Mr Yagi

by SassySovereign

It just didn't make sense for All Might to become a teacher at U.A. But perhaps it would work alright for Toshinori Yagi, a secretary-manager with years worth of experience of working at a hero agency who can teach the kids how to navigate working at an agency as a Pro. Hopefully no one at U.A. figures out that he and All Might are one and the same.

20. Chapter 20: Aftermath

Chapter Summary: In the aftermath of the USJ, Izuku and Katsuki contemplate the events of the day and what's to come after.

It sufficed to say that when Inko read the news, she was not doing well. One moment, she was checking her phone on her way back home and the next, she found herself running down the sidewalk at a breakneck speed, pushing through the crowds. She passed out apologies as rapidly as her breaths, her body barely being able to match up with the speed that her mind was running at.

"The U.S.J. was under attack today by a group of villains," she recalled the news channel saying, "according to sources, the facility was being used by a first year class at U.A. Allegedly, the Class 1-A students had to resort to defending themselves. As of now, it's been confirmed that only one student was injured. The status of the staff members has not been released."

One student. Inko knew that there were 20 students in Izuku's homeroom class, but the fact that there was even a chance it could be her son was enough to send her into a panic. She called and texted him just to ask if his class was there or at the U.S.J.– no response. She tried to call the school, but they wouldn't give her a straight answer on the matter. She didn't want to go all the way to U.A. just to find out the worst case scenario had become a reality, so she forced down the bile that threatened to rise out of her throat and grabbed her things to head straight down to the facility without a second thought, her mind racing through the horrendous path of "what if"s.

'He could be hurt,' Inko thought, 'he could be scarred.' She tried to ignore the way her eyes stung. 'He could be…'

She disparaged the very thought. No, she couldn't go there, not when she hadn't seen him yet. She had to know for sure– she had to be sure.

After what felt like an eternity, Inko found herself at the U.S.J. The sun had already begun to set, casting golden rays across the parking lot and its many inhabitants. Police cars took up residence in the spaces while the police officers walked around and talked with one another, walking to and fro to run procedures Inko was not privy to. She looked left and right until she spotted the entrance to the U.S.J. and she stepped forward, only to be caught by the shoulder.

"Uh, miss, you can't just walk around out here," said an officer, "this is a private investigation."

Inko met the man's gaze. "Do you know which student was injured during the attack?"

The man blinked. "I'm afraid that's classified–"

"My son is a student at U.A.," Inko interjected, her voice threatening to shake, "Izuku Midoriya. He's a first year. His class was here today."

Something shifted in the man's eyes and Inko felt her heart sink . She knew that look– it was the look of someone who knew something, but didn't want to confirm it as the truth. Inko bit her bottom lip and clutched her purse tightly.

"Please," Inko pleaded quietly, "please, just let me know…"

The man straightened up. "Ma'am, I–"

"What's going on over here?" questioned an unfamiliar voice. Inko turned in time to see a man in a trench coat and matching hat stride up to the two of them. He blinked when his eyes landed on Inko and his jaw tightened up, his gaze flitting up to meet with the officer's. "This is a private investigation–"

"My son ," Inko cut in, her voice rising, "his class was here today, wasn't it? Class 1-A?"

For a moment, the man held her gaze, silently inspecting her for something that Inko was not privy to. Then, he held out his hand to her.

"I'm Detective Tsukauchi," he greeted, his tone formal, "may I ask for your name and who you're here for?"

Not sure what else to do, Inko shakingly offered her hand to the man. His palm was warm, but also worn, adorned with little calluses. She pursed her lips as he held her gaze.

"I'm Inko Midoriya," she answered, "my son's class was here today during the attack… I called the school about his whereabouts, but when I couldn't get an answer, I… I panicked , so I came down here." Her eyes fell downcast as she tried to blink back the sting in her eyes. "I heard one of the students was injured, so I was scared…"

Tsukauchi's eyes softened with understanding. "It was Midoriya, was it? Can I see an ID to confirm your identity?"

Hearing that both gave Inko equal parts hope and dread. Did that mean Izuku was the injured student after all? What happened to him?

Slowly, Inko withdrew her wallet from her purse and she flipped it open to show her ID. It was one from years ago– she hated how she looked in it, but Izuku assured her she looked nice. She remembered when she showed it to him and was saddened at how she looked, Izuku laughed and said, "Well, at least you didn't look like this! " Before he contorted his face into a silly one that made her snort. Her eyes stung even more at the sudden memory and she blinked until it went away.

"I see," Tsukauchi drawled, inspecting it. He straightened his posture and let out a long exhale. "I don't know if Recovery Girl will be alright with letting you come in when he's still–"

"Recovery Girl?" Inko exclaimed. She knew Recovery Girl– not only was she one of the first heroes Izuku drew up in his series of notebooks, she had seen her while she was growing up. Known as the "Youthful Heroine" back in her heyday, Inko had been a fan of the healer as a teenager and used to watch the U.A. Sports Festival in hopes of seeing her make an appearance. But, she also knew that she only came out when things were serious . "Oh, no, no, no –"

Tsukauchi rested a hand on her shoulder. "Ma'am, it's alright . She's taking good care of him. She's the best at what she does."

Inko pursed her lips. "What happened to him? Is he alright?" With the amount of arrests that were made, she couldn't imagine the type of injuries he sustained. "Can I see him? He must be so scared and upset…"

"Well," Tsukuachi began, stopping to adjust his stance uncomfortably, "we'll have to see. If Recovery Girl is done treating him, then she might not mind you coming in. Just be gentle with him."

"He's my son ," Inko stressed, "I'm not going to do anything to make him more upset after the day he's had." She held a hand over her heart. "My poor baby… He must have been so afraid…"

Tsukauchi gave her a reassuring look. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you once he's free to go. I'll escort you to the infirmary onsite."

Inko nodded, the sting in her eyes still lingering. "Alright… Thank you, Detective."

"It's not an issue," he assured her. With a smile, he turned and offered his elbow. "Now, let's get you down to the infirmary to see your son."

