Heroic Path (I. Midoriya)

Chapter One

It's a few hours after Kami sees the news story that Toshinori returns home. His form having reverted back to his 'normal' one, his smaller one. Now that he is free of the press and probably aching. The white shirt that stretched over his larger frame now hangs like a bedsheet around him as he shuffles towards the couch like some kind of tired zombie. He drops onto the couch beside her. Exhausted. He lays his head back and closes his eyes. It is very clear that he is tired. His whole body shivers with the the task of even holding himself up. It reminds her of how he was in the early days of his injuries. It's like every time he pushes himself, he ends straight back there. Kami worries her bottom lip and then turns to face him, setting her soda down on the coffee table.

"I saw the story on the news" She admits. "You and the sludge villain" He reaches over and pats her head, letting his hand rest there a moment before he strokes his fingers through her hair. Trying to reassure her. Almost as if he knows she's been worrying about him. "You over did it" She comments. He hums in agreement not lifting his head to look at her. He won't lie to her about what's going on since she is likely the one to suffer most because of it, after him of course. But she has to watch him going through this. She watched him recover. She watches him hide this from the world. She's there to help him with his diet.

"I had a good reason" He whispers, drifting off to sleep already, his arm dropping to his lap. "You worry too much"

"I don't" She defends. She wasn't like this five years ago. Five years ago, she didn't think anything could touch him. He was the strongest person she knew and nothing would ever hurt him. She was wrong. And she learnt that lesson hard. That illusion was shattered when she saw him lying in that hospital bed, beaten and broken. And now she worries about him. About her father. About the only family that she has left. She's already lost one family. And she really doesn't want to go through that again. "I worry enough" She counters. "Because you're all that I have" She reminds him. "And I already thought I lost you once...."

"I was fine" He argues. "Recovered...."

"Barely" She complains as she stands from the couch. He's already falling asleep and he's going to be uncomfortable without a blanket and a pillow. He lifts his head slightly to watch her walk away.

"You know you're all I have too, right?" He asks her, she hums a little. She knows. They were both on their own. Family dead. Perhaps he saw himself in her when he found her. Perhaps there are many reasons why he chose to take her in. They needed each other. Needed someone in their life to be that unconditional family member.

Kami grabs the blanket from the cabinet between the two bedroom doors in the hallway, along with one of the spare pillows before she returns to Toshinori who has settled himself on the couch properly. Laying on his side, his arm hanging off the side, fingers brushing against the floor. Kami smiles softly and then moves to set up the pillow under his head, brushing her fingers through his hair as she does. Even his hair loses some of its zeal when he's like this. She pats his head before she pushes herself to her feet, her eyes still on him though. He looks his age and his health status when he sleeps. Because there is no consciousness to keep up the pretence. She lets out a breath as she drapes the blanket over him. If anyone deserves a real break. It's All Might. Symbol of Peace. He could retire and rest, but he won't. Not yet anyway. Not until he finds himself a successor.

.......

Kami's changed out of her school uniform and is instead dressed in something a little more athletic. A pair of shorts, trainers, and a sports jacket, along with a cross-body strap that holds her phone. She heads back towards Toshinori. She doesn't want to just leave without at least telling him or leaving him a note to tell him where she is going. She can't harp on at him about worrying her and then just disappear without letting him know. Even when she does take a few days to train alone, she always tells him that she is going.

She pulls her hair back into a ponytail as she steps up to the couch, her eyes landing on Toshinori. She hums a little to herself as she snaps her hair band into place. Toshinori's still asleep on the couch, so instead of waking him, she leaves a post-it note reading 'Gone for a run. Be back later' attached to the television for him to see when he wakes up. She won't be gone long anyway. After today and then that news story and seeing him weakened, she needs to run off the excess stress. To work out her worry for him. She doesn't want to annoy him with it. He probably knows. He probably does actually worry about all the same things she worries about. She takes a deep breath and pushes it down. The whole point of her going out is to relax and to work off that worry, she shouldn't be adding more to it. She bypasses a few packed boxes that still sit waiting to be opened. As if they have only just moved in, and technically it's not far off being true. They haven't been living here for very long and it is a long way from Tokyo. Quieter. Which was among the arguments made by Toshinori to get her to agree. Small city. Less crime. Less risk for him. A slower, quieter life. That was the plan. So she would worry about him less. But they've been here a little over a week and he's already straining himself to the point of exhaustion.

....

On the street outside of the apartment, Kami's eyes scan around, turning left and right trying to decide where she wants to go. over the street as she steps out of the building. She's been learning her way around, mostly because she chooses to walk to and from school, which does give her a good look around the neighbourhood. And near by there is a local park that has a designated 'gym' area, including a running track. Which is just what she needs right now. A nice easy track to run around and to clear her mind of worry. Toshinori is All Might, he's powerful and he's been doing this a long time. He's fine. He'll be fine.