Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with ‘B’!”

“It’s blood!” Daigoro explodes. “It’s always fucking blood!”

“Well, last week it was bodies…”

“Didn’t we have a bin two months ago?”

“Guys, I’m pretty sure that’s not the point…”

Yoshito sighs as his successors start to bicker.

One For All is a powerful, mysterious Quirk that at times seems to possess a mind of its own and a rather warped sense of humour.

Or maybe it’s just a hoarder.

Anyway, the point is, for holders of said powerful, mysterious Quirk, death is not the end. It is, in fact, only the beginning of a very depressing, drawn out and rather dull eternity, spent following All For One around. And, despite numerous attempts, they have discovered they are unable to interact with the living, so driving him to the point of insanity or warning their successors about their impending death is out of the question.

They might be able to interact with a medium, but so far all the ones they’ve tried turned out to be fake.

“How about we change games?” Second, ever the peacemaker, suggests.

“To what?” Nana asks with a sigh from where she’s floating in mid-air. “We can’t even play hangman.”

“How about charades? Been a while since we played charades…”

“Because you suck at charades!”

Yoshito sighs and decides against joining in the familiar argument. Instead, he drifts over to where All For One is calmly sitting at a small table, sipping a cup of tea. As he watches, the elderly man opposite Yoshito’s brother gently nudges the teapot aside, to ensure none of the blood gets on it – the blood slowly pooling around the dismembered hand lying in the centre of the table, that is.

“I’m afraid I have to ask if it would be possible to reschedule our next meeting,” the man, who has several decades experience interacting with All For One and therefore a surprising lack of fear, smiles. He’s some yakuza leader, Yoshito knows; yakuza leaders quickly established the best way to stay in All For One’s good books is to be polite, respectful, and ready to immediately stop any activities he so much as displays a mild disapproval of. In return, All For One seems to mostly leave them to themselves, except from regular visits meant to remind them of his continued existence.

“Oh?” All For One glances down at the hand, and Yoshito winces. He was there when it became detached three hours ago, when another group made the mistake of challenging the villain; a group that, by the time All For One has left this house, will no longer exist.

“Yes,” the man takes a deep breath and bows his head. “My grandson will be graduating high school. I promised him I’d be in attendance.”

For just a second, All For One does not say anything. Then he takes another sip of tea and nods.

“Very well. I will contact you with a new date.”

“Thank you very much!” the man beams. He looks down at the teapot and chuckles, obviously lost in memories. “I could swear, it was only yesterday Taka was barely up to my knee, always toddling after his big bro…”

All For One slams his cup down on the table, upsetting it. The bickering heroes, stunned silent, watch wide eyed as the villain stands up.

“…My lord? What… Have I upset you?”

“Yes,” Yoshito winces. Brothers, where All For One is concerned, are a… very touchy subject.

“Something important has come up,” All For One declares. “As I said, I will contact you about our next meeting.

“…What should I do about…” the man starts, holding up the hand; then he flinches when All For One glances back at him. “I will figure something out, my lord.”

All For One does not deign to answer; instead he turns and sweeps away, quite an achievement for a man in a suit. Yoshito sighs and drifts closer, even as his successors hurry to catch up. He wonders, despite himself, what it is that All For One remembers when he thinks of their childhood. Is it the betrayal, the realization that they no longer recognize one another? Yoshito almost hopes for that, because the alternative seems far crueller.

Yoshito's heart aches every time he remembers the days when, in his eyes, Hisashi could do no wrong.

“Do you think we could get him to go to the cinema?” Third asks as he walks through a tree. “There’s a new romantic comedy I want to see…”

“Oh, yeah, cause Evil McDevil here sure looks like a chick-flick sort of guy…”

Yoshito glances back at the other heroes and then turns back to stare at All For One's back. Because despite their shared ideals, their goals, they can never quite understand him. They never knew this man as anyone other than All For One, fearsome villain. They never saw him as anyone else.

They never met Hisashi, All For One's first victim.

Not for the first time, Yoshito wonders what sort of life they would have led if not for the advent of Quirks. Hisashi... Hisashi would have, Yoshito has no doubt, excelled career-wise. Would he have settled down, started a family of his own, been the father they never had? Would Yoshito have become a trusted babysitter? Would he have an adorable little niece with their mother's beautiful white locks, or perhaps a nephew with familiarly messy hair and a smattering of freckles?

Yoshito frowns as he realizes All For One has not smiled – truly smiled, not that malicious grin he affects to intimidate people – in over a year. And… Yoshito knows all that the villain has done…

…But sometimes he reminds Yoshito so much of Hisashi, his heart aches.

***

“…Eighty-three bottles of beer on the wall, eighty-three bottles of beer…”

Nana screams.

“God, could your successor get a move on?!” Fourth groans.

“Hey, do you think there’s a Quirk out there that can kill ghosts?”

“Wouldn’t that be suicide?”

“Don’t you have to be alive to commit suicide?”

Unaware of the great existential discussion taking place by the store entrance, All For One pays for his groceries and shoulders the canvas bag. As he steps outside he glances up at the overcast sky; then he sets off at a brisk pace in the direction of ‘his’ apartment building. 

The area he lives in is nicely quiet, populated by normal civilians too busy with the minutiae of their daily lives to pay much attention to their neighbours. The crime rate is low enough to keep most heroes away, focused on the busier, flashier parts of Tokyo, but not so non-existent that anyone would be suspicious. It is a careful balancing act, but one All For One has perfected over the years, and - not for the first time - he wonders what All Might would say if he knew that All For One's presence was keeping the neighbourhood safe.

Thinking of All Might causes All For One to frown as he turns into a sidestreet. Since the hero's return, he has been keeping a low profile. It makes sense, of course; All For One regularly plans things out years, sometimes decades in advance. Let the Symbol of Peace grow complacent; there will come a day when he will make a mistake, and All For One will be ready to strike. He just has to wait for that day to come.

Waiting is so boring.

All For One glares at his surroundings. It had seemed easy, when he first decided this would be his best course of action. He is a fearsome villain, after all, who completely dominates the Japanese underworld and commands a small army of villains and spies. Being someone unremarkable, just another face in a sea of people, could not possibly be all that difficult.

Except - except All For One was never meant to be unremarkable.

And then - then, as if fate heard his desperate pleas, something exciting happens.

A woman screams.

In future, All For One will claim it was instinct, or - something grand and suitably heroic, that causes him to move. In the moment, however, it is just sheer boredom, a hope for just a few minutes of excitement that push him to move. He sprints in the direction of the voice, jumping over a pile of garbage. Surely, he justifies in his mind, it would be alright to do something. Surely All Might will not notice if he gets in a small fight, if he comforts a weeping woman...

And then he rounds a corner and feels rage chase away any uncertainty. Because here, before him, only a few hundred meters from his own apartment, some pitiful thug dares threaten a woman with a knife. Dares trespass on his turf. Dares risk bringing the heroes down on him.

All For One tackles the man, sending them both crashing to the ground. The knife clatters to the ground and the thug makes a grab for it; fuelled at this point by pure, cold fury at such insolence, All For One grabs him and slams his head into the pavement.

Then he is elbowed in the face.

All For One glances up at the woman, who has pulled out a can of pepper spray and is staring at them, frozen; his momentary distraction costs him, because the criminal punches him in the face so hard he is momentarily dazed. His grip on the man loosens and the thug scrambles for his knife, obviously planning to finish this quickly.

All For One almost laughs; he smiles as the puny bastard turns to him, knife at the ready, opens his mouth…

…And breathes fire.

There is a reason he loves that Quirk so dearly.

At this point, even the little upstart’s miniscule intellect seems to understand the danger he is in and he takes off. All For One makes to chase after him; he tries to get up, but then the whole world tilts. He almost collapses back onto the pavement in an undignified heap; almost, because suddenly someone is propping him up. With a groan, All For One realizes that the would-be victim is all that is preventing him from keeling over.

How embarrassing.

Well, he reflects, this won’t do. The thug of course had signed his own death warrant the minute he raised his hand against All For One, but now he’ll have to do something about the woman. He won’t kill her, but still, he can hardly leave someone with memories of seeing him in such a pathetic state.

"Careful," the woman grunts as she slowly manoeuvres him over to the wall. "Are you alright?"

All For One turns his head, fully intending to wipe her memory.

And looks into the most beautiful green eyes he has ever seen.

***

“No,” Yoshito whimpers as he sees All For One freeze. He is getting a very bad feeling about this.

“I’m fi-ine,” the villain scrambles upright and almost falls over. “…Maybe a little woozy. But don’t worry, I’ve got a thick skull!”

“Also several Healing and Regeneration Quirks,” Second mutters.

“Yes, but still…” the woman hesitates. She glances around, obviously hoping for some help, but unfortunately, no one has come running to her aid. (With the exception of a fearsome supervillain and seven dead heroes, but… Well, they are the exception to the norm…)

“I may also be trying to impress you,” All For One adds and then freezes. “…I just said that out loud, didn’t I?”

Yoshito whimpers.

“Yes, you did,” the woman smiles. “I think you might have a concussion.”

“Well, he did pack quite a punch…” All For One prods his head and hisses. “Okay, that hurts.”

“Can you remember your name?”

“Oh, yes, I can.”

All For One smiles down at the woman. The woman stares back at him.

“…What is it?”

All For One freezes. Thinks for a minute. Opens his mouth…

“It’s Hisashi.”

Second chokes on air, and Yoshito buries his face in his hands, because this, right now – he is currently watching a great calamity unfold.

“Hisashi, Hisashi…” Third hums. “I don’t remember that one. Has he been a Hisashi before?”

“Hisashi what?”

“Hisashi… Midorii...ya, Hisashi Midoriya,” All For One smiles proudly. “My name is Hisashi Midoriya!”

“Please, no,” Yoshito whines. He glances up through his fingers, sees the expression on All For One’s face and lets out a wail. “Please, don’t!”

“Well, Hisashi Midoriya,” the woman giggles. Then she seems to realize she's still holding onto his arm, and, blushing, lets go. “I’m Inko Takahashi. And – if you don’t want me to call an ambulance, could I at least walk you home?”

All For One, whose face fell when she let go, is smiling again, and Yoshito wishes he could brain himself on the nearest wall.

“Hey, Yoshito, what’s wrong?” Fourth asks. “Do you know her?”

“No,” Yoshito groans. Why couldn’t he stay dead? What mortal sin did he commit, that he is forced to witness this, this… travesty? “Just… he likes her.”

“Well, she seems pretty alright,” Daigoro shrugs.

As one, they all look over to where Inko is picking up a rather bedraggled handbag. All For One hesitates and then offers her his arm, and with a laugh and a shake of her head, she takes it.

“I like her too,"  Sixth declares. “Shame we won’t see her again…”

“…Not like that,” Yoshito corrects them. He glances over at the pair, and takes a deep breath when he sees the smile on All For One's face.

“…No,” Nana gasps, proving once again she was his smartest successor.

“He like-likes her.”

All seven ghosts turn to stare at the two living humans, just as All For One says something that causes Inko to giggle. If All Might’s nemesis was pleased before, now he is positively beaming as he grins down at the woman.

There’s a moment’s silence, and then…

“NO!”

“DON’T DO IT, LADY!”

“RUN FOR IT!”

“I’LL COVER YOU!”

“NONONONONONONONONO…”

“Don’t worry,” Nana tries to comfort Yoshito. “It’ll never last.”

Chapter Text

“…I spy, with my little eye…”

Yoshito glances up from the documents he’s reading over All For One’s shoulder, and quirks a smile as he catches sight of Fourth, hovering inches from the doctor’s face and pulling faces at him. All For One has called another meeting of his inner circle and, despite what most people would believe, there is little in the way of violence, torture, or general unsavoury activities.

Honestly, it’s all very boring. Especially when the accountant pulls out his charts.

“…Of course, I shall not be able to plant anything. I will, however, be sure to document all my findings and leave a few vulnerabilities for us to be able to exploit in the…” the female (sort of) villain (although technically she falls into the category of All For One’s subordinates who are for all intents and purposes law-abiding citizens - it can get rather confusing) breaks off when someone’s phone rings and turns to glare at the man sitting next to her. “Seriously?! Paperclip, we talked about this…”

“Oh, thank heavens!” Third groans as he flips himself upright again. “I think I was about to die from boredom!”

“Don’t look at me,” the man finally finishes spooning sugar into his coffee (ten teaspoons – just watching it makes Yoshito’s teeth hurt) and rolls his eyes as he lifts his mug. “I learnt my lesson – don’t even have my phone on me, left it home. Mishka?”

“Nyet,” the elderly gentleman levels them both with a look that makes it clear how insulting he finds the suggestion. Then he sniffs and turns his attention back to his tea, and Second snickers.

“Well, then who…”

“Takahashi!” a familiar voice exclaims, and all the villains present freeze. Then, as one, they slowly turn to stare at All For One, who is absolutely beaming. The woman lets out a pained wheeze and collapses back into her seat, wide eyed. Mishka drops his mug, and Paperclip stares at All For One for a few extra seconds and then promptly upends the sugar bowl into his cup. There's a faint thud as somewhere a villain faints, but no one moves to even see who the unfortunate soul was. “No, of course you’re not interrupting anything!”

“It’ll never last…”

“Look,” Nana levels Second with an unimpressed look. “It’s only been two weeks – there’s still time!”

Yoshito just groans. Two weeks is already far, far longer than he would ever wish to witness All For One in… Oh goodness, it hurts just to think it, but in love. Head over heels. Smitten.

“That would be great – say, since you’re always feeding me, I’ll pay for the tickets. No, I insist – if it bothers you that much, bake me something I can take to work with me. Alright, I’ll see you Saturday!”

“…My lord,” the female villain is the first to recover, and clears her throat once All For One has hung up. “…Who is Takahashi?”

“Girlfriend,” Nana sighs.

“My future sister-in-law.”

“Girlfriend,” Second rolls his eyes.

“Love of his life,” Fourth shakes his head indulgently.

“Our main hope for the continued survival of Tokyo,” Sixth snorts.

“Takahashi is…” All For One hums as he thinks about his answer, and then treats everyone to a smile that has several hardened villains whimpering. “Takahashi is the woman I’m dating!”

“Ooh,” Paperclip nods in understanding. “How’s she connected to All Might?”

“…She isn’t,” All For One frowns, and Yoshito sighs.

“What field does she specialize in?” the doctor asks, clearly interested, and Yoshito hopes All For One forbids him from setting foot anywhere near Inko. Capturing the doctor's interest is never good.

“…She works as a waitress at a café.”

“Oh, so her Quirk is…”

“…Attracting small objects,” All For One supplies with a fond smile. “Very fortunate, too – she keeps dropping her phone!”

“Is it just me,” Second frown as all the villains stare in silence at their fearsome leader. “Or are they not quite getting that he’s just dating her cause he, you know… likes spending time with her?”

“It’s All For One,” Fourth sighs. “If someone told you he’s dating a random waitress because he’s in love, would you believe it?”

“…My lord,” the woman is the first to recover. “Are you… Do you mean to tell me you are dating someone only because you… like them?!”

“Ding ding ding, we have a winner!”

“Yes, of course – why else would I date Takahashi?” All For One asks, clearly confused.

There’s another moment of silence. Then the woman slaps Paperclip on the back of the head.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“Okay, so this isn’t a dream,” she mutters, and then, “My lord – you’ve got a girlfriend?!”

“Is that why you had me set up that new identity?!”

“Could we meet her?!”

“One at a time, children,” All For One holds up a hand, and everyone shuts up. “But – yes, yes, and absolutely not. Oh, and since it’s come up – I want it known that, going forward, there are to be no activities in Aleen without my approval. Takahashi works there and she might get hurt. Or miss her train. And, on that subject – Paperclip, from now on, stay out of Aleen!”

“But that’s where I work!” the man sputters. “I only just got promoted – my lord, I cannot be of any use to you if I get fired!”

“…A valid point,” All For One admits with a sigh. “Alright, fine, but you’re banned from visiting any cafes!”

“My lord,” the doctor clears his throat, clearly unimpressed. “…Could we get back to more important matters?!”

“Fine,” All For One sighs. “But from now on, you’re not allowed to overrun – I want to walk Takahashi home when she gets off work.”

***

“It’ll never…”

“Three weeks isn’t that long! They could still break up!”

“Oh, look, Hisashi!” Inko exclaims. “It’s All Might!”

“Lovely,” All For One does his best to smile as he catches sight of the buffoon, surrounded by a crowd of admirers. For just a second, he is tempted to take this opportunity to eliminate the bastard while he is distracted, but then… Then he looks down at Inko.

She’s beaming as she waves at the hero, her eyes shining with laughter, and he fancies there has never been a more beautiful sight. He has travelled the world, attended art displays and seen priceless jewels aplenty, and yet this right here – this fleeting smile, this is what he would pay any price for. If he could make her smile again, if he could be the reason for that smile, he would be willing to pay any price.

“…Do you want an autograph?” he manages to suggest without it sounding too forced. They’ll be late to the cinema, and he’s been looking forward to this all week, but if it would make Inko happy…

“No, we’d be late,” Inko huffs and gives a gentle tug on his hand. “Besides, I have my own personal hero right here!”

All For One chuckles as he allows her to pull him along.

Maybe heroes aren’t all bad.

***

“…However, I shall require further funding to determine whether…”

“Inko! No, of course I can pick up some more eggs on my way over! I’ll be finishing soon…”

The doctor groans.

“Look on the bright side,” Paperclip points out as he adds the seventh spoonful of sugar to his coffee. “We’ll be able to go home early.”

“It’ll never…”

“Look, just shut up!”

***

“…It is rather fascinating to consider why exactly he faces such limitations.”

“Alright, pass me the eggs.”

“I wonder if it is to do with the molecular structure of different fibres? I admit, I am not an expert in textiles, but I assume that the various sources for different materials and the way clothing is produced must have some affect.”

“Hisashi, turn off the rice cooker.”

“And I wonder why he seems most at ease with denim? From what I understand, denim comes from cotton, and yet it is denim that he seems more at ease with. Is it simply the result of practice, and he is most familiar with the effects of his Quirk on denim? Is it perhaps a psychological factor, that he has some particular fondness for denim? Or is it some step in the manufacturing process for denim that makes it easier for him to control?...”

“Hisashi, could you grab the plates?”

“Oh, of course, Inko,” All For One smiles. “By the way, what do you think?”

“I think that I don’t have a clue what you were talking about,” the woman treats him to a smile. “But it’s nice that you’re so passionate about your work.”

“…They’re not breaking up anytime soon, are they?”

***

“It’ll never last…”

“I was wrong, alright?!” Nana snaps. “Happy now?!”

“I’d be happier if they weren’t so saccharine,” Third mutters.

“I know what you mean,” Fourth sighs. “Just watching them is enough to give me cavities.”

Yoshito can’t help but agree, even though he feels… Torn. He glances over to where All For One and his girlfriend (and that is still a strange concept that he probably won’t get used to any time soon) are working by the sink, Inko washing the dishes and then passing them over to the villain to dry. It’s such a… domestic scene, and not for the first time, he wonders what it is that keeps All For One coming back to the small, slightly dingy apartment that Inko calls home. Because it’s a familiar enough routine by now; several days out of the week All For One will show up after his ‘work’ is finished, sometimes with groceries, and then wait patiently as Inko finishes cooking. And then, when it’s time for him to leave, she’ll hand him a container of leftovers, or a packed lunch, and All For One will look at her like she just handed him One For All on a silver platter.

It’s strangely… adorable.

“…They are kind of sweet, though,” Second admits.

“Yes, but – technically speaking, he’s my brother,” Yoshito groans. It’s the principle of the thing, after all. “I don’t care if he’s got a different face, I don’t want to see him making out with his girlfriend!”

“…At least they haven’t had sex?” Third offers hesitantly.

“Yet,” Nana mutters.

“…Please kill me.”

“…You do remember we’re dead, right?” Second asks from his seat on the stove.

“…I guess I should get going,” All For One sighs as he dries his hands. He leans over and presses a quick kiss to Inko’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“Actually, Hisashi…” Inko stares down at the sink, blushing, and Yoshito feels his stomach sink. Whatever this is, it cannot be good. “…Do you want to stay over?”

Yoshito lets out a haunted whimper.

“…Oh my god, you totally jinxed it,” Fourth groans.

“Stay over? Are – are you sure?”

“Yes,” Inko glances up at All For One shyly. “I’ve though about it, and… Unless you’re not ready, Hisashi! I don’t want you to feel pressured!”

“Please,” Yoshito abandons all remnants of his pride and stoops to begging. “For the sake of my sanity, be a gentleman! Tell her – tell her you want to wait until marriage! Or five years after marriage!...”

Unfortunately, All For One rarely shows mercy to his victims.

Which is how five ghosts find themselves hovering awkwardly in the corridor outside Inko’s apartment.

“So, like… How does it feel knowing your brother is having sex right now?”

Yoshito punches Third. Hard.

“…How does it feel, knowing All For One is getting laid right now?” Fourth retorts as he settles into a seated position three feet above the floor.

“Like I want to chug a bottle of bleach,” Second declares as he flops backwards.

“Oh hey, what are you doing out here?” they hear as Daigoro floats up through the floor. “Evil incarnate still in there? What’s taking him so long?”

“He’s… They’re…” Third trails off and glances over at the rest of them, clearly not wanting to have to break the news to their fellow ghost.

“…Please don’t say it,” Yoshito groans as he presses his forehead against his knees. The worst part is, Inko and All For One will probably talk about it afterwards. Which is almost as bad – no, actually it’s probably worse than walking in on them, because there’ll – there’ll be details. About his brother’s sex life.

What did Yoshito do to deserve this?!

“You do NOT want to go in there,” Nana decides to spare them all. “You really don’t.”

“Oh, really?” Daigoro cackles and, as could have been expected, promptly floats past them and into the apartment.

“Five…” Third sighs.

“Four…” Second snorts.

“Three…” Yoshito groans.

“MY EYES!””

Chapter Text

One of the crucial lessons All For One learnt early in his career is the importance of first impressions. Of course it is always possible to sway people’s opinions, to win them over later, convince them they were mistaken. But that first, instinctual response is something that cannot be repeated.

The first time anyone sees him, they tremble in fear.

The first time he laid eyes on Inko, he fell in love.

The first time he ever meets Mitsuki Yuzuki, he knows he will always hate her.

“He’s a fucking loser and you can do better!” the woman informs Inko about three seconds after laying eyes on him. “I can set you up with a great guy from accounting…”

“We’ve talked about this, Mitsuki,” Inko states calmly as she serves them up slices of her homemade strawberry shortcake. “Hisashi is my boyfriend. I do not need you to set me up with anyone.”

All For One is rather torn. On the one hand the thought of this Mitsuki woman daring to threaten his relationship with Inko in any way is enough to make him see red, but on the other – hearing Inko refer to him as her boyfriend, and pick the admittedly boring Hisashi Midoriya over other, theoretically more attractive men makes him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

He settles for taking a sip of his tea and only just manages to stop himself from gagging. Yuzuki must have spiked it with something, but he is All For One. He will not give in to such petty tactics, certainly not when the alternative is pissing off his opponent.

Instead he treats Inko's best friend to a polite smile and reminds himself that although he is not going to murder her, he is certainly capable of it.

“Oh really?” the blonde woman huffs as she accepts her plate. “What the fuck do you do for a living, Midoriya?”

“I work in Quirk research,” All For One answers pleasantly. “Thank you, Inko – most of my work is around analysing various Quirks and coming up with new ways they could be used.”

