spirit that still looked up to Izuku as a fellow hero they would graduated with at the end of their school year. The consistently off putting personality of Mineta that had seen some serious progress from his previously inexcusable behavior. Mezo's kindness that never questioned his friend's decisions, no matter what. Ojiro's constant endurance to be more than what was thought possible from someone as average as him.
Shoto's constant willingness to learn from the many trails in his life, things that would have easily broken people half as strong as him.
Kachan's strength to endure all his hardships. To work past the pain his father's death brought him. His desire to become a truly great hero that he could be proud of in his own right.
The one mother he knew for his entire life. A beautiful woman that he could know was his mother no matter what. A woman that would always be there for him.
What had been a fantasized role mode turned to his personal mentor. A man he owed too much for the journey he thought once impossible from the very start. Someone who afforded this once unfortunate individual the opportunity to pursue their dreams.
And the one person who he felt indebted to for everything that made Izuku a man to this day.
Nakamura pulled him out of the worst scenarios while still holding the young boy accountable to all the mistakes Midoriya made. Haru never left the boy alone in his misery. He never abandoned Izuku in even the worst of times. No matter what, he came to his aid. The one he felt proud to call his dad. A person who he couldn't see living his life without.
Tripping over his own two feet from his own fatigue, Midoriya found himself in a public plaza with a strange event occurring in front of him.
"I think the goddess of fate has landed you in front of me. What good fortune will you bring me; I wonder?"
A woman in long draped robes covering her entire body possessed cards floating around here with people eerily floating all around her. Another new nameless villain that he couldn't be bothered to remember/
"You may have bested those before me, bu-"
Without wasting another second to hear what this new villain had to say, Izuku used a single tendril of Black Whip that impacted the female with the solid stone pedestal that belonged to the vandalized statue of All Might. Before all the floating bodies could hit the ground, Black Whip caught them all and gently returned the innocent civilians to the ground without incident.
About to leave the area while the authorities were on approach; something cut off Midoriya's escape.
"AP Concussion Shot!"
In an instinctive maneuver that caused Izuku to stumble backwards, a blast of air left the exhausted Midoriya on his ass with the armor he wore absorbing the majority of the force.
"Found him. I repeat, I located Deku."
One Day After Mina's Return To UA Academy
Waking up back in UA Academy's dorms left Mina a bit of an emotional mess. All the students who were apprehensive about the departure of their dear classmate felt that this act of supposed selfless heroism put Izuku too far out into foreign territory. Momo held a crying Mina in her arms while the others were already up in arms to try and get their friend back from his self indulgent mission to combat the greatest villain known to mankind.
Their dorm mother had been absent for weeks on end with the training they promised to give the ambitious young couple. Seeing that only one of them returned in such a sorry state left a bad taste in the class's mouth to just leave matters where they were.
They all knew Izuku would never leave Mina in such an emotionally catastrophic state unless he too were in a similar state as her. Leaving the girl who weathered the worst of this situation as he did clued the others in that Izuku was now in the worst situation he could be in. Making things worse was the remaining absence of Haru to help these teens process their predicament.
"Where the hell is he?! seriously, Haru-san needs to-"
Kaminari's comment about Nakamura had Bakugou stare daggers through his classmates head. Of all the people who didn't want to hear anyone badmouth the man, Katsuki had been the one at the top of the list.
Still this left the rest of the class a bit lost in what they needed to do to resolve this issue.
Without their ever vigilant source of guidance to walk them through their difficult times, these kids had to come to their own decision on things. It left many of them a bit nervous to push forward on what they needed to do.
"P-please…"
They all turned to the distraught Mina who looked to her closest friend for a solution to her turmoil.
"Help him."
None of them could sit idly by in the face of such misery. Their friend asked them to help her in her time of need. Not even the most heartless of them could deny such a desperate cry for help in the face of her misery.
The Next Day
All of class 1-A stood in front of the principal of the academy they all attended. Included in the room was the hero Endeavor, who had been requested by Nezu to appear by the head educator of UA Academy himself. Some feelings of being slighted were dwarfed with the realization that these kids were here to seek out information to help their friend in his time of need.
"Listen here…"
First to speak up against the hero standing in the room had been none other than Bakugou.
"You don't know the first thing about that damn Deku. Even less so about Haru-san."
This boy's insight into the duo put things into perspective for the hero as the young man kept speaking without remorse for anybody else's feelings.
