This chapter is a bit shorter than the last few, partly cause I don't have as much time as I used to, and partly because a few people asked me to make my stories / chapters a bit shorter.

Have fun reading, everyone! =)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as the bell had rang and Cementoss-sensei had said they were good to go, Izuku was out of his seat and shovelling his books into his bag. His hand were trembling so badly, he shoved one textbook to hard and it flew over the open bag and crashed to the ground.

Izuku didn't even look up when someone asked him is everything was alright, instead dropped to his knees to retrieve his book and pack his bag. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what to do next.

Should he go home and try to talk to his mother again? Then again, she had said that she wanted to speak to All Might, that it was the only chance to convince her to let Izuku stay at U.A.

Then… he could go home and offer his mother to accompany her to All Might? But most likely, she would say No to that. She would want to speak to All Might alone, Izuku was sure of that.

If there was no way to stop his mother, the only option left was to at least warn All Might.

Izuku stopped what he was doing, starring into space. All Might was recovering, yes, but he was by no means healthy right now. The thought of his injured and tired mentor having to face such a difficult situation as convince Izuku's mother to let him stay…

The thought squeezed Izuku's heart together painfully, and he began moving at top-speed, practically throwing his things into his bag and jumping to his feet as soon as he was finished.

He almost lost his balance, becoming dizzy from his own sudden movement. Staggering, he reached out blindly to find something to hold on to… and immediately, there were hands reaching for him, taking his hand, gripping his arms, helping him stand.

Izuku blinked before realization hit him, and he looked up to smile gratefully at his friends. "Thanks, guys."

It was astonishing how fast the whole group could gather around him. Uraraka was already in front of him, reaching up to lay a hand on his forehead. "Deku, what's wrong? Do you feel sick?"

"I reckon you go to the infirmary if you should feel unwell, Midoriya-kun," Iida suggested immediately.

"You're overthinking this again, aren't you," that was Todoroki, mismatched eyes scanning Izuku's expression. He hadn't phrased it as a question, but as a statement.

"Overthinking what?" Mineta immediately asked, expression shifting from confused to worried in an instant.

Tsuyu frowned, tugging slightly at Izuku's sleeve. "Izuku-chan? What's wrong?"

"I… uh," Izuku faltered, torn between trying not to worry his friends and the confrontation they had had just this morning. Had he not promised them to tell them more often when something was worrying him?

After taking a shaky breath, he tried to smile, shakily, and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "It's just that… I don't know if my Mum will be okay with me staying at the dorms."

He half regretted telling them that when his friends exchanged alarmed looks between themselves and then instantly started talking, everyone at the same moment.

"But… why?!"

"Well, after everything that happened…"

"But Deku will be safe here!"

"Can't you tell her that it's safer staying here?"

"Uh, she probably thinks U.A. is not that safe after all those villains that attacked…"

"Guys… guys!" Izuku had to raise his voice to get his friends to go silent. Holding up his hands (he only then noticed that they were shaking slightly) he explained, "Mum wants to… talk to All Might before she makes her final decision."

There was still worry on his friends' expression, but Uraraka smiled hesitantly at him, trying to seem reassuring. "Ah… I'm sure All Might-sensei will manage to convince her!"

"Yeah…" Mineta chimed in, "He's All Might after all! Anybody would be convinced by someone like him!"

"I hope so," Izuku answered, smile strained. I really, really do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You… you gave him your quirk?!"

Toshinori cringed, feeling sweet beading on his forehead as Inko almost jumped of her chair. The woman had one hand pressed to her mouth and her eyes were wide in shock, staring at the retired hero as if he had just grown a second head.

Shit, Toshinori thought. Perhaps he had been a bit too hasty when he had decided that he would Inko everything about how he had met Izuku. (He had kept the most dangerous parts to himself, though, not telling her that Izuku had almost been suffocated by a sludge villain when they had first met.)

Still, he had at least wanted to tell Inko that Izuku didn't receive his quirk just like that.

But now, he doubted that it had been a good idea. Inko was Izuku's mother, after all. He himself, had been a stranger to the boy. Without consulting Inko first, he had made such a decision, had given Izuku a power beyond measure but with obligations bound to it. Not to mention the injuries which had their cause in One for All… it wouldn't not surprise him when Inko was furious about this…

"You… you have no idea what you…" Inko lowered her hands, eyes still wide, but now there were tears gathering there, and Toshinori wanted to hide somewhere. Oh no, anger he could take, but not tears on top of that.

"You have no idea how much you did for him, do you?"

Toshinori blinked, blinked again, and… "C-Come again?"

Inko laughed, but the sound was more a mixture of a hiccup and a sob than anything else. Taking a step closer, she reached out, stopping short of taking Toshinori's hands in hers. Instead, she sat back down again, gaze fixed on the hero's face. "Izuku… he always wanted to be a hero, since he knew what the word meant. No… since he had seen you for the first time. It was his greatest wish, and he talked about nothing else apart from that and from All Might's newest adventures."

"I can… imagine that," Toshinori muttered with a crooked, hesitant smile. Remembering the way Izuku had literally broken down in an emotional display when All Might himself had told him that he could become a hero.