Well, it is the truth. To an extent. The best lies are based in reality.

“Hisashi really enjoys his work,” Inko laughs as she settles next to him. “He likes talking at me about really complicated Quirk… things. Thankfully he doesn’t mind that I don’t understand any of it!”

“Yes, well I will admit it is a bit of a niche interest,” All For One chuckles. “And besides, I can’t bake to save my life.”

“So he’s a major nerd,” Yuzuki summarizes, and All For One remembers that he is not, in fact, alone with Inko. “Seriously, Inko, I know this guy from the design department…”

“Mitsuki, no,” Inko repeats, although her smile is looking slightly forced. “I am in a relationship with Hisashi.”

“Whatever you say, Inko,” Yuzuki grumbles. “How did you two meet, anyway?”

“Oh, Hisashi saved me!” Inko beams, and once again, All For One chases away thoughts of murdering Mitsuki Yuzuki, because Inko’s smile is the most wonderful sight ever and has to be protected at all costs. Even if that means tolerating annoying women who really don’t know how easy it would to just incinerate them. “I was on my way home when this villain attacked me – Hisashi was the only person to come to my rescue!”

“Honestly, I just got lucky,” All For One chuckles. He truly did, because it allowed him to meet Inko. Of course admitting to how easily he could have destroyed that pathetic little criminal is probably not a good idea. “I happened to have a decently intimidating Quirk…”

“Oh?” Yuzuki perks up. “And what Quirk would that be?”

“Oh, it’s called Fire Breath,” All For One explains. “It’s… pretty self-explanatory.”

“Oh really,” the blonde woman sets her cup down. “Inko, could you help me with something in the kitchen?”

***

“Honestly, Mitsuki,” Inko huffs once the two women have hidden away in the kitchen, followed by four rather nosy ghosts. (Daigoro is checking out the neighbours, and Third and Nana stay behind to keep an eye on All For One.) “I know you worry, but…”

“You heard him,” Mitsuki hisses, a scowl on her face, and Yoshito wonders once again how these two vastly different women are friends. He knows Inko was fostered by Yuzuki’s parents, but – surely there’s more to it than that. “His Quirk’s dangerous!”

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Fourth snorts. “Your friend is dating literally THE most dangerous villain ever. You really shouldn’t worry about a simple Quirk, of all things!”

“Not to mention he has way more dangerous Quirks,” Second rolls his eyes as he floats past. “Remember that one that killed Sixth?”

“What about that one that allows him to insta-freeze anyone?”

“What about that nightmare Quirk he uses to drive people insane?!”

“Mitsuki, it’s just a Quirk,” Inko levels her friend with an unimpressed look. “The only time I ever saw it was when Hisashi used it to save me. He would never hurt me.”

“That’s what you said about Daichi, and…”

“Daichi was different and you know it!” Inko snaps.

Yoshito frowns and drifts closer, curious and perhaps a little unsettled, because there is some sort of history here. He wonders what exactly the story was with this Daichi person; then he wonders what All For One would do to this Daichi person if he overheard the conversation.

“Maybe right now, but – what do you even know about this guy?!” Mitsuki insists. “He turned up just at the perfect time to play the hero. Doesn’t that seem at least a bit suspicious?!”

“Mitsuki, you weren’t there,” Inko snorts, and Yoshito prepares himself for some romantic description of his brother’s gallant gesture, or… “He was not in cahoots with that villain. If he was, he would have tried to impress me. Instead, he rushed in without thinking, got himself a concussion, and only escaped further injury because of a fortunate Quirk. Frankly, he made a complete fool of himself."

Second snorts and doubles over with laughter.

Yoshito’s jaw drops.

“Well, she’s got a point,” Fourth admits with a snicker.

“Can we keep her?” Sixth asks with a grin. “Please tell me we can keep her!”

“Yes, but…”

“And besides, I know enough,” Inko smiles. “I know he gets overexcited about Quirks, but when he realizes I didn’t understand a word he said, he doesn’t make me feel stupid, he apologizes. I know he has never made me feel pressured to do anything. I know he carries around a box of tissues in case I get overemotional and doesn’t ridicule me when I cry. I know – I know that when he looks at me, I feel like he would do anything to make me happy, and…”

“…You know, when she puts it like that, All For One sounds almost appealing as boyfriend material,” Sixth mutters.

“And I know…” Inko sniffs. “I know I’m not a catch, Mitsuki – don’t interrupt me, you know it’s true! I only have a high school education, I don’t have a strong Quirk… All I want is someone who will love me, who will let me cook them dinner and bake cookies and won’t complain that I have random bits of fabric strewn about our home! And Hisashi – Hisashi could do better, but for some reason, he wants me! Me, silly little Inko Takahashi! So please… If he is an abusive asshole, then fine, you can tell me I was wrong! But… If he isn’t, Mitsuki, then this could be the best thing to ever happen to me! Please, Mitsuki, you’re my best friend, but – I want to take this chance!”

“Alright, fine,” the blonde woman huffs as she pulls Inko into a tight hug. “But I want us to talk at least twice a week, alright? And the minute he starts trying to limit our contact, I’m getting you out.”

“Thank you, Mitsuki.”

“And if he so much as lays a finger on you, I’ll kick his butt!”

Chapter Text

“Guess what?!” Fourth pokes his head up through the living room floor, an excited grin on his face. “Downstairs neighbours have puppies!”

“Seriously?!” Third gasps. “Show me, show me!”

“Chick across the hall has killer knockers!” Daigoro yells from the direction of the front door, and Yoshito and Nana exchange judgemental looks.

“I’ll go deal with him,” Sixth excuses himself with a sigh and drifts off; ever since his death, he has become the unofficial Daigoro handler, which mostly means smacking his mentor whenever he starts being a little too pervy.

With the living room a lot emptier, Yoshito decides he might as well check how his… his family is doing. He shakes his head as he drifts into the kitchen, where Inko is busy putting away dishes. No matter how strange it seems, family is truly the best way to describe this strange little construct Inko and All For One have become. Against all the odds, against all common sense, here they are, apparently still very much in love.

Yoshito tries to imagine how this would go if it were Hisashi moving in with his girlfriend. He doesn’t doubt he’d have been introduced to Inko fairly early on, if only because his brother would wax lyrical about her all the time. He’d… Yes, Hisashi would have probably recruited (read: forced) Yoshito to help pack his things, going on about all the reasons Inko is perfect until Yoshito had thrown something at him. And then, when it came time to move everything into his new home, Hisashi would insist both Yoshito and Inko leave all the heavy lifting to the professionals. Yoshito would of course roll his eyes at his overprotective brother, and then he and Inko would have gone to explore the new neighbourhood, and Yoshito would have gotten his revenge by telling Inko all the most embarrassing stories from their childhood.

But, as his fellow ghosts regularly remind him, that Hisashi is long gone, and so Inko will never hear of the time Yoshito’s brother accidentally defenestrated his teddy, Lord Aramis.

Feeling nostalgic, Yoshito takes one last look around the kitchen (Inko has moved on to the sauce bottles now) and then he drifts through to the spare room.

Over the week or so since they first viewed the apartment, the room gradually evolved from being All For One’s office to becoming Inko’s workroom, on the condition that the villain doesn’t feel bad about using it to keep his, as Inko put it, ‘Quirk books’. At the time, All For One’s insistence that Inko have a workroom made little sense, since she could do her mending just fine on the sofa; now, however…

Yoshito lets out a long-suffering sigh as suddenly everything makes a lot more sense.

“Inko, where do you want me to put your sewing machine?!”

“What sewing…” the woman pokes her head in and then shakes her head, a fond look on her face. “Honestly, Hisashi!”

“It was on sale!” All For One lies as he holds the box up. “I saw you looking at it, and with your birthday coming up… I just wanted to get you something you’d use!”

“Hisashi, you really should ask me first before making a big financial purchase,” Inko sighs. “Don’t do it again. But since it’s obviously outside the return window, I suppose I’ll just have to keep it.”

“Actually I still have a week…”

“We’re not returning it, Hisashi,” Inko cuts him off. “Hang on, I’ll set up my worktable.”

Chuckling, Yoshito floats back into the living room.

“Did she like it?” Nana asks from where she’s studying Inko’s homemade quilt.

“Yep,” Yoshito grins just as Third and Fourth rejoin them. Then he winces. “…We might want to give them some privacy tonight.”

“…I still don’t know how to feel about All For One… getting some.”

They all hover in awkward silence.

“Do you want to tackle the living room today or tomorrow?” All For One asks as he walks through Second.

“We might as well get started,” Inko sighs as she surveys the boxes. “But maybe a cup of tea first?”

“Your wish is my command,” All For One presses a quick kiss to her cheek and heads for the kitchen. Inko laughs and grabs the scissors.

“I know what you mean,” Nana admits. “I still can’t quite believe All For One is… well, you know…”

“Head over heels?”

“Smitten?”

“Gaga?”

“…In a relationship.”

“I still wish we could tell Inko the truth,” Second sighs.

“It’s for the greater good!” Fourth exclaims.

“She still deserves to know!”

“And what?!” Daigoro snorts as he rejoins them, rubbing his ear and glaring Sixth. “Risk her fleeing to Brazil?!”

“I’m sure Inko wouldn’t…”

“If you were told your boyfriend was a superpowered villain who’s old enough to be your great-grandfather, would you really stick around to play happy families?!”

They all turn to stare at Inko as, blissfully unaware, she rummages around in a box.

“At least the murder rate’s gone down?” Third offers hesitantly.

“And he has been spending less time on villainous activities…”

“In summary, instead of passing on your Quirk, maybe you should have just tried setting him up on a date.”

Yoshito promptly flips Sixth off.

“Oh – Hisashi!” Inko suddenly laughs. “Look what I found!”

“What is it?” Nana wonders as she drifts closer.

“Maybe she’s kinky and it’s her sex toys?”

"Haven't you learnt anything?!" Fourth slaps Daigoro.

“What is it?” All For One asks as he walks back in, two mugs in his hands.

“Takahashi family album!” Inko proudly declares as she holds up the battered, green thing.

“Do you think it’s got her baby photos?!” Sixth gasps, delighted.

And that is how, rather than get back to work, the young (looking, in one case) couple settles on the floor and, with much pushing and shoving, seven dead heroes crowd around behind them.

“These are my parents,” Inko explains cheerfully as she opens the album on the first page.

The couple is young, posing outside what appears to be a government office. The woman, who despite her blonde hair looks remarkably like Inko, is dressed in a beautiful blue yukata, and the man…

“…Why is your father dressed like Might Guy?”

“Oh, you recognize him!” Inko gasps, delighted, and then laughs. “Dad… had a bit of a thing for cosplaying. Used to make all his own costumes, too; turned it into a nice little side business, taking commissions.”

“…I see.”

“Plus, dad swore that if he was elected president of the school cosplaying club, he’d dress up as Might Guy for his wedding.”

“Hang on,” Nana gasps. “That’s their WEDDING photo?!”

“And before you ask,” Inko rolls her eyes, and Yoshito gets the feeling this is familiar territory. “They were high school sweethearts, so mum knew what she was getting into. She was the club treasurer.”

All For One chuckles, and then presses a kiss to Inko’s cheek. “So that’s where you get your talent from!”

“Charmer,” Inko shakes her head and then flips a few pages. “Oh, here it is! This is me, before my very first convention.”

Yoshito stares at the picture of a tiny Inko, dressed up as a rather convincing Conan from Case Closed.

“Free marketing,” Inko explains with a sigh. “Mum was not amused.”

They look through a few more pages. Mister Takahashi seems to be dressed up as a new character in every other picture, often striking ridiculous poses to the delight of his daughter. His wife is more dignified, often dressed in elegant clothing, but there is a warmth in her eyes as she poses next to her husband and daughter. It is strange to hear Inko speak of her parents, especially since most of it goes against the image Yoshito built up of the picture-perfect family, but the image she paints is of two people who, despite financial struggles, always remained very much in love, and adored their only daughter. And Yoshito feels that old ache that sometimes rears its ugly head, and wonders whether All For One feels it too, like Hisashi used to.

And then Inko flips the page, and...

“…Well this is awkward,” Third mutters as he stares at the picture.

“I’d know that stupid cape anywhere!”

“It is NOT stupid!”

“…Inko,” All For One slowly asks. “…Are you dressed up as a particular hero?”

“Yes,” Yoshito nods. “Yes, she certainly is.”

“Oh, yes!” Inko beams, oblivious to the rather uncomfortable atmosphere just behind her. “That’s my Septem costume!”

“Oh, isn’t that sweet, Nana?” Third grins. “You’ve got a fan!”

“You’ve got a fan that All For One regularly bones,” Daigoro mutters.

Sixth slaps him.

“I loved that costume so much – I think I still have the cape somewhere,” Inko chuckles. “I use it as a blanket whenever I’m feeling down.”

“Oh my god, how is this getting MORE awkward?!”

“I always thought Septem was so brave and kind,” Inko admits softly, and Yoshito is torn between feeling happy for Nana and incredibly awkward that Inko is talking about her childhood hero with the man who – you know – killed said childhood hero. “I met her once, after getting lost, and… It was such a shame when she died; I sobbed for weeks.” She shrugs, and adds softly, “…My parents died not long before, and… I wasn’t coping well.”

“It is official,” Fourth declares. “This is somehow worse than them getting it on, and I don’t even know how it’s possible.”

“But then I thought about it, and… I thought, maybe Septem could save one last person,” Inko smiles. “So I – I grew my hair out, and… I pretended. I pretended I was her, that I was brave and courageous and not scared of whatever the world threw at me, and at some point – I managed to convince myself it was true.”

“…Guys,” Second suddenly speaks up. “…I think I’ve just figured out why her hair is so familiar.”

“Oh my god, Nana, All For One is fucking your number one fan.”

“I doubt there’ll be any of that tonight,” Fourth points out.

“I doubt there’ll be any of that for a long time.”

“Well, good!” Nana exclaims.

Chapter Text

“No, too gaudy. No, wrong colour; no, wrong shade of green. Maybe – but what if she looks up the price? No, too…”

“My lord,” the doctor forces out through clenched teeth as he turns back to where All For One is agonizing over a tablet. “If I may direct your attention to more important…”

“Oh, you did not just say that,” Nana mutters as All For One freezes.

“Goodbye!” Third snickers.

“Tell me, doctor,” All For One begins in a deceptively pleasant voice as he slowly looks up. “What, in your opinion, is more important than finding the perfect ring for the love of my life?”

“Oh, please answer!” Daigoro cackles. “Please! We’re all sick of you!”

Unfortunately, the doctor seems to still have some remaining vestiges of self-preservation. He doesn’t try and remind All For One of their noble purpose (‘Oh, of course, but it can wait. Inko promised me nikujaga.’) or try and question what is so appealing about a young waitress (‘She is the most perfect being I have ever laid eyes on and if you ever disparage her again, I will remove your eyes – they obviously don’t work properly.’) Instead, he just nods.

“I apologize, my lord. Of course nothing could be more important.”

“I’m glad we understand each other,” All For One looks back at his tablet. “Although I do not appreciate the sarcasm. But, since we have known each other for so many years, you can have another chance. You have five seconds to remove yourself from my presence.”

Wisely, the doctor does not hang around.

“You know, it was kind of cute at first,” Second sighs. “But now I’m starting to… get a little worried.”

“I know what you mean,” Fourth nods. “How long’s he been at this again, two days?...”

“Three,” Yoshito corrects him with a wince. Three days that the most dangerous villain in existence has spent without sleep, his entire being focused on finding the perfect engagement ring. Yoshito only hopes no heroes get too close; All For One is not in any state to hold back. The survival of much of Tokyo depends on this stupid ring.

“I still think it’s unfair to Inko,” Second declares from his corner of shame. “I mean, what if she says yes? How do you think she’d feel if she found out her husband is a terrifying villain? And – oh god, what if they have kids?!”

“Inko is nobly sacrificing herself for the good of the many!” Third points out for what feels like the millionth time. “Besides which, he’s been using…”

“WE DON’T NEED TO KNOW!” Yoshito screams. The one thing he never, ever wants to know any more about is his brother’s sex life.

“She should at least know she’s sacrificing herself!...”

“How do you suggest we tell her?” Sixth asks. “Write it on her mirror in lipstick, like ghosts from some low-budget horror movie?”

“Besides, what if she is a sane human being and nopes out?” Fourth adds. “You really wanna risk him destroying Kyoto? All For One does not strike me as the sort of guy to just eat his feelings in ice cream, listening to sad music…”

“Well duh, he’s not a teenage girl!”

“Lo-Lord?” one of the other villains peers into the room, obviously ready to dive for cover at the first sign of danger. “May… May I help in any way?”

“Depends how,” Nana mutters. “Are you related to any jewellers?”

“Or jewel thieves?”

“…I don’t think All For One should steal his engagement ring.”

“Yes,” All For One groans as he leans back in his chair. “Please help. Why is this so damned hard?!”

“Maybe because you want it to be as perfect as the recipient, my lord?” the woman suggests, slowly edging closer. Nana gives her a thumbs up. “Of course, I may be wrong! But if… if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, then… you could… design your own ring? It’s just a thought! But – my father designed his ring, and my mother always said that meant more than the actual ring and if the lady is as benevolent as you say…”

“You’re a genius!” All For One exclaims and jumps to his feet. “Of course Inko would want that personal touch! Something simple, that she can wear around the house. Definitely a green gemstone. Would gold or silver suit her more…”

“Also, sir…” the villain clears her throat as All For One grabs the doctor’s latest report and starts rooting around for a pen. “The head of Shie Hassakai called…”

“Him? I hope you warned him about wasting my time with trivial matters; I have far more important concerns than some washed up little gang…” All For One trails off as something occurs to him. “…If there aren’t any diamonds, does it still count as an engagement ring?”

Yoshito facepalms.

***

“…What do you think he’ll do if she says no?”

“How likely is that?”

Blissfully unaware of the heroes hovering over his shoulder, All For One beams at his most trusted subordinates. He only ever calls them all here together at such short notice for the most important of declarations, for plans that will require each and every one of them to give their all. The last time such a gathering occurred, it resulted in Nana Shimura’s death; and yet the matter they are now discussing is more important than rival villains, more pressing even than the threat of One For All! What he has called them here for is…

“I still think a grand, romantic gesture is the way to go,” Paperclip declares. “Something to match the greatness of All For One!...”

“Nyet!” Mishka pushes his glasses up his nose. “Lord is right – if the lady appreciates small and simple, small and simple is the way to go! The goal here is to minimize the chance of rejection!”

“What if she says no?” All For One suddenly pales. He’d never before even considered the possibility, but – what if Inko decides she wants something more than a mid-level Quirk Analyst? Should he have made himself a CEO instead?! Or maybe a vice-president, something with a chance for professional advancement… Or – what if she’s allergic to precious metals and is offended by the ring?!

“That would be an absolute tragedy,” the doctor states, finally turning his attention away from glaring at his mug, and All For One makes a mental note to cut his funding. The least he expects from his subordinates is their undying support. “I suppose you shall simply have to punish her for disrespecting… Ow!”

“Shut it,” Trojan, wonderful Trojan, who had the misfortune of choosing the seat next to him, hisses. “You get blasted, I die too! At least wait till I’ve moved before you commit suicide!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you,” All For One smiles at her. He’s in a particularly benevolent mood, and makes a mental note to… What would be a good way to repay her? Maybe sabotage her business rivals… “I never would have found the perfect ring without your help.”

“Cough – teacher’s pet – cough!”

“Oh, and I suppose you would be able to explain the difference between bezel and cathedral…”

“When will you ask her?” Mishka hurries to distract him from the bickering pair.

It is a feeble attempt, although All For One is used to the inevitable arguments that occur when Paperclip and Trojan are in the same room. To be perfectly honest, he finds it rather amusing; but he has more important matters to consider today than the immature antics of his subordinates.

“I’m thinking as soon as I get the ring back,” he declares with a smile. He doesn’t want to risk Inko discovering it, after all. And although part of him wishes he could give Inko the grand romantic gesture she deserves, he wants to show he knows her. Inko, more than anything, wants a peaceful life with someone who will help her with folding the laundry. Someone who will stand still so she can tie his tie, who will pick up eggs on the way home from work.

He will propose in the kitchen, he has decided, because the kitchen is his favourite room in their apartment. Probably over a meal; he’ll compliment her on the food, and then he’ll put the box on the table and nudge it over. He should probably wait until they’re almost done eating, because Inko is sure to start crying…

He’s just imagining the joy on her face as she smiles through her tears, when his Hisashi phone rings.

“It’s her!” Paperclip gasps.

“Shut up, idiot!” Trojan hisses.

“Hey, do you think she’s psy – OW!”

“I said, quiet!”

“Hello, Hisashi Midoriya speaking,” All For One answers the phone, levelling his minions with a glare. They all immediately pale and look away, Paperclip stuffing several biscuits into his mouth to try and keep his big mouth busy.

All For One is just debating whether the man needs another performance review, when he hears what the call is about.

“I’m sorry, what?”

And just like that, any semblance of control goes out the window, and he barely resists the urge to throw his phone against the wall; only the knowledge that this is the phone he uses to communicate with Inko stays his hand. Instead he grits his teeth as he listens to the voice on the other end, willing himself to keep up the pretence of a law-abiding citizen. His murderous aura has his minions trembling even as they struggle not to make a sound; Trojan can't quite choke back a sob, and Paperclip, pale with fear, moves to shield her from All For One's wrath despite the absolute futility of the gesture.

"Thank you for telling me," All For One manages to force out in a deceptively calm voice. He reminds himself that he is seeing Inko tonight; if he goes on a rampage, if he seeks All Might out to vent his rage, that will make him late for dinner. He is having dinner with Inko, he needs to remember that...

He hangs up and takes a deep breath in. Dinner with Inko. Breathe out. Inko's cooking. Deep breath in - no, his fury is not going to cool. This is an unforgivable offence, an attack the likes of which he has never witnessed before. Not even a holder of One For All would dare do such a thing, would dare to risk his wrath!...

“Lo-Lord?” Mishka, the second most senior of his followers present, manages to choke out. “Is – is anything wrong?”

Wrong? Oh yes, something is very  wrong.

“Someone,” All For One hisses as he pockets the phone. He takes another deep breath; then he jumps to his feet, grabs the coffee table and hurls it against a wall. “SOMEONE HAS DARED TO STEAL MY ENGAGEMENT RING!”

“Oh what a shame,” the doctor mutters and takes a sip of his coffee.

All For One freezes. He can hear scraping and scuffling, and doesn't have to look to know his other followers are undoubtedly trying to put as much distance between themselves and the insolent quack as possible. And hearing their fear placates him, at least for now, because this is a challenge to his authority that will not go unanswered. So he takes a deep breath, straightens his suit, and turns to treat his minions to a charming smile that is greeted by several horrified whimpers.

"Yes, yes it is," he nods as he picks up his coat. "But I have every confidence the ring will be retrieved before I propose to Inko. Let's say... Tomorrow evening."

“Of course!”

“I’ll pull the police report, check for leads!”

“I’ll start calling informants!”

“But… But… I have research! Vital research…” the doctor splutters.

"Yes, I know it's a tight schedule," All For One shrugs as he picks up his briefcase. "So, if the ring has not been retrieved, I'll just have to make do with a substitute. Shall we say... Our beloved doctor's still beating heart?"

“…Is it very wrong that I kind of hope they don’t make it in time?” Fourth asks.

Unfortunately, there is no news by the time he goes to bed. Or when he wakes up. And that is All For One's excuse for not noticing sooner, that not only is something very wrong in the criminal underbelly of Japan, that someone dared move against him, even unknowingly, but also...