Thankful for the physical support, Inko looped her arm through his and allowed him to take the lead. With each step they took towards the U.S.J., she tried her best to ignore the way her insides churned. Izuku may have been her little boy, but he was also strong and capable, she knew. She would just have to hope that was enough for him to be alright.

Izuku was thankful that Recovery Girl had the grace not to scold him for his broken arm. Healing was exhausting, but it felt much better to have his arm back in normal condition after she went to work to set his bones and mend them. The pain wasn't as bad as before and Recovery Girl assured him some painkillers would be enough to help him get through the night until she could check on his progress again.

'Better than having my arm in a cast,' he mused as he laid against the pillows. His eyes stared up at the ceiling tiredly. 'And I guess it could be worse…'

When he went to deliver another blow towards Shigaraki and Kurogiri, he knew he couldn't go at full power– he wasn't about to test whether or not his successful hit at full power was a fluke or not in the middle of a crisis. Still, five percent was still enough to pack enough of a punch to give them the edge they needed to give them time, if only a few precious seconds. He would never forget the absolute astonishment that struck him straight down to his core when he saw a bullet go right through Shigaraki's hand in front of him; he should definitely thank Snipe when he got the chance.

"I can't be sure yet…" murmured All Might, causing him to turn. He was laid up in the bed next to Izuku, but due to his height, his feet were resting up on the bottom railing. Izuku might have smiled if it weren't the tired look on his mentor's face. "But I think I shortened my time limit again with that fight…"

A quiet gasp startled out of Izuku's throat. So All Might had been running low on time– and yet he kept going, even while injured. The memory of the blood spreading out from his side made Izuku's insides churn and he clutched his covers.

"I hope I can at least still hold the form for an hour," All Might said softly, "perhaps an hour and a half, at most…"

One hour. That was a third of the time he had prior. How much could he do with that going forward?

Izuku pursed his lips. "I'm so sorry…"

All Might let out a weak groan as he sat up. "Well, no use worrying… These things happen."

With his covers slipped down, Izuku could see the full wrap of bandages around his thin torso and his heart ached at the sight. So many years of wasting away from emaciation and struggling to maintain his image became the blueprint of his anatomy, the once powerful foundation now held up by a single pillar. How would the world react once it finally crumbled?

Then, the door to the room opened and Izuku blinked. Standing there was a man in a trench coat and matching hat, his expression kind as he regarded the room's inhabitants. He held up a hand beside him, as if he were gesturing to someone unseen behind the door.

"I hope I'm not intruding," he said, still smiling.

"What the hell?" All Might blurted out. "I didn't know you were here, Tsukauchi!"

Izuku blinked. "Oh… Do you two know each other?"

All Might glanced at him. "Oh, yeah… This is Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi. He's one of my best friends on the force. He's helped me out more times than I can count."

Very briefly, Izuku thought back to the day he met All Might and when they found themselves on the roof. When he initially told Izuku being a hero might not work out, he suggested police work as a back-up– had that been because of Tsukauchi? Had he seen some part of his friend in Izuku? The thought made his heart feel a bit lighter.

"That's quite the introduction," Tsukauchi replied, chuckling a bit, "good to see you're doing alright, at least." His eyes settled onto Recovery Girl. "Have you finished healing them?"

Recovery Girl nodded with a smile of her own. "Yes, yes, I have. They're just resting to gather up some strength– healing takes a lot out of people, you know."

Tsukauchi chuckled. "I suppose you're right. I only ask because I have someone who wants to come in."

"Who is it?" asked Izuku. He ignored the ache in his back as he sat up. "Is it–"

"Izuku!" exclaimed a loud, shrill voice, and immediately, familiarity shot up Izuku's spine. His mother's silhouette entered the doorway and she charged past the detective in a beeline straight towards Izuku. "Baby, are you alright?! "

Despite his surprise, a great wave of relief hit Izuku deadcenter in the chest. "Mom!"

Tears had already welled up in her eyes when she reached him and she all but collapsed into the bed. Izuku's head was pulled to her chest and he allowed it wholeheartedly, her warmth a comfort that he hadn't realized he needed until he had it. She buried her face in his hair and held him with a firmness that might have been painful were it not for Recovery Girl's healing touch.

"My baby," she whispered into his head, "my sweet baby , I'm so glad you're OK… " His mother pulled back with a sniffle and swiped at her cheeks before she looked down at his arm. "Did they hurt you? How do you feel? You didn't break any bones, did you?"

Izuku's lips pulled into a frown. "I… I did. But Recovery Girl fixed it up alright."

His mother let out a choked sob. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry… You must have been so scared ."

He didn't want to admit just how true that was to her. Izuku had been downright petrified at times and now that the heat had died down, he could finally feel himself start to process everything all at once. He clung to the fabric of her cardigan and pulled her into another hug in order to ground himself to the present.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispered softly, "I-I hope I didn't worry you…"

His mother chuckled. "I'm always worried, baby."

"Now, now, it's quite alright," Tsukauchi assured, "he's safe now. That's all that matters."

"That he is," Recovery Girl affirmed. Her eyes were soft when Izuku and his mother turned to regard her. "I imagine you were pretty scared yourself, since you came all the way down here. I hope we were able to put your mind at ease."

His mother nodded. "You did… Thank you for healing him. I'm… actually a pretty big fan. I used to watch the Sports Festival just to see if you'd show up."

Recovery Girl placed a hand on her cheek. "Oh, you flatter me. I didn't think anyone still cared about little old me."

"She has a poster of you in her office," Izuku told her, and instantly his mother's cheeks turned red. When she ruffled his hair in retaliation, he chuckled. "What? It's true!"

"Oh, now, don't you make this old girl blush," she replied, her smile wide enough to reach her sweet eyes, "I won't be able to focus!"

Izuku's mother smiled back at her, but then, suddenly, she blinked and turned her head minutely, her eyes locked in a stare. Confused, Izuku tracked her gaze and found himself frozen when he landed on All Might's form. His mentor had gone absolutely still in his bed, his eyes wide like a cat who was caught digging in the garbage and was contemplating on pretending they weren't seen or simply running away.