"Then, perhaps, you can also imagine how devastated he was when he was told that he was quirkless," Inko's smile faltered and vanished for a moment as the memories returned. "I… perhaps I reacted wrong to that information. I should have reassured him, believed in him, but all I did was apologize…"

Toshinori felt a pang as he saw her expression, her self-loath. No, that was not right. She shouldn't feel like that.

He knew how parents reacted when they found out that their child was quirkless.

He had been quirkless himself once before, after all.

There were many ways to react, and while Inko's reaction had probably been not that what Izuku had needed to hear, it had not been an awful thing of her to do. Not at all.

"Inko-san," he interrupted her process of thoughts sharply, pulling her back to reality. "Believe me, you did absolutely nothing wrong. Nothing. And Izuku knows that, too."

Inko blinked at him, as if she could not believe what she had just heard. From whom she had just heard it. But then, she smiled slightly, blushing only a bit when she answered quietly, "I… Thank you."

Breathing in and out deeply, Inko straightened herself again, sitting a bit more upright. "Anyway, what I wanted to say is – while Izuku never completely gave up his hope on becoming a hero one day, he was not the same after being declared quirkless. He was silent for days after getting the news, and even when he started talking again, it was different. He spoke quieter, more hushed, and he didn't smile the same anymore. Everything about Izuku was a bit… dimmed? I think that's the best way to describe it. It was as if a light had been dimmed. I could still see it, but it was weak and distant," Inko's smile was a farce as she said that, more of a futile try to hide her pain, "Izuku had buried his hope deep inside himself."

Toshinori swallowed dryly. When he had met Izuku for the first time, the boy had been more timid and self-doubting then he was now, that much was true, but… he had been so bright, eyes and smile a brilliant light when he had looked at him – at his idol All Might.

The thought of that light being dimmed was painful, Toshinori noticed.

"But then, years after, Izuku came home, and…" Inko swallowed, before her smile turned genuine, and she was able to meet Toshinori's gaze again. "And suddenly, he told me that he would like to start a diet, and he hung up a plan on the fridge door. And he trained – he doesn't know I saw that, I caught him while he was doing push-ups in his room.

At first, I was surprised by that. Izuku had never spent much thought on diets or training. He relied more on his mind than his muscles. But he was so determined, it was as if he had a goal right in front of him, one that he wanted to reach no matter what, and… he looked so hopeful. For the first time in years, Izuku looked like… like he had found his dream again."

"That was…" Toshinori almost couldn't form the words, throat constricting as the truth of what Inko was trying to tell him dawned on him. "That was when… I took him as my student."

And Inko smiled knowingly at him before she continued, "A few months later, Izuku told me all of sudden that he had a quirk now. It just showed up out of nowhere, he told me. I must have been a late bloomer, he said."

Toshinori grinned sheepishly as Inko shot him a glance at that.

"Since then, Izuku not only got into U.A., he also made many friends, and learned a lot. He smiles more now, and he always seems so happy when he talks about his day once he comes home to me," Inko hesitated, rubbing lightly at the corner of her eye. "It's just that… you were the one who made that possible. You're the one who gave Izuku his smile back."

Stunned beyond measures, Toshinori opened his mouth and closed it again when he couldn't find words to say. Finally, he managed to croak out, "I only gave him a chance. Everything else… Izuku did that himself. With the help of his friends… and with your help."

"And I will always be grateful for that one chance you gave him," Inko answered, smile still there but eyes serious. "For that chance and everything else you did for him."

She had managed to render him speechless, had done so with ease. A part of Toshinori wanted to treasure what she had just told him, but the bigger part felt as if he had done nothing to deserve such gratefulness.

Izuku did that himself.

He would have become a hero without me.

I was not the teacher he deserved up until now.

"When I asked Izuku if he really had to go back to U.A…."

Inko's soft voice pulled Toshinori from his thoughts again, his attention focusing solely on her as she continued, "When I wanted him to consider the option of leaving U.A., Izuku told me that he could not turn back. Do you know why?"

Still not trusting his voice, Toshinori shook his head, not knowing if he should look forward to or dread the answer he would receive.

Inko smiled at him, obviously noticing the tension in his shoulders. "He said he couldn't not turn back now, because you gave him everything. And I don't think he was only talking about the quirk you gave him."

This time, Toshinori not even had to try and find an answer. Not that he could have found one, honestly.

But that aside – the door flying open and a loud voice resounding in the little room saved him from whatever embarrassment and uncomfortable silence that would have been there otherwise.

"All Might! I'm sorry for bursting in, but…!"

The blurted out words startled both Toshinori and Inko. They both jolted, blinking at each other before they turned towards the door.

Izuku had burst in, coming to a skidding halt in the middle of the room, the door falling shut behind him with a loud Bang. The boy's hair was in a disarray, green strands falling into his flushed face and he was panting. Obviously, he had run all the way here.

Taking in his mentor's guest, Izuku trailed off in what he had wanted to say. Quickly going pale, schoolbag slipping off his shoulder, forgotten, falling to the ground with a thud, the boy stuttered out: "M-Mum? Y-You're already here?!"