...Something is very wrong with Inko.

“…Inko, is everything alright?” All For One asks after studying her for close to an hour. When he arrived home, they went through their usual routine, but there was something missing from her smile, something that made it appear ever so slightly forced.

Also, there was a different box of tissues on the dining table. And it was already half-empty.

“What?!” Inko almost drops her phone; only the quick use of her Quirk saves the device from a cracked screen. “Oh, of course, Hisashi! I’m sorry, but – what were you saying again?”

“I wasn’t saying anything,” All For One can’t help a small smile, because even frazzled, Inko is the most adorable woman in the universe. Then he glances over her shoulder and winces. “But I think your salmon is a bit overdone…”

“What?...” Inko stares at him a second; then she seems to understand what he said and gasps. “Oh, no, no, no!”

“Well, that fish is dead.”

“It was dead before.”

“Yeah, but not cremated.”

Watching Inko dump the charred fish in the bin does something to All For One's heart, something... Unpleasant. She looks on the verge of tears, and not in a good way. Yes, he enjoys her cooking, has made no secret of it, and normally that makes her smile, but - if she's tired, if she's having a bad day, even if she doesn't feel like it, he won't hold it against her. She doesn't have to force herself just to make him happy; he can afford the occasional takeaway, and so he makes sure to grab his phone and smile encouragingly.

"Would you like me to order us takeaway?" he offers, already opening the drawer they keep the menus in. "You deserve a night off."

"Actually..." Inko hesitates; then she groans. “That would be wonderful, Hisashi. I’m sorry, I just…”

“It’s fine!” All For One makes sure to smile at her as he passes her a box of tissues. “You know I don’t just love you for your wonderful food. And - did you have a hard day at work? Do you want to talk about it? Or would you rather I just shut up and order you some damned food – actually I probably should shut up, shouldn’t I.”

Being in love unfortunately comes with a number of side effects, All For One reflects. One of which is babbling. (Another is a besotted smile which has a habit of appearing at the worst possible moments – there are several very confused, and slightly traumatized, villains out there.)

“Oh, Hisashi,” Inko manages a small laugh and leans over to press a kiss to his cheek, and All For One decides nonsensical babbling is absolutely worth it. “Don’t worry, just... I’d rather not talk about it. Could we just… Curl up in front of the TV? Please?”

“That sounds like heaven!”

“I think I’m gonna puke,” Daigoro mutters.

The pleasantly domestic moment is interrupted by the ringing of a phone. Or, to be more precise, two phones, which All For One and Inko immediately snatch up and answer.

“Hello? Yes, this is Inko Takahashi…”

“Hisashi Midoriya speaking!” All For One responds, hopeful. Then he hears who is calling and perks up.

“Oh, do you have any news?”

“Yes, that is correct!” All For One beams. Oh, he knew threatening his followers would have the desired effect!

“Hoth police station?” both he and Inko chorus at the exact same time and then look at each other.

All For One frowns as he hangs up, concerned. Why would Inko need to go to the police station? She wouldn’t have committed any crimes, but – could she have been caught up in something? Could she have been a victim?! Is there some pathetic bastard out there, who dared to…

“I’m really sorry, Hisashi, but I need to go to Hoth police station,” Inko interrupts his spiralling thoughts and does her best to smile at him. “I… lost my purse this morning, and they just called to tell me someone turned it in! I… Need to get it back now, because it has my railway pass!”

“Oh,” All For One nods. That is… a very good excuse, which sounds completely plausible for a civilian. He might just steal it. “Funny story, actually, I lost my wallet last week and they just called to say they found it! I’ll come with you!”

“Oh, no, I don’t want to bother you. You had such a busy day at work today…”

“No, no, I need to sign for it. And besides, spending time with you is always a pleasure…”

“Just go already!” Third screams.

***

“Is it just me, or is this weird?” Fourth asks as they drift into the police station behind the couple.

“What’s so weird about the most infamous, deadly and sought after villain known to man visiting the local police station in the hopes of retrieving his engagement ring?” Nana rolls her eyes.

“Well, probably the…”

“…Daigoro, that was sarcasm.”

“I just wish I could have been there,” Third snorts. “Imagine being some small time jewellery thief, or gang, and suddenly your hideout is broken into by, like, fifteen of the most notorious villains in Japan. All in varying stages of panic.”

“Imagine being confronted by them and then told you accidentally stole from All For One,” Second adds. “What do you want to bet they couldn’t confess quick enough?”

Yoshito laughs at that particular image and drifts a little closer to the counter. The policeman on duty has just finished typing something and smiles at the couple as Inko and All For One glance at each other.

“How may I help you today?” the oblivious officer asks.

“Well, I… Hisashi, maybe you should go first.”

“No, after you…”

“Get on with it!”

“My name is Inko Takahashi,” Inko admits with a sigh. “I… Just got a call that you recovered something of mine that was stolen.”

“…Oh yes, I remember taking your statement,” the policeman winces, and Yoshito wonders just how many boxes of tissues Inko got through during that particular conversation. “Well, I’m happy to say the criminal has already signed a full confession. So, if you just fill out these forms here, I can go grab your items…”

“Oh, actually – Hisashi, you said you needed to pick something up, too!”

“Ah, yes,” All For One shifts awkwardly, and Yoshito hopes the poor, innocent robber doesn’t have to suffer too much. “Hisashi Midoriya. I… Got a call that you found something of mine as well…”

“Midoriya, Midoriya…” the officer hums as he looks something up on his computer. “Oh yes, I can grab it at the same time. Please fill in these forms in the meanwhile, and like I just said – the villain has admitted to everything, but we will keep you both updated. If you’ll excuse me…”

“…Is it just me, or is this a really weird coincidence?” Sixth frowns as the policeman vanishes into the station, and All For One and Inko focus on the documents and pretend not to keep glancing at one another.

“Is it just me, or did it sound like they were both robbed by the same guy?” Nana adds.

“Actually, Hisashi…” Inko takes a deep breath and sets down her pen. “I lied to you earlier.”

“There we go!”

“I… may have not been entirely truthful, either,” All For One admits. “I’m not here for my wallet.”

“Well, in the grand scheme of things, that’s not that big a deal,” Third shrugs. “I think she’d be more upset to know you lied about your name and spent three hours hastily throwing together a new identity.”

“Also the fact you’re, like, at least… six times her age. And old enough to be her… Let’s go with great-grandfather.”

“Also the small detail that you have more people on your payroll than a small country.”

“Also the fact that you are currently about twenty people. At the same time.”

“Point is, you shouldn’t beat yourself up over lying to her about this. You should beat yourself up over lying to her about all the other shit!”

“And I didn’t lose my purse,” Inko smiles at the officer when he reappears with two near-identical boxes. She picks one up and turns back to her boyfriend. “It’s just, I know you don’t celebrate your birthday, Hisashi, but – I still wanted to get you something. Because I love you, and – meeting you was one of the best things that has happened to me in a long time.”

“Also to most of Japan…”

“Shut up, you’re ruining the moment!”

“And I know it’s not much,” Inko continues, oblivious. “But I wanted to get you something practical. So… Thank you, Hisashi. I love you so much.”

“Oh, Inko, thank you,” All For One smiles as he accepts the box, and Yoshito is torn between happiness for his brother (and the general public) and being seriously disturbed by the besotted look in his eyes. “I love it already.”

“You haven’t opened it yet!”

“Well, I don’t have to. I already know…” All For One trails off as he opens his gift.

“What?!” Nana hisses as she floats over to see what has stunned the great villain into silence. “What is… Oh. Is that…”

“Yes, it is,” Yoshito nods. “I think this is the most heart-warming screw-up I have ever seen.”

“What?! What is it?!”

“Hisashi?” Inko peers up at him, worried. “Do you… Do you not like them?”

“…I think you gave me the wrong box,” All For One replies. Then he shrugs. “Oh well, I suppose I might as well do it here.”

“Do what…” Inko trails off and gasps as the villain kneels down in front of her. “Oh, Hisashi…”

“Inko,” All For One smiles up at her. “I love you. You make me want to be a better person, and – you are the only person I can picture myself spending the rest of my life with. I know I don’t deserve you, but – will you still marry me?”

“Please say yes.”

“Not to put any pressure on you, but – the continued survival of Tokyo depends on your answer.”

“You literally are making him a better person – he’s too busy waxing lyrical about your eyes to murder anyone.”

“Oh, Hisashi,” Inko half-laughs, half-sobs as the man presents her with that blasted engagement ring that was the cause of all that stress. “Of course I will!”

The policeman wordlessly pushes a box of tissues over.

Chapter Text

Strange as it may seem, they settle into a strange sort of routine. Every weekday, All For One leaves early for ‘work’; every few weeks, he departs on a ‘business trip’. Inko, oblivious to her husband’s true identity, never suspects a thing; she makes sure to always have dinner ready for him when he gets back, bakes him various assorted goods for lunch (the doctor has quickly learned that no, All For One will not leave his muffins outside the lab), and insists on always tying All For One’s tie for him.

And so, days, weeks and months pass, until everything comes to a screeching halt one normal November evening.

All For One sets his briefcase down to fish out his apartment key, trying not to damage the bouquet of flowers he picked up on the way home. Third and Fourth have vanished into the next door apartment to coo over the neighbour’s new kitten; Daigoro is, once again, trying to get a look at the busty woman across the hall (preferably in a state of undress) and Second has gone to beat him up. And Nana…

…Nana comes barrelling through the front door and All For One, screaming, “Get him away from here!”

“Nana?!” Yoshito falls flat on his ass (and partially through the floor) as he stares up at his hysterical successor. “What… What’s wrong?!”

Could Inko be sick? No, Nana would not be so panicked. Could she have been attacked? Murdered? What could…

“No!” Nana shrieks as she lunges for All For One; of course the villain doesn’t even notice as she goes sailing through him and partly through the front door. Instead he smiles as he finally fishes out his keys and unlocks his apartment.

“Inko!” he calls out as he shuts the door behind him, and, summoned by the sounds of something interesting occurring, the ghosts all drift in after him. “I’m home!”

“Oh, Hisashi!” Inko hurries out of the kitchen, a beaming smile on her face. “Welcome home!”

She looks… different. Yoshito frowns; it is quite obvious Inko has been crying recently, but at the same time… She is absolutely beaming as she presses a kiss to her husband’s lips and accepts the flowers. Unusually, she does not immediately hurry off to put them in water; instead she places them on the nearest surface and then turns back to All For One.

“Eww, get a room!” Daigoro groans when she presses another kiss to his lips.

“Technically, they have a room,” Third points out. “They’ve got a whole apartment. We’re just trespassing.”

“Yeah, but still! I am still mentally scarred from the last time…”

“What’s this about?” All For One chuckles as he looks down at his wife. On anyone except a notorious supervillain capable of levelling a city without much thought, his expression would be described as sappy. “Not that I’m not happy, but…”

“Oh, Hisashi, I have wonderful news!” Inko sniffs, although she’s still beaming. “I just!...”

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense,” the villain laughs. “What is it?”

“Please don’t be anything kinky…”

“I’m pregnant!”

You could hear a pin drop as everyone stares at her, aghast.

“…Oh god,” Third is the first to speak. “…This is not good.”

“Hisashi?” Inko frowns, obviously concerned by her husband’s silence. “You – you’re pleased, aren’t you?”

He’s slipped, Yoshito realizes. For just a few seconds Hisashi Midoriya is gone, and Inko is staring straight into the face of the fearsome All For One.

Then the villain smiles, and the mask is back in place.

“Of course!” he presses a kiss to his wife’s cheek. “You are sure?...”

“Yes!” Inko laughs. “I took a second test, and – I’ll see the doctor first thing on Monday – Hisashi, we’re going to be parents!”

Nana starts to sob.

Yoshito can hardly blame her, because this – this is an unacceptable threat. This child could possess the ability to steal Quirks, and that – that would surely, sooner or later, attract attention. And Inko herself – as far as she is aware, Hisashi Midoriya has a minor Fire-breathing Quirk. If her child has a Quirk she cannot explain, she could begin to question everything. The charming, quaint little world All For One has built for himself and Inko could begin to crumble around him. As he watches the villain laugh, and pretend to be excited, Yoshito feels his shoulders slump in defeat.

This child will never be born.

Except somehow, Inko wakes up the next morning and drags All For One to a bookshop to look at pregnancy books. Somehow, the villain ends up in a doctor's office on Monday, comforting the doctor as Inko sobs uncontrollably. Somehow, Inko's workroom starts filling with baby items.

Somehow, it looks almost like they're preparing for a new arrival.

And Yoshito knows his successors believes it will all be in vain, believe All For One is only biding his time, but Yoshito himself can't bring himself to think that. Because to accept that All For One could truly do that to Inko, could allow her to prepare for this child she loves so much already, blissfully unaware - it would mean accepting Hisashi is truly gone. Because the Hisashi Yoshito knew, the Hisashi Yoshito loved would never do something like that. Would never be capable of hurting Inko like that.

Most of his fellow ghosts can't bear to be in the same room as the couple, preferring to drift around in the corridor outside awkwardly avoiding talking about the pregnancy, and that is how Yoshito finds himself alone with Inko and All For One one Wednesday evening. Inko is working on one of her projects, All For One is reading something - it's all so very normal.

"What do you think of the name Izuku?" Inko asks as she suddenly lowers the piece of fabric.

"...It's a perfectly serviceable name," All For One answers as he slowly looks up from his tablet. "...Why do you ask?"

"Because that's what we're naming our son!" Inko declares.

Yoshito winces and makes a note not to tell his successors. Having a name just...

Somehow it almost makes it worse.

"...I thought it was too early to tell."

"Oh sure, if you listen to doctors," Inko rolls her eyes. "But it's going to be a boy, Hisashi, I can tell. And he's probably going to inherit your nightmarish curls and drive me absolutely mental. So we will call him Izuku."

"And what if it's a girl?" All For One chuckles.

"Then you can name her, Hisashi," Inko levels him with a Look. "It took me five hours to settle on the name Izuku, I am not starting over!"

Yoshito sighs and goes to leave, because he doesn't think he can take much more of this conversation. Because it's making him imagine being an uncle, having a tiny nephew named Izuku with messy green hair, and a smattering of freckles, and the kindest smile...

And then All For One speaks.

"...How about Yume?"

Yoshito whirls around, certain he misheard. Certain his mind is playing tricks on him, certain he couldn't have possibly heard that name...

"Yume, Yume... Yes, I like it!" Inko declares. "If it's a girl we'll name her Yume. Although I'm kind of jealous that you came up with it so quickly..."

"I just... Heard it somewhere, and thought it sounded nice," All For One shrugs.

"...You picked our baby's name just because it sounded nice?!"

"What other criteria is there?!" All For One huffs. "Anyway, I've been thinking - maybe we should look into getting a house..."

Almost unaware of his own actions, Yoshito drifts out of the room. He doesn't go join his successors; instead he settles just outside the kitchen window, and stares unseeing at the gradually darkening sky. Because he remembers - he remembers the first Yume, remembers her fake smile as she tried to comfort them after another loud night. Remembers the tales she would spin, of dragons and princes and brothers that travelled the world. Remembers her intelligent eyes, so like Hisashi's, remembers the smattering of freckles across her cheeks.

Yume is not a name to be given lightly, and Yoshito can't help the first stirrings of hope in his chest.

Surely... Surely it's alright for him to hope, just a little...

Chapter Text

“…Should this be taking so long?” Fourth asks hesitantly.

“Nana, you’ve done this before,” Second speaks up, looking rather queasy. “…Is it normal for it to take this long?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Nana hisses as she glares at them all. “How come I’m the only one here that has ever had a kid?! Seriously?!”

“Well, we were all rather busy being chased by All For One, so you know, we didn’t exactly have much in the way of personal lives,” Third points out.

“Should one of us check on her?” Daigoro asks. “I mean… it’s been HOURS.”

“…Remember what happened the last time you looked in a room you shouldn’t have?”

Daigoro whimpers.

“Honestly, they covered this in prenatal class,” Nana admonishes them, and Yoshito decides not to point out that, after they were all dragged to the classes by an oblivious All For One, he was the only one who actually paid attention. Mostly because he was worried for Inko and slightly excited about an actual nephew. “Inko is giving BIRTH. That means, she is currently pushing a TINY HUMAN out of her body. It’s not exactly a walk in the park!”

“But… Can’t they just… I don’t know, cut her open, pull the kid out and sew her back up, like on TV?!” Daigoro whines, his translucent figure tinted a rather nauseating green.

“It’s called a C-section,” Nana rolls her eyes. “And at this point, they’d only perform it if Inko or Izuku were in danger.”

Danger. Suddenly Yoshito feels like he can’t breathe.

“But… But she’s only giving birth! Women have been doing that for… For… Decades!” Sixth whimpers. “And – we’re in a hospital! Inko will be fine, right? Right?!”

“Hopefully,” Nana nods, but then she glances around and adds, “…But things go wrong all the time. There could be complications, and…”

“Yoshito? Yoshito!”

No, Inko – Inko will be fine. Inko has to be fine, she can’t… The spouse of All For One would never die from something so mundane as complications, Yoshito assures himself, even as his mind starts listing all the awful, dreadful things that he read over All For One’s shoulder. And as he struggles with his fear, he wishes – wishes it were for a nobler reason, because Inko’s tragic death would surely bring about grave consequences. After all, who knows what a grief-stricken All For One would do?

Except it’s not a selfless, heroic fear. It’s the fear of a little brother, who loves Inko as a sister-in-law, who can’t wait to be an uncle, who can see how happy All For One is. Who doesn’t want his brother to have to suffer through the pain, the loss, the grief alone all over again, not least because - he has seen what that leads to.

“This is All For One we’re talking about,” Nana reminds him gently as she drifts over. “He’s always got a trick up his sleeve. Yoshito, how about you head in to check on them?”

Yoshito doesn’t hesitate, immensely grateful his successors don’t follow. Villain or not, this moment feels immensely personal. All For One is about to become a father, after all…

…And Yoshito is about to meet his nephew.

He would like to think that if this were Hisashi, if they were still a family, he would have been invited. Perhaps not into the delivery room, but he would be allowed to stay outside, to worry about Inko, perhaps sit with her husband when he was inevitably kicked out for being too annoying. So for just a moment, Yoshito pretends he’s not an uninvited guest; that he’s a concerned family member, poking his head in, only unacknowledged because everyone has better things to do.

Inko is thankfully still conscious, and the midwife doesn’t appear worried, so Yoshito will happily take that at face value and assume everything is fine. He drifts up to where Inko is grimacing, grasping tightly onto All For One’s hand like a lifeline, and the villain…

“…Really fascinating, when you think about it,” he babbles, and Yoshito wonders whether he’s moved on from his previous subject, some kid that won the U.A. Sports Festival despite being from General Studies. “Most of the time, Quirks that manifest from birth involve some sort of physiological change to what we might consider the standard human body – a tail, an extra set of eyes, something like that. I wonder if he was born with – oh, what could it be, strengthened vocal chords? Or perhaps some sort of… resonance within his body that allows him to amplify his voice at will? Or maybe – maybe we are all in fact born with an innate Quirk and it simply takes us time to develop enough awareness to manifest it externally? It could be he simply was born with that awareness most of us lack, or perhaps – perhaps it was some sort of genetic abnormality which meant he was born with his Quirk fully manifested and had to learn to switch it off rather than on, like most of us?”

“Almost there…”

“What do you think, Inko?”

“I think,” Inko grunts. “That I hope Izuku doesn’t pick now to manifest your stupid Fire Breath!”

Then she lets out a terrifying sound that has Yoshito fleeing the room.

“How are things?” Third asks.

“He’s moved on from talking about the General Studies kid,” Yoshito reports.

“…What about the baby?” Nana asks.

“I don’t know,” Yoshito shrugs. “Inko made a weird noise, and…”

Nana and Fourth promptly shove him back into the room.

“And he’s out,” the midwife announces as she holds up a very red, very wrinkled thing, and Yoshito pales and almost ducks back out, because surely something must be very wrong with his nephew for him to look like that.

Then the reality that Izuku has just spent nine months floating around in his mother’s stomach hits him and Yoshito realizes that maybe soap operas aren’t terribly reliable when they depict new-born babies. Yoshito doubts he looked much better when he was a minute old. And since the medical professional who has undoubtedly seen countless other infants isn’t panicking… Maybe he should take a moment.

“Is he alright?” Inko immediately asks. “Shouldn’t he be crying?!”

“Some babies like to take their time,” the midwife reassures her as she hands over the infant. “We’ll give him a thorough check up in a minute, but you can hold him for now.”

“Oh…” Inko breathes as she stares down at her son. “Hello, Izuku.”

And then she bursts into tears, and Izuku decides to take a page out of his mother’s playbook and starts crying too.

“I see the family resemblance,” All For One blurts out, and Inko manages to free an arm enough to smack him.

“You deserved that, you know,” Yoshito informs the villain, but he can’t help but smile as he looks down at this small… at his small family. “…Congratulations.”

And then, with a laugh, feeling so incredibly relieved, he ducks back out of the room.

“Just so you know – I’m officially an uncle now!”

“Alright!” Second high-fives him.

“…And is Inko…”

“She’s fine, Daigoro,” Yoshito assures his fellow ghost. “Sobbing her eyes out, but fine.”

“Oh, thank heavens!”

“Tokyo is saved!”

“Long live modern medicine!”

“Hey, what’s Satan Junior look like?”

“Daigoro!”

“Come on man, kid’s only, like, ten minutes old!”

“Yeah, at least wait a year before you start calling him that!”

Yoshito decides he really doesn’t want to be dragged into an argument about how evil his nephew is. Instead he takes one last look around, smiles gratefully when both Nana and Second motion for him to leave, and ducks back into the room to have just a few more minutes with his family before his successors barge in.

Izuku has stopped crying, and Inko is desperately wiping her eyes, even as she watches her son be wrapped carefully in a green blanket. Then the midwife turns back to the new parents, obviously intending to hand their son back.

“Hisashi, you hold him!” Inko exclaims with a smile. “Izuku needs to meet his papa, after all!”

“But what if I drop him?!” All For One pales, and Yoshito facepalms. “I can’t kill him when he’s barely a few minutes old!”

Wonderful, just wonderful. Apparently All For One’s protectiveness over Inko has now expanded to also include her son. Which means that baby Izuku is now the second most powerful person in Japan.

“Honestly, Hisashi,” Inko rolls her eyes and then smiles at the amused midwife. “My husband will take him now.”

“But, Inko…”

“Hisashi, darling,” Inko turns to her husband, still smiling, but there’s something terrifying lurking in her eyes, something that makes Yoshito suddenly glad she can’t see him. “Dearest. You are going to hold our son now. You are not going to drop him, because if you did, I would get out of this bed, kill you with my bare hands, and no court would ever dare convict me. Now shut up and take Izuku.”

Wisely, All For One chooses to obey his wife and simply holds out his arms, and the midwife carefully hands Izuku over. Feeling very relieved, now that Inko doesn’t look ready to kill the most fearsome villain ever (which, if she were successful, would make for an incredibly awkward afterlife), Yoshito drifts closer. He wonders whether, now that Izuku’s been cleaned up, the little boy will look any less… red, or whether that just goes away with time.

“Oh,” All For One murmurs softly, and Yoshito freezes. “Hello, Izuku.”

