Chapter Text
The news were still celebrating the defeat even hours and hours after All Might’s ”victory,” though the media was puzzled that the hero had refused to speak to them afterwards. Some speculated he’d had a worse injury than let on, others claimed that someone else had been there, someone who’d lost their life in the battle, given the ragged piece of canvas he’d been holding firmly.
”If that is true, it was honorable but reckless of them to charge in on a battle between All Might and—”
Toshinori turns it off, unable to bring himself to listen the cheers he knew full well he did not deserve.
He wasn’t the one who...and he couldn’t even let people know.
Torino had told him quietly that letting people know about Hisashi’s existence could perhaps put Inko and the boys in danger, in case AFO’s followers would try to seek revenge on the man who killed their leader.
They were all gathered in the small apartment the Todorokis were staying in, still mostly silent as they were trying to process everything that just happened. Inko was holding Izuku in her lap, and the toddler was completely silent, sensing something was badly wrong. Tenko was still unconscious in the bedroom, though he at least seemed physically fine. Touya was watching over him, holding the boy’s gloved hand as he didn’t know what else to do.
”I’m....by the time I....I’m so sorry.”
Inko just shakes her head, unable to say a word. There was a crushing weight on her shoulders, and her mind and body felt kind of numb. She’d never thought that...that morning would be the last time she’d see him. She was fidgeting with her ring now, unable to stop herself. Even that had turned to that...glowing dust, the only thing left of him was his coat.
”Why...what even...he should’ve been at least as strong as him! Why did he just...turn to dust?”
”I don’t know Sasaki-kun. All I know is that...he’s gone.”
The sidekick grows quiet again, closing his eyes firmly with a frustrated huff.
”Maybe if I’d taken a peek properly again, I could’ve foreseen this and tried to stop it, maybe...”
”There is no point in going down that route sonny. It is what it is.”
Torino breathes out a sigh, turning to look at Inko with genuine concern and sympathy.
”I suppose the silver lining in this situation is, that now little Tenko will be alright. That demon is no longer after him.”
Inko closes her eyes, hiding her face against Izuku’s hair. She couldn’t bring herself to speak. She had nothing to say. The man she loved was gone, as suddenly as he’d appeared in her life, and far too soon. Izuku begins to cry in her lap, probably sensing her mood. She did not have the energy to comfort him, so she just holds her boy closer, letting her tears pour over again.
”.....I’m not sure if you really care to know, but Enji will survive his injuries. He won’t be doing any hero work for a while though.”
Toshinori tells Rei, who just breathes out and nods.
”Good for him.”
She comments dismissively, placing a gentle hand on Inko’s shoulder.
”I think its for the best they stay here with you for a while longer, as the situation around this is still tense.”
Torino concludes, gaining a nod from Rei; they had space.
That night, Tenko woke up, staring into thin air.
Why?
He’d seen it happen.
Why had...
Was it his fault?
Did he do it again?
Why?
Why why why?
He starts scratching himself, feeling tears run down his face, and bile rise up his throat. He wanted to throw up, he wanted to cry, he wanted to laugh.
Why.
He couldn’t stop crying, maybe he was laughing too, he couldn’t tell. It was all just noise. Noise and itchiness, all over.
Why?
Why why why why?
”Tenko.”
Hands suddenly grasp his arms, and he whips his head up, finding a familiar figure crouched next to the bed, in front of him.
”D...dad?”
He was....he looked weird, transparent. Like a ghost.
Dad smiles at him, gently bringing his hand up to press his against his cheek. The smile wasn’t a happy one.
”I’m sorry.”
”W-why...why? Why did you leave?! You promised you’d always be there for me! Why did you...!.”
His vision gets too blurry, and Tenko squeezes his eyes shut, trying to bring his hands up to wipe them away. His neck itched like crazy. He’s pulled off the bed onto the floor, as dad hugs him firmly, preventing him from scratching.
Tenko hides his face against him.
Dad felt solid, but also...not?
”Wh-why did you have to die too?”
”I had no choice. I’m so sorry. I promise I’m not leaving you.”
”Stop lying!”
