Part 2: Connections

"One of the lesser talked about aspects of being a Pro Hero is knowing when it is you should primarily be active; day or night?" Midoriya explained to his class, looking over them all as he leaned back partially on the edge of his desk at the room's front. It was a warm day and thus his suit's jacket occupied the back of his chair, leaving him with just his white dress shirt and loosened tie. "For some that seems like it should be a no-brainer. Does your Quirk work better during the day or at night? Then that's what you go for. Or are you more of a stealth-based hero or a flashy brawler? Night for one, day for the other. Even how much you want to be in or stay out of the media spotlight can be a factor, as I'm sure some of you have no doubt picked up from your classes with Mr. Aizawa."

There was a smattering of small chuckles heard around the classroom. He was almost certain they wouldn't have been brave enough to do the same if his fellow teacher actually was present. Given his own memories of him as his old homeroom teacher, perhaps even he wouldn't have been brave enough to make such a little joke.

"But at the end of the day, Pro Heroes, no matter their Quirks, are still human, and humans are subject to circadian rhythm. All of us to some extent are born with a natural inclination towards being either morning people, who can wake up bright and early with instant alertness, or night people, who can effectively work through the night because their ability to focus is at its best during those late hours. And while a person's circadian rhythm can be changed, such a thing is often as a result of long-term lifestyle changes that adjust your sleep and meal schedule over time. Failure to properly do so will just end up backfiring, making you less effective during the hours you'd otherwise be operating at your best."

His eyes then spotted something. Second row, third from the front.

"Along with this a number of health concerns can result from an abnormal rhythm." Midoriya continued as he got up and walked calmly towards that desk, hands behind his back. The gentle smile he wore on his face let the rest of his students know he wasn't mad and thus they could enjoy the anticipation of what was about to happen. "Obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder. Though as you might guess, the most common...is sleep disorders."

Yasmin Soliman. Often neck and neck with Chizuru Watanabe for top of the class. Good grades. Good student.

And snoozing away at her desk in the middle of class; her cheek perched atop her hand being the only thing keeping her head from falling.

Amusingly, she still showed her dedication as a student; still holding her pencil between the fingers of the hand holding up her head even while asleep.

Midoriya gave a gentle tap to the pencil with his knuckle.

That small bit of effort was all it took to upset the balance and out the pencil slid, landing on her desk with a clatter.

"H-..huh...?" Yasmin's eyes slowly blinked their way back to consciousness.

"Morning."

"AAH!" She came back to reality with a full start, not having expected to see her teacher's face less than a foot away from her own.

The class erupted in laughter.

"Thank you, Ms. Soliman, for that demonstration of what happens when you try to alter your circadian rhythm by staying up late when you're not a night person." Midoriya teased her as he made his way back to the front. "As we can see, the results are not particularly satisfactory."

Yasmin partially hid her bright red face behind her hand, mostly just to block her own eyes from seeing the rest of the class right now. She felt a consoling pat on her back. That was definitely Kappawari. Little did she know that it'd been her attempts to wake her up that'd caused their teacher to take notice that she was asleep. Though she'd have believed it if she was told. It was nice having your best friend seated behind you. She literally was able to watch her back.

The lecture continued on for the rest of the period without issue, until finally the bell gave out, signaling that the lunch period had begun.

"Be sure to turn in your internship forms by the end of the day." Midoriya reminded everyone as they started packing up and leaving. "Try to keep in mind what we talked about today when making your choice. You may even be able to use this as an opportunity to figure out what kind of schedule works best for you."

"Man... I still haven't been able to make up my mind." Kota groaned to his friends.

"You're not just gonna go with your aunt's team? I'd have figured they'd have made you an offer." JokiJoki asked, rubbing his jaw tiredly. The marks left by those old stiches were mostly faded, even if they'd never fully go away, but there was an old comfort in scratching them.