"Oh," she said softly, still watching All Might, "sorry, I didn't notice you…" She chuckled uncomfortably. "Got a bit caught up with Izuku."

All Might's shoulders remained tense. "It's… quite alright. You were worried, so it makes sense." His muscles were noticeably taut with stress as he straightened up. "I'm Sensei Yagi. It's nice to meet you."

"You're one of the teachers?" she questioned. Her eyes looked over All Might's torso and Izuku noted how his mentor looked as though he wanted to shrink. "Oh, dear… Thew news didn't say anything about the teachers being injured… Are they serious?"

"It's not that bad," All Might assured her, though his hands drew the blankets closer to his body, "nothing that Recovery Girl couldn't fix."

The memory of All Might's twisted up scar nearly made Izuku wince. He didn't even want to know how it looked after Nomu dug its fingers into him and reopened it– that had to have been painful for him.

"It must have been scary," Izuku's mother observed, "facing off against all those villains…" Her fingers idly brushed through Izuku's curls. "You were very brave for stepping up and protecting the students."

His mentor sat up straight like a board. "The students." He turned towards his associates. "How are the others? Did they get out of here alright, Tsukauchi? What about Aiza– I mean, Eraserhead and Thirteen?"

Tsukauchi held up a hand. "Don't worry. The only injuries were just scrapes and bruises. And last I heard, the teachers are in recovery."

"They're both alright?" Izuku blurted out. He let out a shaky breath and placed a hand over his chest. "I'm so glad… Things looked really bad for them for a second there."

"Eraserhead," his mother murmured, "he's that underground hero with the erasure Quirk you told me about, isn't he? I didn't know he was a teacher at U.A." She squeezed Izuku's hand subconsciously. "I should make sure to thank him and Thirteen if I ever get the chance… It's because of you all that Izuku and his classmates are safe."

All Might's eyes fell onto her. "We can't take all the credit… Your son and his peers fought hard, as well. It's a shame they had to resort to defending themselves, but they were valiant nonetheless." He offered her a smile. "Your son's quick thinking was one of the things that bought us enough time for the rest of the teachers to arrive."

Although Izuku knew his mentor was being truthful, he wasn't sure if he felt it. In the end, he wasn't the one to take down Nomu and the other two main threats managed to escape. When it came right down to it, he wasn't even the one who saved All Might when he was trapped– he might have been dead were it not for Kacchan's intervention.

"Get the hell out of my way, Deku!" echoed his voice in his head.

Izuku's hand curled around his covers. Even with One For All, he had barely been a help– he may not have been entirely useless, but he still wasn't much at all. He was going to have to work harder to make up for that.

His thoughts came to a halt when his mother let out a small hum of thought. "That's strange… I can't quite put my finger on it, but… something is familiar about you…"

"Hm?" All Might replied. "Me?"

"Yes," his mother answered, "have we… met before?"

Ice surged through Izuku's veins. 'Oh, no.'

"Oh," his mentor replied, "I-I can't imagine how… I only started at U.A. this week."

Izuku's mother shook her head. "No, no… I'm certain I've seen you before… I just can't quite place where… "

Within a split second, Izuku's eyes flitted over to his mentor's and they shared a singular look that said so much more than Izuku felt he possibly could in that moment, and he was certain his mentor felt the same. It reminded him of the times whenever he and Kacchen had done something they weren't supposed to and they swore themselves to secrecy so their parents wouldn't find out. Izuku could still viscerally recall the times he would sit next to Kacchan on the couch and they would quietly look at each other from the corner of their eyes as their parents discovered the evidence of shenanigans that should have never come to be.

His mother perked up. "I know! I know where I've seen you before."

Izuku prepared himself for the worst— he didn't know how his mother was able to figure it out, but she did. He braced himself for the revelation, the aftermath, and the heartbreak that was sure to follow in its wake. How would she react to learning such a secret? She already told him not to keep anymore–

"You were on the news!" she observed, causing Izuku to blink. "You were there when the press hassled U.A." She breathed out a laugh through her nose and turned to Tsukauchi. "You wouldn't happen to be the same Naomasa he said hi to, would you?"

Tsukauchi snorted. "I am… My sister already spent the past couple of hours spamming my messages with GIFs of that little segment." He turned to All Might with an arched brow and a knowing smile. "How does it feel to be a celebrity , Yagi?"

All Might relaxed, but only slightly. "It's… not what I'm used to, that's for sure."

Were Izuku not still reeling, he might have snorted at that.

"Well, I'm glad you were there to tell those reporters off," Izuku's mother told him, causing his mentor to turn back to her, "they had a lot of nerve harassing all those students this morning. I sure hope they learned their lesson."

All Might cracked a smile. "I do, as well… But something tells me they'll find a way to embarrass themselves in the future."

Izuku's mother chuckled. "Of course they will."

It was a strange picture, seeing his mentor and his mother be so friendly when their first meeting on the beach had been so volatile. His mother had been downright furious with All Might when he had been standing before her as the Symbol of Peace and yet, there she was, talking with him as if they were meeting for the first time. She hadn't spoken to All Might since that fateful day and Izuku couldn't help but wonder how their next meeting would go should he appear before her as a hero instead of his teacher. Hopefully there would be less yelling involved.

"Well, I'm glad that everyone is safe now," his mother said. She gave Izuku's hand a squeeze. "When we get home, I say we order in. I don't think we have the patience to cook dinner."

A smile tugged at his lips. "Can we get katsudon?"

"Of course," she replied. His mother kissed his cheek. "Once Recovery Girl gives you the go-ahead, I can call it in."

"Mom!" he exclaimed as he rubbed at his cheek. "C'mon!"

All Might chuckled. "Oh, she's your mother. Let her fret over you. She's entitled to after today."

His mother laughed. "That's right! Listen to your teacher!"