He clutches onto his coat, wanting to push him away, but unable to bring himself to do so.
”I’m not. You just need to grow into it.”
He pushes him back, gently wiping the tears away from his face, before placing a hand against his chest.
”I’m right here, alright? It’ll take you some growing to do to hear me again, but I will be here for you. Just take care of your mum and brother in the meantime.”
”D-dad, I don’t...I don’t understand!”
He was starting to fade now, Tenko didn’t want him to fade. He wanted dad to come home!
His smile was sad.
”You will in time. I don’t have enough time to explain, you’re not ready yet.”
He leans closer to plant a kiss on his forehead, telling him to go back to sleep.
”D-dad, wait!”
Tenko scrambles after him as he backs away, but shadows engulf him, leaving Tenko alone in darkness.
”I don’t....”
He snaps awake, sitting up abruptly and looks around. He was resting on a bed, with Touya beside him also asleep, head resting against the edge of the bed while hand squeezed his. There was quiet chatter behind the door. Moments later, mum enters in, eyes widening in surprise as she spots him awake. Mum instantly dashes to hug him tightly, and Tenko can’t help himself, he starts crying again.
”I’m so sorry Tenko.”
They just sit there for a while, as Tenko repeats those same last words from his dream in his head, over and over.
He didn’t understand, what did dad mean?
What was he supposed to grow into?
Someone crawls beside them, it was Izu whom Rei had placed gently on the bed, and Inko picks the boy into the hug as well, with Tenko reflexively bringing his arms around the toddler, hugging him tightly while mum hugged them both. He attempts to say something, but his voice was gone. Mum seems to understand, as she just smiles sadly, before bringing him back into the hug.
”He was trying to protect us. He never meant to leave us behind.”
She mutters out with a sniff, holding them tighter and hiding her face against his hair. Tenko couldn’t say anything still, he didn’t even know what to say. It wasn’t fair.
It wasn’t fair!
Izuku let’s out a noise, and Tenko loosens his grip, realizing he was squeezing him too tightly. Green eyes look up at with big tears in them, and dad’s words echo in Tenko’s head again.
Take care of your mum and brother in the meantime
Meantime....he’d be back right?
That’s what those weird words meant, right?
Dad had never broken promises to him.
But if he was...how could he....?
No, dad always kept his promises.
Tenko squeezes his eyes shut, turning to hide his face against mum.
It was all too much right now, too much for him to take.
But he hoped that that’s what those words meant.
They had to.
Watching the family from the doorway, Shirakumo turns to look at Aizawa standing by the window. Toshinori had gone downstairs to speak with his stateside friend, to whom he and Kurogiri were supposed to go stay with. Given the villain was now gone, he technically didn’t have to, but the adults had still recommended he’d go there at least until the dust settled, before they could start perhaps considering contacting his family or anything of the sort.
Mic was looking at him too, wanting to reach out but not daring to do so.
Shirakumo walks beside the blond, placing a hand on his shoulder. Kurogiri had taken a backseat, but he was still there. After Hisashi...he'd just sort of fallen unconscious for a moment, before waking up again. They did not know what it was, which was also why they wanted to send him to David as he had equipment that could be used to examine his bizarre condition better. Kurogiri seemed okay now, just quieter.
”This is...so unfair. He got you back, but now...”
”I’m sorry...I know it’s not my fault, but it feels like it is.”
”No it’s not you dummy! It’s that villain’s fault.”
Shirakumo goes quiet, examining Aizawa for a moment. He could tell his friend had closed himself off again, just staring outside blankly. The door opens, and Nighteye pops up, informing him that David wanted to speak with him and Kurogiri directly. He sighs and squeezes Mic’s shoulder again, glancing at Aizawa once, before heading down with the sidekick.
After a moment, Mic finally walks to his friend, just looking at him worried.
”.....Sho?”
”I wanted to ask him to come to our graduation. I know he wasn’t my actual dad, but....”
It was said with a blank look and voice, but Mic knew his friend was completely devastated on the inside, just refusing to show it.
”I...if only I’d checked more thoroughly...maybe I wouldn’t have led the villain...maybe we wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped....”