Little Izuku, less than an hour old, stares up at the most dangerous villain in the world without a hint of fear. As a matter of fact, despite how ridiculous it sounds, Yoshito could almost swear the infant is judging this strange man he has been presented with, and finds All Might's nemesis incredibly lacking. Which, if true, will undoubtedly endear the baby to at least half of the ghosts, and Yoshito suddenly can't wait for them to meet Izuku.

But then, just before heading out to invite his successors in, Yoshito glances up at All For One and freezes. Because there is something in the villain's expression that is like a punch to the gut, something that has Yoshito wishing he could just... Pause this moment and live in it forever. But time keeps ticking by, life continues around him, and Yoshito knows he needs to move. Needs to go out to people who will never understand the significance of this moment, who if told will tell him it is only wishful thinking.

So he blinks back the tears he can feel forming, grateful that he has an appropriate excuse for them; glances over at Inko, who is watching her husband and son with a loving smile on her face, and then looks back one last time at his brother and nephew.

"I missed you, Hisashi,"  Yoshito whispers.

Chapter Text

Another day, another meeting of All For One's inner circle. Many of the most dangerous people in Japan have gathered, although how productive they are being right now is rather... Questionable.

Yoshito glances over at his brother just in time for the greatest villain ever to let out a snore. Then he turns his attention back to All For One's minions. After an awkward couple of minutes they had relocated to a safe distance away from their leader, so as not to disturb his sleep, and have spent the past ten minutes sitting around awkwardly, unsure whether they should continue this meeting or take All For One's unplanned nap as a dismissal.

All apart from poor Paperclip, who is sitting frozen with fear in his eyes as All For One drools on his shoulder.

"...So, like..." Trojan raises her hand and takes a quick glance over to make sure she hasn't disturbed her leader's sleep. "...Should we wake him?"

"Nyet," Mishka smiles as he looks up from his paper. "He needs his sleep. He is a new parent now, and all new parents need sleep."

Then he starts humming and turns his attention back to his paper.

"I still say it is an unnecessary distraction..."

About a dozen people shush the doctor, and Paperclip whimpers; thankfully All For One just grumbles something and doesn't wake.

"Yes, but you have to admit, it's a very cute distraction!" a villain points out, and several others nod. Some have indulgent smiles; others glance warily at their great leader.

"Besides, what exactly do you suggest we do about it?" Trojan snorts. "Somehow I doubt our Lord will be happy if you eliminate his kid!"

***

All Might has truly excelled himself.

All For One will be the first to admit he probably underestimated the hero. But then he would never have expected the Symbol of Peace to be capable of such a fiendish, devious, underhanded…

“Doesn’t he look adorable, Hisashi?” Inko beams. “Mitsuki found a store that was having a sale on hero onesies! Next time we get together for a playdate, the boys can match!”

“…Yes, he does look adorable,” All For One admits begrudgingly. Because it’s true; although it probably speaks more to Izuku’s otherworldly cuteness, that he is actually capable of pulling off All Might’s garish costume.

For a moment, All For One stares at his son, at war with himself. It seems unacceptable, to allow his firstborn to be paraded around dressed in the same manner as his greatest foe. Not only because he has no wish to financially support All Might, but also because of the demoralizing effect it might have on both his followers and himself. But then he glances up at Inko’s beaming face, and he remembers he is now a parent and husband. He is required to place Izuku and Inko’s happiness before his own, and so he takes a deep breath and reaches into his pocket.

“…Hisashi, what are you doing?”

“Taking pictures,” the villain reports as he lifts his phone.

“…Didn’t you take some this morning?”

“Well yes,” All For One admits. “But Izuku was dressed differently!”

***

"Alright, Izuku," All For One smiles once he has finished washing Izuku. "Now, how about we have a little fun before storytime?"

He gently swirls the water by Izuku's feet, and the little boy stares at it, entranced. Then he grins and slams both of his hands down. Hard.

"My eyes!" All For One yelps as the water hits him in the face, and Izuku laughs and splashes some more.

"Take that, All For One!" Fourth yells.

"Good job, kid!” Third cheers.

“You’ve got him on the ropes!”

“…You know, I’ve just come up with a brilliant idea!” Daigoro exclaims, and Yoshito suddenly gets a very bad feeling.

“No. Whatever it is, no.”

“Hey, hey, hear me out!” the hero grins. “So, you know how Yagi has One For All, right?”

“…Yes…”

“So we go to him,” Daigoro pauses for maximum effect. “And we get him to give One For All to Izuku! All For One solved, you’re welcome!”

Yoshito stares at the man, speechless. How... How exactly did Fourth decide this was the best possible person to hand One For All to?

“…That is a terrible idea,” he finally declares.

“…But if you think about it, Izuku’s already defeated All For One,” Third slowly states, glancing over just in time for Izuku to splash his father again.

Alright, maybe the problem started with Third. That would explain Fourth's terrible judgement...

“And, at the very least, All For One might hesitate to immediately kill him…”

“…Izuku’s not even a year old,” Nana points out.

"THANK YOU!"  Yoshito nods at her. Finally, someone else who can see the major flaws...

“Alright, valid point,” Sixth agrees, raising Yoshito's hopes, only to dash them again when he says, “New plan – we wait till Izuku can talk, slip him a hair and hey presto, All For One is defeated!”

“It’s perfect!”

“It’s foolproof!”

“Daigoro, you’re a genius!”

Yoshito facepalms.

“…You are not slipping my nephew a Quirk.”

***

“I’m home!”

Izuku lets out an excited squeal, and Inko laughs as she carefully picks him up and carries him through.

“There he is!” All For One cheers as soon as he spots his son. “There’s my smart little boy!”

“Oh, and now that I’ve popped out a baby, suddenly I’ve served my purpose?” Inko snorts as she carefully passes Izuku over.

“You know that’s not true, darling,” All For One smiles as he presses a kiss to her cheek. “The only reason Izuku is so adorable is because he has the most wonderful woman on the planet as a mother.”

“Really? Introduce me to her sometime!”

Yoshito feels a pang as he watches the scene unfold. He knows it’s silly, but… There is a part of him that wishes he could be a part of it. Not – not even by interacting with them, just… It would be nice for Inko to know All For One was not an only child. Nice for the villain to mention a brother, nice for Izuku to know he had an uncle.

Nice for Yoshito’s older brother to admit he existed.

But of course that would mean admitting he lied. That would mean Inko possibly questioning him, would mean Izuku knowing too much. And although Yoshito wishes he could be a part of this family, he’s willing to make that sacrifice if it means keeping Inko happy, ensuring Izuku has both his parents just a little longer.

It won’t stop him from pretending though, and that is why he and Sixth drift into the room as All For One prepares Izuku for bed. It is a familiar routine; Inko is just listening to a podcast as she finishes the laundry, and then she’ll go and have a long bath. All For One may work all day, but he still insists on caring for Izuku in the evenings, and there’s something heartwarming about it as he gets Izuku changed and settles down to get him to fall asleep. Yoshito watches it with a faint smile, already planning the story he’ll tell Izuku once the baby’s asleep, and then – then All For One opens his mouth.

“…You know, you have your uncle’s forehead,” the villain chuckles as he gently bops the baby. He glances up, obviously checking the coast is clear, and then sits down on the bed. “Oh yes, Izuku, you have an uncle. Had an uncle.”

Yoshito notices movement out of the corner of his eye and turns just in time to catch Sixth vanish through the wall.

“Uncle Yoshito,” All For One says, and there’s some emotion there in his voice that has Yoshito floating closer. “Your uncle Yoshito would have adored you, Izuku.”

Yoshito swipes at his eyes.

“Only – uncle Yoshito had to… To go away,” All For One chokes out. “And he can’t come back. But – that’s alright, because I’ll just – I’ll just love you enough for the both of us.”

“You don’t have to,” Yoshito blurts out, and realizes – this is the first time in so long he has genuinely tried to speak to his brother, hoped that he would hear. Only it’s different. He’s not angry anymore, not lashing out – he wants Hi… All For One to know that he’s there so he’ll feel better. So he knows that, no matter what, Yoshito will be there for Izuku.

But he can’t do that, and it cuts him to the core. So instead he takes a deep breath, leans over (and slightly through) the villain’s shoulder, and does his best to smile.

“…Hey, Izuku,” he greets and chuckles when the baby’s eyes seem to shift until his nephew could almost be said to be looking at him. “…Uncle Yoshito’s here, but… Your papa’s right, you know,” he swipes at his eyes. “…I love you so much, Izuku.”

Chapter Text

“Come on, Izuku, you can do it: Na-na. Na-na.”

Izuku blows a raspberry.

“Come on, you’re such a smart boy: Na-na. Na-na.”

“Nana, we’re dead,” Third points out. “He can’t hear us.”

“Course he can,” Nana sniffs, offended, and then smiles down at Izuku. “Can’t you? Can’t you?”

Izuku laughs and waves his chubby little legs.

“Well it would be pretty funny,” Fourth snickers. “Imagine All For One’s face!”

Yoshito rolls his eyes at his ridiculous successors. Since Izuku was born, they’ve started following All For One in shifts. The man has seriously scaled down his villainous activities, after all, and… Well, to the complete surprise of all seven of them, they're no longer forced to follow him wherever he goes. They discovered it by complete accident; Yoshito had been so distracted by telling Izuku a story, he never noticed his brother leave the house with the others. He spent an incredibly enjoyable day, and was then mobbed by his terrified successors that evening. Further experiments revealed that, in fact, they now had a choice as to who to follow: the terrifying All For One, or baby Izuku who regularly tries to suck on his own toes.

Yoshito doesn't think it's a particularly difficult choice.

“Whatever your first word is, Izuku,” he smiles as he turns his attention back to his adorable nephew. “I just hope I get to see it.”

Izuku claps his hands twice, and Yoshito marvels at how good he seems to be at amusing himself. Especially since sometimes, he could almost believe the infant is reacting to something they say or do. It really is rather… cute, however strange it is to use that word in relation to anything All For One adjacent.

“Oh, you two are so adorable,” Nana laughs. “Come on, Izuku, can you say uncle? O-ji. O-ji.”

“What about One For All?” Fourth suggests.

Yoshito glances down at his nephew, who appears to be staring at him whilst chewing on his fist. The boy is certainly intelligent (and that’s not just his family pride talking, despite what Second claims), but…

“…I think that might be a little too complicated for him.”

“I-chi. I-chi,” Nana prompts the boy.

“How’s the little monster doing?”

Third punches Daigoro in the shoulder.

“Don’t say that about Izuku!” Nana yells from where she’s covering Izuku’s ears. “Now don’t you listen to the nasty man, dear…”

“What?!” Daigoro gripes. “His dad’s a fucking psycho! Kid’s gonna grow up to be a bloody monster!”

“No, he won’t!” Sixth chooses that moment to join them, drifting in through the wall and changing table. “Izuku is a precious little ray of sunshine…”

“Right,” Daigoro rolls his eyes. “And I’m…”

“Izuku, papa’s home!” All For One thankfully ends the argument, walking straight through the bickering pair. “Did you miss me?”

Izuku lets out an excited shriek and immediately stretches his arms, reaching up to his father as the man leans over the cot.

“Apparently he did,” Third mutters.

“Now, let’s get you changed, hm?” the villain smiles as he lifts his son. “And then we’ll see what mama’s got for us to eat.”

Izuku pats his father’s chest and launches into a long stream of nonsensical babbling.

“You don’t say?” All For One chuckles and presses a kiss to his cheek. “That must have been very exciting…”

Izuku giggles and waves at Yoshito, and Yoshito can’t help but wave back.

“Na-na. Na-na.”

Izuku finishes building a tower out of blocks, cheers and then knocks it over, sending the blocks flying everywhere. Nana applauds, and Yoshito can’t help but laugh as he crouches down next to the two. He would pass Izuku a block or two, but, of course, being noncorporeal is a bit of a hindrance.

“I don’t think Izuku wants to say that,” he chuckles and tries to ruffle his nephew’s hair. “Anyway, it’s still early; it might be weeks yet before he says his first word, remember?”

“Course we remember,” Third rolls his eyes good-naturedly. Inko has settled into a rather amusing routine of reminding All For One of this detail every few days, made funnier still by how, the minute the man leaves for the day, she sits down with Izuku and tries to bribe him to say mama.

Izuku has yet to say anything at all, but he seems to enjoy the attention and, if not for the fact he is a tiny child, Yoshito would almost be willing to bet he’s taking his sweet time on purpose. Maybe it’s not so farfetched, he reflects; after all, Izuku’s father is All For One.

“I’m just glad All For One decided not to slip him that intelligence Quirk,” Fourth mutters. “I think even Inko would know something’s up if her son developed a new source of renewable energy before he was potty-trained.”

“Alright, Izuku!” the woman in question finishes folding her washing. Third floats out of her way as she approaches her son, a smile on her face. “Now, it’s time for some yummy food, and then we’ll have a nice bath. And then papa will come home and read you a story!...”

“Papa!” Izuku cheers as he slaps his hands against the floor. “Papa! Papa!”

“Oh. My. Gosh!” Nana shrieks.

“That little traitor!”

“Oh Izuku!” Inko immediately tears up. She sniffs as she wipes at her eyes, a wide smile on her face. “Oh, darling!...”

“Papa?...” Izuku frowns as his mother picks him up. He pats her on the cheek, obviously confused. “Paa-paa…”

Nana coos.

“Oh, I’m fine, darling,” Inko presses a kiss to his cheek, eliciting a smile. Then she laughs and presses a louder kiss to his other cheek, causing him to giggle. “Just… Oh, Izuku, I need to call Hisashi immediately!”

She sets her son down on the floor and grabs her phone, and Izuku watches, confused, as she dials her husband. Then he seems to get distracted and tilts his head.

“Hisashi, I’m sorry to disturb you, but… Izuku said his first word!” she laughs and dabs at her eyes with her sleeve. “Just… Izuku, it’s papa!”

“Papa!” Izuku cheers, throwing up his arms and almost overbalancing. He seems to find it more amusing than anything, because as Yoshito leans over him, concerned, the little boy just laughs and waves his hands. “Papa! Papa!”

“I…” Inko sniffs. “We love you, Hisashi! Bye!”

“…He’s going to rush home, isn’t he?” Third sighs.

“Well, at least it’s better than whatever else he could be doing,” Nana points out with a shrug, and then she drifts over to smile down at Izuku.

“Isn’t he meeting that weird kid?” Fourth asks. “Koro-giri… Kuro Giri… Something like that…”

“Right, Izuku,” Inko smiles, oblivious, as she picks her son up. “Time for food.”

***

“Where is he?!” All For One calls as he shuts his front door. “Where’s my little genius?!”

“Papa!” a somewhat familiar voice cheers from the kitchen, and All For One feels his heart melt all over again. “Papa!”

“Oh look, he rushed home! Who could have guessed it?!”

“There he is!” All For One beams as he enters the kitchen. “There’s my little genius!”

“Hisashi?” Inko looks at him, confused. Then she sighs and sets down Izuku’s bowl and spoon, because it is quite obvious their smart boy is no longer interested in his meal. Instead, Izuku is waving his hands excitedly, reaching for his father. “What are you…”

“I left work early,” All For One beams as he sweeps Izuku up into his arms. That’s something normal people do, isn’t it? Rush home for special occasions, such as the birth of their child, or his first word, or the first time he rolls over… “Because someone here is just so smart! Aren’t you? Aren’t you?”

Izuku squeals in delight as All For One peppers him with kisses.

“Papa!” he giggles, and oh, it is probably the most beautiful sound the villain has ever heard. “Papa!”

Ecstatic and eager to share his joy, All For One turns to his beloved wife and opens his mouth. Then he sees the warning in her eyes.

“Don’t even think about it,” she warns him.

All For One decides that gloating about being Izuku’s first word is probably not worth whatever retribution would be waiting for him. Instead he shuts his mouth and tickles Izuku.

The doorbell rings, and All For One looks up with his most charming smile at his beloved, wonderful wife, who will surely not ask him to hand Izuku over just to see what trivial matter has brought someone to their doorstep.

“I’ll get it,” Inko, wonderfully perfect being that she is, sighs. “You can finish feeding him, Mr. First Word.”

All For One winces as he watches his wife leave, and makes a mental note to check his meals for poison from now on. Then he looks down at Izuku, who is playing with his tie, clearly unconcerned that he may well have put his father’s life in jeopardy.

“Izuku, darling,” All For One carefully pries the tie out of his son’s grip. No matter how adorable Izuku may be, this is urgent. The continued survival of the most feared villain in Japan hangs in the balance. “Your next word has to be mama. Do you understand?”

Izuku tilts his head and then reaches up and pats his father’s cheek.

“Come on, Izuku, let’s practice now!” All For One tries to smile. Would it be alright if he slipped Izuku an intelligence Quirk? Nothing major… “Ma-ma. Ma-ma.”

“Papa!” Izuku cheers, apparently having decided this is a fun game. “Pa-pa.”

…Oh well, All For One supposes, being Izuku’s only word isn’t going to last forever. He may as well enjoy it, and – at least it will be a learning experience. Although, now that he has a moment to think, he feels like he is forgetting something, something important…

“Papa!” Izuku tells him solemnly, and All For One decides whatever it is, it can wait. Preferably forever.

“Alright, Izuku,” he smiles at his son as he sets the boy back down in his chair. “Now, how about you finish your meal, hm?”

“Papa!” Izuku grins as he picks up the dish and winces at the mush inside.

“Hisashi, dearest,” Inko chooses that exact moment to poke her head into the kitchen. “I’m sorry to bother you, but… Why is there a strange teenager having a panic attack on my sofa?”

Oh, right. That’s what he forgot.

Perhaps All For One should just take over Japan, he reflects as he sits up in bed. Yes, and his very first proclamation would forbid all babies from crying between ten p.m. and six a.m….

“Hisashi…” Inko mumbles as she grabs his pillow and pulls it over her head, and All For One manages a smile as he presses a quick kiss to her shoulder.

“…I got him,” he mumbles as he stands up and almost falls over. He shuffles out of the room and down the hall, and winces when he enters Izuku’s room.

The adorable little angel from earlier has transformed into a banshee that clearly does not appreciate his parents leaving him all alone in this strange new room, and All For One winces as he picks Izuku up. Maybe he should find some way of hiding a baby in All Might’s home to wake him up at strange hours.

Maybe he should try and get more sleep and make new plans once Tartarus doesn’t seem like a relaxing vacation spot.

“It’s alright, Izuku,” he sooths his son, once the usual diaper change has been performed. “How about you go back to sleep? Mama needs her rest…”

“Mama?” Izuku sniffs as he looks around, as if searching for something.

All For One pauses. He slowly looks down at Izuku, who has mercifully stopped crying, and is instead staring at his father with a disturbingly familiar expression on his face.

“…Izuku, did you just…”

“Mama!” Izuku repeats, and All For One finally realizes why this situation is so familiar. Izuku has apparently taken him hostage. “Papa, mama!”

“Now, Izuku,” All For One begins. He does not negotiate. Ever. It’s a matter of principal, and he most certainly is not going to give in just because his son is adorable and apparently taking a page out of his own playbook. Which should not make him quite so proud. “I think you should go back to sleep…”

“Mama!”

“Well, you do make a valid point,” All For One nods. “She’ll probably want to see you immediately. Inko, love of my life!...”

“…This had better be important,” Inko mutters as he enters the bedroom. Then she sits up and levels him with a Look. “Yes, darling?”

All For One decides that perhaps principals are overrated and hiding behind children is not necessarily that embarrassing. So he holds Izuku out, making sure to keep him between himself and Inko. “Izuku has something to tell you.”

Thankfully, Izuku takes mercy on his poor, defenceless father, because he cheers and reaches out for his mother. “Mama! Mama, papa!”

“Oh, Izuku!” Inko laughs as she takes him and cuddles him. “You’re such a clever boy!”

“Yes, thank you for saving me from your mother’s wrath…”

Inko throws a pillow at his head, and All For One just laughs. He settles back in bed, next to his wife and son, and for a while just… Allows himself to savour the moment. But they’re all tired, and soon enough Inko has fallen asleep again, and Izuku’s eyes are drifting closed, and All For One lies back down himself.

“Alright, Izuku, it’s not that different from mama: Na-na. Na- Ow!”

Chapter Text

All For One is a man of many talents. He holds numerous degrees, speaks a dozen languages. He excels at manipulating people, can spot vulnerabilities ready to be exploited a mile away; he has an understanding of Quirks that many scientists would envy, and indeed several of his personas have been awarded accolades for his contributions to Quirk research.

Or, in simpler terms: he is not a complete imbecile and is therefore perfectly capable of watching Izuku for a few hours.

“It will be fine!” he assures Inko for what is likely the fifth time that afternoon. “You just have a good time with Mitsuki; Izuku and I will manage!”

Inko stares at him for a minute. Then she sighs and shakes her head.

“I am so glad Kurogiri agreed to help you.”

All For One suspects that the teenager is not. Although ‘agreed’ is not exactly the most accurate term, more like: ‘Was informed that he would be showing up at the Midoriya home, and no, death was not an adequate excuse for disappointing Inko.’

That meeting of the inner circle got rather derailed when the rest of his followers learnt that Kurogiri had, in fact, met both Inko and Izuku. Paperclip in particular was most put out, and muttered about favouritism and seniority until All For One gave him one of Inko's cookies to finally shut him up.

“Papa, up!” an adorable little voice commands him, and All For One shakes his head at his idiotic minions.

“Yes, sir,” he laughs instead as he picks up possibly the most adorable little tyrant in existence. “Izuku, you and me are going to have lots of fun! Your mama worries too much!”

Inko levels him with a Look (which he is absolutely unaffected by, he will swear it till his dying day) and then opens her mouth to say something. Fortunately the doorbell rings, thus saving All For One from his wife’s wrath.

“Oh, that’ll be Kurogiri now!” Inko smiles instead, and All For One reminds himself he is far too mature to be jealous of a teenager.

“Kuo-gigi?!” Izuku gasps, looking around as if searching for the kid, and All For One realizes maybe he isn’t as mature as he thought.

They’re his family, dammit!

“Kurogiri, come on in!” Inko exclaims as she opens the door, and All For One tries to recapture Izuku’s attention. “Thank you so much! Now, I left you some money on top of the microwave…”

“You’re not paying me!” All For One realizes.

“No, Hisashi, that’s called parental obligations,” Inko states as she locks the door. “Now, Kurogiri, if Hisashi sends you out to buy a camera, don’t listen to him…”

“Kuo-gigi!” Izuku cheers and lunges for the teen, who hastily Warps himself to the other side of Inko, much to Izuku’s delight. The toddler laughs as his father struggles to readjust his hold and claps. “Kuo-gigi! Yay!”

“And I know Hisashi can be intimidating, but don’t worry!” Inko continues and then turns to glare at her husband. “Hisashi, I can feel you glaring at the poor dear. Do you want to lose camera privileges for another month?”

“…No, darling,” All For One shakes his head and then looks down to where Izuku has yet to give up reaching for the teenager. “You are a miserable little traitor, you know that?”

Izuku pauses briefly, looks up at him quizzically and then grins and presses a sloppy kiss to his cheek.

Well, All For One supposes, Izuku is his son. A fascination with Quirks is probably to be expected, and naturally Warp Gate is a truly fascinating Quirk, one which All For One himself would dearly love to study in depth. Izuku is simply exhibiting excellent taste from a very young age.

It’s not that he prefers Kurogiri to his own father. That would be ridiculous.

He still feels the need to make a few things clear once Inko has left.

“Just so we’re clear, I am still All For One,” he informs the teenager. “I could take your Quirk and kill you in a second.”

“…Yes, sir,” Kurogiri whimpers and glances down at Izuku who, content now that he has been handed over, is staring up at the teen’s face.

