Chapter Text
“It must be a slow week. The tabloids are at it again,” Aizawa commented as he browsed the kiosk. Yagi looked over to check out the indicated headline:
ALL MIGHT’S GAY AGENDA
Curious, Yagi picked the magazine up. The article read like American sensationalism, speculating on how the former No. 1 hero-turned-teacher was living off the secured UA campus with another man, and was that a good influence for not only the students he taught, but for everyone who ever looked up to him? Yagi had thought he’d done a good job dropping off the radar the past couple years, but the media was full of very tenacious people with long memories. No one used to know his real name, but he supposed it would be near impossible to keep out of public record now, after the broadcast of his final fight against All For One. Still, he must have been dropping from public memory if it took the tabloids almost an entire year to realize he was living with another man. It almost hurt his pride that he was replaced so easily in the limelight, but Midoriya was thriving as a new pro hero and already making a great name for himself. Someday, Yagi would no longer be All Might, just “Deku’s predecessor”. Until then, he’d have to deal with occasional media attention.
“What do you want to do?” he asked, shoulders hunched. Aizawa hated being in the spotlight and Yagi refused to drag him onto the metaphorical stage with him. As much as he didn’t want to put their relationship on hold or, even worse, break up, he’d never force Aizawa into the position where he had to face the media because of him. The back of his neck felt hot with an anxious shame.
Aizawa rested a warm hand on his thin wrist—small touches were the most public affection Aizawa ever displayed. “We’ll talk about it later, okay? We’ll work it out together.” He squeezed lightly, a silent “I love you”, before withdrawing.
Yagi’s frantic heart, beating like a sparrow’s wings in his hollow chest, calmed. They would. This wasn’t Yagi’s problem to handle alone anymore, because “they” were a thing and “together” was how they handled situations, now. Yagi may have been slow at learning this, but he was starting to get it.
They boarded the train and headed to the school. Their trip went unhindered and Aizawa quietly napped, using the tight crowds to his advantage so he could rest his head against Yagi’s shoulder. For all his gruff, questionable behavior, Yagi knew Aizawa was quite perceptive. He could tell when Yagi was upset or worried and knew how to comfort him. Physical contact went a long way for Yagi’s mood. He counted himself lucky to have Aizawa, as he did every single day.
Yagi didn’t have classes until the afternoon session, so he hung out in the teacher’s lounge. He could have come in later in the day, but he enjoyed commuting with Aizawa. He read the news on one of the computers for a while. Snipe came in and they chatted about how his students were doing. Yagi and Snipe had a bond forged as older heroes. While Snipe was a relatively recent hero, the man behind the mask had a longer history of heroics, one he didn’t talk about often with their younger coworkers.
Eventually Snipe left to run a few errands before the afternoon session. Yagi left as well to visit Recovery Girl. Shuzenji checked him over.
“You’ve put on weight,” she observed. “Both muscle and fat. It isn’t a lot, but it’s an improvement.”
Yagi smiled at her. “Shouta makes sure I take care of myself.”
“He’s a good boy,” Shuzenji remarked. “If he’s half as strict with you as he is with his students, I’m not surprised that you’re getting better. How has your stomach been handling heavier foods?”
“Good,” he answered. “I still can’t handle fatty meats very well, or a lot of processed food. But rice, eggs, vegetables? As long as it’s in small amounts.”
She nodded as he spoke. “It sounds like you’re trying your best.” She patted his arm.
He was trying. Thanks to his students and Aizawa, he had reasons to take care of himself. Aizawa was so much younger than him, but he wanted to stick around for as long as he could, share as much of their lives as he could.
“Take care now,” Shuzenji gave him a kiss on the cheek that had nothing to do with her quirk and sent him on his way. She was always kind to Yagi, even when she used to scold him for encouraging Midoriya’s self-harming quirk. She reminded him of his old mentor sometimes. Even if she didn’t use her quirk, he always felt a little better when he talked to her.
He had about an hour until lunch, and then the afternoon classes. Yagi made his way back to the teacher’s lounge and idled his time on the computer. He stared at his own gaunt wrists for a moment, lifted his sleeve to see the bony arm connected to it. He had gained some muscle tone. His light, repetitive exercises were working.
The door opened and Yagi’s heart leapt at the sight of a familiar head of black hair. Aizawa’s eyes were narrowed at Yamada, who had an arm slung around his shoulder. Yamada grinned at something Aizawa was saying. Early in their relationship, Yagi was a little jealous of how close they were. Now that he knew Aizawa better, he was grateful that Yamada stuck by him for so long.
“Hey, what’s up, All Might!” Yamada’s voice was loud enough that Yagi put a finger in his ear to dull the noise.
“Hello, Yamada.” Yagi smiled in greeting. Aizawa’s closest friend was the exact opposite of him, and it wasn’t hard for Yagi to imagine a younger Yamada just deciding one day that Aizawa was going to be his friend, whether he wanted to or not.
