Work Text:
“The rebuilding effort seems to be going strong so far,” Jeanist notes, checking over the map on the table in front of them.
“Only in the affluent areas of big cities,” Hawks replies dryly, drawing big black checks on different areas of the map. The downy feathers on his wings shudder as Endeavor pushes his chair back, making a loud screech as it scrapes across the floor.
“Better than nothing.” The dark circles underneath Endeavor’s eyes look permanent by this point, reminding Toshinori far too much of his own. They’re both getting older now, he supposes. Not even the greatest of heroes can resist the pull of age forever.
Age is no excuse for the slump of Hawks’ shoulders, though.
“Maybe you should let some of the others take over the planning for this?” Toshinori tries. “None of you have had a day off since…”
Since the raid. Or, even earlier, if he counted from when Hawks began his months-long infiltration mission.
“No rest for the wicked, right?” The smile Hawks gives him is bright, but his tone doesn’t match.
Toshinori’s been a hero long enough to recognize what’s really going on with the three of them: they’re punishing themselves. For the actions they took during the war, the actions they took before the war, for all the people they couldn’t manage to save. It’s the same attitude he himself had for so many years, the one that eventually drove him to almost work himself into an early grave.
He can’t stand seeing his legacy play out like this.
“Well, I think a day off is in order!” He tries to make his voice the same booming force it was in his All Might days, but judging from the expression on Endeavor’s face, it doesn’t have the same effect. Or is that just how Endeavor always looked at him? Toshinori hadn’t ever bothered to consider the man’s dislike of him before.
Maybe if he hadn’t been so focused on his own goals, he could’ve helped the Todorokis.
“We appreciate the sentiment, All Might, but I assure you that we’re all fine,” Jeanist interrupts his thoughts. “It takes more than a few rough days to rip us apart at the seams, like we’re just a pair of faded, worn-out—”
Hawks cuts him off. “Yes, we get it, thanks Jeanist. Anyway, how about you go check on the kids or something, All Might? Or maybe visit one of the shelters. I’m sure they’d love to see their Symbol of Peace.” Hawks guides him gently by the arm out the door of the room before Toshinori even realizes what’s happening. “We’ll let you know if we need a helping hand, alright?”
The door slams shut behind him.
Luckily, Toshinori has never been one to back down from a challenge; he'd never have become Number One if he was.
Unluckily, Endeavor, Hawks, and Jeanist are just as stubborn.
“All Might, really, why are you here again?”
He decided to start by trying to convince Hawks. Jeanist and Endeavor had worked alongside All Might for long enough that all the starry-eyed hero worship had mostly disappeared—or, in Endeavor’s case, it hadn’t been there in the first place. But Hawks was young, and he hadn’t even met Toshinori until that day in the hospital when Toshinori walked out of Midoriya’s room. While they’d worked closely enough together during the war effort, Toshinori was counting on the fact that Hawks still had the same innocent admiration of the Symbol of Peace that he could use to sway him into taking some time off.
He hadn’t counted on Hawks being annoyed that Toshinori was coming to check in on him.
“I figured you could use some coffee!” Toshinori tries, holding up the cold can of Hawks’ favorite overly-sweet brand. “And I thought it might be a good chance for us to talk, maybe over a meal?”
Hawks eyes him skeptically, but takes the drink anyway, downing half of it in one swig before burping loudly. The desk he’s sitting at is covered in scribbled-on documents, outlining where exactly every hero in the entire country is stationed. It looks like Hawks is still responsible for the vast majority of planning, even now that he’s been cleared to return to full active duty.
“Sorry man, I already ate.” Hawks taps his fingers on the side of the can a few times. “You know, if you wanna get dinner with someone, I think Jeanist is probably free? He usually eats a little later than I do.”
Toshinori brightens. Maybe Hawks isn’t annoyed by him after all? Probably just busy.
“Really?”
“Oh, for sure. Don’t bother texting him before you head over, though. He keeps his phone on Do Not Disturb in the evenings. But I’m sure he’d love to get dinner with you.”
“Well,” Toshinori fumbles, following Hawks to the door. “I guess I’ll go, then. Thanks for the tip! I’ll make sure to come a little earlier so I can treat you next time.”
“... Uh-huh. Sounds great.”