Despite the heat that burned in his ears and cheeks, Izuku found it in him to smile. While the day didn't go as he planned, he supposed that he should be thankful that it didn't have to end at the U.S.J. However, there was still some part of him that knew that the League of Villain's departure didn't necessarily mean the end of their mission– he had a feeling he and his classmates would be seeing them at some point in the future. He looked down at his healed arm and clenched his fist. They had gotten lucky today, and it was only due to All Might's sacrifice that they were able to make it out. With only one hour left on his time limit, Izuku knew that he was going to have to pick up the slack. The fire of One For All was a hot one and in order to control it, he was going to have to learn to withstand the heat that dwelled inside of him.

'If I'm going to become the hero I want to be, then I need to work much harder,' he thought, 'that way I won't be a liability the next time we face off.'

It wasn't soon enough for Mitsuki when she finally made it to U.A. Traffic had been an absolute nightmare due to a villain's intervention causing a jam, so she had to go another way to make it down to the school, which proved to be time-consuming. With each passing minute, the tension in Mitsuki's chest only grew and her grip on the steering wheel tightened to the point that her knuckles turned white.

'He's gonna be fine,' Mitsuki reminded herself, staring ahead with a set jaw, 'Katsuki's tough, he'll be just fine.'

The news of the attack had dropped like a bomb in her workplace, sending everyone into a state of shock. One moment, Mitsuki was in the middle of a fitting with one of her stylists, and the next, her assistant, Yuki, was dragging her out of everyone's view to show her the news report on her phone. Upon hearing the words "Class 1-A," Mitsuki practically tore her dress off of her and took off out of the building while her assistant handled damage control.

"Go," Yuki told her as she handed Mitsuki's purse off to her, "make sure Katsuki's alright for us, OK?"

Everyone at Mitsuki's job knew Katsuki– he had been just a toddler when she first brought him up to her modeling agency and they all cooed over his likeness to her. Yuki had only been her assistant for a couple years at that point, but she did well to keep her son occupied whenever Mitsuki was in the middle of a shoot or talking with the photographers. As a baby, Katsuki hated being separated from Mitsuki, so her team often had to hold him with her in constant view of him so he would remain calm. Yuki would hold him in her arms while Katsuki babbled happily behind the camera's view and Mitsuki would smile and wave back at them, causing him to squeal with delight and shout, "Mama!"

An unexpected sting hit Mitsuki's eyes and she shook her head. 'Get it together, Mitsuki. He's gonna be fine.'

When the familiar silhouette of the school entered into her sights, Mitsuki's foot hit the gas just a bit harder. She had to force herself not to go over the speed limit as she pulled into the visitor parking lot and parked her car. As soon as she was out of the car, she slammed the door behind her and took off in a sprint towards the building, ignoring the way her ankles ached from her heels. The more practical part of her knew she should have slipped into some loafers, but with panic clouding her vision, she supposed it couldn't have been helped. She clutched her purse to her torso as she made it to the entrance and saw Pros standing there talking amongst themselves.

"Excuse me," Mitsuki called out once she drew closer, "I'm here to pick up my son."

One of the heroes– Present Mic, she recognized– turned towards her. "Whoa, whoa, I'm 'fraid we can't just let you in. We're gonna need to see some ID to confirm your claim."

Her jaw tightened. "Do I look like a villain to you?"

"Hey, it's a security measure!" he defended. "We got attacked by villains earlier today, so we're trying to be careful. Would you rather we just let anyone in?"

With a huff, Mitsuki opened up her purse to reach for her wallet. "Whatever… You're lucky I'm not in the mood to argue." She snapped open her wallet, revealing her ID. "There. Happy?"

Present Mic let out a hum of thought. "Ah, so you're Bakugou's mom? I can see the resemblance now! I'll go give him a holler, ya hear?"

"Good," Mitsuki replied, "let's just hope that–"

"Yoooo, young Bakugou!" shouted Present Mic. It wasn't to the same level as his Quirk, but it was still so loud – how was his voice not shot? "Your mom's here to pick you up, little man! Hop to it, kiddo!"

Mitsuki rubbed her ear. 'Yeesh, who hired this guy to teach kids?'

Within a matter of moments, the front doors to the school opened up and then, Katsuki stepped into view. His uniform was disheveled as he trudged his way down the walkway and as he drew closer, relief hit Mitsuki like a truck through her chest.

"Katsuki!" she exclaimed, rushing past Present Mic. She found herself in front of him in an instant and pulled him in by the shoulders. "There you are! I was so worried ." Her eyes ran over his body as she squeezed his shoulders, his biceps, his forearms in rapid succession, searching for any sign of injury. "You're not hurt , are you?"

"I'm fine ," Katsuki stressed, his eyes falling away from hers.

Mitsuki didn't trust that– Katsuki was the type of person to break a bone and play it off as no big deal than admit any sort of discomfort or pain. He saw the world as an ocean full of sharks and he would do everything in his power to keep blood out of the water, even if it were at the cost of himself.

"Are you sure? " Mitsuki questioned. Once she reached his hands, she noted the way that his fingers trembled when she held his wrists. "Your hands are shaking . Did you use your Quirk too much?"

Katsuki snatched his hands away. "I told you, I'm fine ."

A frown tugged at her lips. "Katsuki–"

"Take it easy," interjected Present Mic, and almost instantly, Mitsuki whipped around to face him. However, the Pro merely held her gaze and offered her a smile. "The kiddos already got looked over by a team of medics upon arrival. You have nothing to worry about."

"He's my son," Mitsuki snapped, "I can damn well worry as much as I please, especially after his class was attacked under your school's supervision." She raised an accusatory finger at him. "First the press breaks in earlier today and then the U.S.J. gets attacked? I thought you were supposed to be the top hero school in Japan ."

Present Mic held up his hands. "O-Oh, well, that's just because–"

"If I recall correctly, one of the big selling points here at U.A. was that your security was unrivaled," Mitsuki cut in, "was that a lie? Or is there another reason your school wasn't able to properly protect its students and teachers from an attack of this scale?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Better yet, why weren't parents notified immediately? I only knew to come down here because I saw a news report. Are you saying that U.A. doesn't have any sort of procedure in place to notify parents of an emergency? How is that prioritizing safety and security?"