“And also, I’m Izuku’s father,” All For One adds just as Izuku reaches up and pokes the mist. “He likes me more than you.”

“…Of course, sir.”

***

“You know, your brother really should keep a closer eye on his kid,” Second remarks.

“I know,” Yoshito sighs just as Izuku waddles through Third’s translucent legs, a wide smile on his face. “Izuku, I know you’re having fun, but – I think you should turn around.”

“He’s a child,” Nana sighs. “They never do anything you tell them. Trust me, I know.”

“What do you think All For One’s going to do when he realizes he lost his kid ten minutes after Inko left?”

“Hey, maybe he’ll finally kill Doctor Death?” Daigoro perks up at that thought.

Yoshito considers it as he drifts after his nephew. All For One is back in the living room, dealing with an unexpected call from his trusted minion, and Izuku has chosen to take advantage of said distraction to make his big escape. As he watches, Izuku stumbles into the kitchen, and…

“Kuo-gigi!” the toddler cheers and holds his arms up.

“Izuku?!” Kurogiri almost drops his mug. He hastily sets it down and scrambles to pick up the child, obviously not wanting to risk Izuku vanishing. “Shouldn’t your… father be watching you?”

“Kuo-gigi!” Izuku grins and presses a sloppy kiss to the teenager’s cheek.

“Oh, he’s so adorable…” Fourth smiles.

“What do you want to bet All For One’s gonna panic?” Sixth snickers.

“Kurogiri!” a familiar voice screams, and Izuku giggles. “Izuku’s gone! We need to immediately…”

Kurogiri just glances down at the beaming child, shakes his head and Warps back into the living room.

“…Track down All Might and rescue!...” All For One trails off when the pair appear in front of him. “Oh, you have him.”

“I think he went exploring,” Kurogiri suggests as he carefully hands Izuku over. Izuku does not make things easy; he keeps trying to cling to the teenager, and when he’s finally secure in All For One’s arms, he opens his mouth and…

“Pwetty!” he cheers as suddenly the room is filled with sparkling lights of all colours and sizes; he tries to catch a red light that, like a firefly, buzzes over, and then swipes at a blue orb the size of a ping pong ball hovering near All For One’s ear.

“Is this wise, sir?...” Kurogiri asks, hesitantly, as he eyes a purple orb that floats by. “…Aren’t you… incognito?”

“Look, I went through all the trouble to get these Quirks, the least they can do is be useful for once,” All For One declares and then presses a kiss to Izuku’s cheek.

“…Gotta love that,” Sixth snorts. “Goes to all the trouble of amassing an arsenal of Quirks, and apparently believes the best use for them is to entertain his baby.”

“It’s better than anything else he might use them for,” Fourth points out.

“And besides, name one thing more worthwhile than making Izuku smile!” Yoshito grins.

For some strange reason, all his fellow ghosts groan.

***

 “…Is he close? Is he near?”

“HELLO CHILDREN! I AM HERE!”

Izuku cheers and claps, and All For One glares at the television. Oh, he understands the reasoning behind All Might’s Happy Treehouse, but that does not mean he has to like it. After all, there is something profoundly disturbing about the Symbol of Peace stooping so low as to create a cartoon for children, to try and indoctrinate them as young as possible and turn them into a horde of devoted lemmings…

Except for Izuku. Izuku is far too smart to ever be brainwashed by childish drivel, he is simply… misguided, and as a caring parent, All For One knows his duty.

“Kurogiri, we have a new objective,” he announces with all the gravity appropriate to such a declaration. It would perhaps sound more impressive if the minion he is addressing wasn’t in the middle of dusting, but that’s professional villainy for you.

“…What new objective, sir?”

“We are taking over TV TOKYO!” All For One states. “And first order of business is getting rid of that ridiculous cartoon!”

Yes, that is a fittingly grand plan. He already has some influence over the media, of course, but this will be more overt, an opening salvo in the final showdown between the Symbol of Peace and…

“…Wouldn’t Izuku be sad that his favourite cartoon is gone?”

All For One turns to glare at the insolent teenager.

***

“…And here, ladies and gentlemen, we see a wild Kurogiri in his natural habitat,” Fourth smiles as he floats past the teenager, who is busy with the washing up. “This young male is attempting to ingratiate himself with the alpha female, in the hopes of being accepted into a new pack…”

“…That’s my sister-in-law you’re talking about.”

“But what’s this?” Fourth ignores Yoshito as he flips upside down. “Kurogiris have many natural enemies due to their unusual Quirk, and this specimen in particular must maintain constant vigilance, in case of an unexpected…”

“Kuo-gigi!”

“A wild Izuku appeared!” Third exclaims.

“Kurogiri! Izuku has…”

“Kurogiri used Warp Gate! It’s super effective!”

“Wrong genre, Third!”

“Never mind, I’ve got him!”

“And thus, the young male has successfully evaded the fearsome opponent and bought himself a few more minutes…

It is several hours after Izuku’s bedtime that Yoshito hears Inko return. He takes one last look at Izuku and All For One, both fast asleep (Izuku looking particularly adorable as he clutches his father’s tie in one tiny hand) and then drifts down through the floor and into the living room, just in time for Kurogiri to materialize.

“Welcome home, ma’am!” the teenager greets her, and then freezes and glances up the stairs, before continuing at a lower volume, “Izuku is asleep upstairs with… your husband. I have washed and dried the dishes, cleaned the kitchen and downstairs bath…”

“Kurogiri – Kurogiri!” Inko holds her hands up, and waits for the teenager to fall silent. “…I only paid you to help watch Izuku.”

“Oh,” Kurogiri ducks his head. It’s rather hard to tell, but Yoshito would be almost willing to bet he is blushing as he scuffs the floor with one foot, clad in a white sock with an obvious hole on the heel. “…It’s just… I wanted to be helpful…”

“And also have a convenient excuse to stay as far away from All For One as possible.”

“Well, I suppose I’ll just have to pay you extra,” Inko smiles fondly. Then she checks her watch and hums. "Izuku will probably wake up soon, so there's no point going to bed... How about we each have a nice cup of cocoa?..."

“I really should be heading home,” Kurogiri blurts out as he glances towards the stairs again, and Yoshito can’t really blame him. If he were in the teen’s position, he wouldn’t want to risk All For One walking in on him enjoying cocoa in the company of the villain's wife.

“And where is home?” Inko asks bluntly.

Kurogiri flinches, and Yoshito winces in sympathy. Because he can relate to that shame that Kurogiri undoubtedly feels, that fear that should Inko find out about his situation she will think him lesser.

"Kurogiri..." Inko hesitates, and then takes a deep breath. "Hisashi probably hasn't told you, but... Did you know I spent a few years in foster care?"

"No..." the teenager answers, clearly confused.

"I did. And I remember - I remember what it was like, moving from place to place, feeling like I had nowhere to belong," Inko winces. "And I remember my relief when someone gave me a place to belong. So... I guess this is my way of asking if you'd like to move in?"

"...Move in," Kurogiri repeats.

"We have a guest room that isn't being used," Inko shrugs. "Izuku's a dear, but now that he's mobile - he can be a handful. You could help me around the house in lieu of rent."

"But - why?!" Kurogiri blurts out. "Why would you..."

"Because... Everyone deserves a home," Inko sighs. "Everyone deserves someone who will care about them. I can't change the world, but... If I can help one child..."

"...I'm not a child," Kurogiri mutters.

"You're a child that has been forced to grow up too fast," Inko corrects him. "I know you can look after yourself, but... You shouldn't have to."

For a few seconds Kurogiri hesitates; then he makes up his mind. "...I'll move in."

"Wonderful!" Inko beams. "Izuku will be delighted!"

"Izuku..." Kurogiri pales as something occurs to him and he glances over at the stairs. "...But..."

“…But how is your husband, who is a super-dangerous villain, going to react when we tell him I’m moving into your spare bedroom?” Sixth suggests.

“And more to the point,” Third adds, “How can we guarantee I’m NOT going to have to be the one to tell him?!”

"Don't you worry about Hisashi!" Inko declares, and all the ghosts slowly back away from her. Even Kurogiri eyes her cautiously when he notices her expression. "I'll tell him. In fact - if he ever tries to give you any grief, you have my permission to... teleport him to me, day or night. I'll set him straight."

"...Yes, ma'am," Kurogiri slowly nods, and the ghosts all snicker.

"Now, come on," Inko tugs him through to the kitchen. "We'll have some cocoa to celebrate!"

“And thus, the young male’s offerings have been accepted, and the alpha female…”

Yoshito smacks Fourth.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s happy life begins to crumble one sunny Tuesday, and perhaps the worst part is that he has no way of comprehending it.

There is nothing to clue any of them in on what the day will bring; no ominous omens, no black cats, no feelings of dread. Instead, Yoshito watches Inko wake Izuku and dress him in an All Might onesie. He's in the kitchen when All For One feeds the child breakfast, and when the couple drop their son off at his Auntie Mitsuki's, Yoshito chooses to stay with Izuku. Watching the toddler play sounds much more appealing than following the two lovebirds to some stuffy doctor's office.

So Yoshito and Sixth spend a very enjoyable day. They watch Izuku play with little Kacchan. They grin and high-five when he eats his lunch with minimal spillage, much to Mitsuki’s annoyance since Katsuki apparently thinks his meal is better suited for target practice. They coo over how cute Izuku is when he settles down for his nap without any fussing. When the boys wake up and get to work drawing, Yoshito and Sixth make a game out of guessing what the colourful scribbles are meant to represent.

“It is CLEARLY a summer festival,” Sixth exclaims dramatically as they hover over picture 3. “Can’t you see? He has perfectly captured the effervescent joy of youthful excitement; the way time seems to stand still for a night as people enjoy themselves, both aware of their own mortality and yet…”

“I think it’s a bunny,” Yoshito grins. “See, it’s got a carrot!”

“Those are fireflies, the universal symbol!...”

The doorbell rings, and Masaru Bakugo goes to answer it. Mitsuki is trying to stop her son from chewing on the colouring pencils with limited success, and Izuku, curious, stands up and toddles towards the door just as his parents enter the house.

“Mama!” Izuku squeals when he spots them, a beaming smile on his face. “Papa!”

Inko takes one look at him, bursts into tears and runs out of the room.

“Inko?!” Mitsuki scrambles to her feet. “Masaru, stay with the boys. Inko! Inko, what’s wrong?!”

“What on…” Masaru Bakugo exclaims as his wife rushes after her friend. Obviously confused, he turns to the only other adult present. “Hisashi, what happened? Hisashi! Hisashi!”

All For One just turns and walks back out of the house. Confused, Izuku tilts his head and sits down on the floor; somewhere in the background, Katsuki has found a new pencil to chew on.

“…What’s going on?” Sixth asks. “Guys?”

Yoshito turns his attention to his successors and feels a chill come over him. Second looks sick; Third and Fourth are pressed up close to one another, pale. Daigoro is sobbing, and Nana – Nana stares for a long moment at Izuku, and then turns and drifts out of the room.

“Yoshito…” Second swallows, takes a deep breath and slowly floats over. “…There’s something you should know.”

The other ghosts stop spending time with Izuku after the diagnosis. There is no true escape from the situation, but they can try and avoid reminders as best they can, and so they watch All For One in shifts, otherwise simply hanging out in uncomfortable silence on the roof.

All except for Yoshito, who cannot bear to leave his nephew’s side.

And it hurts so much, but - Izuku is not even two years old. And while he gradually accepts his papa no longer has time for him, that his mama is a lot more tired now… The little boy has no way of understanding that his carefree days are numbered, no way of knowing that on the day his mother dies, he’ll lose his father as well.

Because Yoshito knows all too well what a grief-stricken All For One is capable of. When he loses Inko, when he loses the person that has become the centre of his universe, it will mean the demise of Hisashi Midoriya. The devoted husband, the adoring father – he will be gone. Izuku’s beloved papa will be replaced by a nightmarish figure of pure rage and pain, lashing out at everyone and everything he blames for his suffering.

And poor little Izuku will be forgotten.

“I won’t, Izuku,” Yoshito whispers brokenly to his nephew. Izuku stirs in his sleep but doesn’t wake, and Yoshito tries to smile as he blinks back tears. “I won’t forget you… Uncle Yoshito’s here. Uncle Yoshito will always be here for you. I promise.”

The first sign that Yoshito notices is something tiny, something that would mean nothing to his successors. But one Wednesday Izuku is drawing and Yoshito is hovering over his shoulder, exclaiming over the toddler’s artistic talents. It is a normal, everyday scene, which has already played out much the same way on Monday, and Friday, and countless days before then, and will likely play out again in weeks to come. And yet – something must be different, because when All For One walks down the stairs...

He stops.

And then – then, everything changes, because he walks over, sits down next to his son and asks, “…Izuku, could I draw with you?”

Little Izuku, of course, does not notice that this is highly unusual. Little Izuku does not care that this tiny action could change the course of his destiny. Little Izuku just beams at this sudden attention from his papa and pushes his crayons over to the man.

And Yoshito feels the first twinges of a childish, desperate hope and grasps it tightly. Because if – if All For One could just remember Izuku long enough to find and help him settle into a new home, could wait until Izuku has been taken care of before he challenges All Might…

“Please, Hisashi,” he finds himself whispering, even as he shakes his head at his own foolishness. “Give him a few more years.”

When Third tells them about Inko’s ultimatum, Yoshito remains silent in the face of his successors' grief, disbelief and resignation.

He returns to Izuku’s bedside and tries to ignore the tiny spark of hope in his chest.

When Inko dies, Yoshito is watching cartoons with Izuku. All For One doesn’t come home for two days, and when he finally does, he grabs all of Izuku’s books, curls up with his son and reads him story after story for hours, long after Izuku’s drifted off to sleep.

Yoshito stubbornly refuses to hope.

He also stubbornly remains by Izuku’s side, and so it is through his successors that he learns of a fateful encounter between All For One and All Might. It is through them that he hears of how the fearsome villain finally came face to face with the latest holder of One For All. It is through them he hears how he finally had that chance to strike a devastating blow against the Symbol of Peace.

It is through his successors that he learns both men walked away unharmed.

And it is only then that Yoshito breaks his promise. He leaves Izuku to play with Gigantomachia, leaves him under the watchful eye of Nana and Second and floats off in a random direction. Away from Second’s sympathetic looks, away from Third and Fourth’s silent celebration, away from Daigoro's muttered exclamations of disbelief and Sixth pinching himself… Away from his friends who will never understand, not when he can’t quite make sense of his emotions himself.

It is only when he is truly alone that he breaks down and sobs and screams and rages, overwhelmed by a confusing, confounding, incomprehensible mess of jealousy, relief, and bitterness.

He only slips back into Izuku’s room late that night, after everyone has gone to sleep. Nana and Second leave without a word, and Yoshito kneels by his nephew’s bedside and watches the little boy sleep. Little Izuku is clutching his favourite All Might plush in one hand, sucking on the thumb of his other. If Yoshito were to glance up, he would see the newly hung photograph of Inko watching over her son, but he doesn't. Doesn't want to look away from his sweet, innocent nephew, because seeing him - seeing him helps ease the tightness in his chest, until he can breathe again.

“Thank you, Izuku,” Yoshito whispers as he ghosts a kiss over his nephew’s cheek. “Thank you.”

Chapter Text

“Oh, Izuku, it’s alright,” Nana sighs. “Your mum still loves you. And if we can hang around like this, I’m sure she’s here, too!”

“Not sure about how that would work,” Sixth mutters from where he’s floating near the ceiling.

“Shut up! We’re trying to comfort Izuku!”

"Oh, for the last time - WE ARE DEAD, HE CAN'T SEE US!"

Yoshito ignores his successors and edges closer to the lump under the blankets. It’s a bad day, and his heart breaks, knowing he cannot comfort his nephew. All day Izuku was downbeat, content to colour quietly with Gigantomachia. But finally, everything became a bit too much, and so he slipped away to hide and cry in peace. And... Yoshito knows that this is normal, that Izuku needs to express his negative emotions, but...

...But he would give anything to be able to make his nephew smile.

“Izuku?”

The small lump freezes. A beat of silence passes, with all the adults present holding their breath, and then…

“Welcome home, papa!” Izuku cheers as he throws the blanket off.

“Oh dear,” Nana winces.

Yoshito can't help but agree, because it is clear at a glance why his nephew was hiding. His eyes are still glistening and rather red, his cheeks wet. Drifting closer, Yoshito winces; there is a rather wet patch on Izuku's favourite All Might plush, and Yoshito is fairly certain it's not just tears.

“Thank you, Izuku,” Hisashi smiles, obviously choosing to ignore his son’s state. “Can I get a hug?”

Immediately, Izuku scrambles over, his plush still clutched in one hand, his other wrapping around his father's neck. It is quite obvious how desperate for comfort he was, and Yoshito smiles sadly. There is something... bittersweet about the scene, even as Hisashi doesn't even protest the way the Symbol of Peace is wiping snot onto his suit jacket.

“Izuku, what’s wrong?” Hisashi asks as he picks his son up. “Did Kurogiri upset you?”

“NO!” Nana shrieks.

“Oh god – Izuku, say no!”

“DON’T KILL THE NANNY!”

“No,” Izuku sniffs and wipes at his eyes, and Hisashi produces a hanky. “Papa, did… did mama die cause I was bad?...”

“No!” surprisingly, it is Daigoro that protests.

“Oh, dear, of course not!”

“Darling, if she could, she would organise a grand escape, beat up the guardians of the afterlife, come back to life and smother you in kisses!”

They all turn to stare at Nana.

“What?! I know I would do it for Kotaro!”

“Of course not, Izuku,” Hisashi sighs. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Mama just… got really sick. And I think… I think she stayed with us as long as she did, because she had you to make her feel better.”

“Oh,” Izuku nods. There’s a beat of silence, and then… “…Would All Might have made her all better?”

“…I doubt it, Izuku,” Hisashi answers, pulling a face that makes both Daigoro and Fourth snicker.

“Oh,” Izuku deflates. “Cause mama said my kisses made her feel better… So maybe, if All Might kissed her better…”

Daigoro has proceeded from snickering to rolling on the floor, and Yoshito can hardly blame him. The visual of All For One returning home, only to discover his beloved wife in the arms of the latest holder of One For All is rather… amusing.

“…I don’t think All Might is that good at kissing people.”

“You take that back!”

“Seriously, Nana?” Third rolls his eyes. “I get you’re proud of him, but… Even you have to admit, his kisses probably can’t cure terminal illnesses.”

“Plus I’m pretty sure he’s still a virgin,” Daigoro adds with a grin.

“He is not!”

“Oh,” Izuku mumbles and then cuddles closer to his father.

More than anything, Yoshito wishes he were alive. Because he suddenly realizes – Izuku misses his mother, yes, but he’s also lonely. He no longer goes to daycare, but Hisashi has been somewhat distant for a while. And who else is there? Kurogiri, who mostly focuses on chores, and Gigantomachia who, with the best will in the world, is more like a pet than a proper playmate. Yoshito… If he could, he would move in. Encourage Izuku to play more, indulge his admiration for heroes.

Hisashi probably won’t.

“Tell you what, Izuku,” Hisashi smiles, unaware of his brother’s heartbreak. “I’ve got all day off tomorrow, so – you can decide what we do! Alright?”

“Yes!” Izuku perks up.

For some reason, Yoshito feels a chill run down his spine.

“No, Hisashi, you’re doing it wrong!”

“He can’t hear you!”

“Yeah, but – Yoshito’s got a point!” Nana exclaims, and Yoshito gives her a grateful nod.

Then he returns to pretending his leg has been crushed by falling debris, an act that would be much easier to maintain if Third didn’t keep floating above him and pulling ridiculous faces. Normally, he doesn't mind his successors antics, but - it's been so long since he played heroes!

And yes, he is fully aware Izuku never actually saves him. That's fine, though. Pretending he's been crushed by debris is way more fun than I Spy, and... He just likes to feel included.

“I am – No, papa, you’re doing it wrong!” Izuku's voice wrenches him out of reminiscing.

“See?!” Yoshito crows jubilantly and then punches Third in the face. “Izuku thinks so, too!”

“I’m sorry, Izuku,” Hisashi sighs as he pulls the sheet of his head. “I’m just… Not very good at pretending to be scared.”

“Hard to argue with that,” Second shrugs. “When was the last time we saw him cowering?”

“About four years ago, when Inko was pregnant and on a cleaning spree,” Nana replies immediately, and they all shudder.

“Yeah, but – when was it related to heroes?”

They all nod, because the only time any of them ever saw All For One cowering was that one time it was a trap. Third didn’t even have enough time to realize what was coming.

“But your house just got smashed by a mean villain!” Izuku exclaims. He grabs the sheet and throws it back over his father. “And now you’re scared, so I have to come save you!”

“Izuku, heroes do a lot more than just saving people,” Hisashi points out as he emerges again. “They – they stop villains! Maybe I should be a villain and you could arrest me?”

Yoshito feels that same chill.

“Oh, yes!” Izuku grins innocently. “Alright, papa! You be a villain!”

And then, suddenly, the very air turns oppressive; Nana chokes on air and falls to her knees. Daigoro freezes, wide-eyed; Third and Fourth grab and cling to each other desperately, Sixth collapses through the floor and vanishes from sight, and Second dives behind the couch.

Yoshito tries to punch his idiot brother, and Izuku stares, wide-eyed at the man before him for a second; then, with a loud wail, he turns and bolts from the room.

“Izuku?” Hisashi mercifully supresses his ‘All For One aura’, as Yoshito calls it. “Izuku, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? WHAT’S WRONG?!” Yoshito splutters. As the only holder of One For All that never faced the full might of All For One before his death, he is mercifully somewhat immune. He is also running on pure adrenaline and fury, and wishes that he could possess someone to strangle the idiot that is his brother.“Izuku is THREE! I’m pretty sure he’s just been traumatized!”

“Never mind Izuku, I’m traumatized,” Daigoro mutters.

"You absolute imbecile!" Yoshito continues, unconcerned about the looks he's receiving from his successors. "Again - THREE! You almost gave Sixth a heart attack from A MILE AWAY..."

"Hey! He just took me by surprise!..."

"You almost caused Second to piss his pants..."

"I resent that!"

"And what about Hokkaido?!" Yoshito throws up his hands. "But no! Let's just blast the GRIEVING TODDLER with the full might of the All For One aura of terror! That won't have any negative effects at all!"

“…Sir?” a familiar voice speaks up, and everyone in the room turns to watch as Kurogiri, brandishing a frying pan in one hand and a large knife in the other, peers into the room. "Is it... Is it safe to approach?"

“Of course it is,” Hisashi huffs, shaking his head. “Why are you holding those?”

“Izuku was traumatized?” Fourth suggests.

All the ghosts nod.

“Well, it’s just…” Kurogiri glances down at his improvised weapons, and then hastily warps the frying pan away. He keeps the knife though. “…Izuku said a monster got you, so I thought… Perhaps you could use… Reinforcements?”

“Oh, look at him! Ready to fight and die for his family!” Third grins.

“…Yeah, but… What could he do against a monster even All For One can’t defeat?” Second frowns.

“It’s the thought that counts!”

“There are no monsters,” Hisashi snorts. “Izuku and I were playing, and… I don’t know what happened…”

“He reacted exactly how any three-year-old would when confronted by a terrifying villain!” Yoshito groans. "You're SUPPOSED to be SMART. How many intelligence Quirks do you have?!"

"...Not enough?"