Oh. Inko and Toshinori exchanged a look. Only when they saw the panic in Izuku's expression, both of them realized that Izuku did not yet know the – positive – decision Inko had made. He still thought that he would probably have to leave U.A.

"Izuku," Inko began, standing and reaching out for her boy.

But she didn't get further, because Izuku obviously had made a decision for himself. Shoulders squaring and jaw set, the boy stood straight, although there was still fear in his eyes.

"Mum, please!" Every ounce of colour had left Izuku's face, but his eyes were burning with a both desperation and determination. Frantically, the boy reached for his mother's hand: "Please! Let me stay here! There is still so much I want to learn, so much I need to learn… please, Mum, I will be careful…!"

He trailed off, words failing him as he looked up at his mother pleadingly. "Please."

There was a pause as never of them moved for what seemed to be an eternity. Then, Inko breathed in and out very deeply and started to speak.

"After that fight, after seeing what the life of a hero will have to offer you…" Inko trailed off for a moment, her gaze flickering over to Toshinori before she concentrated on her son again. "After that, I can only say that you have to be very strong if you really want to live the life of a hero. And that's why… there really is much you have to learn yet."

Izuku stared at her, the words sinking in almost too slowly. A flicker of hope awakened in his eyes as he searched for something in his mother's gaze. "Do you mean…?"

"Yes." Inko's voice cracked at the word, but she smiled at her son. "Yes. You can stay at UA, so you can learn how to protect yourself."

Toshinori felt as if a weight had been lifted of his chest and he could finally breathe again. Relief almost made him dizzy. She had said so before, he had known, but hearing her say it to Izuku's face made it become reality at last.

Izuku would stay.

Slowly, very slowly, Izuku's face lit up like a sun, his eyes shining in uncontained excitement and a wide smile stretching over his features. He turned half around, to Toshinori, gaze searching for that of his mentor.

Toshinori smiled back, just as happy, but a little bit subdued. From his position on the bed, he could see both Izuku and Inko who was standing a step behind her son.

That was the reason why he could see the woman's smile waver and her carefully upheld, happy façade crumble.

Izuku didn't see it, back turned to her, but behind him, his mother was on the verge of tears.

Toshinori was torn between keeping his smile for Izuku up and addressing Inko's pain.

The fact that there was nothing to ease it, nothing that he could say to her that would change anything, didn't really help.

Before he could decide, Inko resolved the situation herself. Clearing her throat rather loudly and turning around so that her back was to Izuku, she asked Recovery Girl: "Excuse me, but I would like to use the bathroom for a moment. Where…?"

Recovery Girl, who had not taken part in the conversation up until now, pretending to be working at her desk, thankfully reacted quickly as always. Suddenly she was there and laid a hand on the – slightly trembling – arm of the younger woman, directing her towards the door. "Of course. I will show you the way."

The two left the room after that. Not before Recovery Girl and Toshinori exchanged a quick look, though, worry and sad understanding palpable in their eyes.

Izuku watched the women go. For a moment, his expression faltered, happiness dimming, and Toshinori felt like the boy had picked up the change of mood in his mother.

Most likely, he had. He know her better than anyone, after all.

However, Izuku's happiness outweighed even his worry. In a matter of seconds, the boy was facing Toshinori again and beaming so much, he seemed to illuminate the whole room.

It was absolutely contagious and even if Toshinori still felt awful for inflicting so much pain on Inko, he couldn't help but smile back, feeling lighter and warmer the longer he was exposed to the radiance of his student.

"I can stay here." Izuku sounded absolutely mesmerized by that fact, as if the information hadn't fully sunken in yet.

Toshinori chuckled at that, trying to cover up the fact that a load had been taken off his mind just now, too. "It sure sounded like it, yes."

"I can stay here, and you're going to be my teacher again."

"Well, I think we already agreed on that last part befor-… oomph!"

Toshinori spluttered in surprise, words failing and breath leaving him in a rush as Izuku literally slammed into him. The boy had enough momentum to almost knock the hero over, hadn't he reacted out of reflex, catching the shorter body in his arms and bracing himself instinctively.

Izuku didn't even seem to notice what a force he had put behind his dynamic hug. The boy buried his face in the crook of Toshinori's neck with ease, as if the move was practiced, as if it was a completely natural and logical place for him to be. Arms winding around the slim torso of his mentor, the boy almost wrapped himself around Toshinori, squeezing tightly.

For a moment, Toshinori was frozen. He hadn't even seen the boy moving, so fast had it happened.

Then, all the tension melted away at the feeling of Izuku happily snuggling into the hug.

Chuckling quietly, insistent on ignoring the slight prickling in the corner of his eyes, Toshinori carefully laid his arms around the boy. "Now, now, always so emotional, Izuku."

"I'm glad." The mumble was almost not audible, muffled by the fact that Izuku still had his face pressed into Toshinori's neck. "After… after the summer camp, Mum was so worried about me. I feared she would… I would have understood when she…"

And Toshinori understood, too. Remembering Inko's words almost too well. She had intended to take Izuku out of U.A., and she had had good reason to do so.