"I…" Present Mic tried to say. His hands slowly lowered as he chuckled nervously. "I'm… gonna have to ask Principal Nedzu about that."

Mitsuki scoffed. "Well, he'll be hearing from me , that's for–"

"For the love of God, can we just go already?" Katsuki exclaimed. When Mitsuki turned back towards her, his hands were shoved into his pockets and his face was twisted into a scowl. "Let's just go home ."

"In a minute , Katsuki," she told him, fighting the urge to raise her voice, "let me just–"

Katsuki growled under his breath. "You're so goddamn embarrassing ."

Almost instantly, Mitsuki's grievances with U.A. were forgotten. " Embarrassing? You think I'm embarrassing? I came down here to make sure you got home safely, you little–"

"Uh," drawled Present Mic, causing both Mitsuki and Katsuki to turn their ire towards him. He held his hands up as if he were attempting to calm a wild animal and put on a placating smile. " Maybe you two want to save this for when you get home?"

Despite the fury that simmered beneath her skin, Mitsuki huffed. "Fine… But you and your faculty can expect an email from me in the future, that's for sure."

Not wanting to give him the chance to reply, Mitsuki turned on heel and stalked off. Her cheeks burned with equal parts anger and mortification as Katsuki trailed after her, her lips pursed to keep herself from cursing within hearing range of any faculty that could be nearby. She cast a look over at Katsuki and her mouth twisted up into a grimace when she saw that look on his face. It was that same one he had anytime he was around her, like just being near her was a chore for him.

'I come all the way down here just to get him and this is how he acts?' Mitsuki thought, her fingers curled up into fists at her side. 'Is it too much to expect a bit of gratitude?'

Once the car came into view, Mitsuki grabbed her keys from her purse and unlocked the car door with a huff. When Katsuki grabbed the handle for the door to the backseat, she frowned and clicked the lock button again. He turned towards her incredulously.

"Why'd you lock it again?" Katsuki questioned.

Mitsuki clutched her keys. "You can sit in the front seat."

He held her gaze. "Why?"

"Just sit up front, would you?" she shot back.

Katsuki stared at her for a moment before he begrudgingly let go of the door and stalked to the other side of the car. As soon as he made it to the passenger seat, Mitsuki unlocked the door and opened up the driver's door to slip into her seat. She watched as Katsuki dropped his bag to the floor and plopped into the passenger seat with the disposition of a toddler being told to stop running around. It reminded her of the early days of when Katsuki's Quirk first came in and they had to adjust his behavior to keep him from accidentally activating it, even if it meant screaming and tantrums. She hated to think about that period of their lives; it had been so hard on all of them.

Mitsuki didn't say anything as she started the car up, nor did she say anything when they pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic. Conversations with Katsuki were a hard thing to navigate when tensions were high and the stress of the day was sure to make broaching any sort of topic a task. Even on her best days, Mitsuki struggled to walk the tightrope that separated the two of them and in recent years, it began to feel like that rope was starting to fray from being pulled taut over the ever-growing gap between them. Some part of her wasn't trustful enough to test its strength.

She clutched the steering wheel as she pulled up to a traffic stop. 'I get he had a hard day, but that doesn't mean he gets to talk to me like that… Especially in front of other people.'

Then, Mitsuki clenched her jaw as she went back over her behavior. Had she really been that embarrassing to him? She was just worried , that was all. Couldn't he see that?

"Katsuki," she said softly, trying to keep her tone level, "I know that today was a lot for you–"

"I don't want to talk about it," he cut in, causing her to blink.

Mitsuki inhaled sharply. She couldn't get mad. She had to keep calm. "Look, I'm sorry that I 'embarrassed' you in front of one of your teachers, but I was just upset, alright? One minute, I'm at work and the next, I get news that your class was under attack from villains–"

"I said I don't want to talk about it," Katsuki stressed, his tone verging on the edge of a snarl. His body slumped against the door as he stared out the car window. "Let's just go home and eat dinner so I can go to bed."

"Don't you talk to me like that," Mitsuki snapped, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white, "why do you have to be so hateful whenever I try to have a conversation with you?"

Katsuki crossed his arms over his chest. "I told you I didn't want to talk."

"Why not? " Mitsuki exclaimed, finally turning to face him. She was trying so hard not to raise her voice, but she couldn't stop the anger from bleeding into her voice. "You never want to talk to me about anything and I don't know why ."

A loud growl escaped Katsuki. "Maybe it's because you always yell at me for stupid shit…"

"Do not cuss at me like that," she barked back. When a car behind her honked, she slammed her hand on the steering wheel. "I'm moving , dammit!"

Mitsuki hit the gas with more force than she intended and the car surged forward, so she lessened up a bit. She gripped the steering wheel with grit teeth as the tense silence between her and Katsuki stretched on, her words robbed from her blind as she tried to regain some sense of calm. Her eyes remained glued to the road and she took a deep breath in through her nose.

"I do not yell at you for 'stupid shit,'" Mitsuki managed to say, not turning to look at Katsuki, "I only yell whenever I'm upset because you've done something to make me angry."

"Then I guess I always make you mad, huh?!" Katsuki shouted. "You're always angry at me for something. You're mad when I don't talk to you and then you're mad whenever I do talk to you! What the fuck do you want from me?"

Her palm slipped away from the steering wheel to snap her fingers at him. "For you not to be such a fucking brat! "

Katsuki blinked and his mouth snapped shut, the fury in his expression replaced by a mask of surprise. He stared at her for a long moment before his gaze fell away from hers and he pursed his lips. When he didn't speak, she let out a huff of frustration.

"You know what?" she dictated. "You don't want to talk? Fine! Then you can spend the night in your room and I'll leave you the hell alone! How does that sound?"