Yoshito fancies he can spot the exact moment Kurogiri puts all the pieces together and realizes how much of an idiot "the most dangerous villain ever" actually is. He feels a twinge of pity for the teenager; then he shakes his head and accepts that Kurogiri staying on will at least, hopefully, mean there is one reasonable person in this household. Hopefully Izuku will make it to ten.

“Sir, please don’t take this the wrong way," Kurogiri clears his throat and draws himself up. He glances down at the knife and hurriedly hides it behind his back. "But… Were you playing Heroes, by any chance?”

“Oh, yes!” Hisashi nods, and Yoshito imagines how it would feel to smack him.

“…And were you, by any chances, pretending to be the villain?”

“How did you know?”

Yoshito rubs at his forehead, trying to prevent the impending migraine.

“Again, sir, please don’t take this the wrong way… Also, if you do kill me, there’s a casserole in the oven that needs to be taken out in ten minutes…”

“Out with it, Kurogiri,” Hisashi frowns.

“Alright, sir,” the teenager takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders. “Izuku is three years old, and still believes there is a monster that lives under his bed. He sleeps with a nightlight. You, sir, are a villain with decades of experience in terrifying every living creature for miles around. If you fully channel All For One when playing Heroes, you will absolutely traumatize Izuku.”

"...Did I ever mention I like this kid?" Fourth asks.

"Probably," Third shrugs. "But it probably wouldn't do any harm to repeat it."

"...How is the teenage villain the most sensible one in this household?" Nana groans.

"Survival instincts?" 

"...All - Midoriya is suffering from dementia?"

Hisashi opens his mouth, seemingly to protest. Then, however, he seems to think about it for a minute, and Yoshito can almost see the lightbulb illuminate above his head.

“…You probably have a point,” he admits.

“…So, just to be clear – you won’t kill me?”

“No, you made a valid point,” the man sighs. “I’ll work on holding back a bit. Now I suppose I had better find Izuku, tell him I’m fine…”

“He’s in the bathroom, being guarded by Gigantomachia,” Kurogiri supplies. “He needs a bath and a change of clothing.”

Yoshito winces.

Chapter Text

Bright and early one Monday morning, Yoshito, trailed by an exasperated Second, nervously follows Izuku into his new daycare, cursing - once again - the pesky fact that he is dead.

Because Izuku - Izuku has improved drastically since he was removed from that pathetic excuse for an institution, but with everything that has happened to him these past few months... He is still going to require more patience, more attention than the other children, and Yoshito isn't certain the staff will care enough to provide Izuku with it. And even if the adults are wonderful - what about the other children? They are still so young, and Yoshito can easily imagine they would find his nephew perhaps too boring, or too sad, and simply exclude him. And of course - they have the right to choose their own playmates, but... Izuku is such a kind, happy boy, he just... needs someone to encourage him to open up again.

And Yoshito would be more than willing to help him; if he could, he would drop everything, move in with his brother and nephew, and devote himself to bringing back Izuku's beaming smile. But he can't; he can't hug Izuku as he watches his nephew try and be brave. He can't whisper Izuku encouragement as he follows the little boy into the room.

What he can do is, after returning home, declare to his successors that Tenya is the most wonderful human to have ever existed (excepting Inko and Izuku).

Then he remembers that just because Tenya was willing to play with Izuku that Monday does not mean he will be willing to do so the next day.

And so on Tuesday, six very exasperated heroes follow an anxious Yoshito into the daycare.

“…They’re little kids,” Sixth points out for the third time that morning as Izuku hugs his father goodbye. “What’s the worst they can do?!”

“…You mean apart from second degree burns?” Third reminds him.

All of them groan at the unpleasant reminder of little Katsuki.

“That kid will never know how lucky he is,” Fourth mutters as they follow Izuku into his classroom.

“Never mind the brat, TOKYO will never know how lucky it got,” Daigoro corrects. He floats a little higher and scans the room. “Say, is Satan Junior’s little minion here?...”

Nana smacks him.

“I see him,” Second smiles. “Over there, playing with the Legos!”

“Alright, Izuku,” Yoshito smiles as he crouches down next to his nephew. “I know you’re scared, but you were so brave yesterday! And Tenya seems so nice! So how about you take a deep breath, and…”

Izuku does indeed take a deep breath, and then walks through his uncle. Daigoro laughs; then Sixth smack him.

“Hi… Hi, Tenya!” Izuku manages to choke out when he’s close to the other boy. He stops and glances down at his hands as he anxiously fiddles with his shirt.

“Izuku!” the larger boy twists round to smile at him. “Welcome back!”

It is clear to anyone with eyes that Tenya is genuinely pleased to see Izuku again. And - he looks so innocently excited, Yoshito feels the great ball of anxiety in his stomach ease up just a bit. Because - surely it's not too much to ask, to hope Tenya will continue playing with Izuku. After all, Izuku just... needs someone to remind him how to be a kid, and in return... Yoshito knows his nephew, and knows that, in return, Tenya would be gaining a loyal friend.

“Could… Could I play with you?” Izuku asks, clearly encouraged by Tenya’s enthusiasm. “I… I can pass you Legos!”

“That sounds boring…” Third murmurs.

“Come on, kid, say yes…” Daigoro hisses.

Sixth just holds up his crossed fingers as Tenya glances between his tower and new playmate, clearly torn. It appears, for whatever reason, that this is a difficult decision.

“…Okay,” Tenya finally nods, and Nana and Fourth high-five.

“Really?! Thanks!” Izuku beams, clearly delighted, and scrambles to sit down next to the Lego box before Tenya can change his mind. “I’ll help, I promise! You want red, right?”

“What’s he talking about?” Daigoro asks.

“Yeah, why does the colour matter?...”

“Oh, I see it!” Second smiles. “Good job spotting it, Izuku!”

“What? What am I missing?”

“It’s the tower – look!” Fourth drifts closer to point it out. “Each level is a different colour! It goes yellow, then red, then black, then yellow, and now it’s red again!”

“Yes!” Tenya exclaims with a grin. “Miss Tanaka – miss Tanaka, Izuku noticed my system!”

“Oh, well done, Izuku!” the woman smiles down at them. “Tenya needed to explain it to me!”

“He’s really smart,” Tenya declares as he accepts a brick from a blushing Izuku. “This is going to be the best tower!”

“Okay, we need to find a psychic, pronto!” Yoshito declares as he sniffs and dabs at his eyes. “I need to tell Hisashi to keep Izuku here!”

Wednesday comes with a new challenge – the children will be going on an outing to the nearby park.

And that, unfortunately, means pairing up with a buddy. Yoshito doesn’t need to be a mindreader to know Izuku is likely remembering what that meant at his old daycare. As the pariah, the outcast, Izuku was always the last to find a partner of any sort. Worse still, whoever ended up with Izuku always complained, which led to several of the children recounting all of Izuku’s perceived flaws.

Even in this new environment, Izuku clearly still remembers that ridicule. So as the other children pair up, he stands to the side, fidgeting, waiting to see who will be left for him. The idea of going out, of taking the initiative to ask someone himself, seems not even to occur to him, and Yoshito hopes that Tanaka will notice and take some action…

“Miss Tanaka?!” Tenya asks, hurrying over to Izuku’s side. “Miss Tanaka, can me and Izuku be buddies?!”

Izuku stares at the boy, clearly in shock.

“Well, I don’t know,” the woman smiles. “Have you asked Izuku if he’ll be your buddy?”

“Oh! I’m sorry, Izuku!” Tenya exclaims, clearly upset with himself for committing such an oversight. “Do you want to be buddies?”

Yoshito wipes at his eyes, because this – this is what Izuku needs, and Tenya will likely never learn the true extent of what he is doing. He will never know how much Yoshito loves him, will never understand that with every action borne from his childish excitement at a new friend, he is teaching Izuku that perhaps, just perhaps, Katsuki wasn’t entirely correct.

Perhaps Izuku is not worthless.

Perhaps Izuku deserves friends.

Perhaps Izuku matters.

“Ye… Yes!” Izuku sniffs and wipes at his eyes. “Yes, please!”

Tenya beams as he grabs the other boy’s hand and looks up at miss Tanaka expectantly.

Yoshito wishes he could give the two boys a hug.

He settles for Second.

Thursday is when Izuku finally cracks.

To be honest, Yoshito has been impressed by how his nephew managed to last so long. Izuku has always been an emotional child, something likely not helped by the loss of his mother and the bullying he suffered, and he’s been thrown into a completely new environment with new people and new rules. Even with a new friend to impress, sooner or later Izuku would have to express some of that inner turmoil in the only way he can.

And so, on Thursday, as soon as he drifts into the room, Yoshito knows today is the day. He turns to watch Izuku enter and scan the room. He can tell the exact moment Izuku realizes something is wrong, as the boy’s tiny face falls, he sniffs, and then wipes the first tears from his eyes.

Because Tenya isn’t there.

“Oh, Izuku, it’s alright,” Tanaka says as she crouches down next to him.

“I’m sorry!” the little boy whimpers and, when he notices a few of the other children are looking at him, he curls in on himself. “I’m a crybaby!”

“Oh, Izuku, you’re not a crybaby,” the woman assures him. “You’ve been very brave! Do you want me to call your papa?”

Izuku hesitates for a moment, and Yoshito almost hopes he says yes. But then Izuku sniffs and shakes his head.

“Well then, how about we go outside?” Tanaka gently steers him back out of the room. “There – now you can have a proper cry without anyone bothering you.”

Izuku looks up at her, clearly surprised, but the woman’s attention is focused somewhere else.

“Sir – sir!” she waves over another member of staff. “Could you help supervise my group? Izuku’s a little upset, and I’d like to stay with him.”

“Of course, Tanaka,” the man nods. Then he enters the room, and Tanaka turns back to smile at Izuku. The little boy just looks even more confused.

“Oh, Izuku,” the woman sighs. “It’s alright to cry. You’ve been incredibly brave this week! It’s just – we all get scared sometimes, and – we all get sad, too. And it doesn’t make you a crybaby to cry when you’re upset.”

Izuku lets out a sob.

“And I’m sure – I’m sure this won’t be the last time you’re sad,” Tanaka continues. “And that’s fine. So if you need to cry again, or don’t want to play… Tell me, and you can take a break. I promise, Izuku.”

And just like that, Izuku seems to break. Yoshito hopes it’s because he feels safe, because he understands Tanaka is going to actually look after him. But at the same time – at the same time, he can’t help but wonder whether some part of Izuku is even more confused. After all, he only just met her, barely knows Tenya, and yet - yet they've shown far more care than anyone at his previous daycare. And it shouldn't be like this, Izuku shouldn't be so confused by adults doing their job, but... Yoshito will take it, will hope that with enough time, Izuku will learn that he is allowed to be upset.

Miss Tanaka endears herself further to him, because she stays with Izuku, waiting patiently until he has cried himself out. Then she helps him wipe his eyes and blow his nose, and with a smile, says, "There we go. Feeling a little better?"

Izuku smiles shyly and nods, and Yoshito's heart melts all over again.

"Alright, then. Now, like I said - if you ever want to have a cry again, just tell me or one of the other adults. It's perfectly alright for you to feel scared, or sad, Izuku, especially..." the woman hesitates, and then takes a deep breath. "Especially if you miss your mum."

Izuku sniffs again, but he nods, and Yoshito once again hopes Hisashi secures Izuku a permanent place here.

"Now, do you want to have a few more..."

"Izuku!"

Izuku pales as Tenya hurries up to them, clearly afraid the other boy noticed him crying. And Yoshito can hardly blame his nephew, not when he himself is fearful of that same thing. Tenya has been so good to Izuku already, but - what if he makes fun of Izuku? Because that - that would surely set Izuku back even further. First Kacchan, now Tenya - losing two friends for the same reason would undoubtedly knock Izuku's already fragile confidence further.

Except Tenya doesn't even seem to notice Izuku's red eyes, doesn't seem to question why his playmate is out here. Instead, he turns to grin at the woman he must have come with, who, going by the strong resemblance between them, is likely his mother.

"Mum, this is Izuku!" he informs her proudly, and then adds, "He likes Ingenium too!"

"Hello, Izuku," the woman smiles kindly, as she bends down a little. Then she glances over at miss Tanaka, obviously concerned. "...Is everything alright?"

Izuku sniffs and ducks his head, and Yoshito floats closer to his nephew in a silent demonstration of support.

"Izuku was just feeling a bit shy," Tanaka comes to the rescue. She glances over at the two boys and then smiles at Tenya's mother. "Between you and me - I think he was a little disappointed Tenya wasn't here when he arrived. I don't know if Tenya told you, but - Izuku is new here, and Tenya has been very good at making sure he feels welcome!"

Tenya beams at the praise.

"Well, that's very kind of you, Tenya," his mother smiles. "I'm very happy to hear that. And Izuku - it's so lovely to meet you. Tenya has told us a lot of nice things about you!"

Izuku looks at her, clearly surprised, and once again Yoshito wishes he could hug him. Izuku is a smart, caring, compassionate boy who deserves far better than he got.

"Yes!" Tenya grins, oblivious. "He's very smart! And fun! And he even knows Ingenium!"

"What is this kid?" Sixth snorts. "The president of the Ingenium fanclub?"

"Looks like it," Third chuckles. "Let's just hope he doesn't drag Izuku to any signings before Midoriya's had a chance to cool off."

"...I hate to be the spoilsport, but - their friendship might not last too long," Nana sighs. "After all, they're... well, they're three."

"No,"  Yoshito shakes his head. "I have a good feeling about this!"

"Well, now that Tenya's here, would you boys like to go in together, or would Izuku..."

“I can go in!” Izuku blurts out, and then shuffles his feet. “I just…”

“You don’t have to be shy!” Tenya grabs his hand. “I’m here now! Oh! Bye bye, mum!”

“Goodbye, Tenya, goodbye, Izuku,” the woman smiles at them. “Have fun.”

“Oh – goodbye, Auntie…” Izuku hesitates. “…Auntie Tenya’s mum.”

For some reason, Tanaka does not head in with the boys. Intrigued, Yoshito gestures for his successors to go on ahead and, along with Sixth, they linger outside the room.

"I'm sorry we were late today," Tenya's mother sighs, the smile slipping from her face once the children are gone. "We have a crisis at Idaten, and - could Tenya stay about an hour later than usual? My mother can pick him up then."

"Of course," Tanaka nods. "I will inform the director."

"And... Izuku," Tenya's mother hesitates, but then she takes a deep breath. "Was it really shyness, or..."

"...I'm afraid... I won't go into specifics, but suffice to say Izuku has not had... the easiest couple of months," Tanaka admits with a sigh. "We're expecting this to be a regular occurence. Honestly - I'm amazed he lasted so long, but Tenya has... he's really helped him settle in."

"Well, that's good to hear," Tenya's mother smiles. "He's really taken to Izuku. Would it... I know you don't share contact details, but - if I wrote a letter to Izuku's parents, could you pass it on?"

"Oh, of course!" Tanaka nods enthusiastically. "Although - Izuku's father will be coming in tomorrow afternoon to confirm his place here. If you'd like to meet him..."

"I'm working," Tensei's mother sighs. "Tensei will pick Tenya up, but - I'll give him a note to pass on. I'm sure Tenya will be only too happy to point out his new friend."

"And if that fails - I'll point him out myself," Tanaka laughs. "Really, Mrs Iida - I am certain Izuku's father will be delighted to hear from you."

The rest of Thursday proceeds with little fanfare, and when Yoshito follows his nephew home, he listens to him chatter on about how Tenya apparently has a big brother who is apparently so cool, and so fun, and is picking Tenya up the next day and wants to meet him. There's a warmth in his heart as he watches Izuku smile, because - Tenya likes him too. Tenya's mother wants to get in contact with Hisashi, which might even mean - gasp - a playdate.

Surely things are starting to get better for Izuku.

Yoshito and four of his successors (excepting Nana, who sometimes finds being around children painful, and Fourth, who is a little bit scared of them) begin Friday bright and early singing along with a bunch of toddlers, and learn Third is absolutely tone-deaf.

They end Friday by laughing their asses off, because, apparently, Tenya's admiration for Ingenium has a very simple explanation.

Namely, Izuku's first real friend also happens to be Ingenium's baby brother, and Hisashi is now not only not allowed to sue Idaten, but will have to play nice with the hero.

Because Yoshito knows his brother, and he knows - Hisashi would sooner marry All Might than take Tenya away from Izuku.

Chapter Text

“I still say he’ll be Quirkless,” Fourth declares. “Statistically speaking, second generation…”

“Yes, but Izuku isn’t truly second generation,” Nana points out. “Inko might impact it. And besides, those statistics never really took All For One into account…”

“I hope he takes after Inko,” Third smiles. “Wouldn’t it be sweet?”

“But if he does have a Quirk, he might not be able to get Attraction,” Sixth points out, and all the ghosts fall silent as they contemplate that thought. Hisashi may have promised Inko, but there is no way he will give Izuku her Quirk if it could mean harming him.

“…Unless he gets All For One,” Nana finally points out the obvious. “If he has that, then…”

“Yeah, but what are the chances…”

“He already has it.”

Yoshito chuckles as all his successors turn to stare at him. After so many years together, it feels surprisingly good to know something they don’t, even more so when he realises with a little thrill that not even Hisashi, with all his undoubted expertise, is aware of this.

“…What do you mean?” Second finally recovers enough to ask.

“Izuku has All For One,” Yoshito smiles. Oh yes, he may not be as intelligent as his brother, but he can put the pieces together and come to a logical conclusion. And if only Hisashi knew that his long-dead sibling has managed to finally confirm a long-disputed theory about Quirks. Yoshito would so enjoy rubbing that in his supposedly-smarter brother's face. “We’re all born with our Quirks; those that aren’t in some way physical simply don’t manifest until we’re older. They stay dormant. Izuku, when he manifests his Quirk, will manifest All For One.”

“How the fuck do you know that?”

“Think about it,” Yoshito grins. “We’ve been forced to follow All For One around for decades – why?”

“Cause he killed…”

“Because he has All For One!” Yoshito exclaims, delighted. “No matter what we tried, we were never able to follow anyone else until now. There is one other person, though, that we have been able to stay with even without Hisashi present, and that is…”

“Izuku!” Third snaps his fingers.

“Well, it could be worse,” Nana smiles. “Following an adorable little kid around definitely sounds like an improvement to me…”

“Till he becomes a teenager,” Daigoro mutters.

“…I hate to be that guy,” Second speaks up. “But – are we forgetting the small detail that there is potentially another person with All For One? I mean… We were kind of aiming for NO people with All For One, and – they’ve sort of doubled…”

“Yes, but it is an adorable toddler with All For One,” Sixth points out. “We have at least a few years before we need to start worrying about two Quirk-stealing villains.”

Quirks, in Yoshito’s (somewhat limited) experience, have an unfortunate tendency to manifest in rather… traumatizing ways. He still remembers, so many decades later, the awful sight of his brother stumbling back into their campsite with his clothing torn, white hair stained with blood and clutching in his hand a bedraggled comic book. He is unable to fully describe his own Quirk’s manifestation, too consumed by grief, pain and exhaustion to have more than blurry memories of it.

So perhaps it should not be surprising that Izuku follows in his family’s footsteps and almost gives Yoshito a heart attack.

The Table Incident, as it will come to be dubbed, goes something like this.

Izuku, like most children, wants his Quirk to come and decides to do something to speed it up. Of course, since he is a small child, his brain works in mysterious ways and in some truly spectacular logic Yoshito won’t even try and follow, he settles on a very simple solution that no medical professional would ever endorse.

He jumps off a table.

Yoshito, of course, panics and instinctively tries to catch his nephew. Since he is dead, this would have no effect anyway. Unfortunately, however, Nana (once again proving she is by far the best of his successors) has the same idea and so the two of them collide with one of the few things they can still touch (namely each other) and go down in a tangle of limbs. Daigoro starts to laugh at them, but Izuku, being in pain, starts to cry and so Third chooses to tackle Daigoro through the wall. Fourth, on Midoriya duty, pokes his head in through the ceiling, takes one look at the chaos, and decides not to get involved.

Then Gigantomachia runs in, runs out shouting (Yoshito is starting to get a headache), Hisashi appears, Izuku stops crying, Izuku starts crying again, Izuku stops crying again, Hisashi laughs and picks him up, and Yoshito is starting to get very confused and would like a nice lie down or perhaps a flowchart.

“Alright, what just happened?” Fourth asks as he joins them, just as Hisashi walks through him yelling something about cake.

Yoshito would very much like someone to explain that himself.

“Oh, nothing much,” Sixth hums from his spot near the ceiling, where he was watching the pandemonium. “Izuku just stole a Quirk from his papa.”

“WHAT?!” Daigoro shrieks as he and Third launch themselves back into the room.

“You mean we missed it?!”

“I take back everything negative I ever said about Satan Junior! TAKE THAT, ALL FOR ONE!”

“…I still don’t know how I feel about this whole Quirk thing,” Second sighs.

“You said that about Inko,” Fourth points out. “And now…”

“…We have TWO people walking around with All For One,” Second retorts.

“Yeah, but one of them could probably get taken out by a bike.”

“And anyway, it probably won’t be for much longer,” Nana speaks up, a frown on her face. “All – Midoriya won’t risk anyone discovering his connection to All For One.”

“…You really think he’d take his own kid’s Quirk?” Sixth asks.

“He won’t,” Yoshito shakes his head, firm. “Hisashi loves Izuku.”

“I know that,” Nana sighs. “But he still…”

“He won’t,” Yoshito repeats, because Hisashi – Hisashi absolutely adores Izuku. He wouldn’t hurt him like that, not when – not when Izuku is so tiny, so trusting… “He won’t. You’ll see.”

“He’s taking it tonight,” is how Nana greets Yoshito when he arrives home the next day.

Yoshito doesn’t dignify her with an answer. He’s still miffed at his successors; him and Izuku had a lovely day at the zoo, and he is sure the other ghosts would have loved it too. Except they decided that apparently watching Izuku’s innocent excitement would be too painful, and so they remained home to mope and be miserable.

Yoshito isn’t willing to give it any thought, because Hisashi won’t take Izuku’s Quirk. He won’t.

And sure, there is a small sliver of doubt that he is not willing to admit to, but – this isn’t the same as before. Izuku isn’t some nameless adult with a fascinating Quirk, some misguided soul. He is not even Hisashi’s brother; he is a sweet, innocent child whose world revolves around his beloved papa. He is loving, and trusting, and – he is Inko’s son, Hisashi’s son. Taking Izuku’s Quirk would mean betraying the trust of not only Izuku but also Inko, and – there will be no escape. If Hisashi goes through with this, then he will have to live with the consequences for the rest of his life; because every day, Hisashi will have to come face to face with his decision. He will have to look at Izuku’s smiling face, hear his laughter, watch him reach for his beloved papa, and remember what he did.

Yoshito will be the first to admit he no longer has that same blind faith in his brother as when they were children. He knows what All For One did, knows what Hisashi is still capable of – but he cannot believe Hisashi could go through with taking Izuku’s Quirk.

Yoshito doesn’t believe Hisashi would be able to endure the consequences.

And that is why he shrugs off Second’s attempts to stop him, why he follows Izuku into his bedroom and watches as Hisashi tucks him in. Why he ignores Third and Fourth’s awkward glances, why he pays no attention to Daigoro and Sixth’s harsh whispers.

“…Maybe you should leave,” Nana suggests softly when Hisashi opens the storybook.

“No,” Yoshito shakes his head. “I promised Izuku.”

