Izuocha's Love Stories

19 - A MOURNING CONFESSION

By Skinny_Bass

"I'm going to tell her."

The words lingered in the air for a long moment. The skeletal figure of Toshinori Yagi, formerly All Might, shifted in his comfortable recliner. Taking a sip of tea, he cast his gaze to the determined face of his successor.

The former and current pro heroes hadn't lost touch since Izuku's graduation and debut as the Pro Hero Deku. Far from it. Over the years, their bond had shifted from that of a mentor and mentee to a true friendship. They met fairly regularly now, either at a café or one of their abodes, to talk and spend time with each other.

"Is this a request or a statement?" Toshinori asked teasingly. Izuku glanced at him with a look of confusion on his face. "You came and asked me before you told Todoroki, do you feel the need to ask about Uraraka? It's your power too you know, even more now than ever. At this point, you don't need to ask me who can and can't know, I trust you to think your decisions through."

Izuku's eyes filled with determination once again. "This time it feels different. Todoroki is one of my best friends, and I think he sees me as a friendly rival. Uraraka is," he hesitated slightly and smiled, "my girlfriend. My partner. I trust her with my life. I know she's strong but there's still part of me that wants to protect her. I don't know if sharing the secret or keeping the secret is the more dangerous choice."

"Then it's a statement" the old man smiled.

"Do you think it's the safer option?"

"You said it yourself, she's a strong young hero" All Might be rebutted. "The life of a Pro Hero is a life of danger, and both of you take it in your stride. I was impressed with what she said about her time as a sidekick when she joined us last month. If anyone can bear the burden of this secret, it's someone like her." Both men shared a warm smile recalling Uraraka's vibrant telling of her exploits. "But don't look at me if you want relationship advice on top of that. I've always been hopeless with romance, even now. That's partly why I was so focused on being the symbol of peace. Or perhaps my focus was why I didn't do well with romance? Either way, I can only judge this hero to hero."

"That's another issue. She's not just my girlfriend, we're both working at the same hero agency. Do you think that would change anything?"

All Might took in a sharp breath. He knew exactly what Izuku was thinking. "Midoriya, I had my reservations about telling Nighteye, but I did not regret it. Until I faced All for One at least. He took it well, about as well as you took finding out about my injury." He sighed "No one truly knows what the future holds, you proved that. Even if I knew what would happen between the two of us, I still would've told him."

Deku nodded. All Might could tell the young man was mulling over his words. He welcomed the comfortable stillness that grew between them, underscored by Midoriya's soft murmuring. Shortly after, the young man stopped and took a sip of his tea, sighing in satisfaction.

"You know, I think you should try finding someone. You deserve love, Yagi. Out of all the people in the world, I think you deserve to love the most and not just on account of being All Might" Izuku smiled at his old mentor. Toshinori was thankful that he wasn't drinking at that moment. He laughed a strained but hearty laugh.

"Perhaps I should, Midoriya," he rattled through the laughter, "perhaps I should."
-----
The funeral for the man who was once the greatest hero in the world was surprisingly subdued. Though thousands came out to pay their respects in the wake, the actual funeral ceremony had been a much smaller affair. Of those there, most were Pro Heroes, including a good portion of classes A and B from Izuku's cohort. Nezu made a rare public appearance. Even the generally aloof Eraserhead was there in a black suit and tie.