Silence greeted her and she turned to demand an answer, only to stop still. Katsuki's hands clutched the fabric of his pants tightly and his eyes were stormy as they stared down at his shoes. Mitsuki felt an inkling of regret settle in the pit of her stomach and she clutched the steering wheel, unsure of what to say. With a deep inhale, she clenched her jaw and turned back to the road to keep driving forward as the silence between them stretched on.

Traffic had started to clear up some and with time, their neighborhood soon came into view. Katsuki had yet to look up from the floor by the time they made it to the driveway and Mitsuki contemplated what to do. The maternal part of her wanted her to apologize for saying that; the more prideful part of her worried it would only make things worse. Even though he was sitting right next to her in the car, it felt as though he was so far away from her– she didn't want the divide between them to grow further apart, not when the rope tying them together felt so frayed.

'How do I build a bridge from this?' she thought as she pulled up to the garage. 'How do I get him to meet me in the middle?'

Once the car was in park, she took a breath. "Katsuki–"

In a flash, he was out of the car and the passenger door slammed behind him. Mitsuki stared at his back as he stormed up to the door and fished out his set of keys from his bag, his fingers angrily fumbling for the house key before he shoved it into the front door. He swung the door open and even from the car, her body tensed up when it slammed close. It felt like an eternity before she finally brought herself to look away from the door and she slumped forward against the steering wheel.

It didn't used to be this hard. When did it get so hard?

Mitsuki took in a shuddering breath. When she went inside, Katsuki was likely going to be holed up in his room for the night. Knocking on the door would be a risky gamble– he'd either scream at her or just outright ignore her. She wasn't sure she had the strength for either option after the day she had.

'I was just worried about him…' she thought, her eyes beginning to sting. Mitsuki tried to blink the feeling away, but to no avail. 'Doesn't he see that?'

The last time Katsuki had been in trouble, all she could do was watch in terror from miles away, unsure if he would make it out alright. This time, she had been able to actually come down and see him for herself– and how did he respond? By getting upset with her for being rightfully angry that he was put in that position in the first place? She knew that he was tough and could handle anything, but at the same time, he shouldn't have to. Why couldn't he see that? Didn't he know that he was safe with her? What more could she do to make that clear?

Emotions weren't Mitsuki's strong suit; they had never been. Growing up, she didn't have the luxury to break down and get angry with her mother like Katsuki did with her– it just wasn't an option . Her mother was always working and it was her responsibility to keep the apartment together while she was out so she wouldn't have to worry about it when she returned. Sure, her mother wasn't the most warm person, but with everything she had to do to get by after Mitsuki's father passed away, she couldn't blame her for it. Talking about her feelings just made things too hard, too complicated , and neither of them needed that when rent needed to be paid and their apartment had to be cleaned. But now that she was out of that situation… Mitsuki didn't know what to do. She didn't even know where to begin .

A light buzz drew her attention down to her purse. Slowly, she lifted her head from the steering wheel and reached down into it to find her phone vibrating. With a sigh, she withdrew it from its confines and was greeted by Masaru's contact profile, which was a photo of Masaru holding a young Katsuki with big, bright smiles on both of their faces. She had taken the photo on a family vacation some years back, when things felt so much simpler.

Mitsuki brought the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"'Suki," Masaru breathed, "oh, thank God… I just got out of a meeting and saw your texts… Did you get down to the school? Is Katsuki alright? The news mentioned a student was injured–"

"Katsuki is fine ," she assured him. Mitsuki found it in her to smile; Masaru was always the more worried out of the two of them and she knew that he was probably on the verge of a panic attack when he called. Then, her smile wilted. "We're both home now… He's safe."

A loud exhale reverberated through the speaker. "Good… I'm glad he's alright… How is he doing right now?"

Mitsuki pursed her lips. "I… think he just needs to be left alone right now."

"Oh," Masaru replied, "I guess he's pretty shook up… After the day he had, I think anyone would be." He sighed. "Well, no sense in making him talk about it when he's not ready… You know how he can be."

"Right," she murmured. She tried not to think about the stormy look in his eyes and the way he wouldn't even look at her when he went inside. Mitsuki didn't want to worry Masaru with that after he sounded so relieved. "I guess we'll just have to wait for him to come around."

A beat of silence passed between them. "Is everything alright with you , 'Suki?"

Damn it. Of course he noticed. Why did he have to care so much? "I'm fine… Just tired. I got stuck in traffic on the way to the school and had to deal with the faculty at the school, that's all."

"You sure?" he questioned.

"I'm sure, love," she reassured him, "you don't have to worry about a thing."

He exhaled. "I'm glad you picked up… I was pretty freaked out when I read your texts." There was a pause. "Have you checked in with Inko? She must be worried sick."

Mitsuki's eyes widened. " Shit . Isn't Izuku in Katsuki's class, too? Oh, I-I should check in with her when I–"

"Call her now," Masaru interjected, "you'll only worry until you check in, so it's better to get it out of the way." She could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke. "Make sure little Zuzu is alright, okay?"

Her heart swelled. "I love you so damn much."

"Not as much as I love you," he replied playfully.

"Oh, don't you start that up!" she exclaimed, the tension in her chest fading a bit as she chuckled. "I'll see you when you get home, alright?"

"I look forward to it," he told her, "I should be home within the hour. I'll miss you until then."

When the phone call ended with a click, Mitsuki let out a sigh. She loved that sweet idiot so much– she should go get something for dinner as a treat for when he got home. With a tired exhale, she undid her seat buckle and stepped out of the car with her purse resting in the crook of her elbow and her phone in hand. She went to her contacts list and scrolled down until she spotted Inko's name, then tapped on it. As it rang, she rested it on her shoulder and held it in place with her cheek.

'I can worry about Katsuki later on,' she told herself, though the tension in her chest had yet to fade. Mitsuki pushed the door open and stepped inside, trying her best to ignore the way the house felt so empty. She shook her head. 'He just wants to be alone right now… I guess the least I can do is give him that.'

