Mending Old Wounds

Cursed Quirk

Monday June 28th

Bakugou's POV:

I stomped through All Might's open office door, and kicked it shut behind me. He looked up from whatever paperwork he was hunched over, took his glasses off, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Young Bakugou," he sighed. "Apparently, we need to talk."

"You gonna tell Aziawa Sensei about OFA, or let Deku tell him?"

"I already told you, no," he answered, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.

"Then we have nothing to talk about," I turned around to leave.

"Bakugou!" I paused with my hand on the door. "You know it's dangerous for too many people to have that information."

I spun back on him, "No! It's too dangerous for Deku to be out on missions with an unstable quirk! He learns something new about OFA every goddamned day! He needs to be able to tell just a few people he can trust, so they know what the fuck is wrong if things go sideways. No! WHEN things go sideways, because things ALWAYS go sideways!"

"He has you," All Might gave me a pathetically, soft look.

"I'm not always there!" I felt tears start to well in my eyes, but I didn't stop. "Who he shares his secret with should be HIS choice! It's IZUKU'S quirk and  his secret now! He has to live with it, and you should trust him! Did Nana Shimura dictate who you chose to share your secret with?!"

All Might didn't answer, but he wouldn't meet my teary glare. "I didn't fucking think so."

I took a deep breath and let it out with a shudder. I softened my voice and pleaded with All Might. "He shouldn't even have to ask you, but of course he wants your blessing, so please, just give it to him. At least let him tell Aizawa, so he can give him some proper quirk counseling. He should have been getting it for years."

All Might just stared at me for a long time, with a sad look on his face. I never broke eye contact and didn't hide the fact that I was actually sugar coating the hell out of what I really wanted to say to him.

"Do you still stand by what you said last year?" I knew exactly what he was talking about. This wasn't the first time I confronted All Might and called him out on his bullshit.

"Yeah, I do. I'll admit, Deku just keeps getting better. He takes more time to analyze a situation before he goes barreling in head first, he adapts quickly, and he's more willing to believe that he deserves OFA, but... I still think you gave a cursed quirk to a martyr, with an inferiority complex. Without a manual. Without explaining all the risks. You offered it up on a gold platter, wrapped up like a fucking gift."

I stopped before I could say some more hurtful shit. I was really biting my tongue. All Might just kept staring at me and I wanted to blast someone's face off. I could feel myself shaking, but I kept it together. For Izuku.

He finally spoke, "Who did you have in mind? Besides Aizawa?"

Holy shit.

I kept my face neutral, "That's up to Deku."

"But if you had to pick, who would you choose?"

"Todoroki and Kirishima," I spoke with zero hesitation and 100% confidence.

All Might stared at me for a few more seconds before he finally nodded, "All right, I'll speak with Midoriya about this tomorrow."

I tried to leave again, "One more thing, Bakugou. Well, two more things, actually."