A/N: *Pokes head out* Hi guys. I'm alive? Sorry I've been gone for a bit—My muse moved over to Viridian (another bnha fic). And now that Writer's block is rearing its ugly head, I've created this filler chapter. I'M SORRY! *hides again*

I really feel bad about not updating Swan Dive for a long time, and then coming back with this short-assed 2.8k words. I'm ashamed.

That being said, I'd like to remind you of several things. 1, I am not pairing Izuku romantically with ANYONE. Not Bakugo, not Shinsou, not Uraraka. It's not my style. This fic concentrates more on family and the like.
2, I am not bringing Inko back as a zombie. I'm sorry, I'm just not. She's dead, and I'm not going to torture Izuku badly enough to turn her into a Nomu. Besides, only the skeleton was left, and why would AfO turn his own daughter into a Nomu? (but you'd better believe when he realizes who did it...)

The fanart you guys have sent me is INCREDIBLE! I'm probably going to miss quite a few pieces, because I'm a scatterbrain who can't keep shit organized to save my life, so please let me know if I've forgotten your piece.
That being said, I'm probably repeating them, too. *Shrugs*

Remember, if you'd like to send me fanart or really anything of the sort, please e-mail me at aizawa

Someone also made an animatic based on Viridian, my other bnha story, and I just! I cried in joy! It's beautiful! So even though this isn't Viridian, I'd like to link that video and give the amazing creator a shoutout! Kali Ilusak, you're awesome!

Viridian Animatic: watch?v=mU_xdL4k71U (And for those of you for whom the link won't work, please just go to youtube and search Viridian animatic, it's to the song Cups)

FANART:
Thank you Mirro! : / / i . . j p g
Trashyotakuthing, you rock!: i . . p n g
MistakeChan drew Izuku with Yuki! i . . j p g
Vereen drew Zuku in his hero outfit! i . k 6 u ODOm . j p g
My friend MoldiMochi sent this before we became friends. Haha. i . qMfFPcr . j p g
Giovanni, you rock! And your headphones in the corner totally look like Shouta's Capture Weapon! i . r . j p g
Kaelan's at it again, with their amazing art! i . GspdQoY . j p
Forcarotten, this is incredible! .
Another-weird-witch, you CAN draw cats. :) i . XzXg5eY . j p g
Ava, this is so cute~! .
C12, I love this! Especially the book Izuku has on his dad, there. ;) i . Nk2bFfJ . j p g
Bella drew this~! i . . j p g
From one of my best friends, AnonymousPsudeonym! You've improved so much! i . . j p g
And I totally caught this on the bnha group chat I've got going (join us on Telegram! Just PM me) Thanks Emma~~ It's technically Shouta as a cat, but he looks a lot like Yuki, too, and I just couldn't NOT use this! i . . j p g
EmmaSmoke drew Izuku and Kacchan in their halloween costumes~! w w w . wattpad 853821548- i % 2 7 m - o nl y - 1 - - halloween

Toshinori couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he was haunted by the green-haired child he'd just about killed. He'd failed numerous times as a hero. Despite what everyone seemed to believe, he was human, too. He failed, sometimes. He couldn't save everyone.

But he'd never—to his own knowledge—pushed someone to something like this… especially a child.

It made his gut clench and twist in guilt and shame, and he had half a mind to quit teaching right there. How in the world could he face Aizawa or Yamada, now? When he'd nearly murdered their son. Even after his apology, he still felt an overwhelming sense of shame and guilt wash over him whenever he looked at them.

Nana would be so disappointed in him. He could imagine her expression clearly in his mind. Another, equally disappointed face crossed his mind, and he flinched at the thought.

Eventually, deciding that he couldn't simply stay holed up in his apartment for eternity, and realizing that he wasn't going to get any sleep, he put on an oversized shirt, baggy jeans, and a warm coat.

He sent off a quick text before he could change his mind and waited by the trash-heap of a beach.

"I wasn't expecting you to text me at two in the morning, Toshinori." Gran Torino took a seat beside him with a concerned gleam in his eye. "It's unlike you to be this troubled over something."

