This Time

Chapter 47

Toshinori was happily surprised when he answered the knock at the apartment door to find young Midoriya standing before him. "Ah, sorry, All Might," the boy began nervously, almost as if he was uncertain of whether this visit was a good idea or not, "I guess I could have just texted you or tried to find you after class."

The blonde raised a brow and stepped back, holding open the door wider. "Nothing to be sorry about, my boy. Come on in. What's up?"

The green-haired teen hesitated for a moment as if he was unsure about actually entering his hero's home, and with a mix of both amusement and annoyance Toshinori wondered what the kid had expected if he came to see him after school like this. "Are you going to just stand in the hallway all day or what?" he asked dryly, making Izuku go wide-eyed before nodding and finally moving to step inside the apartment. Toshinori chuckled and rolled his eyes - the boy had come a long way, but he could still be so skittish sometimes. In a softer tone, the retired hero asked, "How about I make some tea?"

"Sure!" he answered, smile finally starting to show, and All Might gestured towards the sofa as he turned towards the kitchenette.

"Make yourself at home. I've got snacks too, if you're hungry," he offered.

"Just tea is fine," the teen answered, sounding somewhat distracted. Toshinori glanced over his shoulder and could barely stop himself from laughing as he realized the kid was already fawning over some of the All Might merch that was scattered about the place.

"Oh wow! That's the limited edition, fifteenth anniversary All Might figurine!" the kid gushed over the item that Toshinori honestly was just using as a bookend for the shelf. "These are super rare!"

The retired head shook his head in amusement, blonde bangs flopping in his face. However silly Toshinori might be for it, it still warmed his heart that his student was such a fanboy even after everything they'd been through. He brought the tea over and set it down on the coffee table. "I've got a few bits of merch scattered about. Someday I'll take you to Might Tower - you'll really get a kick out of some of the things I've got there," he chuckled, pouring the kettle into each of their mugs. There was no point in telling the kid that he'd already adjusted his will so that Izuku would inherit all his rarest collectibles.

Large green eyes went even wider. "That would be so cool!" Midoriya exclaimed.

"Well, anyway, I'm sure this isn't really what you came here to talk about. What's on your mind?" Toshinori prompted before sitting down on the sofa and patting the spot beside him.

Izuku didn't hesitate as long this time as he cupped his mug in his hands and sat down beside his mentor. "I've been giving a lot of thought to what we've been working on with my training - weaponizing wind pressure for ranged attacks, I mean," he began, brow furrowed in concentration as he stared into his tea seriously. "I've been thinking about requesting a new support item to help me out with that. What do you think?"

"A support item, huh?" Toshinori hummed, sitting back and tapping a finger to his chin. "Reinforcing your power with new gear could be smart, as long as you don't become reliant on it - I've seen too many heroes fall into the trap of not being able to hold their own once an item is lost. What were you thinking, exactly?"

"There's a girl in support studies who made my Iron Soles for me. I was thinking of asking her to make an item that could focus the wind blasts - a pair of gloves maybe? - and maybe that would make the shots more accurate too without being at the expense of my hands," he explained.

All Might nodded. "It's a good thought. I tried something similar myself, actually."

"Wait, wha-!?" Izuku started, nearly spilling his tea as he jumped. "You used a support item? How did I not know this?!"