Because if Hisashi – if Hisashi goes through with this, then Izuku will need all the family he has left to rally around him, even if it is only in the spirit of his long-dead uncle. Yoshito promised his nephew he would always be there for him, and he has no intention of breaking that promise.

“Yoshito,” Second speaks up once Izuku has fallen asleep. “…It’s time.”

“No,” Yoshito shrugs off his hand. He crosses his arms and takes a deep breath as he watches Hisashi sit there, watching his son. “He won’t do it. He won’t.”

“…Look, I don’t want the kid to lose his Quirk either, All For One or not…” Daigoro starts.

“He won’t,” Yoshito repeats.

Except, when Hisashi reaches out, Yoshito’s faith cracks and he lurches forward.

“You won’t do this Hisashi,” he says, digging his fingers into his skin. “You won’t – what would Inko say if she knew? What will Izuku say when he figures it our? Think about it – you lost me, you lost Inko – are you really willing to risk losing Izuku too?” He takes a deep breath and swallows back tears. “This – this isn’t like us. Izuku – Izuku just lost his mother, and – he needs his papa, needs to be able to trust you, to, to believe you will always put him first… Don’t take his dad away from him…”

And then the moment passes. Hisashi rushes out of the room, and all the strength seems to drain from Yoshito and he collapses to his knees as he presses his hands to his forehead and just tries to desperately breathe.

“Yoshito? Yoshito!” he feels Second shake him. “I knew this was a bad idea. Nana, help me get him out of here…”

“No,” Yoshito manages to force out.

No, there is no need.

No, Hisashi won’t go through with it.

Izuku is safe.

All For One is gone.

Chapter Text

“Look who we found!”

Yoshito doesn’t even bother looking in Daigoro’s direction. After all – Izuku has almost finished his latest masterpiece. It’s strange to realize that once, Yoshito could only guess at what his nephew drew, when now he can clearly make out Izuku and Tenya.

“…Yoshito,” Second begins as he drifts over to the doorway. “Please tell me your brother didn’t just kidnap someone.”

“Huh?” Yoshito looks up. “Oh, look Izuku! A new friend!”

“…Why is that your first instinct?” Third mutters. “Besides which, it really doesn’t seem appropriate. I mean – Midoriya did technically assault his father…”

“Yeah, but the kid obviously didn’t mind!” Daigoro grins. “After all, he just thanked Big Bad!”

“Back up, back up,” Second holds up his hands. “You know this boy?”

“Oh yeah,” Daigoro nods. “Remember how we vanished off for a while at that fancy party… What was it, last year? And when we came back we told you Evil Incarnate punched that fire hero?”

“…Yes?”

“Meet the only witness, Sparky Junior!”

Fourth facepalms.

“…I think he needs a new nickname,” Sixth speaks up.

“What’s wrong with my nickname?!”

“Well, let’s think of this logically,” the hero sighs and starts ticking things off on his fingers. “First – he was happy when his father got knocked unconscious in front of him. He sought someone out specifically TO THANK HIM FOR PUNCHING HIS FATHER. I don’t think he’s got the best relationship with said father!”

“…Okay, yes, but…”

“Second – his mother was willing to take him and his siblings and go with complete strangers in the dead of night. Again – not the best homelife.”

“…Valid point…”

“And finally – he’s about Izuku’s age and his hair is dyed. Someone clearly coached him to introduce himself using a fake name. It’s almost like, oh I don’t know – his family are in hiding,” Sixth finishes. “I’m not saying don’t give him a nickname, but – maybe choose something that isn’t connected to his father.”

“…Fine.”

Yoshito, meanwhile, drifts over to where Izuku has just finished hugging his father and has turned his attention on the little boy. It’s strange to remember that not that long ago, Izuku would have been terrified and shy, and likely barely able to get out a word, even with the knowledge that both his father and Gigantomachia are present. Now…

“Hello!” Izuku beams at the other child. “I’m Izuku!”

“…’m Shoto,” the other boy mumbles.

Izuku stares at him for a moment, clearly waiting for something else. Yoshito isn’t that surprised; after all, it has been a while since he met anyone new. And, honestly… Izuku was perhaps the shyest boy in daycare. Not only is he not very experienced meeting new people – he has likely never before come across someone so unsure.

But Izuku is also a smart, compassionate boy, and so he quickly perks up as something occurs to him.

“Oh, you’re shy! I get shy too! But papa will find your mum, and till then…” he turns and runs back to where Machia is watching them and grabs his plush. “All Might always makes me feel brave!”

Shoto seems to forget about his shyness as he stares, bewildered, as Izuku runs back with his All Might plush and holds it out. Then he reaches out a hand and carefully touches the toy, almost as if afraid.

Izuku beams and shoves his plush into Shoto’s arms.

Yoshito glances up in time to see Third, Fourth and Daigoro vanish into the lift, clearly following Hisashi; then he turns his attention back to the boys.

“…Thank you,” Shoyo smiles shyly as he glances down at the plush. “…Al Might’s my favourite hero.”

“I like this kid!” Nana immediately declares, and Second shakes his head fondly.

“Really?! Mine too!” Izuku beams. “Tenya likes Ingenium more, but – All Might’s the best! Cause he can make everything better, and – I’m gonna be a hero, just like him!”

“I…” Shoto hesitates and glances down at the plush. Then he seems to steel himself. “…I want to be a hero, too.”

“Really?! What’s your Quirk?” Izuku asks.

“Don’t answer him, kid,” Sixth snorts. “Not unless you want to be interrogated…”

Yoshito sticks his tongue out at him.

Meanwhile, Shoto seems to have taken in Izuku’s excited smile and come to a decision. He shifts the plush in his arms and holds out one hand and, intrigued, all the ghosts drift closer and watch, enthralled, as a small piece of ice forms in the little boy’s palm.

“Let it go… Let it GOO… Ow!”

“Oh my gosh, that’s so cool! Can you only make ice?! Can you make it bigger?! Does it make you cold?! Do you catch colds easier?! Oh, oh, could you freeze someone?! Like – a villain running away! Or you could make it really slippery, so he falls over!...”

“You know, I see the family resemblance,” Second mutters with a smile as Shoto relaxes.

“…I don’t know?” Shoto offers hesitantly, clearly unsure how to answer.

“Ooh, do you want to do some tests before papa comes back?”

“Izuku,” Yoshito pales, a sudden chill running down his back. “…I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Whilst freezing over Hisashi’s office was probably not a good idea, adding Shoto to Izuku’s rather limited circle of friends most certainly was. And whilst of course Yoshito is ecstatic for his nephew to have another playmate, it doesn’t take him long to spot something worrying about Shoto.

Yes, when Izuku first met Tenya, he was quiet and unsure. But it didn’t take long for Izuku to open up to Tenya, to begin to trust him, and soon – soon he was a relatively happy, kind little boy, similar to what he was like before Inko’s passing. All Izuku truly needed, in a sense, was for someone to remind him how to be a child, how to smile and laugh and play.

But whilst that was all Izuku needed, Shoto is a completely different matter, because - Shoto doesn't know how to be a child in the first place.

It’s a difficult realization for Yoshito, because even now, when superheroes patrol the streets and fight crime, even now that people possess those same powers he once read about in comics… Some things stay the same. But he tries not to focus too much on that, tries to convince himself that, at least for Shoto, things are surely looking up.

And - it certainly appears that way, because Izuku and Tenya seem as focused on making Shoto feel welcome as All Might was on stopping All For One. They never question his hesitancy, or his ignorance of most of their games; instead, they throw themselves into educating him on all the things he's missed out on until now. And although, truthfully, many of their explanations confuse even Yoshito, Shoto seems to appreciate the effort. Yoshito watches him gradually open up; watches as every ice cream, every game of heroes, every time his friends try to comfort him show Shoto what it means to be a child.

And so of course Yoshito is there one sunny afternoon as the boys play heroes. The adults are sitting nearby, watching as the boys run around, unaware of the cheer squad floating nearby.

"Come on, Frosty Flakes!"

"Daigoro, no."

"Elsa?"

"No!"

"Come on, Penguin!" Third laughs as they watch Shoto chase after Izuku, a smile on his face.

Yoshito trails after them, his heart close to bursting, because - Izuku is happy. Shoto is happy. (Tenya is happy as well, but to be fair Tenya seemed in a better emotional state when Yoshito first met him than his nephew or Shoto, so there is that.) Surely it's not too much to ask for their friendship to continue, when they're both clearly benefitting so much...

And then - then Yoshito hears it, and he has to stop and swipe at his eyes, because...

As he races after Izuku, Shoto is laughing.

And really, there is no other way for Yoshito to react than to hug himself tightly and, as he gazes after the two boys, whisper, "...Good job, Hisashi."

Chapter Text

Time is a strange thing. There are situations, of course, when one is all too conscious of its passing, the way seconds slip away like sands in an hourglass, how every laboured breath brings one closer to the end. Mostly – mostly, however, it goes by unnoticed. It is only when something occurs, some physical manifestation of the passage of time, that one takes a step back and sees it.

The most obvious such manifestations tend to be in relation to Izuku. Noticing suddenly that all his clothes are an inch shorter than when they were purchased; realizing it has been a full two weeks since he last cried at daycare. Watching him proudly declare he no longer needs a nightlight (and then later that night witnessing Hisashi almost shriek in surprise when his foot touches a ‘mysterious’ lump under his covers. The nightlight is back the following night.)

But today it is not Izuku that makes Yoshito pause. No, instead, he watches, bemused, as Kurogiri herds Midoriya into the lounge, tells Machia to switch off the TV, realizes Izuku is missing and hurries off to grab him, and carries the child back into the room in time to command Hisashi to put his phone down.

“Can you believe this is the same kid that almost pissed himself when he first met All For One?” Nana smiles as she floats by.

“Can you believe he was ever terrified of Izuku?” Sixth snorts.

“Right, everyone,” Kurogiri clears his throat. “As you may know, I have started dating…”

“Mist Man, what is ‘dating’?”

“Oh, I know, I know!” Izuku grins as he waves his hand in the air. “It’s when you like someone more than as a friend! And you kiss and hold hands and maybe get married one day!”

“Thank you, Izuku,” Kurogiri smiles. “So…”

“Are you getting married, Mist Man?!”

“No, I am not…”

“Do you have a boyfriend? Miss Tanaka has a boyfriend…”

“How about we all sit quietly for five minutes and let Kurogiri talk?” Hisashi suggests.

Yoshito is very grateful that, as ghosts, they can’t be heard by the living. Daigoro and Third are laughing their heads off.

“Sosaki – my girlfriend has introduced me to her friends. And, as such…” the young man takes a deep breath. “She would like to meet you all.”

“…Oh dear,” Third mutters.

“So much for the kid’s love life.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Think about it,” Fourth shrugs. “His family consists of a… rather simplistic, overzealous giant capable of destroying a small village, a little kid that’s a trouble magnet – sorry, Yoshito – and a retired villain who is still relearning how to human.”

“Yeah, but – it worked out between Evil Incarnate and Inko…” Daigoro points out.

“That was a one-off,” Nana sighs. “Trust me – poor kid’s not gonna be in a relationship much longer. Any sane person would run for the hills after meeting this lot.”

They meet miss Sosaki in a park on a sunny Saturday morning, and most of the ghosts groan the minute they set eyes on the young woman waving the small family over. Yoshito winces himself; she is an attractive if unassuming young woman dressed in a black jacket and jeans, and does not look the least bit equipped to deal with the insanity of the Midoriya household.

“Oh dear, she’s hot,” Third mutters.

“…Think they’ll make it to the end of the date before she dumps him?”

“It’s gonna be by text,” Sixth predicts.

“I don’t know, that would be a pretty dick move…”

“Yeah, but would you want to break up with someone in front of Gigantomachia…”

“Mandalay!” Izuku cheers.

“Hang on – I thought her name was Sosaki?...”

“Isn’t that a breed of cat?...”

“Oh dear,” Yoshito mutters when he finally recognizes her. “…She’s a hero.”

A moment of silence passes between the ghosts.

“Well fuck,” Third sighs.

“This relationship is so doomed.”

“Hello, Izuku!” the woman smiles. “Kurogiri. And you two must be…”

“Hisashi Midoriya,” Hisashi introduces himself smoothly. “And this one here is my bodyguard, Gigantomachia. Although nowadays he mostly goes by Machia…”

“Hello, Girlfriend Lady!”

“…He can be a little… odd,” Kurogiri hastily adds.

“Odd?” Sixth snorts. “You mean dumb, right?”

“This whole family’s odd,” Nana sighs.

“Hey!”

“Sorry, Yoshito, she’s right,” Second snorts. “We’re following your brother around because he is a retired supervillain who is responsible for our deaths. If this isn’t at least odd, I don’t know what is.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Sosaki smiles, recovering quickly. “How about we go find a spot for our picnic? I’m looking forward to trying some more of Kurogiri’s cooking.”

“Ah, well, it’s not that good… I’m just…”

“Kurogiri makes the best food!” Izuku declares proudly, even as he pulls off his rucksack. “Mandalay, can I ask you about your Quirk? Please?”

“Now, Izuku…”

“Oh, it’s fine, Kurogiri,” the woman waves him off. “Course, Izuku, no problem.”

“Papa wrote down my questions!” Izuku pulls out his notebook.

“Well, let’s see them then…” Sosaki accepts it and then looks at the page. She stares at it a moment, and then turns the page.

Then she turns the next page.

“…Izuku, could I take a few photos of these pages?” she asks slowly. “They could really help my teammates and I.”

“Really?!” Izuku gasps, delighted. “Course!”

“What on…” Kurogiri leans over her shoulder. Then he slowly looks up at Hisashi. “…Sir, did you give Izuku a list of questions to ask Sosaki about her Quirk?”

“…Well, that depends on how you define the word ‘give’,” the man answers as he shifts anxiously. When Kurogiri does not stop glaring at him, he sighs and admits, “Alright, technically, yes, but – I limited myself to twenty!”

“It’s really fine, Kurogiri,” Sosaki reassures her boyfriend as she closes the notebook. “Izuku, would it be alright for us to find a picnic spot first? Then I’ll answer all your questions.”

“Okay!” Izuku grins and grabs her hand. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

“So, Midoriya,” the hero smiles as she allows Izuku to tug her along. “Do you work in Quirk research?”

“Something like that,” Hisashi shrugs. “Although now my role is more… administrative. I’ve always been fascinated by Quirks, though, and Izuku seems to take after me, so…”

“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Sosaki laughs. “You teach him about Quirks! And – what do you do professionally now?”

“I’m CEO of Onecore Laboratories.”

Sosaki almost trips over her own feet.

“Huh… Never quite got why people react that way…” Second mutters.

“…Seriously?” Nana shakes her head at him. “Onecore is one of THE most prestigious Quirk companies in the world. They implemented and administer the Quirk registry for the government, which was just fantastic when All For One was around. They fund research into Quirks and have won awards for some of the breakthroughs they made possible – hell, one of their research teams got nominated for a bloody Nobel!...”

“God, don’t remind me,” Sixth groans. “It was a bloody nightmare when I was around – politicians loved them. Always got a weird feeling, but no one would ever agree to investigate them…”

“Tell me about it,” Nana rubs her forehead. “A Quirk company like that? I knew there had to be some connection to All For One, but – I never thought he’d founded them!”

“…Papa?” Izuku suddenly lets go of Sosaki’s hand and runs back to his father. “Papa, did – did you and mum date?”

“Yes… Yes, we did,” Hisashi smiles sadly as he picks his son up. “In fact… We once came here on a date. We had a picnic… Right over there, under that very tree.”

“Really?!” Izuku gasps, as he stares at the unassuming tree like it is some miraculous wonder. “Can we sit there? Please?”

“Sosaki?...” Kurogiri turns to his girlfriend, and Yoshito would have to be blind not to see the longing in his eyes.

“Well, who am I to argue with an expert?” Mandalay smiles. “Although – Midoriya, I think you should have the final decision.”

“Yes,” the man clears his throat. “Yes, that – that sounds like a lovely idea.”

Chapter Text

“…Well, that was traumatizing,” is Third’s wide-eyed declaration some twelve hours after Izuku’s rescue.

Yoshito doesn’t even glance up from where he’s curled up next to an unconscious Izuku. Yes, he knows Izuku is unaware of his existence. Yes, he knows it’s a little creepy that he, a (dead and invisible) adult man, is curled up in bed with his young nephew. No, he doesn’t care, because Izuku was kidnapped and All For One came back and Yoshito almost lost his family…

(Yes, Yoshito probably was traumatized.)

“Agreed,” Fourth groans from where he’s recuperating near the ceiling. He was unfortunate enough to be on Hisashi duty when the whole crisis occurred. As if it was not bad enough that he was forced to watch Yoshito’s brother come ever closer to snapping whilst sat in a police station (and therefore surrounded by a large number of people unaware of how much danger they were in), he was then dragged across town in, as he put it, ‘the most painful approximation of apparition imaginable’. “Izuku – please, never do anything scary ever again. No tables, no ransom attempts – how about you become a shut in?!”

“Poor boy,” Nana sighs as she drifts closer. “He must have been so scared…”

“Never mind Izuku – poor us,” Sixth mutters. “Here’s hoping we never go through anything like that again…”

“…Nana?”

They all look up, curious, as Daigoro drifts back into the room. There is an almost… disturbing difference about him; gone are his usual jovial attitude and easy-going air, replaced by a serious expression and a strange discomfort. It’s an odd, unexpected change that has no explanation, and it is enough to have them all sitting up and paying attention.

“What is it, Fifth?” Third asks, but Daigoro doesn’t even seem to hear him. Instead, his whole attention seems to be fixed on one member of their group.

“Nana, you should…” he swallows. “…You really should sit down for this.”

“I can’t,” the woman snorts and flips upside down to demonstrate. “I’m dead, remember?”

“Daigoro, what is it?”

“It’s…” Daigoro takes a deep breath as he glances around. Then he floats up to Nana and gently takes her hands. It's an unusual level of care, and as he glances around, Yoshito sees Sixth floating over, a concerned expression on his face. “…I’m sorry, Nana, but… it’s Kotaro. He’s… God, there’s no easy way to say this, but… He’s dead.”

“What?...” Nana whispers. “No, he… He can’t be. Don't be silly.”

“I’m sorry, Nana,” Daigoro swallows. “I… I overheard Toshinori, and… I’m sorry.”

Yoshito isn't sure what convinces her. Perhaps it is some motherly intuition, some instinctual knowledge that she has refused to believe until now. Perhaps it is the serious look in Daigoro's eyes, the knowledge that no matter how distasteful she may find his sense of humour, this is a line he would never cross. Whatever it is - the sound Nana makes as she collapses to her knees will haunt Yoshito forever. Sixth immediately rushes to her side and pulls her into an embrace, and she clutches at him desperately as she - she's not sobbing, but Yoshito doesn't know how to describe the sounds she's making as her mentor rocks her back and forth.

Yoshito has been around for almost two centuries, and yet it is the most heart-breaking scene he has ever witnessed.

He tries to think of something to say, anything to make it better, but - there's nothing. Nothing he says can make this right, nothing he says would make this hurt less, and all he can do is wonder what happened. Because he knows All For One never did anything to Kotaro Shimura, knows Hisashi has never paid Nana's family any attention since retiring...

And then something occurs to him, and he turns to his successor.

“…Daigoro,” Yoshito asks slowly.“…This is a children’s hospital. What is All Might doing here?”

“And why was he talking about Kotaro, of all things?” Second adds, frowning.

“It’s… He was visiting someone,” Daigoro glances down at Nana, clearly unsure whether he should continue. But he steels himself, and adds, “Nana... He was visiting Kotaro’s son.”

“…A son,” Nana breathes as she looks up in disbelief, tears still streaming down her face. “…Kotaro had a son?...”

“Yeah,” Daigoro shifts nervously. “Congrats, you’re… You’re a grandmother.”

“A grandson,” Nana repeats. “…I’m a grandmother.”

“Kid’s… Kid’s two floors up, if… If you wanna see him…”

“Yes,” Nana immediately leaps to her feet. “I do. Take me there.”

“Everyone… Meet Tenko Shimura-Yagi,” Daigoro announces as they float into a room. “Huh – he wasn’t upside down when I left."

Yoshito can’t help but smile. The room is small, with only one bed, although it does not seem as though it is set up for a long-term stay. There are few personal touches; an All Might plush lying on the floor by the bed, a (All Might branded) holdall by the foot of the bed. A few books and manga piled up on the bedside table, along with a slightly battered console. And, his head hanging off the edge of the mattress, long bluish-white hair reminding Yoshito of Aizawa, is Tenko.

“Tenko,” Nana sniffs as she drifts over, her whole attention devoted to her new (or at least newly discovered) grandson. “Oh – he’s so handsome. Look, he – he’s got Tadahiko’s eyes!”

“He’s got Tadahiko’s eczema,” Sixth mutters with a fond smile and roll of his eyes.

“Hang on,” Third turns to Daigoro. “Did you say Tenko Shimura-Yagi?!”

“That softhearted fool,” Nana half-laughs, half-sobs as she crouches down in front of Tenko. “Toshinori adopted him, didn’t he?...”

Yoshito winces. Because – he remembers his successors explaining what Yagi was speaking with Hisashi about a few years ago (he himself was rather busy, because – Izuku counted to ten!). At the time – they’d all thought it either sweet or a terrible idea, but not given much thought to the identity of All Might’s new child. Now though – now, Yoshito realizes with a pang, that Kotaro has been dead for several years, and…

Nana had no idea.

The door opens, but none of them pay it much attention, assuming it to be a member of staff. Or at least none of the ghosts pay it any attention; Tenko perks up and groans,

“Grandpa Torinooo, I’m booored!”

“Yeah, well maybe next time you won’t run towards the fight!” a familiar voice gripes.

“Dad had it handled!” Tenko rolls over. “And I wanted to see!...”

“Grandpa Torino,” Nana laughs as she wrenches her attention away from her grandson and turns to the newcomer. “…Hello, Sorahiko.”

Sure enough, Gran Torino has just hopped up into the only chair available and is treating Tenko to a glare that would give most villains pause. Tenko however seems immune, and Yoshito smiles.

He hopes Nana can also take comfort in knowing her old friend is a part of her grandson’s life.

“You could have been killed!” the elderly hero exclaims.

“But I wasn’t!” Tenko responds with a cheeky grin, and Second facepalms.

"Great," Third sighs. "It's not just Izuku - now we have TWO accident-prone kids."

"I'm sure Tenko is nowhere near as problematic as Izuku," Nana huffs. "It was probably just a one off."

"...Nana, he's your grandson," Sixth points out.

"And he's being raised by All Might and Torino," Second snorts. "He's accident-prone."

“Just – play one of your damn games!” Torino waves his walking stick.

“Language!” Nana exclaims.

“I ca-an’t!” Tenko waves his left arm, which is encased in a yellow cast, in the air. “I’m booo-oored!”

Torino and the boy stare at each other for several minutes, clearly engaged in a battle of wills; finally, the hero caves.

“Fine,” he sighs, but there’s a small smile on his face. “One story about Nana.”

Tenko immediately straightens up, eyes shining. Yoshito will never admit it out loud, but the smile on his face could easily rival Izuku's.

They leave them there, Torino talking – of all things – about Nana’s wedding. Yoshito glances back just once; at an old, grizzled man with so many reasons to be bitter, reminiscing about long—dead friends. At a little boy, raised by perhaps the greatest hero to have ever lived, and yet so excited to hear about a grandmother he never got to meet.

And at Nana, who is sitting next to Tenko, tears streaming down her face that she tries in vain to wipe away as she stares at her grandson.