"I…" He found himself at a loss for words. How could he possibly explain this to him? "About a year ago, I met a Quirkless boy who wanted to be a hero." Yes, that sounded like a good place to start. "I tried to let him down gently… it's just too dangerous for someone with no power in this world." He felt Gran Torino turn a disbelieving eye towards him. "I know… but at the time, it felt like the best thing to do. He sort of just… sprung the question on me… he saw my weakened form, and… I panicked. And then…" He felt hot tears spill down his face. "I left him there. I thought he just needed time to process everything, but then yesterday I heard from Eraserhead—the man who's now adopted the kid—that he'd jumped! That boy tried to kill himself because of what I said, and… and…" Toshinori buried his face in his hands, sobs choking him as guilt crushed his heart. "It's all my fault."

He yelped when he felt the cane whack him upside the head.

"Toshinori, you are an idiot." He met the angered eyes of his elder. "You're sitting here wallowing in your self-pity and doubt like a child. What's done is done. Yes, you were irresponsible and the consequences could've been severe, but this time you got lucky. This time, you can make amends. So stop this crying and go make a difference, Mr. Symbol of Peace. Apologize to the kid, and do whatever it takes to make it up to his parents. And make damn sure this doesn't happen again. And if this lesson doesn't stick, I will kick your ass into the ground."

Toshinori felt a trill of fear run down his spine; horrific flashbacks of his days training under Gran Torino had him quickly shaking his head.

"R-right… Thank you…"

"Never forget where you come from, Toshinori." His expression softened, and for a moment, he looked every bit his age. "You were Quirkless once, too, you know. Times have changed, and the world keeps turning, but you would do well to never lose the boy that Nana met all those years ago."

"Thank you."

He supposed, in the end, he was right to call in his master's old friend. Gran Torino gave him the (thankfully non-physical) kick in the ass he needed.

Tomorrow, he was going to have his first class, and tomorrow he was going to make sure that that boy got the apology he deserved.

Because like Torino said, Toshinori was an idiot. But he was still a good person.

Izuku was a little nervous. He didn't know how the teachers took the news of his Quirkless status or his past, so he wasn't sure what to expect today. Luckily, he arrived to school with his parents today so he wouldn't have to deal with Press Week, as his dad called it. Though they said after this, he'd have to take the train like everyone else. (Something about sharing the full schooling experience and not tipping the others off to the fact that his whole family worked at U.A.)

It wasn't too long before the press started to show up and harass every student that tried to get into the school. According to Mama Nem, this would go on all week, before calming down. Days 2 and 3 were usually the worst, though.

Izuku was just glad he wasn't caught up in it. Yet.

He followed his Ma to the staff room, knowing that he was dreadfully early to school. There'd be no point in waiting in the classroom, especially since he knew that there would be coffee in the staff room.

Izuku cautiously poked his head in, earning a chuckle from Nemuri. "Just come in, Zuku. Nobody's here but us right now. Shouta and Hizashi are probably running papers about and Chiyo's setting up her office."

True to her word, nobody was in the lounge but them, and he stepped forward with a lot more confidence. He quickly poured himself a cup of steaming hot coffee, and curled up on the couch with his laptop.

Yuki was happily snuggled up on his lap, and he smiled into his scarf. The fur was soft under his hands as he pulled out his drawing tablet. He found that he greatly enjoyed drawing, and was rather good at it. Pa was thrilled and he and Dad had pulled together to buy him a drawing tablet.

Izuku couldn't stop thanking them for it.

He was so into his drawing of Snipe in action (because he pretty much exclusively drew heroes these days), that he didn't see a few other staff members enter the room.

"So you're Aizawa's son."

Izuku startled badly, nearly dropping his tablet as his body naturally found a fighting stance. He realized belatedly that it was Thirteen that had spoken. He almost dropped the tablet again.

"Oh, wow! You're Thirteen the Rescue Hero andyou'resocool!YourQuirk,BlackHoleisnaturallyreallydestructiveandthefactthatyoulearnedhowtouseittorescuepeopleinsteadisreallyamazing,andIsawyourrescuethosepeopleonthatcruiseshiplastmonthandyouwerejustincredibleand—"

"Zuku." Nem spoke up with a fond smile, and Izuku immediately slapped a hand over his mouth.

"S-sorry! I just really love heroes!"

"I could tell." Thirteen sounded like they were grinning. "You're very passionate. It's a good trait."

