Work Text:
Yagi Toshinori looks at the child in front of him. The tiny reckless boy that clung to his pant leg in a moment of thoughtless desperation and sees himself. A shadow of who he used to be: quirkless, hopeful, and desperate to help.
Toshinori looks at the child with the wild green hair and sees shadows of predecessors.
Toshinori looks at the boy with bright eyes and sees a future of peace and hope.
Toshinori looks at the boy with scars carved into his soul and not for the first time wishes the world was a kinder place.
Toshinori looks at the boy who could become something great and begs the cruel world he’s become accustomed to, to let this boy be young. To let him be a boy for a few more years. Let him grow and make friends, give him hope for a world without villainy.
Toshinori looks at the boy with an iron will and a heart of gold and thinks of Nana. He thinks of kind smiles and a hand on his head. He thinks of the man she faced, the man who almost ended All Might.
Toshinori looks at Izuku Midoriya and before he can regret it says “Yes, you can be a hero.”
Toshinori looks at his successor and hopes he made the right decision.