"She's still worried about you. Terribly so." Toshinori confessed. It wouldn't do to let the boy believe that he could continue being a hero without worrying, and thus hurting the people who cared for him. Izuku had to learn that, had to learn that there always would be the worry and fear connected to his dream of being a hero.

Izuku stiffened at that, before breathing deeply again, leaning further into their hug. Needing the touch and the comfort even more now. "I think… I completely underestimated how Mum felt before. I mean, I know that she always worries about me, but I didn't think about how much."

The boy sounded so heartbroken himself that Toshinori automatically rubbed the younger's back, trying to ease the tension there. A big part of him wanted to keep that knowledge away from the boy, but that wasn't fair. He needed to know.

Carefully, contemplating each word, he explained: "That's a part of the life you want to live. Worry, fear, the knowledge that you probably won't see your loved ones again if you should lose only once… that's also a part of being a hero."

There was a shift against his shoulder, Izuku's hair tickling his throat due to the movement as the boy turned his head enough that he could glance at his mentor without letting go. "So, it's the same like when we worry about you?"

The question startled Toshinori more than he wanted to admit, causing him to suck in a sharp, surprised breath. The question seemed innocent enough, but to him, it seemed like his student had purposely reminded him of all the people that had been worried about him. Those people who cared enough to worry about him.

Recovery Girl's stern attitude whenever he behaved carelessly and yet, the gentle way she cared for him when he got hurt.

The way Naomasa would pin him with a sharp, reprimanding look after a particular messy fight, before the policeman rolled his eyes and let it go, already thinking about how to clean up Toshinori's mess.

Gran Torino's annoyance about his recklessness making itself known through kicks and punches and sharp words, though his old sensei would always be there when he needed him.

His students, waiting for him, asking for him, sending him well-wishes.

Finally, his gaze landed on Izuku. He could only see one green eye blink up at him through ruffled green strands, but he could see the honest adoration there nonetheless.

A smile tilted his lips up as he answered. "Exactly like when all of you worry about me, yes."

Izuku hummed contently, shifting again so he could get more comfortable, seemingly satisfied with that answer, but thinking about what that meant for himself.

Toshinori could almost hear the wheels turning inside the boy's head, so he stayed silent and waited patiently to hear whatever it was that occupied Izuku's thoughts.

There was a beat of silence after that, before…

"I worried my friends today."

Blinking in surprise, Toshinori stopped his hand – when had it started to muse the green hair, anyway? – and tried to look at Izuku's face. But the boy had turned away from his mentor, refusing to look him in the eyes. Now a tad worried himself, Toshinori coaxed: "How so?"

"I...," there was a deep, shaky breath while Izuku searched for words, "I talked with Kacchan today. He said… he wanted to know what my relationship to you is."

Again. Young Bakugou had always reacted badly to the idea of Izuku and All Might sharing a deeper bond and on top of that, he had come dangerously close a few times to finding out about it. The boy was not stupid, after all, and Izuku had already told him that his quirk was a "gift" of sorts.

"What did you tell him?" Toshinori resumed the stroking movement of his hand, carding through green hair in an attempt to soothe the boy enough to get him to talk freely.

"I tried to avoid the question." Izuku sounded uncomfortable with that fact. He hated lying and deceiving, after all. "Told him I'm just your student. But he didn't believe me and… and he asked me why the villains want to kill me."

His heart almost stopped working for a moment, all thoughts leaving and his mind blanking out. Toshinori couldn't even remember how to breathe for a terrible moment. Memories of his fight rushed into his slowed mind, a haunting voice resounding in his head.

"Midoriya Izuku. That's the name of the man you transferred One for All to, correct?"

Of course the villains knew by now that Izuku was his successor. Of course they would go after him next, seeing as he was a future threat to them, once he mastered One for All.

Toshinori had known that for a long time, but…

"Today you lose not only as a hero, but as a teacher as well."

But the fear seizing him didn't lessen due to simply knowing that.

Instinctively, his grip on Izuku tightened considerably as he unconsciously tried to keep the (living, breathing, safe) boy closer to him. His pulse was drumming in his ears, almost overriding Izuku's next words.

"And… and the others… they heard that." Izuku's voice wavered even stronger than before, upcoming tears making it difficult for him to speak. "They heard that someone wants to kill me, and that it would be dangerous, and… and yet… and yet, all they thought of was that they were worried, and angry at me for not telling them, and… and they want to protect me."

Something inside Toshinori eased upon hearing that. The thought that his students would want to endanger themselves to protect their friend let new fear ripple through him for a moment that much was true. But hearing how they reacted, hearing that they thought about this much the same as he himself did…

He was entirely grateful to have such amazing students. Those kids were strong, stronger than their age and inexperience would suggest.

Sensing that Izuku was still distressed about the fact that his friends wanted to protect him despite the looming danger, Toshinori held him closer still, until not a piece of paper could have fit between them, searching for words to ease the boy's worry.

There were none. It was just like he had said – worry was a part of a hero's life, and all the nice words in the world could not change that.

