Glass Heart

Glass Heart - Chapter Eighty

Izuku felt his breathing stop when Hitoshi collapsed on the screens. His raspy breaths only got noticed by Yaoyorozu and Aizawa, the former taking care of him, and the latter rushing off to make sure Hitoshi was okay. It was only when Izuku saw his brother open his eyes and sleepily talk to Aizawa – Aizawa being firm on sending him to Recovery Girl just in case – that Izuku began to calm down.

"S- sorry, Yaoyorozu..." Deku calmed down quickly, knowing how important it was for the students to always see Deku as a firm and reliable hero, one they could rely on. "I kinda drifted off there..."

Yaoyorozu looked at him in a slightly worried fashion as Deku awkwardly chuckled, before letting the moment pass, and continuing on with their battle strategy. They were up against Kaminari and Jirou, two very strong opponents – Kaminari's quirk worked extremely well with Jirou's mind and adaptability, meaning their plan would have to be very precise and thought out in order for it to work.

"I'm happy to go with whatever idea you decide. You can count on me!" Izuku found himself a bit confused at hearing Yaoyorozu say such things. It felt like she was allowing Izuku to lead everything while she sat back as a tool for him to use to win, rather than a companion to fight alongside him as equals. Sure, he was an official hero whereas she was not, but they were the same age, not to mention she was still in training to become a hero – mental state and independence are both incredibly important factors. If you can't trust yourself in the heat of battle, then you will fail.

He sighed in response to her words, shaking his head slowly back and forth, as he sternly spoke her name. "Yaoyorozu." She turned her head to look at Izuku, and even though the two of them hadn't spent much time together, he could recognise the insecurity within her eyes. It reminded him a lot of when he was younger, doubting himself.

Noticing how nervous she seemed, he gave her a reassuring smile. "You... have a lot of pressure on you, don't you?" She didn't say anything in response, but her eyes widened slightly, letting Izuku know he was on the right track. While he hadn't learned much, Shouta had taught him a little about how to appropriately talk to civilians as a hero, how to help them mentally as well as physically. Sometimes Izuku wonders whether Shouta would've made a good therapist.

... no, probably not.

He's a great dad though.

"Stop worrying about what everyone else wants. This time, I'll be following you." He was unable to tell exactly what his words made Yaoyorozu feel, however he could recognise determination like hers from a mile away – and he could easily spot it forming in her eyes, as she smiles at him.

"Rest assured, you can count on me!"

After a little longer, the teachers focusing on Hitoshi, and on cleaning up the battle site, they called Deku and Yaoyorozu down to fight against Kaminari and Jirou. As the villains of this exercise, they were given an extra amount of time inside the building before the heroes had access to it. Yaoyorozu went in first, Deku casually following behind.

"Remember – today, I want to see your delegating skills, your quick thinking, and your leadership abilities. Today, I will be following your instructions. Alright?" He spoke sternly to her, like a teacher would. However, that tone of voice wouldn't last too much longer, because shortly, he'd be the one following her lead.

Yaoyorozu nodded determinedly in response, and they continued inside the looming building. There were several floors... which one should they take?

Of course, Izuku already had the correct answer, but this time, he was under his partner's instruction, and so he waited for her to make a choice.