Yamada took the seat next to Yagi and leaned in conspiratorially. “So, a little kitty told me that you’re tabloid fodder.”
Yagi raised his eyebrows and looked over Yamada’s shoulder to Aizawa, who had a hand over his face and was shaking his head. “I told Hizashi about that magazine this morning. We thought it might be smart to go on his show and make a statement. Whatever statement you want.” He paused and let his hand drop. “Only if you want, of course. You can also ignore it.”
“You think I should come out?”
“Or deny it.” Aizawa shrugged indifferently.
Yagi frowned. “I’m not going to deny you.” His lover may act like he didn’t care, but they both knew how Yagi handled this situation would say a lot about his view of their relationship.
“Thatta boy.” Yamada clapped a hand on Yagi’s shoulder. “Great catch, Shouta.” Standing again, a giant bubble of unfathomable energy, he curled his fingers into fists and put them on his waist. “So, All Might, you come on my show, and declare to the world, ‘it’s fine now, because I am queer!’.” Yamada finished by puffing out his chest in a heroic All Might fashion.
Yagi laughed. He couldn’t help it, but even though the thought of coming out terrified him, he laughed until his sides hurt.
Aizawa looked far less amused. “You don’t have to, remember,” he stated. His eyes held a question in them. Yagi could read him well enough by now to know what it was.
“I think I want to,” he answered. “If they’re all so interested, I should set the record straight, so to speak. It’s not like I have a hero career to ruin anymore.” He shrugged. “Besides, if my coming out helps even one person be less afraid, isn’t that worth it?”
“Such a goddamn hero.” Aizawa’s voice held its same stoic tone but the corners of his mouth upturned a little. It wouldn’t have been a smile on anyone else, but for Aizawa, it may as well have been a grin.
“Don’t worry, though,” Yagi continued, “I’ll keep your name out of it. I don’t even have to mention that it’s another teacher.”
Aizawa’s face closed off again. It was subtle, but Yagi wondered what he did wrong. That wasn’t a discussion they needed to have in front of Yamada, though.
“It’s settled, then!” Yamada’s voice shook the tension out of the room, bless him. “Come on the show this evening. An exclusive All Might interview will bump the ratings. People love hearing from retro heroes.”
A pain stabbed through Yagi’s heart at the word “retro”. “Yeah,” he answered weakly, “sounds great.”
“Okay, listeners, I’ve got a special guest on the show tonight!” Yamada schmoozed into the microphone.
Yagi studied all the equipment surrounding him. He sat with Yamada in the sound studio, hooked up to a big pair of earphones. On the other side of a glass panel, sound personnel hovered over their equipment. The microphone in front of Yagi wasn’t active yet, but soon he’d push the little button, that red light would come on, and he’d make his announcement to the world. It was terrifying.
Aizawa stood in the corner, out of the way and a quiet anchor for Yagi. He was grateful.
“I have the former number one hero, the Symbol of Peace himself, All Might in the studio! He’s here for a little one on one interview with yours truly. How you feeling tonight, buddy?” Yamada gestured for Yagi to push the button on his microphone.
Yagi did so. This wasn’t his first radio interview, even if it had been a while. “Thanks, Mic.” It felt strange to switch to Yamada’s hero name. “I’m good.” His mouth was dry and tasted of blood, but he was relatively good.
The three of them had gone through a list of interview questions over their lunch break. Most of them were the standard fare for retired heroes: what are you doing now, what do you think of the newest crop of heroes, is there anything you wish you had done differently, the like. Yagi could answer these easily, especially given his great personal rapport with Yamada. This interview felt so easy, like two friends catching up. He smiled at Aizawa, who gave him a thumbs-up.
After a while, they opened the mic to listener questions. A couple asked about his current political views, but most of them were fans thanking Yagi for his work as All Might, wishes that he was still active, and prayers for his health. Yagi’s heart swelled. A part of him thought people had forgotten.
“Well, our time’s almost up, listeners, and there’s one more thing we’d like to address before we wrap things up.” Yamada raised an eyebrow and invited Yagi to take over the interview.
Yagi’s throat closed. He’d practiced in the ride over, every word he wanted to say. But now, faced with the moment, his head was empty.
“A tabloid published a story about you this morning,” Yamada prompted.
“Ah, yes,” Yagi coughed nervously. “I wanted to address that.”
Seeing him falter, Aizawa approached and stood behind him. He put his hands on Yagi’s shoulders. Yagi looked up at him and Aizawa nodded, smiling gently. Yagi beamed and turned back to the microphone. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yamada rolling his eyes dramatically.
“You guys are so gross!” Yamada stage-whispered before Yagi could press the button.
“Jealous,” Aizawa snapped back with mirth.
Yagi’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it and pressed his microphone’s button again. “I saw a tabloid today. It reported that I am currently living with another man, and made claims that, if true, this would be detrimental to the students that I teach at UA.” He took a deep breath.