Instead he resumed to ruffle Izuku's hair in even strokes, whispering quietly: "You have found yourself some really amazing friends, Izuku."

And the dam broke, pent up emotions bursting forward as Izuku buried his face into his mentor's shoulder, starting to shake as a sob ripped through him, and blurted out: "I know."

Toshinori could only hold his sobbing student, fear and tension and gratefulness taking their toll on the boy. He never stopped the gentle motion of his hand, murmuring reassuring words the whole time.

Silently, he grit his teeth against his own fear, answering All for One's haunting, mocking words with the silent vow that he would not lose.

He wouldn't die and leave his protégé behind. And he would do everything to keep Izuku safe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inko managed to walk out of the room and down the hallway.

Around the corner, the tears she had suppressed wouldn't be stopped any longer, and she was sobbing uncontrollably in a matter of seconds.

Steadying herself against the nearest wall, she tried to cover her mouth to stifle her sobs.

She had just made a decision that could change Izuku's life forever and everything inside her was in disarray over the question Did I choose the right thing?

Izuku had been so happy that he could stay here, that he could become a hero, but…

"Now, now"

A soft voice startled her enough that she hiccupped through her sobs, trying to pull herself together a bit.

Recovery Girl took hold of her arm, lightly directing her down the hallway and towards the next door. She had completely forgotten that the elder woman was even there for a moment.

"Let's sit down for a moment, my dear. Until you've calmed down a bit." The nurse patted her arm reassuringly, her grip light but steady.

Inko leaned gratefully into the touch, letting herself be lead in the room – a restroom for teachers, thankfully empty – and sat down on the nearest couch. Her sobs were lessening by now, but the tears just wouldn't stop. As much as she tried to whip them away, there were still new ones coming.

They sat like this for quite a few minutes, the crying lessening but not stopping entirely. Inko felt slightly embarrassed by her own outburst.

Feeling the need to explain herself, she stammered out with half-laugh and half-sob mixed in: "I k-know I just agreed on it, but… b-but I can't stop w-worrying just like t-that."

The patting on her arm resumed while Recovery Girl heaved a sigh. "Nobody is asking you to stop worrying, dear. What a stupid idea that would be!"

Inko hiccupped again, looking up at the elder women unbelieving and a bit hopeful.

Recovery Girl smiled at her. "Worrying about those you love is only natural. It shows that you care. Nevertheless, I can assure you that we here at U.A will do everything in our power to protect your son. Nobody will get to him that easily."

At that, Inko hesitated, remembering the burning determination in All Might's eyes and his words.

"I will put my life on the line."

Her tears dried a bit and she managed a teary laugh, whipping her eyes vigorously. "Izuku is in good hands here, isn't he?"

"That he is." Recovery Girl sounded quite satisfied while saying that, her smile widening. Clapping her hands together, she declared: "Now, let's get you cleaned up, so that we can go and take a look what those boys are doing this time around."

Inko laughed again at that, the thought of All Might being called a boy simply to strange to her as not to be amused by it. The laugh managed to banish the last tears and lessen the pain in her heart a bit.

"See, that's much better," Recovery Girl nodded with a good amount of satisfaction at the sound of Inko's laugh, patting the younger's hand lightly. "A good laugh is the best medicine. You feel better now, right?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you feel better now?"

Izuku chuckled weakly while he wiped his nose and dried his eyes. "Yes, better."

Toshinori breathed out in relief. Seeing Izuku cry was nothing new to him, but over time the uncomfortable feeling in his chest whenever he had to see the boy's tears had become worse and worse. A nagging, twisting feeling, threatening to rip his heart apart.

Izuku's smile was much better. It was warm, and one look at it made him feel whole in a way he hadn't felt for a very long time.

"All Might?"

Toshinori snapped out of his thoughts, blinking rapidly to clear his mind. Izuku's voice sounded far too timid, almost tense, and the boy was fiddling with his fingers while he bit his bottom lip.

Frowning slightly, Toshinori reached over, slightly pushing Izuku's chin up so that their gazes met again. "What is it, my boy?"

"I…" Izuku closed his eyes for a second, breathing in and out deeply. When he had steeled himself, he opened them again, voice steadier than before as he asked, "Would it be alright with you if I told Kacchan that you gave me your quirk?"

Startling a bit, Toshinori let go of Izuku, leaning back slightly and unconsciously.

He had spent years keeping that secret to himself, not letting anybody but a chosen few in on it. And now there was Izuku – Izuku who had found out his secrets one by one, a few by pure chance, others because Toshinori had grown to trust this boy so much.

And now, Izuku asked him directly to reveal one of those few secrets he still kept to another person.

His first reaction, trained into reflex, was to say No. But he stomped that feeling down, concentrating on Izuku's half-hopeful, half-anxious expression.

"How long were you worrying about asking me that already?" Toshinori sighed after a second.

Izuku let out a noise resembling a snort. "Only until this morning."

"You want to tell him."

"Yes."

Toshinori said nothing, contemplating what that would mean for both him and Izuku.