"Izuku can't think about anybody else when he makes his decisions. Haru-san is even worse, since he never even considers himself at all when he does stuff for us."
Hearing this child share the truth about that man only cemented his assumptions about the man he came to hate for so many years. Countless pieces of evidence pointed to the fact that Nakamura has been nothing but the polar opposite to him for years on end. The fact he willingly volunteered to be all these children's caretaker should have been more than enough evidence that Haru always wanted the best from others over his own well-being.
Looking at his son, he felt the overwhelming regret that accompanied the fact he saw that Nakamura never wanted a thing for himself over the well-being of those he cared about. A quirkless man produced a better human being through their constant diligence over years of effort than he could ever hope to do for the rest of his life.
This young boy he constantly abused over his personal hang ups still retained their better aspects because of someone who endured the trials to fix his mistakes as a parent.
"Izuku has been on a leave from his stay at UA from the permission from a personal guardian…"
The ever clever Nezu simply clued the hero into what he could do for these students looking to help their friends. Without another moment to lose; Endeavor chucked the phone in his possession set up with the program to track the evasive Izuku through the tracker built into his suit. No hesitation went into the desperate dive that the entire class engaged in to try and retrieve his mobile. Seeing their bond that drove them to act so selflessly only served to humble the hero even further.
"Villains are on the rise out there. It isn't safe for you kids to be so-"
"-so his recently wouldn't require the permission of said guardian; no matter how kind or considerate they were."
Such a strange conclusion to his statement was obviously meant for the already emotionally distressed Endeavor. His heart felt ever so slightly less heavy hearing Nezu acknowledge his personal turmoil. He still didn't relinquish the burden he felt that he deserved to carry from his neglect of the family he failed in the first place, still.
"Whoever is accepted by UA is our responsibility. In whatever way he wishes to return, he will be accepted back into our midsts."
This free form of thinking had been why Nezu had been saved from that god forsaken laboratory. He still could remember the words he heard Nakamura say to the fatigued lab subject after killing all those cruel researchers and spoke to the last living entity that should've been treated as the other forsaken lab subjects. Those words would never be forgotten as Nakamura offered his hand to the creature seen by Haru in that bleak situation he felt abandoned in.
"If you want to be better, then do so. All I can offer is the opportunity to do so."
Whoever could feel this hope he once felt in the future made Nezu feel as though his miserable past had been worth living. This was his way of being a hero to those he wanted to save. Through his hero, he would continue that hope that would save those in need of salvation.
Present Time
Standing in the plaza he just saved innocent civilians in, Izuku felt the pressures of the fellow classmates he felt he needed to protect through his constant vigilantism. It both filled him with longing and heartache to see everyone he cared about so dearly on a personal level. Then the words that kept creating doubt within him returned with the vengeance.
We fight for the same thing.
"Why are you here?"
Such a heartless response had Ochaco responde to Midoriya's question.
"We were worried about you."
Unconvincingly, Izuku stood back up on his unstable legs while his friends all saw how worn down he was with his movements alone.
"I'm fine. Just walk away."
Nobody backed off from the half hearted rejection that Izuku gave his classmates. Everyone prepared for the worst as Midoriya started to charge his body up with the last of his available stamina.
Without warning, a massive cloud of smoke spewed from the armored gloves that were still just as durable as the day they were given to Izuku. Somebody already had been ready for such an attempt of escape, which showed as a blast of air erupted from their attack.
"Wave Charge!"
Katsuki cleared the area of all the visually obstructing smoke with his one attack. His growth easily countered the escape attempt that Izuku tried to pull to evade those trying to help him.
"You wanna sneak off like a little bitch?! Then do so like a man, you pussy!"
That underhanded comment actually had Izuku pause to control the rising anger inside of him. This reaction had been what Bakugou had been banking on as a swarm of birds flocked to block Izuku's escape.
"The principal said you aren't banned! You don't have to think you can't come back to UA!"
As passionate as Boisu now sounded in comparison to his previously timid personality; this still wasn't enough for Izuku to simply surrender to his classmates. Trying to use Black Whip to pull himself out of the fight had someone who was knowledgable in such a similar quirk to his own to intercept Midoriya.
"Damn! You really got a lot better at this from last time!"
Zero had been someone Izuku occasionally asked for advice from when he first came to utilize Black Whip. Something being so powerful in his arsenal from the beginning put Izuku in a bit of a compromising situation at the start. Learning the few pointers lent to his by the tape quirk user helped temper the once overwhelming power of his quirk.
"Heartbeat Wall!"
