My Hero Academia Oneshots

B= Brand New World

Ship: Tododeku

Word count: 3498

Summary: Every leader has stories about the challenges they have faced and struggles they have overcome. In the moment, those situations require strength, patience, perseverance, and courage.

As a pro hero and the number two hero, Izuku never imagined the challenges of working hard to save tens of thousands of people. Throughout his life, he experienced the divergence between the smiling hero he wanted to be, and the more reckless version of himself that showed up to break bone after bone every day. One day, he goes a little too far and the result is the hard truth that he may not walk again.

Ever.

____________________

In his life, Izuku had given more of himself than perhaps was wise. He had loved without boundaries and donated money when he should have kept it for himself. There was no slush fund for a private ward with food worth eating. When his friends came calling they brought something home cooked, and so, in one go, they nourished his body and soul. But the process of going completely paralyzed from the waist down was more cruel than any fiction he'd ever read.

The pain would be with him until the end, everyday a battle not to loose hope. He had a stack of books next to his hospital bed and not the strength to read one for more than a minute at a time; with the pain it was hard to follow the plot anyway. Sometimes his boyfriend, Todoroki, would pick up his favourite hero-based novel and read to him until he fell asleep.

When he awoke Shoto would've always left a note to say where he'd gone and when he'd return, signed love, Shoto.

Izuku had every note kept in the dresser and stuffed in his bag to make sure the cleaners didn't throw them out. The mornings brought bed baths from strangers, kindly though they were, and when his legs gave way he'd be winched onto a commode to do his business and afterwards left in an adult diaper.

There was no dignity here. When alone he let his face, so deeply etched with the lines of laughter and love, fall with gravity. Reserving his strength to smile for his visitors.

The doctors encouraged him to keep pushing, praising him whenever he managed to stand for more than 2 seconds. They'd stand around him in a circle, cheering for him as if he was the center of attention at a circus and had just taught an elephant to do backflips.

He understood, though. He was grateful that they were so supportive. The sanctity of the patient, their humanity, is what this hospital strives to uphold - especially in challenging times.

He'd prefer being in an enthusiastic hospital rather to be in one dull and boring. Occasionally, a nurse would drop by to give him flowers as if they were an old friend coming to visit him. "My break just started," they'd say. "I wanted to thank you for your service number 2 hero. No matter what happens to your legs, you'll always be our savior."

It'd make him feel good in the moment but then eventually the reality that he no longer would influence people in this way settled in and would force him into a depression.

"Thank you.." he mumbled aloud, enjoying the feelings of Todoroki's hands rubbing through his messy curls. "For staying with me.."

The heterochromatic hero smiled, "Of course." There was no place he'd rather be.

Izuku picked at a loose string on the dingy white blanket shielding his legs from the cold, although he wouldn't be able to feel it anyways. He was doing good but yesterday, his progress went down the drain when his ability to at least wiggle his toes, went away.