Distress Signal

Trepidation

Trep·i·da·tion: A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.

===

Izuku startles when his ring vibrates, a message appearing on his visor.

Distress signal from: Shōta Aizawa.

Location: USJ on UA grounds

Izuku frowns, wondering if he hit it on accident. Theres no way something bad would happen on UA grounds. It has a really good security system. (Izuku should know, hes tried to break in before. But thats a story for another time.) He shakes it off, continuing his fight, grunting when the villain takes advantage of his distracted state to take a jab.

-*-*-*-

Izuku hums happily, wiggling his hips to the beat of the song as he showers. Shōta should be home soon, and Izuku wanted to ask about the distress signal. He wouldve after he finished work, but he had to stay overtime for paperwork and he figured it was easier to wait for his husband at home.

He turns the water off, still humming and dancing to the beat, and dries his hair. He gets dressed into comfy pjs, ready for cuddling before Shōta goes onto his patrol. He plops down onto the couch, turning on the TV, and waits.

.and waits.

.and waits.

.and waits..

Izuku is worried now. It was well past five oclock. Why the hell wasnt he home yet? Self depreciating thoughts start to ease into his mind and he shakes his head. Maybe something held him up at work, nothing big. --ubbed as the USJ incident. Officials say villains infiltrated UA grounds, in hopes of harming the students and teachers that were on a field trip there. There were reportedly three casualties, both teachers and one stu--

Izuku freezes, and his hands start to shake. The remote clatters to the ground, attracting their cats, and Izuku crumbles.

-*-*-*-

The funeral is held a week later. Izuku is numb. Hes so, so, so numb. He cant hear anything, all he can do is stare at the casket and wish, and hope, and pray, and beg it was all a dream. Beg he wakes up, Shōta comforting him and telling him it was just a bad dream.

He doesnt.

Instead, Shōta lay in a casket, looking as handsome as always. He was too,,, peaceful. His expression didnt suit him, it didnt suit the gruff and brash man Izuku knew and loved.

Izuku cries.

-*-*-*-

He ignores the apologies, not listening to anything anyone says. He thinks his mother visits at one point, convinces him to eat a thing or two, but he doesnt remember, hes too numb. Numb. Hes too numb to remember anything but Shōtas laugh, his smile, how he couldnt function until he had a cup of coffee. (Izuku would always laugh when he called it that. Saying it was just creamer with a splash of coffee.)

He reminicants back to when they first met, their first date, their first kiss, their first everything. Its painful, it hurts, so so so so bad.

Its better than the numb he usually feels.

-*-*-*-

Toshinori comes, along with Nezu. They seem guilty, but they offer him something.

...A job?

What job?

.teaching? At UA?

He might. Its better than sitting at home all day.

No matter what he did or said to himself, he couldnt bring himself to go on patrol. He knew the world needed him, needed their number one hero, needed their symbol of peace.

..but he couldnt give it to them.

-*-*-*-

He takes the job. He doesnt remember agreeing, but Toshinori is there the next morning to help him get ready, show him the ropes, introduce him to his class. ( Shōta s class.) Shōtas class needs a teacher now more than ever. UA delayed the sports festival as much as possible while looking for a new teacher, but it was in two weeks. They needed Izuku.

His eyes teared up at the thought of teaching. Shōta always tried to convince him he should, saying he would be a great foundational heroics teacher, with his analysis and all. Izuku would always laugh, say he was busy enough, that he couldnt run on two hours of sleep like Shōta could. Yet here he was, after the love of his life, the man who wanted him to do this, is dead, taking the job he always wanted him to.

Izuku wants to vomit.

-*-*-*-

Izuku stands at the front of the classroom, giving them the best smile he can muster. They all look at him with wide eyes. Oh yeah,,,,hes the number one hero.

Probably not the replacement teacher you expect when your original one dies.

Izuku goes home after that.

-*-*-*-

Present Mic gives Izuku a big thumbs up, before turning on the mic and yelling whatever he yells at sports festivals. Apparently Shōta was supposed to help commentate this year, and Izuku had somehow been convinced to take his place.

It felt wrong.

He shouldnt be here.

Shōta should be here.

Rolling his eyes at his friends antics.

Making comments on his students.

Being as brash and as rude as usual.

This was wrong.

He shouldnt be here.

Why was he here?

Why did he agree to this?

He didnt want to.

He wanted to go home.

He wanted everyone to stop making noise.

He wants Shōta back.

He wants his husband. The man who could make him feel better in an instant like no one else could. No one else can, thats why Izuku is here, thinking this, doing this.

Izuku leaves early again.