A solid barrier of sound caught Midoriya off guard as he saw Kyoka sail through the air to launch her attack. Being hit with her attack still didn't prevent the young man from using his Black Whip to catch the girl midair to then pull her towards the man who desperately missed her. They embraced midair as Jiro wrapped her arms around Izuku while they remained airborne for a few moments.
"My EP is done; with all the recommendations you gave me…"
Feeling her fingers on the mask hiding his face didn't detract from how much Izuku's musically gifted woman drove him crazy, even while only being held in his arms. Her beauty left him breathless as she began to cry at her lover's pain that she had been isolated from for more time she felt was right.
"Come back to us. Please."
Right as he felt someone wrench him out of Kyoka's embrace, he used Black Whip to gently place her back upon a rooftop; even as he flew threw the air in a backwards trajectory.
"You fought for me! You didn't turn your back on how I felt during the UA Sports Festival!"
Ojiro flung the stunned Midoriya at an abandoned building that didn't see completion after recent events. The platform that the UA students wanted to use in their pan to bring back their friend. Both Tokoyami and Sato were trying to get their friend to realize that Midoriya was high off his own fumes as they both worked to push him into their planned location.
"You keep doing this; I won't loan you advice to make Eri her favorite colored candy apples!"
Those unique food dyes that Nakamura kept ordering for the pastry obsessed student in the dorms he maintained were unique to the student who kept asking for such ingredients for his culinary treats. Midoriya often asked the male student for ways to make the favorite treats of his father figure's adoptive daughter more appealing. Seeing the girl so eagerly accept his treats never felt old to the youngest Midoriya.
Landing in the empty concrete space had Izuku try and regain his bearings as someone who had a good deal of control over the young man move in and immobilize Midoriya with what they knew to be the best way to restrain him.
"Izuku."
Her breathy way of saying his name froze Midoriya in place as the soft frame of Momo pressed up against his front. Both hands fell upon his by instinct as Midoriya couldn't resist Yaoyorozu after so many months away from the girl.
She was sweeter than sin. Not because she was more developed than most girls her age; this girl put an excessive amount of effort in making herself irresistible for Izuku. She programmed Midoriya to become helpless over several weeks of carefully planning when she would seduce the young man whenever they would be alone. This plan hadn't been known to the others that weren't intimate with Izuku when she proposed to be the one to trap the hero in the lower levels of this abandoned building on her own. She desperately missed her man.
Momo fell victim to her own plan as she kissed the mask that hid Izuku's face. He couldn't resist this vixen seeking satisfaction as he unsealed the mask to kiss Momo back. Their lips fell into a forbidden dance they both knew of all too well. Their time had fallen short when they both heard someone approach them at an extremely inopportune moment.
"Don't think I'm gonna just let you walk, man!"
Kaminari let Izuku know that he considered the boy a dear friends after all their differences. He couldn't leave his friends behind, no matter what.
Mezo then did his part to bind up Izuku with his malleable rentable limbs. Wrapping them up in the unique tape Momo created for him made it far more difficult to pull away from his classmates grip.
Adding to the strength of their bindings was Tokoyami, who encased both Kaminari and Mexico along with the escaping Midoriya. They kept asking for the boys to just let them help him. Nobody would simply leave their friend who suffered alone to his pain when they all could help ease his burdens.
"Creating this new defensive move was all thanks to you, Midoriya."
The time they fought together in the UA Sprouts festival put Izuku on the radar of the young shadow user. He utilized Midoriya's cunning defensive strategy to motivate himself to create new ways to push himself as a hero. To grow past his own limits.
"JUST STOP! I'M FINE!"
Breaking out of the bindings took a great deal of effort to escape his friend's strategic use of their combined abilities. The windows on the incomplete building even broke by the brute force of Izuku's jump. His trajectory would have landed him in the next district over; had it not been for an iceberg the size of the largest high rise in the city blocking Midoriya's escape midair.
So much of this hurt to see his friends try so desperately to stop Izuku's journey to save them all. He knew none of them actually intended to hurt him with Danger Sense remaining dormant against all his friend's attacks. All he wanted to do was keep them safe from the danger that followed him no matter where he went.
"From where we stand, you don't look to be fine by any standard. Someone who fights to even hold in their tears isn't someone we want to fight alone. For us heroes, we would rather fight with you than let you carry this burden all on your own."