Izuku, however, misinterpreted his silence, obviously thinking that his mentor would not agree with him. So the boy blurted out, "It's just that Kacchan always knew that I'm quirkless… he never was convinced that I was just a late-bloomer. And I think, after all that happened to him, he should least know what is going on around him… and around me. I think he's getting close to realizing the truth himself, without any help, so I think it would be better if I tell him before it comes to that… it would only be fair, and…"

"Izuku."

Izuku clamped his mouth shut, waiting with batted breath and round eyes.

Toshinori hesitated still, torn between his initial refusal and the decision he just made. Gritting his teeth against his fears yet again, he answered softly but steady, "I will leave that decision to you. I think however you decide on this, it will be the right thing to do."

There were many different emotions flashing through Izuku's eyes as the boy considered that – surprise, relief, happiness, confusion. Finally, Izuku settled on a hesitant smile. "Really?"

"Didn't I say that I should listen to you more often?" Toshinori teased lightly, reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair. "Yes, really. I trust you-… I trust your decision-making skills."

Toshinori stumbled over the words, almost biting his tongue. The words I trust you, words he hadn't used in a long time, had slipped far too easily. Too fast and too unconsciously as that he could be entirely comfortable with them. That was the reason why he had corrected himself so hastily and badly.

Not that Izuku would be so stupid and not notice his slip-up. For a moment, green eyes widened, and Izuku opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, before he decided otherwise. Smiling to himself, the boy looked to the ground for a moment, while Toshinori cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.

After a moment of silence, Izuku's smile widened as he looked up at his mentor again. "You know… my friends not only decided to protect me, I think. They also want to protect you."

That really didn't help to ease Toshinori's uncomfortableness, the retired hero spluttering in surprise as he heard that. He was touched by their concern for him, but… People protecting him? He had always been the one to protect others…

Laughing a bit awkwardly, Toshinori shook his head. "Now, Izuku - Why would you all think about protecting me, of all people?"

Izuku looked at him for a moment, head tilted to the side and obviously considering his answer.

Then a smile made its way on his lips, and the boy answered earnestly: "That's because you're so important to us."

It was not new to him that his students looked up to him and he also knew that a few of him not just idolized him but were also fond of him. But hearing it so clearly out of Izuku's mouth startled Toshinori quite a bit. Enough, in fact, to start another coughing fit, blood spurting even through his clenched teeth as his eyes widened in shock.

Next to him, Izuku let out a yelp and jumped to his feet – partly to get a tissue ready and partly because a few droplets of blood had hit his school uniform. The boy scrambled to get the tissues, spluttering out: "Geez, that's no reason to spit blood again!"

Coughing and spitting, Toshinori wheezed out a half-laugh, pressing a hand to his mouth. "You can't just go and say something like that and expect me not to spit blood!"

"I expected you to be happy about it!"

"I am! I really am! You just… startled me."

"Remind me not to startle you again."

"I will. My poor old heart can't take it, I fear."

"Stop calling yourself old already!"

Toshinori burst out laughing as Izuku swatted at him with a tissue. Defending himself with one hand the man answered, "So that you will stop correcting me about it? Never."

Izuku stopped, already readying the next swat. Eyes going wide, the boy muttered a silent "Oh" before he suddenly blushed scarlet.

The next moment, he buried his beet-red face in his face and muttered frantically, "Oh god, I corrected All Might this whole time, what was I even thinking?!"

Toshinori stared at him for a moment in utter surprise, before he howled of laughter, almost doubling over and over the edge of the mattress. "You… you only realized that now?!"

"Stop laughing please! It's already embarrassing enough!"

"Izuku, you… you really are the greatest entertainer I know," Toshinori declared, wheezing of laughter, flashing a grin at his still blushing student.

He was so occupied with his laughing, that he didn't notice the way Izuku slowly lowered his hands to take a good look at his delighted mentor. Nor did he notice the soft smile spreading out over the boy's expression.

"Thank you," Izuku said, so quietly that it was not heard in the room filled with deep laughter.

(Izuku didn't mind, though.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feeling relieved after letting everything out, Inko tried her best to clean herself up a bit, whipping her eyes and straightening herself as good as possible. She didn't want Izuku to catch up on her mood. She didn't want to worry him unnecessary.

Only after she had made sure that she was presentable again, Inko let herself be lead back to the infirmary.

She had just pressed the door handle down and opened the door a tiny crack as she heard All Might and Izuku arguing over something. Freezing in her motions, she waited, exchanging a quick glance with Recovery Girl. Both of them listened:

"You can put the tissues away now, my boy. I am fine."

"You just spit blood all over your hands and part of my school uniform. Other people would not call that fine."

"Shouldn't you be used to it by now?"

"Used to it doesn't mean I don't care. So let me wipe your hand, then I will put the tissues away."

Recovery Girl rolled her eyes with a sigh, motioning for Inko to open the door fully. Inko did so hesitantly, not knowing what to expect. He had spat blood yet again? That sounded very serious. On the other hand, Recovery Girl was the nurse here, and she seemed to be more exasperated than worried. So Inko followed the older woman inside the room curiously.

