Izuku's Time Traveling Babysitting Service

Chapter Five

{}

How to Smile

{}

"There's nothing weird going on with me, Shiozaki," Itsuka said in reply to Ibara's probing gaze while ignoring Setsuna's jostling. "He's stuck taking care of a kid, and I simply wanted to help. I like kids and deal with them a lot at my family's dojo. That's all," she protested.

"Well, who's kid is it? Who is he babysitting for?" Setsuna leaned in.

Itsuka shrugged while looking away. "I don't know. Some friend of his," she lied unconvincingly. Her cheeks grew hot, flushed with awkwardness.

"False answer," Yui commented without looking up from her food. She didn't elaborate further. There was no need.

Ibara gasped. "Kendo, if you know whose child that is, and you're keeping it a secret… oh no! She's Midoriya's child, isn't she?"

Setsuna didn't relent on her flanking attack, striking while Itsuka was sputtering and off-balance. "So, who's the mom?"

"I, I don't know. I swear I… oh crap," Itsuka gripped her forehead, realizing she'd just made things worse.

"Truth. She doesn't know," Yui said before popping some sashimi in her mouth.

Ibara sighed in relief. "Well, at least that means you're not a teenage mother," she said. "Still, though, I can't believe that Midoriya was intimate so early in life." Ibara clasped her hands together as if she would break out in prayer at any moment. Maybe she was devoting part of her mind to that task, silently, while participating in the conversation.

Setsuna's smirk became more substantial, a leering grin. "That still doesn't answer why you're staring so hard at Midoriya. Although, if he's a good dad by himself, then maybe mommy is out of the picture. Any maternal ambitions, Kendo? Are you thinking of replacing her, becoming that girl's mother, Midoriya's girlfriend?"

Itsuka shook her head in protest even as her cheeks grew hotter, her eyes wilder as if looking for a path of escape. "No! No, nothing like that! I just want to help him out. I'm not interested at all," she protested.

This time, Yui looked up from her food and stared at Itsuka, trapped by Ibara's concern and Setsuna's fun. Whatever Yui was going to say could free or doom Itsuka forever, leading to the matter being dropped or giving Setsuna fuel to tease Itsuka for days if not weeks. The quiet girl and Itsuka made eye contact, and somehow, in that moment, Itsuka managed to beg her classmate with just her eyes: please don't say anything.

Yui's smile was subtle and short-lived. If Itsuka hadn't been looking, she'd have missed it.

"False answer," Yui synced the words with her lips without vocalizing them.

Itsuka couldn't hear anything after that. Neither Ibara's entreated about impropriety or Setsuna's lecherous insinuations about Midoriya already knowing what went where reached Itsuka's ears. Her doubts roared from within her, triggered by Yui's analysis of her motives.

Her heart felt like it would split in two as she allowed her tear-filled gaze to once again fall on Midoriya across the room as he awkwardly fended off a barrage of questions from his friends while his daughter stuffed more ravioli into her face.

A lone tear trailed from her eye. That child from the future wasn't Itsuka's. Seeing Midoriya as a great father, though, one who'd bend time and space to protect his family, made her see him in a different light. That child wasn't Itsuka's, but she wished that it could be. For their sake, though, Itsuka swore to swallow these feelings just like Yui had restrained her words.

Ibara's hand resting on top of hers stirred Itsuka from her thoughts. "Kendo, you're crying. We didn't mean to tease you so much. I'm sure Setsuna isn't serious," their botanical-haired classmate said while silently urging Setsuna to back down.

Itsuka shook her head, "No, it's not you two. I just, well, I'm not Nana's mom, and I'm never going to be. I might like that, but it's not going to happen. And you know what? That's okay." She let out a long breath, releasing the emotions welling up in her gut.

Allowing her gaze to fall on father and daughter one more time, Itsuka found her resolve.

No, Midoriya Izuku. You and I don't end up together, no matter how much I'm learning about you and the kind of man you'll become. Someone else is going to watch you grow into that man and make that beautiful little girl with you. I hope they know how lucky they are, and I hope I'm at least half as lucky as them. I'll be the best aunt, the best friend, that your family will ever know. I swear it.

As painfully sharp as the emotion in her breast was, Itsuka hoped it would last forever. While watching Midoriya wipe sauce from Nana's face, she knew it would.

{}

"It's like I told you before, I'm just babysitting," Izuku insisted.