"That's part of the problem. Eventually we'll be having work studies, which is way more like an actual job, with actual pay and responsibilities and all that. It's why a lot of agencies don't take part in the program like they do with the internships. Mandalay promised me a spot with them when the time comes as long as I keep my grades up, so since I have that safety net maybe I should try something really different with this and get some unique experiences. But then again I don't even know if the Pussycats' style of things is a good fit for me either, so this might be a good time to test that and see if I should aim for a different agency when the work studies finally come. Hrm..."

"You've started to pick up sensei's muttering habit, I see." JokiJoki pointed out.

"Huh-?! Oh-! Well...!" Kota rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, just noticing that himself.

"If Deku-sensei had his own active agency I bet you wouldn't even hesitate." Hago ribbed him, having already started on one of his rice balls. His Tank Tongue Quirk required him to consume more calories than the average person but the rice grains getting stick to his mouth just made his smile feel extra mocking. "You'd write it down as all three of your top choices."

"Shut it...!" Kota hissed at him quietly as his frustration would allow. His face was nearly as red as his hat.

Hago looked up wistfully at the ceiling as he continued his munching. "Maybe I'll intern with the Pussycats. I always thought Tiger was cool, and Pixiebob's still single, isn't she?"

"Don't you dare..."

"Ms. Soliman? A moment, please?" The three's ears perked at Midoriya's voice, their eyes glancing over to see him stopping Yasmin at the door and asking her to come over to his desk.

Yasmin froze for a moment in panic, looking to Kappawari for support, or more hopefully a way out. Sadly, the best the fish girl could offer was a sympathetic look and a smile, or at least the closest her shark-jaws could approximate.

Feeling self-conscious and knowing it was rude to eavesdrop the boys quickly returned to packing up their things so that they could leave...conveniently doing so slowly enough that they could just happen to be listening in.

Yasmin head held itself in a slight slope in her shame upon arriving at her teacher's desk. "Sensei, I'm really sorry about-"

"Hey, hey, I'm not mad." Midoriya cut her off before she got too far into her apology, taking as reassuring a tone as he could. "Be a little hypocritical if I was, given our matching luggage." He joked, pointing at the small bags under his eyes. They were harder to see the further back in the classroom you were seated but over time every one of Midoriya's students had eventually taken notice of the slightly more tired expression he wore and the increases in yawning he had ever since he returned to being a Pro Hero. He certainly wasn't any less cheerful for it though.

Yasmin rubbed the back of her neck. Even if he was being understanding it was still a bit embarrassing to be confronted like this. "I've just...had a lot on my plate lately. It's nothing I can't handle."

Midoriya looked her over, obviously not quite believing her claim.

Her Quirk's name was Gaia's Blessing. From what Midoriya had gathered, when she was a kid everyone had thought it was just a simple super strength Quirk but there were inconsistencies in her strength no one could quite figure out. After some testing just before she enrolled in UA they figured out that her Quirk worked by distributing any force on her body into the ground. The more solid the earth under her feet the more weight she could carry and the harder she could punch, with the natural flipside being that the more hollow or less stable it was the less strength she'd have, and in the air she'd essentially be powerless.

Quirks influenced people's personalities as they grew up, much like any significant factor in a person's environment would. It's why Quirk Counseling existed to begin with.

Those with strength-based Quirks always seemed so convinced they could carry everything on their backs alone, didn't they?

"You're a great student. I hear nothing but praises from your other teachers about how hard you work, and I see how hard you train. In fact, I know you don't stop even when school is done for the day. Then there's the volunteer work you do. And Miss Kappawari's even let it slip how you would always stand up for her against bullies when you were kids."

Yasmin rubbed her cheek awkwardly. Of course she said that. "It's not a big deal. You literally saved the world when you were my age."

"And I would have died trying if it hadn't been for everyone who was there for me." Midoriya pressed to her. "You're going to be a great hero someday. But the hardest thing for any hero to learn and accept is how much of the world's weight is theirs to carry and how much they need to let themselves share with others."

"I thought the school's motto was Plus Ultra?"

"It is, but Going Beyond applies to more than just one person's own limits." Midoriya said, trying to think of the best way to put it into words. "Your friend joined the hero course because of you, right?"