Jeanist answers the door looking more frazzled than Toshinori has ever seen him. His blue jean shirt is unbuttoned, revealing a white tank underneath, and his skin looks sallow from exhaustion. Most worryingly of all, his hair is completely ungelled. Jeanist hasn’t been seen with his hair out of place since he first debuted.
“All Might, what a… nice surprise this is. Is everything all right?” Jeanist opens the door to let him in, and All Might looks around to see boxes all around the apartment.
“Everything’s fine, I just came by to see if you wanted to go for dinner together! Are you moving? Do you need any help?”
“Oh, well.” Jeanist looks embarrassed, moving some of his things to clear off a space for Toshinori on the couch in the living room. “No, these are actually all things from when I moved a few months ago after first being released from the hospital at Kamino. I just haven’t had much time to unpack since then.”
The since Hawks put me in a bodybag goes unsaid.
“I’d be more than happy to help you get things unpacked if you’d like. Maybe after dinner?” Toshinori asks hopefully. Jeanist looks thin, thinner than unusual, and it worries him.
“I’d be more than happy to cook, All Might, but maybe another time? I’m in the middle of a few things right now.”
“I’m not asking you to cook! I was planning to take you out. It seems like you could use a break.”
Jeanist grimaces at this, and Toshinori wonders when he became so unpopular among other heroes. Maybe his retirement did more damage to his reputation than he realized. Although, he can’t truly blame them, given the mess that they’ve all been forced to inherit from him.
“I think it’s best I stay out of the public eye for now,” Jeanist says gently. “People are not comfortable with my presence currently.”
Toshinori could kick himself. Of course Jeanist doesn’t want to go out to a restaurant. Long gone are the days where heroes were cheered in the streets, and the Top Three have gotten the brunt of public criticism.
And still, Toshinori can’t help but admire the way that Jeanist tied his own stocks to Hawks’ and Endeavors’ when they were at their lowest.
“I apologize. I didn’t even think of that. I just heard you usually eat dinner around this time, and thought it’d give you a chance to have some time for yourself.”
“It’s not your fault,” Jeanist reassures him, smiling enough that his eyes crinkle at the edges with wrinkles that Toshinori’s never noticed before. “Can I ask, though, who told you I usually eat dinner now?”
“Hawks!” Toshinori answers brightly. “I tried to grab a meal with him too, but he’d already eaten. He was nice enough to suggest coming by your place, though.”
Jeanist hmmms to himself, looking mildly annoyed as he types furiously on his phone. The phone dings in reply so fast that it surprises Toshinori—whoever Jeanist is texting must’ve been expecting a message from him.
“Well, I’m sorry to send you away like this, All Might, but I think I’ll need to take a rain check for the night. Message me next time, and I’ll make sure to clear my schedule for you.”
“I will! Apologies for surprising you tonight, Hawks said you wouldn’t see any messages anyway because you keep your phone on silent in the evenings.”
Toshinori thinks that Jeanist’s smile starts to look a little strained, but he’s probably just imagining things. Jeanist shoots off another rapid-fire text without looking at his phone, and his phone dings three times in return before he throws it on the couch.
“So nice of him to warn you about my texting habits, isn’t it?”
Toshinori agrees, and promises to give him a call next week to cement their dinner plans together.
He leaves feeling significantly more cheered than he’d been when leaving Hawks’ place.
“Endeavor—”
“No,” Endeavor replies, and shuts the door in his face.
A couple weeks of failed attempts at getting the Top Three to relax later, Toshinori is at his limit.
He wraps his sweater a little tighter around himself, trying not to shiver. It’s oddly cold for summer. The voices in the room blend together in a low buzz that makes it near impossible for Toshinori to pick out what’s being said by who. He knows he should listen, knows it’s important, but everything is just a little bit fuzzy.
“Uh, All Might? Everything alright?” Best Jeanist nudges him on the shoulder, and he startles and nods quickly, trying to look more alert.
“Just fine! Sorry, you know how old men are, always nodding off!”
Hawks stares at him for a second before going back to the map of the city in front of them. They’re trying to work out new patrol routes—the current ones leave everyone too burnt out—and Toshinori just… can’t… focus…
A red feather stops his face just before it slams into the table.
“Are you sick?” Endeavor asks, and he sounds oddly angry about it. Then again, at their best Endeavor has only seemed to tolerate his presence. If Toshinori is sick, he’s probably angry at him for possibly spreading his germs around.