Katsuki was used to being angry. Anger and frustration seemed to flow through him with the same ease as breathing– it was inherent, intuitive, and, worse yet, inevitable. Whenever he met people, it was one of the first things they noticed about him, whether it be from the scowl on his face or the way a growl always seemed to rumble out of his throat when he spoke. It always lingered beneath the surface of his skin, ready to bubble up out of him should the heat turn up.

However, just because he was used to it, did not mean that he was happy with it.

He didn't know why he was always so angry. Sure, people like the hag, the extras, and fucking Deku could get on his nerves and make him blow his top off, but even when he wasn't near them, anger always seemed to find a way to bleed into his vision. The slightest inconvenience could feel like the end of the world to him and after the fact, he found himself clutching his head and wondering, "why, why, why ," and the answer was never satisfactory. Once he made it to his bedroom, he found himself in that same position once again, his eyes threatening to burn. He slammed the door close and slipped down to the ground in a heap, his fingers slipping through his messy hair to find some sort of purchase. Katsuki closed his eyes to ease the sting in his eyes and willed the tension in his chest to disappear. It didn't.

"You don't want to talk? Fine! Then you can spend the night in your room and I'll leave you the hell alone! How does that sound?"

Katsuki should have been satisfied, right? He should have been happy he got what he wanted– all he wanted for her to leave him alone, even if it was just for the night. So why did it hurt so much to hear her say that?

'Why can't we just talk to each other?' he found himself. 'Why does it have to be so hard? '

His fingers curled around his hair tightly enough to cause discomfort, but he didn't pay it any mind. After the day that he had, it mattered little in comparison. All he wanted– all he needed was to wipe the slate clean from his shameful performance the day before and show all those damn extras that his loss was an exception, not the rule. He saw how all of peers looked at him, all quietly pondering how someone who did so well in the entrance exam could possibly mess up so badly in their first exercise.

"You're talented," said the mummy who taught his homeroom, "so don't sulk like a child over your loss, alright?"

Katsuki snarled. Deku had gotten lucky by sneaking up on him and it was by sheer grace that Katsuki didn't blow a hole into the side of the building before he got the chance. Worse yet, he still didn't know what to expect from his "peers" since he was out of commission in the infirmary during the rest of the rounds. All he knew was that, apparently, Ponytail had seemed intellectual during the discussion portion of the exercise, which he hadn't even been present for, so he was hoping to get a look during the rescue exercise so he could make strategies for the future. Although the Sports Festival wasn't for another couple of months, Katsuki knew that it would be foolish for him not to start making strategies for potential opponents if he wanted to stand out amongst the crowd or, better yet, win . The rescue exercise was supposed to give him a fresh start, something to work with– that was, until all those villains showed up and put them all on lockdown.

The memory of the mist villain's amber gaze caused Katsuki's fingers to curl tighter around his hair and he pulled his knees to his chest so he could tuck his face behind it. Why did he have to lose his temper and attack that bastard? Why didn't he just stay put and hold it together for just a moment? Why did he have to act before he thought? Why, why, why?

"You should be more careful, children…" the mist crooned, "otherwise, someone might get hurt ."

Logistically, he knew that the villains had likely already planned on splitting the class up to divide and conquer, and he knew that the villains were already split up around the different areas of the U.S.J. for that exact purpose. However, there was still some part of him that clung to how he lashed out without thought and moments later, he and his classmates were torn away from each other without reprieve.

'It was always a part of their plan,' Katsuki told himself. Still, he drew his knees closer to himself. 'So why do I still feel so…?'

The Grim Reaper's piercing blue eyes flashed across his mind and Katsuki's hands started to shake. Ever since their talk the afternoon prior, he hadn't been able to stop his teacher's words from replaying in his mind. Anytime the familiar heat of anger began to rise above a simmer, the memory of the older man's dreary tone and tired eyes caused the heat beneath his skin to settle down, like someone had just turned the knob on the stove. However, all it took was one moment of pure, unrestrained anger to cause him to lash out and that could have been it .

"When you allow your fire to take over, it can consume your entire being and you'll only be left with ashes in its wake," the man's voice echoed, causing Katsuki to tuck his head down even more, "and once it's gone, it'll leave you cold and dead in your grave."

Ever since his Quirk first manifested, fire was all Katsuki knew . It was what made him who he was– did they expect him to dim the flames just because other people couldn't take it? It was fire that drove All Might to the Number One spot and it was what kept him there, no matter what those who dwelled in the dark tried to do. That much had been made clear when he saw him up close and personal at the U.S.J, when he pounded his powerful fists into that monstrosity and sent it flying into the heavens.

How was All Might able to burn that bright without getting burned? And could Katsuki ever hope to reach the height of his flames without turning to ashes?

A shout from downstairs startled him out of his thoughts. Resisting the urge to groan, Katsuki dragged his hands down his face and quietly contemplated stepping outside of his room to investigate. However, when another exclamation followed shortly after, he figured he might as well. He may have been angry at the hag, but he didn't want something bad to happen to her.

Slowly, he cracked his door open and walked down the hall, his hands flexing and unflexing in a vain attempt to ease his tension. It was an exercise he did whenever he could feel his frustration rising, but on days like these, it took much more to simmer the flame inside of him. He tiptoed over to the entrance of the hall, quietly forming a plan of action until he heard his mother let out a loud exhale.

"Oh, thank god ," she breathed, "I'm glad that he made it out alright…" Katsuki peeked an eye out to see her sitting on the couch, her back turned to him. "How's Zuzu feeling?"

Katsuki's lips pursed like he had just sucked on a lemon. Was she still calling him by that stupid nickname? The nerd didn't even like it. Not that he would ever tell her that to her face, the wuss .

"Good, good," his mother went on, practically slumping against the couch cushions, "thank god for Recovery Girl… hate to think what would happen if she hadn't been able to fix his arm up."

Katsuki vaguely recalled seeing the nerd's arm tucked away in his shirt. His guess was that it was because he had broken his arm from losing control, like he had during the assessment. When was he going to stop depending on Recovery Girl to get him out of messes?

"Oh, Katsuki?" his mother piped up, and Katsuki froze where he stood. However, she hadn't even turned her head towards him. "He's fine. He's just in his room decompressing."