"She would have done that eventually anyway. Her Quirk is great for rescue and she's always been incredibly nice. She just needed to have more confidence in herself."

"And she was able to get that because of you, and she in turn has been helping her fellow classmates where she can, be it in their studies or their training."

"It's...it's not that big a deal."

"It's a bigger deal than we often realize." Midoriya promised her. "You inspire others to do their best and to reach out too. I've seen it many times with you and my other students. One of the ways we go Plus Ultra is through how we connect to people and spread goodness beyond where just one person can reach. Even All Might couldn't be everywhere."

His lessons were no stranger to comparisons to other Pro Heroes, let alone his obvious favorite. It was actually kind of funny for the kids to interact with All Might during the days he was teaching, both because of how down-to-earth he was in contrast to his legendary stature...and because of how rarely their sensei turned off the fanboying even when directly talking to him.

"In fact, I think you've inspired me to oversee your next afterschool training. I believe I've thought up a few tips that'll help make it more efficient and thus you can have more time for yourself." Midoriya remarked as he stood up.

"S-! Sir, I can't ask you to do that!" Yasmin started to freak out a little.

She found a gentle hand pat the top of her head.

"You're not asking. I'm just being a meddler." He smiled kindly at her.

Yasmin was stunned into a pause for a few seconds, a blush taking over her features. But soon they softened, her tilted head doing its best to hide the smile his had infected her with. Their sensei didn't fight fair when he did stuff like this.

"Make sure...you do your damn best."

Midoriya could hear those words in his head as clearly as the day they made that challenge to him.

All Might had once told him that of course there were people out there that he'd failed to saved. There had to be. Somewhere out there could be someone who needed his help and that he'd never know.

There wasn't a doubt in Midoriya's mind that if All Might had seen young Tenko back then wandering the streets, he would have helped him. Shigaraki would never have come to be. He liked to think it was the same for himself, that he could have made the same difference in Tenko's life if they'd met earlier.

But no hero could be everywhere, no matter how well-intentioned. That was a truth he'd had to accept even before the embers of One For All eventually faded. And so the answer he had to give to that challenge, what it meant to do his best, it couldn't be as easy as him just pushing himself harder and further than he ever had before. It wouldn't solve anything.

"All those who've supported me along the way...they've always been the best of me."

If his hand alone couldn't reach all the Tenkos of the world, then he'd take a lesson from all the ones that had reached out to him. Those who were within his reach, who he could help and support, maybe he could inspire them to do the same for others.

And maybe...just maybe...their hand, or the hands of those they help, will be able to reach those he can't.

That was his answer, anyway.

"In fact, I might be so inspired I might make it a late-night group training." Midoriya raised his voice just enough to let the three boys know he'd noticed that they'd stopped packing up their things in the middle of their eavesdropping, causing them to quickly fumble and panic to scoop up the rest of their stuff and make a hasty break for the door.

Midoriya raised his finger up to his mouth in a shushing gesture. "Please don't tell Mr. Aizawa I had to steal one of his lines." He asked of Yasmin. "I'm not quite as practiced with the Stern Teacher role as he is."

Kota could hear the small bit of laughter that escaped his classmate, ironically enough getting him to smile too.

It really was a shame they couldn't do internships with their teachers.

Just a short few feet out the door and Kota found himself bumping into Hago's back, who had in turn bumped into Kappawari's.

"Whoa!"

Opening his eyes and rubbing his nose, it didn't take much to figure out what had left his friend stunned and starry eyed.

"My apologies for our rudeness. We didn't mean to block the doorway."

The glasses-wearing man was a full head taller than all of them, at minimum, and decked out in sleek white armor, carrying a matching helmet under his arm. Evidently he'd been engaged in conversation with Kappawari...and potentially not realizing how in awe of him he was making her, or the rest of them for that matter.

"You're-...Ingenium!" JokiJoki's voice caught on itself in a way Kota had rarely ever heard from him before. And to think he accused him of being a fanboy.

