Chapter Text
Izuku’s leg jogged rapidly under the table, and he wrung his hands together. He tried to take deep breaths, but they were more shallow than what he was hoping for. He was sitting in a classroom. His classroom, for the first time in two years. Phantoms of friends long gone filled his peripherals, playing out memories of classes long-taught and conversations long-had. Well, most of what he remembered probably hadn’t occurred yet actually. They hadn’t even finished a third of their first year at this point.
This was going to be hard. His classmates… they were his friends… but they weren’t his friends as he is now. They had all undoubtedly grown close between the shared trauma and the dorms, where they lived in each other’s spaces.
But beyond all that, he’d just missed them all so much. Back in the End, he and Aizawa had spoken at length about the class. He- they- had been at peace with the situation. But that was before the prospect of actually seeing them again was tangible. He’d missed them all every day in the future, but he couldn’t change anything. He had to be happy with the time he’d had with them. He was happy. The time with them was precious.
Now he had more, and he could only dare to dream of a lifetime spent with his friends where they all lived to the fullest. They could graduate together, be pro heroes together, and retire together.
Izuku yearned.
Tendrils of black whip danced around his fingers. With the power he retained from the future self, he will twist his fate.
He pulled out his phone and glanced at the time. He must have been lost in thought for quite a while - he’d gained the courage to enter the classroom 20 minutes ago - ten minutes after leaving Nezu’s office.
The early arrivals among his class would start to turn up soon.
His heart jumped in his chest at the thought.
He was so glad his dad didn’t make him go to that staff meeting. He clearly needed the time to get this settled as it was. Izuku wondered if the man had known this. He probably did. Gosh, he really loves his dad.
Izuku sat at his desk expectantly for a few more minutes before giving up, and instead stood to lean against it. He tried to distract himself by looking out the window, but this window only showed the forested area around UA. He found himself glancing at the door so often he opted to just stare at it instead.
He waited.
The door clicked.
Izuku froze.
The door cracked open at a pace that taunted him.
His breath hitched.
His friend looked up as the door closed behind him. His face brightened upon noticing Izuku.
“Ah-! Good morning Midoriya! It’s unusual to see anyone in the classroom before- OOF!”
Izuku was not even going to try to stop himself from crying as he nearly barrelled Iida over. He felt Iida’s arms pinwheel, trying to recover from the sudden addition of Izuku, who was latched onto Iida like a koala.
“Midoriya-kun! Are you okay?! What happened? Do I need to find a teacher?”
Izuku gave a wet laugh. He felt Iida’s demeanour soften a fraction.
“Midoriya?”
Izuku hid an elated smile in the crook of his friend’s neck. He can’t believe he’s about to do this. He can’t believe he has the chance to-
“Hi Iida.”
The chance to be with his friends again.
This Iida was a bit more stiff than what Izuku remembered, but was clearly trying his best as he gently pet Izuku’s head. It did nothing to stop the gentle flow of tears leaking from his eyes. The blue-haired boy had tried to sit in his seat, but it was a bit of a tight squeeze between the desk, and the whole other teenager latched on to him, so he had, only with slight hesitation, sunk to the floor.
As the crying began to taper off, he lifted his head, and Iida tried to talk again.
“Midoriya… what’s wrong?”
But Izuku wasn’t paying attention.
The door had slid open again. Sparkles appeared in the open space.
Iida blinked as his lap was now empty.
Aoyama blinked as he was knocked to the floor, left completely unable to react to the speed Izuku had launched at him with.
“Mon ami, what is the occasion?”
Nope, too late. Aoyama didn’t ask his question fast enough. Izuku was now crying incoherently once again. Aoyama sent a baffled look over to Iida from the floor. The boy only shook his head in equal confusion.
Every time Izuku calmed enough that the people in the class felt they could ask him questions, another member opened the door, was tackled, and promptly subjected to the Midoriya Tears.
Hagakure was one of the last people to enter, and was currently in possession of the koala Izuku. The class floated around the two worriedly, speaking in low tones of concern for their green-haired classmate. Suddenly, Izuku untucked his face and turned to look at where the majority of people were grouped. The class froze. Izuku’s gaze swept over everyone as he counted all present. One, two, three, four- eleven, twelve- seventeen, eighteen. Panic gripped his chest. Still clutching to Hagakure, he look back and forth manically. One, two, three, four… someone wasn’t here.
Kacchan.
Izuku’s breaths came out in short bursts. No, no, no, no, no. He’d only seen Kacchan’s death. Kacchan wasn’t here. Did something go wrong? He was always one of the first to arrive. Everyone was here but him. Izuku’s tears thickened. Did him coming back change something? Was this not his past? What-
Bang!
A collective flinch passed through the tense class.
A sharp red pupil scanned the room.
“Oi, what are you extras loitering around for?”
Oh. He’s here. The alive, young, very explodey Kacchan. Well, if Izuku wanted to live past today he better not-
He launched onto Kacchan.
The class watched in horror.
Bakugo stumbled back.
“WHAT THE FU-”
Question time will be granted at Izuku’s whim. Right now, it was time to cry again. Kacchan had been gone the longest. Kacchan had been there the longest. Kacchan was Izuku’s first loss. He won’t let go, won’t let him go, let him die, again.
“Deku, what the hell? Get off right now!”
Izuku shook his head and gripped tighter.
Katsuki tried to shake him off to no avail.
“When did you get so pushy? LET GO RIGHT NOW!” This time he tried to unlatch Izuku’s hands. He had no such luck. “Oi, pink cheeks, what’s going on with the nerd?”
Uraraka looked up in distress. He was her best friend and she had no idea what to do.
“I have no clue! He’s done that to everyone that entered the room! He even gave Mineta a hug!”
Bakugo’s face twisted comically.
“Nerd, what the fuck?”
He felt Izuku mumble something in his shoulder. The class immediately silenced, really wanting some answers about his odd demeanour.
Bakugo huffed at the indistinct jumble of words. “Nerd?” He prompted.
Another mumble.
Jiro, Bakugo, and Shoji, who had formed an ear, froze.
Jiro hesitantly stepped forward, horror etched on her face.
“Midoriya… what?”
Finally, he let go of the now stock-still Bakugo, and stepped gently to face the class.
Some let out a gasp at the haunted look in his eyes.
With a never-before seen seriousness, he addressed the group.
“I haven’t seen you all since you died two years ago.”
…
“WHAT?!”