“This is my coming out,” he spoke. “I am queer—bisexual, to be precise. I always have been. The subject never became an issue while I was a hero because of how busy I was, but now.” He paused for breath. “I’ve found someone that I am in love with. I won’t wax poetic describing him on air but suffice to say that he is a man.
“I’ve always been bi,” he reiterated. “This knowledge does nothing to change the things I’ve done in the past, or the people I’ve saved. This doesn’t change who I am because it’s always been a part of me. I hope that the world can understand this, and if I have disappointed anyone with this news, then,” he sighed and shook his head, “I won’t apologize. I hope that you can see past someone’s sexuality for who they are as a person.” His phone constantly buzzed now, warm in his pocket with the strain of incoming messages. “This is me.”
His brain was a mess, his words a jumble, all eloquence he wanted to handle this with gone.
Yamada took the pause in his speech to give Yagi a few moments to orient himself. “We have many callers asking if your boyfriend is a fellow hero or staff at UA.”
“He is a hero,” Yagi stated. “But I refuse to out him without his consent. He deserves what privacy he can afford.”
“And that’s respectable,” Yamada added firmly.
Yagi felt a shift behind him as Aizawa leaned over his shoulder and reached forward. He picked up the bulky microphone, dragging cables out of place. He pressed the button at the base and said, “uh, yeah, I’m Eraserhead, and I’m the one they’re talking about.”
Yagi couldn’t move. Every fiber of his being wanted to snatch the microphone away from Aizawa, but his muscles were frozen. Yamada, on the other hand, was doubled over in laughter. If he was trying to muffle it, he wasn’t very successful.
Aizawa, finger in his ear to dull the noise, had to speak up to be heard. “If All Might can be brave enough to face the world and come out, then I will, too.” His face revealed no emotion, but Yagi felt him shaking. “I am in love with him. I won’t deny him.”
Tears sprang up in Yagi’s eyes; he refused to let them fall.
“It’s hard to stay hidden,” Aizawa continued. “Hiding a part of yourself from those around you is exhausting. The anxiety of not knowing if they would accept the real you hurts. Those who come out to potential scorn are brave. Those who stay hidden out of preference or the need to do so are strong. We’ve come out today because we need to be seen. We need to be understood. We need those hidden to know that they are valid. So, yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I’m gay.”
Yamada took back over as Aizawa leaned forward again to set his microphone down. “And there you have it, listeners! Unfortunately, we’re out of time. Thanks for tuning in!” He abruptly switched off the system and motioned for the people on the other side of the window to start playing music. He immediately grabbed his phone and checked his social media. “I love you two,” he declared, quickly scrolling through his phone. “You’re trending, my show is trending.”
Yagi shot to his feet as soon as he remembered how to move and wrapped Aizawa in his arms. His breath, now that he could finally breathe again, shuddered as warm tears finally fell. A weight he hadn’t realized was there lifted. “I love you,” he whispered against Aizawa’s forehead. “I love you, I love you, I love you so much.”
Aizawa snorted. “You’re being mushy.” But when Yagi pulled away just enough to look down at him, the other man was smiling. He surged up on his tip toes while pulling Yagi’s head down enough to plant a firm kiss on his lips. “Softie. I love you, too.” He diverted his gaze and scratched embarrassedly behind his ear.
Yamada, silent for the longest Yagi had ever seen, was pretending not to be in the room, but Yagi couldn’t bring himself to care about the other man’s presence just then.
“You didn’t have to,” Yagi said. “Are you alright?”
“I wanted to. And yeah, I am good.” The look in Aizawa’s eyes made Yagi want to drag him home so he could kiss him more, until his lips were bruised and his lungs out of breath.
“Hey guys?” Yamada finally chimed in, bored with being ignored. “Nemuri wants you to call her, Shouta. Right now.”
Aizawa frowned before looking at Yagi. Yagi nodded and Aizawa took his phone out. He grimaced at the missed calls before excusing himself out of the room. Yagi himself was scared to check his messages—his phone was still vibrating. He knew Tsukauchi had listened to the show, and most of his students and fellow teachers as well.
Yamada stood and stretched. Yagi knew he had something to say, because he was too quiet that moment not to. “Hey.” He stood in front of Yagi and stared up at him. “Are you okay?”
Yagi nodded, cleared his throat, and answered. “I am. Thank you for the opportunity.”
Yamada scratched the back of his own head, ruffling his hair slightly. “You’re a good man. I know I gave you a lot of crap earlier on, but,” he faltered, “you’re worthy of him.” He held out his hand.
Yagi hesitated, wondering if he was dreaming this. The whole day felt like some sort of lucid dream. He took Yamada’s hand and shook it. “Thank you, Yamada.”
Yamada grinned, far more characteristic of his normal self. “My ratings, man! Through the roof.”
All Yagi could care about right then was how tired he felt. It hit him like a wave. Aizawa opened the door and Yagi simply gazed across the room at him. He was smiling.
There was going to be talk. Reporters were going to flock the UA campus. Principal Nezu would not be happy with them. But, looking at Aizawa, Yagi couldn’t give a damn.