"Tenya!" Midoriya greeted from behind the group, causing everyone to finally come to their senses and move to allow him through. Yasmin followed behind him, causing an exchange of happy smiles between her and Kappawari.

Midoriya had put his jacket back on, though it remained loosely buttoned, and he adjusted the straps of his backpack over it to get it in a comfortable position.

"Sorry if I made you wait."

"No worries at all. As a teacher your commitment to your students is to be of your highest priority. I find it commendable." Iida said, his arm chopping like an action figure with each word.

"Still, I'm guessing you got here right on the dot."

"Is everything alright?" Kota asked, naturally a bit curious.

"Hm? Oh yeah, everything's fine. Iida and I are just working a case together and we wanted to meet for lunch to compare notes. Reviewing some of the evidence we've gathered is actually what had me up late last night...and early this morning to double-check." Midoriya admitted sheepishly.

With a wince in his eyebrow, Iida folded his arms at him. "You are making certain to get the required eight hours, yes?"

"Um...y-yeah...more or less." Midoriya's eyes couldn't bring themselves to meet his stare and his fingers started to play with themselves nervously.

Iida exploded in a fury of flailing arms and chopping hands. "UNACCEPTABLE! As professionals it is our duty to set a proper example for others! Especially children, whose growth can be horribly impacted by poor health choices and improper sleep schedules! And are you eating three meals a day?! Coffee and granola bars are no substitute for a well-balanced diet!"

"No wonder he was worried about being hypocritical..." The five students remarked in union as they continued to watch their sensei's former class president comedically chew him out.

"I admit, it is quite the joyous feeling being here again." Iida said to Midoriya as they calmly made their way past the various UA students and occasional staff, the lecture having been left behind them many minutes ago. "To think, someday my son could be walking these very halls. Or who knows, if he decides to go the hero track, you may end up being his teacher!"

"That's about fourteen or fifteen years off, so let's not get too ahead of ourselves here." Midoriya waved off the idea, feeling a bit awkward trying to imagine that far in the future. "Though I wonder if I'd qualify for tenure by that point..." He added as absentmindedly, trying to do the math in his head.

"Of course. So long as the path he chooses in life is one he can feel proud of, we'll support him. It's all just very new, so it's a bit difficult not to get lost in the excitement."

"Speaking of being back, it must be weird getting back to work after all that time off. How are you feeling?"

It was Iida's turn to feel awkward. "It's...a little straining, if that's the right word for it. It doesn't feel quite right being out here while my wife's at home with our child. It helps a little that my mother said my father was just the same when Tensei and I were born. My grandfather too, I like to think. But still, it feels too much like I'm putting my job before my family by not being there for them."

"I think that just proves how much of a great dad you are going to be." Midoriya reassured him with a pat on the back, causing a light "thunk" against the hard armor. "I don't think I've ever seen a prouder papa than on the day Tengen was born."

"Nor I someone who cried more than the child's actual uncle." Iida smiled at him.

"Uh...yeah...sorry about that." Midoriya rubbed his hair roughly in embarrassment of the memory. He'd gotten a bit...overwhelmed by the emotion of that day.

Iida gave a hearty laugh. It'd be to quite his flattery that to Midoriya it was on the verge of sounding almost like one of All Might's old ones. "I don't mind. In truth...I'm grateful." He said, the sincerity in his voice clear even as he calmed back down. Then again, Midoriya wasn't sure Iida had an insincere bone in his body. "It's because I have friends like you, and the rest of our old classmates, that I felt safe enough to have a child to begin with."

Neither wanted to say it out loud but Midoriya knew exactly what he was talking about. It may be coming up on a decade since it'd happened but there would always be a part of Iida that'd been left shaken by getting that call that his brother had been attacked by Stain. He came from an entire family of heroes. He'd always been aware of the danger they risked because of their lives. That was just the first time it became truly real for him.

The idea of something happening to him and leaving his son without a father...there was no way it didn't scare Iida, no matter how peaceful the world may be getting.