Mic places a firm hand on his shoulder now, making the blank, kind of lifeless eyes look at him.
”No. Just like with Shirakumo and Kurogiri, this is not your fault. You did the right thing picking Tenko up from the street, he needed help! How would you have known the villain would then kidnap you.”
Aizawa says nothing, turning his gaze back against the window. Mic keeps his hand there, looking back outside as well.
”I...I wish I knew what to say. I’m really devastated by this, so I can only imagine the pain you’re going through right now given you were so much closer with him.”
Aizawa let’s out a neutral hum, tired eyes examining the city silhouette.
”....If...if there’s one thing I can ask....please don’t shut us out again. He worked very hard to teach you to let yourself be supported by others. He’d....he’d be sad if you went back to your old ways.”
He looks up at Aizawa slowly, whose body had begun to shake. It was an encouraging sign, so he keeps going.
”Things like this...I guess they can happen in our line of work. It’s...we just have to deal with it, we both learned it the hard way with Shirakumo. Even if he’s back now.”
Mic swallows down hard, wracking his brain for more words to say. He was good at hosting, not the best at heartfelt conversations. Hell, he’d been too much of a chicken to even admit his crush to Aizawa, although it was also partially because he’d always thought Aizawa was more into Shirakumo.
”I mean...even if he’s gone, we’re still here. His family’s still there too; they like you, they’re more than willing to have you around and lend an ear if you need it. Sure our local cloud is gonna drift to the States for a while, but he’ll be back.”
Mic swallows down again, looking back up at Aizawa who was still avoiding his gaze.
”I’m here too you know. I’ve always been. I’m not planning on leaving anytime soon.”
After a moment of tense silence, Aizawa looks back up at him with a blank look, and Mic just looks back nervously, no clue what was moving in his head right now.
Then, the dark-haired teen tugs him into a tight hug, his entire body shaking now as tears began to flow over. Mic is taken by surprise at first, but then he just wraps his arms around him firmly, starting to tear up as well.
”C’mon Sho, let’s...let’s make him proud okay? Show him that you’ve learned to be kinder to yourself.”
Aizawa just curses under his breath, hugging him tighter, making the blond laugh a bit, though it was very shaky. They hold each other like that for a long moment, until Mic was pretty sure his shirt had just gotten a free cleaning. In any other situation he'd perhaps made a joke about it, but...right now they both were hurting too bad. Of course, he couldn't really compare how Sho was feeling, but still.
”You know...I kind of wanted him to come too.”
”...why?”
Aizawa mumbles out, gaining another shaky laugh from the blond.
”So I could ask permission to date you! Since you were his honorary son and all.”
Mic realizes too late what he said, snapping his jaw shut as extreme panic enters his head. Aizawa goes still, but doesn’t move away, and after a moment starts snickering. The blond blushes furiously, but the black-haired figure doesn’t let go of him, forcing him to stay there and hug him.
”I’m pretty sure you need my consent first.”
”Well uh, I mean, uhm....”
Aizawa just snickers some more and as he pushes back, Mic notes he was actually blushing slightly as well. As their eyes meet the snickering stops, and Aizawa averts his gaze, taking an abrupt step back.
”I was joking! Just joking, okay?”
Mic hurries to salvage the situation, making the dark eyes glance at him.
”What part?”
”H-huh?”
”What part? The asking him or the dating part?”
”Uhhh.....”
”Because if the latter was a joke I will throw you out of this window.”
Mic just stares at him in shock, trying to process what he’d just said. Aizawa hides behind his scarf, face blushing furiously. Eventually the blond finds his voice again, letting out a startled noise somewhere between a confused” huuh” and a startled cockatoo screech.
”W-wait, for real? You’d....?”
Aizawa just nods, still refusing to look at him, fidgeting with his scarf now.
”But I thought...Shirakumo?”
Aizawa glances up at him finally, then let’s out a sigh and a tired chuckle under his scarf.
”I...guess I get why you thought that. It’s not like that. He was - is - more like the kind of sibling I wish I’d had. A cheerful and dumbass big brother who looked after me and actually encouraged me.”
