BNHA: Lessons Learned

Chapter 10

   "Come on, Midoriya, you can do it! Five more!" Toshi encouraged him as he saw his friend slowing down on the push-ups that he was doing.
   "I've...I've done fifty!" Izuku gasped as he tried to ignore the burning in his arms and core.
   "So you can do fifty-five. That's only an extra ten percent, right? If I was cruel, I'd be asking for a hundred."
He managed to hit fifty-three, then his arms gave way and he collapsed face-first onto the lawn, breathing heavily.
   "You...you're an ogre." Izuku accused. "First you asked me for thirty, and I did that. Then you wanted forty, then after that you wanted fifty..."
   "And you gave me fifty-three." Toshi smiled. "I'm proud."
   "Well I'm fuckin' exhausted." He rolled into his back, then managed to sit up and accept the glass of orange juice.
   "...so a few crunches are out of the question, then?"
Izuku jokingly gave him the finger, then they both laughed.
   "I'll give you some crunches...if you tell me what happened with Sasha last night after I'd gone home."
Toshi paused. "...wha?"

Izuku laughed. "That face never gets old."
   "You're gettin' a vicious streak."
   "And you're evading the question. Not very well, either."
Toshi rolled his eyes. "Very well, since you asked so nicely. What happened...was that we talked for a while and then she dropped me back here at the house."
   "I don't mean that, I mean after that."
   "I, uh, had a shower and went to sleep?"
   "Toshi!!" He yelled. "Do I have to spell it out?"
   "Haha. You're gonna be disappointed, young disciple. Nothing else happened aside from that, and certainly not any of the wild things you're imagining."
   "...why not? You like each other, right?"
   "There's plenty of time for that sort of thing."
   "Not from where I was standing on the pier."
   "All things have their appointed moment, lad, and nothing can change it. That includes me, and that also includes the bond I have with her." He then grew a wicked smile. "Now then...I believe you owe me some crunches?"
   "Huh? But..."
   "You asked, and I answered. You can't weasel out of it just cos' you weren't keen on that answer. Ten, I think."
   "...me and my big mouth." Izuku sighed.

Saturday was usually extra training day, more often than not.
A little more effort, a little extra work. Toshi was also glad for the company too, and it meant that he could keep a close eye on the progress of his successor.
As he continued to watch Izuku finishing his workout and then do more practising of his special moves, half of his attention was also focused on last night...
Because a few things had actually happened, some very pleasant ones that he thought regularly of, but not to the scale that his friend had suggested while at Tirana.
He always felt a little bit guilty when he bent the truth, even though it was hardly the biggest fib on the planet.
He just didn't feel like telling Izuku, as close as they were, because part of the young man's reaction would definitely comprise of teasing that he didn't want to have.
That teasing would make him regret his choice even more.

   "Oh, you finished it!" Sasha said as she admired the sky blue walls of Toshi's living room after accepting his invite to stay for a movie and some more drinks.
   "...yeah, eventually." He'd actually forgotten about that excuse for an instant, but covered it well. "It's all dry and you can actually sit down again now. There were sheets over everything, y'see, not very attractive."
   "So you're partial to blue too." She smiled. "Nice."
   "...so, uh, want a coffee? Or I've got half a bottle somewhere, unless you've had enough."
   "I'm still good to go." She replied. "Didn't drink much."
   "Heh, nor me. Okay then, have a seat. Remote's there."
And so, they'd finished off that wine as they watched an action movie on the TV. They'd sat close, him feeling that it was okay to put an arm around her shoulders and her being happy to accept it, and they'd chatted on and off while they'd watched a cinematic struggle of Good and Evil.