Chapter Text
In the End, he had come to peace with the events that occurred. No matter how much he wishes he could have stopped everything, wishes he could have helped just that little bit more, it had already happened. The best thing for him to do was to move forward. Maybe he couldn’t have become a hero to others. So he had to be a hero to himself. No matter how long it took him to understand that.
Standing in front of the gate to UA, he felt like a fifteen year old all over again. Hopeful, excited, and anxious out of his mind. He supposed he wasn’t that far off. After all, he was, technically, fifteen once more.
The mix of emotions he felt at seeing this special place standing once again… he couldn’t begin to identify all the feelings filling his chest.
His eyes were locked on the logo of the famous high school that sat proudly on the arch. He felt every pulse reverberate in his chest as a chill passed his body through. It was a powerful sight for him, to say the least.
He clenched his fist. With the knowledge and power he now held, he would make sure UA would stay standing for decades to come.
With his affirmed determination, Izuku stepped onto the school grounds. He walked along the empty path to the gleaming building. The space was usually milling with students, all eager for a new day at the prestigious high school, but Izuku had come at the earliest time he possibly could. He needed to check on a few things after all. Hopefully, if he was right, he wasn’t the only one.
Izuku tried not to let in the thoughts that asked him what he would do if Aizawa hadn’t come through time with him. If he was all alone in that place… Izuku didn’t want to imagine. Or worse, what if Aizawa, his dad, was dea-
Eh?
Was it just Izuku or was the ground looking a lot closer than it had two seconds ago?
Right as he was about to kiss the pavement, he felt something grab the collar of his shirt.
He froze in his downwards path. A voice sounded from above.
“I’m pretty sure that’s a bad omen, kid.”
…
Pure, unadulterated joy filled his being. Izuku escaped the grip and righted his position so that he was standing to face the source.
There, in all his glory, was his scruffy homeroom teacher, Aizawa-sensei. The man who, for all intents and purposes, was his dad.
Izuku felt tears fill his eyes as he took the man in. While the man usually looked scruffy, it was much worse in the End. Comparatively, he was the tidiest Izuku had seen him in two years. As he observed carefully, he realised that Aizawa’s leg was back, as none of the fabric of his clothes was caught on the more jagged edges of the prosthetic the man had needed at the time. Finally, and most notably, was the uncovered right side of his face. The uncovered right side of his face, which revealed a fully present, and fully functioning eye.
He smiled shakily.
A beat.
“Hey sensei.”
Aizawa’s eyes softened immensely, and his lips shifted into an incredibly loving smile.
“Hey, kid.” he returned, gently.
Izuku sniffled.
“You… you have your eye.”
Aizawa nodded patiently.
“And… and your leg.”
Aizawa’s own eyes began to dampen.
“I do, kid.”
“...Most of your scars are gone.”
“As are yours.”
A moment passed.
“We’re back.” Izuku whispered, shakily. “We’re really back.”
“We are.”
And with that, Izuku flung himself forward, into waiting arms. His feet were off the floor as he gripped his father in a tight embrace. Aizawa clutched his son with equal fervor, holding him in his arms. The relief at having each other there, the version that the other had grown close with, spent the hardest points of their lives together with, and began to heal with, was fully palpable between the two.
They sank to the floor, not letting the other go and began to sob. Izuku hid his face in his father’s chest, while Aizawa lay his chin on Izuku’s head, tears falling on the green mop of curls that belonged to the child he loved so much. He buried his face in the curls.
“...You’re so small.” He keened gently.
Izuku let out a wet laugh.
“I’m almost sixteen.”
Aizawa breathed.
“God. You are.”
They sat on the ground in each other's embrace for a few more minutes, calming their tears. Slowly, they untangled, and stood on shaky legs.
Still not quite ready to be apart, they gripped each other’s hand.
Izuku felt a tug on his hand and looked up to see Aizawa looking back at him. A squeeze.
“Ready to go in, Izuku?”
Izuku squeezed back, and turned to look forward resolutely.
He straightened his shoulders.
“Yeah.”
Together, they took the next steps forward.
Birds chirped happily in the background.