He pauses, the flush returning in his face.
”It was you I always liked, but...I guess....”
They both fall into embarrassing silence, before Mic let’s out a nervous laughter. He felt weirdly lighter right now, despite everything.
”I guess we’re both dumb teenagers.”
”Aye.”
They both snicker, only then noticing the group of curious child eyes watching them, realizing belatedly that most of the Todoroki kids had been on the living room.
”Stop staring!”
Mic yells at them embarrassed, and the group quickly averts their eyes, with Fuyumi snickering at the two.
Later that night, as they all go to sleep, Tenko lied awake, mum’s arm draped over him, with Izuku sleeping in the crib with Shoto. Rei-san had gone to sleep with her kids in the other room to give them space.
His voice was still gone.
Tenko pulls up a lock of his hair, now white like dad’s.
The way dad had said it....he’d be back, right?
Dad didn’t lie to him, he hadn’t.
Letting the piece of hair fall back into place, Tenko stares at the ceiling again.
He’d....he’d wait.
Whatever dad had meant, he’d wait for it.
Turning to look at mum, she still looked sad even when asleep. He shifts to cuddle against her. At least she was still there. At least Izu was still there too.
The sun was setting when the two finishes unpacking; the apartment was smaller than her previous one, but closer to Toshinori’s home, which was useful.
”Where do I put these?”
The blond asks, carrying a large number of boxes, so large she couldn’t see them from behind him. Nana let’s out a chuckle, pointing at a direction, only to realize that Toshinori of course couldn’t see where she was pointing.
”Put them beside the couch for now; it’s the kitchenware, we can unpack that after a break.”
”Yes ma’am!”
Nana crosses her arms and shakes her head, watching her former protege carry the precarious pile of boxes around, before turning her gaze towards the sunset. There was a message from Nao in her phone, but she hadn’t checked it yet. She could do that later, once they’d settled in properly.
That’s when it happens.
A chill runs down her spine, and there’s a loud crash behind her. Nana turns around startled, finding Toshinori sitting on the floor dazed, with the boxes and their contents spilled around him. He’d poofed into his small form for some reason, which was unexpected. He usually only did that involuntarily after a particularly tough fight, which was rare.
”I told you to be more careful! You could’ve done this without your hero form.”
She scolds the man, only to notice he was holding his chest, looking a bit pale.
”Toshinori?”
”I...I....I think I felt something just now....”
He mutters out, just staring into thin air with a spooked expression.
”What do you mean?”
Nana questions confused, then feels another chill down her spine. She slowly turns towards the window, walking to it with a frown. There were dark clouds ahead, which was strange; it hadn’t promised rain or a storm today.
Something about those clouds...
Nana’s eyes widen, and Toshinori watches after her puzzled, as the retired hero rushes up to the roof of the apartment complex, trying to get a better view of what was happening.
”Nana?”
Toshinori walks beside her, looking towards the sudden, unexpected storm clouds appearing above the city further away. Nana stares at them keenly, recognizing the ominous dark color and oddly colored lightning from that day.
”......He’s back.”
Toshinori blinks confused, watching the way her body tensed, clutching onto the railing.
”He’s back. He’s alive.”
The blond seems to finally understand, his eyes widening.
“It’s been years! H-how….?! Where has he been then?”
“I…don’t know.”
Toshinori swallows down hard, clutching his chest.
“If it’s true…what’ll happen now? Nana?”
The woman shakes her head, clutching the railing tightly.
“I….don’t know that, either.”
In a dark place, hidden away, two men get startled, as the wall is broken, and immense amount of sinister energy enters the room.
The shorter one whimpers in shock, unable to believe his eyes; how was he alive?!
For a second, the only thing breaking the absolute silence was the sound of footsteps, and a cane. A figure emerges from the cloud of smoke and dust, red demonic eyes glinting in the darkness.
”Ahh so it is true. You’re still alive, and you have a companion.”
The demon of a man grins lightly at them, half-lidded eyes partially hidden behind the white hair. The gaze focuses on the younger, taller figure beside the doctor, whose eyes had gone wide.
”Get off my throne, brat.”