𝚆𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚗 𝙱𝚎 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚎𝚜 | 𝙼𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚘 𝙰𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚊 - 𝙾𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚜

- 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝙶𝚘𝚕𝚍 -

Toshinori narrowed his eyes slightly and said "It can't be nothing if it has your interest, Young Midoriya."

Midoriya lifted his eyes slightly and felt his face turn red in embarrassment.

'Why would the greatest hero in the world be interested in boring old literature?'

Toshinori's eyes softened at the boy in front of him and felt the usual blood trickle from his mouth. He casually wiped it away and patted the boy's head.

"My boy, I was only asking since you seemed enthusiastic about it. But if you don't feel comfortable about sharing then that's perfectly fine. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to."

Midoriya looked into Yagi's eyes and only found sincerity.

After a moment of contemplation, Izuku found the courage to speak up. "I guess it couldn't hurt, but don't expect anything too exciting."

Yagi nodded and gave the boy his attention.

"The poem goes like this." Izuku started.

"Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

The leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay."

Once Midoriya finished, Yagi looked at him with a thoughtful look on his face, as if he was about to say something.

"Some American poet named Robert Frost wrote it. I always remembered it because I never quite knew what he meant." Izuku said to no one in particular as he continued to gaze at the golden sunset.

Toshinori turned to his successor and said, "I think I have an idea of what he meant."

Midoriya gave the hero a curious look as Toshinori began to speak. "The phrase 'Nothing gold can stay' is symbolizing that no beauty or joy, no good thing, can last forever. At least that's what I can infer from it."

Izuku stayed silent for a few moments before shrugging. "I guess I never thought of it like that. But what if the feeling I'm experiencing right now won't last forever?"

Yagi then turned and gave Midoriya his signature smile. "Not to worry, my boy. Things don't last forever, but as long as we continue to remember, those memories will never die. We just have to stay gold, my boy!"

Seeing All Might's smile immediately brightened Izuku's mood. "Yeah, I'll stay gold too!"

As the pair laughed, Toshinori saw flecks of golden light dancing in Izuku's eyes and engrained the boy's smile into his memory, where it should remain forever.

The mentor and student stayed until the sun went down.

-

A year later, Yagi found himself standing in the rain with a grim expression on his face as he watched his successor-No, his boy, slowly losing himself day by day.

It had been weeks since the war's aftermath had begun to plague what was left of society, which wasn't much by all means.

While it seemed the war was put on pause for most people in Japan, Toshinori was certain the war had never stopped.

The peace All Might had brought crumbled by a wave of All For One's hand.

Even now, Yagi could recall the moment when this nightmare began. The little girl, Eri, had been shuffling nervously on his lap as they watched the news broadcasting the damage Shigaraki's quirk had caused.