All Might was the first to notice them, sitting with his face to the door as he was. He smiled a little bit crookedly at them both, his gaze straying to Inko. She could see the little crease between his eyebrows as he noticed her red-rimmed eyes, but she tried to smile back at him to ease his worries.

Izuku didn't notice them, fully concentrated on his mentor's hand which he held in his own. He was dabbing at the limb with a tissue, getting rid of last streaks of blood clinging to the skin. As he noticed All Might's attention wavering however, he looked up and turned around, smiling widely as he saw his mother and the nurse entering. "Ah, you are back!"

"And what happened here again, if I might ask?" sighed Recovery Girl as she made her way over to the bed. Inko stayed where she was, hovering near the door, not sure if she wasn't intruding here.

"Another coughing fit." All Might seemed to speak directly to Inko, his gaze searching for hers. "Like I said, it's nothing to worry about, really. It happens often enough."

"This happens sometimes, it's not as bad as it looks…!"

With a start, Inko remembered what the hero had told her only shortly before. Hadn't he said he had lost his whole stomach and part of his respiratory system? Spitting blood seemed a logical thing to happen after something like that, but still, she had assumed that it only happened sometimes, after great strain or when he was otherwise injured. She hadn't thought that it would be something that happened on a daily basis. Involuntarily her hand shot up to cover her mouth as a shocked gasp escaped her. She hadn't realized how bad All Might's condition really was. All she had been thinking about was the fact that he was putting her son in possible danger…

Determination seized her and she was by the bed with two quick strides, almost startling Izuku as she laid a hand on his shoulder. As her boy blinked up to her in surprise, she smiled down at him softly. "Izuku, could you hand me those tissues for a moment?"

"S-Sure," unsure about her intention, Izuku still trusted her without needing to think about it, handing her the requested item easily.

Izuku mobilized her quirk, moving a chair closer to herself so that she could sit down. Ignoring her son's wide-eyed gaze, she reached for All Might's still outstretched hand which was still covered with a few blood drops. The blood was drying up, thus getting more difficult to wipe off.

The hero actually jumped as she reached for his hand, retracting slightly from her touch. His voice sounded even hoarser than before as he spluttered out: "Midoriya-san, you really don't have to…"

"But I want to," she interrupted him softly, offering her hand again. "I would gladly help you, if I can."

There was a slight hesitation on his part, before the tension in his shoulders eased visibly. Nonetheless, he laid his hand in hers so carefully and lightly, one could have thought he was expecting her to bite him.

Inko swallowed as she saw his bloody hand, swallowing all her upcoming questions with it. How often did he have such coughing fits? Was there always blood? Did it hurt? (Of course it did, how silly of her!) Was it perhaps dangerous, or relatively harmless? How often did he have to wash himself or change his clothes because he had spat blood all over himself?

That process of thoughts was almost painful, and she unconsciously slowed her movements, cleaning the long (almost bony) fingers as gently as possible.

After an awkward silence – she could literally feel the hero's unbelieving gaze on her – Izuku was the one to break it, speaking up cheerfully: "I will have to tell the others that I will stay at the dorms, too. They already asked me if I would."

All Might's attention snapped back to his student. Inko could see his smile even from the corner of her eyes. "That's a good idea, my boy. I'm sure they will be happy to hear it."

"Yes, I think so. They were already discussing the possibilities and roommates and such."

"Oh? Do you know who you would want as your roommate already?"

"I don't know, really. I mean, I would be happy to share my room with each of my friends, but I can't decide. I suppose Todoroki-kun or Iida-kun would be logical, since we spend the most time together. Possibly Kirishima-kun. But having a room to myself would be alright, too…"

Izuku rambled on without pause, seemingly lost in his explanation.

Inko finished up her work, releasing All Might's hand with a satisfied look and standing up to give teacher and student some room to themselves. The hero glanced over at her, smiling slightly and mouthing a silent Thank you. She noticed how the man simply refused to interrupt Izuku and had to suppress a smile at that.

"… I believe it's going to be lots of fun to live in such a dorm. The others already agreed on sleepovers! Ah, but of course I will come home on the weekends, Mum!"

Inko blinked, getting her thoughts back into the conversation. Wagging her finger playfully at her son, she answered: "Well, I do hope you will! Can't have you forget your mother, right?"

"As if I would forget you, Mum." Izuku rolled his eyes at her, grinning back.

All Might coughed into his hand lightly. "But don't think the dorms are only meant for fun, Izuku. The training will get tougher from now on, so not too much sleepovers, alright? You will need the rest."

"Ah, yes!" Instantly, Izuku turned serious, nodding eagerly. "Of course! I won't overdo it!"

"Now that's my boy." Seemingly without thinking much about it, All Might reached over and ruffled the boy's hair. Then his mind seemed to catch up on his own action and he froze, eyes darting to Inko in something akin to alarm.

Oh.

Oh.

Inko blinked in wonder before warmth flooded her. All Might was actually worried that he probably had gone too far, showing such closeness to her son while she was watching. Or perhaps he thought that the endearment "my boy" wasn't due to him, especially with the boy's mother in close vicinity.

