hero's shadow // mha

11) adjustments

Before Izuku knows it, a little over a month goes by.

The pile on Dagobah Beach has been growing smaller and smaller over the days, even in the short amount of time he's been working on it. All Might told Izuku that he's being a little too quick with it, that he needs to slow down if he wants to keep building muscle and stamina over time.

Izuku takes the too quick part as a compliment, even though the only reason he's been able to move everything so quickly is because All Might has been letting him use Boost for certain things now.

Together they came up with a change of plan. So now, instead of spending an hour on it every morning, Izuku will only spend thirty minutes cleaning it up. The extra time gives them more opportunities to try new training regimes and exercises.

New training is code for more hell.

But the good kind of hell. Is it bad to say that Izuku enjoys it? Training his body like this feels good. He's always been a bit fit, of course, but not like this. It hasn't been long, but he can feel the difference.

Especially during his patrols. His stamina is even better than it was, and he can lift fifty pounds more even without his enhancements.

The only downside is that now that he's burning more energy—not just on patrols anymore—he's starting to get hungry.

Incredibly hungry. He doesn't eat a lot as it is, so he's used to surviving off a little less than what he should be, but now he feels like he's starving.

He goes over to the Bakugou's more often now, and he knows they don't mind, but it still makes him guilty. On the weekends he goes to the pizzeria to help cook and clean, as Ms. Hanako lets him eat whatever he wants on the job—she tries to feed him for free even when he's not working, but Izuku won't have that.

He has to earn food. The family struggles as it is, he shouldn't take anything of theirs without some form of repayment.

And one morning at the park, All Might seems to notice his struggles as well.

Izuku is busy balancing on a bench with his eyes closed, one hand being used to keep himself up, when the hero comes up to him in his smaller form, voice edged with concern.

"You look a little pale there, my boy, are you sure you're alright?"

Izuku, still upside-down with his feet straight in the air, tries for a laugh. "I mean this is kinda difficult, it's taking a lot of focus—"

"You've looked like that all week. It can't possibly be from today's training."

What he means is that's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard.

Izuku can't really form a good response when he's balancing like this, so he instead shakes his free hand in what's hopefully an I don't know, then gesture and purses his lips to pretend like he's concentrating.

He can feel the hero's gaze on him. It's disconcerting.

"Have you been eating enough?"

Izuku's eyes fly open, and the jolt that goes through his body is enough to have him tumbling off the bench and falling onto the sidewalk.

He lays there for a moment and briefly wonders if it's possible to ask whatever god that exists up above to strike him down, only for his world to sway as Small Might carefully picks him up by the back of his shirt and sets him on his feet.

The man is close to him now, close enough to have to crane his neck to peer down at him. Even as Small Might, he's the same height as his hero form.