It took a lot of control for him not to snort at that. He didn't want to alert her to his presence and potentially start up their argument from back in the car, especially with Auntie Inko on the phone. She didn't deserve to hear their shouting match when all she had done was ask about him.

His mother let out a sigh. "Yeah, we're probably gonna order in tonight, too… I'm too stressed to cook tonight." She held her phone up briefly before putting it back to her ear. "What were you and Izuku thinking about getting tonight?"

'Probably katsudon,' Katsuki thought, rolling his eyes, 'that's his go-to.'

A snort escaped his mother. "Of course, of course, he loves katsudon."

The corner of his lips threatened to tug upward at that– he knew it. Still, he wasn't particularly interested in hearing his mother gossip with aunt after the day he had, so he silently turned back to the hallway. He walked quietly to his room and was careful to make sure the door didn't creak as it closed– he kept a can of WD-40 in his room just because he hated the sound so much. With a silent click, he exhaled and tread over to his bed, where he flopped onto his stomach unceremoniously.

"Like it or not, you can't stop me!"

Katsuki lifted his head up just a bit to glare at his headboard. In all the years he had known him, Deku had never been the type to wield fire. His emotions flowed out of him freely like a babbling brook and Katsuki despised it. And yet his mother insisted that he reside at his side, in hopes that it would quell his flames. But Katsuki knew better– Deku was stuck in the waves of his own emotions and wasn't reaching for someone to pull him out, but rather, for someone to take into the waves with him. If Katsuki were to reach out to him, he'd surely sink to the bottom and Deku would use his body to launch his head over the waves, leaving Katsuki's flame to be extinguished.

Then, in a surprising turn of events, the nerd was given an edge– by sheer, dumb luck his Quirk had simply developed late (or so he claimed ). Now, he had been given some form of structure and was able to keep afloat on a makeshift boat, where his new flame was sitting. However, Katsuki knew that the nerd still had no clue what he was doing. His fire had slipped onto the deck when he broke his finger at the Quirk Assessment and he had to stomp it out to keep the damage from growing.

'So how does he do it?' Katsuki thought, his grimace only deepening. 'How does he win when he can't even keep a hold of his own power?'

The answer was simple; Deku, unlike Katsuki, had something to prove. No one had any expectations for someone like him because there was nothing to expect before his Quirk came in– therefore, he had nothing to lose. He could make all the mistakes he wanted and people would be understanding, encouraging , even. Meanwhile, if Katsuki made a mistake, they'd never forget it. It wouldn't matter all the good he did before or how much he improved because, after one loss, all it would do is highlight just how shameful his performance was. Deku could be as reckless as he wanted and it'd be called imaginative, thinking outside of the box, genius , while if Katsuki were to be reckless, he'd be called unsophisticated, desperate, foolish . It wasn't fair for Katsuki to not be able to mess up when Deku could fall apart as often as he wanted and be given all the support in the world.

When Katsuki came home that fateful day of the sludge villain attack, his mother had shouted at him for not being home and told him he was stupid for running off to be with his friends. It didn't matter that he was always home on time because the one time he wasn't, he wound up being grabbed by some slimy villain. Meanwhile, when she picked up the phone to talk to Auntie Inko, she had been so worried about "poor little Zuzu" for getting caught up in the chaos, even though he chose to run into danger– Katsuki didn't .

'It's not fair,' he thought, 'why does he get to screw up over and over again just to be praised?' He closed his eyes. 'But just because he shot ahead of me for now doesn't mean he'll stay there…'

The very thing that pushed Deku to do better was, funnily enough, the very same thing that could land him in hot water. Because when someone had something to prove, that meant they were willing to do whatever it took to do it– even if it came at the cost of themselves. Deku had already done that by breaking his finger at the Quirk assessment and he was willing to do it by jumping back into the fray when the League opposed All Might, as if it would have done anything. Why would All Might of all people need someone like Deku to jump into danger?

'He did it just to make a statement,' Katsuki concluded, 'he was just trying to act like there was something he could do…' He had it in him to scoff. 'Pathetic.'

Did he really think that he could handle the fire of being Number One with soaking wet hands? How could someone who could barely keep their head above water look at someone who burned as bright as All Might and think that they could do the same while the waves continued to crash down upon them? The fire of a hero wouldn't last in his boat.

His eyes trailed up to the posters on his wall, bearing the visage of the man that inspired him to be a hero in the first place. Everyone liked to talk about All Might as this pinnacle of perfection, as something to aspire to, but to Katsuki, he was so much more than that. He couldn't place the amount of times he heard people say, "there will never be another All Might," when he was growing up, and every time he heard it, it made him furious . They were willing to settle for less, to gaze up at All Might and only wonder how someone could achieve those heights. Katsuki, on the other hand, was dead set on not only making it there himself, but rising higher than that.

Deku wanted to be just like All Might; Katsuki wanted to be better than him.

'He's so much more than just a smiling symbol,' Katsuki thought, 'he's not just powerful– he's power itself.'

He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling with indignation. He may have encountered a setback, but he knew that he wouldn't stay there for long– he was better than that. The Sports Festival was due to come in a couple months time and he was going to make every single minute between then and there count . Then, everyone– the extras, the hag, Deku and that goddamned Grim Reaper– would watch him as he made his way to the top on his terms.

A/N: (sometime later)

Mitsuki: (knocks on Katsuki's door)

Katsuki: (doesn't reply)

Mitsuki: Katsuki? You up?

Katsuki: (stays silent)

Mitsuki: I can see your light on. I know you're up.

Katsuki: (grumbles quietly)

Mitsuki: ...we're going to McDonald's. Do you want something?

Katsuki: ...Chicken nuggets.

Mitsuki: Alright. you want it with large fries?

Katsuki: (sighs) yes.

Mitsuki: Alright.

The Bakugou's don't apologize or go to therapy. They just go to McDonald's.

Next up, we get to see the beginning of the Sports Festival arc. Stay tuned for more~