"I meant what I said back then. I'll always be ready to be there for Tengen." Midoriya assured his friend once more, giving him a smile that made certain to match the sincerity Iida had always shown him.

He would never not be stiff. It simply wasn't his nature. But the nod in gratitude Iida gave back...it did have the hint of some relaxation.

"You do need to get proper sleep though." He still made sure to comment.

"Yeah, yeah, I know... Though in my defense I wasn't just being a workaholic. I wanted to get a jump on this case and anything else in immediate need so that I would be completely free today."

"Ah! That's right! Uraraka will be returning home tonight, won't she?" Iida realized. It all made sense now.

A happy blush enveloped Midoriya's face, and Iida could almost swear there was an occasional skip in his step.

"I can't wait to see her. My fiancé is coming home. I still can hardly believe it. I have a fiancé! And it's Ochaco!"

"You also are a fiancé."

"I AM a fiancé!" He said that so excitedly, like he just put it together himself. "Ochaco's fiancé!"

Iida smiled warmly as his friend continued to allow himself to be overwhelmed by his joy. While everyone in the old class did keep in touch in one way or another, how often who would see who often depended heavily on their various work schedules and thus it was those who worked together or just happened to have intersecting patrols who'd see each other the most often. In his case, once they'd gather enough experience as full Pro Heroes he, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and Tsuyu had formed an agency together, with its main focus being the project to improve Quirk Counseling that Uraraka was spearheading. It was something she was passionate about, and that passion was infectious for the rest of them. But it was a lengthy ordeal they were still working on to this day and it caused them frequent travels around the country, her most of all, and though she'd hide it as she'd bury herself in the work it wasn't hard for Iida to see her bouts of homesickness, and in particular her longing for who made it feel like home for her.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind she was looking forward to her return just as much as Midoriya was.

"I imagine it's been a bit since you two have had some time to yourselves."

Midoriya's mood went down a little as he remembered it. "Yeah... We only had short window the last time we were together, then I actually got called away to help deal with that dungeon master villain. By the time that was done she had to leave on her current assignment for three weeks."

"Yes, Yaoyorozu had informed me. Quite a shame too. What she's doing is important, no doubt, but if it hadn't come up it could have been the three of us working this case together instead of just you and I."

Midoriya gave an internal groan. He didn't become a Pro Hero again just to hang out with his friends more, he'd swear to that and it'd be the truth. He genuinely liked helping people that way as much as he did helping his students through being a teacher. But...the team-ups were something he could admit he enjoyed a lot every time they happened, and outside of disaster relief and rescue he and Uraraka hadn't worked together that much yet. Most of the collaborations he tended to be called in on were with Bakugo and Todoroki, often the need being to take down some new powerful villain trying to make a name for themselves. It was actually a nice change of pace doing something little more cerebral like an investigation with Iida. And to think he could have had that with Uraraka too...

Still, Midoriya clenched his fist in determination and raised it up. "We have the weekend off and she'll be back on regular patrol for a bit, so she'll be home more often, but just in case anything comes up I'm gonna make sure I make tonight special for her!"

"That's the spirit!" Iida declared with a firm outstretched arm, gathering a few more stares from passersby than the two were already getting.

He couldn't really follow what Midoriya said next, it was too quiet and too rapid, but that wasn't too much of a bother. His friend had had this habit of muttering to himself since back when they attended this school together. A way of helping him organize his thoughts. Given he was able to make out wine, pork, and the names of a few veggies Iida guessed he was probably making sure he was prepared for the dinner he was planning for the two of them. At least that confirmed to him he was actually eating properly...when Uraraka was home anyway.

"I trust you will be responsible with your drinking." Iida said when the muttering finally slowed down, regaining Midoriya attention. "Rest assured, I understand. It just can be easy to get a bit carried away after a long time apart."

"No, I get you. If it helps, I think I'll be a bit too embarrassed to have too much anyway. I actually ran into some of my students when I was at the store buying the wine. They made a joke asking if I was getting it because of them."

"That doesn't seem so bad."

"When I shared the story with Mr. Aizawa he said I should have said yes."