"...Good job, Izuku," Yoshito whispers.

Chapter Text

“Quick, Izuku!” Third laughs as they hurry along after the boy. “He’s gaining on us! Take cover!...”

Izuku seems to be thinking along the same lines, because he dives into a nearby bush just in the nick of time. Seconds later Tenya sprints past, unaware of his friend’s hiding spot.

Yoshito chuckles as he glances after the little boy. It’s always nice to see Izuku have fun, especially when he remembers how timid his nephew once was; now, there is little of that uncertainty remaining. Izuku has two friends whom he can play and laugh with, two friends whom he has told about his Quirk. Life, for Izuku Midoriya, is certainly good.

“Alright, Izuku, it’s safe to come out now!” he calls, even though he knows Izuku can’t hear him; the little boy will surely emerge any moment now.

Except nothing happens.

“Izuku?...” Yoshito frowns as he drifts closer to the bush.

“GET ALL FOR ONE!” Nana screeches as she erupts from the bush like a nightmarish jack-in-the-box. “HE NEEDS TO KILL THOSE BASTARDS!...”

Third screams like a little girl and hides in a tree trunk. Daigoro and Sixth dive into some other bushes, and quite possibly the ground. Yoshito, faced with the full force of his successor’s rage, freezes.

“Erm… Nana?” Sixth pokes his head out through some leaves. “…What’s wrong?”

“What… What’s wrong?!” Nana throws her hands in the air. “Everything! It’s all wrong! This whole damned system is wrong!!!”

“I’ve got to go,” Izuku, unaware of what is happening, climbs out from his hiding spot. “Stay here – I’ll get you later! I promise!”

“…Nana, who is he talking to?” Third asks. “…Should we be concerned?”

“Oh, you’ll see!” Nana snarls.

Most of the time, Yoshito agrees that Izuku should not use his Quirks unsupervised. He is of the firm belief that Izuku certainly should not use Summon to sneak children he just met into the house without his father’s knowledge.

However, as with any rule, there are exceptions.

“Someone needs to die!” Second declares approximately three seconds after Izuku has snuck his newest friend into the house.

“Team All For One all the way!”

“Erm… You are aware we’re heroes, right?” Fourth asks and immediately flinches as several other ghosts turn to glare at him.

“But he’s just a kid!” Daigoro whines and, just for added impact, floats over to the purple-haired child and points at it. “And he’s wearing a muzzle!”

“Yes, he’s basically a villain in the making!”

“Hey!”

“Well, if you were forced to wear a muzzle from the age of WAY TOO FUCKING YOUNG, you’d probably turn evil too!” Third shrugs. "Read any manga and you'll see! It's, like, the most cliché villain origin story ever!"

“My point is,” Fourth sighs, “we shouldn’t encourage lawbreaking, even if it seems justified. Now if we called in All Might, he could legally yeet those responsible into the sun!”

Yoshito rather likes the way Fourth thinks.

“Question,” Sixth raises his hand. “…What’s Izuku going to do with him?”

There’s a moment of silence as they all ponder the problem in front of them.

“Hide him in the attic and sneak him food!” Daigoro suggests.

“Bad plan,” Yoshito shakes his head. After all, children need sunlight, fresh air and education. Being cooped up in the attic will be terrible for the boy’s health.

“Nick one of Midoriya’s face-changing Quirks, do some work on his face and dump him at the nearest fire station. Wherever he ends up can’t possibly be worse than where he is now!”

“…I think that’s a worse plan,” Yoshito groans. “Somehow.”

“Hey!”

“Point Gigantomachia in the direction of the kid’s carers and have him turn up safely orphaned tomorrow.”

“Okay, I can’t believe I have to say this, but – NO MURDER!” Yoshito shakes his head. “Seriously – you’re supposed to be heroes!”

“Good news!” Nana cheers as she enters the room, and Yoshito for some reason feels a chill run down his spine. “It’s all sorted!”

“What do you mean?...”

And then the kitchen light flips on, and a familiar voice asks,

“Do you remember what happened the last time you picked up a stray?”

“I want those responsible buried,” Hisashi rants approximately twenty minutes later as he circles the kitchen table. “I want them destroyed. I want them legally forbidden from so much as looking at a child…”

Officer Tsukauchi, who looks like he hastily pulled a jacket on over his pyjamas, just sips at his tea, and Yoshito smiles as he watches his brother.

Little Hitoshi will likely never know just how fortunate he got when Izuku dove into that particular bush. Hisashi may no longer be willing to involve himself in clearly illegal activities, but one thing people never seemed to realize about All For One was…

He enjoyed using the law to fuck people up. After all, money was never an issue.

Well, Yoshito is not going to complain about Izuku possibly gaining a new friend, especially if said friend coincidentally gains a protector willing to rain fire and fury down on those that may have mistreated him. Of course it remains to be seen where Hitoshi can go, but – Hisashi is likely to run such an extensive background check on potential carers, most governmental agencies would be jealous.

“Who’s that?” Tsukauchi asks when the doorbell rings.

“Hopefully Tensei,” Hisashi waves his hand dismissively. “Apparently Hitoshi likes Eraserhead, so I told him to fetch him.”

“…It’s the middle of the night,” the policeman shakes his head. “And you… What, commanded Iida to bring a hero?...”

“Look, I have a traumatized child in my care. I wanted to do something nice for him,” Hisashi shrugs and then perks up. “Oh – apparently his favourite hero is a relatively unknown underground hero by the name of Eraserhead! Can we spin that in some way to our benefit?”

“…Seriously?...” Tsukauchi asks with a shake of his head. “What would you have done if it were someone like Best Jeanist?...”

“Everyone has a price,” Hisashi shrugs. “I’d have called his agency and promised to donate an obscene amount of money to some charity he has close ties to if he would swing round first thing in the morning; it's no skin off my back if a few thousand more kids get free school meals or something like that. Now, back to the matter at hand…” Hisashi grins a truly malicious grin that has Yoshito shaking his head, because – his brother is scheming. “Hitoshi has been terribly mistreated by those he should have trusted. And yet, despite all that, despite his pain and his suffering – he looks up to a hero, someone who upholds the law and protects the public! He still believes in law and order, can tell the difference between right and wrong… And more than that! Hitoshi most admires a hero that is relatively unknown, someone who does not seek fame or recognition but simply acts because of a desire to do what is right! A child like that would clearly never seek to harm others intentionally…”

“I will work a little on the phrasing, but that should go down well with the judge!” the lawyer responds, clearly excited about that line of attack. Yoshito wonders whether some of that excitement also comes from the knowledge that Hisashi is prepared to pay him an absolute fortune. After all, he's pretty sure most lawyers don't answer calls in the middle of the night unless they're urgent.

Then again the amount of money Hisashi has probably makes it very urgent indeed.

And anyway, Yoshito isn't sure they'll even need to argue that much. He rather fancies that any judge that so much as glanced at Hisashi would see that it would be political (and possibly literal) suicide to excuse Hitoshi's treatment. Trying to send the little boy back to whoever was looking after him would be liable to bankrupt the city.

With a smile and feeling rather optimistic, Yoshito heads out to the living room. Hitoshi seemed to be getting a bit overwhelmed by the time Tsukauchi arrived (not that Yoshito can blame him for being nervous around adults) and Izuku, seemingly picking up on the other boy's nerves, moved them to the living room where Hitoshi immediately hid behind the couch.

Izuku didn't say anything about it, instead collecting some cookies from Kurogiri and joining the other boy so the adults can plot in peace.

Most of the ghosts (apart from Nana, who is back in the kitchen, watching Hisashi with a gleeful expression) are gathered around the boy's, eager to see Hitoshi's reaction to coming face to face with his favourite hero. All, that is, except for Daigoro, who is floating near the ceiling, grumbling, "Eraserhead? ERASERHEAD?! There are way cooler heroes than fricking ERASERHEAD..."

Yoshito just ignores him though, as he joins his nephew, a wide smile on his face.

Surely things are looking up for Hitoshi.

Chapter Text

“Three, two, one…” Izuku counts down.

“Happy adoption day, Hitoshi!” three boys, one adult and five dead heroes cheer.

Yoshito smiles as he watches a flustered Hitoshi accept well-wishes. Even as an outside observer, he knows – it hasn’t been easy. Hitoshi has a lot of baggage, and he was adopted by two young heroes, neither of whom have experience with children. And, even at their young age… Aizawa seems to have baggage of his own.

But somehow, Hitoshi seems to have settled in and both he and his new parents are thriving. And what better way to mark exactly one year since becoming a family in the legal sense of the word, than by going to the zoo?

“This is going to be so much fun!” Izuku grins as he tugs Hitoshi along to the entrance. “What do you want to see first?!”

“I… I don’t know,” Hitoshi mumbles, and Yoshito frowns. Something… is off about him.

“Well, what’s your favourite animal?” Shoto asks as they wait for Hisashi to hand over their tickets. “Mine are penguins!”

“I like the red pandas!” Izuku smiles.

“My personal favourite is the axolotl!”

“Well, I like the cheetahs!” Tensei laughs as he ruffles his brother’s hair. “After all, they’re practically my spirit animal!”

“Are you sure you’re not confusing them with orangutans?” Hisashi remarks as they’re waved through. Then, however, he smiles down at the boys and offers, “Personally, I like the capuchin monkeys. And… Inko always loved cranes.”

“I could have sworn you were a piranha man.”

“I like the gorillas!” Mic grins and gives a gentle tug on his boyfriend’s arm. “And Shota here is a tortoise at heart!”

“So, Hitoshi?” Tenya asks. “Which animal do you want to see today the most?”

“…I don’t know,” the boy admits quietly. “I never visited a zoo before.”

There’s a moment’s silence, only interrupted by a groan from one of Yoshito’s successors. Then…

“We have to visit all the exhibits!” Izuku announces. “We can’t leave before Hitoshi’s found a favourite animal!”

“Do not worry, Hitoshi!” Tenya adds. “I made sure to bring my animal encyclopaedia, so we can look up any contenders!”

“Right, let’s go!” Shoto grins and tugs Hitoshi along to the first enclosure.

“Eeew!” Hitoshi exclaims as he pinches his nose. “Elephants stink!”

“I admit it is not the most pleasant of odours, but still – elephants are highly intelligent creatures…”

“They still pong!”

“Alright, elephants are out!” Izuku nods as he crosses them off the map. “On to the hippos!”

“I don’t get the big deal about pandas,” Hitoshi remarks. “I mean – they’re kind of boring…”

“…Yeah, they are,” Izuku admits as they stare down at the sleeping bear. “All they ever do is eat, sleep and poop…”

“Oh, look, mum!” a nearby teenager exclaims. “Isn’t it cute?”

Hitoshi frowns as he looks over at the four other people looking into the enclosure.

Touya smiles and waves at them.

“Shoto, isn’t that your family?”

“Yeah,” Shoto rolls his eyes, not even bothering to glance over at his mother and siblings. “Didn’t seem fair that only I get to come, so Uncle Hisashi bought them tickets. He does that sometimes.”

Yoshito smiles at his adoptive sister and her older children as Natsuo says something and breaks off to head towards a nearby ice cream stall. Admittedly, he had been... uncomfortable, at first, with their close relationship with Hisashi, but - over the years he has come to see that, despite everything, Hisashi is an overall positive influence on Endeavor's children.

He buys them birthday gifts. He comes up with excuses so that Shoto is not the only one that gets to do things. He watches them if needed, even if it's at a moment's notice.

In a word - he is trying to live up to his title of uncle.

But, back in the land of the living, the four boys stare into the enclosure for a few more minutes, unimpressed.

“…Maybe it’s a girl thing?” Hitoshi offers by way of explanation.

“Probably,” Shoto nods sagely. “Oh, look! Ice cream!”

“Penguins!” Shoto grins as he sprints off towards where a small crowd is starting to form to watch the feeding. “Come on, guys!”

“…He really likes penguins, doesn’t he?” Hitoshi smiles as he follows at a slower pace.

“Oh yeah,” Izuku rolls his eyes. “He’ll want to stay for a while, though – me and Tenya will probably go use the loos in a few minutes.”

“What? Why?”

“…Well, you see one penguin feeding, you’ve seen them all,” Izuku shrugs. “Or at least – it feels like that sometimes. But – Shoto really loves penguins.”

“And it would be rude to rush him, so we allow him to take his time at their enclosure,” Tenya adds. “Only… We aren’t quite so enthusiastic about penguins.”

“So we tend to use the toilets, or get snacks,” Izuku finishes. “At least we know where to find him!”

“What about tigers?” Tenya asks. “Since you like cats, perhaps the most regal cat is appropriate?”

“That’s lions,” Shoto argues. “Everyone knows lions are the kings of the jungle.”

“Technically speaking, lions do not live in jungles,” Tenya responds. “And I believe they are so popular simply by way of marketing. Tigers on the other hand – they are not only regal and elegant, they are also stealthy. Deadly. Much like an underground hero!...”

“I don’t know,” Hitoshi frowns down at the enclosure. “Can we put it on the maybe list?”

“Alright!” Izuku nods as he leans his notebook against the wall. “Above or below piranhas?”

“Hitoshi! Hitoshi, I’ve found it!” Izuku sprints up to his friend, Yoshito following behind at a slower pace, a bemused smile on his face. “I’ve found your favourite zoo animal!”

“Really?” the boy frowns, clearly confused. “…But we’re in the bird section…”

“I know, but – trust me, you’ll love it!” Izuku grins as he grabs Hitoshi’s hand and drags him over to a cage. “Look, see?!”

“Oh…” Hitoshi breathes as he stares up at the birds for a minute. “It’s a Mic bird!”

There’s a snort from somewhere, as Daigoro undoubtedly doubles over from laughter. Yoshito doesn’t mind, though, as he watches the boys.

“I told you so!” Izuku beams, clearly delighted with himself.

“…A Mic bird?” Shoto questions as he joins them, clearly dubious.

“It says here it is a Sulphur-crested cockatoo,” Tenya reads the plaque.

“It’s a Mic bird, it looks just like him!” Hitoshi insists with all the conviction of a child and then turns back to the adults. “Mic, Mic! There’s a bird that looks just like you!”

Tensei doubles over with laughter, and Aizawa starts mysteriously coughing. Mic, thankfully, just grins down at the excited boy, and once again – Yoshito realizes how lucky Hitoshi got. Not just to have been adopted by his childhood hero, but also… He found someone who he clearly adores, and, more importantly – someone who adores him too.

Yoshito just hopes Present Mic knows how fortunate he is.

“Seriously?!” Mic laughs. “Well, come on, little listener, let’s snap a photo! Shota… Actually, Midoriya, could you take the picture?”

“Alright!” Present Mic grins once they have exhausted the zoo and stumbled into the gift shop, tired and weary. “Hitoshi, to celebrate one year of you being Shota’s official son – pick out anything you want!”

“I want a Mic bird!” Hitoshi immediately responds as he hurries over to the display of plushies, the Voice Hero close behind him.

Yoshito smiles down at the remaining three boys, feeling so incredibly proud of them. And, perhaps, he’s not the only one, because Hisashi raises an eyebrow and asks, “What about you three? You can pick out something small…”

“Penguin,” Shoto immediately answers.

“Perhaps a new book…”

“Actually, I think we should get four keychains,” Izuku speaks up.

“What?!”

“Why?!”

Yoshito frowns at that unusual request and watches as Izuku pulls his friends into a corner and, in a hushed voice, explains something. Whatever it is must be convincing, because Shoto soon starts nodding, and Tenya beams.

“An excellent idea, Izuku! Uncle Hisashi – Uncle Hisashi, we want four keychains!”

“But they have to be the same!” Shoto hastily adds. “…What animal do we get?”

“They’ve got cats!” Izuku reports as he examines the rack. “Oh – they’ve got purple cats!”

“Yes! Four purple cats!”

“Why are you getting four identical keychains?” Tensei asks, having apparently recovered from his latest bout of laughter. Yoshito drifts closer, eager for an answer himself.

“We can’t tell you yet,” Izuku shrugs. “It’s a surprise!”

“Look what Mic got me!” Hitoshi rushes back over at that moment, proudly carrying a large toy cockatoo. Then he stops and frowns. “Oh – is that all you’re getting?...”

“Yeah!” Shoto grins as he holds out one of the keychains. “It was Izuku’s idea!”

“I thought we should all get one!” Izuku smiles. “So we all remember your first time at the zoo!”

“…Hitoshi?” Tenya asks. “Are you… What do you think?”

Hitoshi just sniffs and wipes at his eyes, and – once again – Yoshito wishes he could hug him.

Chapter Text

Strange though it may seem, Yoshito sort of… forgets about All For One.

It’s not that all his memories of the past few decades suddenly vanish, but as the years pass, the villain sort of… slips to the back of his mind. Because… All For One doesn’t matter. Izuku is happy and thriving, although Yoshito dreads the impending hormone-fuelled teen years. And beyond that – Tenya has proven himself to be a reliable friend. Shoto is nothing like that shy little boy Izuku first met, and Hitoshi… Well, Hitoshi has a rather unfortunate habit of encouraging Izuku’s Quirk experiments, but at least he’s in a loving home.

And, crucially, Hisashi is… Hisashi is Hisashi, and simply being able to think that warms something deep in Yoshito’s soul, something he believed died a slow and painful death many years ago. Because Hisashi is a loving father, a reliable friend, a caring uncle. And yes, Yoshito will admit perhaps Hisashi is a little… rough around the edges, but when he looks at the man, Yoshito can’t help but see that same little boy that was once his whole world.

Hisashi Midoriya is the man Yoshito always knew Hisashi Shigaraki would grow up to be. And even if his name is different, even if his face is that of a stranger, he is every bit the brother Yoshito loved and trusted and missed and mourned. And knowing that Hisashi (Yoshito’s Hisashi, Inko’s Hisashi, Izuku’s Hisashi) is somehow back, Yoshito doesn’t think about All For One, doesn’t want to give the demonic spectre any attention when he can just… watch Hisashi live.

So when one day Izuku comes down to find Kurogiri and Gigantomachia missing and Hisashi very much distracted, it never occurs to Yoshito that it isn’t anything… particularly unusual. Instead he simply worries that perhaps his brother is coming down with something, or something unexpected came up and Hisashi has to leave the country for a while. When Hisashi decides they should move to the study, Yoshito trails after them, confused, but still secure in his belief that this is just some formality, perhaps to do with wills, or custody, or inheritance.

It never occurs to Yoshito that it could be because of All For One.

And so Yoshito has no time to brace himself. He is not prepared to watch his world crumble in front of his eyes as he is unable to do anything; he is not prepared for the desperation that drives him to beg Hisashi to stop talking, is not ready for how his fingers go straight through Izuku when he lunges to stop his nephew from running out the door. Yoshito had become so used to being an outside observer, but a few years of watching Hisashi has destroyed his apathy. Only now - now, as he looks around the office, horrified, Yoshito is faced with an impossible choice.

Izuku or Hisashi.

Go or stay.

And it should not be a difficult decision when he promised Izuku, but - he can almost see All For One lurking in Hisashi's shadow, just waiting for the slightest opening to slither back in. If Yoshito leaves, if he follows Izuku, will he return to find Hisashi gone again? Does Izuku - does Izuku have any way of understanding the danger they're all in? Because Izuku is still a child, a far-too-intelligent child with a penchant for overthinking things, and has no way of imagining the terror of All For One at the peak of his power.

Why should he? Izuku has never had any reason to fear his father.

Except All For One was almost a parasite in the ways he feeds on negative emotions, draws his power from fear and anger and grief, and as Yoshito stares at his brother, he can't help but wonder...

...Is there any way that an All For One, drawing on the grief over losing Inko and Izuku, could be stopped?

“Yoshito!” a familiar voice yells, and then Yoshito feels someone slap him. He looks up, confused, at Second, who just screams at him, “Go!”

Then he shoves him out through the wall.

Decision made for him, Yoshito takes off after his nephew, desperate. It's not too late yet; All For One has not broken through yet, Hisashi is still there. If Izuku would just turn around, disaster can still be averted. After all - Izuku has a power Yoshito never possessed, Izuku has a power even greater than the combined might of All For One and One For All. Izuku was what Hisashi latched onto when faced with his grief over losing Inko, Izuku was enough for Hisashi to turn his back on All For One. Without knowing it, Izuku has spent the whole of his young life saving people, simply by virtue of existing. Now, though - now, Yoshito needs Izuku to take action, be a hero.

Yoshito needs Izuku to save Japan.

Yoshito needs Izuku to save All Might.

Yoshito needs Izuku to save Hisashi.

It is a great burden to place on the shoulders of a teenage boy, but the most agonizing part is that Yoshito knows Izuku can do it.

All he needs to do is turn around.

In the end, All For One is not defeated by the Symbol of Peace. All For One is not brought down by the might of One For All, does not go out in one final blaze of glory. Instead, All For One dies a slow and silent death, so insignificant that no one even notices he is gone until much later.

It's rather poetic in Yoshito's opinion.

The seeds for All For One's demise are planted quietly, by a normal housewife who has never even heard of him. They're tiny, inconsequential things that All For One in his prime would have scoffed at, and perhaps on their own no one single thing would work, but together they are like the little drops of water that together make up a vast ocean. A kind smile, a homecooked meal, a surprise pregnancy. The final blow is not struck by All Might, but instead by a little boy who loves heroes and could never be afraid of his papa.

As his successors still struggle to process that All For One truly is gone for good, Yoshito drifts back into the bedroom where Hisashi and Izuku are. As he watches them, as he listens to Hisashi recount what feels both like ancient history and still-painful scars, he wonders when exactly All For One's fate was sealed. Was it when Izuku was born? Probably not; Yoshito knows all too well what a persistent bastard All For One was. Perhaps it was when Inko died?

Then again, does it even matter?

No, Yoshito decides, as he watches Hisashi reach for his wedding photo, it does not. All For One is dead and buried, and that is all that matters. Yoshito can finally stop worrying about the villain, can just spend the rest of eternity watching over his family.

He drifts over and settles just behind Hisashi to watch, confused, as his brother carefully begins taking the photo frame apart. It's almost unbelievable; over the years, Hisashi has been fiercely protective of this particular picture, even though he has several copies and Yoshito knows for a fact he has two electronic backups. To see him now taking it out of its frame, putting it in even the slightest danger of his own free will seems almost unbelievable.

Except then Hisashi reveals the reason for his overprotectiveness, and everything clicks into place.

Yoshito chokes back a sob as Hisashi pulls out a second picture. He's vaguely aware of movement around him, of Izuku saying something, but he can't seem to focus on that as he stares at the two little boys. For the first time he can remember he is glad he is dead, because at least his tears won't damage the photograph.

He can still vaguely remember mother telling them to smile, remembers looking over at Hisashi, unaware of all the pain and strife and grief that their future held, can still remember the days when he believed nothing and nobody could ever drive him and Hisashi apart.

And perhaps, in a way, he was right.

Because this single, solitary picture is enough. This photo is proof that even when all hope seemed lost, even when Yoshito thought Hisashi was gone forever - Yoshito was loved. Yoshito was missed. Even at the height of All For One's power, there was still some tiny spark of Hisashi somewhere in there. Perhaps not much, perhaps only enough to preserve this picture, but it was there.

Hisashi was never dead, he was just... sleeping.

Perhaps, Yoshito wonders as he wipes away tears, All For One was doomed from the very beginning. Not because there would always be heroes willing to stop him, not because of the power of One For All... Perhaps All For One was doomed because, no matter how hard he tried to fight it - at his core, he would always be Hisashi.

Yoshito rather likes that thought.