Todoroki spoke to Izuku with true honesty over what he saw his friend go through by himself. Even trying to pull himself free of the ice that he trapped himself in left Midoriya terribly drained of the little stamina he could muster up. Leaping onto a nearby building to get close enough to speak to her lover had been none other than a girl who knew how to speak through to the stubborn young vigilante.
"Look at us, Izuku! We aren't crying out for your help. We want you to come back to us."
Tsuyu's comforting words drew Izuku's eyes over to where the frog girl had been talking to him.
"You dried my tears when I needed you. You helped me through my fears with your love. I know you love me like you love the others; and we all love you. If you are so dead set on becoming this superhero in your head, then we'll follow you into this fight alongside with you."
Arriving on the scene of the fight were ESD responders to apprehend the villain Izuku neutralized along with Endeavor. Handing off the unconscious woman to the proper authorities, Kirishima and Aoyama joined the others in trying to slow down the emotionally distressed Midoriya still trying to make a break for it. Looking up at the fight between these friends had Endeavor deep in thought over what he once thought a hero needed to be. Their kindness for this one boy kept challenging his previously shallow views of the world he knew before all this.
Shattering the ice that trapped Izuku, he screamed to them while demanding they understand this fight involving all these overwhelmingly powerful villains wouldn't be something they could keep up with. All for One, Bloodsoaked; these two were dangers he thought only he himself could fend off on his own. To keep those he cared about out of the line of fire.
He then had to contest with Froppy as she launched her tongue at the worn down teen. Dodging the extended limb had all been part of the plan, since she never intended on grabbing Izuku to start with.
Coming in from behind was none other than Mineta with a chain made up of his purple hair orbs to ensnare Midoriya with.
"I know I can act like a piece of shit! You keep getting angry like Haru-san does every time I act like a perv! But you keep treating me like your friend! I understand now that it isn't just your powers that make you the hero you are; it's because you've always worked to make yourself and those around you better as a person! Including a prick like me!"
Mineta's introspection and insight deeply moved the teary eyed Midoriya as they desperately clung to the rope of purple orbs he pulled the short hero by. Two lashes of Black Whip snagged the top of two high rise buildings to try and get him to slingshot away fast enough to both break Mineta's rope while escaping as well.
Before he could, another person close to Izuku tried to intercept his flight path. Ochaco managed to even aim herself just right and timed her jump to catch Midoriya on his original trajectory.
"Izuku! We've all changed! All of us, together!"
Shooting past the girl he loved dearly took no lack of effort for him to twist his body to just barely avoid crashing into her. Again, all according to plan.
"Guys, now!"
Far below on the ground, the few classmates in place all were in position to enact their final Hail Mary. Ice erupted from the streets below to create a giant ramp that had been aimed directly at the fleeing Midoriya in the sky. Only one person in their entire class had the speed necessary to catch up with Izuku at this point. A combination of protective slime from Mina and a speed boost that the human projectile had been shielded against launched them straight up the ramp created by Shoto.
Bakugou banked on the speed his explosions would provide as the class representative of 1-A soared like a cannonball towards his target. Iida could feel the wind trying to pull the skin off his face with how fast he was going. None of that mattered as much as his one goal to catch his best friend. To pull Izuku out of his self loathing.
By the skin of his teeth, Tenya caught Izuku by his right hand. The combined effort of all his friends finally reached Midoriya in his time of need. He finally heard their calls of worry over how they only wanted to be with him in his time of need.
Taking such risk of his own well-being never made Iida hesitate when it came to his friends. Especially since this one person was someone he saw as the one person who could outdo whatever it was he thought he could do before meeting Izuku.
"You always outpaced me, Midoriya! Don't think you can run away when I still need to challenge you as your peer!"
It finally dawned on Izuku how much these people were willing to fight for him. These wonderful, bull headed, stubborn fools he cared about more than himself.
Later
Back on solid ground, Izuku had been helped to his feet by the one who caught Iida and the green haired boy. Kirishima used his hardening to brace for the impact that sent his two friends barreling into him at top speeds. Thankfully, he compensated their speed with absorbing most of the energy into himself. Still a bit dizzy from exhaustion, someone with a desire to see her man safe and sound raced over to the finally reasonable Midoriya.
"Mi-"
Ashido didn't want to hear it. She embraced Izuku with both arms around his neck as Mina kissed the one she loved so dearly with all the withheld angst and love she had for the young man. His hands instinctively wrapped themselves around her waist to help keep their balance as they got lost in the moment.