"Yes, Deku, but what you haven't explained is why. You're a student, and it's during the school day. There are daycare facilities for times like this. Having Kendo help makes sense now that you mention the different schedules for each class, but this is a lot for the two of you. Maybe you should call your mom?" Ochako pressed on the issue, trying to find out the rationale for all of this.

Izuku couldn't answer her. He'd learned a few principals about time travel. When it was stable and safe, it worked almost like a yo-yo. His future self, the hero Deku would become, tugged onto his past through Mei's machine. Doing so pulled Izuku into the future. Whenever it was safe, Deku would pull again, and Izuku had to be near Nana when that happened so he could bring her home.

There wasn't a version of her in the future to make the pull. Not to the correct time-coordinates, at least.

Izuku chose earlier not to think about what kind of threat inspired Deku to send his daughter back in time, or the possibility that the yo-yo might get cut at the source. If the villain in the future defeated Deku, then Nana would be stranded, but she'd be safe and loved.

"It has to be me," Izuku insisted. "He trusted me with his little girl. No one else. I can let Kendo or others help me, but I need to reach Nana, rushing out of class if I have to, the moment that my friend calls me."

Tenya made chopping motions and commended Izuku for helping a friend in need. Asui thought out loud about how strangely specific these instructions seemed. Ochako, though, was captivated by the intensity of Deku's willpower. It felt like an aura, like the air around him was heavier with the burdens he was taking on by himself.

"Deku, can I," Ochako was going to say something when she looked at Nana, at her sparkling green eyes and a ravenous hunger for more ravioli, her sauce-covered hands, and mouth, stuffing her cheeks like a squirrel.

Nana hadn't touched her fork. It was clean.

"You're old enough to use that fork when you eat," Ochako blurted out.

Nana froze with a piece of ravioli in her hand. She looked across the table at Ochako with large fearful eyes. Her mouth was too full to make a coherent reply. Instead, she mumbled something that sounded like an apology but ended up as nonsense.

Izuku stared at her with barely contained shock. Nana never obeyed him with nearly as much remorse. He was both excited by what this could mean but desperately afraid that the next moment would irreparably alter the future.

"Here, Nana, let me help you clean up. Chew your food and then apologize properly to Aunt Ochako," he said, enunciating his instructions slowly and carefully to her.

Nana's eyes refocused on her Papa. Her heart trembled with confusion. What was she supposed to do? What was Papa saying? None of this made any sense.

"Remember the mission," he whispered while cleaning her face and hands. Her look of unwavering determination melted his heart.

The mission! Nana reminded herself of everything big-Papa had said before sending her on her trip with smaller-Papa. She had to keep the secret! The secret!

Nana bounced in her seat while Papa cleaned her up. The secret! She rattled inside with it. She knew something no one else did! It was her and Papa! No one else knew!

Nana may have forgotten that Aunt Itsu knew the secret. Rather, she completely forgot. No, this secret was one she shared only with Papa. It had to stay that way!

Izuku did his best to contain himself when Nana grabbed her fork with a freshly wiped hand. "Sorry, Aunt Ocha," she said slowly while looking down at her ravioli.

The moment passed, and Ochako nodded and smiled. "That's better, Nana," she said before she locked in on something. She turned her eyes to Deku and asked him pointedly, "You and she both just called me Aunt. What's that about?"

"That is rather curious," Asui asserted, backing Ochako up on this.

Izuku felt like he was going to completely sweat through his uniform, both the shirt and the jacket. His tie felt constricting around his neck.

"Young Midoriya!" boomed out the voice of his savior, All Might.

"All Might!" Izuku cried out, standing up from his lunch.

Eijiro backed away to let Toshinori walk directly up to the table. Even in his emaciated form, the gaunt man commanded admiration and respect.

"Several of your teachers would like to speak to you about the classes you're missing. I don't want to cut your lunch short, but could you and Miss Nana accompany me?" he asked as though it would be an imposition, rather than the deliverance Izuku was secretly praying would come.

Nana stared at this newcomer, unable to place exactly where she'd seen him before. She knew she'd seen this face, but it just wasn't clicking in her head. She scrunched up her eyebrows as if doing that would help.

Izuku put the lid on what he had hoped to eat before turning back to Nana. "Nana, are you almost done eating?"