"I'll say!" Vlad King grinned, and Izuku had to bite his tongue to keep another mumble storm from falling forth. "I'm Kan Sekijiro, but you can call me Uncle Seki. Your parents and I went to U.A. together."

Nemuri laughed. "He was all hurt that we wouldn't let him meet you until U.A."

"I… I-it's good to meet you!" Izuku beamed brightly, and the heroes in the room stilled.

"That smile is a weapon all on its own." Snipe chuckled.

"You can say that again. That smile would make villains surrender." Thirteen agreed.

"I've got tons of pictures." Nemuri grinned.

"MA!" Izuku complained. The other teachers looked at Nemuri with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, Listener! How're you getting along with everyone?" His Pa asked as he came into the room.

"Pa! Ma's being mean again!"

"I was just telling them how I have pictures of—"

"Nemuri, I thought we agreed that those photos are family only." Shouta said as he came into the room. Izuku knew that about 70% of the photos were of him with his dad.

"Oh, come on! He's so cute! We need to show off how cute he is! And what kind of mother would I be if I didn't show off my son?!" Nemuri crossed her arms.

"A non-invasive one." Shouta replied without missing a beat.

"Dad, did you bring me coffee?" Izuku perked up as his dad nodded, handing Izuku a thermos with a hair ruffle. He beamed up at his dad. "Thanks, dad! Love you!"

"Love you too, Problem Child." Shouta gave him a soft smile and a one-armed hug.

"Now that's a dad." Vla—Uncle Seki said with a wide smile. "Never thought I'd see you so gentle."

"Shut up." His dad's smile dropped back into his typical annoyed exhaustion. "Zuku, you should head over to the classroom—your classmates are starting to arrive. You need to socialize with kids your own age."

"I talk to Kacchan all the time." Izuku pouted.

"Someone who maybe doesn't blow something up every day?" Hizashi chimed in. "Nothing against Katsuki, but you need some variety."

"Fine." Izuku sighed, and went to pack his computer into his backpack (he'd already packed his tablet away). "Making a kid socialize, what kind of anti-social are you?" Izuku muttered, causing his dad to smirk.

"I'm just doing for you what nobody did for me—make you learn social skills. You'll need them."

"You get by just fine without them."

"Wrong!" Hizashi cut in. "I made him learn!"

"See? Aren't you glad I'm the one making you learn socialization instead of another loudmouth?" His dad expertly hid his smirk in his capture weapon as Izuku snickered.

"That's mean!" Hizashi complained.

Snipe whistled appreciatively as he caught sight of Izuku's drawing before he could close his computer. "Damn, Sharpshooter! You're talented." The compliment got the other teachers interested, and Izuku felt his face heat up.

"I-It's not that good… just a hobby." He muttered.

"Zuku." His dad gave him a look. "What have we said about compliments?"

Izuku sighed. "Thank you, Snipe-sensei." He felt arrogant just saying thank you. Was that how he sounded? Oh, god did he offend him?!

"I'll look forward to seeing you in class next semester!" Snipe grinned.

"Next semester?" Izuku tilted his head as he thought. "An elective class?" He guessed.

"Correct! While taking a gun safety class is a requirement for heroes, it's typically incorporated into your homeroom time in second year for about a week. But you can start taking electives at U.A. starting your second semester, if ya want. And something tells me that you're going to be taking a lot of electives."

Izuku blushed. Was he that obvious? "I-I'm going to head to class, now." He gave his Ma, Pa, and Dad each a hug and a peck on the cheek before rushing out, cheeks burning. It was embarrassing, but he wasn't going to miss the chance to let them know he loved them.

After all, Izuku knew all too well just how quickly things could turn to shit. Any time could be the last time.

He was halfway to the classroom when he saw someone he didn't necessarily want to see—All Might in his deflated form.

The man had some light bags under his eyes and looked more exhausted than normal. He startled badly when he saw Izuku in the empty hallway. For a moment, neither of them moved.

"Yamazawa-kun…" He started, and Izuku instantly knew that he remembered him. "I…" He then got on his hands and knees and touched his forehead to the ground.

Izuku stared. All Might… THE ALL MIGHT was groveling on the ground at his feet. "Wha?"