What a silly man, she thought, not caring for his rank or status while thinking of him as such. How could she not be alright with something like that when she could clearly see how much her son enjoyed it?

Izuku was eagerly leaning into the touch, clearly delighted by it. Then, however, he stilled and bit in his lips as if he was contemplating his next words – then: "I'm really, really glad I can stay here."

The three adults each took a sharp breath at that statement, each of them for different reasons.

Inko closed her eyes for a moment, her emotions almost overwhelming her. She was glad Izuku was happy, but still… still…

She started as a tiny hand touched her arm lightly. Looking over, she met Recovery Girl's gaze. The older woman looked at her with sad understanding, before she gestured over to the bed. Inko obeyed, looking over again.

There, All Might stared at his student, different emotions fighting on his expression. A softness so genuine it was almost heart breaking, followed by something like worry, then an almost goofy grin, all of them over in an instant– before he cleared his throat rather loudly and mumbled: "I am glad, too."

Izuku's face lit up even more at that, his smile widening hopefully. "Really?"

"Oh, believe me, boy – your teacher here fought tooth and nail to make sure he could keep you here at UA," Recovery Girl interrupted before the hero could answer. She sounded entirely too suave while saying that, her smile a tiny bit devious.

Inko watched with surprise and rising amusement how All Might stiffened at that, his whole body going as rigid as stone. And… Inko blinked in consternation as she caught sight of the colour on the hero's face. Surely the number one hero wouldn't blush over something like this?

Well, apparently he would.

"Chiyo!" The man hissed the word through clenched teeth, eyes narrowing until only a glint of blue was to be seen in the dark of his eye sockets. "That was unnecessary!"

"I dare believe it wasn't," the nurse shot back with an almost devilish gleam in her eyes. "Just look at your student over there. He sure is interested in that piece of information."

And truly, Izuku had frozen at her statement, too. Inko could almost see her son's mind working rapidly, going over the information, filtering it, testing it, slowly, ever so slowly and carefully.

And then, his eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. Blinking rapidly, he looked from Recovery Girl to his mother. "He did?"

Upon their nod, he turned towards his teacher, searching for his gaze. Not finding it, because All Might was pointedly avoiding eye contact.

Izuku's voice quivered with happiness and underlying hope. "You did?"

There was some fidgeting and still no eye contact. But after a deep breath, All Might mumbled something that could be understood as a "Yes" if one listened close enough.

The following smile threatened to split Izuku's face in half, his eyes brimming with happiness and newly forming tears – happy tears, this one time. He beamed at his mentor with so much warmth and utter joy, one could have gone blind upon looking at that radiance directly.

Inko felt a slight pang in her chest as she realized that such a look was normally directed at someone very, very dear.

This was not just a simple relationship between a teacher and some random student she was witnessing here. This was much deeper than that.

Her process of thought was quickly interrupted by the sight in front of her.

Apparently All Might couldn't handle the radiant look on his student's face anymore. Or perhaps he was just too embarrassed by his own blushing. Either way, the number one hero gripped Izuku by the neck, pulling him forward until the spluttering boy's forehead was pressed to his collarbone, giving Izuku no chance of looking up at him.

"Hey!" the boy protested, although there was laughter in his voice. Squirming, he tried playfully to break free, his laughter getting louder by the second.

All Might grumbled with red still colouring his cheeks, but there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Hold still for a moment."

"No fair! You see me blushing all the time!"

Now it was the hero's turn to splutter. He had been caught while trying to play over his embarrassment. "That's not… that's different!"

"It's not!"

"It is. It definitely is."

"That makes no sense at all!"

"Don't question your teacher, Izuku."

"You're not my teacher until next Monday, though."

"Shush now."

Inko could feel a tiny smile appear on her face as she watched on. The laughter was getting louder, Izuku's squirming lessening while he seemed to content himself by snuggling closer to All Might. The hero's grip on the boy's neck had eased, his fingers lightly stroking the skin there while the smile on his face grew wider. The two of them didn't seem to notice their actions, still arguing with mirth in each of their words. It seemed like they had completely forgotten the other people present in the room.

The worry was still there, raging inside her, reminding her that her little boy was in danger constantly, that he could get hurt. That he could die while trying to reach his dream of becoming a hero. It hurt and panicked her, thinking of those possibilities.

But still…

Inko looked at her son, his wide smile, the gleam in his eyes almost overwhelmingly bright as he finally got free and could look at his mentor.

Still, she had never seen Izuku so happy before.

She couldn't take that away from him. She simply couldn't.

"Children."

Recovery Girl's voice gripped Inko's attention, and she focused on the elderly woman standing next to her.

The nurse met her gaze with understanding and warmth and a slight smile on her face. "They give us worry, but they also give us joy, don't they?"

And Inko understood that, yes, this woman could relate to her worry, and pain, and joy. And she was completely right.

As long as the joy outweighed the worry as much as it did know, she could somehow deal with it, Inko thought. It was for Izuku' sake, after all.

And she smiled back at Recovery Girl, her tears drying and warmth filling her as she heard Izuku laugh behind her, All Might's chuckle joining in seconds later.

"Yes. Yes, they do."