With a look of alarm on her face, Nana quickly used her fork to shovel three more ravioli into her mouth, stuffing her cheeks full. She gave Izuku a thumbs-up signal while chewing one of them, likely meaning that she'd suck them out from her cheeks to chew and swallow one at a time.

"I'll get your trays, dude, you got enough to do," Eijiro said.

"Thank you, Kirishima. Everyone, I'll see you later during civics!" Izuku stood before helping Nana down from her seat next to him. She chewed, held his hand, and walked at the same time. The two followed Toshinori out of the cafeteria.

"Man, that girl is a bottomless pit," Eijiro observed while picking up her tray.

Ochako didn't respond. Instead, she stared at the door where Deku and his charge just left. None of this was adding up.

"You're thinking of hosting a mandatory class 1-A meeting this evening and interrogating Midoriya, aren't you?" Asui observed before blurting her usual "kero" at the end.

Ochako nodded, and Tenya took that as his call to action. "I'll discuss it with Yaoyorozu," he said.

"Oh, boy. Bro is going to have a heck of a day," Eijiro muttered to himself while walking away with these trays.

Once Eijiro got back to his own seat, his main bro Bakugou regarded him with a sidelong glance. "Yo, Shitty Hair. Your sad face is ruining my lunch. Talk," he ordered.

Eijiro looked at his friend, the only other student that knew Midoriya's secret, though he pretended not to know a thing. Would he open up if Eijiro did?

{}

Once they reached the teachers' lounge, Izuku finally felt free enough to speak. "So, um, All Might, which teachers wanted to speak with me?"

The man laughed heartily despite his frail frame. He tapped his chest with an outstretched thumb. "Why, this teacher does! That was a clever ruse, Young Midoriya. What I wanted was to meet Young Nana. Don't worry, Principal Nezu and Aizawa informed me of the full situation. Your secret is safe with the three of us."

Stress evaporated off Izuku's shoulders as the air left his lungs. For once, he felt safer dealing with teachers and pro-Heroes than he did his classmates.

"Who are you?" Nana blurted out.

Izuku jumped to attention. "Nana, this is All Might, my teacher."

Toshinori knelt on the floor, placing himself closer to her level. "It's very nice to meet you, Nana."

Nana squinted her eyes. "I know what All Might looks like. You're not him. You're not a small-sized person either like Papa."

Toshinori was shocked by her confrontation but knew immediately how best to handle it. He inhaled deeply and braced himself before puffing up his muscles. He couldn't reach his zenith of strength, but his buff form was nothing if not impressive, especially to a small child.

Nana's eyes grew larger as is keeping in proportion with All Might's body. Laughing, she jumped and then ran over to him, hugging onto him even though her tiny arms couldn't contain him. She latched on, holding onto him as if afraid he'd disappear.

"Papa talks about you all the time!" Nana little fists grabbed up handholds on his shirt like he was a rock wall for her to climb. "Why don't you ever visit?"

Izuku couldn't help sucking in his breath. No, he wanted to say it out loud. No! All Might couldn't be gone in that future!

Toshinori, though, took Nana's outburst in stride. He coped with the idea of his mortality long before today. "I did visit, but you were too little to remember," he said while patting the back of her head.

That thought, though it was meant as a comforting lie, sent Izuku's mind spiraling back to the future. "Nana, you know that picture of Papa and All Might, the big framed one?" he said, causing both his idol and his future daughter to turn towards him.

Nana nodded. "I like that picture," she said. "I like that Papa and All Might have the same smile!"

Izuku continued, his smile growing as he did. "That photo was taken three years ago. You were only one year old then, too young to remember."

Nana's cheeks puffed up with a thought. "So," she scrunched up her eyebrows, willing the idea into existence. "So, All Might was there when Mama made me?"

"Of course, I was," All Might replied with a hearty chuckle. "I wouldn't miss your first birthday for anything in the world, Nana. You're especially important." He gave her the slightest tap on the nose.

Her smile was large enough to light up the world. "Really?" she asked as a tiny teardrop left her eye.

"Super important. Did you know that you were named for my teacher, the woman who trained me to be a hero?" Toshinori asked.

Izuku felt his heart grow warm when Nana nodded. "Papa told me she was amazing, and that she made you strong! She taught you how to smile!"

Toshinori laughed again. "That she did! She made me work hard, that's for sure!"

Nana's eyes got big, and her lip quivered. Izuku hadn't known her long, but he knew that she was about to ask for something. "All Might, will you come see me at home soon? Papa said I don't get to stay here long."

