staring at the sun
Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia Rating: General Pairing: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Toshinori Yagi | All Might (EraserMight), with a heavy dose of Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic friendship Note: Prompt fill for Day 1 from @erasermight-week / Sun | Light | Send my love down in those rays of light. Through your window on your tired eyes
"He’s…the sun. He still belongs to the people, he’s not something that can be held on to, hoarded, or hidden away. This is who he is, what he is.”
AO3: (x)
Hizashi finds him in the plaza. The sun is just starting to rise, glinting off the windows of the surrounding buildings but all the lights seem drawn to the statue standing tall in the middle of it all. All Might’s victory pose over All for One in the fight that shocked the world.
“It’s cold as shit out here,” he says, shoving his hands deeper into the pockets of his coat and dropping onto the bench besides Shouta. Shouta’s shoulders are hiked high, his face half-buried in his capture weapon, but that was such a typical look for him, it was hard to tell if he was bothered by the cold at all.
He stares at the statue before them, mostly ignoring Hizashi’s presence, save for a quiet huff. There are gifts and flowers piled all around the base of the statue, high enough to reach the statue’s feet in some places and spilling out into the walkway in others.
“How long have you been out here?” he asks as a new person arrives, leaving another bouquet of roses at the base of the statue and bowing before it.
“I don’t know.” His voice cracks like it hasn’t been used in a long time, or perhaps used too much. “Why are you here?”
Hizashi sighs, sinking further on the bench. He feels like one giant bruise, every inch of him sore and grimy with blood and dirt and god knows what else. His throat is raw and his head pounds with a headache that has him desperate to take out his hearing aides and lie in silence for at least a few minutes, but he was thoroughly checked out and given an okay to leave with no major injuries. He just has something to take care of, first, then finally some rest. “To drag your stubborn ass back to the hospital.”
“I’m fine.” Shouta grunts.
“The broken leg and three broken ribs I know you have beg to differ, but it’s not for you. It’s for him.” He jerks his head towards the memorial. “He’ll want you there when he wakes up.”
Shouta laughs once, harshly and Hizashi flinches at the brutal sound. “If All Might wakes up, what would he want me around for?”
“You can’t live in denial forever, Shou. One day you’re gonna have to wake up and realize he’s been in love with you for ages. I think now’s a good as time as any to suck it up and face the music, because he will wake up. All Might doesn’t go down that easy.”
Shouta doesn’t say anything for so long, Hizashi leans over to make sure he’s still awake – and breathing.
“Oh Shou,” he breathes, watching his friend’s bloodshot eyes flash an angry, frustrated red. “You said something to him, didn’t you?”
Shouta shoves his shoulders higher still, slipping down the bench until he’s no longer at eye-level with Hizashi.
“What did he say?”
He exhales slowly, shakily. “’You can’t mean that. You can’t love me, Aizawa.’”
“Oof.” Hizashi winces in sympathy, though if it’s really for Shouta or Toshinori, he isn’t sure. “How long have you been dwelling on that one?”
“Since he and Midoriya ran off.”
“…Maybe you’re interpreting it wrong.”
Shouta glances at him out of the corner of his eye. “What else could that possibly mean?”
“Maybe he was just in disbelief over your spectacularly terrible timing.”
His mouth quirks into a small smile, if only just for a moment. “Fuck off.”
Hizashi tosses his head back and laughs. “Hey now, there’s no need for that kind of language. I can’t believe that old man was such a bad influence on you.”
Shouta shoves him, only for both of them to end up bent over with a groan of pain for his effort.
“Ass.”
When things have finally stopped throbbing excessively, more people have appeared. A whole group of people, arms stuffed with gifts to leave around the statue or wrapped tightly around each other, shuffle towards the middle of the plaza, completely unaware of the onlookers. Some of them are crying. All of them are in or carrying some form of All Might memorabilia.
“It doesn’t matter either way.” Shouta finally says softly. His eyes follow the group. “I didn’t say it expecting him to say anything back, just…if something happened.”
“Well that’s very noble…and selfish of you.”
Shouta ignores him. “I wanted him to know. But nothing was ever going to come of it, no matter what happened tonight. I had thought once, maybe, he was retired, and the world was changing…we were changing. But after tonight, and after sitting here, I know there’s no future for us. He’s…the sun.”
“That’s remarkably poetic, for you, but what do you mean?”
“He still belongs to the people, he’s not something that can be held on to, hoarded, or hidden away. This is who he is, what he is.”
Hizashi stands up from the bench full of a new burst of energy he didn’t quite know how to channel just yet. It’s a struggle to keep his voice low and level. “All Might will always be for the people, as a symbol. But Toshinori hasn’t been living as a symbol for a long time.” He grabs Shouta’s arm and pulls him to his feet, cautious of his injured side. “It’s time you opened your eyes to that.”
“Hizashi-” Shouta tries to protest, but, uninjured, Hizashi is stronger, and continues to drag him from the plaza.
“And who cares if he’s the sun? So what? If that’s the case, then you’re gonna be the cloud that steals him away for a few minutes and everyone can just deal with that.”
“You’re ridiculous. Let go of me.”
“And,” he plows on. “Before you go making any declarations of what can and can’t be of your relationship, I think the other person involved should get a say in it.”
Shouta signs quietly. “…You’re right.”
“I know I am.”
Shouta rolls his eyes at the cocky grin Hizashi tosses over his shoulder at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now hurry up, you’ve got bones to heal and a man to kiss!”
“’Hurry up’? I’ve got a broken leg!”
“Well you got out here by yourself just fine.”
“Oh, for god’s sake.”