Iida had to cover his mouth to prevent the sudden (and his opinion) inappropriate laugh from escaping, managing to just barely compress it down into a snort. "Ye-*Ahem!*... Yes, well...that does certainly sound like something he would say. You've told me before how he thinks you should be stricter with your students."

"Even though he wasn't actually all that strict with us..." Midoriya pouted a little. "He makes it sound so easy."

"I don't think strict is really your style, anyway. Your students certainly don't seem any worse for wear with the way you're currently approaching them. They have the same eyes that you do."

"The same eyes?" Midoriya asked, confused as to his meaning.

Iida smiled at him. "Eyes determined to help anyone that they see who needs it. The same eyes that saw me when I needed help after Stain attacked my brother. The eyes that haven't changed since you and I were in school together." He pointed his fingers to Midoriya's pupils. "More than anything, I'm glad that's something these future heroes are getting passed onto them."

Again, not an insincere bone in his body. And even after all these years it could still leave Midoriya stunned sometimes.

"You...didn't happen to hear my talk with the student in the classroom, did you?"

"Hm?" Iida cocked his head slightly, not quite getting the seemingly random question. "No, I was too far away and engaged in conversation with the young lady outside the room. Besides, it's rude to eavesdrop. Why do you ask?"

"Because I feel like I'm being challenged again to not be a hypocrite." Midoriya made the light joke, having to actively fight his own instincts and just accept the praise he was being given. Poor Yasmin, having been put through this by him...

That answer did nothing to lessen Iida's confusion but Midoriya couldn't bring himself to elaborate further, and he pushed the conversation to another topic.

"Some of my students definitely got excited when they saw that the Ingenium agency was one of the ones making internship offers. After a week alongside you I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what kind of eyes they come back with. Who knows? Maybe in fifteen or sixteen years my and Ochaco's daughter will be asking your son if he can recommend her to work under you too."

"A daughter, eh?" Iida smirked at him.

Midoriya caught what he said too. "Oh! Uh! Well! I mean-! Obviously I'd love them no matter what!" He scratched his cheek after his moment of spazzing out. "I guess I just...always imagined myself having a girl. ...That's not weird, is it?"

"Not at all." Iida patted his back in reassurance. "I always imagined myself having a son, even before I knew I would have one."

"That's a relief." Midoriya gave a matching sigh in his gratitude. "It's just...one of those things I've been thinking about a lot, ever since she said yes."

"You'll be a great father someday, Midoriya. I'm sure of it."

"Thanks, Tenya."

"And when that day comes, I'll endeavor to cry as much as you did to prove my joy over being an uncle."

"Aw, come on..."

The halls of UA echoed with the laughter of two old friends.

Author's Notes: Iida is one of my favorite characters in the series and I love his and Midoriya's friendship. It's one of the reasons I'm so baffled by some people's sheer insistence that Midoriya's friends abandoned him for years and stopped caring about him when he was no longer able to be a Pro Hero. That goes against everything we were ever shown of their characters throughout the entire series and even what we're shown of them in the last chapter itself! Iida especially would be the LAST person to ever abandon or crap on Midoriya for being a teacher! Midoriya saved his life and inspires him almost as much as his brother does!

I'll leave it up to your personal preference who Iida's wife is. Despite him being one of my favorites, even above characters I do ship like Ashido and Kirishima, I've never really shipped him with anyone. I've never had a problem with his more popular ships. Momo, Mei, Todoroki, Midoriya, Uraraka (though obviously I prefer those two with each other rather than with anyone else). But no pairing ever really clicked with me personally.

Oh, and before I forget, while I did change some aspects, general credit for Yasmin and especially her Quirk goes to Reddit user SnooSongs4451. I had asked for ideas for students in Midoriya's class and they gave me a bunch of them. Kappawari is mine and basically imagine Ripjaws from Ben 10 but with Samara's hair and in a UA school uniform. Hago is just the kid with the tank barrel coming out of his mouth that was in the remedial class arc, now grown up into a heavyset teenager.