"I owe you the biggest apology of my life." He said, and Izuku swore he saw tears on the floor. "I was weak. And I was stupid. There's no excuse for leaving you on the roof, or saying the harsh things I said. I'm a hypocrite. I won't ask you to forgive me… But know that I deeply regret what I said and did, and I swear it'll never happen again."

"A-All Might…" Izuku blinked back a few tears. He thought he was over this, but hearing this apology… it made his heart sting with old wounds. "I forgive you." He meant it. "Everyone makes mistakes. It's not like you did it on purpose, which is better than a lot of other people. You had no way of knowing that someone suicide baited me that day."

The man's tears fell harsher. "I don't deserve your forgiveness… You almost died."

Izuku smiled softly. Even the Number One Hero was human, it seemed. He kneeled down in front of the blond man and carefully helped him sit up. "But I'm still here." He held out a hand to help the blond to his feet.

"I… I don't understand."

"I'm not angry." Izuku's smile widened a little. "I feel like I should thank you, actually. Without that… I never would've found my family. My Ma, and Pa, and Dad. Within every mistake is a lesson, right? And with every lesson there's a silver lining. I think my mom told me that once.

"I… I need to tell you something." All Might decided, and Izuku could feel the weight of something in his voice. He followed the man into a nearby classroom. "I need you to keep this a secret. Please." He waited until Izuku nodded. "The truth is that I was Quirkless, too."

Izuku's brows furrowed. All Might was quite obviously not Quirkless. He was the farthest thing from it.

"My Quirk, One for All, is passed down like a sacred torch. It's not passed from parent to child. I was Quirkless until my master found me—a dreamer boy who wanted to make the world a better place. She gave me this Quirk before she died. But over the years… I started to forget myself. I forgot Yagi Toshinori. And you, Yamazawa… you are doing what I never had the strength or will to do. You're becoming a hero without power." He paused for a moment to let that sink in, and Izuku was blown away by the information that presented itself to him.

"I became a Symbol of Peace, beating down foes and striking fear into the hearts of villains with each Smash I did. But you… You will become a Symbol of Hope for all those who were told they would amount to nothing. You'll be the proof that they matter, too. And you'll give people the courage to chase after their dreams even when nobody believes in them."

Izuku didn't realize he was crying until he felt Yuki jump back up on his shoulder—when did he leave?—and lick his face.

Then the door slid open. Izuku wasn't sure he'd ever seen his dad look so angry. Shouta's fangs lengthened as he took in the scene of All Might smiling as he stood before a crying Izuku.

Yagi let out a small 'eep' as he realized, at the same moment as Izuku, what this looked like.

"Yagi, I fucking warned you—you hurt my cub."

"Dad! W-wait! He's not…" Izuku sniffled and smiled. "He didn't hurt me."

His dad paused and raised an eyebrow.

"He apologized and then… he said some things I really needed to hear." He sent Yagi a smile. "Thank you for believing in me, Yagi-sensei."

His dad let out a massive sigh and scrubbed a hand down his face, forcing his fangs to shrink. "We need to get to class, bell rings in twelve. We will discuss this later at home." The two watched as Yagi made a hasty escape. Not that Izuku blamed him for wanting to get out of his dad's sight.

"Sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Yuki came and got me. He wasn't panicking, so I didn't think much was wrong, but I was still worried."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault. You know how I worry." His dad pulled him into a hug, and Izuku melted into his embrace.

"He told me that one day, I'd be the kind of hero that inspired others… the people who were beaten down and told they couldn't do it… I'd be the one that told them they could." Izuku smiled softly and his dad hugged him tighter.

"And you will. You'll be an amazing hero, Cub." Izuku smiled softly at the nickname. "You're already mine."

"Now who's the mushy one?" Izuku teased, making his dad huff. The hero's cheeks were tinged a light red.

"Look at you, you're a mess." His dad chuckled lowly and used the end of his Capture Weapon to wipe the snot and tears from Izuku's face. He ruffled his hair. "Now, get to class before that bell rings. Today's your first real day of school, you know."

"Right." He grinned as he left the room, his dad smiling after him proudly. His heart felt lighter than it'd felt since his mom's death. He hadn't realized how much of that rooftop disaster he'd been holding on to, and it felt good to finally let go of it all.

He looked down at Yuki with a smile, ready to take on the day. "Let's do this."