All Might smiled warmly at her. All of his hopes for the future, the realized dreams of his successor, stared back at him with awe and wonder that only a child's eyes could contain. Little did this girl know that she was the most amazing person in the room. "I'll try to visit, but for now, I'd like to spend as much time with you while you're here. What if we let Young Midoriya, er, Papa here, study. While he does that, you can tell me all about your house, and your Mama, and even your Papa while he's not listening!"

Nana's mouth formed gaping "Oh" of uncontainable excitement. She balled her little fists and rattled with uncontrollable energy. "Oh, Oh! Papa said I can't talk about anything about him or Mama! It's a secret! I can't even tell Papa! It's our mission!"

She looked ready to explode. If Nana didn't let out all the words bubbling up inside of her, maybe she would.

Izuku stepped in. "Nana, if you can tell one person about the mission, it's All Might. You can tell him all the secrets behind the mission, even the parts you're not supposed to tell me, alright?"

Nana was so happy that she screamed, which turned into a torrent of laughter. "Papa! Thank you!"

Izuku would never get over the feeling of Nana running to him and hugging him. "Thank you, Papa! I love you!" He'd never get over that either.

"I love you too, hero-princess," he said, holding her gently.

After the hug, Nana bolted to grab All Might's hand. "All Might! Let's get ice cream! Then I'll tell you all about Mama and Papa!"

He managed to chuckle in reply to that even while deflating before their eyes. "I think that's a fine idea. I know a park nearby where your Papa can do some schoolwork while we sit far enough that he can't hear us talk about the mission," he said, smiling conspiratorially with her.

Izuku was worried. They'd just had lunch, and his next class was one where Itsuka was supposed to watch her. "Um, All Might, um…"

"She can have ice cream, Young Midoriya," All Might said.

Nana beamed up at her Papa. All Might, who she wanted to meet since forever, was going to get her ice cream and then listen to her tell every story she could about Mama, and Papa, and her. "Do you want some too, Papa?" she asked.

Izuku smiled. "Yeah, let's all go get ice cream."

"Yay!" Nana pumped up her free fist into the air, showing both man and teen her sense of victory. They each knew the gesture well. It seemed that Nana had inherited it, like a torch from parent to child.

After a few quick text messages explaining the change of plans, the trio left for ice cream and a short afternoon break at a nearby park. Just as planned, Izuku sat at a different bench with his single scoop while Nana and All Might talked all about everything the future had in store. None of it would be spoiled for Izuku, so long as All Might kept everything Nana said a secret.

Looking over and away from his textbook, Izuku saw tears well up in All Might's eyes at whatever Nana was saying, but his smile was unwavering. The two laughed at jokes only they shared, and Nana often accompanied her stories with sweeping hand gestures and guttural noises. Izuku couldn't tell if she was describing a battle against a giant monster, something Kacchan did, or maybe how mad Mama got over something.

All Might laughed, and so did Nana. Izuku smiled, glad that today was such a good day. His teacher and mentor looked over to him, and something told Izuku that today wasn't just a happy memory in the making. Somehow, this was exactly what each of them needed. For once, it was All Might being saved. He wasn't rescued from danger but from his anxiety about what the future would bring.

All Might's smile wasn't a tool to reassure others. Not today. Today it was a genuine grin as he looked forward to a brighter and better world, a world with Nana in it.

There was nothing to fear. Nana would be here.

{}

A Note from the Author

{}

I meant to sit down and write out a chapter of "The Reflection in the Viridescent Mirror" but forgot that my home would have so many guests in it. Since this fic is more comfortable to write with background distractions than any of my other work, I opted to do this instead. So, here you go!

Thank you all for showing this, and my other works, so much love. At 39 Reviews, 217 Followers, 153 Favorites, and 7,058 Views, this is doing respectably well on FFN. Meanwhile, on AO3 you all have given me 176 Subscriptions, 5,340 Hits, 248 Kudos, 65 Comment Threads with 151 Comments, and 88 Bookmarks! Thank you all so much!

Alright! Onward now to "The Reflection in the Viridescent Mirror!" For more updates regarding changes to my rotation schedule, such as this time, please join me on Discord. Our community is small but welcoming! You can find us at discord. gg/25BTet3 (remove spaces) and can bug me for updates there. I also drop tiny snippets from chapters as I draft them.