Both Kirishima and Iida looked away a little embarrassed over being so close to an intimate moment between these two. Before the others could run on over to the rest of their friends, Mina and Izuku separated enough to just keep their foreheads touching while catching their breaths.
"Rich or poor…"
It had been the pink girl who spoke first under her breath. Hearing Mina recite her well thought out words for her lover was all Midoriya could do while losing himself in the feeling that was Ashido Mina herself.
"In sickness or in health, in great happiness or misfortune…"
Her silky soft touch against his face turned his face to lock eyes with those beautiful black eyes with gold pools that stood out so prominently against their obsidian hues.
"Till death do us part. I can't lose you, Ikki. We still have so much to do together. Finish school, move into the same place…"
Giving each other a little more space, Mina took Izuku's gloved hand and pressed her soft cheek into the textured metal woven over his arms.
"Get married. I won't let you throw your life away without you giving me all these things before anything else happens to us. I love you too much for that to happen, Ikki."
He could only look at the woman who was both his first love and greatest friend. Struggling to not start crying choked up his words a bit as he held Mina's face ever so gently.
"A-and I love you too, my strange little alien queen."
Their reunion had been given a few more moments before someone else stepped forward to share their feelings over the recently retrieved Midoriya. Although she wanted to be angry, Mina knew better and let Katsuki take the floor with Izuku present. Something he wanted to say for a long time needed to be shared while the moment was right.
"I won't lie to you anymore, Izuku. I won't fact that I've resented you for years over all the wrong reasons."
This felt like something Katsuki had been thinking about for a good amount of time. The look in his eyes were tired in a way that signified one's obsessive thoughts that were now about to be shared for all to see and judge.
"At first I looked down on you because you were just being a good friend while I let my pride get to me. You being quirkless was something I should have helped you with, not take advantage of and ridicule you for."
For Bakugou, sharing that long held apology was the easy part. Now came the difficult section of his redemption; for both Midoriya and himself. Taking a breath to steady himself, Katsuki kept on marching along the difficult path towards his growth.
"... After my dad died, I did something that I shouldn't have done. I resented you."
Several classmates were actually quite shocked to hear that Katsuki's father had passed away. Only the sound of the rain hitting the city could be heard aside from Katsuki speaking from the heart.
"You kept trying to make things better between us and I projected my problems onto you. You gained a dad while I lost one. I was angry and you never stopped trying to help me. I…"
A pregnant pause left the area silent for a moment while Bakugou tried to find the right words.
"... I thought you would never know how it was I felt. Some part of me wished you hadn't. Where I am sucks. I hate feeling so angry all the time. Feeling so helpless at the fact my dad died because of me… And you didn't deserve to be treated so poorly."
With a humble bow of his head, the long held burden that kept Makugou stuck at where he was for years finally started to budge ever so slightly. Despite being small, it still remained to be progress.
"I'm sorry. I was a shitty person while you were more than what a guy like me could ask for in a friend. I can't apologize enough for all the time I wasted between us."
Everything Katsuki shared with Izuku out in the open like this made the childhood friend realize how deeply conflicted Bakugou had been from the very start. The fault partially fell upon the blonde hero for keeping Izuku at a distance, yet the green haired boy felt some of their tremulous relationship's cause fall upon himself as well. Enough so that he started to approach Katsuki while trying to share his own feelings.
Stumbling over his feet for a moment evoked an instinctive response from the others closest to the exhausted Midoriya to react. Mina, in a surprising turn of events, put her arm up to keep the others from interfering. Midoriya silently thanked his significant other that could read the situation well enough.
Izuku managed to catch himself before he tripped over himself. After steadying himself, he looked up to the one he wanted to apologize to for how short sighted he felt in light of his friend's bravery to reveal something so deeply personal to him.
"Your dad… Didn't die… Because… Of you."
One shaky step at a time. Izuku kept repeating this to himself as he slowly covered the distance between him and his childhood friend.
"I don't… Remember too much… About… H-him… But…"
Reaching for Bakugou's costume, Midoriya gripped the front of the young hero's costume while Bakugou helped steady his friend as he looked back into Katsuki through his very essence.
"He loved you. Someone as brave and caring as him de-deserv… to be-"
Blacking out from all the exhaustion finally rendered Izuku completely limp in Katsuki's arms. Hearing the rest of Midoriya's words hadn't been necessary for the intelligent young man who heard what his best friend tried to tell him.
No matter how painful it may be, he no longer would push away his pain. His father deserved to be remembered for the kind and loving father he deserved to be.