Wait, am I sick?
“Huh,” he manages out loud. “I guess I am. My apologies, I didn’t realize. I never really got sick as All Might.”
“Don’t apologize, we should’ve realized sooner you weren’t feeling well,” Jeanist soothes. Endeavor seethes, and Hawks looks… uncomfortable. Is he sick too? Toshinori really will feel awful if he’s infected one of them.
“Well, I’ll head home to get some rest,” he says, and wobbles as he stands. He tries to smile, but it feels a little strained. Has he really gotten this weak from just a little cold?
Hawks sighs loudly. “We’ll take you home. If anyone finds out we let All Might go home by himself while he was completely defenseless, they’ll riot in the streets. And we just got those re-paved.”
Toshinori zones out for most of the journey home—or maybe he just falls asleep. The leather seats of Endeavor’s car are rather comfortable. It’s not until the four of them make their way into Toshinori’s apartment that he truly starts to relax, though. His shoulders slump down and tension he didn’t realize he’d been carrying bleeds slowly out of his body as he sinks into his favorite armchair. He honestly doesn’t even realize the other three heroes are still there until Jeanist awkwardly clears his throat.
“Do you mind if I use your kitchen? I’ll make something easy on your stomach.”
Toshinori’s eyes go wide and he struggles to get up from his spot in his chair. How could he be so rude? “Oh no, you’re the guest! I could never let you cook.”
A red feather gently pushes back against his chest.
“Just sit,” Endeavor huffs. “Let someone else take care of it.”
He’s sitting awkwardly on the couch that’s always empty—Toshinori’s glad he bought the oversized one now, looking at Endeavor. Although it doesn’t seem to be great for Hawks, whose wings flap awkwardly until he pulls his knees under him and throws an arm over the side. Endeavor huffs out in what Toshinori guesses is a laugh, and Hawks glares before reaching forward for the remote.
“Got any requests? We’ll keep the volume down in case you wanna catch a nap.”
“Are you all staying?” Toshinori asks. “You’re all so busy, you don’t have to stick around here just to take care of an old man like me.”
Toshinori can only make out Hawks’ grimace in the dimly lit room because of the lights from the TV flickering across his face.
“I asked the Lurkers if they could take over for an evening. I’ve owed you a rain check on dinner for a while, right? Think we all do.”
“I don’t owe—” Endeavor cuts off with a wheeze and clutches at his stomach. Hawks leans back in his seat beside him.
“Todoroki, come help me in here if you plan on being an ass,” Jeanist calls, and Endeavor grumbles, but gets to his feet and walks away. Toshinori smiles at the sight. It’s not what he expected, to see Endeavor so close to the Number Two and Three heroes after their own relationship was always so strained by competition, but it’s nice.
“BJ told us we should apologize to you.”
Toshinori blinks. “For what?”
Hawks sighs and runs a hand through his hair, ruffling the back of it. “For giving you the run-around when you were just trying to look out for us. I should’ve just…” He trails off, then leans over and puts his head in between his knees. He looks especially young. “I’m not good at slowing down. It’s hard to take time off. Feels like I’m failing people.”
All Might knows that feeling all too well. Toshinori might know it even better.
“I forgive you,” he says, closing his eyes and listening to the sound of the TV droning behind them. “On one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“Make sure this isn’t the last time you all come here for a visit.”
Toshinori thinks he hears Hawks mutter an agreement, but he isn’t sure since he keeps dozing on and off. It’s peaceful, and with the three of them here—finally resting—he feels like his worries are so much less.
He drifts back into awareness to the sound of voices and the smell of something rich and salty wafting through his apartment.
“I’m surprised he fell asleep that easily.”
“Really? Dude’s like eighty, doesn’t take much to drift off at that age. You’d know, right, Endeavor?”
“Hawks—”
“I’m awake,” Toshinori interrupts, rubbing at his eyes hard enough that black spots appear in his vision. “Is everything okay?”
“Dinner’s ready. I made chicken soup. Do you feel up to eating?”
His appetite has been mostly non-existent since his near-fatal injuries all those years ago, but the smell of warm soup makes his mouth water now.
“Of course. I’m not giving up my chance to finally get you three to have dinner with me!”